The Augury of RiverClan - 3.2

TW for Implied Abuse: You Have Been Warned

Ripplepaw cheerfully bounded into the clearing at Fourtrees. RiverClan has been the first to arrive at the sacred full moon meeting that the Clans always participated in. The Great Rock sat at the heart of the small area. The four massive oaks surrounding the area gave the Gathering spot its name.

In addition to the five survivors of the Sunningrocks battle, Shorestar had led Graypaw, Dewwhisker, Pinestep, Swiftstep, Halfface, Minnowfeather, Tawnybird, and Hareleap to the Gathering. She leaped on top of the Great Rock and lounged there as the group waited for the other Clans.

"Who do you think Flamingstar chose to replace Peltsone?" Ripplepaw asked his mentor.

"I'm not sure," Quickflash admitted. "Ivydapple retired two seasons ago, or I would have guessed her. I think he will have picked a younger but still experienced warrior like Eagleflame, though."

"Who is she?" the apprentice inquired, eyes wide.

"Eagleflame saved two kits from a raging fire in ThunderClan territory several seasons back," Mothear mewed, interrupting their conversation. "Since then, she's trained two apprentices and is on her third."

"Thistlepaw is a warrior, then?" Quickflash tilted her dust-colored head to the side like a bird.

"He's Thistleflame now, I think," Mothear purred. "Swanfeather was gossiping about how helpful he was as an apprentice last moon. Apparently the other four apprentices aren't as good at removing ticks."

Ripplepaw's whiskers flicked as he and Quickflash mrrowed with laughter. He stopped as the scent of heather tickled his nose. "I think I smell WindClan," he mewed. "Do you think they know about the battle yet?"

"I doubt it," Quickflash replied. "WindClan tends to ignore the ways of the river; I doubt they even had too many troubles with the flood."

Ripplepaw nodded, remembering that Quickflash was a former WindClan warrior. After a horrid tom named Fallenwillow had forced her to be his mate, she gave birth to one cat, Tinykit. Before Ripplepaw and his siblings had been born, Quickflash had carried Tinykit to RiverClan and begged Shorestar for sanctuary. Since then, Quickflash and Tinypaw had been loyal members of RiverClan. Ripplepaw couldn't begin to imagine how his mentor must've felt all those moons ago, but nonetheless, he was proud of her and all she had done.

The first WindClan cat to walk into the clearing was a dark ginger-striped tabby Ripplepaw recognized as Slowflight, a medicine cat. Her green eyes shone like stars beneath the moon. Next came Shadeflower, the deputy, and several other cats. Flintstar was nowhere to be seen.

"I bring great news!" a brown tabby purred at Quickflash. "Flintstar has had our kits!"

Quickflash touched noses with the tom. "That's great news, Deerflame! Is our mother well?"

"Spiderclaw retired." the cat mewed. "She's been lounging in the sun for days." His green eyes fell on Ripplepaw. "Who's this hulk of a cat?"

"I'm Ripplepaw," the apprentice answered. "Quickflash is my mentor."

"When did you get an apprentice?" Deerflame asked.

Before either cat could answer, the stench of ShadowClan overcame the crowd liked the flood had lapped at the borders of the camp. A massive sandy tom led a small number of cats to join the two Clans that had already arrived. He was horribly thin and frail, and several patches of fur wee missing from his pelt.

"Is Antstar okay, Aspenthroat?" Pinestep murmured to a ginger and gray cat.

"He lost a life during the storm," she admitted. "He's bound to be going to StarClan soon..."

Ripplepaw glanced at Quickflash and scooted a bit closer to his mentor. "Scared of the snake-eaters?" she joked.

"No, they just make me... uneasy." He shifted his paws uneasily against the ground. "They're a bit odd is all, and I'm not sure that I'll ever be used to seeing them. ShadowClan is just... the least Clanliest, per se."

Quickflash touched her nose to Ripplepaw's cheek. "It's okay," she mewed gently. "The other Clans think the same way about us sometimes. When I was younger, I always thought that ThunderClan was a bit odd and nuttier than squirrel dung."

Ripplepaw's eyes brightened. "That's true nonetheless," he purred happily.

As the moon drifted higher and higher into the sky, Flamingstar and Shrewstar, the SkyClan leader, arrived with their own Clans. "Why don't you go sit with some of the other apprentices?" Quickflash suggested. "You didn't the last time you were at a Gathering. Besides--" she pointed at a ginger and white she-cat with blue eyes-- "I think she's looking at you."

Ripplepaw glanced between the other apprentice and his mentor but warily obeyed. He shifted himself of his belly and onto his paws, quietly padding over to the she-cat. Her blues eyes shone like bright pebbles in the river, and her pretty dappled fur reminded him of the sky at dawn when it was cloudy.

"Hello," she mewed shyly. "My name is Applepaw."