The First to Fight the Storm

Chapter 4

Scorchpaw raced to her, Wolfpaw and Rubypaw trailing closely behind.

"Where were you?!" He said, fiercely.

"Well me and Swallowtail were patrolling the borders." She started, as Wolfpaw and Rubypaw sat down beside her.

"And then we left for the gathering." She ended.

"Crowstar is such a mouse heart." Rubypaw muttered.

"Cats of all Clans! Come to the highledge for the gathering!" Lakestar of SeaClan yowled. Willowpaw watched as the cats around her looked up to the leaders.

"Owlstar, why don't you start?" Redstar said.

"Of course, Redstar." Owlstar replied, looking at the cats in the clearing. "Bright Clan is surviving well. Prey is good and we have two new apprentices. Oakpaw and Petalpaw."

The clans cheered their names while the apprentices licked their chest fluff, embarrassedly.

"SeaClan will go now." Salmonstar announced. "We are doing well. Recently there have been some border issues with Forest Clan, but SeaClan is strong." Salmonstar looked proud as he scanned the clearing.

Redstar spoke up. "MountainClan is strong. Midnightstorm is expecting kits." She paused. "We have had no issues in our Clan. Our Clanmates are thriving. We also have two new apprentices. Willowpaw and Scorchpaw."

Willowpaw suddenly realized that all four clans eyes were on her. Then Eaglefeather cried out their names. "Willowpaw, Scorchpaw!" The rest of the clans joined in. She looked up at Redstar, and saw that she was smiling.

Once the cheering died down, Crowstar spoke. "We recently had a problem with MountainClan."

Crowstar! That fox-heart. She thought.

Crowstar continued. "The apprentice we brought to the gathering recently rushed into our camp with one of our kits." He looked at her. "Willowpaw."

The eyes were on her again. She looked down. She could hear whispers. A pause.

"She rescued that kit!" Swallowtail's cry rang out around the clearing. "Why was your kit out of the camp so far?!"

Crowstar looked taken aback. "No MountainClan warrior should be on Forest Clan land!" He screeched.

The gathering broke out in yowls of disagreement. Willowpaw looked up at the moon. Clouds were covering its light. A SeaClan warrior yowled out. "StarClan is angry!"

"This gathering is over!" Redstar called. "MountainClan, come with me. We are going home."

The trek back to camp was a long one. Rain was pouring onto the warriors pelts. Wolfpaw ran up beside her.

"Is that how gatherings normally go?" She asked in a whisper, still embarrassed from Crowstars glaring eyes.

Wolfpaw smiled at her, though it was hard to see in the rain. "Yes. I've only been to four though."

She smiled back, the embarrassment almost forgotten, yet her pelt grew warm even in the cold rain.

When they reached the camp, Sunnypaw ran up to Redstar.

"Redstar!" She called.

"What?" Redstar asked, still annoyed from the gathering.

"Midnightstorm's kits came!"

Redstar immediately looked up with a look of distress on her face. "They are all okay though, right?"

"Oh Redstar. Your sister's kits are fine."

Willowpaw ran up to her friend after everyone had sorted themselves out.

"How many kits are there?" She asked Sunnypaw.

"Oh there are four!" She responded. "Would you like to see them? Of course if Midnightstorm and Greenleaf think it's okay."

"Of course!" Willowpaws mother, Mosspoppy, was Midnightstorm's other sister. These kits were her kin.

Sunnyfeather led the way to the medicine den. Willowpaw followed as she ducked under the log that made the entrance. In the den, Midnightstorm was curled up around four bundles of fur.

"Kits, your cousin is here." Midnightstorm said in a soft voice. Greenleaf looked over, and stopped sorting the herbs on the rocky ledge that poked out of the wall. "Welcome." Greenleaf said, padding over. "Sunnypaw, can you finish sorting these?"

Midnightstorm moved her tail that was covering the kits. The kits were beautiful. There were two toms and two she kits. The first tom was a cream color, the same color as Midnightstorm. The second tom was smaller and completely black like Blackfang. One of the she kits was cream with black spots, and the other was black with cream spots.

"Oh they're amazing!" Willowpaw said.

The cream kit yawned and then nestled back into his mother.

"What are their names?" She asked.

Midnightstorm purred. "I haven't decided yet. I want to wait until their eyes are open."

Willowpaw smiled. "Has Blackfang seen them yet?" She asked.

"Greenleaf wants him to wait because he might overworry about the kits too much and that might make me nervous." She replied. "But he is right outside."

Willowpaw left the den and went to her nest. Scorchpaw, Deerpaw, Rubypaw, and Wolfpaw were already asleep. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

The shining sun woke her up. Scorchpaw slept in the nest beside hers. She got up and went to the fresh-kill pile, hoping for a squirrel. There was a big squirrel nudged in between a thrush and a vole. She sighed happily and pulled it out.

"Willowpaw, over here." Silverpaw was sitting with Deerpaw and Wolfpaw. She trotted over calmly, and sat down beside them.

"I hope todays an easy day." Silverpaw said

Deerpaw suddenly looked excited. "Today is our assessment!" He said looking at Wolfpaw. Wolfpaw grinned as Rubypaw sat down next to them.

"What?" She asked, confused by their happy faces.

"Today's our warrior assessment." Wolfpaw explained.

Rubypaw groaned. "I still have a whole moon to go."

"Hey, can I share that with you?" Silverpaw asked, eyeing the squirrel.

"Sure!" Willowpaw said, giving the approval. She started to take a bite before a screech came from the deputy's den.

"He's dead!" Eveningsea yowled, running out from the den. "Eagleheart is dead!"