April Gathering 2020

Ploverpuddle was anxious to say the least. He knew that things weren't well between Finchstar and Starclan and by default all of Windclan though he didn't have any issues with Starclan. He tried his best to live by their rules and how his leaders have guided him. The large fluffy gray warrior quickly and quietly took his place among the cats. He could tell he sat next to a Thunderclan cat considering that scent was strongest but he couldn't really process it fully due to his own nervousness.

Yellow eyes looked up at the rock for a moment before returning to the space in front of him. "I hope nothing too bad happens this time." The tom said to the cats beside him.

---

Flowerthorn honestly was coming to the gatherings anymore just to see what drama would unfold today. It was entertaining for her to say the least. There wasn't any issues in Skyclan that had Starclan mad at them as far as she knew and that is all that matters. The other clans and their issues was something she never worried about. The pale warrior settled towards the back, dull blue eyes looking up at the leaders.

(Plover is talking to Strom. Flower is open)

Breezepaw nodded to Maplepaw. “We’d better stop talking now, unless you want to attract attention.” He sat straight forwards and waited for the gathering to continue.


[*line break isn’t working so have this*]


Redpaw puffed out his chest as Spottedstar announced his apprenticeship. He wrapped his tail around his paws and analyzed the scene. SkyClan was the last to arrive, it seemed. Which made sense; Spottedstar wouldn’t have started the gathering without the other Clans.

Redpaw flicked her plumed tail as Cedarpaw rose to her paws and left the group, and she watched the ThunderClanner until she sat down across the clearing and started talking to another cat.
Finally. Now to get this RiverClan toad-brain to leave.

She didn't have time to say anything else, however, as SkyClan finally arrived, adding the final ingredient to the mix of scent that swirled around the clearing.
Oh, SkyClan has finally decided to grace us with their almighty presence! Let's get this over with, for StarClan's sake.

When Spottedstar announced a new apprentice that shared her name, she glanced around to see if she could spot the apprentice in question. Her gaze fell on an apprentice with a pelt almost as strikingly red as hers, and she flicked her tail once more, a pleasing thought occurring to her. She chuckled quietly under her breath.
At least I'll be a warrior soon, so there'll be no name confusion. My moonstone journey will be any day now!

Strom glanced over as a fluffy, grey tom smelling of WindClan sat next to him, the other's mew expressing his - and from the looks of it, a number of others - feelings about the gathering perfectly. "I have a feeling all of us are feeling that way," He agreed, dipping his head in greeting.

---

Swansong padded into the clearing with the Clan, and beside her new apprentice. There was still novelty in the thought, but as she glanced up at the glowing white full moon, its light casting cool blue shadows beneath the oaks with their leaves still-blooming, she smiled. No longer was she nervous about it. StarClan might be angry, and her heart still felt a pang for those who had been brought down by their wrath, but she couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope. Tragedy still lingered all around, and it always would, but just as Newleaf brought new life springing back from the earth, so this, too, would pass.

It still troubled her that they should have killed the two who had broken the code, especially a mother with new kits - Moonlight would never have done that - but she couldn't argue that they had a reason for what they did.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Spottedstar leaped onto the Great Rock, his announcement ringing through the clearing. She could feel her ears warming as her name was announced with her apprentice, but kept her head high. In the corner of her eye, she saw the tom puff out his chest, his eyes analyzing the clearing. Turning her own attention outwards, she pricked her ears, observing the hustle and bustle of others talking with each other. Even though they were talking, some still seemed... subdued. From what I've heard of the other gatherings, I'm not surprised. It must have been horrible....

(Strom is talking back to Plover, and Swansong is open for chatting!)

Following SkyClan into the clearing, Sunflower looked around, his amber gaze resting on his sister's silver pelt. He usually sat along during gatherings, but seeing as though she was here, the tall, lengthy tom found comfort in being near those close to him. Padding over to the she-cat, Sunflower sat down next to her, not saying a word as he looked up to the leaders. Hopefully, the gathering would start soon so that they could get back home.

Ferretdance nodded, pleased that he wasn't alone in his thoughts. Maybe they still had the same amount of control over what was happening - that was to say none - but it still felt like they were more present somehow. He glanced around for Petalpaw from ShadowClan like he always did, wondering if the other tom had also gotten his warrior name, but he no longer really expected to find him. "Shall we find a place to sit? Or was there anyone you wanted to find?" He figured they should hurry and decide, as Spottedstar was about to speak.

---

Viperpaw shrugged as Cedarpaw took off, looking to Redpaw with some amusement, but settled in to listen as the leaders began the official gathering.

Olivestone nodded as Ferretdance agreed with her, and shook her head when he asked if she were looking for anyone in particular. She found a spot near the center of the gathered cats, and sat, leaving space for her brother.
"Nah, I'm not looking for anyone, though I wonder where Morningpaw got off to."

