Chapter Text
“And that’s how Beechfur and I learned that Otterheart does not like to wake up to moss in her face.”
“Mmhm.” Pebblepaw’s head rested in his paws. His blue eyes lay fixed on the line of trees as the sun began to fall behind them. The mix of pale pinks and purples in the darkening sky was always calming to him. He felt his eyes grow heavy, and just as they began to droop, the flick of a tail on his nose jolted him.
“I can understand you drifting off to one of Heavystep’s stories, but mine? I’m hurt Pebblepaw.” Rippletail turned away, an exaggerated pout on his face. Pebblepaw rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t hide his own faint smile. Rippletail rolled over onto his back, pawing up at Pebblepaw’s face. “Oh StarClan, help Pebblepaw learn how to not be a social outcast.”
“Ok, that’s uncalled for,” Pebblepaw muttered, pushing Rippletail’s paws away.
“Oh, come on. I didn’t mean it like that.” Rippletail sat up, trotting around behind Pebblepaw to bat at his tail tip. “I just mean that being RiverClan’s perfect little goody-goody only leaves so much room to get outside of your comfort zone and have an experience, y’know.”
“Rippletail,” Pebblepaw sighed, glancing away while trying not to laugh at how ridiculous his clanmate could be sometimes. “Aren’t you supposed to be a good example for me? Show me the good things I have to do to be a good warrior?”
“I wasn’t always a RiverClan cat. Listen, it’s the gathering tonight. You’re surrounded by cats from all the clans. Why not talk to some pretty she-cats, put yourself out there?”
Pebblepaw flattened his ears, furrowing his eyebrows with confusion. “First off, that’s against the warrior code. Second, I’m not interested. The point of the gathering is to listen to the clan leaders. Not goof off and-”
“StarClan, you’re boring,” Rippletail muttered. The dark gray tom sat up, his eyes widening as one of their clanmates approached. Pebblepaw turned and straightened up seeing his mentor, Mosspelt. Her blue eyes looked right past him at Rippletail, an amused look on her face. Beside her was her daughter Willowpaw, who trotted forward to touch noses with Pebblepaw.
“Rippletail isn’t wrong. Gatherings are fun Pebblepaw.” The mottled gray tom rolled his eyes at Willowpaw’s words. “Hey, I saw that. Don’t roll your eyes at me,” Willowpaw huffed.
Pebblepaw was about to retort back when Mosspelt stepped forward to give Willowpaw’s ear a comforting lick. “Willowpaw, don’t get riled up before the gathering.”
“Yes, mom.” Willowpaw turned to groom her back fur that had begun to rise in excitement.
Mosspelt glanced fondly at her daughter before turning back to Pebblepaw. “It’s comforting knowing my apprentice is so well behaved.” Pebblepaw felt his pelt grow hot and he laughed nervously. The older tortoiseshell warrior nodded to Rippletail. “And you should be a better example for a young impressionable apprentice like Pebblepaw. We don’t need you corrupting him.” The purr in her voice let Rippletail relax his nervously lashing tail.
“Just trying to teach him to relax once in a while.” The dark gray tabby arched his back in a long stretch. “Now, I ought to find Beechfur. He’s all mopey about not being able to go to this Gathering. Y’all have fun though!”
As the young warrior darted off, Pebblepaw sighed. He paid no mind to his clanmate’s words. He was content with his life, and there was no need to start changing or having “experiences” to mix that all up. As Willowpaw brushed against him, he straightened up and glanced around to look for his other sister. Of course she wasn’t in the clearing. “Where’s Minnowpaw?”
Willowpaw shrugged. “Maybe she went for a swim again? She’s anxious that Dawnflower will get sick again so she may be trying to calm down.”
Mosspelt glanced between the two apprentices, a faint smile on her face. “You know your friend well, Willowpaw.”
“Of course. I’d be embarrassed if I didn’t know how my sister thinks by now,” Willowpaw replied. While her voice seemed chipper, Pebblepaw could sense the emphasis she placed on ‘sister’. The last thing he wanted was for Willowpaw to be upset before the gathering.
“Hey Mosspelt, would you mind asking Voletooth if he’s seen Minnowpaw?” Pebblepaw asked.
