May Gathering 2024

Wolfstar silently led the clan toward fourtrees, head high and shoulders back. The appearance of a confident leader whose clan most definitely wasn't reeling from loss after loss. The gathering seemed like the absolute last thing the clans should be focusing on, truly, but tradition and duty - and maybe a bit of pride - had forced their paws forward.

Wolfstar paused at the edge of the hollow, glancing back toward her clanmates, and gave Falconmoon a small nod. Then turning, she led the way into the empty clearing, leaping to the great rock.

Skyclan may enter the gathering.

Acornstar, truth be told, didn't exactly want to go to this Gathering. She wasn't sure how to feel, what she would have to say - how would the Clans react to the news that both of their medicine cats were...Gone? That they had simply disappeared? And not even the only cats to do so... Was it a sign of her leadership...? A heavy sigh escaped her, but she pressed forward.

She was nearly the first to arrive - Wolfstar entering the clearing in the time it took her to gather her courage. Her pawsteps faltered however when she noticed a new warrior trailing Wolfstar - Honeydew was nowhere in sight. Had...? Her gaze lifted to stare at Wolfstar, trying to read the she-cat's expression before she finally just shook her head and leapt onto the rock. With a dip of her head in silent greeting, she took her spot as she started to try to piece together the words she would have to say - after all, she would have to address it, wouldn't she? It was something the other Clans would notice but she... It just felt like a failure on her part - clearly she wasn't turning out to be the leader that StarClan thought she was...

But it seemed her Clan wasn't the only one that were facing unexpected hardship.

ThunderClan may now enter the Gathering

Falconmoon walked quietly into the gathering, holding his chin up and his tail pointed skyward. Skyclan had taken a heavy blow and could not afford to appear weak to the other clans. He would bury his pain for the time being, but he barely kept it together when he took his place under the Great Rock where the deputies were supposed to go. He sighed quietly, trying to banish the ache in his chest.

Falconmoon is waiting for the other deputies to gather.

---

Sagefeather entered the gathering, not expecting anything different or new. The warrior quietly took a seat near the center, waiting for others to enter. His body language suggested he was open for conversation, but wouldn't be pushy about it.

Sagefeather is open to talk to.

Auburnrain is not here yet.

Tinypaw excitedly pranced up with the rest of Thunderclan to the gathering. His training was going pretty well, and he started to feel like he was getting used to this whole apprentice thing, and now, there was the gathering. This was just another fun new experience to him, and he couldn't wait to see what it would be like.

Tinypaw is open to talk to.

Tigerstar nodded to his clan, letting them enter the gathering while he stayed behind to speak to Rapidfire for a moment. "I'm sure you know already that deputy's sit under the rock. Feel free to socialize with them, and form some type of bond with them, just be careful not to reveal too much." He told his new deputy, more as a precaution instead of a statement of her character. "If you have any questions feel free to speak to me after and I will do my best to help. Now let's get down there." He gave his deputy a reassuring nod, for both of them before he made his way to the clearing and onto the great rock. The striped tom dipped his head in a silent greeting to the other leaders.

Sageroot was startled to see a new face in the deputies’ place. “Um, hi?” she mewed. “Sorry, what clan are you from? My nose doesn’t work the greatest.” Wait, that could be an indication of weakness! “My hearing more than makes up for it,” she hastily added.
Sageroot is talking to Falconmoon.

Auburnrain marched into the gathering with a sour look on her face. Her voice was gone, that much had been established. Her icy blue eyes traveled over Shadowclan, looking for the cats responsible for this. She'd kill them. She'd kill them both. Perhaps not tonight, but soon enough. She took a seat amongst the Windclanners, but her eyes pierced hungrily in Shadowclan's direction. Where were they, the two cats that were responsible for her losing her voice?

Auburnrain is open to talk to, but she won't be nice.

