Gathering [9/28 - ?]

[FENRIS]

Shrikepaw [Hummingbird]

Ah what a treat, Hummingbird's first Gathering. The sights, the sounds, the cats, it was almost overwhelming! The she-cat kept close to her Clan as she happily scouted out the area to make sense of it all. She was just so happy to be there, never in her life would she have thought that she was going to be chosen to go! Her dazzling blue eyes watched in wonder as the Leaders all assembled on top of the tree, her smile growing as she watched Elmstar seat himself with the others. Her Leader was so wise and nice, she was grateful to be in his Clan. She noticed a few looks at the golden tabby who leapt up there though, which made her wonder why he was mr. unpopular. The thought passed quickly though and Hummingbird was once again looking around at all the other Clans.

Her mind was blown at how some of them looked, horns, gills, scoop claws, feathers? Oh my, they were so different than ThunderClan! But nothing was going to happen if she didn't make herself known and perhaps make a few new friends along the way. So the she-cat rose to her paws, told Robinpaw she was off, and scampered away to meet someone new. She scanned around for someone but her mission soon failed as they all seemed far too interested in everyone else than her. She kept her chin up however and decided to sit down in the crowd nonetheless with the hope that someone would notice her and perhaps strike up a conversation. If not, oh well, at least she was there to see the wonder of the Gathering and had something to tell her mom the next day. Oh the stories she would tell!

[Phlox]

but i'll lead you all to forever.
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The silver leader straightened on her perch, trying to look dignified even though she was so excited. She really did love Gatherings, seeing so many cats spread out before her and knowing that they all held the same love for their clans as she did for hers. She watched as cats began to settle and the chatter died down a bit, eyes flicking from group to group intently. Looking back at Stormstar, she saw all the other leaders as well. It was time to speak, and this time Miststar intended to be the first.

She leaned forward, spine-feathers fluffing up in the growing breeze. "Cats of all Clans," she yowled, waiting for the last couple conversations to fizzle out. Her short tail flicked impatiently and she kept a calm expression on, but the down on her neck stuck up in excitement. "Cats of all Clans," she repeated. "I would like to welcome you all to this moon's Gathering. I am sure every Clan of the six has much to say." She puffed out her chest. "And that includes my own. WindClan has good news to share. Sweetleaf has taken an apprentice. She passes on her wisdom to young Flickerpaw, who is here for her first time tonight." Miststar scanned the crowd of cats, searching for those bright orange ear-tips so she could meet the apprentice's gaze, but she simply couldn't find her.

"The numerous streams near the SkyClan border have recovered from the spell of greenleaf dryness after that last large storm, and other high areas that were drying out have been replenished as well. Our grasses are green and our heather thick once again." Miststar paused to take a deep breath, remembering her encounter in ThunderClan territory at the time. Her companion for the duration of the storm now sat at the base of the tree, but Miststar didn't dare look at her, not now. "Not much else of note has happened. Everything has been going smoothly upon the hills, and as you all know we have had no conflict." The she-cat nodded her feathered head slowly, punctuating her last sentence with the gesture to signal she was done speaking. She then turned on the branch to settle so she was facing the other leaders, ears pricked up in anticipation.

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word count: 341
status: this post was hard to write, but here it is. woot.
notes: let's get this gathering going again, shall we?

[~XxSnakethxX~]

Stormstar listened intently to Miststar's report, and stepped forward once she had stepped back and sat down. He paused, looking down at the Clans before he spoke. "All has been well in ShadowClan. The prey is abundant despite the fact that leaf-fall is approaching. We have nothing else to report." Backing down, Stormstar curled his tail around his paws and awaited the next leader's report.

[Deleted]

Vega could hardly contain her joy as the white tom began to move towards her. She forced herself not to turn her head to see what his expression was, however desperately she wanted to. It might have been one of anger, annoyance, confusion or otherwise what she wished, but knowing she got a reaction out of him was enough to satisfy her. Now she could just have a pleasant conversation with him and let nature work it's magic.

Her fur tingled as the tom slid behind her, close enough to feel the warmth that came from his body but spaced away enough that she'd have to lean back to be in actual physical contact with him. She wrapped her tail around her body to keep it from curling in delight. Things were going to become interesting.

