October Gathering 2020

Adderpaw watched with her good eye as a brown tabby apprentice sidled up beside her. The other cat seemed to want to... talk. Ugh. She didn't even like conversation at the best of times, and this was certainly not the best of times. She attempted to ignore the other cat for a few seconds, but she wasn't going away. Claws unsheathed just in case, she shrugged stiffly. Adderpaw resented the notion that she needed help to perform as simple a task as walking to Fourtrees. She wasn't even that injured anymore, she could walk on her own. Though she doubted the other cat would understand her, she opened her mouth and mouthed "I don't need help. The medicine cats can all eat fox-dung." As usual, she emphasised each syllable and mouthed slowly. Other cats' lipreading skills were more often than not lacking.
OOC: Adderpaw is talking to Viperpaw.

⫸ The warrior's response caused him to flick an ear. It was true, this was merely an exchange of one set of foreign scents for another. Regardless, this was far more breathable than the camp which was only crafted for the needs of one clan; Carpsplash also had an aversion to anything that broke tradition. Perhaps that was why he found himself more at ease underneath a gathering moon than stuffed into a nest near a Skyclanner. His gaze flickered up as another cat had come to join them. From the looks of her appearance, she didn't seem too much older than his clanmate, but some age was written across her muzzle.

"Carpsplash." The response was a grizzled rasp, betraying both his own age and the weary nature of his old frame. Sheer will was what had kept the tail-less tom alive all these moons, and maybe a healthy bloodline. Surely, his parents and siblings would have lived a long time if it wasn't for the various battles and illness that infected the clans. His head rested on his paws but his eyes flickered up to focus on the pair of cats he was talking to, "A new leader sounds much better than dealing with an entire clan." Carpsplash rumbled lowly. There was a low sigh from the sides of his maw.

"Well, let's hope she's better than Blizzardstar. No sense in starting another war over sunningrocks with leafbare approaching. I've had more respect for Thunderclan after those times, even if Oakstar was a Shadowclanner." Moons ago war had raged over the Sunningrocks, a territory that had been disputed since the dawn of time. But there was no doubt with how close they were to the River, it was their territory meant for them by Starclan. The graying tabby shrugged his shoulders and stared ahead at those who had gathered ahead. It wasn't ill-intentioned drabble, more just the rambling thoughts of an old elder. The leaders had begun their announcements and he feigned attention to such trivial reminders of young cats earning their names. And yet, his ears still pricked at the familiar Riverclan apprentices and a smile crossed his maw.  ⫸

♢ It only took a moment for the tom to find himself resting on the gathering floor. Wrenspring had never done such a thing before. While it felt strange to do so, and the presence of Redfall made his pelt prickle uneasily, the warrior's forepaw still radiated with pain from a prior confrontation with a turtle. As his stomach brushed the dirt, he glanced back up to Beechpaw. Her stature mirrored that of her father but their personalities differed in many ways. Shared strength ran through their kin, that much was obvious, yet her direction seemed much less driven by ambition than that of her father. He studied her features for a second and nodded ever so slightly as she explained the circumstances of her disappointment.

Beechpaw seemed lost. The familiar feeling was one that still haunted him today. Despite the rising trials over the moons, dealing with things as they came seemed easier with experience. He sympathized with her. Finally, the tom's crooked tail flicked her flank, "I'm sure you though that your first gathering we'd be walking from Skyclan territory too. It can be a bit much, how things change so rapidly." Or slowly, he finished to himself as he picked out the red tabby pelt from the crowd. Maybe it should have pestered him more, that despite attacking a clanmate and abandoning their clan during what had to be one of the greatest trials in recent years, Redfall had returned with a litter of kits at his paws. But somehow the warrior found himself incapable of plucking anger from the depths of belly and drawing it to the surface. Instead, he'd become preoccupied with the wellbeing of his clanmate and shoving away the itch of his fur.

His former friend didn't seem interested in starting any more fights, about as interested as he was in being a father. Wrenspring sucked in the chilly night air and realized he'd become wrapped up in his own thoughts. By the time he noticed, Wolfcall had already begun to give Skyclan's report. The deputy didn't even hesitate from his place on the rock; it seemed as if he was prepared to be leader when the time came. That was a thought Wrenspring hardly entertained, Spottedstar had been lost to them long enough, they didn't need to suffer anymore loss. It was when the announcement of Skyclan's new medicine cat apprentice that caused him to cast a side glance at the clanmate next to him. She'd never seemed to find pride or honor in the position like some cats might of.

"For what its worth," he muttered lowly, so not to disrupt the growing hush, "I think your warrior spirit is what will make you a good medicine cat." ♢

"There's that, too." Beechpaw's whiskers twitched in dry amusement. The fire had happened before she had the chance to go to her first gathering. "But it's better than twolegplace!" Overcrowded and smelly, yes. Uncomfortably wet and exposed territory? Also yes. Still, it was far better than struggling to hunt for pray and being attacked by rogues and dogs.

