tensions rising. [april, 2012 gathering]

[lyric ♫]

THE RULES:
,, leaders must post before the rest of their clan.
,, leaders; in your first posts, have your cat mention who they've invited to the gathering. after that, the cats who have been invited may post. you may invite no more than four warriors, two apprentices, and whoever else.
,, hillclan has yet to gain a new leader since lionstar's departure. therefor, we will all powerplay an npc leader who will be called 'openstar' to represent hillclan. just assume that he is a black-and-white tom. hillclan has a leader now. xD
,, that being said, for now any and all hillclan cats who want to be at the gathering may attend.
,, at this gathering, arguments (and even a bit of fighting) are encouraged! it is the first gathering since the end of the war, so tension is only natural.

POSTING ORDER:
Thanks to the lovely Ruthie, this thread now has a posting order! It will help prevent any clutter or confusion. c:

so it goes like this... mmkay
Lyric (Spiderstar, Darkfeather)
Leaf (Stripestar, Poppynose, Leopardpaw)
Lightning (Wildstar, Adderheart, Ospreywing)
Icy (Kestrelstar, Lightningstorm)
Aaranoid (Honeytail, Spottedpaw)
Jay (Finchclaw) jay hasn't been around lately, so until she shows herself you can ignore her in the posting order.
Midnight (Sunpelt, Shadowheart, Leafpaw)
Ruth (Whitewing, Tallstream, Mottleleaf)

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[bg=080305] The sun was nearly set, bluish black mixed with reddish gold as if two sets of fire and ice were pitted against one another in a furious battle. One which reminded the fierce black leader that he would have to meet his enemies for the first time since the war, and be expected to do so peacefully. He sat just outside his den, and with his fur gently flowing in the new-leaf breeze, he'd silently made his decision. If there were a fight tonight, albeit breaking the warrior code, he would accept it bravely and carry on the will of his uncle. Quite frankly, he hoped that fool Stripestar would start something. At least then he would have been provoked. Solemnly, he stepped his way toward the warrior's den and growled, the night slowly becoming darker, "Barkfoot and Lightningstorm, you're coming tonight. Let Leopardpaw and Spottedpaw know that they're coming, as well." To be honest, he wasn't sure if Barkfoot or Leopardpaw should come. Barkfoot was, well, less than reliable in battle and Leopardpaw was barely big enough to handle himself in a real fight; at least not yet. But, as odd as it was, Spiderstar trusted at least his cousin with the fate of GoldenClan -- and lets not forget his own, brave young apprentice. He then looked toward the medicine cat den and lifted his tail, as if signaling to Finchclaw to accompany him. It was getting dark faster than he thought it would; the shadows on the ground were becoming longer with the disappearance of light. The large black tom trotted over to the entrance of camp and waited for his clan to make themselves ready. He was worried about what the night, or StarClan for that matter, had in store for them. Sometimes it felt like his ancestors only wanted to rid themselves of BrookClan and GoldenClan's existence, truth be told. What else could he think? They didn't talk to him, so there was no way to understand what they wanted him to do in order to prevent another war. Once his cats had all gathered around him, he bounded off into clan territory. His yellow eyes glimmered with expectation -- blood lust, even. He knew he would want to kill Stripestar as soon as he saw him. Perhaps the only way to crawl out of these dark times, was actually for another war to fall on them? Perhaps the war ended prematurely... Maybe Spiderstar wasn't the one meant to lead his clan into the next peaceful era? He narrowed his slitted eyes, ignoring the thought as he approached the thunderpath. He stopped at it's black tarred edge. This thunderpath had taken many cats' lives in the past, and was even the sight of a gruesome war battle only moons ago. His ears swiveled, searching for the sound of a monster. He stepped aside. "There are no monsters coming. Hurry across," he ordered to his gathering party. Only when they were safely across would he follow behind them. That's what Eaglestar used to do, and he wanted to follow that same example. After they'd all gotten to the other side -- HillClan territory, mind you -- Spiderstar made one last check for monsters, and then bolted across. He didn't stop to make idle chatter, though. He kept running, fully expecting his clan to follow in suit, right into the heart of that forested clan territory. It wasn't long, however, before the Great Oak came into view. He climbed up the grass-covered ridge and stopped abruptly at the grand sight of that enormous oak tree. How long had it been since he'd been there? At least two and a half years, ever since the war finally forced the end of the gathering. The clans just couldn't get along anymore at the gathering during the war, and so had finally decided to stop attending altogether. He looked around, finding that he had actually been the first to arrive. He flicked his tail for his clan to go ahead and do whatever, as he climbed up the Great Oak and onto the middle branch. Waiting was all they could do now; wait for a peaceful confrontation, or wait to be challenged. Personally, he preferred the latter. words: 707. muse: good.

