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Post by Rebecca on Dec 4, 2010 20:47:12 GMT -5
Hawkstar couldn't help but feel as angry and nervous as he was. Because really, who wouldn't be angry about horribly losing a battle to DustClan and OakClan when they could have won? His Clan was still licking their wounds and nursing their broken pride, and now even his Clanmates were beginning to question his leadership. They thought he was crazy! He had been called crazy by five cats. Five cats! That was too many. But Hawkstar knew that oftentimes cats called others "crazy" when they did not agree with the alleged madman's ideals, or if his ideals did not agree with popular belief. Well, Hawkstar was not about to conform to popular opinion! No, never! He knew that he had been right in attacking DustClan and would do over again if he had to, because StarClan had called him to do so! Grated, they had lost the battle but Hawklstar believed that they had not lost the war. And what war would that be, you may ask? The war against injustice, tyranny, and falsehood! Hawkstar had helped PineClan avenge their dead in a way, and so in a way their had been a victory! It was just that it seemed Hawkstar was the only cat in his Clan who saw it in that light. Really, he did not understand why no one else understood. He supposed it was because their parents had not taught them philosophy or showed good moral character.
Yes, that must the reason.
Hawkstar led his Clan into the Clearing, happy to be the first to arrive. He was not in the mood for speaking with any of the other Clan leaders, because he was certain that the three younger leaders were not mature enough to know when to hold their tongues. Because no one was more mature than he was. He leapt onto his place on the Dirt Mound, watching as his disgruntled followers entered.
Tawnystream shook her head and Hawkstar bounded into the Clearing as if he were king of world when really, he should have walked in a little more humbly. What if Birchstar or Redstar had seen him in such a pose? They would have come right over and gave him a piece of their mind, she was sure of it! Yes, Hawkstar was her grandfather, but she did not agree with the mess that he had created "in StarClan's name". It was heresay if you asked her. But for some reason her father, Bearheart, still had utter faith in his father. Tawynstream just wanted to ask him, Why? Why would you beleive him? How could you possibly justify him attacking an innocent Clan, practically killing off half of MarshClan? The battle had ended horribly for MarshClan and PineClan, MarshClan moreso. After OakClan had come and aided DustClan as MarshClan and PineClan fought, the victor had been made clear. But instead of intelligently retreating, Hawkstar just had to make everyone keep fighting until PineClan retreated. Then, and only then, did Hawkstar say that "the cowards may leave this battleground!" Uhm, the entire Clan ran for their lives, Hawkstar. Thanks for calling us all cowards. Tawnystream knew she wasn't alone in this foul opinion of Hawkstar. She was starting to think that it was time for the old cat to retire because honestly, when you start to believe that you're prophesized to send your Clan on a suicide mission, it's time.
Doepaw was at the rear of the gloomy MarshClan procession, unsure of what was goign to happen tonight. She hadn't actually gone to the battle that everyone was talking about, but apparently it had been bad. It had been so bad that it was turning the entire Clan against her dear great grandfather! She didn't understand it at all. Hawkstar hadn't done anything wrong!
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Post by Dawn on Dec 5, 2010 1:05:14 GMT -5
Starlingstorm padded calmly into the clearing, his eyes slightly narrowed as he soaked it all in. They were the first to arrive. Shame, he liked coming after another Clan; not liking how exposed he felt, even under the full moon and the truce it brought.
He padded along after Tawnystream, his mind too flitting around Hawkstar. He had seen the big tabby leader swagger into the clearing and could barly stop his lip from curling. Honestly, the tom wondered why everyone said all those rude things about him and then started doing things like that. He almost wished the other leaders could have been there to snort their distain at him.
No, he shouldn't be wishing that. He was required to be loyal... and surely being loyal to your leader was not wishing he be embarassed in front of all the Clans - even if he did deserve it.
Starlingstorm swerved off from the mass of his Clan to seat himself a little ways away, looking somewhat curiously towards the entrance of the clearing. He was wondering how DustClan would react upon setting eyes on a bunch of MarshClan cats, after what had happened. He didn't expect them to come over and joyously ask him what he had for lunch, but he did hope that Hawkstar's crazy attack on them had not completely turned them against the rest of MarshClan... that would be unfortunate.
A flicker of movement caught his eye and he turned his head to see Batstream pacing back and forth among the shadows. When she turned towards him, he could see the emotion sparking in her eyes. He wondered what that was about...
----
Batstream paced back and forth among the shadows, having separated from her Clan after only a moment. She didn't spare a thought for Hawkstar as he swaggered through the clearing, she didn't even notice. Nor did she notice the curious look she was getting from Starlingstorm. No, she was too focused on her troublesome thought.
She had killed a DustClan warrior. She hadn't meant to, she really hadn't. It had just happened. In the heat of the battle. Pantherfoot, that was his name. Perhaps it would ring around in her mind forever more. Pantherfoot. Pantherfoot. You killed Pantherfoot. She hadn't been able to let it go. She just focused on it endlessly, tirelessly. It had taken her mind off of her duties so much, even Redpaw had corrected her, somewhat sheepishly, on her hunting croutch when she had missed that stupid mouse for placing her paw too heavily.
But it wasn't just that she had killed Pantherfoot... no. It was also that he had been gaurding the nursery... there had been a little tom kitten peering out at them through horrified blue eyes. He had seen it happen. She deeply hoped it hadn't been his kit, but she had a nagging feeling that it had been. It was horrible.... how could she have done such a thing? She hadn't meant for it to happen! No, she would never have meant such a thing to happen! But never the less, it was her fault. Her burden to carry.
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Post by frosty on Dec 6, 2010 14:02:32 GMT -5
Sleetpaw stalked into the Clearing behind Hawkstar, her head hanging low as she walked with her body pressed low to the ground. Her silver tabby pelt glinted in the half light as she moved with the grace of a river. Her mood was somber as her tail skimmed the ground. Her shoulders were hunched but her pale yellow eyes glowed with a certain intensity. She wore her scars proudly, showing the cats of the Gathering how bravely she had fought against DustClan.
But alas, MarshClan had been driven out once OakClan and PineClan were brought into the fray. Sleetpaw reminisced how crushing the blow had been when the "Retreat!" was yowled. She winced as she remembered pounding through the Openland in the desperate escape of snapping jaws and slashing claws. MarshClan had been forced to swallow their pride as they raced back to their camp, terrified of further injury.
