April Gathering 2024

Wolfstar offered Perchstar only the smallest of nods in acknowledgement to her presence. She had blamed her for taking Birdstar's lives and her leader ceremony had shown her that wasn't... Entirely correct, and conflict boiled within her. Logically she should at least attempt to smooth things over, to at least bring their clans a little more toward neutrality... But to do so also felt like a betrayal, no matter how desperate Birdstar and Beechfang wanted peace. Part of her wanted to continue the bloodshed, but that wouldn't be right for her clan. Still, how could she forgive, after so much had already been spilled?

Leopardstar's arrival provided a distraction at least, Wolfstar offering the Shadowclanner a more polite, if still silent greeting. Thunderclan had yet to arrive and that made her frown, gazing at the trees toward the edge of fourtrees.

Not that she expected any more of Thunderclan. Skyclan would likely have to remark their borders on the way home.

---

Swandive padded into the gathering behind Perchstar and Poppyshine, not at all thrilled to be in the presence of the other clans, but also determined to stick by Riverclan no matter what. If that meant helping them appear strong by attending these stupid things, then so be it.

Riverclan hadn't been the first to arrive, though the pale warrior couldn't scent any Thunderclan in the clearing yet it seemed that all the other clans were there. Maybe the forest dwellers - no longer sharing Riverclan territory thankfully - were just too cowardly to show up, like their previous leader was. Or maybe they simply did not respect the time that the other clans put in to showing up. Wasn't her clan, so she shouldn't care really., but the thought of the clan she had supposed ties to filled her with disgust.

For now, the Riverclanner would keep her head down and stick to her own clanmates.

Wolfstar has silently acknowledged the arrival of Perchstar and Leopardstar.
Swandive is open to talk, but won't be friendly about it.

Acornstar stood on the edge of the clearing, her ears pinned back as she fought the urge to turn around - to decide that the Gathering wasn't worth it but she knew it was a kitish desire... She was the leader, she had to act like it even if she dreaded facing the other leaders after her behavior last time. With a swish of her tail and a deep breath however, she pressed forward nonetheless - weaving between the Clans until she reached the rock, leaping up as she gave each of the leaders a nod of acknowledgement before she sat down, a little off to the side.

After all, she had no allies upon this rock even if it hurt to acknowledge that. But that was also of her own doing - she was the one who had admitted that she could not willing offer her Clan to aid RiverClan if it was needed and she wasn't going to let the alliance go on when she knew that would be her answer. The harsh truth that ThunderClan had to look out for themselves for the coming seasons as they regained their strength after the loss of Mottlestar was better than to lie in hopes that the request for aid never came. ...No, lies had ruined the alliance for SkyClan - she would accept the alliance not existing anymore of her honestly with a chance for it to continue than go Birdstar's route of lying via nonadmission and hoping not to be called upon it.

She took in a deep breath, mind racing as she started to build what she would say - thought she wasn't sure if it was worth apologizing to the other leaders for how she had reacted to everything the previous moon... No, that was better saved for private conversions perhaps in an effort to make it more earnest than a standard statement to all.

Hopepaw had made a special effort to hang around the back of the group of cats from her home. Thankfully, no one paid her much attention, and Hopepaw could carry her precious cargo to the gathering spot. This task took plenty of effort, from catching the biggest squirrel she could find earlier in the day to hauling it all the way there. Her eyes scanned the clearing, and her nose caught plenty more scents, though those were overshadowed by the delicious smell of squirrels filling her nose. With a huff of effort, she jumped over a patch of bushes and scrambled to the large rock where she had spotted She Who Breathes Power. She stood next to New Sister, and the awkward glances nods, and tense air made the young apprentice hesitate to jump up there.

Instead, she placed the fresh kill on the ground and stood on her hind legs to reach up and gently touch the tail of She Who Breathes Power. Hopepaw offered a squeak as hello, feeling slightly more confident with New Sister nearby. She settled on her haunches and gazed up at the large cat expectantly.

Hopepaw has tried to get Wolfstar's attention, and a rather large squirrel is lying at her paws.

