Gathering (May)

[CROOKY]

Crookedstar led her cats over the side of the hill. They all stank like the clans that they had to cross through to get to Fourtree's. She looked up at the clear sky. Starclan seemed happy tonight and she hoped that this Gathering would go off without incident like the last Gathering. She looked back at the cats that her deputy Goosetail had chosen for the Gathering. Leopardclaw, Moonshadow, Skysting, Hailstorm, and Icepaw. She turned back to the four trees ahead and padded up to the leaders branch where she leapt up and sat looking down at her clan.

[Deleted]

Moonblossom waited impatiently for her clan to get ready. Considering they still had no apprentices it was just the warriors going. Silversong, Batwing, Sedgepelt, Swiftshadow, Foxflight, and the rest of them. Finally to her the looked all ready. Her leader staying behind to keep the kits out of trouble she yowled and ran through the tunnel. Hopefully they were all behind her. Because she wasn't stopping without a good reason. The wind blew through her pelt, and the star shined on her and the ground. Lighting the way for them, to get to the Fourtrees. She hopped over a log then dashed through some bushes. They were almost to the next territory she could smeel a feint scent carried from the wind. she picked up speed hoping they could keep up. she would slow down halfway through the next territory. The stars were bright so she was hoping today Starclan was in a good mood. She dashed past some old looking trees arriving onto the next territory. She could feel Silversong right on her tail which made her feel relieved she didn't leave any cats behind.

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Silversong dashed after her deputy, she couldn't wait for the gathering. She was right on her leader's tail. She followed every footstep her deputy took. Moonblossom was her friend and deputy so she was pretty happy about going to the gathering with her. She crossed onto the next territory spedding up almost coming head to head with Moonblossom. But it didn't matter how fast she went they would get there no matter what. And they only had good news to bring as far as she knew.

[Deleted]

Spottedstar, having lead ShadowClan through the Thunderpath tunnel and part of the ThunderClan territory, at last stood at the head of her gathered Clanmates before the clearing of Fourtrees. Her amber eyes glowed lightly with a feeling of pride as she beheld the scene once again. Knowing that she was there to represent her Clan in front of all the other cats in the territories, and even StarClan themselves, alighted a swelling feeling in her chest.

But she couldn't hold onto that feeling all night. The moon only held its place in the sky for so long. So as a last act of surveillance before preceding, the ginger and white leader looked over her shoulder to check off the cats she had brought along with her. Grouped together were the warriors Whispertail, Lavenderpelt, and Nightshade, along with the Clan medicine cat, Roseblossom. Their deputy was absent, having stayed back to take care of some business with the apprentices. Together, that made up only five cats. Spottedstar knew that they would not be the biggest Clan at the Gathering that night, but they never had been. ThunderClan especially had always seemed to breed like rabbits. ShadowClan was better off that way, perhaps. It kept the other Clans guessing at their true numbers.

Turning her head back around, the she-cat saw Crookedstar and RiverClan advance into the clearing, as the first Clan to arrive. It's time. Silently, Spottedstar flicked her tail high over her head, and then swiftly made her way across the clearing- while retaining a quietness about her paws- and picked up her pace abruptly in order to launch herself up into the leafy branches of the Great Oak. The ShadowClan leader made certain to jump a good number of branches above where Crookedstar had sat in order to claim the spot that her predecessor always had- a more concealed part of the tree that kept the leader shaded from the moonlight. Ever since she had seen Swiftstar mount this post so many moons ago, Spottedstar had realized that it had been reserved especially for ShadowClan by StarClan themselves. So from there she sat and waited- her face the only visible part of her body, the rest masked by shadow- for the Gathering to commence.

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Icepaw tried to suppress an excited grin as he arrived along with the rest of his Clan to the Gathering place. Even though he was old enough to be made a warrior any day now, the tom couldn't help but feel the same energy rush up every time he made the journey to Fourtrees at the time of the full moon. The seal-point apprentice always looked forward to scenting all the different Clans in one place. It was also quite something to know that they could all meet in one area without breaking out into a feud. Usually. Hopefully tonight would not be one of those exceptions.

