As the winds of the full moon drifted in the sky, Swiftstar addressed his Clan with a booming voice from the Tall Branch. His amber eyes blazed with life and determination. The WindClan warriors gathered around him, their ears pricked, their tails twitching back and forth. Swiftstar was about to announce the names of the cats going to the Gathering tonight.
It had been two moons since Swiftstar's attack on RiverClan. It had mostly been successful – they had taken a rather large swath of RiverClan territory, but they hadn't been able to capture the camp as planned. The sudden night attack halted their plans, and Brambledusk wondered what exactly the Gathering would be like tonight, considering both ThunderClan and RiverClan were sure to despise them that night. The last Gathering had not taken place due to the clouds that swathed the moon – something that happened too often, Brambledusk thought.
The night after the battle, Hawkfeather had been grieved immensely. Shortly after, Berrysplash had passed away, succumbing to the cough that had forced her to step down as deputy and nearly destroyed the Clan. Joining Berrysplash in StarClan had been Tinybird, and now Smokebelly was the only elder in the den. Buzzardpaw, Lightningpaw, and Cinderpaw were making progress in their training. In addition, Patchshine's kits were closely reaching the six-moon mark.
"Scorchclaw, Dovewillow, Heathercloud, Larchcloud, Cloverwhisker, Wildheart, Gorseflight, Lightningpaw, Buzzardpaw, and Cinderpaw. All of you will come to the Gathering tonight." Swiftstar's fur buffeted in the late leaf-fall wind. "Careful of who you speak to. ThunderClan and RiverClan will not look at us kindly."
Yeah, that's putting it lightly, Brambledusk thought, shooting Swiftstar a dark glare, but the tom didn't seem to catch it. Swiftstar leaped from the Tall Branch, swishing his tail and leading the way out of camp. Brambledusk stuck close to Lightningpaw, Buzzardpaw, and Cinderpaw. This would be their first Gathering, and he wanted to make sure they would be safe. Since they were still young, it was possible they did not know the best way to interact at a Gathering. I'm sure any cat would claw them in the face, especially a ThunderClan or RiverClan cat, Brambledusk thought.
"What's a Gathering like?" Lightningpaw asked as he raced next to his brother. The grief that his brothers had shown after Spottedwing had died was gradually disappearing. Although in their heart they would forever grieve their mother, slain in a useless battle, Brambledusk hoped that they would be able to recover in time and live their life.
"It's…" Brambledusk trailed off. "Well, it's the one night a moon where all the Clans gather under a peace treaty. The Clan leaders share news, and then… well, we leave."
"Peace treaty?" Lightningpaw asked. "So, we're friends?"
"No." Brambledusk shook his head. "We just can't fight during that night."
Cinderpaw's green eyes widened. "What if they do?" Fear pitched his voice. "Since ThunderClan and RiverClan are so mad at us?"
"They can't," Brambledusk argued, although secretly he shared Cinderpaw's suspicions. "They'd endure the wrath of StarClan."
Cinderpaw frowned at Brambledusk, and Brambledusk turned his head away. He didn't blame ThunderClan for his death as much as he did blame Swiftstar. But he was heavily aware that he had killed a ThunderClan warrior – and that same warrior had been the one to deal the death blow to Spottedwing. He was sure ThunderClan wouldn't treat him in particular kindly.
The cool breeze of leaf-fall swept through Brambledusk's short tabby fur as he followed his Clanmates, who sprinted through the moorland, their steps tried and true as they headed towards the beach shore. Swiftstar was at the head of them, his amber eyes narrowed as he quickened his pace, forcing his warriors to hasten theirs. Brambledusk saw the wonder shine in his brothers' eyes as they approached the shore and dragged their gazes to the massive birch that served as the bridge from the shore to the island.
Swiftstar crossed first, with Scorchclaw and Violetheart at his heels. Dovewillow and Heathercloud were right after, and Larchcloud and Cloverwhisker followed them. The pelts of Gorseflight and Wildheart's brushed faintly together as the two cats crossed the birch tree, leaving Brambledusk with his brothers. Lightningpaw hovered at the base of the tree, frowning. Brambledusk walked over to him and gestured him with his tabby tail. The lake stretched vastly in front of them.