---

Sleepycloud had quickly lost sight of her daughter into the trip but would often catch glimpses of bright white—enough for the mother not to worry too much. The warrior hesitated momentarily, seeing the seas of cats already there. A pit in her stomach that she could only feel as dread dropped. She missed her old clanmates dearly, but talking to them may give ThunderClan the wrong impression. With a deep sigh, she stepped through the bushes, holding her head as high as possible. Maybe she could sit in the outskirts and observe? Maybe keep an eye on Hopepaw. Wait, where was she?

Sleepycloud arrives and does not know Poppyshine is looking for her.

Sageroot felt her face flush with embarrassment as she entered the hollow. ThunderClan was clearly the last to arrive, possibly even legitimately late. Quickly fixing her leaf ear-guards, she padded over to the other deputies.
“Evening,” she mewed. “Hope everyone’s doing well. Before anyone asks, yes I can hear you. These things just help me block out the background chatter.”

Sageroot is explaining her noise cancelers to the other deputies.

Kestrelpaw's mottled lids, unpleasantly sticky with the press of exhaustion and perpetually billowing irritation, hardly remained rapt enough to take in the unfamiliar sights of fourtrees. If one happened to stray close enough, the guttural throes of a weary sigh could likely be discerned; rattling poignant and sharp against the tensed confines of tight lungs and clinched teeth. It was difficult to work up the expendable energy required for faulty interest in the crowded confines of the sacred meeting place, when all she truly had to look forward to was the brief parting moments away from the coy chattering of Auburnflare.

Stars, he was certainly a pain in the tail if she found herself willingly counting the moments free from his present.

Kestrelpaw is present; not particularly receptive to any conversations.


Silky dark edges of wispy fur catching sharply against the wan light of the terse evening, gentle ripples of pale light heavily framed the faintly uncertain movements of Jaypaw; an overly familiar mimicry to the yawning jaws of dark riverwater flashing beneath pallid moonlight. Dark features awash with the delicate staining of curtly disguised nervous interest, the young tom was quick to stay in the familiar presence of his Clanmates at the gradual influx of unfamiliar cats. Navigating the perilous circumstances of conversations with those unknown was unappealing enough, especially when considering how apt he was at ruffling the fur of his own kin and companions.

Jaypaw is open, but primarily just following Larkspring's shadow around.


A slight, reddened shadow drifts behind the idle processions of SkyClan; mottled by the apprehension-shaded steps of one relatively curious with the cramped, noisy confines of the late hour. Gray and sullen as the newly-turned spring world tended to be, Hawkpaw's eager gaze was softened under the bright touch of anticipation. The gathering! Though he remained steadfast dedicated pursuit of wholeheartedly not embarrassing Myrtlebloom in any measure of capacity, it was a touch bit difficult to resist the petulant desire to get into some semblance of mischief.

Hawkpaw is simply minding his own business.

Finally, Thunderclan showed, and Wolfstar silently tracked Acornstar's progress as she made her way to the great rock. She did not particularly want to speak with the Thunderclan leader, but the recent situation at the fallen oak meant she had to, and Wolfstar would put aside her dislike for the sake of the clan. "Acornstar, I would speak with you after the gathering." She assumed her warrior would have filled her in on the encounter with her patrol... Or had given her some twisted version of it, no doubt. Wolfstar did not want any repeat situations to arise, much less for the other leader to have a skewed version of what had happened. Not that her own cats had been hurt.

The sudden brush of something against her tail made the Skyclan leader turn. The deputies sat toward the front of the great rock, so it wasn't Honeydew... And the pale pelt belonged to someone of a different clan entirely. The apprentice that Brackendawn's patrol had encountered, she realized. Wolfstar's sharp gaze softened slightly, though her confusion as to why the apprentice was there still showed. And with a squirrel.

