Jaywatcher's Love [Old, DISCONTINUED]

∆ chapter 21 ∆

Jaywatcher pretend-limped into the ThunderClan camp. The scent hit her like a wave, almost knocking her backwards.

She was escorted to a nest, with Dewpaw beside her, and Leafsight had offered to stay with Jaywatcher while Dewpaw was treated first.

"So." Leafsight's voice was quiet. They were the only ones in the den. "What's this about?"

Jaywatcher was silent, thinking of an answer. Would she be betraying ShadowClan if she told Leafsight?

But none of that mattered. Leafsight deserved to know the truth.

"I'm not hurt." Jaywatcher confessed. "Redstar signed me up with Dewpaw to spy on ThunderClan."

Leafsight's pelt bristled. "Why? Why did you agree?"

"I..." Jaywatcher was hesitant. She could have just...said no. But that would have made Redstar angry. "I don't know why I agreed."

Leafsight's gaze rested on Jaywatcher. "It's okay. No one blames you for this."

"Thanks." Jaywatcher purred. "That means a lot."

"In the meantime, we can talk. How's ShadowClan doing?" Leafsight asked quickly.

"Nothing's really... happening. Other than this." Jaywatcher mewed quietly.

"Well, at least there isn't something like-" Leafsight was cut off by a yowl. "That's Hazelstar-" She muttered. "It's a Gathering night."

Oh, yeah. A Gathering...

"Leafsight!" A voice barked. Jaywatcher recognized it as Bearclaw. "Get your tail over here! And bring the ShadowClan cats too!"

Jaywatcher sat up. "Please, don't tell anyone." She begged. "It'll ruin me, and you too."

"I won't tell anyone." Leafsight purred. "I promise."

The walk to the Gathering was silent. Jaywatcher walked beside Leafsight and Dewpaw trailing at her paws.

Cat scent from every Clan hit Jaywatcher's nose and she flinched as every cat from every Clan turned to look at her. "Oh StarClan-" She muttered.

Dewpaw squirmed beside her, and Jaywatcher remember this was his first Gathering. The others, he wansnt allowed to go.

Redstar had feared that he would leak the secret to the other apprentices and word would get around.

"You'll be alright." Jaywatcher mewed to her apprentice. "Just stay by my side."

Dewpaw nodded quietly as the ThunderClan cats made their way into the hollow.

Dewpaw basically stuck by her sides while they filed into place. Redstar was eyeing Jaywatcher from the Great Rock.

Jaywatcher looked away from his gaze and back towards Dewpaw. The apprentice's eyes shone, but he knew he wasn't supposed to leave Jaywatcher's side.

"You can chat with other apprentices. Don't tell them anything." Jaywatcher whispered. "and keep that limp."

Taking her own advice, Jaywatcher remembered to wince when she sat as if she was in pain.

Dewpaw limped away, eyes shining as he sat near some RiverClan apprentices.

Leafsight padded up to her side.

Jaywatcher held back a pure as the ThunderClan warrior sat beside her, tail curled between her white paws.

As Jaywatcher opened her mouth to speak, the leader's yowled for silence.

Leafsight and Jaywatcher looked up at the rock, and Redstar made eye-contact with Jaywatcher and wouldn't leave her gaze.

Jaywatcher looked away and noticed that Spotstar was missing. Instead, Lightstreak, WindClan's deputy, sat atop the rock.

Hazelstar was the first to mention it. "Lightstreak, where is Spotstar?" She asked.

Lightstreak and the other WindClan cats in the huge crowd dipped their heads. "Spotstar lost his last life." She confessed.

Brookstar comforted the WindClan cat. "I'm so sorry." She mewed. "May he find swift running, good hunting, and shelter where he sleeps."

Jaywatcher admitted to herself, she didn't know Spotstar, but it must have been a big loss to the WindClan cats everywhere.

"Now I am Lightstar." Lightstreak murmured. The other leaders congratulated Lightstar silently with nods of their heads.

Hazelstar stood. "Now. We must get started. ThunserClan is doing well. I hope ShadowClan knows that two of their cats ended up on our territory injured. We have decided to keep them until they are healed."

Redstar glared, but said nothing. After a moment, he stood and nudged Hazelstar away from the top of the rock.

"ShadowClan is thriving. We would love to keep our warriors with us, but ThunderClan is so kind as to let them stay with them while they heal. Thank you, Hazelstar." Redstar announced.

Brookstar went next. "RiverClan has two new warriors!" She announced. "Moonleap and Duskypelt."

A gray-blue tom and a white she-cat both ducked their heads as eyes turned to look at them.

Soon, the Clans yowled their names.

"Duskypelt, Moonleap!"

"Duskypelt, Moonleap!"

"Duskypelt, Moonleap!"

Jaywatcher chimed in as well, happy for the RiverClan cats.

As the cheering withered away, Lightstar spoke finally. "As you all know, Spotstar has passed. I am the new WindClan leader and I have taken Leopardspot as my deputy."

"Leopardspot! Leopardspot! Leopardspot!" The Clans cheered for the WindClan deputy.

"With that, this Gathering is finished." Hazelstar announced, leaping from the rock and flicking her tail towards the ThunderClan cats.

Jaywatcher beckoned Dewpaw to her side and the apprentice bounded towards her. "How was your first Gathering?" She asked.

Dewpaw's tail swished from side to side. "Exciting!" He squealed.

Jaywatcher let out a faint purr as the cats walked in silence towards the ThunderClan camp.

When they got back, it was pitch-dark outside. Other than the moon faintly lighting the camp. The ShadowClan cats went to the spare den, and the ThunderClan warriors went to their own seperate dens.

Tulipleaf and Voleheart watched the spare den from outside, but the two were slowly drifting to sleep from exhaustion.

Once Jaywatcher was sure that the two warriors were deep asleep, she settled into a nest herself.

Dewpaw was already snoring beside her. Jaywatcher pricked her ears and listened to the noises in the ThunderClan camp.

"Stop snoring, you big lump!" A warrior grumbled from the warriors den. Jaywatcher assumed it was Cloudwing.

"Ow!" An apprentice yelped. Jaywatcher thought that maybe another cat had kicked in their sleep.

Then Pinewhisker's scent hit Jaywatcher. She lifted her head and saw a pair of glowing eyes between the bushes of the camp walls.

"Pinewhisker?" Jaywatcher called. Her response was squinting eyes and an annoyed voice.

"Yes. It's me."

Jaywatcher shushed him quickly. "Shh, they're all asleep."

Pinewhisker nodded and spoke quietly. "How's ThunderClan?" He asked.

"I...I need another day of listening." Jaywatcher said. "I haven't heard anything yet."

Pinewhisker seemed to nod and dissapeared back out of the bushes. "I'll be here tomorrow night." He whispered.

The camp went into silence again.

Jaywatcher curled up beside Dewpaw and fell asleep to his unnecessarily loud snores.