"You can do it, Lightningpaw," Brambledusk encouraged his black-furred brother, who was staring into the water with narrowed eyes. "Just put two paws on. You won't fall in, I promise."
"How do you know?" Lightningpaw whined.
"Because I'll be behind you, the entire time," Brambledusk promised him. Lightningpaw frowned, and Brambledusk added, "You've got to trust me, Lightningpaw. Please."
Finally, Lightningpaw gave a small nod, although his voice trembled. "All right. I trust you, Brother."
"Put two paws on the tree, and then bring your back paws," Brambledusk instructed. Lightningpaw nodded, and precariously placed his two front paws right at the roots. Then he pulled his back paws on, and once all four paws were on the tree, he let out a sigh of relief. "Now, start to walk. Carefully."
Lightningpaw moved one paw in front of another, every move of his calculated and careful, and his gaze was focused on the tree underneath him. Just as he continued to walk across the tree, his tail-tip started to sway back and forth with excitement. He approached the branches of the birch that led to the island shore, and with a powerful leap, he bounced off the tree to the island. He spun around, his amber eyes glittering with happiness as he faced Brambledusk.
"Great job," Brambledusk purred, turning to Buzzardpaw and Cinderpaw. "You saw your brother do it. Can you do it?"
"Are you kidding me?" Buzzardpaw asked. "Race you, Cinderpaw!" Without listening to Brambledusk's warning for him to heed, Buzzardpaw leaped on top of the tree and streaked across the massive birch. Cinderpaw was right after him, catching up to Buzzardpaw as he stuck close to his heels. But the birch suddenly started to sway beneath them.
"Damn it!" Brambledusk lunged across the tree, immediately flinging Buzzardpaw off the oak onto the island shore and grabbed Cinderpaw in his jaws. Brambledusk leaped off the oak with powerful paws and landed on the shore, turning around to see the birch shaking in the water below. Brambledusk spit Cinderpaw out as the tom regained his bearings. "And this is why you don't race your Clanmates on an oak!"
"Sorry, Brambledusk!" Buzzardpaw apologized, but the gleam in his green eyes told Brambledusk that his apprentice was far from sorry. Cinderpaw had a much more solemn look in his eyes, glancing back to the lake and the oak that had finally stopped shaking. It seemed that Cinderpaw had realized the gravity of the situation, and he followed Brambledusk as he led the apprentices through the foliage that surrounded the island and into the clearing.
WindClan had been the last Clan to arrive. The scents of ThunderClan, ShadowClan, and RiverClan were fresh in the air. How are we always the last ones when we live closest to the island? Brambledusk thought to himself, looking around the island. It was just as Brambledusk had protected – WindClan would not be kindly welcomed here. But as Brambledusk studied the island, several new changes make his eyes widen.
Instead of Lionstar, Talonclaw sat on the Great Oak, his tabby tail twitching from side to side. And, instead of Foxfire, Dapplewing sat at the foot of the Great Oak. Scorchclaw's face was contorted with disgust as he stared at Dapplewing. Shrewfur was a new addition to the deputies too, giving a nod to Scorchclaw. Brookfeather's fur bristled as she glared at Shrewfur, and Dapplewing shot Scorchclaw a venomous glare. Rootstar watched the deputies interact with a worried look on his face.
Peartuft from ThunderClan glared at Hawkflight from ShadowClan, while Shimmerwing shot Blackdove a glare that could cut through bone. Snakenose turned his back on Sunfire, and Honeyfeather bared her teeth at Wildheart. Brambledusk let out a sharp gasp as he spotted a familiar flash of gray fur in the crowd. Is that… is that Hailstep?
"Follow me," Brambledusk ordered. He didn't want his siblings to be present while he spoke to Hailstep, but he couldn't leave them here to be eaten by the vultures. The apprentices nodded and followed Brambledusk as he swerved through the crowd to find Hailstep. The mutters that swept through the crowd weren't particularly friendly, and Brambledusk could tell that the Clan cats were trying their best to hold onto their composure. Brambledusk looked up at the sky, and he could catch the faintest hint of a wisp of a cloud, ready to cover the moon if necessary.
