"Gathering tonight," Blackshadow announced, padding over towards Thorntail and Sandpelt.
"Really?" Sandpelt asked. "I suppose it would be tonight, wouldn't it?"
"Yup. Almost a whole half-moon since the trouble with ShadowClan."
"I wonder who's going," Thorntail mewed. "Did Streamstar make the announcement?"
"Not yet… but she's not making the announcement. I am." A voice behind the trio growled. The three warriors turned their heads to see Robinwing bounding towards them.
"Robinwing…?" Sandpelt asked curiously.
"Streamstar told me to make the announcement," Robinwing explained to the other she-cat. As soon as the word 'announcement' was in the air, ThunderClan cats started to gather around the deputy.
"The cats going to the gathering are Rosepaw, Streamstar, Myself,"
Thorntail cut the deputy off. "Could you skip the obvious, please?"
Robinwing fixed Thorntail with a glance that made the whole of ThunderClan rethink the fact that looks could not, in fact, kill.
"Fine." She growled. "Shrewtail, Sandpelt, Blackshadow, Gingerleaf, Applefur, Badgerclaw, Heatherpelt, Featherfrost, Cheerypaw, Duskpaw, and Runningpaw are coming to the gathering tonight."
A murmur broke out amongst ThunderClan as they discussed what the gathering would be like.
Thorntail was the only one who didn't turn to the cat beside him and say something that would be discussed. E probably would have, but the name of the apprentice Runningpaw made him think of Runningstar…how could Runningstar have done that? Molesting a young cat like that. A medicine cat!
"Hello," Rosepaw mewed to him as she pushed herself through the mass of cats. "Robinwing, am I going to the Gathering? I didn't hear the announcement."
Thorntail didn't hear Robinwing's answer. What had Rosepaw said? Had she given him a greeting!
Things were working out fabulously!
"Thank you, Robinwing." Rosepaw dipped her head in respect.
"Well, that's all then!" Thorntail purred. He pushed the deputy out of the way, so he was in the center of attention. "Let's go to the Gathering, and have the time of our lives everyone!"
"Remember the last gathering?" Duskpaw asked to no one in particular. "Duststar thought that WindClan had been stealing prey…he gave Runningstar one moon to prove WindClan innocent. I wonder how that's going to go over."
"It doesn't really affect us, Duskpaw," Featherfrost pointed out licking the black apprentice affectionately. "But I am curious…" she fixed an icy-blue gaze on Thorntail. "What do you think?"
The gray warrior shrugged his shoulders. "To be honest, this is my first Gathering ever."
"You're kidding!" Blackshadow gasped running over towards his friend. "Every apprentice goes."
"I joined a little old," Thorntail pointed out. "Swiftfoot only trained me for one moon – you guys still didn't trust me yet. And I guess Streamstar didn't trust me until now…"
"Then," Blackshadow purred giving his friend a quick comforting lick on the ear. "Let's prove your loyalty even more so tonight and have the time of our life at your first gathering!"
Thorntail purred. "This means I'll become a warrior soon," he purred jokingly scrunching himself down to look like an apprentice.
The warriors and apprentices yowled in agreement, and Rosepaw stifled a purr. Thorntail was so childish…
"Ugh." Robinwing muttered. "I hate to think what he'll be like when he's older!" the deputy spat crossly. To Rosepaw she added: "You're lucky you're a medicine cat. Toms like that will only destroy you."
Rosepaw smiled to herself. Admittedly, Thorntail pushed the boundaries. But…she didn't sense anything self-centered about him. He was ambitious, but without ambition the world would stand still…
The world is full of selfish cats… Rosepaw decided as she stared up at the four leaders during the gathering. She narrowed her eyes as Runningstar of WindClan stepped forward and gave his news.
The world is full of selfish cats, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
"And so, Duststar," Runningstar announced, speaking to both the RiverClan leader and the whole of RiverClan. "That is all the proof you need. WindClan is innocent on all accounts…"
Duststar dipped his tabby head. "Thank you, Runningstar. I apologize for accusing you in the first place."
"Innocent?" Thorntail snarled leaping to his paws. "Innocent? You think that that leader up there is innocent?!"
"Thorntail, this doesn't concern us," Streamstar explained. "Please shut up." "But there's a problem in Runningstar's story!" he snarled.
It was times like these that Rosepaw wished she listened at gatherings. IF she had been listening, she would know what Thorntail was going off about.
"No, let him speak," Duststar purred to the surprise of everyone in the hollow.
"I agree." Runningstar growled. "I want there to be no doubts that WindClan are not thieves!"
Thorntail opened his mouth to tell his bit of information, but was interrupted by a few yowls o f encouragement from a few RiverClan warriors. A few even yowled:
"Come back to us 'Thorntail'!"
