Maplepaw POV

The Gathering area was much larger than Maplepaw expected. She sat right beside her mentor, Venomfang as the leaders gathered on the large, rock.

"Shall I begin?" Ravenstar stepped forward,"Well, the prey is running in Cavernclan and we received three new apprentices, Jaypaw, Luckypaw and Meadowpaw. Meadowpaw was made apprentice first due to her being a moon older than the other two, but they are all just as good as each other. Not only that, but Leafspring has recently given birth to Dustyclaw's kit, Snowkit."

"Jaypaw! Luckypaw! Meadowpaw! Leafspring! Dustyclaw! Snowkit!" The cats all cheered.

"I'm going next." Duskstar announced, pushing Ravenstar out of his way,"We have two new apprentices, Maplepaw and Bramblepaw. As you are aware, there was a flood not too long ago where we lost Hollykit and Mistlekit but Tawnyfur is now expecting the kits of Venomfang. The prey also appears to be running fairly well. That is all."

"Maplepaw! Bramblepaw! Tawnyfur! Duskstar!" The cats all chanted.

Maplepaw felt a sense of pride as she heard the clan cats chanting her name but she was saddened by the reminder of what happened to those two kits. The next leader jumped up onto the rock, causing Duskstar to stumble backwards. Owletstar. Maplepaw almost shrunk at the sight of the cat, absolutely terrified of her. She was a large white she-cat with black dashes in her fur and frosty blue eyes.

"Prey is running, as always. We have two new apprentices joining Redpaw, Flypaw and Fernpaw. As well as this, Honeyfur is expecting the kits of Beetail." And with that, Owletstar stepped of the rock.

"Flypaw! Fernpaw! Honeyfur! Beetail!"

The last leader then stepped up, Falconstar. The leader of DawnClan, DuskClan's rival. She seemed nice enough, though.

"I shall start with the prey, it is running. We also have two new apprentices, Marshpaw and Willowpaw." Falconstar looked around,"I have also had my kits with Hawkstrike, Frostkit and Littlekit and Elkfur has had her's with Ebonyrose, Mistkit."

"Marshpaw! Willowpaw! Falconstar! Hawkstrike! Frostkit! Littlekit! Elkfur! Ebonyrose! Mistkit!"

"Is that all?" Ravenstar looked between all the other three cats,"If so, the rest of you may talk amongst yourselves."

Maplepaw looked around the Gathering area and spotted some smaller cats who she assumed were the other apprentices. She bounded over to them, a grin on her face.

"Hey, my name's Maplepaw. What about you lot?" She cocked her head to the side.

"I'm Jaypaw." A blue-grey she-cat spoke up before gesturing to a black and white she-cat,"And that's Luckypaw."

"I'm Willowpaw and here's my brother, Marshpaw!" A grey she-cat announced, padding over with a grey tom behind her.

"The heck are you staring at, russet?" Marshpaw glared at Maplepaw.

"Nothing!" Maplepaw rolled her eyes, she didn't even realize she was staring.

There was just something about Marshpaw that was drawing her in... They'd be great friends, she convinced herself.

"Whatever." Marshpaw scoffed.

"Don't get all chatty without us." A ginger she-cat with dark stripes and a white underbelly approached, a more nervous tuxedo she behind her,"The name's Fernpaw."

"What about you?" Maplepaw asked curiously.

"I'm, uh, F-flypaw." She introduced herself, almost hiding behind her paws.

"There's no need to be so nervous." Jaypaw assured her,"We don't bite."

"You couldn't have thought of something better to say?" Luckypaw chuckled softly.

"Be quiet, you." Jaypaw lightly batted her ear.

"Maplepaw!" Venomfang called to her.

"Woah, who's that?" Marshpaw blinked.

"My mentor, Venomfang." Maplepaw flicked Marshpaw with her tail before trotting off with her mentor.

"Ooh, you like her~" Willowpaw teased, just barely audible to Maplepaw who froze.

"Maplepaw, we're leaving." Venomfang turned.

Maplepaw quickly shook her head and dashed after Venomfang and the rest of her clan.