NINE.

The morning came with an air of tension hanging around the camp. Murmurs of concern and shock regarding Spottedleaf's sudden intervention into Yellowfang's execution were the hot topic of the morning gossip, with more than a few furtive glances at Firepaw and his leg as he waited for training to begin. The medicine cat had patched it up again to hide how suspiciously mangled the wound was with teeth marks.

Firepaw had peeked into the medicine den to ask the tortoiseshell just how long he would have to keep the bandage up since the cut was no longer bleeding, but was greeted with the unwelcome surprise of their newest Clan member languishing over the organization of the herbs crossly. No amount of mental preparation could have prepared the apprentice for having to now treat the she-cat that had tried to kill him as not just a Clanmate but a superior. The ginger tom had heard in passing Spottedleaf reassuring other warriors that she would get along just fine with the former ShadowClan healer, but this morning Firepaw had never seen her look this frustrated.

"If you keep the berries out in the open like this, they'll dry up in the greenleaf," snapped the black-furred molly, "At least give your patients some hope they're gonna recover by giving them a poultice that doesn't suck!" The medicine cat had just rolled her eyes and ignored her, but even since the day he entered the forest Firepaw had never seen anything but a gentle and soft disposition from her. The tension between them sharing the duty of healing the Clan was already so palpable the kits could probably tell that the two of them were at odds.

So the ginger tom kept the bandage on and waited with Graypaw for Lionheart to call together training. Firepaw was nervous for many reasons, especially since the Gathering was tonight and he had no idea how ThunderClan was going to prevent the kit-killing allegations from leaking to the rest of the forest. But for now, it was seeing Tigerclaw again. The tabby likely had plenty of ideas how to exploit his failed patrol from the previous day into a hellish training session on top of blocking him from going to the Gathering, and that wasn't even considering the part where he had slashed Ravenpaw across the face or the part where he completely suspected that Firepaw had seen him at the ShadowClan border. Firepaw was surely about to endure the worst training session ever today and none of it was his fault from what he could see.

Morning patrol returned with prey and Lionheart had stopped off his catch at the prey pile before heading to where the other apprentices were standing. But as they waited and more cats came there were two troubling absences - Ravenpaw and Tigerclaw. By the time Dustpaw and Sandpaw had sat down for assignments, Lionheart was tapping his tail impatiently as he glanced around. "Where in StarClan's name are they?"

For a moment, Firepaw grew paranoid. Tigerclaw and Ravenpaw both mysteriously tardy for training? Had they gone on a patrol unannounced? Ice trickled into his veins - was the tabby now taking every opportunity he could get to hurt his apprentice more? But soon his question was answered when said brown tom lumbered into view, looking absolutely miserable with his shoulders slouched.

"Tigerclaw?" said Whitestorm with a raised eyebrow, "You look ill."

"Brilliant…observation…" he growled at the other warrior. Even the usual venom in his voice seemed sapped, instead sounding like there was a tautness in his throat. "Where's my…apprentice…"

Firepaw and Graypaw glanced at each other and then back at the apprentice den. They had seen him sleeping the previous night, yet he wasn't in his den. "Don't worry about him," said Lionheart, "Go to Spottedleaf."

Tigerclaw still managed to muster up that indubitably furious look. "Darkstripe…you better…find that…that-" the tabby's voice was cut off by a disgusting gag, forcing the deputy to shove the other warrior towards the cave. He hadn't looked this sick the night before…perhaps it was just some bad prey that he ate the previous night.

"Just our stroke of luck, eh?" said Graypaw with a secluded smile, "Mr. Grouchyfur gets sick the day he's supposed to keep us from going to the Gathering…" Firepaw nodded, also realizing that Tigerclaw couldn't sink his teeth into him with a vicious training session if he was sick all day. At this point, a completely normal training session felt like a dream with how chaotic the last few days had been - perhaps just taking the time to feel good about himself would quell his anxiety.

That's what Graypaw would tell me, he said before stopping and blinking.

Why was that my first thought?

The muscular amber tom sighed in frustration. "Alright…I guess since Tigerclaw will not be joining us today as well…" Bluestar was once again not joining them; Firepaw guessed it was because Spottedleaf spent the night in her den preparing her on what she was to say, "We should just begin. Today will be your hunting assessment - you'll be dispersed into different sections of the territory. You and your partner will have the task of catching as much as you can before…sometime after sunhigh. We'll be monitoring you all from above, noting your posture and technique alongside your results."

