Gathering[June]

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DirtFur could only start to shake when he was landed on the ground. Not because of RiddleHawk, but because of MoonShine. She said she forgave him, now she became... cold. He looked at TangleStar, as if she knew something, but looked back at MoonShine.

"What happened to you..?"

He choked, slowly standing up on all fours. His legs were shaking, and all he could do was back up. There was something weird going on, and something crackled the air. He wasn't quite sure what, but he knew he would find out soon.

He would have to go in his dreams and see if she would even answer. He doubted it, and for some odd reason, he thought it may be because he loved ShadowHeart now. He didn't know and he didn't understand one word of what she was saying.

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Firestar watched the scene with interest. If two clans could not suck it up and be allies again another clan might just slip into their territory while they were busy, it would make them stronger for the epic battle she was planning on WindClan, it reminded her to start getting more depth into that. She eyed her clan, signalling them to not get involved with a flick of her tail and she sat impatiently waiting so she could speak out against WindClan.

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Save It For A Fool

Ice's lip curled back in contempt. Empty words! Riddlehawk had never cared about whether or not he'd killed Froststorm. In the short time he'd been in the ThunderClan camp with Miraclefur and Needleheart, the deputy had shown no remorse for his deceased ancestor. He'd called him a menace. Needleheart's side of the bloody tale still stuck in his mind as the absolute truth, with no holes in the lining, and it had been Riddlehawk who had refused to leave RiverClan territory. Froststorm's attack had been justified.

The pale tabby tom arched his back, forgetting about his earlier thoughts of restraint, and was about to charge right at the scarred tabby and teach him a thing or two about the truth. But then he noticed a shining light. It floated down toward the ThunderClan medicine cat, Rainwing, and suddenly was Rainwing. Only not. His form became that of a ghosty she-cat. Ice recoiled in fear, his fur now bristling in shock rather than anger. The apprentice barely understood what was going on, with this judgement day stuff. It frightened him immensely, and a wave of cool relief washed over him when she faded away.

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Wide-Eyed Fears

Spottedstar watched Moonshine's appearance with wide eyes and the fur on her neck bristling. What was going on? StarClan had never personally come to interfere with the events of a Gathering, whether they had been good or bad. And Moonshine's reaction to windClan's absence didn't bode well either. The ShadowClan leader remained quite as she watched from the great rock until she faded from Rainwing's body, then turned toward Dirtfur. "Dirtfur... Come back over here." Her tone was flat and almost distant, not angry. That was sure to come later.

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DirtFur looked at SpottedStar and shook his head. He said no words, but it was shown how upset he was in his eyes. They were wide, they were huge. His ears were flickering around anxiously and his head was swinging back and forth. He looked like a badger that lost it's cat prey.

He then looked back and SpottedStar and couldn't help but squeak. He then turned tail and ran.

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Rainwing slowly felt his presence come back into his body as Moonshine's slipped away. It was true, he wasn't as exhausted anymore when this happened, he was getting used to the effects. He blinked, his eyes focusing again to be able to see clearly. He shook his head and everything was suddenly back to normal. He noticed all cats eyes were on him and he dipped his head to the leader's to show his respect before sitting back down, glad that was settled now. All cats should learn from this that the Gathering was a time for peace, not bickering and quarreling. It was best not to anger Starclan.

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Riddlehawk glanced around, noting Firestar's looks. His fur never unbristled and he gave Riverclan's leader a look that clearly said, 'I know what you're planning.' He made sure eye contact was made with Riverclan's leader. He had never really harbored many affections towards that clan, though there were a few cats he liked over there. Like their deputy. Stormstrike and himself being the only males in the forest with even a tiny bit of power, the rest of the deputies and leaders being female. Being in what many would call a matriachal society, you tended to form bonds being one of the only males with power. Whenever the two tom's became leader, things between Riverclan and Thunderclan might finally be settled.

Riddlehawk paused to watch as the tom bolted, having been clearly terrified by the appearance of Moonshine. Everyone in the gathering had noted the change. This once sweet and loving she-cat had turned cold and viscious after death. What had brought the change on was a mystery.

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Speaking of the Riverclan deputy, Stormstrike had been watching with an unreadable emotion as the events played out. Like most other cats, he could sense Starclan's disapproval and was about to step in to settle the damage done between Dirtfur and the leaders of Thunderclan to regain peace in this, but there was no signal for him to do so from Firestar so he hesitated. Though it was not Riverclan's fight, he wished for there to be no quarreling at the Gathering. That could call for destruction for them all. He drew in a breath as the Starclan she-cat stepped in through Rainwing and he left out the breath in relief when everything was finally settled. He glanced over to Riddlehawk with a look that said: 'Well....that could have gone better.'

