April's Gathering 2017

A strange scent wafted over the clearing, Rockthorns head raised. Everything seemed to fall silent as a strange cat declared peace, other cats followed. The strange cats were scraggly, beaten, and half-starved and Rockthorn could sympathize. Getting to his paws, his fur bristling from the strangeness of the situation he yowled to the strangers. "Who are you all? What are you doing here?" He demanded, voice echoing in the clearing.

Lilyheart had just settled down when the scent of the mountains much clearer than she had ever smelled them wafted into the clearing, turning to look at the new comers with interest in her eyes she displayed no open hostility. The voice of a young tom across the clearing made her twitch and look over to a hideously scarred tom before quickly looking away and up to her father, a question trying to make it past her mouth but failing her place reminding her that it would be frowned upon to speak while the leaders did.

The black tom looked up in alarm at the new scent and the pattering of paws. The medicine cat sat up to watch the new, weary-looking cats arrive, not one that he had ever seen before. He'd had some odd dreams, could this be something StarClan was trying to warn him about? Maybe, but they had been very vague, with only the smell of rocks after a shower being consistent throughout. Cloudstone murmured to the other medicine cats, "Have you seen anything about this?" He shifted uncomfortably under the Tribe cats' mournful stares.

Blacktwig began to back up, meeting the Tribe cats' gazes. "Your purpose, as requested by many, I suppose," he said affably. He shuffled up with feverish eyes to peer closer at them. Their bones jutted out of their pelts, however, he made an effort not to broach it. Finally, with a small grunt, Blacktwig stood up on all of his legs to face them, and though wobbling, raised his head. A rumble in his throat reprimanded Blacktwig of a cough, and he swallowed it back. He stared down the Tribe cats. His orbs shone with confusion as he turned to Darkstar, daring to inquire alleviation to this sprouting issue. "You don't know, either?" he half-spoke, half-mouthed questioningly to her. "Sparkflower might..." Blacktwig lowered his head in thought.

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Bouncepaw looked nervous. "N-No, Cloudstone, I-I don't kn-know what th-th-th-this is." he replied tensely. A ripple of apprehension swam through his body, weaving through every function like a swarm of moths. He wanted desperately to hide himself in his mentor's shadowy fur, but he wasn't a kit anymore, and he had to face these strangers.

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Goatpaw almost bleated with alarm. Then they'd definitely call me Goatbleat! she thought, but her primary thought was: Who in the name of StarClan are these weird cats? Goatpaw knew better than to investigate, and she stayed with WindClan until Ashstar made a statement on the matter.

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Fallowstripe hissed with shock and hostility at the Tribe cats. "'Come in peace'?" she sneered. "'Come in peace'? Not with what happened during the past few Gatherings, they're not," said Fallowstripe, sounding derisive. She studied them with an inhospitable stare. She swept Finchpaw back with her tail, to keep her daughter from exploring the likes of these... hideous felines.

Nutpaw looked in wonder at the new cats that were streaming in. Dawnsong had only told her about five clans, and these cats made six. But judging by all the other cats expressions, these cats were new to them as well. And judging from the scent of fatigue, these cats were tired. Nudging Finchpaw, she whispered quietly to her. "Who do you think that those cats are?"
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Nectarpaw looked on excitedly as more cats came. These newcomers looked tired, and they looked nervous as well. Without meaning to, Nectarpaw ended up blurting out his thoughts rather loudly. "Who are these cats?" He flicked his tail over his muzzle, embarrassed by his sudden outburst. But he did desperately want to know the answer to that question.

"Smokeface, what's happening?" Morningfog meowed with concern in her voice. Cats asking for help? Peace? Who was it? Her pelt prickled with worry, the scent wasn't giving her a positive note either. "Are they hurt?"

Falconpaw stared at the new cats, they looked even more sickly than he did.. He felt his pelt ripple in fear, how were they still alive like that?

