Chapter Four

By the time ThunderClan reached Fourtrees, Maplepaw was exhausted. She longed to curl up in her nest and go to sleep. She slowly stumbled after her Clanmates as they made their way into the clearing. She was so tired. She wasn't sure she could remain awake all night, but she had made her decision. I'll just have to endure it, she thought wearily.

Suddenly, Maplepaw felt something soft and furry under her paws.

"My tail! You're stepping on my tail!" a voice shrieked.

Maplepaw jumped back in alarm. "I'm sorry. I didn't see you there," she blurted out, fully awake now.

"Don't walk around with your eyes closed next time, fishbrain," sneered a ginger she-cat. She then narrowed her eyes. "I know you. You're that ThunderClan apprentice from the battle that attacked me. Get away from me!"

A growl rose in Maplepaw's throat as she walked away. She began to scan the clearing for Dawnpaw, but she couldn't find her sister anywhere. Maybe I should have stayed home after all. This Gathering has been nothing but a disaster, and it hasn't even started yet!

"Hey!" a voice yowled from behind. Spinning around, Maplepaw recognized Applepaw, the other RiverClan apprentice she had encountered at the battle. The fur on the back of her neck began to bristle as he approached, but she tried her best to remain calm.

"I'm sorry about Reedpaw," Applepaw apologized.

Maplepaw flicked an ear but said nothing.

Applepaw awkwardly shuffled his paws, before meowing, "My name is Applepaw. We met at the battle. What's your name? I don't think I've caught it."

"Yes, I remember. My name is Maplepaw," she meowed stiffly.

"You're a pretty formidable fighter, Maplepaw," Applepaw praised. "Reedpaw still has nightmares." His eyes gleamed playfully.

"Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me I'm trying to find my sister." Without saying another word, Maplepaw turned and headed back into the crowd. Once she was far enough, she glanced back over her shoulder to see Applepaw standing there with a crestfallen look. I must have hurt his feelings, she realized. Perhaps I should go back and apologize. I wasn't trying to be rude. Maplepaw hesitated for a few seconds, before shaking her head. So what if Applepaw's feelings were hurt? They were sworn enemies. In the time of battle, they would be hurting each other more than words ever could.

Maplepaw finally spotted Dawnpaw. She was sitting beside Sweetbriar and three other unfamiliar cats. As Maplepaw neared them, she picked up WindClan's scent.

"There you are!" Dawnpaw purred. "I've been looking for you all night. Where have you been?"

"I got lost," Maplepaw lied. She didn't feel like telling Dawnpaw about her encounters with Reedpaw and Applepaw. The less those two were in her life, the better.

"Hello, Maplepaw. Come to join us?" Sweetbriar asked.

Maplepaw nodded.

"Well, we're glad to have you. Let me introduce you to my friends. Maplepaw, this is Hawkbreeze, Berryshine, and Thistlepaw from WindClan," Sweetbriar explained, pointing to each cat with her tail. "And this is Dawnpaw's sister, Maplepaw."

"Nice to meet you," Berryshine meowed.

"You too," Maplepaw meowed shyly.

"Is this your first Gathering?" Thistlepaw wondered.

"It's both of ours," Dawnpaw chirped.

"This is my second Gathering," Thistlepaw said. "It's good to have your littermates with you. My brothers, Amberpaw and Bluepaw, weren't allowed to come this time so I'm here by myself."

Maplepaw tuned out as Dawnpaw and Thistlepaw talked. She wasn't in the mood to socialize with anyone. To her relief, Oakstar leaped onto the Great Rock, followed by Darkstar and two other cats.

Once the crowd was silent, Oakstar stepped forward. "Good evening," he greeted. "All is well in ThunderClan this moon. Prey is running well for this time of year, and we have been blessed with two more warriors: my kits, Birchface and Goldenmist."

"Birchface! Goldenmist!" the Clans chanted happily.

As Maplepaw joined in, she realized that RiverClan had remained silent. Turning back towards the Great Rock, she noticed that Darkstar's fur was bristling angrily. What will happen if she brings up the battle? Maplepaw wondered.

Once Oakstar was done reporting, a long-haired brown tabby stepped forward. Based on her appearance alone, Maplepaw guessed this was Sablestar of WindClan. Bloomheart had mentioned the WindClan leader once before, although he had not gone into detail. Since long fur was uncommon in WindClan, rumor had it that the leader was half Clan, although it had never been confirmed.

Half-Clan, Maplepaw shuddered. How could any cat stand to take a mate outside of their Clan? I would rather die than take a mate from ShadowClan, WindClan, or even worse... RiverClan. The thought of their slimy, fishy, pelts brushing against mine... She gagged before pushing the thought away.

As she looked up, she realized she had missed what Sablestar had said. Smokestar of ShadowClan gave his report next, followed lastly by Darkstar. The black she-cat shot a glare towards Oakstar as she walked forward.

"RiverClan has not been as fortunate this moon," she began bitterly. "ThunderClan launched an unprovoked attack on us in the middle of the night. Fortunately, none of our warriors were killed." Darkstar hesitated for a few moments as though she wanted to say more but she quickly shut her mouth.

We hit them harder than she wants to let on, Maplepaw realized. A surge of satisfaction went through her, and she puffed out her chest slightly.

"No matter what happens, RiverClan will survive. We're one of the strongest Clans in the forest," Darkstar said.

Smokestar let out a faint purr of amusement, which upset Darkstar.

"What's so funny?" she demanded. "Do you find our suffering amusing?"

Smokestar's eyes widened. "Of course not," he insisted.

Darkstar barred her lips in a snarl. "Liar!" she spat. "You better remember this next time." She turned to look back at Oakstar, who did not meet her gaze. The ThunderClan leader looked on blindly, as though she was not even there. With one last hiss, Darkstar sprang from the Great Rock and raced into the forest beyond. The rest of RiverClan followed her.

The rest of the Clans exchanged confused looks before slowly splitting up themselves. As Maplepaw caught up to the rest of ThunderClan, she saw Dovesong and Oakstar locked in conversation.

"Are you worried?" Dovesong asked.

Oakstar shook his head. "There's nothing to be worried about. We'll talk about it when we get back to camp. Come on, let's go."

Dovesong didn't look convinced as she followed her mate up the slope and into the forest. Goldenmist walked alongside her mother, whispering in her ear.

Maplepaw began to look around for her own mother. She didn't want to admit it, but her stomach churned with fear. Tensions with RiverClan were much worse now, and while Maplepaw didn't know how long it would be, battle would soon be inevitable.

I hope you all enjoyed this story. As always, thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting and following. It means a lot to me. Until next time ~