A New Cat

I'd like to welcome a new cat into FrostClan,
Welcome, Joykit!
Joykit! Joykit! Joykit!

Story Part 26 Part 2 *A Full Moon Gathering*

Etharpaw, Eaglepaw, and a reluctant Winterpaw, walked around introducing themselves. Etharpaw walked up to a dusty brown apprentice. "Hi, I'm Etharpaw, and my brothers are Eaglepaw and Winterpaw. What's your name?"
"I'm Dustpaw, from PowerClan," he said. "Nice to meet you. You're from FrostClan, right?"
"Yep!" mewed Eaglepaw.
"Who are you talking to, Dustpaw?" asked a dappled gray and white apprentice, also from PowerClan.
"Oh. These are Etharpaw, Eaglepaw, and Winterpaw. They're from FrostClan." meowed Dustpaw. "This is my sister, Starpaw."
"Cool," mewed Etharpaw. "So, do you guys really have powers?"
"Well, duh!" exclaimed Starpaw. "Why else would it be called PowerClan?"
"I can teleport and read minds," mewed Dustpaw.
"And I can manipulate plant growth," Starpaw mewed.
"Cool! Show us!" Eaglepaw and Etharpaw mewed in unison.
"Alright, but don't be too drastic about it," came a voice from behind Etharpaw and her brothers. They whirled around. "I'm Beachfur, Starpaw and Dustpaw's father. I see the future." He squinted at Etharpaw. "I see a bright future for you, chosen one." Then he walked away.
"Well, that was strange," commented Eaglepaw.
"Nah," scoffed Starpaw. "He's always doing that. You kinda get used to it. Anyways, let me show you my power!" She crouched down, closed her eyes, and concentrated. A single stem of grass grew. Slowly at first, then faster. Soon it was a few whisker lengths taller than the others. "See!" she announced, beaming proudly.
"Whoa! Way cool!!!" gasped all three of the FrostClan apprentices.
"Now I'll show you my power," mewed Dustpaw. He flicked his tail at a tree many tail-lengths away. "I will disappear from here, appear over there, and then come back too."
"Show-off," muttered Starpaw.
Dustpaw suddenly disappeared. Then he reappeared by the tree. Next, he disappeared from there, and didn't come back.
"Where'd he go?" asked Winterpaw.
Starpaw sighed, "He's probably right behind us." And sure enough, there he was.
"Alright, that was fun," he exclaimed. "Next, I'll read someone's mind. Eaglepaw, think of an object and tell Starpaw what it is. Then I'll read your mind and Starpaw'll tell me if I'm right."
"Okay," Eaglepaw mewed. He thought hard, and came up with something.
"Totem pole," he whispered to Starpaw. Dustpaw had teleported across the clearing, so there was no way he could have heard. If Starpaw wondered what a totem pole was, she didn't say. "Ready!" called Eaglepaw.
Dustpaw appeared in front of them. He narrowed his eyes and stared seemingly straight through Eaglepaw. "Hmm... You told Starpaw.... totem pole!"
Eaglepaw gasped. This couldn't have been a luck guess. "You're right."
"See!" crowed Dustpaw, what did I tell you?"
"That's all fine and dandy, but playtime's over. The gathering's starting," Etharpaw told them in a quiet voice. They turned their attention to the Clan leaders.
---Later---
"Whew! That was a great gathering," announced Etharpaw. "But now I'm totally tired. Let's get to bed."
"Yes," chorused her brothers.

Story Part 26 Part 1 *A Full Moon Gathering*

Chatter Chatter Chatter Chatter
Etharpaw sighed. "It's so noisy in here," she complained to her brothers.
"I agree," mewed Winterpaw. "There's so many apprentices. What do you think, Eaglepaw." He and Etharpaw turned to their brother.
Zzzzzzzz....
Etharpaw looked at Winterpaw and started laughing. "How can he sleep through this?" she choked out.
"I don't know!" exclaimed Winterpaw, rolling on the ground in laughter.
"Hey! Why'd ya wake me up with your laughter?" asked Eaglepaw grouchily. He had finally woken up at the sound of their laughter.
"Because you were so funny, sleeping through all this noise," answered Winterpaw, gazing around the stuffy den at all the apprentices. "I guess now that we're all up, we should get some fresh-kill and start training with our mentors."
Etharpaw leaped to her paws. "Yes!" she cried, eyes sparkling. "And we should work extra hard, because tonight is the Gathering! If we go, it'll be our first Gathering ever!"
---Later---That---Day---
Snowstar leaped onto the IceRock. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath IceRock for a Clan meeting." Snowstar paused and gazed around the clearing as the cats of FrostClan assembled. "I have decided that whoever wishes to share news at the gathering may come. Apprentices included."
"Hooray!!!" yowled Etharpaw, Eaglepaw, and Winterpaw, along with much of the Clan.
Snowstar waved her tail for silence after a while of crazy cheering. "I hope that anyone who wishes to go, for a good reason, of course, will behave themselves properly and show how FrostClan cats are." She looked particularly at Etharpaw, Eaglepaw, and Winterpaw.
---Even---Later---
The full moon rose into the sky as the cats of FrostClan made their way to the gathering. Etharpaw, Eaglepaw, and Winterpaw walked side by side. Rockblaze and Featherbird came too, proud of their first gathering as warriors.
"This gathering will be totally awesome!" announced Eaglepaw.
"Wow!" look at all those cats!" exclaimed Winterpaw.
"Let's go make some new friends!" cried Etharpaw, racing over to the clearing with her brothers in tow. "Hmm... There sure are a lot of new cats here. Let me see... There should be FeatherClan, PowerClan, FadingClan, IvyClan, and of course, us, FrostClan. Let's go introduce ourselves."
"Yeah!" Eaglepaw agreed. He and his sister were very friendly and outgoing. Winterpaw, however, was more shy and timid. He hung back a bit.

