April Gathering 2021

If there was one down-side to Asylum's defeat...It was the Gathering had returned. The leader sighed as he stepped into the clearing, noticing that he was the first to arrive. Ah, perfect. He shook his head, glancing behind him at his rapidly expanding Clan. He had taken in quite a few cats recently, some from Asylum, a couple not. He also had some...Business to speak about with the new leader of WindClan as he made his way to the Great Rock, leaping up before he turned to survey the clearing. There were signs of the battle he had heard about, a reminder of what had to happen for their own freedom. Hm... The leader sighed, sitting down as he waited for the rest of the Clans to arrive. It was going to be...Strange, getting used to partaking in these again.

Mistyfalcon followed Flintstar into fourtrees, noting with a grimace the tufts of fur, blood and the remains of the thorn cage that still littered the clearing even now. It was another reminder of the Asylum, of the lives that had been lost and marred by their takeover. They were gone now, and for that he was grateful.

He wasn't entirely grateful to go to gatherings again, but it seemed as though they were the first to arrive. At least that meant nobody to try and avoid talking to... Yet. He'd be keeping an eye on Moonpaw, but otherwise intended to keep to himself this gathering as much as he could. And he was going to try very hard to ignore the remnants of what had taken place not even a moon before.

This was, not something Lilacstar was used to, to put it lightly. She had only ever been in this clearing once, and that was as an apprentice, before the Asylum had come. And now she was to come as leader of her Clan. Stars, so much had changed in these upcoming moons. She vaguely recognized the tom that already sat upon the Great Rock as the ShadowClan leader, though she was embarrassed by how she could not recall his name. She supposed she would learn as the night went on.

Leading her Clan into the clearing, she sidestepped around the stains that had been left on the ground. She could not stop the sinking in her heart as she realized this was what her mother had to do to save the Clans. She now understood why she had not been told before hand. She would not have allowed this to happen, and yet she understood it needed to be done.

She gave an awkward nod to the ShadowClan leader as she made her way up to the Great Rock, climbing to seat next to him. What was she supposed to say to him? She barely even knew who he was! Stars, this was going to be a struggle.

---

Tawnyflare did not want to be here in the slightest, but she had to admit that she was a Clan cat now, and this was something she could not avoid forever. She stayed close to Fawnstep, her head racing through all the horrible memories this came with. The prisons, the awful silence, the unbearable smell of death. The helplessness, thinking no one would come for her. And then Brick did. Would Brick be here today? Would Tawnyflare be able to see her sister, if only to tell her she was okay?

---

There was a horror as Rosepaw entered the clearing. Mistyfalcon had told her it had been bad here. But even still she could see what had been. The pain and suffering. And Asylum had done that? And her mother had helped? All of a sudden, she was ashamed of the scar she wore on her shoulder. It was a permanent reminder of what she had been a part of. And what was worse? At the time, she was even proud of the scar. She was proud to be a standard, and she was proud to be Asylum. Now the thought just sickened her. There was no pride in any of this.

Flintstar straightened up as another Clan arrived - WindClan. Ah, just his luck. He had to speak to their leader anyways. He said nothing as she arrived, feeling something ache in his chest as he realized that Olivestar was truly gone. It...It was a shame - she was so young and seemed to have had the making of a good leader. "Lilacstar, is it?" he meowed as she finished settling down, dipping his head to her. "I heard that you had become the new WindClan leader during...Asylum's time. I'm sorry for your loss, but I am sure you will do a fine job as WindClan's new leader." He paused, before a sigh escaped him. "However, I have...Business to discuses with you. I've recently open my Clan to some Asylum members - mostly those who were once kits of the Clans. One in particle has mentioned having...Accidently wronged WindClan in her time in Asylum. One...Thalia?"

He raised his tail to silence the WindClan leader if she started to form a retort at the mention of the name. "She is currently a member of ShadowClan. She asked not to be forced to fight, seemingly very...Scarred by the actions she performed against your Clan. I understand that she took a life of one of your cats. However, I ask that you drop your previous grudges with her. She is now my worry to deal with - if she crosses that line again, she knows the punishment that will fall upon her and seems to be taking great care to not have to even risk killing again. However, if you wish to speak of your experience with her, I'm willing to listen. I just ask that you make no moves against her and my Clan unless she does something to wrong you again."

