A/N: hey guys, thanks for your support so far! :^DD Yellow Paws and xXJustJinx Xx thanks for your reviews! if anyone has any questions about specific scenes or whatever, feel free to leave a review and i'll answer them here!
The next morning was one full of apprentice duties and mouse bile and answering questions that Yellowfang had asked of him, seemingly humoring him with his claim of precognition. Certain questions were either so specific that Firepaw wouldn't have even bothered to remember such details in the first place, and others were more difficult to answer.
"Hey, what days will it be raining?"
"Yellowfang, my memory isn't actually that good. I can't remember little things like that."
"Come off it, kit. Cut the old girl some slack."
Along with the extra time taken out of the day to care for Yellowfang came the sudden lessons as well.
Dripping water and morning dew of the grass and leaves greeted Firepaw in the dawn as he woke. His fur was slightly fluffier in the humid air and indicated a sprinkle of rain floating down onto the forest. Immediately he knew Yellowfang would be cranky this morning due to her bones aching from the rain.
As he expected, upon waking from her slumber the old cat grumbled, stretching slowly, "Morning already? My bones ache like no tomorrow, has it been raining all night?"
"Just since moonhigh." Firepaw mewled and was a mouse length's away from suggesting she move closer to the nursery for shelter before remembering her situation regarding kits. He knew she didn't actually hate them, the sight instead evoked more sorrow than hatred in reminiscence to Brokenstar.
Instead, he fetched dry bedding and nudged Yellowfang (ignoring the light hiss of annoyance), "Let's move you closer to the warriors' den, it has some brambles and trees for shelter. Not the best, but better than sitting out here in the middle of the clearing."
She hesitated but eventually followed the apprentice to the drier area, circling her new bedding and settling down. Firepaw nodded and nearly turned away before being interrupted by a sudden mumble, "Thank you, Firepaw."
Well he wasn't expecting that. Definitely stunned to say the least but the kind gesture was appreciated. Tempted to tease or point out the reluctant little compliment, Firepaw elected to do otherwise since he knew the old girl would likely yowl in an exasperated backlash.
As the rain drizzled, more warriors yawned and stretched their legs outside of the den as they emerged sleepily, revealing old scars and newer cobwebs. Yellowfang observed the nicks and wounds and rolled her eyes, "Warriors, always the prideful ones. Convincing ShadowClan warriors to learn basic herbal treatments and medicine cat techniques had been a nightmare. Doesn't any cat know that the healers can't always reach them in time? Ugh."
She shifted on her bedding, torso facing Firepaw from where he sat watching the camp slowly wake with the sun. Turning his ears towards her ever so slightly to indicate that he was listening, she continued, "You'd do good to convince your friends to pick up on some medicinal background. Should be useful too considering all the snooping around you apprentices do, poking into clan drama."
That got him turning his head, "What? I-I don't snoop!" He protested, but knew that was a total lie. Firepaw and drama go together like greenleaf and mice. It was just inevitable!
Yellowfang cackled, "Mousedung you don't, and you know it too. Look, just do both of us and the future warriors in ThunderClan a solid and pick up on some of that training. Not a lot, obviously, but enough to make you feel like less of an idiot when you get a thorn in your paw and Spottedleaf and I are too preoccupied by literally anything else to help."
And thus the short little lessons began, in the middle of cracking ticks, or fetching prey, or changing bedding. Firepaw would like to say that he was becoming an intellectual on the subject, able to relay the information like the back of his paw in the days that spanned his little medicine lectures.
That'd be a lie though. He totally sucked.
"Firepaw what kind of bandage job is that? These cobwebs are fastened on so loosely that they may as well be ghosts. Specifically mine. My ghost. I'm haunting you for your terrible bandaging."
"Firepaw if you give me that herb for an infection there's about a massive StarClan's chance that I'd actually die from watching your stupidity than the actual wound itself."
"Good guess, Firepaw… No, not really. I just said that to make you feel better. Now let's try this again."
So the lessons were going great.
