Chapter 23
Foxtail woke shaking, his paws cold and his fur damp from the rain dripping into the warriors den.
It was just a dream… The red-furred warrior stood and stretched. It had been so vivid, but now that his eyes had opened, Foxtail couldn't remember anything about it except the stench of blood that still lingered on the roof of his mouth. Desperate to remove the taste, he trudged out of the warriors' den and lapped water out of the nearest puddle. It was gritty with sand, but to Foxtail it was as sweet as honey.
"Morning!" Graystripe called from beneath the high rock. "Brackenfur was just talking about taking a hunting patrol, would you like to join?"
Foxtail straightened and flicked the water from his ears. "Sure. Should I wake anyone else?"
"Yes," Brackenfur hurried across the clearing to meet the younger warrior. "You can pick, I'm going to wake Thistlepaw. It's a good opportunity for her to learn about hunting in rain."
Relieved to return to the shelter of the warriors' den, even if only for a moment, Foxtail ducked back under the thickly woven branches. He padded to Stormfur's nest. Feathertail sat up as he approached.
"G'morning," she mumbled. "Is it dawn already? I'm supposed to be on patrol."
"Nearly," Foxtail began prodding Stormfur in the ribs as he spoke. "Brackenfur is getting together an early hunting patrol, it might be the only one for the day if this rain keeps up."
"Do you think the Gathering will be postponed again?" Feathertail's blue eyes were pools of concern. "Firestar still hasn't been able to formerly announce Bluestar's death…"
The Gathering following the battle nearly two moons ago had in fact been rained out. Though there was little thunder and lighting, the river and streams had all swollen, and thick rainclouds had blocked every glimmer of moonlight.
"I don't think so," Foxtail finally meowed thoughtfully. "It's not nearly as heavy, and the water levels have only gone down since then." Stormfur began to stir, and Foxtail stopped poking him. "We're on a hunting patrol, Sleepfur."
The dark gray warrior yawned, then stood and shook the moss from his pelt. "What a day for hunting…"
Feathertail's whiskers twitched sympathetically. "Maybe it'll clear while you're out."
"And maybe hedgehogs will fly," Dustpelt snorted as he began washing. "Go ahead and wait by the gorse tunnel, I'll wake Runningwing and Tawnypelt."
Foxtail followed Feathertail and Stormfur back out into the rain. He flicked the water impatiently from his ears as he joined Brackenfur at the gorse tunnel.
"What are we even going to be able to catch in this kind of weather?" Thistlepaw was glaring up at her mentor, her tail lashing irritably. "Toads?"
Foxtail felt sorry for the calm warrior, but true to his temperament, Brackenfur only sighed. "Mice and squirrels don't stop eating just because it's raining, Thistlepaw."
The haughty she-cat opened her mouth to argue, but seemed to think better of it as Brackenfur's gaze hardened into a firm stare.
"Ready?" Stormfur broke the tension between mentor and apprentice, and with another sigh, Brackenfur nodded and led the way out of camp. Thistlepaw's foul mood only lasted until Brackenfur caught the first mouse of the hunt. After watching his success, she became quick and attentive, managing to bring down a blackbird as it took flight and chasing down a squirrel through the rain-soaked forest. Stormfur caught a vole as it was on its way back to its nest, and Foxtail caught a squirrel of his own by scaling a tree so quickly he tore a claw.
The rain was easing up as Foxtail limped back to camp beside Stormfur. They carried their own catches as well as Brackenfur's and Thistlepaw's, as the mentor and apprentice had decided to head to the sandy hollow for some battle training. It wasn't until he had dropped his prey in the fresh-kill pile that Foxtail let out the pained hiss he had been holding in.
Stormfur blinked sympathetically at him. "Does it hurt?"
"It's just annoying," the red-furred tom answered bitterly. "I'd rather have a battle wound any day." With a disdainful tut, he picked up his own squirrel and Brackenfur's mouse. "I'm going to go see Yellowfang."
He padded to the medicine den and slipped through the entrance, relieved to see that both medicine cats were there.
