May Gathering 2020 [Sitewide Plot Finale]

As Riverclan walked to the gathering Stormbringer counted every cat at least twice, and kept a note of every Riverclan cat in attendance at this gathering. She could smell the sickness on the other clans as well, plus she didn't know what the five were planning. She wasn't going to lose any one of her clanmates not tonight.

The gray deputy was broken out of her thoughts as soon as Ivystar spoke up talking to both her and Honeytongue. She accepted her leader's affection without a second thought, despite the growing crowd around them. All she offered in response to her leader was a simple nod, watching her jump up the rock before Honeytongue's sweet voice caught her attention. She couldn't help the small amount of fear slip into her tone in response to Honeytongue. "Please stay safe." She said softly, giving a small lick to the top of the golden she-cat's head.

Once her mate had padded away from her she turned and joined the other deputies at the base of the rock. Not minding at all if they saw or heard the exchange with her mates. She let out a soft "Hello," to Ravenmist knowing the she-cat was blind. Soon she turned to Olivestone dipping her head in greeting. "Hello. I'm Stormbringer, nice to meet you Olivestone. I hope being deputy is treating you well."

---

It was a struggle to make it to the gathering that was certain. Every step was exhausting, every breath felt like he was breathing fire. The feelings were only amplified as soon as he stepped out of camp. It didn't feel good, but he had something to prove even if guilt was eating him alive at his center. He didn't like Starclan hating him. He didn't like being one of the reasons Windclan was suffering, but something in his gut, despite all of his feelings, told him to attend.

The large gray fluffy tom was flooded with relief as soon as he reached the clearing. Not wanting to take another step into the clearing he settled on the edge of the gathering clearing, near the Windclan border. He hated he had to support Windclan from back here but he wasn't going to take another step. Not with how he was feeling. "Gustpuddle.. Crowstar.. Please make sure we are safe.." He whispered to himself. A heaving cough escaping him shortly after.

"Softpaw told me to watch you, so that's what I'll do. You don't look fine." The tom retorted, only sounding more sour because he was simply worried for her wellbeing-- I know, shocking, isn't it? With a disgruntled grunt, he shifted as two she-cats joined them. And then another. And then a tom. And Downpaw was very uncomfortable. Honeytongue. He'd heard that name before.... Oh! Yes! Dappleshine's sister!

Dappleshine looked more steady on her paws than Ploverpuddle and Zinnia... With a hiss, he decided it best to leave Dappleshine here, where hopefully her sister would protect her. If not, well... Downpaw's claws flexed involuntarily.

With an uneasy glance at Dappleshine, he turned a stone hard glare to this Honeytongue cat. "If so much of a whisker is harmed on her pelt, I'll personally shred you." He growled, turning and getting up. "I'll be close, Dappleshine. With Zinnia and Ploverpuddle." He told her, giving her one last friendly nudge, and a glare to the other four cats, before he stalked off.

Coming up to the black she-cat, who seemed much more stable than the gray-and-white tom, and gently came up to her shoulder. "Zinnia," he mewed softly, much more gentle than he usually was, "Lean on me, I'm bringing you over to Ploverpuddle, I can protect you both more easily if your together; its what Finchstar would do." Guiding the she-cat over gently, he settled himself between his Clanmates, providing a shoulder for both to lean on. "You feeling alright, Ploverpuddle?"

He was no medicine cat, and he wasn't great with words, and he wasn't the nicest cat around-- his tongue could slice an eagle's wing off-- but, he still had a shoulder his Clanmates could lean on. And, if all else failed, well, he still had a tail for support.

Downpaw has uneasily left Dapple in Honey's care. He now has proceeded to lead Zinnia over to Ploverpuddle, he is still open for random cats to approach the small group.

Viperpaw was glad when the group around her continued to grow. She hated that she felt so unsure, so afraid of what might happen. She was meant to be brave and strong, but instead she could feel her heart beating away like a bird's. Smokepaw's tail was a comfort to her. Looking between her brother and the other cats around her, she knew that she could draw strength from them. She would need it, because she desperately wanted to take a few clumps of 'righteous' fur with her.

