Magicstar's Story

Chapter 5

The sunlight of dawn filtered through the branches of the apprentices' den. Magicpaw lifted her head sleepily and yawned.

"Morning, Magicpaw." Purred Deadpaw, who was standing above her, "Hungry?" he asked.

"Very." she replied. Magicpaw stood up and stretched letting the cool, damp, morning air soak into her stiff limbs. She followed Deadpaw out of the den and into the clearing, then to the fresh kill pile.

"You two are going to the gathering tonight." came a voice behind the two apprentices. Magicpaw turned around to see her mentor, Ivyheart, walking toward them.

"Really?" Deadpaw asked, excitedly.

"Really." Ivyheart replied, then added "eat and meet me by the gorse tunnel, we're hunting today." Magicpaw and Deadpaw walked over to the fresh-kill pile, they ate one mouse each, then stood up and bounded toward the gorse tunnel meeting Ivyheart there just in time. "Alright let's go." With a flick of her tail, Magicpaw and Deadpaw followed Ivyheart into the forest.

The patrol got back a little bit before sun down, they ate again and shared tongues until Firestar told them it was time to leave for the gathering. Magicpaw raced beside the other warriors, her legs ached still from the hunt but she felt new energy and strength grow in her small legs.

Once they were on top of the slope, Ivyheart turned to Magicpaw "Don't say to much, but don't say to little." she whispered "This is a time of truce, but anything you say tonight could be counted against you in battle." Magicpaw nodded, she shivered against the cold night air, the moon climbing up into the sky. Deadpaw was beside her now, pressing close to her. Firestar lifted her light and dark orange striped tail and flicked it, signalling to the clan to move forward. The clan moved as one, down into the clearing where the great rocks that stood in the center, studded from the ground like spikes.

Deadpaw and Magicpaw halted at the edge of the clearing, "Is that GatheringRock?" Magicpaw asked him, Deadpaw nodded. They picked their way through the throng of cats.

"Magicpaw!" came a voice from behind her, Shadowclaw! Magicpaw turned around and saw her brother padding toward them. "It's great to see you! How are you?" he meowed casually but there was a soft purr in his words.

"I'm well, and you?" Magicpaw noticed Deadpaw slightly bristling beside her, "You know him?" he asked looking at Shadowclaw with a brown stare. Her pelt burned with embarrassment.

"We saw each other at the border." Shadowclaw put in quickly "I was looking for Horsetail for our medicine cat, he was running low." Magicpaw signed inwardly, he just made Darkclan seem weak!

"Oh, did you find any?" Deadpaw mewed evenly. Shadowclaw nodded, just then a voice echoed around the clearing.

"Let the gathering begin!" Magicpaw turned to see who had summoned the clans, it was Riverstar, the Iceclan leader. Her sleek gray fur with dark gray markings glowed silver as the moonlight washed over her pelt. Deathstar, the Darkclan leader was a dark tabby with a scar on his left eye, was sitting beside Windstar, Magicpaw guessed, she remember the elders describing the Airclan leader as a skinny light brown tom with white paws and chest. Firestar sat on the other side of Deathstar, her fur now looking amber-like in the moonlight.

Riverstar stepped forward, "Iceclan is doing well, we have a new litter of kits born to Flamingeagle and Dawnflight!" The clans murmured their congratulations. Riverstar went on, "We also have found rogue sent in our territory, and from what the patrols have told me it was gone into Fireclan territory on its own."

She gave Firestar a look, "Well, thank you, Riverstar." Her fur fluffed up slightly, "I'll tell the patrols to keep a lookout." Magicpaw and Shadowclaw exchanged a glance, and she knew they were thinking the same thing. Could it be our father? Magicpaw shook her head to clear it she would have recognized the scent, wouldn't she?

Firestar and Riverstar we're staring at each other, "I think you had your patrols chase it onto my territory on purpose!" Firestar growled, "Well, don't chase it back onto Iceclan territory!" Riverstar hissed back.

Riverstar watched the Fireclan leader through narrow eyes, ears flat, as Firestar stepped forward to make her report.

"They used to be such good friends..." murmured an elder who was sitting behind Magicpaw.

"Really?" she asked turning around to face the elder astonished. The elder nodded flicking his ear, telling Magicpaw to be silent. She looked back at the leaders and saw proudness flash briefly in Deathstar's eyes. What was that all about? Magicpaw asked herself confused.

The meeting was called to an end as Deathstar and Windstar both made their reports.

"Come on." Shadowclaw whispered to Magicpaw, "there's someone I want you to meet." Magicpaw got up to follow him but then Deadpaw stopped her.

"Where you going?" He asked eyeing Shadowclaw, "I want her to meet someone." Shadowclaw told him, and with that he led Magicpaw away to a group of Airclan cats, he flicked his tail and white she-cat with light gray tabby markings and bright blue eyes, broke off from them a padded toward Shadowclaw.

"Greetings." The she-cat purred touching noses with Shadowclaw, then she turned to Magicpaw, and gave her a curious sniff.

"Magic?" She breathed, "Spirit?" Magicpaw looked up at her almost trembling with emotion, she never thought she see her sister again! "I'm Spiritfur now." The white she-cat told her.

"Magicpaw." Just then she was back in Sliverclan's hunting grounds with Flametail standing in front of her.

"There will come a time, where Fireclan, and all the clans, will listen to you and you alone. The moon will be covered by a Shadow's claw, the fur of spirits will brush against all that choose to listen to you."

Magicpaw shook her head, the gathering slowly coming to an end around her. Spiritfur and Shadowclaw were staring at her, "Are you okay?" Spiritfur asked, Magicpaw nodded.

"Fireclan, It's time we return home! May Silverclan light our paths til next moon!" Ivyheart called to her clan. Magicpaw meowed goodbye to her brother and sister and bounded over to Deadpaw.

"Who was that?" He asked.

"Spiritfur." Magicpaw replied, then added "She's a Airclan cat."

They followed their clanmates through the undergrowth, swerving to avoid trees and brambles all the way back to Fireclan camp.