Oh, I have a tease on my paws. How wonderful this Gathering shall be! the black she-cat straightened up and flicked her ears almost dismissively to his words. It no doubt would give any other she-cat a whirl of butterflies to know she was noticed, but Vega was used to such attention - in fact, she thrived on it. Though she wasn't immune to the jumble of emotions in her belly, she didn't let the tom's seemingly innocent, gentlemanly comment draw her in. After all, it was her job to reel cats in, not the other way around.

"Luckily for you, I am...kinder than most." The way she stressed the word 'kinder' was almost seductive but she swiftly began to speak again, all the time keeping her attention on the leaders. "I wouldn't make the mistake of 'tripping over' any other cats if I were you. It would be a shame for that coat of yours to become marred with scars."

Before she had the chance to add anything else or hear the RiverClanners response, the WindClan leader stepped forward and addressed the clearing of cats. Pricking her ears forward, Vega pretended to give her full attention to the next leader when she was listening intently for any whisper of a word from the gorgeous cat behind her.

[FENRIS]

Honeyleaf

Once Miststar and Stormstar both took their turns, Honeyleaf eyed the two older Leaders to see if they were ready to go next. He didn't dare overstep his boundaries but at the same time Elmstar seemed to be on his last limbs and Lionstar had been staring daggers at him since he arrived. The golden tom returned his gaze towards the crowd below him before rising to his paws and stepped forward to begin. He settled down once more once he was in front of the Leaders and just peered around for but a minute, the silence almost uncomfortable. He prepared himself and was about to speak when he heard an angry "Get on with it, you carrion eating rat!!" behind him. Honeyleaf's ears flicked back in disgust but ignored Lionstar so he could begin.

"As you can tell, my Leader Jagged couldn't make it this evening. She is on a trip and wasn't able to return in time, though she informed me to lead her Clan in her absence. Though we do not all have the same beliefs as you we do believe in a night of peace and bonding with the other Clans, even if for one night. We are relatively the same as all of you after all." Honeyleaf kept himself calm and collected, his words picked carefully and spoken clearly while at the same time searching in the sea of cats to find Littlepaw and Stormpaw. He just couldn't trust them two for a moment, they were a disaster waiting to happen.

"But alas, I have gone on for far too long. There is nothing too noteworthy that has happened since the last Gathering, however our dear Queen Cobweb has given birth to four healthy kits. They will be apprenticed soon and train to become some of BloodClan's finest Warriors. We have a new Apprentice, congratulations to Stormpaw and may he find the power to continue where his brother left off. Another congratulations goes towards Hemlockpaw as well for becoming an Apprentice. I'm sure your entire family is proud of you and are smiling down on you. And finally, prey is starting to become abundant in our Territory with the rodents and birds preparing themselves for Leaf-Fall. They are seeking shelter in the catacombs making them easy to find and catch. I believe we will be well prepared for the upcoming LeafBare and will survive like our ancestors have for generations."

Once the cat was finished speaking, he rose once more and returned to his spot with the others. He may have overdone it just a bit but he made sure to include only things that would make BloodClan seem stronger than it really was. With hope he did what he was intending to do and his time at the Gathering wasn't a complete loss. Now the only thing left to do was to make sure Stormstar or any of the ShadowClan cats didn't recognize him, lest his true identity be exposed. If anything he was not ready to live on his own once again, espcially with the fast approaching LeafBare. Something told him if he wasn't brutally murdered he'd freeze to death in the snow and be forgotten like so many before him.

[Deleted]

FLICKERPAW
Flickerpaw nodded through the cheers and shouts of approval from the other cats. It seemed that Bloodclan she-cat was already dealing with the Riverclanner, so she remained where she was. Smiling in a bored way, the apprentice listen to the leaders drone on and on and on. If only something actually interesting would happen! Oh well, she sighed loudly, and scanned the crowd.
ooc;;i think i'm back for now!

