December Gathering 2019

Amber eyes looked over at their friend as Honeytongue pressed closer to her in attempt to keep the gray warrior warm. When Dacepaw had approached Stormbringer simply offered a friendly nod as a greeting when her name was mentioned. Honestly she didn't really know what to say to the Thunderclan apprentice. At the mention of Houndheart's name the warrior had a scowl on her face. Eugh she didn't really want to think about the tom who had jumped her as an apprentice. Though last gathering he was more pleasant than last time. The scowl broke away from her face as soon as Honeytongue mentioned cuddling, to which Stombringer nodded. "Yes. Its good for someone like me who gets cold easily." The she-cat said before quieting down once Spottedstar spoke.

---

Ploverpuddle slowly limped into the gathering. The tom had recovered from most of his smaller wounds but the main one on his leg.. It still gave him a lot of trouble. He had a hard time keeping up with the group so he was one of the last ones to arrive, not that he minded but he had hoped none of the other clan cats had noticed or would call him out on it at least.

The gray fluffy tom slowly moved towards the back of the gathered crowd that was mostly Windclan. He sat down, a small huff escaping him from the work he had put in to get here, and to think he managed to chase down a rabbit the other night... He still didn't understand it. Maybe it was just slow. Yellow eyes scanned the crowd for a moment before turning to the Great Rock as the leader's had begun the gathering.

---

Flowerthorn remained at the back of the group following Skyclan. She had missed the last gathering but she wasn't going to miss her first one as a warrior, even if she didn't like being around all of these cats.. Carefully the pale she-cat cleared away some snow before sitting down. A shudder passing through her body at the cold and the possibility of other cats paying attention to her. Blue eyes looked up at her Leader as he started to speak. At the mention of her name she shrunk back a bit. She didn't want the attention, even if she was a proud and strong warrior.

"Hey, you're stressing her out. Give her some space, okay?"

When she found herself mousetails away from an unfamiliar tom, she felt another spike trickle through her pelt. Needless to say, the already agitated apprentice had jolted a foxlength into the air, startled at his abrupt appearance. The tortoiseshell's utters finally registered in her mind, easing her faintly. Still somewhat alarmed, she forced her hackles to cease their bristling. Featherpaw allowed herself to exhale a breath she didn't know she had been holding in. One could say she was a bit jumpy this evening.
Her gaze flickered between ThunderClan warrior and the flecked tom, who was easily distinguishable as a ShadowClanner. She offered an indistinct blink of gratitude once she realised that this newcomer had just defended her. Now that her uneasiness had faded slightly, she felt thankful. This stranger.. had just supported her.

Houndheart's slitted glare did not fly over her head. Neither did the striking tension that was now wafting around the group, fueled by their rather... taut interactions. Tail twitching anxiously, she glanced at the ShadowClan cat, catching the rigid discomfort in his movements. He settled down, in a way Featherpaw could recognise was not pleasant at all. Her eyes softened, visibly concerned, noticing the stiffness in the tom's actions. When he started to ramble about a frog, she found her features shifting notably. Her whiskers were twitching, the edge of her maw inching upwards subtly. What was this? Amusement? This ShadowClan cat was giving her a golden moment of tranquility. Perhaps it was because of how she could instantly relate to, what she would have called, his awkwardness. At his brisk stumbling, she opened her mouth to offer a few words of empathy. "I-"

"You got a name, fox-heart? Or should we just call you Froglover?"

Houndheart's sharp retaliation cut her off immediately. Featherpaw's fur threatened to rise once again, this time not in consternation, but a very vague and queer feeling of exasperation. The ThunderClanner shot a glimpse that was definitely aimed at her, in which Featherpaw detected his message. He wanted her to back him up. StarClan, if she could she would have just stayed silent. Hesitantly, reluctantly, she shook her head - a strained and barely discernable movement. She soundlessly mouthed a hasty "sorry" to Houndheart. She didn't want to support him in his insolent teasing. Instead, her gaze swivelled to the ShadowClanner, maw once again parting to murmur a string of words out, "..I-I get it." Maybe she had been about to whisper a few more words of reassurance, but a resounding call halted her.

The Gathering was beginning. She did not at all recognise the cat perched upon the Great Rock. In fact, the only leader she had recognised other than Torrentstar was Marshstorm. Except, he was surely "Marshstar" now. Leopardstar, Tinystar, Brindlestar and Scorchstar... had they all passed, too? Her form had become rigid at this realisation, the distressing news furthering her dismay. War... were they in wartimes, too? Death, pain.

It seemed everything had changed.

