January Gathering 2019

At the SkyClan apprentice all but threatening her daughter, Swanpetal started to move, but suddenly one of the apprentices next to her spoke up. She paused, watching to see where this would go, ready to intervene if necessary.
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Mothpaw opened her mouth to support Silentpaw, but froze. "Silentpaw?" she asked, in awe, unaware that she'd spoken aloud as well as in her mind. There wasn't much time to think about this revelation, however: there was no reason for someone to be so mean over an honest mistake! "That was mean," she said, looking directly at the RiverClan apprentice's assailant with an expression that made it very clear: mean was quite possibly the worst thing someone could be, in her opinion. "Silentpaw's right! You should apologize!"
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"Wait--" Batpaw called out as Wasppaw ran towards the gathered deputies, but abandoned it midsentence. Much like Mothpaw, she turned a judgmental gaze on Foxpaw. "Look at her! She's probably just been apprenticed, and what are you doing? Giving her a reason - and a good one, at that - to hate you and your entire Clan? It was an honest mistake for a very young apprentice, and threatening her was entirely uncalled for. Honestly, I have no respect at all for any leader who produces an apprentice that acts like you and is proud of that. You've scarred an apprentice for life tonight, I'm sure." Rather than suggest a course of action, or tell the SkyClan apprentice what to do, Batpaw simply looked over to where Wasppaw was now hiding. "Congratulations."

Foxpaw snorted. “I will not take disrespect twoards my leader!” He growled. “Even if she is young has she never heard of Tinystar?” He asked and glared at all of them. “Do you think I should say sorry for putting in her place after she called MY leader a apprentice?!” He growled. “Did she not realize his scent?” He growled and stared at the apprentices, waiting for them to reply. “And if this one could be more oblivious if her mistake.” He shorted.

As the apprentice showed confusion and fear, Marshstorm felt some pity for the young apprentice. When she bolted to hide beneath Scorchclaw he realised how painfully small she was. This young apprentice couldn't have been more than barely a moon since her ceremony, or she was very small naturally. With a cautious look towards Scorchclaw, and a glance towards the leaders above them, he shifted a little bit. Placing his large brown tabby bulk mostly in front of her as he took a deep breath through the cacophany of noise.

"ENOUGH!" His yowl was deep, loud and cascading as it rolled through the clearing as clearly as thunder. "This is a gathering, a time of PEACE between clans!" He paused. Letting silence descend briefly as his head tilted upwards towards the sky, where stars glimmered faintly behind wispy clouds that could all too soon become a thick blanket. He returned his gaze to the clan cats below pointed. "Be silent so that the leaders may speak."

With his words said, he waited patiently for the leaders to resume their traditional duties. He glanced at Batpaw with the briefest hint of a nod. While his word had to be aimed at every cat, he was happy to see that his apprentice was willing to stand up for the little she-cat now among them. His tail rested gently on the scared cat's back. No matter which clan she was apart of, even if it was their enemy RiverClan, no cat deserved to be so terrified for such a small reason.

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Grousepaw's teeth clenched as the she-cat bolted up to the deputy's places at Tall-rock. As the brown tabby stepped up, he expected an immediate dismissal of her from their presence. What he heard instead made him flinch and glower. Who did that tom think he was? What clan was he? The pale tom looked at Brookclover with a dissapproving expression.
"I don't know which clans they are all from, but this is a stupid breach of order." He muttered in contempt as he looked to his mother on Tall rock, hoping she'd let them go home already.

ooc; sorry for the 3 day wait ;;

Copperpaw closed his golden eyes, grinning in enjoyment as he conversed with Mothpaw. "Magnificent Mothpaw... I like it!"
However, at her last three questions, he froze up. His mind went blank and his fiery orange fur fluffed up. "Oh. Huh. I haven't thought about it." His pelt and tail suddenly drooped in exaggerated sorrow, only to unnaturally snap back up with a wide smile. "I know! I mean, you're still right about the First Copperpaw thing, but I guess I'd be like, Thunder's Copper or something. I think it has an okay ring to it."

