Hello! :) I don't have anything to say really, so let's start!
Ravenwing Of Thunderclan- I guess that you're going to have to wait. :)
Jayfeather Rules- Because if Fawnpaw knows, then she could be in big trouble with Tigerclaw. If she knew, Tigerclaw would figure out a way to get rid of her or to keep her quite. Fireheart doesn't want his sister in danger, so he won't tell her.
Fawnpaw sighed as she entered the camp. After a hunting patrol, watching the kits, and then helping care for the elders, she just wanted a nap. At least Cloudkit helped her with the elders, they seemed to love the little white kit as much as she does.
Fawnpaw sat down outside the nursery and licked her paws, trying to dry them. She had to wash off the mousebile from her paws. But now they where freezing from the water and thick layer of snow covering the ground.
She was about to enter the nursery to go to sleep for the night when she saw Fireheart enter the camp, a small mouse in his jaws. He trotted over to the fresh kill pile and dropped it on the top of the small pile. He turned around to leave camp again, but Tigerclaw called, "Fireheart! Fawnpaw!"
Fawnpaw looked over at her mentor and deputy. She got up and padded over to stand next to Fireheart in front of the dark tabby.
Fireheart dipped his head respectfully, but Tigerclaw glared at him. Fawnpaw hadn't been able to ask Fireheart about those glares they shared every day, but she will sooner or later. Tigerclaw seemed to keep her busy at all times, though she was sure it was only his way of training.
"You don't have to go out hunting again tonight." Tigerclaw meowed to Fireheart. Then to Fawnpaw, he said, "And you don't have to do any more work." He paused, then finally spoke, "Bluestar has chosen you two and Graystripe to go to the Gathering."
Fawnpaw was surprised. From what she had heard, Gatherings where a big deal and very important. Why would Bluestar pick her?
"You had better eat now." Added the deputy. "We leave at moonrise." He began to walk towards rhe Highrock. But he paused at her den and looked back at them. "Just make sure you remember which Clan you belong to at the Gathering." He hissed.
Fawnpaw nodded quickly, but Fireheart's fur bristled and he demanded, "What makes you say that? Do you think I would be disloyal to my own Clan?"
Tigerclaw turned to face him, but as he glanced at Fawnpaw, all he told Fireheart was, "I saw you during the battle."
Fireheart winced, but said challengingly, "If you think I'm disloyal, tell Bluestar."
Fawnpaw glanced between the two, confused. What happened at the battle? Did Fireheart do something bad? And why are the two always mad at each other?
Tigerclaw drew his lips back in a snarl and he dropped into a crouch, slideing out his claws. "I don't need to bother Bluestar." Tigerclaw growled. He looked as if he wanted to say something else. His eyes flashed with distrust and something else, but he turned and stalked away.
"Fireheart?" Fawnpaw looked up at her brother. "What was that about?"
Fireheart stared after Tigerclaw as he answered, "Nothing." He shook his head slowly, but Fawnpaw didn't belive him.
"What's going on between you two? Why are you always arguing and getting mad at each other?" Fawnpaw questioned, getting worried now.
Fireheart looked over at her, shuffling his paws a little. He touched his nose to her ear and whispered, "I'll explain some day, but not now."
"Why not?" Fawnpaw narrowed her eyes, feeling slightly hurt. Didn't he trust her?
Fireheart didn't say anything, but he couldn't anyways. Just then Graystripe padded out of the warrior's den and walked over. "What on earth are you doing?" He meowed. "Picking fights with Tigerclaw like that! He'll turn you into crowfood!"
"No cat has the right to call me disloyal." Fireheart argued.
Graystripe gave his chest fur a couple of quick licks. "I'm sorry Fireheart. I know this is all because of me and-" He froze, like he saw Fawnpaw for the first time.
"And who?" Fawnpaw asked. Why won't they tell her anything?
"No, it isn't." Fireheart told Graystripe as if Fawnpaw hadn't spoken. "And you know it. Come on; lets eat."
Fawnpaw slowly followed them over to the fresh kill pile and chose a mouse. But instead of sitting with them, she meowed a good bye and turned to the nursery.
She pushed her way inside and settled down in her nest, gently moving Cloudkit, who was surprisingly deeply asleep. The other queens and kits where sleeping.
Fawnpaw quickly ate her mouse in a few quick bites. After that she quickly washed her white kit's dirty fur, and then her own snow covered fur. Then slowly, she fell asleep.