[Mama Oak]

Elmstar wrapped his tail neatly about his slender paws as Miststar and Stormstar relayed the notable happenings of their respective clans. As always, he wondered what the leaders were choosing to leave out; the happenings that weren't fit to be mentioned at a Gathering. The words unspoken and the news better left unannounced. The ThunderClan leader internally pondered at the weaknesses they would not broadcast, but externally he was the perfect imitation of respectful attention. When the BloodClan medicine cat stepped forward, he flicked an ear to acknowledge the disdainful urging of Lionstar. Although the RiverClan leader spoke too much for his liking, and Elmstar held very little esteem for the yellow tabby, his tail twitched to and fro with unspoken consensus. Who exactly did Honeyleaf presume to be, to leap up here among them and speak for BloodClan? Where was Jagged? And Stealthstar? Gorsehawk? Such notable and numerous absences. The medicine cat finished and stepped back among them. Elmstar was careful to tuck away his disdain as he brushed past to take his place. His gaze ran over the gathered clans for only a swift, analytical moment before his lips parted and he began to speak. "In the face of leaf-fall, ThunderClan fares pleasantly well. Our jungle is more than apt in providing our clan with prey and our borders remain unharassed." His gaze lingered on a few choice cats, made distinct by their RiverClan and BloodClan adaptions. Elmstar's warriors were vigilant in the protection of their borders, which had been made plain not too many moons ago. To Elmstar's knowledge, a BloodClan apprentice had succumbed to his injuries sustained in a skirmish and a RiverClan warrior not long after that. Since then there borders had been free of conflict. When the time passed, just long enough to get the message across, Elmstar picked up smoothly where he had left off. "As surely noticed, Quailfoot is not with us tonight." Any feline with a brain would have noticed, along with all the others missing. "A few sun-highs past, after fifty-eight moons of dutiful service, he chose to retire. In his place, Flowerfur has been named deputy of ThunderClan." A chorus of cries came from his cats, and as they echoed through the small clearing, Elmstar let his gaze fall to the brown tabby seated among the roots beneath him. The wind, grown quite strong, pulled at his long fur sensationally as he allowed pride to gleam from his olive-green eyes. When the cries finally died, Elmstar raised his chin and prepared the last of his speaking. He had to raise his voice to be heard over the wind, growing even louder as he continued. "And in final news, ThunderClan has seen two young felines from the nursery to the apprentice den. Shrikepaw and—" An ear-splitting crack of thunder stole the rest of his words, and Elmstar forced his eyes shut as the sky was lit up by a stroke of brilliant, blinding white. The sound of lightning striking a tree was a peculiar noise, impossibly loud as it ripped forcefully through the atmosphere. When the terrifying white faded from the other side of his eyelids, the ThunderClan leader opened his champagne-colored orbs and felt them widen. One of the trees bordering the clearing was ablaze, and with a terrible crack that sounded as if the earth itself was tearing in two, gave a rustling shudder... and began plummeting toward the earth, hungry to meet the cats roosted beneath. Words: 579 Tagged: Everyone Status: Gathering/Open to All Muse: Sdfhsdjhf Notes: Probably the most crap post, but so long overdue that I couldn't possibly stall any longer. Sorry! Also, I was speaking of Stonepaw (BloodClan apprentice, brother to Stormpaw) and Stormcloud (RiverClan warrior found in Fishtail's history) about the ThunderClan border skirmishes. I hope that is okay.

[Mama Oak]

frosttalon, the sleaze
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The world disappeared in a blaze of white as a bolt of electricity struck one of the five ancient oaks. Frosttalon's jaw parted in a terrified expression of awe that was, perhaps, due more to amazement than fear. When the brightness dissipated and his vision came back circle by brightly-colored circle, he realized that the huge tree — while not falling directly toward him — sported long, twisting branches with a long, stretching reach. As the ancient oak began gave a groan and gathered speed, he watched the branches come closer, before some animalistic instinct gripped his paralyzed muscles and he snapped from his transfixion. Darting forward, he grabbed the BloodClan she-cat's scruff between his jaws and pulled her with him as he half-tugged, half-threw the both of them sidelong. Fortunately for them, and the felines in their direct vicinity, they were at the very edge of the limb's reach, and as the tree came to thunderous crash only a tail-length beside them, all that touched their pelts was a lively sigh of dusty air.

But others were not so lucky, and soon the terrified yowls gave way to worried, desperate cries. For clanmates and for loved ones. The ones trapped and the ones crushed. The dead and the dying.

