December Gathering 2021

Orchidmask followed Bloodstar into Fourtrees, pausing to shake a thick layer of snow off her paws once they came to a spot where the stuff wasn't piled so dang high.  This was her first leaf-bare, and despite the way snow made everything shimmer in the sunlight, she could already tell that it was going to be a nuisance.  At least the kits seemed to like it though, she had seen them playing in it before the patrol left, and she could even see some of the gathered cats having fun with it as well.  Turning her attention to more important matters, she gazed up at the Great Rock and saw not one, not two, not three, but four differences.  Ivystar was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a dark-pelted tom who looked severe and cold.  Murkystrike was on the rock, but by now she assumed that her name was Murkystar, judging by the state Flintstar had been in the last Gathering.  Two new deputies were there as well, a white she-cat with gray splotches and a solid white tom.  The tom looked familiar, perhaps she had seen him around, but the she-cat was foreign to her.  She assumed all would be revealed with time, however, and gazed around to find a spot to sit.  Newtspring was nearby, his brightly-colored pelt standing out in both the dark and the snow.  With the hint of a grin on her face, she padded up to join the tom and sat beside him, purring with an edge of provocation in her calm voice.  "You look miserable.  Do you need me to walk you back home?"

---

Basilbloom marched into the Gathering behind Murkystar and Frostgaze, the tiny she-cat's head held proudly despite her aching legs.  The snow had made the journey rough, even more so than usual, but she was too excited to be there to worry about her pounding heart.  This was her first Gathering as the full medicine cat of ShadowClan!  Bounding through the snow, the tortoiseshell she-cat didn't even notice the strangers on the Great Rock as she caught sight of Beechface and made to way to greet the she-cat, purring all the way.  "Oh goodness, I never expected snow to be so hard to move through...hello Beechface!  How are you this evening?"  Making herself a little nestle in the snow, she sat down with her tail curled around her paws and leaned forward excitedly, a bright smile on her face.  "Guess what?  I got my full name a few nights ago, Basilbloom!  I can't wait for the others to get here, I don't see Muddythorn from here."  Peering around the crowd she tried to spot the tom's brown coat but failed, and instead turned back to the scarred silver tabby in front of her, amber eyes shining with enthusiasm.

Orchidmask is talking to Newtspring
Basilbloom is talking to Beechface(paw)
Ashpaw is not attending

Daystar fixed a curious gaze upon the Great Rock as she led WindClan into Fourtrees. Although Bloodstar had announced the change in leadership at the last Gathering, she still wasn't used to seeing him upon the rock. Along with him was Murkystar and a new cat that she was unfamiliar with that was probably in RiverClan's place considering the fresh scent of RiverClan that lingered in the clearing. This fresh batch of leaders was completely different from their predecessors, and Daystar could faintly remember what the rock looked like when she attended her first Gathering moons ago, not only overall but as the deputy of her Clan. Life was moving so fast and the forest was only moving with it.

She gave Ashfall a small smile before padding over to the Great Rock and leaping onto it like she had done many times before. No matter how interesting this new lineup was to her, she still wasn't interested in conversation, per usual. A polite dip of her head was her way of silently greeting the three leaders that stood atop the rock. Hopefully, by the grace of StarClan, tonight's Gathering would be painless and easy. Surely no cat wanted to remain in the cold for any longer than they had to.

Robinpatch trudged into the gathering with an anxious demeanor, the leaf-fall chill and bothersome snow not helping in the slightest. Almost the entirety of Riverclan's higher-ups have been replaced by a new cast of leaders that have immerged out of the blue. He had been a bit worried about what the other clans would say and think but then he realized that there seemed to have been a lot of change within the other clans as well. It reassured him a bit but he still kept his guard up. Although, when had he ever let his guard fully down?

The large calico tom roamed around aimlessly for what felt like quite a while before pausing suddenly. He was debating whether he should do what he usually did at gatherings and keep to himself near the outskirts or if he should actually make some semblance of an effort this time around. His eyes trailed all nearby presences before he made up his mind. His gaze zeroed on an unfamiliar, dark-furred tom-cat from what smelled like Shadowclan. The warrior sighed to himself as he made his way over.

