April's Gathering [2020]

Silverstar padded along the familiar route towards Fourtrees, the scents of many SkyClanners who walked this trail before lingering within the fading snow. His eyes then went up to the sky, as he usually did on these trips, just to see what StarClan was thinking. The celestial bodies sparkled and shined in a peaceful light. It was comforting, but also concerning. What did they have planned for them this New-Leaf?

He sighed as he stared back down to the entrance of Fourtrees. As the leader entered the clearing, he realized that he was the first to arrive. That was a first, but regardless, he jumped onto the High Rock and watched the clearing for any others to arrive. His expression was one of seriousness as the most pressing matter still weighed in his mind.

Lilypaw had came out with Silverstar. She seemed like so much had happened since the last Gathering. As they arrived in the clearing, she realized that they were the first clab to arrive. She watched as their leader leapt up onto the High Rock. Although the novelty of her first Gathering had worn off, Lilypaw was still excited. She hoped to meet some new cats from other clans. Not get too friendly, but still have fun. She was only an apprentice for so long! She sat down, waiting for another clan to arrive.

(Lilypaw is open to talk!)

BadgerStorm padded into the gathering and sat down next to his mate.

Swiftpaw stayed close to lilypaw as Skyclan was the first clan to arrive. She knew others didn’t know she was deaf so her sister, at these times, would be a translator if she couldn’t understand.

Blackpaw was super excited as this was his first gathering and also his first gathering as the medicine cat apprentice. He looked around before noticing some other medicine cat apprentices. He padded over and sat down with them.

(Swiftpaw is free to “listen” with lilypaw and Blackpaw is free to talk (mostly with meds and MCa’s) )

Maplepaw had followed along with his mentor, Silverstar. He turned his head to look at him, before continuing to head along. His long, fluffy tail brushed the grass as he continued along. He'd occasionally kick up leaf litter as they continued along to the Gathering.


Palepaw had been following along with her own clan, not really following along anyone in particular. She glanced up at the full moon in the sky, then stare ahead with a small sigh. Her short tail flicked from side to side as she continued onto the meeting place.

(Both are available to talk to).

Oakleap padded into the gathering staying beside Badgerstorm and sat down beside him.

Minnowpaw padded into the Gathering glancing around. She spotted a Skyclan cat and went up to her and another she-cat besides the Skyclan she-cat. "Hey I'm Minnowpaw. Whats are your names?"

OOC: Minnowpaw is talking to Lilypaw and Swiftpaw

Lilypaw smiled as she was approached. Her smile momentarily faded as she inhaled the disgusting scent of fish, wrinkling her nose, she looked back at Minnowpaw. ”Hi! I’m Lilypaw. This is Swiftpaw.” She gestured towards her sister with her tail.

Wolfpaw had sat down, waiting for someone to talk to. He assumed this would be his last Gathering as an apprentice, and he wanted to have fun with it!

Ferretpaw looked around, excited to talk to someone at her first Gathering.

Swiftpaw nodded in greeting with a smile. “Hi.” she mewed softly to the Riverclan apprentice.

Blackpaw noticed a white medicine cat apprentice and went towards. “H-hi..I-I’m..a..b-Blackp-paw.” he mewed.

(Blackpaw is talking to blizzardpaw)

Padding into the gathering with ThunderClan behind him, the leader gave his usual farewell to Cloudbreeze before hopping up onto the large rock formation. For once, he wasn't the first one to arrive, which was a nice change of pace, and padding up to Silverstar, the large, fluffy tom, dipped his head in greeting. "Greetings, Silverstar," the husky voiced leader mewed simply as he took his place next to one of his new allies. Tonight, he would share the outcome of his proposal last moon, and while part of him was nervous, seeing as though now they were in a trinity alliance, he was proud to be able to stand among other strong leaders and knew the alliance would be a blessing.

