May's Gathering 2018

"Swanpetal of RiverClan," the RiverClan cat introduced herself. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Tigerpaw. Are you enjoying the Gathering?" She had been to several, herself, but the charm never quite seemed to wear off for the warrior. Besides, even without that charm a Gathering was as good a place as any to make new friends and allies.

Twistedtail and Pigeonpaw were both there but I was too lazy to do them being here. They sit by themselves and are quiet.

Ryeheart had just started to grow worried that he hadn’t been chosen to come when, at long last, he saw his pale-pelted son pad down the slope, and head right towards him.  Once again, the ShadowClan warrior was overwhelmed by a sea of emotions at the sight of the beloved kit he gave away, everything from the glimmer in his eyes to the sheen of his pelt reminding him of Willowpetal...and of himself.  It had been so long since he had been that happy and carefree...but maybe, just maybe, he could fix that.  Once Lakewhisper reached him, Ryeheart smiled and nodded in greeting, but didn’t reply to the tom’s query.  Glancing around for a moment to make sure no one was watching them very closely, he beckoned with his ginger tabby tail for the younger tom to follow him and padded off to shelter in a shadowy corner of the clearing.

Once they had both settled down, Ryeheart took a deep, preparing breath.  Oh StarClan, was this really the right thing to do?  There were so many unknowns...so many risks, too many.  Despite his doubts though, he knew he needed to go through with it.  The knowledge of what he had been hiding was weighing him down as if his lungs were filled with river water, suffocating and choking him until all he could feel was the forceful embrace of darkness.  Locking eyes with his son, he began to speak, in a much more serious voice than ever before. “It’s nice to see you Lakewhisper, yes ShadowClan is well...but I have something very important to speak with you about.”  Once again he swept his gaze around their surroundings, before bending closer, so these words could only be heard by the ears of the cat they were meant for.  “This will sound like an odd request, but will you meet me back here, at Fourtrees, tomorrow at sunset?  I can’t talk about it here, at least not now with everyone around...”

“It...it’s about your mother.”

---

Nightstorm had come to a halt amid the throng of clanmates and rivals alike, his tall form allowing him to glimpse over the heads of most of the cats gathered so that he could see the leader’s rock.  Hmm...two leaders and three deputies...that’s odd.  He knew why Rippedstar had stayed behind of course, but the confusing presence of the blue-gray and golden pelts of Jaystream and Leopardclaw intrigued him.  I hope that Blizzardstar and Ivystar aren’t ill...or worse, dead, for the sake of their clanmates.  Crowstar’s loss has affected SkyClan harshly, it would be a shame to see two other clans lose their guides as well.  He knew that, as a warrior, he should probably be a bit more enthusiastic to see weakness within other clans, especially one that they were allied against, but Nightstorm had never been one for pointless hatred.  He would fight to the death for the cats he had dedicated his new life to, but to dislike others purely because they come from a home unlike your own was something he saw as idiotic and counterproductive.  In a perfect world, there wouldn’t be all this tension and suspicion...but this world is obviously far from flawless.

Suddenly, the tom was knocked out of his thoughts by a sharp twinge of pain in his side, and was lurched sideways as a fully-grown cat bumped into him.  He regained his balance easily, from moons of practice scaling rocky cliffs and trees, and turned to see who had collided with him, his green eyes concerned.  It was a ginger tabby she-cat, her pelt dappled with a few spots of white, who scented of ThunderClan.  He had to prick his ears and bend his head down a bit to pick up her nervous words of apology, but the friendly tom was far from angry.  A kind smile dawning on his ebony face, he straightened his back and purred.  “No need to apologize, my dear, I was the one standing on the walking path after all.”  With a slight chuckle, he stepped back a pace to dip his head and extend a forepaw in the usual greeting of the Tribe; despite accepting the clan’s customs, he still enjoyed to practice the gestures and sayings he had grown up with, even if some cats thought it looked a bit odd.  “My name is Nightstorm, of SkyClan.”  His voice rumbled from his throat in a comforting tone; he didn’t want to seem like a rival.  He raised his head back up and titled it to the side slightly in a curious sort of way.  “And you are?”

