A/N: Okay... I've rewritten chapter 4, and all I accomplished was making it 2 pages longer than the original, as well as twice as long than the other chapters. It may be long, but please R&R!
Robinfur15: I reworded it; sound better? Thanks for reviewing :)
meluvpie: Well... about Leafpool... could be possible. And about the names... 2 of the full names are correct (not telling which ones :D), and 7 of the first names are correct. Congratulations! You get a... Jayfeather plushie. Don't you feel privileged to get one? :P
Chapter 4
Mosspaw blinked open her eyes, noticing she was in a lush green forest. She was obviously in a dream, but would StarClan come to see her again? She really liked Hollyleaf; it would be a shame to not see her whenever possible.
Looking around in all directions, Mosspaw decreed that there were no cats here yet, so she padded forward and suddenly noticed two cats standing among a group of StarClan cats. The two cats were unmoving and lifeless, but they had starshine in their fur, just like the StarClan cats. That, combined with the fact that they were standing freely, and the unnatural glow passing from the StarClan cats to them, made the scene very disturbing.
Mosspaw padded slowly and quietly forward, wanting to find out what was going on. What were the StarClan cats doing to their Clanmates? She had nearly reached them when a black she-cat backed away from the group, nearly running into Mosspaw. When the she-cat turned her head, Mosspaw saw the cat she had wanted to see the most.
"Hollyleaf?" Mosspaw whispered, glancing back to the two cats. One was a small scarlet coloured she-cat and the other was a strong gray tom. "What are you doing to these two cats?"
Hollyleaf kept her gaze on the two cats while keeping her ears pointed to Mosspaw. When she finally spoke, her tone was soft and quiet, with a distinct note of "don't repeat this to anyone who will blab".
"Those two cats are Rosethorn and Thorntail. They come from long ago, way before Firestar himself was born. While both cats were wonderful, their life together was a hard and trialing one, much more difficult than it needed to be. After they both arrived in StarClan, we decided to send them back to the forest for a hopefully better life.
"But that time never came. Now that the Clans are at the lake and the threat of the Dark Forest is gone, we have decided that this is when we shall send them back." Hollyleaf turned her gaze back to Mosspaw. "There are two other cats that were part of their group. They have already been sent to the lake territories, and it is up to you to find them."
"Me?" Mosspaw breathed. "Why? And how will I know when I see Thorntail and Rosethorn again?"
"Do not fear, Mosspaw," Hollyleaf murmured. "You'll know these two cats as soon as you see them. As for your first question, let Rosethorn and Thorntail help you. They won't have forgotten their best friends too easily."
"What are they going to do when they come to the lake?" Mosspaw asked. There weren't that many possibilities; either join a Clan, or become banned from them.
"That will be up to them," Hollyleaf answered. "But whatever happens, do not turn them down for anything they ask, unless it goes against Clan law."
"Am I allowed to tell Flamepaw?" Mosspaw mewed.
Hollyleaf's ears twitched, pointing back to the cats behind her. "That is up to you; you will partially be proclaiming their future by telling whoever you tell." She swept her tail in front of Mosspaw's face, draping it over her eyes.
When her tail was removed, Mosspaw opened her eyes, realizing she was back in her nest in the apprentices' den. She sat up slowly, hardly registering that Amberpaw was sleeping next to her.
Rosethorn and Thorntail were being sent to the lake territories? Something about the two cats made her feel drawn to them, but she wasn't sure what.
Mosspaw bared her teeth and pounced, claws extended. With a quick dodge, Lionblaze stepped out of the way, and she landed on the ground, stumbling slightly.
"Remember, you have to keep your opponent from knowing where you're going for," Lionblaze meowed, padding up to her. His whisker twitched with amusement as Mosspaw tripped on her paw. Helping her up, he flicked his tail towards camp. "Let's go back to camp now. Pretty soon we'll be getting ready for the Gathering, and I don't want you tired in case you're coming."
"You think I'll be able to come?" Mosspaw asked in surprise, glancing up at her mentor. A bramble snagged her fur briefly, and she growled, yanking it out.
Lionblaze shrugged, waiting for her to catch up. "Probably not. Well, you might, but apprentices don't usually get to go to a Gathering unless they've had more experience than you."
