Warriors: Shooting Star Book #1 A Star Is Born (#Wattys2015)

Chapter 10

Wolfpaw followed close behind Sparrowpaw and Hazelpaw while Bramblestripe talked excitingly with Berrybush. Glareglaze was following behind Adderstar and Twitchwhisker as they talked quietly to one another. Bellowvoice kept looking back, thinking about his mate and kits without him in camp. Bramblestripe rolled his eyes and kept telling the father that his kits and mate were safe with Stripeclaw watching them. Wolfpaw looked back to see Goosetail was in the back, glaring at his Clan as he followed. Wolfpaw lowered his head as he went back to watching where he was going.

They passed the barn that Wolfpaw saw the first time he went to see a Gathering with Midnight. Wolfpaw looked to see some cats were standing at the entrance to the big den. They glared at the Clan cats as they passed, their eyes full of pain and loss. One tom looked similar to the black ShadowClan queen, only he looked much more muscular than her and he didn't have any scars. His green eyes were lighter and his pelt was messy as well. Something began nawing at Wolfpaw as ThunderClan passed the barn and made their way to the island.

Wolfpaw watched at the older cats jumped on to the tree bridge. Sparrowpaw and Bramblestripe turned to look back at Wolfpaw.

"It's gonna be a little high," Sparrowpaw explained, looking down at the younger apprentice, "just remember to hunch up you legs and shoulders when lowering yourself down."

Wolfpaw, lowered himself down, narrowing his eyes as he glared up. He could smell RiverClan scent behind him and get stronger. He'd have to jump soon if he didn't want to get scolded. He readied to jump, but froze when something cold blew over him. It was the middle of green leaf, how could there be that cold a breeze around him?

"Hi!" Wolfpaw almost jumped when the sound of a happy little mew came from behind him. He turned to see a silver she-cat, her light blue eyes full of interest. She had a white muzzle and underbelly with a dark grey stripe running from her head to her tail.

"What's wrong?" The she-cat meowed. "It's not that high, then again those stubby legs of yours probably make it hard for you to catch a mouse!" two other cats standing behind her snickered.

Wolfpaw flicked his tail and rolled his eyes. Turning back to the tree and not thinking about the she-cat as he lowered himself, then jumped on the tree bridge between Bramblestripe and Sparrowpaw. He lifted his tail and walked down the tree with his Clanmates, who looked surprised and impressed. He jumped down next to Hazelpaw and made his way to look for the apprentices. Sparrowpaw and Hazelpaw followed behind him as the three RiverClan cats jumped down and followed quickly after them.

"Wow, that was incredible!" The silver she-cat meowed, running up to walk beside Wolfpaw. "I've never seen a stubby legged apprentice jump that high!"

Wolfpaw didn't say anything. He didn't care what cats said about his size. Skill seemed much more important than the size of a cat. He stopped near the apprentices from different Clans, who were conversing among themselves. The silver she-cat dropped down next to him with a purr.

"I'm Silverpaw by the way!" The she-cat mewed happily.

Before Wolfpaw could give his name a dark grey tom with black stripes ran up to them. "Wolfpaw!" The tom exclaimed. "Remember me? It's Acepaw!"

Wolfpaw immediately remembered when ThunderClan spent the night at WindClan, because of the fire. The kits would play while warriors and apprentices were fixing camp. One of the kits, Acekit, played the most with Wolfkit to make him feel better.

"Hey, Acepaw," Wolfpaw perked up, "its been awhile, hasn't it."

"How's your training going?" Acepaw asked lying down, wrapping his tail around his paws.

"Well, it's going... Interesting..." Wolfpaw lowered his ears, thinking about Glaregaze's methods, Hazelnose not being there to watch him grow, and Goosetail ignoring him and probably going to see that WindClan she-cat.

Wolfpaw flinched when he saw the black and white warrior going up to greet Goosetail. He flicked his tail irritablely as the two touched noses and lied down to share tongues. The silver tom's eyes then went to Glaregaze, who watched the scene as well. The older warrior scowled before turning and storming off to talk to a SkyClan cat.