The tom, unlike some of the seasoned warriors in the territories, did not have a problem at all with peace. The last few moons had indeed made him especially grateful for that, at least. His life had been once darkened with cats that confused him, saying things he couldn't begin to understand. His dreams had even been filled with a fear of a cat who looked like and older version of himself. And there had been a ThunderClan deputy who had provoked an anger in him unlike anything ever had. But time had passed, and the darkness faded away. The particular deputy had passed on, and with him did his dreams go.

And not long after that, his mentor had gone as well. But even now, Icepaw was uncertain about how he felt about loosing the she-cat who had looked after him since he was a kit. She had been a guardian for the pale-colored tom ever since she had brought him into RiverClan from his life as a loner. For that at least, he was grateful. But there had always been something that worried the tom about her. She hadn't seemed right, like she wasn't all there. And she seemed to always watch him with an expectation that made him weary. She had been, all in all, a mystery.

But Icepaw dismissed these thoughts with a twitch of his whiskers. He didn't care to think back on those memories. They bothered him too greatly. So now he focused on following his leader into Fourtrees. His pawsteps went quickly until he reached the Clan's spot beneath the leafy canopy of their own tree, and looked about him with wide blue eyes, wondering if there would be any other apprentices present that night.

[Deleted]

A full moon. It's glow melted through the tree tops and throughout the moors that Windclan called home. This time of the month meant a Gathering was to occur and Swiftstar was already on her way with the clan. She was determined to make the old leader proud even though her death was questionable. In all her days she had never dreamed that she would ever be leader of Windclan, but here she was with the clan right behind her. Even though she had been to several Gatherings her heart still beat in anticipation of seeing the other leaders. Anything could happen under Fourtrees and she was liable for Windclan; accusations and her own maw.

As she reached the top of a hill overlooking the clearing where the Gathering was held, she scented the wind. She wasn't late. Looking over her shoulder at her clan members, she realised their numbers weren't as big as usual, but it would have to do. Her own deputy was busy as well so their numbers weren't as high as she would've liked, but the warriors were strong ones. Windclan would be admirable in the eyes of the other clans that had come already.

Her bright green eyes shined and she twitched her tail signaling her clan members to follow her down the the Gathering. As she made her was to the already assembled leaders, she looked around. All the clans present seemed strong which made her relatively happy. Nothing had upset her about the other clans and she figured that this meeting would go relatively quick based on the warriors.

With a quick leap of her powerful legs, she made it up the rocks. Where she sat was a place she easily picked out. It was the perfect spot in which every cat gathered could see and she was in the middle of the leaders even though some were in trees. No, she wanted to be seen tonight and the leaves upon the oaks would only causes her fiery pelt to blend in due to the nightly shades.

It was almost time for the Gathering to commence.

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Foxflight made his way to the gathering without really thinking anything other than making sure he took note of who was at the gathering. His eyes gleamed as he noticed the other clans. Here he was ready to take on the old leadership unbeknowest the leaders sitting on the rocks, but he still needed followers.

A smirk played upon his features before he settled down onto the grass. No, the time would come later. Now, he needed to wait and listen to the leaders dabble on about good hunting. Everyone knew that this wasn't an exciting Gathering, but he was happy to be here nonetheless. Soon though, this would change as would the thoughts of the cats around him. Meetings like this always brought about the hunger and thoughts for change.

[Tanglekit]

Ferncloud made her way up to the gathering following after Moonblossom. Her new deputy was impatient and hot headed, and she was very intimidating to Ferncloud. She was nervous already. She hadn't been to that many gatherings. They were loud and there were so many cats to mingle with. So much noise and the multitudes all moving amongst each other. All the clans seemed to be present and there were so many warriors to be seen. She didn't see any of her clan mates about so she picked a seat close to the edge of the clearing where it was a little more quiet. There were a few other warriors from other clans close by, but she was to nervous to approach them.

