November Gathering 2020

Not having really expected any-cat to conjure up conversation with her, Tulipfang's ears perked up as a voice grew closer. Turning her amber gaze, she looked down to see a young tabby molly, most likely apprentice aged. Straightening her posture a little, a smile grew on her muzzle. "Hello there," the white and ginger she-cat mewed happily. "I'm Tulipfang of ShadowClan, nice to meet you. Is this your first gathering?" she asked, tilting her head to the side in a curious sort of way.

Flintstar's eyes narrowed as Nettlestar and Wolfcall offered up the idea that the kits had been kidnapped - and if not by a single cat somehow, by a group. But...That still raised the question of what they were to do - they had no leads! No traces on who - or what -  had taken kits somehow from each of the Clans without being seen. Of course, Nettlestar had put forward the idea that the Clans had to work together but how were they suppose to do so against an unseen, unknown force? He sighed, choosing to say no more as the Gathering properly got under way - listening as Olivestar and Nettlestar both vocally admitted to the missing kits - with Wolfcall doing the same...With the added reveal that Spottedstar was gone - and Wolfcall was to be leader in sort time - and Sagelight was dead.

...Huh. Truthfully, the ShadowClan leader wasn't sure what to say. Was this for the best? There was a chance that with Wolfcall as leader, a true chance of friendliness between their Clans was possible. To put behind the fighting and war that had scarred both of their Clans under the rule of their previous leaders. Was this good? It was hard to say for the moment, but the leader certainly didn't feel any sympathy at the loss of the SkyClan leader - but then again, he rarely had any to begin with. Not wishing to be the final leader to speak this time, he pushed his way forward as Wolfcall stepped back.

"ShadowClan is growing, hunting has been well enough. We are still recovering from the loss of our medicine cat, Mothglow...And now we also are facing the loss of some of our kits - missing, just like with the other Clans," he admitted, sighing softly. "There has been no trace on what had taken them but we will not stop our search - and...We will keep an eye our for any of the other missing kits, should they somehow turn up in our territory." Simple and short, the ShadowClan leader stepped back, eyes falling into Ivystar as she was now the last one needed to speak.

When the ginger-and-white she-cat responded, the ThunderClan apprentice gazed at her. "Tulipfang... that's a nice name," Shrikepaw said. It hinted to her crush on Tulipfang, but did not solidify it. When the ShadowClan warrior asked her if this was her first gathering, the ThunderClan apprentice shook her head. "No, this is my second Gathering," the young she-cat replied. "But it is the first time I've talked to a ShadowClan cat at a Gathering." Especially one that looks as pretty as you. The brown she-cat made sure to not say that last part out loud because of it directly breaking the warrior code. She didn't exactly want to get looks from every other cat there, and even possibly Tulipfang herself. Don't embarrass yourself by saying something stupid, she told herself. And she didn't - so far.

Cinderpaw's heart lurched in her chest when across the clearing, a familiar face meant her eye. Was Mossbloom... gesturing to her? The massive she-cat was appalled that the small calico could even find her frame from amongst the crowd - although she did probably stick out like a maple in the snow. Grumbling to herself, Cinderpaw weaved her way through ShadowClan's part of Fourtrees, muttering the occasional "excuse me" or "sorry" to each cat she bumped with her clumsy frame. Arriving at the base of the Great Rock, Cinderpaw just managed to hear the last of Beechpaw's musings, choosing to ignore what was said in favor of ignorance. "Did you need me Mossbloom?" There was a pleading look in the medicine cat's eyes, as if to say please don't ask me to converse with others...

∆ As the Riverclan tom's rage writ across his features and he drew himself up to more intimidating heights, the she-cat felt herself shrink internally. Her ears stood at their full height, stiff as the four oaks that cast glaring shadows across the gathered mass of cats. Widened eyes studied the venomous disposition. Regret flashed through her mind at the unsavory words that had slipped from her own tongue. What measures of indignation had once settled into the crevices of her maw at the idea of confronting the Riverclan apprentice had died away in only a matter of moments. When he spoke of kin, Kitepaw's tongue grew dry as sand. If her own blood had vanished in the night, without so much of a scent, she was certain that her mind would have too been plagued with soured thoughts.

A moment prior, their confrontation had been similar to that at the border, standing across from each other as the heat from his exhale caused her whiskers to dance. Kitepaw stared at him for a moment before dipping her head. Jaypaw, whose name she was still not acquainted with, wouldn't know the genuine rarity of the moment - but her ears fell. The action was a mere moment, a flicker countering the breeze that chilled their pelts. It was when she settled in at his side they rose once again and she regained her composure. Anything he might have said in those seconds was lost in the way she so recklessly abandoned her claw-tight grip on what little sense of hearing her one ear possessed. Her head tilted in the usual curious manner as the words of the leaders drifted past easily and weren't given any thought.

