Through the Storm [OPEN Post-Gathering Meeting]

((Directly follows the July Gathering))

The first light of dawn was just beginning to paint the sky as Wolfblossom led Skyclan into camp. Her fur was still poofed out, and everywhere she looked, her clanmates seemed to be just as frazzled and shaken as she was. Some hadn't escaped the lightning unscathed, though it hadn't been meant for Skyclan at all. The thought filled her with fury.

What a sight the gathering party must have looked to those who stayed behind. Spiky fur, the scent of burnt flesh and shaking paws. Had they seen the show from camp, she wondered? Maybe not. But the appearance of the cats who entered camp was sure to make it very obvious that the gathering had not gone well. The deputy paused, glancing around. Whinchatpaw and Littlepaw looked to have been burned, and Wolfblossom frowned. "Go to the medicine den, both of you." She mewed softly, lightly touching her nose to Whinchatpaw's ear. "I'm sorry." They seemed to have gotten the worst of the physical injuries. Apprentices, at their first gathering. Who had nothing at all to do with anything.

Now that she was home, the adrenaline that had forced her paws forward was beginning to ebb, leaving the deputy with shaking paws as she sat below the tallbranch.

"Those of you with injuries, go right to Plumleaf and Smokepetal's den." She had trouble hearing her own voice through the ringing in her ears. She hoped it would be enough for them to hear, or that common sense would drive them that way anyways. Her own flank was beginning to burn and sting fiercely now that the adrenaline was wearing off, the exposed skin red and inflamed. Wolfblossom however, was not going to heed her own orders. Not until the two apprentices were looked at first, anyways. Hers wasn't that bad, in comparison.

An explanation was needed for those who hadn't been there, of course, but Wolfblossom's main concern right now were the injured as the clanmates who hadn't been at the gathering began to step forward. Pale blue eyes found Birdstar among them, and Wolfblossom was relieved to see her sister among them. She had better be healthy for the next gathering, because Wolfblossom was not leading them, if this is what she had to look forward to.

"Skyclan," The abominable ringing in her ears did not quiet for her like her clanmates did. The deputy shook her head, and that seemed to just make it ring louder.

---

Graywind had never been so glad to see camp. The walk home had been a quiet one, uneventful, but her fur still did not lay flat. To say that the gathering had been a mess and she did not want to go back ever again... That was an understatement.

"Violetpaw, are you alright?" She had stuck close to her apprentice as they left, and while she didn't seem injured, Graywind was still concerned. Wolfblossom was calling to the clan, and for the injured to go to the medicine den, and Graywind winced as she sat. She was tired, and her head was pounding... Probably from how loud it had gotten at the gathering.

---

Stoneheart had stuck by Mistflower's side, and once they made it into camp the long-furred she-cat sat, glancing around at her clanmates with a tired look. Her fur also stood on end, and the warrior shook herself, but it was of no use. At least they had all made it home, and the gathering hadn't been any of her clanmates' fault. It was too bad that Shadowclan and Windclan seemed to not understand how their actions affected others.

Littlepaw padded into the camp next to whinchatpaw as the two apprentices were both very badly burned and it hurt to walk. "Come on whin." she mewed lightly nudging him towards the med cats.

Smokepetal had spent the trek home pressed against Firepool's ginger pelt, a ceaseless tremble practically vibrating her slim form every few seconds. She was a young cat, and had been medicine cat for only a few moons... but it took actual effort to recall the last time a Gathering had been without strife or bloodshed. That was enough for her to consider never attending another... unless she absolutely had to. "If I ever go to another gathering," she whispered to Firepool, "I'm sitting with you, away from the rock."

She had been barely a fox length from the lightning strike that claimed both Shrikestar and Nightstar, and thankfully she hadn't been hit, even residually like a few had been... but even so, there was a high pitched ringing in one ear that had persisted throughout their journey home. Even she didn't know what to do about that, so she settled for keeping that one ear plastered against her skull, the other cupped towards whoever was speaking at the time. Right now, it was Wolfblossom, and as the deputy instructed the singed apprentices to head towards the medicine den, she nodded, tucking her head under Firepool's chin for a second in a silent thanks before moving to guide the apprentices to the medicine den. "Come along, dears... let's get those burns looked at."