"Oh." Mosspaw watched as the camp entrance grew closer with every pawstep. If Lionblaze didn't think she'd be able to come to the Gathering, then she most likely wouldn't. On the other hand, Hollyleaf had basically promised she'd be allowed to go, and she was a StarClan cat. I guess time will tell which one is right, Mosspaw thought to herself, following Lionblaze through the thorn tunnel.
Birdpaw ran up to her as she approached the fresh-kill pile. "Mosspaw! Ivypool said we have to take fresh-kill to the elders," she meowed breathlessly.
Mosspaw glanced over at her mentor who nodded, selecting a squirrel for himself. "Go on, Mosspaw," he meowed, crouching down to eat it. "Feed the elders, then get something for yourself. When you're done, I'll let you know if you're coming to the Gathering or not."
Mosspaw nodded silently, following Birdpaw closer to the prey. She selected a small rabbit while Birdpaw grabbed a robin. They carried them over to the elders' den and entered, setting their fresh-kill down at the entrance. "Sandstorm? Dustpelt? Purdy?" Mosspaw called, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the slight darkness.
A rustling sounded, and the two apprentices saw Sandstorm emerge into the sunlight with the other two elders close behind.
"Good," Dustpelt growled. "Fresh-kill."
Sandstorm blinked at the two apprentices thankfully and leaned down to sniff the rabbit. "How's training going?" she asked, nudging the rabbit aside and settling for the robin.
"It's great!" Mosspaw and Birdpaw both exclaimed at the same time. They both looked at each other, surprised, and purred. Sandstorm glanced up at them, amusement glinting in her eyes.
"Was that planned?" she purred, taking a bite of the bird. She turned her head to watch Dustpelt edge as far away from Purdy as possible. He leaned closer to the rabbit to take a bite, glaring at Sandstorm when she purred.
"Mmmm," Purdy purred, gnawing on a bone of the rabbit. "These rabbits get better as they keep gettin' caught."
"I think you're losing your taste," Dustpelt muttered, even though he was enjoying the rabbit as well.
Before the elders' finished their meal, Mosspaw and Birdpaw dipped their heads and left to get their own fresh-kill.
Lionblaze was already gone, but Leafpool, Whitewing, Amberpaw and Cinderheart were at the pile now. Mosspaw squeezed in beside Amberpaw and Leafpool to sneak out a small mouse and pulled out again without either of them noticing hardly anything. Birdpaw grabbed a vole from beside Whitewing, deliberately keeping away from Cinderheart so she wouldn't get coddled like a kit.
Mosspaw tucked into her mouse beside Birdpaw, and they were both about halfway done when Lionblaze came up and stood in front of them.
"Mosspaw, you're coming to the Gathering," he meowed, glancing at Birdpaw.
Mosspaw choked on her bite of mouse. Even though Hollyleaf had told her she'd be going, it was still a bit of a shock to be told she was going, especially since she had only been an apprentice for four days.
"Am I going as well?" Birdpaw asked, flashing pleading eyes up to Mosspaw's mentor.
Lionblaze shook his head. "If you haven't been told by now, then you most likely aren't. Why don't you go ask Ivypool?"
Birdpaw nodded, finishing her vole and heading off to find her mentor. Mosspaw watched her go before turning back to her mentor. "Did Bramblestar say why I was coming?" she asked.
Lionblaze shrugged, glancing away. "Not really."
Mosspaw narrowed her eyes, not believing him, but she flicked her tail and stood up. "Okay." Turning around, she found herself face-to-face with Flamepaw. "Uh, can I help you?" she asked, backing up a bit.
Flamepaw shrugged. "Not really. Just came to see if you were coming to the Gathering. Sounds like you are." He watched as Lionblaze left, leaving the two siblings alone. "Why don't we go wait by the thorn tunnel?"
Mosspaw nodded and followed him to where cats were beginning to gather as they waited to leave. They sat down near the edge of the cats, and Mosspaw remembered her dream about Rosethorn and Thorntail. Should she tell that dream to Flamepaw? Or should she wait as well? She was deciding their fate by deciding who she would tell. All this pressure on one little apprentice!