It was during one such lesson that Speckletail had approached Firepaw, the latter cat nearly colliding into her, "Oh, hello Speckletail! Sorry about that- almost running into you, I mean. Are you going to see Yellowfang?"
The distaste was practically painted onto the queen's usually gentle face and he immediately remembered that she was the mother of the kits that Yellowfang frequently snapped at when they were playing too close to her, "Ugh, what would I want with that unnatural creature? No, I actually came here to talk to you, Firepaw. Bluestar wants to see you."
Oh dear StarClan, finally. Firepaw gave Speckletail a polite nod and scampered off to the Highrock and into Bluestar's den. He admired and appreciated Yellowfang, but being assigned to watch over her day in and out while balancing apprentice training and other duties was stressful enough. Upon arriving to the leader's den, Bluestar noticed Firepaw practically skipping towards her and paused in her grooming, "How's Yellowfang today?"
"I was going to get her more dry bedding since her old bedding is wet. She can walk now, but isn't really fit for hunting." Bluestar flicked her tail dismissively, licking a paw and eyeing her apprentice carefully.
"I'll ask one of the queens to see to that. It's about time you put your full focus onto your training. I know you've been training at the same time as watching over Yellowfang, but I fear you're falling behind."
Firepaw purred, akin to a trill, "That's great! I mean- thank you, Bluestar!" Finally, he was able to afford a bit of breathing room. And with that, some thinking time to concentrate on his next steps. His apprentice
days weren't as eventful as those when he became a warrior, but he knew he couldn't afford neglecting his actual reason for being back in the past.
Bluestar sat up straighter, looking him in the eyes fixing a steady gaze, "You will go out with Tigerclaw, Graypaw, and Ravenpaw this morning," She continued, "I've asked Tigerclaw to assess the warrior skills of all our apprentices. Don't worry about Yellowfang; I'll make sure someone sees to her while you are gone."
Firepaw nodded.
"Now, join your companions," Bluestar ordered, "I expect they're waiting for you."
"And the elusive Firepaw joins us today! For a busy apprentice, we sure don't see you a lot." Graypaw teased as his small friend bumped his shoulder in feigned annoyance. Ravenpaw ceased his stressful back and forth pacing to offer Firepaw a little nod in greeting. Firepaw returned it enthusiastically, nearly embarrassing his anxious companion.
Graypaw rolled his shoulders slightly, the stretch's tension creeping into his voice, "Jeez though, when is Tigerclaw going to get here? We've been waiting in the training hollow for ages now." Ravenpaw shrugged, shifting his paws in a way that appeared as if he didn't know where to place them. Apparently all parties were stumped.
"I-I don't know, usually Tigerclaw is more punctual than this. Maybe Bluestar had to hold him behind to talk to him about something? I mean- Either way we should, uh, be more careful about what we say. You can never know with Tigerclaw he might be watching us right now at this very moment." His tail twitched, the little white tip of the appendage too fast to track with his eyes.
Graypaw sighed, "Ravenpaw cool down, Tigerclaw isn't some all-seeing StarClan cat. Here- I'll even prove it." Hunching his back legs, he jumped onto a nearby tree branch, clinging onto its bark and after sitting on the branch, clearing his throat with an audible rumble. Firepaw was just about five seconds away from walking away from the scene to preserve whatever deniability he had, but curiosity outweighed self-preservation at the moment and he was frankly interested in any possible scatterbrained scheme Graypaw had. Said cat perched on the tree branch, straightened his back, and spoke in an overly-sophisticated and dramatic manner.
"Tigerclaw is a pompous pile of mousecrap."
Firepaw snorted, almost expecting that level of immaturity from an apprentice aged Graypaw. Meanwhile, Ravenpaw was attempting to dig his own grave, switching back and forth from nervously scolding Graypaw, to laughing, to turning towards Firepaw with a resigned expression that screamed, 'If we get in trouble for this I'm half tempted to throw Graypaw to the dogs.'
Instead of acting as any normal cat with half a brain would, Graypaw simply chanted the sentence, voice growing increasingly loud with every passing one.