"Hey Redwolf. Hi, Smokepaw," she purred, turning to press her muzzle into her brother's thick mane of neck fur, "We all have to stick together. That's what we have that they don't. We love each other, and we don't just fight for ourselves." She might not have ever heard much of Finchstar's words, but in a way, he had been right.

Juniperpaw has gone off and sat alone. Pawing at the Dirt as this was her very first gathering. The young She-cat wasn’t very big but she was very calm. She didn’t quite understand what was going on but she knew that she had to keep her head high for her clan. Juniperpaw Pawed at the dirt, looking at these mostly unfamiliar cats, and the mixture of odd smells from the other clans.

Speckledpaw had placed herself off towards the edge, looking off into the crowd of people. The She-cat was getting closer to becoming a warrior everyday and soon she’d be coming quite often. She didn’t know whether or not to talk to any of the other clans so she stayed where she was peacefully minding her business.

Icecloud looked around the clearing. It was her first ever Gathering as a warrior. She didn’t know what to expect with the tension that there had recently been. She walked around observing the clans. She was very talkative and didn’t want to hold it in the whole night.

The calico's ears flicked as she nodded. "Yes, that was definitely... A turning point. Dustcloud, Oakstar's mate, and I were both accompanying him. We were going to advise Flintstar and ShadowClan of Dacedream's death, and then proceed to WindClan and RiverClan. We knew she had relations in each of them. We were ambushed near the Thunderpath as we waited for a patrol by Badgerstar and Brackenstar, and a couple others. Brackenstar pinned Oakstar and stole a life, and I fear was going to steal more when another StarClan warrior appeared, but she seemed to be on our side.... Wolffang, if I recall her name correctly. She distracted Brackenstar long enough for me to cross the Thunderpath and stabilize Oakstar, but with the others breathing down my neck that was all I had time and resources to do.... Thank you, for caring for him Mothglow. Has he healed well? Is he here?" Her fur had started to rise as she spoke about the Righteous Few's interruption, but she relaxed slightly as Daisybloom joined her introducing herself.

Spiderquill joined them shakily, and she winced as she saw the tiredness in his eyes. Unfortunately, no herbs could soothe tiredness.... Hopefully he would take on an apprentice soon. Lowering her head briefly, she nodded. and gave a small smile. "Congratulations, Spiderquill. You worked hard to get to this point, I'm very proud of you. Mistleshine is too, I'm sure, how is she doing?" She asked quietly. Softpaw spoke up then, and Mossbloom turned her gaze to the apprentice as her gaze darkened. Murmuring quietly, she moved to the she-cat's side and touched her tail to her back. "Softpaw.... Finchstar was a brave, wise cat. But I can assure you that he would have been as lost as the rest of us. You shouldn't be dead, Softpaw, Aspenheart needs you. The forest needs you. I know..... I've lost a lot of family and friends as well. Just try to keep your chin up, this will be over soon... One way or the other. I know it." Hard resolve sounded in her mew, her gaze cold as she looked up towards the stars.

---

"I understand, Honeytongue, don't worry." Another wave of coughing gripped her, finally subsiding after what felt like moons but was only a few heartbeats. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to be there for you more." She caught her breath while Honeytongue spoke of love, and a wide grin lit up her face. "That's fantastic news Honeytongue! Oh, I'm so happy for all of you, you're all so wonderful and deserve the best. I'm glad you found it in each other!" She purred, touching her nose to Honeytongue's shoulder briefly as she asked about Raventail. "He hasn't gone to see StarClan yet. I think we're all a little.... Fearful of what may happen. Even if he hasn't received his lives, though, he is still our leader through and through. It's been an... odd time, for sure."

Just then, Cherryblossom appeared at her side and Dappleshine chirped a rough, pleased hello. "Cherryblossom! Oh, it's so good to see you again, I hope you're well? Things in WindClan could be better, but they could also be worse. We're manag-" She cut off with another round of coughing, her paws curling under her as the clearing seemed to spin before steadying again. After a few gasps, she continued breathily. "We're managing well enough. How about ThunderClan? Is Dace...." She gasped as she saw a familiar figure approaching, eyes widening. "Mink-.... No, Strom, is that you? Oh stars, it's been moons! I'm so happy to see you again, did you find what you were searching for?" She struggled to rise to her paws, lifting her nose to touch to his before quickly sitting back down again. She caught the scent of the illness on him too, and winced at the thought.

