April Gathering 2024

Asmodeus sat quietly, listening to what was going on around him with interest. He was piecing together what exactly was going on here, and with how calm everyone was acting, this was something that happened routinely apparently. Why? What was so interesting about tonight? The mismatched gaze landed on Larkshine, though he didn't know her name until she introduced herself, as she approached him. She called him out for not belonging to a clan... but wasn't upset by his presence it seemed.

Interesting.

He smiled at her, a devilish gleam in his eyes, and a smile that barely showed the very tips of his fangs. "How observant of you." His tone was not insulting for once, but if there was any praise in his words it was lost in his tone. He stood, now wary about being caught sitting in case this was about to get nasty. "Asmodeus, a lone cat that happened to catch a whiff of everyone in one spot and wanted to know what was going on. Perhaps you could shed some light on why tonight is so special? Clan cats tend to be very... unwelcoming of outsiders. I'm harmless." His voice broke into a quick chuckle at the last word.

He could tell by her scent that she was from Shadowclan... and he recently opened up a Shadowclan adolescent that thought trying to run him off the territory would be a good idea. Served him right. His eyes flicked briefly to Boarpaw, but afterward remained fixed on Larkshine.

Well, if no one else was going to start, she would. She wanted the night to be over with so that she and her Clan could return home. She did notice a strange exchange between Acornstar and Wolfblossom and some apprentice on the ground, but quickly dismissed it as none of her concern. They could speak to whoever they liked for all she cared. All five Clans were here, and so the announcements were due to begin. Nearly any scuffles below the Rock escaped her notice as well.

"The Gathering will now begin," Perchstar called out, her voice clear and even over the loud conversations below. She waited a brief moment for a slight lull before resuming. "RiverClan fares better than ever during this newleaf season. Our prey is plentiful, and both our numbers and strength grow in tandem. We have named several new apprentices--Creekpaw, Lightningpaw, Featherpaw, and Elmpaw--as well as two new warriors, Pigeonpounce and Scarletflare." She almost didn't announce Elmpaw's name, but there wasn't much point in leaving him out just because he hadn't been allowed to come. The more names the other Clans heard, the better.

Should she announce the Sunningrocks change?... Though she'd been thinking about it the entire walk over, she briefly debated it again in her mind. Back when the alliance had first been formed, both Mottlestar and Wolfblossom--who'd been there in place of Birdstar that night--had said nothing, leaving Perchstar to announce it. Well, she hadn't needed to announce the falling-out with SkyClan, due to the circumstances surrounding it. And there was no need to announce anything about Sunningrocks; Acornstar had told all of her cats already, and no other Clans required that knowledge. She would leave her announcements without mentioning the broken alliance. If Acornstar wished to talk of it, perhaps she could, though Perchstar hoped that if she did so it would be in a more professional fashion than when she'd talked of the war. She had only one more thing to announce, then. Her gaze moved to the other leaders. "As a warning for all the Clans: we have been dealing with an inflated rogue problem recently. I know of several cats who have been attacked or even killed by trespassers. Keep your guard up and your borders secure. That is all."

Perchstar has begun the Gathering with her announcements.

--

Bubblebeam really ought to have been paying more attention to her surroundings. This was the second time being approached at the Gathering had caught her off guard. Her fur bristled momentarily at the warm nudge of her shoulder--but it flattened instantly when she caught a whiff of familiar scent. Turning her head rewarded her with glittering green eyes and a warm smile. Her heart stuttered. "Oh... Silverbird!" An echoingly bright smile reached her own face. It was just who she'd been hoping to see. How did his face always look so welcoming? How did this come so naturally to him? For a moment, she couldn't help but remember their last conversation, and the word he'd used. Mine. She still didn't know what it meant. Remembering it would make her melt into a puddle, though, and that would make her unable to converse with him. Besides--they weren't alone. He seemed to know that, too, by the way his warmth cooled into a more serious question.

