February Gathering [2020]

The winds blew softly as night fell over the forest. The world felt empty and cold, a blanket of snow hiding all life below its cool embrace. Not even the wind dared to sing in the cold Leafbare night.

Sounds suddenly broke the silence, appearing from each far corner of the forest. The Clans were beginning to gather. It was a new and sacred tradition; of putting away their claws, and sharing tongues with friends and enemies alike.

A clear, starry sky blessed the night. StarClan was happy.


ooc:
go my children, welcome to the first gathering

Badgerpaw padded into the gathering with oak paw next to him. He has never been to a gathering so even though he was hiding it, he was really excited.

Fernpaw padded into the gathering thinking of what she could do to prank some cats during it.


(There you go, CC :D)

Wildstar padded into the Gathering with pride in the health of his clan. He knew that he had nothing to be ashamed of. He looked around at the trees and the cats around him and purred softly as he headed up to the middle of the clearing. It looked as if he was the first leader to arrive which made him chuckle.

With a grunt of effort Flowtail made it to the rise above the clearing, looking down below at the gathering Clans. His shoulder was still sore from the battle with the Fox, but Logleap had patched him and Roseeye up pretty well. A few herb poultices were still crusted on his fur from his daily dose, leaving a pungent scent hanging over the red tom. He didn't mind much, and hopped no one else would as he made his way down into the clearing with the rest of ThunderClan, his blue eyes scanning the clearing as he entered. He wasn't much to mill about, so he quickly chose a seat near the rest of his Clan.

---

Nightstalker padded swiftly into the clearing, her face set in a scowl as she glanced around. She was sure her apprentice was somewhere, but had yet to locate her as she had gotten too far ahead of the she-cat on the journey here. Annoyance made her pelt prickle but she forced it to lay flat, reminding herself that all apprentices were excited for their first Gatherings, especially newly named ones. She would find her sooner or later, but for now she chose to lurk in the shadows and watch from afar.

---

Glidingpaw sat at the furthest edge of the clearing as she could, her pale eyes glancing around as she watched the crowd. Many Gatherings had happened during her time as an apprentice and she had attended a few, but the sheer size of the crowd of cats gathering in one place always set her slightly on edge. She pulled her tail tightly around her paws and tried to take up as little space as possible, her pale gray pelt blending into the snow and shadows.

Oakpaw forward excitedly. Her first gathering! She ran towards Nightstalker giving her mentor a nod before running towards a RiverClan cat.
OOC: I’m going to talk to myself because I can

Approaching the dip to the clearing, Heronpaw felt nothing except excitement fizzing in her body. She had padded a far away behind her mentor, because as deputy she was towards the front of the procession and the apprentice knew she didn't belong with the more senior warriors. As the clan neared, the lingering scents of other clans washed her tongue, and her heart sped up involuntarily. Her alabaster paws failed her, and she found herself both extremely anxious, curious, nauseous, and excited all at the same time, and it took every ounce of strength the she-cat possessed to keep her legs moving in an almost robot-esque movement. It took a second for the apprentice to snap out of it, forcing herself into more natural movement, tail twitching with her nerves. Taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart, the scent bathed her tongue further and almost comforted her now. It was her first gathering - she wondered what the apprentices in other clans were like. As her clan dispersed amongst the growing crowd, she sought out any cat that looked vaguely like an apprentice, wanting to show off how great Windclan cats are.

(ooc: pls talk to nervous girl)

ffffvvvvvvbbb

(Sorry for posting when others can but SOMEONE MY BOI NEEDS FRINEDS)

Badgerpaw sat alone while other cats went off to talk. Even oak paw left him to be with others. Badger looked up at his father, standing next to the deputy, wishing he was that popular.

(Looney sad boi )


Fernpaw scanned the area for possible areas to do her prank. Once she found the perfect spot she sat down pretending to not be up to anything.

(Rip wc, also so not to scare everyone her prank is fake pass out and once cats surround her she jumps up saying “boo”, that’s all ^_^)

ffffvvvvvvbbb

The snow crunched softly as Firestar trotted up beside Wildstar, ShadowClan fanning out and intermingling with WindClan. "It seems we're the first to arrive."
Her eyes wandered to a sleek black apprentice who hadn't made much effort to talk to anyone. She didn't have to give him a second glance; his unfortunate resemblance of an angry rat was hard to forget.

