ThunderClan 'Gathering' April 2022

Darkpaw had been out in the edges of the camp curled up tight with his back to everyone. His chin rested on his forepaws, making it very obvious he had no intention of participating in anything and he wanted everyone to see it. If only cats had a middle finger. He hadn't even talked to his mother much recently. The truth was that he felt everything was out of his control, but the faster he became a better warrior, not just in title but in skill too, he could fix all of this. He would.

Stoatstar's yowling made him jump however, and he finally turned his attention toward the gathering. Thrushnose was dead. He got to his feet and moved in closer, but he stopped about three fox-lengths from Stoatstar. Other clanmates spoke, and to those being supportive of their leader blindly, he bristled at. Eventually, he turned his attention to Stoatstar and Thrushnose's body.

"Or you could just step down and relieve all of us of your stupidity." He added onto Mottlerose's speech. His ears flattened back against his head and he got into the best fighting stance that he could. No way there wasn't going to be a repercussion for this, but he was willing to take it. He felt bad for Thrushnose, and seeing her body there made his gut twist, but it was all Stoatstar's fault. He should have fought.

The past moon should have been easy for Appledapple. She'd gotten what she wanted... right? The Dark Forest was in charge now. ThunderClan had been given the Fallen Oak back. The adopted kits were becoming great warriors. And yet... something consistently felt off. The Dark Forest had portrayed themselves as capable warriors who would lead the Clan to greatness. Instead, everything seemed chaotic and slapdash, with all her Clanmates either relishing their worst tendencies or living in fear. There was more prey to eat, but did it matter when all the cats were more quiet and on edge? ThunderClan should have been flourishing. Appledapple should have been flourishing. Yet, as a gathering of cats slowly began forming in camp, she found herself hovering reluctantly by the entrance to the warrior's den. A quick glance backward made her blink in surprise-- Cinderflame was there as well. It had been a while since she'd seen her adopted daughter, which was strange, since she'd seemed to enjoy spending time with her previously. The somewhat worried light in her gray eyes turned to recognition, and she offered a small smile to the younger warrior.

However, the tortoiseshell was distracted quickly when a familiar voice yowled outside. Is that... Stoatstar? Yelling? Her ears perked up instantly, her eyes narrowed, and she dashed out into the center of camp. At the sight before her, Appledapple's heart immediately sank. Thrushnose.... The senior warrior's bloody corpse was laid out before them, carried in by her son. She had never been close to the former deputy, but she knew how much she meant to Stoatstar. Who had done this? And why? But there was no time to think. Stoatstar was screaming, yelling, the pure rage and grief in his voice seeming to finally be unleashed from all his petty small talk he trapped it in. She knew that this would happen eventually... but she had hoped to help him through it, to help him understand that emotions were not always his enemy. Now that might be impossible. Already, other members of the Clan were calling him out with varying levels of severity, getting in his face. Couldn't they see that this wouldn't help? That he needed some time to think, to understand that his emotions were valid? They were right, but that didn't mean this was a good time for it.

With a low sigh, Appledapple stepped forward, moving past an infuriated Mottlerose and growling Darkpaw, giving them both a warning look. That tom, she might talk to later. Minnowfin was too timid to do anything... I guess it's my job to calm him down, huh? If he'll listen to me. Like he's ever done that before. Steeling herself, she raised her stormy gray eyes to meet his anguished orange ones. "Stoat," she began, speaking as softly as she could, "please. I know everything is crazy right now. I haven't been a big help; in fact, I've probably been part of the problem. But as you know from seeing my mouse-brained actions, screaming won't solve anything." Thinking back to the time she'd yowled at Stoatstar for so little reason almost made her voice raise in annoyance, but she kept it down. "Screaming won't bring Wolfblaze back; it won't bring Prickletail back; it won't bring Thrushnose back. The best we can do is work with what we have. Will you talk with me? In your den? Or just stay quiet, if you prefer. Please... let me help." Her face was close to his-- she had leaned forward gradually while pleading with him. Their noses were almost touching. It felt weird to be this close to the tom. But she didn't care about that right now. Would he listen to her? Finally? In this most vulnerable state, would he finally let her be close to him?

family - badflower:

The budding snarl in the back of his throat was briefly abated by the intrusion of a Dark Forest cat piping up. His wild eyes flickered to Sparrowtail. How the eternally bleeding tom lounged so casually in camp disgusted him. Stoatstar wanted to wipe the stupid grin off of his maw, claw away at the undead enemy. But this was supposed to be his ally and that conviction alone kept his fury in check. No matter the disappointment, overwhelming anguish and anger, he wouldn't endanger the clan. Even with this fiery burning in his belly, the little brown and white tom choked back a stupidity that would endanger them all and managed to keep his paws rooted to the ground.