Marshstorm's comment brought to mind a ThunderClan apprentice Scorchclaw had no good impression of. He narrowed his eyes at the thought of Ridgepaw—Hailpaw's sister. As far as he was concerned, she was an accomplice in Icepaw's maiming. He should have known that nothing good would come of two kits who had broken the code at their early age. If he had anything to with it, the day Wasppaw befriended Ridgepaw would never come. "That would be undesirable." He growled, after a moment's pause. His apprentice was trouble enough; she did not need to join forces with someone else, especially not a ThunderClanner.

Wasppaw's uncouth exclamation had quickly claimed the attention of those around her. She was a little she-cat with powerful vocal cords, and sound traveled further than one might expect in Fourtrees. Some cats were amused, as the brief peals of laughter attested to; others, not so much. Among the SkyClan cats, especially, there was unrest. Just as Scorchclaw had expected, however, the she-cat who had caused everything remained ignorant of what she had done. He had to resist the urge to groan aloud. This was the cat who had actually questioned his mentoring her to his face. At the time, he had thought that she was insulting him. Now he knew the truth of her nature—she was simply curious. The fact that she could be so oblivious was almost maddening. A furious yowl tore through the crowd, and Scorchclaw took in the sight of a larger apprentice suddenly bearing down on the tortoiseshell. Before his eyes, the SkyClan tom snapped at Wasppaw's face, too close for comfort. In a flash, the RiverClan deputy was standing, his long fur beginning to bristle. If it had not been for Silentpaw, Mothpaw, and Batpaw, he would have promptly interfered. Instead, the large tabby watched in tense silence. Quickly fleeing the scene of the quarreling apprentices, Wasppaw came running up to him. "Wasp—" He began, with a lash of his feathery tail. Before he could finish, however, the young she-cat had swiftly burrowed behind his fore legs, partially hiding herself in his thick pelt.

Scorchclaw emitted a sound akin to a choked growl. "Wasppaw." He hissed, in a low voice. "Cease this foolishness. Go back to the rest of your clanmates." Where was Swanpetal? He was certain that she had been among the RiverClan patrol. Did the gray-furred warrior not have any intention of dealing with her own daughter? The number of stares currently focused at the base of the Great Rock were too numerous to count. The fluffy deputy ground his teeth together in intense frustration. He made an awkward attempt to shuffle away from Wasppaw, only to receive little success. How much more of a scene did they have to make tonight? Foxpaw's words caused a cold anger to spring to life within the depths of his pale-green eyes, and his features twisted into a snarl. Before he could say anything, however, Marshstorm spoke first. The ThunderClan deputy's commanding words pierced the night air, immediately drawing the attention of every cat in the clearing. Scorchclaw stared at the dark tabby for a moment, before he dipped his head. Taking his seat once again, he drew Wasppaw up against his chest with his forepaws. As her mentor, he was partly responsible for the situation. While he had no intention of letting her off the hook, Scorchclaw also understood that she was frightened and confused. Trying to forcibly remove her would only worsen the situation. "I will explain everything later." He muttered, quietly enough that only she could hear him.

Foxpond nodded at the Thunderclan Deputy. His eyes were still locked on Wasppaw. He sat besides her mother, not breaking his unsettling gaze. “She is foolish with the words she speaks.” Although he was younger than Wasppaw and was apprentices a few days ago, he talked as if he had years of experience and was an elder chatting to Kits. “She must learn- and I, am sorry for slashing at her. It was wrong of me to do that but my anger got the best of me. You, you are a experienced warrior? Do you have tips on how to control anger? Anger is one of the many things that blinds us. Even if I am young, younger than Wasppaw, I can think clearly. She needs to understand something I can’t put my younger on. One day it will click and she will most defiantly be a great warrior.” He voice was louder now, drawing attention to himself. He had shifted his gaze to the stars then to Scorchclaw. “I am sorry that I have upset you as well.” He raised his voice so that it reached Scorchclaw across the clearing. “I belive it was an acadent. However anger got the best of me. However she should not be confused to be yelled at by a cat who was a kit a few days ago.” He looked at Wasppaw. “Mind your words.” He has looked around and caught a surprised gasp. Quickly realizing that he had spoken as if he were older. Shuffling his paws he licked his chest fur quietly.