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Riddlehawk caught the look from Stormstrike and nodded. He agreed completely. He knew this tom well, he'd sat and spoken with him on many occasions when they had ran into eachother on patrols by the Sunningsrocks. Often he had quelled the tom's fear that something was wrong with his mate while the calico she-cat had been laden down with the Riverclan tom's kits.

Riddlehawk sighed, looking to the leaders. He wanted to get the Gathering going again, awaiting Firestar's verdict.

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Firestar flicked her tail, Riddlehawk could look at her all he wanted. She may be younger, smaller and less strong, but she was much more powerful than him. She flicked her ears and stepped forward, her pink pad grazing the great rock. "Peace, please." Firestar said, "If this, Moonkit really does wish to stay in ThunderClan, ShadowClan cannot do anything." she looked at Spottedstar with curious eyes. "But we do not even know if Moonkit really does want to stay ThunderClan. The word of one cat cannot mean a thing, and when that word is of the Clan leader the whole clan is behind her so.. we just need to hear it from Moonkit herself don't we."

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Stubborn Till The End

Once having recovered from the StarClan she-cat's appearance, Spottedstar bared her teeth at the RiverClan leader. "Moonkit is too young to understand how big a decision this is. She cannot comprehend her place in ShadowClan, or any Clan for that matter." Her ginger tail lashed out behind her. She had just taken in this kit. They couldn't loose her already. "She's a ShadowClan cat. It can't be helped in ThunderClan has lured her into their camp with petty words."

But she was quiet long enough to listen to the orange she-cat's proposal. The ginger and white she-cat flicked an ear and looked over to Tanglestar. "Firestar does bring up an important point. I want to hear the words from Moonkit's jaws, not just yours." Her eyes rested on the tabby leader coldly. "I say you bring her to the boarder tomorrow, so I can talk things over with her. Of course, that includes a patrol with me in case you decide not to cooperate."

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Riddlehawk growled softly at Spottedstar's words. How dare this she-cat grow so.......insolent! She threatened his clan and threatens to bring a patrol with her! That was a threat to his kits. There was no way that patrol was getting anywhere near his kits. He'd kill every cat in the forest if that meant protecting his mate and kits. "Chose your words wisely, Firestar. Start overstepping your bounds and you'll have the whole forest at your throat. Crookedstar brought your clan a bad reputation. You'd do well to see that it's fixed." He said, not caring if his saying something wasn't proper. He didn't care. He was as much a part of this as the leaders.

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Firestar narrowed her eyes, "What would you see from my position, because I see a clan who graciously took in a kit, then I see another clan who stole a kit, perhaps Tanglestar should be careful on whose tail she treads on." Her tail flicked and her fur bristled slightly, "Perhaps YOU should too, the last RiverClan cat that you stepped on didn't leave you so pretty." she mocked.

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No cat was going to speak to her leader that way. The white she-cat left RavenStone's side, and got right up in RiddleHawk's face.

"Who do you think you are? Just cause you killed ol' FrostStorm, that don't mean you are the big bad. All that means is that you are a murderer. Is that what ThunderClan fills of now? Blood, because of one cat, who will set examples in for the others?"

She hissed, her fur starting to prickle down her spine. SnowFeather's tail was swishing side to side, the dark red tip twitching irritably.

"You should keep in line, or something bad might happen. And I mean it. Could be your comrades, or even your leader."

She growled in her face.

It could even be me.

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Ripping To Pieces

Spottedstar let out a low growl. This was getting them nowhere. StarClan had already intervened once in this problem. Did they need to look like senseless kits? The ShadowClan leader yowled, ringing throughout the clearing, to gather the attentions of the other cats once more.

"This bickering is pointless. You're all acting like kits over this." The patched leader held back a retort about not being able to control their own warriors when she remembered how one of her own had just fled the clearing with his tail between his legs after attacking the ThunderClan deputy. But Spottedstar wouldn't have had a problem doing just that herself. His ego was too big for his head. But that wasn't what she needed to settle.

"RiverClan and ThunderClan's quarrel isn't what I proposed. I said to bring Moonkit to the boarder tomorrow so that I may personally talk to her. I will bring a patrol made up of the cats I believe were closest to her, and warriors if you decide to fight against us." Her narrowed gaze flickered from Tanglestar to Riddlehawk. "You deny ShadowClan the chance to talk things over with the kit we took in before you even knew of her?"

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SnowFeather spun her head towards SpottedStar.

"You think I'm going to let a deputy talk to my leader like that? I honestly don't care about the kit! That's none of our buisness! But when some fox-dung covered cat tries to speak to my leader like she's a piece of crow-food, now I'll fight for that."

She growled, her claws unsheathing. She wasn't going to attack, but she needed them so she could be held in place.

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