Chapter 13, Gathering

Ravenflight stirred and opened her eyes. Beside her, Squirreltalon lifted her head, blinking frost off her eyes. "Feels like the mountains," she mewed, then looked on. "Leaf-bare is on its way."

"Yes," Ravenflight agreed.

There was a rustling Firestar appeared behind them. "There's a gathering tonight," he told the new warriors, "You can come. Greystripe said it was a good idea."

"Thank you!" Ravenflight yowled. She jumped to her feet.

"Get something to eat," Firestar instructed.

Ravenflight charged over to the fresh-kill pile, with Squirreltalon behind her. Whitepaw was bending over it.

"Take whatever you want, warriors," she snarled, whipping around and vanishing into the apprentice's den.

Ravenflight sighed. "Well there is one jealous apprentice," she growled.

"She really isn't ready," Squirreltalon meowed, "To become a warrior. She's just kind of…immature."

"I guess your right," Ravenflight said, stalking over across the camp to where the warriors ate.

"This is great!" Squirreltalon mewed, as Brambleclaw and some other young warriors joined them.

OoOoO

"Oh, wow," Ravenflight looked down the slope and into Fourtrees. The clearing thronged with cats.

Firestar flicked his tail and the cats plunged down the slope. Ravenflight saw the ShadowClan warriors who had attacked the camp.

Smokepaw was not far away. Ravenflight dashed over to him.

"Smokepaw!" she yowled. She racked her brain. Had Smokepaw been in the battle? She couldn't remember seeing him…

"Oh!" he meowed, turning. "Hello Ravenpaw. I was made a warrior tonight. I'm Smoketail now."

"And I'm Ravenflight," She mewed, "And Squirreltalon is here too."

"Great!" Smoketail mewed, "I was talking to Owlpaw earlier. He has something to tell you."

"Thanks, where is he?" Ravenflight asked. Smoketail gestured with his tail.

Ravenflight bounded through the crowd of cats until she reached Owlpaw. He sat alone, his green eyes staring into nothing.

"Owlpaw," Ravenflight dipped her head.

"Owlfeather," he corrected, and didn't say anything else.

"What did you want to tell me?" she asked.

He looked at her but did not reply. His eyes had a strange glimmer.

"Are you okay?" Ravenflight asked. He turned his eyes until they bored into hers. Ravenflight couldn't look away. finally Owlfeather turned around and faced the great rock where the leaders were gathering.

None of the leaders had much to say. Firestar mentioned that Squirreltalon and Ravenflight had become warriors.

OoOoO

"Come," Firestar commanded Ravenflight and Squirreltalon a few days later. "We're going to take a patrol to Fourtrees." He sent then a glace, "BloodClan was scented and seen there."

"Glad to come," Ravenflight meowed. Firestar led the way out of camp.

"Get low," Firestar commanded his warriors when they neared Fourtrees, "I don't want BloodClan to see us."

Ravenflight crouched low in the bracken, peering over to see a large group of scraggly, mangy cats. But one white pelt stood out above the rest.

"Surveillance!" Squirreltalon and Ravenflight whispered at the same time.

The white cat had wonderful hearing. She raised her head. "Ravenpaw! Squirrelpaw!" I know your there. Come out and show your faces!"

Firestar must have known that this was the cat that would save the Clans. He crawled out with Ravenflight and Squirreltalon behind him.

"Hello Surveillance," he greeted her. "Why are you with BloodClan cats?"

She looked at the cats at his side.

"Funny that you ask," she paced back and forth. "We are planning to take over the forest, just like Scourge. I will give you tonight to get out of the forest, along with those other scrawny Clans, or fight us. Of course, you will loose, so don't even think of that choice."

"You were supposed to save us!" Ravenflight yowled.

"Save you? I have no intention of saving you. Take care of yourselves!"

"Come on," Firestar switched his tail at the two warriors. He charged up the slope and into ThunderClan territory.

"We are not going to go away. We fought them once, we can fight them again."

"Yes," Ravenflight muttered.

"Come on, let's get back to camp. I will get the other Clans to help us fight them off."

Oh, a villain! Oh, and just so you know, any unanswered questions in this book will be explained in the next book, or the one after that. Review! I deserve it! I typed you THREE WHOLE CHAPTERS! So review!