Lotuspaw paced nervously. He heard Swiftpaw wheezing just earlier. Could he be sick? Redcloud was dead, the sickness could spread, the whole Clan could die!

He shivered. The cold was only starting to set in. It would be a long leaf-bare ahead of them.

"Will you stop shivering?" Cherrypaw hissed from behind Lotuspaw.

"Sorry," Lotuspaw mewed.

It's not Lotuspaw's fault he's shivering, though. He still has a thin pelt, while Cherrypaw's has always been thick. It would be some time before his pelt thickened.

"Lotuspaw!" The small tabby apprentice's head bolts up as he hears Leafsong calling him. "We're going out hunting."

Lotuspaw bounded out of the apprentice's den, heading for his mentor. Leafsong was there, sitting with Stormstride and Redstep.

All four cats headed out, Stormstride at the lead. "We're going to try hunting around the fallen oak near the edge of our territory."

Fallen oak! A fallen tree had crushed and killed Redcloud, and the very mention of a fallen tree sent shivers through the patrol.

It took some time before they reached the oak. Lotuspaw's pelt was fluffed out against the cold, but he still shivered. He wondered if he'd actually be able to catch anything.

"Lotuspaw, go see if you can find anything over there." Leafsong nodded to the other side of the tree. Lotuspaw nodded, scrambling over the oak. He was still small.

He tasted the air. The cold stung the roof of his mouth, but, ignoring the stinging sensation, he scented mouse. He pricked his ears, and slowly moved towards the scent.

He spotted the mouse. He set his paws down lightly, watching as the mouse nibbled on something. His rump wiggled before he pounced. The mouse was quicker. It bolted into the undergrowth, and Lotuspaw gave chase. So close!

"Mouse-dung!" Lotuspaw hissed after he saw the mouse had gone disappeared.

He tasted the air again. There must be something else around!

Lotuspaw's stomach stung. He smelled rabbit. He quickly followed the scent. Stumbling into a small clearing, he saw the rabbit. It hadn't seen him yet. Lotuspaw stayed within the safety of the undergrowth.

He stalked out of the undergrowth, staying still as the rabbit's ears twitched towards him. It knows!

Lotuspaw quickly pounced, messily killing the rabbit. The small white creature was scrawny, but it was a catch.

He headed back towards the oak.

Redstep was already there, a squirrel and mouse at his paws. Stormstride appeared out of the undergrowth moments later, carrying a thrush. Leafsong followed, a single mouse in her jaws.

They all headed back to camp. Lotuspaw felt tired and hungry.

"You may eat," Leafsong meowed to Lotuspaw before getting some fresh-kill for herself and going over to her littermates, Dashwhisker and Icefang, to eat.

Lotuspaw picked up a squirrel, and went to the apprentice's den. He sat outside, watching as Troutpaw walked back in with his patrol. Cindersight and Feathersong followed. Troutpaw proudly carried a plump rabbit. He set it down on the fresh-kill pile and picked up a thrush and headed over to Lotuspaw.

"Hi, Lotuspaw!" Troutpaw greeted, his mouth full of feathers. "Good hunting?"

"Sorta," Lotuspaw mewed. Troutpaw sat beside him. "...Nice rabbit."

"Thanks!" Troutpaw meowed as he started to eat his thrush. "Are you going to the Gathering tonight?"

Lotuspaw flinched a little. He hasn't gone to a Gathering yet. "I don't know."

"I'm sure Leafsong will take you this moon," Troutpaw encouraged. "Gathering's are great. I'll introduce you to Shadowpaw and Oakpaw."

"Shadowpaw? Oakpaw?" Lotuspaw wondered.

"Yes, Shadowpaw's a StormClan apprentice. Oakpaw's a DawnClan apprentice." Troutpaw meowed around a mouthful of thrush. "Shadowpaw—"

Suddenly, a mossball hit Troutpaw in the head. "Hey!"

"Sorry!" Cloudkit's terrified mew sounded from the nursery. She raced to Troutpaw's side. "I didn't mean it."

"'Sorry' won't do," Troutpaw hissed mockingly, jumping to his paws. "You'll pay for this, BlazeClan scum!" He picked the mossball up with a claw, and flung it at Cloudkit. The fluffy she-kit dodged out of the way. Troutpaw raced for the three littermates.

"StormClan's attacking!" Tatteredkit squealed. He raced to pick up the mossball and quickly flung it at Troutpaw. "Get off our territory!"

"I'm not afraid!" Briarkit raced from the nursery, his kit-soft pelt fluffed up. "Fight me!"

Briarkit leaped on Troutpaw, who dramatically fell over. Briarkit pummeled Troutpaw with small paws. "You'll regret ever being born!"

Tatteredkit joined in. Lotuspaw couldn't help purring in amusement. The kits were really enjoying themselves.

"They'll be fine warriors one day, Squirrelspring," Icefang meowed to his younger brother, Squirrelspring.

"Yeah," Squirrelspring agreed. "It's a shame Blizzardmist isn't here to see them."

Lotuspaw heard that Blizzardmist was Squirrelspring's sister. She was Redcloud's apprentice moons ago, but had died trying to save the Clan after an outbreak of greencough. Maybe if she hadn't died, we'd still have a medicine cat.

"Do you think Dapplestar will be well enough to head for the Gathering tonight?" Dashwhisker wondered aloud. "I mean, Redcloud was her last littermate. What do you think'll happen?"

It was past sunhigh. Dapplestar should be making an announcement about it soon, surely?

"Who knows?" Icefang growled. "Dapplestar's getting old. You can see that she's losing her touch."

"What do you mean?" Leafsong meowed, sounding mystified.

"That's a horrible thing to say about your leader!" Maplescar's wheezing mew sounded from outside the elder's den. "Dapplestar hears you sayin' that, you'll be in for it, young 'un."

"Of course, Maplescar," Icefang meowed, respectfully dipping his head to the elder. The ginger and white elder growled something before heading back into the den. Icefang turned away, not even making an attempt to defend himself.

Was Dapplestar losing her touch? Lotuspaw hadn't been around long, but he knew Dapplestar was old enough to join the elder's den without question. Why hadn't she retired already?

Lotuspaw saw Crowflight walking over to his leader. The dark grey warrior mumbled something to Dapplestar. The elderly she-cat snapped at him in return.

Lotuspaw shifted nervously. What was going on with Dapplestar?

"Let all those cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath Talltree for a Clan meeting!"

Dapplestar looked frail and skinny up on the Talltree. Most of the Clan was already in the clearing, and many patrols had returned.

Lotuspaw looked up at his leader. He figured this meeting must be about the Gathering.

"As you all know," Dapplestar meowed. "Redcloud has died and tonight is the Gathering of the full moon. I'll tell you all right now, we will not be going."

Yowls of protest and anxious murmurs erupted.

"Silence, mouse-brains!" Dapplestar snarled. "Feathersong, Skywillow, and Ripplemist are all very knowledgeable in the field of medicine, however, they are too strong of warriors to be wasted as medicine cats. And so, I've chosen Daisypaw to the next medicine cat."