Frosttalon's shock was almost nauseating, and his struggle to find his paws lasted a bit longer than it should have. There was dirt in his eyes, but he blinked furiously as a ShadowClan warrior leaped over him, his brother's name a ragged cry from his lips: Doveface! Finally, as the deafening pound of his own heartbeat gradually began to quiet, Frosttalon looked at the she-cat beside him. "You okay, BloodClanner?" A decent warrior would be searching for his clanmates, helping the wounded and trapped, but he only gazed at the mystical black she-cat with exaggerated concern.

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Words: 306
Tagged: Everyone
Post Scriptum: Let me know if what I've done here is okay with you, Willow, or if you'd rather me change or delete this~

[Deleted]

FLICKERPAW
Flickerpaw gaped. It was literally all she could do. Luckily, she and the tom she had been conversing with, the one from Skyclan, had been a ways away from the tree's landing point. As the many cats' yowls pierced her foggy thoughts, the lanky Windclanner sprung into action. Flickerpaw sprinted forwards, doing her best to act as a medicine cat. There didn't seem to be any cobwebs... ah! There was a bit on this piece of bark! But... it would be useless if she couldn't get any cats out from under the tree!
ooc;; oakey are we still doing the doveface plot?

[Mama Oak]

spiderleg & doveface; this is not the end

"Help! Someone please help me!" The cry was desperate, broken and hurting, aimed toward anyone at all. Pleading for the aid that, somewhere deep inside, Spiderleg knew would not be enough. Looking at his brother's body, pulled from the very edge of the flaming tree, there was little uncertainty that any sort of help would be too little and too late. But still Spiderleg called for it, and still he pressed his paws to the bleeding puncture in his brother's side, trying to stem the heavy flow of crimson. It pooled beneath Doveface's large frame and soaked them both. 

Yet, even mortally wounded and obviously in pain, the ShadowClan warrior was still scowling; face twisted in a characteristic expression of disdainful regard. "Would you quit that pathetic blubbering, Spiderleg? It doesn't hurt so bad, anymore...." His face grew softer and a weak smile pulled across his maw, revealing a set of sharp, straight teeth, tinted pink by scarlet spittle. A grimace of pain fell the grin — meant to be reassuring — though, as a jab of pain pierced his crushed ribs, contradicting the words. "Besides, I can't leave... who... who would take care of you, you spinless... little... twig?" He made an effort to make his voice sarcastic, but the weak tone was ultimately unconvincing.

CODED BY DUCKIE OF GS

[Deleted]

Blah, blah, blah. Vega yawned exaggeratedly as Honeyleaf went through his speech and Elmstar right after. The boring part of Gatherings was having to sit through a bunch of old cats droning their reports. Perhaps it would have done some good to actually listen to what even her own clan-mate had said, but to her it wasn't necessary. She could always ask Stormpaw or any other who had been able to attend what had happened. Unfortunately, the RiverClanner that followed her back to her seat wasn't providing much entertainment either - he apparently had respect enough for the leaders not to talk through their announcements. Tail tip twitching in her impatience, she even willed StarClan for things to get interesting.

And it seemed her request was answered.

Brilliant white light flooded her vision and she was forced to close her violet eyes in an attempt to block it out. The crack of thunder was deafening and she nearly jumped out of her skin when the unmistakeable sound of lightning pierced the air, bumping back into the white tom with a cry of surprise.

When she was finally able to see past the glare, her eyes widened. Fire. That was definitely more interesting. But there was more yet to come for the great flaming tree was descending on the cats in the clearing and it was clear that many were going to be crushed under its weight. If fear hadn't frozen her in place Vega would have bolted out of the tree's reach, but all she could do was stare with a gaping maw as the fiery limbs bent down to her.

Then she was being thrown out from under the dark shadow of death, the white pelt of the RiverClanner flashing in front of her vision. Tumbling a bit and feeling the dusty wave rush over her once glossy pelt, she struggled to find her paws as her heart thudded hard and quick in her small chest. Though her terrified eyes were locked on the fallen, burning tree, she knew the tom was next to her and pressed her trembling body against his for support should her paws fail her. The yowls of grief and cries for help rose into the air like a harsh chorus, causing the BloodClanner's ears to flatten against her head. That was way too close!

Gazing up at the RiverClanner like a distraught kit, Vega barely nodded her head and came to the realization that this cat just saved her from severe injury or even death. How valiant and courageous this tom turned out to be! "The tree...the light...You? You sa-saved my life. " There was more than gratefulness in this she-cat's violet eyes...there was a certain look like something was missing, that she wasn't all there. In fact, with situations like this - chaotic and confusing - she became very unstable mentally and had the potential to be...well...counterproductive.

