August Gathering 2019

The clearing was filled with moonlit grass. Watered by the spring, and warmed by the summer sun. The night was full of a warmth reminiscent of a comfortable den as the great four oak trees leaves rustled in a soft moonlit breeze. Wisps of barely seen clouds drifted by the horizon.

The mighty stone, waited for the cats that would grace it's clearing once again.

There was a comforting feeling as WindClan padded into the clearing. The night was cool, and the moon lit the grasses below in silver, casting Fourtrees into an ethereal state. Finchstar found himself grinning at the sight, anticipation pricking at his paws. Tonight, the game would be played. And tonight, Finchstar needed to choose his words wisely. Raventail and Aspenpaw followed behind the leader, and the orange patched tabby smirked as he thought of the new deputy sitting amongst the rock's base, what a new view that would be. However he had no doubts. Raventail was chosen for his windy spirit and kind heart, his ability to talk politics mattered little in the scheme of things. And who was Finchstar to assess his strategy? To all, their own. And to Raventail, all the love in the forest. The leader knew he'd do great. They stood only as equals, and his authority wouldn't ever be wielded against the pure and noble.

However when the game of wits was to be played, Finchstar's voice would be heard by all. Peace had always been his ultimate goal, and while Finchstar truly believed that most of the forest's kings had a lovely and admirable heart, there was one who didn't possess such things. And the cats in that clan could never live as they should with that perpetrator in such power. It was not Finchstar's place to judge, however tonight, there would be no judging, only the revealing of secrets held against the cats of the forest. And may the forest do what they will with those things.

"Best of luck to you, Raventail." Finchstar gave his friend a nod of encouragement before taking his place atop the Great Rock. WindClan spanned out below, finding seats among tussocks or soft pads of grass. Peace was coming, the leader knew it. Now it was only time to remove the obstacles in the way.

The scarred, older tom was second to arrive with his clan. Jaystar guided his camp through this calm, warm night. He still looked weak, tired and lost in his world but something had changed too. This time, his eyes did not show that longing sadness he had carried for moons. This time... there was a bit of hope inside of them and cats who looked closer could notice that change.

When he arrived at the Great Rock, the leader beckoned his deputy to relax and settle down now that they ere here. He noticed a new tom in the deputy sitting spots and just greeted him quietly with a respectful nod before jumping over the mighty rock. Jaystar sat down next to Finchstar and looked at him. "Evening, Finchstar. I hope your clan is fairing well but I noticed that Swiftstep isn't tonight... is everything okay?" Despite his formal tone, there was an actual concern from the silver tom. Since Finchstar ascended as the leader, the older silver tom had learned to respect him and actually care about Windclan a little bit more. He knew by a fact that the brown deputy had been in the rank for moons so it was odd not seeing him tonight.

Ivybrook slowly padded into the clearing, a couple foxlengths behind Jaystar. Her green eyes remained guarded, still not entirely sure if she trusted the WindClan she-cat that she had met at the border not long ago. Her fur stood on end, but she found her place in a small tuft of grass not far away from the great rock. She looked around, fur groomed better than it had been in a long time. Slowly, the she-cat was getting better.

Twice, now, had he set foot within this clearing, both times on near-cloudless nights under a full moon. Once as a warrior, and once as… From how closely Raventail followed Finchstar, one might have thought it was his first Gathering, and like so many apprentices before him, he was afraid of getting lost in the crowds as they swept in. Part of him felt like he might get lost anyway. Some sunups ago, he’d planned to walk in alongside Goldenpaw, to track down Mosspaw and Leafpaw, to talk to Dappleshine most of all, and now—could he do any of that? So far, deputyship had been somewhat stressful, a far greater adjustment than the leap to warriorhood, but it had never been a direct obstacle. Until now.

Finchstar wished him luck one final time, and then Raventail was alone.

