Gathering
The Thunderclan cats padded into the clearing at the Fourtrees with Shadowclan and Riverclan waiting. Nightfrost padded next to Lionheart with the three apprentices, Graypaw and Ravenpaw pointing out certain cats. Crookedstar, a light brown tabby with a crooked jaw and and Riverclan's leader, was waiting patiently on top of a rock with Brokenstar, a dark brown tom with a kinked tail. His deputy, Blackfoot, a white tom with black paws and ears, sat at the foot of it. Three of the four clans are here, with only Windclan missing.
Nightfrost looked around to see Runningnose, a small gray and white tom with a runny nose who is the new medicine cat of Shadowclan, talking about a story about a herb that cures kitten-cough. A queen comments that the great clan cats won't have let Twolegs kill off the herbs.
"What's Tigerclan?" asked a small Shadowclan apprentice, a tabby, the size of a three moon kit. Nightfrost couldn't help but to stare at the kit. He was far much smaller than he is! Graypaw answered, not noting the apprentice's size.
"Tigerclan is one of the great cat Clans that used to roam the forest," Graypaw explained quietly. "Tigerclan is cats of the night, big as horses, with jet-black stripes. Then there is Lionclan. They're…" Graypaw hesitated, frowning as he tried to remember.
"Oh! I've heard of them," mewed the tabby. "They were as big as Tigerclan cats, with yellow fur and golden manes like rays of the sun."
Graypaw nodded. "And then there is the other one, Spottyclan or something like that…."
"I suspect you're thinking of Leopardclan, young Graypaw," meowed a voice from behind them.
"Lionheart!" Graypaw greeted his mentor with an affectionate touch of his nose.
Lionheart shook his head in mock despair. "Don't you youngsters know your history? Leopardclan are the swiftest cats, huge and golden, spotted with black pawprints. You can thank Leopardclan for the speed and hunting skills you now possess."
"Thank them? Why?" asked the tabby.
Lionheart gazed down at the little apprentice and answered, "There is a trace of all the great cats in every cat today. We would not be night hunters without our Tigerclan ancestors, and our love of the sun's warmth comes from Lionclan." He paused, staring at the kit in wonder. "You are a Shadowclan apprentice, aren't you? How many moons are you?"
The tabby stared awkwardly down at the ground. "S-six moons," he stammered, not meeting Lionheart's eye.
Lionheart turned to Nightfrost then back to the kit.
"Rather small for six moons," Lionheart murmured. His tone was gentle, but his gaze was searching and serious.
"My mother was small too," answered the tabby nervously. The Shadowclan apprentice looked up to Nightfrost. "Are you an apprentice too?"
Both warriors turned to each other before Nighfrost answered. "No, I'm a warrior. My name is Nightfrost."
The kits eyes widen in awe. "Amazing, you're already a warrior when you were just starting to be an apprentice!"
Nightfrost blinked. "Uh, I'm not as young as you think. I was kit, about four moons old, when Tigerclaw was still an apprentice."
It was the kit's turn to blink. "Oh, sorry. But you're really small."
"...I'm bigger than you, at least."
The Shadowclan apprentice ran off to another cat. Lionheart turned to Nightfrost. "How did you know Tigerclaw was still an apprentice when you were four moons old?"
"I was four moons old when I got my collar. I was exploring the forest right after that. That's when I meet Tigerclaw when he was still Tigerpaw, with a gray tom with a thistle-like pelt and a gray-blue she-cat."
"Ah. That must've been his mentor Thistleclaw and Bluestar when she was-"
"When she was Bluefur, right?"
"Y-yes, you knew?"
"I only remembered the tom who gave me this torn ear and the cat who saved me."
"Ah."
"Oh, do you know Talltail?" asked the black tom, looking around.
"Talltail? You must be looking for Windclan's leader, Tallstar. Windclan is not here yet. Why are you looking for him?"
"It's nothing."
On of the three leaders yowled, signaling the start of the gathering. .
"We can't start yet," yowled one voice above the noise. "Where are the Windclan representatives? We must wait until all the clans are present."
