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Chapter Five: Gathering
The jungle was quiet and shadowed as a full, glowing moon rested in the dark night sky. Scattered among dozens of glittering stars, Bluefur gazed at the moon, and wondered if the starry ancestors were watching over them right now, anxious as she was about the coming Gathering.
The LightningClan clearing was cool and silent as paws scrambled around, lions getting into their places, ready to meet the other three Clans at the Gathering. Bluefur had asked specifically to go; she wanted to be there to support Snowstar if anything went wrong, which surely, it would. She may have had three- well, four- cubs in the nursery, but Icetail had offered to keep an eye on the growing litter.
There was a soft snarl, and all eyes focused on a large lion stepping into a shaft of silver moonlight. It was Snowstar, his ears pricked, head raised, as the moon washed over his pale fur and made him look as ghostly as a StarClan warrior. And if it weren't for the pricks of anxiety in his gleaming amber eyes, one might have never thought the great leader was worried about the next Gathering. But Bluefur could read her mate well, and felt the same knot of unease settle like a stone in her stomach. WaterClan was angry about Littlecloud's death; the day Snowstar had asked Bluefur to take on Brightkit for his own reasons, he had gone on a small patrol to WaterClan to officially tell them the horrible news.
Ever since that day, a quarter-moon ago, WaterClan had been stealing their prey, and crossing the border obviously, making their marks a ways into LightingClan territory. Snowstar and Longfang had been furious, and planned to bring that up at the Gathering.
Suddenly, Snowstar lifted his tail, and signaled to his chosen warriors that it was time to go to the Gathering. Bodies tensing, pelts slick, manes shaking, they finally plunged into the jungle, paws thudding quickly, tails flicking, throats growling as LightningClan made their way to Four Trees.
It was certainly going to be an interesting Gathering.
Bluefur, running gracefully along with her Clanmates, pricked her ears as they dodged among trees and bushes and plants until finally the lush landscape gave way to a rocky slope. Down at the center, four large, green trees, stretched toward the dark sky and their leaves quivering in the quiet wind, stood powerfully around a huge stone boulder in the center, where three big cats were waiting impatiently.
Taking a deep breath, Snowstar flattened his ears, and leapt down the slope, half running, half sliding, as he lead his Clan to mingle with the other waiting Clans of the forest: SwiftClan, DarkClan, and WaterClan.
Many eyes turned through the tall grass as many Clan warriors shifted and meowed greetings and growls; there was SwiftClan, quick and lean, their golden pelts checked with small black pawprints, and long black tear-lines slipping down their muzzle, as their black-tipped tails flicked.
Mingled alongside SwiftClan were the many elders, apprentices, queens, and warriors of DarkClan, their pelts sleek and their muscles strong under their night-black pelts, as they seemed to almost fade into the shadows around Four Trees.
And finally, there was WaterClan. Bluefur pressed her ears back as she warily nodded to a WaterClan queen, and quickly trotted on. The queen bared her teeth, and Bluefur felt a shiver as she realized the anger between her Clan and WaterClan was far from being gone. Their pelts orange and gold like flames and black stripes startlingly dark across their muscled bodies, WaterClan's eyes glittered towards Snowstar as he walked coolly through the mass of gathered warriors to tense his muscles, and leap onto the cool gray stone where the four Clan leaders stood at every Gathering once a moon.
Bluefur sighed and settled down beside Ivytooth and Redflower, two of her Clan mates. As soon as Snowstar's powerful frame had steadied itself up on the great stone, the slender yet powerful-looking leader of SwiftClan,
Vinestar, with a golden pelt and large black spots coloring her body, threw back her head and curled her mouth into a roar, calling to all the Clans that the Gathering had begun.
At once, silence pressed upon the gathered warriors, and Vinestar dipped her head, shaking herself, and glanced at the large, dark-furred panther standing firmly upon the great rock. Bluefur glanced anxiously up at each leader. Snowstar was standing between Coldstar, the dark-furred leader of DarkClan, and Vinestar, while Meadowstar, the glossy-pelted leader of WaterClan, stood a small ways off from the three other leaders, her head bowed, eyes burning.
"I shall go first," Coldstar offered with a shrug, his pale green eyes glinting as moonlight shivered through gaps in the dark canopy of leaves above them all. He took a step forward, gleaming black pelt rippling in the cool night air, his tail flicking. "DarkClan is well; our cubs grow strong, there is plentiful food and water, and we have been honored by two new warriors joining us tonight- Shadowclaw and Winterfrost." He nodded proudly at the two new warriors of DarkClan, and all heads craned to peer at a broad-shoulder panther and a more graceful-looking pantheress with a unique white spot on her face.
Yowls of encouragement came from a few warriors, but clearly Coldstar was as eager as all the others to get to WaterClan, so he nodded and stepped back, glancing at the remaining leaders.