---

Falconmoon turned his attention to the fawn tabby she-cat as she spoke to him. Falconmoon was stoic, keeping his expression neutral. Her insecurity was... well... blatantly obvious, but he wasn't about to comment on it. True to clan cat nature, Falconmoon did store away in his memory that her sense of smell was lacking. How in the world could a cat live like that? There was a part of him that pitied her, as a sense of smell was helpful in daily life and was something that he enjoyed as well as took for granted.

"Falconmoon of Skyclan. I'm the new deputy." He wasn't going to comment further. Wolfstar would make her announcements when she was ready. He trusted her judgment on informing the other clans of Skyclan's misfortune without giving away too much.

Falconmoon is talking to Sageroot.

---

Asmodeus found himself watching for the moon to be full again, now that he knew the clans all gathered under it at the stupid trees. Delighted upon scenting the mass of cats all in one spot, the rogue made his way to the hollow. He slunk in behind Skyclan lines, but branched off quietly toward Shadowclan's. He placed himself closer to the center of the hollow itself, but between Shadowclan and Skyclan as far as positioning went. The rogue's mismatched eyes scanned the crowd as they all gathered, sparing a glance to the Great Rock and to the deputies below. He blinked. This was... different.

His eyes focused hard on the pale and gold tom, his ears flattening slowly. He could have swore he knew this cat... but definitely didn't see him in the last gathering. Was he just one of those cats that one looked at and felt like they knew him from somewhere? Puzzled, the familiarity nagging at him without being able to be placed, Asmodeus quickly glanced around with his eyes landing back on the new Skyclan deputy.

Asmodeus has slipped into the gathering, but is sitting quietly. He is open to talk to!

Sageroot stiffened. Honeydew’s gone? How? She was so young! “I’m… sorry for your loss,” she finally mewed. “I didn’t know Honeydew for long but she was a good cat.”

Sageroot is talking to Falconmoon.

Quailprowler stalked behind Acornstar to the Gathering, but remained quiet. It was her first Gathering for a while now, since she was even hinted at being pregnant. It was also the first time she had left her kits so long, causing her large claws to dig in the earth as she prowled at the thought. Her head stood above her clanmate's as they entered the clearing, and Quailprowler quickly scanned for any noticeable threats. The Leader peeled off to the rock and the Deputy to the small crowd of them before it. The feral molly positioned herself to the side of them, slightly back. She did not want to disrespect the Deputies by appearing to have joined them unjustifiably but she needed to be close to the rock just in case. Shifting on her paws, she swiveled her slightly rounded ears to the conversation happening nearby though. Mostly out of boredom, but a little out of curiosity.

Quailprowler is open to talk to.

----

Kestrelchirp eased into the Gathering, his orange pelt gleaming. Wading through the cats, the tom scanned the growing crowd for any familiar faces when something caught his attention. Falconmoon now sat at the Deputies. The two toms hadn't spoken since they were fresh warriors, but a small drop of pride settled in his belly, clouding out a tiny whisper of a feeling of disappointment in his own stagnant life. Using his swift WindClan paws, he dodged his way to the front and eased up his approach. Flashing a warm look to Sageroot and then Falconmoon, he dipped his head out of respect.

"Falconmoon," he said as he lifted his head. "Pardon the interruption, but it's been a while, BirdClan warrior." He settled down a little bit away from the pair. "I see you're Deputy now. What an honor, congratulations." His honey voice praised the tom as he gazed at him with his auburn eyes.

Kestrelchirp is speaking to Falconmoon and Sageroot.

Coyotegrin did not attend.

Perchstar forced all thought away from her mind as she led her Clan to yet another Gathering. Ignore the ache in her bones, ignore the grief trailing behind her Clan like a cloud, ignore the exhaustion she couldn't shake. After Littlesplash had been the fourth medicine cat in a row to die long before their time, she had all but given up on the stars. The last thing she wanted to do right now was follow their instruction to sit up there with the other Clans and play nice. Still she did. It was all she could do. The RiverClan leader leapt onto the Great Rock, hardly even caring that she was last, and gave each other leader a brief nod. That was all they needed. She had nothing to gain from conversing with any of them... which then caused her gaze to fall to the crowds below and notice their diminishing. How many cats had the other Clans lost? Why were there two new deputies, and so many fewer medicine cats? It was... none of her concern. She had enough to worry about without factoring in the other Clans. So she decided to set it away for later.

