March Gathering 2022

Myrtlepaw had followed behind the rest of the apprentices for SkyClan, his curiosity having been the only reason he outwardly bothered to attend. His coat was groomed to the best it could, his fluffy frame sauntering along with the rest of his Clan. He had been having a nice chat with the elders when his name had been called to attend, and had the elders not pushed him to go as well.... Well, he'd rather be spending time with them.

-

Mottlerose proudly followed behind Minnowfin as Thunderclan came to the gathering. Her head was held high, and she felt quite a bit of pride walking near the tom. She had received her warrior name within the last moon, and was both eager and shy to hear it announced for even a brief moment that she had joined the ranks of the other warriors.

-

Mallowmist also followed behind the rest of her Clan, staying somewhat near the middle of the group. It was odd - last time she had been here, she had been a mere apprentice, working her paws off to be able to become a warrior. That work had paid off, and here she was tonight.

Icepaw nodded to Beechfang. "I became an apprentice not too long ago," she admitted. "I want to get to know the cats from the other clans." But she had absolutely no idea what she was doing. She had grown skilled in speaking to her own clan, but speaking to other clans was an entirely different set of skills.

"I hope SkyClan is faring well," she added, hoping that she was correct in assuming this cat's scent was SkyClan. "I've heard amazing stories from my elders about SkyClan warriors being able to climb trees and hunt from up high like birds. I couldn't imagine being able to do such things. They're very admirable skills."

Icepaw is speaking with Beechfang.

Tinypool hold a sigh of relief when Atalante seemed to react fine to her approach. She didn't know about much her and feared that maybe their last meeting wasn't as pleasant as the young warrior felt it was. She gave a quick glance back at where she left Moon, giving him a reassuring nod that she was okay.

"It's Tinypool now, actually. After that rabbit, I caught last time we met Perchfall said I was ready to become a warrior." She purred turning her blue gaze back at the former rogue. The new name was... a surprise. Tinypool frowned, still not quite sure if "Featherpaw" truly fitted Atalante.  "I understand you. Atalante sounds so much better than Featherpaw." Though Tinypool didn't expect to stay all night with the tortoiseshell molly, she sat down next to her for a little chat so they would catch up on each other's lives. "I'm sorry to hear about your relationship with your father. I hope that, whatever disagreement you had, it can be fixed eventually but... to be honest... it would be nice if you stay here with us in the clans. I would have recommended you to join Riverclan but... Jaystar can be difficult sometimes, so maybe Thunderclan was a good choice." As she spoke, the young warrior recalled Moon's arrival to the camp and the tense exchange between him and the leader of Riverclan. It was truly a miracle that he even let him stay and train to become a warrior with her.

She looked around and agreed with Atalante. "Yeah... despite the harsh leafbare the clans are still managing to thrive. What about your family? Were they numerous or just a small group? Did someone else decided to come with you to Thunderclan?"

---

Cinderpaw frowned when a younger, calico molly came to her. Her muscles tensed and she wanted to unsheath her claws immediately but remained calm for her father's sake. Instead, Cinderpaw frowned at the friendly apprentice who came to meet her. After her introduction was over, the unsocial Thunderclan she-cat scoffed and covered her nose with her paw. "Tch, that's where that nasty fish smell came from then. What do you want? Aren't you supposed to be with your clan? Not all of us like the scent of fish on our breath as you Riverclanners do, you know?"

Tinypool is talking to Featherpaw (though she will keep calling her Atalante because is cooler)
Cinderpaw is being mean talking to Poppypaw

Poppypaw tilted her head. She didn't understand the hostile tone that this ThunderClan was using. Fish was delicious! And it was so exciting being able to snatch them out of the water. She was eager for when it got warmer and it wasn't so freezing to step into the water. The queens always said that it was a time of year when they got the most food and fish were plentiful, so she was eager to see that.

But for now, she just blinked at Cinderpaw with confusion.

"We're supposed to make friends with people outside of our clan," she meowed happily, not seeming to follow the nonverbal instruction to leave her alone. "And you're ThunderClan, right? Then we're neighbors, just over the river!" Her tail perked up. "How is it in that side of the forest? It seems like it would get cold with all the trees hiding the sun. Has your clan been doing okay during this leafbare? Are you getting enough to eat?"

She hoped that her neighbors weren't starving as badly as her clan was. Based on the skinny cats at the Gathering, Poppypaw figured that it was a bad time for every clan.

Poppypaw is speaking with Cinderpaw.

