Maplestar's Storm

Chapter 9: My first gathering!

Maplepaw's pelt tingled with excitement. She was going to her first gathering!

It was only a day after her ceremony. Rainstar had insisted her and the other apprentices go to the gathering. She wanted to show them which cats to look out for.

She walked slowly next to Violetpaw. Blazepaw and Feverpaw were bounding ahead, constantly getting scolded by Swiftheart.

Dovewing and Rainstar were leading the way. Behind them was Roseleaf. Hailstorm stayed behind to look after Snowear, who was having cramping belly pains.

The scent of many cats struck her, and she gasped in astonishment. So many scents!

The clearing was filled of cats of all shapes and sizes. They were chatting.

She scrambled down the Rocky slope down to the others. She scattered away.

She bumped into a cat. She squealed in surprise.

"Sorry! Did I hurt you?" The cat cried.

"No." Maplepaw sighed.

"Who are you?" The cat asked. Maplepaw noticed she was very familliar.

"Maplepaw from Cloudclan."

"Maplekit?." The she cat gasped. Maplekit felt a sudden ray of happiness shine inside her.

"Dawnpaw!" She cried, wrapping her tail around her sister.

"It's so good to see you again!" She cried. Maplepaw noticed her scent was gone.

"Come home!" Maplepaw breathed.

She cringed when Dawnpaw hesitated. "Well..." She sighed.

"What?!" Maplepaw gasped.

"I like this tom..." Dawnpaw began.

Maplekit was going to say something when a loud booming voice echoed through.

"Let the gathering begin!"

A tall dark she cat stood at the top of the huge tree that spread out across the stars.

"Shadowstar." Dawnpaw whispered to Maplepaw. "She is Darkclan leader!"

She pointed her tail to a tan tom with a gray diamond on his chest.

"That's the deputy, Adderfang."

She pointed to a she cat who looked a lot like a fawn.

"That so Mousefawn."

A silver tom in front of them turned his head to the two she cats.

"Hush!"

"Sorry Moonpelt."

Shadowstar loomed above the cats.

"We have two new apprentices." She announced.

"Dawnpaw and Mousepaw."

She glared at Rainstar as the cats cheered their names.

"We had a badger attack but we scared it off. It went onto the Flightclan boarder."

"Thank you, and we'll keep a eye out." Bumblestar mewed thankfully,

"Their are lots of birds, and mice are plentiful too."

She sat down and Bumblestar padded up.

"Flightclan is doing great. Goldenfur gave birth to two kits, Dustkit and Quailkit."

"Their is many prey, and we are all good."

Rainstar stepped up.

"Coaltail gave birth to a healthy kit, Flykit."

"We have four new apprentices, Blazepaw, Feverpaw, Violetpaw and Maplepaw."

Maplepaw puffed her chest as the cats called her name.

"Wait?" You have Feverkit?!" A red she cat called from the crowd,

"Yes. He wandered into our territory and he stayed with us."

The she cat glared at them in rage. "Give him back, you kit thief's!" She screamed, bolting forward. Two toms held her back.

"He told us that he was traded." Rainstar mewed calmly.

"No!" The she cat screamed.

"Heartspot! You did give me up! Don't lie!" A small shrill voice called out.

Feverpaw was glaring at his old mother. Maplepaw gasped.

Heartspot launched herself at Rainstar. They tumbled in a ball of fur.

Adderfang and Shadowstar yanked Heartspot off the Cloudclan leader.

Heartspot had a crazed look in her eyes. Mousefawn ambled over, she led her out the clearing,

Cats were murmuring. Maplepaw was worried, it was suddenly eerily quiet,

"Are we done?" A Flightclan cat called.

Rainstar nodded.

The cats filed out the clearing, Maplepaw bid Dawnpaw one more goodbye.

She glared at her as she bounded to join Mousepaw, her "brother"

All that for a tom?