The tortoiseshell paused before nodding. “Sure thing.” She turned around, and the two siblings watched her make her way towards Voletooth.
Willowpaw blinked before turning to Pebblepaw. “Did I do the passive aggressive thing again?” Pebblepaw placed his tail comfortingly on her backside. He nodded. Willowpaw hissed with frustration before sighing. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine, don’t worry. What matters is that-”
“We have each other.” Willowpaw finished her brother’s statement, a sullen look on her face.
Pebblepaw sighed. He loved Willowpaw, even if they weren’t littermates exactly. Every time someone reminded him that she wasn’t really his sibling, at least not in the way most would imagine would be close to each other, he felt as if they were telling him that their relationship didn’t matter. As if Willowpaw couldn’t be just as much his sister as Minnowpaw… the thought frustrated him. Glancing back at the dark gray tabby, he pressed his head against her side reassuringly. “Cheer up, ok?” he purred.
Willowpaw straightened up before nodding. “Alright.”
Pebblepaw paused for a moment, but the heavy paw steps barreling towards them caught his attention. There she is.
Water droplets scattered behind Minnowpaw as she raced over to her siblings. She kicked her back leg up to shake it out before shaking her head to get the heavier dampness out. Her coat was ruffled and her panting made it all too clear that Willowpaw’s hypothesis had been correct. “Sorry, I lost track of time.” Minnowpaw gasped. She quickly started grooming her fur back down. The sound of Willowpaw giggling relieved Pebblepaw. Now, this gathering can happen without any issues.
“How did ThunderClan actually get here before us?” Minnowpaw hissed. “They move so slow.”
ThunderClan was crossing the bridge that led to the Island while RiverClan awaited their turn to begin crossing. Pebblepaw stood behind Minnowpaw. Her large fluffy tail lashing back and forth grazed his face. He batted it away lightly. “The gathering won’t start without everyone there so there’s no rush.”
Minnowpaw pouted. “They probably move so slow because they have big lumbering paws.” She tilted her head around, trying to see the ThunderClan cats more in detail. It was rare RiverClan did ever see a ThunderClan cat, as they lived on the opposite side of the lake. “It’d be faster if we just swam across.”
“Maybe to you.” Willowpaw purred playfully from behind Pebblepaw.
Minnowpaw turned and glared at Willowpaw. “I’m serious. We’re not called RiverClan for no reason.” The gray and white she-cat turned out toward the water of the lake. She raised a paw out over the edge, her reflection just barely visible in the dark of night. “If any other cat fell in this water, they’d be a goner.”
A splash echoed in the air. The three apprentices raised their heads, but all they could make out was the faint rippling in the water. Their clanmates arched their heads trying to get a better view, and a rising murmur seemed to come from the middle of the bridge.
“Mousepaw!” Pebblepaw could make out a black tom calling out into the water. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together. It was then he heard a second loud splash. Another cat probably jumped in to help that apprentice. I wonder who…
“Minnowpaw!” Willowpaw yelled. Pebblepaw blinked, realizing his sister was now missing from his side. He could make out her glowing white pelt in the dark water as she rapidly paddled toward where the ThunderClan cat had fallen in. Mousebrain! You’re a good swimmer but you can’t just jump in the ice cold lake at night!
“What’s happening?”
“Did someone else fall in?”
“What’s that white thing in the water? Is that a fish?”
Pebblepaw anxiously watched Minnowpaw. He felt his breath catch in his throat as she disappeared under the water. Willowpaw was pressed against his side, her tail lashing. This was far beyond anything she’d had to do before.
“What’s going on here.” Mistystar stepped through the crowd, Reedwhisker following close behind her.
“Minnowpaw jumped into the water to rescue a ThunderClan apprentice!” Willowpaw’s fur seemed to bristle more every second that passed. Pebblepaw glanced anxiously at Reedwhisker. His father’s face seemed to tense as he hurried to the edge of the water. His gray eyes carefully scanned the dark currents. As he bunched his muscles to jump in after Minnowpaw, a splash followed by two gasps for air caused the RiverClan cats to sit up.