Finally, she came to the realization that while Flamepaw probably wouldn't tell, he might tell Jayfeather, who would tell Bramblestar, who would tell Squirrelflight, who would tell Leafpool, who probably wouldn't tell anybody, but by then, many cats would know about the two cats coming to the Clans, and that might not necessarily be a good thing!
Basically, she wasn't going to tell any cat.
Leafpool approached the group of cats and sat down nearby. Jayfeather emerged from the medicine den, scenting the air and suddenly snapping his head towards Leafpool. At nearly the exact same time, Bramblestar leaped down the rocks from his den with Squirrelflight behind him.
The two cats, medicine and deputy, both stared at Leafpool as if she were an intruder. Leafpool noticed them both, her son and sister, and glanced back and forth between the two before finally giving up and gazing straight ahead; which was where Flamepaw and Mosspaw were sitting.
"Hey, Leafpool!" Flamepaw yowled, attracting attention. He had probably done it on purpose, just to see what every cat's reactions were. Mosspaw cuffed him over his ears with a sheathed paw.
"What'd you do that for?" she hissed, standing up and padding over to Leafpool before he could answer.
She sat down beside the tabby she-cat, brushing her muzzle briefly against Leafpool's shoulder. "Why are Squirrelflight and Jayfeather staring at you as if you've done something wrong?" she asked, glaring at Flamepaw who was watching them.
Leafpool hesitated before answering. "Maybe they think I've done something wrong," she murmured. "Cats often jump to conclusions when they don't know the truth."
"So . . . you're not doing something wrong?" Mosspaw meowed, confused. "I saw you sneak out of camp on the day we were apprenticed."
Leafpool was silent for a few minutes. "You've heard about what Crowfeather and I did, right?"
Mosspaw nodded, kneading the ground anxiously.
"Squirrelflight and Jayfeather think I'm meeting him again."
"And you're not?" Mosspaw meowed, cocking her head slightly.
Leafpool glanced down at her, her face clean from any expression. "I'd hate to nurture a deep wound," she meowed simply, lifting her head again and glancing over at Jayfeather. "It's one my sons and Clan have taken a long time to forgive."
Mosspaw turned away, her eyes narrowed. Leafpool hadn't revealed anything! Her answers could go either way. If she really was meeting up with Crowfeather again, why was she denying it? Because Mosspaw was an apprentice and couldn't be trusted? And if she wasn't meeting Crowfeather, why not just say "no, I'm not meeting Crowfeather"? And if she wasn't meeting Crowfeather, then why had she snuck out of camp? Was she meeting Blackstar from ShadowClan?
Mosspaw shook her head, trying to rid her mind of those disturbing thoughts. No cat from a Clan not of ShadowClan would want to be near Blackstar. Not even Leafpool. Where had that thought even come from? I have a really weird mind. . . . she thought.
Mosspaw glanced over at her brother, who wasn't in the spot he used to be. She looked over the cats waiting, trying to spot him. Instead, she saw Lionblaze, who was pacing over near the entrance. Purring, Mosspaw trotted over to him, waving her tail goodbye at Leafpool. The older she-cat didn't wave back; she was too busy washing her foreleg.
Once again, as Mosspaw pushed through the cats to get to her mentor, she wondered why Bramblestar had given Lionblaze to her as her mentor. There were plenty of other cats that still hadn't had an apprentice, yet Bramblestar had chosen him for her. Was it because she was his daughter and he thought she was special?
Finally able to squeeze through the last cats to get to Lionblaze, Mosspaw sat down in the path of his pace. As he turned and started pacing towards her, he stopped in front, straightening up and staring blankly into her eyes. Regaining his composure, he sat down and licked a paw, drawing it over his face. "Yes, Mosspaw?" he asked.
Mosspaw shrugged, curling her tail neatly around her paws. "You're coming to the Gathering, too?"
Lionblaze nodded, shifting to giving his chest a few licks. "A mentor usually goes with his apprentice to a Gathering."
"Are any other apprentices coming?" Mosspaw asked, glancing around. She spotted Birdpaw sitting with Bluepaw, Redpaw and Snowpaw a ways away. Lilypaw and Seedpaw sat apart from them, scowling. The two sisters obviously weren't happy to be left behind.