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"I'm gonna make so many friends, momma!" Muddypaw bounded away from his mother as WindClan entered the clearing, only to freeze and race his way back. "B-But I wanna sit with you at the same time! Do you think you can come with me so I can make friends?"

An honest laugh escaped Hayglow as she followed after her son, eyes glimmering with true life for the first time in...A long time. It had been moons since she had been at a Gathering, even before Asylum had shown up. The temptation to sit out was still there as she was trying to find a new happy ground for herself - and avoid the scars of the battle that had transpired her - but Muddypaw had been so excited to see Fourtrees with her that she couldn't say no. Besides...Maybe it wouldn't be so bad with him around. "Of course, Muddypaw. I'll be happy to meet some new cats - maybe we can both make new friends!"

"Yeaaaah!" Muddypaw bounced on his paws, before he turned and scampered away to start the hunt. A grin crossed Hayglow's face as she raced after him - turning this into a makeshift game of tag as the two sought for a cat that caught their attention.

Lilacstar was baffled as ShadowClan's leader mentioned having welcomed Thalia into ShadowClan. And she claimed it to be an accident? Her fur was beginning to bristle at just the thought of Thalia taking residence in the neighboring territories. At the very least, she had admitted that she was in the wrong, instead of attempting to blame Gingertalon as she had done before. And she was grateful that the leader at least came to her, instead of allowing Thalia's presence to catch her by surprise. Perhaps she could work with this.

"You must understand that my first concern is the safety of my Clanmates over my own personal feeling. I have no quarrel with neither you, nor ShadowClan, and I am not prepared to go to war over a single cat, so long that she will not be a danger to WindClan. However, I do feel as though you are entitled to the events that truly transpired, if you wish to harbor this cat. As it stands, one of my Clanmates, a cripple who had retired to the nursery, had gone outside of camp, in which Thalia had accompanied her. When they both returned, Thalia was carrying that cat's dead body into my clearing, completely unharmed save for a scratch on her cheek. She said she had killed my Clanmate in self defense, as she was hardly even hurt. The queen was not even able to properly defend herself. Now that you are aware of the truth, you may do with Thalia as you wish. Keep her as a Clanmate, or exile her, the choice is yours. My Clan will not act against ShadowClan either way."

Wolfstar's pawsteps were soft and well-placed as he led the clan through the territory. After all this time, even though he knew the Asylum cats were gone, it was still a habit to walk on eggshells, both physically and metaphorically. Blossomstep had told him that they'd been defeated... he trusted her word explicitly... but still...

As the hill that led them to Fourtrees appeared ahead, Wolfstar hesitated, his heart hammering in his chest, his hackles raised even though he tried to flatten them. The leader glanced over his shoulder to find Bloodstrike. Would the deputy be okay returning here after so long? Would it trigger the darkness that he still struggled with? Please be okay tonight, he silently plead, and then increased his pace to crest the hill. Without another thought he barreled down it, too, before an overactive imagination could prevent him from doing so. He smelled ShadowClan, and WindClan, and it wasn't long before he was close enough to see both leaders on the rock, though he hesitated a step when he noticed it was not Olivestar upon the rock, but another she-cat he did not know.

His brow furrowed, but he said nothing, just turning to nudge Blossomstep's shoulder lovingly with his cheek before loping towards the Great Rock and scaling it in one smooth motion. He started to greet Flintstar, but then realized it would be rude not to greet WindClan's new leader, and he... well... didn't know her name. So he settled for a curt nod and set himself on the side of the rock most opposite them.

It almost felt strange and foreign to return to Fourtrees as a gathering-place, when for so long it was sealed away as a prison. But traditions were traditions, and these gatherings were what connected them to one another, a symbol of victory - Asylum had tried to sever that connection, to keep them all apart, but they stood once more. Separate, yes, but united. It was a conscious choice that Zinnia sat now in the same place she had fought that night, a symbol of her own personal victory.

All the same, there were moons of news to catch each other up on. She wondered if Lilacstar was the only leader to take over during Asylum's reign - had the others fared as badly as WindClan?

---

Thalia had returned to the place the Clan cats called Fourtrees, against her better judgment. Last time she was here, she had nearly died - she would have, if not for Katana. Maybe Kat would be here somewhere tonight, she mused, a beacon of something to look forward to in what promised to be an incredibly unpleasant experience. Even if she could put all the trouble with Fourtrees aside, last time she'd been among WindClan cats, she'd had to run for her life. Her eyes were locked on Flintstar, speaking to Lilacstar, and she couldn't take not knowing what was being said. Swiftly, she averted her gaze, looking around to see if she could recognize anyone that wasn't likely to call for her execution.