Rosepaw blinked. That was an odd thing to yowl.
RiverClan kept up their childish yowls, until Duststar flicked his tail for silence.
"Well," Thorntail purred with absolutely no shyness. "Runningstar lied. There is a narrow bride in the gorge, allowing WindClan entry into RiverClan territory without leaving much of a scent. But when they carry back fresh kill, the blood is spilled on the rocks, and the blood can be scented because it has such a different smell then t he water and cat scents. Duststar that is the blood you scented. It wasn't a clumsy injured WindClan warrior. It was a WindClan warrior carrying a large chunk of fresh kill from your territory."
Duststar's eyes widened in surprise. The mighty tabby looked at his paws shamefully. "Why didn't I think of that?" he mumbled.
"H-how would you know about that?" Runningstar sneered not even denying anymore that WindClan had been stealing. "Were you spying on RiverClan?"
Thorntail chuckled. "Mouse-brain. I spent over half my life and most of my apprenticeship in RiverClan. I know that territory as well as ThunderClan's."
"Whoa! You were from RiverClan?!" Blackshadow gasped from beside Thorntail.
"I thought you all knew…didn't I tell you?"
"No…" Robinwing snarled curling in her upper lip. "Gee. Streamstar, when you pick trash to join the Clan, you really pick trash."
"I hate to say this," Thorntail continued. "But I think Runningstar lies about more things than that.' He was speaking only to Blackshadow and Rosepaw simply overheard. But apparently, Rosepaw wasn't the only one eavesdropping.
"Really, Thorntail?" Runningstar sneered. "What else have I lied about?"
"Well, you're lying to StarClan. Or at least wronging them."
All the cats in the hollow were silent. A few hostile glares from WindClan and a few betrayed ThunderClan cats were given to Thorntail, and RiverClan just gave him looks of admiration. The ShadowClan warriors simply sat back and watched the show with interest, as Thorntail went on.
"You see," he snarled. "That leader up there, who seems very good and very kind, sexually molests young, female, cats."
Runningstar yowled in outrage, lashing his tail in rage. Several WindClan warriors mimicked Runningstar's action.
Rosepaw smiled. Even though no cat of WindClan would openly show distrust of their leader, there would be a lot of questions back at camp.
No matter how well you hide it, Selfishness creeps from the shadows slowly, spreading its awful stench.
There was a yowl of silence from Streamstar, and she began to give her news to simply regain some order at the gathering.
I can't believe Runningstar could have done such a thing, Rosepaw thought staring up at the ginger tom hatefully. If…if…Thorntail hadn't stepped in on time…
Rosepaw didn't want to think about what would have happened. Molestation and harassment wasn't ever really a problem in the Clans…Rosepaw couldn't help but wonder if it even was in the warrior code that there was something wrong with it. If anything, Runningstar would have gotten in trouble for feeling up a medicine cat. If Rosepaw had been a normal apprentice, there would be no problem. Frowned upon, yes, but…
But Rosepaw was still happy that Thorntail hadn't mentioned her name…
The gathering soon ended.
Cats were gathering to say their goodbyes.
"Hey Thorntail!" Applefur purred running up towards the ThunderClan warrior even as he spoke to a RiverClan tom.
"Hi Applefur." Thorntail mewed. "This is Speedtail," he explained. "This was my mentor in RiverClan before I joined you guys."
Speedtail dipped his spotted head in a greeting to Applefur, who did the same. Rosepaw stepped closer to the three cats to listen better. But as she got closer to Thorntail, on of Applefur's back paws flew up, and slashed Rosepaw's front paw.
Rosepaw blinked and stared at Applefur horrified.
"Sorry Rosepaw. I slipped." Applefur growled narrowing her eyes.
Rosepaw stared at her paw curiously as blood seeped from it.
"You klutz!" Thorntail hissed to Applefur and gently pushed her out of the way. Rosepaw blinked in surprise as the smoky warrior bent down low, and wrapped his jaws around the wound, and started sucking the blood out.
Rosepaw wasn't the only on. Speedtail, Applefur, and quite a few other cats from various Clans watched in confusion as Thorntail helped Rosepaw with her wound.
"Better?" he asked licking his lips.
Rosepaw stared down at her paw. It hurt, but it wasn't bleeding anymore. She dipped her head thankfully.
…
"Thorntail!" Blackshadow snarled lashing his tail as the two toms patrolled the WindClan border together the next morning. "Are you crazy!? Treating Rosepaw that way… It's not good for her to stand out!"
Thorntail chuckled. "There you go again. You and your crushes…"
"You're clueless!" Blackshadow snarled as he renewed a scent marker. "You know, every she-cat in ThunderClan would claw a StarClan cat's eyes out just to be your mate! Why are you acting that way about Rosepaw in front of them?!"
