October Gathering 2019

A small smile appeared on the warrior's face, and she lifted her paw and flipped it over to reveal the fat thorn lodged in the pad. The blood droplets hadn't gotten much bigger, but already the pink of her pad was starting to swell slightly. After glancing at it a moment, her eyes sought out something, anything else. Landing on the medicine cat's face, she paused for a moment. She recognized this cat, more than just from Gatherings... Where had she seen her before?... Realizing she was staring intently, she shook her head. "Forgive me, I feel like I know you from somewhere...." The distant echoing of barking off of stone sounded in her mind, and her head tilted slightly. "Have we met before? I'm Dappleshine, of RiverClan. You seem so familiar and I can't put my paw on it...." She trailed off as she waited for the response, as well as the pain followed by relief she knew would come with the extraction of the thorn.

"I know your name. On the lakeshore?" Mothpaw offered. "Though after the last Gathering, I don't know that it's an accomplishment. Now, stay still." Without another word, she carefully extracted the thorn from Dappleshine's paw, placing it out of the way of any other cats. "And then after, in the mountains. Me, you, and Wasppaw was there too." She was careful not to let her thoughts fall to the battle that had followed, instead lingering on the journey up to the mountains. "I don't know if we have herbs to help with that nearby," she cautioned. "So be careful for the next day or so, if you can. ...It's been a long time, though. I'm surprised you remember me at all."

"Oh! Yes, the... Magestic? No.... Magnificent! Magnificent Mothpaw, wasn't it?" The memories came filtering back slowly, she had been only a kit when they had first met, having to be carried by Magpiepaw and Wasppaw and Mothpaw. A low purr rumbled in her chest as she recalled the memory, trying hard to ignore that Magiepaw was dead now, having never received his warrior name, Wasppaw was so distant and quick to anger, and Mothpaw was... Well, here. Her purr hiccupped slightly, pelt growing warm at the reminder that all of the clans knew her name after the last Gathering, and her tail shifted to wrap around her where she sat with a quiet sigh. "I was afraid of that...." She whispered, wincing as the thorn was deftly pulled out of her paw.

She brought it to her mouth and started quickly lapping at it, the salty tang of her own blood as she cleaned it sending a shiver down her spine. At least the pain was quickly fading. Her ears were perked, listening to the medicine cat apprentice as she spoke, and once the bleeding had stopped she rested her paw gently on the ground. "Oh yes! That's why that memory popped up." She didn't feel the need to go further into detail, she was sure Mothpaw also remembered the battle in vivid detail. "It's good to see you again, and know you're doing well."

Mothpaw cautioned her about being careful, explaining the lack of herbs nearby, and she dutifully nodded. "I will, thank you Mothpaw. It has been many moons, hasn't it?..." She trailed off thoughtfully, going through so many memories good and bad. "How are things? In ShadowClan, I mean. Is mo-Thornbriar doing alright?"

The near-slip didn't go unnoticed, but Mothpaw didn't call attention to it. Instead, she simply purred in response and answered the question. "Mom's... Well. Look for yourself," she said, gesturing to where Thornstar and Torrentstar stood. "She seems normal - well, normal for her - most of the time, but... It can be hard to tell. Same as ever, really."

It seemed as if the few times Lightfang had been to Fourtrees, something had happened to draw all eyes toward SkyClan. At least last moon’s event had been a kitting; however much of a stir it had caused, it was far better than another trial or worse. He had a feeling SkyClan would earn some stares tonight as well, considering the cats missing from their ranks—Spottedleap in Mistyrain’s place, Sagelight sitting alone. With a quiet sigh, Lightfang wove through the other SkyClanners to sit at the edge of their group, ears pricked for signs of Burningsun’s approach in case she decided to join him. Being close to the other Clans didn’t bother him so much anymore. He wasn’t sure when he’d grown out of that, but he was glad for it. There was something almost relaxing about being surrounded by cats who had no reason to think him disloyal.

The clearing was already too busy for Lightfang’s taste, but the hum of conversation was three Clans strong rather than five. ”Lightfang?” As the voice continued, ”Sandblaze? Swallowflight? Fir—“ he turned, trying to find the source. Though it had been two moons since he’d last heard it, there was no one else it could be.

