Cinder

Chapter 3

Cinderpaw flexed her claws as she waited to depart for the gathering. She had just finished her first Moon of training, and already her body was filling out and lean muscles coated her pelt. Splashpaw sat beside her, squirming with excitement. Cinderpaw knew she would be a warrior within the next moon or two. Splashpaw had just become an apprentice soon after Cinderpaw was born, and was more than ready to become a warrior alongside her brother, Graypaw. Their parents were Featherheart and Thistlewing. Thistlewing was Patchfur's bother, making Graypaw and Splashpaw her first cousins, though that didn't matter much to Cinderpaw since she is a cat, but the two got along well together.
     "Excited for your first gathering?" Splashpaw mewed.
     "More than." Cinderpaw replied, scanning the clearing. She noticed Talonkit padding up to her, and she let out a purr as the sturdy tom came over, waving his tail in greeting.
    "I wish I were coming with you." He meowed. Splashpaw let out a little purr.
    "Your time will come soon." She meowed.
    "Not soon enough." Hawkkit grumbled, walking over to stand beside his brother.
    "Stop wining." Cinderpaw growled. Hawkkit shot her a glare.
    "You think you're so cool just because you are an apprentice!" The kit mewed, flexing his long, hooked claws.
     "I'm only telling you to stop acting like a newborn kit all the time!" Cinderpaw retorted. She felt a tail touch her shoulder and she met eyes with Splashpaw, who flickered her tail behind her. Cinderpaw noticed Falconstar keeping a close eye on them, and Cinderpaw realized Splashpaw was warning her not to cause trouble with the clan leaders kit. She let out a patient sigh. "Listen Hawkkit, lets not have this discussion." She meowed softly. Hawkkit just let out a hiss and padding back to the nursery with his tail held high. Talonkit followed, shooting an apologetic glance at the two She cats as he went.
     "I've never liked Hawkkit, he thinks he's so much better than everyone else." Splashpaw said. Falconstar let out a call to show that they were ready to leave, and Cinderpaw followed.