"TIGERCLAW IS A POMPOUS PILE OF-"
"Part of me is genuinely tempted to fail your assessment right now." The hiss was immediately recognizable for Firepaw and Ravenpaw, who scrambled up from their rolling fits of laughter into a more appropriate position. Graypaw wasn't so lucky and in his surprise, fell from the tree branch and onto his hindquarters. He hissed, but was overall lucky that the perch wasn't very high up the tree. Tigerclaw lashed his tail in blatant irritation, "Are you kits finished?"
Three rapid nods in response.
He landed the trio a contempt look and huffed, "Lionheart and I have spent the last few weeks trying to teach you how to hunt decently," he meowed, "Today you'll have a chance to show me how much you have learned. Each of you will take a different route and hunt as much prey as possible. Whatever you catch will be added to the supplies in the camp."
The three apprentices looked at one another, nervous and excited. Firepaw felt his heart begin to beat faster at the prospect of a little challenge.
"Ravenpaw, you will follow the trail beyond the Great Sycamore as far as the Snakerocks. That should be easy enough for your pitiful skills." A faint wince from the great tabby's apprentice placed an upsetting pit in the bottom of Firepaw's stomach. Regardless, Ravenpaw nodded obediently.
"You, Graypaw," Tigerclaw continued, "will take the route along the stream, as far as the Thunderpath."
"Great," mewed Graypaw. "Wet paws for me!" Tigerclaw's stare silenced him.
He sighed, appearing to want to rather ditch these immature apprentices rather than stick around and watch their assessments, "And finally you, Firepaw. What a massive shame your great mentor couldn't be here today to witness your performance for herself. You'll take the route through the Tallpines, past the Treecut place, to the woods beyond."
Outwardly he nodded in affirmation, but internally Firepaw felt a touch of anger burning in his blood. He remembered now, the assigned route, and everyone's intentions with sending Firepaw so close to his old human home. Smudge.
Despite wanting to avoid that altercation altogether, Firepaw acknowledged that certain events should pass as normally as possible as to not skew the line of events that he could predict.
Either way, he knew what he wanted to tell Bluestar in his defense this time. Probably?
Tigerclaw ended his instructions with a strict growl, "Remember, I will be watching every single one of you."
Ravenpaw wasted no time sprinting towards Snakerocks. A flash of worry coursed through him before Graypaw flicked his nose with his tail, "Quit the worrying and intense thinking. Ravenpaw is too jumpy for those snakes to catch anyways, he'll be fine; just like you." An affectionate nuzzle later, Firepaw was left alone.
After a few moments, he lifted himself to his feet and began his trek towards the assigned route, hunting along the way and creating several tiny dug out piles of freshly collected mice, rabbits, and shrew. The air tasted increasingly humid and acrid with the pungent fumes of monster, its old tracks so deep they collected rainwater in tempting, large puddles. As parched as he was, Firepaw knew drinking water from a monster's tracks was a one way trip to regret. From experience.
Ultimately Firepaw reached the point where he neared various humans and their sounds, and strange movements, and fenced structures as the trees thinned in their thick. Crows in the distance chirped without beaks and with large stone homes instead of nests and the little apprentice grimaced. He could have been a cat constantly surrounded by this wall of pseudo freedom, and cacophony of obnoxious and unpleasant sounds. He scrunched his nose slightly and moved onwards.
It seemed that certain events were just destined to remain linear. Even with the knowledge of their meeting beforehand, Firepaw once again attacked Smudge as an unfamiliar cat. His pudgy and plump self wriggling under the ginger paws of a cat training to become a warrior, Firepaw recognized his former companion quickly enough and soon released him. Unfamiliar in scent, he sadly noted that Smudge had already seen the Cutter- or, vet. Hopefully Smudge would become happier than old Henry had been.
"Smudge!"
"H-ho-how d-d-do you know my n-name?" stammered Smudge, hunched over in a small position. Firepaw flicked his ear impatiently.
"It's me, you know, Rusty?" At the unwavering confused stare he was still fixed under, Firepaw held in the urge to roll his eyes, "Joined the wild cats, lived in the garden next to you, we were friends?" His voice dropped the annoyance and shifted to a more hopeful tone.