Vinestar exchanged a glance with Snowstar, and finally padded lightly forward on the large rock, face turned towards the Clans. "SwiftClan has not much to report," she rasped, tail waving. "We are strong and healthy, and will stay that way, StarClan willing."
Bluefur flicked her ears as the cheetah dipped her black-tipped ears and stepped back, eyes gleaming curiously towards the two remaining leaders.
Snowstar gazed out into the crowd, and seemed to refuse looking at Meadowstar. His searching amber eyes found Bluefur, and their eyes met. Bluefur felt a deep pang of sympathy for her leader: he was in a situation now that she wouldn't have wished on any enemy.
"I will go," Meadowstar finally growled. Her words chilled the empty air as she took two jagged steps towards the face of the large rock, and her body shivered, eyes burning.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Redflower murmured into Bluefur's ear. Bluefur rasped in agreement, eyes trained on the WaterClan leader.
"A half-quarter moon ago," Meadowstar started, voice vibrating with a terrible mix of anger and grief, "My deputy, Torntail, noticed that his daughter, Littlecloud, had been missing for awhile. We searched but found nothing, and had no answers until the following day." She stopped, and Bluefur felt tingles go down her back like ice as Meadowstar raked her furious gaze upon Snowstar, who stared back unflinchingly. "A LightningClan patrol came to my camp, lead by the great Snowstar." Her voice was sneering, and Bluefur heard Ivytooth growl beside her. "And we found out what had happened." She stared at the LightningClan warriors. "A LightningClan warrior had killed her!"
Instant roars of outrage swelled from every LightningClan warrior as WaterClan tigers snarled in defiance. Bluefur felt her own throat rumble with an angry snarl as she leapt up, shaking with dismay.
"Lies!" Dustmane spat towards her.
"Fool!" Shiverpelt snarled.
Over the furious cries coming from all Clans, Snowstar roared, "Enough!" His voice was brittle with rage, and he shivered with barely-contained anger as he turned towards Meadowstar, all the warriors around them reluctantly hushing.
Meadowstar met his angry eyes with a scornful expression. Snowstar finally growled, "Meadowstar, none of my warriors murdered Littlecloud. Do not accuse us of something we didn't do; both of us know it was Blackscar's fault as much as Littlecloud's that she died."
"Never will I admit that!" Meadowstar snarled, face twisting into a furious grimace. "My warriors do not take mates from other Clans; they are loyal. Your warrior tricked her, attacked her, something: because I refuse to believe she took him as a mate."
Shocked gasps came from the warriors of DarkClan and SwiftClan, and Bluefur realized no one had bothered to explain to the other Clans what had happened between Blackscar and Littlecloud. "What happened between the two warriors, Snowstar?" she called out, hoping to nudge the Gathering along.
Snowstar twitched his whiskers gratefully at her as he growled to all the Clans, "Warriors of all Clans, listen to me now. Blackscar, a warrior of my Clan, took Littlecloud, a queen of WaterClan, to be... his mate."
There were furious and shocked hisses that nearly drowned out Snowstar's powerful voice, and he ignored their cries, the words being dragged out of him as he revealed his brother's secret. "At the birthing of their kits, a quarter-moon ago, there was too much blood, and it cost Littlecloud her own life, as well as two of their three cubs!"
The uproar of Snowstar's initial words was nothing compared to the furious swell of yowls and roars at the thought of cross-Clan children. Meadowstar stared at Snowstar, eyes furious slits.
"You did not tell me there was one cub still alive! I assumed the litter had died along with Littlecloud!" she snarled. From below the large boulder, where the four deputies sat, a handsome tiger with bristling fur and a long tail with a strange cut in it shot up, eyes furious. Bluefur knew this was Torntail, deputy of WaterClan, and father of Littlecloud.
The furious shouts of the Clans did not cease, and Snowstar stepped closer to Meadowstar as Coldstar angrily snarled for silence.
"I apologize; the cub was a runt, and weak. I believed he would be dead before this Gathering, and I did not want to trouble you further with his existence," Snowstar growled.
"But he is still alive?" Meadowstar hissed, ears flattening as she stared at Snowstar. "Listen to me, Snowstar: that cub is worthless. A disgusting reminder of what our warriors did-"
Snowstar cut across her. "Does that mean you're willing to accept Littlecloud had an affair?"
Angry shouts came from WaterClan, and a few warriors unsheathed their claws. DarkClan and SwiftClan, though dismayed by the bad news, just looked between the two opposing Clans uncertainly, knowing this was not their fight.
"Never," Meadowstar told him frostily "But what happened, happened, no matter how you try to cover it up. I want that cub dead, Snowstar; he is a filthy cross-Clan child. Surely none of your queens are nursing it?"
There was a silence, and Bluefur felt her heart leap into her throat. No... what would Snowstar reveal? The last thing she wanted was the hatred of WaterClan forced at her claws.
"I refuse to kill the cub," Snowstar finally answered.