Jaggedpelt entered the clearing after Swiftstar. It felt good to have a new leader to lean upon. Windclan had been badly damaged by the events that took place under Foxstar. But soon with time the clan would be strong as ever. Jaggedpelt saw a Thunderclan she-cat close by and made her way over to her. "Hello Silversong, How goes it with Thunderclan?", he asked politely. He hadn't been to the last few gatherings and it felt good to be present with other cats.

Lavendarpelt followed Spottedstar into the clearing. She didn't really feel like mingling with the other warriors tonight. The only reason she was here was because she had been told by her leader. Every ounce of her being was full of respect for her leader,a nd she wouldn't argue. She made her way over to the front of the clearing making sure she got a good spot. She wanted to hear every word that the leaders and warriors had to say about their clans.

Leopardclaw made his way into the clearing after Crookedstar. He had been to almost every gathering before and he was glad to be here now. He wasn't sure how he felt about Crookedstar as a leader, but only time would tell.

[CROOKY]

Crookedstar signaled for silence in the crowd as she stepped forward to begin the gathering. She noticed that Moonblossom was filling in for Gorsestar. Her ears pricked in curiosity. "Do we look upon Moonblossom the Thunderclan Deputy or Moonstar the Thunderclan Leader" She asked curiously in a round about way of asking if Gorsestar was alright.

She didn't wait for an answer but assumed that she would tell them all about it when it was her turn.

"Riverclan is doing well! We left a generous amount of warriors at home to finish eating all the fish we have been catching. We have a new apprentice who could not join us today. Riverclan is strong." With that she backed back to the top of her branch.

[Deleted]

As Crookedstar stepped back from her perch where she had addressed the Clans, Spottedstar gave a twitch of her whiskers before she herself took a few pawsteps into the open. Brushing through the cover of leaves that had done well to partially conceal her, the she-cat leader left the shadows cast around her and sat just outside the stretching fingertips of the night darkness. Once under the silvery lighting of the full moon, the she-cat cast a sweeping gaze around the clearing, ensuring that every eye was on her for the moment. Her Clan would not be ignored. ShadowClan had the talent of going by undetected, but their mystery that they possessed would not allow the other Clans to forget about them.

"ShadowClan has also stands strong this moon. The recent lack of rain has failed to hinder our supply of water, or our great amounts of prey. And with a camp filled with strong warriors, there is no doubt that the next moon won't see a change in this." Spottedstar lifted her chin a bit higher as she ended her announcement, as if daring one of the other Clans to say anything otherwise. But in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder if any of the Clan leaders spoke the truth of their conditions at these moonlit Gatherings. There was certainly no way that she would ever admit trouble in front of the other Clans, so the possibility of them doing so seemed unlikely, just the same. Not that her own Clan was troubled, much like she had stated just now, but the wonder made her pause.

Instead then of stepping back as the RiverClan leader had done just a moment ago, the ShadowClan leader turned her amber eyes to the ThunderClan deputy, Moonblossom, that stood in their ranks that night. "Has, perhaps, something happened to Gorsestar? Has your Clan been troubled?" The questions may have, from another mouth, seemed innocent enough, but Spottedstar showed no genuine concern in her amber eyes. The gleam that held there was one of calculating, looking to detect any weakness in their neighboring Clan.

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[Deleted]

Moonblossom listened patiently as Riverclan leader went on to ask about the leader Gorsestar. She wasn’t to proud of her leader about now but he refused to let her stay with the kits. Her tail twitched in annoyance as she thought about her loyalty to the Leader. She was very loyal indeed but sometimes she could just give him a good smack for not listening to her. She knew Deputies only controlled those who sit below the leaders at the gathering. She refused to go forward shortly after that and watched as the leader of Shadowclan Spottedstar stepped forward.