Briarthorn slowly padded into the gathering, tracking her way through the dent that Bloodstar had made in the snow. Hopefully, this gathering would end quickly. She knew Bloodstar had an announcement to make, and she was prepared to deal with anything that might come of it, but she would much rather have a peaceful gathering for once and then go back to SkyClan. She knew that was a distant dream, though, and settled near the back of the clearing near the line of trees.

Darkpaw hadn't meant to trail behind... but stars it was cold out! He knew that this wouldn't do. He had to be strong for Thunderclan! He charged into the clearing once he saw it and immediately spotted- What was that? There was a she-cat there who had like a... a... meatface. That one. He had to go talk to that one! He had to prove he feared nothing! Darkpaw scampered over to Icepaw and Beechfang, though he didn't know their names yet.

He managed to catch the tail end of what Icepaw was saying. Good enough for him!

"Hi, I'm Darkpaw from Thunderclan. This is my first gathering! So you're a Skyclan cat? And..." He looked at Icepaw. "Sorry, which clan are you from?" He tried to discreetly sniff in their directions to memorize what the other clans smelled like.

Skyclan: Pine needles.
Icepaw: Musky moss type stuff... kinda... Which clan was that?

Darkpaw is talking to Beechfang and Icepaw!

Snowpaw arrived at Fourtrees for her second garthering, keeping an eye on her mentor, Marshmallow. She noticed she seemed a bit off again, and decided not to disturb her. Looking around, she noticed a SkyClan apprentice sitting more or less alone and decided to make some friendly conversation.
“Hello, I’m Snowpaw, from ShadowClan. And you are?” she inquired.

Snowpaw has approached Myrtlepaw.

The Gathering was wonderful.

Terrifying, too. Daypaw stumbled into the clearing, trailing behind ThunderClan. It was harrowing to him that he'd been picked at all– he'd only just become an apprentice! But he was here now, and he stared down into the clearing, wide eyes brimming with wonder. There's so many... His steps were shaky as he descended the clearing, trying to pick his way carefully through the crowd. He caught sight of his brother, wandering away to run his jaw, and Daypaw sighed with pleasant affection. Another step, and he found himself stepping on someone's tail; immediately, he balked, and cowered even further when he realized he'd wandered closer to the front of the crowd than he meant to. "Sorry, I– wasn't paying attention," he mewed sheepishly, half-twisting away both to avoid the dark cat's leering glare, and to see what he was staring at. Right through the crowd, towards... Featherpaw? Odd.

Daypaw is standing on Mistyfalcon's tail.

Duskflight simply chuckled at his mentor's response, nodding along. Ever since he's gotten back, things have changed, and his time interacting with Emberleap has decreased. Some cats were gravely injured, others... missing, or not in sight. He dreaded to imagine what might've happened, though those events have already happened, now. "I agree, it's been too long."

The tom frowned at Emberleap's sheepishness. He was concerned for those in the clan— and especially, his mentor included. He'd said it was fine, but, Duskflight still held some doubt to it. The tom kept quiet though, deciding not to ask more. Blinking, he prepared himself for Emberleap's next questions. "She's doing well," He smiled, "You must visit her sometime, she says the kits should be coming soon. Right around Newleaf, I hope. It's the best season they'll be able to grow in." The tom purred. Even he, himself, couldn't quite believe it. He was.. a father now, although unofficially. That'd be more official once the kits were present.

Duskflight is talking to Emberleap!

"Skyclan is doing well enough." Beechfang lifted a shoulder in a shrug. Ah... Stories of them climbing and hunting in the trees? Well... Yeah. That made sense. Most of the clan did. Not Beechfang, but most of them. "Yeah... The smaller, more lithe cats had a better time with that than I ever did. You Shadowclanners hunt in the marshes, right?" She wasn't quite sure how to keep the conversation going, "I hope your apprenticeship has gone well so far."

It wasn't long before another tom was joining them, also a young apprentice... And Beechfang nearly did a double take when her eyes landed on him. Fur a mix of gray and cream with white in a familiar pattern, though his fur was shorter than Smokefeather's and his eyes were a mismatched blue and yellow. "Sorry... What? You... Remind me of someone. It startled me." Beechfang gave her head a shake. "Oh, yes. Skyclan. My name's Beechfang. That's Icepaw of Shadowclan. Darkpaw, you said your name was? I'm sure Thunderclan's glad to have new apprentices." She was rambling. Awkwardly. But the young apprentice's appearance was making her think. That pelt and a blue eye...

