July Gathering 2021

Wolfblaze padded into gathering behind Minkstar, happy that she could see all the other clans. It was never dull at a gathering! Besides, this was the first one since she had become a warrior, maybe she'd meet a new friend tonight. No need to stick close to a mentor, or to her clan, though she probably would stick a bit closer to Sparrowpaw. She didn't want her getting into any trouble, though she felt like she wouldn't. Wolfblaze cared for her new apprentice though and hoped that she would have fun. The night seemed clear, and the stars twinkled above with what Wolfblaze would like to think was curiosity. Perhaps they too, wondered what would happen tonight? Starclan always did seem to like knowing things.

Wolfblaze is open to talk to!

Nightpaw was hesitant to go to a gathering, but he knew he had to at some point. There were just so many cats! He also kind of wanted to watch his siblings, and make sure they didn't get into too much trouble. He felt like it could happen, and if it did, he would be more than happy to jump in. For now, he watched as Wolfstar spoke to a few warriors before leaping onto the large rock that the other leaders had gathered upon. He had to wonder what was going on as he seated himself comfortably. Hopefully nothing that could lead to battle, maybe he just had to talk something out?

Nightpaw is open to talk to!

Smokepaw had paused on the edge of the clearing for a moment, drinking in the sights and smells. If it had been up to her, she would have hovered around the edges, listening but not speaking. However, her mother had lectured her for nearly an hour about the benefits of talking to other cats. Smokepaw, although she wouldn’t admit it, almost agreed. These cats all lived in different places and knew different things- the stuff she could learn! If she was bold enough to try, that is.

She took a deep breath and slowly padded down the slope, casting her gaze about for some nonthreatening cat to talk to. There, a black, green-eyed cat, from either ThunderClan or SkyClan- Smokepaw hadn’t quite figured out the differences between their scents yet. Tail twitching, Smokepaw sat beside him, hoping she wasn’t breaking some rule or something.

“I’m Smokepaw,” she blurted, realizing she hadn’t said anything. “ShadowClan. Who’re you?”

Stars above, do you have feathers for brains, mouse-brain?

She waited nervously for the tom to respond.

Smokepaw is talking to Nightpaw.

Silverlight bounded into the Gathering behind his clan with a beaming smile. Unlike the other gatherings he's attended, this one was special. It was his first gathering as a warrior. Despite his cheery outward appearance, he was feeling rather anxious and nervous on the inside. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop his eyes from continuing to wander over to where his mother was talking with Ivystar. He was certain he knew what the topic of their conversation was and that knowledge was no help in quelling his growing anxiety. He decided it was best to just focus on something else before he got too ahead of himself. This time around, he chose to just wander around aimlessly instead of hopping into one of the conversations.

---

Kestelswoop arrived with the rest of ThunderClan in a relatively 'fine' mood. He was still very much worried about his mother's waning health but was proud of his sister for having done her all as temporary deputy for the clan. He assumed his father was worrying about Batbite, having learned to read others' expressions rather well. The warrior eyed Minkstar and Thrushnose one last time before turning away and scanning the clearing as he walked.

After a few minutes of maneuvering around the chattering groups, he spotted a very familiar face. The brown and white tom cracked a smile as he changed his direction and headed straight for his good friend, Wolfblaze. Why not spend his first Gathering as a warrior with the she-cat he regarded as one of his best friends?

"Wolfblaze." he greeted warmly once he was close enough, "Do you mind me joining you for this Gathering? It's our first time here as warriors of ThunderClan. Pretty neat huh?"

For the first time in his life, Emberleap had almost been excited to see Fourtrees. Though last moon’s Gathering hadn’t brought any new information about Dawnhawk, learning that Brick had been accepted into RiverClan made up for it. Being busy with their respective Clan and faction assignments (and, in Brick’s case, being related to Raisha), they hadn’t gotten many chances to talk as trainees, but Brick had always seemed plain old nice, especially compared to her sister. Granted, Emberleap doubted he’d see her here, but he liked knowing some of his former denmates were still around. Letting go of Asylum didn’t have to mean forgetting everyone he’d grown up with.

