Chapter 11
It was time for another Gathering. Moonbeam absentmindedly scratched her ear as she sat down at Fourtrees, glaring at the ThunderClan cats.
Amberstar had instructed ShadowClan to stay clam before ThunderClan- looking angry or petty would just show Firestar that they couldn't compose themselves.
Calm and composed, calm and composed,
Moonbeam repeated over and over in her mind.
Beside her, Badgerfang was looking straight ahead, not a muscle twitching.
The strong-shouldered tom had been spending a lot of time with her since the battle, checking in with her when she was confined in the medicine den, and sharing fresh-kill with her.
The WindClan cat she had met at her previous Gathering, the green-eyed Lonepaw, walked over to her.
"Moonpaw!" He mewed excitedly.
She laughed and brushed muzzles with him. "Its Moonbeam now, how are you?"
The tom brightened, saying "I'm Lonepath, finally!" Then his gaze darkened. "My father, Flightwind, died 5 sunrises ago. His patrol was ambushed by rats."
Moonbeam touched her muzzle to his shoulder sadly. "I'm sorry to hear that."
Lonepath shrugged. "He always favoured Jagstep, but he was the only one I had."
Moonbeam nodded.
Up on the Highrock, Breezestar called for attention and Moonbeam whispered "Sit by me!"
Lonepath, looking sorry, said "Sorry but I promised Skyflower I'd sit with her."
As her friend sat next to a pretty she-cat, Badgerfang turned to her and said "Amberstar is announcing you!"
Sure enough, the ShadowClan leader was saying of the three new warriors, "Moonbeam, Thornblaze, and Archstorm."
As the Clans yowled her name, Moonbeam noticed that Zipleg and some other ThunderClan warriors staying silent.
Firestar stepped forwards. "We have a new deputy, Stormfang, and our medicine cat apprentice, Flightpaw, has become Flightwhisper."
The gigantic ginger leader continued. "ThunderClan is strong. We can defend our borders and our camp is well guarded."
Moonbeam gasped. Was he openly challenging the Clans to try and attack ThunderClan?
Badgerfang next to her sneered.
The Gathering ended and as the Clans greeted each other and talked, Lonepath bounded over to her again.
"Who was that tom you were sitting with?" he asked, green eyes serious.
"Badgerfang? Oh, he's just a friend." Moonbeam said, confused.
Jagstep, Lonepath's powerful brother, padded up. "Told you," he said to his smaller brother.
Lonepath turned bright red as Jagstep regarded Moonbeam.
"This is the ShadowClan she-cat you kept talking about?" the amber-eyed tom said critically.
Moonbeam blushed.
"Humph." Jagstep said and walked away.
"Moonbeam!"
She turned to see Tallbrow, the WindClan deputy, pad up to her. "Congratulations on becoming a warrior." he mewed.
Lonepath stopped to whisper something in Moonbeam's hear before following after Tallbrow walking away to the entrance.
Badgerfang came up to her.
"C'mon Moonbeam, lets go."
Moonbeam stared after Lonepath. Why had he whispered that to her?
"Meet me here, at Fourtrees, in 2 sunrises at nighttime."
What did that mean?