Creamsky padded close next to Lightningbreeze, having been relieved when he had managed to find her in the chaos. She was unharmed - the two of them had managed to get out of everything unscathed it seemed as the ringing that had overwhelmed his hearing had managed to silent down to a tiny annoyance that he could ignore if he focused enough on anything else. As they reached the camp and Wolfblossom started to give out orders, a sigh escaped him as he allowed his gaze to scan the cats who had remained. How lucky they were, he thought with a whisker twitch...But also perhaps not - if they had seen the lightning strike from the camp and was left to fret over their fate til they returned...

But nonetheless, a single choice had been made during his trek home. He would have to find a time to tell Wolfblossom and Birdstar about it - but with all due respect...He was never going to another Gathering again after the chaos of the last few. Not while both Nightstar and Shrikestar were still leader, at least.

Dawnfeather stayed close to her son, pressing her shoulder against his, still trembling. Sheer panic had subsided just enough for the golden molly to feel disconnected from her own paws, watching the scene from the outside in, a sense of dissonance- this wasn’t how things were supposed to end. The scent of burnt flesh lingered in her nostrils. Wolf- Wolfblossom, not Wolfstar, her warrior name granted to her many moons ago, discordant memories conflicting with a detached reality- called out to the Clan, but most of her words were lost, lost in a flood that drowned her beneath the crashing crushing waves.

“Smo-“ she began as her daughter herded the apprentices towards Beech-Muddy-Plumleaf’s den, but her voice cracked and failed her. That was alright. She’d be alright. The golden molly curled her tail around Violetpaw’s, still shaking. She didn’t think- she wasn’t wounded. She’d be fine.

Lightningbreeze couldn't recall the last time a Gathering had gone that badly, other than that very first one where the Twolegs had stolen their own. Oh, they tended to not go well- for WindClan and ShadowClan in particular, as far as she could tell, but rarely did things actually go in anyone's favor- but she couldn't recall thunder and lightning splitting the night sky as they had tonight, didn't recall the fire that had followed as something she'd seen before.

She followed Creamsky back to the safety of SkyClan's camp, wondering how well the injured SkyClan cats would be able to handle themselves.

"That was..." Lightningbreeze hummed, searching for a word to describe the disaster that had been the night so far. "Fun," she decided, laying on the sarcastic tone in case anyone dared to actually think she meant it. "I mean, how hard is it not to start a fight? And I guess they really just had to go and get other cats hurt, too."

---

Mistflower kept close to Stoneheart, wondering what kept possessing her to return to Fourtrees time and again. Keeping her voice soft and low, she whispered to her sister, "Do you ever think that maybe the clearing is just cursed?"

Mistflower was, perhaps, prone to whimsical thoughts and general flights of fancy. But this one in particular she felt was at least somewhat grounded in reality.

Falconmoon entered camp with Lionstripe in tow... and the young tom was dutifully making sure everyone who was injured was able to make it to camp safely. He wasn't overbearing, but silently checked on everyone, slowed his own pace if anyone looked like they were falling behind, and offered silent small smiles of encouragement. Once the meeting had been called, Falconmoon sat beneath Tallbranch, forcing the smile to stay off of his face. Shrikestar and Nightstar got what they deserved. Looked like Starclan really was on his side.

Bloodstrike scented fear and burnt hair and had a flashback to the time fire raged through Skyclan's camp. It set him on edge, his fur bristling as he entered the camp from hunting. He spat a sparrow onto the fresh kill pile like he was mad at it. He stalked to the Tallbranch as a meeting was called, eyeing the injured apprentices with a cold fury. It wasn't them that he was mad at, but he was hoping there was some enemy he could blame... and someone he could bury his claws into for this.