Lionheart thought a moment. "We'll have Firepaw be partners with Graypaw and Sandpaw be partners with Dustpaw. And if any of you see where in StarClan's name Ravenpaw is, he can join your group - all the more incentive to find him, then." The ginger tom exchanged a gleeful smile with his friend, but Sandpaw looked incredibly sour hearing about this.

"Something wrong, Sandpaw?" Whitestorm asked his apprentice. There was a bit of an awkward silence, the light-tan molly considering her words for a moment before looking up.

"I do not want to be Dustpaw's partner. I want to be Firepaw's, instead."

That was not what Firepaw expected, giving Sandpaw a confused look. Graypaw was outraged by this, immediately stepping in front of him as if someone had just called him some offensive name or threatened him. "You cannot! He's my partner! I called dibs!"

"The only thing you call dibs on is the biggest prey in the pile, you loaf," snarled Darkstripe, likely in defense of his apprentice. Dustpaw looked deflated at this request, though not entirely surprised. He slouched forward and looked at his paws, trying to hide his glowering face.

That did nothing to stop Firepaw from firing back, though. "Those are big words from someone who only speaks when your precious Tigerclaw allows you to."

"At least I'm not ripping the throats of my own Clanmates out, you kittypet freak."

"Aww, did mister Tigerclaw teach you that one?"

"Enough!" hissed Lionheart, teeth grit as he danced on wit's end, "Both of you! Firepaw and Sandpaw are partners, Graypaw and Dustpaw are partners. End of conversation."

"B-But-" stammered Graypaw.

"NO!" snapped the deputy loudly, causing some mewling of startled kits in the nursery nearby. Firepaw was reminded of the very first time he met Lionheart - a threatening, imposing figure that could kill with a single swipe of his paw. Even though his apprentice actively pissing him off was usually the source these days, Firepaw figured if he was still stressed about the Gathering and Yellowfang's trial. After all, for all of the little information Bluestar had, Lionheart certainly had less of that. This entire thing had completely blindsided him - the deputy of ThunderClan was not meant to be taken off guard like that.

Graypaw wisely decided to back off and the group of them headed through the gorse barrier into the forest. Firepaw trudged rather awkwardly along, sharing just a goodbye glance with his friend before the groups split off and left him walking alongside the terse, focused she-cat. The ginger tom could not get a read on her - she had a sharp tongue and cared very deeply about becoming a warrior (at least, more than she did about Dustpaw), yet that was pretty much it. Beyond her trading rude quips with Graypaw once in a while, Firepaw didn't really know that much about her.

He didn't know if he liked that.

But that didn't matter right now. Firepaw shook his head and began to scent around the forest, trying to pick up some prey scent…there. Off to his right, he caught a few wafts. "I got mice and vole heading in this direction…should be good for two of us to catch if we- Sandpaw?"

Sandpaw had disappeared. Firepaw looked back to see her scenting in an entirely different direction without even a nudge to let him know. "Sandpaw!" he hissed, "Where are you going?"

The she-cat groaned. "I was going to get this vole nest if you could shut your big mouth for five seconds. Now they're certainly scattered."

"You could've told me!" retorted Firepaw.

"So you could do what? Stand around and give me moral support?" snapped back the apprentice. The ginger tom winced - he had not expected the molly to be as prickly as she was.

"Look, I don't know why you wanted me as your partner…" he said quietly, "But we need to work together-"

"We need to combine our individual efforts for a load we bring back together," retorted Sandpaw, "Besides, there is no working together in hunting. There's no way for a second cat to fit into the technique."

"I could be standing near and pounce on a piece of prey you missed and sent my way-"

"Oh, please." Sandpaw rolled her eyes. "Sure, fill your head with fantasies of you, the great outsider tom coming in to save the incompetent she-cat who has vastly inferior skills. Wouldn't be the first time someone's played out foxdung like that." That was such a vastly different sentence that Firepaw was expecting to hear that he paused mid-breath, looking at her in bewilderment with his mouth open enough to show his tongue.

"Wait…what? I never-"

"Great, now you have something to keep you occupied," retorted the she-cat sharply, the swipe somehow cutting deeper under Firepaw's skin as it accompanied not a dung-eating smirk but a disinterested neutral disposition, "Now continue to occupy yourself somewhere else. I'm trying to hunt."