[LEAF !]

stripestar ,
leader of brookclan.

today was the day. today was the big day, the one everyone had been looking forward to. and stripestar was no different: in fact, he could hardly contain his excitement. the one night of the whole moonspan when he could confront spiderstar, face to face, without either trespassing on each other's territory. it was incredible, the way his nerves jittered him about. he was a muscular tom, large and well-built, and his limbs did not tremble in the face of foxes, badgers or monsters. but with the thought of coming against goldenclan - as well as the other clans - he felt the fur on the back of his scruff stick up. shaking it out, he left his den and called out in a loud voice. "brookclan!" he yelled, hoping to get the attention of the warriors and apprentices milling about in the campsite. "honeytail, sunpelt, you're with me, as usual," he said to his deputy and medicine cat respectively, motioning with a flick of his head and tail for them to join him by his side. there were not two cats he would rather have beside him, even though between them they harboured such a useless desire for peace that it almost made him sick. speaking of the warriors he needed with him, he had been thinking about that all day and ideas had been chasing each other's tails around his head. clearing his throat with a cough, he spoke up again, loudly still so that all gathered in the camp could hear him. "and accompanying us shall be tallstream and pinepaw!" satisfied with his decision, stripestar stood and began to walk towards the great oak. turning to pinepaw, the only apprentice he had brought along, he warned her with a serious tone, "don't go frolicking with any enemy apprentices, now. they might seem cute, but i take treason very, very seriously."

the journey was not far, and did not involve too many dangers. he could only hope that spiderstar's party would be crushed by a monster on their way, but that was probably wishful thinking on his part. only probably; a cat could dream. leading his clan with his tail swinging proudly behind him, stripestar arrived at the gathering spot on the sacred earth with a grin. which quickly dissipated as he noticed who was there. spiderstar and barkfoot, a warrior he recognised from the last gathering or two. then beside the warriors were two spotted apprentices he did not recognise. great. spiderstar was raising a commando group of spotted runts to lead secret missions in the dappled light. it was a nice technique, but it wouldn't work on stripestar. nothing ol' spidey pulled would work on stripestar. motioning to his deputy to lead the clan to be seated below him, and climbed up the great oak to take the middle branch beside spiderstar. without facing the large black tom, stripestar spoke out of the corner of his mouth at his long-time nemesis, smiling out at the assembled crowd of two mingling clans. "good to see you so unwell, spiderstar," he said, in a faux-friendly tone, his tail flicking from side to side ever so slowly. it was the only thing which showed his irritation at being second: spiderstar had managed to get the best vantage point at the gathering, and that irked stripestar like nothing else. "greencough striking goldenclan again? pity. we, on the other hand, have had three kits born this last half moon. but i suppose, in the eyes of starclan, every clan is a winner." he turned to spiderstar and let out a barely audible growl in his direction. "just some win more than others."

[[Midnight]]

The moon was shining so brightly, Sunpelt couldn't look directly at it without a slight squint. She was just turning her gaze away from it when Stripestar's authoritave voice rounded them all together. She was more than ready to go, and quickly padded to his left flank while remaining silent, brooding to herself. She knew Stripedstar was worked up, and could even feel his tension without even brushing pelts with him. She certainly didn't regret not being in his paws tonight.

Sunpelt, of course, has spent probably the last entire week contemplating this gathering, wondering what Stripestar had planned. When it came to the war, Sunpelt had never given more than unbiased opinions based solidly on facts. Her position had always remained as neutral as possible, though she had the tendency of momentarily swaying towards peace every now and then. She had been raised in war, and it had almost become a tolerable state of affairs.

She glanced up at the sky again as she padded along. So far so good. Clear skies and a full moon - two things that always put the BrookClan medicine cat at ease. Of course, she couldn't help herself. She had a feeling that she'd be staringly anxiously at the moon the entire night. Even she could feel her muscles straining against her own tension. This was the gathering of gatherings! The first one after the war was declared over.

Joy was almost mixed along with her anxious emotions. This was her first gathering with completely undivided medicine cats. This was what StarClan had meant for warrior life to be like. Her green eyes flicked towards Stripestar again, and realized that these feelings of peace and bliss could very well be short-lived. She longed to warn her leader to at least try and control his temper, stay on his toes. But it was likely useless. Stripestar could more than handle himself out there and Sunpelt felt he really didn't need her advice. Whatever happened, happened, and Sunpelt was ready to back up her leader and his Clan.

When they reached the clearing and the group melted into the crowd, she felt her anxiety wash away and turn into a numb exhilaration. She careened around shapes, all too aware of stares and whispers, even an occaisional hiss. It was all expected. These were all cats her Clan had just been at war with. She kept her head held high and her eyes guarded as she took her place near the base of the Great Oak.

StarClan, you must be as anxious as the rest of us. I'll be watching you, was her silent prayer as she once again took to studying the cloud formations floating around the full moon.