Ratpaw sat alone, shoulders hunched in and shivering. His eyes made an unintentional glare that gave off a "do not approach" vibe. His skinny black tail twitched uncomfortably.

Silverstar walked over the ice and snow, padding up to Wildstar and Firestar. Being here felt strange. This used to be a safe place, where tension between the clans were none. But now, it felt like a place where terrible things have happened. Numerous lives were lost here before. Silverstar just closed his eyes to settle those thoughts before sitting with the two other leaders. "Evening," he uttered plainly.

Roseeye silently treaded into the gathering, looking at the cats already here. Cats mingling with cats from other clans as though there were no borders or separate clans. She just sat down in a more quieter spot.

Scorchpaw trotted into Fourtrees as he eagerly looked at all the other cats. The one night a moon where the four clans could chat with one another, it was exciting! He sat down near the other apprentices and his bright eyes looked at the other cats attending.

(They're open for talking, but Roseeye will be salty for no reason, and Scorchpaw always wants to make friends)

Along with the rest of the arriving RiverClan entourage came Wildflower, a small ways away from her mentor. She couldn't help but cast a foul glance in the direction of a group of ThunderClan cats as she passed by to sit with the rest of the medicine cats, their recent confrontation at Sunningrocks flashing through her mind. She honestly didn't know what she'd do if it came to fighting - she was meant to heal, but in her heart she knew she would not be able to hold back from joining the fray if or when it occurred.

Reigning in Rabbitpaw as they stood on the cusp of the ceremonial gathering grounds, Brindleface was quick to wash away any lingering clumps of half-sodden snow that clung to her young son's soft features. Although the snow had ceased falling hours ago, the trek across the open moor had been a hard push- especially for the younger, half-grown members of the Clan who were left to flounder through the deepest pockets of snow. Attention divided between the drastically different presences of Rabbitpaw and Heronpaw as they began to intermingle, the Deputy was quick to follow after her Leader as they slipped through the rapidly gathering throng of cats.

Settling down in the protective embrace of the Great Rock, which had thankfully kept the grounds closest to its base relatively free of any snow, Brindleface decided to not intervene with the obviously agitated, narrow-minded focus of the RiverClan Deputy.

---

Nettlesplash's jaws split widely, the tense flesh of the scar that had once split his lip straining at the unwelcome stretch, stark teeth flashing in the chilly evening light. The RiverClan Warrior had hardly felt like coming and enduring the tediousness of social interaction, especially after dealing with the tantrum of ThunderClan's Leader several sunrises ago, but it looked like he wasn't given much choice in the matter. Ah, well. Perhaps the ThunderClan Leader would provide some entertainment once again- the evening would certainly be more lively in the event of such a feat. Halting beside the the lingering Glidingpaw, who seemed more content to huddle in the grey shade of the barren trees, the massive tom gave the young she-cat a curious glance. "Not a fan of crowds, I take it?"

Sleepywhisker followed after his clanmates, gaze coolly drifting over the unfamiliar faces and pelts of other cats in the clearing, never letting his eyes linger too long. He drank in the sights, the sounds, the strange scents, the crowns of the Great Oaks stripped of their leaves. He never quite got used to the sight of so many cats in one place.

Minnowpaw padded into the gathering with grace. She sat down near the front and wrapped her tail around her paws. She didn't even notice a light brown tabby she-cat coming her way until she spoke.

"Hiya! I'm Oakpaw whats your name?" Said Oakpaw to a silver tabby she-cat. The she-cats green eyes looked startled. "Oops sorry to scar ya! Whats your name?" Said Oakpaw sympathicly.

"My name is Minnowpaw of Riverclan. Silvertooth's my mentor. And its clear that you came from Thunderclan because you look rather clumsy." Scoffed Minnowpaw.

Toadsong walked with the other RiverClanners, casting wary glances at the cats already there, dotting the snow with their colorful pelts. He wasn't an adept of idle chatter, sticking towards the back of his group and trying to keep himself unnoticed until he could shrink towards the spot medicine cats used to gather. Still, he kept an eye on Wildflower, always keeping his apprentice as an inkling of worry in the back of his head.