"But I-"

"Shh!" hissed Sandpaw, and Firepaw genuinely thought that she was going to kick him in the face with a hind leg. Now feeling particularly grouchy, the ginger tom turned a different direction into the forest and tried to focus on hunting. Even when he picked up the scent of a vole and grew light on his paws to follow it, the one thought circling through his mind was just how unapproachable Sandpaw seemed. Their previous interactions were few, but Firepaw couldn't see the sandy-furred molly without an annoyed glower on her face.

His own hunting was going as smooth as it could on Firepaw's terms. His inadequacy with timing was still biting him in the haunches as he lost a vole to a shift in the wind and mistimed his jump on a magpie that was pecking at a shrubbery, but by sunhigh he had a pretty juicy mouse that probably was good enough to bring back to Sandpaw so they could pile up their reapings. But an assortment of prey suddenly caught his nose, and he was kicking his mouse under the dirt and beginning to approach. This was a strange concoction…thrush, vole and…rabbit?

Wait. This was way too strange. The apprentice followed the scent all the way back to where he and his partner had broken off and discovered with shock that there was indeed a thrush, vole and rabbit lying dead in a pile. The she-cat cut through the bush nearby to toss another vole onto the pile before looking up at him. "Please tell me you have something," she growled in annoyance.

Firepaw forgot that he had even caught a mouse, gesturing in bewilderment to the pile. That alone would be enough to fill half the Clan. "I-...wha-...how did-"

"It's prey, Firepaw. I caught it."

"B-But…how did you…a rabbit!?" he said incredulously.

"Went into the forest from WindClan and I chased it down." Sandpaw was talking like she hadn't just pulled in a brilliant haul in the few hours they had left camp and that was making Firepaw's head spin.

"How?"

"Simple," she said, that bite directed at him once again, "I just didn't miss."

The shock was beginning to dissipate into a very potent wave of irritation. Here she was, deliberately wanting to be partners with Firepaw yet dismissing him right away and scorning him for just trying to help be a good partner. Sure, it was consistent with the jabs that she'd taken alongside Dustpaw that she didn't like him that much, but why did he feel like she sought him out just to try and cut away at his confidence. "Okay…" he said, stopping Sandpaw from leaving again, "What is this?"

"What's what?"

"Why is-…why are you treating me like mousedung after you asked to partner with me? What did I even do to-"

"I didn't want to be partners with you, I just didn't want to be partners with Dustpaw," said Sandpaw coolly, looking bored. "If Ravenpaw hadn't completely disappeared I would have asked to pair with him because at least he keeps his mouth shut unlike you other bumbling idiots."

Firepaw was definitely growing angry now. "So what…you antagonize me because you just want to start a fight?"

"I never said that," Sandpaw retorted, "And if you see me being miles more plentiful in hunting than you as antagonizing, then you're gonna hate what happens at our sparring assessment."

Oh, now she was trying to get under his skin. Firepaw knew it. "Oh, you're gonna go that route? After all of the fights that you've seen me win, you just think that you can beat me as easily as you bested me on the thing I've been the worst at throughout training?"

"You really think your savage and go-for-the-throat tactics that you got from wherever you came from automatically makes you a better fighter? Surely you haven't tried to tell Bluestar that you don't need extra combat training, right?"

"Are you dense? You think she'd say anything but no after I almost killed Longtail?"

"I think that you're stupid enough to try asking," said Sandpaw coldly. And unfortunately, she was correct - about three days into training Firepaw had grown incredibly frustrated by Bluestar's resistant attitude to his moves, lashing out and asking what the point even was of training him for combat when he had the successful results. The ThunderClan leader had gladly used his outburst as an opportunity to have him talk out every single possible way he could think of to win a fight against her, while listing a counterattack and demonstrating if necessary.

But that didn't make him incapable of being a great warrior! "For your information," snapped Firepaw coldly, "I grew up in the city, a place where every cat that wasn't my family was out to kill me. My mother trained me from the moment I could walk to defend myself! I've known fighting longer than you've known of the existence of the other four Clans."

"So you're the best fighter in this Clan because your kithood was slightly more tragic than others?"

"I-" Firepaw wanted to say something, he really did. But he could not. And Sandpaw knew he had hit him where it hurt.

"Listen…I'm not like the dung-brains who think less of you because you're a kittypet. But you might as well be just as sheltered as them if you think that your weakness is impossible to see. Everybody has a weakness in everything. And you best hope that you have a lot more ready for me besides just going for the throat."

