Warrior Cats: Into the Unknown.(1/3)

Chapter 15

Timberpaw felt excitement running through his pelt, and he felt as if his paws were flying as he rushed after his clanmates. He had been chosen to go to the gathering. Of all his siblings, he had been chosen! Triumph flared up inside him. What a privilege and honor! They crossed into Riverclan territory and Timberpaw had to use all his energy and speed to keep up with the bigger cats. He raced on beside Acornfall and Snowbush, muscles rippling underneath their pelts. Excitement sparked of the light ginger she-cat. This would be her first gathering as a warrior. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight bolted at the head of the patrol. Leafheart and Frogleap were so close that their pelts brushed. Cherryfall, Molewhisker and Swiftpaw brought up the rear, but Swiftpaw was the fastest of all the apprentices, his extremely long limbs allowing greater speed and longer strides. Jayfeather and Alderleaf were sprinting after Squirrelflight and Bramblestar. Timberpaw also saw his mother racing behind Willowpaw beside Dappledwillow. This would also be her first gathering for 6 moons. They crossed into Riverclan's territory, and Timberpaw felt a chill running through him. He was panting by the time they reached the tree bridge. Windclan was already crossing. Bramblestar nodded to Larkstar with a grim look on his face, and the pale brown tabby she-cat dipped her head toward him before leaping up onto the bridge. Bramblestar waited until Larkstar had crossed before he pounced up and dug his claws into the slippery bark. He delicately wove his large body around the branches and leaped down on the other side. Squirrelflight waited as Dappledwillow, Frogleap and Leafheart had crossed until she herself clawed her way up onto the bridge and hurried over onto the other side before leaping down onto the shore. "You're next." Acornfall mewed in Timberpaw's ear before the light ginger she-cat leaped up and wove her way over the bridge. The dark brown tom braced his shoulders and bunched his hind legs under his belly before springing off the ground. He managed to fasten his claws into the slippery bark and scrambled up. It took a moment for him to regain his balance before he began weaving himself among the branches. Then the bridge swayed underneath him, and his paw slipped of the bark. He let out a yowl of fear and surprise as he plunged down, but then teeth met his scruff, and his tail dangled just above the water. Molewhisker had leaped up onto the bridge, causing it to sway and Timberpaw had almost fallen into the lake, but the brown and cream tom had saved him from humiliation. The warrior let out a grunt as he heaved Timberpaw's large body up onto the bridge again, his legs trembling as he fought to drag the apprentice up. Timberpaw twisted and managed to dig his claws into the trunk and scrambled up. Molewhisker was panting and Timberpaw carefully peered over the tree trunk. Shaking his fur, he rose again to his paws. "Thanks." He panted to Molewhisker. The brown and cream warrior dipped his head. "Hey, hurry up!" Cherryfall yowled from the end of the bridge. Molewhisker nudged Timberpaw forward and the dark brown tabby tom stumbled forward until he reached the end and he gratefully jumped off it. Looking back, he saw Windclan looking at him, and some cats were whispering and giggling. How humiliating! Shadowclan had seen him. Timberpaw flattened his ears and hurried to Acornfall. The Thunderclan cats waited in silence as the rest of their cats crossed the bridge. Timberpaw gave an excited little bounce like a kit when Swiftpaw, the last cat to cross, leaped down from the bridge. Bramblestar craned his neck to see over his cats before nodding and padding into the trees. The cats kept close together, eyes flickering to each side in case there would be intruders or they would walk into an ambush. Finally, they walked into the clearing. Windclan and Riverclan were already there. Acornfall and Frogleap bounded away to a group of Riverclan cats. Dappledwillow and Leafheart padded more slowly to a couple of Windclan cats. