June Gathering 2022

As if things couldn't get any worse, cold, hard shards of ice rained down from the sky. Cats left and right were knocked down, or worse, knocked unconscious. A wave of panic rose in Driftcloud, thinking first of the newborn kits. If one ice clump could knock a full-grown cat out, it would kill a kit. Without thinking, they stepped over to Briarthorn and grabbed the nearest kit gingerly in his jaws, shielding it with his body against the ice.

"I'm goin' back to camp! Whoever can hear me, grab a kit an' run!" they bellowed over the noise, then took off in a heavy gallop as fast as their legs would carry them. A few shards of ice struck them as they left the Gathering but they kept moving, they could deal with the aftermath and injuries later.

Driftcloud has left with a kit!

Frozen rain continued to shoot down from the skies- Lichenpaw flinched as one clump also hit Wolfpaw; the ice moved so fast now he could barely see it until it made its impact. Adjusting his shoulder slightly, he replied, "Hurts, a bit, but I think I'm alright." The kits. The hail that fell were as large as rocks, if any actually hit one kit- ..He didn't want to imagine that. Turning his attention back to his sister, "If something goes really wrong.. Birdpaw's still with Beechfang," he reasoned, sparing a quick glance at his mother. ..One elder still hadn't let up? Couldn't they see the large shadow growing over the moon?

A SkyClan warrior's- Driftcloud's- sounded above the storm, reminding Lichenpaw of his task. Refocused, he raced to the queen; squeaking a bit as a few- luckily smaller- pieces of ice hit his pelt. Finally reaching Briarthorn, Lichenpaw carefully scooped up one kit. He hadn't realized just how small they were, until he was holding one. He brought the kit closer to his chest. The storm was only growing worse, but he could act as a shield.

Determined steps followed Driftcloud out of Fourtrees, Lichenpaw looking back for just a moment at the rest of his kin. Please all be okay..

Lichenpaw has left the Gathering with one kit.

Blazepaw’s eyes flickered with concern as she and Whisperpaw stood by Brackenwing. She gasped when Whisperpaw yelled for help. They never raised their voice like that! Blazepaw realized what she had to do. She yowled at the top of her lungs, “BATSONG! BRACKENWING’S DOWN!”

Starlingkit whimpered as he felt one- or maybe two? Of his siblings being taken from their pile of kitten bodies. His nose twitched as he snuggled into his sibling. The only one left, other than him. This made it obvious that two of the others had been taken rather than one. He curled into a smaller ball, hoping to be so small that he was missed by the cats taking them. Starlingkit didn’t want to leave his mother nor final Sibling!
He kept hearing the thud’s of hail hitting the forest floor, not that he knew what was causing them. This led to him flinching back whenever a loud noise was made, whether it be the hail hitting the ground, or the paw of a car cracking a stick, or simply a loud meow from another cat for help.

Everything had gotten out of hand. The spotted warrior didn't know what to think. It seemed one moment everything was fine and he was zoning out, and then the next there was fighting and dark clouds, and now hail? Stars the tom didn't know what to think.. How did the other clans allow this to happen so easily?

When Leopardsun offered a way out, the tom took it. The tom paused when he watched his mentor go down, he wanted to go help her but it seemed Iceheart had beat him to it. Glad that his mentor was safe he turned to Leopardsun. "Let's go." He told her simply, flinching as some of the ice battered at his body. They really needed to get out of here.

--

Dovefrost looked on with shock and horror as his mate went from helping Briarthorn out to being attacked by some random elders.. He didn't know what to say or what to do expect to try to break them apart but it was too late. Starclan was angry. Very angry. Ice started coming form the sky, and the white tom had never been more thankful for his fluffy coat, dulling the impact of the ice balls. Well except for ones that landed a lucky strike on his head.

The large white tom was quick to put distance between Beechfang and the Windclan elder, giving Stumpytoad a snarl in warning if he continued his attack. "Go Beechfang, help the others get out of here, I will be right behind you." Green eyes glared at the elder, making sure that the other wouldn't follow after his mate. Without looking away, the tom addressed his daughter as well. "Birdpaw make sure your mother gets out of here safely."

Leopardsun let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, relieved that she wouldn't be alone as she left. Somehow, she didn't particularly want to be alone in this moment; not when chunks of ice fell from the sky, and queens were kitting, and cats were on the verge of fighting. Why was this something that other cats looked forward to?

"Personally, I don't think I see the appeal," she murmured, and then she dashed back the way they'd come - toward ShadowClan's territory, and toward what she hoped would be safety. Hopefully the next full moon would be far less eventful.

Leopardsun has fled the Gathering with Echomist!

