November Gathering 2019

Though Foxfire hadn’t answered his question directly, his tone was answer enough. Raventail’s smile vanished. He’d missed something. Something bad, if SkyClan’s fully-replaced leadership was anything to go by. Before he could ask for details (and before Foxfire could ask why he didn’t know about whatever it was), Foxfire went rigid. Raventail turned, following the younger tom’s eyes, to see that ShadowClan’s deputy had joined them at last. He was a brown tabby, imposing in the way many ShadowClanners were, with a scar that ran from his eye down into his fur and a voice so full of dry hostility that Raventail didn’t process what, exactly, he’d said.

It hit a few moments later. ”Killing…deputies?” As Foxfire elaborated, Raventail kept his mouth tightly shut, confused gaze bouncing between the pair of deputies. A mystery; a problem greater than WindClan’s. Had there been no bloodshed, there would have been some relief in that. Beartooth had a point, however. It was between ShadowClan and SkyClan. Finchstar might have cared about justice being done, but Raventail quite frankly lacked the strength to unravel the story himself, at least for now. A murder, an accident; either way, a death was a death.

Foxfire finished his explanation, both of what had happened to Redwing and why SkyClan had new representatives. Mistyrain, gone; Tinystar, retired. It wasn’t as jarring as the loss of Jaystar, but it was close. At length, Raventail said, ”Well, that’s not what I was expecting.” "Stressful" hardly began to cover it. He sat, tail curled close, and with a sigh leaned back toward the Great Rock. ”I don’t know how much it counts for now, but I’m sorry to hear about Mistyrain. And,” he added, addressing ShadowClan’s deputy, ”about your deputy, too.” However it happened. Something as big as this wouldn't go unmentioned; Thornstar and Spottedstar would almost certainly figure it out once the Gathering began. "You said those cats never came back to SkyClan, right? I could keep an eye out for them, if you'd like." Of course, the foxes (dogs, badgers, raccoons, StarClan knew what else had made the moor their home by this point) would tear them to mousedust long before they could reach WindClan. But, Raventail thought, it was better than offering nothing.

Scared out of his pelt from the ShadowClanner that had approached him and brought up SkyClan being a bunch of cowards, Sunflower didn't dare say anything, not wanting to get hiss tongue ripped off, but thankfully, the tom didn't pay any more attention to him and left within a few moments. Great StarClan, were all ShadowClanners so grumpy? Even if there Deputy had been killed, they didn't need to go about pushing other cats' muzzles in the dirt about it.

Dawngaze settled into the back, as far from the rock as she could manage without being completely outside of the crowd. Her encounter here withthe shade of her father had been unsettling and she'd refused to go near the pleace ever since; now she avoided looking at the Great Rock or any of thsoe who stood on top, flicking her single ear in discomfort. The mere absence of her other ear was bothersome enough, not only because her hearing was affected but also because of the general pain that pulsed in her temple and stung in the cold wind.

OOC: Dawn is open to talk to! please comment on her recently missing ear

Houndheart's warrior name had likely emboldened his confidence, for he made his way quite boldly into the clearing of the Gathering after shooting a reproachful look to the base of the Great Rock that Dacepaw missed. The dilute tortoiseshell she-cat watched him go and sent him of with a trill of encouragement. Fortunately, Dacepaw had a mission, too, so it was alright that her friends were busy. She was looking for her mother. Her thick plume of a tail streamed behind her as she scampered quick through the crowd like an otter in the currents, weaving and bobbing and occasionally straining her head up as high as she could manage to try to locate that familiar silver-and-gray pelt. She found several clusters of RiverClan cats, but her mother was nowhere to be found.

The young ThunderClan apprentice had begun to feel dejected when suddenly a gap broke in the crowd and her green-hazel eyes found Dappleshine. "Momma!" Dacepaw called out, immediately bounding across the space between them. Her mother was by herself, which was unusual for the friendly and sociable she-cat, and a look of deep worry was in her eyes. Dacepaw knew it now - she had been bad at understanding the expression before, but something was wrong. As Dacepaw pressed her face deep into the fur of her mother's neck, strange smells wafted through her nose. She blinked and inched back just slightly to look with confusion up at her mother. "You smell different - are you sick?" she asked.

