Gathering: Moon One
TW: Death mention
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“Now, remember… you’re Shimmerpaw’s littermate,” Darkstar reminded Nightpaw. She nodded.
“I remember the story Dad. I’ll be ok.”
Nightpaw looked behind her. Tonight’s gathering would be the first since the attack… and the first she ever attended. The entire clan was with them— Darkstar said it was to look stronger.
She hung close to her friends as they made it to Four Corners. It was an old Twoleg den. Nightpaw had a lot of experience with those.
At the center, a strange light emanated from a smooth, round cylinder. She bristled; wait, it was fire!
Sandpaw put his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. It’s not like real fire. It stays in that cylinder.”
She sighed. “How did you know that was what I was thinking?”
“Because that was my reaction too.” he laughed with a mrrp.
They laughed together for a bit, until Darkstar hushed them. She took the opportunity to have a look around.
The three other clan leaders were sat at the highest part of the den. The first was a very old black cat— he was lighter than Darkstar, but much bigger than him. She assumed he was Badgerstar of Treeclan. Next was one she knew a little more— a tom with a maroon coat and white upper half. That was Finchstar. He was the youngest of the leaders. When she looked at the last leader, she felt fear.
His coat was a light ginger. It was spotted— but what drew her gaze was his crimson eyes. They were sharp. Piercing red. That must have been what he got his name from, she thought. Redstar.
He cleared his throat, starting first.
“We have had a good moon. Swampclan has welcomed two new warriors, Junco-eyes and Ploverbelly.”
He paused to allow the gathering to yowl their names. The Crystalclan cats merely glared at him. That didn’t seem to phase him— he continued as usual.
“And one new apprentice. Welcome, Hawthornpaw! And thank you to the Wanderers for shifting her our way!” He motioned to another cat on the balcony, seemingly a member of the Wanderers.
“Why is a member of a rogue group up there with the leaders?” she asked Starleaf.
“The Wanderers aren’t just a rogue group.” she said sternly. “It’s their job to rotate cats around our area. Taking exiled cats away from their clans and placed elsewhere, as well as placing interested kittypets and loners into the clans as well as anywhere else they desire. In that way, they’re like a fifth clan to us. You should know this— I was born into the Wanderers. And so was Shimmerpaw.”
Nightpaw chuckled nervously. “Look, I pay attention. I just didn’t realize the Wanderers were so… big and important, I guess.”
Nightpaw’s gaze was shifted to a pretty little cat— Hawthornpaw. It was clear— she was a former kittypet. Her pelt was a rare one in the wild. With luxurious cream fur and brown points, she couldn’t have been born a warrior.
Meanwhile, the two warriors looked somewhat familiar to her. Their grey pelts just seemed to remind her of something.
Starleaf murmured to her.
“Swanjaw’s kits.”
Nightpaw gasped. She remembered them! They were in the Bayclan nursery with her— just a few moons older!
“Wasn’t there three of them?” she asked.
Starleaf nodded. “Yes, but… Woodpeckerkit was a black kitten. They… well, you know.”
She looked away. She didn’t want to think about that.
Starleaf nudged her, pointing to the leaders again. Finchstar had rotated to speak.
“Grangeclan has not had much occur this past moon. However, we have one new apprentice, Firepaw.” he spoke curtly and quickly, before stepping back.
The aforementioned Firepaw was a very red cat. Next to her, her not-as-red mother and very blue father looked proud as they could be.
Up next was Badgerstar, who ambled to the front.
“Treeclan has recently lost a young apprentice. Perchpaw will be remembered for her enthusiasm and determination. A moment of silence for her, please.”
Everyone was quiet, besides the wailing of another Treeclan apprentice.
After that moment, Badgerstar left the front. It was Darkstar’s turn.
He went up to the front. “We have two new apprentices.” he said, with a smile. “Our kits are growing up. Nothing could be better!”
Nightpaw wasn’t stupid. She could easily tell that he was lying through his teeth. But the others seemed to have bought it.
“With one last thanks to Starclan, the Gathering is adjourned.” Everyone began to break for socializing.
“Leafy!” A cat cried, lunging at Starleaf. She was a cat with a pinkish hue, and strange pendant around her neck.
“Hello Pearlheart. How are you?” Starleaf mrrped happily.
Another cat was behind Pearlheart. This cat was a lot scruffier— she was a brown tabby with a red bandana. “You should be less forceful, Pearly.”
She pouted. “But I was so worried after I heard about the attack!”
The other cat noticed Nightpaw. “Who’s this, Leafy?”
“Oh, I’m Nightpaw! I’m Shimmerpaw’s sister.” she said quickly.
Starleaf motioned something to the two mollies, whose eyes went wide.
The brown tabby nodded. “We understand, Leafy.” She turned to Nightpaw. “It’s nice to meet you, Nightpaw. I’m Dovelight, deputy of Grangeclan. I’m an old friend of your mama. Take care of ol’ Foxtail for us, will you?”
She nods. They must know Foxtail Barley, Shimmerpaw’s mother. “I will.”
Pearlheart spoke as well. “And I’m Pearlheart, Grangeclan cleric! Your mom is very dear to me. I don’t know what I’d do without Lea-without Foxy!”