Batsong heard the cries of blazepaw and whisperpaw. Brackenwing was hurt!? Noooo the black Molly was gripped with fear. Brackenwing was like a sister to her and now she too was hurt? Gatherings were literally the worst the she cat thought to herself with a sigh. She was new to being mca and had little if any training. She felt so overwhelmed med and under qualified she rushed to brakenwings side

The warrior had been hit hard by the angry ice shards from starclan. She looked to be still breathing just knocked out for now. Batsong wished that she had more experience … but she was only recently turned mca and before that was a warrior for her whole life .

She thought quickly she had to get brake wing out of further danger of the ice storm. However, she would knew that she had to be careful of how she moved the warrior in fear of making things worse if the injury was bad. “Blazepaw help me carefully lift her up. Be extra steady and try your best not to move her neck around more than necessary we are getting her out of here back to the med den and out of this storm she meowed quickly to the apprentice. Between the two of them she was confident they could do this.

“Whisperpaw, run ahead and find small bean he has prior med cat experience and tell him to meet me in my den she snapped the order quickly. She went to the other side of brake wing from where blazepaw was

On 3 lift and support her head okay 1…2…3 she carefully picked up her fallen clanmate and with blazepaw help made her way slowly towards windclan land and camp

(Ooc: I’m on mobile so spelling might be mmehhh)

Blazepaw fumed silently under the weight of her unconscious clanmate. If only SkyClan didn’t raise murderers, none of this would be happening! First whatshisface leading the Dark Forest, and now this! Maybe it would be better if they were just driven out altogether, their cursed territory taken over by Twolegs or something.

Blazepaw is helping carry Brackenwing home and also being very meta and a bit xenophobic.

Beetlepaw had to hold back a laugh as the old, grizzled looking Windclan elders attempted to take on a murderer by themselves. However, that laugh was quickly turned into an annoyed snarl as ice chunks began to fall from the sky, one of them nicking her in the ear. As soon as she heard her mentor call for Thunderclan to leave the gathering, Beetlepaw pelted after her clan, solely focused on getting out of the storm with her pelt intact.

Beetlepaw is leaving with her clan!
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Plumpaw couldn't understand why other cats found birth to be such a disturbing sight. It was necessary for life to continue, and after a few worthwhile moments of angst Briarthorn had four beautiful, healthy kits wailing beside her belly. It was a magnificent sight, almost enough to distract Plumpaw from the shock and disbelief she felt upon finding out her mother had murdered a cat. She opened her mouth to protest when some cat rudely bumped into her, only for her eyes to widen when she saw several Windclan elders attacking Beechfang. As if that wasn't enough, hailstones began to fall from the sky, and every cat ran off in different directions to flee the storm. Plumpaw hurriedly grabbed one of the kits, carrying it as gently as she could before following her clanmates.

Plumpaw is also leaving and has taken one of the kits with her!
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As the gathering descended further and further into chaos, Scorchtalon found himself wishing he hadn't come. He normally cherished these events, enjoying the chance to make new friends and chat with old ones, but he knew he wouldn't see gatherings the same for a while after this nonsense. Shortly after the murder had been confessed and a queen had begun kitting, two Windclan elders charged at the proclaimed murderer like they had no more sense than a kit. Scorchtalon was all for respecting his elders, given that he had been brought up to do so, but what kind of example were these cats setting for Windclan's youngsters? His mind immediately flashed to Featherkit, and he breathed an almost audible sigh of relief as he remembered she was safe in camp, probably snuggled up asleep in the nursery. The act of fighting at the gathering brought a massive cloud to cover the moon, and almost immediately hailstones began to fall on the gathered cats. Everyone panicked, racing back to their camps. Scorchtalon was about to leave with his clan when he noticed Marshmallow had been hit with a falling ice chunk, and she was now curled up into a ball beside him as more ice rained down on the clearing. Thankfully one of her clanmates, who’s name he didn’t know, arrived to carry the unconscious cat back to their camp. He couldn’t stand in the open for a moment longer so he ran after his clan in the direction of home.

Scorchtalon has left the gathering!

Wolfpaw's eyes widened slightly as Dovefrost forced himself between her mother and the Windclan elders, but it seemed as if doing so wasn't going to make anything worse and she wasn't about to wait around and see if it did. Turning, she hurried toward Briarthorn and the one kit that remained - her siblings and Driftcloud had taken the others. She forced the sense of trepidation she felt aside, she couldn't imagine any queen being happy about the current situation, but her grabbing a kit would be better than sitting here any longer than necessary in the middle of a hail storm. In late newleaf. "Come on, let's get you out of here." She muttered, carefully picking up the last kit. She'd shield the little scrap of fur as much as she could with her own body while this hailstorm continued.

