Halfpaw looked around in shock; she'd never seen so many cats in one place at once as there were in the gathering.

Softstripe gave a purr of amusement. "Not what you where expecting?" she asked.

Halfpaw licked her chest, embarrassed. "I never imagined there would be so many of them."

"And we're not the last ones; Shadowclan is missing yet." Her mentor pointed with her tail to the oak tree in the center of the clearing, where Moonstar has speaking to a white-and-brown tom. "Look, those are the leaders up there. The tom with Moonstar is Fallenstar, Riverclan's leader. next to him is
Thunderclan's leader, Eveningstar."

Halfpaw glanced at the last cat. A battle scarred she-cat with long, red fur. Her cold, assessing gaze stared at the cats, devoided of any emotions. Halfpaw thought that even her ghosts seemed to have more life.

"And the cat next to him is--"

"Wolfstar." Finished Halfpaw for her.

Softstripe nooded, her eyes going dark for a moment.

"Be careful with the Wolfclan's apprentices, our clan and theirs haven't been on the best of terms lately. There's supposed to be a truce, but some clans hardly respect that."

Halfpaw's eyes grew wide. She flexed her claws in and out, conforting herself by mentaly rehersing the battle moves she'd practice the day before.

She spotted Lighteningpaw a few paw steps away, talking to a pretty white-and-black tabby. They met eyes as he glanced at her. "Halfpaw! Come meet Morningpaw." he called out.

"Go on." Softstripe encouraged. "I'll be waiting here."

She came over to them and whispered a shy "hi." To the pretty tabby.

"Hello." The tabby repplied happily. "I'm glad to finnaly meet you after having heard so much. I'm Morningpaw, from Thunderclan."

"I'm happy too." She purred. "How come you know about me?" she asked.

"You know, the rumors."

Halfpaw stared in surprise, feeling her ears getting hot. "There are rumors about me?"

"You're quite a topic; the unique daughter of the leader who's fated by Starclan themselves."

Halfpaw flushed, and she was about to replied, when two toms approached them. A Brown Tom twitched his ears. "Who said anything about a leader's daughter?"

The smooth gray tom next to him purred, "In Fallenclan we have our own version of that with Streampaw, son of Fallenstar."

Lighteningpaw rolled his eyes. "It's othing that concerns either of you." To Halfpaw, he explained, "This rude tom is Strongpaw from Wolfclan, and the gray one next to him is Mistpaw from Fallenclan."

Remembering Softstripe's warning, Halfpaw sized the brown tabby up. He seemed big for his age, and strong muscles were seen even though he looked unaturaly skinny. She also noticed that his pelt looked disheveled and unkempt.

Don't Wolfclan cats take care of themselves?

"I hope it doesn't, because Bloodpaw won't appreciate knowing a bunch of other-clans mangled pelts were talking about her." Even though his words were rude, Halfpaw could detect a hint of amusement and affection in his tone. Strongpaw clearly cared about whoevercat he was defending.

Lighteningpaw twitched an ear nervously "I hope you don't have another apprentice like Peonypaw, that cat is scary; last gathering, she nearly clawed my eyes out when I tried separating beepaw and her from the fight she started."

"Why do you suppose her warrior name turned out to be Peonythorn." Halfpaw noted with surprise that Strongpaw seemed to have no issue about speaking boldly against his clanmates.

Morningpaw purred. "I guess you lot are not all bad; Wildpaw is a fine cat. However, if Bloodpaw is half as firce as your sister, I wouldn't want to mess with her." She finished cheerfuly.

Doesn't this cat feel any other emotion than amused? Halfpaw wondered.

"By the way, where is Wildpaw?"Lighteningpaw asked.

Strongpaw looked troubled, but before he answered a yowl ranged out,

"Let all cats gather!"

A new tom had joined the learders atop the great tree. Halfpaw guessed this was Sparrowstar. Shadowclan had come, and the gathering was beginig.

Softstripe came up to her from behind "Come, lets get back to Thunderclan." She whispered in her ear.

Halfpaw followed her to sit next to beepaw and his mentor, big-shouldered Cobrafang.

Moonstar's voice thundered through the cleaning. "I will began." The cats hushed. "We have three new apprentices; my own kit, Halfpaw;" Moonstar's voice rose with pride. "Bunnypaw, apprentice to Forestgleam; and Purplepaw, who'll be traing with Mantisflight as a medicine cat apprentice."

Moonclan cheered loudly, followed shyly by the rest of the clans. Halfpaw noticed, with annoyance, that most of Wolfclan remained quiet.

Halfpaw spotted Risingdawn calling out her name, looking like a proud mother.

Halfpaw looked away in anger, and as she turned to look at the other side of the clearing, a flash of red pelt caught her gaze. Sitting next to Strongpaw, a small replica of Wolfstar was watching the leaders attentively. It could be non other than Wolfstar's daughter, Bloodpaw.

I'll have to be careful with that one, Halfpaw thought.

From the nursery tales she'd heard every since she was a kit, almost all of them in which Wolfstar would eat her if she misbehaved, Halfpaw knew that the whole of Wolfclan acted like rouges.