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It was the night of the Gathering, and every cat was fighting for the right to come along. And rightly so, after all that had happened recently.
Bright leaving MoonClan was not too long ago, but it still felt like an eternity to Larkkit. Every now and then she even caught herself thinking that Bright had never been her Clanmate, let alone existed at all.
At this Gathering, it would probably become clear whether Bright had become a rogue or had joined another Clan. The former rumours outweighed the others, as Bright had made it quite clear that she wanted nothing more to do with Clan life.
The MoonClan cats took great pains not to talk about her. Shortly after she had disappeared, her nest material was cleared away and in addition, the burrow was covered up.
The only one who still showed his displeasure openly was Willowpaw. The red tom did not miss an opportunity to make slanderous remarks about Bright. Larkkit hardly believed that there was another cat with so much hate in its heart. "She doesn't deserve to be called a Clan cat ever again," Willowpaw had hissed, in response to the plea that he should finally calm down. "I hope everyone finds out what a lying, disloyal, cowardly she-cat she was, and then no one wants to be around her. Bright doesn't deserve pity or a second chance. She should be treated like crowfood. That's all she is, isn't she?"
Heatherpaw was ready to leave the nest and find her way to the fresh-kill hole with the help of Finstrike and Motleycloud, but she was barely responsive, if at all, and often flinched if one so much as touched her with the tip of one's whiskers. The long wounds that stretched across both eyes were slow to heal. It was unimaginable what she was going through, which is why the cats had decided not to tell her about Bright's disappearance for the time being. It would harm her recovery process.
Now Larkkit watched as Hailstar listed the cats for the Gathering. "Nightblossom. Finstrike, Motleycloud, can one of you come with me?"
The two looked at each other thoughtfully. Finally, Finstrike mewed, "I'll come."
"Good." Hailstar flicked his tail. "Pebbletail, Whitefur, Blacktail, Nutfur, Carnationtail, Puddlesun, Mapleblossom, Blazedew, Junipertail, Windheart, Streamwater, Firpaw and Stormpaw. The others stay here and protect the camp."
A collective groan from the cats staying in the camp followed.
Protect the camp? From what? Larkkit twitched her whiskers in amusement. Every Clan is going to partake in the Gathering. Who'd attack us?
Then a shiver, like rain made of ice and snow, ran down her spine and made her breathless. But we still don't know who or what had attacked Mapleblossom and Heatherpaw.