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight trotted to the Great Oak with Jayfeather and Alderleaf on their heels. Willowpaw and Swiftpaw padded up to Timberpaw, who was staring after Molwhisker and Cherryfall who were padding to a group of Windclan and Riverclan cats. Swiftpaw opened his mouth to say something but his eyes only widened when he gazed at something behind Timberpaw. The dark brown tom whipped around to see Shadowclan pouring into the clearing, muscles rippling under their pelts. A few of them still bore the marks of the last battle. Timberpaw felt anger rising up inside him when he saw Burrpaw. Then a flash of triumph flashed inside him when he saw a scar on his shoulder that Timberpaw had inflicted. He pricked his ears in surprise when he saw Burrpaw bound toward him with two other apprentices. "Hello, Timberpaw." Burrpaw mewed, his tail lashing. There was no challenge in his voice, only friendliness. Timberpaw tipped his head and gazed uncertainly at him. "You fought well." Burrpaw mewed, flicking his tail. "My scar has just begun to heal." He murmured, flexing his shoulder. Timberpaw lifted his chin. "You did well too." He mewed, hoping that his voice didn't tremble or show how uncertain he was. Why was Burrpaw being so friendly all the sudden. Burrpaw then nodded to two she-cats who stood by his side. "These are Crowpaw and Swanpaw." The white and grey apprentice mewed and the Shadowclan she-cats dipped their heads. Crowpaw was a fluffy black she-cat with white paws. But Swanpaw was a lithe white she-cat with icy blue eyes. Timberpaw dipped his head. "I-I'm Timberpaw, and this is Swiftpaw." He mewed and flicked his tail to the white apprentice with black patches. "And this is Willowpaw." He mewed and nodded to the pale cream she-cat. "Have you been apprentices for long?" Swanpaw asked, her voice smoother than silk. Timberpaw shook his head. "Only for a little more than a moon, and this is my second gathering." He mewed. "But Swiftpaw and Willowpaw have been apprentices for longer than I have." He added. Swiftpaw nodded and Willowpaw mewed. "Four moons now. How long have you been apprentices?" She asked, her ears twitching slightly. "Burrpaw has been an apprentice for two moons, but Swanpaw and I only became apprentices half a moon ago." Crowpaw mewed, shaking her fluffy fur. Timberpaw nodded. He wanted to ask them about if any more Thunderclan cats had trespassed. Well, if they had trespassed. But he didn't want to provoke them. Timberpaw looked sideways as a yowl sounded from the branches of the Great Oak. Rowanstar stood on a branch just above Bramblestar's head. Larkstar was crouched in the fork between a thick bough and the tree trunk while Reedstar's black pelt could just barely be seen. His dark gray eyes shone through the leaves. Squirrelflight sat on the great gnarled roots beside Crowfrost, Swanfeather and Foxflight. Jayfeather and Alderleaf sat among the other medicine cats. Larkstar stepped forward. "Windclan have little to report. Prey is running well and Heathertail has kitted Breezepelt's kits, Nightkit, Maplekit, Gorsekit and Vixenkit." She mewed. Timberpaw let out a yowl of congratulations and a few other cats copied him. Larkstar then dipped her head and flicked her to toward Reedstar. The black tom heaved himself to his paws. "A couple of days ago two of my apprentices chased a couple of rogues out of our territory. So I decided to give them their warrior names. Runningfire and Silverfrost are here as warriors tonight." Reedstar mewed and nodded to a ginger tom and a silver she-cat. The two cats held their chins high and gazed proudly up at their leader. Dozens of yowls sounded from the clearing. "Runningfire! Silverfrost! Runningfire! Silverfrost!" Reedstar waited until the noise had died away then the black tom nodded to Rowanstar. The russet tom rose slowly to his paws. Tension crackled the air like lightning between the Thunderclan and Shadowclan. "Silkfeather has kitted. And Yarrowfern is a proud father of Darkkit and Ashkit." He began in a low voice, the tip of his tail twitching. Timberpaw held his breath as he continued, and eerie silence gripped the island, only the wind that rustled the branches broke it. "We've been scenting Thunderclan scents among the boundaries that border Shadowclan territory and the unknown forest." He began raising his voice until he was screeching. "Prey-thieves!" Timberpaw sprang to his paws. "Never!" He yowled and saw that the other Thunderclan cats were also yowling out.

