The Fourth Apprentice/Chapter 1

Chapter Summary
Lionblaze's PoV


 * Lionblaze sits between Graystripe and Sorreltail at a Gathering, and they discuss the drought and how hot and dry that the season has become. Meanwhile, the Clan leaders address the crowd from the Great Oak, Onestar of WindClan announcing that their medicine cat, Barkface, has died. Firestar speaks next, stating that ThunderClan has been able to cope with the heat, and that they had two new warriors, Rosepetal and Toadstep. As the cats cheer for them, they look proud, as do their mentors, Squirrelflight and Cloudtail. Lionblaze comments that he is surprised that Squirrelflight was made a mentor after the lies she told about him and his littermates being her kits, and thinks that she had betrayed them too deeply for forgiveness.


 * Leopardstar interrupts the last of the cheers for the new warriors, saying that she still had a report to make. She hisses that the other cats are prey-stealers. The warriors of ThunderClan, WindClan, and ShadowClan are furious at the accusation, leaping up and calling out in protest. Lionblaze looks around, realizing how thin the RiverClan cats looked, and noting that they are starving. Graystripe points out that they are all starving, which Lionblaze realizes is also true.


 * Firestar raises his tail for silence, and as the cats in the crowd quiet, asks Leopardstar to explain what her reasons are for accusing them. Leopardstar snarls that they have all been taking fish from the lake, and that those fish belong to RiverClan. Blackstar and Onestar object, pointing out that the lake bordered their territories as well, so they were just as entitled as RiverClan to the fish from it. Leopardstar argues that RiverClan only catches fish, so all the fish should belong to them. Squirrelflight calls out furiously in response, demanding if she was saying that they were too incompetent to catch a mouse. Brambleclaw points out that it is not her place to speak here, but adds to Leopardstar that she does have a point. Lionblaze winces at Brambleclaw's tone, and reflects upon how the two had barely spoken since Squirrelflight's lie had been exposed.


 * Leopardstar insists that the lake's fish belong to RiverClan. She says she will back this up with force, and will extend her patrols around the lake. Onestar and Blackstar argue that she cannot do that, because it is their territory. Firestar warns her that she is just going to start a war and cause more problems between the Clans. Leopardstar states at the other leaders as if she is going to attack them, but instead leaps down from the Great Oak and leads her cats out of the island, ending the Gathering.