Firepaw watched with a stunned look as Sandpaw moved away and adjusted her pile before turning back into the forest to finish her hunt. Firepaw felt pissed, but not in the way that Tigerclaw had made him. A colder, more objective tension in his belly that made his blood rise. She and Dustpaw were the two apprentices of the lot he liked the least, but while the bracken tom was clearly all talk and no bite…well, he had seen Sandpaw's work ethic for himself. The furious ambition in his eyes.

Perhaps she saw him more as an equal. Moreover…perhaps the two of them were more similar than he previously thought. Two cats with their eyes on the prize of being glorious. And while Firepaw had a prophecy attached to his name…well, it wasn't like StarClan had given him magical powers. Maybe this…maybe she was a test from them. To see if he could conquer someone with ambition to match. Someone who was as close to an equal as he could get.

Firepaw turned back and tossed his prey onto the pile before turning back into the forest. He would be taking Sandpaw a lot more seriously from now on.

By the time sunhigh had passed, Firepaw and Sandpaw had brought their impressive haul of prey back to the camp. Many of the warriors were quite impressed as they filled up the prey pile, handing out compliments and saying things like "The future is bright for us!" as they ate. Even though the session had gone far from smoothly, the ginger tom still felt a rewarding sense of satisfaction at his work - he had still contributed to the Clan and likely passed his assessment in spite of clearly being the lesser of the two.

Even the elders were impressed with the catches they made, with the hungry Patchpelt looking nearly lascivious at the rabbit Sandpaw had caught. "Bless StarClan…if an apprentice can catch these handsome buggers, I'll be mo' well-fed than when I was a youn' warrior."

"Hopefully not, else you're gonna die so fat they ain't gonna be able 'ta carry you to StarClan!" retorted a cheeky Dappletail. Firepaw and the elders laughed at that, and he could even see Sandpaw try to hold back an amused smile.

Not too long after, Whitestorm returned to camp and caught the two apprentices before they were set to eat. The white warrior looked quite frazzled, but his eyes glowed warm with pride. "Excellent work, both of you," he said with a nod, "You two make a fine team of hunters."

Both apprentices dipped their head in thanks, Firepaw noticing Whitestorm flash a little bit of an extra smile towards the she-cat to acknowledge the fact that he had seen her done better. That caused an undeniable swell of bitterness, but Firepaw just shrugged it off the best he could. "Where are Dustpaw and Graypaw? Shouldn't they be back by now?" asked Sandpaw.

Whitestorm winced. "Ah…well…"

Firepaw's eyes widened. "Are they okay?"

"Oh yes, they're fine…but let's just say that you two were the partners most…courteous to each other."

It didn't take long to see what he was talking about. Or rather, hear what he was talking about. Even before Firepaw picked up their scents he could hear the booming voice of Lionheart, and he sounded absolutely furious.

"-never felt more disgraced in my life! Have I seriously taught you NOTHING?! Have you no shame, Graypaw!? Why is it me that has to tell you that you should never attack your fellow apprentices!?"

Uh oh. Firepaw was immediately on his paws as the gorse gave way to Lionheart and Graypaw. The apprentice's fur was ruffled, there were cuts and nicks on his shoulder and muzzle, and his eyes were red as if he had been crying. Lionheart, however, looked more pissed than he had ever seen him. His fangs were out in a snarl, his eyes blazed with anger and embarrassment. If the ginger tom had felt shivers just hearing Lionheart's shouting, this made his blood run cold. Thank StarClan Bluestar had never yelled at him like this.

Graypaw looked like he wanted to turn back and yell at his mentor, but the tom looked so upset that he couldn't muster the energy. Lionheart wasn't even done, his furious rant making every cat in camp turn their heads to watch. "YOU ARE OUT OF THE GATHERING! I WANT YOU TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN YOUR NEST THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" On the deputy's tail, Dustpaw limped into camp bloodied and panting. He didn't look close to death, but the amount of cuts on his flank and the blood staining his teeth showed that he had been the one much worse for wear. He had caught the end of Lionheart's shouting and was somehow able to move his mouth into a maliciously satisfied smirk.

Firepaw could do nothing but stare at the bracken tom. Graypaw had done this? Sure, he was capable enough as an apprentice, but even he had difficulty imagining him in battle. The ginger tom was about to run towards the apprentice den and ask what happened, but Whitestorm stopped him with his tail immediately. "I, uh…I wouldn't."