---

"Watch your paws." Mistyfalcon hissed in annoyance at the sharp press of the offending body part to his tail, turning to face what looked like a young apprentice that carried the scent of Thunderclan. Even at the edge of the crowd it seemed he couldn't avoid other cats. Why'd he ever let Murkystar and Batglow convince him to go to these functions was beyond him. Really. Why this apprentice who looked barely young enough to be out of the nursery couldn't watch where he put his own paws was also beyond his comprehension. Tattered ears slid back as he regarded the apprentice, a low huff escaping him. "Thunderclan, and let me guess, this is your first gathering?"

---

"Oh! Congratulations, Tinypool." She mewed, happy for the warrior having earned her name. "I wound up in Thunderclan territory and fought a dog off with their leader. It just... Kinda happened. Training's been rougher than I expected, though Starlingflare is decent enough." So many raccoons. So. Many. "Two of my siblings came with me, our numbers were small... Nothing like the size of any of the clans, of course."

Beechfang is talking to Icepaw and Darkpaw.
Mistyfalcon is talking to Daypaw.
Ata/Featherpaw is talking to Tinypool.
Swiftspirit has not arrived yet.

Comfreypaw couldn't believe it. She was at a gathering! So many cats, yet she didn't feel compelled to talk with any of them. One day soon they'll be my enemies. I'll meet these cats in battle. Except.. maybe not the elders. Oooh I bet they have great stories! Even if they aren't Thunderclan. The she-cat nervously wandered around, trying to find the cats with scars and grey hairs. For her first gathering it was quite scary. So many strange cats, they could attack her at any moment. She looked up to the full moon, frowning at how faulty it seemed. As long as its there it would be against the code to attack. Still, Comfreypaw tried to keep her eyes out for her siblings who had attended as well. Anything could happen.

Comfreypaw is nervous but looking for any elders to talk to.

Icepaw couldn't even get another word in before someone else was butting into the conversation. She looked at the new arrival with narrowed eyes, not enjoying being interrupted. Certainly not by another apprentice. She was planning on speaking to apprentices later! But it seemed that her plans were already derailed. She may as well make the most of it.

"Yes, ShadowClan," Icepaw echoed Beechfang as she took in the new apprentice's appearance. She tilted her head and her ear twitched curiously. There weren't many cats that looked like two cats had smashed their faces together to form one. If she closed one eye, she would see Darkpaw as a completely different cat. It was certainly a look that stood out.

"It is nice to meet you, Darkpaw," Icepaw meowed politely. She made note that this was a ThunderClan cat and took the scent to memory. "It is my first Gathering too, so we have that in common." She tilted her head slightly towards the warrior. "I was just speaking to Beechface about SkyClan. How is ThunderClan, then? Faring well?"

Icepaw is speaking with Beechfang and Darkpaw.

Darkpaw stared expectantly at the two cats he had chosen to talk to... and admittedly wasn't sure what to make of Beechfang's comment. They certainly had never met before. He'd remember that face anywhere. Doing his best not to stare and be rude, he turned his attention to Icepaw. Shadowclan... okay that's what the marsh smelled like. He committed that to memory.

"Oh yeah Thunderclan is doing great." Not really. Their fresh-kill piles always looked dreadfully low. Wait... wasn't it Skyclan and Riverclan's fault that feeding themselves was a struggle right now and had been for moons? Should he... even be talking to Beechfang right now? Darkpaw's eyes traveled to the Great Rock and stared at the leaders that were here. A big scarred ugly one caught his eye for a moment before he looked at the others. A brown and black patchy calico and a dark brown tom was there too.

"What are the leaders and deputies names and which ones are they?" He figured he should probably remember them too. They were just a tiny bit important. A tiny bit.

Darkpaw is talking to Icepaw and Beechfang

Deerleap glanced at the cats around her. this would be the second time she was in a gathering. it was still as scary as the first time.

Deerleap is open to interactions!

Daypaw bristled at the older cat's sharp hiss– bristled, then looked at him directly, and forced away any feelings of indignation when he looked at the scars and signs of age across his pelt. "Sorry," he muttered, and he was about to offer to leave, too, when the dark warrior prompted him to speak. "Yeah! My name is Daypaw. I haven't even been an apprentice for a moon... obviously." The pale tom's voice drifted as he hesitantly settled down close to Mistyfalcon, paws working nervously against the frosted earth. Daypaw inhaled, quietly as he could, hoping he could guess what Clan this cat came from. He smelled... dank. Earthy, almost like a forest, but not quite like ThunderClan. More like stale water. "What's your name? And what Clan are you from? I can't really tell yet. Oh! And. Uh. Why were you staring towards ThunderClan like that?"