She sat on the island, watching many cats mill about in the clearing. She watched as different pelts swarmed in her view. She caught eyes with a familiar dark tabby, and he veered over to meet her.
      "Look who it is, if it isn't Cinderkit." The cat mewed. Cinderpaw fluffed up her fur.
     "Cinderpaw." She retorted. The tom let out a rusty purr.
      "Of course. You are at a gathering, and it's been a while since I saw you in my territory." Snakepaw mewed. "How's your training going?" He asked. Cinderpaw narrowed her eyes, glancing at Snakepaw. She saw nothing but friendly curiosity in his eyes, and realized he was trying to be friendly.
      "It's good! I'm learning to hunt and fight." Cinderpaw said, flexing her claws. Snakepaw let out a mrrow of amusement.
      "I can see. You've grown since I saw you. I wouldn't want to meet you in battle." He meowed. Cinderpaw frowned. His tone seemed to suggest he saw her as no more than a boasting kit.
      "And what about you?" She asked.
      "It's good. I've been an apprentice for a while, but I still got some to leave yet. But at least all has been peaceful in RiverClan." He meowed.
     "That's good." She mewed, though on the inside she realized that they did not share a border with ThunderClan, which meant Mudstar probably picked on them the least.
"Snakepaw!" They turned to see a pretty gray and white she cat calling to the brown apprentice. "Come join me and Lionpaw!" Snakepaw turned to Cinderpaw.
"I'm gonna go sit with Mistpaw. Talk to you later Cinderpaw!" He called before joining his clanmates. Cinderpaw watched him go before she was about to join Graypaw and Splashpaw. Just then she noticed dark shadows at the edge of her vision as another clan crossed the bridge onto the island. The moonlight illuminated their pelts. A dark cat was coming toward her. Before she could get out of the way it crashed into her.
"Hey watch it!" She meowed indignantly. She was met staring into a pair of dark amber eyes. The cat looked at her with wide eyes.
"Oh sorry." He mewed, shaking out his sleek black fur. Cinderpaw relaxed. "I'm Ravenpaw" he added after a moment.
"Cinderpaw." She replied. They stood their in awkward silence, neither speaking, before a pretty calico trotted up to them, her green eyes friendly.
"I haven't met you two before."'she mewed in a quiet, polite voice. "The other cats seem occupied. Who are you two? Are you from the same clan?" She asked.
"N-no. I'm Cinderpaw of WindClan and this is Ravenpaw of ThunderClan ." She meowed.
"I'm Maplepaw from ShadowClan." Ravenpaw snorted.
"Just as well. All ShadowClan cats are soft, and you look like you just left the nursery." He scoffed. Maplepaw looked taken aback.
"Er...."
"Watch what you say bud, I'm sure any ShadowClan cat could claw your fur off."
Cinderpaw retorted hotly. Ravenpaw steppes back, nostrils flaring. Maplepaw chuckled.
     "He probably gets the idea from Mudstar." She meowed.
     "Hey! Mudstar is a good leader and-"
     "Oh lighten up will you!" Maplepaw snapped softly. "I'm only trying to be friendly."
     "Well you insulted my clan leader!" Ravenpaw growled.
     "Oh please!" Said Cinderpaw, rolling her eyes. Ravenpaw bared his teeth at her. Cinderpaw glared at him.
      "Can't we be friends?" Maplepaw asked hopelessly.
      "Why? We don't know each other?" Ravenpaw snapped.
      "We could meet up sometime and get to know each other." Maplepaw suggested.
     "That's the most mouse brained idea I've ever heard?" Ravenpaw retorted. "I already have friends in my own clan!"
     "But don't you want to expand your horizons beyond your own clan? Why do we all have to be enemies all the time?" She asked. Cinderpaw stared at her. She had often thought the same thing the past moon, when Morningsun had told her the clans were natural enemies.
     "I think Maplepaw is right. I want good friends in all clans." Ravenpaw seemed to relax his stance, taking in their words.
    "I guess that makes sense." Before they could continue their conversation, a yowl sounded. Cinderpaw turned to look at the leaders who are perched on the great oak. She noticed a massive tom who looked black in the shadows, with dark, glaring amber eyes. She guessed that was Mudstar, the feared ThunderClan leader.
    "I shall speak first. ThunderClan is proud to announce our new apprentices: Ravenpaw and Darkpaw." Cinderpaw saw Ravenpaw puff his chest proudly, whole she noticed a dark gray, almost black tom sitting a little way off looking in with pride in his eyes. "Our prey is running well, and our borders are well defended." He sat down. Petalstar addressed the clans next. She was a small calico and ShadowClan's leader. She was much smaller then Mudstar.
   "ShadowClan is doing well. We have Maplepaw as our newest apprentice." Petalstar paused while the clans cheered the apprentice. "Mudstar, we would like to address why ThunderClan scent is in our borders." She added, glaring at the ThunderClan leader.
    "Nonsense Petalstar. We have not been in your territory." He mewed smoothly.
    "Lair! I've smelled them myself!" Cloudspring, her deputy, protested.
"Prove it!" Switcheye, Mudstar's deputy, snarled.
"I don't have to! I smelled it myself!" Cloudspring snarled, ready to pounce on Switcheye.
"Enough! Let's get on with the gathering st stop accusing each other!" Falconstar meowed. Cloudspring sat with a huff.
"Any ThunderClan cat found on our territory will have to answer to our claws." Petalstar finished, sitting. Mudstar snorted, amused, but didn't reply. Thornstar addressed the clans next, and all Falconstar reported was Cinderpaw becoming an apprentice. As the gathering came to an end, Maplepaw turned to them.
"Let's try meeting within three tail lengths of the lake by ThunderClan territory." She meowed. Ravenpaw dipped his head. "In two nights!" They nodded. Maplepaw said goodbye before bounding off. Cinderpaw said farewell and followed her clan, excited at the prospect of getting to know more about the two cats.