The fluffy warrior blinked hard, pale gray-green eyes disappearing from his view before flicking once more to where she'd been staring. Right. Hemlockfox. Somehow, with his presence, she'd completely forgotten her prior torment. Her attention had gone to him the moment he arrived. Was he... jealous? Surely not. Likely just curious. She had been staring pretty obviously, after all. Her long-furred tail swished once behind her before she returned her gaze to Silverhawk's. "Oh, I was just looking at the medicine cats. My brother, he..." Wait. Did she even want to talk about Hemlockfox? It would only make her feel upset again, to think about the inevitability of losing him in the way that she was. And though he had always been nothing but kind to her, she didn't want to make him deal with her moping again. So she shook her head, as if to clear the stormy thoughts away. "It doesn't matter anymore, not right now. I'm glad to see you." A purr rumbled somewhere in her chest.

In shifting to look back up at him, though, she caught sight of something behind his shoulder. Paler fur and piercing golden eyes in an expression of... shock? Wait, she knew him. "Hawkmist?" Bubblebeam blinked again. What a coincidence that her two friends from ShadowClan knew each other. Or--maybe they didn't, but the way that Hawkmist was looming behind Silverhawk indicated that the two shared some degree of familiarity. "Hey! It's nice to see you, too." She turned the warmth of her smile on him for a moment. They'd only shared one conversation, but it had been the highlight of her week. How absurdly lucky was it to have two close friends to speak with at the Gathering? It was nice to have something going her way, for once. The corners of her eyes crinkled. "Are you two friends, then? I wouldn't have guessed."

Bubblebeam is speaking to Silverhawk (and Hawkmist).

--

Hedgepaw didn't have to wait long. Soon a black-and-white tom who smelled of the moors traipsed in her direction, a friendly smile on his face. She did her best not to curl in on herself at his approach. This was a peaceful night; everyone was supposed to be friends. Besides, he was being very nice to her. "H-hi, Cricketpaw." Large green eyes met his, and a small smile reached her face. She could talk to him. He seemed like a good cat. "M'name's Hedgepaw. This is my second Gathering, actually, but... I kinda stayed with my brothers the first time. There's so many cats, it's a bit scary. But you're not scary."

Before she could say any more, though, another voice caught her attention. Among the cacophony of strange sounds and smells, she hadn't been able to pick it out at first, but the sound of her name made her ears prick up--and then, she recognized the voice. "...Fish?" The word was said quietly, with more confusion than anything else. Hedgepaw turned her head, trying to find its source. Surely that hadn't been what she'd heard. Rogues weren't allowed, she didn't think. Why would he be here? But, sure enough--there he was. A mottled form with bright eyes and a distinctly non-Clan scent, bounding towards her through the crowd of cats. Her fur bristled. What on earth was he thinking?

"I, um--excuse me." Budding conversation with Cricketpaw forgotten, she moved forward to meet him as he made his way to her. Then in a sudden movement, she stood on her hind legs, grabbed Fish's scruff in her teeth, and yanked him with her a few fox-lengths away to the wide base of a nearby pine tree. The motion carried little thought but the sudden, blinding idea of Wolfpaw or Silverhawk seeing him and deciding to tear him to little shreds. They'd be allowed to do so probably. She loved her brothers, but for some reason she didn't want Fish to get torn up. It took a lot of energy to move him even that short a distance, though, given her small size and lackluster musculature, so her sides heaved with the effort. Her fangs ached now even though she hadn't yanked him hard. Wide green eyes stared at him. A small white paw met his chest, shoving him further behind the tree's shelter. "Fish," she gasped quietly, "what are you doing here? I told you that rogues aren't s'posed to be on Clan land! Someone's gonna eat you if you're not careful."

Hedgepaw spoke to Cricketpaw, then abruptly shoved Fish behind a tree.

Tigerstar was thankful to Perchstar for starting the gathering. While he had been leader for a few moons now he wasn't sure if he was ready for that just yet. Going next though was something he was fine with, so he did. The striped tom stepped up after the Riverclan leader stepped back. "Thank you for the warning Perchstar, Windclan will be sure to keep an eye out for these rogues." He said to her before turning to address the crowd.

"Windclan welcomes the arrival of Newleaf, ever grateful for the warm weather. We have named two new apprentices Rainpaw, and Spiderpaw. Our newest warriors are Auburnrain, Oatfluff, and Snowvixen." He let his words settle for a small moment before saying. "That is all from Windclan." Before he stepped back. The tall tom nodded to the other leaders, giving them the go ahead to whoever wanted to go next.

