Firestar gazed down at the WindClan leader. “Thank you, Onestar.”
Onestar dipped his head.
The ThunderClan cats filed across the tree-bridge. When Hollypaw’s turn came to scramble up through the tangle of roots, she caught the first scent of RiverClan. It was strong, fresh scents mixed with stale. They’re here! Relief washed her pelt. Things couldn’t be too bad if they’d made it to the Gathering. She picked her way along the gnarled trunk and leaped down onto the shore. Kneading the sand beneath the pebbles to keep warm, she waited for Ashfur and Leafpool to follow.
“Is everyone over?” Firestar meowed.
Brambleclaw nodded; Firestar signaled with his tail and plunged into the undergrowth. Hollypaw darted after him into the brambles. I must speak to Willowpaw! A barb stabbed her nose, but she pushed on into the softer ferns and emerged ahead of her Clanmates.
The clearing was packed! Gray pelts glowed in the moonlight like stones among tortoiseshell and brown pelts. Striped fur mingled with mottled. Large toms, slender she-cats, lithe young cats. Some sat in groups exchanging hushed words, some lay at the edges gazing warily around. Small cats wove around larger cats, some so small Hollypaw could hardly believe they were old enough to be apprentices.
She sniffed the air. No sign of ShadowClan.
“How come there are so many RiverClan cats here?” Lionpaw had caught up to her. He sounded out of breath.
Hollypaw shook her head. Her pelt was bristling with unease. Every cat in the clearing was RiverClan.
“Some of them are a bit old to be here.” Lionpaw was staring at a thickset tabby tom, whose muzzle was specked with white whiskers. A dark tabby she-cat sat beside him, her fur matted as though she could no longer wash herself properly.
“Swallowtail!” A very young cat was hurrying toward the elderly she-cat. Its eyes were wide with fear. “I can’t find Graymist or Sneezekit.”
“Don’t worry, Mallowkit.” Swallowtail swept her tail around the little cat. “Your mother will be back in a moment.
Sneezekit’s probably with her.”
“Did she say kit?” Lionpaw asked in surprise.
Hollypaw didn’t reply. She was staring at Willowpaw. The RiverClan apprentice was laying out some herbs in front of a heavily pregnant queen. Alarm flashing in her paws, Hollypaw zigzagged through the busy clearing to Willowpaw’s side. “What’s going on?”
Willowpaw looked up, her eyes filled with panic. “Hollypaw!”
“What in StarClan has happened?”
Before Willowpaw could answer, WindClan burst into the clearing. Mews of surprise rippled from them as they squeezed among the RiverClan cats.
“Graymist? Graymist?” A tiny tortoiseshell kit was wailing in the middle of the chaos.
“Sneezekit! What are you doing away from your mother?”
Swallowtail darted forward and plucked up the tiny kit in her jaws. She winced as though the weight were too heavy for her stiff limbs and padded back to Mallowkit.
“Why are there kits and elders here, Willowpaw?” Hollypaw turned back to her friend.
“We had to—”
Firestar’s mew cut her off. “Leopardstar, what’s going on?”
The ThunderClan leader was padding toward the Great Oak, where Leopardstar sat among the roots.
Onestar was hurrying across the clearing. “It looks like you’ve brought the whole of RiverClan!” he growled.
Leopardstar blinked. “I have.”
“What?” Onestar stumbled to a halt beside her, eyes wide.
Hollypaw leaned forward. What had happened to RiverClan?
Blackstar’s angry mew sounded from the edge of the clearing. “What’s going on here?”
ShadowClan had arrived.
Firestar plucked at the earth. “Let’s start the meeting.
Then we can all find out.” He leaped onto the lowest branch of the oak, Leopardstar following. Blackstar and Onestar climbed up beside him. Below, the Clans jostled as they struggled to find space to settle.
Willowpaw stayed beside the pregnant cat.
“Is everything all right?” Hollypaw hissed.
“Join your Clanmates.” Willowpaw pawed at the ball of herbs, avoiding her friend’s gaze. “Please!”
Hollypaw nodded and fell in behind a group of RiverClan warriors padding toward the oak. Their heads were high, their tails flicking fretfully. A gray RiverClan queen pushed past her, heading in the other direction.
“Sorry!” Hollypaw swerved out of the way, but the queen didn’t seem to notice her.
“Graymist! You’re here!” Swallowtail’s mew was filled with relief as the queen reached her. The kits hurried to greet their mother, but Graymist shooed them back and followed Swallowtail to a clump of ferns where RiverClan elders and kits were already sheltering. Their eyes glowed warily from the shadows.
Hollypaw hurried to join her Clanmates. Berrypaw flinched as she squeezed past him. “Watch my tail!”
“Careful!” Dustpelt warned as she stepped on his paw.
“Sorry!” Hollypaw slid gingerly around Lionpaw, making sure she only put her feet on solid ground.
“Did you find anything out?” he hissed.
“No.”
“Just sit down and keep quiet,” Brackenfur ordered.
Hollypaw blinked a silent apology and looked up at Leopardstar.
The RiverClan leader gazed steadily from the oak. A kit wailed and was quickly silenced. “We have a small problem on RiverClan territory,” Leopardstar began.
Small? Hollypaw’s heart pounded. Then why are you all here?
“We’ve had to leave our camp.”
“Leave your camp?” Blackstar’s eyes glittered with interest.
“Only for a short time,” Leopardstar meowed quickly.
“We’re sorting the trouble out. We shall move back as soon as it’s fixed. Until then we’ll be staying on the island.”
What about Gatherings? Hollypaw glanced up anxiously at Silverpelt. Gatherings were governed by the warrior code; they took place on land shared equally by the Clans. Surely this broke with the tradition laid down by their ancestors?
“Where are you hunting?” Onestar stared accusingly at the RiverClan leader.
Russetfur stood up, the fur pricking along her spine.
“There can’t possibly be enough food on the island for the whole Clan.”
Leopardstar glared at the ShadowClan deputy. “We have the lake!”
“Is that enough?” Crowfeather called. “What will you do when you have fished out the shallow waters around the island?”
Mistyfoot bristled. “We’re not eating rabbit, if that’s what you’re worried about!” The RiverClan deputy curled her lip as though rabbit was the last thing she’d dream of swallowing.
“What about Gatherings?” Firestar gazed calmly at Leopardstar.
“We hope to be back in our camp by the next full moon,” Leopardstar meowed.
“And what if you’re not?” Blackstar demanded. “It’s not fair if you outnumber every other Clan at the Gatherings.”
Thornclaw stood up. “No cat ever lived at Fourtrees,” he pointed out. “It was special to all the Clans, like Mother-mouth.”
Leopardstar met his gaze. “We would not be doing this if we had another option.”
“What if you can never return to your camp?” Onestar’s claws scratched the bark underneath him. “Where will you go then?”
“Will you move to new territory?”
“Will you invade another Clan’s land?”
Anxious mews sounded from the clearing.