The cold content in Quillpaw's eyes as she sat beside Ilexflower, awaiting the battle patrol. The look her sister gave her was piercing, almost as if to say "I told you so." Her littermate had agreed with the medicine cat when the white she-cat had boldly stood up to Hawkstar, but was immediately silenced.
Sleetpaw let out a long sigh, drawing to a halt when Hawkstar leaped atop the dirt mound. Regardless of Hawkstar's behavior, she would always remain loyal to her leader.
Ilexflower was among the last of the MarshClan cats to pour into the Clearing. Her green eyes reflected nothing but defeat and she dragged her dainty white paws. She hadn't wanted to come to the Gathering, but she had no apprentice of her own to make up for her absence. It was embarrassing to face the other three Clans as MarshClan's medicine cat, knowing she had failed both StarClan and MarshClan by not trying hard enough to prevent this battle. She could've, but she had failed. Failed. Failed miserably. She wasn't deserving to be medicine cat. How could she help StarClan communicate with Hawkstar if he wouldn't listen? Her leader was going crazy, and if he was going crazy then MarshClan would crumble. She had to talk to Reedstorm about possibly taking Hawkstar's position. Perhaps it was time for the tabby to retire and let his loyal deputy rebuild the Clan. Ilexflower squeezed her eyes shut for a long moment before padding up to the Dirt Mound and sitting quietly with her head bowed.
A medium sized she-cat crested the rise, her head outlined in silver against the night sky as she peered into the Gathering place. Ears erect and head held high with dignity, she mewed her approval to her Clan to plunge into the Clearing. Birchstar's face came into view as she pulled out of the shadows, her Clan closely behind her.
Flikcerstorm padded into the Clearing directly behind her mother, a moonbeam touching her ivory pelt to silver. There was a fiery determination in her sky blue eyes, yet they were narrowed to vicious slits. They scanned the crowd of MarshClan cats, seeking out on cat in particular. She scoped out a lithe dark brown she-cat, stalking her with her eyes. Claws unsheathed, she gripped the ground firmly as she walked with unmasked authority. She could feel the rage, the pure fury, pumping through her veins angrily with each step she forced herself to take. Her heart felt as though it was about to explode out of her chest, overflowing with concentrated emotion.
Batstream. Batstream. Batstream.
THe name echoed in her head, aggravating her even more. The sound of blood rushing to her head drowned out every other sound. The endless thrumming her head was enough to drive a sane cat crazy, but then again Flickerstorm was far from sane. She was so livid her mentality was way past a safe level. The she-cat didn't even hear her mother whisper gentle words in her ear as she walked by.
There! An alarm went off in her head as the skinny she-cat came into view. Pale blue eyes pinned the MarshClan cat into place, hiding in the darkness like a coward. Good, atleast she was separate from the rest of her Clan. A long hiss escaped Flickerstorm's lungs as she drew her lip back to reveal thorn sharp teeth. The hiss broke off into a yowl as the DustClan queen hurtled herself at Batstream.
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Post by Rachel on Dec 6, 2010 19:47:55 GMT -5
Leopardfur
Leopardfur had kept close to the front of the procession of DustClan cats. The she-cat had been worried about the gathering ever since the attack. Her dreams had been restless, and nervous tension could be seen in her staccato gait. She had a bad feeling about tonight. She saw Ilexflower, who looked somewhat upset, and fixed her with a stare that was emotionless before turning away. She did not blame the white she-cat for the attack, but she would bear some of the blame along with her Clan for Pantherfoot's death. She would not join her tonight to listen to the gathering, even if she was another Medicine Cat.
The night before she had dreamed a horrible and disturbing dream. She had been walking in the evening hours, through this very clearing. However it had been different. She could smell the stench of rats that wallowed over the familiar ground, and hear the scurrying of their tiny feet, hiding in the darkness. Then suddenly her paw hit a stick, one wrong step, and the savages poured out in an angry rage and devoured her. She hadn't told Birchstar about the dream, because she was not sure if it was the product of her own anxieties, or an actual warning from StarClan. All she did know for sure is that she would keep a close eye out for trouble.
It was good that the medicine cat had kept close to the front though, for she saw Flickerstorm's teeth curl backwards ever so slightly, and had a second of foresight that she was going to attack. Without a moment's hesitation she hurled herself in between the MarshClan cat that was Flickerstorm's focus and the DustClan cat herself. "Stop!" she yowled angrily, "We will have justice Flickerstorm, however if you fight at a gathering then you are just as bad as MarshClan. Show respect for StarClan even when they didn't!"
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Ravenclaw
Ravenclaw was at the back of the group of MarshClan cats, however this was not out of disloyalty, but because he wanted to make sure that MarshClan cats speaking foul about Hawkstar were silented before the other Clan's arrived. While their leader's motives were questionable, he still was their leader, and the slender black tom would follow him to the end, and would not allow the young cats of the Clan put MarshClan in deeper trouble than they were already in.
The senior warrior could see tension not just in the apprentices, but in warriors also. He sighed, this would not do at all. Even Ilexflower looked distraught. His vibrant green eyes were troubled, however he decided to give her her space. Hopefully the other Medicine Cats would come join her, however from the looks of Leopardfur he knew it would not be the DustClan she-cat that sat beside Ilexflower at this gathering.
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Egretpaw
Egretpaw had kept up at the front of the procession, remaining close to her mentor, although her excitement at Hawkstar being her mentor had long lost it's appeal. It seemed that even being around Hawkstar lead to other cat's questioning her sanity as well as his. She could tell Ibispaw was pleased at the way things had turned out. His anger at her receiving a more powerful mentor had turned into mocking happiness as Hawkstar slowly began losing the respect of the cats in his Clan.
Even though she was somewhat embarrassed to be next to Hawkstar she still looked up confidently, trying to hide her real emotions with confidence in her emerald green eyes. She was trying to act like her brother, over-confident and never abashed, however the anal tom was back at camp for an assortment of trouble making. She was on her own.
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Post by Hazel on Dec 10, 2010 16:38:22 GMT -5
Stormheart was following Birchstar to the Gathering. He was walking beside Leopardfur but they weren't talking. The deputy was uncertain about what would happen night, even though the full moon place a treaty among the cats he was still worried that either a MarshClan cat or someone from his own Clan were going to be upset by the other's presence. He hoped no one would find a reason to attack or even start a fight between the gathering group of cats.
