April Gathering 2021

He gave a twisted smile as she nudged him, dreading the moment they'd have to part ways, but... she was right. ...Fate. Somehow, it looks like we were meant for this moment. He just hoped whoever was doing the organizing of all this wasn't some crazy star-mad lunatic who was currently cackling their head off at the scene below. Nudging her back, he reluctantly stepped away, murmuring, "I think we both do, but... good luck. See you on the other side."

She moved away to do her part, and taking a deep breath, he did the same. Looking up at the rock, its rough surface bathed in silver light, he couldn't help but feel as though beside the others standing up there, he was an ant. The half-breed tom who'd come to a Clan he had no blood-tie with - that he knew of, anyway - yet had come to love, and now to lead. Come on, Strom. The current took you here - this is what you have to live, so live it.

For a brief moment he closed his eyes, feeling the thump in his head; the vague weakness of muscles still recovering. And opened them to catch the light, his paws moving forwards as firmly as he could make them, hind legs bunching smoothly and pushing off hard. The rough of the stone met his pads, limbs protesting and twinges of pain in the healing scars at his neck making him grit his teeth as he hauled himself up. But he made it - panting a little more heavily than he would have liked, his head throbbing to the drum of his heartbeat - yet in the end he stood there, the soft glow of the moon illuminating the other leaders standing there.

He met their eyes with a nod, white puffs from his maw staining the air as he glanced back down at the clearing of cats he'd just left. And caught his breath. No sunlight dappling the ground met his eyes - instead the soft, silver light of the moon swayed in patches through the branches of the trees above, playing over the pelts of cats below, like little fish glinting in the river as they moved. He couldn't drag his eyes away, the sudden scope of it taking what little breath he'd just been recovering away as he stared like a kit at his first gathering. Distantly, a part of his mind noted that he should probably stop gaping and discuss things like alliances with the other Clan leaders, but the sight below held him as he watched members of his Clan interact with those from others.

Minkstream is now open to talk!

Mossbloom entered the clearing, white painting her muzzle and legs. She moved stiffly, moons of age taking the best of her mobility, but she had come. The clearing was similar to how it had been after the battle with the Righteous Few, but there was far more blood staining the ground now. Grieving silently for the lives lost to Asylum, the elder settled near the front of the group, looking over the medicine cats as they gathered around the base of Greatrock.

Mossbloom is open for conversation!

---

Blossomstep padded slightly behind Wolfstar, alongside the rest of SkyClan. As they prepared to enter Fourtrees, she hesitated. The stench had lingered, and the lingering sour scents of the battle that had been fought turned her stomach. So much had happened since then, she hadn't imagined it would still be so fresh. As they entered the clearing, she steeled herself as she passed the ripped thorns that had held her captive. Wolfstar's scent filled her nose as he nudged her shoulder, and she licked the top of his head as he moved away. A soft "I love you." filled the air between them as he joined the other leaders, and she moved to a spot away from the thorns that had held her only a moon before. Looking around at the other gathering cats, she suddenly got back to her paws. Beechface had mentioned introducing her to... Mossbloom, if she was here. Moving towards the medicine cats, the SkyClan warrior kept an eye out for the calico until a familiar face caught her eye. She only saw it for a moment, but... Approaching the two she-cats, one seeming to hide behind the other, she took a deep breath. They smelled of ShadowClan, but also of Twolegplace. Hesitantly, she called out. ".. Honeysong?... Is that you?"

Blossomstep is talking to Honeysong and Sparkfire!

---

Murkystrike thought she would be okay. The trip wasn't bad, she had healed considerably in the last moon... But the healing apparently went only so far as the physical. The she-cat was visibly shaking as she approached Fourtrees, her eyes moving from shadow to shadow as they got closer. Letting herself fall behind the other cats, she tried to swallow the fear that was rising. She had requested to go to the Gathering herself, why was she so hesitant now? As ShadowClan reached the edge of the clearing, the tortoiseshell she-cat's ears flattened to her head as she tried not to gag. Embarrassment heated her pelt as she slowly followed behind the rest of the clan, trying to hide amongst her clanmates and shrink to be invisible. She caught Pyrik's form as he paced around the edge of the clearing, and she motioned to him with her tail, inviting her to join him if he wished. Keeping her head lowered, she looked to see who she might be around. Hopefully her fear scent wasn't too bad.

