A/N: Not my best chapter. But, it's something! haha. Also a short chapter.
News: From now on, I have a new posting schedule. This story will be updated every Monday and Wednesday, and my new story "The Darkest Threat" will be updated every Wednesday and Friday. Weekends will be wildcard days just if I'm particularly muse-y.
Alright. Please ENJOY! And make sure you check out my new story "The Darkest Threat!" 3 review lovelies
A moon later, Swiftbreeze died from her sickness. By then, the loss of Robinwing had barely been swept away, and the grief of losing yet another well-respected cat washed over the clan like a tidal wave. Dustpaw, who still missed seeing his mother every day, felt less for Swiftbreeze, though he did know she had done much for Thunderclan. By the time the she-cat went to join Starclan, Leaf-bare had crashed upon them and two more cats were sick with whitecough - Poppydawn and Fuzzypelt. Though the sickness wasn't as severe as greencough, it could easily evolve into the deadly disease. Both the elders had been moved to the medicine cat den. Lately, Dustpaw noticed that Spottedleaf looked much more stressed and not as bright as she normally did. Losing so many cats at once had dampened her spirits.
The gathering was tonight, and Dustpaw was eagerly awaiting his leader's' approval for he and the other two apprentices to join the rest of the clan in going. The last gathering had been right after Robinwing's death, and Dustpaw hadn't gone, and he thought it might be because of his mother's death, which irritated him. Now, he was sure it was his turn. Sandpaw - sitting to his right - was already eating, as she had been approved the night before. Ravenpaw was staying behind this time, but it didn't seem to bother him much, especially since Tigerclaw - his mentor - was in fact going. Across the clearing, the brown tom noticed Redtail and Bluestar speaking beneath the high rock, and he wondered if they were talking about him.
"Hey, can you relax?" Sandpaw meowed from his side, making him jump slightly. "Obviously you'll go!"
"I don't know. I hope so,"
"Well, you've trained really hard lately. It'd be mouse-brained to not let you go." she pointed out. No longer had the words come from her mouth than Dustpaw saw his mentor stand and head towards him. When he grew closer, he nodded at Dustpaw with a gleam in his eyes.
"Bluestar says you can come with us to the gathering." Redtail told him. "You'd better have something to eat, we're leaving soon."
Dustpaw gave his mentor a nod of respect, then stood and padded over to the fresh-kill pile. At the last second, he decided he'd visit the medicine cat den before he ate himself, and - grabbing a nicely sized vole from the pile - headed that way. Inside, Fuzzypelt and Poppydawn were in nests side-by-side. The she-cat was sleeping, her breathing labored and loud, but Fuzzypelt was awake, watching Spottedleaf as she shuffled through some herbs to make a mixture.
"You should go to the gathering, Spottedleaf. I can look after Poppydawn here, I'm not as sick as she is." the black tom seemed to be trying to persuade the medicine cat, and it appeared the argument had been going on for a while, because the other cat let out a sigh of frustration, but didn't respond. "I promise, we'll both be fine! Just show me what herbs to give her if she wakes, and I'll take care of her."
"I'm the medicine cat, Fuzzypelt. My duty is to care for my sick clanmates. I'm not going to leave two cats with whitecough in camp while I go socialize! Now, hush and eat these." Spottedleaf meowed sternly, pushing the leaves over to him and turning to catch sight of Dustpaw lingering by the entrance. "Dustpaw, come on in." she said, waving her tail in greeting.
"Hi, Spottedleaf. I brought you some fresh-kill." he meowed, offering the vole. "I didn't know if you'd eaten, and I thought since you've been so busy, I'd bring you some."
"I haven't eaten. Thank you, Dustpaw." Spottedleaf purred gratefully, dragging the vole to set it beside of her den. She nodded to Fuzzypelt briefly. "You should speak with him before he falls asleep."
"I will. But, Spottedleaf, why won't you attend the gathering?" Dustpaw asked, frowning.
"I can't leave my patients. Whitecough can turn to greencough without warning, I want to make sure that doesn't happen."
"Oh. Well, we'll miss you there." Dustpaw told her, then padded over to his father, but he made sure not to get too close. He knew that whitecough was contagious, and he couldn't afford to get sick now. Not when he was in the middle of training. He didn't want his warrior ceremony to be postponed. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine! Which is why she should just go. Leave us alone for a while without all her fretting. Can't get a wink of sleep!" the ragged-furred tom growled good-naturedly. Spottedleaf gave him a similar growl, and went back to eating. "Are you going tonight?"
"Yes! Redtail just told me." Dustpaw purred.
"Good! Well, you better go eat something. I can't see them waiting much longer before going. Be sure you tell me all about it tomorrow,"
"Of course, Fuzzypelt!" the apprentice promised, then turned and left the den, now going to get himself something to eat and heading back to the stump where the apprentices' ate.
Dustpaw had barely finished his shrew when Bluestar stood, gathered her patrol around her with a flick of her tail, and then led the way out of camp. Dustpaw scrambled after the others, having to run to catch up with Sandpaw, who was keeping pace with her mentor, Whitestorm in the middle of the group. Within the last moon, she'd advanced greatly in her hunting, and she wasn't so bad with fighting either, but it was obvious her strength was hunting - especially catching the faster prey in the forest. It was still a long time before they would become warriors, but their training was progressing nicely. By the time they reached the stream to cross it towards Fourtrees, Dustpaw was becoming tired. The journey across their territory to Fourtrees was easy, but at the speed the clan was keeping, Dustpaw wasn't used to it. Finally, they stopped on the ridge, peering down into the clearing. Dustpaw saw other cats already mingling and sitting in clusters. He breathed in deeply to try and scent the clans already present.
