•[Smallpaw]•

I was named after my size, Smallpaw. Most cats don't believe me when I say that. I have so much fur I'm bigger than most other PineClan apprentices.
My mother, Brambleleaf, called me Smallkit because my long fur hadn't grown much yet. I was actually the smallest kit out of all my littermates. I was definitely smaller than Thornpaw, I wouldn't be surprised if he was as tall as a fox by the time he was a warrior!
I don't want to be a warrior, the apprentices hate cleaning the elder's den, but I love the elder's den because I have a special friend there. Birdtail, a gray-brown tom with the most dazzling bright yellow eyes. His back legs don't work, since his spine is broken.
I headed towards the fallen over hollow tree trunk, and ran over when I saw Birdtail sunbathing infront of it.
"Hello Smallpaw, come to hear a story?" Birdtail asked.
"Oh, yes please!" I mewed excitedly, my paws kneading the ground.
"Ok, ok, I'll tell you a story about myself," he meowed, "I was ambitious, as any warrior is. So when the leader retired I was ready to take his place; I was a senior warrior at the time and was quite popular in the clan. So when the voting started I was one of the ones who got chosen. And of course, as you know, Tawnyowl was voted aswell, which came as a surprise since he was very young to be a leader."
Tawnyowl- now Tawnystar, is my brother. I wish he wasn't, I know most cats would be honored- like my brother Thornpaw. My dad, Longgrass, encourages Thornpaw, hoping maybe he'll be leader someday aswell. I'm not ambitious like them at all. When I become a warrior, I'm going to hunt and clean for the elder's, I'm not going to fight, I don't want to hurt cats, it makes no sense. Why fight and get hurt when you can be peaceful and not waste your herbs on wounds?
"I was still young on the inside though," Birdtail chuckles "When we began to climb the Talltree, I was fast, nearly at the front. I was speeding along, Tawnyowl beside me. When we were nearly at the top, the deputy at the time, shoved in-between us. The branches stared to get thinner and wobblier, and then-" He stops, closing his eyes like he's reliving the scene, "I fell."
I gasped, is that how he became so- so hurt?
"I was so surprised I forgot to turn around and land on my paws, so I fell on my back, my spine making the most deafening crack I've ever heard. I didn't know it was my spine that made that noise, until I felt the pain- a sharp pain. But then everything went black," he opened his eyes again.
"I don't know what happened next, but my friend told me. I was brought to the medicine den; Poppypetal worked hard on me, but there was nothing she could do, not even MoonClan could help me."
I rested a paw on his, trying to comfort him.
"I stayed in that medicine den for ages, moons, before I retired to the elder's den early-," he continued, before getting interrupted.
"Let all cats old enough to climb, gather around the Tree Stump for a clan meeting," Tawnystar yowled.
"Oh well, I was finishing the story anyways," Birdtail mewed.
He sat up and dragged himself towards the group of cats gathering in the clearing.
"There is a gathering tonight, and you better be on your best behaviour, because you are representing PineClan," Tawnystar went on. "The cats coming tonight are Tallfoot, Poppypetal and Blueflower, Willowwhisker, Berrybriar, Longgrass, Violetpelt, Lionfern, Stormsong, Thistlepaw, Thornpaw, Smallpaw, Cloudsky and Birdtail."
This was only my second gathering, but it was Thornpaw's third gathering. Tawnystar didn't want to bring me to the gathering since I was shy and anxious, and didnt want anything to do with the other apprentices, the total opposite of a PineClan cat. I know that it must of been Brambleleaf who persuaded him to let me come.
"Go get some rest and eat some fresh-kill, it could be a long night at Silver Stones," Tawnystar said, jumping down from the Tree Stump.
I went to the fresh-kill pile an chewed on a plump mouse, not knowing whether I was excited or nervous. Sometimes an argument would start at the gathering, but it hadn't happened when I went to my first gathering, though I was glad, I wouldn't want to experience the clan leaders in a row. It could easily lead to something much worse- expecially Tawnystar, who was quite hot-headed.
"Did you hear that Smallpaw?" A voice meowed sternly behind me, making me jump. I turned around to see my father and mentor, Longgrass,"Be on your best behaviour."
I nodded meekly.
He raised an eyebrow but grabbed a thrush and headed to the nursery, a small but wide tree with an old badger den by it's roots, perfect for a safe den.
He must be visiting Brambleleaf, who was having another litter.
My new siblings, I thought. I knew I would be the best brother to them, I would teach them everything I know.
My ears turned to hear what the recently returned patrol was saying, it was hard to hear because they were talking in low, hushed voices. I could just about make out what they were talking about.
"You smelled fox?" Meadowwind hissed.
"Yes, I did, it was really strong at the training hole," Lilytail whispered,
"We should tell Tawnystar," Berrybriar replied.
They stopped talking as Tallfoot stalked over to tell Berrybriar they were going to the gathering.
My head was whirring, were there foxes? Were they going to hurt us?
I shook my head and slipped though the small entrance to the apprentice den.
I stretched and yawned, slumping down in my soft nest of moss and ferns, drifting off to a deep sleep.