"I'm doing well enough, as well as I can fighting this illness. It's been.... Rough, for sure, Raventail and I had kits but they passed from kittencough not many sunrises after their birth. We adopted a kit, Fogpaw, she's here at her first Gathering today! I can't wait for her to meet you all, and Dacedream. She's absolutely darling. Enough about me though, how are you? You smell like ThunderClan, so am I correct that you returned there and not to RiverClan?" She was interrupted by another vaguely familiar she-cat, and she recalled seeing her pressed to her daughter at the last Gathering. Useless? Confusion clouded her gaze as she looked between her granddaughters and Strom, then worry tinged the corners. Her thoughts seemed to be confirmed as the apprentice said she wasn't here tonight, but the last comment shook her, fear gripping her chest. Was her daughter okay? "Was she too ill to come as well? I had feared that she would have been struck too, but I hoped...." She sighed, frowning as she looked to Honeytongue, the fear having introduced itself into her gaze. Downpaw excused himself, and she nudged him back as he left to head somewhere else.

Cherryblossom spoke up then, and blue eyes met green as her granddaughter spoke, the fear and worry growing as she said she had terrible news. Was it the illness, or the concern that was making it feel like bile was rising in her throat? The warrior paused, taking a deep breath, and Dappleshine braced herself, eyes moving between her company. Dacedream was severely ill, and may not recover. Or she had gotten seriously injured, and was unable to make it. The one thing she refused to consider, not even entertaining the thought, was the exact thing that Cherryblossom said. Dead. Her first daughter, her little minnow, was dead. At the claws of the Righteous Few. She stared blankly at her grandkit for a moment, not moving and silent as the news sank in. Her daughter was dead, just like her others. A high-pitched cry suddenly ripped from her throat, rising to the same stars that had stolen her daughter, just like they had stolen her mother, father, and other kits. It was a haunting sound, trailing on for far too long as her sorrow filled the air around her.

Please.... Please.... Tell me it isn't true.... This is... This is a terrible thing to say. You wouldn't say something like that, if it wasn't true... She thought as she looked at the expressions on the gathered faces around her. Tears had already started to fall as she wailed again, the incoherent noise that only a broken heart could make. It seemed to choke at the end as she collapsed, the strength and will she had been relying on to keep her upright suddenly gone in the news of her daughter's demise. "Who... Which one of them.... Why..... Oh Dacedream, my minnow.... I'm so sorry..... I never should have let you follow him... This is my fault..... My love......" She didn't care who heard her, or who was even around anymore. Everything had blurred, the only thing she could see being her daughter's face that was no longer there. She sobbed as the realization that she would never see her daughter again hit her, and the memories of her kithood, then growing up, the pain of her leaving and the joy that she had found her place, rushing through the silver queen.

Daisybloom stood awkwardly as the medicine cats spoke around her. She felt like an odd one out, like she had felt before. Being a medicine cat had changed that feeling, but it came back. She didn’t know anyone standing by her, except Mossbloom. Her blue eyes titled down and she looked at her paws. Deciding to take in every detail of them, she did. The small tufts of fur. The scratch that reminded her of her warriorhood. It wasn’t the most interesting to some cats, but it calmed her down.

Willowpaw padded over to her best friend, Moonpaw. Her white fur was a stark contrast to Moonpaw’s darker grey fur. “Hey...Moonpaw? You know if something goes wrong today...Ill always be here for you, right? Just like you were there for me when I got attacked by the raccoon. I’m sure that something feels wrong today...and I will do everything to protect you.” She smiled at her friend, placing her tail on Moonpaw’s back.

Spiderquill smiled bashfully at Mossbloom and Softpaw's congratulations. However, his smile faded a little at the mention of his former mentor. "Uh, well. I'm sure you know about her injury. She's doing... Well, considering her blood loss. I don't think she'll ever be quite the same, but she--uh- she's recovering." He cleared his throat awkwardly, feeling slightly angry at himself for the lump in his throat. Wasn't he stronger than this? Why was the slight mention of his perfectly alive mentor enough to set him off? Weren't medicine cats supposed to be tough? What Softpaw said next, though, quieted his thoughts.