Thorntail sighed, and settled himself down as he stared into the WindClan territory from his own. "So you're saying…?
"I'm saying you're just making Rosepaw's life miserable! She's a medicine cat, you know!" he narrowed his eyes. "Whatever happens to Rosepaw is on you! If she can't be medicine cat anymore…"
"Then ThunderClan's doomed." Thorntail finished for him. "All well."
"Thorntail! Don't talk like that! Especially now! We just learn that you were a RiverClan cat?!"
"I thought you knew." Thorntail mumbled.
"Well, I didn't." the black tom snarled, curling his upper lip and revealing his fangs. He seemed to realize that the gray warrior wasn't impressed with Blackshadow's pearly whites, and the dark warrior closed his mouth and sighed. He sniffed the air. "WindClan scent, probably just a patrol though. I'm heading back to camp. Don't follow. Go hunting or something."
Thorntail watched the black tom go and chuckled. "Blackshadow definitely has the hots for Rosepaw." He muttered to himself as he got to his paws to go hunt.
"'xcuse me, Thorntail."
Thorntail pricked his ears, and turned his head towards the sound. Across the border was a small WindClan cat – small then normal. From the looks of things, it was an apprentice.
"Hello there…" Thorntail growled narrowing his eyes. What was an apprentice doing so close?
"H-hello." The apprentice repeated. "I'm…I'm… Rabbitpaw," the young cat explained.
Thorntail nodded at the young brown tabby. "That's nice. Are you lost, Rabbitpaw?"
"N-no. Uh…" the brown she-cat flicked her tail beside her, and Thorntail noticed for the first time that Rabbitpaw had a piece of fresh kill beside her – a rabbit.
"R-Runningstar says that he wanted ThunderClan to know that there are…n-no hard feelings, and wanted you to have this…"
"Oh." Thorntail blinked. "Would you please give it to me?" Thorntail expected Rabbitpaw to cross the border but the young cat didn't move.
"I'm not aloud to cross over." Rabbitpaw explained. "Last time I did that, not only did a ThunderClan patrol catch me and scold me, when I got home I was scolded AGAIN by my mentor. I'm not going through that again. But I'm sure it would be okay if you came over and got it."
Thorntail sniffed the air. Something seemed wrong here. Rabbitpaw was acting funny…and he couldn't distinguish any particular WindClan scent because of all the scent marks…
Thorntail shrugged his shoulders. He couldn't see or hear anything suspicious.
"Okay…but tell Runningstar what happened kay? I don't want him thinking that ThunderClan came over to steal."
Rabbitpaw purred, and Thorntail slowly padded across the border.
Thorntail stared at the rabbit guiltily for a moment. He really should feed the Clan first, he decided, but it was New Leaf and ThunderClan had plenty to eat, he had hunted earlier that day anyways. And he wasn't on a hunting patrol either. So he had every right to eat it.
He sunk his fangs deep into the rabbit's flesh and the juicy blood sheaped into his mouth.
"Mmmm…" he purred coming up from a good mouthful. "Tell Runningstar I said thanks…Rabbitpaw?" he looked around. "Where'd she go?"
Before Thorntail could question anything else, he felt a good cuff on his ear and it knocked the tom to his side. He stared up at his attacker. Okay, attackers. Three cats surrounded him their scents were clear. WindClan.
Thorntail smiled. This would be fun. He leapt to his paws, and turned on his attacker. He dug his fangs deep into the black tom's throat, and threw the tom to the earth. He loomed over him, and bent down.
"If any of you," he growled flicking his tail to a brown tabby she-cat warrior, and a dark brown tom. "Come any closer, I bite his ear off." He covered the cat's ear with his jaws.
The two cats hesitated for a moment before deciding that Thorntail wasn't playing around. They slowly backed away, and fled.
Thorntail backed off of the black tom when he was sure that the rest of the ambush had fled, and then he sped into his own territory.
…
"You've got quite an attitude, Rosepaw." Applefur snarled curling her upper lip at the apprentice.
Rosepaw flashed her eyes around. She had been out searching for herbs, and before she knew it she had been surrounded! And not by enemy warriors! By cats of her own Clan! Applefur, Featherfrost, and Dawnshimmer namely.
Rosepaw just stared at Applefur blankly, wondering what the other ginger she-cat was talking about.
"Don't think you're so powerful, and untouchable just because Thorntail has been a little nice to you for some reason." Dawnshimmer sneered.
"Have you forgotten that you're a medicine cat?" Featherfrost asked flicking her tail at the herbs Rosepaw had been collecting.