The DustClan cats made they way into the clearing , MarshClan was the only other Clan that had yet to arrive. Stormheart swallowed trying to get over his negative feelings toward MarshClan. He was uncomfortable around them; he felt as though at a moments notice Hawkstar would command them to attack.
"Stop!" Stormheart heard Leopardfur yell to Flickerstorm. He listened to her talking to the other she-cat. "We will have justice Flickerstorm, however if you fight at a gathering then you are just as bad as MarshClan. Show respect for StarClan even when they didn't!"
Flickerstorm had every right to be angry with MarshClan and their leader, they were the reason her mate was dead. If the whole Clan was not to blame at least Hawkstar and Pantherfoot's killer were. Stormheart wondered if he should say something but decided against it, he figured that Leopardfur would know how to stop Flickerstorm. Besides he had no idea what to say. Morningpaw's ears perked up when she heard Leopardfur yowl. Something was happening! But she couldn't see it ! For that moment she hated being so young and small. The other cats were bigger then her and they were in her way, they were blocking her view. Rather than trying to get around them Morningpaw hung her head in annoyance with herself.
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Post by Rebecca on Dec 10, 2010 16:38:34 GMT -5
ooc.
Who is playing Birchstar?
bic.
Hawkstar's head snapped in the direction of the fight, just barely catching a glimpse of Flickerstorm catapaulting herself at Batstream. He inwardly snorted in contempt. He knew that the other Clans did not have the maturity to honor such a basic and sacred tradition! He had known that this would happen. But instead of leaping fromhis perch and inserting himself in the battle, Hawkstar remained where he was. He was aware that because he took up his calling, he was now very unpopular among the other Clans. He would make matters worse by getting involved. So the great tabby remained a silent sentry, watching the battle as it progressed, but ready to act if his help was absolutely required.
From her place near Starlingstorm, Tawnystream had had a view to Batstream and the sudden attak that had befallen her. The first thing that crossed her mind was WTF, now? They chose to have a battle during the sacred truce? Pushing that to the back of her mind upon seeing Batstream taking a nasty hit, Tawnystream tore herself from the ground and raced to the two she-cats, joining Leopardfur in the middle of the brawl.
"Listen to the medicine cat, you fools! Don't let any more blood be shed!"
She meowed hastily, though knowing in the back of her mind that her words would most likely be rebuffed because she was: a.) a MarshClan cat. b.) present for the battle c.) Hawkstar's sister.. In fact, Tawnystream wouldn't be surprised if she was attacked.
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Post by Dawn on Dec 10, 2010 18:07:50 GMT -5
Suddenly, a heavy weight crashed down upon her. Batstream let out a yelp of surprise and instinctively slashed defensively at her attacker before rolling away to one side. She rolled until catching herself and getting gracefully to her paws, ears back and teeth bared with a mixture of fear and anger. What was this?
Then she understood. Flickerstorm. She had been Pantherfoot's mate when he had died, hadn't she? Wonderful.
Batstream did feel bad for killing Pantherfoot, well no, not bad, terrible, but did that warrant an attack on her by Flickerstorm.... at a gathering?! Really? DustClan were said to believe in StarClan, right? Wouldn't they feel the need to obey the truce?
She could understand that they were angry at MarshClan's unwarranted attack on their camp, but that was Hawkstar's fault! Not hers! Why weren't they running up to where Hawkstar sat and attacking him?
She half looked towards her leader, just sitting there. She was infuriated even further when she saw that he wasn't doing anything to intervene, just sitting watching. How dare he! How dare he watch as Flickerstorm attacked her and the rest of DustClan muttered insults... what kind of a leader was he?
---
Starlingstorm shoved through the crowd, pushing in front of his stunned Clanmate and facing the DustClan cats. He too had noticed Hawkstar sitting sill on the mount and decided to intervene.
"How dare you start this here? This is a gathering; save your attempt at vengane for another time!" He snarled furiously, his eyes sparkling with anger. "In any case, Batstream didn't mean to kill Pantherfoot, it was a mistake. Let it lie." He added, looking back at Batstream who looked somewhat surprised.
In truth, he had heard her muttering about it in her sleep, as she hadn't told anyone about it, just stayed to herself even more than usual since the battle. Many had assumed it had something to do with seeing her brother from PineClan again... but Starlingstorm knew better.
"Don't blame her or the rest of our Clan for this battle, it was Hawkstar's fight that we were bound by the warrior code to fight." He finished, swishing his tail around behind him to signal to Batstream that they were leaving this scene for another part of the clearing. Hopefully PineClan and OakClan would be here soon so they could end the gathering and go home.
The muscular tom cat pushed through the crowd, keeping his tail on Batstream's shoulder to make sure that she was following.
----
Batstream followed Starlingstorm with her eyes on her paws, guided by the tom's tail. She didn't want to look up, to see anger and hatred glaring down at her on every side. It was a relief when she reached the edge of the crowd with her fellow and she shot him a grateful glance as he led her to the group of MarshClan cats.
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Post by frosty on Dec 13, 2010 13:18:20 GMT -5
ooc. Blue left Birchstar in my care so I'll play her for this Gathering and unless you want her alive until the end of AR, I'll kill her off so Stormheart can take over. Also Dawn, if FlickerXStarling still stand, I'm roleplaying her as if she's infatuated by him. ;3 Also, when are OakClan and PineClan coming in? :$
bic. "Stop! We will have justice Flickerstorm, however if you fight at a gathering then you are just as bad as MarshClan. Show respect for StarClan even when they didn't!"
Flickerstorm rolled away from Batstream as the lithe MarshClan cat slipped out of her grasp. She instinctively flashed a forepaw out, trying to catch the she-cat before she completely fled. Flickerstorm leaped to her paws, facing her victim with raised hackles.
"How dare you start this here? This is a gathering; save your attempt at vengane for another time! In any case, Batstream didn't mean to kill Pantherfoot, it was a mistake. Let it lie. Don't blame her or the rest of our Clan for this battle, it was Hawkstar's fight that we were bound by the warrior code to fight.
