January Gathering 2019

Flintfang trailed behind his clan, shivering. His gray tabby pelt was fluffed up against the icy breeze. The tom was quick to notice his clanmates' wariness, this gathering would most likely be a short one, no cat liked the cold. Arriving in the hollow, the tom took note of the masses of cats. He tried to pinpoint Burntpaw, Beartooth maybe. Falconpaw had been on his mind lately too, but Flintfang did the best he could to ignore the fact. Both cats were already caught up in a conversation, and the tom didn't feel like conversing much anyway. With an annoyed sigh, the gray tabby picked out a seeming dry spot in the hollow, devoid of any snow. A fiery she-cat sat not too far away, and Flintfang recognized her as Emberheart, a Thunderclanner like himself. Not wanting to be a foxheart, the tom opened his jaws to speak. "Emberheart." Flintfang dipped his head to the older warrior. He knew his reputation in the clan wasn't ideal, but what did that matter to him? "I hope it's a short gathering, any more of this cold and my tail might freeze off."

---

During the last moon, Finchbreeze was even more careful to stay by Brookclover's side. Not that his partner couldn't handle herself, she was more than capable of that. But she was expecting his kits, and the tom had made her a promise. The orange and white tabby's whiskers twitched at Brookclover's complaint. She was starting to show the signs of a queen, a larger belly, an unsaitable hunger, and a slight weariness in her step. Though none of this had affected her beauty, Finchbreeze still couldn't take his eyes off her. "Oh I'm sure it will." The tom responded, nudging Brookclover's shoulder affectionately. "If not, the leaders will have to tussle with Windclan's fiercest warrior." He was speaking of his partner, a teasing tone in his voice. The arrival of Grousepaw made Finchbreeze's head turn. Brookclover's apprentice had enough spark to go around. His fiery loyalty to Windclan amused Finchbreeze, he decided he liked the cat. "An astute observation Grousepaw, but I find it's good to have friends in many places. The code won't be broken tonight."

---

"Wow!" Leafpaw shouted, her voice echoing across the hollow. A few confused glances shot in her direction had the she-cat sinking back into her pelt, a little embarrassed at her loud entrance, but a little excited. She knew her mentor, Tinystar had to take his place at the top of the big rock with the rest of the leaders, so the she-cat would have to make do on her own. Which was fine. Leafpaw wasn't scared. The pretty brown-tabby practically threw herself down the hollow, taking in all the sights and sounds. So many cats! She noticed Riverclan first, thick-furred warriors with large paws. Leafpaw wondered how their large frames could ever climb a tree. She had asked one of her clanmates about the other clans. Apparently Windclan were the small dull-pelted cats off to the side, and Shadowclan the shady ones. She thought that Thunderclan resembled Skyclan the most, more apt to climb and jump than the others. The closest Thunderclanner had to be the white and brown tabby tom sitting off to the side. Leafpaw's curiosity was heighted. Without skipping a beat, the she-cat trotted over the the larger tom, plopping down beside him and letting loose. "You're Thunderclan right? I'm Leafpaw of Skyclan! This is my first gathering, is it yours? Ooh! Tell me about Thunderclan! Can you climb trees as well as Skyclan? Tinystar said maybe but..." The she-cat trailed off, realizing she was rambling. Leafpaw giggled. "Sorry!" She squeaked, sinking back into her pelt. "What's your name?"



(Flintfang is speaking with Holly's Emberheart)
(Finchbreeze is speaking with Ripped's Brookclover and Cays's Grousepaw)
(Leafpaw is speaking with seer's Duskpaw)

As he leapt down into the wide clearing behind ThunderClan, Copperpaw gazed at the wonderous area in amazement. To be honest, he had not been too thrilled to go to a Gathering. The young tom liked staying near his home camp, and when he was here in front of all these strangers...

...you know you're being judged and stared at. They know you're not like the other apprentices.

Copperpaw's fur flared at the voice inside of his head. He shook his head wildly, probably attracting a few weirded-out onlookers. He grinned nervously, then padded away from the area, staying near his siblings.


ooc: Copper's open to talk to.

