This is WindClan's first story, written by all of us at WindClan for cats of all Clans to read! We will each take turns writing chapters and write a story about WindClan together! So as not to confuse you, the chapters will be posted under the pen name of WindClan, this account. ;) The first chapter will be up soon!
~First Gathering~
"..47, 48, 49, 50! Okay, that's all of them, we have all fifty flowers!" Aquapaw said brightly as she finished counting the daisies in the medicine cat den. She had been counting herbs all day, as Tabbystripe had asked, and the daisies were the last of the herbs. Her mentor had promised that if Aquapaw finished, she could go to her first Gathering tonight. "Very good, Aquapaw!" Tabbystripe said. Can you wrap that up for me then put it away with the other herbs, so the wind doesn't blow it around the den? Aquapaw nodded, neatly wrapping up the herbs neatly and putting them with the rest of the stock. "Time to go to the Gathering!" Fireheart, said, peering into the den. Tabbystripe had been busy crushing the herbs that would stay fresh for moons once prepared, and had just finished as well, just on time, too. "Thanks, Fireheart," she said, and Fireheart returned to Ebonystar's side. Tabbystripe turned to her apprentice. "Okay, Aquapaw, let's go."
Aquapaw trembled with excitement as she followed the other cats across the log and onto the island in the fading light of Sundown. She nearly slipped into the cool black water below, but Tabbystripe grabbed her scruff and steadied her, purring with amusement. "I know you're excited, Aquapaw," Tabbystripe said, "But try to focus on getting across for now." She remembered her first Gathering, and cherished every Gathering since. She was nearly as excited as her apprentice, Aquapaw, to take her to her first Gathering, just as her former mentor, Ebonystar, had taken her to hers. Aquapaw soon made it across, and Tabbystripe followed on her heels. She looked around the island, her nose filled with the smells of ThunderClan, ShadowClan, RiverClan, and her own Clan as they mingled together. Tabbystripe walked to her side, beaming with pride for her apprentice. "Go on, explore, just come back as soon as you hear the yowl from the leaders," Tabbystripe said, just before she drifted away to go to the other medicine cats.
Aquapaw stepped through the bushes after exploring for several minutes and getting deep in the wilderness. At first she thought she'd reached the Gathering place, because the trees and bushes cleared, but then she saw it was empty, and there was a beautiful creek, with smooth, bright rocks that seemed to glow in the full moonlight, and so did the bright blue water that seemed to have many diamonds in it. As Aquapaw looked at it, she found it was so clear that she could see to the bottom of it, and see the fish swimming through it, and the soft, yellow sand moving gently with the water. It was so different than the lake, or even the Moonpool. She walked up to it slowly, sniffing the fresh, cool water. At first, she thought it must come straight from the lake, but the water was so different than the lake water, it smelled different, looked different, and, as Aquapaw begin to follow it, realized it ended in a perfect round little pond. But the pond looked different, it was a darker, deeper shade of blue than the rest of the creek, and seemed to stretch down endlessly. Through the crystal clear water, Aquapaw could not even see the bottom. Suddenly something pushed Aquapaw in, and she opened her eyes to see blurry blue all around her, and a blur of shades of silver, as her eyes adjusted. Then, as she saw clearly, the silver was gone, and she felt something push her once more, with great force. She panicked, opening her mouth in desperation for air. She had never swam before, and she was so taken by surprise, she had no idea what to do. She kept swallowing more and more water, and she felt like she kept spinning as she was being pushed endlessly. When she kept swallowing so much water she thought she'd become a fish, she suddenly became distant from the world, falling into a sort of sleep, slipping quickly out of consciousness.
Ebonystar let out a yowl, and Tabbystripe waited for her apprentice. But as Duskstar, ThunderClan's leader, began to talk of her Clan's news, she became worried. She looked around for her apprentice, but could not find her. "What's wrong?" a voice said, startling Tabbystripe. She turned around, relieved to see her friend and deputy, Fireheart in front of her, confused and concerned. "I can't find my apprentice!" Tabbystripe whispered worriedly. "I told her to come when she heard the leaders yowl, but she still hasn't come." Duskstar had already finished, and it was time for the next Clan leader to begin talking. "I haven't seen her," Fireheart replied, also concerned. "Maybe she's on her way, I'm sure she'll be here soon." Tabbystripe nodded, hoping the WindClan deputy was right. But as the Gathering ended, Tabbystripe still didn't see your apprentice. "Where's Aquapaw, Tabbystripe?" Blossompaw asked. "I never noticed her here." Blossompaw was another medicine cat apprentice, who had met Aquapaw at the Moonpool, and had become good friends with her. But Tabbystripe didn't hear Blossompaw, because she was already frantically looking for her apprentice, calling out her name as she weaved among the cats. "Tabbystripe," Ebonystar said, and Tabbystripe turned around to look at her leader, "What's wrong?" "I can't find my apprentice," Tabbystripe admitted to her leader. She repeated how she'd told Aquapaw to come when the Gathering started. "Well, I haven't seen her," Ebonystar said, looking concerned. "Well, maybe she'll come home later, but we have to get back now." Tabbystripe turned to see all the other Clans had already departed, except for WindClan, who were all waiting for their leader. Ebonystar joined them and began leading them back, and Tabbystripe followed with her Clan. "Don't worry, Tabbystripe," Fireheart soothed sympathetically. "I'm sure Aquapaw just got distracted. She'll be back soon." "I hope so," Tabbystripe said doubtfully.