---

After a brief glance around at the other cats atop the Highrock, Leopardclaw let out a low, slightly annoyed growl.  What were they waiting for?  The sooner this meeting was over, the sooner he could go back to camp and rest.  Stepping up to the peak of the Great Rock, the ThunderClan deputy yowled out for all the clan’s attention, his hazel eyes glinting testily. “If no one else is going to start, I will.”  Even though he wasn’t the best at talking to other cats, he had no trouble with public speaking and continued with the address in a confident voice.  “ThunderClan is well.  In the past moon, we have apprenticed many kits and promoted several warriors, namely Eaglefang, Minkspark, and Marshstorm.  Blizzardstar is recovering from a short bout of illness, which is why I am presiding the stone tonight, but she will be back on her paws very soon, and I’m sure you’ll see her at the next Gathering.” That was it, right?  He wasn’t used to doing this and was silent for a moment before stepping back to sit down and let the next leader or deputy speak.

The Riverclan deputy barely lifted his chin to look at the Thunderclan's deputy speaking about his clan's status. He knew he would have to eventually speak too. In the past, he would have probably stood up there froze, incapable of formulating a word in front of such a big crowd. But, thanks to his deputy's duties, he had faced larger groups of cats and learned how to manage his fears and anxious personality.

Jaystream breathed slowly, calming his aching heart and when Leopardclaw was done, he stood up from his spot in the Great Rock. He lashed his large fluffy tail to have everyone's attention and he fixed his eyes on the clan cats without truly looking at their faces or expressions. "E-Evening to every clan. Taking Ivystar's place just for tonight, I'm here to say that Riverclan is fairing well. We've plenty of food now that the ice is gone and we keep growing in size. A lot of apprentices turned into warriors since the last Gathering: Sunfish, Swanpetal, Stormstrike, Tawnyfang, Torrentstorm, Robinpatch and Orchidpool. We thank Starclan for these new additions to the clan and I hope every clan is doing fine as well." He finished talking with a quick dip of his head before sitting back. There was no need the other clans know about Ivystar's disappearance. He was sure she would come back... she had to. After all, how a loyal she-cat like could abandon her clan like that? It made no sense.

Tigerpaw twitched one ear with interest as she listened to the gray and white she-cat introduce herself. Inhaling slightly, she gave Swanpetal a slight nod. "Likewise, i-it's nice to meet you. The Gathering is.. fine." There was a brief hesitation as she struggled with choosing her words. With all the inter-clan trouble that had been taking place over the past few moons, the gatherings had been anything short of fun. Still, she supposed it wasn't really that bad. Getting to see the other clans was certainly interesting. The slender apprentice was about to continue speaking when she heard Leopardclaw's voice ring out across the clearing. Instantly, she fell silent. It was a sign of respect to listen carefully when the leaders were speaking. Even if he was still a deputy, Leopardclaw was taking Blizzardstar's place tonight. As for the reason why, the spotted golden tom soon made it clear. Tigerpaw blinked in surprise upon hearing that ThunderClan's leader had fallen ill. Next to speak was Jaystream. Unlike Leopardclaw, he did not explain Ivystar's absence. The brown apprentice figured that it was probably because RiverClan detested showing weakness, but the deputy's avoidance of the topic just made her more curious.

---

When would the gathering begin? The air buzzed with an invisible energy. From where he sat, the large, fluffy warrior could hear snippets of conversations coming from all directions. The sharp tang of foreign scent was so strong; it was starting to grate on his nerves. He could never understand how some of his clanmates seemed to enjoy talking to other cats outside of their clan. For him, the gathering was as uncomfortable as a thorn in his paw. At least they would be able to gather information about the state of the other clans... Just when he was beginning to think that StarClan had doomed him to an eternal suffering and the gathering was never going to begin, ThunderClan's deputy finally stepped up. Scorchclaw listened to the reports with a narrowed green gaze. When Jaystream deliberately left out Ivystar's absence, he nodded inwardly with approval. The current fate of their leader was something none of the other clans needed to know. After all, she would be back soon. Right?

