CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
Reedriver struggled to contain his excitement as he caught a third fish in the morning. Prey was plentiful this season. He appreciated the warm sun bathing his pelt as he dipped a paw in the stream. The others were hunting water voles and mice to bring back to camp. Once the task was finished, they would return and prepare for the Gathering tonight. And finally, for the first time since he could remember, Minnowstar was letting him go.
She had said that going to a Gathering would be good experience for him, especially if he was involved with the so called prophecy. Whatever her reasoning, he was just glad to go.
Ashfang was with Redpaw at the moment showing him the best fishing techniques. Reedriver smirked as he remembered some of his best moments with Minnowstar. One time he managed to send her spiraling into the stream after getting a little overexcited about fishing. He could still remember the cold look she had given him after she crawled out of the stream.
He found it hard to believe that so much time had passed since those days. As a warrior he had new responsibilities to protect the Clan. The apprentice they had found at the border was long gone. A good two days had passed since she left, admitting that she didn't want to be a burden on the Clan. Reedriver had felt guilty when she said that, realizing that maybe she had actually suffered more than she was letting on. Once she was gone though, the tension within the Clan had disappeared.
"No, you're not supposed to splash around like some kit!" Ashfang scolded Redpaw when he suddenly jumped into the stream. "You'll only scare away all the fish."
"But this is the first time I've seen the stream so big!" Redpaw protested as she dragged him out of the water. "And it's nice to cool off in the water."
Reedriver had to agree with the young apprentice to that. But Ashfang had a good point too. He would need to learn how to defend himself and fish the river like a real RiverClan cat. It took a few days for anyone to learn the patience of hunting by the river, but the rewards were worth it.
Once enough fish was caught, Reedriver returned to camp with a mouthful of fish. Camp itself was buzzing with anticipation when he returned. Reedriver blinked in confusion when he noticed Willowsong and Hollycloud were fuming with annoyance. Larchwing was the only one of his littermates who actually looked happy, other than himself.
"Did I miss something?" he asked after dropping his fish off at the fresh-kill pile.
"They're just annoyed that you get to go to the Gathering instead of them," Larchwing replied with a roll of her eyes. "Apparently it's supposed to be a really important one. I have a feeling a fight will break out between the leaders."
Reedriver felt his fur prickle with unease at that remark. If the leaders suddenly decided to fight, he was certain it would end badly. Gatherings were meant to be a time of peace. If tension in the Clans really was that high, than why had RiverClan not noticed?
With a shake of his head, Reedriver decided it was best to leave it at that. His sisters were always trying to get at their throats. It was a wonder they had survived training at all. If they weren't busy trying to make him miserable, they were constantly arguing.
I wish I had a sister who actually cared about me, he thought sadly. It felt as if none of them actually cared one bit. Willowsong was determined to become the next deputy and outrank them all. Hollycloud just wanted to be looked upon as the best warrior the Clan had ever seen. Larchwing... Reedriver wasn't sure what she wanted, but he was sure that it had something to do with being the best.
Dusk was settling upon the Clan fast as Minnowstar prepared to leave. Blizzardwind and Scarletpaw were already waiting by the entrance, along with Mintwhisker, Ashfang, Eagleclaw, Pebblepelt and their apprentices. Pricklefur and Blossomwind were also among the cats chosen to go, and Reedriver was startled by how many cats Minnowstar was taking.
I know that the Clan is thriving with numbers, but shouldn't she leave some cats to guard the camp? he wondered.
"Like I said, she's expecting the worst," Larchwing whispered as she joined her brother.
The RiverClan leader began leading the way out of camp once she was good and ready. As Reedriver expected, they swam through the lake to reach the island. For first time apprentices, it was a challenge. Ashfang had to keep Redpaw afloat while Dawnpaw and Firepaw struggled to move forward. Eventually though they got the hang of it as Minnowstar reached the shore.
Reedriver's eyes narrowed when he saw ShadowClan had arrived first. Their stench made his fur stand on end, and judging by the apprentice's faces, they were just as shocked by it..
"What's that horrible smell?" Dawnpaw asked, only to receive a cuff around the ears by Pebblepelt.
"Learn it well, but remember not to say that in their faces," he scolded her. "I'm sure to them we smell just as bad, if not worse."
