Chapter 1:
"I feel like you aren't trying Ravenpaw," Crowflight meowed disdainfully.
The black apprentice was panting heavily. "I am!"
"Prove it," Crowflight retorted.
"You aren't my mentor," Ravenpaw reminded him.
"Hawkpelt tasked me with you for a reason," Crowflight replied.
"Don't be so hard on her Crowflight," Frostwing chided.
"I'm only hard on her because I know she has potential," Crowflight explained.
Ravenpaw snorted but headbutted the black tom in a friendly way. "More potential than Toadpaw?" She asked in a teasing tone.
"Hey!" The sleek apprentice's brother objected.
"I'm just kidding Toadpaw," Ravenpaw purred.
Toadpaw wriggled his haunches and pounced on his sister.
Crowflight exchanged a glance with Frostwing.
"Alright, enough," The white she-cat meowed after a while. The two apprentices sat up, panting.
"Both of you need to bring two pieces of pray back to camp, stay away from the borders," Frostwing ordered them.
"What if I see a delicious squirrel just on the other side of the Thunderclan border?" Toadpaw flashed his mentor an innocent smile.
Frostwing shook her head. "Stay away from the borders."
Toadpaw rolled his eyes dramatically. "Fine."
Ravenpaw shoved Toadpaw gently. "Let's go!"
Crowflight shook his head and smiled as they ran off. "Should we follow them?"
"No, Redwing sent out a few patrols, they'll probably join up with one," Frostwing answered.
Crowflight nodded and made the short trip from the training clearing back to camp.
"Riverclan's attacking!" A dark tabby and white kit squealed. Two more kits launched themselves at Crowflight.
The black tom staggered dramatically. "Shadowclan is too strong for me!" He moaned.
"We didn't hurt you too bad, did we?" Darkkit's green eyes stretched wide with worry.
Crowflight shook the kit's brothers off his pelt, shaking his head. "I'm fine, Darkkit."
Their mother, Ivystem, padded over. "Are they bothering you, Crowflight?"
"It's fine," Crowflight assured the tortoiseshell queen.
"Crowflight!"
Crowflight pricked his ears at the sound of his brother's voice. "Yes, Hawkpelt?" He turned around was surprised to see how close the large tom was to him.
"Where's Ravenpaw?" Hawkpelt's tone was smooth and nonchalant.
"Frostwing sent her hunting with Toadpaw," Crowflight explained.
Hawkpelt nodded. He seemed distracted. "Did she do well in training?"
"Very," Crowflight answered.
"I think I'll ask Emberstar if she can come to the Gathering tonight," Hawkpelt's bright green gaze focused on Crowflight.
"She deserves it," Crowflight agreed.
Redwing hurried over to the pair. "I need you two on a patrol with Bluemist and Sparrowflight."
"Of course," Hawkpelt dipped his head to the deputy and led Crowflight over to the other warriors.
"Where to?" Crowflight flicked his tail.
"Thunderclan border," Bluemist meowed over her shoulder as she headed out of camp.
"Who do you think will be chosen for the Gathering?" Sparrowflight fell into step beside Crowflight.
"Emberstar will choose whoever he thinks deserves it," Bluemist called from her position at the head of the patrol.
Sparrowflight rolled his eyes. "But who do you think deserves to go?"
"Redwing, Silverfern, and Whitepaw, of course," Crowflight shrugged.
Sparrowflight snorted. "Well of course. I mean other than them."
"Who do you think is going?" Hawkpelt countered.
"Emberstar seems to have eyes for Foxclaw," Sparrowflight's ear twitched.
"Do you have nothing better to than gossip?" Bluemist groaned.
Sparrowflight purred in amusement. "What about you and Cloudpool? Don't be offended, but you seem a bit pudgier to me."
Bluemist ducked her head in embarrassment. "We'll be having a litter in a couple of moons," The blue gray she-cat admitted.
"Congratulations," Crowflight murmured, slightly jealous. He longed for a mate and kits of his own, but had yet to find the right she-cat.
The entire patrol halted at the sound of fighting nearby.
"Oh no," Bluemist sighed, hurrying over in the direction of the noise.
Two cats stood on the Thunderclan side of the river making up the border and one more was on Shadowclan territory, tussling with another cat.
"Ravenpaw!" Hawkpelt yowled.
The two sprang apart.
"What's going on?" Bluemist demanded.
Crowflight recognized the Thunderclan warriors Cherryfeather and Blizzardstorm on the opposite side of the river. The one on the Shadowclan side was unfamiliar to him.
Cherryfeather glared at the Shadowclan cats. "Your apprentice was insulting Blizzardstorm."
"The kittypet?" Sparrowflight sneered.
"He wasn't a kittypet!" The unknown tom snarled.
"Get on your own side of the border," Hawkpelt unsheathed his claws.
The tom scowled and hesitated for a moment before joining his clanmates.
"Frostwing told you to stay away from the borders," Crowflight growled at Ravenpaw.
The she-cat studied her paws and did not respond.
Bluemist curled her lip back in a snarl. "If I see any of your clan on our territory again, it means war."
Blizzardstorm shifted his weight uneasily. "We should go," He mumbled to Cherryfeather.
"I'm tired of these mousehearts insulting our clan," Cherryfeather snapped at him.
"We're outnumbered," Blizzardstorm reminded her.
Cherryfeather paused. "Keep your apprentices in line!"
"We don't need to take advice from a bunch of kittypets and rogues," Crowflight yowled as the Thunderclan patrol left.
As soon as they were out of sight, Hawkpelt turned on Ravenpaw.
"What were you thinking?" The tabby and white tom demanded.
Crowflight realized she was bleeding from a cut above her eye.
"Blizzardstorm saw me catch a water vole on the edge of the border. It never left our territory, but he said I was stealing prey so I told him a kittypet like him couldn't have caught it anyway. Dustpaw go really defensive about it, so I'm guessing he, like the rest of Thunderclan, has some kittypet blood in him," Ravenpaw looked up at her mentor then hurriedly flicked her gaze over to a fern.
"Where's the vole?" Hawkpelt peered around the she-cat.
Ravenpaw stood and walked a few mouselengths to a bush, returning with a large water vole.
"Impressive," Sparrowflight sniffed the prey appreciatively.
"Do you think I might still be able to go to the Gathering?" Ravenpaw fidgeted nervously.
"I can't see how Emberstar could say no when he sees this," Hawkpelt cuffed her ears with sheathed claws affectionately.
Ravenpaw brightened considerably and snatched the vole up. "Race you back to camp?" She nearly lost her grip as she asked the question.
"Last one there's a Thunderclan kittypet!" Hawkpelt took off with Ravenpaw on his heels, leaving the rest of the patrol behind.
Bluemist twitched her whiskers. "He's like a kit."
Crowflight chuckled softly. "It's getting dark. The patrol for the Gathering will be leaving soon."
"Then we need to get back if we want any chance of going," Sparrowflight trotted past, Crowflight hurrying after him. For whatever reason, this felt like a Gathering he should attend.