The dilute calico walked proudly into the Gathering, her fur just groomed. Despite de beauty of her appearance, Silvertooth did not look like she was here to make friends. Around her, an intimidating, silent aura surrounded her. She wasn't a fan of Gatherings. She disliked the scents of so many clans mixed up and what it was worse... Thunderclan was there. The green-eyed feline settled down next to her clanmates, avoiding any contact with the fellow clans. She took notice of both Sleepywhisker and Nettlesplash, however, she had the feeling that the first wasn't really fond of her. On the other side, she knew Glindingpaw and Nettlesplash was someone she could relate too.

However, before she could go there, the warrior noticed her apprentice talking to a Thunderclan cat. A soft hiss escaped from her mouth but she tried to silence it as she approached the two young cats. "Minnowpaw." She mewed in a rather strict tone. "I'll be joining Nettlesplash. You're free to see what the Gathering has to offer... however, I would like to recommend you to not mix up with Thunderclan." The molly narrowed her eyes at Oakpaw when saying the name of the other clan. "Join me when the Gathering starts and I trust you will be smart to know who are the fox-hearts out here." With no further words, she moved away from both of them. Giving a long sigh, the she-cat laid down a few paws away from the reddish tom and Glindingpaw, looking more exhausted than when she arrived. "Mind if I join you two? I seriously can't stand Thunderclan these days."

-------------------------

Mudmask entered the Gathering but it felt different from other times. Usually, he would follow his sister and stay among Windclan, probably tell a joke or two about how much other clans were awful and how Windclan was greater. However, this time... there was someone he wished to meet. A friend, as some may call. The handsome sleek tom walked through the crowd relaxed, not really showing that he was actually looking for her calico fur. She was there, arriving with Skyclan and the tom waited until she had settled down. With a smirk, the Windclan warrior approached her from behind and jumped to her side in a blink, mewing softly next to her. "Surprise! Did you miss me?" He sat down next to her for a chat. It wasn't a suspicious thing to do in a Gathering, after all. This was the only night... the bond between the two of them could be seen as normal. "How are you? Is everything good in your clan? I hope leaf-bare has not affected you too badly." Mudmask was mostly being kind with those last words. In reality, he only cared for Breezebranch and not much for Skyclan.

Glidingpaw glanced up at Nettlesplash, her green eyes narrowing briefly before she sighed and her shoulders sagged. "Is it that obvious?" She asked as she gave her chest fur a few swift licks, smoothing down the fur that was slightly ruffled. Not only did Gathering's put her in such large crowds and unsettled her, but they were a constant reminder that her adoptive mother, Nightfrost, was no longer with her. She had attended her first Gathering shortly after the former warrior had been killed by the fox. Lichenstar had warned the other Clans of the fox's prescence and had announced the death of Nightfrost. The young she-cat remembered it vividly, and it sent a fresh wave of longing through her. She shook her head an glanced back at the warrior beside her. "It's so hard to keep track of everyone, there's so many cats. How do you know who is who and from what Clan they come from?" She looked out at the clearing slowly filling with cats, catching sight of Roseeye who gave off a vibe that made Glidingpaw shudder and look away. Then there was Ratpaw, who was in the shadows near her glaring at everyone with his tail twitching. "Not everyone seems very friendly either."

---

Nightstalker's head snapped as she heard Minnowpaw's comment to her apprentice and she felt her fur bristle as a sour taste rose in the back of her throat. She narrowed her eyes at the RiverClan apprentice and bared her teeth. "I would watch your tongue there, little one," She mewed smoothly, though a hint of a growl rumbled in her throat. She sat up straight, looking much like her father, Lightningstar, as she turned her burning ember gaze on the young cat, her tail sweeping behind her as it lashed. As Silvertooth approached Nightstalker forced her fur to lay flat her her voice to stay cool."At least my apprentice doesn't reek of fish and knows her place." She huffed, turning her gaze to Silvertooth. "I'd take a good long time to self reflect on yourself before you go calling others fox-hearted, Silvertooth." Her voice was cold and smooth, just the tip of her silver tail twitching showed her irritation as she looked forward again, glancing at the Riverclan she-cat out of the corner of her eye.

