Wolfpaw kneaded the ground. He couldn't stop thinking about what about with Goosetail earlier that day. He was going to accept Dawn's offer, but Glaregaze, Sparrowwing, and Bramblestripe were making Goosetail's harshness a big thing.

Adderstar stood up on high ledge, his amber eyes narrowed as he glared down at the sandy warrior. Glaregaze and Goosetail stood beneath him, nose to nose in an argument about Wolfpaw and Hazelnose.

Wolfpaw sat by the apprentice's with Meadowpaw, Poundpaw, and Hazeleyes. The cream colored she-cat was comforting the silver apprentice by running her tail down his spin.

"Why'd you pull Wolfpaw off that apprentice?" Twitchwhisker hissed to Wolfpaw's father. Glaregaze was being held back by Poppystream, but even the the ginger queen looked like she wanted to tear Goosetail apart.

I suppose when it comes down to it, Glaregaze does care about me... Wolfpaw thought, lying down on the ground.

"He shouldn't have been acting like he was going to kill him!" Goosetail shot. "From where I stood it looked as if Wolfpaw was about to kill that WindClan tom!"

"He was not!" Glaregaze spat. "If you had just got closer, you would have seen Wolfpaw loosen his grip on that rabbit-eater!"

"I would've been too late if he did plan on killing him!" Goosetail snarled.

"Adderstar," Halfmoon spoke up, the old she-cat limped up, "despite his foolishness... He must go to the Gathering tonight..."

"Why?" Adderstar eyed his medicine cat.

They seemed to share a knowing look. Did they know something the rest of ThunderClan didn't?

"Wolfpaw can apologize to the apprentice and Goosetail can stop causing the Clan so much trouble..." was that a flash of sympathy from the medicine cat's blue gaze at Wolfpaw?

What was going to happen? His fur rose and his anger grew. Why couldn't they just tell him his destiny instead of keeping it a secret?

Becoming irritated. Wolfpaw stood and stormed out the camp, careful not to look at anyone he passed. He ignored the cats calling his name. He didn't want to listen to any cat anymore, he just wanted someone to care about what he thought. Goosetail was his father, shouldn't he decide what should happen to his father.

Finally, he reached the tunnels. Right where Wolfpaw wanted to be. He looked back for a moment before heading down the darkness. He'd get advice from Dawn first before Adderstar and Twitchwhisker picked the other cats for the Gathering. He wanted to tell her he agreed to let her train him before it was too late. He wondered how big he'd be before he received his warrior name. Glaregaze probably wouldn't let him be a warrior before his sixth moon. Despite his leadership prophecy, the dark gray tom still treated Wolfpaw like a naive kit.

"Wolfpaw?" The silver apprentice looked up and saw the she-wolf look down at him.

"I've decided that I want you to train me." Wolfpaw bowed his head in respect to the wolf. Though you're not the only one training me... Wolfpaw wanted to say, but he didn't want her to know about Wolfblood. He wasn't sure how she discovered Wolfpaw and his whereabouts, but he wasn't going to take the chance of her stopping him.

"Good, let's begin," Dawn stood from near the stream that seemed to run through the entire cave, "first, show me how well you can swim."

Wolfpaw could swim well for a ThunderClan cat, but he still didn't like the water. He stepped in to the cold waters, feeling his fur get tugged down in to it. He dragged his flank in and began kicking to keep his head above the water. He was still small and he couldn't reach the bottom of the stream. He could feel the need for rest overcome his paws. His paws were beginning to go limp with weariness and worry filled Wolfpaw. He didn't want to know what it would be like if he drowned.

"I-I'm going to drown!" Wolfpaw wailed to Dawn, feeling his head begin to go down.

"Keep kicking," Dawn urged, "don't forget your back legs, they'll have much more energy to carry you from your front paws."

Wolfpaw began kicking with his back legs, he could feel his head begin to rise. One at a time he kicked with his front to back legs. He began swimming circles around the rocks that stuck out. He even dove under and swam beneath the water. He resurfaced and climbed on to the dry ground and shook out his pelt of the water, making sure Dawn wasn't too close to get hit.

"Very good," Dawn stepped up, "now, for your WindClan skills."

Wolfpaw walked beside Poundpaw in silence. Meadowpaw had to stay in camp as punishment after she skipped out of her apprentice duties. Sparrowwing and Hazeleyes spoke quietly to one another while Glaregaze glared at Goosetail, who was expressionless. Adderstar and Twitchwhisker talked quietly up ahead. Lightpelt had asked Halfmoon to stay in camp after seeing the white she-cat limp earlier, but the old cat refused. Something was definitely going to happen tonight, but no cat told Wolfpaw what.