Hailpaw looked up immediately. "Foxtail? Are you alright? What's happened to your paw?"
"His paw?" Yellowfang narrowed her eyes and bent to sniff his paw as Foxtail dropped the fresh-kill.
"I tore a claw climbing a tree," he explained sheepishly.
Yellowfang rolled her eyes, but grunted appreciatively as she noticed how big the squirrel was. "I guess I can't complain about treating you since you've brought such a juicy piece of fresh-kill." As she set about fetching herbs, Hailpaw moved to sit beside his brother.
"You're going to the Gathering tonight, right?" The medicine cat apprentice pulled the mouse towards himself absent-mindedly.
"You bet," Foxtail purred. "Do you know who else has been chosen?"
Hailpaw shook his head. "Afraid not. I think Feathertail mentioned being excited for it, so she must be. Other than that I haven't got a clue." Yellowfang returned and began tending to Foxtail's outstretched paw.
"It'll be an interesting Gathering," she growled quietly. "I wouldn't blame Firestar a bit if he only took a small patrol."
"What makes you say that?" Foxtail's ears pricked curiously.
Yellowfang let out a rusty sigh. "I just have a feeling. I'm sure he does, too."
As she finished her careful work, Foxtail's stomach rumbled. Hailpaw purred in amusement, and Foxtail excused himself to go fetch fresh-kill. An interesting Gathering, huh? He couldn't explain it, but Foxtail felt it, too. Something was going to happen at this Gathering, and the young warrior had a feeling it wouldn't be anything good.
As it turned out, Firestar had only chosen a small number of cats. Graystripe ran alongside Firestar, Dustpelt and Swiftstep only steps behind. Ferncloud followed more slowly, keeping pace with Sagepaw as the apprentice followed his mentor. Feathertail seemed to be avoiding Foxtail, and stayed close to Runningwind. Yellowfang kept up with the two much younger cats, leaving Foxtail and Hailpaw to take up the rear, running effortlessly side by side. The toms were nearly identical save their contrasting fur colors—any cat could mistake Hailpaw for a warrior and Foxtail for a medicine cat that had seen some battles. No elders or queens had joined the party, and two patrols worth of warriors had been left in the camp.
Will the other Clans bring so few cats as well?
Foxtail's silent question was answered as the ThunderClan cats streamed down the hill and into the clearing. Only ShadowClan seemed to have a full patrol, all of their warriors stalking about as if they had claimed Fourtrees as their own hunting grounds. Tigerstar sat at the base of the Great Rock, Blackfoot steadfast at his side.
Hailpaw trembled beside him, and Foxtail pressed more closely against his brother's pale tabby flank. "Come on," he urged him gently. "Let's go see what the news is."
They padded side by side into the throngs of cats gathered in the clearing. He spotted his former mentor's familiar tabby pelt and joined the older warrior with a respectful nod to the RiverClan and WindClan warriors he was speaking to.
"Hello, Foxtail," Blackclaw, the smoky black RiverClan warrior acknowledged their presence with a small nod. He dipped his head more respectfully as he recognized Hailpaw. "And Hailpaw."
"I've heard that we missed a lot of news from ThunderClan," the pale gray WindClan she-cat, Runningbrook, meowed excitedly.
Dustpelt shrugged coolly. "We've grown strong this green-leaf, especially in numbers."
"Your own kits are apprentices now, aren't they?" Blackclaw had a glimmer of understanding in his eyes, and Foxtail wondered if the prickly tom had kits of his own. What she-cat would take such and ill-tempered mate?
"And I noticed Sandstorm isn't here…" Runningbrook was obviously desperate for news on the kits, and Hailpaw let out a soft purr.
"She kitted nearly a moon ago," the medicine cat apprentice assured the WindClan warrior. "Three healthy kits."