Squirrelsong backed up in surprise as a strange group of cats entered the clearing and declared peace. They smelled of the mountains she knew of, beyond the moors she called home. Shuffling around, she looked questionably at the newcomers. They all seemed scraggly and skinny, more than her clanmates leanness and more on the starving side of the scale. Eyes softening in compassion, she took a small step towards the newcomers, before flicking her tail in a mute greeting and self-consciously hoping they wouldn't stare at her horrific scars.

Oceanlight saw some newcomers. One of them looked like an apprentice, who was on the floor. Her eyes widened. "That cat needs help." she mewed.


Swiftheart saw strange cats who she didn't recognize. Their scent was strange, their voice was strange, pretty much everything was strange about them.


Snakeblaze didn't trust these cats. "How do we know you're peaceful?" he growled.

Flamestrike jumped to his paws, instantly shocked out of his inattentiveness. A group of strange cats had entered the clearing. This had never happened before. His fur bristled for a moment, uncomfortable at the mystery of this unknown group. However, he quickly realized how bedraggled and thin they were. Whoever this group may be, they certainly didn't seem like a threat. The warrior kept his ears pricked, waiting to see what would happen. His tail flicked slightly with anxiety. Yowls of the last battle still rang in his ears. Flamestrike didn't want to let his guard down.

***

The Skyclan deputy was also on his paws almost instantly. Although, he was more curious than concerned. The clan cats far exceeded their numbers. If any sort of fighting were to break out, odds would be against the strangers. His blue eyes cast a glance up at the leaders. Unlike Rockthorn, Rippedsky knew to hold his tongue. It would be up to the clan leaders to address the speaker. Darkstar had already spoken up. But there was certainly still a lot to be talked about. His paws kneaded the ground as he looked around for all of his cats. It wouldn't hurt to make sure he knew where his clan was. If anything did happen, Rippedsky would make sure Skyclan was safe. But there did not seem to be much of a threat.

***
Slatepaw didn't say anything, but a low growl rumbled in his throat. This was his first time seeing any outsiders. It was clear that no one here knew who they were. From his place next to random other clan apprentices, he looked for Sagepaw. She was sitting with Windclan still. Good. If she was safe, he had less to worry about. The Windclan apprentice was still on edge. He wanted the strange cat to speak again; they all needed answers.

Maplecloud nearly jumped at the cats behind her, but then Blacktwig stood up as well."Blacktwig sit down. Please." The way his body was shifting made her shutter, and he seemed nauseous.

Blacktwig nodded, confused as to why she suddenly seemed so worried about him. He wanted nothing to do with these alien cats anyways, so why really bother with them? He sat down beside her. He licked a forepaw and neatly swept it over his head.

OOC: I'm soooo late...sry



Blizzardshine hurried into the clearing alongside Darkstar, head a bit low as soon as she noticed they were last. She just hoped the rest of the clans didn’t have to wait too long for their arrival.

She listened carefully at the leaders as they spoke, noticing the tension between Crowstar and Ashstar regarding the first’s decision to make Rippedsky deputy. She didn’t have anything against the tom, then again her knowledge about his past and motives were really limited so she wasn’t in any position to judge.

As she waited for the next leader to speak, an unknown scent and voice made her turn her head to the group of tired cats that were calmly walking towards them. They didn’t seem dangerous and their intentions seemed to be as peaceful as they said, so instead of feeling wary she started to feel curious. What could they want? Where did they come from?

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Moonlight padded into the gathering with Crowstar and took her spot between the cats of her clan to listen to their words. She felt slightly angered at Ashstar’s way to speak about their new deputy, but besides a quick glare she didn’t showed such emotions at all.

However, she did showed a mix of surprise and concern when the group of unknown cats appeared. Her daughter and grandkits had been kidnapped not long ago by a group of rogues, so she couldn’t help but keep her guard high around these newcomers as well, regardless of their peaceful words.

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Nightheart hissed softly as soon as she heard Rippedsky’s name being mentioned as the new deputy of SkyClan. He had abandoned his clan when they needed him the most, and now he got rewarded for such cowardly action? Was Crowstar mousebrained?