Wolfpaw could scent SkyClan and ShadowClan had already arrived at the island after RiverClan had. He looked back toward WindClan, wondering when they'd leave their home for the Gathering. He hoped Quickpaw would be there so he could apologize. He didn't mean to hurt the WindClan apprentice, he just wanted the tom to leave ThunderClan territory and forget his precious rabbit.

When they arrived to the island the scents of the Clans hit Wolfpaw. Dawn had tested his differentiated Clan skills up until he left and met Twitchwhisker outside the tunnels. He suddenly couldn't tell which Clan he belonged to.

He spotted Harmonypaw with the other medicine cats. Swimming today made Wolfpaw feel closer to her. But Wolfpaw's loyalty to ThunderClan was much stronger than the bond he had with the RiverClan medicine cat apprentice. He went to the other apprentices with Poundpaw. Luckily, Quickpaw and his siblings, Sandpaw, Dashpaw, and Honeypaw, were there.

"Quickpaw..." Wolfpaw stepped up.

"What do you want?" Quickpaw flicked his tail and not looking at the silver tom.

"I wanted to apologize for today..." Wolfpaw responded, sitting down and wrapping his tail around his paws.

"Apology accepted, now leave me alone!" Quickpaw ordered.

Wolfpaw let out a sigh and went off to look for Acepaw. Then he realized, WindClan probably wouldn't bring too many apprentices to a Gathering. He sat down feeling slightly out of place and thought of asking Adderstar if he could go back to camp.

Then Furyclaw brushed by. The WindClan warrior looked to Wolfpaw strangely. Was that sympathy and guilt? Flitfoot looked like she just got back the nursery war stories. What was going on? Why did the two look so guilty? Furyclaw stormed off. Flitfoot switched her look to her kits.

Be strong young Wolfpaw... Wolfpaw could hear the voice of the hairless tom, who helped Wolfpaw save Harmonypaw from a twoleg trap.

What... What do I have to be strong about? Wolfpaw looked around pleasingly for his answer, but the ancient cat was nowhere to be seen.

"Let the Gathering begin!" Marshstar called out, climbing up the tree, followed by Cloudstar and Ramstar. Adderstar left Twitchwhisker and headed up after the leaders. Minnowstar shakily got to his paws and feebly climbed up and sat down, his head low and eyes tired.

"I will go first!" Wolfpaw rolled his eyes at the ShadowClan leader's boastfulness. He looked to Marshstar's son and Snarlpaw had the same boastful look as his father. "ShadowClan is getting along well, we have a fresh-kill pile the size of a mountain! Mimi had chased a loner and a dog outside the territory!"

Wolfpaw looked to the black former barn cat. She lowered her head in embarrassment as the ShadowClan, RiverClan, and SkyClan called out her name. Marshstar looked at his mate pridefully before sitting down and looking to the other leaders.

"Things are going well in ThunderClan," Adderstar stood, "we are happy to announce three new additions to our Clan, Glaregaze's mate has given birth to a tom and two she-kits, Featherkit, Frostkit, and Snowkit!"

Warriors gave Wolfpaw's mentor their congratulations before looking back to Adderstar.

"Prey is running well," the reddish brown leader went on, "their have been issues concerning a warrior of mine... But... We've seen past it, I hope." his amber glare hit Goosetail with the sharpest claws Wolfpaw ever saw. The sandy warrior didn't flinch. Adderstar shook his head before looking to the leaders.

"SkyClan has been well as well..." Ramstar stood, looking unsuringly to Adderstar before facing the rest of the cats. "Prey runs well, apprentices are nearing their warrior ceremonies, and kits are healthy." he sat down and looked to Minnowstar. "Do have any news of RiverClan, Minnowstar?"

The dark gray leader shook his head. "No news," he rasped, "RiverClan is well and our apprentices and kits grow everyday..."

Cloudstar flicked his tail when the leaders looked to him, dismissing himself of sharing news.

"Very well," Marshstar lifted his head, "is that all?"

"Yes, actually!" The whole clearing spun to see Furyclaw begin heading to the Great Oak.

"Furyclaw!" Cloudstar hissed. "If there is something important you should have spoken to me first! We will discuss this behavior-"

"This is important, Cloudstar!" Furyclaw stood his ground. "It involves the loyalty of one of our own!"

"Furyclaw, please!" Flitfoot wailed, running over to the golden warrior and blocking his path. "Think of my kits!"