Murkystrike is open for conversation!

---

Dewlight entered the clearing with a somber expression, looking around Fourtrees. She had never seen it to this point, and she had to admit... It certainly didn't match the descriptions she had been given. It was dark, and the lingering scents of the battle didn't help. Settling among the other RiverClan warriors, she breathed in the other clan's scents. So that's what all of them were like....

Dewlight is open for conversation!

---

Sunnypaw bounded into the clearing trying to catch up to her mother and brother. She had been separated by more cats than she had ever imagined, most larger than she was, and she resorted to ducking and weaving around legs and tails. She bumped into Nightwind briefly, and she skid to a stop to turn and lower her head in apology. "I'm sorry! Just trying to catch up to momma and Muddypaw. I'll bring you a bird! Promise!" With that, she dashed off again, her inherited speed meaning nothing in the crowd of cats. Finally, she spotted her mother's pelt and darted towards them again, panting as she stopped next to them. "Found you!" She exclaimed, smiling as she butt her head to Hayglow's shoulder and turned to stand next to her brother to look at the cats around them. "Hi! I'm Sunnypaw! It's nice to meet you all!"

Sunnypaw has apologized and promised a bird to Nightwind, then joined Hayglow, Muddypaw, Muddypaw, Batglow, and Bubblepaw!

Lost in thought, Pyrik continued to wear lines into Fourtrees’ soil until he caught sight of Murkystrike. He might not have been observant enough to impress Lyralei, but that didn’t make him oblivious—especially when he had his own share of unease prickling at the back of his neck. The last time either of them (or any of them, probably) had set foot in this clearing, they’d fought for their lives. For their futures, at least. And he hadn’t even been kept here for… He grimaced. Frankly, he preferred not to think about how long it might have been.

A wave of Murkystrike’s tail wiped away the last of his reservations. Picking up the pace as he left the oaks’ shelter, Pyrik turned his wandering paws toward his mentor. Up close, the fear-scent was impossible to ignore. He planted himself at Murkystrike’s side and began to fiddle with a blade of grass, frowning. Talking helped him when he got nervous. Or being nervous made him talk more. Regardless of the truth behind it, it seemed like a decent enough idea for both of them. “So, um,” he began, peering at Murkystrike, “Flintstar, before we left—he said this was a Gathering, didn’t he? How are those supposed to work?”

After the white tom spoke, Rookfire grinned. Daisybloom's apprentice... wasn't Daisybloom ThunderClan's medicine cat? That's what he remembered, at least. He didn't have any strong feelings for or against the she-cat, but he was excited to meet her new apprentice. "So you're a medicine cat in training," he said. "That's cool! I'm ShadowClan's medicine cat, actually. I assume that you're learning a lot from Daisybloom during your training?"

Dovefrost was fluffy, but it seemed like he was somewhat muscular underneath it. His build reminded him of Beechface's, which probably meant that he had warrior training before becoming Daisybloom's apprentice. Actually, due to his name, it was more likely that he was a warrior who became a medicine cat apprentice. That fact reminded Rookfire of Smallbean, who was trained by Asylum just like him. Of course, Dovefrost wasn't any of these cats. He was unique, and Rookfire wanted to learn more about him.

---

Spark stood near Shira while entering the Gathering. He held a disdain for the place, as despite it supposed to represent the peace between the Clans, he could only remember it as the place where Shira and numerous other cats were held prisoner. Most cats in RiverClan seemed to follow the former belief of Fourtrees, which Spark wouldn't fight against for obvious reasons. However, he felt that he was different from them.

In other words, he didn't feel like he was a RiverClan cat. He could fight for them, sure, but it wouldn't be for loyalty to the Clan. And that was bad. Noticing another cat in ShadowClan's territory, he blinked. It was Thalia. Well, he wouldn't leave Shira for ShadowClan, but it definitely pulled the divide further. Really, if it wasn't for Shira, he would be in ShadowClan in a heartbeat. It was hard trying to hold this. Of course, he heard that ShadowClan and RiverClan had an alliance before the Asylum had appeared, so he could at least hope that it would stand.

