July Gathering 2021

With her head held high, Ivystar led her Clan into the clearing between the four Great Oaks. Being the first to arrive always offered an almost eerie feeling upon walking into the clearing. It was nearly always spookily quiet, and Ivystar found it oddly soothing. As opposed to the crowded and loud feeling found whenever all five Clans were present, being in the clearing seemingly alone offered space and time to think while the rest of the Clans made their trek toward Fourtrees. With a deep breath, she made a beeline toward the rock in the center, leaping up and turning around to face her Clanmates as they filed in and took their seats, waiting for the rest of the Clans to arrive.

Yarrowpaw walked alongside his mother up until they made it to Fourtrees, where he broke away from his clan to sit quietly by himself, curled up in his thick white fur. He still wasn’t used to all of the cats, and their presence scared him just a little, so he was content by himself.

Yarrowpaw is.. kind of open to talk to?

Lilacstar had been in a bit of a rush to attend this gathering, as she needed to get some words in before SkyClan arrived. Thankfully, when she had arrived, Ivystar was the only one sitting on top of the rock. Perfect. Ivystar was a reasonable leader, even if a bit irritable at times. Perhaps she could help her in this scenario? After all, the secret that she had could not be kept forever. And knowing Wolfstar.... Oh stars, this was going to be bad.

"Ivystar, may I have a word with you? My Clan may be in trouble, and I am in need of your help."

Dayspring would be lying if she said that she had found a way to get over it. Her thoughts were still haunted by the news that she and the rest of the Clan had received only a few sunrises ago. The memory hung in her mind like the thickest of fogs. Her trip to Fourtrees had been a rather silent one, but it wasn't out of the ordinary for her to be quiet. In truth, perhaps the she-cat was more hurt than she was angry. She had tried to dissect Lilacstar's reasoning to understand why she had let Dawnhawk stay in the Clan, but Dayspring hadn't come up with any reasonable answers. As she settled down below the rock, she focused her gaze on a singular leaf that has fallen to the center of the clearing and fell deep into thought once again. If the truth were to slip out at today's Gathering, then she could only imagine how Wolfstar and Bloodstrike were going to react.

dayspring is open to talk to... but she's a little out of it at the moment.

Cloudpaw hadn't been to Fourtrees since the battle to free the Clans, so truthfully, she had no idea what to expect. She had imagined that she would be walking into her first Gathering as a Clan cat with both of her sisters by her side, but instead she found herself strolling in with just the company of her own self. Judging by the amount of leaders on the rock, or the lack thereof, not every Clan was there yet. Gatherings were probably extremely lively once the clearing was full with cats from all five Clans, and Cloudpaw was eager to see it with her own eyes.

cloudpaw is open to talk to.

Ivystar's gaze was immediately drawn to the line of cats filing into the clearing to her left, and she watched as their leader made her way to the front of the crowd, promptly leaping up and joining her on the great rock. All was well until the she-cat decided to approach her. Eyeing her from her peripherals, Ivystar resisted the urge not to snort at her proposition. Her Clan was in trouble, and she wanted RiverClan's help? After the show they put on just two moons ago? With a flick of her tail, Ivystar waved her toward the far end of the rock, where the least amount of their Clanmates were likely to hear their conversation. "Well?" She mewed, only halfway trying to mask the slight annoyance tinting her tone. She was not here to make alliances, she was here to share her news with the rest of the Clans and to move on. This was more of a hindrance on her night than she wished to endure... But, in the name of diplomacy, she decided to hear her out and give her a fair chance.

Ashfall padded into the gathering, lost in thought as she often had been as of late. She had to find Ashstorm, and she had to learn more about Dawnhawk. Something still felt wrong with what Dawnhawk had said to her, and what with Copperfox's warning, she couldn't just put it aside. Besides, Dawnhawk practically asked her to speak to Ashstorm, she couldn't resist that kind of temptation. Maybe he knew that? Ashfall hated the way Dawnhawk could play mind games, it was...uncomfortable. Unfortunately, they had arrived earlier than Skyclan, causing her whole plan to stall in place. Stifling a groan of annoyance, Ashfall directed her blue gaze to where Skyclan would likely be arriving from. With luck, she'd spot Ashstorm as soon as Skyclan came in, talk to her, and be done before the gathering was over. No need to drag this out, no need to form any kind of relationship with her Skyclan kin. Simple questions, simple answers. There was always the risk of Ashstorm telling her clan, but Ashfall was confident she wouldn't. If she still 'liked' Dawnhawk, as Dawnhawk said, she wouldn't throw him to the wolves that quickly. Ashfall's plan was set, and she couldn't help but feel confident in it. Maybe everything would just work out for once.