The moonlight shone off her pelt reflecting into Moonblossom’s eyes. The color of orange made that leader very visible compared to the others. She stretched out her paws as she listened to Spottedstar ramble about the rain and food. Shadowclan never did eat good food mostly rat’s or crow food. She wasn’t bothered much about. As Spottedstar was about to step back she too asked about Gorsestar. She shot the leader a glare, knowing that Spottedstar should have heard the Riverclan leader ask the same thing. She padded forward to the edge of the rock grazing her eyes over every cat.

She looked up to the moon praying to Starclan that this gathering wouldn’t end in disaster. She cleared her throat and went on to speak.

“Thunderclan is doing fine we have strong warriors, and the kits will be apprenticed soon. None other our prey and water is fine despite the lack of rain. Gorsestar is perfectly healthy even with the lives her has. He has decided to stay back and watch the kits. So no other cat I expect has gotten the idea to raid our territory. Even if he was sick I would handle it. I thank you for your concern.”.

She stepped back into the shadows only her white showing from the little moonlight that hit her. Tilting her head forward as she tried to look at the last leader needing to go up, Swiftstar. For her sake she was the only leader she really liked so far. Spottedstar didn’t act to nice and wasn’t on her list of people she would spare. While Crookedstar was never a problem for her, Crookedstar never had a reason for her to hate her or like her. Her head snapped back as she sat up straight.

[Deleted]

Spottedstar listened to the ThunderClan leader's report with eyes slightly narrowed, and her chin still held high. She was the last. At to be blind to Moonblossom's clear agitation toward her Clan. Spottedstar had provoked it, of course, but that was the result of ever strong ShadowClan pride. ShadowClan had never in it's history looked upon the soft kittypet-blooded ThunderClan with favor. And such affection had never been returned, either, and so their long standing relationship was unlikely to ever change. Not that either Clan probably had a problem there. The feelings were mutual, and that provided a feel of consistency within the territories.

At the conclusion of Moonblossom's report, Spottedstar blinked slowly in the she-cat's direction blankly. "It's good to hear at Gorsestar's prevailing health. But I am surprised that you would assume that another Clan would try to take advantage of such a time. We can do without such accusations at a peaceful Gathering." The ginger and white leader managed to prevent herself from smiling at her own words. Of course, at the moment, she knew that her own Clan was not at the level of strength necessary to take over another Clan's territory. But getting under the ThunderClan deputy's fur was never a dull activity.

Twitching her whiskers, the she-cat decided that she did not want to provoke a full blown argument- as much fun as it might be-, and retreated back to her original place in the tree's foliage, looking to Swiftstar to make her own Clan's announcements, not giving Moonblossom a second glance.

[Deleted]

The gathering finally began and her shimmering green eyes looked towards Crookedstar. The subtle question towards Thunderclan was apparent and a slight smile spread across Swiftstar's mouth. These leaders were at it again. They questioned the others as much as they could under questions. It was comforting however to know that the leaders weren't so high strung as of now to be glaring and yowling. Instead, they merely asked questions and told of their clan's accomplishments.

Looking into the gathering of cats she noticed how few of members each clan was, but each leader explained why and it all ended up being a similiar reason. Moonblossom's retaliation at Spottedstar's question made her turn her whole attention towards the deputy. Gorsestar was fine which was great to hear, but Spottedstar had caught the hint of accusation. Swiftstar's eyes watched with calculating accuracy. It was no secret that Thunderclan and Shadowclan didn't get along so she could only hope neither cat would break the truce under the moon. Spottedstar though acted mature and easily settled it and the leaders of the clans finally quieted to allow Windclan's leader to talk.

Swiftstar had been happy enough to allow the others to chime in with their clan's news. Now though, it was her turn. "I'm pleased to announce that Windclan is strong and well fed. The moors have been kind to Windclan's cats and produced enough prey and honed our skills amazingly," she said as she looked down at the throng of cats around them and then at the leaders.

She waited to hear what else the trio would say to her or the gathering. Frankly, this was an uneventful one to say the least which allowed a sort of humming happiness to swell through her. The forest was brimming with a smart and well-fed warrior cats. That was all thanks to Starclan.