Chapter 16
Yet another long moon as a medicine cat had passed since his fight with Tawnyflame.
“Tonight is the Gathering,” Honeywhisker meowed as she sorted through a pile of herbs. “Your first as a full medicine cat!”
Why would I actually be excited or want to go to that dumb meeting?
“You know, I’m kind of tired,” Whitefur lied, faking a yawn. “I’d prefer to stay home if that is okay with you and Crazystar so…”
“What is it with you and Gatherings?” Honeywhisker demanded. “You haven’t gone to one since you first became an apprentice! You are going whether you like it or not! The Clan needs both of its medicine cats there!”
Whitefur glared at her for a moment until realizing she wouldn’t give in. “Fine,” he growled, wishing he could go to the Dark Forest instead of the Gathering…
***
The full moon was high above their heads as Whitefur climbed onto the tree-bridge. The last time when he’d been here as a new apprentice, the rotting bark had felt slippery, but Thornwhisker’s tree-climbing training in the Place of No Stars helped a lot. He crossed with ease and leapt down onto the island.
Once he was in the clearing, he didn’t socialize with the warriors from other Clans or hang out with his fellow medicine cats. Instead, he sat down just in front of the Dead Oak and waited for the long meeting to finally begin.
Redwhisker came up next to him. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice filled with concern. “Are you okay?”
Whitefur forced down his annoyance and frustration. I wish she would just leave me alone!
“I’m fine,” he replied quietly. “Just don’t want to be here.”
“Why?” she asked curiously. “It’s fun to meet the other Clans!”
“It’s fun to pretend like you’re friends with your greatest enemies?” Whitefur demanded. “To hear boring news from other leaders? Prey’s running fine and we have two new warriors, yay!”
“Whitefur, Gatherings are more than that!” Redwhisker exclaimed in shock. “Listen to the apprentices of another Clan talk and you can learn their secrets!”
Maybe she isn’t as hopeless as I thought.
He saw a group of wimpy looking ShadowClan apprentices talking to each other. “I’ll go force them to tell me their secrets!” he declared triumphantly, rising to his paws.
“Whitefur, no!” Redwhisker shouted, pulling him back. “You can’t fight with other Clans at Gatherings! The last time that happened, StarClan set the island on fire!”
“StarClan couldn’t hurt a mouse,” Whitefur snorted.
His sister stared at him, speechless. Whitefur realized he had to say something to calm her down. “Ha, sorry, didn’t think I’d actually fool you,” he lied, managing a false laugh. “I was just kidding, I know better than most cats how powerful StarClan can be.”
And that’s not powerful at all.
Whitefur closed his eyes and pictured that arrogant Cloudstar. He imagined running his claws across the coward’s throat and warm, salty blood covering his paws. “Whitefur!” Redwhisker called, snapping him out of his dream. “That isn’t funny! I actually believed you! Do you realize what would’ve happened if…”
“Well, then, quit being so gullible!” he snapped. “You’re no fun anymore!”
Redwhisker flinched backwards, looking hurt. Whitefur sighed and turned away. At that instant, Heatherstar yowled for the start of the Gathering. “WindClan is fine,” she began. “One of our queens, Gorsecloud, had three beautiful kits who will soon be wonderful warriors.”
Heatherstar stepped back and was replaced by Ivystorm, the ShadowClan deputy. Whitefur guessed she was now known as Ivystar. “Nothing bad has happened to ShadowClan, except for the loss of Shadestar…” the ShadowClan leader started, to be cut off by a collective cheer from the cats below.
Ivystar glowered at the crowd, but Whitefur and probably everyone else could tell she was desperately trying to hide a laugh. She just nodded quickly and Crazystar spoke. “ThunderClan is well. Our medicine cat apprentice, Whitefur, has received his full name and the prey is plentiful,” the ThunderClan leader announced.
The prey isn’t plentiful. We’re nearing the end of leaf-fall.
Salmonstar was last. “The river hasn’t frozen yet, so prey is plentiful. We have a new apprentice, Stormpaw,” the red-furred she-cat declared. “I am expecting Icewhisker’s kits so I may not be present at the next Gathering. On a less pleasant topic, my deputy Hailcloud was killed by a fox. My new deputy is Tawnyflame.”
That annoying flame-colored she-cat? She doesn’t even deserve to be a warrior!
“Oh, no, not her!” Whitefur blurted out.
Salmonstar looked questioningly at Crazystar, who shot a menacing look at the medicine cat. Tawnyflame’s eyes were even angrier, looking straight at Whitefur. Redwhisker shifted self-consciously beside him. Even the white-furred tom felt a little nervous about what Crazystar would do. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that out loud,” he muttered.
Crazystar glared at him for a little while longer. “I don’t expect you to say another word, Whitefur. You have my apologies, Salmonstar,” the gray-furred she-cat growled.
Salmonstar nodded. “Anyhow, unless there is any other news to be shared, this Gathering is dismissed!” she finished.
Oh, great. Now if she sees me again during training, she’ll want to brag about how she’s so special because Salmonstar made the horrible mistake of choosing her as deputy…
A/N: I just had to mention that my favorite part of this chapter is where everyone cheers when Ivystar announces Shadestar's death :)
YOU ARE READING
Warriors: Crazystar's Greatest Challenge(Sequel to Crazystar's Battle)
FanfictionCrazystar heard a prophecy that predicted the rise of the Place of No Stars and has been worried ever since..... Can she defeat Splashheart and his army again? *** Flamekit's mother is Crazystar the leader of ThunderClan. Flamekit and his brother Bl...