[FENRIS]

Lionstar

Lionstar stared daggers into Honeyleaf as he spoke, his face contorted into a permanent scowl as the golden tabby rambled on. He was worse than the Elders, his constant mouth noise grinding on the old cat's failing ears. He felt like he was aging just hearing him, literally felt his bones getting weaker and his fur growing grey. And if that wasn't enough he had to sit through Elmstar as well, who looked like him and death had a deal that he'd live forever if it meant ruining the rest of Lionstar's life with his presence. The old cat hissed loudly like a rattlesnake before looking out into the crowd and zoning out into his own little world. A world where RiverClan ran free and no one else existed.

All the kits would gather at his paws and he'd tell noteworthy war stories that would probably traumatize the little ones without him knowing. The Warriors were all super hunters and not at all like Frosttalon who was the Clan disappointment. The Queens were having kits like crazy and everyone was happy. Him, Tigerfang, and Ashrain were sitting on an island laughing at something probably really stupid but it had become an inside joke for them and it probably involved Frosttalon, because holy StarClan did he bring RiverClan shame with his canoodling. His perfect paradise, StarClan on Earth even.

As he daydreamed some more, Lionstar didn't entirely notice the sudden uproar of wind until a strong breeze finally penetrated his thick pelt. The real world came back into view and the tom peered around with almost a kind of confusion. Tigerfang seemed to have been doing the same as his gold pools looked disturbed and fearful. The large crowd of cats all seemed generally out of place and as if they knew what was going to happen. The older cat watched Elmstar continue his speech, unfazed about the rising storm and acting like it was a daily occurrence. As the wind grew, rain started hailing down on them almost sideways. Lionstar felt uneasiness bubble up from within him and a look of concern shifted his frown. Was this a sign from StarClan? If so, what did it mean?

Rolling thunder quickly turned into loud snaps around the Gathering, the lightning easily seen and almost blinding. Lionstar's troubled pools moved to Elmstar once more, the ThunderClan Leader even still talking. Lionstar slowly opened his mouth to tell him to stop, that no one was hearing his decrepit voice over the roaring wind, but was cut off when a single bolt of lightning streaked the sky and hit a nearby tree. The deafening snap of the tree lasted for what it felt like minutes but was over within a few seconds, the sound of wind rushing through the falling branches and leaves cut short by the quake of the oak hitting the ground. The whole area shook from the impact and Lionstar felt his heart drop with ominous feelings. The cat had shot back as far as he could from the fallen tree as it was tumbling but after a moment hesitant steps brought him forward once more. When he peered down at the crowd he felt himself shaking and out of breath.

Caught under a large branch lay Tigerfang, his lower half crushed and unable to escape. The tom was feebly clawing at the ground, his claws slowly cracking and breaking from being dragged across the scattered rocks. Blood began to drip slowly from his mouth as his gasping and wheezing got louder and louder. Lionstar felt his breath get caught in his throat and his legs turn to jelly, he wasn't able to move as he stared at his brother in horror. The world around him seemed to slow down and drag on, minutes were like hours to him as his eyes welled up and the tears poured down his fuzzy cheeks. After what seemed like a lifetime, the cat finally slid down the tree and staggered over towards the dark tabby pinned under the tree. He wanted to say something, anything, but whenever he opened his mouth nothing but a cracked and barely audible whine left his jaws. Tigerstar's eyes were dull and his clawing had stopped, his head lowered as if he had accepted his fate. Both brothers said nothing as each realized that they'd never see one another ever again.

"B-..... B-... Be... St-stron...ng, B-.... Brother..." The older tabby managed to rasp, blood drenching his lower jaw and parts of his forepaws. A slow, uneasy smile made itself across his face as his entire body lowered to the ground, a look he only gave Lionstar twice in his life. His wheezing was no longer heard and a final exhale left the cat's nose, his proud smirk forever painted onto his features. Lionstar swallowed hard and began to heave before a heart-wrenching howl left his parted jaws. The cry was over as soon as it had began and once again the tom was quiet, his head pointed down and his broad shoulders shaking. I will avenge you brother, Elmstar is to blame and he will feel the wrath of RiverClan for what he has done. He will know the pain you have suffered and the loss I am feeling. That bastard will pay.