"Liar!" Dappledwillow yowled.

"Thunderclan hasn't put a paw over your borders!" Frogleap shrieked.

"How dare he call us prey-thieves?" Acornfall screeched.

Timberpaw was just as furious as his clanmates. Bramblestar rose to his paws and snarled in a deep, powerful voice. "Shadowclan attacked my patrol half a moon ago, and you accused us of stealing your prey. But I tell you this now just as I told you before. Thunderclan has not stolen prey!" He ended with a yowl and the Thunderclan cats yowled in agreement. "I thought you were more honorable than this, Rowanstar." Bramblestar hissed, baring his teeth. Timberpaw raced to his clanmates. He didn't even want to be close to Burrpaw, Crowpaw and Swanpaw. "How dare they?" Swiftpaw growled while Acornfall, Leafheart, Dappledwillow and Frogleap had already dropped into attack crouches, facing five Shadowclan warriors. Timberpaw unsheathed his claws. If this would end in battle he would fight for his clan! Then Alderleaf sprang to his paws just as Frogleap let out a challenging shriek. "Stop! Starclan is angry! Don't you see?" He yowled and looked up at the sky. Every cat in the clearing looked up. A thick cloud was rolling over the moon, but didn't cover it. Timberpaw whipped around and sat down, although his tail was still bushed out, and he hadn't sheathed his claws. Bramblestar took a deep breath. "Rowanstar, I promise you that none of my cats have crossed your borders. We have plenty of prey in our own territory, and we don't need to steal from others." He mewed in a low voice. Then he cleared his throat and spoke more clearly and loudly. "I also have two new warriors. Acornfall and Frogleap are here as full-fledged warriors!" The two siblings lifted their chins proudly. The loudest yowls sounded from the Thunderclan warriors, and some from Windclan and Riverclan. But Shadowclan stayed silent. "Cinderheart has kitted Lionblaze's kits, Redkit, Spiderkit and Silverkit." He finished and a ripple of congratulating yowls and mews sounded from the cats below him. Then, with a flick of his tail, he ended the gathering. Timberpaw could just hear Rowanstar growl into Bramblestar's ear. "This is not the end, Bramblestar."

Timberpaw charged into camp after Frogleap, Acornfall and Bramblestar. Poppyfrost and Rainsong, who had been guarding the camp, sprang to their paws. "What happened?" Poppyfrost asked her kits, Molewhisker and Cherryfall as the patrol stopped in the clearing. Cats began pouring out of their dens, murmurs rippling among them. Timberpaw raced to his siblings as they stumbled out of the apprentices' den. "What happened?" Fernpaw asked. Timberpaw was still panting and before he could catch his breath and tell his siblings, Bramblestar had leaped up the tumble of rocks. He didn't need to yowl the clan summons. "Tell us what happened!" Thornclaw yowled as the clans settled uneasily in the clearing. As Bramblestar told them about the gathering, anxious murmurs spread among the cats. "We need to expect an attack from Shadowclan any day now. We know that they will attack us, but we will be ready!" He yowled proudly. "Yeah!" Timberpaw yowled with his clanmates. They would surprise Shadowclan with their strength. "We will double the patrols along the Shadowclan border, and each patrol has to have at least 5 to 6 cats, if not more." He mewed and nodded to Squirrelflight. "Squirrelflight, I want you to organize the patrols and you, Icefeather, will be in charge of stocking up the camp. We need to patch the barrier and the dens." He then added. "Jayfeather, Alderleaf, I trust that you will stock up your herb stores. And I myself will be in charge of battle training." He decided. Icefeather and Squirrelflight nodded. "We will begin tomorrow!" He finished with a yowl. Timberpaw exchanged excited glances with his siblings.