Smudge seemed to recognize him, eyes narrowing slightly, "It is you! You're actually here!" He brushed his pelt alongside Firepaw's in a moment of warm greetings before stepping away suddenly, "If it's you, then the rumors were true. You're really living with those cats in the forest now, huh?"
Firepaw nodded, wondering where Smudge was leading the conversation, "It's been hard I'm not going to lie. It feels like I… Well, like I've been living here for way longer than it seems."
That was putting it lightly.
After a moment of thought, Smudge quietly asked, "Do you ever regret it?"
His sudden question sent a slight jolt to Firepaw's pelt, his paws shifting in his own thought before giving the most appropriate answer he could muster, "I'll make sure I don't."
They shared news and talked amiably, the strange atmosphere lifting after the initial conversation and turning into something more friendly. After an indefinite amount of time, Firepaw sent a goodbye to Smudge and left to gather the prey he'd stored. The hunt was plentiful considering the changing weather, though Firepaw already knew what to expect upon returning to camp.
Just as expected, Tigerclaw lashed his tail upon his arrival, "You're the first one back." Firepaw narrowed his eyes and began to explain that he had more prey to go back for when he was interrupted by a snort.
"I know exactly what you did." Tigerclaw began, but then said something that gave Firepaw an emotion he hadn't personally felt in a while, genuine unanticipation.
"You're lucky I'm going to let it slip this time."
Oh StarClan he must have looked like a literal frozen rabbit with his wide eyed, shocked stare. Let- let it slip? Wha- did Tigerclaw even understand the concept of letting something go? What'd he do to get this sort of response- didn't the tom sort of hate him? Firepaw's jaws remained unhinged in disbelief. Perhaps… no, Tigerclaw had to have told Bluestar!
Rustling leaves erupting from nearby bushes sounded as Graypaw approached, spitting the coarse hairs of squirrel in between his teeth, just in time to see Tigerclaw snap at Firepaw to 'shut that mouth up, you'll get flies stuck in your teeth!'
"First of all Firepaw that's hilarious, second, ech! Squirrels are too furry." He emphasized his point by sticking his tongue out and attempting to paw the hairs out. Firepaw regained his senses and broke eye contact with Tigerclaw to laugh at his friend, not minding if it sounded a bit forced as long as no one else picked up on it as well.
Tigerclaw narrowed his eyes, "Ravenpaw's late."
Briefly, a flash of alarm passed through him against his better judgement, "What if he's been bitten by an adder? He could be hurt, shouldn't we-?"
"Then it's his own fault. We don't have room for fools in ThunderClan, don't test your luck, Firepaw." He replied coldly, filling Firepaw with a suspicion that his words held a double meaning. Either way, there was no way he wasn't going to search for his friend. Graypaw nearly joined him before stopping at the scent of a familiar cat and relaxing.
"Wait- Ravenpaw's here."
"HEY CHECK THIS OUT!" Ravenpaw burst into the circle, uncharacteristically open and giddy with the body of an adder clenched between his jaws. Graypaw gaped, surprised at the catch while Firepaw quickly looked his friend over.
"Are you okay? No bites or anything?" Ravenpaw smiled at the obvious coddling and worrying and fussing his friend was displaying. By the looks of it, Graypaw was two heartbeats away from doing the same.
"No, no, I'm fine. I was too fast for it." He avoided Tigerclaw's cold gaze. Without a word, their supervisor for the solo assessment stalked back towards the direction of camp. Heeding the silent notion, all three apprentices followed the same.
Graypaw eyed the adder in Ravenpaw's mouth, "Hey, do you think it's possible to eat that?" A moment of thought passed before Ravenpaw shook his head.
"No, this thing is pretty gross in my mouth already. It tastes awful foul." He scrunched his nose in distaste and continued walking alongside the pair while occasionally stumbling and tripping over the adder's long body. Through the branches and ravines, the cats emerged into the camp with their prey, kits stumbling from the nursery to watch them.
Firepaw waved his tail, nodding in greeting while setting his prey onto the pile.
