"All right, everyone, be cautious from now on." Pikestar called back to his clanmates from the entrance of a long tunnel leading into the clans' gathering cavern, a large cave carved into the mountain many years ago. "Is everyone ready, Leafshade?" Looking at his white and ginger deputy, he inquired. "Yes, they are." She shifted her gaze to her clanmates. "Because these tunnels are only two cats wide, apprentices will stick with their mentors." She returned her gaze to Pikestar, who nodded. "Let's get going." Twigstream, the medicine cat, sighed as she followed her brother through the rock tunnel.
"Isn't this your first gathering, Crookedpaw?" Pikestar purred.
"Yes, it is!" Crookedpaw hopped excitedly, flinching back as his ears touched the tunnel's ceiling. "Oh, it's this small?" He cocked his head, looking around with interest. "This is only the entrance. We'll have to walk a bit to get to the Gathering cave." Pikestar laughed.
"Just stay close to Leafshade; she'll keep you from stumbling and falling." Twigstream returned the apprentice's meow. "Falling?" Crookedpaw inquired, limping his way through the tunnel. Soon, he could feel the wind dragging at his fur, prompting him to look around and notice the steep fall next to the path they were walking."Wooooah! How far does that go?"
"Far enough that I won't be able to save you later." Twigstream sighed and shook her head. "Pikestar, even with... That, I still don't understand why you made him an apprentice." Twigstream mumbled to her brother, who turned his gaze to Crookedpaw, who was moving on three legs, his twisted foreleg off the ground. "You couldn't heal him, but that doesn't make him worthless." Pikestar gently nudged his sister, the ravine next to them soon thinned out enough for the cats to walk freely again. "I think he'll surprise you someday." Softly, Pikestar purred. "Until then, I'll be reminded that I couldn't save his leg." Twigstream mumbled to herself as she stalked through the tunnel, her clanmates and brother trailing behind her.
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