Heronfeather had padded in with the faintest air of nerves following her, though she hid it behind a thick wall of forced confidence, attempting to talk herself into her new position. It hadn't been long ago that Brindlestar had sprung deputyship on her, and while she was more than happy to take on the new role, it was nerve wracking to know she would be the youngest deputy there - if not the youngest deputy currently in the clans. Not only that, but she was still sans an apprentice due to the lapse in kits WindClan was experiencing in this time, and while the mottled she-cat knew it wouldn't be apparent to anyone else, it still left her with a pit of unease and doubt churning in her stomach.

Following the slope of Fourtrees down, instead of pausing next to a random warrior or apprentice to chat, she kept walking, keeping her head high - despite how her head barely cleared most other cat's shoulders. Her height wasn't something she enjoyed, not having the same long legs as her clanmates had been a little frustrating in the deep snow drifts of Leafbare had meant exerting more energy in an attempt to keep up with them. Shaking her head to clear the thoughts, she now found herself at the base of the Great Rock, and her eyes widened a little being in such close proximity, not even as an apprentice would she have dared so close, and now this is where she would remain for the gathering. Sitting, the molly drew her tail over her paws, and awaited the other deputies who she so admired.

Flashpaw followed her father into the clearing, joining the other medicine cat apprentices once she was closer. One of them, ShadowClan from the scent, she didn't recognize. She blinked and dipped her head in greeting to him. "Hello, I'm Flashpaw. What's your name?" She tilted her fluffy head to the side to look at him.

---

Shrikepaw stalked in after the rest of SkyClan, as usual not all that interested in talking to the other Clans. Her face would've looked uninviting even if she was interested, which perhaps contributed to her feelings on the matter. She sat down near Lilypaw and Swiftpaw, partially paying attention to their conversation.

"I'm Minnowpaw. And you are?" Said Minnowpaw turning her gaze to the other skyclan cat who sat down besides them.

Mistedsong's ever-tired paws carried him into Fourtrees once again, trying to blink the sleep from his eyes. He would've stayed in camp to get some desperately needed rest, but he wanted to ask Blackpaw how things were, as he hadn't been to visit in a few days, and Fourtrees was not as long of a walk as ShadowClan's camp. He smiled at Blackpaw when he approached Blizzardpaw, coming up behind her to join the two. He briefly acknowledged the ThunderClan apprentice, with a flick of his ear and a "It's nice to see you, Flashpaw," before directing his attention to the ShadowClan apprentice. "This is my other apprentice, Blizzardpaw. I'm glad you two can finally meet," he mewed cheerily. "How are things in ShadowClan, Blackpaw? Are your herb stores looking okay?" The medicine cat was aware that no Clan went through herbs all that quickly, and it hadn't been long since he'd been there, but he found himself pretty much perpetually anxiously micro-managing both SkyClan and ShadowClan out of genuine concern for the health of all of the cats involved.

---

Coalpaw's face lit up, sparkling golden eyes roaming the mass of cats in every color that seemed to breathe as it moved, the intermingling of Clans creating a larger group of cats than the apprentice had ever seen before. She passed the group of medicine cats with a respectful nod, smelling SkyClan on the two that had just joined them. Glee mixed with anxiety bubbled up in the she-cat's chest, searching the crowd of cats for the white-and-cream colored tom she'd been here with less than a moon prior. The apprentice pushed her way through the crowd, following her nose to the end of the clearing that smelled strongest of SkyClan and finally found the cat she was looking for. She broke into a huge smile, tail swishing gently as she approached Lionpaw. "Howdy, stranger," she mewed playfully.

Blackpaw smiled at his mentor in greeting then looked at the newest member to the conversation. “H-hi...I-I’m..a..b-black-p-paw...” he said then heard mistedsong’s question. “H-herbs..a-are..g-good. T-thank..y-you..f-fo-for...a-asking.” he said with a smile. He looked at the two apprentices, blizzardpaw and flashpaw, and felt a slight happiness in him that he finally made friends outside of his clan.