On top of the rock, Bluestar stepped forward. Her gray fur glowed almost white in the moonlight. "Cats of all Clans, welcome," she meowed in a clear voice. "It is true that Windclan is not present, but Brokenstar wishes to speak anyway."
Brokenstar padded noiselessly up to stand beside Bluestar. He surveyed the crowd for a few moments, his orange eyes burning. Then he took a deep breath and began. "Friends, I come to speak to you tonight about the needs of Shadowclan—"
But he was interrupted by raised, impatient voices from below.
"Where is Tallstar?" cried one.
"Where are the Windclan warriors?" yowled another.
Brokenstar stretched up to his full height and lashed his tail from side to side. "As the leader of Shadowclan, it is my right to address you here!" he growled in a voice full of menace. The crowd fell into an uneasy silence.
Brokenstar yowled again. "We all know that the hard time of leaf-bare, and late newleaf, have left us with little prey in our hunting grounds. But we also know that Windclan, Riverclan, and Thunderclan lost many kits in the freezing weather that came so late this season. Shadowclan did not lose kits. We are hardened to the cold north wind. Our kits are stronger than yours from the moment they are born. And so we find ourselves with many mouths to feed, and too little prey to feed them."
The crowd, still silent, listened anxiously.
"The needs of Shadowclan are simple. In order to survive, we must increase our hunting territory. That is why I insist that you allow Shadowclan warriors to hunt in your territories."
A shocked but muted growl rippled through the crowd.
"It is unprecedented!" cried a tortoiseshell queen from Riverclan. "The Clans have never shared hunting rights!"
"Should Shadowclan be punished because our kits thrive?" yowled Brokenstar from the Great Rock. "Do you want us to watch our young starve? You must share what you have with us."
"Must!" spat Smallear furiously from the back of the crowd.
"Must," repeated Brokenstar. "Windclan failed to understand this. In the end, we were forced to drive them out of their territory."
Snarls of outrage burst from the crowd, but Brokenstar's caterwaul rang loud above them: "And, if we have to, we will drive you all from your hunting grounds in order to feed our hungry kits."
There was instant silence. Satisfied that he had every cat's attention, Brokenstar continued. "Each year, the Twolegs spoil more of our territory. At least one Clan must remain strong, if all the Clans are to survive. Shadowclan thrives while you all struggle. And there may come a time when you will need us to protect you."
"You doubt our strength?" hissed Tigerclaw. His pale eyes glared threateningly at the Shadowclan leader, and his powerful shoulders rippled with tension.
"I do not ask for your answer now." Brokenstar ignored the warrior's challenge. "You must each go away and consider my words. But bear this in mind: Would you prefer to share your prey, or be driven out and left homeless and starving?"
Warriors, elders, and apprentices looked at one another in disbelief. In the anxious pause that followed, Crookedstar stepped forward. "I have already agreed to allow ShadowClan some hunting rights in the river that runs through our territory," he meowed quietly, gazing down on his Clan
Horror and humiliation rippled through the Riverclan cats at their leader's words.
"We were not consulted!" cried a grizzled silver tabby.
"I feel that this is best for our Clan. For all the Clans," Crookedstar explained, his voice heavy with resignation. "There are plenty of fish in the river. It is better to share our prey than to spill blood fighting over it."
"And what of Thunderclan?" Smallear croaked. "Bluestar? Have you, too, agreed to this outrageous demand?"
Bluestar unwaveringly met the old cat's gaze. "I have made no agreement with Brokenstar except that I shall discuss his proposal with my Clan after the Gathering."
Brokenstar spoke up again, his rasping voice sounding arrogant and strong after Crookedstar's surrender. "I also bring news that is important to the safety of your kits. A Shadowclan cat has turned rogue and spurned the warrior code. We chased her out of our camp, but we do not know where she is now. She looks a mangy old creature, but she has a bite like Tigerclan."
"She is dangerous. I warn you—do not offer shelter to her. And"—Brokenstar paused dramatically —"until she is caught and killed, I urge you to keep a close eye on your kits."
Nightfrost twitched his ears as he hears whispers from his clan about Yellowfang. He turned his head just in time to see Firepaw running back to camp.
I keep typing Graystripe instead of Graypaw. Lol.