Harefoot was there, watching the chaos with horror. He wasn't one for disrespect. Poor kit didn't even understand what was going on, but how could her leader or deputy or mentor not have taught her the importance of peace at a gathering?

Mottledspark that was the name of the Riverclan warrior Mapleshine had been talking to, well she certainly seemed like a cat with a brain something that seemed rare nowadays. "I am Mapleshine and yeah the other clans sure seam out to get us I suspect its out of spite as for Riverclan and Shadowclan are so much better then their miserable selfs" she snorted.

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Her heart skipped a beat, then it steadied again before her stood Echopaw. Lilyflower's eyes met his and well he was not the Thunderclan apprentice she remembered he was a bit bigger now like a warrior. "Echopaw it has been to long! But please who is that Lilypaw your speaking of? I only know a warrior in Windclan by the name of Lilyflower" she gave her friend a big grin smiling at seeing her friend after all these moons.

Despite the mini chaos caused by the overly curious apprentice, Jaystar didn't seem to be too concerned about it. Actually, he thought it was unexpected, cute and... funny. The leader contained a small chuckle and simply showed off a half smile for a second before returning to his leader's attitude. Considering all that had been going on for the last moons: Lichenmask, Shade, the dogs... this was nothing but just a silly apprentice that shouldn't be taken too seriously. Who could blame her anyways? Tinystar was indeed rather small compared to most cats. It was not weird for a cat to ask such a thing when they hadn't met a cat like him before.

Due to these reasons, the leader didn't actually say an apology to Tinystar and just simply stood up on the top of the rock. He didn't mind the hot-headed Skyclan apprentice, who dared to disrespect him as well with his words. He was also young, bold and a mouse-brain, like most apprentices. There was no reason for him to be angry. "Now that this trivial fight is over, I'll like to continue with the Gathering. Riverclan has endured a lot this past moon... The leftovers of the battle against Lichenmask and Shade are still out there, haunting my clan and others. Shade's daughter entered our land while a lone apprentice decided to go out on her own... Lionpaw is now resting in Starclan but I avenged her death and that she-cat is no longer a threat to the forest." His voice trembled a bit saying those words for them said that first murder he actually committed with his two paws. He closed his eyes tightly for a second, remembering the scenario one more time Xuexi's body under his own, covered in blood, lifeless... But also the poor corpse of his grandkid, Lionpaw, who didn't deserve such a fate. No. What he did was not a selfish murder but justice well-served. It was for the young she-cat, Littlestream's daughter.

Taking once again a straighter stand, the large leader continued his speech. "However, Starclan had decided to claim more deaths from our clan. Two of our senior warriors. Snowblossom fell victim of the harsh colds of the leaf-bare and joined her mate Lakewhisper in Starclan. Silverfang, a fighter, a loyalist, the cat who ended the life of Shade, saved our medicine cat apprentice and saved my own life in Thunderclan's camp had passed away after fighting to defend two younger warriors. I pray her souls had finally found the peace they earned in the silverpelt." Jaystar lifted his head to the sky, closed his eyes and then bowed his head, in a simple, humble sign of respect for his three clanmates that were now with their ancestors in the stars and he even thought of Eaglebrook, the young warrior who escaped the battlefield leaving Silverfang and his sons behind. What had become of her? Was she a kittypet now? Probably he would never know for sure.