"Um...hey there kiddo. Mind if I keep ya company for tonight? The name's Robinpatch and I'm sure my scent gave away that I'm from Riverclan." It was a bit of an awkward introduction but he was trying. "So, how's Shadowclan? You, um, got a new leader and deputy from the looks of it. Lots of change has been happening to all the clans lately and I guess we can't do much but go with it." he rumbled on with a shrug as he eyed the leaders and their deputies, eyes lingering on Jaystar and Perchfall for a moment more before turning back to the younger tom. He made no move to sit down quite yet. He was content with standing a while longer as he surveyed the clearing.

---

Blackpaw bounded into the gathering with his usual energetic fervor, paying no mind to the cold temperature. He was getting somewhat used to it and besides, tonight shouldn't be spent shivering and miserable! This was the biggest knowledge gathering event around and he was so ready to learn new things. His mind's gears were turning and his eyes flicked around to every new face he saw the moment he got a good look at the clearing. There were so many faces and scents. He was still learning about what scents belonged to what clan but that wouldn't stop him from finding out. This was a treasure trove for cats like him and he was going to savor the night as best as he could. Better get started!

The Riverclanner slowed his pace to a brisk walk as he took his time to listen into each and every conversation he passed by while simultaneously learning which faces belonged to which clan. It was a good thing that he had a good memory. This things were important for a warrior-in-training to commit to memory.

It was a while later before he decided on actually interacting with someone. That 'someone' that caught his eye was a rather handsome young tom with eye-catching decorations placed in a meticulous manner in his white fur. The tall tom faltered a moment before making a beeline straight toward said tom. He seemed apprentice-aged as well so that was a good place to start.

"Hey there!" he greeted, "I like your feathers! Looks good on ya!" His green eyes were sparkling and voice as cheery as ever. "You think feathers would look good on my fur? I've never really thought much about stuff like that but I think it's something I'd be willing to try out." the young tom mused as he looked down at his own coat before facing the other cat again. "Anyway, my name's Blackpaw and I'm from Riverclan. It's my first gathering and it's been great so far. There's been lots for me to learn and stuff." he purred with glee, long legs slightly bouncing him up and down in eagerness. He couldn't help but gush at how fortunate he was to be able to attend such a cool event! "What's your name and what clan are ya from? I'm trying to learn about all the other clans and maybe you can help me...?" he continued with a small tilt of his head and a hopeful twinkle in his gaze.

---

It didn't take long for Shadowclan and Riverclan to stream into fourtrees. Beechpaw noted that Flintstar wasn't among them, and the tortoiseshell deputy that looked strikingly like Basilpaw took his place on the great rock. It might've been temporary, but with Flintstar's injuries, she didn't believe that was the case. A white tom sat at the base of the great rock, and she assumed that he was their new deputy. Riverclan too, seemed to bear new leadership, and Beechpaw's lip curled into a sneer. If the dark tom was anything like Ivystar, she almost pitied them, but it was nothing less than what they deserved. The white and gray she-cat was completely unfamiliar to Beechpaw, and she didn't much care.

A familiar voice rang out cheerfully, and Beechpaw glanced up to see Basilpaw's mottled form approaching her. So Muddythorn hadn't had a chance to tell them... And it seemed like she wasn't the only one with a new name. "Congratulations, Basilbloom!" Beechpaw mewed, inclining her head to the newly-named medicine cat. "If it's snowing this much already, I expect we'll see more of it. And it's Beechpaw now, actually. I'm training to become a warrior finally." There was no mistaking how relieved Beechpaw was to not have that burden on her shoulders any longer. "The clan is in good paws with Muddythorn, he's around here somewhere." Skyclan was probably breathing a collective sigh of relief to not have her as medicine cat anymore, and Beechpaw was perfectly content with that. She'd never wanted the role to begin with. Let someone take on the responsibility who actually wanted it.