The DustClan she-cat stared at the tomcat with enough backbone to stand up for his friend... or mate...? From her recollection, this cat was dubbed Starlingstorm. He was a large, well built warrior with strong shoulders and legs. His pelt rippled with brown tabby markings an poised in the center of his face were a pair of golden optics. Flickerstorm watched as he led Batstream away through the crowd.
"I will not let Pantherfoot's death lie. That pathetic scrawny she-cat killed my mate, the father of my kits. My two sons are fatherless thanks to her. Batstream, you'd better watch your back. Always scent before you leap. Keep looking behind you. Because one day I will find you and I will kill you. I promise," she hissed before turning around to face her mother.
Birchstar stared back at her daughter, no obvious emotion possessing her stormy green optics. Merely, she curled her tail protectively around her daughter's dusty shoulders and led her towards the Dirt Mounds.
Flickerstorm was her only kit, the daughter she always wanted, the only immediate descendant of her beloved mate Sootstorm. Birchstar would trade it all away for this wayward warrior. She could never bring herself to scold Flickerstorm, let alone embarrass her in front of both Clans.
She understood her daughter's sorrow and anger. Pantherfoot had been there to catch Flickerstorm after she fell for Blizzardclaw. He fathered Cougarpaw and Beechpaw (they're -paws at the time of the Gathering, right? :s), her own grandkits.
Birchstar let out a long, troubled sigh and looked down at her paws. Age was taking it's toll on her, and mixed with the infinite amount of stress, she looked moons older than she really was. The cream tabby leader looked defeated and worn out, but her eyes still held their fiery passion. Birchstar wasn't ready to give up yet, and she would fight til her last breath to protect her Clan.
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Post by Dawn on Dec 13, 2010 17:35:14 GMT -5
Ooc:// Haha, alright xD
Bic:// Starlingstorm stared defiantly at Flickerstorm as he led Batstream away from the crowd. If she tried to attack again, he would intercept. He had not taken part in the battle with DustClan, he was free of injuries or physical weaknesses at the moment; something the rest of his Clan didn't need right now.
"I will not let Pantherfoot's death lie. That pathetic scrawny she-cat killed my mate, the father of my kits. My two sons are fatherless thanks to her. Batstream, you'd better watch your back. Always scent before you leap. Keep looking behind you. Because one day I will find you and I will kill you. I promise,"
Starlingstorm felt Batstream flinch slightly at these words under his tail and he gave her a comforting look. "Don't worry Batstream, she's just emotional right now. Things will begin to look up. It's not your fault Pantherfoot was killed, you were merely fighting the battle Hawkstar forced us all to fight. If it's anyones fault, it's his." He said to her quietly enough so only she could hear.
She looked up at him through clouded green eyes and he could tell she wasn't fully comforted. He wanted to help her, he did, but there really wasn't anything else he could say. Only time could mend her now. Only time could mend most of what was going on between all the Clans.
Time... such a valuable variable. Time, it allowed so much yet took so much. Time... time. The simple word seemed to bounce around in his mind like a buzzing bee. It was still occupying his mind when he sat Batstream down beside one of their fellows, and sat down on her other side.
Only then did he look around, almost protectively. He caught sight of the DustClan cats but none of them seemed to be approaching. Good. He didn't want anymore trouble.
The large tom cat cast a sidelong glance towards Batstream, seeing the she-cat with her eyes on her paws again. She was so young... so innocent. He remembered when she was a kit, running around blissfully with her brother. Those had been better times... times when his mother and father had been alive.
His mother and Batstream's aunt had been good friends, or as good of friends as a warrior and a medicine cat could be. Swiftstream had been a sweet, gentle medicine cat, and her brother Loonheart, who was Batstream's father, had not been much different.
Their two families had grown up close, and Batstream was almost like a sister to him in some ways. He and Tigerflower had been there for her when her brother and father had passed to StarClan and Starlingstorm had promised himself that he would be there for her when she needed him in the future. And she did need him now... what with all this turmoil.
He cast a look towards Hawkstar, his eyes slightly narrowed. He had always gone along with their leader without too much questioning, but the large tom cat had been slowly deteriating lately. It was harder to justify following him. If he was just going to sit and watch while a member of his Clan was physically and verbally attacked based on something that had happened during a pointless battle he had coined for no reason, then he was loosing it.
----
Beechpaw stayed towards the edge of the group of DustClan cats, his eyes slightly clouded. He watched as his mother leapt towards Batstream and she rolled away, watched as chaos exploded, watched as a large brown tabby tom pushed forward between the two she-cats, his eyes sparkling with anger. His words didn't filter back to Beechpaw, but he got the general gist.
Beechpaw too was upset at the loss of his father and didn't much like Batstream because of it, but he couldn't justify attacking her, and during a gathering no less. There were certain lines you just shouldn't cross...
He watched as the two MarshClan cats pushed out of the crowd, the tom leading Batstream towards their own Clan. His eyes then followed Flickerstorm as Birchstar led her away.
While he loved his grandmother and mother greatly, he did not agree with the fact that Birchstar had just let Flickerstorm slide by like that. It was too much blatent special treatment for his liking. He knew that if any other cat had attacked like that at a gathering, they would have been repremanded.
He let out a sigh and followed his Clan to sit before the mound. He hoped that this gathering would come to an end soon, it wasn't good to have all the Clans together with tension so high.
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Post by frosty on Dec 14, 2010 15:35:04 GMT -5
Sleetpaw turned to Egretpaw, her ghostly yellow eyes wide. She couldn't believe that Flickerstorm had attacked Batstream at a Gathering! What a disgrace to StarClan! She tilted her head upwards, focusing her glare on the round moon. Thin wisps of clouds had begun to roll over the glowing sphere, but nothing suggested evacuating the Clearing. She flared her nostrils and begun to scrape at the frost-laden ground with unsheathed claws.
There was no doubt in her mind that the DustClan foxdung would've killed her Clanmate if given the chance. But then again, Batstream had murdered Flickerstorm's mate, Pantherfoot. Sleetpaw had fought in that battle, and even still three long parallel clawmarks ran down the length of her flank, parting the silver tabby fur to reveal the ugly half-healed wound. Never in nine lifetimes would she have imagined that Batstream of all cats would've killed another warrior.
But who was really at fault?