"Despite these tough and hurtful days, Riverclan is still growing, remaining strong and proud even if the darkest moments. Egretpaw, Hawkpaw, Beepaw, Pantherpaw and Wasppaw had now started their training to be warriors while Larkfeather had completed her own. I also have the pleasure to announce that our medicine cat apprentice has now transformed into a fully-trained medicine cat, earning the name of Fallowflight. So, even with all the loses, our clan has not weakened, not even a whisker." The tom now spoke with more hope for the future; the hope that was motivating him to look after his clanmates, enduring the hardships and loses they faced in the past... and the ones they had to face now...

His green eyes were soon fixed on Brindlestar. There was still one dot to wrap before this Gathering could end. "Brindlestar... I assume Swiftstep has already told of my intentions of negotiations for the issue of the Gorge and a safe walkway to the Moonstone for my apprentices. I ask you for a meeting in the river, away from the Gorge, to speak peacefully and safely, if you're still willing to return the border to their past, usual state." His voice was paused and serious, no menace
to be found behind them. Not only did he wanted to talk but to also warn the Windclan leader about what both of their clans were facing. If those dogs decide to keep living there, Windclan and Riverclan's hunting lands could be endangered.

Speaking of Riverclan...
Mintwhisker's tail-tip twitched as she listened to Jaystar speak. As the silver-furred tom's voice filled the clearing, the taupe she-cat couldn't help but remember the prophecy that Reedstar had given her.
"Goldeneye and Jaystar have made a mockery of the Code, and now Ivystar's blood runs through false kits of Riverclan."

Her murky green eyes narrowed as she stared up at Jaystar. Was it really possible? Ivystar had been an extremely strict leader- from what Mintwhisker had heard about her, she would've acted swiftly and mercilessly if any news of code-breaking reached her. Surely, surely, Jaystar was similar. She was his mother, after all.
She shook her head roughly, trying to shake her thoughts back into order. Starclan had given her this prophecy for a reason. She had already gone against their wishes by keeping it a secret for this long.

"E-excuse me!" Before she knew what was happening, the taupe tabby she-cat was on her feet. Taking a steadying breath, she forced her way through the crowd. "Cats of the forest!"
After quite a bit of shouldering, she broke free from the crowd and emerged at the base of the stones where the five leaders perched. "I have an announcement."

The Medicine Cat Code states that a medicine cat may not fall in love, take a mate, or have kits.

"I received a prophecy from Starclan, more specifically, from Reedstar of Riverclan." She was like a stone nudged down a hill, growing in momentum until she reached a speed unmatched by any other. The small tabby didn't pause for breath, her heart pounding in her ears, drowning out the voice of anxiety and caution. "There has been a serious breach of the code, one that has been concealed from us from far too long. It has been revealed to me that Goldeneye and Jaystar have been... romantically involved. The result of this contravention is a litter of kits that currently resides in Riverclan.
As far as I know, Jaystar and Goldeneye have kept both their romance and it's consequence a secret for many moons, concealing it not only from their own clan but from their allies, enemies- the entire forest."

Goldeneye's first feelings were the feelings of rage, of anger so vile and oily that its very existence threatened to consume Goldeneye. She saw herself, shoving through the crowd and sinking her teeth into her friend's neck. No longer was Mintwhisker a friend, she was a traitor and an enemy. Goldeneye's hues narrowed, her pupils turning to slits, her mouth turned into a frown. It seemed to any cat that did not know Goldeneye personally that she was her usual self, constantly annoyed and frustrated at the world. But this was not so. Goldeneye's anger soon melted into something that wasn't ready to consume her very being and every cat around her. Relief. She was relieved. No longer did she carry the burden of these kits alone in knowledge. If all went well, they would not believe Mintwhisker. But if she were to fail, she'd crush any hidden bonds her clan-mates and the other clan-cats would think she had.