"What? Why not?"

"Well…I wasn't there for all of it, but from what I heard, leaving him alone right now is for the best."

That deep burning anger he had felt for Tigerclaw began to stir in Firepaw's gut again. "What happened?"

"Isn't it obvious?" said Sandpaw, who looked like she had been expecting this for seasons, "Dustpaw happened."

The bracken tom was clearly in pain, but he was clearly in high enough spirits to tell his mentor Darkstripe what had happened. The black-ish tom was carefully managing his emotions, but there was a very subtle hint of amusement. At the last moment he caught Firepaw staring at him with suspicious anger, but Lionheart had re-emerged from the leader's den and gotten to Dustpaw before the ginger tom could even make a move. The deputy, still furious, snarled right into his ear - whatever he said wiped the grin off of the apprentice's face like it was never there.

Firepaw again turned back to the apprentice den, a very worried look on his face. "That's my cue," said Whitestorm as his mate walked away from the other apprentice quivering in anger, "Sandpaw, be sure you're ready to depart for the Gathering by sunset."

"Yes, Whitestorm." As Sandpaw walked away, Firepaw felt a rock drop in his chest. Couldn't there be a single day where nothing happened? It felt like he was getting crushed by life-altering happenstances and fights - it was so bad that the cat he'd least expected to get into a fight with claws out was getting tossed into the fray.

"Firepaw?" the voice of his leader and mentor startled him, "A word, please. In my den."

The ginger tom glanced down at his half-eaten vole, stomach still rumbling. "What about?" Maybe she knew what had happened between Graypaw and Dustpaw, knew that Firepaw would absolutely be prodding her for what had been said, lest she just tell him now.

Bluestar's eyes were still firm and in leader mode. "The Gathering tonight."

Y'know what, Graypaw can wait. The prey forgotten, Firepaw was on his feet and following his mentor up to her private cave at the base of the Highrock. As he walked, his eyes slipped past the entrance of the medicine den where he saw Tigerclaw glaring and arguing with Yellowfang - yet for all the aggression the tabby was showing, the former ShadowClan healer was still getting in his face and ordering him to eat the herbs placed at his paws. There was a mild sense of satisfaction at seeing that. At least he wasn't the only one who was getting the worst of the medicine cat.

Up the rock they went and Firepaw entered Bluestar's private den for the very first time. It really wasn't glamorous, the size probably being a little smaller than the medicine den, but Firepaw could feel chills prick up at his paws with every step he made. Yes, Bluestar was his mentor, but being in the presence of this private chamber high above the rest of the dens in ThunderClan made him shiver. A den all to herself…Firepaw could let his mind run wild on how he would feel should he one day call this place his own.

Separated from the rest of the camp, the sunlight did not pierce or leak through into the rock-clad den, leaving Bluestar in a cold and shadowy spot that made her fur nearly look as blue as midnight when she sat next to her nest. Spottedleaf looked as calm as ever as she sat across from her leader, all previous signs of frustration from her new denmate tucked away as neatly as her composure. It was Firepaw who looked the most out of place, the vibrance of his ginger pelt now muted and standing out as he shifted uncomfortably against the cold rock.

"Now then…" said the leader, her blue eyes crisp in her authoritative stance, "Spottedleaf and I have been in discussions, and I trust that she has also been keeping you in the loop." Firepaw nodded. "And we've decided that despite Tigerclaw's insistence and…given the sudden and unfortunate illness he's seemed to have taken on today, you will be coming along with us to the Gathering, Firepaw."

At once, a surge of excitement rocketed through his body and his green eyes glowed in the dim light of the den. The Gathering. He was actually going…Nevermind all of the philosophical debates or the worries about Brokenstar and ShadowClan, he was finally going to see the other Clans. Get a taste of what the world around him looked like. He couldn't help but admit that he was curious about what they were like…if they were just as strong, what they smelled like, if their accents were different, if he could hypothetically beat them in battle…all of these questions would be answered tonight.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself," warned Bluestar as she read the energetic boost from his eyes, "Under normal circumstances, we would be honoring our senior warrior's request and have you on watch with the other apprentices staying behind. But…you are needed there tonight for a very specific purpose."

Firepaw gave a side glance to Spottedleaf, who gave a nod as Bluestar continued. "You must act like you're excited to be there."