---

Misyfalcon returned Murkystar's nudge, giving her an amused look before settling near the edge of fourtrees. It was cold and snowy, and while he didn't mind the former as much, he wasn't at all pleased with how his dark pelt stood out in the fluffy white stuff. His sharp gaze had picked up on Riverclan's apparent change in leadership, though he cared little for what went on with the other clans provided it didn't affect Shadowclan.

He was content to stick to his own clanmates and hover on the edge of the crowd. He'd came here in support of Murkystar and to keep an eye on his own apprentice, and little more than that. Socializing with other clans was very low on his priorities, as it always was.

---

Swiftspirit padded into fourtrees alongside the rest of her clanmates, grumbling as she picked her way awkwardly through the snow. She couldn't help glancing around and noting which of the clans were already here, noting the new cats on top of the great rock and those who sat at the rock's base. The dark Riverclan tom and the white and gray she-cat sitting with the deputies was unfamiliar to her despite the moons they'd spent hunting on Windclan territory, and she made a mental note to keep an eye on them. Neither seemed like they were young, and given that she'd never seen either of them around despite the close interactions their clan shared, it spoke of several things. Lack of participation? Certainly. Or had something so catastrophic happened to shake up Riverclan's leadership completely? Ivystar wasn't there of course, though a new deputy indicated a new leader. But then what had happened to the previous deputy? Her gaze roamed over the Riverclanners once more, curious. Bearspirit didn't seem to be here tonight either... Not that she cared if the marbled tabby was here. Really.

Beechpaw is speaking to Basilbloom.
Mistyfalcon is open to talk, but is likely to engage more with his own clanmates.
Swiftspirit is open to talk!

Leopardpaw was absolutely bursting with excitement. He didn't even feel the cold wind on his face as he raced down into ThunderClan's spot at fourtrees. But he wasn't here to just mingle with ThunderClan. No. He was here to meet cats from other clans! The apprentice watched them with excitement, noticing how different they all looked and smelled. He spotted a small black and orange tom sitting nearby, so he decided to say hello. "Hey!" He called cheerfully. "I'm Leopardpaw! I'm from ThunderClan." The other apprentice smelled like marsh and pine. Leopardpaw guessed he was from ShadowClan. "Are you from ShadowClan?" He asked. "That's so cool! This is my first gathering. I've never seen a cat from another clan before."

Leopardpaw is talking to Cicadapaw (MediocreCrisis)
Frogpaw is open for interaction.

Wisteriabloom didn't appreciate the cold weather on tiny bit, but it was better to be in the shelter of the trees when it got this bad, the biting wind insistent on getting under her thick pelt. At least if she kept moving, she might warm up. It had become a rare event for the elder to go to Gatherings, mostly because they reminded her of being an apprentice, and all she could think about was how much had happened since then. Her muscles were stiff, but she refused to believe that was down to age; she had generally been moving less after retiring, sacrificing patrolling for having her let cleaned by apprentices. Still, she made the journey just fine, and waited for the meeting to start. She wasn't looking for conversation, but probably wouldn't ignore it if it came her way. She was mostly curious to see how Riverclan's new leadership would go down with the other clans, and how they would react to the news that Dewlight had stepped down instead of up. If she didn't have any excitement in her personal life anymore, than at least there was drama somewhere else. However, when her eyes lifted to the great rock, she was surprised to see that her own clan wasn't the only one to have new representing members.

----

Primroselight still felt the missing presence by her side as the clan made their way to fourtrees, no eldest daughter there to make conversation with on the walk. In ways, it could put a cat on edge to not know the fate of a loved one, but the warrior took it as a sort of comfort. It was a lot less final than burying them, like she had with too many. Tonight, however, she was set on actually talking to cats from the other clans, maybe making a friend here or there. When she was younger, that had always been her main goal, to try and bring the clans closer together, but recently she'd been so wrapped up in her own life, and the trials and tribulations that came with being a member of Skyclan.

She found herself near a Windclan she-cat, a warrior, but one a fair but younger than Primroselight herself. Although she didn't want to pry, she could tell from her movements that she was slightly on edge, and so was sure not to sit down too close, but near enough tomato conversation. "Hello there, I'm Primroselight. You're from Windclan right?" She said in a friendly greeting.