"Dacepaw!" Dappleshine exclaimed, purring as her daughter came bounding forward. Pressing her head against her daughter's, she enjoyed the brief moment of happiness and no worries before Dacepaw pulled back, confusion apparent in her gaze. As she spoke, Dappleshine shook her head, a calming smile on her face even as worry still shone in her gaze. "No, my beloved minnow, I'm not sick. Here, come this way, where we can talk in peace." Motioning to the nearby edge of the clearing, Dappleshine led the way and settled down. Taking a deep breath, she met her daughter's eyes.

"Dacepaw, do you remember what I said about following your heart? Well, that's what I finally did, my dear. I fell in love with a tom, and I went to be with him. I'm not in RiverClan anymore, I'm in WindClan now. I love you with all of my heart, that will never change. I was hoping to see you here, and I'm so glad I did, I wanted to tell you face to face. I was also going to talk to Oakstar, about the agreement. We can meet here at Fourtrees, if you would like, instead of the border! You can finally meet Raventail." Her face warmed as she spoke of her mate, eyes finding him at the base of the Greatrock, gleaming with love before focusing back on her daughters.

Her mother's response was soothing, but Dacepaw didn't feel immediately comforted like she had when she'd been younger. Still, she was relieved her mother wasn't ill, and the apprentice was more than pleased to be with her again. Dacepaw followed Dappleshine closely towards the edge of the clearing where they could be a bit further from the gathered cats. The ThunderClan cat sat before her mother, tucking her paws close and wrapping her tail around herself. Dacepaw watched her mother expectantly, green-hazel eyes glimmering. The queen didn't waste time explaining: she had followed her heart. She had fallen in love with a WindClan cat and lived there with him now. She had left RiverClan.

"Oh," Dacepaw replied, not fully understanding. Dappleshine spoke a little more, and her daughter listened intently, tufted ears perked. The she-cat looked towards the Great Rock, and Dacepaw couldn't resist following her gaze. She didn't really recognize any of the cats up there except for Beartooth and Ivybrook, but she had heard about her mother's friend Raventail from the lake shore many times in her kithood. The lanky, dark tom was busy with the other deputies at the moment. "I can't wait - I bet Oakstar would understand." Dacepaw's gaze flickered upwards from Raventail to the leaders, and to the RiverClan leader's dark, distant expression.

She looked back to her mother, and she felt small as she asked quietly, "Is... pawpaw mad at you...?" The words he'd said to Dacepaw in front of the whole Gathering a few moons ago still echoed in her mind when she was left to her own thoughts. Her gaze looked worriedly into Dappleshine's, and she wondered then if she understood why her mother was alone and worried.

Oakstar glanced around the clearing. It seemed that many cats had now filtered in, and with all the leaders present, he nodded to himself that now was the time. He padded to the great rock, blinking curiously at the newest addition, as well as noticing that Raventail was back.. He paused, did Raventail look… thin, almost injured? Oakstar bit his tongue.

He could offer help later. If Windclan wanted to share, he would. From the top of the rock, he looked around the gathering further. Only a scattered few WindClan cats were there. It was strange, but he shoved back the feeling as a new one took it’s place. Held back grief uncurling in his chest, but he forced it back.

"Might I suggest we get the gathering underway?" He called, his gaze turned to each leader, and Raventail as he crouched down to speak to the black tom. "Will Finchstar be joining us?" He questioned as they waited for the other leaders to leap onto the rock.

Slowly, the other Clan leaders had made their way to the Great Rock. In talking with the other deputies, Raventail had almost been able to forget the part he’d be playing tonight. Almost. He glanced around the clearing one last time, as if Finchstar might still spring out of the trees to represent WindClan as they needed. It hadn’t happened yet; it wouldn’t happen now. ”That’s probably my cue, isn’t it,” the small tom murmured. Part of him wanted to add one last comment (”good luck,” maybe? ”See you next moon”?), but in the end, he left the others with only a shrug, a smile, and a wave of his tail.

-Tail suffix aside, the leap to the Great Rock’s top wasn’t easy. Though his wounds were well on their way to healing, Raventail swallowed a whine as he hauled himself onto the stone and leaned to one side as he stood. Just as he’d joked about, it was chillier up here, inside and out. On any other night, he could have spoken to these cats as equals, but this was a Gathering, and the dance—knowing what to hide, what to say, how to say it—was the most important part. Finchstar had been…Finchstar was good at that. They all were, in their own way. Now Raventail had to be.

