June Gathering 2022

The small tortoiseshell had been hit with the disappearance of the other smaller cat that resided in Thunderclan. She wasn't hit nearly as hard as some others, but the lack of their leader had shook her. It changed her in other ways, too. It seemed Appledapple as well had gone missing, and the only thing that brought her solace was the idea they had gone together. But that wasn't the one on her mind. Her mind focused solely on her mate. Minnowfin.

It wasn't hard to see that the deputy was nervous. After all, any cat would be nervous having to lead them all after such disturbing news. Not just that, this would be the first gathering of the Clans after everything had happened with the dark forest. She could hardly remember what it had been like, but if there was anything she knew would bring them all comfort, it would be the solace in the welcoming atmosphere that all of the Clans brought with them.

Mottlerose had done her best to stay just a few steps behind Minnowfin, truly letting him lead the clan. After all, she was always conscious not to step on his paws. But she could hear his gentle whispers of anxiety, and while she couldn't always pick up on his words, he knew he needed some extra support. So the tortoiseshell brushed herself closer to the silvery tom, a low purr rumbling as a strong reminder. It wasn't just him in this, nor would it ever be. Her gaze sought his own, leveling with a silent promise. "You got this. You're strong."

Her purr flared stronger at the loving gesture, one that she quickly returned. As they moved into the clearing, she stayed by his side for as long as she possibly could. "If you ever need a cat to look at, Minnowfin, find me. I'll be closest to the front that I can. I'm here for you, your whole clan is. I love you." She whispered to the tom, giving his shoulder a gentle rub of her head. It was all she could do to encourage him. After all, her place was with her clan. It would be odd, with five leaders and four deputies among the circle, but she would stay as close to her mate as she could. A tower of support for her mate, for their clan. After the encouraging words, she nudged him forwards, a playful smile on her maw.

It was a tough time for all of the clans, and a quick glance to the great rock let her see that it seemed the Dark Forest had hit every clan in some way or another. A deep breath, and she kept her friendly appearance. She would be there for whoever she could.

Mottlerose is open to talk to!

More cats entered the gathering, and although most cats were keeping their distance from Smallbean he still managed to feel like he was suffocating. Normally he didn't pay much mind to the other clans as they entered the clearing, but something seemed... off about Riverclan. Whatever it was, he was sure he'd find out eventually.

He watched as Riverclan's new leader scaled the Great Rock and noticed that a cat had followed her. A cat that he could safely assume was Riverclan's deputy by the way she was walking in his direction. He kept his composure and returned her smile as she approached him, grateful for her friendly nature. It made him feel a little bit at ease.

"Oh... Nice to meet you, Poppyshine- I'm Smallbean." So far so good. "Windclan is doing... okay. I just became deputy a few days ago, but I'm doing good so far... at least I think so..." He trailed off before quickly snapping back. "So how about you? I mean, uh, what about Riverclan? How is Riverclan faring?"

Quailpaw entered the Gathering with his fur bushed up. "WOAH!" he gasped as he caught sight of the full moon, earning a few odd looks from the cats around him.

Quailpaw is open to interactions

Scorchtalon trotted into the gathering behind his clanmates, looking around the moonlit clearing with wide eyes. It felt like seasons since he'd been to an actual gathering, and he felt like he was an apprentice stepping into his first one all over again. He gave a supportive nod to Shrikestar and Smallbean, who were headed to their places on/near the Great Rock, before finding a spot to sit among his clan. A quick glance confirmed his suspicions as the other clans began to trickle in. The Dark Forest invasion had taken cats from every clan, and their loss would scar the forest for many moons to come. It was sad, but he didn't want to dwell on those heartbreaking thoughts. Not tonight. Now was a time to share tongues with the other clans in peace and companionship, and look forward to the happier days that were sure to come.

Scorchtalon sat with his tail curled over his paws, a warm, inviting look on his face. From afar, any cat would think he was just excited to be at the gathering. If one looked closely enough though, they'd see the longing look in his eyes, and the way he looked up expectantly every time another clan arrived. Almost as if he were waiting for someone, a certain black and white spotted she-cat, perhaps? But of course, it was only a simple, harmless friendship, or so he tried to convince himself. There was no other explanation, of course. That odd flutter in his chest? He must be getting sick, he'd see Burningleaf about it when he got home. That tingly feeling in his paws? Maybe he'd trod on a thorn, or perhaps brushed against some nettle by accident. He refused to listen to the insistent voice in his head that kept suggesting there was something else there, because that was just impossible.