[ϟlightningϟ]

Wildstar took a dew energetic bounding leaps onto sky hill on which he announced to the Clan upon. "HilllClannnn, please gather beneath sky hill For a clan meeting!" the large brown tabby tom yowled, his loud voice echoing throughout the camp, loud and clear. His golden eyes were bright and filled with excitement for the Gathering. Once all the cats gathered, Wildstar cleared his throat. "Okay, lazy fur balls! This is what you've been waiting for all moon! The cats who have to take care of the elders for the month are........" the longfurred tom busted into laughter as he saw confused looks in the crowd. "I'm kidding! The cats who will join me to the gathering are Poppynose, Leafpaw, and Mottleleaf! That is if you can make it, Mottleleaf, you old badger!" Wildstar smiled teasingly. "Now you three follow me and we will be on our way! That is the end of out meeting!" the hyper leader announced and jumped gracefully from his spot. Flicking his bushy tail, Wildstar started bouncing to the Gathering, going slow enough for Mottleleaf to keep up just in case. Once they arrived at the Great Oak, Wildstar left his cats to be seated and such as he took his spot on the Leaders' branch. "Hiya Spiderstar. How's the prey running, Stripestar?" he asked, golden eyes humorous and warm. "It's been a while." he commented as he fidgeted in his seat. The energetic leader found it hard to keep quiet and stay still. Energy seemed to be pouring out of his muscular body. Wildstar's brown lot haired fur swayed softly with every subtle movement and laid fluffy and soft in the rare moments when the still young Tom was still.

[Aaronoid]

H o n e y t a i l

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Honeytail hadn’t slept a wink last night and hadn’t stopped fidgeting all day. She retained her composure and laughed along with the group of warriors she sat with as she bit into a water vole, but inside her mind was cluttered with the nervous fluttering of doubt. She had spoken her mind and advice to Stripestar and there was nothing more she could do now but watch and wait to see how her leader reacted. Closing her eyes, Honeytail let the calm smile fall from her face for a moment as she reminded herself that, no matter what Stripestar said or did, she would be there to back him up every inch of the way. Even if it meant war was to be resumed.

At the call of her name Honeytail slipped into place beside her leader and gave him a warm smile, her whiskers twitching amiably. The fact that Tallstream, a strong supporter of war, was to be joining them didn’t calm Honeytails fears at all but she kept quiet and flicked her tail in greeting as her friend came to join them. The deputy blinked encouragingly at Pinepaw, the young apprentice Stripestar had chosen to tag along, but stiffened when he whispered chilling words into the young ones ear. After he’d moved away she tapped Pinepaw on the head with her tail warmly and whispered, “Don’t worry too much about it. Just keep your chin up and try to keep away from Goldenclan and you’ll be fine.”

The trip was uneventful. Honeytail alternated from walking beside Stripestar and Sunpelt in silence. Sunpelt seemed to share the same anxious feelings as Honeytail and the ginger and white she-cat drew support from the medicine cat, following her frequent glances up to the stars and silent hoping Starclan would get them through the night.

As the Great Oak appeared over the horizon Honeytail felt an urge to have one last private word with Stripestar. She sped up to catch him, opened her jaws to say something, anything, perhaps “behave yourself,” or “don’t provoke it.” But then the scent of Goldenclan overwhelmed her and the sight of the clan itself came into view. Goldenclan had already arrived. Stripestar stiffened before making his way rapidly towards the tree, motioning Honeytail to her place. The deputy obediently followed, watching Stripestar apprehensively, half expecting him to pounce on the Goldenclan leader. But he simply sat down beside him and made some small talk that Honeytail couldn’t hear. She smiled. Maybe the gathering would be a success after all.

Honeytail gave a nostalgic look around. She’d only been here once, as a young apprentice, before the war had begun and gatherings became rather…difficult. She watched sadly as Sunpelt was hissed at by some rude apprentice from Goldenclan. Hopefully this wouldn’t be the last time she’d see this place for the next few moons.

S p o t t e d p a w

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“Spottedpaw? Leopardpaw? Come on. You’re going to the gathering!”

The gathering?! Really?!

Spottedpaw felt a rush of excitement overwhelm her and, with a squeak of excitement, she rushed out of the apprentice’s den into the camp. Spotting Spiderstar she strutted proudly over to his side, holding her head high as if to say she had known she would come all along. Her eyes glinted with excitement as she kneaded the ground eagerly. What would happen tonight? Would they attack Brookclan? Would there be a fight? The little she-cat squirmed in excitement.
Only one thing marred her happiness. Why did Leopardpaw have to come? Why couldn’t Foxpaw or even Squirrelpaw? Spottedpaw threw her brother a look of distaste, hoping he didn’t just follow her around all gathering long. She didn’t want to look like a mousebrain to the other apprentices.

The journey was blurred by the pounding thrill in Spottedpaw’s ears. She barely remembered crossing the thunderpath and the scenery was just a blur of colours. Only when the gathering place came into view did Spottedpaw’s senses sharpen and the world turn picture clear. Her eyes wide, she watched with a spark of pride as Spiderstar climbed the Great Oak before looking around herself. The spotted apprentice felt a moment of flinching nerves strike her as she looked around, unable to shelter beside her mentor. Then a fishy scent she had learned by heart from border patrols overcame her and she was watching Brookclan arrive.

Spottedpaw curled her maw into a snarl as the Brookclan cats entered the clearing. She hissed contemptuously at an orange she-cat with bright green eyes as she passed before raising her chin and glaring with slitted eyes at the rest of the Brookclan crowd. She watched the leader with particular hatred, a striped tom who had the nerve to sit beside Spiderstar and talk to him.