The apprentice raised an eyebrow in confusion. "But I am excited to be there?"

"Not for the reasons everyone thinks," said Bluestar with a sigh, "See, I believe I've come to know you well as my apprentice. Tonight is exciting for you because you want to see the other Clans and survey them as if they are future enemies. While I do not deny the merit in your instinctually tactical mindset…I'm sure you're well aware that there are tactics at play. Since you are a key element in our story of Yellowfang, you must act like you know nothing about it. Socialize with apprentices, talk with other warriors…and do not try to start fights. We're under a peace here, after all."

Firepaw couldn't believe this. "So you're saying that I should just act dumb? In front of the rest of the Clans?" Out of the corner of his eye he could see Spottedleaf give a very specific look to the leader, one that clearly said I told you so.

Bluestar sighed, trying not to become frustrated. "Listen, I know you are aware of the importance of first impressions. But tonight, we are dealing with the threat of having our reputation so badly tarnished that we could gain the ire of all three of the other Clans. Brokenstar believes he has this devastating secret as a surprise. It is of the utmost importance that we do not give away we know his plan before the time comes."

"And I'm somehow the most liable cat going tonight? The one that is most likely to give everything away?"

Bluestar's eyes were relentless and without pity or sympathy. "Do you want the blunt answer or do you want me to try and sugarcoat it for you?"

Firepaw grumbled and looked down at the flat stone ground as Spottedleaf spoke for the first time. "I will be speaking about the sign that I received tonight - the one that knighted Yellowfang's innocence. To prevent accusations of making up an injury about an apprentice that is not present, we need you there acting present and healthy. Like an apprentice excited to meet others at his first Gathering and not one that knows of the war games at play."

Bluestar sighed, her strict, harsh-bearing leader countenance breaking to one closer to his mentor. Someone that cared for him. "Firepaw, it was never our intention to wrap you into any of this. We know that the last few days have been incredibly difficult on you, especially with training going into assessments. I hope that soon this is all resolved so that you can just…live your life as you did before."

But she didn't know. Bluestar had no idea that Firepaw's life had actually just begun yesterday, the day that Spottedleaf whispered those blessed words that lit a flame deep inside him and spread through every spot of fur in his body. Fire will save the Clan. There was no normal life that Bluestar spoke of awaiting him at the end of this, not one where he had just gone out training and eaten with Graypaw at the end of it and started over again. He was on his way to be a glorious warrior, the savior of ThunderClan as foretold by the ancestors of StarClan. But the politics and the strategy and the lying…well, that had likely been present all this time. Bluestar was going to go face-to-face with the leaders of other Clans to perform acts of mind trickery and manipulation and she sounded as calm as one could. How many times has she done this to them? How many times had they successfully tricked her?

Firepaw didn't like this. Everyone could deceive with their words, but the truth came from blood shed from claws. One couldn't win a physical battle with words, but words could build up towards fights. And then when the fights were done the slate was clean…until the first lie was spoken and built off of and the cycle began anew. All of the leaders tonight would surely say that their Clans were doing strong, proudly showing off their apprentices and talking of the new kits coming…and yet the consequences of this one Gathering felt more heinous than others. This time, proof that ThunderClan had made a misjudgement and therefore showed their vulnerability was at risk.

In a consecrated space where no Clan could fight, the only way a leader could protect themselves was allowing no space for weakness to show through words alone.

How could anyone call this a normal life?

"I understand, Bluestar," said Firepaw with a dip of his head, "I will make sure no other cat will know what I know."

There was a brief flash in her eyes, one that perhaps said that he wasn't consenting to what she was asking for, but a gesture from Spottedleaf made her back off. "Good," she said, "That's all…Sandpaw will be accompanying you as our second apprentice. Be prepared to depart by sunset."

Firepaw rolled his eyes at the mention of Sandpaw. Of course that pest was going to be there - hopefully she wouldn't try to join in on any of his acts of excitement. She'd probably just tell everyone that he was a terrible actor and hated every Clan member there - especially if she was perceiving him as a 'threat' to her being the top apprentice.

Perhaps he could talk to Graypaw now and ask him what had happened. Of course, then he would have to tell him that he was to go to the Gathering without his friend. That would definitely sour his mood more…

"Raagh!" A short, high-pitched cry suddenly snapped him back to attention right before he felt a cat slam into him, making him stumble back. "Ha ha! I got youuuu-" said the voice mischievously as Firepaw looked down at a pale gray kit with dark spots and vibrant blue eyes.