Minnowpaw’s white fur could be seen again and a dark-furred figure was plastered against her side as she dragged them to shore. Reedwhisker reached out to his daughter to help her carry the larger apprentice on to land. As they settled onto stable ground, Minnowpaw flopped over in exhaustion. Beside her, a large gray and white tom was coughing up the water he had swallowed. Pebblepaw pushed past his father to Minnowpaw’s side, followed by Willowpaw. The two siblings rapidly licked at Minnowpaw’s fur to warm her up. From behind them, the shuffling of cats could be heard as the black tom rushed to Mousepaw’s side, followed by a light brown tabby and a small gray tabby.
“Spiderleg, turn him onto his front so the water can be coughed up easier. Jaypaw, lick his fur to start warming him up,” the light brown tabby ordered.
Pebblepaw paused before realizing it was ThunderClan’s medicine cat, Leafpool, alongside her apprentice, Jaypaw. As the medicine cat apprentice began warming Mousepaw, Pebblepaw returned to warming Minnowpaw. He could see his sister shivering and her paws curled close to her chest. Pebblepaw felt his tail begin to lash, so much so, that he accidentally whapped Jaypaw’s backside. Quickly pulling his tail close, Pebblepaw focused the growing embarrassment into productivity as he continued to rapidly lick Minnowpaw’s pelt.
Eventually, the two shivering apprentices regained their composure. By then, ShadowClan and WindClan had crossed the bridge, and ThunderClan was waiting for the remainder of their clanmates. Pebblepaw leaned forward to help Minnowpaw to her feet. “That was dumb of you,” he hissed under his breath.
Pebblepaw stumbled as Reedwhisker grabbed Minnowpaw by the scruff, jerking her over away from her clanmates. His gray eyes were furious. “What were you thinking?! It’s one thing to go swim in the shallow river, but the Lake is deep Minnowpaw! And with no sun out, it’s even colder! You could’ve got hypothermia!” he yelled.
Minnowpaw bent her head down shamefully. Her clanmates glanced at the two of them before slowly beginning to cross the bridge to the Island. Pebblepaw watched his sister with concern. He turned back to face Willowpaw, nodding for her to go on without him while he waited for Minnowpaw. The medicine cat hesitated before nodding, leaving Pebblepaw with his father and sister.
“Please don’t tell Dawnflower,” Minnowpaw murmured. Pebblepaw winced seeing the fear in her amber eyes.
Reedwhisker flattened his ears. “You should have thought about that before you went and jumped in the lake. An older warrior could have dealt with that. You’re an apprentice Minnowpaw. Don’t try and take on tasks greater than you’re capable of.”
Minnowpaw nodded. “Yes, Reedwhisker. I’m sorry.” Her voice choked slightly.
“Sorry isn’t enough. You were reckless and you didn’t think. You were stupid to do that!” Reedwhisker’s yelling seemed relentless, and the shame on Minnowpaw’s face proved she had learned her lesson.
Pebblepaw inched forward, putting himself in Reedwhisker’s line of sight. He saw his father’s eyes soften seeing him. “Go enjoy the gathering Pebblepaw. I’ll be there with Minnowpaw shortly.”
“I don’t want to leave her behind,” Pebblepaw admitted. He stepped forward to stand in front of Minnowpaw. “I know what she did was dumb, but she did save that ThunderClan apprentice. She deserves to at least be thanked by them for what she did. Can you leave her be until after the gathering?”
Pebblepaw glanced back at Minnowpaw. Her eyes were wide at Pebblepaw’s words. Though her head was still held low, a faint smile dashed across her face. Pebblepaw gave her a reassuring nod before returning nervously to Reedwhisker’s gaze.
The dark furred tom paused before nodding. “Fine. We’ll talk after the gathering.” He sat up, and Pebblepaw could see the tension leaving his body. “Now, you two get going.”
The two apprentices smiled before dashing away over the bridge. Leaping onto the soft grass of the Island, they both released a breath neither had realized they were holding.
“Thanks, Pebblepaw. I appreciated that!” Minnowpaw admitted shyly. “Though I’m sure I’ll get an earful more after the gathering.”