Raisha ended up coming up, visibly trying to comfort Shira. Spark didn't know how to do it himself, so Raisha doing it was a good thought. Maybe she wasn't even called Raisha anymore. The ginger tom didn't know. But he gave a grateful nod to the she-cat for trying to comfort Shira.

Spark is interacting with Shira and Tawnyflare.

Beechface blinked as her father seemed to stare at a small gathering of cats, and turned her head in that direction as well, curious at what had drawn his attention. Ashstorm and some apprentices, Smokefeather was joining them, looking like she'd seen a ghost. Actually, Ashstorm and Quietpaw had similar expressions on their faces.

Her gaze snapped back to the apprentices, eyes widening. She'd seen them being rescued in her dreams, had been told by Riverclan's medicine cat that they hadn't made it after all.

And yet, there they stood. Her sister, her niece. Each one facing their mothers, their family. Beechface stepped forward, straining to hear their conversation better. Smokefeather, Ashstorm and Quietpaw had recognized them clearly. Mountainkit and Sneezingkit- 'paws now, if they were here, seemed bewildered, defensive, almost. Words were exchanged, and the two apprentices were backing away from the Skyclanners.

Beechface whirled around, dark gaze seeking out Spiderquill among the medicine cats before turning towards the great rock instead. Spiderquill had lied, and Beechface did abhor being lied to. There was no need to confront him about this when Riverclan's leader was right there. Skyclan's missing kits were at this gathering, as was at least one of the cats who had rescued them, along with her own leader.

Stalking to the base of the great rock, Beechface lifted her gaze to the leaders, and spoke clearly, eyes locked on Ivystar and Wolfstar. Her grandfather needed to know this, even more than Ivystar did.

"Ivystar, how interesting. Starclan showed me that you and two of your clanmates rescued a pair of kittens that were being carried by a hawk. I asked your medicine cat about Mountainkit and Sneezingkit, and he told me they didn't make it. I believed him, because the chances of two kits surviving a hawk were slim at best." A sharp edge crept into her voice, and Beechface paused, trying to force her anger back down. Anger wouldn't help her here, she knew that. Ivystar and her clanmates had saved the kits from certain death, she was sure of that much. Beechface was even grateful.

"So imagine my shock to see the two kits in question standing there, conversing with their own mothers and siblings without a clue. You saved them from certain death, and I'm grateful that they aren't dead, but did you not stop to question from where those kits had come from? Did Spiderquill think he was doing me a favor by lying about their deaths?" Try as she might, that edge had returned to her voice. It was a very good thing that Spiderquill wasn't sitting close to Beechface, or her claws might have found something other than grass to sink into.

---

Mistyfalcon sighed quietly, absently watching as Moonpaw approached a Skyclan apprentice. Figuring she would be fine, he allowed his gaze to roam over the other clans and his own clanmates, but he paused when he caught sight of Murkystrike. Her ears were flat against her head and she was trying hard to make herself blend in, it looked like, a feeling Mistyfalcon remembered well from his first gathering. Murkystrike wasn't anywhere near as introverted as he was, though... And he hadn't been trapped here for moons, starving and neglected.

He approached her somewhat hesitantly, noticing that Pyrik quickly joined her as well. Greeting the blue-eyed tom with a nod, Mistyfalcon sat, unconsciously putting himself between his clanmates and the bulk of the crowd, noting the fear-scent from Murkystrike.

"The clans meet together and the leaders share news of what's gone on in the past moon. It's a night of peace, where we're allowed to talk freely to cats in the other clans." He answered Pyrik absently, though his tone conveyed his dislike for the crowds clearly enough. "No violence or fighting is allowed to break out, or Starclan covers the moon with clouds to end it, supposedly." Mistyfalcon wasn't sure he believed that about Starclan, to him they were just dead ancestors with little power, but then he'd never seen their power firsthand. Ebonysong had told him stories of the Righteous Few and the battle that had taken place here when he'd been nervous at his first gathering... But something told him that retelling stories of blood and death wouldn't be received well. There was enough evidence of a different battle around the clearing, evidence that he was trying to ignore. It looked like Murkystrike could use a distraction from it all as well, fourtrees couldn't have held fond memories for her.

