Warriors! Moonstars journey.

Chapter 7

Moonpaw stalked forward, her ice blue eyes scanning the undergrowth, and her senses alert for prey. A sharp prod on her side made her jump, and she turns and sees cloudspot glaring at her.

"We dont hunt in other clan's territories moonpaw. come on." his amber eyes flash, and he waves his tail toward the patrol on their way to the gathering.

Moonpaw nods awkwardly, her eyes wide, and follows cloudspot as he stalks back, taking her place beside willowpaw as cloudspot went up to join brackenstar.

"That was mousebrained moonpaw." Willowpaw snorts, irritated. Her silver pelt bristled a little, her eyes flashing around, worried. "I dont think lionclan would be happy to see us in their territory."

Moonpaw nods, looking ahead to brackenstar, watching as he speaks softly to cloudspot and snowberry, then he nods and hurries forward on the path to fourtrees.

Moonpaw looks up at the darkening sky, where the first few stars began to show. A good night for a gathering. The sky is clear, and there is no wind!

Following behind the clan, moonpaw panted, super excited. brackenstar lead the way to fourtrees, and gave the signal, letting the clan flow down into the hollow.

Dashing after the warriors and the apprentices, moonpaw dashed past applepaw and willowpaw, then past cloudspot and matched her pace with brackenstar.

He slows down and looks around, moonpaw staying beside her father, eyes wide, looking at the warriors.

"There's firestar. Leader of lionclan." Brackenstar waves his tail to a ginger tom with amber eyes. "His deputy onewhisker is beside him." Moonpaw nods, seeing the brown tom.

"Icepaw!" Applepaw streaked over to the white apprintice, her gray fur fluffed out, an her blue eyes wide.

Icepaw dipped his head to the other apprentice, his blue and green eyes careful.

Applepaw purrs, then looks away, downcast. And moonpaw ignores her, looking around at the other warriors.

A large shecat with amber eyes set in a group of cats, their pelts hidden by shadows.

"That's spottedstar." Moonpaw jumped at snowberry's light mew. She looked up at te white shecat.

"Spottedstar?" Moonpaws blue eyes widen.

"The leader of dragonclan. She is kinda scary, But she is very old. The oldest leader." Snowberry blinks warmly at moonpaw, and sweeps her long white tail over and brushes it against moonpaws shoulder.

"Then lionclan and dragonclan are here!" Moonpaw mews happily.

"Very good. That means the gathering will start as soon as forestclan shows up." Snowberry looked around, her eyes curious.

Moonpaw nods excitedly, her pelt warm with pride, and she turns and bounds over to willowpaw, who was talking to a group of apprentices.

"Willowpaw!" Moonpaw panted as she skidded to a stop beside her sister, her silver pelt glowing in the moonlight.

"Hey moonpaw! Look, this is gorsepaw, harepaw, and shroudpaw. They are lionclan and dragonclan apprentices. willowpaw meowed excitedly, her eyes kept straying back to the brown tom, gorsepaw.

"Hey. Im moonpaw. Willowpaws sister." Moonpaw nods to them briefly. "willowpaw. Snowberry said when forestclan gets here the gathering will start!" Moonpaw could barely keep herself still. My first gathering!

Willowpaw gives an excited bounce, her eyes wide, then she looks embarrassed to be acting like a kit.

"That's great moonpaw!" Willowpaw licks her prickling silver pelt, her eyes flashing to the other apprentices. Gorsepaw and harepaw looked at each other, their whiskers twitching, and willowpaw looked even more embarrassed.

A yowl sounds from the middle of the clearing, and moonpaw looked over to see brackenstar standing on one of the large boulders that the leaders stand on, his golden pelt silver in the moonlight.

"Its time for the gathering to start! Forestclan doesn't seem to be coming." His commanding voice reached moonpaw faintly. Excited, she moves closer and finds a seat between leafflutter and freckleheart.

Looking around, moonpaw couldn't see where willowpaw went, and te other apprentices had disappeared into their own clans. Shrugging, moonpaw listened as brackenstar have his report.

"And we have two new apprentices, my own daughters. Moonpaw, and willowpaw!" Brackenstar called out.

Moonpaw felt hot under her fur as all eyes turn to her, congratulating her, and checking her out. Holding her head up, moonpaw felt pride warm her belly, and also a nervousness that made her ears twitch.

After what felt like moons, the cats turned their eyes back to the leaders. Leaving moonpaw feeling shaky and nervous. She found it hard to listen to the rest of the gathering, but she did hear about how lionclan were training their apprentices to hunt hawks, making dragonclan cats growl and grumble.

On the way back to their camp, moonpaw couldn't stop feeling nervous. She didnt see her sister anywhere. Finally, as they were nearing home, willowpaw dashed up from behind, her pelt tangled with thorns and branches.

"Where have you been?" Moonpaws eyes stretched wide, shocked. "What happened to you?"

"I... uh... got stuck in a thorn bush. Will you help me clean my fur?" Willowpaw shuffles her paws, looking down.

"Oh. I didnt know. Of corse i will willowpaw!" Moonpaw leans forward and begins to pluck the branches and thorns from her sisters fur, catching an unexpected scent from her fur.

Dragonclan? Why would she smell like dragonclan? Moonpaws confusion deepened as she realized her sister had been lying to her. We dont lie to each other! We are sisters!

When willowpaws fur was clean, she licked moonpaws cheek thankfully and took off into the camp, leaving moonpaw to follow, still confused, but not expecting an answer.