Spiderquill frowned at Softpaw's outburst, concerned for his friend. "Softpaw, you shouldn't think so poorly of yourself. What happened to Finchstar was... Horrible. Nobody would deserve such a death, especially as just and kind a cat as him. But you shouldn't--you shouldn't blame it on yourself. You didn't kill him, S-S-StarClan did. You being alive here today is exactly what Finchstar would have wanted. Be proud of yourself and what you've been through." His tone was jittery and tired, but a fierce determination shone in his eyes. He wouldn't allow Softpaw to blame herself for something she had no control over, nor feel like she had nobody left to turn to. He was here for her, no matter what.

Honeytongue giggled as Dappleshine congratulation her on her...Relationship upgrade with her two mates. She opened her mouth to respond but drifted off as more cats slowly started to approach. She didn't recognize any of them but at least Dappleshine was able to put a name to each of their faces. She listened to as the she-cat greeted them all, before her attention was stolen by the small apprentice...Threatening her to keep Dappleshine safe in his stead before he stalked off. She blinked, unsure of how even to respond to that before one of the voices spoke up, mentioning Dacedream.

The golden she-cat shook her head as she refocused herself back onto the conversation that was happening between Dappleshine and the other cats. The one that had mentioned Dacedream had already fallen silent, having simply mentioned that she wasn't here until another spoke up and her eyes eyes fell to...Cherryblossom, she believed that was what Dappleshine had greeted her as. It wasn't hard to hear the hesitation in the young girl's voice as she tried to find the words to explain the terrible news. But then it came out, and Honeytongue felt her heart shatter.

Dacedream was dead.

Fear caught in her throat, breath hitching as she tried to make sense of the words. Not even dead. Slain. By the...The Righteous Few. Just like Torrentstar. Another one of her family, dead. Gone. Taken. Why, why did they keep leaving her. She... All she had left was Dappleshine now of her family from Torrentstar. Why was she losing her family, why didn't she deserve to keep them. Why - A sudden hiss escaped her as her eyes squeezed shut, ducking her head as she tried to wrestle with her own thoughts. No, this wasn't right. This wasn't...True. She knew better to think like this, it wasn't her fault. None of the blame was with her - it was out of her control. It hadn't mattered if she had seen Dacedream as family as not - that wouldn't have stopped The Righteous Few.

But still... Dacedream was dead. She was so...Sweet. Innocent. Oh stars, she had kits. How were they dealing? How... She jolted as a sudden wail split the air, her ears slicking back as Dappleshine collapsed at her side. "Oh Dappleshine!" she gasped, tears starting to run free on her own face as the weight of the truth started to sink in. She dropped next to the she-cat, curling her tail around her as she buried her muzzle into her sister's shoulder. "This isn't your fault. It isn't mine and it isn't even Dacedream's," she murmured softly. "We can't blame ourselves...None of us were the ones that took her life. Its...Its theirs," she hissed through the tears, a hiccup escaping her as her eyes rose toward the stars. "The...The Righteous Few. They slew Torrentstar, Thornstar...Finchstar and now Dacedream. They...They are the only ones to be blamed for this."

The anger that she felt in her chest had been unexpected but it felt so...Right. She hadn't been able to be angry at her father's death - not even when the truth had been revealed. Maybe...Maybe it had been because of the tear in their relationship. Or maybe it was because in some ways, he deserved it. But Dacedream? She had not deserved to have her life stolen away like that - nothing she had done was with ill intent and she was happy in ThunderClan. With her kits... Slowly Honeytongue's gaze fell to the two she-cats, glancing between the two. Were...They some of Dacedream's kits? They had both made mention of it, it would seem right if anybody were to share the news it would be them. She wasn't sure who the tom was - Dappleshine had called him Mink or...Strom, was it? She wasn't sure... She sighed as she rested her chin on Dappleshine's head, knowing that the she-cat needed the comfort more than anything.