“Oh um— I’ll tell her that too!” She shot Starleaf a scared look.
Starleaf chuckled. “It’s alright. They can be trusted. They’re my best friends.”
With that, a wail erupted from the Treeclan gathering. A young molly apprentice, the same as before, was mourning.
“Go comfort her.” Starleaf signaled to Nightpaw.
“Wait, isn’t she from another clan?”
“War is rare. Friends in other clans are much more important… especially in this time.”
She noticed how Starleaf’s gaze lingered on Redstar.
Nightpaw nodded. “Alright, I’ll go help her.”
She walked over, mulling over what to say.
The apprentice was a white and brown molly, with a beautiful butterfly ornament attached to her ear.
“Hey. I’m Nightpaw. How are you feeling?” She whispered, sitting down next to her.
“Not good. Obviously.” she sniffled. “I’m Lynxpaw.”
“She was your sister, wasn’t she? I’ve lost a littermate too. I understand how it feels.” Nightpaw said gently.
“I knew the curse would take one of us.” Lynxpaw said, looking at the ground. “But why Perchpaw?!”
“Oh my stars, Lynxpaw, you need to shut up about the curse!” A dark tom apprentice snapped at her.
“Well, how do you explain our family’s luck then! You don’t believe it’s true, but now Perchpaw is gone!” she yowled back.
“Woah, woah, woah, enough!” Nightpaw heard the sound of Shimmerpaw behind her. “What’s this about a curse?”
Shimmerpaw laid herself to the other side of Lynxpaw, forming a tight huddle around her.
“My family is cursed. Every generation, when four kits are born… one will die horribly as an apprentice. We don’t know why. My father lost his sister as an apprentice, my grandmother before him… and so on.” Lynxpaw explained.
“Starclan has said that there isn’t a curse!” The dark tom lunged, only to be caught by the red apprentice from earlier.
“That’s enough.” Firepaw said, holding him back. “This is a Gathering. Fighting isn’t allowed.”
Nightpaw looked over to see if Starleaf could help, but she was deep in conversation with the Grangeclan deputy and cleric. Dang it!
“Yarrowpaw, I wish you would just believe the facts.” Lynxpaw muttered.
Nightpaw looked between this spat of littermates with extreme worry. “Um, hi. Firepaw? I’m Nightpaw. Do you think you could deal with Yarrowpaw for us?” She addressed the red Grangeclan apprentice.
“I’ll take care of it!” she winked. “Also, nice to meet you.”
With that, Firepaw dragged the unfortunate Yarrowpaw away from the girls.
Lynxpaw sighed. “My brother… he doesn’t believe in the curse. But it almost seems like he doesn’t care at all.”
“I’m sure he does—” Nightpaw started.
“He’s so mean to you. You don’t deserve it.” Shimmerpaw interjected.
Nightpaw shot her a confused look.
Shimmerpaw merely signed “validate her not justify him”
“Yeah, he’s a jerk!” Nightpaw said with gusto. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Firepaw is giving him a piece of her mind!”
Lynxpaw sniffled. “Thank you. But… he isn’t the worst of it. I feel like the clanmates who believe in the curse are worse…” she trailed off, then continued. “Sometimes, I feel so isolated with my clanmates. I feel like they hate me because of my lineage. It’s like they didn’t even mourn Perchpaw— they didn’t even care she was killed! They just see her death and my whole family as an extension of the curse. To them… our lives are nothing more than an inconvenience!”
Nightpaw leaned in. “I-I’m sorry.”
“My aunt is the deputy, you know. She had to fight so hard for that spot… she couldn’t become it until Starclan itself declared her worthy. But Badgerstar hates her! He’s been pushing her to step down for years!”
Nightpaw was confused. “Can’t he just replace her?”
Shimmerpaw shook her head. “No, any deputy appointed by Starclan sign cannot be removed for anything other than a crime against the warrior code. She’d have to step down herself.”
Lynxpaw cried. “It’s so awful! My aunt is a really good deputy, but why doesn’t anyone see it? My sister was full of enthusiasm, she had dreams— and yet, nobody mourns her but me!” She quieted down, her head hung low. “I-I don’t want to go back to my clanmates yet.”
Nightpaw merely stayed with her. “We’ll stay with you until the Gathering is over.” Shimmerpaw nodded in agreement.
“Thank you.” she murmured.
Firepaw bounded over. “Yarrowpaw is dealt with. I informed his mentor.”
Nightpaw could see a gray tabby molly scolding Yarrowpaw. He wouldn’t be a problem for a while, she suspected.
“Thank you.” Lynxpaw said.
“It’s nothing. By the way, I’m Firepaw!”
They all could tell. She was the youngest apprentice there with such fiery red fur. It was fluffy and stood out for its extravagance, especially here in the clans.
“Nice to meet you, Firepaw.” Shimmerpaw grinned. “Come sit with Lynxpaw here. The more friends, the better.”
“I don’t know how to thank you more.” Lynxpaw had eyes wider than the moon.
“No need. We’ll stay with you until the end.” Nightpaw nuzzled into Lynxpaw.
They kept their promise, sitting by her side until Starleaf beckoned them over to leave. Nightpaw was left with a good impression of the clans— and more importantly, two friends she could rely on in the future.