Bumblepelt

Somehow, the tone shifted to an even grimer reality. Truth be told, Bumblepelt wasn’t entirely sure whether he wanted a blazed up Lynxstar to pop to the Gathering. Yes, he knew he should have expected the big, scary tom to show up, but seeing him in person and his new scars was not what the Representative expected. Well, hoped would be a better word. All of this and his determined, bloodthirsty look in his eyes only made the Leader more imposing, more terrifying.

“Evening, Lynxstar,” whispered the tabby weakly. “I wish that your trip wasn’t too hard considering the recent… events.” His head hung low when talking to the Leader. Ribs glistened in the moonlight. “I’m sure you’ll be able to bounce right back. And that you’ll find the culprit.”

He stopped. There wasn’t any use in talking to the clearly mad tom. Bumblepelt just hoped he wouldn’t get a new clawmark on his face.

Blaze

Badgerpaw

The tone quickly, but quietly, shifted. With the new arrival of ThunderClan - or whoever was able to bear the fire wounds - most cats seemed fairly concerned. Maybe some, actually. However, as always, his fellow Apprentice, Otterpaw, was still chatting to one of the spooky DarkClanners. And that is a big, mouse-scented ‘NOPE!’ in Badgerpaw’s book. And while he would have absolutely loved to not get involved in whatever those two were doing.

Deeply, he sighed, and began to stalk over to the young she-cat, knowing full well this could never go well. ‘Please don’t eat my sould, please don’t eat my soul, please don’t eat my-’ constantly rang through the tom’s mind, unaware of how ridiculous such a sentence sounds. Nevertheless, he reached the Apprentice and mewed in a hushed tone:

“Heeeeey Otterpaw… Erm… I just wanted to say that uh- Maybe you should come back to the RiverClan side? Only if you want of- of course! But er- You see, the Gathering is about to start so… maybe - and JUST maybe - it might be a good idea to stick with your Clan for this one? I don’t know- Everyone is a bit… stressed. Wouldn’t want to upset your Mentor, r-right?” Badgerpaw awkwardly laughed after the last sentence. This wasn’t the right time for jokes and all of his bits of fur knew as smoke bellowed around his paws. If it wasn’t for the fact that the newest arrivals to the Gathering were taking up everyone’s attention someone would have most definitely seen the absolutely embarrassing sight that was Badgerpaw, and he knew.

Talis hussar

"Let's not make hasty assumptions, shall we Lynxstar?"
The night black molly responded in a smooth voice, only a slight flick of her tail tip did she convey some annoyance, as the rest of her facial expression remained in a neutral stoic pokerface.

"I say this, since your judgement is fully faulty. Unless Stormstar would like to go first, I'd like to take the word first. I'm not here to beat around the bush, even if maybe that's more what you like to do. Not to imply anything so don't take it to the heart, I'm just saying that I have other things to have my attention on, so it would be nice if I could get it over with and adress the problem regarding the... incident involving your lands catching fire. While you might view me like one, I would hereby explain that I am not a small kit who did an oopsie that is hiding behind their mother's tail in having to avoid the embrassment from their clan." Her whiskers twiched slightly. "Shadowclan's inhabitants don't flee responsibility, I reassure you all here." She concluded, before turning her head to Stormstar and the other leader felines.

"It would be rather important for me to adress the situtation right away. However, I understand and accept if you would like to speak first. Maybe it's a good choice for you to do so."

Blaze
20mia08
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Thorne

Something about the presence surrounding his beloved DarkClan leader seemed different, something the awkward WindClan leader couldn't quite put his paw on. Maybe she'd groomed her fur in a different way since they'd last met? Working out more by leading more patrols? He didn't know- the only thing Stormstar was certain about was that he fell in love with her all over again, every time her voice graced his ears. The smoke leader held his breath. "Thank you," he responded to Ravenstar's condolences, trying his darndest to keep everything quick and stoic between himself and the feline he loved dearly. He yearned to speak with her more. For now...things would have to be brief, professional. They would surely have their long nights under the comfort of the moonlight once more, just the two of them.

He was surprised to have Bumblestripe, of all cats, also speak on the recent loss of Snakepad. It was tough on Stormstar, not having his right-hand man anymore. But then again, he did his best to optimistically look forward to whatever new strengths the replacement would have to offer. It could be an improvement, or it could be a downgrade. Only time would tell. "Oh, th-thank you both." He replied quickly to both Bumblestrpie and Crowfang, the tom who appeared to be ShadowClan's newest deputy. Stormstar had nothing against the shadowy fire-elements. A friend of Ravenstar was a friend of his. "...I'm sure my newest deputy will do everything they can to live up to Snakepad's name."