But she still had to defend herself. "Funny that a murderer would claim that the ancestors have said such a thing. I don't quite believe you, Mintwhisker. Was it not Starclan that had sent Lichenmask to cull those that were tainted blood? Did Starclan not demonstrate how little we are compared to them when by Lichenmasks command he had hidden the moon, the stars, and the sun? Was it not Lichenmask who was the embodiment of the ancestors we hold so dear? So every wrongdoing was by fault the stars? Forgive me for not believing what nonsense you sputter when all Starclan does nowadays is getting under our skin, trying to worm themselves into our hearts like parasites." Goldeneye shrugged.

"Starclan may be right in some way, I suckled them, sure. Suckled them to save their lives, as I did with Jaystars litter with Cinder because above all else that is my duty instead of stirring petty drama at a time which is to be peaceful. While we're at it, Mintwhisker, why don't I tell the clans what our ancestors told me, hmm? Tell them about how you cruelly struck Sedgestrike down in cold blood. Unless you'd like to tell them yourselves? I'm sure Tinystar and his warriors would love to know." Goldeneye meowed her tone even and cold. She was the eldest medicine cat of them all, surely it was her words against Mintwhiskers. Despite the mishap with Windclan, she was still very respected, she had strong bonds built with her clan-mates and some of Windclan. Her words against Mintwhiskers.

Wildstrike had noticed how Asterspark had walked up to a Riverclanner, he hadn't heard what they had said but it was clear that the Riverclanner were nervous and he could see that Asterspark had been hostile towards the cream colored tabby but since he didn't do anything he didn't pay too much mind to it, he understood that his nephew wasn't to happy with Riverclan since his littermate had disappeared after being attacked by a Riverclanner, while that didn't give him the right to be angry with all of Riverclan the deputy wasn't too worried, he trusted that Asterspark wouldn't attack anyone at a gathering.

Before he could think more about it he heard how an apprentice asked what an an apprentice what doing on the Great Rock. He had to hold back a laugh since he figured that it wouldn't be a good first expression as the new deputy if he laughed at the fact that Tinystar was.. well tiny. He looked down slightly so that no one would see the amused look that had appeared on his face.

As the look disappeared he looked back up and listened to Jaystar as he spoke. Once the leader were done he heared the Skyclan medicine cat called out that she had something to say. He looked at her and then at the Riverclan leader when he heared what she said and then he turned his attention to Goldeneye as she defended herself and told everyone that the Skyclan medicine cat had murdered someone. He looked around in shock, this gathering was a mess!

Before Tinystar could make any sort of movement to react, more chaos had erupted among the crowd near the apprentice who had shouted. Amberdawn's eyes were drawn to movement as a pawful of apprentices here and there rushed either to the defense of or to aid in reprimanding the young RiverClan cat. There was more scrambling in the crowd as the apprentice made her way up to where the deputies sat and hid beneath Scorchclaw. SkyClan's medicine cat apprentice could only watch with disappointment and discomfort as the arguing continued, moving closer to the leaders. Fortunately, Marshstorm, deputy of ThunderClan, let out a booming yowl which made Amberdawn flinch and ceased the argument almost immediately. After a few more uncomfortable moments of mumbling and shuffling, Jaystar stepped forward to speak.

The silver RiverClan leader had much to report on the happenings within his Clan: the daughter of a former threat of theirs, the deaths of a few warriors and an apprentice, and several new apprentices and warriors. Particularly of interest to Amberdawn was to learn that her friend and RiverClan's medicine cat apprentice, Fallowlight, had received her full medicine cat name. Now the golden tabby was disappointed to see that her friend wasn't present that night, but joy and pride for her friend filled her heart. She's worked so hard and been through so much; she really deserves it, Amberdawn thought cheerfully. Distracted by these thoughts, the medicine cat apprentice was very surprised when suddenly she felt movement beside her.

"E-excuse me! Cats of the forest!"