Ashfall is currently looking for Ashstorm, and is not open to talk to!

The Clan wouldn't be late this time. Minkstar padded through the undergrowth, the glow of the moon on the clearing ahead shining through the leaves, his paws oddly heavy, a quiet sense of resignation dragging at his gut. Batbite's absence was a presence he could feel, a hole where something ought to be, and wasn't. Yet. She'll recover.

A quiet voice whispered fears in the back of his mind, a counterpoint to the deliberately firm belief he outwardly showed.

At least this time they wouldn't be without a deputy, and as he glanced back at Thrushnose with an encouraging smile, he had to admit it was good to have her there. She had the same ability to observe and see that her mother held. But he still couldn't help but feel that it still should have been Bat herself. She'll be alright.

Taking a deep breath, he flicked his tail, leading the Clan in a quiet crowd out to the open space of Fourtrees, the scents of RiverClan and WindClan strong in the air. He could see both leaders as he padded up to the rock, apparently in a conversation of some kind. With a flick of his tail, he leapt up, making it to the top in a few bounds and landing easily on the night-cool stone, though he imagined he could feel a faint heat from the day still radiating from it. Giving the others a nod, he settled down, letting his thoughts drift as his eyes wandered over the crowd, waiting for the other Clans to arrive, a sudden, vague sense of frustrated impatience blooming to life in his chest, the tip of his tail twitching. It all suddenly felt so... pointless. Go to the gathering, dance around the subjects of how your Clan was doing without giving too much away, spar verbally with the other leaders and get nowhere, occasionally have StarClan intervene and throw a star down to get their distracted attention; rinse and repeat.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he struggled to force the emotion down, letting out a quiet breath. You're just worried about Bat. She'll be alright. She'll be fine. The sooner this was over with, the sooner he could get back to curl up beside her again; do what he could to help her as she'd helped him....

If only... there was more I could do....

---

Sablepaw walked into the gathering with the rest of the Clan, keeping Thrush and Minkstar in view until they entered the clearing and both went their separate ways. It was kind of... strange seeing her sister there instead of her mother, but Minkstar - and Thrush, actually - were adamant that it'd only be a temporary thing until Batbite recovered. She couldn't help wondering about that, though. What if she doesn't? What will we do if she doesn't get better?

She let her pawsteps follow the general flow of the others around her, not really seeing the crowd as her thoughts flowed with a vague sense of disquiet. Things didn't always turn out happily, as this clearing itself would say if it could speak.

When she’d taken on deputyship, Thrushnose had taken on everything that title came with: setting patrols, running ceremonies, representing ThunderClan on Gathering nights. The first two had found their places in her daily routine; the planning that went into them suited her perfectly. However, as she stared up at the Great Oaks from her spot three steps behind her father and three steps ahead of the rest of ThunderClan, it occurred to her (for possibly the twentieth time tonight) that she had no idea what to expect from this at all. Like a patrol sent to contested territory, she’d prepared—hoping for the best, bracing for the worst—but she didn’t know enough to be truly secure.

Minkstar was smiling at her. Thrushnose blinked, yanking her thoughts back to Fourtrees, and smiled back. He trusted her. She trusted him. They would get through this, no matter how many moons it took, until Batbite could stand in her rightful place again.

They reached the Great Rock, and she bumped her shoulder against her father’s before they parted ways: him to climb the rock, her to settle in its shadow. She paused, took a breath. Questions about her mother, questions about her blood. We’ll be fine. Either because nothing would go wrong, or because she’d armed herself for it as well as she could. She couldn’t—wouldn’t let Clan politics and a little social interaction rattle her.

Thrushnose gave herself a firm head-to-tail shake, then approached the space under the Great Rock. WindClan and RiverClan had already arrived... RiverClan. Only a moon ago, she’d been planning to reach out across the river and relearn the art of swimming from the cats who knew it best, purely because it seemed like a good way to combat the heat. A deputy couldn’t take that risk. “I’m here on Batbite’s behalf,” she said instead. “Thrushnose, of ThunderClan.” There. Maybe the rest would come easier now that she’d introduced herself. With a nod, she leaned back against the rock, her tail wrapping itself around her paws.