(OOC: Flowtail is also open and injured if anyone wants to pester him~)

Minnowpaw and Oakpaw tilted their heads in confusion. Why were their mentors so snappy? They were usally calm and collected.

"Well that was weird." Said Oakpaw. "Anyways how far into your training are you?"

The silver tabby she-cat shurgged her shoulders. "I dunno. Also I'm not too far into my apprenticeship. I just became one not too long ago." Said Minnowpaw. "But we'll be friends right? Even since it seems tensions are so high between Thunderclan and Riverclan."

Oakleaf entered with Shadowclan, not caring less about the inner tensions and fights of other clans. He walked alone, just keeping Ebonypaw near as he reached the spot where Medicine Cats gathered. The curly-furred tom sat down next to the Riverclan Medicine cats. "Evening, Toadsong. I hope your clan is fairing well." No, he did not care. All that mattered to him was Shadowclan and their health. He just needed one clan to worry about.

------

Silvertooth did not even bother to stand up from her spot. Instead, she laid down comfortably and just straighten up her neck to look at the Thunderclan she-cat with a sarcastic smirk. "And why mine doesn't know her place? Minnowpaw was just stating facts, sweetheart. Not everyone can have the graces of Riverclan." She purred with venom in her tongue and a smile. "Oh, Nightstalker! Don't come talking so mighty and looking down on me just because you think you're a little special someone for just being Lightningstar's daughter. I think you haven't noticed but you are kin of a coward and a liar! Tell me, Nettlesplash, was it not too long ago when their mighty leader ran away with the tail between his legs when he was challenged by a bunch of young warriors?  And not only that but didn't he also accused us of threatening their medicine cat when we were just laying in OUR territory?" Her eyes were now fixed on the Thunderclan she-cat, who dared to call her names that didn't suit her at all. "I'm sorry, darling, but between you and me, at least I got my stuff together. I've done nothing but to follow the Code and challenge trespassers rightfully. You on the other side... you have for a father a mouse who just squeaks but it is only good for running. He is so arrogant that he can't even admit he was wrong but what else can you expect?"

The Riverclan she-cat then looked to Minnowpaw, who was rather having a friendly conversation with Oakpaw. "Minnowpaw, stay away from Nightstalker and come with me when you're chatting with... that apprentice." Even if she despised Thunderclan, she had a soft spot for young cats. Somehow, deep inside, he wanted to believe they could be better than their mentors. But it was probably a vain hope.

Having settled down nearby to her clan, she watched with a blend of terror and overwhelming curiosity as the clearing filled with other cats. Heronpaw had watched as the leaders leaped to the top of the Great Rock, often in one or two strong leaps, and fought to keep the kit-like awe out of her eyes. As the scents of all four clans grew stronger, they also grew more familiar and she relaxed a bit more, though she kept her tail firmly wrapped around her paw, afraid of someone stepping on it. Or her.

The molly noticed him bouncing over to her, and felt the similar waves of anxiety from him that she'd been feeling moments ago and still was feeling, though she refused to acknowledge it and chose to throw a friendly smile the tom's way. She wondered for a brief moment if she should try to play it cool, make herself seem cooler to the tom, but part of her knew she'd only end up embarrassing herself. As he introduced himself rather formerly, she definitely hadn't heard anyone her age say Good evening before, she chose to do the same. "Hi Sunpaw," she began, infinitely less formal than the tom, "I'm Heronpaw from Windclan. You know, the rabbit chasers?" She purred, studying him for a brief moment. "Is this your first gathering too?" Heronpaw, the self proclaimed rabbit chaser queried, beginning to relax a little.

Badgerpaw looked up at the cat who spoke to him. “Hello, I’m Badgerpaw of Thunderclan.” he mewed then looked around trying to find out where his little crush went off too. He noticed oak paw talking to minnowPaw and wondered why the riverclan cats and Thunderclan cats were glaring at each other. ‘Maybe I will ask dad after the gathering’ he thought to himself.


Fernpaw Yowled out as if she was in pain and then fake collapsed. She slowed her breathing to make it seem that she passed out.