"Uh, I think Amberpaw and Dewpaw are coming," Lionblaze meowed, his tone not convincing. But by the looks of things—Amberpaw and Dewpaw weren't with the other apprentices—he was probably right.
Suddenly, Bramblestar appeared with Squirrelflight beside him. They took their places in front of the thorn tunnel and the leader called the cats together. "Let's go, ThunderClan!" he yowled. All the cats rushed around, saying goodbye to the cats staying behind and rushing back to follow Bramblestar out into the forest.
Mosspaw was swept with the crowd of cats out the thorn tunnel. Being near the front, she found herself padding right behind Bramblestar and Squirrelflight. She let herself fall back once they were in the forest, stopping once she got to where Jayfeather and Flamepaw were.
"Hey, Jayfeather," she purred, brushing against Flamepaw. They started picking up the pace as the cats in front starting loping towards the WindClan border, and Mosspaw glanced at Jayfeather to make sure he wasn't tripping or anything.
The medicine cat must've guessed what she was thinking, because he turned his head to her. "I may be blind, but I'm not a mousebrain. I know my way around these forests just as good as you do, if not better."
Mosspaw rolled her eyes, picking up the pace until she was nearly in an all-out run. She slowed down once she got beside Amberpaw.
"Hi, Amberpaw," she purred, keeping pace with her denmate.
The gray she-cat nodded in return, flashing a playful look at her. "Doesn't it feel good to run?"
Mosspaw nodded, though she was starting to get tired. She could see the WindClan stream ahead of them, so she slowed down a bit to catch her breath.
By the time it was her turn to cross the stream, she felt ready to run again. She padded to the edge of the bank and looked across, judging the distance. She could probably make it, but what if she slipped and fell into the water?
Mosspaw felt fur brush on either side of her, and she looked to her right to see Flamepaw crouched beside her, about to leap across as well. On her other side . . . there was nothing? Tasting the air, she could clearly scent a cat beside her.
Shrugging it off, she waggled her hips, getting ready to leap. When she pushed off, the 'something' beside her gave her an extra nudge, giving her just enough to clear the stream. Flamepaw landed beside her a heartbeat later. They both looked back, both puzzled at how they had managed to leap all the way over.
Mosspaw shook her head, thoroughly confused. "Come on, Flamepaw, let's go to the front and see if we can spot the island!"
Flamepaw nodded, and they both bounded off to the front of the group of cats. They passed Brackenfur, Hazeltail, and Dovewing as they raced past. They slowed down once they got to where Bramblestar and Squirrelflight were, now accompanied by Foxleap and Graystripe. Mosspaw watched excitedly as the island got closer and closer, until they were finally approaching the tree-bridge.
Before they got close enough to cross, Bramblestar turned his head to look behind his group of cats. "WindClan are behind us."
Mosspaw looked over her shoulder, wondering what cats from another Clan would look like. She was disappointed. They looked like normal cats, only faster than ThunderClan. The way they raced across the moor, sleek and faster than rabbits, made ThunderClan seem like clumsy badgers. But, Mosspaw reminded herself, ThunderClan cats are stronger than WindClan cats.
Mosspaw was still watching the fastest cats she had ever seen approach when she ran into Bramblestar. Turning back to her father, she looked up at him, expecting to see annoyance in his eyes. Instead, amusement lit his amber eyes, and he flicked his straight raised tail gently over her ears.
ThunderClan had stopped and was waiting for WindClan to catch up. As Mosspaw turned back to the approaching Clan, she noticed her mother watching Leafpool closely. Mosspaw followed Squirrelflight's line of vision and saw a nearly black tom pass Leafpool, brushing briefly against her before padding on with his Clanmates.
Mosspaw narrowed her eyes. That must've been Crowfeather, by the way he looked, and the way he had acted. Was Leafpool seeing Crowfeather? And if she didn't want to stir up old memories that hurt, then why was she meeting a forbidden tom?
Mosspaw's eyes widened as the dark gray tom followed a small brown tabby tom over to Bramblestar. She pressed against Flamepaw, nervous about meeting cats from a different Clan.
The tabby dipped his head to Bramblestar. "Greetings, Bramblestar," he meowed formally as a gray she-cat joined them.