Vinepaw sat there, looking annoyed, did he have to come?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, Fernpaw the small riverclan apprentice was looking rather excited.

Both of these cats are open to talk!

Cherryblossom felt tears well up in her own eyes as the emotion from admitting, once again, that her mother was dead, hit her. She saw her grief mirrored in Dappleshine, and the keening wail of grief reflected in the little tabby's own heart, a sound that could accurately express just how she'd felt since Dacedream's death. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she croaked, "I'm so sorry to be the bearer of bad news..." as she settled down beside her grandmother and brushed her tail over Dappleshine's back in a small gesture of comfort. The strained words of who, which, and why, were all questions that Cherryblossom had asked herself when Rainstrike had first brought Dacedream's body back to camp, but so far, had been unable to answer.
"I don't know who did it, but I have been itching to hook my claws into their mangy pelt ever since they killed mom..."

As Honeytongue tried to comfort Dappleshine, Cherryblossom found herself nodding along, anger blooming through the grief that was squeezing her heart. "She's right. There is no one to blame except for the Righteous Few." she spat the last few words out, then corrected herself, "There's nothing righteous about them. The Mangiest Few, more like."
She took a deep breath before murmuring once more, "I'm so sorry, Dappleshine."

---

The little happiness that being around her Clanmates, love interests and honorary siblings had provided did little to cushion the wave of sadness that hearing someone's wails of grief brought. Redwolf popped her head up to look for the source of the sound, the keening reminding her of how she'd felt all those moons ago, when Cardinalcry had fled, when Thornstar had been brought into camp, dead and laid bare for all to see. She felt her breath hitch in her throat as all of those feelings came rushing back, and she fought to swallow the lump forming in her throat and to blink back the tears that were prickling the backs of her eyes. She caught sight of the source of the sound, a silver queen pressing herself to the ground while a golden she-cat murmured to her, and a tan and white tabby who looked quite small for her age trying to comfort her too, accompanied by a red pelt similar to her own, all too far away for Redwolf to hear. The grief coming off of that group was almost palpable, and she pressed herself against Goldenpaw, and tried to draw Briarpaw closer with her tail.
"I think someone has gotten terrible news."

---

Olivestone smiled back at Stormbringer's greeting, and nodded towards the RiverClanner. "Nice to meet you too! I'm settling in pretty well, though things were hectic at first. Raventail got sick from this StarClan-forsaken plague, and I had to lead in his stead while he recovered."
She flicked her tail as another thought crossed her mind, irritation sparking in her as she remembered the trip to the gorge a few days previous.
"I led a patrol to the gorge recently, and actually talked to one of those mange-pelted Righteous Few, or whatever they call themselves. Through her insults and condescending chatter, she confirmed that they sent this plague. Personally, I'd like to hook my claws in her pelt, but I didn't get the chance then."

Her eyes widened as she realized she'd talked for a while.
"Anyway, that's enough from me! How goes it in RiverClan?"
The words were hardly out of her mouth before a wail tore across the clearing and cut off her words, and she immediately identified the source as- Dappleshine. She immediately looked around for the silver queen, and saw her Clanmate crouched down, surrounded by friends and presumably family, all trying to comfort her. Olivestone didn't recognize the four cats clustered around the WindClan queen, but she knew that she had family in RiverClan. The pure grief that emanated from the wail pierced her heart like a thorn, and she took a deep breath to get her bearings again.

It was Ashpaw's turn to sit quietly and listen, and as he did so, he felt as if the true gravity of the clan's situation slowly began to dawn on him, revealing itself through Morningpaw's heartfelt statements.  These so-called ghosts as he saw them, they weren't just haunting menacingly like in his father's old stories, dragging cats to their doom in secret.  They had started a war, sparked fear in the hearts of even the cats who knew nothing of StarClan...they were just like living cats.  Flawed, unpredictable, having the free will to do what they please even if that meant doing evil.  Staring off into the distance, he wondered...why do the clan cats worship them anyway?  It seems like they believe the Righteous Few are an exception, but if their ancestors really put their own desires before those of their kin just like they might do in life...are they really worthy of such unquestioning commitment?  However, now wasn't the time to discuss topics like that.

