Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.

Note: Gah. This took me forever to write, but it's not very long...ah, well. Enjoy Dustpaw & the Gathering!

Âme Empoisonnée

"Where's Brokenstar?" Crookedstar demanded from the Great Rock. "We can't go on without him." Dustpaw, along with his mentor, looked doubtfully at the RiverClan leader. Yes, we can. He's a cruel dictator who doesn't give a mousetail about StarClan, the warrior code, or any of us. I bet he only comes to Gatherings to gain information.

"Ahem!" shouted a voice. The cats of all three Clans made way for the large cat coming toward them, but it was no tabby. He was a huge white tom, with jet-black paws.

"You're not Brokenstar!" Oakheart hissed. The cats of RiverClan and ThunderClan started to bristle at this comment. They didn't like Brokenstar, but they didn't like strangers, either.

Tallstar snorted. "Don't you recognize Blackfoot, you idiots?" Noticing that only Jaggedtooth, Yellowfang, and Boulder were following Blackfoot, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Why so few cats? Is Brokenstar dead? Did you lose a battle?"

If cats could laugh or grin, then Blackfoot would've laughed or grinned, and he would've done so mirthlessly, but he had to settle for just a contemptuous sneer. "On the contrary! Brokenstar is sick, and has forbidden ShadowClan to attend Gatherings. I brought my medicine cat and an escort here to tell you this. We will stay for the rest of the Gathering, but this will be our last."

"Preposterous," muttered Redtail beside Dustpaw. "Absolutely preposterous!" Dustpaw didn't say anything, but he agreed. Even though it was no surprise to him, Brokenstar needed to attend Gatherings, or at least he needed to try, and besides, why should they let Blackfoot stay if he didn't believe he should? That would be practically giving them information.

"Why doesn't Brokenstar attend Gatherings anymore?" Bluestar demanded. She had risen to her feet, and was staring at Blackfoot with cold, authoritative blue eyes. "Does Brokenstar hold a grudge against StarClan themselves?"

"Brokenstar has no quarrel with StarClan." Blackfoot's orange eyes were cold. "He does not think that his time should be wasted listening to how many new kits were born in the Clans of antagonistic fools." He, Jaggedtooth, and Boulder looked the three leaders straight in the eye proudly. Yellowfang narrowed her eyes angrily—Dustpaw was glad to see that at least one ShadowClan cat supported Gatherings—but she did not protest.

"He says we are fools?!" cried Tallstar, furious. "Tell him I say he is a fool!"

"Calm yourself, Tallstar—" Barkface began, his expression revealing that he was angry but more worried, but Deadfoot cut him off explosively.

"He has no good reason to calm himself! Brokenstar has insulted us, and he is too full of cowardice to do it directly!" The warrior's voice projected across the clearing; it seemed so loud that Dustpaw bet One-eye could hear it back at camp.

"Tallstar." Bluestar's voice was steady but commanding. "I understand your anger, but Gatherings are times of peace. Control your warriors."

"Who are you to tell me what to do?" Tallstar demanded. "I think that Brokenstar should be punished, not only for insulting all of us, but for ignoring StarClan's will and defying the warrior code! Why, just this moon, he took three of WindClan's kits!" A gasp rose from the crowd. Dustpaw could see Graypaw gaping at Tallstar, but he wasn't so shocked. He'd seen Brokenstar before; the ShadowClan leader looked perfectly capable of such an act.

"Why do you care if Brokenstar hates you?" Bluestar asked, her face mildly worried. Three of Frostfur's kits had disappeared half a moon ago, and even though a fox seemed to be the thief, Tallstar had just brought up a new possibility that seemed even worse. "I bet you all hate him, too."

Tallstar bristled. "He insulted us and stole our kits, the damned fiend! I hope they catch the green-cough that's left over from leaf-bare so Brokenstar will run bloody well out of warriors before we're done with destroying that so-called Clan of his!"

Crookedstar, however, placed a paw between Tallstar and Bluestar. "Everyone calm down," he ordered. "We will not get anywhere if you keep arguing like this. Tallstar, you're right, Brokenstar is pretty much pure evil." Blackfoot hissed at that. "He took one of my lives, slaughtered my medicine cat, and blamed it on your Clan."

Tallstar's eyes widened, and his fur stood even more erect than ever. "The nerve!"

"Just like I said," Crookedstar meowed, "you're right. But Bluestar is right, too. The Great Rock is not a battlefield."

