Warriors: Fire and Ice - Book Two (Completed)

Chapter Twenty One

"Are we ready?" Meowed Bluestar. She jumped down from the highrock, and into the middle of the cats, making sure everyone was present. She flicked her tail and Tigerclaw set off first with the rest of the clan behind him. Waterlily padded beside Graystripe and Fireheart, but dared not to say a word until they reached the Gathering place of Fourtrees.

"Are you excited to be going as a warrior?" She mewed, softly in Fireheart's ear.

"Yeah. I'm a little nervous, but excited." He responded.

Waterlily was surprised that he answered, but she was glad. She didn't want things to be weird between them. He was to save them, not to be anyone's enemy. Tigerclaw already hated him. She couldn't imagine how Fireheart felt with the hatred from Tigerclaw, but having the whole Clan in his paws. He had to be very brave if StarClan chose him. She peered over the hill and down onto the Clans at the Gathering. ShadowClan, and RiverClan weren't there. WindClan was the first to arrive. Waterlily padded over to Barkface. He looked up at her and dipped his head. He was generally not a talker, so she didn't force it upon him.

Waterlily lifted her nose in the air. It was RiverClan. Then ShadowClan padded up just behind them. Mudfur and Runningnose sat with the other medicine cats and made a circle within their group. Runningnose was the first to speak. "Prey has been bad lately." He slightly growled. 

Barkface growled at the thought of not having any prey, especially at new-leaf. New-leaf is supposed to bring them new life, not bad prey. 

Waterlily looked over to Mudfur. "How is RiverClan doing?" She mewed.

"Doing great." He purred.

"Yes, I should hope so." Spat Yellowfang, crouching slightly and her head hanging low.

Waterlily shot her a stern glance, then dipped her head to Mudfur. "Forgive my mentor." She hissed, "she can't seem to understand there's a peace here." She glanced back at Yellowfang. She was right though. RiverClan crossed their territory and stole some of their prey. They had no right doing that, but this was a gathering of peace. They must never make a fight or who knows what StarClan would do.

Yellowfang gave a sheepish hiss to Waterlily, then lifted her head to narrow her eyes at her. She turned her head towards Mudfur, then dipped her head to him, "Sorry. I just have a lot on my mind, is all. Forgive me."

Mudfur dipped his head in response to forgive her, then turned his head back to Waterlily. "I don't know how you deal with her." She mewed, amusingly. 

Waterlily purred with amusement. "Me neither!" 

Yellowfang flicked her tail annoyingly, but didn't say anything. She knew she was difficult, but she was that way for many reasons. At least that's what Spottedleaf had mentioned. Waterlily had yet find out more about Yellowfang. She is not easy to get along with, but she was a great mentor, nonetheless. 

"Let us get started with the Gathering!" Yowled the familiar voice of Bluestar. Waterlily guessed she didn't want to waste anymore time. "RiverClan has been hunting at Sunningrocks," she began angrily. "Our patrols have scented your warriors many times, Crookedstar. Sunningrocks belongs to ThunderClan!"

Crookedstar met Bluestar's gaze steadily. "Have you forgotten how recently one of our warriors was killed defending our territory from ThunderClan?"

"You had no need to defend your territory," Bluestar answered. "My warriors were not hunting there. They were returning home after finding WindClan. It was a mission we all agreed on! According to the warrior code, they should not have been attacked."

"You speak of the warrior code?" spat Crookedstar. "What about the ThunderClan warrior who has been spying on our territory since then?"

Bluestar was caught off guard. "Warrior?" she echoed. "Have you seen him?"

"Not yet," Crookedstar hissed. "But we find his scent so often, it won't be long before we do."

Waterlily tenesd. She knew exactly which was warrior it was. Fireheart did too. She glanced at Fireheart and he looked over at her, with worry in his eyes. They might accidentally recognise his scent here at the Gathering! She saw Fireheart look over at his friend. She glanced at Graystripe as well. He sat tall, looking at Crookedstar calmly and almost unknowingly what he did wrong. 

Tigerclaw's deep growl sounded from the crowd. "We have scented ShadowClan in our territory as well as RiverClan this past moon. And not just one warrior, but a whole patrol, always the same cats."

The ShadowClan leader's eyes flashed indignantly. "ShadowClan has not been in your territory. Clearly your warriors can't tell the difference in the scents of cats outside their own Clan. You have been smelling the scent of rogue cats. They have been stealing prey from our territory as well!"

Waterlily flinched with amazement. They had rogue cats hunting in their territory? Tigerclaw snorted in disbelief and Nightstar glared down at him. "Do you doubt the word of ShadowClan, Tigerclaw?" The crowd murmured uncomfortably as Tigerclaw stared back at Nightpelt with unconcealed distrust.

"For the first time, Tallstar spoke; his tail twitched uncertainty. "My warriors have also found strange scents in WindClan territory. They seem to be ShadowClan."

"I knew it!" Tigerclaw snarled. "RiverClan and ShadowClan have united against us!"

"Us? What do you mean by us!" spat Crookedstar. "I think it's you and WindClan that have formed the alliance! Is that why you were so keen to bring them back? So you can use them to invade the rest of the forest?"

Tallstar's fur bristled. "That's not why we returned, and you know it. We have kept to our own hunting grounds these past moons."

"Then why have we found strange warrior scents in our territory?" Crookedstar growled.

"They don't belong to WindClan!" hissed Tallstar. "They must be rogue cats, as Nightstar says."

"But rogue cats would be a convenient excuse for invading our territories, would they not?" Bluestar murmured. She stared dangerously at the RiverClan and ShadowClan leaders.

Crookedstar raised his hackles and Nightstar arched his back. Tigerclaw stood up and stalked toward the Great Rock, every muscle tensed. Would the leaders really fight at a Gathering? At that moment a shadow fell over the valley. The cats fell silent as they were plunged into blackness. A cloud had covered the full moon, completely blocking out its light.

"StarClan has sent the darkness!" Halftail, a ThunderClan elder, meowed.

Runningnose raised his head high and spoke. "StarClan is angry. These meetings are meant to be held in peace."

"Runningnose is right!" It was Yellowfang. "We shouldn't be fighting among ourselves. We should be worrying about keeping our Clans safe!" Her voice echoed in the frightened silence. "We must listen to StarClan!"