"I'm pretty sure Flintstar is cursing my name right now, I think he dislikes gatherings more than I do, and now he's obligated to lead us here again." It was a weak attempt at humor, and Mistyfalcon was preparing to be smacked for it, but on the off-chance it helped, well...

Sneezingpaw couldn't help but flinch as the gray she-cat yowled a half foreign name to her with a desperation she didn't understand. "I-I'm sorry -- achoo!-- it's just Karen. I pawmise I don' know you. I'm real sorry that you lost your me twin and Mini Menace twin, b-but I thinkin' we should go now.." Sneezingpaw mewed, shuffling her paws. She was grateful for Mountainpaw and she looked at Quietpaw and gave her a gentle smile, "I'm sur' we'll meet again soon, Delilahpaw! Hope you find your sister!"

"I don' wanna new sister, either! I love you, and I don'know what I'd do withou' you!" Sneezingpaw purring, trotting step by step with her sister, "I'm okay. Those cats were just makin' me feel upside downy brain and I didn' really like it." Then Stormbringer, one of her mom's, called to them, and Sneezingpaw eagerly ran (well, bounce stepped) up to her, happily. "Mom!"

The black and white speckled molly purred, twining her tail with her mom's, butting heads with Mountainpaw. Ah, this was much better.

Walking alongside Thunderclan to the gathering, Stag leaped into the clearing, eager to see what kind of an experience this would be. He had only ever heard of gatherings, as long as the Asylum has been with the clans they weren't able go anywhere, so the closest he had gotten to seeing a gathering was the Asylum-made challenges that Thunderclan participated in. As far as he knew, he was just supposed to socialize until the leaders called for the gathering to begin, so he was going to try his best to have a conversation.

Weaving between cats from all clans, he looked for some cat who seemed to be on their own. Suddenly, he ran into something- or someone with an "oof!" Looking at the cat he ran into, his eyes rested upon a black she-cat. "Oh- I'm so sorry about that!" He backed away, sitting in front of Dewlight, wrapping his fluffy tail around his paws. He hesitated before introducing himself. " I'm... Stag, from Thunderclan. What's your name?"

---

Normally during events like gatherings, Smallbean found himself longing to go back to camp. Whether it was because he had been rather bored all day, or because it'd been so long since the last gathering, he didn't know, but he had a good feeling as he walked into Fourtrees for the first time since the Asylum took over. That didn't mean that he would voluntarily socialize though. After making the point to himself that it would be good to find a place to sit first, he pushed his way into the crowd, keeping his head low, but not low enough that he couldn't see where he was going. The last thing he wanted was to run into or under some cat. After making it to the other side of the clearing, he sat, scanning the clearing for any cat coming near him. He found that noticing a cat before they noticed him was a great way to keep from getting startled. [who would've thought!?]

---

[Stag has bumped into Dewlight]

[Smallbean is open for conversation, mans will try his best]

[Robinloft has refused to attend the gathering]

There was a bit of a start as a voice shouted from below. A voice she recognized all too well. What was Amberfluff doing, coming to the rock during a gathering? Was that allowed? She didn't think cats did that at the last gathering she went to, but then again, she was only an apprentice. Still, she could not help but glance at the other leaders, nervous of their reaction. This was her first gathering as a leader, second gathering total. The last thing she wanted to do was screw up.

"I'm fine, love, don't worry about me. I was simply having a conversation. Which you should be doing. And don't you dare say you have no one to speak to. If anything, do you not have an apprentice you can be watching after? Go, I'll be fine."

She gave an encouraging smile, her voice soft and sweet despite her embarrassment. But StarClan knew she would need to have a talk with her mate after this. If she was going to lead a Clan, she could not have her mate hovering over her like a mother does a kit. Stars forbid what the other Clans would think of that.

---

For just this moment, Tawnyflare was content to just stay here in silence, taking this moment to let it sink in that after everything, at least one other cat who knew what it was like. She wasn't alone. Neither of them were. She didn't know where Shira would go after all of this was over, but at least for right now, they had each other. And at least for right now, that was enough. At least for right now, she could let go, let herself fall apart as the two she-cats stood there, side by side. At least for right now, she could truly feel safe. So when Spark nodded to her, she returned it. And then she uttered the first words any of them had said this whole time.