Lakewhisper was prepared for the usual small talk that they exchanged, so he was taken by surprise when the older tom motioned for them to speak in a more secluded area of Fourtrees. "This is a gather-" He began, his features were furrowed in confusion and then turning into utter disbelief. "Look, I know we've become aquainted at gatherings Ryeheart, but honestly, I have-" His indignant rambling was cut short by one phrase.

“It...it’s about your mother.”

"I.. uh, m-my.. what? She, n-no, she's dead. What could you know.." He trailed off, his sputtering comments ceasing as a voice in his head began nagging him. It was trying to point something out to him, but he couldn't figure it out. He didn't know what it was trying to tell him. Or maybe he just didn't want to accept it. Whatever it was, he brushed it away. No matter how much he knew he shouldn't agree to meet him, there was something that told him he should accept. Maybe it was that stupid voice that he couldn't get to be quiet, but whatever. He had to give the ShadowClan tom an answer instead of just staring slack-jawed at him. The gathering was beginning and they needed to get back into the mix of cats. "I- Okay, I'll be there." He meowed gruffly, his hesitant tone mixed with a quiet desperation for information, anything, about his mother.

---

Littlestar padded forward next to stand at the edge of the Great Rock. "ShadowClan is faring well this Newleaf. Prey is returning in full force and our apprentice's den is overflowing. Though we have several new kits and warriors among us, one of our beloved warriors isn't here tonight. Smokestripe has joined StarClan defending a fellow clanmate from a band of raccoons. The creatures were all killed, but his bravery and loyalty will not be forgotten." She finished with a slight dip of her head as grief overtook her features before stepping back to allow someone else to speak. He was a good and loyal friend. She would miss him dearly.

"I- Okay, I'll be there."

Ryeheart heaved an internal sigh of deep relief, and nodded, a faint smile twisting at the corners of his muzzle.  It was forced though; oh, how he yearned to just scream out the truth, here and now, no need to wait any longer.  His son needed to know the truth!  About him, about his mother, about his family...but he waited.  "I'll see you then."  Not trusting himself to be content with their usual small talk, the ginger tabby tom flicked his tail in farewell and slipped away into the crowd, sitting down with his clanmates just in time to hear Littlestar's address.  A wave of sadness washed over him at the memory of Smokestripe; he hadn't known the jovial tom well, but he had been a good warrior, and the clan would miss him dearly.

♪ wisteriapool ♪

Wisteriapool, expecting the black tom in front of her to hurl insults, flattened her ears against her head as Nightstorm looked at her. However, she was only greeted with kind words and a smile. Surprise flooded the ginger-and-white feline from head to toe. This was definitely something she wasn't used to receiving from cats of other Clans. The she-cat took a tiny step backward as Nightstorm extended a paw and placed a paw forward, but the tiniest ghost of a smile appeared on her maw. SkyClan was a Clan that Wisteriapool wasn't exactly buddy-buddy with. Sedgestrike and Poplartooth were practically the only two SkyClanners she knew, and they hadn't given her a great impression of the tree-climbing Clan. However, the ebony feline in front of her seemed to be accepting and welcoming enough. How could two cats like Sedgestrike and Poplartooth ever be in the same Clan with a cat like Nightstorm?

"Pl-Pleasure to m-meet you, Ni-Nightstorm," Wisteriapool quickly dipped her head as well, "I-I'm Wist-Wisteriap-pool. Th-ThunderC-Clan."
Her voice wasn't as quiet as it had been when she apologized to the SkyClan tom, but it wasn't extremely loud, either. The she-cat wasn't the type of warrior to constantly have her voice raised. Perhaps she could manage without her family there to speak for her, after all.

⚜ poplartooth ⚜

Poplartooth silently listened as Leopardclaw, Jaystream, and Littlestar made their respective Clan reports. Not wanting to be the last one to share, the fluffy tom silently cleared his throat and took a step forward. It didn't feel odd to have the eyes of the Clan cats below on him. He was used to cats looking up at him from the tallbranch, but this time it was increased by dozens. It didn't bother him, though.
"SkyClan has been fairing quite well this past moon," He started, his voice smooth and even, "Patrols are always coming back with food and all of our cats are being well-fed. Plenty of kits have become apprentices and apprentices have become warriors. There have been occasional rogue spottings in our territory, but they are not a threat to us. I'm glad to know RiverClan, ThunderClan, and ShadowClan are doing alright, and I hope WindClan is just as fine."