--

Harespring was one of the last cats to arrive with Skyclan. The pale tom quickly settled in the back not really wanting to interact with any of the other clans at the moment, especially Riverclan. He wanted to stay as far away from them as he could manage.

--

Owlcall had left his shadow behind this time. Ravencall decided to stay home for once and guard the camp while the oldest of their sibling group took the chance to sit among the crowd. Blue eyes looked up at Perchstar, paying attention to every word the other leaders said, just in case there was weakness in their statements they needed to take advantage of. He wouldn't let Riverclan get hurt again.

Harespring is open to talk but will be grumpy.
Owlcall is not open to talk.
Ravencall stayed home.

The warning of rogues fell on deaf ears. Truthfully, Cloudypetal's heart yearned for the group to include a familiar face - but that'd be too good to be true. It wouldn't make sense - murdering and trespassing? Really? She puffed out her chest proudly as her apprentice, Spiderpaw, was announced. He deserved to be known. Speaking of, where is that bugger? Where is Cricketpaw?

She rose to her paws, looking around curiously for the familiar pelts. It was almost impossible to spot them in this crowd. She felt oddly irresponsible, and undoubtedly she'd question them how they felt about the gathering on the way back to camp.

Cloudypetal is looking for Cricketpaw and Spiderpaw to make sure they're okay.
Open to talk.

---

Yewshade didn't care to participate in cross-clan or even internal conversations - especially after everything. He sat near the edge of Fourtrees, his tail curled over his white paws. He stared up at the leaders - eyes wide with interest. He felt content in his own silence.

Yewshade is not open to talk.

---

Orchidspark had gotten lost in the crowd and was desperately looking for Nettleweaver. Where in StarClan is he? He promised that he'd show me a giant! "Nettleweaver?" She called out. She could care less about what the leaders were speaking about!

Orchidspark is looking for Nettleweaver.
Open to talk, but she's looking for a "giant"!
...
Weepingwillow could not attend.
Sillykit is too young to attend.

Silverdusk solemnly entered the gathering, for once she had a planned course of action for this gathering. Green eyes swept over the swarm of cats, though the one they were searching for wasn’t hard to find. Honeydew clearly took their duties as deputy very seriously. With a gentle head butt, the tall warrior left Wiggleworm’s side padding towards the SkyClan deputy. Their gaze lingered on the tom for a moment longer, watching as he walked towards the back of the SkyClan pack. It was hard not to worry for him, she trusted he’d be fine, that they wouldn’t try anything here, but there was still that lingering fear. Before pressing to the front on the crowd their gaze did another head check for any threats to Wiggleworm -thankfully it seemed SkyClan had left the majority of their murderers at home. Though their eyes did linger on a certain black and white pelt. Perhaps Asmodeus had joined a clan, though they greatly doubted it. You could never be too sure though, and Silverdusk sent a silent prayer to Gekala to keep him safe for the night. The gathering was sacred in the eyes of the clans, so they would follow the rules, but if any piece of vermin raised a claw to her Wiggleworm… Vows would be broken.

”Honeydew,” greeted Silverdusk”May i borrow you? I wish to speak of matters privately.” Their was a twinge of guilt and shame to their tone, and a sullen look in her eyes. They had dishonoured their promise to Honeydew, and she had to own up for it. A matter between them two, and not the rest of the deputies. Not even Sageroot. Especially not Sageroot. Dishonour was punishment enough, being confined to camp or worse? Let the god of death take them now.

---

Brackendawn clung close to Honeydew until she of course had to go partake in duties demanded of being a deputy. He grumbled to himself, and was about to take his own place with SKyClan, until he saw a ball of white fur attempting to hand his grandmother a squirrel. Brackendawn chuckled to himself at the bewildered expression upon Wolfstar’s face, not much shook her, but Hopepaw was certainly trying her best. With a smile he made his was over to the Great Rock, splaying his tail gently in greeting over Hopepaw’s back. “Scared of Hopepaw are we, Gramma?” he crooned teasingly, before dipping his head in greeting to Acornstar “Don’t worry, I’ll take her back to your side.”