----

Muddythorn, like many of the cats who had gathered beneath the full moon, was caught unaware when there were multiple unfamiliar faces at the base of tall rock. Automatically, he searched for the other medicine cats, having fallen behind the clan a bit on the journey. He had lost track of time when out, meaning he only caught the clan as they were leaving, and tailed on the end. It took him a while to spot them, just a vague blur of pelts to him, but eventually he got closer, relived to see that there weren't any faces missing. Well, maybe there were, but he hoped for the best. He was surprised to see Beechpaw talking with Basilpaw, expecting to see her far away from what once had been the norm. "Congratulations Basilbloom!" He instinctively said when he heard the same said by Beechpaw. It took a second's thought for it to click why it was needed. "So you're a full medicine cat now! It's a great name too." Definitely the kind of name Dawnfeather would give a beautiful, if not difficult to understand, explanation for. There it was again. That wave of sadness that always came unexpected whenever memories of his sister or father crossed his mind.

----

Mistlebright padded into the hollow, wide yellow eyes fixated on the new leader and deputy that sat atop the great rock. Flintshard retiring had come as a bit of a surprise to her, but it seemed clear that Murkystar was doing well as leader. After all, she was Mistyfalcon's mate, and she had decided a while ago that he was a good judge of character. She didn't know why, but he just... was. Frostgaze, on the other hand, had seemed like the obvious choice as deputy, but even still she was biased. The other clan's reaction would give her a much more balanced result.

----

Magpiepaw was, compared to many apprentices, still fresh out the nursery, and that was clearer than she would ever want it to be as she made her way to fourtrees. It was something exciting and new, since she'd never interacted with cats outside her own clan. Maybe they would be interesting, at least more interesting than a lot of her clan mates. She had a lot of pent-up energy, and couldn't help but pretty much run to the Gathering, often doubling back as to not overtake Daystar and Goldenfang in the lead. After a brief moment of amazement at the sheer amount of cats there, she quickly spotted a pair of toms, probably apprentices by the look of it, one of which clearly did not care to be there, and the other completely and utterly oblivious to his acquaintance's mood, and eager as ever. She got closer in time to hear my first gathering from the excitable apprentice, which explained a lot.

Even though she was excited to, she definitely wore it a lot better, rather than acting like a kit on their first time out of the nursery. "I'm Magpiepaw from Windclan, it's my first gathering too." She tried to not come off excited, but it didn't really work. "Shadowclan, huh? Where you in the patrol that ripped off my dad's ear?" She asked it casually, as if asking what his favourite prey was, far from Timbersun returning bloody from a battle with the marsh-dwellers.

Wisteriabloom is open to talk
Primroselight is talking to Swiftspirit
Muddythorn is talking to Beechpaw and Basilbloom
Mistlebright is open to talk
Magpiepaw is talking to Cicadapaw and Leopardpaw

Hailpaw blinked as he noticed a black tom making his way towards him. His white tail raised like a flag in a warm greeting, giving a gentle purr. They seemed kind enough and easily won over his favor with a compliment to his decorations. "Thank you! I plucked the starling feathers myself." Pride was obvious in his voice, though he was able to prevent himself from doing a little twirl to show off all of his decorations. He probably shouldn't flaunt or else he might attract the whole apprentice population again. His beauty was truly dangerous.

"Everyone looks good with a little decoration, you just gotta find the right ones! Really, any color looks good on black, it's such a good platform for decorations. Though, if I personally had to choose, I think red like cardinal feathers would be so pretty on your fur." He always had fun giving cats hypothetical adornments in his head, wondering what would look best on who. However, he was quick to be reminded that perhaps introductions were due. "I'm Hailpaw of Skyclan. This is my second gathering, so I could definitely help you out! What do you need to know?" Current leaders looked quite a bit different from last time, but he could help with more general stuff... probably.

Hailpaw is talking to Blackpaw!

---

Cicadapaw would have been perfectly content to sit in silence this whole gathering. He was really only here to make sure he was up to date and to make his clan look stronger. If his clan was going to be dragged into politics and fights, he wanted to be one of the first to know and defend. He had almost forgotten he was expected to interact with other apprentices until one started making their way over.