Oakstar had acknowledged Finchstar's arrival, speaking in a grave tone of loss and war. It didn't take a bright cat to see the injuries three of the clans carried, aside from WindClan, who had gained their scars in another matter. Finchstar simply wanted to hear the words from his counterparts, rather than to assume. Circumstances seemed to mean much more when spoken from the mind of another. Oakstar obliged, but Spottedstar seemed to be preoccupied with the gathering itself.

Calling for silence, the cream tabby started the gathering straight away, telling the tale of war and the loss of his warriors. Finchstar bowed his head as he listed off their names. No one could blame SkyClan's leader for his standoffishness in times like these. It only grew Finchstar's curiosity for his tree-dwelling neighbors across the border. "I am deeply sorry for your loss, Spottedstar." Finchstar spoke, choosing his words ever so carefully.

His body may be torn and broken, but his mind remained sharp. "It seems the forest halts for no cat. War. The last war I remember was during my kithood. The fight between Lichenmask and the forest. Yes, of course the clans have faced many other battles, ones between dogs and the water itself. But now marks the time when cats bear teeth against kin of their own. I admire your steadfast nature, Spottedstar. It takes a strong cat to hold up peace in these times. However I would like to ask Thornstar if she will continue this assault." Finchstar weaved around on the summit of the Great Rock, hoping in the end, to salvage peace between his fellow clans. It was an instinct, a bestial drive. He, without knowing so, pined for it beyond his very being. Finchstar ignored all possible outcomes as he was blinded by the peace that could come.

"Leafbare is on the horizon. Soon the clans will need to cooperate if we want to survive. What is to stop us from coming to a mutual agreement? Frosty, at that? WindClan has faced death itself on our moors. Cats, yes cats, wearing the pelts of beasts. If that is not enough to ruffle your fur, our late apprentice, Puddlepaw was skinned, used as armor for these beasts who sieged WindClan camp. Forgive my harsh words, but shouldn't we lay down our quarrels against one another, and take up arms against a common enemy?"

’I can do this,’ Salamander thought. Despite how... stilted his interaction was, the she-cat seemed amused by his clumsiness. His heart lit up at the fact. He was making a friend! His first ever friend, at that. He swiveled his ears to hear what her reply would be. Hopefully she wouldn’t make fun of his awkwardness- she seemed quite shy, so it wasn’t likely. But just as she began to speak, a hiss cut through the air.

”You got a name, fox-heart? Or should we just call you Froglover?”

That stung. He didn’t know why, but it did. Fox-heart? He had barely just introduced himself! ”It’s just Salamander,” he quickly replied. A wave of anxiety washed over him as soon as he said those words. Salamander wasn’t a common name- it wasn’t even a clan name. Would he make fun of him for that too? Before he could scramble out an explanation, the commanding voices of the leaders cut across the chilly air. He turned his attention to them, hoping that his peer would do the same.

It did not take long before the other clans began to show up. The sight of the numerous other shadows flickering at the edge of the Fourtrees was not exactly welcome to Torrentstar, but the sooner they assembled, the sooner the Gathering could begin. It did not take long for the large leader to pick up on the state of disturbance in the air. Clinging to the pelts that streamed into the clearing was a restless, brooding energy. Few details escaped the tom's sharp gaze, but weaker powers of observation would have been sufficient to make out the wounds that laced the fur and flesh of his neighbors. Torrentstar narrowed his eyes, whiskers quivering ever so slightly as he allowed his mind to turn to speculation. What could possibly have happened in the past moon? There was haunting in the faces of some of the cats; in others, grief. And as his fellow leaders leaped up the Great Rock, he saw similar phantoms in their expressions. Pride kept him from opening his maw. Questions were unnecessary. In due time, the answers would be revealed on their own. But he saw now how blessed RiverClan had been. Whatever maelstrom had caught hold of the other four clans, it had spared his and his only. The peace the island-dwellers had experienced of late had been almost idyllic. An uneasy mix of gratefulness and wariness stirred within the tabby's chest, and the burden of worry that had almost lifted off his shoulders in recent times now weighed heavier again.

Conflict began even before the Gathering did. As Torrentstar watched the tense face off between the other leaders, he wrinkled his muzzle in distaste. He made no effort to intervene; doing so would have prevented him from gleaning as much information as possible. However, he was not a cat who inherently delighted in such disputes. It was almost amusing that RiverClan had no place in the dramatics this time. Torrentstar had involuntarily been following in Jaystar's pawsteps, and the past few Gatherings had always seemed to center around RiverClan. It did not take long before he understood the gist of the situation. As expected, some sort of squabble had taken place. Finchstar's mention of skin-wearing cats caught Torrentstar's attention for a brief moment, but it was swiftly pushed to one side when Thornstar rose to speak.