(Zinnia and Thalia are open to talk to!)

Beechface stalked silently at her father's side, eyes narrowed as they approached fourtrees. It had been quite a while since she'd come here, and she found that she wasn't particularly thrilled to be attending gatherings once again. She hadn't lingered when she'd passed the area on trips to and from the moonstone, and the moonlight that illuminated stale blood and tufts of fur littering the clearing didn't make the place look any better than it had during the daytime.

She wasn't thrilled that Bloodstrike, stubborn fool, had insisted on coming tonight, and all she'd be able to do was keep an eye on him. Beechface tried to tell herself that she could have done more if he was confined to her den like a good patient, but deep down she knew that wasn't quite right, either. She despised the feeling of helpless frustration, and her claws sank into the earth in silent frustration as she took in the cats that had already entered the clearing. She recognized Flintstar, though it seemed like Windclan had a new leader, someone she didn't recognize. Softbreeze hadn't said who she was, nor did Beechface really care to ask the sniveling medicine cat. The less time she had to suffer through her crying, the better.

---

Smokefeather slunk silently behind Beechface. She'd taken the time to groom her pelt (more of a chore than ever) but the signs stress were still clearly evident in her dull, patchy fur. The patchiness wasn't at all helped by newleaf's arrival, where it seemed Smokefeather had gained the ability to shed an abhorrent amount of fur. In short, Smokefeather was very much debating turning around and going back to camp. She had little desire to deal with crowds, but Skyclan had to show their strength somehow.

Still, it didn't prevent her from shooting Bloodstrike a particularly peevish glare while his back was turned to her. He should've been in the medicine den resting, not out here. He'd managed to out-stubborn Beechface, however, and while Smokefeather had a thought to give him a piece of her mind, it wasn't her problem. Not anymore, at least. He'd made that clear.

She paused on the edge of the hill overlooking fourtrees, fur rippling with unease as she took in the sight of blood and fur and thorns that still littered the clearing. She'd known it was bad, that much had been obvious, but seeing it...

Smokefeather slipped into fourtrees, settling near the edge of the gathering cats. Her gaze slid over the other cats warily, though she avoided looking in Bloodstrike's direction.

There were two sides to the feelings towards this gathering. Both Shrikestorm of WindClan and Ravenclaw of SkyClan were relieved to be back at Fourtrees, under the moon and the cloudless sky. It felt like forever had passed since the clans had been allowed to gather there. For Shrikestorm, it was nice to get back to routine, seeing the cats of the other clans gathering with his own and mingling with each other. If only they didn't mingle outside the gatherings.

As for Ravenclaw, her relief started and stopped at 'things being back to normal'. Being around the other clans made her fur stand up. Even if they had fought together not too long ago, that didn't mean she had to like them or be friends with them. It was just complete fox dung. She stayed close to her former apprentice Birdsong, as if keeping her company, rather than just having an excuse to not talk to anyone else.

Quietpaw padded into the gathering, a nervous look on her face. There were so many cats here... What if she tripped and fell? What if she made a fool of herself? Oh Starclan.... The black and white she-cat padded around the gathering, almost aimlessly. What should she do? She could talk to the cats from the other clans, they seemed nice- actually judging by most of their expressions, they all seemed deep in thought. Maybe she shouldn't disturb them. Let them think. Oh starclan what should she do?


Spotlake padded into the clearing, taking in Fourtrees. It was nice to be back, where the scents of other clans mingled. Starclan she missed it. She came to a stop and looked behind her, waiting for the rest of Windclan to filter in.

OOC: Spotlake and Quietpaw are open to talk to!

Birdsong trailed after her mother and the rest of the clan, equally excited and nervous. This would be her first time at a gathering, and her first time seeing the other clans at all. She'd only ever heard stories of gatherings, and she found herself unsure of what to really expect.

