A/N: Chapter 7. This chapter is longer, probably because I didn't write the whole thing at Creative Writing Club.
One moon-turn = one month. Refers to how the moon turns dark, then light, then dark again over a month.
Enjoy!
"What are we going to do tonight?" Sunnypaw asked Reedfeather as they flew towards the Dragonwings' border with the Clans, specifically their new allies, ThunderClan. It was a clear, crisp summer night. The full moon was just starting to rise above the trees.
Skystar looked back from where she was flying just ahead of them, discussing Dragonwing-running logistics with Icesky. "I've decided we should mark our borders, like the Clans do," she explained to Sunnypaw. "That way, cats won't wander into our territory on accident."
Stormpaw darted back towards them. He had been flying out in front and back towards the patrol over and over since they left camp, frustrated they weren't going faster. Privately, Reedfeather agreed with him, but her side still wasn't completely healed and Dragonsplash had warned her flying faster than running speed could open it up again, and then Reedfeather would be grounded again. And she didn't want that.
As he approached, Stormpaw announced, "There's a patrol of cats at the border. They want to talk to Skystar."
"Why?" Skystar asked.
"They didn't say. They just asked me to come get you."
Just then, the Dragonwings reached the border and glided to a halt just in front of the ThunderClan patrol.
"Shimmerstar," Skystar greeted the ThunderClan leader. She looked curiously at the two unfamiliar warriors behind her.
"Hello, Skystar. This is Dovelight and Ashstorm." She waved her tail at the cats behind her, a pale gray she-cat with amber eyes and a darker gray tom with silver flecks and pale yellow eyes.
"What brings you here? Do you need help?" Skystar asked, concerned.
"No," Shimmerstar replied, "we've come with an invitation."
"An invitation to what?" Sunnypaw asked, and then was promptly scolded by Reedfeather for interrupting Shimmerstar.
The silver queen smiled. "Every full moon, the four Clans - ThunderClan, ShadowClan, RiverClan, and WindClan - have a Gathering. We share news, socialize, and as long as the full moon shines, there is a truce..."
Reedfeather reflected on the invitation as the Dragonwings glided down into the Gathering clearing. Only a moon-turn ago, the Dragonwings would never have even imagined attending a Gathering of normal cats. In fact, many of the dragon cats had believed that the normal cats and their Clans were just a kit's nursery tale.
She looked around the clearing, curious. Four tall stones were ranged around the clearing, and in the center was a large tree. And cats were everywhere. Reedfeather thought that all three other Clans must already be there, based on how many cats had come just from ThunderClan. As the Dragonwing patrol landed in the clearing, with Skystar setting down next to Shimmerstar, the cats reacted in different ways: some afraid, some angry, some curious. Three cats sitting in the tree rose. Reedfeather saw Rainstar among them and realized the other two had to be the leaders of RiverClan and WindClan.
"Who, and what, have you brought to our Gathering, Shimmerstar?" a brown queen asked, yellow eyes flashing angrily. She was thin and wiry, but she didn't look starved. She looked like she was built that way. Thinking back to the stories of the Clans she'd heard as a kit, Reedfeather guessed she was the leader of WindClan, remembering descriptions of how the WindClan cats always looked skinny to the other Clans.
"Breezestar, these are the Dragonwings. I think they have the right to come here, at least this once. They bear no hostile intent towards the Clans," Shimmerstar replied steadily.
Rainstar said nothing, simply watched with amber eyes glinting.
The final leader was a pure black tom with flashing green eyes. He was larger than the other leaders, but not overweight. By both process of elimination and the stories from her kithood, Reedfeather decided he probably lead RiverClan. He watched the Dragonwings curiously.
"I think as long as they don't cause trouble, I'm interested in what they have to say," he announced.
"Thank you, Scalestar," Shimmerstar said to him.
Skystar stepped forward. The attention of every cat was immediately on her. "I swear by the Starwings, we mean you no harm," she promised solemnly.
"I guess it's all right," Rainstar finally meowed.
Breezestar hesitated, then agreed.
"That's settled, then," said Shimmerstar, then climbed into the tree. Skystar flew up after her. The cats in the clearing watched her fly, fascinated. Icesky followed Shadepelt, who was the ThunderClan deputy, over to where the other deputies were sitting underneath the tree. Dragonsplash followed the ThunderClan medicine cat, Whitefern, and his apprentice, Sandpaw, to where the medicine cats were sitting by one of the tall rocks. Reedfeather and the other dragon cats found places to sit among the Clan cats. Reedfeather ended up between a Dragonwing flier named Embershadow and a tom who smelled like ShadowClan. He had blue eyes and brown fur with gray on his paws and forehead. He also had gray spots and a gray stripe down his back all the way to the end of his tail. He smiled at Reedfeather and shifted to the side so she wasn't so squished. Reedfeather smiled back, then turned her attention to the leaders when Shimmerstar yowled to start the meeting.