She cast a sidelong glance over at the duo. Sleetpaw strained her ears, trying to catch atleast a word or two of Starlingstorm's speech. She knew he was talking - she could see his lips moving swiftly despite the night darkness. Batstream wasn't replying, or maybe she wasn't listening. Whatever it was, Sleetpaw couldn't hide her curiosity. She wanted to creep forward, or even go over to join in the conversation. But she knew Starlingstorm would just shoo her away. Pressing her ears flat against her head, the silver tabby spat.
Blinking slowly, Sleetpaw looked back at her friend. "Can you believe the way Birchstar just led Flickerstorm away? She should've been punished! No cat has the right to disrespect StarClan or the warrior code," she mewed angrily.
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Post by pretzel on Dec 17, 2010 22:30:04 GMT -5
ooc. Who is going to play Sparrowstar and bring OakClan in? PineClan was miserably late.
Redstar had wanted to arrive early enough at the Gathering so that they could get the ordeal over with before Moonhigh. But they hadn't left as early as he had wanted and the familiar journey to the Clearing had taken longer than he had expected, due to his warrior's injuries from the battle.
The tom was still bitter about the entire matter. After Hawkstar had asked for his permission to attack DustClan on PineClan's behalf and Redstar gave it, he deeply regretted it. He realized that he was making himself out as a coward, too scared to fight his own battles and letting MarshClan fight them for him.
When the battle had turned sour, he regretted his acquiescence further. He had led his warriors into battle, to avenge their comrades' deaths more than to aid MarshClan. But even the combined efforts of the marsh and pine-forest cats could not overcome to overwhelming numbers of Oak- and DustClan. They were defeated.
The ginger tomcat crouched on the ridge just above the Clearing, looking down into it as the two other Clans began to settle in after a short dispute between two warriors. He felt his lip curl with disdain as he saw Hawkstar sitting on the Mound with apparent disinterest towards the goings-on beneath him and as Birchstar led her daughter, Flickerstorm, towards him, an aging presence settling in her limbs.
As he prepared to lead his warriors into the Clearing, he glanced back towards his Clan. Rushtail, crouched near him, gave him a nod of approval. They would back him up no matter what happened at the Gathering.
Returning the gesture, Redstar raised his tail in signal, streaming down into the Clearing, his warriors close behind.
- - - - - - Yellow eyes narrowed against the proceedings of the Clearing, Reedstorm was careful to follow his leader's example and hold his tongue as the fight broke out between MarshClan and DustClan. He was a loyal deputy; he wouldn't show up his leader by interrupting where Hawkstar had not. As much as he wanted to leap into the fray, to pull Batstream and Flickerstorm apart, he kept his muscles still.
His nose twitch as a new scent wafted over, the unmistakable pine-scent of the PineClan cats. Looking up at the ridge towards PineClan's territory, his ear twitched, sharp eyes zeroing in on the dark form of Redstar on the ridge. He kept his silence as the tom remained crouched on the ridge, only speaking up when the leader started his way down into the Clearing. Pointing with his muzzle, he nodded towards the tom. "Look," he meowed to Hawkstar, keeping his voice carefully controlled. "PineClan's here."
- - - - - - Littlebelly had not been expecting to come to the Gathering. After the dispute between the Clans, he had remained on the fringes of his Clan, afraid of what his comrades would say about his absence during the battle. He had been out visiting the spot where he had last seen his parents - the Thunderpath where Grayheart had been killed and Addernose had been taken by the Two-legs. He had spent the night there and returned to find his Clanmates cleaning up the camp and licking their wounds, having just fought off MarshClan and PineClan with OakClan's help.
He was surprised when Birchstar chose him to accompany DustClan to the Gathering, considering his lack of appearance at the battle. He settled in near the edge of the gathered cats, tucking his tail around his legs as he watched to proceedings in the Clearing with interest, but careful to keep his silence. He didn't want to voice an opinion over a matter he wasn't present at.
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Post by Dawn on Dec 17, 2010 22:41:50 GMT -5
Ooc:// You know Pretz, I was just wondering the same :/
Bic:// Beechpaw looked up quickly as a new sound reached his ears. He hadn't realized how tense he had been until he felt himself relaxing. It was just PineClan. He had no idea who he thought was coming... but the sight of the arriving Clan was a good thing in his mind. The sooner they started this gathering, the sooner they could leave.
Now where was OakClan? He hadn't seen most of the battle, having been shoved back to the back of the nursery, but he knew that OakClan had fought beside DustClan. Were they perhaps too injured to come? He hoped not... even if it was a gathering, what if another fight broke out? DustClan had defeated these other Clans before... but with OakClan's help. If it was two against one, then they would have a problem.
---
Starlingstorm looked around at the PineClan warriors now entering the clearing. It was about time... Starlingstorm agreed with Beechpaw - though he did not know it - this gathering would be much better once it was over. It was counter productive to attempt to work things out. The wounds were too fresh - both mentally and physically.
The tom cast a side long glance at Batstream. She still had her eyes on her paws and Starlingstorm could see little specks of liquid on her paws that sparkled in the moonlight. He let out a sigh and gave her a comforting lick on the ear then looked up for OakClan. Where in StarClan's name were they?
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Post by Rachel on Dec 21, 2010 0:41:18 GMT -5
Leopardfur The bengal she-cat kept silent after yowling out her warning and watched other cats pull Flickerstorm and Batstream apart. The words hurled back and forth did not reach her ears, she was too busy gazing upon her leader with worried eyes.
It seemed more and more apparent that Birchstar was losing her touch. Most cats were to obsessed with Hawkstar's descent into insanity to notice the DustClan leader slowly slipping away. They probably saw her refusal to punish Flickerstorm as a play of favorites, but the DustClan medicine cat saw further than that.
It seemed as if Birchstar was giving up with life. She seemed resigned to allow her Clan to fall into whatever doom came at them next with little resistance. She had thought about trying to talk Birchstar into chewing poppy seeds to help her deal with the pain of losing so much, however she had had a feeling the leader would be too proud to take them. The thought twitching in the back of her mind now was one that Birchstar would not like. Perhaps it was time for DustClan's proud leader to step down and move to the Elders Den before she was remembered for her mistakes instead of her triumphs.
Still, she would not address Birchstar's actions at the Gathering, or in front of any other cat, even Flickerstorm. What she had to say would stay in the confidence between a medicine cat and a leader.
