Silverwisp's Destiny/Chapter Two

Chapter Two

*Silverpaw stood over the river, her* eyes fixed on its rippling surface. As quick as lightning, she slammed her paw into the water and carried the fish out of the water. She slapped it onto the riverbank. The fish went limp.

*Thank you StarClan, for this prey!* she thought.

Suddenly, Fernshade appeared. “Good job.” she praised. “You are becoming a fine hunter. Let’s take that back to the camp.”

“Ok,” Silverpaw said. She followed Fernshade to the camp.

The RiverClan camp was nearly full. Silverpaw gave her mouse to the queens, and then sat down next to Sunpaw and Ivypaw. She surveyed the camp.

Streamcloud was sharing tongues with her mate, Pebbleheart. Dawnflower and Foxtail were sharing a thrush together. Dawnflower caught Silverpaw looking at her, and smiled. Silverpaw smiled back.

Wingswoop and Fernshade were chatting together. The two littermates were happily sharing stories and grooming each other.

Silverpaw smiled. She had been an apprentice for almost a moon now. It felt good.

Suddenly, Leafstar leaped up to the Highrock.

“Let all cats old enough to swim, gather below for a Clan meeting!”

Silverpaw gathered below the Highrock with the rest of her Clanmates. *I wonder what this is about.*

“Today we will celebrate three kits becoming apprentices.” Leafstar said. “Icekit, Redkit and Birchkit, come up.”

Icekit, Redkit and Birchkit came and jumped up to the Highrock.

“Icekit, Redkit and Birchkit, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend the Clan even at the cost of your lives?”

“I do.”

“I do.”

“I do.”

“Then Icekit, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Icepaw. Dawnflower, you are a skilled warrior and will mentor young Icepaw.” Leafstar said.

Silverpaw watched as her mother dipped her head and went to touch noses with her apprentice.

“Redkit, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Redpaw. Thrushfeather, you are a young, but skilled warrior. Pass on your skills to this apprentice.”

Thrushfeather dipped his head and touched noses with Redpaw.

“Birchkit, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Birchpaw.” Leafstar’s gaze trailed over the cats gathered down below. “Owlfeather, you will mentor Birchpaw.”

Owlfeather got to his paws and touched noses with Birchpaw.

“Icepaw! Redpaw! Birchpaw!” Silverpaw chanted along with the rest of her Clanmates.

“And the Gathering is tonight.” Leafstar said. “The cats who will be coming are, Nightmoon, Sunleaf, Pebbleheart, Rosebud, Foxtail, Wingswoop, Fernshade, Dawnflower, Pineclaw, Whiteberry, Sunpaw, Ivypaw and Silverpaw.”

Silverpaw felt a thrill of joy rush through her. She was going to her first Gathering!

Silverpaw followed Fernshade to the Great Oaks. she could not help but jump in excitement. “Are there any rules?” she asked Fernshade.

“Yes,” her mentor replied. “You have to remember that we meet under the truce of the full moon. Tomorrow, we will be enemies. Don’t give anything away that might weaken the Clan.”

“Okay,” Silverpaw mewed.

Ivypaw bounded over to her. “We’re going to the Gathering!” she mewed excitedly. “I’m super excited!”

“Same!” Silverpaw purred.

“There are so many cats!” Sunpaw said in astonishment, looking around at all of the warriors.

“Look!” Ivypaw said. “ThunderClan is here!”

Silverpaw turned her head to look at the ThunderClan cats. Their leader, Silverstar, proudly led them.

“Do you want me to introduce you to some other apprentices?” Fernshade asked.

“Alright.” Silverpaw shrugged.

“Follow me.” Fernshade said. The gray she-cat stopped at a group of apprentices chatting. “Have fun!” She then began talking with a silver she-cat.

“Uh, hi.” Sunpaw said to the apprentices.

“Hi.” a sleek silver she-cat said. “I’m Featherpaw, and this is Snowpaw.” she flicked her tail in the direction of a white she-cat. “We’re from ShadowClan.”

“Uh, we’re from RiverClan.” Sunpaw said. “I’m Sunpaw, that’s Silverpaw, and that’s Ivypaw.”

“Well, hello.” Snowpaw said.

“*We’re* Leafpaw and Darkpaw from WindClan.” a tortoiseshell and white she-cat said. She pointed to a black tomcat.

“How do you WindClan cats survive out in the open?” Ivypaw asked.

“How do you RiverClan cats survive in the water?” Leafpaw asked.

“Huh.” Ivypaw said.

“We are Nutpaw and Firepaw from ThunderClan.” a brown tom and a ginger tom said.

“Yuck, you eat *mice!”* Featherpaw exclaimed.

“Yeah, well *you* eat *frogs*!” Firepaw retorted.

“Yuck!” Ivypaw exclaimed. “Who knew?”

“Let the Gathering begin!” Icestar, the leader of ShadowClan, announced.

The apprentices went quiet.

“RiverClan is happy and well fed.” Icestar said. “We are strong and will challenge any trespassers.” She eyed the other leaders carefully. “StarClan has blessed us this greenleaf.”

Silverstar, the ThunderClan leader, went next. “ThunderClan is happy and we are stronger than ever.” she announced. “Songbird has moved to the nursery.”

There were mews of congratulations.

“Other than that, ThunderClan has nothing to report.” Silverstar mewed.

Leafstar went next. “RiverClan is well fed and happy.” Leafstar meowed. “Dewdrop, Leopardfang, Goldenheart, and Petalfall have become warriors.”

The new warriors shone with pride as the Clans cheered their names.

“We also have six new apprentices.” Leafstar said. “Ivypaw, Sunpaw, Silverpaw, Birchpaw, Icepaw, and Redpaw.”

Silverpaw puffed out her chest proudly as the Clans cheered.

“RiverClan has nothing else to report.” Leafstar said.

Seastar went next.

“WindClan is good.” she began. “We saw a badger and quickly chased it off.”

There were murmurs.

“WindClan has nothing else to report.” Seastar said.

“The Gathering is over.” Silverstar said, and the leaders leapt off the Great Oak.

That night, Silverpaw slept soundly.

*Silverpaw rushed through the trees of RiverClan's small forest. She leapt over a fallen log and  came to a clearing.*

*A silver tom was there, starling glittering around his paws.*

*"Greetings, Silverpaw." the silver tom said.*

*"Hello." Silverpaw said. "Are you a StarClan cat?"*

*The silver tom dipped his head. "Yes. My name is Riverstar."*

*Silverpaw gasped. Many tales of Riverstar, the founder of RiverClan, had been told to her.*

*"Why am I here?" Silverpaw asked.*

*"A time of great trouble is coming to the Clans." Riverstar mewed. "Seek the Twolegplace or all is lost."*

*"Twolegs!?" Silverpaw exclaimed. "Why do we need* them*?"*

*"A time of great trouble is coming..." Riverstar repeated, starting to grow faint. "Seek the Twolegs..."*

Silverpaw woke up. Her dream was fresh in her mind. Twolegs? Should she warn Leafstar?

Silverpaw shook out her fur. She was being mouse-brained! It was only a dream. Just a dream. Nothing more. After all, what was the worst that could happen?