A fierce determination crossed the cat's face within seconds and he whipped around to glare at the older Leader. His stance lowered as if to fight and his magnificent golden pelt fluffed up to twice its normal size. "You!" He snarled, his lips pulled back to reveal bright, sharp fangs. "You will pay for what you have done!! From this day on, we are in war. Watch your back, you filthy murderer, because this will be the last day you cross RiverClan." The tabby snapped, pure hatred and adrenaline rushing through his veins and fueling his thoughts. "Get down here and fight, this crime will not go unpunished!"

[Phlox]

but i'll lead you all to forever.
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Miststar let her gaze slide out of focus as Honeyleaf rambled on. Listening to Jagged was bad enough, but this cat was so obviously stretching every fact to make his "Clan" seem stronger, it was just painful. She wanted to call foxdung on his whole spiel, but she restrained herself for the sake of the peace-night. Finally, the golden tom was done, and Elmstar was stepping forward. The WindClan leader sat up straight - the ThunderClan leader commanded attention whether she liked it or not, and ThunderClan was worth hearing about, since they shared a bit of border. She really did have to appreciate the graceful, professional air about him as he took his spot, even if she didn't really approve of his leadership. I have as much power as him, Miststar reminded herself. We are equals, even if he is really pretty or whatever. She suppressed a giggle. Miststar, your stereotypical WindClan is showing. You sound almost like Flickerpaw.

"And in final news, ThunderClan has seen two young felines from the nursery to the apprentice den. Shrikepaw and - crack" Everything flashed white. No, that wasn't Elmstar…oh, StarClan, it was the tree. The tree, her cats, her Clan! I'm fast, fast thinker, fast runner, fastest there is even in the swiftest Clan. I can move, I can help, I have lives to spare. She didn't let herself think any more, she had to hurry. She was nothing but a flash of silver down, dragging away cats who had frozen up in the path of the massive trunk. Time was running out so fast, being torn away like the sand of a creek bend. She saw one more cat, they were going to be hit by a branch. Miststar couldn't let it happen. She barreled into the cat, pushing them out of the way, and something struck her head, hard.

Blackness crept into the edges of her vision, and Miststar looked up, jade eyes dull. She could hear shrieks, yowls, accusations. How many? How many cats had been caught, how many killed? Was that Lionstar? The feathered leader tried to pull herself up, but she seemed to be caught in the branches. Her legs were giving out. "Think, Lionstar. D-don't be r-ridic'lous." And then she was gone, and all she could see was a pelt of dappled ginger...

"Come, my love. Rest now, and StarClan will heal you. It is not yet your time."

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word count: 405
status: oAo
notes: i was not planning on this, but Miststar insisted. also everything looks like a big mess of colors.

[Mama Oak]