"Smells like Riverclan and Windclan," Frostfur mewed from where she had just stepped up on his other side. Dustpaw noticed her belly was growing larger, and he remembered how she and Goldenflower had moved to the nursery not long ago.
Bluestar took a moment to assess the clearing below, and then she flicked her tail and the Thunderclan cats poured down the hill and among the other cats. Reaching the edge of the clearing, the cats hesitated only briefly, then separated to go and meet with other groups. Shadowclan had yet to arrive, leaving time for the other three clans to socialize with one another. By the Great Rock, the Windclan and Riverclan leaders were sitting with each other and their deputies, and Bluestar joined them, Redtail following closely behind. Dustpaw recognized the Riverclan leader as Crookedstar from what his clanmates described, but the Windclan leader was not the cat he had heard about before. Sandpaw was gazing at them as well.
"That's Talltail, the Windclan deputy! I remember him from my first gathering. Where's Heatherstar?" she wondered. Dustpaw, not knowing how to answer her, went to join a group of Windclan apprentices, hoping they'd give it to him. When he sat near the edge of the group, they turned to greet him warily. The one apprentice, seemingly the oldest, nodded to Dustpaw.
"You must be a newer apprentice, I haven't seen you here before,"
"I've been an apprentice for a little more than a moon. I wasn't allowed to the last gathering," he told the other cat, shrugging. He decided then not to tell them why - that his mother was the recently lost Robinwing and that's why he hadn't attended.
"You must have been apprenticed right before the last one, then," another apprentice suggested.
"Yeah." Dustpaw agreed, then his gaze flickered over to the leaders again. "Where's your leader?"
"How would know that's not our leader?" the older apprentice demanded, eyes narrowing slightly. Dustpaw glared at him as well.
"Just because never saw Heatherstar doesn't mean I wouldn't recognize her if I saw her. I've heard about her,"
"That's fair." a third apprentice shrugged, then looked back at Talltail. "Heatherstar went to Starclan a few sunrises ago. Tallstar just went to receive his nine lives yesterday."
"I'm sorry for the loss of your leader," Dustpaw meowed respectfully, dipping his head gently. Before they could say anything else, a noise behind them announced the entrance of Shadowclan. At the lead of their group was Raggedstar, just as Sandpaw had described to him. Ruffled pelt and strong muscles, looking young and fresh despite the grey growing in on his muzzle. Without waiting to speak with the other leaders, he leaped up onto the Great Rock, calling all the clans together. The other three exchanged looks of annoyance, but joined their fellow leader on the rock. Dustpaw bid farewell to the other apprentices and found Sandpaw again near a throng of Riverclan and Thunderclan warriors.
"Cats of the clans, welcome to the gathering. Bluestar, why don't you go first." Raggedstar offered, taking a few steps back and allowing the blue-grey she-cat to step forward. The clans were silent, awaiting her news. Thunderclan seemed anxious, perhaps wondering if she'd bring up the fact they'd lost yet another cat. Sandpaw had informed Dustpaw that Bluestar had, in fact, brought up the death of Robinwing last time, and the rest of the clans had grieved as well. All knew she had been a fierce, loyal warrior and was admired throughout all the clans.
"Thank you, Raggedstar." she nodded. "Leaf-bare has begun, and still our prey is plentiful. I fear that will change as the season continues, but for now, Thunderclan will be well-fed and strong. One of our elders, Swiftbreeze, has recently joined Starclan due to greencough, and two more of our elders have whitecough. Though our elders are suffering, our warriors are still strong and healthy." her last words seemed like a warning, telling the other leaders that though whitecough was in camp, it did not weaken them.
"We mourn the loss of Swiftbreeze, and all wish your elders to get well." Crookedstar spoke from behind her, and she nodded briefly to him, but her eyes flashed. She was still angry with the Riverclan leader about Sunningrocks, and the battle leading to one of her clan dying.
After Bluestar stepped back, Tallstar took her place. He announced the death of Heatherstar - letting a moment be taken to honor the dead leader - and ended by saying the moor was still full of fresh-kill and sickness had yet to reach the walls of their camp. Afterwards, Crookedstar stepped forward and made a similar announcement, declaring Riverclan strong and healthy, and then Raggedstar stepped forward for his turn. All the clans waited anxiously for what he had to say. His rushed start to the gathering had everyone expecting him to bring great news. That was not the case, however, as the Shadowclan leader simply gave the same news - prey was good and the camp was healthy. When he finished, he did not wait atop the rock, but leaped down and immediately gathered his clan around him and disappeared into the trees.
"What was that about?" a Riverclan warrior muttered from the group nearby. A Windclan warrior shrugged his own confusion, then turned to join his new leader. Dustpaw searched for Bluestar from the moving cats, and finally he spotted her with the rest of the clan gathered together, waiting impatiently for him. With a flush of embarrassment, he darted over to her, apologizing briefly and following at the rear of the group. When they reached camp, Mousefur - who was left on guard - nodded to them in greeting. Redtail relieved her, telling her to get Runningwind to take her place. She nodded respectfully and disappeared into the warriors den, closely followed by the warriors who had attended the gathering. The rest of the clan had already gone to sleep, and Dustpaw slipped into the apprentices den, took his place beside of Ravenpaw, and fell asleep as well.
What do you think of Raggedstar's behavior at the gathering? Leave your thoughts in the reviews!