"Well, if isn't the little apprentice!" Wolfpaw lowered his ears when he saw the sandy ShadowClan apprentice. "Helped any other Clan that's not your own lately?"

"Leave him alone, Snarlpaw," Acepaw growled.

"No, it's fine," Wolfpaw got to his paws, "I didn't want a fight to break out, it would be unfortunate if Sparrowpaw ruined that gorgeous pelt of yours!"

Snarlpaw growled and unsheathed his claws as the black ShadowClan she-cat stepped up. "Snarlpaw, remember what Marshstar said," she meowed, "this is a night of peace, you are not allowed to fight here at a Gathering."

The apprentice looked at the she-cat and sheathed his claws before sitting down and lowering his ears. "Sorry, Mimi..."

Wolfpaw suddenly remembered seeing Mimi in the tunnels with Snarlpaw as a kit. They seemed so unhappy in ShadowClan, especially her. Wolfpaw wondered if those cats from the barn had any connection to Mimi. One of them did look a lot like her.

When Mimi walked off, another apprentice, who smelled of SkyClan came up and sat among the apprentices, wrapping his tail around his paws. He was very muscular for an apprentice, he was a light brown tabby and his green eyes were so light, they seemed to brighten the clearing.

"Hi, Bravepaw!" Silverpaw purred, then placed her tail on Wolfpaw's back. "This is Wolfpaw-" she lifted her tail to point at Acepaw, "and that's Acepaw." she said with disinterest. The dark grey stripped apprentice flashed a glare at the silver she-cat before looking back at Bravepaw, who lied down near them.

The clearing then went quiet as the leaders jumped up to the Great Oak. Adderstar sat next to RiverClan's leader, Minnowstar. He was dark brown and his eyes looked a dark amber, but seemed light brown looking closer. Cloudstar sat on Minnowstar's other side. On the other branch sat Marshstar, the ShadowClan leader. He was dark brown and black, his green eyes blazing down at the Gathering. Next to him sat Ramstar, SkyClan's leader. He was a light grey and brown tom with calm silver eyes.

"Adderstar," Cloudstar spoke, "would you like to go first?"

Adderstar bowed his head before getting to his paws. "We have a new apprentice and others are sure to come next Gathering, as well as new warriors. Wolfpaw is Glaregaze's new apprentice." congratulations were given to both the silver apprentice and his mentor. Sparrowpaw and Hazelpaw looked at each other excitingly, while Bramblestripe looked proudly down at them.

Adderstar nodded to Cloudstar before sitting back down on the branch. "We have been given new apprentices as well, only three are here with us at this Gathering, Acepaw, Loosepaw, and Leafpaw. We have also been given a new warrior, Beefur." congratulations were spread through the clearing from the apprentices to the new warrior. "We also have new kits, Flitfoot has given birth to Moortail's four kits; Quickkit, Honeykit, Sandkit, and Dashkit."

Wolfpaw let out a silent sigh of relief when he saw a WindClan warrior lick the she-cat Goosetail had been seeing. She hadn't given birth to Wolfpaw's half kin and this would probably mean they were done.

The long haired tom then looked to Minnowstar.

"Only new kits have come to RiverClan," the RiverClan leader, "Mistkit and Calmkit."

The leader sat down and looked to one of the other leaders on the other branch. Marshstar stood up before Ramstar, his held high with pride. "ShadowClan is proud to have Snarlpaw as our new apprentice!"

Wolfpaw looked to see the sandy, brown stripped tom puff his chest out proudly. Mimi looked to him with a spark of pride and amusement in her eyes, but she seemed so sad.

Marshstar sat down and flicked his tail for Ramstar to go next. The leader just shrugged to signal that there was nothing new in SkyClan. Adderstar so then decided the Gathering was over. Wolfpaw said goodbye to the other apprentices before running off to join Sparrowpaw and Hazelpaw. He looked back to see Goosetail touch Flitfoot's nose before going to join ThunderClan. Glaregaze glared at the sandy warrior as he trekked on. Wolfpaw tilted his head. The she-cat had given birth to Moortail's kits, they were WindClan cats. Weren't they?