Meeting his friends near the apprentices' den, the trio gathered around the body of the adder in question of what to do with it. Graypaw opened his mouth, "Maybe we can keep it on the tree stump where Sandpaw and Dustpaw should see it?"
"... It can't hurt."
"Graypaw, you're a genius." Graypaw whispered loudly to himself. Firepaw laughed as the adder was put on display for the camp to see. Their little club eased into a sense of relaxation, easy conversation passed amongst the three as they cleaned their pelts.
"Hey, who do you think is going to be at the Gathering tomorrow night? It's an important one since this is the first one since WindClan's disappearance, ShadowClan has to mention it!" Firepaw rambled. In all honesty, he wished he could sprint out of camp right there and then to find WindClan and bring them home, yet he knew there were other shifting tides in the future that he couldn't afford to miss while tracking WindClan. The journey was at least four days long, four days he wasn't willing to risk yet.
Behind him, Tigerclaw rumbled, "You are right, youngster." Firepaw nearly jumped out of his pelt as the warrior had strolled up to them unnoticed.
"By the way, Firepaw," he added smoothly, "Bluestar wants to see you."
Hesitating, Firepaw nodded his head and quickly walked over to Bluestar's den. Did Tigerclaw actually take back what he said and told their leader about the events during the assessment? Outside the Highrock, Bluestar was cleaning her nephew Whitestorm's pelt while they talked and relaxed. Upon his arrival she purred, "You're here. I've heard good things about you and your companions today."
Firepaw stammered, not expecting the compliment, "Ah, th-thank you, Bluestar!"
She exchanged an amused look with Whitestorm, the latter stretching before informing her that he was going to go rest in the warrior's den. He sent Firepaw a friendly glance before padding away to give both of them a bit of privacy. Bluestar let herself lie down in the grass, Firepaw soon following as she began to clean his pelt as well. She seemed to be dropping her leader-like personality for the moment and eased into a more casual behavior and conversation. Truth be told, Firepaw felt slightly guilty for being able to share this moment of peace with his mentor. For what reason, he had yet to understand.
While checking him over, she paused in her licking, "I spoke to Yellowfang earlier. She thinks of you often whether or not she cares to admit it, a wise old she-cat, you know," She checked behind ginger ears for missed spots and continued, "And I suspect she wasn't always bad-tempered. Indeed, I think that I could grow to like her."
He heard a little snort from Bluestar, indicating that she probably picked up on the sudden elatedness from her apprentice. Yellowfang was always one of his favorite cats, Firepaw often wishing to see her in StarClan more often as he still had so much to ask of her and talk about. In a sense, she was probably the closest thing to a caretaker he had. Whatever the reason, he was glad Bluestar liked her too.
"There's something about her that I still don't trust though," Bluestar went on quietly. "She can stay with ThunderClan for now, but remain as a prisoner. The queens will care for her. You must concentrate on your training."
Quickly nodding, he moved to dismiss himself though it seemed Bluestar wasn't finished, "Slow down, I'm not quite done yet." She cleaned the back of his pelt, Firepaw feeling slightly embarrassed being washed like a kit by its mother. After a brief once over and nod in approval, she waved her tail.
"You and your friends did well in the assessment today. Tell them they're allowed to come to the Gathering tomorrow night, Sandpaw and Dustpaw will guard the camp," She looked vaguely amused, "Alright, now you may go."
"Haha, you looked like a little kit being washed by its mother. Anyways, what'd Bluestar say?" Graypaw greeted his friend while eating, Ravenpaw lifting his mouth from his food in question as well.
Firepaw perked up, ears pricking in anticipation, "Guess which three are going to the Gathering tonight?" Graypaw immediately yowled in delight, jumping around and accidentally knocking the adder on the tree stump onto Ravenpaw. He promptly yelped and shook it off, the adder hitting his gray friend, "W-whoa, watch it!"
Ravenpaw hissed, feigning anger at Graypaw. Picking up the adder with his teeth, Firepaw snickered, "Scared it might bite you?" The three apprentices goofed off, Firepaw chasing Ravenpaw with the adder in his jaws.
