I keep forgetting this:

Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, only the characters and the plot.

BTW, I have a new poll on my account. Please vote, it has to do about Frostpaw.

Chapter 8

Dewpaw's white whiskers quivered with anticipation. She looked up at Hazelstep, who was staring straight ahead, looking very calm. She turned to her right and saw that Cloverpaw had a mysterious glint in her eyes. Dewpaw curiously wondered what her sister was thinking about.

She's probably thinking about how she caught that rabbit earlier, Dewpaw thought irritably. Her mind wandered to Wood Grove. Who would be at the Gathering? What announcements would be made? As she pondered, she failed to notice a small tree root sticking out of the ground and stumbled. She fell forward, and her face landed in the dirt. Standing up quickly, she shook her head and glanced around sheepishly. Leafdapple, who was watching her with an amused expression on her face, went over and purred.

"Are you okay, Dewpaw?"

Dewpaw nodded, feeling her ear-tips grow hot. She was surprised when her grandmother rasped a tongue over her ear and mewed, "Be careful now."

Dewpaw nodded again and looked around. Cloverpaw was looking at her with a gleam in her eyes, one that Dewpaw thought was smugness. She hissed softly and lashed her tail. Why am I so clumsy and stupid? Other cats were passing her by, and she was near the back of the group, where Ashenfur brought up the rear. She decided to walk with her grandfather.

She casually fell into step with the deputy, having to nearly leap to keep up with his long-legged strides.

"Hi, Dewpaw," he purred, flicking his tail.

"Hi," Dewpaw replied, twitching an ear and nodding respectfully. "Can I walk with you? I kind of embarrassed myself back there." She ducked her head and waited for Ashenfur's reply.

He let out a good-natured purr. "Don't worry, I'm sure everyone will forget by the time we reach Wood Grove."

She purred along with him. Although it was awkward to talk to Thorntail and Feathercloud, she had always been at ease with her grandparents, including Silverstorm, the crippled elder. "I can't wait to get there! It's my second Gathering!"

Ashenfur nodded. "The first one is amazing. Then, the second one is even better, because you know what kind of excitements await you. The third one is pretty exciting, too. Then, when you become a warrior, it's more routine. Sometimes you go, sometimes you don't, but you accept that." He paused, then went on, "I get to go nearly every moon."

"That's because you're the deputy," Dewpaw teased. "You get special treatment."

"I sure do," Ashenfur nodded. He flicked his tail and mewed, "I smell cats."

Dewpaw looked up and breathed in. Sure enough, she could smell RiverClan, the fishy smell of reeds and water. She could also distinguish WindClan's scent, of wind-blown plains and the tangy smell of moor herbs. She also smelled ShadowClan, the dark, marshy scent mixed with the smell of pine. That meant that ThunderClan was the last Clan to get to the Gathering place.

She could see the Wood Grove now, the tall stump and the fallen log, and cats surrounding it. Her tail flew up with excitement. As ThunderClan cats raced down into the valley-like clearing, the other Clan leaders greeted them.

Dewpaw left Ashenfur's side and went to find Cloverpaw. She was already sitting with a bunch of apprentices.

"Hi," Dewpaw purred. The others looked up and nodded in acknowledgment. Shinepaw of ShadowClan left the group and went to join Dewpaw.

"Hey, Dewpaw," Shinepaw mewed. She nodded over to Cloverpaw. "Your sister sure is a brag," she hissed softly.

Dewpaw nodded. "Yeah. But she is my sister," she added defensively, bristling a little. She opened her mouth to speak, but one of the leaders yowled.

"Thank you for gathering underneath the truce of the full moon," Lightstar began.

"Bye," Dewpaw whispered. She and Cloverpaw went to sit near the other ThunderClan cats.

Dewpaw turned her attention to the leaders. Lightstar looked confindent, although she was a new leader, and still very young.

Larkstar had started talking when Dewpaw noticed that her sister wasn't sitting by her anymore. She looked around and saw Cloverpaw stalking into the bushes at the edge of Wood Grove.

