It'd been nearly half a moon since his last talk with Brightstar. The full moon rose high in the starry night. Onepaw stood with the rest of Thunderclan, waiting for Squirrelstar to give the signal to leave camp. He was anxious. What would his former clanmates say when they saw him? He shuddered and then forced his pelt to smooth.
"You alright?" Alderheart's sympathetic mew came.
Onepaw looked up at the medicine cat. "Just a little anxious."
"It is your first Gathering after all." The ginger tom meowed.
Uh, no. He thought. "What will my old clanmates think?" He asked, flattening his ears.
"They'll be glad that you're alive." Leafpool purred from nearby.
"Really?" He snarled, whipping around to face her. "They might be angry with Thunderclan for taking me. I could have gotten back fine on my own, if you'd have let me."
"Relax." Squirrelstar's gentle, firm mew came as she padded over. "It'll be fine, Onepaw." Then she addressed the rest of the clan. "We should be going!"
The clan burst through the thorn barrier and through the forest. They reached the beach, travelling along the water line to the tree bridge. The smell of all of the other four clans reeked the air. They were the last to arrive.
They pushed through the thorn bushes and entered the clearing. The other clans turned to look at them. Onepaw lay alone at the side of the clearing, while his clanmates sat with the rest of the clans. Plumheart gestured to him with her tail. He slunk over to her side, sitting beside her.
A yowl sounded from the branches of the leaders' tree. Every cat went silent and looked up to see four leaders and Strongsoul, Littleclan's representative, seated on the tree.
"Brackenstar, would you like to start?" Strongsoul asked.
"Very well." The golden tabby dipped his head. "Over the moon, we lost one of our kits to the river by Thunderclan's border." Sadness glittered in his eyes. "We also have a new apprentice, Flarepaw."
"Flarepaw! Flarepaw!" Most of the cats cheered.
"You let a kit out of your camp?" Blossomstar's eyes narrowed.
"No, we did not." Brackenstar replied. "He and his brother snuck out and were playing by the river apparently. We will mourn the loss of Wolfkit."
Onepaw fought the urge to get to his paws and yowl that he was right there. Plu,heart glanced at him.
"Do you think Squirrelstar will tell him?" He whispered.
She shrugged.
Strongsoul spoke up. "Littleclan is thriving and will soon be letting a group of loners into our clan. They have been helping us over the last few moons. Tomorrow, I will be going to the Moontree to receive my nine lives."
Blossomstar just nodded, then looked over the cats. "Pondclan is thriving well. Plenty of prey for now."
Deadstar cleared his throat. "Heartclan is doing well. Prey is running normally."
Every cat turned their focus to Squirrelstar.
The ginger Thunderclan leader shifted our paws. "We have a new apprentice, Onepaw."
"Onepaw! Onepaw!" The clan cats looked around for him and he found the fur along his spine spiking up.
Flarepaw's eyes met his. He dipped his head to his brother, who narrowed his golden eyes in return. He saw ambition and anger deep inside those eyes. The want for revenge.
Then the truth came to Onepaw. One name stuck in his mind. That cat wasn't his brother, but his enemy.
Flarepaw was Hawktalon.