"Right here!", mewed a familiar voice from behind Olivestone-- okay, the apprentice was definitely not there twenty seconds ago. Morningpaw of WindClan gave a slight nod and then sat down near Olivestone and Ferretdance, explaining; "I've been practicing my stalking- as in hunting-stalking, not as in creepily following you around-stalki... okay, no, a bit of both."

The grey tabby tilted her head towards Ferretdance and gave a welcoming smile. "You have to be Ferretdance, you look just like Olivestone said- she speaks really highly of you." And then with a slightly amused expression, "Usually."

Zinnia hummed softly in acknowledgement of her new companion's words. Ferretnose, she introduced herself, and she smelled like ThunderClan, so that was what she must have been. "Zinnia," she offered her name in return. "Indeed. We can only hope for the best - it seems the forest is rarely at peace, though I suppose that's all the more reason to appreciate what little we can find."

(Zinnia is responding to Ferretnose! Mothglow and Batbite are both still open to talk to!)

Oakstar nodded politely to Finchstar as the orange tabby leader joined him on the rock. His head turned in greeting to Spottedstar, though the tom seemed to dismiss him and go on to state his own clan’s state of affairs. He was relieved to hear little in the way of bad news. If SkyClan wasn’t fairing too badly, then perhaps StarClan felt as though it’s words had finally been heeded. He stepped forward to make his own announcement.

"ThunderClan’s prey has been returning well this newleaf. We have two new warriors, Cherryblossom and Icecloud, as well as four new apprentices, Blizzardpaw, Moonpaw, Sunpaw and Willowpaw. Our clan continues to grow with more kits, and we hope that the season continues to be good to all the clans." He looked back at his fellow leaders with a familiar smile, before he stepped back to allow the next leader their turn.

Wolfcall trailed the others into the clearing, grinning and swatting his brother on the haunch gently with a paw, "behave yourself, you hooligan," he called quietly after Juniperpaw as he bolted away. The deputy shook his head. That slacker was due to be a warrior a moon ago - maybe he'd talk to Firflower and see if there was anything he could help with.

He'd barely made it to the other deputies before Spottedstar began the meeting, and he dipped his head in greeting to them as he settled at the base of the rock, happy to be down here, this time, rather than up top.

Flintstar watched in silence as the rest of the leaders arrived, simply twitching his ear in acknowledgment to them as they joined him and Ivystar on the rock but didn't bother to say a word. There was nothing really to say after all, they all knew the...Dangers that they faced when it came to the Stars above and their stances were clear - other than SkyClan, he supposed. Spottedstar had been missing from the last Gathering after all. He listened as Spottedstar started the Gathering, nothing notable being shared. Same with ThunderClan. New warriors, new apprentices. Things that were to be expected - perhaps this would be a lackluster Gathering after all. Joy.

As Oakstar stepped back, the large tri-colored leader pushed himself to his paws and stepped forward. "ShadowClan, like-wise, has been doing well-enough. We've had three new apprentices - Briarpaw, Viperpaw and Smokepaw," he added, perhaps the slightest hint of pride in his voice as he mentioned their names. They perhaps were the children of Thornstar and Torrentstar but they were proud ShadowClan members nonetheless - their blood wouldn't change where they were raised and where they were loyal to. He could only hope that they would be spared by StarClan... But he wasn't sure he had any faith in the Stars above when they had already ripped their mother from them. "Prey is likewise returning to the marsh, nothing else worth noting," he finished up, turning and stepping back to his place to let either Ivystar or Finchstar take his place.

As he sat down, he kept his gaze focused on the sky above. While the chance that the night would go peacefully was both a hope and a bore, he didn't want to be caught off guard if StarClan chose to make themselves known one again - he didn't tend to take the sudden silences before their...Rather loud actions well. Noise had always been he was sensitiveness to and it was annoying to think that he took it worst than others whenever they caused thunder to crash or howling winds.

Ferretdance had just settled himself down next to Olivestone when he jumped a little at the sudden voice. He let out a soft mrrow of laughter as Morningpaw explained herself.

"Looks like you're doing a good job teaching her to be a stalker - the hunting kind, that is." His voice held his amusement, and he playfully swatted at his sister as her apprentice continued on, "Yeah, I'm Ferretdance. Now, what exactly does Olivestone say about me?"

The apprentice put on an expression of (clearly feigned) outrage at the question, shaking her head quickly. "Nope!" she purred, suppressing a grin. "I wasn't raised a snitch. But if you were to share something equally interesting about Olivestone..." And, with an amused glance to her mentor, "... then she might ask Finchstar for a new apprentice."

The next question, she directed to the both of them, keeping her voice low so as not to interrupt the leaders she was currently looking over at: "Are all Gatherings like this? Just talking about who got born and who became an apprentice? It seems a little... subdued, even though there's so many cats here."

Willowpaw made herself comfortable in an area where no cat was at. She was different cats from different Clans chatting happily, and she had to force a purr down as they forgot all about their different Clans and instead talked to each other like they were in one Clan. Her tail twitched in excitement as she thought about where she was at. My first Gathering... she thought to herself excitedly, hoping to meet some new friends.


(Willowpaw is open to talk to!)