Dewpaw's ear twitched. What is she doing? Then her blood ran cold. Another cat, a tom, by the looks of it, was padding into the bushes, too. He was obviously from another Clan, but she was too far away to recognize him. Oh no! She's seeing a tom from another Clan! And she's still an apprentice! She's breaking two laws of the warrior code! She looked around, wondering if she should tell anyone. Smokestar was speaking now. She glanced around for Ashenfur, maybe she should tell him!

I can't tell on my own sister! That's not right! But I must! It's against the warrior code for her to see a tom from another Clan! She battled within herself, not knowing what to do. Finally, she resolved to wait until after she had spoken to Cloudpaw. Trying to breathe slower and steadier, she sat down again and sighed.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

"Cloudpaw? I need to talk to you," Dewpaw hissed urgently. She glanced around before prodding her brother again. Lightpaw and Cloverpaw were already asleep.

The white and grey tom grumbled and flopped over, away from Dewpaw. She hissed and whispered, "It's important!"

"Wait until tomorrow," Cloudpaw grumbled as he turned away.

Dewpaw sighed impatiently and settled down in her nest. But sleep wouldn't overwhelm her, no matter how hard she tried to sleep. Who was that tom? Why was Cloverpaw seeing him? Why couldn't she just stick to the warrior code?

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

Dewpaw blinked as sunlight flooded the den. Surprisingly, she had fallen asleep last night. She looked around wildly, then leapt to her paws, realizing that no one else was in the den. She stretched her legs and bounded outside, squinting as the sunlight blinded her. When her eyes adjusted, she looked around. She spotted Cloudpaw at the fresh-kill pile and went over.

"Hi, Cloudpaw," she mewed as she picked through and chose a starling. She sat down and began to eat. "Um, I really need to talk to you in private. It's really important."

Cloudpaw eyed her. "Well, sure, but I have to go hunting in a little bit. Maybe when I get back we can talk."

Dewpaw nodded gratefully. "Thanks. Hurry back, okay? It's very important."

Cloudpaw glanced back at her curiously, then nodded and padded off toward a group of warriors. They soon departed.

Dewpaw took another bite of her starling and looked around. Hazelstep was striding toward her.

"Dewpaw, border patrol!" she called.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

Cloudpaw purred shyly. "Um, so, how is your training going along?"

Frostpaw shrugged. "Fine, I guess. It's not as exciting as I first imagined it." Lowering her voice, she added, "A lot of times, it seems as if the apprentices training to be warriors are having more fun than I am."

Cloudpaw's eyes widened. "Really? But being a medicine cat is so honorable!"

Frostpaw hissed. Cloudpaw had never heard the pretty, gentle cat hiss before! "Honorable? How is it honorable? I wish…I think I'm going to talk to Smokestar about becoming a real apprentice, to become a warrior."

Cloudpaw gasped. "Are-are you sure? Frostpaw, y-you…you're a great medicine cat apprentice! You've already learned so much, and it's a great honor to be a medicine cat! Really!" Then he realized, If she does do that, then I'll have a chance to be with her! He glanced down at her paws. "But…Frostpaw, it's up to you. If you want to train to become a warrior, then go ahead." But then again, he could never imagine the sweet Frostpaw swiping her claws against an enemy cat's nose. She was meant to heal.

Frostpaw sighed. "Maybe. I really want to, but…Mosspelt and I are already really close! And I've come this far. I'm not sure…Well, then I'd be really behind in my training. Lightpaw's been training for almost five moons already. She'll be a warrior soon. And…" She lowered her head. "I guess it won't work. I'll always have to be a medicine cat." She sighed. "Bored, mateless." She looked up to meet Cloudpaw's eyes. "Right. I'll never be able to have a mate."

Cloudpaw opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He had always had a crush on Frostpaw! Did she know?

Frostpaw shrugged. "Oh, well, it's my fault. I shouldn't have decided so lightly. I didn't realize that it'd have such a big impact on my life." She sighed. "I was only a kit."

Cloudpaw nodded. "I understand how you feel." Then he stammered, "Um, not that it's ever happened to me before, but…" He coughed, embarrassed.

Frostpaw purred, a new light in her blue eyes. "Yeah, well I fell better after talking to you." She glanced around and mewed, "I need to go fetch some marigold." She got up to her paws.

"Um, I'll go with you," Cloudpaw offered.

Frostpaw's eyes softened. "That'd be great. Thanks."