"Ashkit, stop!" said another shrill voice belonging to a similar-furred she-kit with light green eyes, "Mama said not to mess with the apprentices!"

"But I'm boooooored- '' whined Ashkit, "Cinderkit and Brackenkit don't wanna play with me and Thornclaw is still in timeout!"

"What about me?" complained the she-kit, "I said I wanted to play ThunderClan and ShadowClan with you!"

"But you're always ThunderClan, Fernkit! And you always win!"

Firepaw felt very awkward around these kits, lips clenching as he glanced around. "Uhhh…don't you two have a…mother? To go back to?"

"Yeah, but she's the worst!" complained Ashkit, "She always makes us back into the den when there's still light out! And she doesn't like my games!"

"You tried to ride on Brackenkit's back when he wasn't looking! That's not a game!"

"Nuh uh! It so is!"

"It so isn't!"

They were cute. These were certainly the kits that Whitestorm had been talking about, the litters that Lionheart had before the two toms had fallen in love. Yet looking at their innocent eyes filled with so much youth and life. And the weird ways that the two siblings looked to be learning to walk…well, for a moment it was easy to forget about the prophecy. And the Gathering. And everything else.

They knew so little. They would probably never know. Unless this was a disastrous night, the Gathering would be so innocuous and just like another Gathering to the rest of the warriors that there would be no stories, no way the kits would find out. Yet Firepaw knew so much…he felt like the world was crushing him bit by bit with how much he knew. Them knowing so little about everything and just living their lives through silly games and sibling arguments…it almost wasn't fair.

He didn't envy them…not one bit. But he did envy the feeling of not knowing. Just thinking about getting stronger and passing training and nothing else. Now he knew so many secrets that felt like they had been converging all at once…and he was the only one out there who knew of his plight. Well, Spottedleaf knew. But if Firepaw knew so much about so many things, it was likely nothing compared to the insight the medicine cat had received through her connection with StarClan.

One day, that innocence in the kit's eyes would be gone, a sign that they had grown up. Firepaw wondered if he had ever looked like that and when he had grown up. Known that there was something more for him. All he knew is that he surely had been grown for a long time.

"Ashkit! Fernkit!" called out one of the queens from the nursery - Frostfur, Firepaw could recognize - "Come inside!"

"Mooooooom!" whined the kits simultaneously.

"Now!" At that, the kits sadly trudged their way back to the nursery. Firepaw followed in their wake. Partly to make sure they didn't break off and make a run for it, but a smile crossed his face when he walked past the nest, seeing the four other kits nearly his size lounging about and talking nearby. He thought about going up to Frostfur and complimenting her kits when she began talking in a cross voice. "Ash, what have I said 'bout talkin' to cats ya don't know?"

"But mama, he-"

"Answer the question," said Frostfur firmly and Ashkit bowed his head in guilt.

"Don't…talk to them?"

"Very good…" said Frostfur, "Ya know that there are some cats out there that we just can't trust. That's why ya dad is deputy…to keep everyone in line."

That stung. "Cats out there we just can't trust" and Firepaw was one of them. How was that fair? Surely the list wasn't that long…surely he wasn't the only cat on it?

Maybe he was. He had come into the Clan as a kittypet and nearly killed one of the ThunderClan warriors on the first day. But it had been moons since that happened…others had put that besides him. Why hadn't she? Didn't she see how stupid it was to have everything seem like a threat? How could she treat her kits like that, teaching them to be scared of everyone?

"Rusty, besides your family, you will be alone in this world. You want to survive, you must make everyone that isn't your family your enemy. And you must never discriminate between enemies and show unequal mercy. Because a wrong choice is one that costs your life."

Firepaw turned away at hearing his mother's voice in his head. How could she be relevant here? Even with her cruel words and harsh training, she had made that out of the elements of the city's cycle of combat. This place? This was like a safe haven from anything regarding death. Firepaw had felt the risk of death, but…the Clans? The Clans he had never seen before, the Clans that all met under an agreement of peace? He knew that RiverClan had taken the life of their deputy before Lionheart, but that was just talk. In this place, claw-to-claw combat that shed blood between Clans felt like an illusion of a threat. It felt fake.

