The hot greenleaf sun beat down on the snowy white fur of Cloudpaw as he shot through the forest in ThunderClan territory. His deep blue gaze darted like two small arrows from left to right; he grinned at the small shape of a mouse sleeping below a tree. The apprentice was on the ground in an instance, slowly but surely making his way to the prey.

I so have you now! The overly confident clan cat pounced, winding up covered in dust and without the mouse. Snarling, he leapt to his paws and looked around for the source of his failure.

"Ya' know, there's a strong chance that you just missed and no cat scared the mouse."

Cloudpaw, who was busying himself with digging through a holly bush, whirled around to see Swiftpaw holding the corpse of the brown mouse in his mouth. His eyes were shining in victory; Cloudpaw hardly managed to keep from ripping his clanmates fur off.

"Liar," spat Cloudpaw, raking his claws against the spot where he previously lay. "You probably snapped a twig while I wasn't paying attention!"

Swiftpaw half jumped in fake surprise; he gasped in mock hurt. "Why Cloudpaw, I don't know what you mean! I ache on the inside that you would choose fire such lies at me! I-I..." He let the mouse fall to the ground and watched it, shaking his head as it fell. When Longtail's apprentice looked back up, a sneer was frozen on his face and he watched his clanmate, knowing he found a weak spot. "I know as a former kittypet you have to prove that you still care for ThunderClan, but that's no reason to drag Brightpaw down with you." With that Swiftpaw snatched his catch off the patch of grass and raced away.

"Fox dung!" Cloudpaw narrowed his eyes and watched his clanmate disappear into the bushes of the surrounding hollow. "Filthy piece of fox dung! I don't care what problems you have with me- leave Brightpaw out of this!" Cloudpaw panted in his rage, wordlessly and without prey heading back to the ThunderClan camp. Swiftpaw is right, he thought, Brightpaw would be better off without me...

Almost two moons had passed since Cloudpaw's uncle and former clan deputy Fireheart was exiled and forced joined WindClan. Bluestar exiled him to leave for telling WindClan of her plans to fight them; she accused the neighboring clan of stealing ThunderClan's prey, although Fireheart had told her the truth- dogs took the prey. Since Bluestar was still "ill" after Tigerstar's betrayal, she wouldn't listen to anything anyone told her and was constantly accusing every cat of being traitorous.

Afterwards, Cloudpaw attempted to go off in the middle of the night and find the dogs that were rumored to be living at Snakerocks. Brightpaw followed him, and together they did find the pack. What the two apprentices did not realize is that there wasn't just one or two dogs in the cave, but a huge pack of uncountable numbers standing in front of the apprentices. The pair fled from the dogs, only to have to get saved by ThunderClan warriors. Countless cats were injured in the fight, and both apprentices were sentenced to not being aloud to leave camp for ten days.

"It's not fair," Cloudpaw sighed as he reached the ravine. He padded through the fern tunnel slowly, his deep blue gaze on the ground in defeat. The white apprentice was so consumed by frustration that he failed to see the small gray she-cat three tail lengths in front of him; he continued with his eyes focused on the ground and crashed into the ThunderClan medicine cat Cinderpelt. Herbs flew around the pair, and Cloudpaw hurried to pick them up for his clanmate. "Sorry, Cinderpelt."

"It's fine... Oh, but you don't seem to be." She waited patiently as the white apprentice gathered up the last of her juniper berries, continuing as he sat them down in front of her. "What's on your mind?"

Cloudpaw sighed. "I'm worried about Fireheart." Pain flashed through the medicine cat's eyes. Fireheart was her mentor before her accident on the Thunderpath. It was no wonder if she was hurt by his exile. "Sandstorm hasn't seen him at the WindClan border in a long time."

Cinderpelt tilted her head to the side in thought. "The Gathering is tonight. Why don't you see if you, Sandstorm, and Brightpaw can go?"

"That's a great idea! Thanks, Cinderpelt." Cloudpaw raced away from the medicine den, only half bothering to notice that she mentioned Brightpaw. "Bluestar?!" The den was so dark that Cloudpaw had to turn around and make sure that it was really sunhigh. He narrowed his eyes, seeing the form that used to be his noble clan leader. Her head was rested on her paws in her depression. The large white form of Whitestorm was at her side. Cloudpaw could see that he was a little frustrated; his eyes were narrowed and his claws were being repeatedly sheathed and let back out.