He remained where he stood for several moments, watching Finchstar, with his usual poise, find his place atop the Great Rock. Even with a new deputy, his friend was as confident as ever. Confident in him. So the short tom tore his paws from the earth and made his way to the rock’s base…to Swiftstep’s spot. Good thing he had; RiverClan arrived as he sat. On his way to the Great Rock, Jaystar tossed Raventail a nod, which Raventail returned automatically with a smile before settling back into scanning the sea of cats. Mosspaw…Leafpaw…Goldenpaw…Dappleshine. Even if he couldn't talk to them, he had to see them.

ooc: lightfang (skyclan) is grounded in camp and will not be attending
galepaw (thunderclan) is skipping the gathering and will not be attending

The clearing was so familiar, but also so new to Oakstar. ThunderClan was apparently the third clan this night. He spotted the silver scarred shape of Jaystar, and the brighter orange and white shape of Finchstar. He padded in with his clan behind him. Beartooth very close as he lead the way through and leapt up to the top of high-rock.

His uncertainty from last time was gone as he dipped his head politely to the other leaders.
"Good evening." He meowed, glancing down to see that Finchstar had a new deputy with him. He blinked, intrigued but not willing to interrupt. No doubt it’d be a formal announcement once the clan leaders were gathered. "I hope your clans have fared well this moon… and I apologise I had to send a messenger so soon after the last gathering." He hoped RiverClan hadn’t seen or felt the fox’s presence in their territory. That perhaps it ran away and died from its wounds.

It was a morbid thing to wish for death. Yet it had killed so many kits… it was painful to acknowledge, even though he knew he would have to later.

---

Grousefrost strode in with the rest of his clan. Mistypaw and Baypaw close to him as he moved with confidence to settle down in the middle of the clearing. Voice clear but not interruptive.
“Now remember to be respectful. The point of this gathering is to efficiently receive information. No matter how foolishly another cat acts, do not engage them in worthless fights. It wastes time and energy.” He lectured, sitting down beside his apprentices.

He looked back to see if Goldenpaw had made it as well, his gaze catching Raventail though he said nothing about it. Instead expecting one of his clanmates to settle next to him.

(someone please bother grousey boi)

Berrycloud entered the gathering with the rest of his clan and walked with Riverclan to his usual spot. Soon, he spotted his sister sitting down and he quickly trotted to her side. The large, golden tabby sat down next to her and smiled a bit, feeling a lot better than the last Gathering. However, he did notice something odd on the new faces of Windclan and Thunderclan. "This Gathering will be surely interesting. That black tom wasn't deputy the last time, wasn't he? And Leopardstar must still be sick or something like." He commented.

Goldenpaw strode into the clearing with the rest of WindClan, towards the back of the group. This was her second Gathering, but her first since Cloverpaw's injury and Quailpaw's disappearance. She still refused to acknowledge that he was gone, perhaps forever, and kept a sharp eye out for him. Just a couple sunrises ago, she had gone back to Outlook Rock and swallowed her fear to stand upon it and gaze out, hoping to see any trace of her missing brother. When it was time to get off, she had laid at the edge and let herself fall, eyes squeezed tightly shut. Lucky that she hadn't injured herself in the fall, she had kept silent about not only her fear, but her methods of getting past it if she found herself in a situation that needed it. As she cast a look around, she spotted the gray RiverClan warrior that Raventail had spoken to at the last Gathering, and Grousefrost. Stepping forward to get closer to him, she stopped a short distance away and sat down, lifting a paw to begin grooming her ears as she waited for the rest of the clans to arrive. She was more confident this Gathering, despite feeling more alone, and knew her brother would be disappointed if she just sat with her father again.

---

Dappleshine was towards the front of the RiverClan group, she had lost most of the weight since her kitting but she was still a little more rounded than normal. ShadowClan had returned home shortly after Dacekit had been born, and since she hadn't heard any bad news she hoped there would be good news. Sparkfrost had stayed in camp with their daughter, promising her to have their own Gathering together, but she knew that Dacekit would ask about her 'Mawmaw Thorn', so once she arrived she immediately started looking for the large she-cat. Surely she would be there, wouldn't she? As she scanned, her eyes caught the dark pelt of her dear friend, and she felt her pelt grow warm. The brief relationship she had with Sparkfrost had only helped her realize her true feelings further, and as she raised her tail and voice to call out to him, she realized an important detail she had overlooked at first. Why was Raventail sitting at the base of the Great Rock? She padded forward hesitantly, stopping at the edge between the normal crowd and the space at the base of the rock, looking hesitantly towards Scorchclaw before her eyes found Raventail again and softened. "Raventail?"