I'll think about that later. For now… Brambledusk reached Hailstep and touched him on his back with his tail. Hailstep spun around, blue eyes wide as he stared at Brambledusk. Immediately his tail began to lash. Brambledusk lifted his paw, trying to show Hailstep that he was no threat. After all, this was the night of the full moon. But the last time Brambledusk had seen Hailstep was when he had been exiled by Flintstar. What happened now?
"Hailstep…" Brambledusk stared at the gray tom. "W-what are you doing here?"
Hailstep curled his lip and bared his teeth. "I don't even want to be here. But Sunfire found me and whined like the biggest kit in the world, saying that the Clans would fall apart if I didn't come back. He dragged me here. I don't want to be here, but that damned Sunfire doesn't care!"
"So… why are you here, then?" Brambledusk asked.
"Because that's what Hollyfrost would have wanted." Hailstep's blue eyes clouded over. "I saw her in a dream. Well, I think I did. I haven't slept since she died… maybe it was just a hallucination. Whatever." The tom shook out his thick gray pelt. "I'm here, and that's that. But I've got some questions for you, Brambledusk." Hailstep pointed with his tail to Swiftstar who sat on the Great Oak. "I'm assuming the rebellion failed?"
"It did," Brambledusk replied flatly, casting a look at his brothers behind him, who were staring at the clearing with wide, curious eyes. Thankful that they weren't paying attention to the conversation, he turned back to Hailstep. It had been moons, and still he wasn't quite sure what his feelings were on the rebellion. He missed Adderstripe. Adderstripe had been his brother, his best friend, his other half. He missed him so much that it felt like he couldn't breathe. He hated Swiftstar for taking away the things he loved – Adderstripe, Oakcloud, and Spottedwing. But I betrayed my best friend. How was he going to explain it to Hailstep?
"Are you going to elaborate?" Hailstep asked icily. "Or are you going to leave me here guessing?"
"Russetstripe killed Adderstripe," Brambledusk responded, deadpan. "Rabbitfur fled, and I… well… I…" He had no idea what to say. It would be confessing again – to hear himself actually say what he had done. It was like joining the fight all over again.
"You…?" Hailstep's nostrils flared.
"I didn't join in," Brambledusk confessed. He scanned Hailstep's face, to see if the tom would react, but there was no emotion on the tom's unfeeling face. Instead, he regarded Brambledusk with a cool indifference.
"Why not?" Hailstep asked.
"Because I was afraid," Brambledusk replied. "I was afraid of betraying my Clan, and I was afraid of betraying Adderstripe. I… I was a coward."
"And what are you now?" Hailstep challenged him.
"I…" Am I still a coward? Brambledusk faced Hailstep, unsure of how to reply. Hailstep snorted and walked away from him, shooting words over his shoulder.
"Think about what you are, Brambledusk. Because you'll live with it for the rest of your life. Just like I have to." Hailstep's gray pelt disappeared into the throng of Clan cats, and Brambledusk watched him go, his heart sinking. He glanced over at his brothers, who were just about to slip away from his side to emerge into the cats.
"Oh, no you don't." Brambledusk sank his teeth in Cinderpaw's scruff and dragged him back. "Don't you see? None of the Clans are happy to see us."
"We'll be nice!" Buzzardpaw promised.
"No." Brambledusk shook his head. I promised Mother I'd take care of you three, and she'd be severely disappointed if I let you get ripped apart by ThunderClan or RiverClan cats. "Stay with me."
The tension was so thick in the clearing that no cats from separate Clans were engaging with each other. Instead, they stayed in their respective Clans. What's the point of a Gathering, then? Brambledusk thought as he led his brothers towards where WindClan was sitting. Cloverwhisker gave Brambledusk a brisk nod, and although Brambledusk felt guilty that his brothers couldn't experience their first Gathering like he had – engaging with other Clans – Brambledusk knew that even saying the wrong thing could ignite a fight, in the state the Clans were in tonight.
The leaders seemed to catch onto this, for Otterstar called out, "Clan cats! Gather around, for the Gathering is to begin!"
When the whispers in the clearing died down, Otterstar was the first to address the Clans. "RiverClan is doing well. My former deputy, Foxfire, passed away. I have appointed Dapplewing deputy in his stead. Also, Iceshine and Meadowdawn are new warriors."
