End of a Lifetime

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Basilpaw set out behind Troutstripe for the tree bridge. A full moon shone overhead. Brindlepaw trotted beside her, her thick fluffy tail raised over her head. This was their first gathering, though they had been apprentices for nearly two moons. Mossfollow walked beside Troutstripe, her pelt brushing against his. She meowed over her shoulder, "Remember, be cool, calm, and collected. Do not give away in clan secrets, such as battle moves or hunting techniques. They might use them against you later."

Brindlepaw spoke up, "Who's they?"

Troutstripe growled, "The enemy.""Who's the enemy?" Basilpaw asked, tilting her head."The rest of the clans." Troustripe's whiskers twitched with amusement as the two apprentice's snarled in unison. The two sisters looked at each other and giggled. Stones shifted under their paws, and they reached the tree bridge. Basilpaw gasped at the size of the fallen tree, its roots reaching several tail lengths over her head. Scragstar leaped to the top, and flicked his tail for every cat to follow. Leafspots jumped up after him being the medicine cat, and Birdpaw followed right on her heels. Troutstripe, being the deputy, jumped next, flicking his tail for Basilpaw to follow. Tentatively, Basilpaw leaped on to the treebridge. Digging her claws in, she began to walk behind her mentor, waving her tail for balance. She felt the tree shake when Mossfollow jumped up behind her and felt a flash of fear.

"Come on, Brindlepaw. You can do it!" Mossfollow mewed over her shoulder. Basilpaw felt the tree shake again, and assumed Brindlepaw had jumped up. Continuing to walk forward, she felt the tree shake after cat after cat jumped up. Reaching the other side of the bridge, she watched Troutstripe jump down, and she followed him. Scragstar sat at the base of the treebridge, counting cats off as they jumped down. When they were all on the island, Scragstar headed towards the bracken, his tail high above his head. Basilpaw's heart started beating faster and faster in anticipation. Breaking through the bracken, Basilpaw was overwhelmed with the sheer amount of cats from each clan. Looking around as her clan dissolved into the large group, she started to walk towards a nice spot at the edge of the clearing with her sister at her heels. Looking around from where she sat, she saw a handsome yellow tabby tom with green eyes across the clearing. She stared at him, and noticed from his size that he was an apprentice. She was about to decide to go and talk to him, but was interrupted by a small silver, black, and white piebald apprentice she-cat. Dimly, she heard the apprentice voice a 'hi.' Frustrated at being interrupted, she replied coldly, "Hello. I'm Basilpaw." She flicked her tail towards her sister, "This is my sister, Brindlepaw. We got our apprentice names nearly two moons ago. We're from Riverclan. And you are?"

The scrawny apprentice replied cheerfully, "I'm Meadowpaw. I became an apprentice the day after the last gathering, so I just barely missed it. This is my first one. I'm from Thunderclan. My brothers, Stormpaw and Thornpaw, had to stay back because they have greencough, but they'll be here next time. My friend Sunpaw became an apprentice just today, so she's barely made it. Her brother Roaringpaw is here, too." The Thunderclan apprentice, Meadowpaw, said. She smiled proudly. "My mentor said that I'll make a great fighter and hunter. He said I was really developed and learn quickly."

"Show me." Brindlepaw said. She crouched down into the Riverclan fighting position, then launched herself at Meadowpaw. Meadowpaw sidestepped, slicing Brindlepaw's nose. She then lept over Brindlepaw, slicing her back, as Brindlepaw launched at her again. Then she slid beneath her and sliced her belly, as Brindlepaw jumped for her. She ended up under Brindlepaw, then pushed with her hind legs, ending up on top of her. Brindlepaw struggled out of her grasp, panting. Meadowpaw smiled proudly, a glint of triumph in her eyes. Show off! Basilpaw thought.

Turning to her sister, she teased, "Beaten by a newly made apprentice. Shame on you." They then turned towards the great tree, for Snowstar had called attention. Basilpaw glanced towards the direction where she had seen the tom, but he had disappeared into the crowd of cats. Beside her, Brindlepaw was muttering.

"I can't even beat such a scrawny apprentice. I hope Honeypaw didn't see that, or Birdpaw. Besides, she was so scrawny, I couldn't get a hold on her." Mutinously, she glared at Meadowpaw, and quickly looked at Basilpaw when she giggled at her sister's anger.

As Meadowpaw stood up and walked away, they looked up to where Snowstar was beginning her report. Snowstar's face was curled into a snarl. "Prey stealers! Riverclan have been prey stealing in Thunderclan territory!" She thrashed her black and white striped tail. All around Basilpaw, yowls of objection from the Riverclan cats filled the air. Leaping to her paws, she snarled at the false accusation. Scragstar stood on his branch, his patchy cream colored fur rising in anger.

His ears flattened to his head and his tail thrashing, he hissed, "Preposterous! We live all the way across the lake from you! If we had been prey stealing, we would have had to cross through Shadowclan or Windclan territory!" He turned to Stormstar and Rosestar, leaders of Windclan and Shadowclan.

"There has been no evidence of Riverclan on your land, correct?" Both Stormstar and Rosestar agreed. Scragstar turned his yellow eyes back to Snowstar.

He growled, "My clan has not set a paw off of our own territory!"

Stormstar stepped towards where Snowstar sat on her branch. His mew was hesitant. "Snowstar, do you have any proof of Riverclan on your territory? So far, the stars are not in your favor." Stormstar's tail twitched when Snowstar glared at him. Rosestar turned her head towards the Thunderclan leader.

Her mew was light, but condescending. "Perhaps, Snowstar, the supposed 'Riverclan warriors' was a stray fox or badger mistaken for cats. Maybe all you saw was a piece of driftwood laying on the shore." Rosestar turned towards the group of Thunderclan cats in the clearing, "Has any cat found any evidence of a Riverclan warrior on Thunderclan land?" The Thunderclan group shook their heads no. Basilpaw snarled in triumph. I can't believe the nerve of Snowstar! Basilpaw licked her paw and led it along her ear. She noticed a cat watching her, and realized it was the cat from before. She looked back in time to see that the gathering had split up. I guess after Snowstar's accusations, nobody else had anything else to report to the clans. She followed Troutstripe back to camp, her sister hot on her tail.