The bits of fur and blood that littered the clearing were definitely not what she'd expected. Birdsong's eyes flicked to Ravenclaw, then the large forms of Skyclan's deputy and medicine cat. They hadn't been exaggerating at all (not that Bloodstrike's condition could even need such) and it was almost... sickening to realize that. Birdsong swallowed nervously, gaze travelling over the rest of the clearing. There were two cats sitting on the large rock in the center, where Wolfstar was making his way towards. The rest of the clearing was already filled with cats, though it seemed like not all the clans were here yet.

"I've never seen so many cats at once." She mewed, very much content to stay right next to Ravenclaw.

His nerves were on fire with every step, but the Skyclan Deputy pushed on regardless. There was a nervousness that stirred in him as they neared Fourtrees... the place he had been imprisoned for moons and had no idea. The Asylum had done something to him... something that made him constantly in pain unless he had a plethora of poppy seeds. Literally nothing else had given him relief. He set his eyes on the clearing and they narrowed at the sight of blood and fur still on the grounds. A low growl rose in the back of his throat as he expected some sort of attack from the side, the rear or the air. Of course none came and he reminded himself that that was then and this was now. He rose his scarred, ugly head and kept his shoulders back as he had done from his very first gathering as an apprentice. Skyclan was strong. Skyclan didn't run. The other clans would remember that or they'd lose their fur over it.

He quietly parted from Wolfstar as he joined the leaders and Bloodstrike was content to sit quietly alone. He too never looked at Beechface or Smokefeather. He was done being in the medicine den for now and his daughter could just live with it. The fresh air was nice, even if the area he was at had some sensitive memories locked away in his mind.

Bloodstrike is available for conversation!

---

Copperfox casually padded into the clearing, though he gave concerned glances to Beechface and Bloodstrike. Smokefeather too. Were they really okay to be out right now? They looked worse for wear... He was cut up a bit from his interaction with Dawnhawk, but he was healing fine. His memories of how gathering worked was fuzzy, having been to so few. He nervously sat quietly amongst his clan and stared out across Windclan and Shadowclan. Now they just needed to wait for Riverclan and Thunderclan and the gathering would start... right?

Copperfox is available for conversation!

---

Dawnhawk's heart was about to fly out of his chest. Every step he took toward Fourtrees was the spark of a panic attack. He remained as stoic as ever on the outside and managed to hide his insecurities well, but he didn't know how he'd react once he was actually there. His family would be there too... and he would have to not react to seeing Bloodstrike, Smokefeather, Beechface, Wolfstar or Tornpaw. He constantly swallowed, though his mouth was dry with nervousness. Once they had entered the clearing, his eyes went straight to the blood and fur on the floor. Skyclan was in the outskirts of his vision, but he did his best to not look at them for the time being. His eyes instead traveled to Shadowclan and he scanned the faces there. He'd had little interaction with that clan, though he'd had even less with Windclan until recently.

Eventually, Dawnhawk's eyes passed over Skyclan so as not to look suspicious. Any cat new to the clans would be curious and looking around. Of course he saw all of the cats that were not a welcome sight... but not Tornpaw so far. Maybe she was further in the back. Dawnhawk sat on the outer edges of where Windclan had gathered, trying to casually put as many other cat bodies between him and Skyclan. He was black-furred, his scars were hidden under his medium length hair and if he spoke, his voice would be different. His scent too was not recognizable. Yet he had a horrible feeling in his gut that someone would know... somehow. It was irrational... only Smokefeather had a snowball's chance in the Dark Forest of recognizing him even under all of his new identity.

Still, he was ready to bolt away at the drop of a leaf... He made sure to look as fascinated by the gathering as any outsider cat would have been... and hide how very uncomfortable that he was.

"Nightwind" is open for conversation!

---

Moonpaw could hardly contain her excitement. Her feet practically danced under her and glided across the clearing that was Fourtrees. Once her eyes landed on Skyclan, she held her breath. She desperately searched out that familiar bright pelt of snow and sunlight... alas she hadn't laid eyes on her father yet. Her eyes traveled to Wolfstar too with a curious fascination... then she looked at Bloodstrike and flinched. Good gods... what happened to you??? She thought, before she found herself unable to stare at him for too much longer. She was so fascinated with the gathering that she didn't even realize the blood and fur on the ground... until she practically stepped in it. Oops... She moved away from it and tried to control herself a bit better. She was a Shadowclan cat now, and she ought to act like one. She sat at the front of the Shadowclan line and practically buzzed with excitement over being here.

Moonpaw is open for conversation!