Cicadapaw blinked as the spotted tom trotted up to him, practically glowing like a little dot of sunshine in his excitement. Weird. His tail twitched in annoyance, about to respond when yet another cat thought he looked like a cat to approach. Tiny and young, looked more like a kit than an apprentice to him. Perhaps he should work on social cues because clearly either he was giving off the wrong ones or other clans didn't recognize when a cat wanted to be left alone. However, he should at least try to be civil. He was representing his clan during a gathering.

"I'm Cicadapaw. This is my second gathering." He spoke curtly, addressing both cats before turning to more focus on Magpiepaw's question. "I've only been against Skyclan, so no. You're welcome though, I bet your dad looks more formidable." Scars were a bonus in Cicadapaw's eyes, he didn't know why some cats got so upset over them. He would have more proudly displayed his own newly-gained scars after his own battle if they hadn't lost and if the whole Dawnfeather debacle hadn't taken place. Though, this she-cat seemed neutral about her father's lost ear, or had enough control to hide any ill feelings.

Speaking of dawnfeather though... A quick glance around the gathered cats didn't show her flamepointed pelt. A part of him didn't want to see her, but on the other paw, Burningwing did do quite the number on her... It didn't matter, he had cats he was currently talking to and should focus on. "Have you been in any battles yet yourselves?" He asked, a bit of awkwardness to his tone. Smalltalk was hard.

Cicadapaw is talking to Leopardpaw and Magpiepaw!

Soon, Duskflight have already noticed an unfamiliar cat heading towards his direction, and he couldn't help but give a welcoming nod in reply. Their scent was distinctively mixed with hints of fish, and he assumed that the tom must’ve been from RiverClan. Though he only assumed so in his head, turns out that his guess was correct— and he smiled, gesturing for the other tom to sit down beside him… Though he seemed content standing up, too.

“I’m Duskflight, from ShadowClan,” He introduced himself. “The name Robinpatch fits you, too.” As the older tom spoke up about the changes in the clan, Duskflight couldn’t help but wonder what had been going on with RiverClan instead. He gave a small glance over to whom he assumed to be RiverClan’s deputy and leader and tilted his head questionably. “I guess, well… ShadowClan has been doing alright, though Flintstar’s retired. So Murkystrike became Murkystar now, and Frostgaze’s our new deputy instead.” He didn’t want to accidentally reveal too much, and so he tried his best to sum it up in just a few sentences. “What about your clan? What happened?” He asked. Their leadership have changed dramatically too, and so he grew curious about the event. “If you’re uh— comfortable with me asking.”

Duskflight is talking to Robinpatch!

---

From the corner of her eye, she spotted an orange tortoiseshell molly nearby, relatively sitting close. The other molly’s scent was unfamiliar— like something fresh and billowing, but not so much like WindClan. SkyClan, perhaps? Hollypaw blinked, turning her head over as she nodded in greeting. Even if the other apprentice wasn’t going to talk, she considered doing so would still be most formal way.

RiverClan Hollypaw is greeting SkyClan Hollypaw!
Dreampaw stayed at camp!

Goldenfang entered the clearing a few paces behind WindClan. She was exhausted from the journey, freezing cold, and positively starving, though she didn’t look it. Her belly was round with kits. She could have stayed home, yes, but she was reluctant to let Daystar feel unsupported during historically ugly Gatherings.

The snow was not as much of an issue as she followed her Clanmates’ pawsteps. It was when she had to branch off towards the Great Rock to sit with the other deputies that started her whispered string of swears. “Stars above, what useless down! Cold and wet and in the stars-cursed way, like I’m some kind of mole burrowing in my own home. This Gathering better get on with and end soon.” The very pregnant molly huffed and sat down heavily with her counterparts, oblivious to the change in faces until she started digging out clumps of muddy snow from between her toes.