”Delta?” Moons ago, he might have hesitated. The thought didn’t even cross his mind. ”Delta!” Lightfang joined the ShadowClan crowd at a pace just slow enough to be called a run; in a matter of seconds, he was standing in front of the scarred ginger tabby who had once been and would always be his sister. He walked a circle around her, checking for new wounds, a slight smile piercing through the worry in his expression. What he’d feared—that the next time he saw her would be on SkyClan lands, if he saw her alive at all—had not come to pass; there was no better time for them to meet than on a night of peace. At last, the pale warrior pressed his nose into his sister's shoulder. "Where have you been?" It was the same question he'd asked during their first reunion, in much the same tone.

lightfang is talking to cardinalpaw [spookade]

---

Thanks to a combination of Mossbloom’s assistance and almost excessive care about where she placed her paws, the damage to Mudpaw’s leg had healed enough to let her walk normally in a matter of sunups. More importantly, it hadn’t stopped her from attending tonight’s Gathering. She was proud of herself for following Berrycloud at a reasonable pace rather than bounding into Fourtrees ahead of him like a kit. She couldn’t quite stifle a gasp as she entered the clearing, though—she’d never seen so many cats in one place before! It made her paws itch. Partially with nerves, but mostly with excitement.

Around her, RiverClan found their places. Mudpaw considered following suit for all of two seconds before deciding against it. Until the cats on the rock started talking, she was going to enjoy this Gathering. By way of a goodbye, the calico flicked her tail in Berrycloud’s general direction, then plunged into the crowd in search of unfamiliar faces.

mudpaw of riverclan is open to talk! please hang out with her

Discovering a certain scent that Sparkpaw had never smelled before, she decided to follow it. It smelled kind of like the marshes she was used to, only more ... rotten. She was mainly curious to see what kind of creature could emit such a foul smell. Following her nose, she eventually came up to a calico molly she had never seen before.

What Clan was she from? She couldn't have been from WindClan, which smelled like grass and dirt, at least according to her father. He also said that ThunderClan and SkyClan relatively smell the same, like crowded shrubbery and squirrels. That only meant that this apprentice hailed from RiverClan, their allied Clan. How in StarClan's name could ShadowClan be allies with a Clan that smells so bad?

"What's that smell?" she meowed to the apprentice once she reached her side, fixing her intense yellow eyes on the RiverClanner's green ones. "Why do you smell like frogs and watery crow-food? You haven't been trespassing in ShadowClan's Carrionplace, have you?" Her hackles began to rise. She wasn't going to tolerate any cat trespassing in her territory, no matter where they came from or what their relationship with her Clan was.

(OOC: Sparkpaw is talking to rhindon's Mudpaw. :3)

Cardinalpaw's ears perked up at the sight of her brother(she wouldn't call him her favorite; that was rude) running towards her. "Lightfang!" She grinned. "Thornstar let me join Shadowclan as Cardinalpaw! And I met Salmonburn, who joined and became Scorchedbird, and I think I'm in love and it's wonderful! How are Sandblaze and Swallowflight?"

Burningsun had originally decided to be independent this Gathering away from Lightfang. She had spent so much time by his side recently, she felt as if she's suffocating him. However, hearing Delta's voice call out was enough to cut that short lived desire. Padding quietly to her favorite companion's side, Burningsun stood back as Lightfang circled his sister. "Congrats D- Cardinalpaw. That sure is lovely. Where's this said tom?" Her multi-colored gaze scanned the growing crowd. The name Salmon seemed familiar, but she couldn't put a face to the name. Her attention turned to Lightfang and she held back a purr. He seemed so happy to finally see his sister again. Good. He deserved it.

Cardinalpaw. Another title for another life. Backing away and committing his sister’s new name to memory, he realized he was glad she’d found a home in ShadowClan rather than trying to return to SkyClan once more. It was good she’d left when she had. Even if she’d chosen to stay, SkyClan never would have been safe for her. However, there was no way to communicate this to her. Not when any of his Clanmates could be within earshot. ”That’s good to hear.” Lightfang listened, still wearing that faint smile. After such a turbulent apprenticeship, it seemed things were finally working out for Cardinalpaw. Sure, she was (had been?) a troublemaker, but she deserved this.

His smile grew just a little when Burningsun joined them. Though he wouldn’t have minded sitting alone at this Gathering, he’d been hoping—well. Lightfang glanced over his shoulder toward the rest of SkyClan, where his brothers almost certainly stood. Would they want to be part of this reunion? Sandblaze possibly would, but Swallowflight… Turning back, Lightfang said, ”I think they’re well. We’ve all been…busy, lately.” Burningsun brought the conversation back around to the most interesting thing Cardinalpaw had mentioned. ”I think I’m in love and it’s wonderful!” Lightfang wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Love was a far more pleasant feeling when there was a chance of it being returned. ”Is Scorchedbird here tonight?” he asked, peering over his sister’s shoulder.

