Disclaimer: I based the Clan structure on the Warriors books by Erin Hunter.

Sorry it took so long to update... I hope you like the new Chapter.

Now here is the next chapter. Enjoy and please review.

Chapter 23

Almost two moons had passed since Falconstar assessed her kits' hunting skills. Since then Rockpaw had improved a lot. Grayfeather told Falconstar that her son had finally gotten the hang of stalking prey.

"Thank StarClan! I thought he would never learn." The gray warrior had sighed.

The moon was almost full. Tomorrow night the Clans would meet for the Gathering. It would be the first one that Hawkfeather would attend again. Her kits were now old enough to stay in the nursery while their mother was away. And Cloudheart would be more than happy to watch them while Hawkfeather and the others went to the Chestnut Hollow. Falconstar was relieved to have her sister by her side again. Leafstar was always more difficult to handle when she had no deputy with her.

xxx

Falconstar beckoned her Clanmates to follow her into the clearing where the huge chestnut tree stood. She had brought along only Rockpaw to represent the apprentices from MeadowClan. She had meant to take Rainpaw as well, but the young she-cat had gotten into some trouble with her mentor and Birchheart had asked that she stayed behind as punishment. Falconstar and Hawkfeather were about to head straight to the Boulder and take up their usual places. Rockpaw had asked his mentor if he could join his mother until the Gathering would start. Grayfeather had agreed. Falconstar wondered why her son wanted to sit with the leaders and deputies. Usually the apprentices from the different Clans would get together and boast about their training. When they reached the Boulder only Hawkstar and Talonwing were there and they exchanged friendly greetings. Falconstar didn't remember a time when there were tensions between MeadowClan and ForestClan. Hawkstar's whiskers twitched with amusement when Falconstar told her about Rockpaw.

"So you wanted you hang out with the old cats, Rockpaw. Or perhaps you wanted to check out the view you'll get when you become deputy or Clan leader." Hawkstar teased the young cat.

Rockpaw shook his head, but was too shocked to say anything.

"Don't you want to be deputy?" Talonwing asked.

"No, I don't." Rockpaw mewed outraged. "It'd mean that Hawkfeather has to die. I don't want that."

Hawkstar purred at the apprentice's reply. "You are a smart kit. For one cat to gain power, another one has to step down."

"I'm not a kit." Rockpaw mewed frustrated. "I'm an apprentice."

"Yes, you are. But I am an old cat. To me, you are all kits." Hawkstar mewed fondly.

"Please mother, not now." Talonwing asked while rolling his eyes.

"Oh, but I like to think back when you were a young apprentice, Talonwing. But you were never as humble as Falconstar's kit."

Rockpaw saw Falconstar's and Hawkfeather's whiskers twitch at Hawkstar's words, and even Talonwing couldn't suppress a purr.

"Well, Talonwing, looks like they still mock you even if you are deputy." A new voice made them look up.

"Hello Bouldertail. Where is Leafstar?" Hawkstar addressed the HedgeClan deputy.

"He saw you chatting with an apprentice and rolled his eyes. He'll be here in a moment." He mewed to Hawkstar. "And you better get back to your mentor before he comes. Leafstar doesn't like apprentices." Bouldertail told Rockpaw. Falconstar gazed at her son and the grey HedgeClan warrior. Their pelts were almost identical: the same shade of dark gray, the ripple of strong muscles underneath. Falconstar wondered if anyone else noticed how much Rockpaw and Bouldertail looked alike.

"Oh that grumpy old tom. He should've had kits himself." Hawkstar mewed.

"I like you. You're funny." Rockpaw told Hawkstar.

"Now Rockpaw, don't get too friendly with cats from another Clan." Falconstar mewed. Rockpaw looked at his mother and shuffled his paws nervously on the ground. Hawkfeather nudged him gently. "Don't worry. You didn't do anything wrong, Rockpaw. The Gatherings are meant to share with other cats. Just remember where your loyalties are and you'll be fine."

Relieved at his deputy's words, Rockpaw nodded. "I'm a MeadowClan cat." He mewed proudly.

"Rockpaw, what do you think you're doing here. You're annoying the Clan leaders.", came a furious hiss.

"Don't be so rude, Whiskerheart. Your son was so kind to keep us company." Hawkstar mewed.

"He shouldn't be here." Whiskerheart insisted.

"But I asked Grayfeather if I could stay with Falconstar until the Gathering begins." Rockpaw mewed. Just then, Grayfeather rushed to his apprentice's side.

"You should take better care of where your apprentice wanders off to, Grayfeather." Whiskerheart mewed.

"He didn't wander off, Whiskerheart." Grayfeather mewed through gritted teeth. "And don't tell me what to do with my apprentice."