She was about to complain about such thing when the new cats arrived, causing her words to never leave her mouth as her surprised eyes scanned the arriving group, unsure if they were enemies or friends at all and wanting to be prepared for both options.

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Sootwhisper was on her usual spot, hidden by the shadows and interacting with none. However, as soon as the Tribe arrived he couldn’t help but feel a spark of curiosity, forcing the usually aloof cat to leave his favorite spot and get closer to the rest of the cats just to be able to see and hear the better.

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This was Hawkstrike’s first gathering as a warrior of SkyClan and not one of ShadowClan, he couldn’t count his time as a rogue, given that he used to avoid this place back then. He really wanted to know what was going on between the clans, gather information for future plans as well if possible.

He felt sincerely surprised when he didn’t see Thrushstar on top of the great rock, followed by a bittersweet sensation in his chest. He really wished that the old ShadowClan leader was finally dead, that the forest was freed from his presence forever, but part of him also wished he could’ve been the one that took away the life of old leader somehow…he would need to wait and hear what had happened, or ask another cat later. Then again, that meant that Leopardfang probably was leader now, and he liked the spotted tom just as much as the previous leader.

He, much to his displeasure, didn’t got the answer so badly wanted when the group of new cats arrived, causing him to snort with annoyance.

Frost that Blankets the Brook padded behind Stoneteller wearily. She was only a to-be, but she felt as old as Pale Light of Dusk. Her paws felt numb and all she wanted to do was curl up in her nest back home and go to sleep. They had journeyed farther than she thought the world could go, and she just stared, wide eyed, at all the new things they saw along the way. Who knew there was so much more than the little place they came from? It boggled her mind, but now another thing was boggling her mind and scaring her at the same time. They had just padded in through these 4 large trees and her nose was instantly assaulted with various different cat scents. Then her wide hazel gaze took in all the cats before them, including the ones on the large rock. She had absolutely no clue what was happening, but she trusted Stoneteller. She subconsciously stayed closer to her older tribemates, though, just in case, but hoping these cats would welcome them instead of attacking them.

Tired and weary, Pale Light of Dusk dragged herself into the clearing of strange cats. Her old bones creaked with every step, and her ribs poked from her raggedy fur. The journey had, perhaps, been harder on the elder than anyone else, but somehow she'd pulled through. She was a survivor. She always had been, and she wasn't letting that change anytime soon. Her paws felt like a thousand knives were stabbing with each step, and she wanted to collapse. But being no less stubborn than ever, Pale refused to let herself succumb to the fatigue. I will not be weak!

She was too old for this. A younger cat, a to-be maybe, would be struck with such immense wonder at their new surroundings, these foreign scents from far beyond their home. She knew better than that. Change was dangerous. She trusted Stoneteller, but she didn't trust these strangers. There was no guarantee they wouldn't attack, and she was far too weak to even try to defend herself. Those young ones thought this would be a new opportunity, an adventure, a new home - but was it really a death trap?

occ:sorry for late

The littlest of all the tribe cats struggled to keep up. Eye of the Prowling Lion didn't understand what was going on, or where they were, or who these strange cats were. He was tired of walking, even though he had demanded to be put down earlier when it was still light out. Lion's Eye was determined to show Stoneteller and his mother that he was as strong as everyone else, even if he was just a small kit. All of his littermates and the kits of the other litters had died of sickness or starvation. He didn't know that, though; he thought maybe they were just farther behind with all the other grown-up cats who had left and hadn't returned. The little cream tomkit struggled through the legs of his tribemates to brush up against Stoneteller's foreleg, afraid of the strange cats in the clearing. He gave a little kitten-sneeze; he had been almost too sick to survive the journey. All he wanted now was to curl up and sleep, but the older cats had been adamant that he not sleep too deeply or... or some bad thing would happen. Lion's Eye stared up at Stoneteller, fear reflecting in his young features.