Chapter Ten

The forest was bursting with life as morning dragged on. Skypaw bounded carelessly through the undergrowth, happy to be out and about. Her wings were brushing against the ferns that grew around her. In front of her she could see Leafstorm bounding ahead. This wasn't a typical day of training. Leafstorm had decided to see just how fast Skypaw was with her wings. Skypaw was more than just proving herself as a true winged cat. She could easily catch up with Leafstorm if she wanted to.

Eventually they came to a full stop as Leafstorm padded towards a stream trickling around a large boulder. Skypaw let her shoulders sag in relief when they stopped. She wasn't used to running this much; in CaveClan she never was expected to run as fast as she was now.

"You're getting stronger with those wings," Leafstorm observed once they both caught their breaths. "Can you feel how much faster you are with them?" Skypaw nodded; it felt as though the wings had come naturally. She was getting used to them and even enjoyed knowing that sooner or later she would be flying. "It won't be long before you're soaring in the air."

"I can't wait," she whispered longingly. Leafstorm purred in agreement. "Can you show me that one move again, I don't think I got it quite right," she suddenly added, remembering a fighting move her mentor had shown her the other day.

Leafstorm nodded in understanding and dropped down to all four paws. With one swipe of her wings she was already in the air and nearly landed on Skypaw when she dropped back down again. Skypaw rolled to the side, easily avoiding Leafstorm's heavier paws. She stood up on her back paws and lashed out with her front paws, managing to knock Leafstorm off her own paws. Once Leafstorm was down Skypaw leaped forward so that she was standing in front of her.

"I think I finally have it down," Skypaw murmured when Leafstorm sat up, shaking dust from her fur.

"You're definitely getting better at keeping your moves straight," Leafstorm reassured her. "But you need to work on balance; had I been a little faster you would've been flattened in seconds."

I am a little slower than everyone else, but that doesn't mean it's going to stop me from trying, she thought with determination. She had learned so much more here than she ever would have in CaveClan. Now she was able to fight using her wings as a tool rather than just having them weigh her down in battle. There was still so much she had to understand in the long run. But for now she appreciated what Leafstorm had to teach her.

"We'll try practicing more tomorrow. For now we have to get ready for the Gathering." Leafstorm's words sent thrills of surprise and excitement through Skypaw. She had heard that Gatherings were so exciting. Especially for WingClan. She wondered for a moment if WingClan and CaveClan actually met for Gatherings. Then she reminded herself that the elders didn't even know WingClan existed.

Leafstorm led the way back to camp once they were finished with training. Skypaw could already see that clouds were beginning to build up across the clear blue sky. With greenleaf in full swing the air had felt surprisingly dry most of the days. Skypaw wouldn't be surprised if it started raining by tomorrow morning. Rain was exactly what they needed at this point, especially since the forest seemed so dry right now.

It was well past sunhigh by the time they got back to camp. It was buzzing with activity as the newest apprentices returned from their training. Skypaw's eyes narrowed when she saw them testing out their wings. Flightpaw was the strongest of them all, and she already could sort of hover in the air without falling. Spottedpaw could be seen cleaning out the elder's den, and she could see Pouncepaw practicing some fighting moves on his own.

"So, what exactly is a Gathering like in this Clan?" Skypaw asked as she grabbed a shrew from the fresh-kill pile. She shared it with Shadowpaw as Cloudpaw began chattering away about Gatherings.

"Well, they're pretty exciting for first time apprentices," Cloudpaw explained. "For first it is the first time they can officially fly. They're wings are usually almost fully grown by than. And after that we all fly high in the sky to celebrate, and feel closer to StarClan." The excitement in her voice was obvious, and Skypaw found herself drawn in by the story.

"Basically, you'll be learning how to fly along with the other first-time apprentices," Shadowpaw grumbled after swallowing a mouthful of shrew. Skypaw's eyes widened when she realized what that meant.

I'm going to be flying! A thrill of excitement rushed through her. She never imagined she would be flying so soon. But if Shadowpaw was right than she could be joining Cloudpaw and her littermate very soon in the sky. Then another thought had crossed her mind. She hadn't really given it much thought since everyone seemed to frown upon the name, but curiosity had eventually gotten the better of her.

"Cloudpaw, do you know what happened to Whiteflower?" she asked, trying to keep her tone casual. It didn't work. Almost at once both apprentices shrank back at the name. Flightpaw, Pouncepaw and Spottedpaw were only just joining them when Skypaw had asked that question.

"We don't speak of that name," Cloudpaw murmured, glancing down at her paws anxiously. "It…. It brings back bad memories."

Bad memories, what does she mean by that? Skypaw couldn't help but wonder. She shook her head and decided maybe it was best she didn't know. Clearly Whiteflower left everyone feeling uneasy. Even Cloudpaw, who was usually more than bouncy and excited, had a subdued look on her face.

"I believe that it is time for the Gathering to begin," Goldenstar announced after flying onto a low-hanging branch. The other winged cats watched her expectantly as she cleared her throat. "First off, I would like to introduce to StarClan our three new warriors: Cinderstorm, Sandfire, and Grassfang." All three young warriors had their muzzles raised with pride. Skypaw rolled her eyes but was still happy for them.

