"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Pinebranch for a Clan meeting."
Forestpaw angled her ears toward the leader's rock where Gorgestar was waiting impatiently as cats began to gather around. She dropped her frog into the fresh-kill pile and trotted over to Firebird, who was just coming back from a hunting patrol.
"Do you know what this is about?" Forestpaw whispered.
Firebird flicked her tail. "No, but my best guess is it's got something to do with ThunderClan," she meowed pointedly.
Forestpaw nodded, and bounded to Nightpaw, who had just stood up from sharing tongues with Windpaw. He followed his sister to the back of the crowd of cats.
"Cats of ShadowClan," Gorgestar began when every cat had sat down, "ThunderClan plans to take our territory, and we must be ready. I have called this meeting to propose battle strategies and discuss how we will train our apprentices differently."
Forestpaw saw Icepad and Cloverfur exchange wary glances, along with several other cats swishing their tails with uncertainty.
"If ThunderClan tries to take our territory, we will fight back. We need to keep Mossbranch and the elder's den safe; if Stormstar pushes the battle near our camp, we need to have cats guarding it. The youngest apprentices will stay in camp and guard it until a senior warrior gives them a signal, is that clear?" Gorgestar glanced at Forestpaw and Nightpaw, who looked at each other after nodding, knowing that they would be the ones to stay in camp to guard it.
"Shouldn't at least one warrior stay at camp too, so those apprentices don't get into any trouble?" Creekwing called out.
Gorgestar nodded. "Yes, that seems practical," he mewed.
"Hang on!" Mossbranch stood up. "I can fight for myself, I'm not that useless!" he mewed defiantly.
"No one said you were, Mossbranch," Gorgestar pointed out, "But you've had moons without practicing your battle moves, so I imagine if we left you alone and ThunderClan attacked our camp, you'd be as good as crow-food."
Mossbranch flicked his tail irritably and sighed. "If that's what you think best, Gorgestar."
Forestpaw remembered Firebird telling her and Nightpaw that Mossbranch and Gorgestar were brothers, which made sense, seeing as they both had a distinct tortoiseshell coat and the same pale blue eyes.
"That brings us to apprentice training. Turtlemist, Skyclaw, Creekwing, Aspenthorn, Juniperlight, and Mothbrook, I would like you to focus on battle training your apprentices, instead of other things. Thistlestep will take over the duty of handling Mossbranch's ticks, so your apprentices can train all day without stopping," Gorgesetar continued, "Is that clear?"
"Yes, Gorgestar," Aspenthorn and Skyclaw meowed in unison. The other cats dipped their heads in acknowledgement.
"The rest of the warriors will have extra patrols around the ThunderClan border, and Echowing will lead a group of warriors to practice their battle moves. Other than that, things will resume as normal. Meeting dismissed."
Gorgestar leaped off the rock and mewed something in Echowing's ear. He nodded.
"Cloverfur, Mothbrook, Skyclaw, and Forestpaw, you will take the sunhigh patrol," he meowed, "and Firebird, Vinewatcher, and Icepad, you will patrol ThunderClan's border while Gorgestar, Nightpaw, and Juniperlight will take a hunting patrol."
Forestpaw's belly lurched at the thought of going on a patrol without Nightpaw or Firebird. You're not a kit anymore! Stop acting like one and deal with it! She scolded herself inwardly, although she couldn't help feeling a bit nervous as the sunhigh patrol exited the camp. She looked back at Nightpaw who was bounding toward his patrol, and at Firebird, who was padding a little less enthusiastically toward hers.
"Should we remark the RiverClan border?" Skyclaw suggested, waving his tail.
Cloverfur and Mothbrook mewed in agreement as Forestpaw gave a half-hearted nod. She felt more skeptical than ever about ThunderClan, and what she really wanted was to train with Mothbrook so she would feel at least a little useful in the battle, even if she was only guarding the camp.
Forestpaw followed the patrol, making sure to keep herself behind them, as they trekked toward the RiverClan border, occasionally stopping to sniff the air.
Mothbrook slowed her pawsteps to match her apprentice's. "Are you okay?" she asked, concern flitting through her eyes, "You've looked troubled since Gorgestar has called that meeting."
Forestpaw hesitated before nodding. She didn't necessarily want to console her mentor in all her worries, but Mothbrook looked so concerned.
No. You'll make yourself look like you've got thistledown for brains.
"Are you sure?" Mothbrook ran her tail along Forestpaw's spine. "You can tell me anything."
Forestpaw nodded again, and looked away. Mothbrook sighed and caught up with Cloverfur and began to chat lightly.
By the time they reached the RiverClan border, Forestpaw had fallen behind greatly, and her patrol was multiple tree-lengths ahead of her. They didn't seem to notice and began to remark the border. Forestpaw was about to go join them, but a sickeningly familiar scent caught her attention. She opened her mouth to taste the air, and as soon as she got a better scent, her fur spiked up and she stumbled on her paws.
"Forestpaw, what is it?" The question that had been spoken was left unanswered as the rest of the patrol caught the ThunderClan scent.
"Go back to camp and warn Gorgestar," Skyclaw hissed, "We'll figure out what's going on."
Without thinking twice, Forestpaw turned on her heel and sprinted toward the camp. Although she wasn't that confident of where she was going, her paws seemed to guide her to the camp and she burst through the entrance, gasping for breath.
Heads whipped toward her as she looked around desperately for Firebird or Nightpaw. She spotted Juniperlight, which meant Nightpaw's hunting patrol was back. She hurdled into the apprentices' den, accidentally waking up Toadpaw, who was resting.
"Do you mind?" he meowed. He flicked his tail irritably.
Forestpaw ignored him, her eyes flitting around the den as she looked for Nightpaw.
"Who in StarClan are you looking for?" Toadpaw grumbled. He stood up and stretched.
In response, Forestpaw leaped onto her brother's nest, hoping Toadpaw would understand and help her look.
But he only sighed. "Nightpaw stepped on a thorn, and he's in the medicine cat den," he meowed.
Forestpaw nodded in thanks and raced out of the apprentice den and into the medicine cat den. She saw Nightpaw gingerly licking his front paw and Thistlestep sorted through her herbs. But when they both saw her, they looked at her in confusion.
"What's wrong, Forestpaw? And why are you back so early?" Thistlestep asked.
Forestpaw hurried over to Nightpaw and whispered as quietly as she could, "There's ThunderClan scent by the RiverClan border. Skyclaw told me to come back and tell Gorgestar and—"
Forestpaw was interrupted by Nightpaw, who ran out of the medicine cat den.
"Take it easy on that paw!" Thistlestep called after him. Forestpaw followed him, just in time to see her brother disappear into the leader's den, where she assumed Gorgestar was. A few moments later, Nightpaw appeared again with Gorgestar at his heels.
"I need Juniperlight and Aspenthorn to come with me to the RiverClan border for backup!" he yowled, "The rest of you stay here and guard the camp!"
Juniperlight and Aspenthorn exchanged confused glances, but followed Gorgestar as he thundered out of the camp.
That wasn't the plan! Forestpaw thought, her mind racing wildly.
If there was going to be a battle, shouldn't every cat but Nightpaw and Forestpaw come along? Why would Gorgestar bring so little warriors with him?
Forestpaw closed her eyes, only to be greeted with images of bloody ShadowClan warriors fighting viciously, trying to fend off the clearly outnumbering ThunderClan.
No, this can't happen!