(Come one come all. Let’s see which cats get scared by fern’s Boo prank)

Scorchpaw's eyes went towards a WindClan apprentice who suddenly collapsed. His eyes widened as he rushed over. "Woah, are you alright?" he asked with a soft voice full of concern. He didn't know what happened with this cat. Did she eat something rotten? Where were the medicine cats? Scorchpaw quickly looked around for any cat who could "help."

Nightstalker could feel her temper rising and she silently cursed her father for whom she inherited the temper from. She narrowed her eyes and flicked an ear, glancing at Silvertooth who lounged so arrogantly in the clearing near the rest of RiverClan. "I would agree, RiverClan is graceful. They remind me of fish on land, flopping about without a care in the world as long as they get back to their precious river, because StarClan forbid they do anything but play in water all day. I mean, a Clan like that might as well as be as useful as a dead fox." She gave her chest fur a few swift licks and huffed as she watched the she-cat and processed the information. She had heard only a little of what had happened at Sunningrocks, but from the impression she had been under that piece of territory was still ThunderClan's, which would explain why Logleap had gone there looking for herbs. If Lightningstar didn't think he could win a fight, he often would back out for the safety of his Clan. It wasn't cowardice, it was making a tough choice for the better of the Clan. At least, that's what Nightstalker told herself. She may not be on the best terms with her father, but at least she believed in him as a leader. "A wise leader leaves a fight when he sees no positive outcome and to protect his Clan from taking unnecessary harm. If Lightningstar felt like our medicine cat was threatened, I wouldn't blame him for wanting to protect something precious to the Clan. I wouldn't expect a snake-hearted RiverClan warrior to know the value of making smart or wise decisions in battle or know about protecting what's precious." She slid her cool gaze over to Silvertooth and smirked, flicking her tail as she motioned for Oakpaw to come to her. "Come Oakpaw, Minnowpaw is being trained to be as fish-brained as her mentor and hedgehogs will fly before I see RiverClan's poor tact and manners rub off on you." She motioned for her apprentice to come sit by her as she rolled her shoulders and sighed, keeping one eye over her shoulders at Silvertooth and the rest of the RiverClan cats that had journeyed to the Gathering.

---

Glidingpaw watched the exchange between the two she-cats and glanced up at Nettlesplash, green eyes flashing in the night with uncertainty. Had she missed something? She had heard of a scuffle along the border but nothing serious seemed to have come of it, and now Silvertooth and a ThunderClan she-cat she had gathered to be Nightstalker, were exchanging insults and tossing harsh words back and forth. The young she-cat hadn't experienced a Gathering that had been so hostile and it was making her skin crawl. She shuddered before she straightened up and focused her eyes on the Great Rock, praying the Gathering would start soon so the bickering would stop and she could go home and sleep in her nest. Now with more apprentices joining in the den, it was much warmer than when it was just her. She turned her green gaze to Nettlesplash beside her and tilted her head. "Do they always bicker like this?" She asked as she cast one more glance to SIlvertooth and Nightstalker.

Morningpaw entered the gathering with his chest puffed out, and his eyes narrowed as he watched the snowy clearing fill with a variety of different coloured pelts. He let out a small huff and padded forward, nodding as he passed by his clanmates until his paws bumped into a figure on the ground. The proud tom paused, looking down with confusion.

He prodded the apparently passed-out cat, bending over to sniff them. Ew, rabbit. He looked up at the panicked apprentice in front of him, shaking his head slightly. "Why get help? Isn't it more fun to take advantage of a situation like this? Like maybe a..." he leaned over the 'unconscious' cat and whispered towards Scorchpaw, "prank?"

---

Magpiewing was less than pleased to mingle with other clans. He never understood the need for a gathering such as this. What was the purpose? Make friends? Gain sympathies? Every other cat had their opinions, and in the deputy's mind, they were all rather distasteful towards ShadowClan. Who would like a cat who eats carrion-food? he thought sarcastically.

He followed Firestar closely, his eyes glued onto her rusty pelt even after she left his side to join Wildstar. He didn't trust these cats, even if she did. His amber eyes glanced away to look at two deputies that sat beneath the Highrock. He nearly scoffed. They were sorry excuses for deputies.