Torrentstar uttered a low growl. What a mockery of a leader she had become. It was almost a pity, for she could have made a fine 'star if it were not for her complete lack of responsibility. It seemed the shameful mess had come to its culmination of late. As she had never made an effort to be respectable, it was little surprise that Shadowclan was now suffering the repercussions. She could control neither her deputy nor her clanmates. When it was his turn to speak, the RiverClan leader plodded forward. He caught the glance that Thornstar threw him, and he directed his stony gaze at her. There was no warmth in the depths of his eyes. In a voice low enough that only she could hear him, he said, "We need to talk, as leaders of our clans." The conversation was one that had been delayed for long enough. Tonight, they would sort out the issue that had been left hanging ever since they had taken over―that of the alliance.

"While you all were fighting among yourselves, RiverClan has had a fairly uneventful moon." Torrentstar did not touch on the other clans' issues any more than was necessary. He launched almost immediately into the once-a-moon report. Unlike Finchstar, his concern with peace waned when it did not concern his clan. The WindClan leader was a burning, passionate tongue. But he was apathetic. The night air was frosty, and breathing too much of it made a cat just as cold. He was a cat born in leaf bare. "New litters of kits have been delivered. Despite the harsh season, new life is always appreciated. RiverClan will continue to thrive, and we anticipate their growth." In recent Gatherings, reports seemed to be growing shorter and shorter. With a weary flick of his tail, Torrentstar padded back to his seat. Were the listening cats as bored as he was, he wondered.

Clovertwist glanced aside when Lightfang nodded to another cat; the silver tom turned his head and spotted Dappleshine seated near their group, and he smiled and twitched his ears at her, having not noticed at first when she'd arrived. His attention quickly returned to Lightfang, however, as the tom asked - without asking - how to fit in. Clovertwist opened his mouth almost immediately to take a breath, happy to try to answer the question, but then a call sounded, and Clovertwist let out a huff as he looked to the Great Rock. Time to start, I suppose, he thought, I'll make sure to find Lightfang again later.

He was quick to notice the change in Lightfang's demeanor once Spottedstar's words were spoken, and he glanced over to see the concern and worry and guilt plain on his bi-colored face. Clovertwist fought the urge to rush to comfort Lightfang as he sank into the snow, learning of the war - it must have been a devastating realization to learn his home Clan had been in harm's way. The former SkyClan tom most likely needed space to process and grieve what had happened, and Clovertwist didn't intend to intervene. He simply continued to listen as Spottedstar ended his announcement with a declaration to not seek revenge. Clovertwist's whiskers twitched and he glanced at Thornstar, whose eyes were narrowed as she sat imposingly on the Great Rock.

Finchstar spoke next, and he spoke disdainfully of war, praising Spottedstar for his declaration of peace before turning to Thornstar and asking if she intended to cause more fighting. Clovertwist's kinked tail twitched uneasily as the ShadowClan leader shot to her paws, standing tall with her thick, mottled shadowy coat bristling ever so slightly at the accusation in his words. Finchstar explained to all the other Clans what WindClan had endured, and Clovertwist shuffled his paws, glancing aside at Lightfang and Burningwolf and then Dappleshine. They remembered it vividly - it was still so fresh - and the young silver tom almost wished it hadn't been shared. Still, Finchstar made a good point. Did it not make more sense to seek peace?

Thornstar seemed to agree, but the stormcloud raging in her voice was impossible to miss. Defensively, she declared that the story told was not the truth, clarifying that ShadowClan hadn't assaulted SkyClan and that Spottedstar wasn't unique in wanting peace. Clovertwist shifted uneasily again. Well then... both sides had lost two cats. It wasn't right, but perhaps it ended justly. If all the Clans said it was over, then Clovertwist could only hope it remained so.

---

Dacepaw laughed at Honeytongue's response; it was so bold of her to say that Houndheart would lie! Yet, the ThunderClan apprentice did suspect that he might not mean it when he said he didn't like to snuggle, and it seemed like her RiverClan friend agreed. Dacepaw nodded enthusiastically in agreement as Honeytongue talked about the delightful pleasure of cuddling during leafbare - how important and useful it was to help keep yourself and your friends and Clanmates warm. She hoped her friend was was right. Dacepaw missed Houndheart and was not afraid to admit that she was eagerly looking forward to having a nest beside him again.