"Windclan and Shadowclan would be better off led by kits, is what. Their leaders have all the self-control and regard for others of a dog foaming at the mouth." Wolfblossom answered her sister. That last bit might not have been strictly true, stars knew some Skyclanners had been involved in their own fair share of chaos at gatherings, but that had not been recently. "For those of you who weren't there, Windclan and Shadowclan have been... hostile with each other in recent moons. A border skirmish resulted in four deaths, two for each clan, and one of Windclan's warriors taken hostage. Nightstar demanded herbs in exchange for him, Shrikestar... pushed him off the rock. Leopardsun and a few cats from both clans were calling for them to stop. Of course, they went ignored, and Nightstar decided to tackle Shrikestar off the rock." A low huff escaped her, tail lashing. She was mortified, embarrassed on their behalves, truly. Not that either of the toms had any shame in it. She was furious that her own clanmates had been caught in the crossfire. It was not hard to respect a few hours of peace, a few hours of a ceasefire. Except to those two, it apparently was very hard. "They were kind enough to let Perchstar, Mottlestar and I get our announcements out of the way before they started. I would've appreciated it more if we got the chance to leave before the lightning struck both of them. That was a forest too close for any of us." Her words were an attempt at humor, though there was none to be found in Wolfblossom's face. They had made it out, and the injuries the apprentices had sustained she hoped would not be fatal. "Mottlestar announced our alliance with Riverclan and Thunderclan to the forest as well. It seems like Windclan and Shadowclan are struggling internally as well as with each other... If they are so crazed as to turn their attention toward one of us, they will be met three against one." Shadowclan wouldn't be so dumb to go after highpine in the state they were in, at least Wolfblossom hoped so. She would be watching the border closely, however. In the mean time, the other clan was more than welcome to destroy themselves as long as it did not affect Skyclan cats.

"Thunderclan announced a new deputy, and the execution of a cat who has murdered several. His name was Starlingflare. Last greenleaf, one of our own was found killed, Dovefrost-" Her eyes found her mother's gaze in the crowd, watched the way her single eye narrowed. "-and this Starlingflare is the one who supposedly did it. His other victims were unclear. A newt and a flower, according to prophecy that was received." It was then that Foxtrot's voice caught her attention. Faint for the ringing in her ears. "Foxtrot?" She tipped her head - wrong move, she realized, and grimaced, though her attention focused on the younger warrior still while keeping a careful watch on her mother - "What was that, Newtspring?"

---

Beechfang's hackles had risen as the clouds rolled in from a distance, her own fur standing on end at the loud boom of thunder and flash of lightning. Even from such a distance, it brought back unpleasant memories of searing agony and a sense of panic. It was far enough away that it didn't send her running for her nest, but the tabby silently paced, tail lashing back and forth. Birdstar was also pacing, and she should have been resting, but Beechfang was too fixated on whatever was going on in the distance to tell her so. The eventual pawsteps brought with it the scent of burnt flesh, fear and Skyclan, and Beechfang's eye was immediately drawn to her clanmates. Two apprentices, a very shaken Dawnfeather, Falconmoon as odd as ever... Wolfblossom with a singed side. No injuries severe enough to keep any of them down, it seemed, and the former medicine cat had to force her paws to stay put as Smokepetal herded the injured to the medicine den. Still, her fur didn't lay flat. She was on edge as she silently sat near Bloodstrike. Her father and Birdstar were also on edge, she couldn't blame them.

Wolfblossom launched into an explanation, and Beechfang's lip curled in disgust. Windclan had always been prone to stupidity. Served their leader right to be struck with lightning if that was how he acted at a gathering. She had respected Shrikestar for coming clean about Dawnhawk's presence, but it seemed he was just as foolhardy as anyone else in the clan. And for Nightstar to continue it... She shook her head. It was only a shame that it had to be at the gathering and do harm to other cats who very obviously had nothing to do with them. But that was just how Starclan worked. Gatherings were no longer Beechfang's concern, but her clanmates were.

Wolfblossom continued to speak, and the alliance with Riverclan and Thunderclan was mentioned. Beechfang still had her doubts about Riverclan, but she would not voice them here. It wasn't her place. And Thunderclan... New deputy, executed a murderer... Dovefrost's name made her ears flatten, claws digging into the grass below. Long had she wondered who the culprit had been, she'd even asked a few Thunderclanners when she would run across them in her travels. They hadn't known, and apparently it had been one of their own this entire time. Starlingflare, who she'd trusted to be a decent enough cat. Who she'd had civil conversations with. Starlingflare had killed her mate, his own former clanmate. Or so it was said.