---

So much had happened since the last Gathering, and Mosspaw felt drained to the core. Pricklebush had been spending more and more time in RiverClan, and when he was home, he was distant and disconnected, and she was beginning to feel a little hopeless. Maybe this Gathering would bring better news than the last... At the very least, ThunderClan had a new leader and deputy, and Leopardclaw was doing much better than he had before. She padded forward, taking her place at the base of the Great Rock where the medicine cats usually sat, and waited for the others to take their places as well as she studied her white paws.

✢ It appeared there would be no more skipping gatherings to guard camp or take solace in his nest for the evening. The title of deputy carried much more than just a name. There were new responsibilities, expectations, that he had yet to figure out how to navigate. But sticking close to his former mentor was a familiar thing. He padded along, with his gaze fixated ahead, as they joined the clearing. Although a certain lack of enthusiasm had crept into his chest over having to come, the pressure of mingling with other clans was easily resolved by having a specific space he was to sit during the gathering. What made that even better, is the medicine cats were near. He would be able to greet Amberdawn. Her position as a medicine cat, something he respected and revered for more than just tradition's sake, had allowed the warrior to open up to her as another clan's cat. They weren't the best of friends in the most traditional sense, mostly given his lack of general speech, but he appreciated her company.

As the deputy approached the base of the Highrock, he nodded to the other tom without settling down, "It seems I am not the only one new to the position on this night." Speech was little more than a necessity and he hardly talked without reason. But with deputyship looming over him like the shadow of the rock that seemed to darken his coat further, it felt like a formality to have to say anything. Besides, the much younger cat seemed slightly out of place. Had he received the position in his youth, Beartooth would have likely appeared the same. It almost made his whiskers twitch at how much he had begun to consider, even after the sweeping numbness onset by the death of his kits and loss of his mate. But in recent days, the warrior found himself to be almost more aware of what was happening around him than he had before. Maybe it came with the new responsibilities. He didn't dwell on it, and instead glanced around the clearing. So much more could be seen from here. Once Skyclan was to arrive, he was prepared to offer Amberdawn a proper greeting, for perhaps the first time since they had known each other. ✢

✧ This was to be his first gathering, and Houndpaw was entirely sure that he had no idea how to feel about it. On one paw, he had been taught his entire life thus far that other clan cats were the enemy, but on the other, his youthful curiosity drove him to want to at least see what cats from other clans were like. If they were daft and boring, then that was that. He couldn't change other cats. The apprentice was still fresh from the nursery but his self-important attitude and abnormal height could have give off an air of age. Maybe the bull-headed nature of the tom would reveal itself to whoever was willing to speak with him. Regardless, the sandy tabby was determined to speak to everyone in order to best determine which other clans were worth taking interest in. Thoughts seemed to run out of his mind in an instant as they reached the edge of the clearing. Never could he have imagined something so vast. And the imposing rock that loomed at its head was certainly eye catching. His massive ears perked with enthusiasm. At least the setting seemed to be worth while, otherwise to come all this way would have been a disappointment that he didn't wish to deal with.

Before he could scamper away with those lengthy joints and mingle with the rest of the assortment of cats, he caught sight of the clan's leadership drifting away from the rest of the clan that dispersed throughout the clearing. Oakstar, his adoptive father, was on the rock in moments, alongside a ginger-patched cat and a silver tabby. The grey cat looked almost as old as Oakstar, which until this point, Houndpaw didn't believe was possible. His gaze drifted down to the deputies where Beartooth sat. His eyes narrowed as he looked over the battle scarred tom. It appeared he was to converse with a black and white cat. Already in that moment, the deputy had said more than he ever had to his own son. Unless the apprentice ceremony counted? He hadn't decided yet. But the large-eared apprentice had settled on one idea: he did not care whether or not Beartooth wanted to speak to him. Neither of his supposed fathers were ones that he desired, and both had sent his rightful mother away. Cold indignation turned him away. But he caught the site of Mosspaw and Pricklebush near the base of the rock as well and something drew his steps towards them, namely Mosspaw. The elder medicine cat had proven he did not like to be trifled with. Normally, Houndpaw wouldn't care what Pricklebush thought, but he wasn't in the mood for someone more willing to fuel his natural born spite. Just something quick before more apprentices arrived and he could brag over his deputy father.