Egretpaw Egretpaw did not immediately reply to her friend, because she didn't know what to say. Imprinted in her mind was an argument she and Sleetkit had had while they were still kits, and she doubted her friend remembered the spat, although it had been quite huge at the time.
"Hmm? You have enemies now? Good. That means you stood up for something for once in your life." Sleetkit had hissed those words at her, and they had always stuck with her at the back of her mind. She had allowed them to mold her life, make her less of a slave to her brother, although she still did much to appease him. She just couldn't help but apply them in this scenario.
Flickerstorm had been through much in such a short amount of time, the gossip about her kits before Beechpaw and Cougarpaw along with her ex-mate was rampant. Now to lose her new love had to be hard to bear. She couldn't help but see this as Flickerstorm finally saying she was done, and standing up for something that was important to her, even if that one thing she was standing up to was StarClan itself.
Yes, she had challenged the rules, but honestly Egretpaw's own faith in the power of StarClan had been wavering, how could it not with her mentors erratic behavior and decision-making that supposedly had the blessing of StarClan. She wasn't sure that she would punish Flickerstorm for that, although she did understand Birchstar's reasons were probably different than her own.
She chose her words carefully, "I think Flickerstorm has been through a lot, and while attacking during a Gathering isn't okay, I feel like I can sort of identify with her anger. Still, Birchstar should have said something, we don't know if maybe she will wait to speak to her until after the Gathering." She didn't clarify about her anger, although she would if Sleetpaw asked, just not at the Gathering, or surrounded by her Clanmates.
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Post by Hazel on Dec 21, 2010 13:22:59 GMT -5
Stormheart watched Birchstar lead her daughter away without a single scolding for attempting to fight at the Gathering. He tried to put himself in her paw steps and wondered what he would have done if his own daughter had done such a thing. He had come to the decision that he would have waited until the Gathering was over to save her the embarrassment of getting in trouble in front of the other Clans. He licked a black paw and wiped it over his ear, he could tell everyone at the Gathering was wondering what was going through Birchstar's mind. --- Ochrepaw sat among his Clanmates. He was nervous and uncomfortable, he had not taken part in the battle but he had seen the wounds that had been given to his friends and the rest of the Clan. He knew he was supposed to be wounded like them, but he wasn't. He had practically dipped out from the battle. The moment a DustClan cat had come toward him he had booked it out of their camp.
He was terrified there would be more fighting tonight. He prayed to StarClan that there would be none. It was all he could do to stop himself from pacing between the cats around him, that would definitely show that something was bothering him. He didn't want anyone to know he had not taken part in the fighting. He felt like this Gathering was happening sooner then the Clans were ready to. He wished he could have slowed down the moon's cycle so that the Clans would have time to get over things before they were thrown into a group together.
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Post by frosty on Dec 21, 2010 15:39:09 GMT -5
"I think Flickerstorm has been through a lot, and while attacking during a Gathering isn't okay, I feel like I can sort of identify with her anger. Still, Birchstar should have said something, we don't know if maybe she will wait to speak to her until after the Gathering."
Sleetpaw lashed her tail, standing as still as a stone. "Birchstar should've sent her miserable tail home! I don't care how much she's been through, you don't disobey StarClan," she meowed through gritted teeth. She wasn't aiming her furious words at Egretpaw, instead she was just venting her anger. "DustClan needs to be put on a shorter leash."
The silver tabby let out a sigh as she twitched her whiskers, casting a sidelong glance at Birchstar and Flickerstorm. Did the DustClan leader even care that PineClan had just arrived? Sleetpaw couldn't wait to talk to Woodpaw, a PineClan apprentice whom had fought with her Clan against DustClan. The brown tabby tom was her friend though, and nothing more.
She watched as Redtsrar led his cats into the Clearing. He looked uneasy, somewhat ashamed of his loss. Sleetpaw simply spat at the self-loathe. Grow up and move on already. Rolling her pale yellow eyes, Sleetpaw observed the PineClan cats carefully. Darkheart slithered into the Gathering place, moving like a shadow. His eyes darted around, as if daring some cat to come near him. Pollenpaw trotted in, a thoughtful air surrounding the yellow and white tabby. Woodpaw padded behind Darkheart, eyes narrowed but not as unwelcoming as his black Clanmate.
"They look so... distant, don't you think?" she whispered to Egretpaw, suddenly intimidated by the dark warriors.
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Post by Dawn on Dec 22, 2010 21:36:46 GMT -5
Ooc:// For OakClan, should Blizzardtail just lead some cats in and say that Sparrowstar and Goldenclaw are ill or something? Or should someone just play Sparrowstar and not have him say much? :/
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Post by frosty on Dec 24, 2010 18:35:16 GMT -5
ooc. Yeah, do that. We can't wait around for Lexxa or Kin forever.
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Post by Rebecca on Dec 27, 2010 21:28:46 GMT -5
ooc. Hey guys, I'll play Sparrowstar just to keep things rolling. Oh, and remember that the OakClan cats from the "Well Todd, You're a Fox" board have to apologize.
bic.
P i n e C l a n Bluestorm was only a little ways behind Redstar and was able to watch the fight between the DustClan and MarshClan cats. He shook his head, disgusted with the way the two warriors had acted. He was also thoroughly disappointed with the already present leaders. Birchstar should have stopped the fight, she knew that it was breaking the truce. But Flickerstorm was her beloved daughter... and so the show must go on. He supposed that if it had been any other cat things would have been different.
And Hawkstar...
Well, Bluestorm was shocked that Hawkstar didn't throw himself into the mix and kill Flickerstorm then and there "in StarClan's name" for breaking the truce. Why he was being so still and so silent stupefied Bluestorm. Oh, well. It was over now, and they were starting to shuffle into the Clearing. He followed on Redstar's heels, sending a glare to every cat he saw in the Clearing. They deserved it.
Shadeclaw followed Redstar suit, not at all surprised at the fighting that had broken out. The Battle of Openland had been a bloodbath for both DustClan and MarshClan, DustClan moreso. Everyone still had sore wounds, and from the ferosity of the attack Shadeclaw guessed that the black MarshClan she-cat had really done some damage. He applauded the DustClan she-cat for sticking up for herself, even though he would have chosen a better location for it. O a k C l a n Sparrowstar sighed as led his Clan into a the Clearing a little after PineClan had entered it. He was so tired of all this fighting, so sick of all this unneeded gore. He had sent a group of his best warriors into the Battle to aid DustClan and they had come back half dead. It was about time to end this idiotic mess that was being turned into some sort of religious war.