"..47, 48, 49, 50! Okay, that's all of them, we have all fifty flowers!" Aquapaw said brightly as she finished counting the daisies in the medicine cat den. She had been counting herbs all day, as Tabbystripe had asked, and the daisies were the last of the herbs. Her mentor had promised that if Aquapaw finished, she could go to her first Gathering tonight. "Very good, Aquapaw!" Tabbystripe said. Can you wrap that up for me then put it away with the other herbs, so the wind doesn't blow it around the den? Aquapaw nodded, neatly wrapping up the herbs neatly and putting them with the rest of the stock. "Time to go to the Gathering!" Fireheart, said, peering into the den. Tabbystripe had been busy crushing the herbs that would stay fresh for moons once prepared, and had just finished as well, just on time, too. "Thanks, Fireheart," she said, and Fireheart returned to Ebonystar's side. Tabbystripe turned to her apprentice. "Okay, Aquapaw, let's go."
Aquapaw trembled with excitement as she followed the other cats across the log and onto the island in the fading light of Sundown. She nearly slipped into the cool black water below, but Tabbystripe grabbed her scruff and steadied her, purring with amusement. "I know you're excited, Aquapaw," Tabbystripe said, "But try to focus on getting across for now." She remembered her first Gathering, and cherished every Gathering since. She was nearly as excited as her apprentice, Aquapaw, to take her to her first Gathering, just as her former mentor, Ebonystar, had taken her to hers. Aquapaw soon made it across, and Tabbystripe followed on her heels. She looked around the island, her nose filled with the smells of ThunderClan, ShadowClan, RiverClan, and her own Clan as they mingled together. Tabbystripe walked to her side, beaming with pride for her apprentice. "Go on, explore, just come back as soon as you hear the yowl from the leaders," Tabbystripe said, just before she drifted away to go to the other medicine cats.
Aquapaw stepped through the bushes after exploring for several minutes and getting deep in the wilderness. At first she thought she'd reached the Gathering place, because the trees and bushes cleared, but then she saw it was empty, and there was a beautiful creek, with smooth, bright rocks that seemed to glow in the full moonlight, and so did the bright blue water that seemed to have many diamonds in it. As Aquapaw looked at it, she found it was so clear that she could see to the bottom of it, and see the fish swimming through it, and the soft, yellow sand moving gently with the water. It was so different than the lake, or even the Moonpool. She walked up to it slowly, sniffing the fresh, cool water. At first, she thought it must come straight from the lake, but the water was so different than the lake water, it smelled different, looked different, and, as Aquapaw begin to follow it, realized it ended in a perfect round little pond. But the pond looked different, it was a darker, deeper shade of blue than the rest of the creek, and seemed to stretch down endlessly. Through the crystal clear water, Aquapaw could not even see the bottom. Suddenly something pushed Aquapaw in, and she opened her eyes to see blurry blue all around her, and a blur of shades of silver, as her eyes adjusted. Then, as she saw clearly, the silver was gone, and she felt something push her once more, with great force. She panicked, opening her mouth in desperation for air. She had never swam before, and she was so taken by surprise, she had no idea what to do. She kept swallowing more and more water, and she felt like she kept spinning as she was being pushed endlessly. When she kept swallowing so much water she thought she'd become a fish, she suddenly became distant from the world, falling into a sort of sleep, slipping quickly out of consciousness.
Ebonystar let out a yowl, and Tabbystripe waited for her apprentice. But as Duskstar, ThunderClan's leader, began to talk of her Clan's news, she became worried. She looked around for her apprentice, but could not find her. "What's wrong?" a voice said, startling Tabbystripe. She turned around, relieved to see her friend and deputy, Fireheart in front of her, confused and concerned. "I can't find my apprentice!" Tabbystripe whispered worriedly. "I told her to come when she heard the leaders yowl, but she still hasn't come." Duskstar had already finished, and it was time for the next Clan leader to begin talking. "I haven't seen her," Fireheart replied, also concerned. "Maybe she's on her way, I'm sure she'll be here soon." Tabbystripe nodded, hoping the WindClan deputy was right. But as the Gathering ended, Tabbystripe still didn't see your apprentice. "Where's Aquapaw, Tabbystripe?" Blossompaw asked. "I never noticed her here." Blossompaw was another medicine cat apprentice, who had met Aquapaw at the Moonpool, and had become good friends with her. But Tabbystripe didn't hear Blossompaw, because she was already frantically looking for her apprentice, calling out her name as she weaved among the cats. "Tabbystripe," Ebonystar said, and Tabbystripe turned around to look at her leader, "What's wrong?" "I can't find my apprentice," Tabbystripe admitted to her leader. She repeated how she'd told Aquapaw to come when the Gathering started. "Well, I haven't seen her," Ebonystar said, looking concerned. "Well, maybe she'll come home later, but we have to get back now." Tabbystripe turned to see all the other Clans had already departed, except for WindClan, who were all waiting for their leader. Ebonystar joined them and began leading them back, and Tabbystripe followed with her Clan. "Don't worry, Tabbystripe," Fireheart soothed sympathetically. "I'm sure Aquapaw just got distracted. She'll be back soon." "I hope so," Tabbystripe said doubtfully.