"Greetings, Onestar, Ashfoot," Bramblestar replied, glancing at the dark gray tom beside them. "Crowfeather."
Squirrelflight stood calmly beside Bramblestar, her gaze lingering on Crowfeather as she greeted the cats.
"Are these your kits?" the gray she-cat, Ashfoot, asked, nodding to the two siblings.
Bramblestar nodded proudly, lifting his head higher. "This is Mosspaw," he meowed, resting his tail on her head, "and this is Flamepaw," he finished, flicking the ginger tom gently across his ears. "Flamepaw's a medicine cat apprentice."
Crowfeather nodded to the two apprentices, fully aware that Squirrelflight was still staring at him. Finally, he looked over. "Yes?" he meowed, sounding annoyed.
"Nothing at all, Crowfeather," Squirrelflight meowed. "Been keeping busy lately?"
Crowfeather didn't flinch. "Yes, though it's none of your business what I do or don't do, isn't it?"
Squirrelflight shrugged, narrowing her eyes. "Just speaking what's on my mind."
Flamepaw nudged Mosspaw, drawing her attention to him. "Have you noticed how Jayfeather and Squirrelflight always seem to be watching Leafpool closely whenever possible?"
Mosspaw nodded, thinking back to what Leafpool had said earlier. "I almost don't want to know why."
"Almost?" Flamepaw teased, turning his attention back to the two leaders.
Onestar flicked his tail, motioning to the tree-bridge. "Go ahead and take your Clan over first. We will follow."
Bramblestar dipped his head. "Thank you, Onestar."
Kinking his tail over his back, he started forward and leaped onto the tree-bridge. He started padding carefully across, his claws unsheathed and his tail raised to keep his balance. Flamepaw followed, steading himself for a moment before continuing, and Mosspaw jumped up after him. She dug her claws in deep when she felt the tree-bridge shake under Squirrelflight's weight.
Mosspaw was glad to get off on the other side, and she did so as gracefully as possible, which wasn't very graceful, as she snagged a claw on a branch when she leapt down. No cat seemed to be watching her, so she regained her composure and padded over to where Bramblestar and Flamepaw were standing.
Once all of ThunderClan had crossed, Bramblestar kinked his tail once more over his back and led the way through the trees to the center.
Mosspaw caught her breath at the sight of all the cats milling around in the clearing. Of to one side, there was a giant oak, the Great Oak, where the leaders sat. Shaking her head, Mosspaw tried looking for specific cats, like white ones, who might be part of the prophecy. How was she ever going to find them?
Perhaps she should start with the apprentices. Chances were, some of the other cats in the prophecy were apprentices like her. She turned to Flamepaw, but he had disappeared, most likely off to meet the medicine cats. Shrugging, Mosspaw set off on an almost desperate search for the warrior apprentices.
She spotted a group of younger-looking cats and eagerly headed over to them. On the way, Amberpaw and Dewpaw caught up to her. "Going to meet the other apprentices?" Amberpaw purred. Mosspaw nodded, already searching the group for any standouts. "Just remember to not reveal any important information."
The group of apprentices stopped talking when they noticed the newcomers. "Hey, Dewpaw!" a brown tabby tom called. Dewpaw purred and headed over to him, while Amberpaw stayed with Mosspaw.
"Every cat, I'd like you to meet Mosspaw," Amberpaw announced. "She's our newest apprentice!"
"Hi, Mosspaw!" a white she-cat exclaimed, jumping up excitedly. "I'm Icepaw!"
"And I'm Nightpaw," a black tom meowed in a more dignified manner. "That's my brother Wolfpaw." He nodded to a gray tom nearby. "My sister, Honeypaw, is a medicine cat."
Mosspaw glanced at the two cats, Nightpaw and Icepaw. Nightpaw had mentioned Honeypaw; could she be part of the prophecy? And Icepaw might be the single icicle!
"My name's Sunpaw," a voice meowed from behind. Mosspaw and Amberpaw spun around to see a handsome golden tom standing just behind them. "I'm new as well."
Sunpaw. The blazing sun at the end of the clues, perhaps?
"So your name is Mosspaw, is it?" Sunpaw meowed, padding around the tabby she-cat. She nodded, still trying to guess if he was part of the prophecy. "Do you know of any other cat with Moss at the beginning?"