"Yeah, some snake you'd make!" Leaping onto his friend and rolling him on his back, Ravenpaw knocked the animal out of Firepaw's mouth in the process. Graypaw took one look at the situation and jumped on top as well, turning the three into a pile of giggling fur.
He missed this, Firepaw absentmindedly thought to himself. Goofing off with his friends and talking to Yellowfang about everything and nothing, getting excited over Gatherings and being under Bluestar's careful guidance. It wasn't meant to last, but he'd taken it for granted during the first timeline. Maybe it was time to change that.
A muffled voice came from under the pile of fur, "So who wants to tell Sandpaw and Dustpaw?"
Soon enough, the Gathering night approached. Illuminating the skies and their route, the full moon hung over ThunderClan as they trekked onto the gathering place, four distinct, massive trees indicating the location as well as the shifting silhouettes of warriors, apprentices, queens, and the like. Wide eyed, the young apprentices scanned the circle of cats while practically bouncing on their feet. Firepaw himself remained absolutely still, stomach nearly growing sick over the sight of the battle that hadn't existed yet. He dug his claws into the ground and forced himself to suppress the events in his memory. This was a peaceful meeting among clans, he can do this, breathe in and out.
"All these cats!" Ravenpaw mewled in disbelief and awe, while Graypaw excitedly nudged his shoulder in response.
"Look- that's Crookedstar! RiverClan's leader!"
"Oh, what? Where?"
Firepaw eased from his earlier disquiet and snorted at his friends' excitement. That soon came to a halt as he heard a distinct name drift across the clearing, "There's Brokenstar, ShadowClan's leader."
Something shifts inside him just a bit and Firepaw growls, curling his lips in disgust. The cat in question sat still from his spot, frozen to the earth as if he were a corpse. Long, tabby fur seemingly stiff, even in the breeze.
Graypaw followed his line of vision, "He's a nasty one, with a specific reputation among the clans. Only been clan leader for about four moons now, though- at least, ever since his father Raggedstar died."
He eased his face into a more neutral position, "Where's Tallstar?"
Graypaw shrugged, "Beats me, beats all of us actually. Even checking the air…" He sniffed the air and reeled back, "I don't smell any WindClan cats here."
Lionheart chose then to approach the apprentices, his thick fur practically glowing under the moon's soft light, "Remember, they may just be somewhat late. It happens occasionally." His apprentice frowned.
"What if they end up not showing up at all, though?"
"Hush, we must all be patient. Bluestar will signal the meeting to begin any second now." As if on cue, the silver leader flicked her tail, signalling the rest of the clan to enter the clearing, slowly mingling with the other clans' cats.
Ravenpaw looked to Whitestorm, "Do you think the Gathering will begin soon?"
Flicking an ear, he tried to think of a good response, "The only way to find out is through patience. You have many other apprentices your age here, there's time to make some new friends while waiting."
Meanwhile Firepaw busied himself by observing the ShadowClan cats, wincing slightly at the apprentices with just a bit too much fluff and kitten fur to be possibly over six moons old. Warriors were the same age as apprentices, apprentices were the same age as kits, all scrawny and tense. Their claws dug into the cool soil as if it were a lifeline, one of the only things currently in their surroundings grounding them.
He shifted his attention to Tigerclaw, holding himself back from scoffing. Barely.
Within a circle of warriors from mixed clans, Tigerclaw depicted his timeless battle story of Sunningrocks, yet refrained from mentioning killing Oakheart. Typical, there were RiverClan cats in the audience; he couldn't tell the clan that found the cat's boulder-crushed body his contradictory information. Instead of weaving the story with glory and gusto, there was a darker component to it, leaving Firepaw uncomfortable and giving him pause. He didn't want to think about the masked guilt in Tigerclaw's voice during the story.
Soon he came to sit beside Graypaw, his friend nodding at him, "Still no scent of WindClan."
"Yeah, I expected as much." Firepaw replied, his voice seeming slightly more down than usual. In an attempt to distract him, Graypaw nudged his shoulder.