“Ah, hello. Goldenfang of WindClan. And you two are…?” She glanced between the newcomers, a she-cat and a tom. Sometimes leaders brought temporary deputies to stand in for sick or missing cats, and sometimes a deputy met a tragic end before they could gain their title. With a glance atop the Great Rock, Goldenfang was able to determine that Murkystrike had ascended to leader and Dewlight… well, she was gone entirely. A twinge of guilt made Goldenfang’s ears flick. She hadn’t meant to say such terrible things to the gray warrior when they fought. Would there be no remedy for the shame that clung to her more stubbornly than a burr?

Goldenfang is speaking to Frostgaze and Perchfall

The large Riverclanner hummed as the dark-furred tom -who was now known to him as 'Duskflight'- answered his inquiries about Shadowclan. He noted that the younger was being smartly vague in his response. It was never good to reveal too much to those outside your own clan lest it leads to your enemies using the information against you. "Ah. Well I wish Murkystar and Frostgaze plenty of prosperous moons ahead." he said with a hint of a smile. He had no ill feelings toward Shadowclan so he didn't mind offering some 'good luck'.

"Riverclan has gone through similar changes as well with some...welcome surprises rearing their heads. Our paws are still on solid ground and our future is promising with our new leaderships. I look forward to what our new leader and deputy have to offer Riverclan." He was being purposely cryptid. It had been a rocky last few moons for the clan and it would do it no good if such weakness was even hinted at. "So Duskflight, have you ever wondered what lies outside of the clans? I understand if you're a bit confused as to this odd question but I'm not really a big fan of small talk. I appreciate conversations that have a bit more backbone in them." The older tom finally sat down near the other warrior at the clear invitation and offered him a lighthearted look.

---

Cardinal feathers? He'll have to keep that in mind to try out later. Blackpaw was simply fascinated by the older apprentice and his lovely appearance. He seemed to know a lot about making one look pretty and presentable and Blackpaw thought that was real neat. "Well nice to properly meet ya Hailpaw! Your name is as pretty as you!" he purred with a toothy grin, oblivious to the fact that his last statement could be considered as flirting. He just usually said what came to mind and that was that. The tall tom looked up in thought before continuing, "Well, I hadn't really thought of what I wanted to learn about exactly. I guess the most reasonable questions I should ask would be about the clans in general..." he said, head tilted as he pondered what should be the first question. "Hmm...ah! Could you tell me what Skyclan's like? Like what makes it unique and what you like the most about it as a whole. Stuff of that sort. You don't have to tell me everything. Just what you feel comfortable sharing." He hurried the last part out so that Hailpaw wouldn't think he was pressuring him. He'd never do that to somebody but Hail didn't know that.

---

Timbersun padded into the clearing, his tail twitching with each step, wanting to stay near Swiftspirit. He was shaken after Hentooth's death and wary of Shadowclan after losing his ear. He stared up at the leaders on the rock. Ivystar was missing and in her place...? Not the deputy of Riverclan, had Riverclan lost both the deputy and leader? What had happened? His tail twitched, turning to Swiftspirit. "Something happened to Riverclan, huh..?" He muttered towards her. It wasn't long before another warrior started talking. She was sitting just a bit away from Swiftspirit, just introducing herself and all. Timbersun remained quiet, but gave a nod in the she-cat's direction.

Marshmallow stepped into the clearing, holding her tail up. She was a warrior, so she carried a big aura of pride around her, why wouldn't she?

Timbersun is talking to Swiftspirit and Primroselight
Marshmallow is open to talk to
Swanmist is in the nursery and is not attending

Perchfall felt the cold snow beginning to soak into her white paws as she waited, chilling her on the outside almost as much as inside. Her eyes were almost as icy as the weather as a tom who she assumed must be ShadowClan's deputy met her gaze, but she tried not to glare. There was a difference between being stoic and being unapproachable. She nodded to him, however, opting not to speak since he did not attempt to initiate a conversation.

However, the newer arrival had no such silent courtesies. The WindClan-smelling she-cat looked nearly ready to pop with kits, grumbling something fierce as she painfully made her way over to the deputies' appointed spot. Goldenfang of WindClan. She filed the information away in her brain for future notice... then realized this meant she probably had to talk, as well.