“Reedwhisker will have calmed down more by then at least.” He noticed the glances being shot their way, most of them wide-eyed and curious. Pebblepaw pressed his head against his sister’s side. “Now, go live it up in all the attention,” he purred playfully.
Minnowpaw giggled before darting off. Pebblepaw watched her leave as she disappeared into the crowd.
Finally, a normal gathering could commence. Pebblepaw preferred to observe than engage with others. While he was a RiverClan cat, he had learned over time who cats from the other clans were. As he sat down, his tail curled around his paws, Pebblepaw watched those around him.
Squirrelflight, a dark ginger warrior from ThunderClan, eagerly touched noses with Tawnypelt of ShadowClan. They both went on the Great Journey together, plus Tawnypelt is the sister of Squirrelflight’s mate, Brambleclaw.
The two she-cats beckoned Mothwing over, and Pebblepaw smiled seeing Willowpaw join in as well. His sister puffed out her chest proudly as all the accomplished she-cats engaged with her. Squirrelflight said some words to Willowpaw before waving her feathery tail, seemingly calling another cat over. A black-furred she-cat joined them. She looked to be an apprentice as well, and her green eyes lit up upon seeing the RiverClan medicine cats. Pebblepaw narrowed his eyes. Ok, that’s Hollypaw of ThunderClan, and she’s the daughter of Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight. That’s an impressive lineage to live up to. Your mother is Firestar’s daughter, and your father is not only the deputy but also ThunderClan’s Chosen and the son of Tigerstar? That’s got to have its pressures.
Turning his head, Pebblepaw noticed little things, like Ratscar talking to Smokefoot about how excited Oakfur was to take Ivypaw and Owlpaw hunting. Ratscar and Snowbird are brother and sister, and Smokefoot is Snowbird’s mate. Then Oakfur is Ratscar’s mate. Makes sense he’d be excited to spend time with his niece and nephew.
The WindClan apprentice Heatherpaw seemed to be telling an exciting story to Breezepaw, Poppypaw, and Applefur, only to have her clanmate Antpelt roughly bat her over the head as her voice was getting too loud. Pebblepaw couldn’t help but snicker as Breezepaw began hissing at the older warrior while Applefur and Poppypaw giggled.
It was then that the RiverClan apprentice noticed a familiar cream-colored cat in the crowd. He paused for a moment before allowing himself to weave through the crowd of cats towards her. Rippletail did say I should socialize. It wouldn’t hurt to say hi, right?
The ShadowClan apprentice sat alone. Her green eyes were scanning others around her and the way her tail was tucked close to her side made it appear as if she was hesitant to speak to other cats. Pebblepaw couldn’t help but smile slightly. “So much for wanting to meet new cats, huh?”
Dawnpaw jolted slightly. Her fur bristled before settling, a somewhat annoyed frown coming to her face. “You’re that RiverClan cat. Puddlepaw was it?”
“Pebblepaw, actually.” He brushed his tail against the spot next to her. “Is it alright if I sit here?”
“Go for it,” Dawnpaw replied, seemingly uncaring. Pebblepaw gently kneaded the ground before sitting beside her. He could hear the talk among the cats begin to hush into murmurs as the leaders took their places on the branches above. His eyes were immediately drawn to his own leader, Mistystar. Her grayish blue pelt stood out among the gingers and browns of the other leaders. Just below her sat Reedwhisker. His black pelt made him barely visible in the dark of night. As the quiet fell among the crowd, ThunderClan’s leader, Firestar, stepped forward to begin.
“ThunderClan is doing well. Prey has been running as Greenleaf begins to turn into Leaf-fall, and our clan has been well-fed,” he began. “Brightheart has also given birth to a litter of three healthy kits.”
“That’s a lie.”
Pebblepaw turned to Dawnpaw. Her whisper had been so short, he wasn’t even sure if he’d heard her right. “What?”
“That’s a lie,” she whispered, leaning in closer. “Can’t you tell?”
“What do you mean? What’s a lie?” Pebblepaw hissed quietly to her. He glanced around anxiously to assure no one noticed their whispering.
“The kits. They aren’t healthy, at least not all of them.” Dawnpaw shook her head, looking back up. “And here I thought ThunderClan were the honest ones.”