---

Dovefrost - bless him - forced his way between Beechfang and the elder still somehow clinging to her leg. His intervention gave her something to focus on as she ducked another chunk of hail with a growl. "Are you alright?" The cold probably wasn't going to bother either of them much with their thick fur, but the chunks of hail that hit were going to leave plenty of cats feeling miserable in the morning. Her foreleg bled where the elder's fangs had broken skin and then been forcibly ripped away, and her heart was pounding in time with the cuts and bruises Starclan had been so nice to gift her with via their stupid hail. In the grand scheme of things that pain was nothing compared to -

Focus, focus, she told herself. They all needed to be out of here, sooner rather than later. Beechfang risked a quick glance around the hollow. Cats were racing off, clearly the gathering was over. A windclanner was being carried out, among other cats. Plumpaw, Lichenpaw and Driftcloud were carrying kits -

Briarthorn hadn't slipped her mind at all in her panic, no. Not at all. Beechfang turned, just in time to see Wolfpaw grab the last of them. Hurrying forward, she moved to slid her shoulder under Briarthorn's. "The sooner we're all out of here, the better. Move." She grunted. "Wolfpaw, Birdpaw. Stay close." Lingering panic made her tone harsher than it might've otherwise been, but she wouldn't leave a clanmate in this mess if she could help it.

Wolfpaw has grabbed the last of Briarthorn's kits and is leaving the gathering.
Beechfang is trying to help Briarthorn out of fourtrees.

Everything after Beechfang's confession was a blur to Smallbean, the entire clearing quickly delving into a state of chaos. Somewhere between a Skyclan queen giving birth and a statement from a leader, claws were unsheathed and Starclan's wrath was released on the forest, and to Windclan's fault. A few of Windclan's own elders had apparently attacked Beechface, despite her victim being from Riverclan. A part of him said to intervene, to stop the violence, that it was his duty, but he couldn't will his paws to move. All he could manage was watch with horror.

The clans began to gather together, leaders struggling to call their clans together over the hail. The call from his own leader, along with the sharp pain of ice pelting his body, broke Smallbean from his daze. Now overtaken with a state of panic, he finally separated from Poppyshine, not bothering to spare her a nod of farewell. He felt that she wouldn't have had the time to return one if he did- they both had responsibilities to tend to.

Following his clanmates, he quickened his pace to catch up to Shrikestar. Stars, what were they going to do? Windclan just had a change in leadership and they already looked like fools. Suddenly, he noticed a shill call rise up over the wind. Was that Blazepaw? Was she okay? He couldn't quite tell what the voice said. A new fear rose in him. Tearing himself from the crowd, he rushed around the clearing, trying to catch a glimpse of the apprentice. "Blazepaw? Where are you?"

Smallbean is looking for Blazepaw

Frostgaze sat, for the entirety of this mess with nary a word. First there was a murderer, then there was a kitting, and as of now... there was hard pellets falling from the sky upon the clans. With an audible sigh, Frostgaze looked to the other leaders, his cold gaze even colder than usual. "Perhaps if we are all able to control our clans next moon, I will be able to give out Shadowclan's announcements. Though there is nothing of note, I would appreciate being able to do so regardless." Hearing his mate call to him, he immediately looked down to his clan, beginning to huddle together. "Shadowclan!" He finally yowled, "Our announcements will come next moon, this gathering was a disaster and in accordance with Starclan's wishes we shall be leaving! Warriors, grab any unaccompanied apprentices!" With a final dip of his head to any remaining leaders, Frostgaze leaped down, beginning to herd his clan out of Fourtrees. He would take the back, if anyone was going to get hit with these... rocks? It would be him.

Blazepaw was barely out of the limits of Fourtrees, Brackenwing on her slender shoulders, Batsong beside her, when she herd her mentor’s panicked cry. “Over here, Smallbean!” she called. Once she was sure she had his attention, she continued. “Sorry I disappeared, Batsong asked me to help with Brackenwing.”

Blazepaw's voice led him in the right direction and Smallbean found her with Batsong, both carrying Brackenwing on their backs. He was relieved to find Blazepaw safe, but it was quickly replaced with a whole new panic for Brackenwing. "O-Oh S-s-stars. What happened to her?" Brackenwing couldn't have gotten physically hurt, he couldn't smell any blood coming from her. Swallowing his worry, he decided that he would just help them hurry the unconscious warrior back to camp where she could be assessed for injuries in the medicine den. There was nothing they could do to help in this hail.

Pushing up against Blazepaw, he provided extra support to Brackenwing. The two of them had her supported fine, but he wanted to make sure that their hold was stable the whole way back to camp. "Let's.... let's get back home. Quickly."