Finally, an update! Although a Gathering doesn't usually come right after a moonpool visit... oh well.

Also, for later in the story, you have to pretend that ShadowClan and ThunderClan territories switched places. Okay? So, from the Horseplace, following the map counter-clockwise, it's WindClan territory, then ShadowClan territory, then ThunderClan territory, then RiverClan territory. So WindClan borders RiverClan and ShadowClan. If that made any sense at all.

"This is so exciting!" Hollypaw exclaimed. "My first Gathering! I can't wait. I wish Silverstar would let us go faster."

"It's farther away than you think," Liontail mewed, coming up behind the apprentices. "Don't worry, you'll get there soon enough." He fell back to speak with Silverstar.

"I wish Icefire could have come," Oakpaw muttered.

"You know he had to stay at the camp," Rainpaw reminded him.

"Yeah," Shadepaw added, "what would happen if ShadowClan warriors took advantage of us and attacked us while we're still at the Gathering?"

"But there's a truce," Oakpaw reminded him. "They can't."

"Then they would wait until dawn, and attack us then," he said. "If I was there, I would have their fur off by the time you got back."

"Oh yeah?" Oakpaw retorted. "You would be so mouse-brained that you would chase them into-"

"I see it! I see it!" Hollypaw squealed, interrupting their playful quarrel. "We're here!"

Oakpaw looked out across the lake. A small land mass appeared in the middle of a great expanse of water. Between the island and the shore, a fallen tree stretched across the lake. Silhouetted shapes moved silently across it towards the island and the Gathering.

Soon it was WindClan's turn to cross. Hollypaw followed Liontail, and Shadepaw jumped up behind her. Oakpaw stepped carefully after him, and Rainpaw followed last: their usual order. After much slipping and sliding, they were standing on the shore of the island.

Oakpaw sensed that Hollypaw wanted to run off and explore the island. He did, too. He wanted to stretch his legs and run freely after the careful walk along the slippery tree. But Silverstar had ordered them not to run away when they got there. Oakpaw laid his tail on Hollypaw's flank, murmuring, "Wait a little. We'll have time for everything."

Hollypaw blinked, affection glowing in her soft green eyes. Suddenly Silverstar called, "All right, you may go. Cloudpaw, be sure to show the other apprentices around."

"Sure, Silverstar," Cloudpaw agreed. He turned to where the four other apprentices were gathered. "Come on, let's go!"

"Shouldn't I go with Moonflower?" Rainpaw asked.

"Yes, I guess you should," Cloudpaw agreed. For the first time, he looked a little less excited. He shook his head and pointed with his tail. "She's over there." Then he turned back to the other three apprentices. "This way," he mewed.

After a brief tour of the island, Cloudpaw took them to the center by the big tree, where all the other cats were gathered. He padded over to a group of apprentices.

"Hi," he mewed. "These are our new apprentices." He rested his tail on each of their shoulders as he said their names. "This is Shadepaw, Hollypaw, and Oakpaw."

"I'm Fernpaw of ThunderClan." A light grey tabby she-cat spoke. "And this is Swiftpaw." She nosed a small brown tom.

"And I'm Streampaw of RiverClan." A pretty silver tabby spoke. Her clear blue eyes took in the three WindClan apprentices. "How long have you been training for?"

"Most of a moon," Shadepaw replied. He narrowed his eyes. "And you?"

"Two and a half moons." Streampaw's gaze hardened. "You look barely out of the nursery."

"Well, you look like a kittypet," Shadepaw retorted. The she-cat's fur bristled.

"That's enough." A dark tabby tom stepped between the two apprentices. "Streampaw, come with me."

"But Tigerstripe-" she stopped short when she caught sight of Shadepaw's glare. "Next time I meet you, it'll be in battle," she muttered. "And then you'll be sorry."

Shadepaw smirked and turned to Oakpaw. "Let's move on," he said, loud enough for Streampaw to hear. "The Gathering is starting." He turned to Fernpaw. "Coming?"

The ThunderClan apprentice nodded. She opened her mouth to reply, but was silenced by Silverstar's howl.

"Let this Gathering begin!" Silverstar called. She turned to a pale grey she-cat sitting on a branch beside her. "Dawnstar, would you like to speak for RiverClan first?"

"Thank you." Dawnstar stepped forward. "RiverClan has little to report. The prey has been plentiful. We had one cat join the warrior's den this moon. Snowfall has earned his warrior name."

Cries of "Snowfall!" echoed around the clearing, coming mostly from Riverclan cats, and Dawnstar sat down again.

Now a tortoiseshell tom stood up. "ShadowClan has another apprentice. Icepaw is here tonight." The Clan cats took up the call for the apprentice as the ShadowClan leader opened his mouth again. "The prey has been scarcer than usual, for leaf-fall. Some of our warriors are going hungry. I ask WindClan to lend us a little bit of territory, until prey runs plentiful again."

Cats of WindClan stood up, hissing. Oakpaw could hear Liontail's angry mew. "We need our territory! WindClan can not and will not give hunting grounds to an enemy Clan!"

Silverstar stepped forward and called, "Quiet!" Her gaze ran over the crowd she stood addressing. "Cedarstar," she mewed, turning to the ShadowClan leader, "WindClan uses every bit of our territory. Surely if ShadowClan did too, you would not be hungry."

Cedarstar glared at her. "A small piece of land is not enough to feed a growing Clan."

Silverstar returned the icy gaze. " If ShadowClan starves, that is not a concern of WindClan. It only means more hunting grounds for the rest of us."

"Very well," Cedarstar hissed. "So my Clan will not be given any territory. Then we will have to take it."

A dark grey tom stepped forward. "May I report for ThunderClan?" he asked.

"Fine, Ashstar," Cedarstar mewed, keeping his gaze glued on Silverstar.

"ThunderClan lost an elder, Greyleaf, this past moon. We are sad to see her join StarClan. She lived a long and noble life, though, and her Clan honors her." Mews of sympathy spread through the crowd, and Ashstar blinked gratefully. "Blossomflower gave birth to three healthy kits, and ThunderClan thrives." He stepped back and looked expectantly at Silverstar.

The WindClan leader stood. "Very well, then," she mewed. "WindClan has four new apprentices. Hollypaw, Shadepaw, and Oakpaw are here, along with Rainpaw, who has chosen to follow the path of a medicine cat. The prey is running, and every cat is healthy." She gazed at the four Clans below her. "No cat has anything else to report?" she asked. The three leaders in the tree with her shook their heads. "Then this Gathering is over." She leaped down and said something to Liontail, who immediately headed towards the apprentices. Oakpaw murmured a final goodbye to the other apprentices, then followed his Clan's deputy to where Silverstar was waiting.

Review, please! Reviews motivate me to write, and if I'm motivated, I'll be more likely to update, which means chapters will come more quickly. So review!