Rowanpaw sat distanced from the other apprentices as they awaited orders from Skystar or their mentors. They all waited in anticipation, this being the first time any of them will go to a Gathering. Wrenpaw sat very close to Wolfpaw and it drove Rowanpaw crazy. How did it not bother Crowpaw? It worried Rowanpaw and she wasn't even his real sister; he had no reason to care.
He didn't understand how Wrenpaw could let Wolfpaw hang on her, touch her so possessively. Rowanpaw stared at Wrenpaw and she glanced at him for no more than a heartbeat before looking away. His blood boiled at the triumphant look Wolfpaw shot him.
Rowanpaw distracted his attention to Starlingwing who ushered Hazelkit back into the nursery for the umpteenth time that night. Hazelkit kept sneaking out in the hopes of following them to the Gathering. He couldn't help not chuckling at her antics. She would become a sharp-witted warrior one day.
Skystar appeared from the den beneath Tallrock and sauntered over to stand before his clanmates. "To Moonhollow!" The clan raced out of camp like a tidal wave, following their blue-gray leader.
Moonhollow was the name of their Gathering place. It was at the center where all three clan territories came together. Most of the clearing was surrounded by a wall of rock that arched overhead. A shallow stream slipped over the edge and fell into a pool of moonlit water. At the center of the pool was a large stone where the leaders sat to give clan news. There was only one entrance and the ground was sandy.
Rowanpaw was snapped from his thoughts when Hollowpaw fell back to run alongside him. The pale ginger tabby tom cast him a look. "Are you alright? You seem to have something on your mind."
Hollowpaw had quickly become his only friend. He had more compassion than his fox-hearted brother, Wolfpaw. The tom didn't speak much unless he had something to say.
Rowanpaw shook his head, "I'm just excited to be at the Gathering." It was a true statement, his heart was racing in anticipation.
The clan weaved through the trees, moving silently like Wisps, the echo of disturbed cats from stories told to kits to keep them from leaving the nursery at night. Through the thick tree canopy, the moon and Silverpelt shone brightly, faintly illuminating the forest. The forest was bathed in the silver light, making it a place of shadows.
It was a good thing that Ravenwing trained Rowanpaw hard because the clan didn't pause as they ran. Their paws thrummed against the earth, creating a beat in which their hearts followed. Rowanpaw's heart expanded, filling with adrenaline. HiddenClan was an unstoppable force in the night.
The trees started to thin and at the end of the tree line, the clan paused. Before them the ground dipped down into a shallow hollow. Cats could be seen milling around in Moonhollow which looked even more impressive under the moonlight. Rowanpaw studied how the stone seemed to rise up from the ground to create a sort of half-dome. The stream trickled over the edge, filling the moonlit pool.
Skystar moved out with the clan falling into step behind him. Rowanpaw stuck close to Hollowpaw and Sablepaw came to join them. HiddenClan stood taller and prouder in the presence of the other clans. They slipped through the narrow entrance between two walls of stone. RainClan and SwiftClan were already here.
Almost immediately, the clan broke off and mingled with cats from the other clans. Rowanpaw lost Hollowpaw and Sablepaw among the crowd. He searched desperately for them, but to no avail. Growling with frustration, he decided to just walk around and observe. After all, it's what he was good at.
He noticed Wolfpaw, Crowpaw, and Wrenpaw mingling with some older apprentices from RainClan. As he passed, Wolfpaw lunged and shoved Rowanpaw. Caught off guard, Rowanpaw tumbled into another cat, completely falling on top of them.
"Great StarClan!" Rowanpaw gasped, trying to find his paws which were tangled with the other cat's. "I'm so sorry!" He suddenly realized who he was tangled with...it was Eclipsepaw. The black and white she-cat glared at him. Rowanpaw still lay on top of her, their faces only a whisker-length apart.
"Are you always this clumsy?" Eclipsepaw growled, but Rowanpaw caught a glint of amusement in her blue eyes.
Rowanpaw managed to climb off of her and she sat up. They faced each other, the both of them still embarrassed. The cats around them returned to their own business but Wolfpaw still glared at Rowanpaw.
"I'm so sorry! I was shoved and I was caught off guard so I fell and I guess that was you but you already knew that, right?" Rowanpaw's pelt felt hot with embarrassment. He needed to shut his mouth and stop rambling on!
Surprisingly, Eclipsepaw purred with amusement. "It's okay, Rowanpaw. I was bored to death anyways."
A yowl split the air and all attention turned towards the Moonlitstone. The three clan leaders sat in a line facing the clan cats, their fur bathed in silver moonlight. Rowanpaw settled down beside Eclipsepaw, and he hoped that she wouldn't mind.
Hawkstar from SwiftClan stood up, his dark tabby pelt lighter under the moon. "The rabbits are running and SwiftClan is preparing well for leaf-bare. Russetlight has had three healthy kits who she and Falconeye have named Amberkit, Snowkit, and Kestrelkit. SwiftClan also has three new apprentices: Gentlepaw, Vinepaw, and Fogpaw."
"Gentlepaw! Vinepaw! Fogpaw!" All the cats in Moonhollow cheered.
Next came Brookstar. The RainClan leader stood tall and proud, her silver tabby pelt illuminated under the moonlight. "RainClan's rivers are full of fish and plenty of forest prey run through our woods. Roseflight is expecting Darkwater's kits and has moved into the nursery. Mosspaw has been named a warrior and she is now Mossbreeze. Frostpaw has also been apprenticed to Pebblestream."
"Mossbreeze! Frostpaw!" The clans cheered again. Rowanpaw wondered if they would cheer for him, too.
Now it was Skystar's turn. Rowanpaw turned his green eyes up to his leader in anticipation. "HiddenClan is well and prey is running. Ashcloud has moved into the nursery expecting Thrushfeather's kits. We have three new apprentices: Crowpaw, Wrenpaw, and Rowanpaw."
"Crowpaw! Wrenpaw! Rowanpaw!"
The clans started to break up and head in their different directions. "Goodbye, Eclipsepaw," Rowanpaw meowed. She waved her tail in farewell before heading off to find SwiftClan.
Rowanpaw finally found Hollowpaw and Sablepaw sitting with the other apprentices. He ignored Wolflaw who he knew was giving him a mean look. Instead, he listened to Hollowpaw and Sablepaw talk about the conversations they had.
Skystar appeared at the front of the clan and they headed back to camp.
YOU ARE READING
Warriors || Tainted Blood: Book 1
Fanfiction"Blood will rain from StarClan and darkness will rise. No one will escape it." Rowankit lives a lonely existence among his clan. Many blame him for the death of his mother and sister, but he was only a kit-how could any of it be his fault? Growing u...