Thrushnose is (sort of) talking to the deputies.

(Emberleap will arrive with ShadowClan + Flypaw hasn’t earned Gathering privileges yet and is staying home)

Loonwhisper had meant to ask Ivystar before their arrival if bringing Kitefire along was truly the best course of action for RiverClan, but something halted his tongue and kept him quiet on the remainder of the trip. He had taken a quick plunge into a creek on their way and was still a bit damp. The white fur on his chest was still a little translucent from the moisture, and his tail fur hung like a wilted fern. It was refreshing. It made him feel less stressed. He would have liked to submerge... but he hadn't been to the river in a few days, on account of the strange happenings around the banks. For that reason, Loonwhisper was a bit more irritable than usual, which meant that he was near-silent and very much not happy to be at Fourtrees.

"Hoooooooo..." he mused in greeting to the deputies that had arrived so far. There was a new one representing ThunderClan, a pretty and muscular she-cat who introduced herself as Thrushnose. Something about her struck the RiverClan deputy in a fond way, though he could not place a paw on a word for his feelings. He dismissed the thought: she impressed him, and she seemed interesting, perhaps like-minded. "You might have already known me. It seems I am not easy to forget. I am called Loonwhisper."

Dayspring, on the other hand, seemed more than just apprehensive. Lilacstar above him was whispering urgently with Ivystar. Loonwhisper hoo-hooed at the WindClan deputy. "What plagues you?" he crooned. "Pray not the same ills as RiverClan, or we are both assuredly in hazardous waters."

Loonwhisper is talking to the deputies.
Ryepaw may or may not be in attendance I'll decide later lol

Swiftspirit followed Windclan to fourtrees with her usual good cheer. It seemed as though Riverclan had arrived first, and Thunderclan cats came streaming into the hollow not long after Swiftspirit found a place to settle. She wasn't close enough to hear what was being whispered between Lilacstar and Ivystar, though Swiftspirit still angled an ear in their direction on reflex as her soft blue gaze swept across the gathering cats. She wondered if Bearspirit was with the Riverclanners, but she had yet to find his distinctive pelt within the crowd. For some reason, that bothered her, though she couldn't explain why.

Swiftspirit is open to talk to but is hoping to see Bearspirit!
Mistyfalcon may or may not arrive with Shadowclan.
Beechface and Birdsong haven't arrived yet.
Smokefeather has chosen to stay home.

Dovefrost shook out his fur as he walked behind his leader and deputy, green eyes scanning over the clearing, checking for nothing in particular but checking all the same. It seemed that the other medicine cats weren't around yet, at least not Dennis and Smallbean. Hopefully they would make their presence known. The white tom made his way close to the rock, sitting in his usual spot. His gaze rising to his leader for a moment. He could tell the tom was anxious about Batbite, and he was doing everything he could to help her. He just prayed Starclan would assist him in making her healthy once again.

---

Starlingpaw followed Thunderclan, his head held high. This was the perfect chance for him to show off! Make himself the center of attention. Of course he had to be careful, didn't need any of the warriors getting mad at him. The dilute tortoiseshell tom made his way into the growing crowd, yellow eyes scanning for anything interest, though it seemed luck was not on his side. So he just sat down where he stood, waiting on something to happen that he could take advantage of.

Starlingpaw is open to talk!

Wolfstar was in a foul mood tonight.

Though he tried not to show it, the leader's slicked back ears and restless tail probably betrayed him as he led his clan towards Fourtrees. Had it not been StarClan's will, he wouldn't be here, tonight, and neither would SkyClan. Wolfstar had no patience, and no desire, to mingle with liars tonight. This was the third Gathering since Dawnhawk's banishment, and despite evidence of the tom's presence within the forest, no one had come forward with information. That meant that someone, somewhere, was either sheltering the tom, or knew who was. And that made the ever-bubbling rage within Wolfstar's heart grow hotter every time he thought about it.

As Fourtrees came into view, he beckoned Blossomstep, Bloodstrike, and Juniperlight over with a quick jerk of his chin and signaled for the rest of the clan to descend. When the four of them were alone, Wolfstar spoke, voice low. "I want the three of you to have your ears pricked for me, tonight. Move around, listen in on conversations - any mention of Dawnhawk, or anyone that could be Dawnhawk... let me know. Someone knows where he is." His tone was clipped, strained, and the leader did his best to loosen his downright aggressive posture, but probably didn't succeed.

