"Slatestripe!" Spiderpaw called. He couldn't have been more desperate to hurl around and brush his cheek to the SunClan's warrior's lovingly. Longing to feel his pelt again, he covered his emotion with a beam. "Haven't seen you in a while!"
Slatestripe's eyes were glittering. "I know!"
"Friend of yours?" Crowcall meowed. He approached Slatestripe and sat besides him.
"You know Spiderpaw and I get along," he meowed.
Eaglefang narrowed his eyes. "Nothing wrong with being friends, Crowcall," he muttered.
"I wasn't suggesting there was. I was only stating the fact that I didn't know."
"That's alright," Spiderpaw meowed. Crowcall's words were cold, but the medicine cat was far too overwhelmed to worry. He and Slatestripe locked eyes for a few moments, sharing so much emotion in such little time so that the SunClan cats wouldn't suspect anything unusual.
"Looks like you're all here," Spiderpaw meowed. "What about Vinetail? I haven't seen him."
"He offered to stay and guard the camp," Eaglefang meowed. "I'm sure that'll ensure he's able to come next moon."
Spiderpaw shrugged. He was saddened by the fact he couldn't talk to Slatestripe all night.
"I must go and meet with the medicine cats now," Spiderpaw sighed. "Although I would've liked to speak to you guys more, apparently we arrived late."
Willowfrost dipped her head. "See you."
Whilst the other cats saw Spiderpaw off, he heard Slatestripe announce to the other cats that he was off to ask Bulkfur about a new hunting technique he had offered to show him at the next Gathering. Only a few moments later, he saw Slatestripe burst in front of him and glare him in the eye, tipping his head and suggesting that he followed him. Excitement surging within him, Spiderpaw followed a few cats behind Slatestripe until they were behind a bush just on the outskirts of the Great Oaks, not hidden so that they didn't look suspicious, but just out of the range of hearing for any cat around them.
"The leaders are about to speak," Slatestripe meowed. "So I can't take long. But I need to see you again."
Spiderpaw nodded his agreement. "We need to catch up."
"Can you get away tonight?"
Spiderpaw felt a little guilty. He had the urge to yawn from the lack of sleep after visiting the rockpile last night, and he was still a little shaken up. Nevertheless, he nodded his head. "I'll sneak out the minute we get back. That way I can meet you well before sunrise and we can both get back in time."
"That works for me," Spiderpaw lied. But through his tiredness, he was excited for the night to come. "I'll see you then!"
"Silence."
He and Slatestripe trotted away from each other, and Spiderpaw quickly scanned the clearing for the medicine cats. He quickly found Oceanfur standing besides Sedgepool, and Spiderpaw bounded over quietly. Knowing they couldn't speak, Oceanfur greeted him by touching his nose to the apprentice's, and Sedgepool flicked her ear in greeting. Spiderpaw watched as Gingerspot came back carrying a mouthful of herbs, dropping them by Sedgepool's paws. She beamed and dipped her head to Spiderpaw, as if welcoming him back.
"I would like to speak first," Muskstar announced. Her gaze was cold as she scanned across all of the cats looking up at her. All of the leaders were silent, and Spiderpaw noticed as Talonstar dipped his head.
"Oceanfur's apprentice, Ashpaw, has joined StarClan," she said abruptly. There were no mutters from below, every cat just seemed to look at their paws and pay their respects. "However, there is one cat in particular who I would like to particularly thank for their effort in saving our apprentice."
Spiderpaw jolted up, eyes wide and his tail bushy. He felt Oceanfur jab his shoulder into his, and he stared up as Muskstar met his gaze, as if she had been watching him the entire night. "Spiderpaw of ThornClan, CedarClan thank you for your assistance."
Spiderpaw was flushed. If he was allowed to speak, he still wouldn't have known what to say. Imagine getting a Gathering compliment by the coldest leader in the forest!
Spiderpaw watched, still crazed as Muskstar dipped her head to Echostar, as a way of showing her respect to the sandy she-cat who had allowed her apprentice to help them. Echostar glared back at her coldly and blinked, and Spiderpaw froze. He thought the tension between them would have thawed!
"All is well in ThornClan," she meowed bitterly. "We have one new apprentice, Dustpaw, who is present with us tonight. We hope for the best for him in his training."
Echostar took a step back and let Stemstar announce that things in RiverClan had been peaceful over the last moon. Spiderpaw couldn't help but feel a sense of pride for Stemstar, he could remember, when he and the ThornClan leader were close, she would tell him stories all about her tales in RiverClan, however sad some of them were. Spiderpaw knew that RiverClan used to be populated, however during Berrystar's reign, many cats had joined StarClan for differing reasons, battles, sickness, exiles...
Although, Spiderpaw's favourite tale had to be the one about Echostar and Stemstar joining forces despite Echostar leaving, despite the tainted relationship they had to put an end to the battle between ThornClan and CedarClan.
He felt pain for Stemstar, wondering how hard leading a Clan of only your kits could be. Spiderpaw didn't want to imagine what could have happened if Stemstar hadn't have had kits, and he was instead by himself in RiverClan...
He shook himself. By the time he had managed to shake himself back into the present. Talonstar was finishing off and stepping back, before all of the leaders made their way down the trees and joined back with their Clans.
Spiderpaw turned Oceanfur's way again as all of the Clans rose into murmurs. "I'm glad to see you again," he meowed.
"I'm glad to see you too," Oceanfur meowed. "I'll miss having you around - you almost felt like my apprentice."
"You taught me so much," Spiderpaw thanked, brushing his head lightly against Oceanfur's ear. "I can't thank you enough."
He knew he had to turn back now so he could get back to meet Slatestripe when he got back, as much as he wanted to sit and catch up with the CedarClan medicine cat.