...That border altercation had been over a squirrel, hadn't it? The apprentice - Hopepaw's - expression was earnest. Wolfstar's quizzical gaze shifted from the youth to Acornstar, then back to Hopepaw. Fresh kill wasn't often brought to gatherings that she could recall, much less just... Offered to anyone. The clans were all capable of hunting for themselves, after all, and hardly needed others to hunt for them much less share. The implication might have been taken as almost offensive. Skyclan certainly did well enough for themselves despite their large numbers - and their territory was guarded as much as it could be to keep it that way. The memory of recent war and border altercations made the encounter all the more strange to Wolfstar. The leader's eyes met the apprentice's, questioning. She seemed to not understand social cues, perhaps owing to the lack of being able to hear. And this seemed more... Benign than deliberately meaning to cause offense. An olive branch - squirrel, in this case? Whatever the reasoning, it felt strange, to be offered a piece of prey by another clan's apprentice.

It wasn't often that the leader found herself floundering at what to say, but the apprentice had managed it. "Ah... Acornstar? I'm, uh-" The leader's tone rose in question, though her gaze had softened as it rested on the apprentice and understanding slowly crept in, "Hopepaw, wasn't it? That... Ehm, is what I- wanted to talk to you about." Wolfstar had dealt with many things, but this was not one of them. And it showed. "She didn't have to go through the trouble of finding a squirrel to apologize... I- Unless... That... Was your doing...?" But with how Hopepaw had acted after seeing Brackendawn's wounds when he'd taken a blow from her... Perhaps not? It was... Oddly touching, this apprentice's innocence.

"Staying to one side of the border would... Have been enough of an apology. I'm... Unsure if-" The leader's soft voice trailed off, glancing between Acornstar and her apprentice.

Wolfstar is speaking to Acornstar and Hopepaw. Roll to confuse the hecc out of Wolfstar was very successful!

Sweetheart padded into the clearing with hardly no cats by her sides. It felt odd not having her father with her, but then again part of her was glad that he hadn't joined her, in his current state...

Sitting down near the edge of her clanmates, the dark pelted, fluffy molly cast a cold glance around, curious as to when the gathering would begin. Hopefully soon so she didn't have to hang around the other clan's members for too much longer.


Sweetheart is available to chat with! Though she won't like it one bit...

Ah, a naïve young apprentice… Smoothing his pelt out, Sunflare slithered over to a skinny black and gray cat, seemingly little more than a kit. “Greetings, young one,” he purred. “I am Sunflare of ShadowClan. I really must congratulate your clan on expanding your borders lately. WindClan must be strong and free of trouble.”
Sunflare is prodding Spiderpaw.

Smokepetal followed the rest of SkyClan into Fourtrees, her eyes automatically sliding over to where the medicine cats usually sat. SkyClan was the first here, so right now, the spot sat vacant... Smokepetal hesitated, giving a quick sigh before moving over to sit where she should.

Smokepetal won't start a conversation with anyone but she is reluctantly open!

Minkshadow padded after her father and uncle, and then sat off to the side, large ears tipping to and fro as she listened to the conversations of the cats around her. It was tense... perhaps not as tense as the last Gathering had been, but it was still palpable. Gray eyes flicked up to the Rock, where her father sat, quietly taking in the sight of the leaders up there. Finding a spot near the center where she could hear well, Minkshadow sat down and curled her feathery tail around herself.

Minkshadow is open for conversation.

It seemed ThunderClan was the last to arrive to the Gathering... but that just made it easy to find someone to talk to. When given permission to break away, Ravenloft trotted through the crowd, casually scanning for the WindClan tom she'd met last Gathering. She was eager to reveal her warrior name, and wondered if he'd gotten his in the interim, as well, but her searched proved fruitless with all the milling cats, so she just plopped down and glanced around for anyone else that looked interesting.

Ravenloft is open to conversation!

Lichenwing is not in attendance.

Sunfire is not in attendance.

Fidgetpaw, now adult sized and build, followed WindClan into the Gathering. The cacaphony of smells at these Gatherings always rattled his brain, but the experiences of all the other cats was worth their weight in gold.

Fidgetpaw is open to conversation!

Fuzzybelly walked in tandem with ShadowClan, enamored with Fourtrees. It had been moons since he walked in, as a medicine cat, and it was very odd that Heatherberry sat where he always did. Some things never change. He grinned, seeing the Clans in good spirits.

Fuzzybelly is open to conversation!