Lynxpaw padded into the gathering, brushing his brother's shoulder comfortingly. He didn't mind being away from camp as long as he was near his father, and despite being lost in Twolegplace, he was eager to explore his surroundings.
His tufted ears perked as he looked around the clearing with interest. "Maybe Silentpaw, Mothpaw, and the others will be here." He mewed, nudging his brother further into the crowd. "I'm sure they'd love to meet you,"

Laurelpaw tail flicked before she stood to try and interact with another cat.  Moving through the crowd she spotted the two toms (lynx paw and copperpaw/)walking side by side and with a nervous flick of her tail the former rogue she cat padded over"hi.. I'm Lengx... Err Laurelpaw"She mewed offering a nervous smile.

The tom was mildly surprised as the medicine cat dipped her head. If anything, she was the one worthy of such respect. He was worth little more than the dirt that resided underneath the snow. Amberpaw, she protected and healed her clan, deserving of the highest honors that both living and dead cats had to bestow. Even with his own fractured belief in the goodness of the warrior ancestors, the warrior could not deny their existence after witnessing the power of Lichenmask. As if instinctually, Beartooth found himself stooping in a mirror of her movements. It was less of a greeting and more of a recognition of the merit she was owed. Even if he was unaware of the true medicine cat name that had been bestowed upon her.

As the she-cat spoke, his ear twitched in acknowledgment of the words. Paws shifted mildly with discomfort at the thought of continuing to converse. Moments like these reminded him of the warmth and solitude of the nest back in the warrior's den. Even in its well-worn and tatter state, the familiarity provided a certain level of comfort. Beartooth shook his head. The motion brought him back to the moment and he felt a slight tinge of guilt for wishing to be elsewhere. Amberpaw was truly a decent cat. Just like every other cat unfortunate enough to be in his presence, she deserved better. I owe you mine. You showed me mercy when I made a mistake. You deserved the same... I'm glad you're here tonight. Something inside him seemed to soften like melting snow exposed to unyielding rays of sunlight. She likely would not understand what such a sentiment meant to him amid the darkness of his own soul at the moment. No, it would not drown out such immense internal sorrow but it enabled a soft smile of acceptance to cross his maw.

Although the she-cat noted the likelihood of her need to depart for the place where cats of her magnitude normally resided, Amberpaw made no motion to leave. He found himself to be grateful. At her question, a heavy sigh released from the sides of the massive tabby's maw, turning into a wreath of icy fog as it escaped into the cool night air. He settled back on his haunches before offering up nearly inaudible meow that crackled with unadulterated exhaustion, "It's something we're supposed to do and for good reason. But I would rather be at home. Starclan can't watch me from my den." Glancing upwards at the veil of stars that hung low in the sky, Beartooth could only manage a moment before his gaze flickered back down. It was shocking honesty, something he was shocked to find himself say. And yet it did not bother him as the unnatural slur of words slid from his tongue.

The realization that he could not face the cold banner of light that dotted the darkened sky was less reassuring than moments earlier. Thoughts that the ancestors were nothing more than far away, distant souls dug into the sense of frigid dread rooted deep within the empty cavern of his chest. Beartooth swallow, which caught uneasily in his throat. Admitting his insecurity as the elongated fangs dragged over the lower part of his maw should have set his fur on edge. Instead, it laid flat as he looked down at the younger cat once more, indulging in the unusual succession of words, "Do you think they still watch over the clans?" If any cat would have an answer, there was no doubt a medicine cat would. While the sheen that glossed over any deeper emotions within his forest, green gaze, there was a level or curiosity held there. A certain plea tucked safely away in the back, prodding for deeper questions that he did not even wholly comprehend himself. Questions of his existence, and further, the reason for it.

ooc; that got much longer than intended
___

One weighted step after the next, Brookclover sought to carry on as if her steps were not impeded by the ailment that grew in the depths of her stomach. The warmth that radiated from her partner was reassuring as he playfully butted her shoulder and her whiskers twitched at the good-humored words. Hormones dictated she snap at him for such a notion but the she-cat reigned them in with a natural restraint even she was shocked to find in such a state. She could not wait for this entire ordeal to end, rendering her able to return to her duties and shake away the unpleasantries of pregnancies. She settled down, attempted to wrap her tail around her awkward frame to no avail. A soft huff of annoyance escaped her nostrils just as Grousepaw joined them. Bitterness in his tone threatened only to further aggravate her condition.

