Shadowstar is only having eight kits (I know that's a lot but I wanted two kits for myself), keep in mind there is only two spaces left for another kit! As I will be taking two of the spots myself. If another kitten isn't submitted by tomorrow I will use the extra space for myself again X3
The voting for cutest couple only lasts till tomorrow, get your votes in! Right now, ShadowxRed is in the lead!
NOW ONTO ZE STORY!
Shadowstar gulped as a wave of pain passed through her stomach once more. Life sucked not being able to leave Camp. She didn't understand the Queens desire for having kits. Though it was good for her to have kits, anyways, the Clan had no more Queens now that the four kits had their Apprentice ceremony. It had been clarified that Shadowstar would have eight kits. That was way to many in her opinion. Only one cat had she known, or even knew from Elder stories, that had more than five kits. That Queen had seven. How was she having so many?
The rippling silence of the morning sky made her fur stand on end. It was never so peaceful like this. Shadowstar felt worried. She stood and trotted over to Redstorm, wincing once when the pain pierced in her stomach once more. She forced herself to ignore it and moved on.
She slid into the Warriors den and awoke the Deputy, having allowed him to sleep in for today because of his tireless amounts of work he had done throughout the day. "Wake up." She murmured to him. His body shifted before he stood and trudged out of the Warriors den and to her side.
"Do you notice the silence too?" Shadowstar asked her mate in a whisper. Redstorm nodded. "The Gatherings today, isn't it? So every cat is sleeping in, right?" He told her. Shadowstar was taken aback before she realized how correct her Deputy was. "Yes, right. We need to decide on who will join us, come." She told him before bounding away towards her den. They entered together and sat down in front of each other.
"The new Apprentices." Shadowstar started off. "They will come." Redstorm nodded in agreement, "and all the new mentors. But, I think that's enough." Redstorm finished. Shadowstar glanced out of the den, "Firelight too. She has hardly gone out of Camp. This would be good for her."
Once the Leader and Deputy finished their conversation they left the den to wake the others up and send them out on patrols.
Shadowstar stood on JaggedPeak as the Clan gathered underneath her to listen to her words. "The following cats will join Redstorm and I in the Gathering." She began. "Firelight, Willowfeather, Cloudfire, Spottedfur and Dragonfeather."
The cats called out stood with a large smile plastered across their face, and trotted to stand by the exit of Camp.
"Rainpaw, Finchpaw, Cougarpaw and Gorsepaw." She called out. "And of course, Heatherfoot." She finished and leaped down to stand beside the gathered cats. The Clan watched as they set off to the Gathering area, their tails swishing in the sky.
Gorsepaw followed from behind, his tail dragging in the dirt. He was forced to clean out the dens ever since his Apprenticeship. The smell of herbs grew near and Gorsepaw could tell it was Heatherfoot at once. "Gorsepaw?" She murmured softly. Gorsepaw huffed. "What?" He asked, turning to the Medicine cat.
Heatherfoot's tail swept Gorsepaw's shoulder. "I think you should join me as a Medicine cat." She told him. Gorsepaw shook Heatherfoot's tail off his shoulder angrily. "No! Leave me alone! I want to be a Warrior!" He spat and bounded off after Shadowstar.
Shadowstar stopped Gorsepaw. "Are you okay?" She asked. Gorsepaw frowned, "Heatherfoot is telling me to be a Medicine cat." He told the Leader madly. Shadowstar shrugged. "Maybe she's right." She murmured and continued on. Gorsepaw growled and leaped away.
"We're here!" Shadowstar called out and entered the Gathering area, pouncing onto the tree branch where the NightClan leader always stands. The other three Clans had already gathered under the four Leaders, gazing up with anxious eyes.
"Welcome Clans to the annual Gathering!" Owlstar called out. Oakstar stood nearby, glaring at Shadowstar from beside Owlstar. The Clan cats cheered, their voices echoing in the hollow filled with rocks and trees sticking out of the yellow leaf-bare grass. "Crystar, you may begin." Owlstar meowed and stepped backwards to let the LakeClan leader take his place.
Crystar dipped his head to Owlstar before stepping forward. "LakeClan is doing well, prey is swimming and getting caught in some of the traps we have planted in the ground." He smirked at his pun. "We have vines getting the fish stuck in it's grip and we can get the prey in the swipe of a paw, hmm? We also have two new Apprentices; Hazelpaw and Barkpaw." He announced. All the Clans except FireClan cheered the two Apprentices names before quieting down when Owlstar stepped forward.
"StormClan is doing well. Prey isn't doing a very good job of hibernating and storing their own food, we have caught many precious hares and sparrows on our territory. Though it isn't enough to feed our Clan, we are still waiting hungrily for something to feed on, right now we have only a proper amount of food for Queens, kits and Elders. We also lost a kit due to the Leaf-Bare cold. Bramblekit will be remembered dearly by his parents and litter mates, and also his Clan." She finished with an exasperated sigh and stepped backwards, her head hanging in sadness at the memories that likely had swept through her mind. Oakstar stepped forward, a grin plastered across his face.
"FireClan is doing very well!" He yowled, his Clan cheered loudly, making Shadowstar feel as if her ears would burst.
"Prey is running very well and we have an incredibly high stock of prey in our Camp, everyone has enough to eat and every cat is strong and agile. That is all." Oakstar finished before casting a swift glare to Shadowstar before backing up. Shadowstar stepped forward, her whiskers twitching nervously. "Leaf-Bare hasn't gotten the best of us Clans, huh? We are doing very well, I must say. Like FireClan." She explained. "Though, our herbs are drying up and we are losing many frequently, all we have now is some main herbs for treatment. But that is all." Shadowstar finished and sat backwards.
The Clan cats all were dismissed, turning to one another to speak to each other about Clan life. Dragonfeather stood under a pine tree, watching as Sunsky shouldered over to sit beside him. Shadowstar watched as the two chatted, sometimes laughing and pawing softly at each other. Dragonfeather seemed to be hiding something, things seemed to be happening between the two. Sunsky also seemed to be hiding something, something weird...
Petalfire, a FireClan she-cat, leaped over to Sunsky with a scowl plastered across her face. "What are you doing? Talking to a NightClan cat." She huffed. Sunsky glanced to her friend, smiling, "This is Dragonfeather." She mewed, flicking her tail towards the tom. "And this is Petalfire." Sunsky gestured with her muzzle to the white tortoiseshell she cat, who was a close friend of Sunsky. "You are clearly disobeying Oakstar, Sunsky." Petalfire frowned. "He said not to speak with any NightClan cats."
Sunsky scowled. "What's Oakstar's problem? They aren't any different from us!"
"Why do you even care, Sunsky?" Petalfire asked, cocking her head. Sunsky, now panicked, glanced around anxiously. "Because... Because... I like Dragonfeather, okay?" She burst out.
Dragonfeather watched in disbelief. "You-You like me? I like you too..." He trailed off. Petalfire frowned, "this is wrong, Sunsky. You're breaking the Warrior Code!"
"I don't care!" Sunsky yelped, shooting up and bolting to Oakstar's side as he called for his Clan to gather. Petalfire followed, casting a glare at Dragonfeather before she disappeared.
Dragonfeather gulped nervously and trotted over to Shadowstar as NightClan headed back to Camp, she likes me too...