Warriors || Rose's Path

Chapter 5

       The last traces of snow had been washed away by a previous rain. The frost that usually came in the mornings had ceased. The still, crisp air had become windy and humid. A gray full moon hung in the sky.
       Rosepaw padded accords the Gathering island with Brackenpaw. Amberpaw was sitting with a black and white ThunderClan apprentice that Rosepaw recognized as Cinderpaw. Puddlepaw had been forbidden to go tonight.
       Brackenpaw led Rosepaw to the edge of the clearing where a young gray tom sat. He smelled of ShadowClan. Brackenpaw took a seat beside him, dipping his head in greeting.
      Rosepaw approached slowly. She sat close beside Brackenpaw, glancing at her paws shyly.
        "I'm Brackenpaw, and this is Rosepaw," Brackenpaw introduced them. "We're from WindClan."
       Rosepaw took a chance to glance up at the gray tom. He had one white paw and bright green eyes. His fur was fluffed out anxiously.
       "I-I'm Pebblepaw," the tom glanced nervously at both the other apprentices.
       "Nice to meet you," Brackenpaw replied formally.
      Rosepaw nodded, not meeting Pebblepaw's gaze. He didn't seem that interested anyways. Rosepaw sighed with relief as the awkward silence was broken by a leader's yowl from the Great Oak.
        A light brown and white she-cat stood in the oak.
        "This leaf-bare has been tough for ThunderClan, I won't lie," Doestar's mew was soft with emotion, but it rang out around the island clearly. "One of our warriors had fallen from a tree while hunting. He broke his leg, which spread with infection. Whitewhisker hunts with StarClan now."
         A moment of silence rippled through the gathered cats. Whitewhisker had been a young warrior, with a whole life stretched ahead of him. The harsh times of leaf-bare had stollen his life away, just because of a small mistake he made while feeding his Clan. Rosepaw caught sight of a brown she-cat with white paws and ear tips.
        Deerpetal was hunched over in grief for her brother. Her white-tipped ears were flicked back in sorrow. Rosepaw felt sympathy surge through her paws. She didn't have that much of a connection with her brother, Puddlepaw, but she couldn't imagine loosing him. She glanced sideways into deep green eyes. Or Brackenpaw.
       As Doestar sat down, a gray and white tom stood up in the oak.
        "ShadowClan is sorry for your loss," Rainstar began. "But good news comes with us. Kestrelfoot is expecting Cherryfur's kits."
       Mumbles of congratulation sounded around Rosepaw. She saw a brown she-cat, Kestrelfoot, siting with a russet tabby tom.
        Rosepaw saw her own leader stand among the oak, ginger tipped tail flicking. "WindClan has thrived this leaf-bare. We expect more seasons with plenty of prey to come."
      The black and white she-cat sat, motioning toward a gray she-cat with darker gray flecks.
       The old RiverClan leader stood, yellow eyes weary. "RiverClan is doing well," Waterstar started. Rosepaw could see how old the frail she-cat was. "We have had a shortage of apprentices, and the nursery had been empty lately."
           Rosepaw's paws pricked. Where is she going with this?
        Waterstar's yellow eyes were slits. "So I decided, for the best of RiverClan, to take some other cats into the Clan. We have welcomed three new members into RiverClan who came from the horseplace."
      Tension stirred throughout the cats. Growls erupted, and some hisses.
        A black she-cat raised her voice. "You can't bring kittypets into the Clans!" Rosepaw recognized Crowheart, the ShadowClan elder.
        Waterstar raised her tail for silence. "Harrypaw, Muffinpaw, and Blossompaw will train just as hard as any warrior," the RiverClan leader assured them.
        Cedarroar gave a growl from a group of ThunderClan cats. "Some of them even kept their kittypet names." The brown tabby tom's blue eyes flickered.
       Doestar raised her tail. "This Gathering is over!" She lashed her tail, casting her amber eyes at Waterstar.
       The old RiverClan leader leaped down from the tall oak with a grunt, leading her Clan hurriedly off the island.
       "Goodbye, Pebblepaw," Brackenpaw had already stood to his paws.
     Rosepaw followed him towards their Clanmates. He slowed and turned his face to look at Rosepaw.
        "I hope the tension dies away between RiverClan and the other Clans. I don't agree with what Waterstar did, but that shouldn't cause battles that shouldn't be fought."
      Rosepaw shivered at Brackenpaw's words. She knew he hadn't been serious about an actual battle, but she couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding looming over her like an overcast sky.