She knew, of course, that cats weren't always trustworthy. But to hear that her mate had been murdered by a cat she wouldn't have suspected... She nearly missed the mention of a newt and flower, had another cat not drawn Wolfblossom's attention back to it.

Newtspring. Newtspring. Beechfang seemed to pounce on Foxtrot's word, even as her own mind supplied the name. Of course Wolfblossom would not have recognized it, nor the Thunderclan leader who'd announced it. Foxtrot was most certainly too young, but it didn't matter how he'd heard the name. "All this time, we thought Newtspring had been killed by one of the dark forest brutes. Another cat was found dead with Newtspring, her name was Orchidmask. If the prophecy speaks of those two..." Over a year, Beechfang thought. "That was over a year ago, just before Dovefrost joined us. Someone - Starclan, Thunderclan, whatever, sat on this for over a year. Most of you are young enough to have never met any of those three." The scarred she-cat spat. She was appalled that the murders would have gone unsolved for this long, and for the cat to be someone who had existed within that clan... How horrifying for them, to realize they'd lived among a murderer for over a year without knowing.

She had avoided execution only by Bloodstrike's stubbornness. But at least she had confessed to her own crimes days later. She hadn't sat on them for a year and waited to be tattled on by the stars. If the murderer was truly Starlingflare. Never had the one-eyed tom given her reason to suspect, and they had talked even after those murders were committed. Either Starlingflare had been a very convincing actor... Or someone had lied and Starlingflare took the fall. Beechfang wasn't sure what to believe. They hadn't exactly been best friends, but there had been an understanding there. Decent conversation, claws staying sheathed.

Her gaze drifted to the slowly-brightening sky as the stars were overtaken for the day. She wanted to believe the murderer of her mate, her half brother, her friend had been given the justice they had deserved. Starlingflare, though... It cut deep. She wanted to believe he wouldn't have. It was far too late to question it however. The dead knew the truth. That the murders had gone unsolved for this long was an injustice, but hopefully one that had been set to right. She wanted to believe it had been, even more than she wanted to believe it hadn't been the cat she knew who committed the crimes.

Creamsky huffed as Lightningbreeze spoke next to him, giving her a glance. "Apparently having leaders who can think rational is above WindClan and ShadowClan," he muttered, taking a seat with a shake of his pelt - trying to get his still puffed fur to lie down. "The death of their cats is a shame but what even was the war about? The only drama I was aware of between them was that entire thing with Batsong...But Leopardsun made it seem it was just in the name of Nightstar's ego so maybe..." His lips curled. Stars, the two were no better than kits, were they.

They could have their spat if they wanted but it was a simple enough rule - no fighting during a Gathering. But no, they couldn't put aside their Clan's safety for a single night and tested the wrath of the very Stars above. If anything, he felt more pity for their warriors who were caught in the petty drama caused by their leaders throwing fits at any slight to their ego. "...I think I've had my fill of Gatherings - all that ever seems to come out of them is drama that I have no taste for."

His ear twitched as Wolfblossom started to explain the events of the Gathering for all to hear - a huff escaping him as he shifted to lean slightly on Lightningbreeze. It was nothing new to him - at least until some details started to be explained about the whole murderer business in ThunderClan. Right, the cat had killed a Dovefrost - one of their own. It was luck that this matter was sorted before the alliance had been named - if it had come out after that ThunderClan had a murderer who had taken the live of one - no, three SkyClan cats? He turned his head in surprise to look at Beechfang as she explained the rest of the prophecy - Newtspring and Orchidmask. Cats long passed that were assumed killed by the Dark Forest...

He frowned, eyes narrowing. Three cats - this Starlingflare had killed three cats without ThunderClan suspecting him until a prophecy - long after the murders had taken place - revealed him? ...He wasn't sure to be more disgusted that ThunderClan hadn't realized or that StarClan had taken so long to offer a chance at justice. His tail lashed, glancing around at his Clanmates - curious to see how they would take the news - of both the finally caught murderer and the drama between the two kit-headed leaders.

Thornstalker was tired, even following after Falconmoon she was tired. Everything at the gathering was too much and she was glad that she was back in the camp clearing. The small warrior was quick to collapse into a comfy spot even as Wolfblossom called the meeting, she coudldn't find it in herself to move. She would listen from here.