Pebblepaw paused, narrowing his eyes. While cats offering their congratulations to Cloudtail of ThunderClan, he couldn’t take his eyes off Dawnpaw, looking for any sort of facial slip-up to prove she was joking. What is up with this she-cat? This is what I get for socializing…
After Firestar, Rowanstar stepped forward next. Pebblepaw recalled that he and Tawnypelt were mates, and that meant he was Dawnpaw’s father. “It must be interesting having your father be your leader,” he laughed.
“If you think being treated differently by others only to have mountains of pressure and not being able to do things everyone else seems to get away with is interesting, then yeah, I'd agree.”
Well, I’ll shut up then.
Pebblepaw turned back to Rowanstar. He seemed like a very relaxed leader who was approachable like Firestar, but calmer like Mistystar. His long fur and ginger coat definitely explained where some of Dawnpaw’s characteristics came from.
“Snowbird also gave birth to a new litter of kits. Two she-cats.” Whispers of delight could be heard as Smokefoot puffed out his chest proudly. “ShadowClan has little else to report. Our clan has been well this Greenleaf and we are strong.”
Pebblepaw wanted to ask Dawnpaw about the kits, but the idea of another snarky remark made him think otherwise. Rowanstar stepped back, allowing Onestar to push himself to the forefront. “The rabbits on the moor have been plentiful and WindClan is doing better than ever. We had a minor inconvenience when a dog from Twolegplace got too close to our territory, but Nightcloud and Gorsetail sent the thing fleeing with its tail between its legs.”
Nightcloud and Gorsetail received praise from those around them, and Pebblepaw couldn’t help but notice Breezepaw give his mother a quick lick on the shoulder. Finally, it was RiverClan’s turn as Mistystar stepped forward.
“Does it bother you that your leader is your kin as well?”
Pebblepaw glanced at Dawnpaw once more. “Um…” he looked away awkwardly. “Not really. Mistystar is my grandmother and she’s kind to me and my sisters, but we aren’t especially close. She’s been very busy being a new leader and all.”
Dawnpaw snickered softly. “I feel that. My dad has been leader for over half a moon and it still seems like he’s just getting the hang of it.”
“Yeah…” Pebblepaw hushed his voice as he noticed some dirty looks being thrown their way. He focused his eyes back up towards Mistystar.
“RiverClan has grown strong since the greencough has left our camp. Mothwing and Willowpaw worked tirelessly to keep our clanmates healthy. The nice weather has also allowed for a plentiful fishing season.”
As cats whispered their praises to the RiverClan medicine cats, Pebblepaw made sure to give a louder cheer for his sister. Mistystar retreated back to her position, and the rise of talk among the cats began again. Yep, just a normal gathering.
Pebblepaw stood up but was stopped as Dawnpaw stepped on his tail. “You’re just going to leave without saying bye? That’s rude.” He was at a lost for words, almost stammering as he grasped for some sort of response. I have to go home? We’re not friends? What’s the deal?!
The gray tom flicked his tail out of her grasp, only to feel it whap another cat in the face. “I’m so sorry I-”
“That’s the second time you’ve hit me tonight.”
Pebblepaw blinked. The unsettling blank blue eyes seemed to stare through him. “J-Jaypaw, right. Sorry again about that. It was a stressful situation with Minnowpaw and Mousepaw earlier so I’m sure you can understand my tail was going all over the place.”
“I understand. Now before the gathering ends, can I talk to you? It’s about Minnowpaw’s condition.” Jaypaw waved his tail towards the private area by the dirtplace.
Pebblepaw narrowed his eyes. “Minnowpaw’s condition? Did something else happen after?” Should I even be questioning him? He is a medicine cat after all, and he was there helping when it all happened…
“Just come talk to me. I don’t want to speak about it in front of everyone," Jaypaw insisted. Pebblepaw nodded. Jaypaw turned and as Pebblepaw began to follow, Dawnpaw stepped on his tail again.
“Hey! What’s the deal?”
“He’s not telling the truth.” Dawnpaw narrowed her eyes. “What’s your game? Are you going to ambush him back there with some sketchy medicine cat stuff?”