Taken aback by Morningpaw's genuine concern for his well-being, along with her praise, Ashpaw felt his face grow warm and he couldn't meet her gaze.  "T-Thank you, I hope they would be too.  For their sake, for my siblings, for Ivystar and Stormbringer...I'll fight!  I'll fight, I'll live, to make this world a better place for everyone, including you Morningpaw.  I want all of us to live in peace too, and...I admire you for following that dream even though you're unsure.  You're right, if we do end up fighting, we might not all survive.  It's horrible to think about, but in the end, we can't stop other cats from also fighting for what they believe in.  They want to fight to live too, and I hope with all my heart that we will all live to see what we fought for!"

The stars sparkling in his vivid green eyes, Ashpaw stood up and looked toward the Great Rock, smiling softly at the sight of his adoptive guardians before turning back to meet Morningpaw's gaze. "I heard about Finchstar in passing, and I'm sorry that he's gone.  From what I've heard, he sounded like an amazing leader and an amazing cat.  I wasn't there, but I don't think it was your fault that he died.  It was the fault of the Righteous Few.  That might sound like a weak answer, but in the end, I think it's true.  I blame myself for my parent's deaths...'if only I had known the right herb, maybe they would've lived, if only I had been a better son'...but deep down, I know that I tried my very best. If I had given up halfway, only tried what I knew, or even ran away...then it truly would've been my fault.  I stayed though, I stayed and tried and failed until the very end...and I think that's what you're doing too Morningpaw.  Hopefully this time though, we won't have to say we failed."

Signing, Ashpaw sat back down and for a moment he was silent until he turned and smiled sheepishly at Morningpaw.  "Don't take this the wrong way, being from WindClan and all, but you remind me of Ivystar.  You're both brave, kind, think of others before yourself, and truly want the best for the clans.  Ever since she and Stormbringer took me in, I've wanted to be just like her...not that I think I could ever be leader, oh gosh no!  I just...want to make the most of the life they gave me, and following in her pawsteps is how I want to do that.  I think though Morningpaw, that you have the spirit of a leader.  So...you be safe too!  If we do fight, I want us both to survive and be able to talk again, as friends!"  It had only been a short time, but somehow, Ashpaw felt as if he had known Morningpaw for much longer.  He didn't know if she felt similarly, but even if not, he knew that she was someone he wanted to know better...someone amazing.

Following the lead of the rest of his clan, Smallbean pushed his way into fourtrees for the first time in moons. It was a wonder why he'd gone to this gathering, as he knew he didn't want to, especially because of, well, everything that's been going on. Not only had these "Starclan" cats been making appearances at the gatherings, but they were now killing cats, and this frightened him. He had also found that the plague that had recently swept all five clans had also been caused by them. But for some unknown reason, something had urged him to go to this gathering.

The last time he had been to a gathering was when he was an apprentice, mainly because he was too afraid to be there and witness what had been the topic of every conversation lately. That, and the fact that he hated socializing, and that was the main point of a gathering. Pushing his thoughts back to the current gathering, he looked around to find a place he could sit by himself. It took hi a few moments but eventually he found a solitary spot on the other side of the clearing where he could sit without being disturbed. After all, he went to this gathering out of mere curiosity, he wasn't there to socialize. He ducked his head to avoid confrontation and weaved his way through the crowd, finally arriving at the spot. He sat down and wrapped his tail around his paws.

---

Arriving with Thunderclan, Robinloft padded into the clearing of Fourtrees. It wasn't that long ago she was here with many other can cats, but she was there for another purpose than making conversation with other clan cats. Now it was different, like how her first gathering went. Oh how much more simpler they were back then. Now it seemed like the clans were closer and closer to breaking with each gathering and the arrival of new news Robinloft herself was surprised she was in such high spirits. Maybe nothing that bad will happen this gathering? She could only hope for the best as she waked into the sea of cats.