As if by instinct, his eyes drifted to a gray pelt in the crowd below. Despite what Torrentstar had said to her, Dappleshine had chosen to be here tonight. That meant more to Raventail than he could express through his present nervousness. The warmth of his mate’s nose against his shoulder lingered. She couldn’t be beside him physically, but he leaned on her even now, even here. Another moment of watching led him to Dacepaw, right beside Dappleshine. Raventail’s shoulders slumped in relief. He turned back just in time to jump at Oakstar’s voice. ”Oh—um—not tonight.” Was he meant to elaborate? Lie? Oakstar was nice enough, from what Raventail knew, but Raventail’s mind was already racing ahead. "I'll be representing WindClan for now." That didn't even sound right to him.

Torrentstar wondered when he and Oakstar had grown close enough for the latter to inquire about his wellbeing.

It seemed every Gathering started later than the last. What were the other leaders doing? WindClan's representative was the only one yet to climb unto the Great Rock, yet the other leaders seemed similarly occupied--empty thoughts in their empty heads. At last, when Oakstar spoke up, it was only a call for others to act. If the ThunderClan leader had simply started the Gathering instead, it would save so much hassle. Torrentstar found his maw wrinkling with a grimace. Was he to begin again? So be it. He had better ways to spend his time then engaging in this pointless game of simply waiting. It seemed Raventail would represent his clan tonight. Torrentstar lashed his tail, sharp gaze boring into the WindClanner's black fur. Unlike Oakstar, he did not waste effort in sweetening his words. "If you are here in Finchstar's place, then take his place on the Great Rock from the start. How long did you intend to hold up the Gathering?" Roughly shouldering past both toms, he faced the crowd. "There is not much to report on RiverClan this moon." Stars, did "not much" sum up the desertion of his daughter? But there was no need to mention that incident. Dappleshine had made her choice; what had happened to her then was not worth reporting. He would only address the issue if WindClan persisted in bringing it up. "Brindlepaw, Pinepaw, and Treepaw are new additions in the Apprentice Den. Mudpaw has proven herself of her warrior name and is now Mudfrost." He had been tempted--so tempted--to carry out a Thornstar-style report. But he was different from that brute. Regardless of how much he hated being here, he would carry out his duties as they were meant to be. "In other news, an apprentice who had gone missing and had been thought to be dead has returned to us. Shouldering past mistakes along with second chances, Featherpaw walks among her clanmates again." Bowing his head slightly, he turned and took up his seat again.

〷 Basilpaw was as perceptive as she was talkative. At least her voice was increasingly more soft and sweet, holding less of the excitable kit-like jubilance it once had. Her eyes watched the tom's behavior as he responded. She clung onto every word, hoping to befriend this large tom. What caused her head to tilt was the constant swiveling of his ears, the way he kneaded the ground and rocked over so slightly. It wasn't the grandest of gestures by any means, but being so engrossed in the conversation with the warrior she picked up on it, "If you want, I can be your friend? You'd be my first friend outside of Skyclan... are you okay Flintshard?" Concern and confusion were evident. Never before had she seen a cat behave like this. Foxfire was fidgety and nervous at times but mostly because he was unsure of himself, and never like this. 〷

✧ The last thing that Houndheart expected, although he should have, was to be slapped across the maw at a gathering. He recoiled from the blow, indignation writ across his face. For a moment, he merely blinked at her, "...you hit me. This is a gathering! Gatherings are supposed to be peaceful. I'll have you know that I'm a warrior too. You should know that after all." The warrior wanted to growl, to shout further frustrations at her, but instead, he sat down rather abruptly, causing him to grumbled from the dull pain in his rear. He glared at Stormbringer out of the corner of his eyes. His tongue sought to spew more frustrations at her but instead, as his eye caught sight of the deputies ahead, he merely let out an agitated sigh. With his friends off in all directions, there was nowhere else to go. And his abrasive personality made it hard for cats to find solace in his company. Perhaps Stormbringer would be the best he would have this gathering. After a moment of saying nothing else, he added in a slightly lighter, albeit grumbled tone, "Torrentstar seems like the type to start a war over a border skirmish." ✧

...What? Flintshard blinked, gaze swinging to stare at the apprentice at her offer. That...Was that how making friends worked? You just...Offered to be one and so it was so? Certainly there was more to it than that, but he did suppose he had no experience... He did have a different gauge of how he expressed his, ah, bond with others so...Maybe this was all it took? He sat there, staring at her for a few heartbeats as he tried to find the words to speak. "I...I suppose?" he offered up, rather unhelpfully. He was certain that it took more to be a friend than a single conversation, but he rarely bothered to have one so perhaps... "I...Yes, friends. Certainly," he murmured, before freezing as she questioned what was wrong.

