Bluestar walked into the hollow with pricked ears. She almost sat down with the deputies but realised she was now a leader and had to sit with the others. "Hello, Tallstar," she greeted the WindClan leader with a dip of her head. Tallstar nodded in return. "How was the ceremony?" He asked.

Bluestar smiled. "It was fine, thank you. Should we, uh, start soon?"

Raggedstar of ShadowClan scowled. "We'll start when Sunstar arrives."

Bluestar ducked her head. "Of course," she muttered.

As if the ShadowClan leader's words summoned ThunderClan, they started to pour into the gathering place, Sunstar in the lead. He leapt up mightily onto the large stone, dipping his head to Bluestar. "Bluefur."

Bluestar gave the ThunderClan cat a nod, her tail tip twitching.

"Shall we start?" Raggedstar growled, raking at the ground with his claws.

Sunstar raised his head and let out a yowl. "Let the gathering begin!"

Bluestar was suddenly filled with anxiety as Tallstar stepped forward.

"WindClan has been good," he reported. "We have healthy prey and no intruders. I, Tallstar, am the new Leader of WindClan and Deadfoot is my deputy, as Heatherstar died peacefully in the night a few sunrises after last moon's gathering."

"Tallstar! Deadfoot! Tallstar! Deadfoot!" The clan's cheered, their yowls echoing around.

Bluestar looked down from the great rock nervously, seeing Thistleclaw. He met her eye with a grin. Unnerved, Bluestar looked away. She was aware of Spottedleaf's stare gazing at her sharply. Next, Raggedstar stepped forward.

"My new deputy is Brokentail, as Cloudpelt died," he meowed simply, eyes shining with pride. A tabby tom that looked exactly like the leader dipped his head and smiled. Bluestar's eyes widened. His smile seemed charming, yes, but also very misleading and maybe even evil. Raggedstar stepped back, eyes narrowed.

Next, Sunstar stepped forward. "ThunderClan have been doing well! Willowpelt has had a new litter, which is Whitestorm's!"

Cats purred in happiness and pride. Kits were something that all the cats loved. Sunstar dipped his head, smiling. "In the flood, Rosetail died and we miss her very much. But we are sure she is happy hunting with StarClan."

Murmurs of sympathy were directed at the sky, where Rosetail now lived. Sunstar hung his head. "That is all," he meowed solemnly, stepping back and turning his head to Bluestar.

Bluestar realised after a moment that all eyes were on her. She opened her mouth but no words would come out. Shakily, she took a step forward, looking nervous. Her gaze scanned the crowd. Why couldn't she be like Tallstar, able to speak in front of a crowd so easily? She inhaled, then began to speak, relaxing once she started.

"RiverClan was damaged in the flood, but we are fine now. Our medicine cat, Brambleberry, died and left Mossdapple in her place."

"Mossdapple! Mossdapple!" The clans cheered loudly. Bluestar smiled. Mossdapple must be popular in the Clans! She hoped they'd greet her with her new rank like that.

"Hailstar also died saving Reedkit from drowning. He was a hero and died like one. He lives in StarClan with his friends and family now. We thank ThunderClan for their hospitality, as we stayed in their camp while the flood died down. I am now Bluestar," the leader finished nervously, hoping the cats would accept her.

Before any chanting started, Thistleclaw stood up, snarling. "Are we really going to let a traitor become a leader of a Clan?!" He spat. "Let's not forget she left her birth Clan! Why is StarClan giving her the gift of nine lives when she might leave her new Clan?!"

Bluestar felt like jumping down and raking Thistleclaw's ears off, but she stayed calm. "Thistleclaw, I have been in RiverClan for many seasons and have earned my place as Leader. I have raised kits and mentored an apprentice. I have proved my loyalty to RiverClan many times in battle, and you do not have a place to criticise my place as leader. Let's not forget," she meowed icily. "Doesn't it say in the warrior code not to kill in battle if not needed? Does that not make you a traitor too?"

Thistleclaw's eyes widened in rage and his fur puffed out. "I was defending my Clan!" He yowled. "You're more of a traitor than me, going off and having kits with Oakheart and saying they were Thrushpelt's!"

The clearing went silent. No cat dared to speak. Bluestar was taken aback. She opened her jaws to say something, but no words came out. "I-" she choked out.

Spottedleaf got to her paws, her eyes shimmering. Bluestar relaxed. Surely the medicine cat would defend her?

Alas, the ThunderClan she-cat's words were laced with anger. "Why should we let this cat become the leader of RiverClan?" she mewed coldly. "She and her kits should be driven out, I say."

Bluestar looked up to the sky and was relieved when she saw clouds covering the moon from sight. "The gathering is over!" She yowled, leaping off of the rock and beckoning for her cats to follow her. She ignored the hisses and snarls aimed at her and her kits as she stalked off.

--

Bluestar arrived back in camp, walking right into camp and flopping in her nest. She buried her head in her paws and began to tremble. She barely noticed Oakheart coming in and lying down next to her, twining his tail with her's. "I'm sorry about being so horrible before," he murmured. "I love you."

Bluestar sighed. "They'll all hate me. My kits and all the Clans. What if I am driven out?!"

Oakheart pressed closer to her, claws unsheathing into the moss. "You won't be driven out," he growled through gritted teeth. "I'll make sure of it."

Bluestar couldn't feel relieved that Oakheart would do that. What if she got another cat killed? Or he was driven out anyways?

As the blue-grey leader sunk into sleep, she couldn't help being terrified of the days to come. What would happen to her and the cats closest to her? Had Thistleclaw finally found a way to get rid of her once and for all?

Bluestar began to bristle. Would she, in the end, turn out like Mapleshade?

Bluestar's thoughts wouldn't stop, even in her sleep, as she dreamt.