With a grin, the brindled warrior turned back to the ThunderClan apprentice. “Come.” he mewed, motioning with his tail for her to follow. He knew good and well she couldn’t hear him, but perhaps saying simple phrases with actions would teach her to read lips, or connect dots, or something of that caliber. He hadn’t particularly thought it through. Sure enough, Brackendawn heard the crunch of leaves indicating Hopepaw was trotting by his side as they made their way across the clearing. It was strange not being able to talk to her, he’d gotten so use to talking to and engaging with his clanmates it felt weird to now ignore the apprentice.

His unfamiliarity with any ThunderClan cats dawned upon him as he reached their group. He knew four cats; the one beside him, their leader, the one that tried to kill his sister (who was now having a pleasant chat with her- which left him shaking his head), and his least favourite of all the bicolour tom that he kept running into. And of course, he was the only cat Brackendawn could speak to about this. An exasperated sigh left his maw, StarClan he was not strong enough for this. “Excuse me,” he meowed, heat tinged his cheeks as he looked at the taller tom. This was so embarrassing. Why was he embarrassed? If anything the ThunderClan should be embarrassed, for losing their apprentice twice now. Brackendawn straightened up, putting more authority into his voice  “I believe this belongs to you.”

---

His adventures with Fish were becoming a very regular occurrence, and he wasn’t about to complain at all. Despite his brother’s often uppity attitude they had lots of fun, and still got into plenty of trouble. Cleary tonight was one of those nights. Fish’s curiosity was insatiable and Louse was ever eager to find new and interesting things to occupy his time with. He’d been getting increasingly bored lately, and there wasn’t that much fun to have at their home, and he hated hanging around their father even more so. After that display with RiverClan he’d felt too confused about his father’s intention, and instead of unpacking why his father was how he was, he’d decided hating him was the best option. If he hated Grub then he wouldn’t care if anything bad happened to him, and he continue on with life as usual.

Finally, Louse joined Fish at the precipice of the slope. His long fur had gotten far more tangled in the thorns and bracken and leaves and it had seriously hindered him. A bitter thought about looking more like their mother than the rest of his littermates ran through him. Even far away that wretch still found ways to make sure they were miserable. His spurt of grumpiness faded quickly as he took in the scene below. There were so many cats, and their scents assaulted him. His tongue poked out as he tried to not breathe it in, but that didn’t help at all. He’d just have to cope. The calico’s eyes swept over the cats wondering if any of the cats he’d met were here.

Instantly he recognised the RiverClan leader and her much-too-loud voice. He rolled his eyes, ready to drone her out, but then she mentioned him! Or unintentionally mentioned him not even knowing he was in attendance. Part of him, for a moment debated causing a ruckus and announcing himself to the leader atop the rocks, but… he liked his skin on his body, and he liked Fish’s skin on his body too. “She’s talking about us!” he giggled to his brother, before trotting after him. Fish had no sense of not to draw attention though, and began shouting immediately for a cat he’d met. Louse cringed at the jarring noise, but followed anyways. Perhaps Hedgepaw was slightly normal, unlike the cats he met. Some of them were downright unhinged.

---

Forest Speak
Feral Speak

Out of every day ever, Nettleweaver looked forward to gatherings the most, this was the ultimate day for secret gathering and friend making. Fortunately, but a little unfortunately, he’d already made plans for this gathering. Part of his said plan had run off though, and now his mismatched gaze was searching for the bubbly she-cat. “Orchidspark?” he cried, craning his head. His call was echoed with her calling for him, and through their unorthodox game of marco polo (or whatever warrior cats would call that) he found his way to her side. “Ready to meet a giant?” he purred, head butting her fondly.

Vinecrawler wasn’t hard to spot at all. There was no one that came close to his size, and Nettleweaver weaved his way through the crowd, bouncing happily towards his ”Friend!” he greeted excitedly. “How are you? How is ThunderClan?” He’d gotten so caught up in his own excitement he’d forgotten to introduce Orchidspark. “Oh! Sorry about my manners,” he giggled “I brought someone who would like to meet you, she’s a big fan! Go on introduce yourself, Vinecrawler doesn’t bite!” he added shoving, Orchidspark forward.

