Excitement and fear wrestled inside of Icepaw's heart as she sat with Frecklepaw and Goatpaw in anticipation for the Gathering. She couldn't help feeling a little sad as well that Blazepaw had not been chosen for this night. While the thrill of finally going to a Gathering with Clanmates, she was scared of what was going to happen when WindClan found out that Clawnose had failed to kill her. Would any of them try to steal her back so that ShadowClan wouldn't be able to train her against them?
"You good, Icepaw?" Goatpaw asked with a tilted head.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Frecklepaw mused.
"I'm nervous," Icepaw admitted as she studied the cats for the Gathering begin to make their way to the entrance. Maplewing, Fawnstep, and Softfur were listening to Wolfsong tell a story of a strange frog she found.
"Don't worry, young Icepaw," Finchshine, an elderly ginger she-cat with a brown belly and green eyes purred at her, Morningheart giving Icepaw a nod from beside the old cat. "The Gathering will be intimidating for a cat of your size but you'll grow."
"Exactly," Morningheart's yellow gaze was warm as sunlight, her dark fur helping her blend into the darkened sky. Reminding Icepaw that she hadn't seen Nightfeather since she arrived in ShadowClan.
Unless Nightfeather's purpose was to bring her to ShadowClan. Which meant that she might not see the mysterious cat again. She felt a flicker of sadness in her chest at the thought. She owed Nightfeather her life.
As Hollystar, Tangleflower, and Cherrystem led ShadowClan's patrol through the trees, Icepaw found herself walking next to Twigflower. The long-furred black and white queen was almost as intimidating as her mate, Mothjaw. Her green gaze studied Icepaw before she spoke up.
"Have you adjusted well to our Clan, Icepaw?"
"Yes, I have. You've all been better to me than WindClan ever did."
Icepaw's answer must have satisfied the queen as she kept walking, "Mothjaw has his doubts about you. You were small and half-starved when we found you. We're all hoping you can prove yourself."
Twigflower quickened her pace, keeping Icepaw a little perplexed. Yes, she was small and still skinnier than an apprentice her size. But she would get bigger and stronger, proving all the cats who doubted her wrong. As she thought this ShadowClan made it.
The Fourtrees was much bigger up close and she found herself fascinated by the large oaks as Hollystar jumped onto the Great Rock where Troutstar and Seedstar were waiting. The leaders gave her a nod as she greeted them. The ThunderClan and RiverClan cats surronded all around her and her Clanmates, their voices calm as ShadowClan cat joined them. WindClan had yet to arrive, so Icepaw could breathe a little. Her mentor had joined a group of RiverClan warriors as Goatpaw and Frecklepaw raced over to a pretty tortoiseshell RiverClan apprentice with green eyes. Icepaw didn't know any of the other two Clans so she sat where she was to wait for the leaders.
"I've never seen you here before."
A small black ThunderClan apprentice sat down next to Icepaw, her green gaze curious.
"This is my first Gathering," Icepaw explained to her impishly. The other apprentice look slightly older and more confident. "I'm Icepaw."
"Rosepaw. This is my second. Pebblepaw and Willowpaw went last time. Nice to meet you, Icepaw. Do you want me to introduce you to Sneezepaw?"
"The RiverClan apprentice that Goatpaw and Frecklepaw are speaking to?"
"That's the one. And it gives me a chance to speak with Frecklepaw again. That cat is funny."
They walked over to the other apprentices as Rosepaw spoke of ThunderClan's own warriors. Her own interaction with ThunderClan had been when they attacked WindClan. She had seen them as power-hungry when it happened, but hearing Rosepaw speak of them made them feel more down-to-earth. And it wasn't like WindClan was completely innocent.
"Heya, Icepaw!" Frecklepaw purred when they approached. "You found a rose!"
"I found her," Rosepaw purred as her tail lifted happily. "You already know the twins. The tortoiseshell is Sneezepaw. Say hi to Icepaw."
"Hello Icepaw," Sneezepaw's green eyes fell to her paws as if she was intimidated by Icepaw. "Sorry, it's my first Gathering."
"She just became an apprentice days ago," Goatpaw placed a paw on the youngest apprentice. "You've got time to grow. RiverClan isn't the best Clan, but you'll do fine."
"ThunderClan is the best," Rosepaw licked a paw. "I wonder where WindClan is. We can't start without them."
"Who cares?" Frecklepaw growled. "That Clan is full of cowards."
"They still have to come for it to start," Sneezepaw spoke up.
As if they were summoned by the apprentices, WindClan's familiar scent made Icepaw freeze as Dovestar's patrol began to emerge from the trees. Dovestar was followed by Runningwhisker, Marshleaf, Sparrowpaw, Blossomtail, Stagfur, Silverfang, Clawnose, Lichenpelt, Ivyheart, Wasptail, Hawkpaw, Poppypaw, and Hawkpaw.
Dovestar made her way up the Great Rock and panted, "WindClan is here, we can start."
"Hold up," Swanpaw's voice called out from her spot as she focused her blue eyes on Icepaw with disgust. "What is that cat doing here?"
"Icepaw?" Dovestar looked at her with fear and confusion. "You're alive. Thank StarClan. We were worried something happened to you!"
"Yeah," Hawkpaw gave her soft eyes, "We've missed you."
Are you kidding me?
Icepaw glared at her former Clanmates. What were they trying to do? None of those cats cared about her.
"Icepaw is a ShadowClan apprentice," Hollystar gave Dovestar narrowed eyes. "Your Clan dismissed her."
"It was an accident," Dovestar lied. "Clawnose was devastated when she fell in the river."
"If you're going to lie to us, don't do it under StarClan's skies," Hollystar hissed at the WindClan leader.
"She was half-starved when we found her," Tangleflower supported his leader. "Does that sound like a cat you care about!"
"Stay out this, ShadowClan cat!" Clawnose hissed at him. "Icepaw is a WindClan apprentice and you stole her!"
"We found her on our land. If she was a WindClan apprentice, why did none of you look for her?"
"We thought she died in the river," Clawnose stepped towards the ShadowClan deputy with his claws out. WindClan and ShadowClan cats faced each other with ears back and snarls. Swanpaw gave Icepaw a gloating look as Poppypaw and Hawkpaw backed her up. Goatpaw and Frecklepaw hissed at them as they got between Icepaw and the WindClan apprentice. Sneezepaw hid behind Rosepaw as the ThunderClan apprentice glared at Swanpaw.
"Stop this!"
Cherrystem's yowl got every cat's attention as she stepped forward. "The Clan that Icepaw is apart of is not your choice, Dovestar. It's not yours either, Hollystar. Only one cat gets to decide that and that's Icepaw. Young Icepaw, will you stay with ShadowClan or go back to WindClan?"
"I don't want that monster back with us," Icepaw heard Marshleaf mutter to Sparrowpaw. "She should have drowned when she did."
"My decision?" Icepaw looked up at the two leaders. Dovestar had ignored her most of her life and let the Clan treat her like crow-food. Hollystar had let her into her Clan knowing that she could have been a WindClan spy. She had treated Icepaw like on of her own and didn't judge her. "WindClan can all go rot. I'm a ShadowClan cat. The only Clan I care about."
WindClan's cats growled while ShadowClan looked proud of her for standing up for them. But they were ready to stand up for her. She listened to the leaders speak, ignoring Dovestar completely. She knew she would stay with ShadowClan and would not regret her decision. ShadowClan was her destiny.