The arrival of another clan, Hillclan, diverted the she-cats attention from Goldenclan’s sworn enemies. After a moments thought, Spottedpaw slipped through the crowd towards the smallest one, a tabby who looked like he could be an apprentice like her. Even for an apprentice, he seemed quite large and she wondered if he was any good at fighting as she blinked warmly at him.

“Hey! You!” she called commandingly, trotting the last few steps to stand before him, “You’re from Hillclan, aren’t you? Well, what’s your name?” She waited a few heartbeats before realizing that she might as well introduce herself as well. “I’m Spottedpaw,” she meowed proudly.

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[• ruthie •]

t a l lstream

Tallstream had been itching for this. Much like all of the BrookClan cats, but she was on edge. Now on the actual day, she wasn’t sure what to do. She had been sure that Stripestar was going to let her come along - but what if Honeytail had said something to him? What if she had assured him that peace was a perfect option, war was not necessary and whatever petty revenge anyone needed could be thrown out their system? The nerve! Tallstream had begun pacing as she thought this over, and only stopped when she realised she had nearly brought up a storm of dust around her. No, she’d be invited. Stripestar was not only her friend but adamant on not ending the war so soon. Of course she’d go - with the likes of Sunpelt and Honeytail in Stripestar’s way, he’d need advocates for war, and Tallstream was one of the first to stick up for him.

And then he said it: her name! Tallstream turned and quickly made her way to their leader, nodding a greeting to them, a small smile gracing her lips. It wasn’t exactly a comforting one, however. Mostly hopeful. She was disappointed her apprentice couldn’t come, and tried to look out for her before they left the camp. Unfortunately she caught no sight of Swallowpaw and looked back ahead, keeping up with the group. Tallstream eyed Pinepaw on their journey, but didn’t say much - hopefully Pinepaw would follow her orders, and Tallstream would be sure to keep her in line, considering Honeytail would be busy sitting in her deputy position.

Upon entering the clearing, Tallstream felt a low growl start in her throat. But she stopped it, glancing at Honeytail and Sunpelt, before her eyes laid on Spiderstar. She felt the need to claw up the tree and kill him right there and then, but knew it would be frowned upon. Well, by everyone but Stripestar, most likely, who by the drop of a mouse tail would join her.
“Good luck,” she meowed quietly to Stripestar as he left to join Spiderstar. Not soon after HillClan arrived, and she eyed Wildstar and sat down on her rump, tail wrapping around her paws. She was not in the mood to speak to anyone. She eyed the GoldenClan warriors, realising one was someone she definitely did not want to see. She sent Lightning storm a particularly cruel glare before looking at something - anything - that wasn’t another cat.

m o t t l eleaf

Mottleleaf enjoyed gatherings. Throughout the war, no matter how bad they got, he would be determined to go. And for the most part he was invited, however recently he had not been. He was rather down about it, feeling like they thought little of him because he was an elder, and genuinely contemplated requesting being re-instated as a warrior. That thought went through his mind most days, but whenever he brought it up with his brothers they would mock him and laugh, saying he’d be as useful as crow food. Of course he’d ignore them, call them senile and wander off to take a walk and stretch his poor aching joints. Not that he was old, though. Nope.

During his little walk around camp, he heard Wildstar calling his Clan. Of course that ball of fur still had all that energy! Mottleleaf was jealous to a point, but decided it wasn’t worth it and made his way over to listen. Oh god no, not Poppynose! Why couldn’t it be Brightflower or someone useful to the clan! He would have sent her a glance, if he knew where she was (and he liked to keep it that way) before hearing his grandson being called. Of course! His grandson’s first gathering! Well, perhaps. Mottleheart wasn’t sure! He looked about for him, smiling and purring. But at the insult from Wildstar, he sent him a glare and snorted.

“I’ll ‘old badger’ you!” Motteleaf warned, following his leader. He could just tell Wildstar was itching to go faster than he was, and mostly out of stubborn spite went ahead of him for a few fox lengths, batting the younger cat on the shoulder with his tail as he passed him. But, not that he would ever admit it, he had to force himself to slow his pace. If anyone questioned it, he would have just said it was because he wanted Wildstar to arrive to Fourtrees first and not him, however he was sore. He was tired.

Looking around at the gathering, he shook his head when he saw Wildstar yapping away to the two other leaders. Of course it just had to be GoldenClan and BrookClan. His eyes wandered, watching as an apprentice from GoldenClan approached his grandson. He watched them for a moment until he looked round at the medicine cats and deputies, seeing the concern on some of their faces. One last glance was sent to the sky before he took a seat, keeping an eye on Leafpaw.