These kits weren't in danger. They certainly wouldn't be until they went out of camp and explored the borders. There was no point in treating them like death was always lurking around the corner - not from what he could see.

Firepaw spent the day just lingering, thinking of excuses to not talk to Graypaw about going to the Gathering and hurting his feelings. He desperately wanted to know what had happened, but the ginger tom had never seen his friend that upset. And he certainly didn't want to make things worse, especially when Graypaw knew that Firepaw was shouldering secrets from him. So when Bluestar called for those going to the Gathering to assemble under the Highrock, he took a spot on the opposite side of the den, obscuring himself from being seen from the den where he was surely watching.

"Cats of ThunderClan, this Gathering will be one where we must show unbreakable resolve between all of us," began Bluestar, "That includes the introduction of our newest medicine cat from ShadowClan who will be staying behind. She is an important ally for our future, so for the sake of secrecy I order you to not speak of her to any other members of any other Clan, no matter what your opinion may be."

"Yes, Bluestar…" murmured the cats, though Firepaw could hear some were grumpier about the order than others. Firepaw glanced to the medicine den to see Tigerclaw glancing out at the crowd. HIs eyes were not that of jealousy or bitterness, but something much more cold, calculated and emotionless.

It was a relief that he was too ill to attend, considering how he had seen Tigerclaw on the ShadowClan border. Firepaw didn't know how much he knew, but the chances that he knew enough to undermine the sensitive nature of what this Gathering was to be was probably quite high. Even so, the way he looked…a manner so devoid of that anger that broiled through every vein…made the apprentice worried.

Tigerclaw was playing his own game. The problem was that no one knew his objective or how far he was willing to go to achieve it.

Bluestar hopped down from the rock and moved towards the entrance, the warriors falling in line. Firepaw drifted near the back by Sandpaw, but as his eyes drifted towards the apprentice den he saw Graypaw looking out at them leaving. He did look sad, and Firepaw felt a surge of guilt that he was going without him.

But before he was out of view, Graypaw caught his eye and gave a small smile. One of reassurance and empathy for him. Firepaw, of course, returned one back. He was sure there would be a lot to talk about when he returned.

Slipping through the gorse entrance, ThunderClan made their way through the forest in unison. Firepaw felt strange…knowing the territory as well as he did felt like he had explored the whole world by himself, so walking alongside every able warrior in the Clan made the world feel overcrowded. Almost like it wasn't meant to handle this amount of cats out at once. Yet as they continued near the Thunderpath and emerged from the forest, Firepaw could see the full moon shining bright over a cloudy sky. HIs heart was pounding - this was feeling more and more real by the minute.

Suddenly, the scents of his Clanmates with a seasoning of the Thunderpath reek was washed away and swarmed with new scents. It was as if he were at both the ThunderClan and RiverClan borders, but much stronger. Shuddering at the tension in his brain, Firepaw gulped and tried his best to stay calm. He really didn't want Sandpaw to make a snide remark about how rough he looked.

In the distance, Firepaw could see the figure of four massive trees over the heads of the other cats. Closer still, and he could hear tens of unique voices permeating in front of him. Adrenaline was beginning to take hold on him as ThunderClan in turn ducked past the shrubbery…

The ginger tom had wanted to be composed when he arrived here. But when he did he gave a very uncomposed gasp of shock.

There were so many cats, more than Firepaw had ever seen in his life. They all looked incredibly different, too. Two other Clans, surely, stood before them. The group on his left looked sleek and slender while the others looked rough and muddy. So many scents, so many voices as ThunderClan joined in up near the tree. Some of the other warriors were greeting those of other Clans as if they were friends, even though this was surely the only place where they could actually meet.

And up above him were the majestic Fourtrees, the largest trees Firepaw had ever seen towering over the clearing to provide both protection from high winds and shade from rain. Right in the middle was the Great Rock, a pile of rocks that supported a large stone that shot up high into the sky, at least twice the size of the largest cat in thce clearing. Despite the cloudy nature and the imminent tactics at play, this place made Firepaw feel safe. It was as if StarClan had taken all of their predispositions about each of the other Clans and wiped it away for a moment. Just cats, talking as friends in the moonlight.

The Gathering had begun.

a/n: I'M SORRY I PROMISE THAT THE GATHERING WILL ACTUALLY START NEXT CHAPTER

chapter ten will be released on august 14th.

any and all feedback is greatly appreciated.

with love,
cj