Mintwhisker's voice rang through Fourtrees over the gathered cats, and Amberdawn felt her tail puff in surprise and discomfort. "Mintwhisker!" the medicine cat apprentice whispered, her voice a soft hiss, "What are you doing?" But the tabby she-cat had already disappeared into the crowd, forcing her way to the front. Amberdawn stared after her with a look of confusion, glancing aside at Pricklepaw and whoever else might look and shaking her head to quickly indicate that she didn't know what her mentor was doing. Her dark amber eyes found her mentor again at the base of the Greak Rock where the leaders stood; Mintwhisker looked surprisingly strong despite her recent injury, but something about her being up there made Amberdawn uneasy.

"I have an announcement," Mintwhisker stated, continuing with more fervor, "I received a prophecy from Starclan, more specifically, from Reedstar of RiverClan."

Immediately Amberdawn's stomach dropped and she felt her ears flatten back against her head as she shrank down. Tinystar told you not to confront them on that prophecy! she screamed in her head at Mintwhisker as the medicine cat continued speaking, It's not our business! But of course, Mintwhisker couldn't hear; after all, she had said nothing. The she-cat revealed what she believed she knew: that Jaystar and Goldeneye, medicine cat of RiverClan, had a litter of kits together.

Then Goldeneye spoke up in her defense, and her first words sent an ominous chill up Amberdawn's spine as her heart dropped into her stomach: "Funny that a murderer would claim that the ancestors have said such a thing."

"Oh, no..." Amberdawn muttered despite herself. Less than half a moon ago Amberdawn had been told of the murder which Goldeneye referenced, but the young apprentice hadn't had the opportunity to confront Mintwhisker about it. She stared helplessly as Goldeneye, a much senior medicine cat, spoke with such conviction that Amberdawn felt less certain than ever that her mentor had understood the prophecy correctly. The RiverClan cat carried on to reveal the murder which she'd hinted at: that Mintwhisker had murdered Sedgestrike in cold blood. That can't be true, Amberdawn thought, wishing she'd had the nerve or the time to ask before then, StarClan told me Tinystar knows. Surely he would've done something if it were intentional...

Sootpaw jumped up out of shock. "You should be ashamed!" He hissed at Mintwhisker. "Accusing your fellow medicine cat who is the eldest of your friends? He hissed. He had started to back up Goldeneye when he stopped. "And you? Accusing her back? He glared at his medicine cat. "Both of you stop bickering!" he snapped. "If starclan had told these things and they were, in fact, true do you think they would like it to be released like this?" He growled through gritted teeth. "Would Starclan say this to turn our backs on each other? And to our medicine cats bicker and accuse them of breaking the warrior code? He whipped his head around. "This is a gathering!" He yowled.

Hawkstrike was sitting between the shadows of the edge, watching the chaos of a gathering that was being presented to the cats gathered underneath with uninterested eyes. Same old bickering between cans, some of issue of leaders not controlling their clan cats….the medicine cat’s reveal was interesting to say the least. It was rare to see medicine cats fighting between themselves, so at least that was a bit more of a novelty.

His eyes traveled to another one of the cats sitting near the edge, a bored look on his eyes. He walked towards him, sitting at his side, the well-known scent of ShadowClan greeting him. Even if he was somewhat smaller than the average he was not intimidated by the large warrior on the slightest “Bored already?” He meowed softly. As much as he hated the clan he was exiled from so many moons ago, it was nice to get news from it….

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Streampaw was sitting between the cats of ThunderClan, trying to disappear between them. He had heard so many great things of the gatherings, but this was turning out to be little more than a mess. He was really hoping he just got unlucky with his first gathering.


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Bonewatcher yawned, eyes half closed and still wondering why he even came to this gathering to the first place instead of staying back in camp and sleeping.

However, even if the usually lazy tom appeared to be uninterested by what was going on, his ears were quick to pick up on all what was being said, the bickering, the code breaks…deep within him he couldn’t help but wonder if he should dig deeper once the gathering was over. He may not be interested on bickering between clans and code breakers, but if he could understand the whys behind them, maybe he could also find a way to prevent them from keep reaching his clan somehow. Was it too much to wish for some peace?