RiverClan may now enter the Gathering.

Swandive trailed after Perchstar in silence, warily regarding the other clans as she sat among her own clanmates. Near the base of the high rock were a couple cats she didn't recognize from the previous gathering, and it seemed a few clans had brought a much smaller group than normal. Cause for concern, maybe, but the only clan Swandive was concerned with was her own.

---

Briarpaw trotted into the clearing by her mentor's side, wide green eyes taking in the massive group of cats before her. She watched as Leopardstar leapt up to a large rock that already had a few cats standing on it, pride filling her that her mother's place was up there, among what she presumed were other leaders. For the moment, the new apprentice simply gazed around the clearing in awe. She didn't quite have the courage to approach anyone who wasn't Shadowclan... But curiosity and wonder that could only be of the very young or very naive filled her gaze.

Swandive is open to talk, but won't be very friendly towards non-Riverclanners.
Briarpaw is open to talk.

Rapidfire followed her leader and mentor closely, this would be her first gathering as deputy and a mixture of excitment and nerves kicked in - she had seen her father many times do this so she knew she could to - she gave a nod listening to Tigerstars directions - it all made sense - try to be friendly and sociable to the other clans without letting any weaknesses be known. She was very glad to have her mentor with her in all this she gave a nod and smile to him she would be right by his side till they got there.

Once they arrived - Rapidfire went towards the spot she flicked her ears overhearing the tom cat that smelled of skyclan talking about how he was the new deputy - what had happened to honey?? she wondered but did not want to pry - skyclan probably felt the same way in that they could not reveal too much either.

She dipped her head in greeting to the fellow deputy - "I'm sorry for honey - I am new deputy as well. I'm rapidfire" she introduced to them

She gave a little friendly wave to sageroot as well - all in all she really liked gatherings they were good place to meet others of the forest. She was glad Kestrelchirp was here as well - someone from her clan seemed to already know the new skyclan deputy.

Rapidfire is talking with Sageroot and Falconmoon and Kestrelchirp

-----
Swiftheart followed her leader into the gathering she glanced around and saw Rapidfire she gave a wave of her tail to her friend but saw she was already pretty busy so she walked along she spotted an apprentice aged looking cat and waved her tail in greeting

"hi, im swiftheart of shadowclan

Swiftheart is talking to tinypaw


-----

Lavendercloud could not believe that she had been convinced to come along for this thing - all the same she glanced around at all the busy clearing filled with others. She glanced around ... where had Fuzz gone off too? Leave it to him to convince her to come to this thing then ditch her.

"oh that tom" she muttered rolling her eyes jokingly

Lav is open to talk to
---

Eaglefly had wanted his mom to attend but it seems Coy was not in the mood at all this moon to go. He never knew what to do at these things so in a certain sense he understood her decision. His brother was already busy talking with the deputies and he didnt wanna bug them all. Which meant he was all on his own in terms of not having any family here - he felt awkward as he sat down by himself. His apprentice was gone now too - he really didnt have much going on at all now it felt like.

Eaglefly is open to talk to


----

Stormwatcher was overall pretty happy with the deputy selection. Falconmoon was a good pick in his mind - perhaps Falconmoon could show riverclan who was boss tonight!

For once the tom was actually eager to go to the gathering - he even went for a front row seat something he usually avoided - usually he opted for the back (easier to fall asleep and not be noticed that way) - BUT NOT TONIGHT!

He huffed seeing riverclan - gross!

He shoved his way through some riverclan warriors glaring hard at them

Stormwatcher is open to talk to - additionally feel free to be the one he just ran into if you are riverclan 0-0


----

Sprucebark followed Perchstar in - he glanced around and sighed - "Elmpaw! you stay close now! he barked true to his name

Elmpaw his son always found trouble - how had his son turned into such a trouble maker?

either way he would keep close watch tonight