Coldstar pricked his ears, and Vinestar hissed softly. Meadowstar's eyes widened: each warrior had noticed Snowstar had deliberately ignored her question.
"I had a sign from StarClan," the pale-furred leader continued grimly, eyes flashing. Bluefur pricked her ears; she loved Snowstar too much to ask many questions on the topic he clearly wanted to stay quiet about- this some sort of sign that had convinced him to keep Brightkit alive- and she wondered how much he would give away here, to convince the other Clans this cross-Clan child was worth saving. "And I believe it is important to keep Brightkit alive."
"Brightkit?" Vinestar echoed, eyes narrowing. "You named the cross-Clan child?"
"No; Blackscar named his son," Snowstar replied calmly.
"Blackscar!" Meadowstar snarled; Bluefur's heart ached to see the WaterClan leader so angry. She was usually peaceful and firm; but now, she looked like a whole different tigress.
"That traitor; if it weren't for him, Littlecloud would be alive!" Torntail yowled, voice shivering with remorse.
Uneasy mutters came from the warriors, and Meadowstar spoke again. "Mark my words, Snowstar; WaterClan is at war with LightningClan. I accuse your warrior for the death of my deputy's daughter; if he and that cross-Clan child are not properly dealt with before he reaches six moons, my Clan will be ready for war."
Victorious yowls came from the tigers of WaterClan, and it was met by hisses from LightningClan.
"Meadowstar!" Snowstar said, suddenly desperate. "You must trust me; StarClan has spoken. I won't kill the cub or his father; do you really think war is the answer?"
"StarClan has spoken to you!" Meadowstar retorted. "How do I know you aren't just lying to raise a half-WaterClan warrior against his mother's Clan?"
"Who's the liar here?" Longfang snarled from the deputies below the large rock; beside him, Nightrunner, the deputy of DarkClan, and Sparkfrost, the deputy of SwiftClan, exchanged uneasy glances.
"Silence!" Meadowstar hissed.
"War! War! War!" a few WaterClan tigers began chanting furiously. Bluefur's blood ran cold; dear StarClan, what had Blackscar and Littlecloud done?
"This is foolishness!" Redflower gasped.
"I know what StarClan has told me!" Snowstar told Meadowstar firmly. "And I am willing to fight to protect him and Blackscar."
"Remember those brave words when your Clan mates are dying for the sake of a cross-Clan child!" Meadowstar spat over her shoulder as she leapt from the large rock.
"This Gathering is over!" Vinestar yowled before streaking down the boulder and gathering her deputy.
Coldstar shot Snowstar a look as he bounded down powerfully, and went to his Clan. The Gathering broke up immediately; a loud buzz of words enveloped Four Trees as each ruffled Clan separated, muttering hasty
good-byes to their rival Clans, separated.
Snowstar sighed deeply, dismayed by the night's events, and leapt down from the large rock, bounding through the wiry grass to his silent Clan. His amber eyes flicked over them, and he finally shook his great mane before leaping to the front of the group, and leading the way home.
Bluefur left Redflower and Ivytooth and shouldered her way to the front to match paces with her leader. "Snowstar!" she meowed as she flicked her tail to his flank.
The pale-furred leader stirred, as if awaken from a deep slumber, and glanced over at her. "Bluefur," he murmured, voice drained of energy, face disappointed.
Bluefur sighed and pressed her face against his, whiskers brushing his muzzle. "I'm so sorry about what happened," she softly meowed as they galloped along the ridge and leapt above the rocky slope to plunge into the thick of the jungle, where their camp awaited. The paws of the other warriors sounded steadily behind them.
"Me, too," Snowstar growled as they ducked between the trees. "I never imagined Meadowstar would get that angry."
Bluefur glanced at him. "Are you sure about this?"
Snowstar looked at her sharply. "What do you mean?"
Bluefur leapt over a fallen limb and shuffled through the undergrowth, eyes dark. "Will you really risk your Clan for a traitor and his half-Clan son?"
Snowstar's fur began to bristle along his shoulder blades as the powerful leader loped along, ears flattening. "I thought you were with me on this," he growled.
Bluefur sighed. "I'm just telling you, it doesn't feel wise. I'll nurse the cub, I'll let your brother sleep in the same den as my Clan mates, but I won't let innocent blood be lost over a cub who will probably die in the next moon."
Realizing how harsh she sounded, Bluefur cleared her throat and murmured, "I'm sorry... but you are my leader, and I thought it was worth telling you."
Finally the familiar scents of LightningClan came over Snowstar, and he shivered. The cold night air was finally getting to him. "Thank you, Bluefur. I understand what you mean. But... I know this cub is important to our future."
Bluefur gazed at him, eyes swirling. "A Clan has proclaimed war on us, Snowstar. You can't be wrong."
So! What you you think? Reviews welcomed, and don't worry, things will pick up soon... :)