[LEAF !]

leopardpaw ,
apprentice of goldenclan.

a gathering! a gathering! he was going to a gathering! all his life he had been waiting on this very moment, and now it had come! and spottedpaw was coming with him, too. he felt a moment of intense pride surge through his heart for his big sister: the promising apprentice of the leader, no less. but he was just as sure on making barkfoot proud of him as he would if spiderstar were his mentor. barkfoot was like a father to him, already, and he couldn't stand letting him down. his mentor was coming along, too, which was an added bonus. perhaps if he were super well-behaved at the gathering, he might get a pat on the head when they got back to camp, or a reprieve from duties. barkfoot was nice like that. trotting along with his tail high and spirits higher, leopardpaw tried chatting with spottedpaw one last time, the first time he had tried for about half a moon. "isn't this exciting? we're going to a gathering, together!" he almost sang, his face cheerful and joyous. but as they reached the gathered cats, spottedpaw did her usual thing and left him, running off to talk to some handsome apprentice from another clan. leopardpaw did not like the feeling of being alone, but he also knew that spottedpaw wouldn't want to be disturbed as she flirted up a storm with the brown tom. he looked around, noticing a young-looking she-cat standing near the brookclan leader, a striking, muscular striped tom. she looked like she was angry at someone for a second, which meant there was a chance she would be too busy to be angry at him. excellent. he was always one for making new friends, so he padded over to the brown tabby she-cat very quietly, shyly piping up in the politest way possible, "h-hello? my name's leopardpaw, it's very nice to meet you."

poppynose ,
warrior of hillclan.

oh, how she adored wildstar's insane energy. he was like a ball of fun just ready to explode at any moment. she contemplated for a second what her kits would look like if they had wildstar for a father. they would be famous, no doubt, but she didn't think he could stay still for long enough for her to get pregnant. that was an amusing thought, if anything. she shook her head free of the musings and realised that she had missed wildstar's announcement. "what did he say?" she whispered to a nearby warrior, and then jumped on her paws when she heard she was going. a whole gathering full of attractive toms she could lure away and seduce. oh, this would be wonderful! she had a whole pool that she could choose from. maybe there might even be a black and white tom there, so her babies would be mottled like her: or perhaps a stunning ginger tom, to give her calico kittens. choices, choices. flouncing along behind mottleleaf, she laughed prettily at wildstar's words. singing along directly behind the elder, she laughed out, "old badger, fat badger, smelly slimy stinky badger," then collapsed into a fit of giggles. there was an insult she would use for days on end now, and it seemed to irritate mottleleaf so that was an added bonus. as they arrived at the clearing, poppynose did a quick sweep of the area. the goldenclan leader was quite a handsome tom, long-haired and muscle-bound; the brookclan leader, too, cut a striking figure up there on the tree. between that pair and her leader, they were about the only males she would consider right now. ha! well, at least nobody could accuse her of not aiming high. taking a seat a few paces behind mottleleaf, she amused herself by kicking pinecones and bits of clumpy mud at the elder in front of her, meowing in delight every time one hit. she left space between them, and tried to keep it offbeat so he couldn't predict when the next one came, or even be sure there was a pattern. but he was a wily old badger, wasn't he? he'd surely figure it out. she was still on the lookout for potential mates to pin to the earth later this evening. hmmm. leafpaw was a stunning young tom, wasn't he?

[[Midnight]]

LEAFPAW

Leafpaw was a nervous wreck, to say the least. The moment Wildstar had called out his name, he felt a shiver of anticipation and axiety pass through his body like a shockwave. But, this was his first gathering! And his mentor was the leader! He was priveleged, and he knew it, but still - he had a lot to live up to. Could he prove his worth as Wildstar's apprentice? Would he make friends? Or enemies? Both were bad! He frowned deeply, licking at his pelt, and then took a deep breath. Time to go.

He followed along behind his seniors, brooding throughout the entire stroll, feeling nervous at the slightest sounds and the idea of the large crowd waiting ahead.

When they arrived, his fur was fluffed out and his eyes wide. He was already a largely built tom, so he almost looked too big to be an apprentice. He watched as Wildstar took off and leaped up top the oak, settling down with the other two leaders, who seemed very uncomfortable. He wondered momentarily if the war really was over, or if the clearing was going to engulf in flames this very night. Still frowning, he sat back on his haunches and looked around, trying unsuccessfully not catch anyone by the eyes. He felt as though he was being stared at, and looked down at his paws.

At least Mottleleaf is here! he thought to himself, taking encouragement that he was sharing his first gathering with his elder grandfather, whom he admired.

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[☼ i . c . y ☼]