Was it really that obvious? He...He had heard that he was rather hard to get a read on, with the fact that he apparently had trouble expressing his feelings. Another thing about him that he hated - but it wasn't as if he really knew how to fix something that just came...So naturally, he supposed. So the fact that she had picked up on it...Well it was clear to him how obvious his dislike for the Gathering was, and even more settled into him that he never wanted to go to another one. "I'm...Fine," he meowed, gaze shifting away a bit. He couldn't tell her about his sound problem, he remembered the look that Lynxscar had given him when he had explained it. It wasn't normal, practically nothing about Flintshard was normal. "I do not like crowds all that much," he meowed, supposing it was the truth - even if it wasn't the whole one. That was a much more simpler explanation, one that made sense. One that didn't...Show off his strange quirks.

She blinked once. Twice. Before the answer came. For a moment, she thought something was wrong with her questions before he answered. Basilpaw let out a breath she did not know she had been holding as he hesitantly agreed. It was settled then. They would be friends now. Having friends from other clans wasn't a bad thing as long as you stayed devoted to your clan, right? That was why they had the gathering. So there would be nothing wrong befriending this tom. As level-headed and wonderful as she was, the apprentice was grateful for his companionship. In a gesture of appreciation. She butted his head into his massive shoulder. Their difference in size was almost humorous but she thought little of it. After he revealed his distaste for crowds, she frowned slightly. Knowing of his unhappiness made her unhappy as well. Gatherings were supposed to be enjoyable, at least she was at the age where that was the case, and it was less of a duty.

Eyes glanced around for a solution and she settled on some deadened bushes at the edge of the clearing before returning to meet his gaze. Basilpaw's thin, gray tail flickered in the same direction as her eyes had been one moment earlier, "We could go over there! It's away from all the cats and then we can still watch the leaders." Her words became a whisper as Torrentstar's words were raised over the clearing. Cats began to settle down and she inched further from the center of the group. Riverclan's leader didn't seem like a friendly cat at all. Nothing like Spottedstar. She hummed softly in discomfort as she waited for Flintshard to follow.

Flintshard stiffed as Basilpaw took a step forward, bumping her head against him. He...Wasn't used to such clear and physical signs of affection as his Clanmates, his family, were rarely the type to express them - and if often tried to stray away from it unless he felt like curling up next to one of his siblings. He opened his mouth, uncertain if he should say something in response but held his tongue, simply staring at the rather brave apprentice. His size nearly rivaled his mother already, he was giant compared to the young apprentice and yet she hadn't even thought twice about such a gesture. Is...Is this what friendship is about?

He almost missed her gentle whisper as his attention was snatched at the sound of Torrentstar speaking up. This was about when the Gathering was starting to get a bit more bearable - most cats silencing their conversations to let the leaders speak, minus some gentle murmuring about what was spoken. But his ears, as keen and wanting to focus on every sound, caught Basilpaw's gentle words as he quickly forced his attention to shift onto them instead of whatever the RiverClan leader was going on about it. He paused, gaze shifting up to stare at the bushes she had pointed out. He had tried to sit on the edge, but hadn't want to seem...Odd, so he had still sat rather close to the gathering cats.

But Basilpaw was pointing to an area even further away, further from the chattering that was nearly overwhelming. Huh. The corner of his mouth barely twitched as he registered how sweet the gesture was. He nodded his head slightly as he pushed himself to his paws, towering over her as he padded after her. Drifting away from the conversations...He felt himself relax a bit. He could still hear the chatting, but closer to the sounds of the forest, not as many voices rumbled in his head and it was...It was nice. "Thank you," he said softly with a dip of his head to the SkyClan apprentice as he settled down, curling his tail around him as he started to knead in place - hiding the motion with his fluffy tail.

"Oh, is that it? It's that easy?" Spottedstar scoffed, accidentally airing his thoughts to the other leaders. If he'd known you just stepped forward and said the obvious, he could have started the gathering in no time and then they could all be home in their nests. Should he have been paying attention as a warrior and deputy? Probably, but that was all behind him. Torrentstar was short-spoken and Spottedstar appreciated that. The newest leader clambered to the front to speak. Spottedstar paused unceremoniously, stole a glance at Sagelight below, and then carried on with the encouraging familiarity of his brother's pelt. "SkyClan's prey runs plentiful this season! Tinylegs stepped down as leader. He's been made an elder and has earned his rest. We mourn the loss of Mistyrain, who lost her life on the Thunderpath. I've succeeded him as Spottedstar, and Foxfire stands by me as my deputy." He dipped his head to his deputy, pride etched into his features, and allowed the gathered clans to gawk at the new deputy for a few moments.

