"All cats old enough to run the moor, gather for a Clan meeting!" Hawstar's voice rang across the camp. Sparrowpaw looked over to wake his sister, but he saw that she was already getting up. Sparrowpaw stretched and walked out of the den. Batpaw had already found a spot and beckoned him with the flick of her tail. Sparrowpaw blinked gratefully and trotted over, sitting next to his litter mate so that there pelts brushed.

"Sparkkit and Lilykit, come forward!" Hawkstar's voice boomed. Sparrowpaw looked over and noticed his former den mates in the nursery. They looked so much bigger now, far different from the tiny balls of fur that he remembered.

"Lilykit, from this moment you will be known as Lilypaw. Thorntail." The golden tom looked up at Hawkstar "You will mentor Lilypaw. Teach her your skills in battle and your loyalty." Thorntail dipped his head and touched noses with his new apprentice.

"Sparkkit, from this moment you will be known as Sparkpaw. Heathersong." Sparrowpaw's eyes widened in surprise as he looked over at the medicine cat. He never knew Sparkpaw wanted to be a medicine cat! Heathersong was smiling as if she knew this would happen.

Now that Sparrowpaw thought about it, he had seen Sparkpaw in the medicine den a couple times, but was either too tired or didn't care enough to take notice.

"You have informed me that it is time for you to take an apprentice. You will mentor Sparkpaw and teach her the ways of a medicine cat." Heathersong smiled and touched noses with Sparkpaw.

"Lilypaw! Sparkpaw! Lilypaw! Sparkpaw!"

Once the Clans chanting died down, Hawkstar cleared his throat to speak again. "There is also a Gathering tonight. The cats who attend will be myself, Antfoot, Heathersong, Sparkpaw, Stormheart, Mudpool, Hareleap, Dustbreeze, Blazepaw, Sparrowpaw, and Batpaw. The meeting is dismissed." Hawkstar leaped off the rock and went into his den, followed by his deputy, Antfoot.

"We're going to the Gathering!" Batpaw exclaimed, nudging him affectionately. "We'll get to see all the Clans!" Sparrowpaw said, smiling. Going to the Gathering seemed to finally lift his spirits, but his happiness dampened when he noticed Stormheart approaching him.

"I was going to train you today, but it would make you too tired for the Gathering. Instead, you can tend to the bedding in the nursery." Sparrowpaw flattened his ears in disappointment.

"I can help you." Batpaw whispered, smiling. Sparrowpaw looked at her gratefully. "Thanks." He murmured, padding over to the nursery.

Icesplash had recently given birth to Antfoot's kits, named Gingerkit and Tigerkit. Once they finished, the Clan was getting ready to leave for the Gathering.

Sparrowpaw walked alongside Batpaw, following the Windclan cats to Fourtrees. "What will we do if we see other apprentices?" Batpaw asked him. Sparrowpaw shrugged "I don't know. Talk to them, I guess."

Dustbreeze slowed down to walk with her kits, hearing there conversation. "There's nothing to be afraid of. There is a truce. Just be yourselves." She said warmly, before casting a stern look "But be careful with what you say. You don't want to give away anything because after tonight, the Clans are rivals again."

Sparrowpaw nodded and looked ahead of them as they arrived at Fourtrees.

"Try to stick together, alright?" Dustbreeze whispered before trotting ahead to talk to some other cats.

Sparrowpaw looked around at all the cats, not knowing what to do. He recognized Blazepaw talking to some other apprentices.

"Let's go this way!" Batpaw whispered, dashing off, weaving between cats. Sparrowpaw had to follow her, remembering Dustbreeze's words.

By the time he caught up, Batpaw was already talking to some other apprentices. "This is my brother, Sparrowpaw." Batpaw said, introducing him. Sparrowpaw flattened his ears in embarrassment. He didn't need to be introduced by his sister. He looked at the other apprentices. One of them stepped forward.

"My name is Frogpaw, and this is Blisspaw." He said, flicking his tail at the white she cat. Sparrowpaw tried to be friendly and smiled at her. She smiled back.