As the clearing slowly filled with cats from all five Clans, the lanky tom settled near its outskirts, glancing over to make sure his shoulder scar was still covered. Maybe he could stop hiding it someday. After Dawnhawk. Refusing to dwell on the implications of that, Emberleap turned his attention to some un-trampled flowers nearby, batting at them with a gentle paw.

Emberleap is open to talk!

Dayspring blinked a few times before lifting her gaze to meet Thrushnose’s. It seemed as if there was a new body sitting with the deputies at every single Gathering, and that certainly wasn’t reassuring to a she-cat that wasn’t the biggest fan of change. However, she greeted the ThunderClanner with a forced smile and a polite flick of her tail.
“Hi, there. I’m Dayspring. I hope everything is alright with Batbite.” The deputy introduced herself sincerely despite the fact that she preferred to stay as quiet as possible.

She quickly tipped her head upwards to give Ivystar and Lilacstar a glance. It didn’t take Dayspring very long to infer what the two were speaking about, and a dark pit of stress began to grow and twist in her stomach. Was it really wise to tell another Clan’s leader about something as serious as harboring a murderer within WindClan’s walls? What would happen if the truth escaped during the Gathering? Fear held the deputy’s limbs in place as she stared down at her bi-colored paws.

She made a sloppy attempt at clearing up her expression as Loonwhisper addressed her. Was RiverClan going through a crisis as well? She took a heartbeat to wonder whether or not telling RiverClan’s deputy about the situation would be smart. If the WindClan and RiverClan leaders were discussing it, then certainly the WindClan and RiverClan deputies could as well… right? She glanced around the clearing anxiously before lowering her voice so that Thrushnose wouldn’t have the ability to pick up any words. As much as she wanted to vent about how much this problem was troubling her, she decided to hold a few details back.
“There’s a dangerous cat within WindClan’s walls… and even though Lilacstar seems to trust him, I can’t help but wonder if he’s going to start terrorizing my Clan just like what he did to-“

SkyClan.
They were here.

Dayspring instantly fell into silence before any of SkyClan’s upper ranks reached the Great Rock. The she-cat shot Loonwhisper an apologetic look for ending her sentence so abruptly. If either Bloodstrike or Wolfstar were to catch wind of her or Lilacstar’s words, then chaos would surely ensue under the light of the full moon.

An odd hooting call came from nearby, and Thrushnose looked up into the round green eyes of a tom she didn't recognize, his black-and-white pelt slightly flattened by what she assumed was river water. “I don’t think…” A realization struck her midsentence, and she fell silent, a frown settling onto her muzzle as she racked her brain. Loonwhisper did seem familiar, though she couldn’t put a paw on why. She’d never seen him near the border, but—RiverClan. Sunningrocks. A voice like a bird call… It dawned on her suddenly—so suddenly, in fact, that she couldn’t stop herself from saying, “Hoo-Hoo?” Of course she remembered the strange cat Mountainpaw and Sneezingpaw had described, but she wouldn’t in a thousand seasons have guessed he was RiverClan’s deputy. “I met two of your apprentices at the border,” she said, planning her words more carefully now. “That’s what they called you.” One of them had put a “mister” in front of it, but she supposed that detail didn’t matter much.

WindClan’s deputy, despite looking ill at ease, introduced herself with a smile and gave her well wishes. Thrushnose’s expression softened. Another reminder of who was supposed to be sitting here instead. “So do I.” Dayspring said nothing more. Not feeling talkative herself, Thrushnose didn’t push, instead relaxing to observe in silence. She’d never paid attention to the Great Rock before; if she had, she would’ve been more inclined to listen to the Clan leaders than the cats below them. Any information she could gather about how these nights usually went would be helpful.

Something dark flitted across Dayspring’s face. With a worried look around Fourtrees, she began murmuring to Loonwhisper. Though obvious interest seized her expression, Thrushnose forced herself to stay pressed against the stone and pointed her eyes elsewhere—until the whispering came to an abrupt halt. SkyClan had arrived, their beast of a deputy with them. It could be a coincidence. Could be. It certainly wasn’t any of her business. This was her first Gathering as deputy; the worst thing she could do was get in over her head for curiosity's sake. Swallowing the questions rising in her throat, she leaned forward to catch a glimpse of the newest arrivals.