"We welcome new kits to the clan, Mallowkit and Flamekit. My own sons and my daughter have all become apprentices: Honeypaw, Wolfpaw, Deerpaw, Featherpaw, and Juniperpaw. Amberpaw and Basilpaw join us as apprentices this gathering as well. A special congratulations is in order for Sagelight and his official appointment as SkyClan's full medicine cat." Spottedstar spoke warmly, eyeing his friends and family in the crowd as he spoke. SkyClan had been through so much in the past moon alone, and they were all going to make it through together. He'd make them.

Spottedstar paused again. He hadn't quite planned out what he'd say on his next topic; it was surely an awkward position. "SkyClan has its successes, but also faces many challenges... some of our warriors have... they're gone. And we don't know where they are," he meowed uncertainly, trying to block out the surprised whispers below. It was worth telling to the other clans; they needed to be on the lookout no matter what was true. "Further, I need to warn you all about them. Lightfang, Sandblaze, and Swallowflight are my half-brothers. With them is Burningsun. The three are pale ginger and the fourth is a red tabby she-cat with mismatched eyes. They are accused by another clan of something treacherous... and are either in danger or are a danger to your clans." The pit in his stomach made him feel like he'd eaten stones. Spottedstar was staunchly against sharing such private concerns with all of the forest, but if they killed Redwing, they could kill anyone; and if they'd been framed, then they could be in severe danger either from the unknown outside world or from the animalistic vagrants of ShadowClan.

"I love them. I want them home... and I want to uncover the truth. This is the promise I have made to another leader and to the ancestors: to hear their side and understand what happened. I ask your aid in this."

Torrentstar’s words bit as deep as any fox. Raventail winced, but made no retort; there wasn’t much he could say, really. Then the announcements began, and he turned his ears to those instead. For all the Gatherings he’d been to before, he’d never paid that much attention to what the leaders were saying unless it was something particularly earth-shattering. Torrentstar stepped back. Spottedstar took his place before Raventail could so much as lift a paw. Tinylegs’s retirement and Mistyrain’s death weren’t as surprising as they would have been, but hearing it from SkyClan’s leader was as strange as hearing it from Foxfire had been. Then came new names, new ranks, new residents—

His ears perked at the mention of the missing warriors, only to flatten for the briefest of moments when Spottedstar gave their names. Lightfang. Swallowflight. Burningsun. The fourth name was unfamiliar, but as much as Raventail wished otherwise, he knew the others well. ”Something treacherous” could only have been the death of Redwing. No wonder they had spoken of feeling threatened in SkyClan. Finchstar had promised them safety; Raventail intended to honor that promise. They’d helped guard WindClan’s camp during the battle, after all. But now that he thought of it, they had also lied about why they’d come to WindClan… Whatever was right, whatever was safest—that wasn’t a decision Raventail was prepared to make now. The sooner he spoke, the sooner WindClan could go home. Then they could figure this out.

With one small motion at a time, as if crossing stepping stones rather than a solid mass of rock, he made his way to where Torrentstar and Spottedstar had stood. His voice, strained with the effort of projecting across the clearing, echoed strangely in his ears. ”I’m Raventail, and I’m here tonight on Finchstar’s behalf.” He’s alive. This is his place, not mine. Maybe denial, maybe hope. ”WindClan’s been preparing for leaf-bare as well as we can. We have four new apprentices: Crowpaw, Spotpaw, Gingerpaw, and Pheasantpaw. Clovertwist and Briarthorn earned their warrior names.” As much as it ruffled Raventail’s fur, and as proud as he was to call Dappleshine a Clanmate in addition to everything else, he, too, chose not to draw attention to her change in Clan.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the last of WindClan’s news. Raventail had searched for a way to turn the death of his former apprentice into something beyond a footnote—but like everyone who had taken part in the battle, there was no way to honor Goldengale’s bravery without acknowledging the circumstances that had led to it. ”The moor’s been full of predators this moon. We…we lost Goldengale in a fight with them.” Saying it to WindClan, to himself, had been hard enough. Raventail bowed his head. After a moment, he found himself able to speak again. ”You might want to be careful on your borders with us. That—that’s all.” At last, he stepped back, careful not to look at anyone. With his turn over and the missing warriors' names fresh on his mind, he wanted more than ever to be back in WindClan's camp.