Sorry guys, but I am going on a vacation to Minnesota for 10 days. I'm giving you one more chapter for a little while...but hey, at least I'll have my memory stick back by then! My mom decided to send it to me, so I can update at least a little faster. Thanks for being great reviewers!

By the time that Runningshadow had come back from hunting, it was almost time to leave for the Gathering. He went for Ashstar's den, knowing that she would be back from her patrol.

She indeed was, but seemed depressed. She was on her belly, her head on her paws. Her eyes were half-open.

"Ashstar," Runningshadow mewed lightly.

"Yes," Interjected Ashstar. "I have decided."

Runningshadow leaned in closer, his light blue eyes wide.

"I have decided…that tonight I shall refuse Hurricanesong."


 Runningshadow gaped. "But…what will he think?" He asked, almost stammering. "W-w-won't he call for a fight?"

Ashstar dipped her head. "Yes," She mewed calmly. "But if he wants to break the truce…I just don't think that a superstitious cat like him would want to do such a thing."

Runningshadow found himself agreeing. Hurricanesong certainly wouldn't want his first Gathering as a leader to break out in a fight, breaking the truce.

"Shall we leave soon?" Asked Runningshadow. "The sun is going down."

Ashstar nodded. "Yes, I guess we shall go immediately," she mewed. "I trust that you rounded up many warriors. It will take a while to head all of those cats up to Fourtrees." She flicked her tail to dismiss Runningshadow. "Go gather the other cats together."

Runningshadow nodded and turned back around to gather the cats to go with him, astounded that she had read his thoughts. Did that mean he was a good warrior?

As he named the warriors going to the Gathering, he heard a mewl of shock coming from behind. The light brown tom whipped around to see that Newtfrost was standing near, her vivid green eyes glaring at him.

"Why?" She hissed. "Why didn't you invite me?"

"Newtfrost, you must understand," Runningshadow murmured. "You can't go, you're going to have your kits any day now. Who knows if you'd have them in the middle of the Gathering?"

"I won't have them!" Whined Newtfrost. "I knew they would get in the way."

Runningshadow batted Newtfrost over the head. "You're a queen and you're still acting like a kit," He scolded. "You have to stay here. It's not like you've never been to a Gathering before."

Newtfrost hung her head. "I guess you're right. Sorry, Runningshadow."

The light brown tom sighed. "It's fine, just stay here," He replied.

Newtfrost saw Summerheart poking her head outside of the nursery, flicking an ear to gesture for her to come inside.

Runningshadow felt a pang of guilt, but had to get the apprentices. The dark was growing in the sky, and the Clan couldn't be late for this Gathering.

R.U.N.N.I.N.G

Ashstar waited at the top of the large ravine, the rest of the patrol behind her. She was looking down intently at the bottom of the clearing, searching for the ShadowClan leader.

Runningshadow tried looking over Ashstar's shoulder anxiously, worried thoughts streaming abundantly through his head. Ashstar gave him a small snarl and he stopped trying to look.

Shadowpaw bounded up to Runningshadow, apparently trying to get a better view too, but Runningshadow whipped his tail for the dark tom to go away. The apprentice hung his head and dropped to the back of the group.

Finally after what seemed like forever, Ashstar started to plunge into the clearing. Runningshadow tried to stay on her heels. Even though there was a truce, he didn't seem to trust Hurricanesong if they were alone in the clearing of Fourtrees.

"What happens if Hurricanestar tries to attack?" Asked Runningshadow.

"Stand your ground," Ashstar growled. "And don't call him Hurricanestar. He's not a leader yet."

Runningshadow flattened his ears with shame. Of course he didn't know if Hurricanesong was a leader yet or not! What a stupid question!

ThunderClan was in Fourtrees. Runningshadow looked around wildly to search for ShadowClan, but there was no sight of them yet. Only RiverClan was here, calmly talking among themselves and waiting for the other three Clans.

Ashstar greeted the RiverClan leader, Otterstar, and started discussing Clan affairs, while some of the warriors went to talk with the other RiverClan warriors. A couple of slender, silvery she-cats bounded up to Shadowpaw and Poisonpaw, while Starpaw gave a dejected look in their direction and sat himself down beside a couple of tom apprentices.

Runningshadow tried to find a RiverClan cat that he knew, but he hadn't seen another RiverClan cat for a while, so he couldn't make much contact with them.

Feeling guilty of eavesdropping, Runningshadow laid down near a clump of queens. They always had the best gossip.

"I can't believe it!" Squealed a queen.

"Outrageous!" Shouted another, scraping her claws across the ground.

"ShadowClan have really bowed down to a low level," A slightly older queen sighed. "Hurricanesong! As their leader! How can they take it?"

Runningshadow felt somehow agreeing with the queens. As much as he hated to have hostility around other cats, Hurricanesong was the worst cat for the job of leader.

One of the queens heard Runningshadow snort and whipped her head around, giving him a splintering glare.

He blushed and backed away slowly to where Shadowpaw was flirting with the two she-cats.

"And that," The dark apprentice mewed proudly, "Is how we chased out those flea-ridden rogues!"

