Lightningstar padded out of her den, her thoughts on the gathering that would be held that night. It would be held in FlowerClan's camp for the first time. Lightningstar was slightly nervous and hoped that RainClan would make a good impression in front of the new Clan.
She was snapped out of her thoughts when Petalshine walked up to her.
"Lightningstar, are you ok? You look worried." The light brown she-cat mewed.
"I'm fine." Lightningstar's pelt grew hot with embarrassment. She shouldn't be worried, things would go fine. "Have you figured out who's going to the gathering?"
"I've been thinking up a plan for that actually." Petalshine smiled. "We could let our clanmates decide if they go or not. They're always complaining that they didn't get to go, or that they don't want to, so this should fix that."
Lightningstar nodded. It made sense. Petalshine walked away to ask about who wanted to go to the gathering and Lightningstar was left alone next to her den.
She shuffled her golden paws restlessly. She had already completed all of her duties for the day. To her delight, one of her best friends, Pebblelight, walked up to her after a few moments.
"Lightningstar!" The brown tabby called. "Have you forgotten anything today?"
Lightningstar laughed. She had always been forgetful, even from kithood.
"I don't think so!" She looked around the camp. Morningrain and Birchfur were bathing in the sun while Bramblekit and Rosekit chased each other around the camp noisily.
"Are Blossomfern's kits ready to be apprenticed?" Lightningstar mewed, seeing how big the young cats were getting.
"They're just a few days older than six moons, which means you did forget something!" Pebblelight teased. Lightningstar swiped playfully at his head with paw with her claws sheathed as he laughed and ducked.
"Well, when the patrols get back, I'll apprentice them. Do you think Mintsong is ready for an apprentice?" Pebblelight nodded.
"Please don't even think of apprenticing Rosekit to Roseshade just because she's named after her." Lightningstar stuck her tongue out at him.
"Too late!"
***
"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, please gather near the Fallen Tree." Lightningstar leaped onto the tree and gazed down at her clanmates. Kits, queens, elders, and warrior all came happily out of their dens, eager to hear what Lightningstar had to say.
"Rosekit, Bramblekit, please approach the Fallen Tree." The kits scrambled over eachother to get to Lightningstar first as their parents looked at them with a mixture of laughter and love.
"Rosekit, you will be known as Rosepaw for now on." Lightningstar stared straight into Pebblelight's yellow eyes as she said the next sentence. "Your mentor will be Roseshade since you are named after her."
The two cats touched noses then took a step back from the tree, the younger bouncing slightly on her paws.
"Bramblekit, you will be known as Bramblepaw until you earn your warrior name. Your mentor will be Mintsong." Lightningstar stepped off of the tree after the other two cats touched noses. "And now, we go to the gathering!" She called.
The sun was setting as the RainClan cats walked quickly through the forest, bathing their territory in bright, warm light. By the time they had found their way to FlowerClan's camp Silverpelt had replaced the sunset with glittering stars.
"Lightningstar, you're late." Dewstar mewed harshly. Lightningstar flattened her ears.
"I'm sorry, Dewstar. We were having an apprentice ceremony and lost track of time." Lightningstar apologized. She sat next to the other leaders, avoiding their gazes.
"Who wants to speak first?" Silverstar said from next to Dewstar. Dewstar stepped forward a bit.
"PondClan is doing great. Prey is-" Lightningstar stared at the white she-cat next to her, Dewstar's mew fading out. Who was she? Had something happened to Poppystar?
She scanned the group of cats below her. Lightningstar didn't remember any white cats being in FlowerClan when they had arrived...
"Lightningstar?" She nearly jumped out of her tabby pelt.
"What?" Dewstar's eyes narrowed.
"It's your turn to report."
"Oh, uh, RainClan is doing well. We have two new apprentices, Bramblepaw and Rosepaw!" Lightningstar smiled as the Clans called out their names.
"Bramblepaw! Rosepaw!"
They quieted down after a bit and Lightningstar continued.
"The pine forest is full of prey and none of our cats go hungry." Lightningstar turned towards Silverstar, who she knew would be speaking next, but the white cat spoke instead.
"Should I introduce myself again?" She asked a gray tom, Skyclaw, below her. He nodded and she faced the other leaders.
"I'm Icestar, the new leader of FlowerClan." She paused. "Though, I used to just Ice."
"FlowerClan? Where's Poppystar?" The white cat glanced down at the tom.
"She died yesterday, on her way to the Moonstone. Of sickness, I believe." Lightningstar looked down at her paws. "Skyclaw invited me to join FlowerClan and lead them."
"What!? You just joined FlowerClan and now you're leading it?" Silverstar narrowed her blue eyes.
"I'm the only cat who can!" Icestar insisted. Dewstar and Silverstar looked at her skeptically.
"Do you have nine lives?" Lightningstar asked. She stepped between Icestar and the other leaders, trying to stop the tension growing between them.
"Of course." Icestar mewed.
"Do you even believe in StarClan?" Dewstar's brown tabby pelt spiked up, making the long-haired she-cat seem even fluffier.
"I've believed in it since I was a kit, one of my ancestors was a Clan cat turned kittypet." Lightningstar thought back to her Clan's history. She had never heard of a Clan cat leaving RainClan. Maybe it was from PondClan or StoneClan?
Dewstar scoffed and Icestar glared at her.
"But you know nothing about Clan life! Does FlowerClan even have a medicine cat?" Dewstar looked down at the FlowerClan cats scornfully. Icestar bent down to whisper with Skyclaw again.
"Um, I'm not sure. But Bluewing knows a lot about herbs." Icestar gestured to a she-cat in the crowd with a white paw. "Skyclaw chose me because I am perfectly healthy and strong. Almost all of my Clanmates are sick or injured!"
"Dewstar, Silverstar, I think we should-" Lightningstar was cut off by an angry Icestar.
"Just let me lead my Clanmates! It doesn't involve you!"
"What!? How does this not involve us!?" Silverstar roared. " FlowerClan took in a kittypet as their leader, someone who is supposed to be trusted by everyone! What happens in FlowerClan impacts all of the Clans!"
Every cat in the crowd was angry by now. Lightningstar looked down at them, her green eyes filling with worry.
She flinched as lightning struck near Highstones followed by loud thunder. The leaders looked towards the moon.
It was covered by dark clouds. Lightningstar sighed.
"StarClan is angry, " Lightningstar paused as the cats next to her snarled at each other. "For whatever reason."
"We must stop the gathering." Dewstar mewed, nodding.
And with that the gathering came to a close, leaving each Clan more suspicious of each other than ever before.
YOU ARE READING
Warriors: FlowerClan's War #1 - A Clan's Choice
Fanfiction**BOOK 1** On the other side of Highstones, three new clans have begun. StoneClan, RainClan, and PondClan have been peaceful for many moons. A new Clan has come to live with them, but their introduction isn't going as well as the cats had hoped. Can...
