“Which way?” Ashfoot, the WindClan deputy, called out. “Do we need to watch out for it?”

“I don’t think so,” Mistystar replied. “It went out past the horseplace, heading for the hills. If I’d thought there was danger,” she added politely, “I would have sent a message.”

Mistystar finished her report with a nod to Firestar. Dovewing admired his well-muscled body and sleek flame-colored pelt as he stood on the branch. “ThunderClan has good news, too,” he meowed. “A few sunrises ago I named two new warriors: Dovewing and Ivypool.”

Dovewing felt warm with pride as the Clans called out her name and her sister’s. I wish Ivypool were here to share this.

“Hey, where’s Ivypool?” Sedgewhisker of WindClan asked as the cats fell silent again.

“Yeah, she should be here for her first Gathering as a warrior,” Mallownose of RiverClan added.

“Ivypool had an accident,” Firestar mewed, before Dovewing could speak. “She had a quarrel with a bramble thicket while she was out hunting. But our medicine cat has treated her scratches, and she’ll be back on patrol soon. She’ll be here for the next Gathering.” There were a few murmurs of sympathy.

Dovewing jumped when Bumblestripe nudged her. “Look at the medicine cats!” he whispered. “They look really uncomfortable. Do you think they’ve had an argument?”

Dovewing realized that he was right. While the other cats were beginning to mingle, the medicine cats were keeping strictly to their own Clans. Mothwing and Willowshine were talking quietly together, while Littlecloud was staying close to Blackstar, and Kestrelflight crouched under a thornbush, his eyes narrowed as if he was giving the whole Gathering a suspicious glare. Jayfeather sat near the roots of the Great Oak, his tail wrapped around his paws.

“I bet it’s Jayfeather’s fault,” Dovewing whispered to her Clanmate, half joking. “He’s so prickly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s upset all the others!”

But a small worm of apprehension nagged in her belly. Medicine cats don’t have the same Clan boundaries that we do. What’s gone wrong?

Looking around, she saw Tornear and Webfoot from WindClan sharing tongues with Tallpoppy from ShadowClan, and wondered if the elders were discussing the Great Journey, which seemed to be their favorite subject when they met at Gatherings. Two or three apprentices had started a mock fight at one side of the clearing. Sedgewhisker and Petalfur were deep in conversation, maybe sharing memories of the battle against the beavers. Dovewing’s sense of uneasiness faded.

“Hey, Bumblestripe!” Grasspelt, a young RiverClan tom, bounced up. “What’s happened to Briarlight? I haven’t seen her at a Gathering for moons!”

Bumblestripe looked startled. Firestar had never announced Briarlight’s injuries at a Gathering; Dovewing guessed he thought it would make her, and ThunderClan, seem vulnerable. And this wasn’t the right time to pass on the news to other Clans.

“Oh, you know,” she jumped in, saving Bumblestripe from having to reply. “She’s fine, but she’s busy, like the rest of us.”

Grasspelt blinked. “Okay,” he meowed, sounding disappointed, and headed off toward his own Clan.