With that, the brown-and-white tom took a step back. He hadn't mentioned anything about Rippedstar's absence, why he was on the Great Rock instead of the leader, and he had deliberately twisted the truth about the danger level of the rogues on the territory. It probably would've been safer to just avoid talking about the rogues in general, but it had escaped his mouth before he had thought about it, and he had managed to steer SkyClan away from seeming weak in the eyes of the other Clans.

Nightstorm closed his leaf-green eyes for a moment as he dipped his head in a proper greeting to the bi-color she-cat; "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Wisteriapool."  In his own clan, he had gotten quite used to spending time with young cats who spoke loudly and approached everything with a vigor he could no longer muster.  He quite enjoyed it, but the soft, quiet tone of the ThunderClanner's shy voice filled his heart with a familiar sense of peace that he hadn't known for many moons.  It reminded him of how the Tribe used to speak.  In the mountains, the cave they had lived in had always been a place of serenity.  Besides the occasional squeal of a playing kit, most cats had spoken calmly, with an innate sense of dignity.  In comparison, the clan had seemed very loud and boisterous at first...but he had slowly grown to appreciate it.  Still, hearing a cat who didn't speak with such vigorous force made him feel surprisingly nostalgic.

With a sweeping motion of his long tail, he sat down on the earth floor of the hollow and purred. "You're free to join me to listen to the rest of the leader's address if you wish."  Glancing up at the rock, he saw that it had become time for Poplartooth to speak.  He felt his chest swell with a natural pride as he spoke of SkyClan's good new-leaf fortune, but he couldn't keep his gaze from wandering to the other cats atop the stone.  Ashstar and Littlestar were regular sights, but the three deputies, not so much.  His gaze focusing on the golden spotted tom who spoke for ThunderClan, he recalled his vague memories of the past concerning the tom, and meowed to Wisteriapool.  "Leopardclaw seems to be an excellent deputy...a good countenance to Blizzardstar.  Do you know him well?"  He took one eye off the rock to glance at Wisteriapool, hoping that she wouldn't think he was being too nosy.  Unlike most others, he liked to see a strong sense of power concerning the high ranks of the other clans; if it were up to him, they would all be able to get along.  Until that impossible day ever came, he sufficed to be curious.

Wisteriapool smiled at Nightstorm's kind offer and sat down beside him, wrapping her tail around her paws. Having conversations with cats besides her littermates was something that the she-cat wasn't used to. She had begun to grow close to a certain tom... Sunpaw, but the tom had lost his life to something that even Wisteriapool didn't know. However, the she-cat hadn't let that stop her. She had started to engage in conversations with her fellow ThunderClanners more. She wasn't one to talk a lot, but the timidness that had haunted her as an apprentice was starting to melt away into a bit more self-confidence. A bit of warmth flooded Wisteriapool as she thought about Featherheart back home. Would he be proud if he knew that she was doing just fine without him here?

The warrior's peaceful thoughts were broken in half as she heard a familiar voice coming from the top of the Great Rock. Her head snapped up and she stared with fear and shock at Poplartooth, announcing SkyClan's news and staring at the crowd like he was in charge. A shiver went down Wisteriapool's spine when the tom stared directly at her. Was this going to be something that she had to suffer through every day - being silently teased by a deputy that didn't even like her? She'd have to say something about it sometime. She didn't want to say anything about it to Nightstorm. Poplartooth was the deputy of the tom's Clan, after all. What if she offended him? Keeping quiet, Wisteriapool wisely decided to answer the question that Nightstorm threw at her.

"Leo-Leopardclaw is a gr-great de-deputy. H-he's kind a-and t-takes good ca-care of Thu-ThunderC-Clan. I do-don't really kn-know him th-that well. I do-don't ha-have a l-lot of ch-chances to speak to h-him..." Wisteriapool explained, keeping a light and neutral expression.
It would only be polite to ask about the SkyClan deputy in return, even though Wisteriapool didn't even want to think about Poplartooth.
"Wh-what about Pop-Poplartooth? H-he se-seems li-like a n-nice de-deputy."