Mosspaw shook her head. "I'm new, remember? I wouldn't know all the cats' names."
Sunpaw stopped winding around her and looked at the other apprentices. "Is there a Mosssomething in any of your Clans?"
Nightpaw and Icepaw shook their heads. The black tom stood up and padded forward, Icepaw at his heels. "I think we have something in common, don't you agree?" Nightpaw meowed quietly.
"You mean the—" Icepaw started, before she was cut off by a fierce glare from Nightpaw.
"Yes," he meowed. "That."
They were talking about the prophecy! So she was right; Icepaw and Sunpaw were part of it. But where did Nightpaw fit in? Oh yeah, Mosspaw remembered. The shadowy forest and night. I was expecting a cat called Shadowpaw or something. On the other paw, is it possible for a cat to be called Shadow, Thunder, River or Wind?
"Hello," Amberpaw meowed, her tone sounding as if she had been calling for ages. "Any cat going to tell me what you're talking about? Mosspaw?"
Mosspaw looked over at her Clanmate. How could she tell Amberpaw when she hadn't even told Jayfeather or Bramblestar? "Sorry, Amberpaw," she mewed quietly. "I can't tell you yet."
Amberpaw narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything. Nightpaw nudged Mosspaw, nodding to where the medicine cats where. "Let me take you to meet Honeypaw. She's part of it, as you could probably guess."
"Have you figured out the cat in your Clan, Icepaw?" Sunpaw asked. "My sister Mistpaw is the fog rising from the lake. She's a medicine cat as well."
Icepaw shook her head. "I think Waterpaw, my brother, might be the flood, but I haven't asked him yet. What about you, Mosspaw?"
Mosspaw started. All the clues had been taken up, except—
"Oh, I'm such a mousebrain!" she exclaimed, stopping in front of tree and banging her head against it. "Why didn't I think of Flamepaw before?"
"Maybe because you thought someone else was the path of fire?"
Mosspaw looked up. Flamepaw and three other apprentices were standing just ahead, most likely all medicine cat apprentices. "Mosspaw, meet Honeypaw, Mistpaw, and Waterpaw. I assume you'll know what I'm talking about when I say they're part of the dream?"
Mosspaw nodded, finally realizing that her own brother was part of the prophecy. "Nightpaw, Sunpaw, and Icepaw are as well."
Flamepaw nodded, glancing over at the Great Oak. "We'll have to meet somewhere else soon; the leaders are about to speak."
"Why don't we meet at the Moonpool?" Honeypaw suggested. "It's neutral territory, so no cat can object to us going there."
"Honeypaw, what's your Clan going to think when you and Nightpaw are gone?" Mosspaw meowed, thinking how she hadn't yet told Jayfeather or Bramblestar. She was determined to tell them before they met up again.
"Well, Littlecloud and Blackstar already know about the prophecy," Honeypaw explained, her whisker twitching. "Haven't you told your medicine cat and leader yet?"
Sunpaw flicked his tail dismissively. "We didn't have to tell Kestrelflight or Onestar. Kestrelflight told us all the medicine cats and leaders had a dream that told them about us."
"That's a relief," Mosspaw muttered. She hadn't been looking forward to telling her father that she was part of a prophecy.
"Then we'll meet at the Moonpool?" Honeypaw persisted, glancing from one cat to another.
"I guess so," Icepaw muttered. "You do realize I have no idea where it is, don't you?"
"Why don't we meet you at our border?" Sunpaw suggested. "We'll ask Kestrelflight how to get the rest of the way and travel together."
Waterpaw nodded eagerly. "Let's do it!"
A yowl from the Great Oak interrupted the eight apprentices, and they sat down, facing the leaders. All the noise in the clearing slowly died down as the four Clans calmed down to listen to the leaders.
Blackstar was standing on his branch, his white pelt clearly visible against the dark shadows of the tree. "All is well in ShadowClan, and prey is still running as good as ever," he started.
"I imagine leaf-bare was just as hard on ShadowClan as the rest of the Clan but he just doesn't want to admit it," Sunpaw hissed to Mosspaw. She purred, keeping her gaze on the massive leader.