Wolfblaze had been watching the rest of the clans come into the clearing, when she wasn't looking out for apprentices from her own clan. While she valued fun, she was still a warrior, and responsible enough to break up any fights if they were to happen. She might have a temper, but some apprentices didn't have brains yet. This is why she smiled fondly then she heard Kestrelswoop's voice coming toward her. "I'd never mind you joining me! This is pretty neat, I mean look at us! Warriors!" She glanced around for a moment before she continued, "So, couldn't find anyone else to talk to, or you just prefer my company tonight?" She meant this playfully, bumping his shoulder with hers. She was happy she could talk to someone she knew, it made it so much easier!

Wolfblaze is talking to Kestrelswoop!

Nightpaw jumped a little when he suddenly heard a voice introducing herself to him. With a quick turn of his head, Nightpaw looked on with confusion. "Are, uh, you talking to me?" The lanky tom's ears flattened slightly, of course this is how his first meeting would go! "I'm, uh, Nightpaw! I'm with Skyclan. Uh, how are you? How's Shadowclan doing?" He asked all of this in a friendly tone, yet it all sounded jittery, like the shock of meeting a new cat had not quite worn off yet.

Nightpaw is talking to Smokepaw!

“We’re doing well. How’s SkyClan doing- I heard from some of the older cats that you had a fire seasons ago? How long did it take for the forest to recover from the fire?”

Smokepaw clamped her jaws shut to stop herself from asking any more questions. This cat was not from her Clan, and she was not going to spill any ShadowClan secrets.

“Do you have any relatives here?” She mewed, tilting her head questioningly, mind jumping to the next topic. “I ask a lot of questions.”

Cloverpaw filed in amidst the rest of RiverClan, and though she tried to keep pace with the rest of them, she felt unusually sluggish tonight. She hadn't slept well the night before, and it was starting to get to her. Flicking Dennis with her tail, she gave him a warm smile and weaved through the crowd to join Dovefrost. "Hi," she mewed warmly, dipping her head. "How are things?" She tried to sound as polite as possible, but she really didn't know what to say to him. It was better than silence, at least.
Cloverpaw is talking to Dovefrost.

Newtpaw wanted to rush into Fourtrees, make a big grand entrance, but pushing through the rest of his Clanmates was proving difficult. He huffed, glaring at the older warriors in front of him until the numbers thinned as they drifted off to mingle. Eyes lighting up, he tore the rest of the way down the slope, whooping excitement as he joined the rest of the gathered cats. His first Gathering! He was really here, and StarClan, look at how many cats were here! There was so much to do, so many options to talk to... It was a tough choice, picking just one. Scanning the crowd, he found a cat sitting with– who was that, ShadowClan? –swatting at flowers. His ears flicked at the notion of having to talk to someone from the Clan, a bitter taste rising in his throat, but everyone else looked busy or cranky. Sights unfortunately set, he padded over to the pale tom, turning on his flashiest smile. "Hiya. Who are you? I'm Newtpaw, from SkyClan." As he said his Clan his chest swelled with pride, and he made an effort to hold himself taller.
Newtpaw is talking to Emberleap.

Webpaw is not in attendance.

Shrikestorm padded into the Gathering with the other WindClan cats, his paws feeling as if they were struggling through the marsh. He couldn't focus on all the other cats having gathered there, for his mind was clouded with the truth that he knew. An ousted SkyClan cat named Dawnhawk was living in WindClan. He had been given shelter by Lilacstar despite him openly admitting to murder and working with the Asylum, who had terrorized the clans for moons. It was preposterous, and his mind just couldn't wrap around why Lilacstar would agree to continue sheltering him. He wanted to trust his leader more than anything, but this was a moor too far...