"It's over. It's really over. We're free."

---

Rosepaw stared wide eyed as the cat she had approached jumped about a tail-length high. Although, with the current circumstances, she supposed she couldn't blame her, so she forced the fur on her neck to lie flat, coughing slightly before she spoke again.

"Uhh, sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I was just saying that maybe you could use a friend? You look pretty lonely, and it is still a gathering. I'm Rosepaw, from ShadowClan. What's your name?"

At this point she was a little bit more nervous, shuffling her paws as she was already off to a bad start. Maybe she should have stuck with Batglow? But he was talking with his own friends, and she couldn't be lonely forever.

Sablepaw tried to give an apologetic smile, she really did. But this whole place made the hair on her pelt prickle, and the hole in her heart squeeze. "O-oh, um, I'm... I'm sorry. I mean - I... That's- um, it's okay, uh...."

Her throat was constricting and now her ears burned with shame as the other apprentice shuffled her paws. Or, well, Rosepaw, shuffled her paws. Her brain just registered that part. Her name was Rosepaw, like the Rosepaw from their Clan who'd died - who'd been really close friends with Daris, and a friend of hers, too. ...And now she was back to sadness again.

Hanging her head, she swallowed against the lump in her throat, the sour scent of the battle that had been fought here still lingering in the air making the fur on the back of her neck bristle uneasily. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come, but... I...."

I thought if I did everything would be like it was before. As if Beecloud would magically appear, alive and well, and her mum and dad would be fine as soon as they stepped into the clearing. Somehow she'd been expecting it to feel triumphant, to be... anything else than what was right there. And now, to put the leaf on top, she'd also just made another cat feel bad.

She shuffled her paws, squeezing her eyes closed and wishing with every fur on her body that she hadn't been stupid enough to come here. But she still was. Finally, she added in a mumble, "I'm... um, Sablepaw."

"It's over. It's really over. We're free."

She was right, of course. They were kidnapped from the clans, but now they were part of the Clans again. The thought of finally being free of Eris, and the rest of Asylum at that, was freeing. After all, they did all sorts of horrible things to the Clan cats, as well as Shira and Raisha. It was something that Spark didn't want to really dwell on, as he knew that he would never forget everything that happened that day. He swore upon it. Focusing on Raisha, Spark opened his mouth to speak. "Yeah," he said. "We're free."

But the ginger tom didn't feel free, and though he loved Shira, he felt imprisoned trying to stay with her. He couldn't imagine leaving her, though, which created a huge dilemma that the tom would eventually need to deal with. But now, he was in the gathering as a RiverClan cat, and he had to think that way. I am Spark, a RiverClan cat. I'm focused on being part of RiverClan.

Dovefrost nodded. "Yeah she is teaching me a lot." The white fluffy tom informed Rookfire. He was happy that he managed to find one of the other medicine cats, but now he had to be extra careful not to make a fool of himself. "Though I'm a little slow with learning." He was certainly thankful for his mentor's patience with him, as he adapted to all of the changes. It was quite the change going from a warrior to a medicine cat. His nest going from the crowded warriors' den to the medicine den was probably the biggest. He wasn't used to all the space but it was nice for his big form.

---

Batglow let out a purr once he met Hayglow's young kits, Sunnypaw showing up a moment later after her mom's mention of her. The black tom looked at all of the young apprentices that had managed to gather into this group. "Nice to meet you, Muddypaw, Muddypaw, Bubblepaw, and Sunnypaw. Like Hayglow said I'm Batglow of Shadowclan."

He licked his fangs real quick, before speaking again. "The gathering is a wonderful chance to learn the scents of the other clans. Especially ones you don't share a border with. Its a good learning opportunity for all of you."

---

Tornpaw froze. Her dad..? Why didn't she know that he had other kits. Azure eyes looked at the other apprentice a little unsure on how to continue. "He isn't with Skyclan anymore. I don't know where he is." She said her voice getting close to a breaking point again as she felt a swell of emotions inside of her. She couldn't go one day without someone judging her for her Dad's actions, and now at a gathering, someone else was looking for him?

She couldn't help but be curious as to what Moonpaw wanted to talk with her father about, though it would probably just end up hurting her in the end if she found out the answer. "What.. What did you want to say to him?"