"If it were up to me, we would be inside camp right now instead of honoring the traditions of Starclan. But it's not. You'll have to ask your mother why we're here." Brookclover honored Brindlesar above most other things, not simply per request of the warrior's code but also due to the many ways the leader portrayed such exemplary leadership to their clan. Her sourness towards the ancestors had not extended to the other traditions practied by the clan, rendering her just as loyal as the next cat. Lichenmask wasn't able to shake that away. As the ginger and white coated tom remarked, she nodded in agreement, "Friendships are good and useful in their time. But your loyalties should never expand beyond your own borders. Which I'm sure you know, Grousepaw." She glanced down at him with a curious look, expecting understanding there. Even if he approached certain things with unique thought, there was no doubt the warrior potential budding with the young tom.

"I just hope nothing especially eventful happens tonight," Emberheart sighed. A Gathering without disagreements or arguments, she was sure, was unlikely, but one without anything more serious than that would be nice. "So, why speak to me instead of someone from another Clan?" She wasn't judgmental - just curious. After all, she hadn't done so herself in some time.
~
Mothpaw spotted a familiar face across the Clearing, and ran towards the source of familiarity, at least having the sense to try not to run over any other cats. "Lynxpaw! I thought you might be here tonight!" she exclaimed. Batpaw was there too, she saw, but more importantly there was an unfamiliar face with them [Copperpaw]. "Who's this?" she asked Lynxpaw, before turning her head back to the other apprentice. "I'm Mothpaw!"

The temporary warmth exuded by Marshstorm's company was rapidly dwindling, alongside whatever finite feelings of security that had momentarily blossomed within the fathoms of Duskpaw's chest. Odd eyes peering after the dark-furred Deputy for several uncertain moments, snow-laden fur twitching under the strain of such a bitter chill. It had been several moons since he had found himself within the limited proximity of the ancient clearing, thankfully Leopardstar and Marshstorm had enough empathy to understand why he hated this place, yet the sour feeling that blossomed within his belly remained the same. Awkwardly hunching his broad shoulders forward in a futile attempt to disappear, the young tom's despairing memories of unpleasant ghosts was quickly derailed by the timely arrival of a young SkyClan molly.

Features creasing in both surprise and bewilderment as Leafpaw began to hurl one sentiment after another in his direction, Duskpaw could only form a crooked, uncomfortable simper in response. "It's my first Gathering too, even though I'm older than half of my denmates." Absently shifting his partially-numbed toes, the tabby paused as he tried to distinguish one of Leafpaw's questions from another, relatively unsure of the best place to start. Where was Dawnpaw when he needed her? "Some ThunderClan cats can probably climb trees, but I don't think I'd want to try- I like my paws to stay on the ground!" The attempt at conversation on Duskpaw's behalf was lame in comparison to the young SkyClanner, but Fourtrees made him feel so uncomfortable that it was highly difficult to pull away from the onset of unpleasant memories that lingered just beyond his cusp.

Echofrost turned and saw Lilyflower standing not far from him. Overflowing with joy, he bounded up to her. "Lilypaw!" he meowed, not knowing that she was a warrior. "It's been so long since I last saw you. How've things been going in WindClan?"

Foxspirit padded into fourtrees behind WindClan. She sat down near Swiftsteap, looking up at the stars. Could her family be watching her right now? She looked back down and sighed. This was the place that Willowpaw had died, after all. Shaking herself, Foxspirit got up again and padded up to a group of cats around her age.

Briarpaw bounced up to the base of the great rock that stood in the middle of all the trees. He looked around before walking up to the nearest cat. "Hi! I'm Briarpaw! What's your name?"

Meadowpaw looked around at the gathered cats. There were so many cats... from so manny clans... It was terrifying. Meadowpaw froze when she saw Hailpaw in the distince, and walked as far away as possible from her. Sitting down at the edge of fourtrees, she looked down at her paws.

OOC: Briarpaw, Foxspirit, and Meadowpaw are open to talk!

Copperpaw thanked his brother for his affection and reassuring words with a slightly weary, but otherwise normal smile, pressing against his flank. "They should be. They're going to be meeting the one and only Copperpaw~" he hummed, before proceeding to bump into what he assumed was one of the other apprentices Lynxpaw had mentioned. 


Mothpaw, he repeated the name inside his head. The orange tom grinned, "I'm Copperpaw. Nice to meet'cha, Mothpaw! I'm Lynxpaw's brother, and the best one. I'm pretty awesome." He exaggeratingly puffed out his chest, feigning a high ego. He chuckled for a bit, then turned back to the apprentice. "Anyway, enough about great old me. What about you? Tell me your secrets." Copperpaw laughed- his anxiety still lingered throughout his body, but he just decided not to show it. He wasn't going to worry Lynxpaw, and he was going to have a good time.