Honeytongue's attention turned to Stormbringer, and she scooted closer to her RiverClan friend. Dacepaw beamed at the wholesome display of affection, her thunderous purr crackling out audibly through the clearing. The leaned gray RiverClan cat, who had been quiet throughout the exchange, spoke up softly in agreement. "And it's good for cats like me who have warmth to share!" Dacepaw added amicably. Then a voice yowled from the Great Rock, and Dacepaw's purr quieted as she focused in on the SkyClan leader, Spottedstar, as he called the Gathering to order.

She listened to the announcement intently, but as soon as she realized it was about the war between SkyClan and ShadowClan - in which ThunderClan had provided assistance to the former - she felt her desire to listen waning. She slumped slightly as she listened to Spottedstar's words; she grimaced. She had known cats had died, but not who or from where. Leaftwirl and Beanheart. Dacepaw sighed and glanced up to the stars glittering in the cold darkness above the trees; whoever the SkyClan cats were, she hoped that they were no longer in pain. WindClan's leader came up next, and Dacepaw perked up a little, deciding to try to pay a bit more attention since that was her mom's Clan now. What she heard made her gasp with shock and immediately search the crowd for the queen.

Fortunately, Dacepaw found her silvery-gray mother in the crowd near the back, and Dacepaw was able to relax and watch Finchstar again just as he rather accusingly suggested that the Clans - Thornstar, specifically - stop fighting against one another. Dacepaw shifted uncomfortably. She hated seeing Thornstar so frustrated; in Dacepaw's mind, the she-cat was being treated unfairly, and when the dark ShadowClan leader came up and gave her side of the story, the little apprentice became even more certain. See? she thought with frustration to no one in particular, She didn't want this to happen! She's not a bad cat, she doesn't want a war! Why didn't anyone ask her that earlier?

Seeing the way that Torrentstar leaned toward Thornstar before he approached the front made Dacepaw bristle subconsciously, and she shifted. Thornstar was strong, and no one would dare mess with her, but Torrenstar... could be really mean. Dacepaw looked sadly down to her paws, feeling stuck and annoyed by everything that was happening. The RiverClan tom made his announcement before retreating back onto the back of the rock again. Dacepaw looked up, her ears lowered.

Listening as the SkyClanner went on and began to talk about her deceased mother, it was as if the pieces of a puzzle snapped together, and a deep, guilt stricken pit grew in his stomach. The she-cat that he'd taken the life of... he remembered wondering why her pelt didn't smell strongly of SkyClan... could it be? Had she been the one who's life he didn't mean to take?

Well, it was quite possible and he knew that withholding such information from Basilpaw would've been selfish of him. Telling her what he'd done, accident or not, would be difficult and awkward, be he had to. Maybe then, the guilt that had been hovering over his shoulders finally dissipate.

Opening his maw, the call of Spottedstar turned every-cat's attention up to the rock. His peripheral vision then caught sight of his mate, Ravenmist, who looked more or less worried to be in such a crowed setting, and he knew that he should've been by her side.

Maybe this wasn't the best time to tell Basilpaw, but he had to. If not now, then later.

"I... I'm so sorry for your loss," he mewed, lowering his voice to a whisper as to not disturb the leader's news. "For now, I must go, but if you wish to know what happened to your mother, meet me here before you go back to your camp," the large warrior finished with a soft dip of his head to both Flintshard and the SkyClan apprentice.

Standing up, he left their presence and weaved his way through the crowd, making sure to keep his head and tail low. Sitting down, he pressed his pelt against Ravenmist's. "I'm here," he mewed softly, trying to hide the ever so slight shakiness in his tone as he gave his sightless mate a gentle lick between her ears.

OOC: Daisyflame has made his way over to Ravenmist <3

A soft laugh escaped Honeytongue as she snuggled closer to Stormbringer, smiling widely as she agreed with Dacepaw on how great it was to share warmth. However, any words she was about to say was dashed as the leaders started to talk, pulling her attention away to listen to them. Slowly as Spottedstar started to speak, speaking of a war between ShadowClan that had left two dead. Leaftwirl and Beanheart. She didn't recognize the names...Or at least, she didn't think she did but the name Beanheart made her pause as it tickled some sort of memory in her. She frowned as she tried to pick out where she had heard the name before, before a soft gasp escaped her. Beanpaw! She had met a SkyClan apprentice moons ago named Beanpaw at the border - having spoken about the different leaders as Honeytongue was excitedly waiting to go to her first Gathering. It had to the same cat. He...He was dead? Her ears slicked back as she leaned closer into Stormbringer, listening Finchstar spoke up.