When his vision recovered, Elmstar opened his eyes and absorbed the abrupt carnage. The air was suddenly ladden with sobs of the shocked, cries of the grieving, and pained howls of the wounded. Lionstar and Miststar were quicker to react than him, but as they scrambled down the Great Tree, he followed suit. The ThunderClan leader darted into the outermost branches, his fur bristled in a static display of crackling electricity as he found the stunned gray-green eyes of his daughter, Tinycrow, upturned toward him. Toward anyone. Her small body had only been struck by the thinnest branches and her wounds were minor — a few cuts, a good deal of bruising, and a hefty amount of dazed confusion. "Daddy?" Her voice, chime-like and shrill, was unsure... as if she had just woken from a dream. She was the only one of his kittens whom had ever dared call him that. Nodding with a smile of soft reassurance, he nosed his daughter to her paws and let the mottled she-cat lean against him. As he was beginning to guide her across the clearing, a terrible, grief-laced howl of pain struck the air and made him turn. Lionstar was perched next to a dead cat, his brother it looked like, and as soon as the cry fell from the leader's lip, his golden eyes flickered around to meet his own. Elmstar was not shocked by the significant amount of hatred in the other's eyes — they had never been on good terms, even when Lionstar had still been Lionclaw. He was not surprised by the asinine accusations either — he had never pegged the tom as a rational feline. The only thing that roiled beneath the ThunderClan's leader pelt as Lionstar declared their clans at war and challenged him to battle, was (a very familiar) anger, which he did not completely hide. "A fallen tree is not my doing, Lionstar," he mewed in a steady, iron tone, his eyes saying the rest. Elmstar's olive-green depths gleamed with the words he would not allow in his voice; insults and curses not spoken but still audible. "You stand there like a fool, baying for my blood — have you forgotten we are under truce?" His voice remained unchanging in volume, but toiled with mounting anger as he continued, eyes fixed upon the RiverClan leader fiercely. He would not raise a paw to the tom while StarClan forbid it, but a truce did only last for so long. War was the last thing he wanted to subject upon his clan, but if Lionstar called for one, he would not find ThunderClan reluctant to defend and fight. And if there was one thing Elmstar knew from his many moons as leader, it was that if Lionstar wanted blood... there would be blood. Elmstar harboured no delusions that he could defeat the pale tabby in single combat, not at his age... but he would give his last life in an attempt, if it meant he could swipe his claws a few times across those presumptuous features. Tinycrow began to sink back to her paws, and the ThunderClan leader tore away his fiery gaze to reposition his support beneath her. Only after he whispered a concerned inquiry to his former apprentice and she responded weakly, did he return his eyes to Lionstar. "You are made stupid in your grief, Lionstar, and this is not the place. Your clanmates need you now more than ever. Whatever you have to say to me can be said once our wounded are helped and our dead," his gaze flickered to the broken tabby at Lionstar's paws; the very source of the RiverClan's sorrow, "Are properly mourned." His tone brooked little argument and offered the RiverClan leader even less respect. Without waiting for the tom's agreement or response, he turned and began helping his daughter limp toward Grayleaf, whom he had spotted across the clearing. Only when Mottledbug, his son, bounded up to him and met his gaze, did Elmstar slow; the other tom slipping wordlessly in beside his littermate to relieve the ThunderClan leader. Turning to peer around the clearing, he looked for any of his clanmates in need of help, he looked for Flowerfur, and he looked for Lionstar. Part of him — the part of him that had ruled beside the RiverClan leader for the past twenty-six moons — had little doubt that it was not below the orange tabby to attack him anyway (StarClan and the truce damned). And if that was the case, Elmstar would be ready. Words: 759 Tagged: Everyone Status: Gathering! Muse: Adfajkh Notes: I'm not trying to ignore Miststar, I promise~ I'll mention in her in Frosty or Littlepaw's next post.

[Petrichor]

Flowerfur shivered slightly as Elmstar left, her ears flicking with uncertainty. She still wasn't used to the whole "deputy" thing, and she wasn't sure that she wanted to, but here it was, in her face. So she would take on her responsibilities and suck it up. The brown tabby took the place she had always seen Quailfoot sit, taking a look up at Miststar before turning back to the rest of the Gathering. She attempted to strike up a conversation with the ShadowClan medicine cat apprentice, Littlepaw, but was quickly abandoned. Her ears flattened in brief hurt, but she regained her composure and simply watched as things went on. By StarClan, this was boring. Miststar was the only cat Flowerfur could really stand listening to at the moment -- Lionstar spoke too much, and the BloodClan medicine cat was completely full of it. She still felt slightly uncomfortable of being mentioned as the new deputy, but she couldn't deny the pride that swelled beneath her surface as well.  It seemed like it was almost going to be a regular gathering, and Flowerfur was mentally preparing to head back home when suddenly, lightning struck and began falling towards the Gathering. The deputy leaped out of the way, watching in horror and helplessness as cats were crushed beneath it. She patrolled around the blood and stones, looking for a cat that might be saved and spending a few moments with those who were slowly dying and would not rise again. She heard many dying words and forgot most of them, but Lionstar's outburst was something she would not forget. The deputy stepped down, a few fox-lengths away from the RiverClan leader as her voice filled with determination mixed with grief. "Lionstar, please," she began before her leader began to respond. Flowerfur closed her mouth, knowing very well that Elmstar was only adding fuel to the fire, but instead stepped over to Miststar, her eyes dull. Flowerfur worried for a moment -- was this the leader's final life? No, of course not. Flowerfur could almost see the life returning to the leader's eyes. "Please, Miststar, awaken," Flowerfur whispered. "Lionstar and Elmstar are about to cause a war right here and now, I need your help to stop them."