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[atrb=background,http://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz345/Blaze4ever12/Tables/kestrel2.png] Alas, sometimes, one can be extremely unprepared for an event that occurs. In this case, Kestrelstar was that one cat tonight. Slowly stirring from a short sleep, she couldn't help but notice the light beginning to run out, sunset on the horizon. Shocked, she scrambled to her paws and began to run out to the den, skidding across the slick rock. "My apologies, Boulderclan, but all old enough to catch their own prey, meet under Highboulder for a Clan meeting!" her voice yowled across the camp, and waited a moment before continuing on. "As we all know, the Gathering is tonight- and the following cats shall be coming with me, as well as our deputy and medicine cat, Whitewing." Kestrelstar paused for a moment, short black and ginger fur shining dully in the almost-dark. She had thought about this long and hard before, and she knew who was heading out. "Darkfeather, Adderheart, Shadowheart, and Weaselpaw. Now, let's get our paws moving; we're pretty late as is!" she finished, and with a flick of her tail, the meeting was at a close. Taking a brief moment before leaping off of Highboulder, she waited briefly for the called cats to gather around before starting off. As she was leading the other cats, she was reciting why she brought these specific toms and she-cats along with her. Whitewing was obvious: he was her medicine cat, and she always knew that he was one of the cats she trusted most. Darkfeather, well, she was also quite obvious, being her beloved sister and all. Adderheart, he was also a good choice, being her nephew and, overall, a lovely warrior. She felt that he needed to get out and do something, though what, she did not know exactly. Shadowheart: he was a wonderful warrior himself, and deserved to go along. Weaselpaw, ah, well, he was her apprentice, and he proved himself quite well this moon. As soon as the Goldenclan border was in sight, she lead the group carefully across, quickening her pace as light was running out a bit faster. Finally, the one Thunderpath was in sight, and as the monsters went past, she shouted, "Now!" As soon as everyone was across, she continued on toward the Great Oak, whiskers twitching as she was almost there. Hillclan, Goldenclan, and Brookclan's scents were already here, and she realized that she was the last one here. Ugh, that nap so didn't help her image at all. Before the group was there, she gave the normal warning. "Remember, it is fine to socialize with the other Clans, but remember what was going on before this moon." As Kestrelstar dismissed the rest of the ones in her Clan to do whatever they pleased, she started up toward the large oak, climbing up toward the open branch left for her. She felt embarrassment for her lateness creep into her pelt, and with a glance over at the other leaders in apology, she began to lick at a stray bit of fur. "My apologies, Spiderstar, Wildstar, Stripestar. I had not realized that it was so late. I am deeply sorry for making you all wait." Bowing her head in respect, she turned away from the others, and the slight anger in the air told her that there was something.. something that was not going to be wonderful about tonight. Five-Five-Eight The Count n/a The Song Good-Lovely The Muse Late! But at least its up! ...right? The Extra

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[atrb=background,http://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz345/Blaze4ever12/Tables/LightningstormTable2.jpg] The day's light was just beginning to fall when the warrior was beginning to drift off, hopefully into sleep. It didn't dawn on the tabby and white tom that tonight was the Gathering until a certain voice entered his ears: specifically, Spiderstar's. Barkfoot and Lightningstorm, you're coming tonight. Let Leopardpaw and Spottedpaw know that they're coming, as well, he had stated, Lightningstorm beginning to rouse from his nest. "Oh, now? Wonderful." he muttered, a slight wave of his terrible temper radiating from him. He really was not in the mood for a Gathering: all that would happen was bloodshed. Not that he didn't want that, no, of course he would want that. It was just that, he had been training with Foxpaw earlier and was a bit worn out. She was coming along decently, which had surprised him, though he still would not give in and say she-cats were better. It was completely against him, and it just- it seemed so incorrect. Oh well. Thing at the moment was, he was going to the Gathering, and with Barkfoot, and two other apprentices that were not Foxpaw. That was fine, yes, it definitely was. Slinking out of the warriors den to gather with the other cats, he simply followed after Spiderstar when he left, keeping his green eyes focused upon the black-furred leader. He wasn't very affected by the retreating darkness, and in fact, was somewhat looking forward to this. Who knew, maybe that idiotic she-cat Tallstream was here, and wanted to pick a fight with him? That would be fine, and he'd battle with all of his strength. He was older by a few moons, so it should be fine. Right? Of course. By the time the thunderpath came into sight, once Spiderstar told them to cross, he bolted, not stopping until there was Hillclan ground under his paws. He always hated that when there, and he couldn't remember the last gathering he went to. Huh. Whatever. Resuming his trek behind the leader, he was slightly glad that Goldenclan was first to arrive. Taking a place in the outskirts of the place, he watched as the Brookclan warriors began to file in- oh foxdung really. As soon as he saw her, a growl was rumbling in his throat, narrowing his eyes in Tallstream's direction. He really did not want to see that BrookClan warrior. Any other, whatever, he'd injure them eventually. Though, this one- oh, he never hated anyone more than Stripestar, the leader of those wet-furred mice, except her. It was just something that he could not stand- he did not understand it either, it was just that, he never liked him. As the rest of the Clans poured in, Boulderclan being last, he stayed to the back, glaring at any cat that dared to give a look at him. And if Tallstream ever said anything to him- well, mousedung to that. And, well, good luck to her. four-eight-nine words The Count goo goo dolls radio-pandora The Song Decent- Fuck you all-ish The Muse Okay, Lightningstorm is being an arse. Go ahead and interrogate him if you really want to. The Extra

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[ϟlightningϟ]

Adderheart's eyes widened in horror as his name was called to go to the Gathering. He felt like wailing in despair, but instead followed Kestrelstar silently. The small ginger and white tom made sure to keep in the shadows and kept his eyes downward. Once they arrived to the Gathering place, Adderheart almost had a heart attack! He'd forgotten how many cats attended the Gatherings! Oh how painful this night would be. As soon as Kestrelstar gave him the okay to do as he liked, he slunk into the shadows once more, watching the socializing cats with a frightened look. He convinced himself that he was uninteresting and no cat would approach him as he settled down for the meeting. Adderheart wondered what would happen this time. He'd been interested in the battle that just ended and wondered what Spiderstar and Stripestar would say. Wildstar was a different story though. Adderheart knew the entergetic tom had nothing to say that'd interest him much. He figured he'd just ramble and finally cut himself short as always when that best friend of his gave him a look. Adderheart looked around for him, amber eyes filling with confusion when he didn't see him in the crowd. Ah, there he was. Why did he come so late and seperate from his Clan?

