Redpaw followed behind Goldfinchpaw as they pushed through the bushes at the edge of the island. Redpaw gasped softly when he stepped into the clearing.

RiverClan was, as always, the first Clan to arrive at the island. Redpaw looked around, amazed, at the trees towering above him. There was no area with trees this thick in RiverClan territory. Redpaw gazed up at the sky, where he could see Silverpelt through the leaves of the trees surrounding them.

"Excited?" a voice asked. Redpaw looked up to see Blacktalon standing over him, purring.

"Yes, I think so." Redpaw answered, glancing at the full moon. The sky was clear, which meant the other Clans would be on their way.

"Are you nervous?" Blacktalon asked.

Redpaw nodded and took a deep breath.

"It'll be fine. I'll be at the roots of that big tree over there. That's where the deputies and medicine cats sit." Blacktalon flicked his tail towards the biggest tree, at one end of the clearing.

"Y-you won't be with me?"

"Don't worry. Try to-" Blacktalon cut off, looking back towards the tree bridge. Redpaw followed his gaze, and after a few moments, a black she-cat emerged from the bushes. A red tabby tom was a pawstep behind her, and following them was a group of cats that was too large for Redpaw to properly see them all.

"That's ShadowClan," Blacktalon meowed. "Memorize their scent. Talk to their apprentices." Blacktalon ran his tail along Redpaw's spine as he passed, and Redpaw watched Blacktalon make his way to the roots of the tree. The black she-cat and red tom passed Redpaw, following Blacktalon, and Redpaw assumed they must be the leader and deputy of ShadowClan.

Redpaw watched the group of cats disperse, mixing in with his Clanmates. Groups of cats from both Clans formed, and Redpaw watched the cats talk like old friends. He looked back towards the tree bridge and caught eyes with a black tom who looked about his size. The black tom's ears pricked and he crossed the clearing, approaching Redpaw.

"Hi there," the black tom mewed.

"Uh, hi," Redpaw mewed back.

"I'm Crowpaw!" the tom said.

"Oh, I'm Redpaw…"

"Is this your first gathering?" Crowpaw asked.

Redpaw nodded in response, and Crowpaw's blue eyes seemed to brighten.

"Mine too!" Crowpaw purred.

"Where's your mentor?"

"He's over there," Crowpaw nodded behind Redpaw, and Redpaw turned his head to follow Crowpaw's gaze. Redpaw saw a russet tom with a russet she-cat and a brown tom, who were talking to Shellheart and Goldfinchpaw.

"The brown tom?" Redpaw asked.

"No! That's Pinepaw. It's the other tom, Redgorse."

"Pinepaw? He's as big as the other warriors!"

"Yeah, he and Weaselpaw are almost warriors. Moonpaw and I've only been apprentices for a few days," Crowpaw explained.

"Moonpaw?" Redpaw asked, gazing around at all the cats, looking for a cat that might be named Moon.

"Yeah, she's my sister. She didn't come 'cause she's on the dawn patrol. What about you?"

"What about me?" Redpaw asked, turning back to Crowpaw.

"How long have you and your littermates been apprentices?"

"Oh, I don't have any littermates. But I've been an apprentice for three sunrises."

"You don't have any littermates? Are you the only apprentice?"

"No, there's Goldfinchpaw, but she's almost nine moons older than me."

"So you have to do all the apprentice duties, huh." Crowpaw said sadly.

"Apprentice duties? Oh, you mean like cleaning nests? No, I don't do any of that. Fuzzystar says my training is too important."

"Too important for apprentice duties? Who are you, Firestar?" Crowpaw teased.

"N-no, I-" Redpaw laid his ears back in embarrassment. "I-I'm… Kind of?" he meowed softly. "I d'know if I'm allowed to talk about it…"

"About what? Are you part of a prophecy?"

When Redpaw didn't answer, Crowpaw's eyes widened. "Seriously?" he mewed quietly. "Wait, you can't talk about it. Blink twice for yes!"

Redpaw hesitated before giving Crowpaw two, slow blinks.

"Oh my StarClan!" Crowpaw squealed.

"Hush!" Redpaw hissed, as some nearby ShadowClan cats turned their heads to look at them.

"Sorry," Crowpaw purred. "So, what's the prophecy?"

"I-I don't know," Redpaw admitted. "No one's told me. Listen, Crowpaw, I don't want to be part of a prophecy."

"Really? Why not?"

"I don't want to be a strong warrior, I- I want to be medicine cat."

"Have you told anyone?"

"Yes! I begged my entire kithood to be medicine cat apprentice, but everyone said I was 'destined' to become a warrior…" Redpaw shuffled his paws in the dirt beneath him.

Crowpaw didn't respond for a few moments, and when he finally did, he said, "Meet me at the thunderpath between our territories. My mentor says monsters only use it during greenleaf, so it'll be safe right now."

"Um, when…?"

"Tomorrow at moonhigh, if you can. I promise I'll be there." Crowpaw grinned and bowed his head to Redpaw before hurrying past the young tom and meeting up with his mentor.

Redpaw turned to watch him go, and as he looked around the clearing again, he realized it was absolutely filled with cats. The other three Clans had arrived while he and Crowpaw were talking.

It was only a few moments after this realization that one of the leaders called the meeting to order.