Rising Moon

Jedi Goat

Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.

Author's Note: Double post today, to make up for the time I've been away. Sorry about that, but I've had writer's block.

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Chapter 21

Following through with Leafpool's request, Moonpaw tended to the elders for the next few days. She fetched them fresh-kill, searched their pelts for ticks, and just generally waited on their every whim. Her friends, though warriors, seemed eager to help her. If it hadn't been for the help and support of Honeydew, Wolfspirit and Oakheart, she wouldn't have made it.

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a clan meeting!"

Hearing Firestar's call, Moonpaw dropped her vole back on the fresh-kill pile and raced over to join Oakheart and Wolfspirit.

"Hi!" Wolfspirit greeted. "Having fun with the elders?"

"They're wearing me off my paws!" Moonpaw sighed. "But it's all right. I get to go to the Gathering tonight!"

She pawed at the snow coating the ground excitedly. She wanted to talk to Cougarpelt and find out what had happened to WindClan after she left.

Firestar waited until the clan was silent before beginning. "Tonight we go to the Gathering. Brackenfur, Leafpool, Moonpaw, Cinderpaw, Oakheart, Wolfspirit, Honeydew, Sorreltail, Cloudtail and Brightheart will be coming with me."

Yes! Moonpaw thought, grinning at Oakheart. He smiled back and she felt her heart beat faster.

Firestar jumped down from the Highledge and the cats followed him from the clearing.

As they traveled across WindClan territory, Moonpaw caught no sign of the other clan. At first she was worried that they were too weak to make the journey, but she soon spotted WindClan cats beside the log.

Moonpaw quickly found Cougarpelt, dragging Oakheart and Wolfspirit behind her. "Hi!" she called.

Cougarpelt turned and his face split into a grin at the sight of her. "Moonpaw! It's good to see you again!" They touched noses gently. "Thanks again for all your help," he mewed.

Moonpaw blushed.

"I hope you didn't get into too much trouble with Leafpool."

She shook her head. "She was really nice about the whole thing, actually." Her gaze turned serious. "How's WindClan?"

"We'll recover." He bowed his head. "Onestar lost a life, and Webfoot died. He was struck down early in the battle – there wasn't anything I could do."

Moonpaw closed her eyes briefly, mourning the tom. When she reopened them, she changed the subject. "And Snowpaw? How's she?"

Cougarpelt brightened instantly. "She's back in the apprentice den. I'm teaching her for a few days, until Weaselfur's recovered."

"That's great!" Moonpaw purred. "She did well, you know. Without her, ThunderClan wouldn't have come."

Honeydew approached them. "Hey, slow slug, ThunderClan's already across! Let's go!"

Moonpaw shook her head, amused. "We've gotta go. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Bye." Cougarpelt watched as the four cats crawled across onto the Gathering island.

"Cats of all clans!" Firestar's yowl brought the clearing to silence. Only the soft melody of the wind whistling through the trees broke the still air.

"With the help of WindClan, we have killed the last of the wolves prowling our territories. The forest is safe once more!"

Scattered cheers, mostly from WindClan and ThunderClan, arose from around the clearing. Moonpaw sat beside Oakheart, listening.

"After the battle, two new warriors joined our ranks: Honeydew and Wolfspirit." ThunderClan cheered for the two she-cats. Honeydew stood, grinning as cats shouted out her name. Wolfspirit looked down at her paws, embarrassed. Moonpaw cheered extra loud for her.

Firestar stepped back, allowing Onestar to take his place. The WindClan leader echoed Firestar's news about the wolves before continuing regretfully, "Webfoot, Morningflower, Alpinepaw and Barkface have died in the attacks of the last few moons. Cougarpelt is WindClan's new medicine cat."

Moonpaw cheered for her friend.

Leopardstar took her turn. "RiverClan celebrates two new warriors, Beechpelt and Ripplestream."

Lastly, Blackstar announced to the crowd, "ShadowClan has suffered from the wolves' attacks! Our deputy, Russetfur, was killed by one of those creatures!"

"What?" Moonpaw hissed to Oakheart. The memory of Russetfur's body, bloodied and broken in the Twoleg trap, flashed in her mind.

Quiet murmurs of sympathy echoed around them. The ShadowClan leader bowed his head, accepting them regretfully. "Our new deputy," Blackstar continued, "is Nightfang."

Nightfang? Moonpaw's blood boiled with anger. She leaped to her paws, ignoring Oakheart's tail-flick of warning.

"Excuse me," she yowled, forcing her voice to sound calm. "I must object to that."

The clearing fell into silence. Moonpaw's pelt prickled as she felt the eyes of four clans resting on her. She kept her gaze on Blackstar, head raised defiantly.

"And what does a ThunderClan apprentice have to say about this?" Blackstar growled, ears flat.

StarClan help me say this! Moonpaw swallowed hard. "Russetfur wasn't killed by the wolves."

Shocked whispers broke out, and Blackstar signaled with his tail for silence. "And you know this how?"

Beside him, Firestar was watching her with an unreadable expression on his face. Moonpaw knew guiltily that she probably should have informed her leader before the Gathering. But it was too late for that now.

"I saw her die. In a Twoleg trap at the border."

Yowls of pure outrage arose from ShadowClan. Blackstar's claws were unsheathed, gripping the bark of the tree. He looked murderous, like he would love to jump down and sink his claws into her neck.

Moonpaw resisted the urge to shudder, staring unblinkingly up at him.

Then, Nightfang, of all cats, leaped to his paws. "Liar!" he snarled. "I found her body. She was killed by wolves."

"I know what I saw." What Moonpaw really wanted to say was, I bet you led her to the trap, you stinking furball.

"Are you accusing my deputy of lying?" spat Blackstar.

Moonpaw was about to reply when a yowl from RiverClan broke through the tense air.

"The moon! Look at the moon!"

The heads of all the cats jerked up to see clouds converging over the full moon.

"StarClan is angry!" someone gasped in horror.

Firestar yowled for silence. "This Gathering is over!" He jumped from the tree, ThunderClan beginning to slip out of the clearing. Oakheart brushed his tail over Moonpaw's mouth, asking for silence, and led her from the clearing.

A ShadowClan warrior spat at her as she passed, and with a pang Moonpaw recognized her as Marshpaw. Even her old friends were against her!

The tortoiseshell beside her, Tawnypelt, gazed at her sorrowfully.

Wolfspirit bounded up to stand on Moonpaw's other side. "Did you really see that?" she asked in a hushed tone.

Moonpaw nodded, afraid she, too, would be angry. But Wolfspirit only nodded and nosed her shoulder comfortingly. "Then I believe you. ShadowClan is just mousebrained."

"Thanks," Moonpaw mumbled.

Leafpool passed by wordlessly to speak with Firestar. Moonpaw sighed, her tail and head drooping. She would be in big trouble when she got back to camp.

To be continued...

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