She's just a friend... He firmly assured himself.

Scorchtalon is open to talk to, though he's looking for Marshmallow

The tom's eyes landed on Maplespring, watching her approach with minute interest. The molly must have had some strong confidence to be able to simply approach another cat like that. Perhaps Owlshriek would too, someday. But, this was his first gathering, and he felt much closer to Stormpaw in confidence than he did Maplespring. Though, the warrior didn't let it show. Dipping his head respectfully, the tom spoke. "Be my guest." He mewed, tail swishing to rest near Stormpaw, in a small show of comfort. He couldn't imagine being an apprentice at a gathering. Being much too small, in a large gathering of cats much larger.

"I am Owlshriek of RiverClan, and this is my apprentice Stormpaw." He turned towards his apprentice, which another cat had already approached. The cat seemed much more confident than him at the moment. Smiling, Owlshriek gave Stormpaw a nod of encouragement. If anything were to happen, Owlshriek would be right there for him. Satisfied with his encouragement, the tom turned to look back at the she-cat. "And you are?"

Owlshriek encourages Stormpaw to talk to Blazepaw
Owlshriek speaks to Maplespring

Encouraging words were taken to heart, and a gentle nudge from his mate revived his spirits. Glancing around, he noticed new faces where the deputies were sitting, and so he turned his gaze towards the Great Rock. Shrikestorm? Perchfall? Huh... it looks like I won't be alone up there after all. Is it a coincidence that something has happened to all of our leaders? Maybe he was jumping to conclusions. However, seeing the Riverclan deputy up there was reassuring; it was one face that at least allowed him to feel comfortable up there. Giving Mottlerose one last look, he made his way to the structure and leaped. His hind paw nearly slipped, but the tom made it, a nervous gasp bringing him to his paws.

Recovering from that near-miss, he gave both deputies and the Skyclan leader a respectful dip of the head and sat down. Parting his maw as if to speak, the tom changed his mind and decided the explaining would be best done later. For now, he wondered whether starting small talk would be a good filler for the silence, taking in the view that Stoatstar should've been seeing. He should be the one sitting here...

Minnowfin is open to talk to among the leaders.

---

It was a beautiful night, despite the eventful time Thunderclan was having. Stoatstar and Appledapple's disappearance did not seem to shake the molly, but it meant that there would be change. Minnowfin would make a fine leader, she supposed, not too invested in the tom. As the soon-to-be leader led the clan into the clearing, Flurrypaw stuck near to her family but kept to herself. Still, her gaze drifted towards her former clan. A part of her wondered what life would be like if her family hadn't left Riverclan, yet she was glad to be rid of their practices.

Flurrypaw is open to talk to!

---

Cloverheart's murder had rattled Martenpaw's bones. It was frightening how bold and despicable their bordering enemies could be. She had almost opted to stay home rather than join the gathering, but she wanted to see how the cat responsible for their medicine cat's death would explain their horrible actions. Following Perchstar, she stepped into the clearing and took a seat in the center of the area, looking around for a friendly or welcome face to chat with.

Martenpaw is open to talk to

“Yep, born and raised!” Blazepaw crowed in response to Stormpaw’s question. “My mentor’s the deputy, over there,” she mewed, motioning towards Smallbean. “Maplespring here is my sister. She’s already a warrior! I’ll be one, soon, too!”

Blazepaw is talking to Stormpaw.
Snowfoot isn’t here yet.

Lilypaw walked with Gingerroot to Fourtrees. The tom was very old and likely shouldn’t have made the journey, but good luck telling that to the heavily scarred elder.

Gingerroot felt alive again under the moon and stars. He had been to this clearing many times, for many years, and returning to it was invigorating. “See ya later,” the tom rumbled as he walked towards the crowd.

“Gingerroot! What if you get lost?”

“Don’t worry ‘bout me, kit, find a friend or somethin’.”

Lilypaw groaned under her breath. There were so many cats here, how was she supposed to make heads or tails out of this? Her first Gathering, and she was terrified.

Gingerroot of ThunderClan is open to talk to!
Lilypaw of ThunderClan is open to talk to!

Pinepaw strolled into the Gathering, his eyes lit with lightning. He watched as Bloodstar leapt to the Great Rock, a passion burning in his chest. This was SkyClan, this was the best Clan in the forest.

The tom’s chest swelled as he approached Fourtrees. To be at the top… he grinned at the thought.