It was but a moment later she accidentally bumped into another cat, one smaller than her that smelled of fish. "Oh- Sorry about that! I didn't mean to bump into you!" She quickly apologized with an awkward smile. "I'm Robinloft of Thunderclan, you're from Riverclan, i presume?" She sat down next to the other cat, looking over at her with questioning eyes. "It's nice to see an apprentice so happy, especially in times as these. I think it's always best to keep a smile, for both myself and those around me. I've found that when cats have smiles on their faces, it makes those around them worry a bit less!"


Robin is talking to vinepaw, and Smallbean is open for conversation (((he's been able to compose himself and control his anxiety for this long, don't spoil it lol)))

Moonpaw glanced at whoever had called her name. "Oh, hey, Willowpaw!" she purred. "Oh, umm, thanks?" she mumbled awkwardly when her best friend told her she would be there for her if anything went wrong. "I'll be with you too if anything happens. But I'm pretty sure nothing will happen tonight. It's a Gathering; no violence and stuff, remember? Besides, I can protect myself. Who knows if it'll end up being me defending you?" she grinned.

Ashpaw glared at Ebonypaw. "What do you want? Spit it out!" she snapped, rising from her sitting position. "If you won't talk, don't bother me. I'm moving," she growled, already searching for another spot to settle.

A cold, all-consuming sense of foreboding filled Spottedstar's chest when he looked upon the Great Rock from the edge of Fourtrees. Alongside this dread was a feeling of alarm that bordered on terror, revealed in the spotted tabby's face only slightly. His ears flattened back, his tail hung low, and his legs trembled imperceptibly beneath his weight. He had been debating even showing up this Gathering because of the events of the past few moons, but the reluctance that now weighed him down was new, sudden, and brought on by Nettlefire as she rested on the Great Rock and spoke with the other leaders. Rather, it wasn't her presence but Oakstar's absense that struck fear through Spottedstar's heart like a bolt of lightning. It occured to him rather quickly that, supposing the old ThunderClan leader wasn't merely sick or injured, then it was possible he was another name on a rapidly growing list of the Righteous Few's victims - and that made Spottedstar the final leader left untouched by StarClan's wrath. But for how long?

The SkyClan leader gathered all his strength in a stuttering breath and then yowled loudly to announce his clan's presence to the rest of the group. He lead his warriors and apprentices in as usual, expression aloof and tail raised high, but his heart was beating unusually fast and his breath was coming in short, poorly concealed gasps. The tightness in his chest reminded him of that blasted fox's fangs closing around his neck, blood exploding into his throat and filling his lungs--

The Great Rock was in front of Spottedstar before he knew it. His eyes briefly traveled to the newest deputy at its base, a she-cat smelling of moorland and long grasses, peaty heather patches and open skies, early morning mountain breezes and the blood of hares. He stared at her only for a few moments, muttered a disinterested "Congratulations," and launched himself cleanly to the top of the boulder at an open space. The fear followed him even though he concealed it from the four cats beside him. Perhaps the ThunderClan deputy had already shared what had happened to Oakstar, but Spottedstar would have no way of knowing because of his tardiness. 'Oakstar... might be the best of us. Might have been the best of us, if he's dead. If StarClan had a problem with him, then I can't be sure that I'm safe, even if I haven't done anything wrong. However, one of the strangers said she warned Finchstar. Surely if they had a problem with me, they would have said something.' He was sure he hadn't done anything, yet StarClan still shut out Sagelight even though SkyClan was pure-blooded. Unless he had done something. Nervousness made his pelt itch.

Technically... technically he had said some things that overly strict proponents of the code would disapprove of. He had, by all accounts, fallen in love with his medicine cat and confessed as much to her. Jaystar and Goldeneye from RiverClan's past had been a stark example of what could have happened if things had actually gone farther. And even if Amberdawn had stuck around the forest as a kittypet instead of fleeing, she was no longer SkyClan. A leader-kittypet relationship would have been equally taboo. Maybe no one else alive in the clans knew about it, but StarClan had ways of seeing things that living cats could not. No doubt the Righteous Few knew who he was and what he had tried to do. Spottedstar realized that he was growing dizzy. Guilt and shame wracked his stomach, and briefly, he thought he might throw up or pass out in the middle of a Gathering. "Somebody start this." He growled to the other leaders, eager to leave already.

Harefoot and Dawngaze were there also.