By the time Fawnpaw had been woken up, it had stopped snowing. She walked beside Fireheart through the snow. The cold snow seemed to glow in the moon light and frodt glittered on every twig and stone.
Finally, they reached the top of the slope. Fawnpaw looked past Bluestar and down the hill. There where four great oaks, standing tall and proud in the center of the clearing. There was a large rock in the middle of the four trees, the ouline black against the snow.
She watched the other Clans move around below, greeting each other, and suddenly Fawnpaw felt nervous. Would the other Clans accept her? What if she said something wrong?
Graystripe was stareing excitedly at a beautiful black and silver tabby she-cat and Fireheart told him, "If you're going to talk to her, be careful who sees you."
Fawnpaw wondered about that but said nothing. Why did her brother have so many secrets?
"Don't worry." Graystripe meowed, his front paws keading the hard ground.
Whitestorm walked up to Bluestar and asked, "Bluestar, what are you going to say about Brokentail? Will you tell the other Clans that we're sheltering him?"
Fawnpaw remembered the massive, blind, brown tabby tom Thunderclan had been keeping as prisoner. She had to care for him every now and then when the other apprentices where training. She has to bring him fresh kill and change his bedding, sometimes just sit and watch him so he doesn't leave.
Mostly, he stays silent. But sometimes he will speek, trying to annoy her and make her mad. Fawnpaw just ignores him and says nothing back, though sometimes what he says dose bother her.
"I will say nothing." Bluestar told Whitestorm. "It doesn't concern the other Clans. Brokentail is Thunderclan's responsibility now."
"Brave words." Tigerclaw growled feom the other side of Bluestar. "Or are we ashamed to admit what we've done?"
"Thunderclan has no need to feel ashamed for showing mercy." Bluestar replied coolly. "But I see no reason to go looking for trouble." She jumped ro her paws and turned to her Clan. "Listen, no cat is to talk about the attack by the rough cats, or mention Brokentail. These are matters for our Clan alone."
Fawnpaw nodded and as meows of agreement rose, Bluestar raced down through the bushes Tigerclaw just behind her.
Fawnpaw followed Fireheart as he ran after their leader. Fireheart paused in the clearing. Tigerclaw gave the two a suspicious stare.
Fawnpaw felt uncomfortable under it and Fireheart glancded back and hissed, "Graystripe, I don't think you should-" He cut off when he noticed that Graystripe wasn't next to him anymore.
Fireheart sighed, watching Graystripe walk behind the Great Rock, the silver tabby following.
"What now?" Fawnpaw asked her brother. Her pelt prickled nervously. All these strange cats and different smells where confusing her, and she'd never seen so many cats in one place before.
"Meet some of the cats from the other Clans." Fireheart told her. "Listen carefully, but don't give anything away about our Clan."
Fawnpaw nodded in understanding. Fireheart touched his nose to her ear before turning and walking across the clearing.
Fawnpaw looked around, wondering who to talk to. Then a pale ginger she-cat walked up.
"Hi Sandstorm." Fawnpaw said.
"You look lost. Want me to introduce you to some cats?" Sandstorm offered.
"That would be great." Fawnpaw nodded and Sandstorm lead her over to a group of cats she didn't know.
"Hi Sandstorm." A gray tabby tom meowed. He smelled like Shadowclan.
"How's the prey running in Thunderclan?" A young brown tabby tom asked. She recognized this cat. It was Onewhisker.
"Good for it being leaf bare." Sandstorm purred, though Fawnpaw knew that it wasn't exactly true. Some days she got very little and had to share with other cats in the Clan, and from the looks of the other cats, they didn't have much either.
"Who's this?" A gray tom asked, sniffing curiously at Fawnpaw. He had a strong Riverclan scent coming from him.
"I'm Fawnpaw." Fawnpaw told him, sitting down and curling her tail around her for warmth.
"She's Fireheart's sister." Sandstorm told them. "Fawnpaw, this is Wetfoot, Onewhisker, and Stonefur."
"Fireheart's sister?" Stonefur asked, looking around the clearing. "Is Fireheart here tonight?"
"He is." Sandstom answered, "But he's probably off talking to someone else." She shrugged.
Onewhisker looked her over her. "How long have you been in the Clan?"
"Not very long." Fawnpaw answered.
"I'm not surprised Bluestar let another Kittypet into Thunderclan." Wetfoot growled. "She's crazier than a fox in a fit!"
Sandstorm stiffened and said quickly, "Fireheart's a great warrior, why wouldn't Fawnpaw be too?"