"Let him speak, Adderstar!" Goosetail stepped up. "I think I'm in agreement when I say we'd all like to know what's so important?"

"I will allow him to speak," Ramstar looked to Cloudstar.

"As will I," Marshstar nodded. Minnowstar and Adderstar nodded their heads in agreement and looked to the WindClan tom.

"Very well," Cloudstar growled, "you are permitted to speak, Furyclaw."

Furyclaw shoved Flitfoot aside and stood on a nearby rock next to the Great Oak. Goosetail went and sat next to the black and white she-cat.

"You think you know my apprentice, Quickpaw," Furyclaw began, "and his siblings, Sandpaw, Dashpaw, and Honeypaw, but you have been told lies! Lies made by a filthy traitor and her horrid mate! These four apprentices are not the kits of Moortail, they are Goosetail's!"

Yowls of disproval were drowned out by the blood rushing to Wolfpaw's ears. His eyes widened and it felt like someone drove a thorn in to his chest. Pain mixed with rage overcame the silver apprentice.

No. Wolfpaw shivered. It can't be true... Please, StarClan don't let it be true!

"No!" Sandpaw shrieked in horror.

"That's not true!" Quickpaw agreed with equal amount of terror.

"That's a lie!" Moortail snarled.

"No... It's the truth..." eyes flashed to Flitfoot. Her head was low and she looked defeated. "I took a ThunderClan mate, Goosetail, and I bore his kits..."

"Traitor!"

"Betrayer!"

"Liar!"

Wolfpaw began to head toward his father, but Sparrowwing stepped in front of him. Her eyes sympathetic and head low. Wolfpaw wanted to beg his father these were all lies and that he was Goosetail's only son and Hazelnose was his only mate.

"Goosetail!" Adderstar snarled. "You took a WindClan mate while your son suffered his loss of Hazelnose and Foxkit?"

"It was before that Adderstar!" Goosetail spat back. "I had taken Flitfoot as a mate much more before I even considered having kits with that dead she-cat!"

Rage engulfed the pain in Wolfpaw's heart. How dare he speak of his mother that way?

"And if you leaders don't accept it, then I'm taking my mates and kits away!" Goosetail lashed his tail.

Wolfpaw suddenly felt like his world crumbled beneath his feet. Goosetail was leaving and taking his family in WindClan?

"No!" Sandpaw wailed. "I don't want to go! Moortail's my father! He has to be!" she barged past all the warriors and into the dark brown warrior's chest. "Please say it's a lie! I want it to be a lie! I'm WindClan! I don't have ThunderClan blood!"

Quickpaw pelted over to comfort his sister, while the other two stood their in shock. Flitfoot lowered her ears and went to go to her kits.

"Stay away from them!" Moortail snarled at the she-cat, standing between her and her kits. "You lied to me and these apprentices! You can go and run off like a coward with your cowardly mate, but you're not taking my kits!"

"They're my kits!" Goosetail ran up to the warrior.

"We're not going anywhere with you!" Quickpaw hissed.

"We want to go with Flitfoot..." Dashpaw lowered his head, putting his tail on Honeypaw's back. "She's our mother and we don't want her to get hurt..."

"Moortail will always be known as our true father, but... Flitfoot obviously won't be able to stand up for herself if that... That monster gets angry..."

"Go then!" Quickpaw turned on his siblings. "We'll always be loyal to nothing but WindClan!"

"Fools!" Goosetail growled, turning and heading to the tree bridge with Flitfoot by his side, her tail dragging. Honeypaw and Dashpaw followed.

"Goosetail!" Glaregaze snarled, running up to Wolfpaw's side. "What about Wolfpaw? He's your son too and you're all he has left in ThunderClan!"

Goosetail turned back, his expressionless, but dark. "If I'm all he has left in ThunderClan," he growled, looking straight in to Wolfpaw's eyes, "then he never had anything in ThunderClan."

The world around Wolfpaw went black. He was alone. His heart crumbled to dust. He began walking after Goosetail, but then fell to his stomach.

"If any ThunderClan cat sees you in our territory they have the right to kill you!" Adderstar shrieked.

The clearing went quiet. Wolfpaw could feel sympathetic eyes on him. He felt Sparrowwing and Hazeleyes near him. But he didn't want them. He wanted a family. He shot off away from the island, ignoring the calls after him. He slipped in to the nearest tunnel he could find and collapsed near the stream and sobbed.

What do you want from me StarClan? Wolfpaw shrieked in his head. What? You took my sister, mother, Barrybush, and now my father! Why? Why do I have to be so different?