That was hard to believe. Reedriver found their scent offensive, but he dared not say it out loud. He followed the others to the island where he was greeted by a young looking dark black she-cat with piercing green eyes.
"Who are you?" she demanded as she eyed him up like he was her prey. Reedriver only glared back, his claws unsheathing as he prepared himself for the worst.
"My name is Reedriver," he snapped. "I am a RiverClan warrior." That didn't seem to deter her as she narrowed her eyes.
"You sure don't look like a warrior," she sneered. "I bet you only just earned you name... barely."
"Oh yeah? And who are you to say that?" he demanded, letting his fur bristle with anger. The rest of the Clan was mingling with the other ShadowClan cats. Reedriver felt his blood run cold when he realized his leader was watching him carefully.
"I am Smokepaw," she growled, her voice dangerously low. "And I wouldn't challenge me if I were you."
Reedriver only rolled his eyes at that. It sounded like she was more of an arrogant furball who needed to be put in her place. But he was not looking for a fight. Not when it was the night of a Gathering. Especially his very first Gathering.
"Look, I don't care if you're some savior sent by StarClan," he hissed as she bristled at that, "but that doesn't give you a right to challenge any warrior, especially during a Gathering. Every apprentice knows this."
Smokepaw was ready to make a retort when someone else joined them. This one was a pretty gray she-cat with amber eyes. Reedriver remembered seeing her every now and than when they had patrolled the borders.
"Smokepaw, come on! You can meet some of the other apprentices," she pleaded, glancing at Reedriver warily.
He understood why she was so wary around him. One wrong move and a war could break out between the four Clans. That was the last thing he wanted. Relief washed over Reedriver once Smokepaw had reluctantly left him. He could still feel her gaze boring into his pelt, but at least the other apprentice had stopped her from fighting.
Why did ShadowClan cats always feel the need to fight? Reedriver wasn't sure how to answer that properly. It seemed as if everyone was itching for a fight as he spotted ThunderClan arriving. His eyes narrowed as he saw the ThunderClan leader for the very first time.
"That's Petalstar," Larchwing mewed as she joined him. Reedriver almost leaped out of his fur as he realized she was telling him who each cat was. "And the grumpy looking tabby is Hawktalon, her deputy."
"Haven't you noticed how tense ShadowClan is?" he asked quietly, trying to change the subject. Larchwing looked at him in surprise before shaking her head.
"Nah, just some cats probably looking for a fight," she replied. "The apprentices are always full of themselves."
He almost purred at that. Maybe that explained the she-cat's aggressive behavior. Smokepaw was definitely someone who would make anyone feel uneasy the first moment they met. A pale ginger she-cat and light brown tom with darker brown stripes along his legs and tail were the last to arrive with ThunderClan.
"I can't believe Flamestrike is missing out on this," the she-cat whispered to what Reedriver guessed was her brother.
"His loss," the light brown tom meowed with a shrug. "If he wants to run off chasing some fantasy than let him." That caught Reedriver's attention.
"What sort of fantasy was he chasing?" he couldn't help but ask, stopping the young cats in their tracks. They looked close to his age, so they must have just become warriors.
"Oh, it was nothing serious," the light brown tom replied with a roll of his eyes, but a look from the pale ginger she-cat told Reedriver that it was more than serious.
"Running off to find some random cat he saw in a dream is more than serious," she snapped angrily. "He turned his back on the Clan because of a dream!"
Reedriver stared at them in shock as they padded away, leaving him and Larchwing behind. Having dreams about some strange cat... that sounded oddly familiar. Reedriver realized with a start that Flamestrike might be one of the cats Minnowstar had mentioned in the prophecy.
"I guess you aren't the only one who's fishbrained," Larchwing meowed teasingly.
He ignored her comment as WindClan was the last to arrive. Reedriver's eyes narrowed as he caught sight of Icestar strolling through the crowd of cats. The WindClan leader was oblivious to the fact that one of his own had been exiled and treated like foxdung. Reedriver almost wished he could claw off the smug look on his face.
"I wish someone would tell him to bug off," he muttered under his breath.
"You don't actually believe what that WindClan apprentice said, do you?" Larchwing asked in disbelief.