Gathering 8/13/11

Please come and comment at the Gathering.
http://moonstargathering.blogspot.com/

~Snowstar

Story Part 25 Part 2 *Secrets {Mysteriousness}*

Snowstar sat beside the river, staring into its depths. The river was rather calm, not rushing fast, but not still either. This river keeps flowing, no mater what. I, too, must be like it and move on. Snowstar stood and padded along, following the river in its course. It is long and wide. If I threw a pebble in it, it would ripple and then disappear. I shouldn't let myself get down because of one bad thing happening in my life. She stopped following the river and once more sat, gazing into its depths.
"Ooooo..."
The cry started suddenly, then stopped. Snowstar gazed up the river and saw a beautiful bird. Its head was black, and the feathers of its body were speckled, black and white.

"Ooooo..."
Then the bird disappeared underneath the surface of the river. Snowstar frowned. She had never known birds to dive under and stay under. Ahh... Another of life's surprises, she thought. Just as she stood up, ready to walk back up the river toward camp, the cry came again.
"Ooooo..."
This time it was from several yards in front of Snowstar. She took one last glance at the bird, and then padded off back up the river. Just as that bird swims through the water, I must swim through the trouble in my life. The prophecy...

 The time is coming when the two,
In all their power come
Be ready for that day, blessed day,
When your worries shall be done.

The time may be soon,
But it also may be later
So be ready, don't waver
Lest soon become later.

She could still hear Ashfire saying it, in his cool, smooth voice. The two... Who could they be? I thought they were Etharpaw and Eaglepaw, at least in the old prophecy. I knew they were the ones. What if these are different?
"You are wavering," a soft voice said from behind her. She started and turned, gazing into Ashfire's eyes. "Soon will become later."
"Ashfire?" Snowstar gasped. "But... I thought you and Lionflame had left."
"We left, but were called back here by your inner turmoil," announced Lionflame, coming to stand beside his brother. "Oh, by the way-" His voice was cut off.
"Ooooo..."
"-That bird is a loon," he finished. 
"Loon," murmured Snowstar, looking at the beautiful bird. "Is that-"
She turned to see that Lionflame and Ashfire had seemingly disappeared into thin air.
"What's with them?" she asked herself, heading back to camp. 

Story Part 25 Part 1 * Secrets {Farewell}*

Eaglepaw was frozen in indecision. It's now or never. He picked up his vole and padded into the elder's den. "Here, Shortwhisker, this is for you."
"I suppose you want to ask me something, or you wouldn't have come," mewed Shortwhisker.
"Yeah," Eaglepaw meowed. "I was wondering what a totem pole is. I just randomly thought of it the other day. Is it, like, two-leg lingo?"
"Right indeed! A totem pole is either a pole or post erected by Indians of the northwestern coastline of North America, especially in front of their houses. The second definition is a hierarchy system," announced Shortwhisker, who had picked her way through the definition carefully, translating the two-leg words.
"Thanks," Eaglepaw turned to leave, but was too late.
"Wait, why don't you change my bedding while you're here," the elder suggested, or should I say, commanded.
Eaglepaw heaved a sigh as soon as he was out of hearing range. "I should have known, but I had to risk it," he mumbled to himself.
*     *     *     *     *
The shadowy figures heads never turned as she approached. One spoke, his voice soft, but full of power. "We have made our decision."
"Our decision," the other figure echoed. Snowstar almost started, but held herself back. Ashfire had hardly ever spoken. Usually only Lionflame spoke. For both of them.
"You asked us to join your Clan," continued Ashfire, the second speaker who rarely spoke. "We give you our sincere apologies that we cannot join your Clan."
"C-c-cannot?" stuttered Snowstar. She would have understood if he had said they didn't wish to join, but COULD NOT? It didn't make sense.
"I can see you are surprised," continued Ashfire. "You expected us to say we didn't wish to join, but we truly cannot. Our work in life takes us elsewhere."
"Oh," mewed Snowstar.
"You would never fully understand us, so we won't try to explain," mewed Ashfire in a whisper. "All I can tell you is this:

The time is coming when the two,
In all their power come
Be ready for that day, blessed day,
When your worries shall be done.

The time may be soon,
But it also may be later
So be ready, don't waver
Lest soon become later." 