Soon enough the gathering was started, and Beechpaw absently listened to the news of the other clans. Riverclan's news was already known, given that the two clans shared one overcrowded camp, but she had to admit she was a bit curious about the other clans.

"Who are the other leaders? I recognize Ivystar, of course..." And Wolfcall, too. But the other cats on the great rock were entirely unfamiliar to Beechpaw, as were the majority of the cats around fourtrees. She could see Smokefeather near the base of the rock, talking to a pawful of cats with what seemed like relative ease. Another cat had cheerfully approached her father despite his grumpy expression too, though it seemed like they were moving to join whatever conversation Smokefeather was involved in. She'd never really thought of either of her parents as particularly sociable, at least, not outside of their immediate family. It sure seemed like they were comfortable speaking to others here, though.

They'd also had moons of going to gatherings before her, though. Still, Beechpaw was a little envious of their apparent ability to be comfortable within this setting.

Wolfcall's voice broke her thoughts, and Beechpaw lifted her head as he called out her name, meeting his gaze briefly, feeling her fur prickle with embarrassment as eyes were turned in their direction. Her direction. Stars, what would they think of her massive, scarred frame being called to heal? Some days Beechpaw was okay with, even starting to get used to the idea. Others...

"I hope you're right... I just... I never thought I'd be responsible for the lives of my clanmates beyond keeping the clan fed and protecting others in battle." She muttered. Wolfcall believed she would do well, so did her parents and sisters. She didn't know Wrenspring well enough to know if the gray and white tom was being sincere. Even if he was being sincere, Beechpaw wasn't sure if she could be what the clan needed in a medicine cat. She'd helped Sagelight in twolegplace and had gone on a hunting patrol with the injured tom before being taken to her moonstone, but otherwise they didn't really talk much.  How could he- how could any of them, Wolfcall Primrosepaw- be so sure of her own abilities when she wasn't even sure of them?

Her question was one that betrayed her youth, her inexperience, and for a moment Wrenspring simply had a blank expression across his maw. Of course Beechpaw wouldn't know the leaders, this was her first gathering. Over the moons he'd grown so accustomed to the normalcy of things. How long had it been since he first stepped paw into these sacred grounds? His gaze drifted around, scanning the clearing for a moment before falling back to the leaders standing atop the great rock. Windclan's representative was speaking, and by the looks of it, there was a new deputy in place too, "That's Olivesto- Olivestar. She's Windclan's new leader." His head tilted to the Shadowclan leader.

"Flintstar is the big one. He looks as intimidating as Bloodstrike but he's actually really nice. He knew my mother." Remembering their one encounter, there was a flicker of a smile across his maw. Even with the dividing past between their clans, he'd know Flintstar to be both a strong and clear-minded leader, "The last is Thunderclan's leader, Nettlestar. She's also fairly new to leadership. " Wrenspring tucked his good paw underneath him and shifted slightly to try to get a bit more comfortable. If Spottedstar were here now, perhaps he would have looked like an older and more distinguished leader, at least in the eyes of some. His tail flickered across the earth, scuffing up the dirt. Eyes drifted to the stars and moon above. The warrior wondered if Starclan truly was watching over them with compassion this night, or were they still somehow under the scalding gaze of the Righteous Few?

Wrenspring looked back up at Beechpaw, shrugging his shoulders slightly, "Same deal, different application. Medicine cats are just as important as warriors but you have Starclan over your shoulder too. You're lucky to have all seeing warriors guiding your pawsteps. Just watch out for the deathberries, and you'll be okay." The memory of Lion's Eye was on his mind then. What a complicated thing their ancestors were, it was an idea he hardly tried to think on much. Next time they were here, hopefully it would be to travel from Skyclan territory. He swallowed and his whiskers twitched. This couldn't be retribution for when they'd left the battle, Lion's Eye would have told him if they were no longer in Starclan's favor, right? His head lowered to his paws with a sigh. It was enough to think about everything they dealt with in the world of the living, carrying the weight of the dead was something he'd hoped to forget by now.

But with Redfall around, it was hard to keep these thoughts at bay.

Flintstar had remained silent and distance as the Gathering began, barely listening to the other leaders spoke and shared their news. He of course caught bits and pieces - his mind clinging to each world but it all left his mind within seconds as he was lost in his own thoughts. Finally, he stirred, realizing that every leader - and SkyClan's deputy as Spottedstar seemed to be gone - had spoken... He pushed himself to his paws without a word, stepping forward as his expression was cloaked in shadows. "...ShadowClan has recently suffered a heavy loss. Our medicine cat, Mothglow, died after spending all of her energy protecting some apprentices. ShadowClan...Grieves for her - she meant much to us all and it feels near impossible to think that void will be filled easily. ...Other than for that, ShadowClan is still growing. New warriors, new apprentices..." he knew it was customary to state the names but...He hadn't the energy, simply wanting this to be done with. "ShadowClan will carry on - it is what those we have lost would want. I have nothing more to add." With that, he drew back to let the warriors murmur among themselves now that all of the leaders had spoken.