I'm not ready for this.

The sickening sentiment swirled in his belly as Minkstream padded through ThunderClan's territory, the sounds of pawsteps whispering through the bushes behind him strange. Every fibre of his being said he should be back there, following behind.... A sigh slipped free of his maw, the tight feeling in his muscles fading slightly as he forced them to relax, the end of his tail flicking. A quick glance to his side reassured him that Bat was still there, and that helped the tight ball of nerves in his stomach ease.

At least I'm not alone.

Ducking under a frond, the silver moonlight flickering down in patches through the trees above, he found the world opening up to the clearing of Fourtrees, the sight of cats already milling around bringing a brief, guilty twinge. Along with a sort of odd relief that they were neither first or last, since it looked like RiverClan hadn't arrived yet. This is what putting things off does.... He took a deep breath, standing there for a moment, hearing the shuffles of his Clanmates behind as they waited for the signal to slip into the clearing, and smelling the hints of death and misery that still clung to this place. Though tonight, at least, it was bathed in silver light rather than red, it still brought a shiver to his spine and an increase in the throb of his head as the fuzzy memories of despair, hunger, and pain came rushing back. Compared to that, what he dealt with now was a relief. It'd probably do him some good to remember that.

Letting out a breath, he steeled himself and went to walk through, before remembering with a jolt his place in the group of cats, and hurriedly raising his tail with a flick before stepping out. The light caught the white on his paw and face as he brushed out with the barest whisper of foliage rustling, and turned the ginger of his pelt to a darkly gleaming silver that rippled over the almost-recovered muscles underneath. A hint of the horrors that had marred him here still showed in the gauntness of his face and the shadow that flickered in his eyes as he pointedly avoided looking at the remnants of a thorny cage, but his step was firm as he gritted his teeth and padded toward the other leaders already gathered on the Great Rock.

Other leaders....

For just a moment, he paused, the clear green of his eyes catching the gleam of the moon as he glanced aside at his mate, a memory from a long time ago bubbling softly to the surface. A day when the worries they carried now had been far distant. "Somehow... everything important we do keeps coming back here, doesn't it?" He murmured, searching her face, and recalling those eyes that had sparkled with mischief as they looked down at him from the rock that now loomed above. It was odd just how... clear... that memory was, when everything nearer seemed to fuzz and waver. Whispers of the past, carried on the breeze that brought the sweet scent of things growing and blooming, brushing away the echoes of death and destruction. "...And I have to wonder... what happens now?"

---

Sablepaw was there.

Sablepaw is open to talk to, and Minkstream is reminiscing with Bat!

Thrushnose had hoped tonight would be a return to normalcy, another ancient routine settling back into place. One step past the Great Oaks, and that hope was shattered. Fourtrees had never been a sanctuary to her the way it was to some cats, but this… Everywhere she turned, she found remnants of a battlefield. Smears of blood, bits of thorns twisted into unnatural shapes, the occasional tuft of fur torn from cat or predator pelt. Her parents and Quaildock had been part of this. Stifling a shudder, she turned her gaze forward and trudged on.

Normally, she preferred to spend Gatherings alone or among the few cats she called family. Two of them had already taken their places at the Great Rock; two more were gone forever. She’d managed to keep Pinefrost buried this long, but now she wondered—had she ever been to Fourtrees without him? Thrushnose brushed a cluster of thorns aside, but made no move to sit in the space she’d made.

Thrushnose is open to talk!

---

As ShadowClan filed into the clearing, Pyrik hung back, keeping to the crowd’s left. His fox pelt lay in the apprentices’ den, tucked under his nest—something he couldn’t do with his faction scar. The pine needles he’d plastered over it had fallen off in the Rumblepath (…was that it?) tunnel, leaving him with an especially muddy shoulder and, clear as day, the Standards’ mark faded nearly to silver. Iniko had drawn it sharp and clean. Nothing like a warrior’s scars. He had been proud of that, once.

Really, he had no place here at all. He’d hardly adjusted to attending Clan meetings. But Thalia was here, along with plenty of ShadowClanners who expected him to be a decent ShadowClanner. He wouldn’t let them down like this. Pyrik paced along the clearing’s outskirts, searching for his Asylum denmates or a spot just crowded enough for him to avoid notice—honestly, either would do. All he wanted was to get through tonight without causing any trouble.

Pyrik is open to talk!