He didn't know what to say, really. His mind kept flickering back and forth to the lack of ThunderClan's presence, and his silent hope that Lynxstar had just...

-well, there went his hopes.

And now the big guy wanted to put all the pressure on him by making him speak first.

Well, shit.

The WindClan tom had not-so-gracefully assumed his position on top of WindClan's respective stone. Lynxstar's exchange of hot words with the ShadowClan leader made him feel even more uncomfortable. As a WindClan cat, Stormstar wasn't particularly keen on conflict. Maybe it would ease tensions if he just went first, anyways? "...WindClan is still hindered by the wolf population. As many of you may have noticed, Snakepad, our deputy, is no longer with us." The black smoke leader gave a small bow of his head, in acknowledgement of the deputy's passing. "...To avoid the situation with the wolves, WindClan has since implemented our old tradition of tunneling systems. So far, things have been working out well. No further lives have been lost, and prey is running well. WindClan is rising from the ashes even stronger than before." Oh shi- Stormstar cast an uncertain glance at Lynxstar. Oops? No pun intended there...

He recalled Fallowbird's request. "WindClan is also missing two apprentices: Eveningpaw and Mosspaw. If any cat has word on them, it would mean the world to their family and WindClan if you could inform us."

Thorne
Blaze
Ioana003
Jinx
simonwho
Talis
hussar

The WindClanner directed his ears to the cat who spoke: ThunderClan's medicine cat, Sagewhisker. Knowing who was speaking made his heart pound in his throat, forcing Stormstar to swallow in hopes of it vanishing. If it was their medicine cat informing him of their lost apprentices, he could assume the worst. The wolves might have killed them, or maimed them beyond recognition. Yet, he was comforted when the white-furred tom explained that they were doing fine and merely recovering from their injuries.

But a WindClan cat with a broken leg in times like these was a dead cat.

He understood the medicine cat's concern. She wouldn't be fit to travel, not even in the tunnels. If there was a collapse, she wouldn't be well enough to sprint out with her life. If one of the wolves so happened to corner her...she would never make it home.

The black smoke glanced to their mother in a pitiful fashion, hoping she'd understand and accept Sagewhisker's advice. He knew they'd been gone for some time now. He knew she wanted her kittens back more than anything else. But it was better late than never. "I-I understand..." The awkward tom adverted his gaze to his paws, briefly thinking over the herbalist's words. "...I agree that it's best to let them recover," he began slowly, still processing the tom's message. Was ThunderClan even safe for them anymore, with the fires? "WindClan thanks you for finding and healing our apprentices. If there's anything you need for them to speed up their recovery, please let us know. Their mother and siblings eagerly await their safe return." He had no choice. "...How much longer do you anticipate to keep her?"

Thorne

Thank StarClan- he apparently handled that situation well. Ish.

The smoked leader tried to keep himself composed, with the smallest surge of confidence temporarily swimming through his lean form. Sagewhisker seemed content with Stormstar's response, and that was all-good in his book. As long as he didn't have to deal with Lynxstar and metaphorically pee his pants in the presence of the intimidating leader, he was ok with ThunderClan. Although, that didn't mean he was ok with how they treated DarkClan. But that was private matter he'd have to keep to himself for the time being, until enough tension finally made his bias lurch forward.

He was comforted when he learned that at least one of the missing apprentices could return home earlier. That would quell Fallowbird's concerns- or at least half of them, anyways. "We'd love to arrange a meeting to transport Eveningpaw as soon as possible." Stormstar murmured, curling his salt-and-peppered tail around his paws. It seemed business casual, sitting like that. Right? Approachable but also professional? "...Again, thank you for caring for them. It means a lot to us- especially to their mother."

-----

Newtpaw, despite the scathing burns on her paws, sat bright and alert with her ears perked forward. Every moment, she spent intently watching Lynxstar and observing the responses of the other leaders through a set of keen cerulean eyes. Although she began to tire of the wishy-washy conversation between the unprofessional WindClan leader and Sagewhisker, she remained attentive to the details of the discussion. Hmph- it would only seem fair to have WindClan pay them for their services. ThunderClan had lost enough- WindClan did have wolves, but now ThunderClan lacked a reliable herb supply.

