Warriors: Incoming Storm: Chapter 3

Adderclaw couldn't remember if he'd ever seen Rabbitpaw this excited. The apprentice was bouncing up and down so hard it was a wonder his head didn't fall off.

"Really? I really get to go to the Gathering?"

"Yes. Like I said the last few times you asked. We'll be going soon, so eat something before we go."

"Sorry. I just can't stop thinking about it. Is it scary?" "A little, at first. If you get nervous, just stay with me or your mother."

The small brown cat nodded. "Thank you for getting Lizardstar to take me."

"It wasn't me. You caught a pheasant. It fed all the elders, plus Oakleaf and Tallstalk. And you know how much they eat. It must be the kits."

He then saw a familiar black pelt slide into the camp. "That's Nightshade. I need to talk to him."

Honestly, he was a bit worried about Nightshade. He'd been quieter lately, which didn't fit with the happy-go-lucky cat Adderclaw knew.

And he'd been spending a lot of time alone. The official excuse was hunting, but judging by the amount of prey he usually brought back, 'sulking' was a more proper term. And frankly, it worried Adderclaw a lot. Nightshade was simply not a quiet cat. That was why he was deputy. He was very likable.

"Well, where have you been? The Gathering will be starting soon." Well, it was best to get straight to the point.

"Hunting." When he caught Adderclaw's unbelieving look, he added, "You know, where you catch food so we don't starve?"

As usual, Adderclaw was caught between amusement and confusion. It happened a lot with his brother. "Then where is all your prey?"

Nightshade paused for a moment, then ran out of the tunnel. A few moments later, he returned with a thrush in his mouth. "Here you go."

"Did you catch that right then?"

"Maybe..."

"How you became deputy, I'll never know."

"You're just mad because you have none of my charm."

"I don't want it. Now, really, where are you going?

A sudden thought struck him. "Is it a she-cat?"

The result was instantaneous. "NO! I am not sneaking out to meet a she-cat secretly. Why would I be?"

"What happened to your charm?" Adderclaw asked, putting as much sarcasm as possible on the word charm.

"I'm charming. I just choose not to use my gifts for evil."

"Why do I put up with you?"

"Because you love me."

"Nightshade!" Lizardstar bounded up to Nightshade. "Are the cats I picked ready for the Gathering?"

"Yes. We're ready to go when you are."

As their leader padded away, Nightshade said, "You told the cats I told you to tell, right?"

"Yes, but one day I won't and Lizardstar will eat you because she'll be so mad."

"I hope that was a joke."

"Which is what everyone said when you became deputy."

"Oh, look, a sense of humor. Amazing."

"Toms." Came a light voice from behind them. "Always fighting. Can't you all just get along?" The voice belonged to the medicine cat, Leaffall.
"No."

The clan set off to the island. Adderclaw heard Rabbitpaw, along with the other apprentices, Lilypaw, Owlpaw, and Badgerpaw, excitedly asking Nightshade what the Gatherings were like. The deputy was happily explaining everything to them. Adderclaw couldn't help being glad the other apprentices liked Rabbitpaw, even though he was half-clan.

"Adderclaw?" He turned to see, while he was musing, his apprentice had padded up to him. "Is it okay if, when we get there, I go off and find my littermates?"

"Sure. It's your time. And there's the island." The group of cats approached the island and began to climb across the bridge.

"Right, up here." Rabbitpaw scrambled up the bridge, with Adderclaw close behind.

"There's Riverclan and Thunderclan. Windclan is late." He glanced at his apprentice. "Do you want to stay here and wait for them?" With Rabbitpaw's nod, he wandered towards the clearing.

"Where is Windclan?" Sunstar asked.

"We should start without them. It's cold tonight. Leaf-bare is approaching, and it's getting colder."

The leaders began, with Lizardstar going first, because she was oldest. "...And we have a new apprentice. His name is Rabbitpaw."

Cheers went up through the crowd. However, several cats murmured among themselves, Rabbitpaw's Half-clannishness having proceeded him. Being taller than most of the other cats, Adderclaw could just see Rabbitpaw ducking his head.

Sunstar stepped forward. "...And a badger was driven out of our territory, but before it was, it attacked several kits. One was killed, and two others were badly injured." He couldn't help noticing that the Thunderclan leader looked very tired and thin, and wondered if one of the kits was his. "That's all I have to say."
Several sympathetic murmurs echoed around the clearing, other cats obviously coming to the same conclusion.

Brightstar opened her mouth, but was stopped short by a very large tom jumping into the tree. "Loudstar! You've arrived!"

The huge tabby smirked. "Hello, Brightstar." A unusually large group of Windclan warriors padded into the clearing. Adderclaw noted they were all warriors, no elders or medicine cat. For the first time, the clearing made him nervous.

Lizardstar, having also noticed, twitched her ears but said nothing. Loudstar was very young for a leader, after the old leader had died in a hunting accident. He spoke with absolute confidence, but was well known for an extremely violent temper.

"You're late." Sunstar pointed out the obvious. "Very late. Where were you?"

"Preparing."

"Preparing? For what?" Came the confused answer.

"This." He dove at Sunstar and raked sharp claws across the other leaders pelt. A collective gasp echoed across the clearing.

"WINDCLAN! ATTACK!"

And the clearing exploded into battle...