***

With the signal to go, Spottedpaw charged down into Fourtrees. Her eyes were wide, and every hair stood on end in excitement. This was her first Gathering! And hopefully the start of many, many more. She got to the bottom of the hill and paused. Well, she was here, but... who was she supposed to talk to? Mother had said Gatherings were the only time clans could mingle with the blessing of StarClan, but... could she just... strike up a conversation? Head tilting, the fluffy black and white she-cat decided that... well, yes, she'd do just that! So she sidled up to a cat that looked about her age and stared down at him, curled into his own fur. He looked overwhelmed, so she said, perhaps a bit forcefully, "Hi! I'm Spottedpaw! Nice to meet you!"

Spottedpaw is talking to Yarrowpaw.

***

Badgermask trailed the rest of ThunderClan into Fourtrees, silent and brooding as had been her typical mood lately. Once everyone broke away, she slunk to the edge of the clearing and settled down at the treeline on her belly.

Badgermask is open to talk to.

"There is a cat being targeted with a death order who is not deserving of it. He has been living in my Clan for some time, but I am not sure how much longer I will be able to hide him, as his own disguise had worn away. Please, Ivystar. I know you do not care much for me, but lives are at stake. The lives of genuinely good cats. He has made mistakes, yes, but I have seen the character this cat is. He is kind, and loving, and genuine. He had even made a family in my Clan. He has kits who need their father now more than ever. They do not deserve the fate that had been laid out before them."

At SkyClan's arrival, Lilacstar visibly jumped, but quickly regained her composure. Wolfstar himself had not made it onto the rock, speaking with three of his own Clanmates. With luck, he would have been too preoccupied to have noticed her reaction. Hopefully.

"Whatever ill-will you may have towards me, Ivystar, please, let that only be towards me. Noone else." With one last pleading glance, Lilacstar made her way back to the base of the rock. She had said all she could. The decision now was Ivystar's to make.

---

Tawnyflare had not wanted to come to this gathering. She had been grumpier than usual, and growing increasingly sluggish, but she refused to show her weakness. And so here she was, pelt brushing Fawnstep's as she made her way into the clearing. On the surface, this might be seen as a show of affection. But it was more keeping her claws close, if anything. She was already regretting current decisions, Fawnstep had only hope her patience remained long enough to spare him a most terrible fate.

Tawnyflare is open to talk to, although she is not in the best of moods. Rosethorn is yet to arrive.

Flintstar stepped into Fourtrees, his eyes narrowed in a tired manner as he slowly padded his way up to the rock. He came to a stop at the bottom of it, staring up at the top with a long, forlorn gaze before he finally bunched up his muscles and made the jump. As he reached the top, his body quivered with a cough. A sickness had fallen upon the leader in the last moon - and while it seemed to be ebbing away, enough that Flintstar had still chosen to lead his Clan, it was still...Unpleasant. He took a seat at the far edge of the rock, keeping a distance between him and the other leaders. While he wasn't sure how he felt about most of them, he knew it would be at least polite to do his best to keep them from catching whatever minor illness seemed to be haunting him.

----------

Hayglow kept close to her son as they followed Lilacstar into the clearing, her eyes focused on her paws as Muddyleap did most of the leading. She didn't want to admit it...But she was rather...Torn by the reveal of her daughter's mate true identity, recalling Wolfstar's warning to the Clan. She had been hestate to speak up - most of her Clanmates seemed not to care and she didn't want Sunnyskip to think that she was against her, she just...

"...You okay, momma?" Muddyleap murmured, bumping shoulders with his mother. He had a feeling he knew what she was thinking about, feeling a little torn on it as well. All he wanted was for people to be happy, but it seemed like either his mom or his sister was going to be sad... He sighed heavily, hating this, wishing he knew what to do.

Hayglow lifted her head, taking in a deep breath as she gave her son a small smile. "Its...Fine. I'll be fine. Lets just enjoy this Gathering, alright? Its a problem for Lilacstar to figure out." With that, she took a seat as Muddyleap settled beside her, leaning in to offer some comfort as they both glanced up at the rock - worry filling both of them as SkyClan had arrived...