Tallstar snorted. "Blackfoot's not on the Great Rock, so I can do battle with him." Crookedstar gave him a warning glance, keeping him quiet for the time being, but Dustpaw could tell that the argument was far from over. He was angry, too; he hoped he would become a warrior soon, not just so he could escape the tyranny of training with that stupid furball Graypaw, but also because then he could fight ShadowClan and maybe take one of Brokenstar's lives away. That'd show them not to mess with ThunderClan.

Blackfoot joined the leaders on the Great Rock, and called for attention. "Cats of all Clans! Listen to your four representatives"—he stressed the word, causing Redtail to roll his eyes and grunt something to Lionheart that a Dustpaw couldn't hear—"share their Clans' news!"

"He's not a leader," whispered Lionheart to Redtail, in a tone that sounded agreeing to Dustpaw. "Why does he get to call the Gathering to order?"

Bluestar went first. She stepped up to the front of the Great Rock, head held high. "This moon, we have gained a new apprentice," she announced. "Graypaw, mentored my Lionheart, is here tonight. He is already showing the signs of a fine warrior."

Dustpaw grunted, though not audibly. Graypaw was such an idiot. A comedian, but an idiot. Even Lionheart stared at his apprentice, whose head was lifted proudly, with a look of slight disdain. Bluestar cleared her throat among the cheers and mews of congratulations from the other Clans (even Yellowfang pitched in) and went on, "But we have also suffered. A fox has stolen Frostfur's kits." Dustpaw glanced up at Lionheart, who was Frostfur's mate. His eyes were clouded with sorrow. Dustpaw himself was frustrated; one of those kits might've been his future apprentice.

"A fox," Tallstar said scornfully. "Huh. You really believe a fox stole your kits?"

"The geography of our territory protects our camp better than yours does," Bluestar replied evenly, though Dustpaw could see a flicker of doubt on her expression. "It would be a challenge for Brokenstar to steal any kits from us, and frankly, I think he's either too busy or too lazy to be challenged."

Oh yeah! Bluestar had told Tallstar off, and Blackfoot too, all in just two sentences! Of course a fox stole the kits, Dustpaw thought, unsuccessfully trying to convince himself. Brokenstar will never get through us!

Tallstar didn't recognize the situation as Dustpaw did, but he did nod slowly (and reluctantly) at Bluestar's words. "I suppose foxes do come along once in a while…"

"I'll speak next, if Tallstar and Bluestar have quite finished?" Crookedstar looked very impatient. Dustpaw would've liked to think angry thoughts at him, as he hated RiverClan, but he couldn't help agreeing with him. Tallstar and Bluestar had done nothing but argue this Gathering, either with Blackfoot or with each other, and the apprentice was sick of it. Let's get on with it! StarClan, you'd think leaders would be the cats telling everyone not to argue, but no, they're the cats you have to stop from arguing.

Tallstar and Bluestar nodded. Crookedstar stepped up to the front of the rock. "In early leaf-bare, Brokenstar requested that we share our hunting grounds with him. Since the river was frozen and we were forced to hunt on land, giving us less food than usual, it was hard for me to accept his plea. But I granted him permission, because his kits needed food. But since ShadowClan's land is getting less barren now—"

"How do you know that?" cried Jaggedtooth indignantly. Yellowfang hissed at him.

"It's new-leaf," Crookedstar replied, "and with new leaves comes new prey. Since you won't starve on that bleak territory of yours anymore, I am taking away from you the privilege of hunting on our land."

Blackfoot opened his mouth to protest, but Crookedstar silenced him with a glare. "Blackfoot, I understand that you don't like this. But it is still my turn to share news. I am pleased to announce that my daughter has earned her warrior name at last. She sat vigil a few nights ago, and has joined us tonight." He gestured with his muzzle toward a slim silver tabby. Many cats cheered for her, more than cheered for Graypaw, which made Dustpaw feel better. RiverClan cats weren't great, but anything to lower Graypaw's ego was okay by him.

Blackfoot and Tallstar shared their news. It was boring. All Blackfoot had to say was that he wanted hunting rights on RiverClan's territory back again and that some kits were born. Dustpaw was of the opinion that they were stolen, but he didn't say it aloud for obvious reasons. Tallstar just said that Brokenstar had stolen his kits and that some apprentices had been made. Whoop-dee-do.

Finally the Gathering was over, and Bluestar said good-bye to the other three leaders and leapt off the Great Rock. Dustpaw followed right after Redtail, who was right behind the ThunderClan leader, while Lionheart and Graypaw took the rear (Dustpaw was elated when Lionheart told his apprentice to join him at the back of the moving crowd).

But Dustpaw was even more elated when they had completely left the clearing, because he knew that Sandpaw and Ravenpaw were gonna love hearing about this Gathering.