The self-assured dark ginger striped and spotted tabby glowed under the moonlight. He was ready for this.

Pinepaw of SkyClan is open to talk to!

Mottlerose watched her mate ascend to the great rock with the rest of the leadership, her smile widening for a moment as he seemed to find some comfort in the shift in leadership that also had seemed to occur. She kept to herself for the most part, taking the position she had told him she would be at - until the familiar onyx molly appeared at her side. She let out a welcoming purr, a friendly gesture of warmth as she gave her a gentle headbump. It was a tough time for the entire clan, and out of many, it seemed Comfreyheart, Mottlerose, and Minnowfin were among those hit the hardest. After all, they'd not only lost Stoatstar and Appledapple, but the sting of the loss of Morningsun still prickled beneath their pelts.

She turned her head towards the warrior, and while she could see her gaze searching for someone, could also pick up the emotions brewing beneath her pelt. "It will be okay, Comfreyheart." She soothed gently, and whatever worries of her own lurked under her tortoiseshell frame, were shoved away so she could be there for the she-cat she'd practically adopted. "We'll all be okay."

Mottlerose is comforting her daughter Comfreyheart, and is open for more conversation.

---

The young mother gave a warm smile towards the apprentice that seemed to find comfort with his mentor, understanding just how overwhelming such an event could be. Upon hearing the very mentor's name, her attention returned back to him, and a friendly purr rumbled in her chest. "Maplespring of Windclan. It's nice to meet you both, Owlshriek and Stormpaw." Her gaze flit to her side where her sister seemed to reside, and felt a sense of joy in knowing that the two apprentices were able to chat. It was a bit amusing, given that Maplespring had earned her warrior name moons ago, but her sister had yet to finish her training. She made a point never to tease about it, as everyone went at their own pace. Much as she walked, it seemed she simply hopped through life.

"Is this the first actual gathering you both have been to? I know it's mine. It's... almost overwhelming to see this many cats." She did her best to make small-talk. After all, she didn't want to think about the thoughts in the back of her mind, reminding her that this was an occasion she wouldn't get to see happen with her mate. Lavenderdrop had seemed to disappear, and the fluffy tom's disappearance had hit her rather hard. She'd shove it down for the night though, and do her best to enjoy what was truly a wonderous occasion.

Maplespring is talking to Owlshriek!

Owlshriek managed a nod. "I was born just after the dark forest took over." He explained, yellow gaze rising to the moon and the Silverpelt beyond. "I won't lie, it is rather odd to see the stars after my entire life of a starless sky." The tom's gaze turned back to Maplespring. She was fairly easy to talk to. From what he heard from elders back when he cleaned their nests often, sometimes true clan animosity showed itself in these gatherings. The warrior assumed it would be as such when Skyclan came in--

He paused, tasting the scent of the mentioned clan. Yellow eyes flickered over the cats that entered, picking them over one by one. Subconsciously, drawing his tail closer to Stormpaw. He knew what other warriors were capable of, having lost a fellow apprentice to Softfall during the time of the Dark Forest takeover. Had these cats also lost their way? Were they willing to break the truce to attack other cats? No matter what, nothing like that would happen to his apprentice. Not while Owlshriek was still breathing.

Unable to pinpoint the cat that Perchstar had mentioned, Owlshriek let out a breath and turned back to Maplespring. "Apologies, where were we? Oh, right--" A chuckle escaped him. "Yes, an overwhelming number of cats. I'm sure no one wanted to be left out of this gathering. There is much to catch up on. Anything interesting in WindClan?"

Owlshriek glares at SkyClan, and continues to talk to Maplespring.

Foxpaw had trailed behind on the journey. Not entirely on purpose; walking for so long was exhausting for the young apprentice, especially through the parts of territory she didn't know well. Nervousness tingled the apprentice's paws; her first Gathering.

She almost couldn't believe her eyes; there were so many other cats! It was like camp at dawn, so many warriors and apprentices moving and talking; except with far, far more cats. Even the air was strong, smell of forest and fish breaking through the scent of ThunderClan. Was this even all the clans, yet? She clung to her clanmates, and gazed across the crowds and crowds of cats.

She gave a breath of relief as she noticed a familiar warrior within the clearing, "Comfreyheart!" Foxpaw padded for the molly quickly, "There's so many cats here.." she half-murmured, reaching her mentor's side.

Foxpaw is speaking with Comfreyheart.