Cloudpaw purred and led her toward the thorn tunnel. As they prepared to walk through, Hazelstep, Dewpaw, and Leafdapple burst through. They had been on a border patrol.

"Hi, Dewpaw," Cloudpaw mewed, nodding to his sister. Frostpaw greeted her, too, then followed Cloudpaw toward the tunnel.

Dewpaw raced after them. "Wait, Cloudpaw! We have to talk, remember?"

Cloudpaw sighed. He had forgotten! "Right. Um, maybe later, Dewpaw. I'm going to help Frostpaw collect herbs."

"Oh," Dewpaw's face fell, and Cloudpaw noticed. "B-but you promised!"

Cloudpaw was about to snap at his sister when Frostpaw cut in, "Go ahead, Cloudpaw. I can manage by myself."

Cloudpaw looked at her. She nodded reassuringly. "Go on, Cloudpaw," she repeated, but her eyes were…they held some sort of emotion in them. Cloudpaw looked from the beautiful she-cat to his annoying sister, then sighed.

"Okay. I'll see you later, Frostpaw," he mewed heavily. The white she-cat disappeared into the forest. He turned to Dewpaw, who looked very troubled. Suddenly, his annoyance at her vanished, and genuine concern took charge. "What's wrong, Dewpaw?"

Dewpaw sighed, twitching her tail. "Sorry, Cloudpaw, for interruption you and…Frostpaw."

Cloudpaw nodded. "What's wrong?"

Dewpaw looked nervous. "We should go talk in private." She looked around, then mewed, "How about the apprentices den? Cloverpaw and Smokestar left, and Lightpaw went to battle train."

Cloudpaw nodded. "Sure." He led the way to the apprentices den. Once they got situated, Cloudpaw mewed, "Now tell me."

Dewpaw took in a sharp breath. "Cloudpaw, at the Gathering last night…"

Cloudpaw nodded patiently, though he felt a little stab of jealousy that she had gone, and he hadn't.

"…I saw Cloverpaw, in some bushes, sneaking away from Wood Grove a little bit after the Gathering began. She was…she was w-with, um, a tom." She sighed nervously, curling her black tail over her paws, and added, "From…another Clan."

Cloudpaw stiffened. After a momentary, but awkward, silence, he asked, "Are you sure?"

With a surprisingly calm voice, Dewpaw mewed, "I'm sure of it, Cloudpaw. I saw them together. And he was too far away to tell who, but I know he wasn't from ThunderClan."

"Wh-what were they doing?" Cloudpaw asked. This can't be happening!

Dewpaw gulped. "I-I don't really know, just talking, and that's about all I saw. They were hidden in the bushes."

Cloudpaw tried to calm himself. "She shouldn't be doing that! Do you think she and this tom had met before?"

Dewpaw nodded. "I think so. She could've snuck away to see him at night."

Cloudpaw's tail lashed, half frustrated at himself for not noticing this before, and angry at Cloverpaw for breaking the warrior code. "This isn't good."

Dewpaw nodded. "What should we do? Should we tell someone? Smokestar? Ashenfur? Or should we wait until we find out more?"

Cloudpaw was pacing around the den now, lashing his tail and scowling. "I don't know, Dewpaw." Taking a deep breath, he suggested, "Let's leave it for now. She's only an apprentice. Maybe she'll realize it's wrong, and stop."

"And if she doesn't?" Dewpaw asked anxiously.

Cloudpaw shook his head. "We'll think about that when the time comes. For now, just keep an eye on her, okay?"

Dewpaw nodded. "Fine." She was about to leave the den when she glanced back uncertainly, one paw in midair. "Cloudpaw?"

"Hm?"

"Are you…falling in love with Frostpaw?"

Cloudpaw hissed at Dewpaw's…blunt remark.

"Are you?"

Cloudpaw sighed. "Maybe. I don't know. And she's thinking about giving up the act of healing to train to be a warrior."

"She is?" Dewpaw mewed, her blue eyes sparkling with interest.

Cloudpaw got up and shook his fur. "Forget I mentioned it. I don't think she didn't want anyone else to know, okay?"

Dewpaw nodded and scurried out, her eyes glittering.

Cloudpaw rolled his eyes and settled down, closing his eyes.

What do you think, all? Please review! Thanks! J