The Gathering (7/20/14) {OPEN}

{{Welcome to the first Gathering! To make things easy, any character is invited(if eligible). Even if this character is currently in a roleplay. These ongoing roleplays may still go on. This is the first gathering, so things may get a little confusing. Just bear with us. Also please include your cat's name and Clan in each post like I have done below. It just helps organize things.}}

Rowanstar halted at the edge of his territory. He raised his tail as a signal for his clanmates to wait. He lifted his nose and scented the air. First Clan here. He thought to himself. He quickly lowered his tail and leaped through the undergrowth into the clearing. He padded quietly over the the giant boulder and bunched his hind legs under him in preparation to jump. He landed softly on to the of the boulder and sat down. He curled his tail over his paws and watched his clanmates wandering around the clearing.

Lynxclaw followed the clan at the back of the group. She silently wondered what the leaders would talk about at the Gathering. It felt like it had been a whole season since the last Gathering. She paused in the bushes while Rowanstar scented the air. When he signaled, she jumped from the bushes and found a good seat near the base of the boulder.

Mintdust padded alongside her mate. She walked along with him until they reached the clearing. She found a place to sit in the soft grass. She watched lovingly as her mate leaped onto the boulder, his muscles rippling under his mottled pelt.

Rowanstar dipped his head in acknowledgement of Needlestar. "Hello Needlestar. My Clan is well, how has yours been doing this moon?" He glanced down at the clearing and noticed Mintdust watching Needlestar intently. She appeared to be slightly plump. "Ah, is that your mate?" he asked with genuine curiousity flicking his ears towards Mintdust.

Rowanstar noticed the loving look in Needlestar's eyes as he gazed down at Mintdust. "Larkfall hasn't kitted yet, but it should be any day now," he mewed. He leaned in closer and whispered, "To be honest, I'm terrified." He straightened himself up and glanced around the clearing. "No idea where she could be."

Rowanstar's ears perked up as the DewClan cats came into the clearing. He watched as Dovestar made her way over to the boulder. "Hello Dovestar," he mewed as she jumped up beside the two toms. He glanced down at the DewClan cats beginning to disperse among the other Clan cats. "I guess we should wait a bit before beginning. It looks as if everyone would like a bit of time to talk."

Honeydrop trotted along behind Dovestar. She wasn't big on gatherings, but as a medicine cat, she had to go. As they entered the clearing, she made her way over to where the medicine cats normally sat. She settled down and scanned the clearing through squinted eyes.

Rainsong padded along beside Graystorm. As they reached the clearing, she watched as Graystorm took off to meet with the other cats. She made her way over to Leopardpelt and Mintdust. "Hello!" she mewed.

Liontooth trotted along silently through the trees. He glanced back and saw a familiar white pelt. He gasped and fell back. He nuzzled his mate's cheek with his nose. "Whitecloud! I didn't notice you were coming to the gathering!"

Lynxclaw noticed Leopardpelt talking with Mintdust from PineClan. She padded over and mewed a greeting to the cats. She sat down beside Leopardpelt and listened quietly to the conversation.

Mintdust lifted her head as Leopardpelt walked over. "Hello Leopardpelt! I'm very good. I just found out I'm having kits!" She purred. She nodded to Rainsong and Lynxclaw as they both came over. "Hello!"

Rainsong purred at Mintdust's news. "Congratulations! I'm guessing Needlestar is the father?" She asked. She had seen Mintdust watching Needlstar intently before they had come over.  She turned to Leopardpelt. "Oh that's great news! Me and Flamebreeze just became mentors too! Are your apprentices here?"

Mintdust glanced up at Needlestar when Rainsong asked her question. "Yes, he is the father," she purred. Her ears pricked when she heard Leopardpelt and Rainsong's news. "Oh wow! That's great! Your first apprentices!"

Lynxclaw nodded. "Echopaw and Fallenpaw should be around here somewhere. It's their first gathering, so they're probably off having fun." She looked around the clearing, but couldn't find them. They must have been hidden among the groups of cats.

Rowanstar followed Dovestar's gaze and looked down at his warriors. They seemed to be enjoying sharing news with the other Clans. The Clans were currently at peace, so he saw no harm in waiting a bit. He turned back to the other leaders. "So Needlstar tells me that his mate is expecting kits," he told Dovestar.

Liontooth nodded to his mate. He knew there was no stopping her. He walked beside her as the entered the clearing. He looked around and saw his fellow warriors mingling with the other clan cats. "Where do you want to sit?" He asked Whitecloud.

Rowanstar nodded. "Yes, Larkfall should be kitting any day now," he purred. He looked at Dovestar with a puzzled look on his face. "Your mate? Something you're not telling us, Dovestar?" He chuckled.

Lynxclaw nodded to Leopardpelt. "They better not be getting into trouble. StarClan knows they're little rascals." She was a bit worried that Echopaw and Fallenpaw were up to something. Those two never seemed to stop getting into mischief.

Rainsong shook her head. "Creampaw is staying in camp tonight. She's still too young. She was only made an apprentice this evening," she mewed. She couldn't wait for Creampaw to come to the Gathering so she could introduce her to the warriors.

Mintdust looked up as Whitecloud and Liontooth padded over. "Whitecloud! You look like you could have your kits any day now!" She purred.

Liontooth followed Whitecloud over to the group of warriors. He nodded to them as he settled down beside his mate. He twitched his whiskers in amusement at Leopardpelt's comment. "There is no stopping her," he purred.

"Don't worry, I will," Rowanstar promised. He could see a quick look of longing flash in her eyes. He guessed that she wished she could have kits of her own. He chuckled as she mentioned her "mate". "Bet he wishes he was here at the gathering."