That interruption caused him to calm ever so slightly, just enough to prevent his speech from becoming another misplaced yowl. Mottlerose was the next to speak, causing his eyes to snap over and regard her offensive position. It was just as shocking to see the sweet she-cat erupt in her own agitated speech. For a moment, the tom's stomach twisted before becoming a ball of ice once more. He wanted to fall to the ground as he remembered the day of her apprentice ceremony. But he was far too wrapped in his own confusion and agony to delve back into a normal state of mind. Stoatstar stood more alone than ever before. Inside his head, there was no other option. He had to be leader to protect them, he had to lie to their oppressors for the sake of his clan. And they chose to stand against him.

"Don't speak to me like I'm one of your kits." He hissed in return. For moons, the tom had been sedentary in accepting the care that the younger cat had shown him, and that of the rest of the clan. But with their disdain towards him, towards the circumstances they all shared, that had dwindled slowly. Stoatstar had pushed himself harder than ever before with no cat to turn to and his worst fears had come true as a result. Sitting back and hoping they would trust him as their leader, put faith in him after everything that he had done for them was foolish. Minkstar had told him to open up and rely on other cats. The thought was disgusting, sour, but perhaps his former leader had been a mousebrain as well.

"You don't know what I've been through or what I'm going through but that's not the point, Mottlerose. The point is making sure your kits don't end up in the middle of camp as we mourn their short lives." Stoatstar took only a step closer, not willing to leave his mother behind, even in this frenzied state. When he spoke, the words were so low, no longer hissed but still scathing. This was a moment meant for the two of them and his speech was soft enough to be meant for only Mottlerose's ears. He turned away and circled back to the still frame of Thrushnose. Each time he looked at her it felt like claws sinking deep into his throat.

There was no doubt the whole clan was watching. He could feel their eyes burning into his pelt. But that didn't matter, he needed their attention and commanded it. Begged for it. Thunderclan needed to know what could happen if they didn't stay in line. The thought of his clanmates laying still here, lifeless like the frame of his own mother, was unbearable. For his entire life, the tom had been acquaintance to many and a friend to few. Stoatstar had always kept his distance, enjoying the companionship of his kin and clan from a tail-length away. While he'd become comfortable in this gap, finding some comfort in shying away from emotional intimacy, he'd never been able to close off the overwhelming care he had for each one of these cats. It was condemning, it made him sick, and even sicker now.

Had he anymore energy, Stoatstar would have sneered back at Darkpaw. The words of the apprentice were goading and out of turn but Dawnhawk's kit had never proven to be a level-minded cat. Instead, he briefly glowered at the odd-pelted tom before turning to look over the rest of the clan. He couldn't bring himself to look at any cat in particular and yet their names still ran through his head as he prepared to address them as a whole. Mottlerose. Darkpaw. Softfall. Fawnpaw. Featherfrost. Starlingflare. Dovefrost. Minnowfin. Morningpaw. And Appledapple. Her name rang loudly. Stoatstar watched her maw move, subconsciously digesting the words. He knew what she wanted and he couldn't give it to her. Not yet.

"From now on, no cat leaves camp without being on an assigned patrol or task from myself or Minnowfin. Those who disobey our orders will face consequences. Circumstances may have changed but the code is still the same. That goes for every cat." His voice raised slightly, loud enough for those gathered to hear. The strange rise and fall of his tone spoke more depth than he could ever with actual words, "Dovefrost, prepare her body. We will sit vigil tonight." Stoatstar briefly wondered if any cat would approach but the thought flitted away as he fell to his stomach and pressed his nose into her fur. He didn't care about the decaying undertones of her scent. None of that mattered. Nothing mattered.

After a long, dragging moment, there came another rasp from the sides of his maw, directed at only one cat this time, "Stay with me."

It was a plea.

Morningpaw hesitated, watching the commotion happen with wide eyes. Where does one start, to make another feel better? A horrible, horrible loss, that left the tom looking towards his own mother as she yowled back at their respected leader. This was too much. There was too much happening right now for any conversation to be productive. Feelings were going to be hurt--green eyes flicked towards the unmoving body in front of them. Feelings were going to be hurt more than they already were.

With deliberate steps, the apprentice approached his mother, butting her shoulder gently with his head. Quietly, he gave a purr. A quiet beg for his mother to step away. Eventually, he pressed his fur to the warrior's side and guided her towards her nest. "He won't listen, Mom. Not right now. Let him grieve."