The description of what WindClan had been through caused her stomach to flip, feeling almost like she could be sick at the talk of cats wearing pelts - and not just of pelts of the predators but...Oh StarClan, one of their own apprentices? She felt bile rise in her throat as she drew backwards in disgust and alarm. W-Who would do that? Who would be twisted enough to...Oh StarClan. She half-hearted listened to as Thornstar spoke up, followed by her father. She almost couldn't bear to hear anymore terrible, twisted news but it sounded like neither had anything...Terrible to say, Thornstar seemingly regretful about the situation and Torrentstar focusing on the good that RiverClan had been facing. She sighed, tail swishing as she glanced around at the gathered cats to try to judge their report on it, suddenly hoping that the Gathering would end soon so that she could focus on thinking about anything else.

Oakstar stepped back and allowed the other leaders to speak first. Horror flashed through him at the idea of cats wearing the pelts of animals… and even an apprentice. His amber eyes widened in shock as he stared at Finchstar for a long moment. His attention diverted once Spottedstar spoke, then Thornstar. It didn’t make sense for cats to do that. It seemed… unnatural. Cruel, and without any sort of purpose.

As Torrentstar spoke, he relaxed, then stepped forward as the RiverClan leader finished his announcement. His gaze fell onto his clanmates and the cats of other clans around them.
"Despite a brief conflict, ThunderClan has remained strong."He began, then glanced back towards Spottedstar, Thornstar and Finchstar. "I pray that your clanmates have found StarClan safely… For no matter which clan a cat belonged, a life lost in this forest is one too many." He declared, then dipped his head as he stepped back from the edge of the rock. His gaze concerned at the other tom.

"Finchstar. If you need any help, you only need to ask, my friend." He offered. Ears flattening in clear confusion. "How could cats wear the pelts of other creatures… it’s worrying. How do you propose we deal with this threat, if it rises again?"

Cardinalcry was in shock at the talk of cats wearing pelts... Even of an apprentice. She gulped. Say she hadn't joined Shadowclan. Had she been in the barn near Windclan... that could have been her. Skinned and worn like a trophy. She shut her eyes and folded down her ears, trying with all her might not to think about it. Her siblings! ...She'd seen Lightfang with Windclan once, right? Were they okay? Oh, this was way too much. Perhaps she should have stayed home with her kits.

Mistwalker sat still as a tree, watching without allowing the emotions that bubbled inside him rise.

Lightpaw was just being an angry bean as usual.

OOC: talk to any of them, but Cardinalcry is least likely to be aggressive

Thornstar was as prickly as ever, but Finchstar found he always admired the nettles on ShadowClan's side of the border. Prickles or no, her statement for peace soothed his heart. Was the WindClan leader perhaps angry? It was a foreign emotion to Finchstar, something he had never experienced nor sought after. Even as the moor was invaded by beasts, he felt no anger for them. Disgust, loathing, perhaps, but without morals of their own, they deserved no reaction from himself. His anger stemmed from the current state of the forest. Gone for a moon, having returned to see cats fall at the paws of other cats. They were civilized, intelligent beings, capable of creating wars - and stopping them. How dare they make action to draw blood from one another when their lands were being attacked by something far more sinister? The tom blinked, his permanent grin unwavering. His anger was subtle, a quiet, kind thing that flew far below the noses of all those around him. He flicked his tail for Spottedstar, Thornstar, Oakstar, even. While he respected and admired their diligence as leaders, where was their fortitude to keep blood from spilling? Finchstar strived his whole life for peace, leaving the forest for a moon, to return to see it bathed in crimson.

While the situation had resolved itself, the leader found his irritation stemmed not from the leaders around him, but from the life they all lead, even himself. He dug his claws into the stone and knew deep down that war was inevitable. It was at no fault to Thornstar, Spottedstar, and Oakstar. He had come to this realization as he threw Pakhet onto the spikes of the moonstone. It was their namesake after all - they were warriors. This was the society they lived in, and the crimson that coated their grasses was simply cosmetic. The tom stifled a frustrated hiss as he flattened his ears, gazing out into the stars. Finchstar strived for peace, but was it possible in this life, and any others? Had his undying optimism grown too fast? Was he a glutton for his shining ideals? Crushed by his realization, and unable to force his anger onto a solid object or being, Finchstar flicked his tail, resumed his bluff, and shrugged.

"Thank you Oakstar for your offer, however the threat is gone. Should it return again, I recommend we cease spilling blood from our adjacent clans, and save it for the beasts who wish to slay us. I do not blame you for the battle that had taken place in my absence, nor do I blame Spottedstar and Thornstar, I simply gaze at the stars and wish for something better. Perhaps someday we will shed our claws and find the peace we desire." Finchstar smiled and dipped his head t his four counterparts, unable to identify the feeling in his bones. "We will take our leave now, I wish you all the best of luck in this coming season, may leafbare treat your clans well."