"We're from Shadowclan!" Frogpaw meowed, puffing out his chest, breaking Sparrowpaw's thoughts.

"We're from Windclan!" Batpaw replied, as if she was excited to talk about her Clan. "Does that mean you're all really skinny?" Blisspaw asked, tilting her head.

Sparrowpaw could see Batpaw's neck fur begin to bristle. "No!" She replied sharply. Blisspaw flattened her ears and Sparrowpaw could tell that Batpaw hurt her feelings.

"That's probably just what the other Clans think. She was just asking." Sparrowpaw meowed quickly, defending Blisspaw.

Batpaw bristled even more when he didn't take her side "Whatever." She grumbled irritably.

Sparrowpaw glanced at Blisspaw apologetically, before going to sit by his sister. He could tell that she was still upset.

One of the leaders yowled, signaling for the Gathering to start. Lightstar stepped forward to speak. "Thunderclan has been well this past moon. Prey has been running well and our Clan is thriving."

'Then why'd you steal our prey?' Sparrowpaw thought to himself.

Lightstar continued to speak. "We have one new warrior here tonight. Foxpaw is now Foxtooth." The Thunderclan cats chanted loudly for the new warrior. Sparrowpaw looked around and noticed the tom. He held his head high in pride. Sparrowpaw shook his head. Typical Thunderclan, always thinks they're the best.

He turned his attention back to the leaders when Hawkstar stepped forward. "Windclan has four new apprentices. Lilypaw is not here tonight, but we have Sparrowpaw, Batpaw, and Sparkpaw." The Clans chanted and

Sparrowpaw smiled, while Batpaw looked around apprehensively, as if she didn't want all the attention.

Hawkstar spoke again "However, I would like to contradict one of your statements, Lightstar." The Thunderclan leader narrowed his eyes. "If your Clan is thriving, why does it feel the need to take prey from our territory?"

Lightstar bristled "Thunderclan has done no such thing. We have no quarrel with Windclan." Windclan cats yowled in protest, while Thunderclan yowled back. Hawkstar silenced them, raising his paw.

"Windclan will step up its patrols from now on." He growled, stepping back. The other two leaders gave their reports and the Clans departed. Sparrowpaw gave one last glance at Blisspaw before hurrying to catch up to Batpaw.

Once they had left Fourtrees, Dustbreeze dropped back to walk with them again. "How was your first Gathering?" She asked, smiling at them.

Sparrowpaw opened his mouth to speak before Batpaw interrupted. "It would be better if Sparrowpaw would defend his own sister instead of some, Shadowclan cat."

Sparrowpaw felt his neck fur rise "I just didn't want you guys to fight." Batpaw glared at him "No! You just wanted her to like you. You probably just want to run off and join Shadowclan, don't you?"

Sparrowpaw gasped. She couldn't think that, could she? Dustbreeze looked at Sparrowpaw uneasily "You don't, do you?" She asked.

Sparrowpaw immediately shook his head. "Of course not! I'm loyal to Windclan alone."

Batpaw rolled her eyes "All you do is complain about how terrible your training is. You act like being an apprentice is the worst thing ever."

Sparrowpaw glared at her "Maybe if I was perfect like you then I'd enjoy it more, but I'm sorry I'm not!" Sparrowpaw snapped, dashing ahead of them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sparrowpaw laid in his nest back at camp. He saw Dustbreeze and Batpaw talking outside the den, but didn't hear what they were saying. He felt bad for what he said to Batpaw. They finished talking and Batpaw walked into the den.

"I'm sorry I said you wanted to join Shadowclan." She murmured, looking at him. Sparrowpaw looked back "I'm sorry I snapped at you." He replied, meaning it.

Batpaw cracked a small smile and laid next to him "From now on, we'll always have each other's back." She whispered. Sparrowpaw nodded in agreement, happy to be friends again.

"I won't complain about training anymore." He muttered, resting his head on his paws. Batpaw smiled and licked his ear. "Good, because I'm tired of hearing it, you stupid furball." She purred. Sparrowpaw playfully cuffed her ear and drifted off into sleep.