Liontooth stopped and his eyes widened at his mate's threat. "Sorry sweetie," he purred while giving the top of her head a loving lick.

Mintdust purred in amusement at Whitecloud's comment about toms. "Needlestar has no clue how awful it is to be growing so large," she mewed. She glanced at her own swollen belly. "I still have a ways to go."

"Dear StarClan, she and her brother were begging so much to go tonight," she mewed, "And don't worry, you'll meet her next time she's here."

Rowanstar's whiskers twitched as he notice the lack of amusement in Dovestar's words. "Everything alright Dovestar?" He asked, looking puzzled.

Liontooth purred at his mate's words. He knew she hadn't been serious, but it was better to be safe than sorry with the hormonal queen. He intertwined his tail with hers and nuzzled her cheek.

Rainsong watched Liontooth and Whitecloud. "Yuck!" She muttered to the other warriors as the pair was getting all lovey dovey, a hint of amusement in her voice. She turned back to Leopardpelt. "I'm sure you'll find him once the Gathering ends and the cats begin to leave. You can bring him over to meet me then!"

Lynxclaw chuckled at Rainsong's disgust. She scanned the clearing as Leopardpelt spoke about the apprentices. She didn't see either of them anywhere. "And knowing Echopaw, you'll meet him when you meet Fallenpaw," she mewed.

Mintdust purred as she thought about her pregnancy and future kits. "There is no way I'd take this back. Kits are wonderful. I moved to the nursery a few sunrises ago and have been watching other queens' kits. It's just wonderful!"

The young tom looked around the gathering with wide, amazed eyes. He had never been before, and he felt excited to meet other cats. He glanced towards his mentor before falling into Fallenpaw on purpose, making the white tom stumble. Jumping back to his paws, Echopaw took off running, and sure enough, Fallenpaw followed after. Looking around as he raced about, he was careful to avoid any high ranking cats and crashing into anyone. He only seemed to slow when he realized he couldn't find any other apprentices.


Fallenpaw was watching Echopaw and the rest of the cats around them, focused on his brother but studying everyone they came near. When Echopaw crashed into him, he wasn't surprised, but he still took off chasing him. They bolted around like excited kits, careful not to go anywhere near the leaders and deputies, and both avoided running into other warriors. Picking a fight or embarrassing their mentors was not on their list of things they wanted to do.

When Echopaw stopped running, Fallenpaw seemed to struggle to slow down, but rather than crashing into Echopaw, he reared up and batted at him. The smaller tom purred and pounced on him, and the two flopped down in the grass together, grooming each other and looking around. It was perhaps the latest either had been out of their dens.


The young warrior was at the back of her clan as they reached the clearing. She took in the sight of the other warriors and apprentices wandering around. She felt a low purr rumble in her chest, and she joined them in walking at random. She had no friends in other clans yet, but she began to approach a group of warriors that seemed about her age, though they spoke of apprentices so she wasn't quite sure. Realizing one of the she-cats was from her clan, she greeted her, "Hello, Rainsong." She dipped her head in greeting to the two DuskClan warriors.


The young medicine cat tom walked around the clearing slowly. He was attempting to find both Fireflower and Honeydrop, not particularly partial to which one he found first. He and his sister seemed to always sit together when the leaders were speaking, but he also wanted to catch ahold of the other medicine cat in an attempt to speak with her.


Fireflower lay with the elders, her head resting on her mother's shoulder as she looked at the tom that lay next to her. She had woken for the dawn patrol, gone hunting, returned to share tongues at sunhigh, and then gone out hunting again. Had she known that she was going to the gathering that night, rather than being left behind to sleep, she perhaps would have skipped on slipping out of camp the second time, especially since she hadn't really needed to hunt so much, but feeling tired and nestling into her mother's side brought back memories of kithood, and she was quite content to float half awake for a bit.


The old queen kept her tail wrapped around her daughter. Though Fireflower was no longer small enough to curl into her side, in fact, she was now larger than her mother, she still felt protective of her. As the sleepy she-cat put her chin on her shoulders, she merely shifted her weight, turning to speak with Cloudrise. As always, he and Cloverblaze both lay with her. The elders talked about nothing of importance, discussing the good old days and smiling at the apprentices that bumbled around foolishly.

{{Fuck why did I bring so many of my cats. I can't remember who's where.   }}

Rowanstar shook his head. He could tell something had bugged her, but he knew it was rude to pry. And anyway, he was from an enemy Clan. There was no way she'd tell him anything that made her look weak. "Oh, nevermind. You just looked a bit sad for a moment," he mewed. He turned to look at the cats below and then turned back to Needlestar and Dovestar. "Shall we begin the Gathering now?"

Honeydrop noticed Ashwing, the new medicine cat of DuskClan, wandering around. She rolled her eyes and figured it would be best to introduce herself to the tom. She sighed as she pushed herself to her paws. As she padded over she forced herself to hide her hostility toward any living being and put on a smile. "Hello, Ashwing is it? I'm Honeydrop, DewClan's medicine cat."

Rainsong scrunched her nose at Whitecloud's comment. She turned as she heard footsteps and her name. "Hello Ivytail!" She meowed.

Lynxclaw followed Leopardpelt's gaze and saw the two apprentices flopped on the ground together. She rolled her eyes and smiled. She remembered her first Gathering. She turned to the she cat who joined the group and dipped her head in greeting. "Hello, I'm Lynxclaw."

Mintdust sighed and rested her chin on her paws. "I can't wait until my kits are born," she purred.