“Sketchy medic- No! Listen how would you even know? It’s none of your business… Dawnpaw?” Jaypaw stopped for a moment, seemingly recognizing her for a moment. “This is not how I thought we’d meet.”
What’s happening?
“Jaypaw, my kin. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you!” Dawnpaw purred, a lace of teasing in her voice. “You know, I didn’t expect you to be this shade of gray. I thought maybe dark gray more like Hollypaw, but you really don’t resemble Brambleclaw or Squirrelflight.”
The medicine cat seemed about ready to claw the ShadowClan she-cat when a brown-furred cat rushed over to them. “Jaypaw, the gathering will be wrapping up soon. What’s going on?”
“Kestrelpaw, please just wait. Pebblepaw-” Jaypaw stepped forward towards the RiverClan cat, but Dawnpaw leaped forward to stand between the two. She pressed her face close to Jaypaw’s, puffing her chest out and causing him to stumble back defensively.
“Listen up, don’t go dragging my RiverClan buddy along to who knows what.” She jabbed her paw into Jaypaw’s chest, pushing him back even more. Kestrelpaw dived forward to support the blind medicine cat, all the while Pebblepaw quickly swiped Dawnpaw to warn her. She can’t fight with a blind medicine cat! There’s no winning that!
“Let’s just all be calm, and be happy, and smile,” Pebblepaw whispered, a forced smile on his face. Kestrelpaw seemed to agree to this as he straightened himself and smiled at the few cats who had noticed their weird behavior.
As Jaypaw steadied himself on Kestrelpaw, he raised his head in the direction of Dawnpaw. “You, come with.”
What in StarClan’s name… Pebblepaw turned to Dawnpaw, who he expected would not want to go with Jaypaw after all of this, but her bright eyes and pricked ears said otherwise. “Alright then,” she chirped happily. Pebblepaw sighed. Am I the only sane cat here?
Kestrelpaw kept watch for any cats nearby. All the while, Pebblepaw was trying to process what he had just heard. Dawnpaw, meanwhile, was smiling ear to ear.
“You’re saying that a mysterious cat that is not from StarClan, appeared in your dreams and told you to find some cats. You think me and Dawnpaw are the cats because when you made contact with us, you felt something akin to that from your dream?” Pebblepaw stared at Jaypaw. When the medicine cat made no motion, he couldn’t help but snicker. “Can you believe this, Dawnpaw?”
“Yes, I can,”
Oh, come on!
“What is with you? How do you simply know when other cats are lying or telling the truth? There’s no way to prove he’s being truthful. There was no way for you to know ThunderClan had unhealthy kits!” Pebblepaw exclaimed.
“Wait, you knew about Brightheart’s kits?” Jaypaw padded forward to look at Dawnpaw. “And the feeling I had… that’s your power.”
“Power?!” Pebblepaw yelled.
“Pebblepaw!” Kestrelpaw quietly hissed, nervously glancing out towards the gathering to assure no one heard them.
“Dawnpaw has the power to know when others are lying. Kestrelpaw can experience the perspective of others. I…I can speak to whoever this cat is it seems. Pebblepaw you,” Jaypaw turned to look at the mottled gray tom. “You probably can do something.”
Pebblepaw silently stared at Jaypaw, glanced at Kestrelpaw, and then finally at Dawnpaw. “You can’t be serious.”
“He is, Pebblepaw!” Dawnpaw insisted. “Unless he’s insane, what he’s saying is true and he believes it.” The cream she-cat’s paws tapped the ground in excitement. “Don’t you see how amazing this is. We have a big destiny and were chosen to do a big grand task. I’ve been chosen just like my mom!” Dawnpaw puffed out her chest proudly. It was as if she was on top of the world.
“I…I-” Pebblepaw couldn’t wrap his head around all of this. Not to mention, he didn’t want to. A big destiny? Powers? He was just the everyday cat from RiverClan. He would go fishing with his sisters and laugh with them when it turned into a splash fight. He would train with Mosspelt and learn how to flip a ShadowClan cat on their backside; just like every other apprentice, just like every other clanmate, just like any other cat. This was just supposed to be a normal gathering.