---

Silverdusk has approached the deputies, but is specifically only interested in speaking to Honeydew
Brackendawn has escorted Hopepaw back to ThunderClan and handing her over to Auburnflare
Louse is following fish, but is open to being pulled away
Nettleweaver is introducing Orchidspark to Vinecrawler

The member 'Midnee' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Camp Invasion Dice' :

Had Hopepaw gone behind the Greatrock? Stars above, if her kit was about to start an interclan incident-- the air left Sleepycloud's lungs as another cat collided with her. The warrior had no air to cry out. Attacks on a full moon? What was this cat thinking? Then the scent hit her. Sleepycloud would not have recognized her from a distance. Her grandmother had changed pelts and seemed a bit more tired than Sleepycloud remembered her in her kittenhood. However, it hadn't stopped her from closing the distance of the Fourtrees faster than any cat had before. Slightly astonished, the tabby fought for words, trying to put everything she had experienced from the night she left to now into a few phrases. The hesitation of talking to anyone from her home vanished as Brick's purrs resonated.

Her maw was parted to speak when another voice spoke. Poppyshine. Her second mother raised her after Mapleleaf's passing. Seeing the she-cats face, whatever walls the warrior had up wholly melted. She blinked away the tears, trying to give them the answers they sought. "I'm fine. I--" She faltered momentarily, seeing two of the cats that meant the whole forest to her. "I had left the forest to be with Stormsong, and we did well for a long while. Then, when we found out we had kits, our priorities changed, and..." Sleepycloud hesitated, eyes dropping. "Stormsong was certain that Mottlestar would let us into the clan without a second thought. We knew we couldn't protect our kits on our own while also giving them the best life possible." Her eyes flicked back towards the Greatrock. Was that Hopepaw's tail? With Wolfstar looking back at her? Oh, stars. "No one was there when we got to ThunderClan camp. You all had left the forest. It was Auburnflare -- who was Chad then -- and Vipershade -- who was Nightstalker." Sleepycloud fondly looked back at those days, saving Chad from a badger while heavy with kits. The guard and Sleepycloud insisted on being on rotation despite the fact she could hardly move. Then, there was care from all of the toms as they protected her in her final days as an expecting queen.

" We were welcomed into ThunderClan, and I had my kits. I--" She finally managed to meet the eyes of her mother and grandmother. "I was worried that if I was caught waiting at the border to speak with RiverClan, my loyalty to ThunderClan would be questioned." She ducked her head apologetically. "I should have found a way to reach out. I made you both worry for much longer than necessary. I'm sorry."

Sleepycloud speaks to Harebounce and Poppyshine. She missed them both dearly.

---

Seeing She Who Breathes Power turn around, the apprentice brightened, and a deep purr rumbled from her chest, practically shaking the apprentice's whole body. She wanted nothing more than to befriend She Who Breathes Power. Of course, she had to go find  He Who Protects after this. She could only bring one squirrel at a time. Maybe she could give him one the next time she sees He Who Protects by that fallen oak! It was the least she could do as the tom had protected her from He Who Rages. Besides, only a friend would protect another cat like that. Right? The bewildered look from She Who Breathes Power went entirely over the apprentice's head. Instead, she gently nosed the squirrel towards her with expectant eyes and an impossibly growing purr.

A purr that only paused momentarily as He Who Protects rounded the corner. Oh, he had made an effort to find her. So they were friends! The purr resumed. Her eyes parted to see him beckoning her over. Thankfully, it was a simple gesture that she knew in all its variations. (Or so she thought) Hopepaw hesitated momentarily, glancing up at She Who Breathes Power and touching her nose to the larger cat's tail (It was the only thing she could reach) to say goodbye before bounding after He Who Protects.

He Who Protects was leading her towards He Who Watches Over. Side by side with He Who Protects, the apprentice greeted her other friend with a squeak. They would sit together for the ritual that all the cats seemed to participate in: Stare at Cats On Rock. They did something similar at home. Hopepaw wasn't certain what it was for or what it did. But it had to have some sort of meaning. Either way, she was glad to have so many friends around her during this.

Oh, yeah. He Who Protects got hurt...protecting her. The apprentice rounded the other cat closely, brushing fur in a sign of familiarity. His wounds were recovering. They had the same stale order she smelled from other cats coming from the den holding all those plants. Hopepaw sniffed carefully before resuming what she had started those sunrises back and continued grooming the tom's side. She made a special effort to avoid the scabs and any plants that had been applied.