"That's great news," Runningbrook looked relieved. "Whitetail kitted as well, but only a quarter-moon ago. She had a tom and a she-cat. I'm honestly surprised Webfoot even agreed to come tonight, considering they haven't opened their eyes yet…"
Foxtail remembered seeing Whitetail at the last Gathering he had gone to—he had mistaken the small white she-cat for an apprentice, and a ShadowClan queen had scolded him for being rude. He couldn't imagine the tiny WindClan queen carrying more than two kits.
A sharp yowl drew the attention of all of the cats, and they quieted as their leaders took their places.
Firestar stepped forward, and Foxtail felt pride for his father coursing through his veins.
"Welcome, cats of all Clans. It is time for this Gathering to begin." Murmuring about Bluestar broke out instantly, and Firestar waited patiently for it to die down before continuing solemnly. "Unfortunately, Bluestar has gone to walk with StarClan." Dismayed, mournful wailing filled Fourtrees.
"How did she die?" Tallstar finally rasped.
"As she lived," Firestar answered firmly. "Bravely defending her Clan in a battle against a band of rogues." Silence swept through the gathered cats before Firestar spoke again. "In the battle, two of our apprentices earned their warrior names—Stormfur and Feathertail."
Foxtail scanned the clearing for Feathertail as her name was mentioned, but couldn't see her familiar fur anywhere. He remembered well the feeling of having the eyes of every Clan burning into his pelt, and he didn't envy her.
"We have also named two new apprentices, Sagepaw and Thistlepaw, as well as welcoming Sandstorm's kits into the world at last." He paused once more before finishing with, "And the new deputy of ThunderClan is Graystripe."
As the cheers died down and Firestar stepped back, Tallstar pushed his way forward. "The whole forest mourns Bluestar's loss," he rumbled before continuing, "WindClan comes bearing the news of Whitetail's successful kitting, and joining us tonight is our newest apprentice, Springpaw." He waited for the cheers to dim before he added more gravely, "We also bring a warning." His tail lashed. "We have scented RiverClan warriors on our territory. If we catch the trespassers, they will be dealt with without mercy."
Leopardstar's hackles bristled and she pulled her lips back into a snarl. "None of my warriors have set paw over your border!"
Tallstar's eyes blazed in the moonlight. "No? I've scented your Clan's fishy stench on the moorlands myself. You dare to call me a liar?"
"Perhaps the rogues Firestar spoke of…" Tigerstar began calmly.
"No rogues carry Clan scent!" Tallstar spat.
Foxtail sank his claws into the ground. Tigerstar is enjoying this! Even from the ground the red-furred warrior could see the flicker of amusement in the ShadowClan leader's amber eyes. Fox-hearted badger.
"You must be losing your sense of smell in your old age," Leopardstar hissed scathingly. Her claws glinted in the moonlight as they scraped against the smooth stone of the High Rock.
"StarClan isn't pleased," Hailpaw whispered, his pale eyes watching the wispy clouds drifting closer and closer to the moon.
"Enough!" Firestar shouldered his way between the two leaders, flicking his tail towards the fast approaching clouds. "If you continue to break the truce, StarClan will end the Gathering."
"I don't need StarClan to end this Gathering," Leopardstar tossed her head and leapt from the rock. "I will not hold a truce with a liar. RiverClan, we're going home."
Tallstar hissed at the RiverClan leader one last time before joining his own warriors and beckoning them away with a wave of his long tail. For a moment, only Tigerstar and Firestar stood atop the Great Rock. Foxtail could hear his own heart racing as he leaned forward. If ever there was a chance… But Tigerstar dipped his head respectfully and jumped down. Firestar followed suit, moving towards ThunderClan's border. They charged back through their territory silently, each cat mulling over the events of the Gathering in their own heads.
Firestar didn't gather the Clan when they returned, he only dismissed the patrol with a flick of his tail and summoned his senior warriors to his den. Foxtail murmured a quick "goodnight" to Hailpaw and made for his nest, still deep in thought. There was something missing—some vital piece of information that made everything else that happened make sense. But no matter how he twisted and turned the events of the Gathering in his head, he couldn't put his paw it. He fell asleep unsettled, and dreamt of rivers of blood flowing through the forest.