By the way, how did that happen again? Sparrowstar wasn't sure when StarClan became involved in the entire ordeal. It probably came in when Hawkstar got the entire forest involved. Really, it shouldn't have been such a mess. If he had known what carnage it would create, Sparrowstar would have apologized and avoided it all from the beginning. But now it was too late for that, wasn't it?
Sparrowstar sighed as he gazed around the camp and at the four segregated Clans. There were not many who strayed outside of their groups to speak with cats outside their own respective Clans, and Sparrowstar couldn't blame them. However that didn't stop him from at least trying to start to mend the bridges that had been burned. He nodded to Bluestorm, the PineClan medicine cat, but wasn't surprised when Bluestorm gave him a death glare in return. Bluestorm was a medicine cat. He was angry about there even being a fight and so much bloodshed. He understood that and assumed that most of the medicine cat shared his feelings. Sparrowstar also remembered a rumor that Bluestorm's sister had been killed by the foxes that had started the original mess.
Ignoring the snub, Sparrowstar leapt onto the Dirt Mound, a ways away from Hawkstar.
"Hello, Hawkstar."
The tom meowed civilly, his voice cold.
Littlestorm entered the Clearing with the other OakClan warriors behind Sparrowstar, knowing what he had to do tonight. He, along with the other cats who had accompanied him on the original fox patrol, would publicly apologize for the mess they had created. Because really, they were the ones that had created it, weren't they? If they had only stood up and told the Clans what had happened at the last Gathering would the Battle have even happened? Most likely not. He glanced at the young apprentice behind him. Nightpaw. She too would have to apologize with him, and not only for herself but for Crowpaw, who had not been chosen to attend the Gathering. He scoffed at her fearful expression. She looked like she was able to puke with her shaking. Well, if she thought this was bad, he didn't know how she would act when they had to apologize. M a r s h C l a n "Hello, Hawkstar" Sparrowstar had greeted him.
"Hello, Sparrowstar." Hawkstar returned the favor, his voice even as he watched the other leader's face. The brown tabby beside him looked... tired, ragged, fed up.
Well, that's what you get for going against StarClan, Hawkstar thought victoriously.
When it was evident to Hawkstar that that was the farthest their conversation would lead to, Hawkstar turned back to the scene before him. Now it seemed that all the Clans were assembled, and when the other two leaders joined him and Sparrowstar the Gathering would begin. He wondered what would happen. A fight had already broken out... this would be a very interesting Gathering.
Doepaw sat a little ways away from Sleetpaw and Egretpaw, but couldn't help but overhear bits and pieces of their conversation. She glanced at the PineClan cats when Egretpaw mentioned them and also found them to look distant, but also... angry. At least their medicine cat looked angry. But then again, Bluestorm had a reputation for a fiery temperament.
"I-I think that they're still angry about their loss. I-I would be w-with their circumstances."
She meowed, scooting a little closer to her fellow apprentices.
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Post by Dawn on Dec 27, 2010 23:29:35 GMT -5
Blizzardtail padded into the clearing behind Sparrowstar, his eyes emotionless and his profile unreadable. The large, fluffy white medicine cat could sense the tention in the clearing but didn't feel much inclined to focus on that. There was a truce. That must be honored despite the rocky few weeks that had just passed.
He padded towards a shaded area and sat back. Usually, he would have made his way to sit beside his fellow medicine cats, but that just didn't feel right at the moment. It wasn't that he blamed them for what had happened no, more because he really didn't want a conflict with any of them right now. It wasn't worth it.
He could see Leopardfur and almost hoped that she would come join him. Their Clans had been allies in the battle which made him think that perhaps she would be more friendly towards the OakClan medicine cat than the others. Ilexflower merely looked as though she was about to cry, but Bluestorm looked ready to tear some cat's ear off.
The old while tom cat shook his head slightly, his eyes on his paws. There was too much conflict as of late. Medicine cats were supposed to be above Clan boundaries but even the past weeks had demonstrated how their bond to their Clan was stronger than all else.
---
Acornpaw padded in among her fellow OakClan cats. She felt small in the clearing, surrounded by tense and angry faces. She looked towards Sparrowstar as he leapt up onto the rock and sat a ways from Hawkstar.
Who could blame him? Every cat in the forest knew that every day was a day where Hawkstar was becoming more and more insanely religious. His attack on DustClan proved that.
She looked away, worry burning in her eyes. She had not been a part of the patrol that had chased the foxes into PineClan territory, but one look towards Littlestorm and Nightpaw showed her just how bad it had been.
She could hardly blame them for chasing the foxes away, they had been defending OakClan territory after all... but the whole issue with them not telling any cat about it until after the PineClan murders... that was a problem.
Shaking her head slightly, the brown she-cat rested her tail tip on Nightpaw's shoulder. "Do you want to come sit with me, Nightpaw?"
[/color] She asked, her voice gentle. She felt very bad for the dark she-cat. She looked like she might be sick. [/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]
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Post by Rebecca on Dec 28, 2010 22:18:14 GMT -5
Nightpaw was following Littlestorm around. Littlestorm, of all cats! She hated Littlestorm! But he and the other cats had to apologize together tonight, so she could give him a free pass. She was so scared, so nervous... what would happen? Of course they would be yelled at by most of the cats here, and Nightpaw was prepared for the worst. From the fight that had just ensued, she couldn't imagine what would happen when they apologized. She just hoped it wouldn't get too bloody.
'Do you want to come and sit with me, Nightpaw?'
Nightpaw literally threw herself around to face the other apprentice, her entire body shaking. Why was she so scared? It was just Acornpaw. The black she-cat made her way other to the other OakClan apprentice, her green eyes wide and envisioning what was to come.
"H-hey,"
Nightpaw finally managed to meow after a moment. Her gaze stayed infront of her, never wandering to Acornpaw's face.