"She's not a very good one though," Dawnshimmer reminded the white she-cat. "Rosepaw, do you even have a clue about what you are? Don't even try to get Thorntail."
"I'm not really…" Rosepaw murmured looking at her paws. "I just asked him to let me experiment herbs on him… that's all. We're just fr-"
Applefur cut her off with a quick slash across the cheek. "That is exactly what I'm talking about you mouse-brain!" she snarled as Rosepaw was knocked off her feet.
"You're…an eyesore." Applefur snarled. "You never speak. You're always in your own small world. You annoy me." Applefur bent down so she could meet Rosepaw's eyes. "You're gloomy, and stupid. Looking at you makes me sick. You chose the path of medicine cat, but you can't even complete the simplest of duties! Stop showing off or you'll really get it!"
Rosepaw dug her claws into the earth. She knew she couldn't fight them…but what could she do?
"I think we made her angry," Dawnshimmer joked. "You know, that is what you get for envulking Applefur's wrath. She would have been nicer if you kept your mouth shut – like you usually do."
"We could have been friends," Featherfrost growled.
"Don't bother telling Robinwing or Streamstar," Applefur continued. "Or you'll be in real trouble…"
Featherfrost and Dawnshimmer purred, and with Applefur started to pad off into the distance.
"Ouch…" Rosepaw mumbled staring down at her back leg that she sprained when she fell.
Rosepaw shrugged her shoulders, she could make it. She'd just have to ditch her herbs for now…
As she came up to camp, she hearda yowl behind her. She looked in that direction, and saw the gray warrior bounding towards her.
"What happened Rosepaw?" he asked flicking his tail first towards her face, then towards her leg.
Rosepaw didn't answer, and stepped into the gorse tunnel.
"I'm not stupid." Thorntail pointed out. "Were you ambushed?" Thorntail sure hoped not. But he wouldn't be surprised if WindClan had set traps for more cats then just him.
"Why do you care?" Rosepaw snarled. The venom in her voice startled Thorntail. Rosepaw had never…spoken to him like that.
"Its none of your business," she continued.
"Wait!" Thorntail growled blocking Rosepaw's entrance. "Does it really not concern me?"
"Have…" Rosepaw thought for a moment. She'd have to choose her words carefully. "Have any of your mates been bullied before?" Thorntail didn't say anything. "See?" she growled. "The problem is me. I'm a medicine cat. We can't be together. Leave me alone." she took in a breath to continue. "I'm mouse-brained, and I'm kind of slow. It's no wonder that some cats are getting annoyed with me."
"Why don't you get mad?" Thorntail asked curiously.
"If I get mad they'll get me again." Rosepaw explained.
"Then you can get them back."
"We'd end up killing each other."
Thorntail leveled his gaze with her. "So what?"
Rosepaw narrowed her sapphire eyes. "You're not afraid of…anything, are you?"
"I'm afraid of lots of things." Thorntail mewed. "You wouldn't…understand what I'm going through."
Rosepaw stared at him for a moment more, and then turned her back on him. "I'm going to recollect those herbs." She muttered to herself.
"You're going to…go back out like that?"
"It's not like I can't move." Rosepaw snarled, and turned around. She stared padding into the distance.
"You're not as cowardly as a mouse after all…" Thorntail purred.
HE ran towards her, and blocked her way again.
"Let me escort you! We can hunt on the way too."
"You don't like hunting with she-cats." Rosepaw reminded him.
"I'll make an exception."
"I've-I've never been on a hunting patrol before…" Rosepaw murmured.
"Stay close to me, and you'll learn." Thorntail purred.
Rosepaw stared at Thorntail for a moment. Applefur's and her friend's words echoed in her mind… She did have a clue about what she was! She was a medicine cat with a friend!
"Oh…I forgot…" Thorntail mumbled when she didn't answer. "You hate toms…on a hunting patrol, you kind of have to be close…sorry…my bad. My bad…"
Applefur's threat rang in her mind. Rosepaw didn't care now if they got her again…
Rosepaw flicked her tail forward saying that she wanted to go.
"Want to run?" Thorntail asked.
"Won't the prey hear us?"
"All well…can you run?"
Rosepaw looked at her leg. "Actually, running would be good for it right now."
"Let's go then!" he purred and instantly took off. Rosepaw squeaked in surprise but followed.
Rosepaw purred when she caught up with him.
"I've never run just for fun before!" she panted.
"Neither have I!" Thorntail yowled with joy, as they leapt over a log in the way.
"Hey look!" Thorntail flicked his tail over towards Applefur and here group of cats as they ran towards them.
"Hey Applefur!" Thorntail yowled as they sped passed.
Rosepaw smiled. She wished she could have seen Applefur's face!
I don't know what lies ahead… Rosepaw thought, but I know I want to keep going forever.