"We have three new apprentices; Wolfpaw, Nightpaw, and Honeypaw. Toadfoot and Tigerheart are the two toms' mentors, and Honeypaw has decided to become Littlecloud's apprentice," Blackstar finished. He sat down and flicked his tail at Onestar.
Mosspaw noticed Dovewing a little ways away congratulating Tigerheart on his new apprentice. The dark tabby was her kin; Mosspaw shuddered at the thought of having kin in another Clan.
Onestar started speaking, his tabby coat flashing briefly in the moonlight. "All is well with WindClan as well, and we also have two new apprentices; Mistpaw and Sunpaw. Strangely, Mistpaw is Kestrelflight's apprentice, therefore the new medicine cat apprentice." Onestar glanced at the other leaders, a knowing look passing between them. "Sunpaw's mentor is—Sunstrike," he choked out, raising his head for a moment to regain his composure.
Sunpaw sighed and shook his head. "I honestly think Onestar made my mentor Sunstrike mostly because we both have Sun at the beginning of our names. I mean, she's a great mentor and all, but I don't think it's fair."
The other apprentices nodded and agreed, turning back to the WindClan leader, who was speaking again.
". . . gave birth to a kit, Flowerkit. And Bramblestar, my warriors scented ThunderClan scent on our side of the border right next to our stream. Do you know anything about it?"
Bramblestar looked surprised. "No, I don't. Thank you for telling me, Onestar. I'll make sure that cat is punished as soon as I get back to camp. Is that the only place you scented ThunderClan?"
"Yes, it seems the cat stayed there for some time and then left without doing anything. I know the cat didn't take any prey as far as I can tell, but he did cross our border," Onestar meowed. "Go ahead, Mistystar."
"Got any idea who it might be?" Sunpaw hissed, his voice not angry or anything, just curious.
Mosspaw shook her head, not wanting to give away the possibility that it might be Leafpool. Besides, Onestar had said he, which meant he didn't know if it was a tom or she-cat. That was good.
Mistystar stood up, flicking her tail a bit to get her balance. "The fish have fully come back to RiverClan, and we are well fed again. We have four new apprentices; Waterpaw, Icepaw, Duckpaw, and Slickpaw. They—" She was interrupted when Mosspaw heard Jayfeather suddenly speak.
"Hang on," he called. "Why does Willowshine have an apprentice? What happened to Mothwing?"
Leafpool, who was sitting nearby the eight apprentices, stood up immediately, her eyes wide as she studied the medicine cats. "Mothwing," she breathed, trembling.
Mistystar suddenly became sober. "There was an unusual outbreak of late greencough, but no cat died from it, except . . . Mothwing. Waterpaw wanted to become Willowshine's apprentice, and so we let him." A silent hush came over the clearing as each cat bowed their head in grief.
Mosspaw sidled silently over to Leafpool's side. She knew how close the older she-cat had been to RiverClan's medicine cat, and even though Mosspaw had never met her, she had great respect for that cat.
Leafpool wasn't moving, even as Mistystar continued speaking. "She didn't believe in StarClan," she murmured, unaware that Mosspaw was beside her. "Oh, Mothwing. I didn't get to say goodbye."
Mosspaw's eyes grew wide as she left quietly, sitting back down in her place between Honeypaw and Sunpaw. That was why Leafpool was so distraught. If Mothwing didn't believe in StarClan, then Leafpool would never see her again!
When Mosspaw glanced back up at the leaders, she noticed that Mistystar had sat down again and now Bramblestar was speaking. "We now have five new apprentices, my two kits, Mosspaw and Flamepaw, and Cinderheart and Lionblaze's kits, Bluepaw, Redpaw, and Birdpaw. Flamepaw is training to be a medicine cat. All is well in ThunderClan. That is all."
"This Gathering is over!" Blackstar yowled, and the four leaders scrambled out of the tree.
A/N: And that, folks, wraps up chapter 4! Thanks to everyone for reading the whole thing thoroughly! And while you're at it, you should check out ShoutFinder's fanfic, Daughter of the Sun. It's good.
Now please review! If you do, I'll upload sooner! And in your review, please state which name you like better: Lilywhisker or Lilycloud? Seedfall or Seedspeck?
See you all next week or sooner! (Depending on whether you review or not...)