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Post by pretzel on Dec 28, 2010 22:38:14 GMT -5
Redstar lighted onto the Dirt Mounds next to the other leaders, landing gently beside his fellows. Nonchalantly seating himself between Hawkstar and Sparrowstar, the ginger tabby curled his tail around his paws, glancing between the three other leaders. "Let's get this over with, shall we?" he asked, gently prompting the other leaders for an answer to begin the Gathering.
The air surrounding the leaders was tense, pregnant with a sharp possibility of snapping into a fight at any moment. Redstar, while he had been directly involved in the accusations against OakClan, had not actually started the battle, which comforted the old tom enough to not lash out at the other leaders. After his instigation of Hawkstar's bold actions, he felt that he owed the Clans a level of level-headedness and calm indifference, at least.
Eyes downcast, Thrushwhisker followed his Clan into the Clearing, careful to keep a distance between himself and the other Clans. Despite what he thought about Hawkstar and his unwarranted actions, the brown tom couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty for the battle that had erupted between the Clans. He had, after all, been on the OakClan patrol that had begun the entire mess and he had chased the foxes into PineClan's territory without a thought to warn the other Clan.
Thrushwhisker kept step with Littlestorm, shadowing the other tom as OakClan entered the Clearing. He took a seat next to his Clanmate as the leaders began meowing among themselves on the Dirt Mound, watching them carefully. He could almost see the tension in the air.
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Post by Dawn on Dec 29, 2010 0:23:07 GMT -5
"H-hey,"
Acornpaw watched through sympathetic eyes as Nightpaw spoke falteringly and sat down. She did not make eye contact with Acornpaw and Acornpaw wondered what she might say to calm Nightpaw even a bit.
She rested her tail tip gently on Nightpaw's shoulder. "Hey, don't feel so nervous. It's going to be alright."
[/color] She meowed gently, trying to catch the other apprentice's eye. She hoped that she could give Nightpaw at least some comfort... and she hoped that she did not become angry with Acornpaw. "Everything happens for a reason and there is nothing to be gained in lingering in the past. What's done is done - no cat can change it."[/color] She continued softly. She herself had not taken part in the fox patrol, so she really had no basis to attempt to put herself into Nightpaw's paws... but seeing her nervous face and stature evoked gentle sypmathy inside Acornpaw. She looked around at some of the other cats who had been on the fox patrol. Littlestorm and Thrushwhisker too looked subdued, and she gave each a reassuring smile. She wasn't sure if either had seen, but she hoped that if they had that they would find some comfort in it. She turned her attention back to Nightpaw, her tail tip still rested on her shoulder. [/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]
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Post by Rebecca on Dec 29, 2010 10:45:18 GMT -5
M a r s h C l a n
Hawkstar glanced at Redstar, the leader he had started the battle for. Well no, Hawkstar really hadn't started the battle for PineClan. He had led the attack on DustClan because that was what StarClan had led him to do; not to mention that if they had taken control of the DustClan camp, then they could have taken desperately needed prey from their territory. But thankfully, that prey was no longer needed.
'Let's get this over with, shall we?'
Hawkstar grunted in response, staring at the four divided groups in the Clearing.
"Sparrowstar, would you mind sending someone to fetch Birchstar?"
Hawkstar asked quietly from inbetween the two leaders. In different times, Hawkstar would have sent one of his warriors or Reedstorm to fetch Birchstar, but under these circumstances he didn't want MarshClan to be anywhere near DustClan for the sake of both groups' safety.
O a k C l a n
Sparrowstar blinked at Hawkstar's request. The other leader had his own warriors, didn't he? Sparrowstar shook his head at the thought. No, sending a MarshClan warrior straight to Birchstar may provoke her.
"My warriors seem to be busy, Hawkstar. Birchstar will realize that it is time. She is intelligent, you know."
Sparrowstar bit back, instantly regretting the reply. He stared at Hawkstar in alarm, waiting for the tirade that awaited him.
"Yes, I can see that, Sparrowstar. I am not blind. I am also intelligent." He meowed coldly in response, his eyes narrowing.
Sparrowstar sighed, feeling the tension in the air ruffle his fur. He wished that the Gathering was over already.
Nightpaw still stared at her forepaws as Acornpaw tried her best to comfort her. And she couldn't deny the truth in what Acornpaw said, but the truth was hard to swallow. She wished with all her heart that she could have done something differently, but she knew that even if she had the ability to relive that battle she wouldn't do a thing differently. Not because she didn't want to change the outcome, but because she wouldn't know how to do it differently.
Coward, she thought to herself. If she had only... No. Even of that. She had focus on what would happen all too soon.
"T-thank you, Acornpaw. But when we have to speak do you... do you think that we'll attacked like that MarshCln she-cat apparently was earlier tonight?"
Nightpaw asked, her voice distant.
D u s t C l a n
The pale colored tom silently stole into the Clearing not long after OakClan had made their appearence, his bleak coat turning a startling silver in the moonlight. His dark violet eyes added to his startling appearance, causing quite a few apprentices from the other Clans to stop and stare at the strange old tom passing by. The dark red gashes in his side, his torn ear, and the bare patches on his pelt stood out the most, more than his eyes. Lionfang swiftly made his way to the group of DustClan cats, avoiding contact with the other Clans. He wasn't in the mood to socialize.
He took a seat inbetween Stormheart and Littlebelly, sighing as he sat down. He had lagged behind dreadfully, and had eventually stopped to make dirt. When he had returned, DustClan was gone. But it wasn't as if he had been expecting them to wait for him.
"What did I miss?" He asked no one in particular. He had certainly missed something. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife.
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.:Lexxa:.
Apprentice
Hear My Whispers In The Dark<<
Posts: 110
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Post by .:Lexxa:. on Dec 29, 2010 23:09:17 GMT -5
GOLDENCLAW & SILVERSTREAM The tension in the air was thicker than honey. Goldenclaw paced nerviously under his leader, his eyes going from the gathering crowd to Sparrowstar and Hawkstar. Catching snippets of conversation between Sparrowstar and the MarshClan leader, he laid his ears flat against his skull.
"Yes, I can see that, Sparrowstar. I am not blind. I am also intelligent."
The words that were exchanged were colder than the brisk winter breeze running through the clearing. He looked to Silverflower, who was already developing a soft swell in her grey belly, for confidence and settled down beneath his leader for the start of what was expected to be a very... interesting meeting of the clans.
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