"Dapplewing! Dapplewing!" The cheers came from RiverClan, although Brambledusk saw the icy silence in a few of the RiverClan cats – one was a pale tortoiseshell whose pale green eyes blazed with rage akin to Swiftstar's, and next to her, a brown tom dug up the earth with his claws. Shimmerwing roared Dapplewing's name the loudest, and the two other cats Brambledusk had seen in the fight, Runningflame and Rippleheart, joined her. Dapplewing watched her Clan cheer her name, her chest puffed out.
Talonclaw stepped forward as Otterstar gave him a stiff nod. Talonclaw's amber eyes were made of stone as he glared at Otterstar. Then he turned to address the clearing. It was clear that the massive brown tabby was struggling to hang onto his composure. Brambledusk guessed that if Otterstar breathed the wrong way, Talonclaw would throw himself onto him in a second. "Lionstar was killed the other day. I have become leader. I introduce myself to you as Talonstar."
"Talonstar! Talonstar!" cheered the ShadowClan cats, and there were some cheers from WindClan as well. Brambledusk pressed his lips tight, not quite sure what to make of the massive dark brown tabby as he loomed threateningly on the Great Oak.
"My new deputy is Shrewfur," Talonstar went on, "and our apprentices are progressing well in their training. Other than that, ShadowClan is thriving." Talonstar shot another glare at Otterstar, who unsheathed his claws and dug them into the branches of the Great Oak, his body stiffening. Something went on between them, Brambledusk thought. How did Lionstar die? The question spun in Brambledusk's mind, but he was sure that if he said it out loud – or if any other cat did – the clearing would break into a fight.
Swiftstar cleared his throat. "I'll go next," he meowed. "My son, Scorchclaw, is serving me excellently as my deputy. I know many of you have had reservations about his age and his lack of apprentice, but your worries are futile. He is a fine deputy, and will be a successful Clan leader. Other than that, the rabbits run on the moor, our bellies are full, and we are prepared to face whatever dangers the leaf-bare brings." He sat back on his haunches, his amber eyes glittering. "That's all."
When Swiftstar was silent, Brambledusk dragged his gaze to Scorchclaw. The ginger-and-white tom rose to his full height, his amber eyes scanning the clearing with a challenging light, as if he was daring any cat to question his ability to lead. But when no cat spoke, Scorchclaw relaxed his muscles and glanced back at his father. Brambledusk scowled.
Rootstar stretched his limbs, giving Swiftstar a fleeting glance, but did not acknowledge him in his words. "ThunderClan is doing well. My children, Emberflame and Goldensky, are doing well as warriors. They drove out a fox from ThunderClan territory and sent it far, far away. Also, Mintsplash and Breezeflower have become warriors. As you see, buds blossom into flowers, and bring with them their beauty into the forest."
"Mintsplash! Breezeflower!" cheered the ThunderClan cats. Brambledusk spotted Mintsplash's pale tortoiseshell fur – he had seen her in the Gathering when she had been Mintpaw. Mintsplash shied at the attention from her Clan focused on her, while Breezeflower, her sister, seemed to bask in it. Their father, Houndheart, watched them with pride in his amber eyes. WindClan and ShadowClan were silent, watching ThunderClan with hard eyes, while RiverClan let out a few cheers.
"That's all," Otterstar meowed, looking up at the moon and then to the gathering cats. "RiverClan, we're going home." The brown-and-white tabby leaped down from the Great Oak to the ground, grunting at the impact when he landed on the sandy floor. Dapplewing padded over to him, concern in her eyes, but Otterstar gave her a small nod before gathering his Clan.
Swiftstar dropped from the Great Oak to the sand and walked over to his Clan, who sat together in a tight knot, unwilling to engage with any other Clan. Brambledusk let out a sigh through clenched teeth as Swiftstar addressed them.
"Let's go," Swiftstar meowed. "I don't like being here when they're all like this."
You caused this! Brambledusk thought furiously. You're the one who attacked ThunderClan and RiverClan! I don't know what RiverClan's problem is with ShadowClan, but you are responsible for the hostilities for WindClan! But he could never say that out loud. Instead, he wrestled his jaws shut and nodded his head. He wondered what had happened between ShadowClan and RiverClan. Talonstar had said that Lionstar had been killed – had it been by RiverClan? And, if tensions were boiling between ShadowClan and RiverClan, would it spread through the other Clans?