(Outdated) Warriors: Clouded Skies #3 - Silent Stars

Chapter Eighteen

"Come on, Willowpaw, hurry up now," Pebblepeak called back to the young she-cat. Willowpaw tried to make her paws move faster, but the scratchy stone of the tunnel made her fur shiver and she had the instinct to slow. Snowfern brushed against her side.

"I don't like it either," she said softly in her daughter's ear. "But it's good to get used to it."

Willowpaw didn't exactly agree but didn't argue, either. The tunnel they were taking was hidden behind the Rock Pile in the clearing, and it led into the forest not far from the Gathering Hollow. Willowpaw could hear the rest of the Clan's group ahead of her, led by Eagleclaw. The darkness pressed at her eyes and her gaze refused to adjust to the shadows, as there was nothing to make out anyway--just long, smooth walls.

By the time they reached the end of the tunnel Willowpaw's pads felt scraped, and she was happy to emerge into the cold night air. The snow felt extremely cold against her paws, and she shivered from the freezing breeze.

"Let's keep moving, it'll keep us warm," Eagleclaw called from the front of the group as she started off. Willowpaw followed along Snowfern's side, Pebblepeak in front of her. 

The forest was dark and silent, only broken by the muffled pawsteps of the cats. Willowpaw cast a glance up to the sky--through the empty branches was the full moon, high in the sky and almost at its peak. She briefly turned her gaze to the Star Streak, the long stretch of stars over the Old Twolegplace, for once unblocked by nighttime clouds. Willowpaw wondered what it would look like from the camp clearing.

When the Clan reached the Gathering Hollow and slipped through the bushes, they found it empty of any cats. Willowpaw shook her coat to warm herself up then headed across the clearing, stopping by the small stream and taking a few drinks, the freezing water hurting her throat. Shivering at the new cold that filled her, the young apprentice decided to go back to her mother, who noticing her shivering and pressed her warm side against her.

Grateful for the warmth, Willowpaw watched as her Clan mingled about with each other, cleaning spaces of snow or searching the undergrowth for wandering prey. Eagleclaw sat at the base of the leader's tree with Mossrain, talking quietly with the medicine cat. Willowpaw was quite close, but it was hard to make out their whispered voices--they obviously did not want to be overheard.

She was tempted to scoot away from her mother to catch a few of their words, but the two stopped speaking when the bushes across the clearing rustled and a group of cats slowly emerged. Willowpaw recognized their small, broad frames as the CrowClan cats, lead by Whitestar and Roseclaw. Their medicine cat, Hawkstream, followed after the two she-cats as they headed for where Eagleclaw and Mossrain waited.

"I don't see Acornstar," Whitestar meowed as she approached. "I hope nothing has happened?" Though her voice was calm, Willowpaw detected a faint trace of excitement. Was the leader hoping Acornstar had passed, and Eagleclaw had taken over?

"She's sick, I'm afraid," Eagleclaw meowed calmly with a small dip of her head. "I'll be leading EchoClan for this Gathering."

Willowpaw caught the obvious disappointment in the CrowClan leader's eyes, but it swiftly disappeared. "I hope she recovers," Whitestar meowed. "Tell her I wish her well."

"Of course, thank you." Eagleclaw seemed very calm, and Willowpaw fought away the wishing that Whitestar's assumsion had been true.

CrowClan and EchoClan exchanged soft greetings, but like her first Gathering, Willowpaw noticed a drift between the Clans. Have we always been this far apart? She wondered. Had the Clans ever conversed at Gatherings like friends, or at least fellow cats?

She was distracted by BatClan appearing, and sudden curiosity rushed through her. Why had they cast Rowanpaw out? Why was the poor young tom now wandering alone? She had met Blazepaw, too, at her first Gathering. He was Rowanpaw's brother. He would know, wouldn't he? She watched as the new cats settled into the snow, keeping close and murmuring uncertainly. Dawnstar, with her deputy and medicine cat, headed to the tree.