"So are medicine cats too good to sit with their clan or what?" Despite his youth, Houndpaw stood just about at eye level with the she-cat. His grey eyes were almost playful in nature but the taunt in them was obvious as well. His head tipped in question, ears following as if to emphasize his words. Already, at such a young age, he was undeniably obnoxious. Between the circumstances of his entry into the world, perhaps a natural talent, and instigation by Galepaw, he was growing up to be... something. When there wasn't an immediate answer given, mostly by the time in which he allowed for her to give one, the apprentice chimed in once more, "Or do you just not have any friends? It's my first gathering. What's your excuse?" ✧

Magpiepaw trailed into the Gathering at the very back of RiverClan's patrol, keeping his head down and tail low as the crowd dispersed into an even larger crowd, one that made his heart flutter with anxiety.  There weren't this many cats on the West Shore...oh StarClan, why do I have to be here?  Even since the clans had returned home, the shy bicolor apprentice had managed to avoid being assigned onto Gathering patrols, but today was when his lucky streak had ended.  Slowly shuffling back towards the edges of the clearing, wishing he could vanish into the shadows, his eyes snagged on the form of Dappleshine, approaching what appeared to be one of the deputies - a black tom with small spots of white.  Curiosity made his paws halt, and questions raced through his brain; which clan is he from?  I don't recognize him...  Is he the new WindClan deputy?  Or a stand-in for Swiftstep?  How does Dappleshine know him?  She never told me she was friends with a deputy!  Common sense kicked in though, and his face fell.  Of course she didn't tell you, dummy...  Sighing, Magpiepaw caught sight of an overhanging fern bush and began to make his way over, eyes shifting between Dappleshine and the ground.

---

Leopardclaw had experienced many, many uncomfortable things in his life...but this was one of the worst.

Entering a Gathering as a warrior again had never been even a glimmer of a thought in his mind, and the impending announcement of his retirement stalked him like a hungry fox.  As ThunderClan ran down the slope and began to mingle with RiverClan and WindClan, his paws tugged him towards the Great Rock out of instinct, but he forced himself to stay where he was, watching with a heavy heart as Oakstar took his place alongside Finchstar.  He never imagined he would miss being up there in front of everyone...and in a way, he kind of didn't.  It by far wasn't his favorite part of the job, but still, it had marked him.  Watching for a moment as the leaders began to chat, he pulled himself away and glanced around, trying to find a place out of the way.  He didn't want to endure awkward questions and stares.  Even as a young warrior, he had hated Gatherings.  Without a job to fulfill, all that was left to do was make small talk, something which he was exceptionally bad at.  Not seeing any of his clanmates nearby, he made a beeline for an overgrown fern, and the wide shadow it cast.

---

As soon as Magpiepaw ducked under the bush, he realized he had made a grave mistake, for in his distracted mindset he had failed to see that another cat was already sitting there, and he couldn't get his rushed paws to stop in time.  "Ooof!"  Slamming into the golden tabby's scarred shoulder, the small patched tom stumbled back, his face red-hot with embarrassment.  "O-oh I-I'm so sorry s-s-sir...!"  His voice trailed off as his eyes met the gaze of none other than ThunderClan's mighty, large, very threatening looking leader, Leopardstar.  And to his surprise, he looked flustered as well.

"...It's fine, just, watch where you're walking kid."

In a state of such deep confusion and terror his body seemed to move on its own, Magpiepaw nodded his head shakily and backed straight out of the bush, until he was at least a good few fox-lengths away.  What...had just happened?  Why is Leopardstar sitting under a bush, why isn't he on the rock?  Glancing around, he noticed that it was actually Marshstorm up on the Great Rock tonight, and his confusion deepened.  If Leopardstar is here...why is his deputy up there?  What's going on?  And did I just ram into the ThunderClan leader?!  Oh StarClan, I hope he's not mad, please don't let him be mad...

