Here Goes Nothing... [After the Gathering]

Webtail sucked in a breath, he had to do this, it was what he had trained for, all of his training and sacrifices would go to waste if he didn't. With a bit of hesitance, he jumped onto Jaggedrock and ignored the stubborn pain that followed from his wounds. "All cats of ShadowClanmeet here beneath Jaggedrock for a clan meeting!" He wanted every cat in his clan to hear what he had to say, even kits needed to know directly what was happening, not just warriors and apprentices.

Rosekit heard the call. This doesn't sound like Thrushstar or Leopardfang, the she-kit thought to herself as her curiosity drove her to peek outside of the nursery. She knew that it was one of the warriors, but why was Webtail standing atop of the Jaggedrock? What was going on? Questions filled Rosekit's mind as she stepped out of the nursery to gather with the cats, figuring that it was better to find her answers by listening to Webtail's announcements.

He had asked the queens where his parents went. Why they were gone. Why their sleeping bodies had been brought to camp and why everyone was crying over them. The queens never answered Adderkit, though, so he just assumed they would wake up one day. Maybe they had gotten too sleepy to play, like Adderkit often got, so they just fell asleep in the middle of this "gathering" everyone talked about. What even was a gathering, anyway? The queens hurried him out of the nursery, nudging the fluffy black kit with their muzzles. Adderkit had been born no more than three or four days before this "gathering", and he still had a hard time making out what people were saying to him. Maybe this was his apprentice ceremony? Already? What even was an apprentice, anyway? The black fuzz ball was placed in the front of the group of cats, where he could see and hear the cat on the rock the best.

Owlpaw walked out of the apprentice’s den, he was still a bit grumpy because he couldn’t go to the meeting with his father, who also happened to be his mentor, something about him still being too new to the apprentice ranks to go…tch! He just shook his head to get rid of such thoughts before he noticed the cats walking inside camp.

At the beginning he didn’t reacted at all, but then he noticed that he didn’t knew many of these cats, and several cats that had left for the gathering weren’t with them anymore, one of them being his father, Mudfoot. Why he wasn’t with them? Where the other cats were? They had to stay behind for some reason? He hoped so, he wanted to ask his father so many questions, that and make him promise that he would take him to the next gathering. If he returned too late and didn’t have the energy to train him the next day he was going to be so mad…he wanted to be the best warrior, and skipping days of training wasn’t going to help him to achieve that goal!

He was thinking about this when Webtail’s voice pulled him out from his thoughts, weird, why was she calling for a clanmeeting instead of waiting for Thrushstar? Instead of questioning her motives he decided to just tag along and walk towards the Jaggedrock and listen to her words.

Dawnflower followed Webtail into the camp with her head hung low. She didn't like this. She didn't like this one bit. The former medicine cat had sustained some wounds. She was hurt and in pain. She hoped Alderheart wouldn't mind if she went into his den, and took some herbs... What would it matter he was gone anyway. The medicine cat disappeared a few days before the gathering. Even though she was an Elder she still had a duty to her clan. "Webtail, after the meeting I will take care of your wounds, and anyone else who needs it." She said. The Elder wandered over to the medicine den to prepare for taking care of wounds.

Smokefang chose to go to Shadowclan and help Webtail. Being a former Thunderclan cat she would have gone home, but she wanted to go here instead. She felt like they needed it. The smokey warrior looked around the unusual camp when she had arrived but she wasn't that interested that she was distracted. The dark forest cat glanced around one more time before sitting under Jaggedrock and looking out at the clan.

Russetpaw heard the call but paused. It dixnt sound like Thrushstar so what was going on. Quietly she russet and black she cat passed from the apprentices den and seen Webtail. Confusion and worry only took place of what she was seeing. Quietly she sat near the apprentices den not sure what to think was going on.

Littlepaw padded into camp and started padding to the apprentices den to sleep when Webtail called a clan meeting. She sighs angrily, lashing her tail, before making her way to jaggedrock and sitting down. She hated this. She didn't want to be here, but leopardfang had told her to stay for a couple reasons. To watch over his loved ones and to be his eyes and ears, but that didn't mean she liked being around these DarkForest cats. She also knew she couldn't let leopardfang down so she made her face blank, not showing any emotion.