"Well, I don't see why she would make any of it up. He killed her own mother, and was probably responsible for that battle between WindClan and ShadowClan," he replied with a shrug. "It just makes sense when you think about it."
Larchwing flicked her tail submissively. "I'm sure if it was something big, he would have told us by now," she told him.
With that, the Gathering began as Icestar took his place between Minnowstar and Petalstar. Russetstar was shooting him a glare the whole time as Petalstar began speaking.
"ThunderClan is thriving this greenleaf. Heatherpelt has given birth to a litter of two kits: Dovekit and Stormkit." She paused as the Clans cheered for the newborn kits. Any kit was a sign that life was good in the Clans, and Reedriver couldn't help but feel happy for ThunderClan, despite their rivalry. "We also have three new warriors, one of whom could not make it tonight: Shrewfang, Lilypool and Flamestrike." Again the Clans cheered, and Reedriver could see the two cats he'd spoken to earlier were bursting with pride. "That is all."
"WindClan has suffered a great tragedy," Icestar began after Petalstar stepped back. "Larksong was killed in the heat of battle because of ShadowClan, and her only kit, Sprucepaw, has also died in battle-" Icestar was cut off by a yowl of outrage from Russetstar.
"You are the one who killed that queen!" he shouted, causing more than one cat to gasp in shock. "And Sprucepaw was never killed, she was warning us of your treachery. And you banished her for doing so!"
"I can agree with Russetstar's charge," Minnowstar meowed confidently. The Clans fell silent as she addressed what Sprucepaw had told her when the Clan had taken her in to heal her wounds. "She was badly wounded when we found her, and she would have died had we not taken her in. But she felt like a burden to the Clan, and left because of what you told her." She glared at Icestar as he started to argue, than was drowned out with yowls of outrage.
"How could he do such a horrible thing?"
"He should be treated the way he treated that apprentice!"
"He had every right to strip her of her name." Reedriver froze at the sound of Larchwing's voice when she said that. "She betrayed her Clan and the warrior code by entering an enemies territory, and telling them of his plans. Isn't the leader's word law?"
A chill swept through Reedriver at that notion. He never suspected Larchwing would know the warrior code by heart. Or try to follow it when the code had threatened the life of an innocent apprentice. That was when Reedriver noticed that there weren't clouds covering the moon like he had heard in stories. If the Clans started fighting, this was usually when StarClan would try and stop them.
"Look, StarClan wants us to fight!" Smokepaw yowled above the cries of outrage.
"That's enough!" Petalstar's yowl was loudest of all, silencing everyone. "Gatherings are meant to be a time of peace, and you have just committed a crime worse than anything I can imagine. I suggest you consult with your medicine cat as to what should be done next."
Once Petalstar had said that, she jumped off her branch and climbed down the Ancient Oak before joining her deputy and medicine cat. Reedriver's fur bristled with unease when he realized the Gathering was over.
"Well, that went better than I expected," Pricklefur muttered crossly.
"Are all Gatherings like that?" Firepaw asked fearfully.
"Not usually," Eagleclaw reassured him.
"Minnowstar, what if Icestar decides to attack the Clan?" Ashfang asked as they began returning to camp.
"We will treat them like any other enemy," Minnowstar replied. "Icestar has committed a treason that should be treated as such. StarClan cannot let him get away with his crimes."
Almost at once, her gaze fell upon Reedriver. He tried to look away as he realized all cats were staring in his direction. He hadn't done anything wrong as far as he was concerned. Things were already as bad as they could get. But to have the entire Clan look upon him like he was some kind of savior only made things worse.
The trek back to camp was almost daunting as they padded through the bed of reeds and made their way to the clearing. All of the apprentices had something exciting to say once they had arrived, alerting the Clan and waking everyone up.
"There was a fight at the Gathering!" Redpaw nearly yowled to the sky.
"Redpaw, that's enough!" Ashfang snapped harshly, cuffing him over the ears. "Let Minnowstar tell the Clan what has happened."
As Minnowstar told the Clan what had happened at the Gathering, Reedriver couldn't help but find himself padding towards the warrior's den. After everything that had happened, he was exhausted. He wasn't expecting his first Gathering to be so dramatic. Yet something told him that things were only going to get worse from here on.