"Wow!" Swooned one of the she-cats, a silver tabby. She batted her eyelashes. "You were very brave. Why didn't your leader make you a warrior after the battle?"

Shadowpaw shrugged. "I dunno," He growled. "I guess I'm not old enough yet. But that only makes me want to prove myself more!"

"Oh Shadowpaw," A smaller, solid silver she-cat gasped. "You're so amazing!"

Shadowpaw's amber eyes gleamed with pride. He really was good at attracting she-cats.

Runningshadow rolled his eyes. Suddenly, there was a very loud rustle in the bushes. He knew that it was another Clan by the number of sounds.

He whipped his head around, but didn't catch ShadowClan's scent. It was WindClan.

Surprisingly, there weren't many cats there. There was only their leader, Lionstar, three or four warriors, and two apprentices. No elders or queens.

Runningshadow felt a pang of worry and hoped that it didn't have to do with ShadowClan. What if ShadowClan had asked WindClan for more land, but they had refused? Was this the fate of ThunderClan?

As if in answer, ShadowClan's new leader plunged through the surrounding undergrowth and into the clearing.

"Ah, finally here, are you Hurricanesong?" Asked Lionstar rudely. She and ShadowClan had an unseen rivalry.

"Sorry we were late," Hurricanesong growled. "How has your Clan been going, Lionstar?"

The golden she-cat hissed ferociously, her claws digging into the dust. "Better than yours, you flea-ridden pile of fox-dung!"

Hurricanesong sneered, curling his lips, but didn't say anything and strode proudly to the bottom of the Tallrock. He leaped to the top with his nose high, ignoring the leader of WindClan.

"So you shall start the meeting, Hurricanesong?" Asked Ashstar in an agitated growl.

The dark gray tom said nothing and waited for the remaining three leaders to get up too. Then he let out a loud yowl to start before Runningshadow could search for Skycloud.

"All four Clans have arrived!" Yowled Hurricanesong. "Let the Gathering begin!"

"RiverClan would like to go first," Otterstar asked politely.

Hurricanesong dipped his head.

Otterstar described how three elders had died, but there was a new litter of kits to make up for it, so all was well. But Otterstar was warning them about a group of stray rogues that were hiding out in a huge clump of reeds near the border between ThunderClan and RiverClan territory. Runningshadow

remembered to make note of that.

WindClan were next, speaking of a mysterious sickness invading their camp. Runningshadow suspected that was why there were so few warriors with her.

Finally, it was ThunderClan's turn. Ashstar was talking about Deerstripe and Longwhisker, the two new warriors, and the new litter of kits.

"Ashstar, if I may?" Asked Hurricanesong.

"Go ahead," Ashstar mewed nervously. Runningshadow knew she was anxious about what he was going to say about them.

"Firstly, I am glad to announce that I am now the new leader of ShadowClan. I just went to the Moonstone last night, and now you shall address me as Hurricanestar."

Runningshadow shivered. He hated to call such a deadly cat Hurricanestar.

"I would now like to state an announcement," Hurricanestar went on. "ShadowClan aren't very well at all. There is famine in our Clan, and we have been asking for territory for a half-moon now. First, of course, we asked WindClan. Unfortunately, they rejected our offer. Now you see how they have turned out. Next, we asked RiverClan. They too declined. I shall make sure you regret it, Otterstar," Hissed Hurricanestar.

The brown she-cat hissed. "Shut yourself and let ThunderClan speak!" Wow. What a brave cat she was.

Yowls of protest came from WindClan, but weren't very loud because there weren't many warriors.

"We have recently asked ThunderClan for a piece of their territory. The rats have stolen a fraction of our territory from us, and has left many of our warriors dying. Ashstar, what do you have to say?"

Ashstar tensed her muscles. Runningshadow felt his stomach churn.

"I say no," Ashstar growled coldly. "I refuse to give you territory. I have no idea why Sharpstar let you be deputy."

There was a sudden hushed silence. All eyes were on Hurricanestar.

The dark gray tom snarled. "How dare you," He spat quietly. "I gave you more than a quarter moon to decide this. And now, you're snarling at me like I'm the enemy here."

"You are not the enemy," Ashstar said, a bit more calm now. "You are demanding our territory without justice. All ThunderClan is doing is refusing your outrageous offer."

"Now I have asked the other three Clans," Hurricanestar growled. "Will nocat help us? In our worst time of need? Please, you must!"

"I would never give you territory even if your mate was pregnant!" Snapped Lionstar.

Hurricanestar snarled lightly but didn't say anything. "The Gathering is over," He announced.

Ashstar scoffed and leaped down the rock. "Come, ThunderClan," She growled.

Runningshadow followed obediently, worry flooding his senses. Would Hurricanestar allow them to get off easily, or would ShadowClan's hunger for power and territory force both the Clans into a fight?

The young warrior knew that it would be choice number two.

DUN DUN DUUUUNNN! Review and I'll give u an entire set of plushies! All of the Clan leaders! Including Hurricanestar! Woo-hoo!!