Ospreywing jogged into the Gathering. Wildstar had announced that he should attend the Gathering after his run. He had been surprised when Cinderpaw'd told him so. The huge black and white tom had high tailed out of camp and rushed so he wouldn't miss anything. His startling green eyes narrowed and he sighed in exasperation as Wildstar chattered thw other three leaders' ears off with random small talk. He padded over to his leader. "Sorry for being late, Wildstar. You surprised me. I had no idea I was going this time." he said to his leader once he caught his attention.

Wildstar stopped chattering to Spiderstar,Stripestar, and Kestrelstar to speak to Ospreywing. "I bring you every time, Ospreywing! It wouldn't be right without you. Sorry for the sudden surprise." the excited tom said with a bright laugh. "We're about to start, so you can go ahead and go sit down if ya want!" he continued. His tail was twitching hyperly as he spoke. His golden eyes were wide and have made him look intimidating if it weren't for the wide grin on his face that made him look like he was on a sugar high.

Ospreywing nodded and sat near Leafpaw. Once he noticed Poppynose's gaze on the young tom, he shot her and look that said Don't even think about it. he then looked at Leafpaw and leaned close to his ear. " I'd be careful around Poppynose. She's been staring at you. I wouldn't be stuck alone with her if I were you." he warned in a whisper. The black and white tom gave a nod of greeting to Mottleleaf.

[[Midnight]]

SUNPELT

[/b] brookclan meddie

Sunpelt had not caught sight of any other medicine cats at this point, and felt a little bit diappointed. She was looking forward to being able to freely talk with all of them on an equal basis. Again, she hoped it would last. The fiery pelted she-cat was feeling extremely generous in this time of new-leaf, where herbs were so plentiful that she had to be careful not to pick too many and let them all spoil. Some of that was happening now, and she planned on asking the others about their herb stocks and if they needed some help with refills.

Stripestar probably wouldn't like it, but he doesn't need to know all medicine cat buisness, she thought to stubbornly to herself. She decided, since the last Clan was only just arrive and it would be another few moments before it would begin, she could take a quick walk around. She stood up and padded away from the oak, staying around the outskirts of the crowd and searching every face. Everyone seemed so lively; it was a nice feeling. This is what Clan life was meant to be. Apprentices finding their clicks, sharing hunting techniques. Elders, associating with old enemies and telling the young ones their stories. Senior warriors, showing off their battle scars.

Now that it was more than just BrookClan and GoldenClan cats gathered, she noticed tensions had simmered to a low. She felt comfortable enough to sit down near a group of chattering cats of different alliances, and saw that she had settled near an elder that she recognized right away. Sunpelt had always been good with names.

"Greetings, Mottleleaf," she said to the older tom with a friendly smile. "You're looking well!"

---

SHADOWHEART

[/b] boulderclan warrior

The black tom was as sneaky as a snake as he slithered about between the multi-colored shapes, not looking for anyone in particular. He was glad to be a part of the gathering, and was all too curious to see what was coming. War was fresh on everyone's minds - even the Clans who'd taken no part of it. Shadowheart settled down in the middle of the crowd, lifting his handsome face to peer around. He'd take Kestrelstar's warnings to heart and try not to talk about anything to do with the war if he could help it. His views were mostly neutral on the subject, if not a little for it actually; the more the other two Clan fought, the more BoudlerClan took up higher ground.

He pictured Duskwhisker back at camp, and felt his heart shudder with the excitement of one day bringing his kits to their first gathering. The idea was still so foreign to him, that he was a father. At least the gathering was sure to be a breath of fresh air. He looked around and made eye contact with a female warrior from BrookClan, who was currently getting a greeting from an apprentice.

---

LEAFPAW
[/b] hillclan apprentice

At the sound of another voice, Leafpaw jumped slightly, his head now erect and his eyes wide. A she-cat around the same age as himself approached him very energetically. She was an attractive looking she-cat from the get-go: pretty and full of confidence. How could she be brave enough to walk up and introduce herself? Leafpaw was not the social butterfly. He instantly envied this she-cat's bravery and wondered if this was also her first gathering. Shyly, he blinked at her and spoke, unsheathing a single claw to tear at the dirt beneathe him.

"My name? Er, Leafpaw," he replied. As a spur of the moment afterthought, he added, "Yes, HillClan! They're...amazing!"

He frowned instantly affter saying that, looking down at his paws briefly. What a mouse-brained thing to say! "Nice to meet you, Spotted-"

Leafpaw was cut short by another voice. Attention diverted from his new GoldenClan acquaintence, he listened to Ospreywing's warning. He then looked blanky at the warrior, at first dumbfounded at the very idea of what he was telling him. When he couldn't help but look over, however, he caught the eyes of the she-cat watching him, and felt his fur growing very hot with embarassment. He gave her a smile dip of his head, and then looked away, lifting his chin in an attempt to look solemn.

