Chapter 7

A light wind blew across camp, signaling an afternoon storm. Stormflower was wondering many things, like if her suspicions about Stonefeather were right. Maybe she wasn't giving the tom a chance. Maybe, just maybe, Stonefeather was just uptight about coming into a new group of cats.

The clouds looked like they were about to explode; meaning that Stormflower needed to hurry into the warriors' den. Waiting for Stormflower in the den were Cloudflower, Silverfeather, Yewstripe, Tallminnow, and all the rest of the warriors. Ravenfeather was on his back, snoring with all limbs somewhat suspended in the air.

Talonstorm murmured something to Eagletalon, who rushed out of the warriors' den. Eagletalon returned with a large feather, and handed it to Talonstorm. Talonstorm grasped the feather with his teeth, and ever so lightly, swished it back and forth on Ravenfeather's nose. Ravenfeather twitched his paws, and said, "Go away."

Eagletalon and Talonstorm mewed quietly with laughter. "You would think warriors wouldn't behave like mischievous apprentices, right, Tawnyrose?" , Stormflower said loudly, making sure Talonstorm and Eagletalon heard. Talonstorm gave Stormflower a dirty look, which was meant for more than her calling him out. Stormflower knew that Talonstorm was still hurt over her rejecting him.

Eagletalon was a senior warrior, but obviously still had the humor of an apprentice, thought Stormflower. His son, Swifteagle, was a new warrior that would get to go to a Gathering before his vigil. Some new warriors didn't have that pleasure. Stormflower recalled the icy vigil she herself sat through the last leafbare, about six moons ago. Snow covered her, and the wind made it almost unbearable. But, she was a warrior now, and didn't have to worry about sitting through a vigil.

Looking around the den, all seemed calm. Of course, Silverfeather and Yewstripe had to be talking about some cat in the Clan. "Well, I heard that she said no to him! Now Talonstorm is all mine! I mean, she is way too prickly about some things, and this is one of them," Yewstripe gossiped.

"I can hear you, you know," Stormflower accusingly said. Yewstripe went rigid, but Silverfeather shrugged. Figures, Stormflower thought. The rain began to seep down into the den, and, because of how the front part of the warriors' den was higher than the back, water met Stormflower's paws.

"My paws will get muddy!" , whined Silverfeather.

"Lick them off, then," Tallminnow suggested.

"No way am I going to do that!"

"Well, you clean your paws off by licking them when it's not raining, right, Silverfeather?"

"Yes."

"Then why should rain make a difference in that?", Tallminnow tried to reason.

Silverfeather cautiously licked off her paws, and settled down. The she-cat's paws got muddy again, and Tawnyrose snickered. "Shut up!", hissed Silverfeather.

Stormflower moved to one of the two empty beds that were at a location where water wouldn't go. A nap was easy to accomplish, especially with a quiet den and the continuously loud rain.

"Wake up, you, wake up! It's time for the Gathering, and you were picked to go!", Falconclaw announced. Stormflower snapped up, and raced out to the camp clearing. In the process of getting to camp's center, Stormflower stumbled and fell. Not surprisingly, Silverfeather snickered.

The other cats chosen to come with Vixenstar to the Gathering were Swifteagle, Silverfeather, Falconclaw, Ravenfeather, Tallminnow, Firepaw, and Dunepaw. Firepaw was listening to her mentor, Ravenfeather, and Dunepaw was deep in conversation with Falconclaw. Five or six toms in SpringClan had one thing in common; they could be mature, but don't count on it.

Tallminnow wasn't a senior warrior yet, but he acted like it. He didn't even seem like he could be Tawnyrose's littermate. Firepaw and Dunepaw were the second litter of kits to Sorepebble and Rosepetal; Tallminnow and Tawnyrose being the first.

I like to think about the Clan's heritage, thought Stormflower. It's the only Clan where, so far, there is Clan-bred history; meaning no half-Clan cats. Rogues didn't count as half-Clan cats since rogues aren't really in a Clan, generally. That would change with Stonefeather and Ember becoming official cats in the Clan. Stormflower couldn't switch beds to escape getting wet, or move closer to the den entrance to feel a breeze anymore.

Stormflower treaded on, and pressed close to the other cats as they all wound through Crookedtail Pass. A bit of Furbald Flats hung over them to their left, but after a few minutes, the SpringClan cats were out of the pass. All that stood between them and the Gathering was trees.