Waterlily came when Stoatstar addressed the clan.  She saw the body.  She heard his scolding.  It was not fair of him.  Or maybe it was not fair of her to think that about him.  He was out of line, but he was exactly right.  Disregarding the code had many consequences, which the she-cat was very well aware of.  She would have protested before, but in light of recent events she knew exactly what he was talking about.  She regretted to think... she felt very little at this meeting.  Not that she was not sad by the sight of a fallen clanmate or that she did not care what Stoatstar had to say, but recently her rage and sorrow overpowered her so much that eventually her other emotions just... stopped.

Many voices rose in protest of what Stoatstar had said.  Exhaustion consumed her so much that it felt like the world was spinning around her, so she let her eyelids drop so she was left in complete darkness.  Words rang in her ears from all those speaking.  They were all blurring together and she was not even attempting to try to make anything out of it.  Until, of course, she heard her own kit's voice raise up.  Immediately, her focus went to his words.  Her eyes opened and she approached Darkpaw.

"Don't say that," She hissed, but kept her voice low in a whisper.  "Do you understand how merciful Stoatstar has been to me?  To us?  I broke the code.  I shamed Thunderclan.  Do you know how lucky we are that we are still in Thunderclan?  I broke the code by my own mate being the one that brought all of these monsters here.  Don't become a monster yourself, Darkpaw.  Don't become the monster your father wants you to be!"

She did not know why his one comment made her so angry.  Honestly, it was less of the comment itself and more of her own worries about what was happening.  She would do everything in her power to make sure she never was voluntarily around another Morningstar-like cat again, and she certainly would not let that be her own kit.

Waterlily is angrily whispering at Darkpaw.

Swanmist did not want to stay up that night. She didn't wish to attend a gathering. She just had to hope when she woke up the next day the evil spirits would be gone and everything will be okay. But she hadn't even nodded off before her sensitive ears were flooded with noise.

Unused to such yelling and yowling at night, her mind and body went into fight or flight mode. She had sat upright in her nest until she managed to keep herself from running away, but she still couldn't make out the words. She peered out of the warriors den, her eyes starting to water a little as she found herself surrounded by sounds. Yelling yelling yelling... Demanding... Orders... It had calmed down, but her ears were still flicking towards the slightest of noises. Her gaze was filled with so many emotions, flicking between a few cats, then another group, then to Stoatstar.

Why can't anyone just shut their huge mouths?! Her tail lashed, stalking into the clearing. Can't they see that some warriors are just trying to get some sleep?! She wanted to scream into the sky, demand to Starclan to just come back and rescue Thunderclan from this... Madness. Swanmist sat there, still, hopelessly. She knew nothing was going to save her clan. Not for awhile, and at the rate this was going...

Maybe never.

Swanmist is losing hope.

Specklepaw is still (somehow) asleep

Starlingflare had managed to take the small moment to reign himself in, to control his.. well darker desires. His single yellow eye looking over to Featherfrost. "It always seems like what we want the least is the thing that shows up." He told her, recalling their hunt from a few days ago. The raccoons... thorns the raccoons.

The gray tom opened his mouth to say something else to his former apprentice when Softfall approached him. A small hum escaped him at the other tom's words. "I'm sure others realize but they are just too afraid to act. Its up to us to show them. Words at this point aren't doing any good. We have to be the example, show them how fearless we are. If we do that, then they will be willing to follow. But we have to be willing to do the tedious tasks around camp too, the more we help with those the more they are willing to follow." He explained to the other tom. While the aggressive approached worked, it wasn't going to et the rest of the clan on their side. They had to attack the Riverclan problem from all sides.

His ears perked at Stoatstar's following words.. This.. This was a good situation to take advantage of. He was at a weak moment, and Starlingflare needed to show his strength, to show he was someone he could be depended on. "Excuse me.." He said to his two companions before standing up.

Starlingflare approached his leader, his paw steps quiet, and careful. He had to be careful in his approach if he wanted this to work out in his favor. He didn't say anything, carefully placing a reassuring touch on the leader. A simple gesture that would hopefully be effective in communicating what Starlingflare wanted. "If you need anything.." He said before turning away and leaving the leader to grieve.

--

Dovefrost didn't know what to say, he didn't know what to do. Never in his life did he ever feel more useless than he did right now. He had no connection to Starclan right now, and he could even provide his leader the support he needed right now.. Stars just how useless was he?

At the command from his leader, the large white tom was startled out of his thoughts.. Right of course.. the vigil.. The tom turned and headed back into his den, grabbing the needed things to get Thrushnose ready for mourning. As he approached the center of camp, the green eyed tom couldn't look his leader in the eye. "I'm.. I'm sorry Stoatstar.. She was a wonderful cat.."