---

Fortunately, Mudpaw wasn’t the only cat wandering aimlessly through the Gathering. Unfortunately, she was about to wish she had been. She realized she was being trailed moments before the cat tracking her made her presence known; Mudpaw turned to stare at a dark, fluffy she-cat who couldn’t be far from nursery age. Then the cat opened her mouth and Mudpaw amended her description: dark, fluffy, and very rude.

Her bright green eyes narrowed as the stranger went on. The other apprentice was broader but shorter, and Mudpaw had never been the easily intimidated sort. She took an exaggerated breath and wrinkled her nose as much as she could—partially to drive the point home, partially because she’d never smelled something quite like that before. She didn’t mind mud in her fur, but this scent was something else. It had to be ShadowClan’s; there was no other Clan that made their home in the marshes. Suddenly, the perfect comeback leapt into her mind. ”Why would I go to your slimy Carrionplace?” Mudpaw meowed, giving her tail a wave. ”If it smells anything like you do, I don’t want any part of it. And this isn't frog, it's fish.”

She knew the Gathering’s rules. It was a night of peace, with no fighting between the Clans, especially Clans that were ostensibly allies. But she also knew that it didn’t count until someone unsheathed their claws, and hers remained firmly hidden.

Sparkpaw narrowed her eyes at the apprentice's rather rude retort. Then all of a sudden, her countenances relaxed, not exactly presenting herself as friendly, but less grouchy at the very least. She couldn't help but be reminded of her brothers and sister with this RiverClanner's mannerisms and snappy comebacks. She was clever, quick on her paws, and not afraid to make her own opinions known. She could respect that. "Well, at least you smell more like fish than you do frogs, so I suppose it's not so bad. My name is Sparkpaw, daughter of Thornstar."

The walk to Fourtrees was near-silent. Tragedy seemed to be a theme with these nights. Sandblaze, back to his usual antics, couldn't wait to terrorize some poor ThunderClan cat when they couldn't do anything to fight back. It was a fun game he played with himself. It was a little harsh, of course, but the thrill of a battle never escaped him. Clan, loyalty, territory... it was all a means to an end. He never meant any harm. He just liked to fool around.

It all fell away on the sight of a familiar stark red pelt. She's here. He was right behind Lightfang as soon as he saw her, sprinting to the corner where ShadowClan had just arrived with RiverClan in tow. Burningsun was at his brother's shoulder, as she usually tended to be, and they were already interrogating his little sister.

"Delta! ... Cardinalpaw!" he cried, nearly smashing their heads together as he nuzzled her. "You two ask too many questions, you know. Wow, ShadowClan. Not what I expected, but I like it! Mom misses you, you know." He stepped back to admire his sister, who felt so much older now. She was youthful, but mature. In an instant, he decided that it didn't matter where in the forest his sister ended up. So long as she had a warm den and a place to call home, what did it matter? She was provided for. Apparently, she had a mate. He locked eyes with Lightfang to silently tell him of his personal revelation. His mind shifted once more to Amberdawn, without whom Sandblaze might had never experienced this worldly understanding.

Stars, when was the last time Sandblaze really thought of himself?

A pondering for another time. He shoved the thought from his mind and licked Cardinalpaw's ear affectionately. "If you get a chance to see Mom tonight, let her know that you're happy and safe. She's a code-cat, and she loves SkyClan, but she'll understand. You know that." He kept his eyes peeled for poor Swallowflight. "He's just upset, Cardinalpaw. He doesn't know why we're so flighty. He wants everything to stay the way it was... when we were kits. I was like that, a long time ago."

Lynxscar entered the Gathering with the rest of his clan. Welcoming Salmonburn and this Cardinalpaw... was unexpected yet he wasn't one to complain. Of course, he was not fond of the tom and regarding the she-cat, he had neutral opinions. As long as they provide and be loyal cats to Shadowclan, then he would earn the scarred tom's trust.

The large, brown warrior made himself comfortable among his clanmates, noticing that only Thunderclan and Windclan were yet to arrive. He did not want to meet any of them and neither he wanted to face Mistwalker now. No... he would only see him eye to eye when his time came to be deputy. It was his destiny, Lynxscar was certain of that after Firestone's words in his Moonstone Journey. And when Thornstar finally see what he had to offer... then he would make sure Shadowclan will thrive. He looked to his side at his apprentice, Flintpaw. "This is a Gathering. Nothing exciting to be honest and I don't see much of a point in faking kindness and diplomacy when clans fight all the time in border skirmishes. But anyway... those cats over there with fish scent are Riverclan. They are allies so try to be good with them. The other ones are Skyclan. Feel free to leave my side and chat... or not. Just be sure to return when the Gathering is over and keep in mind your Shadowclan's pride."