Poppynose, the most beautiful she-cat alive, was watching him?! He felt his heart stir with a sudden ego-boost and probably false hope.

"Uh.. thinks," he mumbled awkwardly to his elder warrior, then shook his head. "I mean, thanks! Thank you for the..warning."
He felt very self-concious now, and a little bit of paranoia made him feel as though all the eyes around him were watching his every move, especially Spottedpaw's.[/center][/blockquote]

[lyric ♫]

spiderstar ,,
leader of goldenclan.

That dreadful scent, a scent that he might've been able to tolerate had he not grown up learning them to be the enemy. His left ear flickered and swiveled off to the side as BrookClan finally came into view. He couldn't help but let out a low growl as the fur along his neck began to bristle. His fierce, slitted yellow eyes were solely focused on one cat, however, and that was Stripestar. He took notice to the silver tabby's small arsenal but only for a moment, and it took every ounce of rationality left in him to not simply jump the opposing leader right then and there. He frantically licked his fur flat as Stripestar climbed up onto the tree, of course taking the spot right next to him so he could insult him. But Spiderstar was just fine with that; it only meant that he was able to insult him, too. "Oh, look," he meowed over-dramatically before letting his voice take on a raspy growl as he continued, "Second to arrive. I guess that means I win this time." He rasped his tongue around his maw menacingly, staring into his opponent's eyes before stretching his right back foot upwards and nonchalantly preening his toes. "Yes, it is true that greencough took many of our warriors this past leaf-bare while the rest of us were dying at your paws, left with little time to help those who were sick."

The large black tom sat up straight and shifted his narrowing eyes, almost giving the impression of sarcasm, "Too bad for you. Receiving help from a disease," he went on, a smirk gracing his maw. It was honestly as if he were having fun with these mind games, and he probably was. "I wonder... what might that say about your actual strength?" he purred violently, like a chainsaw cutting through the heart of HillClan territory. He wasn't scared of anything that the tabby leader might do or say in retaliation, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't silently keeping watch on the sky. He wondered, somewhere in the back of his mind, if StarClan would cover the moon with their clouds and call this gathering short. He also wondered why he was unable to keep his mouth shut against Stripestar's insults, but he cared less about that. His mood lightened slightly at the sight of Wildstar and Kestrelstar, though the aura emitting from him was still dark. "Greetings, Wildstar. Kestrelstar," he nodded respectfully at the two. The two clans which he had yet to have any problems with. "It isn't yet moonhigh," he turned to look at the tortoiseshell leader from BoulderClan, "therefore you aren't very late." He kneaded his paws against the bark of the tree, though he knew it was extremely close to being moonhigh already. "We should start soon."

darkfeather ,,
warrior of boulderclan.

The dark tortoiseshell she-cat was pleased to hear that she'd be attending the first gathering since the end of that war. She stretched her back legs out, licked her front forepaws a couple of times, and then gathered together with her sister and the other cats of their gathering party. She couldn't help the anxiety she felt, though. What if blood really was to be spilled tonight? StarClan surely would not approve, and then how would their opinion of the clans change? Not for the better, that was for sure. Clan life was meant to be about showing one another respect, co-existing peacefully with nature, and honor even when there was a battle. It wasn't supposed to be about senselessly killing one another to prove the other's worth. In all honesty, Darkfeather liked it better when all of the clans were getting along... at least mostly. Back when border skirmishes were a rarity and the fight for power was nonexistent. Those were the good ol' days. Not that she lived in that day and age, but she had heard many stories from the elders when she was growing up.

When her thoughts and prayers finally stopped and she became aware of her surroundings again, BoulderClan had already arrived at the gathering place. Huh. She was a little embarrassed to find that her thoughts had gotten the best of her. She then snapped out of it and looked around. Spiderstar and Stripestar were talking about something, something she knew couldn't have been friendly by the way they were gesturing. She sighed before finding herself an empty spot to sit down where no one was near by. She stared down at her paws, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone and let them see how worried she was about all of this. Perhaps she'd simply ignore it for now, and save her tears for when she were trying to sleep later that night. Yeah... That's what she'd do. She didn't know why she felt so sad about a potential war that she wasn't even a part of, but she just hated all of the unnecessary violence and hatred.

[lyric ♫]

Pardon the OOC intrusion. Just wanted to let everyone know that, thanks to Ruth, this thread now has a posting order. It will help to prevent any clutter or confusion!

So just follow this and it should be fine. C:

Lyric (Spiderstar, Darkfeather)
Leaf (Stripestar, Poppynose, Leopardpaw)
Lightning (Wildstar, Adderheart, Ospreywing)
Icy (Kestrelstar, Lightningstorm)
Aaranoid (Honeytail, Spottedpaw)
Jay (Finchclaw) jay hasn't been around lately, so until she shows herself you can ignore her in the posting order.
Midnight (Sunpelt, Shadowheart, Leafpaw)
Ruth (Whitewing, Tallstream, Mottleleaf)