Hopepaw has said goodbye to Wolfstar, and has joined Auburnflare and Brackendawn. She is grooming Brackendawn's side.

The apprentice below purred loudly, gazing up at Wolfstar with expectant eyes and nudging the squirrel once more. "Thank you, Hopepaw." It was only polite, as much as the gesture confounded her. The apprentice seemed pleased with it... And still Acornstar said nothing. Nor did she get the chance to before another cat had approached, this one her own.

A soft laugh escaped the leader at her grandson's words, "Hardly." She told him, "Stay out of trouble." She added as he was already coaxing the apprentice away from the great rock, though even she could not say whether the warning was meant for Brackendawn, Hopepaw, or both of them. Perhaps it was both of them after all, she noted, watching as the two melded into the crowd. Hopepaw was a sweet cat... And she wondered briefly if Thunderclan would be able to protect the apprentice. Clearly they were doing a good job of sheltering her, though sheltering and protecting were hardly the same thing. And sheltering was as far from guiding as one could get.

Perchstar's voice cutting in was almost a welcome one, distracting from the strange encounter as she shared Riverclan's news. Wolfstar listened, noting there were new names and the warning about rogues. It seemed they weren't the only one to face problems recently.

The tabby and white leader stepped forward, "Skyclan welcomes Yewshade, Harespring, Brackendawn and Mallowcloud to the warrior's den, as well as Rabbitpaw, Hawkpaw, Blazepaw, Firepaw, Icepaw and Ridgepaw as apprentices." It filled her with pride to announce each name, but particularly those of her grandkits.

"We also, have a new threat on our territory. One of our patrols found a fox - mauled and ripped to shreds. The work was done by no cat, and whatever made that particular mess has not been found by Skyclan patrols. We remain on alert, and our borders are patrolled accordingly, both in the interest of preventing trespassers and in making sure the threat does not make a reappearance." Dead foxes were a good thing, but whatever was capable of killing one with such carnage was not something that Wolfstar wanted on Skyclan territory. Thunderclanners too, though her gaze remained focused on the crowd and she did not spare Acornstar a single glance. "That is all."

Silverdusk

Honeydew’s tone was anything, but friendly. The coldness shocked Silverdusk and left them feeling wounded, and it was their fault too. Clearly, she had been made aware of the border altercation. They were well aware this was the consequences of her own actions, but… i she’d never imagined the cold fury on the deputy’s features was something she was capable of. Her torn ear tingled painfully a reminder of what Honeydew was capable of, their own green eyes fell to the scar along her flank and they frowned. Silverdusk wanted them to be friends, but perhaps they were always meant to be enemies. The only bright side was that the cream warrior at least wanted to hear them out. With a flick of their tail she led Homeydew to a secluded area of the clearing.

The entire time time she felt Honeydew’s eyes boring into her like claws raking down their spine. And when they faced the cream warrior, it was possible she was even more upset. Her tail curled tightly over her paws -more than likely hiding unsheathed claws- and her body taunt and wound. There was no friendliness to be found anywhere. Their actions at the border truly had ruined what she had hoped to build with the deputy. A shaky sigh full of remorse made it past their lips. “Clearly you are aware of the incident at the border.” they stated.

Her posture was open, as relaxed as could be under Honeydew’s glare, she wanted to be open, to regain the trust they’d lost. “I would like to apologise personally to you for my actions. You do not need to yell at me, I am very aware that I am at fault, and none of your warriors are to blame. I acted dishonourably, regardless of what was said at the border, it is not a reflection of the warrior i want to be or what i said to you last moon.” meowed Silverdusk her tail twitching anxiously, so uncharacteristic of the stoic molly. “Mottlestar’s death… It is still a sore spot for me, I imagine you feel the same about Beechfang and Birdstar.” Not that Mottlestar’s murderer deserved pity for her death, but Silverdusk needed to emphasise with the SkyClan molly. “I should not have rose to insults tossed over a border, but… he mocked Mottlestar’s death and… Well I’m sure you know what I did. I broke the code, and attacked one of your clanmates and for that I’m truly sorry. I doubt it is possible now, but I did mean what i said last moon. I still want us to be friends, could we start again?” She forced a smile to her muzzle ”This time i will not jump over any borders to maim your clanmates, I promise.”