Slowly but surely, the rest of the Clans started to arrive and more cats filtered into the clearing. Flintpaw regarded this all coldly, gaze flickering back and forth as he watched cats brushed past him to take their own spots or to mingle with others. It was really nothing worth noting, instead finding himself starting to knead his paws - taking comfort in the motion... Until… ’Why would I go to…’ His ears swivered as his eyes shifted in the direction of the conversation, watching as Sparkpaw was chatting with a she-cat he didn’t recognize.

’She's a code-cat, and she loves SkyClan, but she'll…’  Another voice caught his attention, joining the chorus of chattering that started to swell as more cats settled with their companions and sparked conversations. Flintpaw’s fur started to prickled, the only sign of his real discomfort as his expression remained as neutral as ever - his ears turning in vain as he tried to find some sort of break from the waves of noise that started to overwhelm him.

'This is a Gathering.' Flintpaw jolted at a new voice - far closer and louder as he barely contained himself from flinching as he turned his head to see his mentor had stepped up next to him. As Lynxscar went on, Flintpaw’s ears remained perked and focused - trying to drown out the other voices with the sound of his mentor as he explained what the Gathering was. Go out and chat? It had been an idea he hadn’t been fond of even before the chattering started and as silence fell over the ShadowClan warrior, the waves of conversation started to rush back in.

There was a faint pounding of pain in his head as he started to knead the ground harder and faster, his claws digging into the ground as a sort of distraction from it all. It hurt, all the noise hurt. “I…” He glanced around at the other cats, his heart sinking as he realized that only three of the five Clans had arrived yet. Things were going to get far worse once ThunderClan and WindClan arrived. “...I would rather sit by you. I don’t think I am in the...Mood to speak to others,” he responded, relief at how his voice didn’t betray the pounding of his head.

He couldn’t imagine attempting to stand up, his fur fluffing as he quietly bite his tongue in an effort to find some distraction from the endless noise as his ears slicked back ever so slightly to block it out, the echoes of conversations that he couldn’t escape from although his expression betrayed none of his inner turmoil, being expressionless as always. He felt confused, he doubted the other cats were feeling the same pounding headache...And slowly he scooted slightly closer to Lynxscar as if his mere presence would help drown out the noise.

Redwing found it strange to be walking directly behind Thornstar as they entered Fourtrees, stranger to be the first ones there, and strangest to sit down at the foot of the Greatrock in the deputies' spot. She'd always seen other cats up here- looked up to them when she was younger, respected them when she was older. They were her peers, now. Her equals. And that honestly terrified her. What was she supposed to do? Did she have to say anything? The large russet she-cat found herself sitting stiffly, eyes locked ahead, muscles somewhat rigid. Only her flicking ears showed the discomfort she obviously felt. This wasn't right, not at all. She couldn't be alone here forever, the deputies of the two Clans who had just entered would make their ways over eventually... uncomfortably shifting from side to side, the ShadowClan she-cat waited, knowing soon she would have to make small talk with cats far above her in experience and stature.

The moon hung white in the sky as WindClan padded through the grass, breeze chilly in the coming of leaffall. Finchstar's eyes flashed to the other gathering clans, noting each of their expressions. Scorchstar still ceased to make an appearance, Finchstar deducted. Tinystar sat atop the rock alone. Torrentstar padding to Thornbriar's side as she remained in the clearing. The atmosphere remained strange, perhaps it was the sense of dread that now hung over WindClan's head. Finchstar nodded to Barleytuft, jumping onto the Great Rock in regret. A certain black tom was missing, a void in the leader's heart. He didn't wish to explain the former deputy's disappearance to the rest of the gathering, however some things could not be avoided. Barleytuft now acted as a replacement. An unofficial one, but the tom was as loyal as any. Finchstar knew of his breaking of the code in his inability to name a deputy before moonhigh. In fact many nights had passed since Raventail's disappearance. And yet should Finchstar die to fate, it was clear who would take his place, title or not. Ranks were not as important as trust, and Finchstar trusted Barleytuft with his life. There was no greeting to Tinystar as the orange and white tabby faced the sky instead. He sought out Brookclover's frame, feeling very much alone on this cold night. He begun to wish for Raventail's fur. A chat with the cats he loved. But their bluff would never falter, WindClan would remain steadfast with their guard on the ready. Forever loving and everlasting. The pain came today and yet relented tomorrow. A war was coming, and Finchstar would bring his clanmates peace and glory.