"Perchfall," she said shortly, then decided she should probably say a little more. "Of RiverClan. Pleasure." Her voice was not unkind, but it was devoid of strong emotion, fully neutral in every sense of the word. The young deputy looked Goldenfang up and down, then returned her gaze to the fluffy white tom, signaling it was his turn to speak.

Perchfall is speaking to Goldenfang and Frostgaze.

When the Riverclan molly turned her head, as if to acknowledge her, Hollypaw stiffened in mute panic. Oh, no! Is she going to talk to me?! What if she asks me about the leaders? Oh, Starclan, I don’t remember!!! Why didn’t I listen when the elders were talking?! But the other apprentice (and older, certainly; she was taller) only dipped her head. Internally, Hollypaw breathed a sigh of relief.

(And then realized her panic was silly, ‘cause if she did ask, it would’ve been about Bloodstar. And of course Hollypaw knew his name. Soooo... Hollypaw was not going to mention that to Wasppaw. Ever.)

High-emotions evening out, Hollypaw settled herself, chin raising. She was supposed to be fierce! And no-nonsense, too; like Ravenclaw. With a straighter back (and more of a serious face, courtesy of her mentor) Hollypaw dutifully nodded back to the other molly. That seemed... properly diplomatic. And dignified. Much like the deputies, quietly conferring near the base of the rock.

And so she did feel. That is — until a large, scarred warrior (missing an ear!) moved in her field of vision — certainly not her own clan! — and Hollypaw gave a little yelp. Of surprise, t-that’s all! He was a brown tabby, and passed her right on, but it still left her hissing under her breath.

Some Windclan warrior shouldn’t scare me!

But there were too many — well — warriors here! That weren’t her own clan’s. It was unnatural, Hollypaw was certain. She huffed. And then looked at the Riverclan cat beside her.

“He doesn’t scare me,” she shared — just in case the molly might’ve gotten the wrong idea. Her eyes were even half-lidded in bluster, as she gestured with a paw. ”I’m almost a warrior, so. I could probably take him soon.”

Skyclan Hollypaw is talking to Riverclan Hollypaw. And is also startled by Timbersun (though she does not engage).

Ratpaw is still recovering from the recent Border Skirmish, and has stayed home to rest. (And maybe does not want to see any sign of Mistypaw.)

Mintkit is in the womb. :D (but if she could’ve been here she would’ve)

As Robinpatch wished his clan good luck, Duskflight simply purred in response, giving the older tom a pleased nod. And as he spoke up again; the answer that he'd received from the older tom felt rather confusing— though the tom nodded either way, understanding how dangerous it could be to reveal your clan's information to others. Then he asked a question. An interesting one, at that. "It would be lying if I said I haven't before," He answered, "And I agree with you. Conversations with a little something behind to them can definitely be interesting." Despite him agreeing with that, Duskflight would be pleased with any kind of conversations. Small talk, deep conversations.. As long as they kept him busy, the tom would be pleased with it. Though frankly, he was still the best at small talks. With the amount of cats that he socialized with each day, deep conversations with each and everyone of them would be.. Overwhelming, to say the least. "It's not like I'd actually imagine myself doing so, but I do tend to wonder what would it be like further out in the unknown territories. Don't you, too?" He smiled, inquiring the other tom.

Duskflight is talking to Robinpatch!

---

Hollypaw widened her eyes as she sensed the other apprentice's panic, and they let out a small yelp as a large warrior from another clan passed by. She would've assumed that the other molly got nervous from the brown warrior, though they quickly denired it. She gave them a slow, suspicious— yet steady nod as they began to talk again. The other molly still seemed pretty young, although she gestured to herself that she was almost a warrior soon. Maybe a few more moons in training? She wondered. "I see, then." She gave them a small smile as she mewed, not so sure of what to say more.

RiverClan Hollypaw is talking to SkyClan Hollypaw!

It had begun.

Minkstar ploughed through the drifts of snow, ignoring crystalline white shards that clung to his tattered, healing pelt, the icy fragments numbing the red scars even as it inflamed them. He let the action of moving forward dull his mind as much as the ice stole feeling from his extremities. Yet, no shiver vibrated his skin as he led the patrol, the warmth of exertion through stringy muscles enough to keep him going. He could feel the tiredness pulling at them, oddly satisfying, the hollowness in his gut distant and familiar after the past few days.

