A/N: Well ya think it took me long enough? I remember the times when I used to update once a day, well I guess that stopped since I turned 16 XD Well anyway here is chapter 8 of Terra! I actually separated the longer chapter I wrote into two, so It will last longer. And so I'll be able to write the next chapter as well. Please review, the few fans I have left! Oh and a poll is at the bottom.

~Leo~

CHAPTER 8

Stars twinkled in the midnight sky, casting their elegant glow onto the Forest Floor. Pelts moved alongside each other, carefully trying to avoid the waves of water coming from the lake.

Emberpaw gazed up at the round moon, it seemed so close, yet still so far away.

"Excited for your first gathering?"

He looked up to see Aquashine padding alongside him, her bright blue eyes lit silver in the sparkling moonlight.

"More like nervous" he admitted, there were going to be so many cats at this gathering, and what they think about a loner joining RiverClan?

"Don't worry" another voice meowed, coming from Flametree sounded. "The only cats you may have to worry about are ShadowClan. And their talk is worse than their bite. I'm sure no one will give you any trouble."

Sighing, the young apprentice hoped the senior warrior was right. Up ahead, Emberpaw saw the faint outline of the Island coming into view. RiverClan was the closest clan to the gathering, so Fernstar told them they would be the first to arrive.

The dark gray leader was at the front of the group, Lightningcloud and Berryshade following closely behind. Her eyes were lit bright by the moons shine, turning the once piercing jade shade into a bright green fire.

As RiverClan traveled closer to the island, Emberpaw noticed a large log that stood atop the lakes surface, and crossed over onto the island.

"That's the crossing log" Wolftail told the dark gray apprentice, "It's the only way any of us can make it onto the island. StarClan knocked it down so we can meet peacefully once a moon."

The large husky gray tom looked onto the small piece of land with pride, he must be quite proud to be a warrior of RiverClan. And someday Emberpaw would be a warrior as well, but would he actually?

He had come to this clan for all the wrong reasons, but there was no other choice, Lightningcloud had to be stopped!

As the cats of RiverClan stopped to pause at the log, Emberpaw wondered what was holding everything up?

"There are cats already on the island!" Poppyfern exclaimed.

"It might be an ambush" the light brown tom Acorntail meowed woefully, his amber eyes full with caution.

But who in the world would be trying to ambush RiverClan, Emberpaw wondered. Fernstar stepped forward onto the log, and sniffed the cool night air. There was a faint scent of the moor, and the smell of burnt fur.

Emberpaw had smelled those scents before, it had drifted down from the WindClan camp, right after the fire started to spread.

"Why are WindClan on the island so soon?" Frostpaw whispered to her brother Blizzardpaw.

He shrugged, "I don't know, maybe they wanted to get here early."

But something told Emberpaw that what the apprentice said wasn't true, something was wrong. He always had a knack for knowing something was wrong before it happened.

When his sister Honey died, the night before Emberpaw had a terrible stomach ache, maybe it was an omen.

"Precede with caution" Fernstar meowed as she began to cross the log, balancing easily.

The remaining gathering patrol followed closely, the senior warriors keeping their eyes fixed on the faint outlines of WindClan. As Timberpaw and Flametree crossed the log, Emberpaw and Aquashine were the only ones on the other side.

"It's okay, just don't look down and you'll be fine" the light gray she-cat assured him.

But the dark gray apprentice wasn't so sure. The black water beneath the crossing log looked deep, if he fell in he would most certainly drown.

"I'll be right behind you" Aquashine told him, "I'll make sure you don't fall."

Peering back to the older she-cat, Emberpaw knew she was telling the truth. Taking a deep breath he moved onto the hard log, testing its strength to make sure he wouldn't fall.

Don't be such a kit! Emberpaw had come here to show the clans how evil Lightningcloud was, and he couldn't even cross a log to get onto the island? Leaping onto the sturdy tree, Emberpaw began walking for a few fox-lengths.

"This isn't so hard" he meowed, but he spoke to soon as his paw began to slip. Thinking he was about to fall into the black lake, Emberpaw sighed gratefully as he felt Aquashine's jaw around his scruff.

She lifted him easily back onto the log, and made sure he was balanced before walking again.

"Thanks" he meowed, "That's the second time you've saved me". He began to think that Water was trying to kill him.

Aquashine smiled, "Don't worry, I'm sure it won't be the last. I have a thing for saving apprentices."

Smiling, Emberpaw continued the remainder of the log, and sighed gratefully as he felt the soft green grass under his paws.

"Finally" Timberpaw snorted, "We've been waiting for moons for you two to cross". Eelpaw snickered behind his brother, as Troutstream hissed for them to shut up. Could it really be possible that Emberpaw was related to those two brutes?

Sandpaw he could handle, she was nice and caring, but these two took after his father.

"Fernstar sent Acorntail and Cloudstorm ahead to see what's up" Wolftail told the two cats, "I don't know why their making such a big deal about it, maybe they just arrived here early."

That could have been the case, but as Emberpaw looked up at his friend, Aquashine didn't look as conviced as the husky gray tom.

"Something just doesn't seem right" she stated to the two toms, "Don't you feel it? Don't you smell it? Cats have been living here for the past few days."

What should Dovepaw's warrior name be?

1.) Dovemoon

2.) Dovefeather

3.) Dovesong

4.) Dovetalon

5.) Doveheart