The Daylight Gathering

Prologue
“The chosen cats are meeting on the next dawn!” Breezepelt announced to StarClan. Cheers rose from the crowd.

“The Clans will be saved!”

“The Daylight Gathering will be a new beginning for us!”

“StarClan will not fall again!”

“Silence!” a harsh voice cut in, and the cats turned towards the blind, hairless cat that stood tensely on the rise. “You do not know this plan will work! I tried to warn you! But did you listen?” Rock’s voice grew shiller with every word.

“These cats will not save the Clans. They will destroy them, and you, StarClan, will be the cause of it all!” the ugly cat spat. “They are not loyal enough. Not loyal enough to keep their Clans loyal! It’s all your fault!”

Chapter 1- Wolfpaw
Wolfpaw woke, stretching sleepily. With a start, he remembered the events of the day before. Flipheart! Horror coursed through his body.

With a yowl, he clumsily ran through the apprentice den, stomping on Thrushpaw’s tail and landing flat on his face is Skypaw’s nest.

“Sorry,” he said hastily. “I have to go see Flipheart!”

The other apprentices’ anger melted into sympathy. They nodded to him and went back to sleep.

Wolfpaw raced to the medicine den. “Patchberry?” he called nervously. “Can I come in?”

The black-and-white she-cat looked up. “Of course,” she murmured, beckoning with her tail inside the den.

“Flipheart…” Wolfpaw choked out, seeing his mentor’s torn tabby pelt sprawled in a nest to the side. Patchberry glanced at him, her eyes widening in the same sympathy the apprentices had shown him.

“Flipheart is very far away from us right now,” she said solemnly. “The fox’s fangs were unclean, and the wounds are infected. There is nothing I can do.”

Wolfpaw backed away, fear sparking in his amber eyes. “No! You have to save him!” he cried. “He promised to make me a warrior!”

Patchberry lowered her head. “You must prepare yourself, Wolfpaw. Your mentor will not be coming back to ThunderClan.”

The two cats watched in silence as Flipheart’s flanks rose heavily in a last, jagged breath, then fell still.

Wolfpaw raised his head in a yowl of anger and sadness. Thriftclaw and Bristlefrost pelted through the entrance, Ivystar and Fersong on their tails. “Wolfpaw!” Bristlefrost cried, licking her distraught kit’s ears fiercely. “What’s going on-” she stopped short, staring at Flipheart’s motionless body.

“I’m sorry…” Patchberry mewed quietly, and she padded out, leaving the den to the shocked family.

Chapter 2- Hawkpaw
Leap, twist, land, claw! Hawkpaw thought in his head as he performed a leap-and-twist on Shadepaw. His sleek black sister crumpled underneath him. “I give up!” she yowled. “Now get off, me you great big lump!”

The dark brown tabby rolled off Shadepaw, his pelt warming with satisfaction. “Great job, Hawkpaw,” Darkmask’s deep mew congratulated his apprentice. Standing next to him, Pouncepaw stared, her eyes round.

The three apprentices were training with their mentors for the daylight Gathering, which was coming soon.

“I think you all know the basics now,” Mossflower announced. “Let’s learn something new.”

Yes! “Can it be something that will be useful against another Clan?” Pouncepaw piped up. “If we’re fighting them, they might have some moves that we want to learn, and they also might help us win a competition at the daylight Gathering!”

Mossflower gave her apprentice an approving nod. “Which Clan, Pouncepaw?”

“Choose ThunderClan, Pouncepaw!” Hawkpaw mewed.

“No, RiverClan!” Shadepaw argued.

“SkyClan,” Pouncepaw meowed decesively.

The mentors exchanged glances. “SkyClan it is!” Swallowbreeze, Shadepaw’s mentor declared. “Let’s try something in the trees.”

Chapter 3- Rosepaw
Rosepaw shivered, stiff from the chilly leaf-fall night, and huddled closer to Skypaw. ThunderClan was sitting vigil for Flipheart, who had died of an infected fox bite to his neck.

Fernsong pushed himself to his paws. “I’ll begin,” he meowed. “Flipheart was the most energetic cat I knew. He was playful, ready to learn, and very brave. I am proud to have been his father.” He sat down and gently nudged his grieving mate.

Ivystar stood. “My son…” she choked out. “H-he, always knew what to do to make me feel better. StarClan,” she looked to the sky. “You wanted him more than we did, so you’d better take care of him.” She crouched roughly by Flipheart’s head and gave his ears a lick.

“My brother always wanted a family. I hope he will live on in his kits,” Thriftclaw meowed simply, dipping her head to Petalflight, who just recently found out she was having the dead warrior’s kits.

“Flipheart was the cat you would want on your side,” Bristlefrost began. “He was helpful, encouraging, and… just the best brother any cat could ask for. I will miss him.”

Wow. Rosepaw thought to herself. Flipheart was a great cat. I just wish I had the chance to know him better. She glanced sympathetically at Petalflight, huddled by Wolfpaw and Bristlefrost, eyes darkened with grief for her mate.

Wolfpaw, crouched next to her, looked on with determination. Although they weren’t friends, Rosepaw knew him well enough to know that he would train harder than ever to make his mentor proud.

“Wolfpaw, you trained hard underneath Flipheart,” Ivystar announced. “Your new mentor will be Flamefur.”

The dark gray apprentice dipped his head solemnly and touched noses with the black tom.

Drizzlepaw pressed herself to Wolfpaw as he stepped away. I wish I had a littermate. Rosepaw thought. Drizzlepaw and Wolfpaw always have each other’s backs.

Most cats went back to their nests, but the ones closest to Flipheart, including Ivystar, Fernsong, Bristlefrost, Thriftclaw, Petalflight, and Wolfpaw settled by his body. They would keep vigil for the rest of the night. Rosepaw and Skypaw got up and padded back to the apprentices’ den.

I’ll try to be friends with the other apprentices. I’ll really try.