Maybe it was fate that the first cat outside his own clan that he ran into was a SkyClan cat. They came in afterwards, and it felt like more than coincidence that he found himself near the all-black SkyClan she-cat. Melding in with the night, it was almost like he was staring at a ShadowClan cat rather than SkyClan. What if... What if he were to tell her the truth? It would be bad, he knew that. To go against the word of his leader would be a complete betrayal of what the clans stood for. And yet, wasn't hosting another clan's murderous cast-off a betrayal of those same laws? Which one took precedence over the other? His heart and loyalty to WindClan ached as he tried to decide what to do.

"Uh, what are you staring at me for, featherbrain?" Ravenclaw sniped, annoyed that this random WindClan tom was staring at her for no reason. It was like he was trying to bore holes through her pelt. This was why she hated Gatherings. Stupid other clans with their stupid... stupidity.

"Oh, sorry, I..." He knew what he had to do. Keeping Dawnhawk in WindClan was a danger to all of them, and a spit in the eye of StarClan themselves. Dawnhawk had done nothing explicitly to WindClan, so it was up to SkyClan to deal with him. "Listen to me," he dropped his voice, keeping it as low as he could. Enough to where Ravenclaw had to duck in to hear, and she was clearly annoyed by it. "One of your cats, Dawnhawk, has appeared on our lands. He's your problem, isn't he? Tell your leader where he is, and meet at our border tomorrow night. I'll direct you to camp, but I won't be seen with you. The rest is up to you."

Ravenclaw just stared at the tom, jaw dropped. "You... You what?" Dawnhawk... was in WindClan? Her traitorous brother was there? "We... We will meet you there. If we arrive and you're not there, there will be consequences." With that, she hurried off, ducking past cats of various clans. Her brain was running a mile a minute, like she was up in the trees hurtling from branch to branch. Should she even tell Wolfstar? What if this was a WindClan trap? No, she... she needed to tell someone, though. But who? Maybe it only made sense that her pawsteps ended up leading her to the medicine cats. "Beechface..."

Beechface stalked silently at Wolfstar's side, not at all pleased to be at the gathering and mingling with the other clans when there was any number of more important things she could be doing. Wolfstar it seemed was of a similar mind, and Beechface couldn't blame him at all for it, knowing what she now knew.

As they made it into the clearing, Wolfstar turned to talk with Juniperlight and Bloodstrike, and Beechface listened as well as he spoke. They wouldn't be the only ones listening in for information, she'd make sure of it. She would do her part, she had to. Dawnhawk was as much her problem as he was of the rest of Skyclan's.

She had settled near the edge of the crowd when a dark form stepped out of the darkness towards her. Ravenclaw, she realized quickly. Their relationship had been... strained... but Beechface loved her sister. She owed her more than she'd ever be able to repay for what she'd done.

"What's up, Ravenclaw?" She asked, noting the expression on her sister's face.

---

Birdsong could feel the tension of her clan's leadership as they made their way to fourtrees, and privately, she had to admit she was relieved to split from her clanmates and mingle with the rest of the clans. She chose a spot near some other warriors, but hesitated in greeting them. Still, she would be happy to talk if anyone approached her.

Beechface is talking to Ravenclaw.
Birdsong is open to talk to!

Bearspirit followed Ivystar to the gathering, though his eyes were focused on nothing as he strolled into the clearing. He sat down without a word, his mind in a far away land and stress written all over his face. Dogs were near Riverclan's territory. He'd hardly slept since he'd caught wind of them. Every tiny noise was scrutinized and every scent he inhaled he tried to match with a dog. He was frazzled and nothing going on in the gathering thus far had roused him from his horrible daymares. Bearspirit's eyes gazed lazily across the clearing as cats gathered but he focused on no one in particular. Even Swiftspirit was briefly look at before his eyes were on the ground again. The only thing he cared about right now was ridding the forest of the ferocious animals that had moved in.

---

Bloodstrike padded after Wolfstar and his eyes stayed trained on him with concern. When Wolfstar gestured to speak to him and Beechface alone, Bloodstrike obliged. Even listening to Wolfstar made his heart ache. The lead tom was practically losing his mind. Anyone who could be Dawnhawk? Insanity... Dawnhawk was Dawnhawk. How could he be anyone else? Still, with a concerned sigh and nod of his head, Bloodstrike would do just that. He had been about to go join the other deputies when Ravenclaw approached Beechface. He would have walked right on by... if not for the way she said her name. It caught Bloodstrike off guard. He paused to listen for a moment, concern for both daughters moving in to replace his concern for Wolfstar's.