"Hi, Laurelpaw. My name's Lynxpaw." The brown tabby glanced away from the she-cat as a familiar scent reached him. "Mothpaw!" The young tom rushed forward to embrace the Shadowclan apprentice, purring loudly. "How are you? Have you seen the others?" He glanced around the clearing, looking for any familiar pelts.

Littlepaw padded in after her clan, eyes roving for her littermates. Burntstag already chatting away... Slatestrike Starclan knows where... Dawnpaw no-where to be seen and- wait hold up... was that Duskpaw? It was! It was Duskpaw! Littlepaw charged down, weaving between cats as if it was her first time at a gathering once more. "Duskpaw!" She cried, nearly drowning under a sudden swarm of cats before she made it to her brother. "Duskpaw oh it is you! I missed you soooo much!' She mewed, ignoring the presence of Leafpaw. To her, at that moment she was just a possible distraction. While on regular circumstances she would have been plenty more friendly but this was her favourite brother! "How has Thunderclan been treating you? Good I hope." Littlepaw pressed herself against her brother, checking him over with her eyes to make sure he was alright. "You're skinny..." She stated solemnly, her green eyes stiff and cold seeming.

The pale tabby-pointed tom huffed at his mentor's mate's words, as well as her own. He thought about it for a moment. His blue eyes scanned the crowd for any cat that looked remotely interesting. None of them really struck his eye. They were all so... lackadaisical towards any concern of a threat. 'I suppose having friends could be a benefit... but the cost of keeping them... do I really need to?' He thought to himself as he watched a red cat and a strange apprentice who seemed to have no tail interact in the distance. As a black and white cat appeared from Thunderclan to speak to Lilyflower, he huffed more openly.

"I will." He announced abruptly. "My mother should not have to put up with these ragtag gossip mongers. Especially in leaf bare." He glanced up towards Tall rock. Watching his noble mother stand among cats who were clearly inferior. They weren't built lithe for speed, and would be easily run down in a battle. Especially the heavy looking gold and black spotted tom. He spared another glance at Brookclover's swollen belly, and Finchbreeze with a slightly cocky nod. "Neither should you Your new duty as a mother is much more important to the clan than being civil with ruffians."

Swanpaw padded in with the rest of her Clanmates, taking in the stars shining above and the glittering crystals of ice hanging off branches of every tree, a faint tiredness dampening the wonder in her eyes. I wonder what the leaders will talk about? Is Tinystar going to say anything about Mintwhisker? There wasn't really a need to say anything, but what if cats from other Clans got hurt because they didn't mention it? She remembered how her paws had stuck to the ground when she'd seen the medicine cat, and her fur burned with shame. I don't want that to happen to anyone else....
For a moment she just stood, oddly isolated from the rest of her Clanmates even though she was near them, watching the conversations between different groups of cats with a faint feeling of loneliness. I wish Leafpaw was here. Her tail drooped, and she stirred the snow with one paw, watching as it dragged faint furrows through the white powder.
Then suddenly there was a cat walking up to her, a friendly grin on his face. "Hi! I'm Briarpaw! What's your name?"
She stared at him for a moment before her tongue finally started working. "I-I'm Swanpaw. Nice to meet you?"
(Swanpaw's talking to fox's Briarpaw)

Batpaw, who had been content to watch her family and friends interact and was relatively quiet so far, was suddenly startled by the stranger crashing into her, knocking her off-balance. "Hey!" She fell, then, onto her side, and rolled over to look up at her attacker, unimpressed. "...Who are you?" she asked instead of answering the question immediately, just barely able to place the scent of RiverClan. "I'm Batpaw, and you should watch where you're going!"
~
"Secrets?" Mothpaw asked. "I don't think I have any, really... I like frogs, and I love moths, 'cause I'm a moth, but those aren't secrets. I'm just The Magnificent Mothpaw! What about you?" The title, given to her by Poppyheart, was something she had momentarily forgotten when introducing herself. Remembering that she didn't know where he was, she wasn't going to let herself forget it again. "Are you sure you're The One And Only Copperpaw? What if there's a Copperpaw in another Clan? Would you be the First Copperpaw instead?"