Oh great. She'd gotten herself lumped in with the other SkyClan apprentices, and now she was going to have to socialize as well. Shrikepaw turned her green gaze onto the RiverClan apprentice, Minnowpaw.

"I'm Shrikepaw." Her tone was flat and neutral.

---

Flashpaw dipped her head, blinking warmly at Blackpaw and committing his name to memory. It would be an easy one to remember. She dipped her head again as the SkyClan cats joined them. "Nice to see you, as well, Mistedsong."

(OOC: gathering takes place before Soft gets her name, but after Wolf and Vi get attacked by an owl)

A bundle of cream fur sat alone, shifting off to the side of where the other medicine cats gathered. Her mentor, Swiftstream had just passed, and she just didn't want to socialize. Tomorrow, she'd have to go to Highstones-- by herself-- to receive her full name as a medicine cat.

And going alone was what she dreaded most.

---

The tortoiseshell-tabby she-cat padded into the gathering alongside the other SkyClan cats, and watched as two of her kits padded off to speak with another cat, RiverClan, perhaps? Maplepaw sayed close to Silverstar until the ladder left for the Great Rock. Lionpaw was approached by a dark furred she-cat. One who looked a bit too happy to see him. She shook her head, amused. Of all the things he could have learned from me, she thought. That expression on that cat's face was a mirror of how she'd looked to find Mudmask at Gatherings. To most ctas, this was a mere smile of the innocence of youth, the friendships that could be found in other Clans. The friendships that could easily be forgotten in times of battle. But to any cat who'd ever loved a cat from another Clan, her expression was as obvious as daylight, even if she didn't even know it; that she-cat was in love with her son.

Breezebranch attempted to meet her amber eyes, and when she caught them, she gave a tiny nod, eyes filled with understanding. She'd talk with her apprentice and son later, for now, she had a mission. With searching eyes, her green gaze sought out the one cat she'd come to meet. Mudmask's sister. Brindlestar. "Your aunt, dear." She answered, looking down at the white she-cat whoe adorable face was splashed with ginger and dark gray.

---

Mudpaw followed after her mother and watched curiously as she searched through the crowd. "Who are you looking for, Momma?" She asked, curiosity coming off her in waves. As her mother answered her, her face grew solemn. Her aunt. Of course, since her father was WindClan she was bound to have kin in other Clans. Would they be happy to meet her? Probably not. Her tail drooped at the thought.

---

Violetpaw stayed closed to Wolfpaw as she sought out a friendly looking face in the crowd of cats. A pale gray tabby sighed and flicked her short tail as she stared at the moon. Violetpaw exchanged a glance with Wolfpaw. It wouldn't hurt to make new friends, right? "C'mon," She mewed, padding over to the she-cat, who couldn't have been older than an apprentice herself. "Hi there! I'm Violetpaw, and this is my friend Wolfpaw. What's your name?" She mewed, greeting the cat in a friendly manner.

---

(OOC: Softpaw is open for talking, though wait until she speaks to Mistedsong. Breeze is looking for Brindlestar. Mud is by her mother's side, though still open to talk. Violet has approached Palepaw with Wolfpaw.)

Lilypaw watched as Shrikepaw introduced herself, with a dry, emotionless tone. She wasn’t sure why she was so annoyed, but she kept making conversation. ”Well, what’s it like, in Riverclan? Do you really eat fish?” The scent that consumed Minnowpaw answered her question, but she still couldn’t imagine eating fish.

Ferretpaw caught sight of another apprentice, from another clan. A fluffy, calico cat that stayed close to one of the leaders. Ferretpaw only knew one leader, her father. She guessed that they were Skyclan from their large build. Approaching him, she smiled. ”Hi! I’m Ferretpaw.” she said.

Wolfpaw went with Violetpaw. After their little incident with the owl, and the confessions that had spilled donut, he stuck close to the she-cat. He waited as his friend introduced the two of them, and looked at the pale she-cat.