"Hey, look at ShadowClan's medicine cat, Runningnose. You can tell why they call him that, he can't even cure his own cold!" Turning his head in the same direction as Graypaw, Firepaw snorted much to his friend's relief. The cat's nose was crusty and constantly running, the cat in question sneezing suddenly, causing Firepaw to look away bashfully.
Runningnose was in the center of a small circle of other medicine cats and interested warriors, telling the cats about an herb that medicine cats had used in the old days to cure kittencough, "Since the humans came and filled the place with hard earth and strange flowers," he complained in a high-pitched yowl, "the herb has disappeared, and kittens die needlessly in cold weather."
The cats gathered around him yowled their disapproval.
"The great cats would have killed any humans that dared enter their territory! If TigerClan roamed this forest still, humans wouldn't have built this far into our land."
In reply, Firepaw heard Spottedleaf's quiet but sensible mew, smooth as a bell. "If TigerClan still roamed these forests, we would hardly have made our territory here, either."
Graypaw tilted his head slightly, "Oof, haven't heard this story in a while."
Nearby, a small apprentice piped up, "What's TigerClan?" Immediately, a few cats turned to raise a brow at the youngster. Apparently the question was a no-brainer. Lionheart padded up to the small group and scolded the apprentice in mock disapproval.
"Don't you know your history, little one? TigerClan was one of the great clans of the forest, along with LionClan and LeopardClan. We owe our night hunting ability to TigerClan, big as horses and jet black stripes. LeopardClan are the swiftest cats, huge and golden, spotted with black paw prints. You can thank LeopardClan for the speed and hunting skills you now possess, and our love of the sun and its warmth comes from LionClan. Huge and powerful with manes surrounding their faces."
Firepaw felt his tail straighten while Lionheart rambled. In his past (or future) during the brief period where he'd inhabited StarClan before being sent back in time, he encountered cats that had near exactly fit the description Lionheart had depicted. Though a brief wave of confusion passed over Firepaw for a moment. Weren't there four cats...?
Lionheart took a pause from his ramble and stared down at the unusually small apprentice, "You're a ShadowClan apprentice aren't you? How many moons old are you?"
"S-six moons." He avoided the golden warrior's gaze like the plague. After a scrutinizing silence, Lionheart suspiciously mumbled.
"Rather small for six moons."
Instead of sticking around, knowing Firepaw would find some way or another to intervene and attempt to interrogate the apprentice for evidence of Brokenstar's treachery, he bounded over to where Ravenpaw sat, surrounded by a small circle of apprentices. He was mid-story, weaving vivid imagery and varying voices into his storytelling elements for effect. Quirking a little half smile, Firepaw admitted that he felt proud of his friend, slowly but surely emerging from his anxious and timid shell to open up to new cats and new experiences.
Ravenpaw swished his tail and flipped between stances and poses representing actions in the story as he spoke, "Fur was flying everywhere. Blood spattered the leaves of the bramble bushes, bright red against green. I'd just fought off this huge warrior and sent him squealing into the bushes when the ground shook, and I heard a warrior scream. It was… -!"
Uh oh.
Firepaw knew where this was going and quickly slapped a tail over his friend's mouth. He didn't quite balance out the consequences yet, but for now, anything was better than allowing Ravenpaw to accidentally set himself up for danger again. Confused, Ravenpaw spit a few of his friend's hairs out of his mouth and began to ask what he was doing when Firepaw hurriedly whispered in his ear.
"Not now, someone's watching." Ravenpaw froze, blinking in disbelief and slowly turned his neck and shoulders to meet the eyes of Tigerclaw from where they burned into the back of his head. Both cats could feel something heavy drop in their stomachs, and Ravenpaw swallowed thickly, turning back to the slightly confused crowd.
"And… a-and then… uh-"
A loud yowl indicating the beginning of the gathering had luckily cut him off, Ravenpaw nearly gasping in relief. Graypaw eventually joined them, questioning their stricken appearances as Firepaw promised to explain later.
For now, there was a meeting to pay attention to. Three clan leaders sat straight upon the Highrock, their silhouettes prominent with the backdrop of the moon's rays clinging to their fur. It seems that they were going to begin without WindClan, anyways.
