May's Gathering [2020]

Sootpaw gazed at the majestic ThunderClan leader. A rogue? Killing kits? She gulped and pressed her ears. With fear she moved closer to the group of apprentices almost subconsciously.
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So this matter has been brought up after all. Stormpaw would never forget that horrible scene. He could not help unsheathing his claws. A black she-cat is approaching him and fellow ThunderClan apprentices, from whose scent he believed was a ShadowClan cat, but at this moment he would rather be left with his clanmates alone.

Lichenstar's gaze flicked towards Brindlestar at her words. Had she picked up on her attitude? Well, it would be easily explained with the news she brought tonight. The news of a kit-killing rouge sent a chill down her spine. She prayed to StarClan that such a cat stayed far, far away from the forest. And possibly get themselves hit by a Monster. The RiverClan leader took a step forward. "Newleaf has provided many gifts this moon. Violetbriar, Wolfstorm, and Minnowstream have each received their warrior names. Ivyfeather has chosen to step down from her position as deputy, and I have determined Wolfstorm to serve in her place. He is young, but has shown much promise. We've also welcomed several more kittens into the nursery, who will all soon become apprentices." She gave the grey tom sitting at the base of the Great Rock a quick, nod, seeing as some of the kits she spoke of were his own. "We mourn the passing of Wildflower, our medicine cat, and celebrate Adderpaw's new position as medicine cat apprentice - and I'd like to thank Softcloud for willingly aiding RiverClan in these uncertain times. "

With the usual business out of the way, here came something a bit more interesting to those who didn't much care for the personal achievements of rival clans. "Rogues continue to show little interest in RiverClan, besides a minor incident along the River, however that cat was chased away without much of a fight. Still, we will not let our guard down, especially not with news of more violent trespassers." With that, she returned to her seat.

(OOC: Vi's at home with the kits, Soft's with the meddies, Mud has bumped into some WC cat, and Breeze is hanging around Coalspark and Lionflame)

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Breezebranch's eyes twinkled at the sight of the slender black molly, and she purred in amusement as Lionflame approached her. Not wishing to draw attention, she gave Coalspark a tail wave, and settled herself nearby. Her eyes betrayed her sadness at not sitting beside them, though they also gleamed in happiness at the sight of the two lovers beside each other.

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Softcloud found herself nodding in relief at Mistedsong's suggestion. "Oh yes- I would enjoy that. It would help us, too, if there was an odd illness in camp, or we needed herbs, or just to give a warning to the others, or to pass on knowledge." She mewed softly, blinking her blue eyes in respect to Mistedsong.

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As always, her ceaseless wonder made her drift away from her mother this time, though she kept looking up at Brindlestar, proudly remembering she was kin. So involved in her thoughts, she carelessly bumped into another cat, one who smelled like heather. Squeaking, she backed up clumsily, "Oh, sorry! I didn't see you there!" Mudpaw fumbled, orange eyes taking in everything about the cat in front of her.

The recipient of Mudpaw's errant straying lacked any semblance of grace or feigned hospitality, instead rounding upon the young SkyClanner in a bristling display of overly pronounced canines and flattened ears. Shrikepaw's dark gaze slipped into a punitive glare, a low warning hiss seething past his peeled back lips. "Watch where you put your paws, rabbit-brain!" He snapped, the low rasp of his voice made all the more harsh by the odd realization that the starry-eyed idiot before him had been staring so closely at his mother. Defensiveness, innate and untamed in its furious pulse through his winding circulatory system, bubbled up as he tried to piece together a logical explanation. Angular features, eerily similar to Brindlestar and only differing in their respective colorings, knitting together in a distasteful frown, he continued to eye Mudpaw warily. "Brindlestar already spoke. You should at least try to look at other Leaders during the Gathering."

The molly's splotched face wrinkled in confusion, eyes darting about the figure in front of her. Something about him seemed.... familiar... With a trill, she looked back up at Brindlestar, seemingly waving off the rude response of the tom before her, and almost jumped in delight as she gazed back at him. This cat just had to be related to Brindlestar! That meant he was kin- wait, rabbit-breath? Did she inherit that from her father? Could you inherit a breath scent from a parent? Her siblings never mentioned her breath smelled like rabbit. Puffing out a little air from her maw, she sniffed it and then looked at Shrikepaw in confusion.

The ever-moving gears in her head bounded around, as if trying to figure out what he was talking about. "Are you sure it smells like rabbits? It kinda smells more like sparrows, to me." Mudpaw replied, her orange eyes big and round, curiosity bubbling up. "Do WindClan cats know what sparrows are? If not, I understand how you missed them up with rabbits. Oh, the other leaders? Yes, they've all spoken. Well, except for Silver. Magpie hasn't spoken either, but he's not really a leader. Not yet." Without any hesitance she changed the subject, hardly giving the tom a chance to reply.

A grin laced her maw as a barge of questions tumbled from her, one after the other, none sticking to a particular subject. "I'm Mudpaw. You look like Brindle. Is she your momma? My momma's name is Breeze. Hey, they start with the same sound! Br, that is a nice sound. It makes me think of branches, on trees. I like branches, and trees. Do you like trees? What's your name?" It seemed this she-cat spoke whatever was on her mind at any given moment. Whether that was good or and was, well, up to the cat. She looked at him curiously as she sat down, as if this conversation was actually pleasant.