OOC: Ferretpaw approached Maplepaw, and Wolfpaw is with Palepaw and Violetpaw)

"Yeah of course we eat fish! Its like the best food in the Entire forest!" Minnowpaw replied. "And before you ask about if we only eat fish, we eat other prey too."

The deputy had followed behind her father with a slight drag in her step. The weather had dragged on her a touch, but nevertheless, Cloudbreeze carried herself with a proud demeanor to her place within Fourtrees. It would be a great night, as so many kits had been apprenticed within the last moon. She was sure the other clans would be fairing just as well, or at least, hoped to in the good will that the night brang.

Silvery coat gleaming a stark white under the pallid light of the unobstructed moon, Brindlestar was hardly more than a rippling flash of silky fur as she promptly strode through the loosely woven collection of cats and easily pulled herself atop the Great Rock. Carefully sweeping away the little specs of mud and wilted foliage that had stubbornly clung to her paws amidst the trek across the open moors, the long-furred molly gave Lightningstar and Silverstar a causal flick of her ears. "Greetings," She mewed after a moment, dark eyes wide on the pair of toms in their seemingly routine bout of silence, "Hopefully by the next Gathering, it won't be nearly as cold." Giving herself a little shake, Brindlestar reluctantly settled down atop the chilly stone, not particularly looking forward to sharing the company of any of the other Leaders- having a conversation with a rock would likely be more engaging.

Green eyes lit up as she found she'd sought; Brindlestar! "Mudpaw, that's her." She breathed, eyes lit up. Green eyes stared at her at she delicately jumped atop the Great Rock, greeting Silverstar and Lightningstar with dignity.
"She's a leader?" Mudpaw mewed in disbelief.
"Yes, little one. Her name is Brindlestar. She's your sister's namesake."

This was a moment Breezebranch had sought so eagerly. Her mate's sister, Brindlestar, was right there, right within reach. Oh, how she'd dreamed of this moment! But, alas, how could she speak to her? As she stared at the she-cat, longing exploding in the depths of her eyes, her mind raced to find a solution to this problem.

Mistedsong's green eyes caught the fluffy WindClan cat sitting towards the tree-line. He noticed Swiftstream was still not present, and caught the wave of sadness flowing from Softpaw, and his mind connected the dots between that and the new bright star he'd seen a couple of nights ago. The medicine cat felt a pang of sadness in his heart; Swiftstream had been apprenticed around the same time as him, and he'd felt a kinship with her as a result. He padded over to Softpaw, brushing up against her side and sitting down next to her. "I see that this leafbare has not been kind to us medicine cats," he sighed. "I pray that we don't lose any more what with these rogues prowling the forest. Do you need any help in WindClan?" Mistedsong meowed, knowing full well that he was overextended as it was.

Maplepaw had ended up sitting by himself since he'd assumed Silverstar would rather sit by the other leaders. He just shuffled his paws in the leaves, as he glanced up at the moon.


Palepaw kept to herself too.


ooc: sorry for short mssg lol. both available to talk too.

The cheeky and chipper as usual Firestar lead ShadowClan into the clearing. She greeted a few cats in passing before reaching Great Rock, landing upon it in one smooth leap, not bothering to greet the other leaders. It was always useless to try and converse with those stone cold cats... Though Brindlestar may be worth a word or two. Firestar gave her a friendly nod, taking her seat amongst the others.

Apparently, it took a bit for them to both noticed they were approached.

Maplepaw had looked over to Ferretpaw, responding quickly after noticing he was being stared at. "Oh, umh. I'm Maplepaw. I'm from Skyclan.."

Palepaw had curled her short tail around her paws, the tailtip curling. She looked at the two apprentices curtly, her cold gaze narrowing as they approached her. "Hello.." She had responded curtly, her tone almost clipped. She did not seem like the friendliest cat.


Maplepaw is talking to Ferretpaw, while Palepaw is talking to Violetpaw & Wolfpaw. Sorry for not noticing, oops.