Emberstar paced back and forth across the clearing, tail lashing in anger. It was almost time for the Gathering, and the Clan had gathered, waiting to see who would be going. Minnowtail looked her leader.

"Emberstar?" she said. The orange cat looked up. "Should I announce who will be going to the Gathering?" He nodded, and Minnowtail turned back to the assembled warriors. "The cats going will be Softwing, Silverpaw, Bramblepaw, Curlfeather, Eeljaw, Foxpelt, Mossfur and Rainleaf.

Silverpaw looked back to her sister, who sat next to her. She softly licked her sister's white and orange ear.

"I'll tell you all about it," she purred. "And next time, we'll go together."

"Bye," Dawnpaw said, trying to hide her jealousy. "Show those ShadowClan fox-hearts that RiverClan isn't beaten easily." Emberstar stopped his pacing and looked at his clan.

"RiverClan," he said," I do not know what Thistlestar will say, but I assure you that I will question him closely about the attacks on our patrols, and let him know that we are not afraid to fight." There was a collection of yowls and purrs of agreement from the warriors. Silverpaw hissed slowly. She would show those back-stabbing ShadowClan warriors that RiverClan was ready to fight!

"To the island!" Emberstar said, and ran out of camp. Silverpaw leapt to her feet, taking two paces for each full-grown warrior's stride.

The island!The island! Thought Silverpaw. She had seen it many times, but now she was actually going to cross the dead tree and go on it! Softwing trotted alongside her kit.

"Are you okay?" she said, grief weighing on her like a stone. "Are your scratches infected? Do they hurt? Because I could ask Aspencloud-" Silverpaw flicked her tail.

"I'm fine. I did more damage to that ShadowClan warrior than he did to me. The wounds do ache, though."

Softwing nodded understandably. "It's going to take a couple of days for them to loosen up." The dead tree came into view, and Silverpaw widened her eyes. The elders had told Dawnpaw and her about how it once was a giant oak tree that fell in the midst of a storm. But through the moons, all of the bark had fallen off and the leaves and branches were swept up by the river. Now the polished white surface shone in the light of the moon and the Silverpelt, looking like StarClan was walked upon it.

Silverpaw jumped carefully on the trunk, her claws slipping a little on the slick surface. Miraculously, she made it all the way to the other side without falling and jumped down on the island. Silverpaw gasped as she looked up. So many cats were weaving in between trees, sharing tongues, and looking at each other with hostility. Where do I go? She wondered, circling around.

Softwing pressed her pelt against Silverpaw's again. Together they walked through a bundle of trees and out into a small clearing that was looked down upon by the Great Oak. Already Emberstar, Runningstar, and Swiftstar sat in the branches. Now they were waiting for ShadowClan's leader, Thistlestar.

"Softwing," Silverpaw said as they settled into the middle of all the cats. "What is Emberstar going to say about—" Her mew broke off as Softwing's thick tail enveloped her mouth. As she followed her mother's gaze, she saw that their neighbor, a white she-cat, was staring at them curiously through icy blue eyes. Silverpaw tasted the air and didn't recognize the clan.

"Softwing," she murmured,"I don't recognize that she-cat's scent. Is she a ThunderClan cat?"

Softwing nodded. "Be careful about what you say in a gathering, Silverpaw. You never know who may be listening, or watching to see what RiverClan does." Silverpaw nodded as a drumming of paws made everyone's head turn.

"ShadowClan!" Silverpaw heard some cat say," Finally!" Silverpaw growled softly as she saw a dark brown tom and white she-cat run into the clearing first. The tom must be Thistlestar, she thought. And the she-cat is Lighteye. Dawnpaw had described her in particular with much detail.

The warriors came afterwards, along with a huge stink that reminded her of rotting fish. The warriors were mostly brown and black, with some white mixed in. Sitting apart from the other clans, they gazed at everyone with hostility. Runningstar yowled to the Clans, silencing the last minute murmurs of conversation.

"Cats of all Clans," he mewed," ThunderClan's territory is plentiful with prey and peaceful for the most part. Two days ago, there was a badger who decided that it fancied our territory." Runningstar flexed his claws. "Our warriors soon showed it otherwise. Also, our deputy is now teaching every ThunderClan cat how to fish, so we may have a plentiful food supply in leaf-bare."

"What?" Silverpaw growled, leaping to her feet. All around the clearing, the other RiverClan cats were growling. Emberstar hissed on his branch, but not to Runningstar, to his own clan.

"RiverClan, sit down!" he ordered. "If ThunderClan wants to be greedy prey-thieves, it's their problem."

Silverpaw sat down, happy that Emberstar at least called them prey-thieves. Runningstar sat down and gestured to Swiftstar, the WindClan leader. She sat up and curled her tail around her paws.

"WindClan has really nothing to report," the grey cat said. "Prey is plentiful and there is no trouble, inside or out of our borders." Now it was Emberstar's turn.

The red tom's glance swept over each cat in the clearing until he meowed," RiverClan has made two new apprentices, Silverpaw and Dawnpaw." Silverpaw sat up in shock, knowing that every cat's eyes would be on her.

"Only one is here tonight," Emberstar went on," And the other is at camp, healing from the wounds that ShadowClan warriors gave her!"

The clearing held their breath.

"Our brave warrior Ferntail is dead," he snarled," and several more warriors injured from two cowardly attacks on our patrols by ShadowClan!" Immediately ShadowClan and WindClan warriors began talking excitedly about the new turn in the gathering.

"So," Emberstar said, turning to Thistlestar. "What do you have to say for yourself, fox dung?"

Thistlestar opened his eyes calmly. "I'm glad you brought that little problem up, Emberstar."

"It's not a little problem," Emberstar growled. He was practically frothing at the mouth. "A warrior died! Two patrols were attacked cowardly! This is not 'little' at the least!"

"Emberstar," the ShadowClan leader said. He opened his large eyes, whose yellowish glow looked down at all of the cats. "ShadowClan needs more territory, and the only way to get it is from either RiverClan or ThunderClan." Runningstar drew back on his branch, hissing.

"You can try to take territory from ThunderClan," he snarled," but you'll have to pay the price for it!"

"Relax, Runningstar," Thistlestar said bluntly. "I'm taking it from RiverClan." He looked down from his branch at Emberstar, who stood with fur bristling. "Emberstar, ShadowClan is formally declaring war on you and RiverClan." There was a gasp, and Silverpaw hissed loudly.

"That little piece of mouse dung!" she clawed at the dirt and turned to Softwing. "He won't get away with both ears, right? Is Emberstar going to attack him?"

"Silverpaw," Softwing said, twitching her tail. "You know that the Gathering is a time of peace! Emberstar would never dare attack another Clan leader!"

"Well, it obviously isn't peaceful now" she muttered, before turning her gaze back to the Great Oak. Emberstar waved his thick red tail.

Hissing, he said," And RiverClan will be ready, you coward. We'll wait for your fox-hearted tricks— no doubt you use them. ShadowClan has never played fair." He looked at his cats and leapt off the Great Oak. "RiverClan!" he said. "We're going home." He turned back to Thistlestar. "And you better not step onto our territory when getting home, ShadowClan."

Swiftstar lashed her tail. "Then how will they get to their territory?"

"They can swim," Emberstar snarled, and disappeared into the bushes. Silverpaw raced behind him with all of her Clanmates.

Great StarClan! she thought, a war against ShadowClan!