"He shouldn't be here." Whiskerheart repeated himself.

"He's my apprentice!" Grayfeather lashed his tail on the ground. "Just because Falconstar dumped you, doesn't give you the right to let out your anger on Rockpaw." He hissed. As soon as the words were out, Grayfeather flinched. He briefly glanced at his Clan leader and crouched on the ground. "I am sorry Falconstar. It's not my place to say such things. Forgive me."

Falconstar was shocked that the two toms had to argue in front of the other Clans. Even more so that Grayfeather seemed to know of the complicated relationship between Whiskerheart and Rockpaw. "I appreciate your concern for your apprentice, Grayfeather. But I don't tolerate the way you talk to your Clanmates. Apologize to Whiskerheart."

Falconstar saw the gray warrior swallow and then murmur an apology to the brown tabby tom.

"Come on Rockpaw, let's sit with the others. The Gathering will begin soon and Leafstar doesn't like apprentices." Grayfeather mewed.

"That's what Bouldertail said, too." The younger tom replied. He seemed in shock of what he had witnessed.

"And he knows his Clan leader best." The gray warrior nudged his apprentice to his paws and together they trotted off.

"You can go now, Whiskerheart." Falconstar mewed and dismissed her warrior with a flick of her tail.

Hawkstar and the three deputies who all had witnessed the scene remained silent. Falconstar knew they were wondering about the strange behavior of her and her former mate. But now she understood why Whiskerheart hated her son: Rockpaw looked too much like his father and Whiskerheart couldn't stand it.

xxx

The warm weather was long over and the cold had a strong grip on the land again. It was four moons since the heated confrontation at the Gathering. Grayfeather had grown very protective of his apprentice and spend a lot of time with him; which in turn led to Rockpaw becoming an excellent hunter and warrior. In fact, all of Falconstar's kits were turning into fine warriors. The Clan leader had told her kits that they would be given their warrior names when Hawkfeather's kits were six moons old and would be apprenticed. And that was in just a little over half a moon's time. Birdflight, Featherstorm and Grayfeather took their apprentices out on border patrols and shaping up their hunting and battle skills. Falconstar believed her kits were already ready to become warriors, but she didn't want Rainpaw left as the only apprentice. The young cat had only recently gone back to her training. At the beginning of leaf-bare, just after the first snow fell, Falconstar and her sister had driven out a fox family. The sisters had killed the mother and helped scare off her cubs. Rainpaw had been injured badly in the battle against the foxes. Her mentor Birchheart had blamed himself for Rainpaw's injuries. The young tom was terrified to loose another apprentice and had stayed with the young she-cat in the medicine cat's den.

xxx

Falconstar watched her Clan. The sun was setting and cats would soon settle in their nests to avoid the cold. The Clan leader finished sharing a scrawny squirrel with her sister, who was now on her way back to the nursery. Falconstar jumped up the slope to get to her den when Grayfeather called out to her. She beckoned her warrior to meet her in her den.

"Well, what can I do for you?" Falconstar prompted Grayfeather. The gray tom had entered Falconstar's den but hadn't said a word yet.

"It's…, Uhm well…" Grayfeather stammered not meeting his Clan leader's eyes.

"I'm not going to claw your ears off. What do you want to say?"

"It's Rockpaw."

"But you said his training is going very well." Falconstar interrupted.

"Oh, it's nothing like that. He'll be a great warrior." Grayfeather hesitated again and Falconstar was curious what was troubling him. "He told me that when he was young, still in the nursery with you, that you told him how much he looked like his father. And …", he broke off again and Falconstar guessed what he meant to say. "And he doesn't look at all like Whiskerheart. It troubles him, Falconstar."

The Clan leader stared at her warrior and couldn't think of anything to reply. Yes, it was true: Rockpaw looked just like his father, but Whiskerheart wasn't the apprentice's father.

"Falconstar, for the good of the Clan, let's say that Whiskerheart is his father. I'm not going to judge you in any way. I attend Gatherings and there's only one tom who looks like Rockpaw…" Grayfeather shuffled his paws nervously. It wasn't easy for him to discuss this issue with his leader. "Maybe you could tell Rockpaw the truth. I am sure he can cope with it."

Falconstar remained silent for a few moments and then relaxed a little. "I chose well to give you Rockpaw. You're a great mentor, Grayfeather. When my kits were born, I decided that I would tell them about their father when they're old enough. I will tell them when they are ready. But that time hasn't come yet."

Grayfeather dipped his head and left Falconstar's den. She knew it wasn't the answer the gray tom wanted to hear. Grayfeather's words had shocked and impressed Falconstar at the same time. She was glad to have Clanmates who showed so much loyalty to their Clan leader and apprentices.

Continues soon...