After a while Kitepaw, her words the softest they'd ever been when speaking to the imposing tom, piped up, "I see our clan was not the only one to experience loss, and for that, I'm sorry." Her gaze fixated on the great rock, unwilling to meet his gaze with the apology, although the genuine nature of it rang in her tone. Tail flickered rhymically behind the she-cat's slender frame. To be sitting among the fishy stench of Riverclan felt unnatural, surreal but her paws were rooted to the spot and it felt disrespectful to ancient traditions to peel away now. This was a gathering, where they were supposed to be friendly with other cats. Out of the corner of her eyes, she studied her features before tilting her head in his direction, "Do you have a name, minnow?" ∆

♢ The response that came was hesitant, which he supposed was fair. It seemed almost too coincidental, the way the kits had vanished shortly after their leave. But Skyclan had felt the sting of loss too, and more mouths to feed in leaf bare was something to clan wished to impose upon themselves. Sympathy lit his green gaze as he shook his head slowly to her question. This loss that had wormed its way into the heart of his clan was one that he felt radiating from the pelts of his beloved clanmates, rather than being deeply seeded in his own chest. Also a fair point. Finally, Wrenspring sighed, "I've never had kit's of my own. I can't imagine the grief these queens must be going through. I just hope we find them all soon." ♢

Agitation unscored the nearly invisible twitch in the thick band of muscles encasing the hard line of Jaypaw's tightly clenched jaw; an involuntary reflex spawned by the continuous heat of Kitepaw's lingering gaze. The careful shifting of emotions, muted and wan under the pale light of the swollen moon, was faint in the hazed edges of his peripheral vision, a ghost nearly lost to the plethora of sensory input currently wreathing around the prickly pair. The reluctant concession on behalf of Kitepaw was the only action that immediately riled up some imitation of a response, the irritable dark-furred tom's attention finally relieving itself from its studious observations of the conversing Leaders. Sharp chin begrudgingly tilting in the general direction of the fiery-furred molly, the scorned and evidently soured young tom did little more than offer a silent agreement to her attempted apology- just as incapable of receiving as she was incapable of giving.

Perhaps such behavior was irrational and unbecoming, but it was difficult to care in the moment. Jaypaw was absolutely miserable when it came to the monuments task of biding time, of waiting patiently whenever the answer wasn't immediately clear. "Jaypaw," He eventually huffs out, admission feeling especially vulnerable when accompanied by the frigid steam of his seething breath, "I suppose that it would be presumptuous to continue assuming that your name is foxwhelp."

Beecloud clenched his teeth tightly with all the bad news. So it had not just been ThunderClan? Their single missing kit no longer seemed like a terrible accident. Somebody was behind this. His eyes scanned the clearing anxiously, wondering if there was some kind of sinister force in their midst, as there had been in his youth. He wondered where the kits were. He wondered if they were even alive. Around him, he felt all the grief of all the mothers who had lost their young in the night. Beecloud wished he could forget the feeling of grief. Claws digging into the ground, he waited dutifully for the announcements to finish, so he could turn tail and run home. The commotion was all too much for him tonight.

As Mossbloom nodded in response to Beechpaw's words, suddenly Cinderpaw was next to her. She blinked and then smiled at the ShadowClan she-cat. "Ah, I was just offering for Beechpaw to join us on our next herb hunt. She brought news that Sagelight unfortunately passed, so I think the extra paws would be welcome for all of us." She mewed, trying to ignore the lump that formed when she said Sagelight's name. The announcements had started, so she quieted to listen to them intently, sitting between Cinderpaw and Beechpaw.

Tulipfang was used to being gawked over, but it usually came from toms that were about her age. Seeing an apprentice seemingly stutter over her was something she hadn't come across as often but she soaked in the admiration and decided to return some, seeing as it was the least she could do and the young apprentice would most likely appreciate it.

"Well, I would be lying if I said I said it was my first time talking to a ThunderClan cat, but I've never met any as adorable as you," the molly half chuckled, half purred with a smile.

Eagletalon padded in behind her leader, her golden pelt shinning in the moonlight. Although she suspected that things would be tense between the leaders tonight, she never expected to run into the clearing with Ivystar and Wolfcall already spitting at each other.

She sat down at the edge of the clearing, careful to keep all of the other clan cats in her sight. After some previous gathering where the fighting had broken out she was careful to keep her pelt intact and to keep her clanmates safe. Although Windclan was strong, they were all weakened by the harsh winter and on edge due to the missing kits.

Even though the other clans seemed to claim that the kits were no stolen by them there seemed to be no explination. Eagletalon was jolted out of her thoughts as an unfamilier cat came and sat by her.

OCC: someone come and sit by Eagletalon please? She needs practice talking....

Kitepaw sucked in the the cold air, allowing her tailtip to twitch as she awaited a reply. There was a frigid lack of reception from the tom, which she understood. Her gaze pulled away in a mild resignation. Then, he piped up once more. Jaypaw. Hardly a fitting name for a minnow but it wasn't her place to say such things. A chill ran down her spine as he subtly pressed with his own question, a sensation that reminded her of the icicle waters of the river. There was a beat where she nearly attempted to draw in the background noise of leader announcements but eventually she found her bearings once more, "Kitepaw." She attempted to huff, softly, but it came out as more of an aggrieved whisper. After that, the apprentice held her tongue. Not much else seemed fitting to say as she shuffled ever so slightly nearer, avoiding the wind that battered her tiny frame.