Unexpected Grief: Fall of the Birds

Chapter 9

"Come on Sparrowpaw," Badgerthump sighs "You can do it, just lean a bit more on your back legs." Pollenpaw and Sproutleaf anxiously watch while I wiggle more onto my back legs. I take a breath and lean back.

"Gaargh!" I sputter through dirt in my mouth after falling face-first into the dirt.

"Let me show you," Sproutleaf smiles weakly, and smoothly does the move, but I'm distracted by Poolpaw sneaking around, alone. "Now, try it again." She instructs. I stumble around and try again, but it's no better than before. Sproutleaf nervously smiles and looks at my mentor.

"Er, it's okay. Acornstar is announcing who is going to the gathering so we should go back now, just in case we're picked." Badgerthump meows, then flicks his tail and sets off.

~~~

"This Gathering I will be taking," Acornstar starts, looking across the group of cats from her stump. "Featherheart, Mudfleck, Badgerthump, Sparrowpaw, Sproutleaf, Pollenpaw, Quietflutter, Ambershine, Foxslash, Ivyfoot." She pauses for a moment, almost looking around in panic, but sighs with relief a few heartbeats later, continuing. "Willowbranch, Rockslide. And obviously myself, Owlwatcher and Rosethorn. Thank you every cat!"

Once Acornstar hops down from her stump I hear her mutter about her kits to Sunsetpelt for a moment, mainly how rude and stubborn Spiderkit is, but for some reason the complete opposite to Snowkit. After that I see Poolpaw frown with disappoint, only to roll her eyes once she sees me looking at her. I smile at Pollenpaw while she's bouncing with excitement. She gives a giggle before meowing,

"Our first gathering!" She exclaims "Oh Sparrowpaw, aren't you excited?!" I only nod my head in reply, because truthfully, I'm nervous. So many new cats, how can I pick some to talk to?! I'm also a bit angry that Ambershine is going too. Her relationship with my father has been a little odd and I don't like it. "Come on silly, let's get a nap in before the Gathering so we're not tired!" Pollenpaw meows, her voice thick with excitement, breaking my thoughts and clearing the cloud of negative emotions from above my head.

"Good idea!" I add, making sure I don't look too glum; I hate dampening her happiness. She gives a small smile and skips with glee over to the apprentices' den, but not without almost running into Poolpaw.

"Watch were you're going," The silver she-cat hisses "you ignorant runt." Pollenpaw just shrugs and keeps on going, but the way Poolpaw lingered on that word, makes me cringe.

~~~

A golden speckled paw prods me in the side, waking up from my nap, that wasn't long enough. I give a short yawn and get up, giving in to Pollenpaw. She smiles and yawns as well, but moving past that, turning her attention to a patch of my fur that won't calm down.

"It won't go down!" She meowed in between licks "I guess it'll just have to stay!"

"No!" I fake exclaim, flopping onto the ground dramatically. I get up after a few heartbeats of wiggling, then laughing with Pollenpaw. "Come on, we should go." I meow, a weird sense of seriousness hanging to my voice. She gives me a small giggle and a smile, then follows out of the den, then out of the camp.

After walking for quite a bit, our mentors catch up with us and give us the "run down".

"The others clans," Badgerthump meows "are SwampClan, the clan to our left." I nod, and Pollenpaw does the same, to show that we're listening, although I can tell Pollenpaw is too excited to fully pay attention.

"BreezeClan." Sproutleaf chimes in "The clan on SwampClan's left."

"Then StoneClan," Badgerthump finishes "The clan to our right, past the Thunderpath. "