Although she was technically heiress to the Thunderclan throne, it was not her place to offer her input. Not yet, at least. But perhaps Sagewhisker did have a point with remaining on good terms with WindClan. ThunderClan was now in a vulnerable position, and this was no time to go on with making enemies. They were already enemies with both DarkClan and ShadowClan.

Thorne

Hailsky

She may have been caught in the fire, like every other ThunderClan cat, but being a Fire Element herself lended the she-cat a few benefits, mostly her fur’s notable resilience to flame. Of course, she was able to evade or fight off part of the fire as well. Even the most experienced Fire Element would never be able to survive long in that heat.

Nevertheless, Hailsky’s strengths should have possibly been given to protecting the Clan, although plenty were still at the cave. Was there something Lynxstar needed from her? Everyone knew this Gathering could end in bloodshed, so it wasn’t impossible to assume he had something planned.

Her serene white fur stood out like the full moon among the cats, especially among ThunderClan. While the leaders seemed to constantly yowl at each other, the Warrior averted her attention to everyone else. RiverClan was still thin, and WindClan still looked battle-worn. If from the wolves, the molly didn’t know. ShadowClan and DarkClan looked to be the only Clans who were remotely well off, but no one was in a particularly cheery mood. Well, maybe just for that one RiverClan Apprentice.

Silently, she sat down and listened at what others were whispering around her. It was rather difficult with the sheer amount of chatter, however quiet.

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Eelchaser

The tom trotted in with his tail held high, however burned it looked. His paws thumped against the sandy ground, paved by the cats before him, and his electrifying eyes switched from cat to cat and then to a tree. While definitely not a Dark Element, Eelchaser always preferred it when it was darker outside. Maybe it had something to do with storms or maybe the fact he could probably run as far as he wanted and no one would see him. He has always liked Gatherings because of this.

Even this one he was looking forward to. Admittedly, ThunderClan’s arrival had been… unclear, but nevertheless, Eelchaser was there and ready to hear what the other Clans had been up to, even if he despised some quite a bit…

But it didn’t matter at that moment. He was finally out where he felt the air smelled less like fried pine and that was all he needed for the night. Whether he could sit there and just be happy about the air was up to whether or not Lynxstar thinks it necessary to cut the Gathering short.

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Rosepounce

“There they are!” whisper-yelled the young she-cat a bit too loudly to even count as a whisper. But ThunderClan had, in fact, arrived at the Gathering. ‘She didn’t burn them all after all!’ exclaimed Rosepounce in as loud and cheerful of a mind voice she could. Truthfully, it didn’t really matter to her whether or not ThunderClan were safe. They weren’t that much of a worry on her mind. But the Warrior didn’t know what else she could’ve thought about. Well, besides staring at the stars (which she did), talking to some strangers (which wasn’t hard, but they certainly weren’t very welcoming), or just listening at the awkward chatter from the Leaders, the second most important drama in her life after…

After Sunwing burned half the forest down. Maybe she’d forget her someday, but for now? Now, she had to busy herself with other things.

Things like going back to listening to what the Leaders are- Okay, that was a bad idea. Lynxstar was, as always, intimidating. And his tone… Maybe Rosepounce would have to worry about her sister after all. And her entire Clan.

He flicked an ear as if he were dealing with a bothersome fly, but stood to address the warriors below. ”ThunderClan welcomes a new warrior to our ranks as well; Hailsky of WindClan has made the decision to join us and we welcome her with open paws. Though she has already completed her warrior training, she has been assigned to Crowfang, who will help her adjust. We also have two new apprentices, Lilacpaw and Whitepaw, who have been apprenticed to Vixenleap and Sagewhisker respectively,” he says, giving a nod to them both.

”We have a new litter of kits, sired by Soft-tail. Their mother could not make the gathering, though she sends her regards. Which brings me to a much more pressing matter.”

He forces his fur to lie flat as he continues. ”There is no doubt that each and every single one of you has heard whispers of ThunderClan territory burning down yet again. I had hopes that these... atrocities would be put to a stop under Nightstar’s rule, but it appears they were misguided,” he rumbles, casting a side eye to the cat in question. He continues on, ”Though, it is not the territory in which I am angered by. They can be regrown in time and ThunderClan will persevere, just as we always have. No, it is the lives lost in the fire that I demand justice for.

”Blossompaw, Owlpaw, Hollyfoot, Lizardgaze, Lightningstrike, Brackenstep, Crowheart and Fawnheart have perished in the flames. May they find peace and rest where they stand among the stars, but these deaths were all avoidable. This fire is the worst we have seen in ThunderClan history, and we are fully within our rights to suspect foul play.”

hussar
simonwho