Ivystar and Lilacstar had been talking alone, though Bloodstrike heard nothing of what was said. Dayspring seemed tense... and oddly tight-lipped. Something was wrong. Bloodstrike's fur bristled, though he did his best to remain calm and keep his face neutral.

---

Moonshine entered the gathering quietly. Shadowclan itself had been fairly quiet, at least for her. She simply took a seat at the edge of the gathering and watched as the other clans poured in. She purposely avoided any and all eye contact with Tornshadow, and Skyclan's direction in general.

Shrikesong sighed as she followed Minkstar to the Gathering tonight. Perhaps it was nothing, but the brown she-cat felt like this gathering was going to be a mess. She never really liked attending these gatherings anyways, and she usually just stayed at the back row instead of mingling with the other clans. Still, there was always getting news from the leaders of the clans, and that was always important for her to listen to. It seemed like the leaders and deputies were talking about something, but they stopped after SkyClan’s arrival. Maybe they didn’t want SkyClan to hear about what they were talking about. Was it an invasion of SkyClan or something? The brown she-cat didn’t know, and she felt that she didn’t want to know.

---

Rookfire proudly padded behind Flintstar and ShadowClan. The medicine cat was willing to wake up early for a great celebration of the full moon with the other clans. It was something that Rookfire saw as useful to promote peace, even if some cats could be very mouse-brained during it. (Though he would never admit it, he was one of those mouse-brained cats.) Taking his place with the other medicine cats, the black tuxedo prepared for the meeting to begin soon.

Rookfire is available to talk to!

(Shrikesong is at the back of the gathering and is unavailable to talk to, Foxspark isnt here because I have no muse for him, Heronpaw is in camp with Flypaw)

Webpaw entered the gathering, eyes brimming with his excitement that wasn't echoed in his controlled movements. He could bound around excitedly as he wanted to, but no. He was too aware that with every action--good and bad--he was representing Thunderclan. With every action, he wanted to leave the impression that Thunderclan had smart, sensible apprentices that could hold their own. Perhaps it was a little biased because his own ego dictated that he wanted to be seen as the sensible cat he perceived himself to be, but surely that only benefitted Thunderclan?

Amongst all the cats, Webpaw had to take a moment to orient himself. Looking around, he noticed that different cats were behaving in different ways. Some were obviously excited to be here and chatted animatedly with others. Others were calmer, keeping more to themselves and listening in on conversations. Some cats even appeared tense and grumpy, as if gatherings were a responsibility to fulfill rather than an enjoyable experience. Where did his behavior fall in there? He was definitely excited, but he didn't feel much inclination to meet and chat with others. No, he wanted to paradoxically sit alone in the crowd and focus all of his attention on observing his first gathering and the way that most cats were sorting themselves into groups, seemingly based on rank or personality.

Webpaw is available to talk to.

Ravenclaw was so hopped up on confusion and energy that she almost blurted out what was weighing now on her mind. Thankfully she shut herself up and tried as best she could to casually beckon Beechface away from the other medicine cats. There were so many cats at that accursed Gathering that total privacy was impossible, but she would do the best she could. "Beechface, a WindClan cat told me that Dawnhawk is on their territory." Her voice was at a whisper: the same lowness that had originally annoyed her from the WindClan tom. "He could be lying, and this is a trap, but... what if he is there? Should we tell Wolfstar?" Interrupting the leaders was usually frowned upon, but this seemed like an important exception. "Though he could be lying. Then again, WindClan is as soft as a kit's underbelly. It would be them to let a murderer into their ranks." She glared at nothing at the thought: what a pitiful excuse for a clan. Caught up in her roundabout way of figuring out whether this was true or not, and what they were to do, she wasn't even thinking that she was specifically talking to Beechface. The two were often at odds for one certain reason, but they were family. Family that hadn't committed treason, at least.