"Cinderstorm! Sandfire! Grassfang!" The Clan cheered their names, and Skypaw was keen to join in. She couldn't wait until the day when she would be standing there with her head held high as cats cheered her warrior name.

"I would also like to introduce a newcomer to the Clan: Skypaw." Her eyes widened when Goldenstar mentioned her name. "While it is not traditional for us to allow outsiders into our Clan, we made an exception for Skypaw. For she is one of us, as many of you now know." Again more cats stared in her direction as she stood up, revealing her large feathery wings.

"Skypaw! Skypaw!" She felt heat rush through her when cats cheered her name. Cloudpaw and Flightpaw were the loudest, and of course Cinderstorm only glared at her from the back of the crowd. But for now Skypaw could raise her chin in pride. She had never felt like she belonged more than now. Goldenstar had truly made her feel welcome here.

"And last, but certainly not least, we have three new apprentices that will join us in the sky for the first time," Goldenstar continued. "Flightpaw, Spottedpaw and Pouncepaw. You and Skypaw are ready to take your first flight. To feel the rush of freedom in your wings."

Skypaw stared at her leader in disbelief as everyone began to take flight. Even from the ground they made it look easy. Leafstorm parted her way through the crowd and led the four new apprentices towards a place higher up.

"Flying isn't bad once you get the hang of it, but make sure you gain enough height before taking off," she instructed.

All Skypaw could do was watch as Flightpaw was the first to drop down from the hill. Her eyes widened in amazement as Flightpaw opened her wings and took flight for the first time. Almost at once she joined the others in the sky soon after Pouncepaw and Spottedpaw followed. Skypaw swallowed when she realized that Leafstorm was watching her. With a sense of unease she looked down and realized how high up they were from here.

She took a deep breath before running off the cliff's edge. For a moment she was falling through the air. Until finally her wings flared open and caught her. Her heart was racing with fear until she opened her eyes and found that she was just hovering there. It wasn't until she spotted Leafstorm flying next to her that she realized what was happening.

"H-How do I do this?" she asked fearfully.

"Just trust in your instincts, and let your wings do the work for you," Leafstorm told her.

For a moment Skypaw doubted that would work. But as she closed her eyes and willed her wings to carry her, she realized that Leafstorm was right, once again. A sigh of relief escaped from her as she flew towards the WingClan cats. She could only gape in amazement once more when she realized just how far she could see.

"How does it feel to actually fly?" Cloudpaw asked; she was hovering next to her.

"It feels… amazing!" Skypaw breathed. "Why are CaveClan so afraid of the open air? There's nothing like it!" Even in the cold Skypaw felt free and alive. This was like nothing she had ever felt before. From this height she could see CaveClan's territory and even beyond that.

"CaveClan aren't as open minded as we are," Halfcloud, the deputy, explained. He was also Cloudpaw and Shadowpaw's father. Skypaw hadn't really spoken to him much, but Cloudpaw often revered to him as the best deputy ever. "They can be the most stubborn cats of all time, even when the world around them is falling apart."

"That is why we have never gotten along," meowed Goldenstar. "CaveClan do not believe in our ways. We closed off communication with them seasons ago – we did not want to ensure war."

Skypaw nodded in understanding. She knew just how brutal CaveClan could be when things did not go their way. She had learned that the hard way. For now though she was safe here with WingClan. She knew that she could trust them.

"Thank you for taking me in," she sighed in relief. "I wouldn't have gotten this far had it not been for you." Goldenstar only purred in response.

"I am certain you would have survived on your own, even without our help," she reassured her.

Again Skypaw could only nod in agreement. Though she was doubtful she would have survived with the wounds Brackenpaw had given her. She suddenly wondered for a moment what he and the other apprentices were doing at this moment. They too were probably at their first Gathering as well. And it wouldn't be long now before they were all finally warriors.

AN: So, what did you think? Hopefully I'm not rushing through this but... We shall see. I'm really enjoying writing this, if you haven't figured it out already XD Which is probably why my other stories have been neglected ^^ Sorry about that :P

Lightclaw's Shadow - lol, I think just about everyone does... Maybe that's why I love her so much XD

Cloudleap - It's okay, it happens ;) She is like the new Brackenpaw, though she isn't nearly as bad I would say. At least she hasn't flat-out hurt anyone physically. And you shall find out :)

SilverStormyWolf - No problem! And yeah, I love responding to my reviewers. I'm glad that people are so interested in this story. You'll be finding out about them later on, the next few chapters will be focusing mostly on Skypaw and how her training goes.

Petalfur - Ah okay, I know what you mean. It is sad when something like that happens, but she is now in the arms of God. She'll be safe with Him :') I'm afraid that you can't send links via reviews... you might be able to if you space it out through PM, but I'm not sure if you have an account. And that's pretty awesome! That's something I've always wanted to do, work with animals or something similar along the lines. I'm hoping to eventually study Marine Biology if I get the chance :) And no problem, I love talking to my readers :D

Foreststar of WindClan - XD She is a bit like the elders. Unfortunately Goldenstar doesn't really know that she's acting that way around the apprentices, and it isn't just Cloudpaw and Skypaw who get her treatment. The name Sky comes from something that will be explained later on ;) I've got big plans for that as well!