---

Stormbringer let out a purr as Sneezingpaw came over and started to curl around her, sharing affection with Mountainpaw. "Are you two alright? It seemed that they were making you uncomfortable." The blue gray warrior asked. She was always going to be concerned about her kits, regardless of their age. Though at the call of Ivystar's name, Stormbringer looked up. She couldn't quite hear what was going on, but she didn't like the expression on the medicine cat's face as she talked to her mate.

"Don't worry, Smallbean. Gatherings are typically more peaceful with the medicine cats," She mewed, giving him a nod. "Hi Rookfire! And, uh, you're...? You smell like ThunderClan, but I'm sure you have a name other than 'Daisybloom's apprentice!' Wait... If you're her apprentice-- what happened to Mossbloom..?" Her eyes went wide briefly, as she turned sharply, heartbeat spiking. Unmeasurable relief filled her heart and gaze as she saw the familiar calico she-cat. Then Beechface stood up, and she looked at Smallbean "I said typically. I doubt Beechface will be anything but peaceful." She groaned, her hers pricked warily as Beechface's voice rose, addressing Ivystar. And immediately, she swiftly took three steps forward. No way in the name of Olivestar was she going to let ANYONE harm Dennis.

Despite her attempts, she couldn't soothe her bristling fur completely. "Beechface, whatever happened, I know Dennis had the best intentions. Maybe not your best intentions in mind, or even SkyClan's, but maybe, just maybe, he had the kits' in question best interests in mind? Or! Have you can considered, that you misunderstood StarClan? Did they say that SkyClan were to take the kits-- or, apprentices now-- back? If they are alive, they can make their own choices. Not even StarClan can dictate that. And please, don't call him Spiderquill. He's already told you that's no longer his name." Softbreeze mewed smoothly, tail placed gently on Dennis' shoulder.

Ivystar would've been perfectly content to sit upon the rock until all the other leaders had given their reports, but it seemed one particularly moody medicine cat had something she wished to bring to her attention. Immediately her ears slicked back, and her whiskers twitched in annoyance. She was going to rattle off about how the SkyClan she-cat was accusing her Clan of stealing kits, but she held off for a moment- and was thankful that she did. Her emerald eyes narrowed, but not at Beechface- no, they were focused on Dennis and Dennis alone. Before she had a chance to speak out and question him, Beechface raised her voice again, and Ivystar considered asking her to shut up long enough for her to speak with her medicine cat, but decided against it- only because this was a gathering.

"I think you'll find it in your Clan's best interest to drop to accusatory tone, Beechface." She mewed simply, flicking her ears slightly. For a moment she listened to the intense chatter that filled the space below the rock, likely focused on the events unfolding before them. With a huff, Ivystar padded to the edge of the Great Rock and leaped off of it, restraining a wince when she hit the ground on her two bad legs. "I cannot speak on Dennis' behalf, as much as I wish I knew what was going on in his head. However, I assure you that there was no ill-will towards your Clan when we took in the kits in question. As you can see, they are perfectly healthy, well-fed, and cared for."

Tail lashing, Ivystar took a few steps toward where the rest of the medicine cats had congregated, eyes deadset on her son. When Softbreeze spoke up, Ivystar had to force herself not to unsheathe her claws and utter a few pointed threats. "Softbreeze, to be frank, this is none of your business. If I needed your help defending my medicine cat's dishonesty I'd ask for it. Unfortunately, I'm not in the mood for such foolish behaviors, especially from parties who are uninvolved, and should remain that way if they know what's best for them." She mewed, voice low and gruff. With that out of the way, she turned to face Dennis. "I won't ask you to explain thoughtless and half-witted actions in front of the entire forest, Dennis, but know that when we get back to camp we will have a serious sit down. Actions such as this are absolutely unacceptable and I will not have my medicine cat behaving in such a way, or he will not remain a medicine cat much longer."