Snowstar gaped. This prophecy is even more confusing than the other ones.
Ashfire sighed. "I only wish I could explain it all to you, but it is not up to me to mess with time and space. But know this; of all the prophecies you have received, this one comes not from StarClan, but from an even greater power."
"And now we both bid you farewell," Lionflame mewed softly.
"Know that this is not the last time we will meet," mewed Ashfire confidentially.
"I-I don't know how to respond," Snowstar mewed. "Farewell for now, I guess."
"Farewell."
"Farewell."
Lionflame and Ashfire left her then, and headed out through the tunnel. She watched them go, staring after them long after the tunnel's leaves had stopped rustling. Snowstar shook her head. I need some time alone to think. She padded out through the tunnel and found her paws taking her toward the river.

Story Part 24 Part 2 *Assessment Time! {The Hunt}

Rockpaw had sprinted over the bridge, which was dry from the sun beating down on it. I'll pass this assessment no problem, he thought. He glanced over his shoulder, but didn't see Snowstar or Snakefang anywhere. They must be good at being discrete, he thought. Then, no more time for thinking. Just concentrate on the hunt.
A raven was pecking at the ground. It seized a worm in its beak and tugged. The worm resisted. Rockpaw crouched and glided forward, as if on winged paws. Then he pounced swiftly, snatching the raven in his jaws and shook it. Its wings stopped beating frantically as it died. A great catch, thought Snowstar, who was watching from in a tree. Speed and timing were perfect. Only the kill could have been a bit cleaner. She had chosen the tree, because when apprentices are looking for the warriors watching them, the one place they don't look is up. She watched as Rockpaw scraped earth over the prey, and then flattened some grass stalks to cover it until he came back later to take it.
Rockpaw lifted his head and drew in a breath to scent the air. Nothing. He padded on and kept checking for prey.
*     *     *     *     *
Eaglepaw stared at the two cats who had leaped from the bracken bush.
"Heatherfeather! Hollyfeather!" he yelped instinctively.
"Shhh..." said the reddish orange cat. The gray one nodded.
Was it just Eaglepaw, or did those two look familiar?
"Lionflame, Ashfire, what are you doing here?" asked Hollyfeather, who had heard Eaglepaw call.
Oh, thought Eaglepaw. That's why they kinda looked familiar.  "Sorry I bothered you Hollyfeather. Those two just leaped out of that bush and kinda took me by surprise."
Hollyfeather nodded and left. Heatherfeather had been too far away to hear Eaglepaw.
"Where's Snowstar," asked Lionflame, looking this way and that. Ashfire too looked around.
"I-I think she's out assessing some apprentices," stuttered Eaglepaw.
"Very well," meowed Lionflame cooly. "We will wait for her at camp then." Ashfire nodded again.
The two toms brushed past Eaglepaw as though they were way higher on the totem pole of Clan awesomeness than he was. Wait? What's a totem pole? Eaglepaw asked himself. Oh, whatever. I must have heard it from Shortwhisker's two-leg tales. I'll have to ask her when I get back to camp.
He then saw a vole, leaped, and caught it cleanly. He picked it up in his jaws and headed back to camp.
*     *     *     *     *
Rockpaw had had a successful hunt. After catching the raven, he had caught a fish, and a mouse.
"That's good," announced Snowstar, daintily jumping from her tree.
"You showed a surprising variety of skills by catching those different kinds of prey," meowed Snakefang, coming out of nowhere.
Rockpaw hid his surprise at seeing them, and picked up the mouse. Snowstar grabbed the fish, and Snakefang grabbed the raven. Then they joined up and headed back to camp.
"You're the first group done!" exclaimed Skypelt. She turned toward the entrance tunnel. "The others should be coming back soon."
Sure enough, Featherpaw's group was back next. Then Oakpaw and then Leafpaw. They stacked their prey on the pile and then Snowstar called the meeting.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath IceRock for a Clan meeting."
The cats assembled. The rest of the hunting patrols had arrived shortly before Rockpaw had gotten back.
"Jingletail, do you believe your apprentice is ready to become a warrior?"
"Yes," he responded.
"And I believe that my apprentice is ready too. Featherpaw and Rockpaw step forward. I Snowstar, leader of FrostClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look after these cats. They have trained hard, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Featherpaw and Rockpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this Clan even at the cost of your life?"
"I do," breathed Featherpaw.
"I do," stated Rockpaw.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your new names. Featherpaw, from now on you will be known as Featherbird. May StarClan honor you for your kindness and bravery."
Featherbird! Featherbird! Featherbird!
"Rockpaw, from now on you will be known as Rockblaze. May StarClan honor you for your caring and skills."
Rockblaze! Rockblaze! Rockblaze!
"Tonight you will sit vigil and watch over camp, but first have some fresh-kill from the pile."
They nodded and Snowstar laughed.
"I'll tell you when you can't talk! Enjoy yourselves now," she mewed as she headed toward the shadowy figures of Lionflame and Ashfire, lying in the shade of a rock. She knew why they were here.

A New Apprentice

I would like to welcome a new apprentice to FrostClan. Jaypaw!
Jaypaw! Jaypaw! Jaypaw!