---

Once he had recovered from the slight shock of being run into by a RiverClan apprentice, Leopardclaw let out a soft chuff of laughter and lowered himself onto his belly, making sure he had a clear view of the Great Rock through the fern fronds.  Odd kid...most apprentices are off with their friends at Gatherings, not trying to hide under bushes.  I don't really blame him though...  With that diversion out of the way, Leopardclaw waited for the meeting to begin, trying to ignore the way his heart twinged painfully as the minutes went by.

occ: Leopardclaw and Magpiepaw are not open to conversation/reserved

For a heartbeat, Raventail forgot he was at a Gathering as WindClan’s deputy. Really, he forgot he was at a Gathering in general. With Dappleshine, there was always something to talk about; he wanted to know if she’d found her mother, how her mentorship of Ospreypaw was going, if she’d caught anything impressive recently. He wasn’t a reserved cat, but conversations with Dappleshine were easier than most, however serious the subject matter. The pressure of living up to Finchstar’s expectations in front of a forest of cats (for some were already staring; others were whispering) fell away. ”Dapple—“ the small tom began, face lighting up as he spun to face his friend.

ThunderClan’s arrival interrupted him. Another cat—brown-striped like Scorchclaw, with a powerful frame in contrast to Raventail’s thinner build—padded toward the open space beneath the Great Rock. He was massive compared to Raventail, merely huge compared to most other cats, with fangs that poked out slightly though his mouth was shut. Raventail glanced down out of habit to find a set of paws large enough to match. Then the tom spoke, and Raventail’s heart sank. Afterward, he promised inwardly, giving Dappleshine a shadow of a grin before turning toward the ThunderClanner and seating himself again.

Everyone was a potential ally in Raventail’s eyes, but ThunderClan and WindClan were also real allies, if what he’d heard from the Gathering several moons ago still held true. ”Oh, you’re new too?” he meowed, wiping most traces of disappointment from his expression and putting a smile firmly in place. ThunderClan’s deputy didn’t strike him as the talkative type. Fair enough; if Raventail could break through to Murkpaw, he could try to do the same here. A friend, even just a friend of convenience, would make this night easier to bear. ”My name’s Raventail, nice to meet you. What’s yours?” His tail curled over his paws as he waited for an answer. The deputy—the other deputy’s gaze was already wandering around the clearing. ”So, uh—are you looking for someone?”

Vinepaw was a strange and slightly concerning mix of jittery nervousness and full-blooded excitement. It was her first gathering, after moons of being confined to camp and making becoming a (slightly) terrifying cat-hunter- well, one couldn't quite blame her, could they? She was getting thrown from the lovely (regular) Windclan camp into a wide clearing at the peak of moonrise, surrounded by strange cats. Despite the fact that she was practically bouncing on her paws, Vinepaw still kept uncomfortably close to Grousefrost, his consistent presence something of an anchor for her in this sea of smells and sights. "Starclan, what should I do?" She nagged her father, getting closer. "There's so many cats here- where should I even start?"

OOC: Vinepaw is open to chatting!

Staying silent, Tinystar jumped up onto the Greatrock and sat down near the edge of the leaders, per usual. Much like the previous gathering, he couldn't bring himself to want to say much. For now, all he could do was bring quiet, for it wasn't like the other leaders were very keen on chatting with him anyway. Recently, he'd had to deal with Maplepaw, which wasn't something he'd enjoyed, but luckily he'd been able to keep more of his clan's support, which was his ultimate goal.

Mistpaw didn't act like he was impressed by the gathering, but he was.

Following SkyClan into the gathering, Sunflower sat down near the edge of the crowd, per usual. All of the drama with Maplepaw was a bit too much for him, and he was curious if his father would say anything about the ordeal tonight. Most likely not, for it didn't seem like his father to start drama such as that, much less in front of the other clans...