"Kittypets shouldn't be in Clans." Wetfoot growled, he then got up and walked away.
"Don't worry about him." Onewhisker said quickly. "Shadowclan don't like cats like you, but I don't mind. Fireheart's my friend so, his sister can be too."
"Thank you." Fawnpaw purred.
Before anyone could say anything else a yowl sounded and all the cats quited down.
Sandstorm flicked Fawnpaw with her tail and motioned to the Great Rock. Fawnpaw turned to sit next to Sandstorm as she looked up at the leaders.
"Who are they?" Fawnpaw asked in a whispered voice.
"Those are the leaders." Sandstorm explained. "Bluestar, Nightstar, Tallstar, and Crookedstar. Nightstar is the black tom, Tallstar is the black and white tom, and Crookedstar is the tabby with the twisted jaw."
Fawnpaw wondered how Crookedstar got his jaw like that, but didn't ask. Sandstorm probably didn't know.
Tallstar started, talking about the battle he had against Riverclan and Shadowclan, and how his Clan was recovering. "One of our elders has died." He meowed, "But all our warriors will live- to fight another day." He added meaningfully.
Nightdtar flattened his ears and narrowed his eyes, while Crookedstar let out a threatening growl.
Fawnpaw looked around, cats where tence and their fur was bristling.
"We aren't supposed to fight during a Gathering." Sandstorm told her, glancing upwards st the sky. "But until the moon is covered, we must continue."
Bluestar stepped forward. "Thid is good news, Tallstar." She meowed smoothly. "All of us should rejoice to hear that Windclan grows strong again." Nightstar turned away and Crookedstar dipped his head, though his expression was unreadable.
"Thunderclan's cats are also recovering." Bluestar went on. "And since the last Gatherinf two of our apprentices have become warriors. They will be known as Dustpelt and Sandstorm."
Yowls of approval came from the large mass of cats, though mostly from Windclan and Thunderclan, Fawnpaw noticed. Sandstorm purred, raising her head proudly.
Once the yowls stopped, Bluestar announced, "I have also let another cat join Thunderclan. Fawnpaw, and she is training hard to be a warrior."
There was silence, but Fawnpaw sat up strait anyways. She wasn't expecting anything like when Sandstorm and Dustpelt where named. She sat up tall, not wanting to show anything of her past. She was a Clan cat now, and no one can change that. Especially not cats that she didn't even know.
"Another Kittypet, Bluestar?" Crookedstar narrowed his eyes, watching Fawnpaw like everyone else. There where a few whispers starting now.
Fawnpaw looked sideways as Fireheart sat down next to her. He looked around the gathered cats, as if challenging them to say anything.
"Thunderclan is becoming stronger with the more cats we have." Bluestar said. "Fawnpaw shares Fireheart's blood, and she has proven herself to be a hard worker and quick learner. I'm sure that Fawnpaw will help make the Clan stronger than before."
There where a few yowls of disagreement, but Tallstar dipped his head, "Thunderclan's problems are not ours. I have nothing to say about this."
"What Thunderclan does is not my problem." Crookedstar agreed, sitting down.
Nightstar growled but sat down too. "I can't believe your letting another Kittypet into yoir Clan, Bluestar. You're weakening your Clan, but I won't stop you. It's your Clan."
After that, the rest of the Gathering went smoothly. Before long it was time to leave.
"Well, it was nice to meet you." Onewhisker told Fawnpaw as he stood and padded away, nodding to Fireheart as he passed.
Fireheart glanced around, loooing like he hadn't even heard Onewhisker. Then he got up and padded towards Graystripe.
"Did you like your first gathering?" Sandstorm asked, standing and stretching.
"It was okay." Fawnpaw said, shrugging. She stood up as well and watched as all the cats cats headed for their territory, all but two. Fireheart and Graystripe.
"Where are they going?" Fawnpaw asked, nodding in their direction.
"Windclan?" Sandstorm looked confused. She bounded over to them, Fawnpaw astep behind. "Hey, Fireheart! Where are you going?"
"Er..." Fireheart shot a look at Graystripe. "We're taking the long way around. Mudclsw from Windclan told us about a warren of young rabbits just inside our territory. We thought we'd bring back some fresh-kill. Tell Bluestar, will you, if she asks where we are?"
"Sure." Sandsrorm yawned. "I'll think about you, dashing after rabbits, when I'm curled up in a nice warm nest!" She padded away, flicking her tail.
Fawnpaw quickly padded after Sandstorm, purring in amusement.
Done! Please review. :)