Without waiting for a response, Ivystar whipped around and turned to face both Beechface and Wolfstar. "I apologize that the way Dennis chose to conduct himself has caused such discourse. His words do not represent RiverClan's true intentions, and I was not made aware of the situation until moments ago. I'd like to propose a solution if you'd be so kind as to listen." She mewed, attempting to flatten her fur as she sat down before them. "Simply put, I am not comfortable forcing them to leave my Clan for SkyClan, nor am I comfortable forcing them to stay. Since it is such a sticky situation that all of us have a personal stake in, I see it best fit to let them choose. No hard feelings either way. Their happiness is my greatest concern, and I believe this is the best way to achieve that." She mewed, looking up to them with a blank expression.

Wolfstar did his best to tune out the words of the other leaders, unless they were speaking to him directly. Instead, until the Gathering officially started, the SkyClan leader just... watched. So much had changed since the last time he sat upon this stone, and he saw cats that now were warriors and deputies, who were mere apprentices at their last meeting. The Asylum had caused chaos... so much chaos... yet in the end, the clans had prevailed. He was wrong for ever doubting them, and that guilt lay heavy upon his shoulders.

His reverie was interrupted however by his granddaughter's voice, and Wolfstar blinked back into reality, tilting his chin against his chest to stare down at Beechface, who had addressed... Ivystar. The lanky tom's brow furrowed, his expression growing dark as she laid out the RiverClan medicine cat's lie. Instantly, his gaze swept the clearing, finally landing on Smokefeather and Ashstorm, who were staring after a pair of apprentices who looked incredibly familiar. There was no mistaking Mountainpaw - she bore an uncanny resemblance to Bloodstrike that even a half-blind cat would notice. As Beechface finished, it wasn't long before the WindClan medicine cat spoke up on Spiderquill's behalf. Wolfstar's lip curled, anger radiating off of him in waves. After everything SkyClan had been through, Softbreeze was attempting to justify this?

As he stood, opening his mouth to speak down at them, Ivystar beat him to it, and suppressing a low growl of annoyance, he allowed her to continue uninterrupted, though his eyes were narrowed on Spiderquill and Softbreeze. As Ivystar addressed him, Wolfstar kept his attention on the medicine cats, responding to them first. "The insinuation that the kits' best intentions are not with their clan is one that I do not take lightly, Softbreeze, and I would be careful with the way you represent your clan, at a Gathering or otherwise." His gaze moved then, to Lilacstar, and he spoke shortly to her. "And perhaps WindClan should consider muzzling their medicine cat when it comes to the affairs of other clans."

Finally, Ivystar drew his attention, and Wolfstar flicked his tail, far too annoyed to consider negotiations at this time. "I fear that suggestion would not be so well regarded were it your kin who were wrongfully kept from you, Ivystar," he told her coldly. "However, this Gathering should be a peaceful one, after all the forest has endured these past few moons. And for that reason I suggest that we speak of this on a later date. Privately."

As Stormbringer expressed concern for her, she blinked gently at her mom. "It's 'kay, Mom. They were just a bit upside downy brain and thought we were their Menace twin and me twin, but 'ts 'kay now, right, Mountainchonk?" She mewed happily, her unease disappearing like it had never existed.

And, in a flash, it was back.

"You're... You're-- sniff-- lyin'!" She mewed, defensively. Her ears had instinctively perked up as her mother, Ivystar, had started speaking but quickly Sneezingpaw came to regret. Why was everyone so confused? "I'm a fisher cat! I don' do whatev'r SkyDwellers do!" The black and white speckled molly insisted. She forced her eyes shut and took two steps back. This was overwhelming. Her breathing quickened the slightest amount and she looked at Stormbringer desperately, "I wann' go home. I don' like Gath'rin's.. Why.. Why is momma and that mean cat so mad at Dennisbro?"

Sneezingpaw shuffled closer to Mountainpaw. She didn't think her first Gathering as an apprentice would go like this, with all the.. the.. TreeClan cats lying and even managing to confusing her mom! "No matter what, we'll always stick togeth'r, 'kay?" She whispered to her sister, as they embraced under the gaze of Stormbringer, and Sneezingpaw desperately wanted to curl up in her feathered nest back home.

Then the scary brown tom on the rock spoke, and Sneezingpaw felt something she'd never felt before. What... What was this feeling? It was... bad. It was harsh. It... It was mean. "H-hey! Meany-Stripes! Don' talk to my Momma like that! We're not your... Your.. Your kin! Um, whatev'r that means.."