Shade

Chapter Sixty Five

Shadepool woke with a start, pelt bristling.

"Hush," Larkfeather murmured, resting her tail across Shadepool's shoulders. "Relax."

"I don't have time!" Shadepool fretted. "Oh, StarClan, how long did I sleep? I haven't even organised a patrol for the Gathering, and we don't know what to do about ShadowClan, and Smoketail..." she sighed. "I don't know if I can do all this."

"You won't with that attitude," Larkfeather remarked, calmly licking a paw and drawing it over her ears. "One thing at a time, Shadepool."

Shadepool forced herself to take a deep breath and flatten her fur. What was most pressing right now? The Gathering. That was the first thing she should do. "Thank you, Larkfeather," she meowed, then left the den and bounded up to the birch stump.

"Let all cats old enough to swim gather for a Clan meeting!" she called. The words came naturally to her now. She hadn't had time to think about who she wanted to take, but that was okay. She'd just have to make it up.

As cats began to gather around the base of the stump, Shadepool tasted a familiar scent on the breeze. It was Reedfur's, mingled with a slight hint of wet rock. She felt his pelt brush against hers, and though she couldn't see him, she knew her father was there supporting her, just like always.

Shadepool surveyed the gathered members of the Clan. "As I'm sure you're all aware, the Gathering is tonight, and it is almost dusk. Silverstar has unfortunately fallen ill, and though I'm sure she'll recover soon, she won't be attending the Gathering tonight."

The announcement was met with an uproar of dismay.

"Who will lead us without Silverstar?" Gentlepaw wailed.

"Shadepool will, frogbrain," Streampaw replied, rolling his eyes.

Shadepool nodded to the young grey tom. "Streampaw is right. I will be taking charge until Silverstar is recovered. So at the Gathering, I want Flowerfoot, Bluefoot, Raventail, Lilypetal, Redpelt, Frogleg, Runningbreeze, Jaggedpelt, Smoketail, Driftberry, Blackwhisker, Swiftfeather, Wavepool, Ripplestripe, Amberblaze, Gentlepaw, Streampaw, Singingsoul, and Larkfeather. The remaining warriors may take turns standing guard." She glanced up to judge the time, and saw that the sun had set. "We will leave soon. Eat quickly if you wish, then we will set off."

Shadepool stepped down from the tree stump, allowing the Clan to split off and start preparing for the Gathering.

"I hope we see Heatherpaw, Whitepaw and Darkpaw again," Gentlepaw meowed to Streampaw.

"Probably," the apprentice replied. "Ashpaw, Cedarpaw and Robinpaw, too."

Before long, the cats Shadepool had named started to gather around the camp entrance. Shadepool saw that they were ready to leave, and the moon was steadily climbing in the sky, too. She took her place at the head of the patrol and flicked her tail to signal RiverClan to head towards the Gathering island.

ShadowClan were the only ones there. Shadepool noticed how the two Clans were coldly cordial, and didn't really share tongues at all outside of a dimple greeting. Only the apprentices seemed eager to see each other.

"Shadepool." Whitetooth dipped his head to her. "I don't see Silverstar with you. All is well, I hope?"

"Silverstar is unwell at the moment," Shadepool replied. "We expect she'll recover quickly, but she can't travel at the moment."

"So you'll be up on the leaders' tree." Whitetooth's eyes gleamed. "Good luck."

Shadepool dipped her head in a polite thanks and bounded up to sit, somewhat reluctantly, beside Furzestar. ThunderClan and WindClan had just started to trickle into the clearing together. Lavenderstar and Thornstar joined them on the High Branch.

"Shadepool? Where is Silverstar?" Thornstar asked. "Nothing happened, I hope?"

"Silverstar wasn't able to make it tonight," Shadepool replied. "Don't worry, it's nothing serious."

"I'm glad," the ThunderClan leader meowed. "She's not as young as she used to be, is she?"

"Is anyone?" Shadepool sighed. "No, she's got many more moons in her yet. Shall we begin?" She changed the topic deliberately to stop herself from wondering exactly how many moons Silverstar actually had left.

"I'd like to begin, if you don't mind," Lavenderstar meowed. Thornstar dipped his head to her, and Shadepool stepped aside to allow her room to stand.

"Let the Gathering begin!" Lavenderstar yowled, silencing the cats below. "WindClan have thrived this moon. Grasstail has moved to the nursery with Applegaze's kits."

There was a murmur of congratulations from the cats gathered below. Lavenderstar dipped her head to Thornstar, allowing the ThunderClan leader to speak.

"ThunderClan is also doing very well," Thornstar announced. "Honeytail has given birth to three healthy kits - Gingerkit, Leafkit and Fernkit. They will make strong warriors one day."

"ShadowClan is also strong," Furzestar declared. "We are guarding our borders carefully, and we will not tolerate trespassers on our territory!"

There were yowls of support from ShadowClan warriors. Shadepool remained calm, but her mind whirled. Furzestar had very carefully veiled that threat - he had a strip of RiverClan territory still, and seemed unwilling to give it up.

"Silverstar sends her apologies for being unable to make it tonight," Shadepool began. "This moon, RiverClan has named two new warriors: Ripplestripe and Amberblaze."

"Ripplestripe! Amberblaze!" The Clans called. Amberblaze puffed out her chest proudly, while Ripplestripe sat there calmly, accepting the support with a polite nod of his head.

"We will continue to patrol our borders as diligently as ever." Shadepool shot a meaningful glance at Furzestar. We have not forgotten what you've taken, she thought. He had understood the message, judging by the almost imperceptible way he narrowed his eyes.

"The Gathering is over," Furzestar growled. "ShadowClan, we will leave immediately."

The big black and white tom bounded down from the branch in one impressive leap and walked straight out of the clearing, ShadowClan warriors following quickly behind. Shadepool, Lavenderstar and Thornstar climbed down as well to get her their own Clans.

"You did really well up there," Larkfeather purred, falling into step beside Shadepool.

"I didn't make fools of the whole of RiverClan, then?" Shadepool responded, amused.

"You looked right at home up there with the other leaders," Larkfeather told her. "I'm not blind, I know that Silverstar is on her last life. But you'll be just as wonderful a leader as she has been."

"She's not dead yet," Shadepool meowed carefully. "And I hope she has many more moons left in her."

Larkfeather said nothing, only blinking at her daughter with unreadable light green eyes.