"There's no point in going," muttered Bluestar. "Everyone has betrayed me- even Fireheart. The fire was a lie from StarClan to deceive me. Now go! I don't want to see you anymore..."

"Fire? What fire?" With a long grunt of annoyance, Bluestar's nephew retreated and nodded to Cloudpaw as he passed the apprentice on the way to the fresh-kill pile.

Cloudpaw caught up with the warrior, scrambling to stand from his hiding place next to his leader's den. "What was that all about?"

"ThunderClan will not be attending tonight's Gathering," Whitestorm informed the apprentice. He focused his anger on his mouse, tearing his claws into its limp corpse.

"What?! That's dumb!"

"Seriously!" Swiftpaw, who was silently listening in on the conversation, added in. "Bluestar wouldn't notice if we left anyway. What's stopping us from rounding up a few cats and leaving?"

One-eye padded forward, watching her clanmates in disgust. "The warrior code is! When our leader speaks, all must obey!" She narrowed her eye to Swiftpaw, who looked away. "As for you, pay a little more attention to what Longtail teaches you, for StarClan's sake!"

Silence was drawn up like a deep gasp until One-eye shook her head, murmuring "apprentices!" under her breath. The elder disappeared into her den.

"So," Swiftpaw began when the she-cat was out of ear shot, "when do we leave?"

"You're making two great assumptions," Cloudpaw pointed out. "One, that ThunderClan will be at this Gathering. Two, that you'll be chosen to go."

Swiftpaw narrowed his eyes, crouching and drawing his ears back. "Why wouldn't I go?! I caught your failure prey, anyway."

"Foxdung," snarled Cloudpaw. He was seconds from ripping his clanmate's fur off.

"Kittypet," Swiftpaw shot back. Both apprentices crouched, hissing in each other's faces.

"Both of you will relax now if you want to have any hopes of being at the Gathering!" Whitestorm stood between the pair, gazing down at them. Swiftpaw shrugged and began washing his paw.

"Sorry Whitestorm," they both murmured.

"This is no time for fighting amongst yourselves," the senior warrior stated, a light twinkle in his eyes. "How else can you find the cats for the Gathering?"

"All right!" Swiftpaw cheered. "Who will be going?"

"I need you both to go find Sandstorm, Willowpelt, Dappletail, Brightpaw, Cinderpelt, and Brackenfur. Tell Willowpelt that she's in charge and to tell the other clans nothing. I will stay here in case Bluestar comes out of her den."

Swiftpaw rolled his eyes, "Yeah, like that will ever happen." He raced away to the medicine den before Whitestorm could scold him again.

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The ThunderClan cats were the last to arrive in Four Trees. As they raced down the slope, Cloudpaw could here their frustrated mews calling out to the late clan. Willowpelt nodded to her clanmats before darting for the Great Rock.

"Hello Cloudpaw, Brightpaw. What took you so long to arrive?" The apprentices turned to see Fireheart sitting next to Onewhisker and an unfamiliar black she-cat from WindClan. "Where's Bluestar? I don't see her among ThunderClan."

Cloudpaw opened his mouth to reply, but Sandstorm beat him to it. "Fireheart! You're okay! Oh, I looked for you and couldn't find you anywhere! I was scared to death!" She was licking his flame colored fur like no tomorrow.

"I'm fine, Sandstorm-" Her mate was cut off by Tallstar giving off the howl that began the meeting. Countless pairs of eyes were turned to the clan leaders.

Leopardstar started the Gathering. "Willowpelt. I never expected to see you of all cats up here. Where are Bluestar and Fireheart?" From next to him, Cloudpaw felt his uncle slip cautiously into the bushes.

"Both are fine," Willowpelt meowed, sounding as if Leopardstar asked her of a wound she received when she was an apprentice. "Speak more of RiverClan and less of ThunderClan, Leopardstar."

The RiverClan leader went on to speak of three apprentices who recieved their warrior names. As she turned to Willowpelt to tell her to speak, a cloud drifted over half of the moon. Silence was drawn over the clearing.

"What does it mean, Runningnose?" Tigerstar narrowed his eyes and called for his medicine cat.

"Willowpelt is not meant to speak for ThunderClan," the ShadowClan medicine cat announced, receiving worried meows in reply.

"Who is?"

Runningnose's eyes widened in alarm. He paused to whisper anxiously to Cinderpelt, who nodded in agreement over the message. "Cloudpaw."