Each leader shared their news in turn, reporting kits born, new apprentices and warriors, and that kind of thing. Each leader also welcomed the Dragonwings, with varying degrees of friendliness. Scalestar and Shimmerstar seemed friendly towards them, Rainstar seemed neutral, and although Breezestar wasn't friendly, she wasn't openly hostile, either. Finally, it was Skystar's turn. She stood up on the branch she was on.
"The Dragonwings thank you for allowing us to join your Gathering," Skystar said to the assembled cats. "I am Skystar, and my deputy Icesky and my healer - or as I think you would call her, my medicine cat - Dragonsplash are here as well. As for what has happened to us this moon-turn, we have no new kits, apprentices, or warriors, but I do have one major piece of news."
"About a week and a half ago, we were attacked by a large group of hawks, seeking revenge for the hawks we have killed for prey." The Clan cats were astonished that hawks would attack a large group of cats, especially the dangerous-looking dragon cats. Skystar continued, "We were badly outnumbered, and would have been wiped out if it hadn't been for the grace of the Starwings and ThunderClan's help." She turned to look at Shimmerstar. "I don't think we will ever be able to repay you for what you did for us, even though you had only learned of our existence that day."
Shimmerstar dipped her head. "I'm just glad that you survived."
Skystar turned back to address the other cats. "Luckily, the Starwings did not take any of our cats, although one of my fliers, Reedfeather, was badly injured. She has healed, however, and is here tonight." She sat down on the branch. "That's all I would like to say," she concluded.
Rainstar stood up. "This Gathering is over," he said. "Now, it's time to mingle among ourselves. I'm sure many of you are eager to meet these dragon cats."
Reedfeather stood up, stretching. Then the ShadowClan cat next to her did the same thing. When both of them were done stretching, he said, "I never thought I'd meet a cat who hunted hawks as prey," he said. "I'm Windbreeze, by the way. I'm a ShadowClan warrior."
"I'm Reedfeather," Reedfeather replied. "It's nice to meet you, Windbreeze."
"It's nice to meet you, too, Reedfeather," Windbreeze said, grinning. "How would you like me to introduce you to some of the Clan cats?"
"I'd like that a lot," Reedfeather said excitedly. "We don't get to meet cats outside the Dragonwings often."
"Well, maybe that'll change if you guys are going to start coming to Gatherings. Come on, I'll introduce you to our deputy." He led Reedfeather towards a cream-colored tom at the other end of the clearing.
As they approached, the deputy turned and looked at Reedfeather curiously. "Who is this, Windbreeze?" he asked.
"This is Reedfeather, Darkclaw," Windbreeze explained. Reedfeather looked at his paws and saw that they were darkly colored. She wondered if that was how he got his name.
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Reedfeather," Darkclaw said politely. "I'm sure we both have a lot to learn from each other."
They made small talk for a few more minutes, then Windbreeze took Reedfeather over to where a mottled gray she-cat was talking to a calico tom and a smaller orange tabby she-cat. As they approached, the gray she-cat glanced at Reedfeather, turned, and stalked away.
"Sorry about Ashstream," the calico tom apologized as Reedfeather and Windbreeze came up to him and the smaller cat. "She's the WindClan deputy, and she seems to agree with Breezestar that you dragon cats shouldn't be here."
"And you don't?" Reedfeather asked.
"Nope." The calico smiled. "I'm Firestreak, medicine cat of RiverClan. This is my apprentice, Sandpaw."
"I'm Reedfeather," Reedfeather explained. "I'm one of the fliers of the Dragonwings."
"Fliers?" Sandpaw asked curiously.
"Like your warriors," Reedfeather explained. "We hunt, and fight if we have to. But we don't fight very often."
Windbreeze, Reedfeather, and the two RiverClan cats talked until Skystar called to the Dragonwings that they were leaving.
"Bye," Reedfeather told the others. "I hope I see you again."
As the Dragonwings flew back to camp, Reedfeather flew ahead to where Skystar was flying. "That was a lot of fun," Reedfeather said. "We should do it again sometime."
Skystar smiled. "I think that's up to the Clans," she said. "But I'd like to come again too."
Reedfeather smiled as they flew back to camp, glad she'd had a chance to make new friends.
A/N: So, they got to go to a Gathering! Windbreeze will reappear at some point, by the way. What do you think? Why is Breezestar so hostile to the Dragonwings? I have no idea. Maybe you magically know? If you do, tell me! Review and stay awesome!