Shimmerheart stuck her head out of the elders' den. Why... why was her son on the rock? Had something happened to Thrushstar? To Leopardfang?! She looked up at Webtail in alarm.

Freckleface walked immediately over to Shimmerheart. She didn't want to reveal it- Webtail would do that- but she needed to be near the black she-cat and keep her from getting in trouble.

Tigerstorm stuck close to Adderkit's side. The poor young kit wouldn't understand. The queen was very close to her kitting. It would happen any day now, and she would gladly accept the little tom with her own kits when they came. She herself didn't understand why two warriors had died at a Gathering of all places, and a feeling of fear and suspicion assaulted her when she saw her brother up on the Jaggedrock. Where was their father and their leader? And where was their sister, Viperfang? Dread went through her like a wave. Viperfang was always accusing Webtail of... certain things, but Tigerstorm always thought she was just paranoid. The strange and unfamiliar cats that followed him didn't help his case either. After seeing her mother in the crowd, she wrapped her tail around Adderkit and brought him close to her. The young queen looked up at her brother, her green eyes asking all the questions that she couldn't form with her tongue.

Webtail nodded to Dawnflower, appreciating her help. "Thank you Dawnflower." He looked over ShadowClan, now, his clan, his responsibility. "As many of you may know, there was a battle at Fourtrees, you may have also notice our newest resident." He gestured to Smokefang. "At Fourtrees, a plan was revealed and those who were loyal to StarClan were exiled from our territories. The leaders, with the exception of Crowstar were replaced by those chosen by the Dark Forest. The cats that remained with the clans had pledged their loyalty to the Dark Forest and cast StarClan from their minds. I am your new leader, a new deputy will be appointed." He looked across them once more to gain their attention. "Punishment for rebelling against our cause will not be light. All clan members will respect the Dark Forest and what they stand for." He said firmly before noticing the strong stench of blood around him. "As for the injuries, those with wounds that need to be treated immediately shall see Dawnflower, she may ask of any member to help, those with smaller injuries will wait until she is ready to see them." Webtail waited for his clan's feedback, pausing to allow them to take in the information.

Owlpaw was taken aback by the sudden revelation. He started to look around restlessly, hoping that he simply had missed him, but the more he looked around the camp or at the entrance of the camp he started to realize that his father wasn’t coming back…Mudfoot had been exiled…no, that couldn’t be just it, he had to return at some point, right? He would think things carefully and return, there is no way that he could’ve left him and his littermates behind…right?

The chocolate tabby tom lowered his head with the words of Webtail, unsure of what to say or do. How different would it be for him…for everyone to live under the Dark Forest rule? Would this cause them harm or lead them to greatness like the Dark Forest followers promised? Would his dream be hindered, boosted or stay the same? Owlpaw had no idea and though he really wanted to ask the words were stuck in his throat.

OOC: Gonna slip my baby in here :3

Muddypaw moved his muzzle around, still having a tiny bit of pain from the strike Oakpaw had done in the early battle they had finished at Fourtrees, he still felt a bit of pain but didn't think it needed to much of treating.

Shimmerheart's jaw dropped open in disbelief. HoweHowe... How could StarClan be gone?! She had seen them! Gingerheart had visited her, predicted her future! And her son, her beautiful son, was at the front of this pack of lies? Somehow that hurt her even more than the knowledge that her beloved mate had been driven out by these curs. She opened her mouth to shout at her son, to tell him he was wrong, to shame him, to challenge him-

Freckleface saw Shimmerheart's intentions and quickly tapped the elder's mouth with her ginger flecked tail. "Leopardfang told me to protect you," she whispered with determination. "I won't let anything happen to you, for his sake. I know what they say is wrong, but challenging Webtail right now would be unwise. We must wait."

Pearlkit and Opalkit were late to the party but Vannie felt it necessary they were there so they were. The sisters sat near the back, listening with pricked ears and wide eyes. The girls were raised by a mother who didn't believe in any sort of higher power, and therefore had no knowledge of any of this.

"This Dark Forest, is it bad?" Opalkit whispered to her litter mate, fear and concern in her eyes.

A Dark Forest didn't seem like a good place, but Pearlkit didn't care. She'd pledge alliance to whatever kept her sister safe. "Maybe, but it doesn't matter." She whispered, her tone even and her face emotionless. It couldn't hurt to pledge an alliance to something she didn't believe in, could it?