Leaf-bare had begun. Now they would starve.

The delicate crunch of fresh snow breaking changed rhythm as he led them down into the clearing, the moon's gaze burning the churned white below into a pool of gleaming silver so bright he had to squint for a moment. Some Clanmates bounded down, crashing giant slug-trails through their little untouched corner. Others, like him, simply let the slope carry them with an odd half-hopping, half-lethargic gait. He didn't pay attention to it for more than an idle moment, gaze seeking upwards, dreading what he'd see. Churning grief warred with sickening shame in a gut-clenching nausea, his jaw clenched tight as he welcomed the half-second it took his eyes to adjust and focus.

Let it not be her.

Who else would it be? Ivystar gone, his sister, her dignified, familiar silhouette never to grace the world below again.... And in her place....

...What.

Absolute disbelief flickered from his eyes, flashing across his expression and twitching in the sudden, brief pause of his limbs. Him? A dark-pelted tom with burning amber eyes stood there like a moody wraith haunting the space his leader had once occupied, his pelt stuffed full of the lives from a horde of ghosts.

For a heartbeat, Minkstar struggled with the impulse to groan, the itching desire to turn tail, call everything off, and march back to ThunderClan territory - to let the holes in his memory quietly smooth over this revelation and banish it from his mind. His emotions felt strangled, held at ransom, rage and bitterness poured into the desire to bury his head in the snow, to lash out, to sneer up at the callous faces he'd once hoped to forge alliances with. Would it never stop? Answers, he wanted answers - but not like this.

All of it churned, surged, and broke into a wave of laughter that barked straight from the depths of his battered chest, bursting free of his maw and spat into the frost-laced air in a steaming puff of half-hysterical breath. "Oh stars...."

The sound died into a dark chuckle, flat and mirthless as he prowled up to the Great Rock and bunched his muscles, ignoring the burning points of a thousand nicks and slashes to propel himself upwards, paws that felt rather like the frozen stone beneath them touching the rough surface of the top with a fair amount of grace. The corner of his maw curved upwards slightly, the lack of emotion in his eyes betraying the complete absence of humour or friendliness in the expression as they flicked in the new RiverClan leader's direction. "Oh, it's funny. StarClan has terrible choice in leaders, don't they? Well, welcome to the group, kit - whatever your name is - I don't care. I'm guessing you're going to spit more about my starving Clanmates in my face, make a little dig at my habit of disfiguring queens in the heat of battle - go ahead, my paws are tied."

Something utterly cold touched the depths of his eyes, the only expression in an otherwise impassive face. "But before you do, explain to me how your oh-so-honourable and righteous warriors happened to murder one of my patrol as we were leaving peacefully, already defeated?" Finally, a hint of fire flickered to life, the agony of losing a cat he'd considered a daughter twisting sharp claws deep in his chest. His tail flicked out, gesturing sharply in Bloodstar's direction. "Even Bloodstar had enough honour to let our warriors go in peace once they were defeated; isn't that right, big guy? Yet you - yeah, maybe even you yourself - like a coward, you killed one of our warriors in cold blood as we were walking home."

In a way, it felt like he was on a kamikaze spiral: plummeting from a tree headfirst, the sky below and the ground above, rushing upwards straight for him. So what if he was making a spectacle? It would come anyway, it always did. Besides, he'd given up his good judgement for a slightly better memory, hadn't he?

(A part of him knew the thought was stupid, that it didn't make any sense - he wasn't magically bereft of the gifts given along with the lives just because he died a few times... but there was a certain intoxicating pull to letting the thought bounce around in his mind. Maybe it could explain a few things.)

Crazed apathy filled his veins along with the coldness of leaf-bare - the tiredness of making mistake after foxing mistake - and the opinions of the other leaders sat squarely on the list labelled "couldn't care less." His paws were set firmly underneath him, expression again devoid of anything, his heart bleeding to a feeling as numb as his paws as he locked his gaze on the other's eyes and said quietly, an icy steel lacing every word, "I'd like an explanation."