Warriors; Shadows of the Forest

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The clearing buzzed with different cats’ voices. Emberpaw watched as Streakpaw talked with a pretty white she-cat before padding over to her.

“Where’s Sparrowpaw?” He asked, looking around.

“He got attacked by a snake.” She responded. He was doing much better since yesterday, but he still didn’t go to that night’s Gathering.

Streakpaw looked startled. “Is he okay?” He inquired.

“He’ll be fine, Tigerlily said.” Emberpaw nodded. She looked past Streakpaw and thought about how lucky Sparrowpaw was.

“Do you want to talk with some other cats before the Gathering starts?” The tom mewed.

“Sure,” Emberpaw replied, following Streakpaw across the island. He stopped at a group of older apprentices. They examined Emberpaw carefully before greeting Streakpaw.

“I’m Salmonpaw, and that’s Splashpaw.” A ginger tabby tom meowed to her. He beckoned to a gray and white she-cat with a long pelt. Emberpaw greeted them both with a nod.

“I’m Foxpaw,” A mottled brown tom meowed. Beside him, Ravenpaw watched her, tail tip flicking. “And you know Ravenpaw.”

Emberpaw nodded, settling down beside Streakpaw. Beside her, a black and white tom dipped his head. “I’m Reedpaw,” he mewed. “It’s nice to meet you.”

She nodded and smiled. “I’m Emberpaw,” she answered.

“I like the truce between the Clans much better,” Streakpaw mewed to the cats. “It’s a lot better than fighting.”

Salmonpaw gave a nasty glance to Ravenpaw. The secretive she-cat flicked her tail. “RiverClan has done a lot of pelt ripping as well, Salmonpaw.”

Splashpaw nodded. “She’s right.”

Minnowstar yowled to start the Gathering. “RiverClan is doing just fine without anyone’s help. Even though the rivers are nearly frozen again, we’ve been hunting on land,” he announced proudly, as if he’d forgotten that he’d practically been begging for ShadowClan to give them more territory. “During those few warm days, the rivers thawed, and we’ve stocked the fresh kill pile.” The tom stepped back.

Applestar went next. “ThunderClan is thriving,” She meowed. She looked around at the crowd. “I don’t really have much to say, except that we found RiverClan scent and ShadowClan scent over our borders."

Immediately, yowls of protest erupted.

Minnowstar hissed and raised his tail. Most of the cats fell silent. “Applestar, we do not share a border with ThunderClan.” He gazed at her calmly. “How would RiverClan scent get there?”

“I wondered that as well.” She glared at him. “Stay on your own territory.”
Darkstar shrugged. “Whatever you say, Applestar,” he mewed before speaking himself. “ShadowClan is doing just fine. We have two new kits, Floodkit and Thistlekit.”

Lastly, Ashstar addressed the cats. “We have two new warriors; Skyflame and Pigeontail.” She shook her long silver pelt. “The hunting is well and our borders are secure.”

With that, the leaders spoke quietly amongst each other. Emberpaw turned back to the crowd of apprentices; none of the ThunderClan cats seemed to believe their leader’s rumors about ShadowClan scent across the border.

Reedpaw’s tail brushed hers lightly as he swept it around himself. “Do you believe Applestar?” He mewed to Foxpaw.

“Lately, my leader has been going crazy,” he answered. Emberpaw looked at him in question, and he shrugged. “She rarely talks to anyone now. She doesn’t come out of her den until the moon is up, and then she sits in the center of the camp and stares at it.”