Author's Note: WOOOO I updated xD

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CHAPTER 5: Tiny and the Gathering

Tigerpaw padded through the undergrowth, on the day of his first Gathering. He and his sisters were now eight moons old. Whitepaw had joined them a half-moon ago, and he was staying behind to guard the camp with his mentor, Patchpelt. Frostkit and Brindlekit were getting impatient. They had been told that they would become apprentices tomorrow, and they were mad.

Tawnyspots had sent Tigerpaw, Nightpaw, and Mistpaw on solo hunting trips. He had told Nightpaw to hunt near Sunningrocks, Mistpaw to hunt up by Fourtrees, and Tigerpaw to hunt by Twolegplace. Tigerpaw was excited to get started, and he hunted on his way to Twolegplace. He had already caught two blackbirds, a chaffinch, and a vole. He wanted to catch some more "Twolegplace" prey. He knew that he couldn't actually go in Twolegplace, but he could hunt near it.

As Tigerpaw crouched to catch a shrew, he heard the pitter-patter of soft kit-paw-steps. Before the shrew could escape, Tigerpaw pounced and killed it. He buried it with two other pieces of prey, also shrews. After it was properly hidden, Tigerpaw crept over to where he heard the kit. He watched the tiny black kit with one white paw attack leaves.

Tigerpaw was poised to chase the kit off ThunderClan territory when Bluefur and Thrushpelt appeared out of nowhere. "Just watch him, Tigerpaw," his mentor murmured. "Make sure he is a threat first before you chase him off."

"Shouldn't we confront him?" Tigerpaw asked quietly.

Bluefur and Thrushpelt exchanged a glance, and then Thrushpelt mewed, "Go ahead, but don't be too harsh with him. After all, he's only a kit."

Tigerpaw nodded and padded out of the bushes, his mentor and Thrushpelt following.

The tiny black kitten looked up at the sound of pawsteps. "Hi!" he squeaked happily, his tail held high.

"What are you doing on ThunderClan territory?" Tigerpaw asked, trying not to sound too hostile.

"Exploring!" the kit mewled, his icy blue eyes ablaze with excitement. "It's so cool in here! My mama told me about the forest cats! She said that they're the scourge of civil cats, but now that I've met you, I can prove my mama wrong! What's it like? Is it fun sleeping outside every night? What do you eat? Do you fight everything you see? Is it true you sharpen your claws on bones? What about—"

Tigerpaw cut into the kit's babbling. "Wow, you're very inquisitive," he purred. "What's your name?"

"Tiny."

"Well, Tiny, you can tell your mother that you met warriors of ThunderClan and that we keep the scourge of civil cats down so that the civil cats can live a good life," Tigerpaw meowed.

Tiny's eyes grew huge with amazement. "You're a warrior? That's so cool!"

Tigerpaw laughed. "No, I'm not a warrior. But this is my mentor, Bluefur, and her friend, Thrushpelt. He mentors one of my sisters." Tigerpaw introduced his companions.

Bluefur looked up at the sky. "Tigerpaw, we'd best be collecting your prey and heading back to camp," she meowed.

"Yes, Bluefur." Tigerpaw dipped his head to Tiny. "I think you should go home and tell your mother and littermates about your adventure," he mewed quietly, smiling. "They'll be very jealous."

Tiny grinned and squealed, "Okay! Bye!" The little black kitten scampered back to his nest and climbed under the fence into his yard.

When Tigerpaw arrived back at camp, the sun was starting to set and he was carrying his blackbirds and chaffinch. Thrushpelt carried the vole and a shrew, and Bluefur carried the other two shrews. Tawnyspots was in the center of the clearing with the cats who were going to the Gathering: Featherwhisker, Leopardfoot, Sweetcloud, Rosetail, Goldenflower, Lionheart, Speckletail, Smallear, Stonepelt, Nightpaw, and Mistpaw were standing there, waiting for Bluefur, Thrushpelt, and Tigerpaw.

"Tigerpaw! Tigerpaw!" Tigerpaw looked around at the sound of his voice. He spotted his sisters running towards him. He waved his tail in greeting, seeing as he still had his prey in his jaws. He set his prey on the fresh-kill pile and turned to his sisters. He touched noses with them.

"What's up?" he asked. Nightpaw and Mistpaw looked excited.

"The Gathering's gonna be amazing!" Mistpaw mewed, hopping up and down.

"Why do you say that?" Tigerpaw meowed, sitting down and licking his paw.

"I dunno, I just feel that it will be amazing." Nightpaw purred in amusement at her sister's excitement.

"Tigerpaw! Nightpaw! Mistpaw! We're leaving!" Tawnyspots called to them. The three apprentices raced to join the Gathering patrol.

When they reached Fourtrees, they waited for Sunstar to gather his thoughts. Tigerpaw found himself next to Goldenflower. "What do you think will happen?" he asked her.

"I don't know," she replied, flicking his ear with her tail.

"Maybe Cedarstar will declare war on RiverClan!" Nightpaw piped up.

Mistpaw snorted. "Now, why would he do that? RiverClan's just a bunch of yellow-bellied mongrels who'd rather stay in the river than hunt like real cats."

Tigerpaw looked at his sister, surprised at the hostility in his normally sweet and caring sister's voice. "You okay, Mistpaw?" he asked gently.

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." She looked at her paws.

Sunstar flicked his tail and the ThunderClan cats poured down the side of the hollow, and mingled with the other Clans.

Tigerpaw, Nightpaw, and Mistpaw stuck together, and went to find other apprentices. Tigerpaw spotted some, and he went to sit with them. "Hi!" he meowed, greeting the other apprentices. "I'm Tigerpaw of ThunderClan, and these are my sisters, Nightpaw and Mistpaw."

"Who are you guys?" Nightpaw asked a dark ginger she-cat.

The she-cat motioned to her companion on the right side of her. "I'm Russetpaw of ShadowClan, and this is Blackpaw." Tigerpaw looked at Blackpaw's paws. They were jet black.

Mistpaw turned to a wiry mottled brown tom. "Who're you?"

"I'm the only WindClan apprentice, Mudpaw," he replied.

A golden spotted tabby she-cat motioned to the rest of the apprentices. "I'm Leopardpaw, this is Loudpaw, and Blackpaw. We're from RiverClan." The Blackpaw of RiverClan and the Blackpaw of ShadowClan watched each other, perplexed.

Tigerpaw noticed that Mistpaw was about to growl at the RiverClan cats, and he shook his head at her. "Stop it, Mistpaw."

"CATS OF ALL CLANS! Let the Gathering begin!" Sunstar called.