Bluestar was the first to speak, standing to silence the crowd and command attention, "Cats of all Clans, welcome," she meowed in a clear voice. "It is true that WindClan is not present, but Brokenstar wishes to speak anyway." If there was any distaste in her voice, she hid it excellently.
Brokenstar slowly stood, scanning over the gathered cats before speaking, "Friends, I come to you tonight to speak about the needs of ShadowClan-"
Immediate disruption. Cats yowled in indignation demanding for the presence of WindClan, much to the chagrin of Brokenstar himself. After an agitated yowl from the cat, the crowd quieted once more.
"As leader of ShadowClan it is my right to address you here!" Menace and fury seeped into his voice, Firepaw tasting the faint trace of fear in the air. His yowling continued, "We all know that the hard time of leaf-bare, and late newleaf, have left us with little prey in our hunting grounds. But we also know that WindClan, RiverClan, and ThunderClan lost many kits in the freezing weather that came so late this season. ShadowClan did not lose kits. We are hardened to the cold north wind. Our kits are stronger than yours from the moment they are born. And so we find ourselves with many mouths to feed, and too little prey to feed them."
He's heard all of this before and frankly he's not impressed by Brokenstar's display of artificial empathy and desperation for his clan. By the looks of his deputy's sleek pelt and toned body, it wasn't so much a problem of typical lack of prey as it was disorganization and corruption within his clan. The small amount of Firestar in his mind, that little leader self speaking in his mind urged Firepaw to call Brokenstar out on the stand, but common sense told him to wait until the timing was right. He was merely an apprentice, though the only one who knew what was yet to come.
Graypaw nudged him once more, snapping Firepaw out of his thoughts again. He looked slightly worried but Firepaw couldn't fathom why.
Brokenstar continued, "The needs of ShadowClan are simple. In order to survive, we must increase our hunting territory. That is why I insist that you allow ShadowClan warriors to hunt in your territories."
So, of course, the whole Gathering loses it.
Yowls, snaps, sneers, growls, any form of hostile vocality was expressed accompanied with flattened ears and a field of unsheathed claws. Above them, a cloud threatened to cover the sky.
"Should ShadowClan be punished because our kits thrive?" yowled Brokenstar from his position on the rock in an attempt to quiet the crowd, "Do you want us to watch our young starve? You must share what you have with us."
"Must!" spat Smallear furiously and mockingly from the back of the crowd.
"Must," repeated Brokenstar. "WindClan failed to understand this. In the end, we were forced to drive them out of their territory." Immediate snarls of outrage burst from the crowd, but Brokenstar's caterwaul rang loud above them: "And, if we have to, we will drive you all from your hunting grounds in order to feed our hungry kits."
Instant silence. Satisfied that he had every cat's attention, Brokenstar continued. "Each year, the humans spoil more of our territory. At least one Clan must remain strong, if all the Clans are to survive. ShadowClan thrives while you all struggle. And there may come a time when you will need us to protect you. Bear this in mind: Would you prefer to share your prey, or be driven out and left homeless and starving?"
Crookedstar reveals his acceptance of Shadowclan onto RiverClan territory, to the horror of his nonconsulted clanmates. Bluestar on the other paw, coolly agrees to consult her clan and agrees to nothing. Graypaw snorts, though its comedy is mainly lost in the sea of worry and tension that ripples through the crowd of cats.
Brokenstar spoke up again, his rasping voice sounding arrogant and strong after Crookedstar's surrender. "I also bring news that is important to the safety of your kits. A ShadowClan cat has turned rogue and spurned the warrior code. We chased her out of our camp, but we do not know where she is now. She looks a mangy old creature, but she has a bite like TigerClan…"
There it was. Firepaw was practically waiting for the corrupt leader to mention Yellowfang throughout the entire meeting. Not bothering to wait around for his clanmates or to listen to any other comments Brokenstar has to make, he quietly backs out of view while his clan is whispering and panicking amongst themselves.
Before he slips out of the Gathering, Firepaw turns his head back to Brokenstar, knowing this will soon pass.
He sprints back to camp.