"Hey Smallpaw! Wake up! You're as lazy as a badger in leaf-bare!" Thornpaw sharply prodded my side. "C'mon, it's time for the gathering!"
The gathering. It felt like I slept for a moon, but I didn't want to wake up.
"Go away," I grumbled, though I obviously knew he wasn't going to go away anytime soon.
"You really are lazy!" Thornpaw squealed with laughter.
"Fine." I said stubbornly, getting up and shaking my legs to get the sleep out of them.
Thornpaw smiled and bounced out of the apprentice den. I followed; in a not bouncy way, incase you didn't know, the opposite of bouncing is walking, like normal cats. I don't think Thornpaw is normal cat; who would get excited for a stupid gathering? All your doing is meeting other clans, it's the same as a clan meeting just with more cats.
I joined in with the patrol at the entrance of camp, keeping close to the other apprentices, Daisypaw and Thistlepaw, my sisters. They don't have to be a leader, Brambleleaf believes a she-cat should grow up and be a queen, and get a good mate. I think I'd be better off as a she-cat if you ask me, and Thistlepaw would be better off as a tom.
Thistlepaw says she's never going to be a queen. She doesn't ever keep still. When Brambleleaf goes on about how useful you could be to the clan to be a queen, Thistlepaw sighs and fidgets, while Daisypaw takes it all in, her eyes wide.
Thistlepaw dreads staying in the nursery all day, so she made up her mind that she's not going to have a mate. How do I know all this? Me and Thistlepaw are the bestest friends ever. So at least I'm a favourite sibling for someone.
I mean, it's not like my siblings are deadly enemies, but Thornpaw's favourite sibling is himself, and Daisypaw doesn't even have a favourite sibling, we asked her, but she just shrugged and said, "all of yous are my favourite." What kind of answer is that!?
The patrol began to move as Tawnystar yowled to tell the group of cats to follow him. Daisypaw says goodbye to us with a flick of her tail, since she's staying behind and guarding camp this time.
"I am SO excited!" Thistlepaw meowed in a sing-song tone. She nudged me, "what about you? Aren't you excited too?"

"Yeah... kinda..." I said, sounding as excited as I could, which didn't seem to trick Thistlepaw. "Stop worrying all the time, its not as if foxes will be there, ready to bite your tail."
"There could," I said, matter-of-factly.
Thistlepaw stopped, nearly making me walk right into her.
"What now?" I grumbled.
"Ooh look! It's a butterfly!" Thistlepaw mewed, her eyes wide.
"Thats not a butterfly dear, it's a moth," the raspy voice of Poppypetal came behind us.
"Come on, we're never going to get here if you keep stopping," Blueflower said, a little further ahead from us.

Thistlepaw sprinted up to her, describing the beautiful creature's wings. I stayed behind with Poppypetal, the she-cat was old enough to be an elder, but everytime she was told she should retire she would deny it, even though I'm sure she knows there's white hairs on her muzzle from age.
"I remember going to a gathering as an apprentice," she meows suddenly. "Yes, it must of been different for me, I was a medicine apprentice. Well, don't give away too much at the gathering, I know your a quiet one, but if you were asked by a warrior it could all just spill out of your mouth. Like I did at my first gathering." Poppypetal looked guilty.
I ran faster and stood up tall to see in the clearing, the flat stones surrounding it seeming to glow in the moonlight.
Thornpaw gasped as he saw a golden tabby tom, before sprinting determinedly up to him. I recognised him as Thornpaw, the two cats somehow had the same name, and every gathering they tried to show off to each other, trying to be the better Thornpaw.
I followed less enthusiastically, and sat down not too far away from him.
A group of cats trotted into Silver Stones, a gray-brown she-cat leading them. I watched the clan, which must of been BushClan, you could tell from their earthy smell. At the end of the group there was a silver tabby cat, looking around in a dazed way.

I suddenly realised she was looking at me. She walked over and sat down two tail lengths away.
"Who are you? What's your name?" She asked.
"I'm Smallpaw," I said.
She smiled, "I get why they called you that."
I sniffed.
"Hey! I wasn't being mean, I don't know how I wasn't called Longlegs myself!" She giggled, but at the joke she about herself, not at me, "So, how old are you?"
"Eight moons," I meowed.
"Nice; Oh! I forgot! You don't know my name! I'm Moongaze," She mewed.
I raised my eyebrows, "It suits you."
I wasn't lying, Moongaze's pelt shone a silver-white colour in the moonlight.
"I can't tell if I was named after my pelt of my eyes," she said. "My eyes are as round as a moon too." She waved a paw in round of her face, but her eyes didn't seem to focus on it.
She smiled as she saw my confused face, "I can't see well, everything looks like a blur to me."
"How are you a warrior then?" I asked.
"Brightsun taught me differently," she waved a paw at a golden warrior, smiling and laughing with a group of warriors from BushClan and CloverClan, "I hunt and fight the same way, just relying on my scent and hearing more"
I still couldn't believe a cat with such poor eyesight could do things normally.
"What? Do you have poor talking skills then? Oh StarClan, maybe I'm the one who talks too much! Brightsun always says I could scare all the prey from BushClan to WoodenClan with my chatting," she smiled.
"Is Brightsun your mentor then?" I decided to say.
"Yep! And he's my father! Oh look, he's coming!"
She was right, I suppose she wasn't that bad at seeing, even though you could see Brightsun a mile away.
"Torturing more apprentices Moongaze? Really, can't you tell when people don't want to hear your meowing all day and night?" He purred.
"I'm not torturing, look, Smallpaw enjoys my company, don't you?" Moongaze nudged me, but in a playful way, and somehow, I felt like I was enjoying myself. This strange and bubbly she-cat was fun to be with, with her constant talking were you hardly even had to answer her.