acclimation [c]

Each time she set course for Fourtrees, something invariably went wrong. Discussion of a murder, invasion by a kittypet, ShadowClan arguing amongst themselves in public view- the ways in which Gatherings were ill-fated varied, but Leopardsun had started to view the place itself as a bad omen.

That was why she made her way to it now: a deputy couldn't skip gatherings, as she'd been planning to before she was chosen. She simply had to grow accustomed to this place and accept that she would visit it often enough.

Now, deserted as it was, it seemed altogether different.

The mingling scents of different clans were faint, or maybe not present at all and just a memory in her mind.

The Great Rock seemed less imposing in the absence of every clan's leader, and she approached it slowly. Sitting at the base and looking around, familiarizing herself with something she would most likely be seeing at the next full moon.

She was alone, but not lonely. She was taking the place of countless cats before her, and countless more would follow in her own pawsteps.

With no one to watch and to judge her but StarClan themselves (and she didn't particularly care what they thought), she made her way up the rock and sat regally atop it in her best imitation of what she'd seen.

This was the sight that Froststar had seen only twice before his death, looking out over the clearing and the countless cats that gathered within before delivering ShadowClan's announcements for the moon. The empty space that would soon be filled by Nightstalker.

Alone in the clearing, she felt just slightly silly for ever having feared this place. In the absence of the chaos, it was beautiful.

She wasn't sure why she'd come out here. The sun's light had faded, leaving the stars and moon above the only light to travel by. Out on the moors it was plenty enough, with little to obstruct them. Despite her misgivings about the place, her paws had found their way toward fourtrees. For as tense as gatherings were, it would be interesting to see it without cats covering every corner, bickering and causing mayhem.

As she crested the edge of the hollow, it quickly became apparently that Brackenwing wasn't alone. A she-cat sat where the leaders usually did. And Brackenwing was in plain view, if the she-cat - Shadowclan? It was hard to tell without the wind in her favor, - only turned her head.

"I didn't know fourtrees could be so quiet." She mewed, announcing her presence reluctantly. The she-cat taht stood atop the great rock didn't seem like she'd been looking for a fight, but then the clearing had seemed to be empty before Brackenwing had ventured forth. "It seems more peaceful without the entire forest descended upon it." She remarked, paws shifting awkwardly as she debated whether or not to step further into the supposedly sacred hollow.

Though she hadn't expected any company, Leopardsun supposed it made sense- Fourtrees belonged to no one. This was truly neutral ground, the gathering place for times of peace. With how she had yet to see one go smoothly, it was easy to forget. That was the entire reason she was here, wasn't it?

She turned to look at the newcomer- cream-and-honey fur that stood out against the green of the clearing, though it was reflected in her eyes. It was difficult to guess which Clan she might be from, but from the stronger scents in the clearing she would presume WindClan.

That said, she felt a bit odd atop the Great Rock with someone watching, so she scrambled back down to its base; hoping that no cause would require her to return to the top any time soon. "It's much more pleasant like this, I think. If only it could always be so peaceful."

Now at eye level, she dipped her head politely. "Sorry if you meant to be alone. I realized I had never seen it like this, and I thought... Well, I thought it was worth seeing, seeing as I can't exactly avoid it anymore."

"Oh, for sure. No petty squabbles, no hailstorms... No crowds." The crowds had been the true horror of her first gathering, as much as the hailstorm had been.

Brackenwing shrugged off the apology, "Not like Windclan owns this place, it's fine." She mewed. The other she-cat's words about not being able to avoid gatherings caught her attention. "That sounds like my worst nightmare... Deputy, I'm guessing? You don't smell like herbs." She inquired. Batsong had been a warrior, but since becoming medicine cat, her pelt had taken on the sharp, cloying scent of the plants she worked with. It wasn't wholly unpleasant, but it marked her as playing a very different role to the warriors in the clan. The wind wasn't quite in Brackenwing's favor, but what little she could pick up of the other she-cat bore no scent of herbs. "I'm Brackenwing, by the way."

Leopardsun was a bit surprised- as well as a little bit impressed- by how the WindClan warrior had pinned her so easily. Though she supposed her lament was enough of a giveaway as anything. "Yes, I'm Leopardsun- ShadowClan's newest deputy. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

The mention of hail made her shudder. "That was... Perhaps the worst introduction to a Gathering any cat could have expected. I still remember running out of the clearing in the midst of it. I must say it's a lot more appealing in the absence of everything- a place I could see myself stopping to think. It's peaceful... Not unpleasant."

Strange, she thought, how our nights of peace so rarely are.

"Nice to meet you," Brackenwing gave a shallow dip of her head in acknowledgement. Leopardsun... A pretty enough name, she thought. "It was my first gathering. I never wanted to go to one again after that one." Brackenwing agreed wryly. Somehow the wound she'd received hadn't scarred, and Brackenwing was grateful for the small favor. Being cooped up in the medicine den and unable to remember much of that disastrous gathering was, in her opinion, more than enough of a reminder of it. Whisperear had been one of the cats to help carry her out, she knew, and Brackenwing was grateful to not have been left behind in the midst of such chaos.

"It's strange to see fourtrees without so many cats. I think it looks better this way, honestly. It almost feels like what everyone says it's supposed to be - calm." She didn't know Leopardsun at all, but it was nice to know that there was something they agreed on despite the world of difference their clans were. "I was bored and wanted a walk away from my clanmates snoring. And maybe I was a little curious to see it without half the forest converged upon it. That why you're here, too?"