- CHESSCLAN !!
- Rookstar nodded as Night of the Stars mentioned an ancient Kyanite Keep. It seemed that their two Clans had more in common than they thought, both having restarted after an ancient Clan disappeared. The ancient ChessClan was home to Massasaugaeye, the tom who had originally told Aspstar and Horizonstar that they were destined to restart ChessClan, but Rookstar knew the original Clan had been riddled with problems. Two cats had cursed the succession of the nine lives of a leader, and caused the destruction of the original ChessClan, and he shuddered at the thought of a repeat of those actions. "There's only the high ranks and three warriors attending. We represent barely even a fraction of our true numbers," he chuckled. He couldn't imagine bringing his entire Clan to the Gathering, the sheer number of them would fill the site and not allow any other Clans in. Between the kits and apprentices alone, he could probably fill a little over half of the Gathering. "Bringing many more would be rather unfair and keep cats from talking to each other. ChessClan cats are notorious for being rather friendly to other Clans," he chuckled. It was true that they'd never seemed to make an enemy of any cat or Clan. He wished it would always stay that way, but he knew they were likely to make one eventually.
CHASMSTAR - Molly - 48 Moons - Dame - Tagged: Frost's Sheen (Golden Kingdom)
- Chasmstar couldn't help but have a confused look on her face when Frost's Sheen spoke of 'bantlings' and 'squires'. The words were unfamiliar to her, but Chasmstar just assumed they were the names for their ranks. "Snow stays for a rather long time in ChessClan, though the surrounding mountains are snow-capped except for the hottest days of Greenleaf. I know several cats take journeys into the mountains on those days just to escape the heat," she chuckled. She remembered how Sweethen had timed her travel to see Finn when the heat was hottest just so she could stay in the mountaintops for a few days. A twinge of pain struck Chasmstar like a chord as she thought of the tom Sweethen had so dearly loved. She, Lionceauroar, Faondapple, and Caramelpaw had been heartbroken when Cocoa had shared the news, and Chasmstar had watched over the grieving family for several moons until the darkest had passed. Loonfrost was Sweethen's closest friend, so the molly had asked Chasmstar to help her keep an eye on them. "These Gathering nights always seem so peaceful, even though such a large number of cats are in one place at one time," she sighed softly, her gaze drifting upward to the sky.
RICHTERSCREECH - Tom - 67 Moons - Tour - Tagged: Minnowflight (IslandClan)
Richterscreech's smile widened as a tom padded up and recognized him. "The one and only! You must be Minnowflight," he meowed, recognizing the scent of IslandClan. Tourbillonpelt had spoken of Jaguarsnarl, the molly he had had a litter of kits with. Ocelotpaw and Lynxpaw would be beyond excited for news of their mother. "How is Jaguarsnarl and her kits? Ocelotpaw and Lynxpaw are growing like weeds," he chuckled. Richterscreech's great love for kits made him constantly active in kits' that weren't his own's lives. Tourbillonpelt was one of Richterscreech's best friends, and he'd been overjoyed to hear of his friend's kits. "I hope that everything in IslandClan is going well. I haven't seen or heard much from the border in the past several moons," he chuckled, unwilling to admit that he rarely attended border patrols with the duties he held as the Tour. He always took time to patrol at least once a moon, but it was often hard to even make time for that small adventure. With his many kits, many responsibilities, and constant exhaustion, he couldn't wait until Freuxfreckle was ready to resume his Tour duties. With Bergeronettebud a full Cavalier, it wouldn't be long, but Richterscreech would never be able to guess when exactly that would happen. He was eager to be a typical Cavalier again, alongside Butterflyleap, until he retired to the Ancien den, but he had to admit that he would miss being the Tour. No matter how exhausting and difficult it was, there was something about the position that he loved.
WOLFWHISKERS - Tom - 72 Moons - Fou - Tagged: Emberspark (HazeClan)
Wolfwhiskers ducked his head to hide the slightest hint of a blush as Emberspark joked, at least he believed she was joking, about breaking rules to talk to him after he retired. "No den could contain me either. Rookstar would have to get over himself because I still plan on attending Gatherings after I'm retired," he huffed, his head nodding as he shot a glare in the direction of the gathered leaders. Emberspark mentioned her curiosity, and Wolfwhiskers just chuckled. "Breaking a few rules is never a bad thing, I might just partake in this breaking of rules with you," he chuckled. He'd always been a rule-following cat, but as he grew older he felt a rebellion growing in him. Just joking about breaking the rules made his paws itch to act on his words, but he wouldn't do that. He'd built up such trust with his Clan that the slightest misstep made him fear that he would break it. He loved his Clan, and he sure hoped his Clan loved him. They might get on his nerves with how reckless they were and how often they got hurt, but they were still his ChessClan that he'd healer for too many moons to count. He could remember nearly every remedy he'd given out, from an herb for kitten-cough to mending a broken leg. His eyes moved back to Emberspark with a smile. She'd essentially taken up residence in his mind, refusing to leave even if he had wanted her to. If he was honest, he rather enjoyed thinking about her and getting caught up in daydreams involving her. He genuinely looked forward to Gatherings for the chance that he might see her.
FAONDAPPLE - Molly - 26 Moons - Fou - Tagged: Cloudtongue (PineClan)
As the tom introduced himself as Cloudtongue of PineClan, she smiled. She'd heard of PineClan before; Rookstar had spoken to their leader once. As he asked her about why she was called Faonpaw if she had her full name, she dropped her head to hide her blush of embarrassment. "I meant Faondapple," she meowed sheepishly, knowing she'd messed up. She was still getting used to calling herself Faondapple, and she couldn't believe she'd already goofed up at her first Gathering as a full fou. "I'm still getting used to the name," she chuckled lightly, hoping Cloudtongue wouldn't make fun of or laugh at her. She'd worked so hard, training entirely as a warrior apprentice and then switching to be Wolfwhiskers' apprentice, that she'd gotten so accustomed to being called Faonpaw. Her training had taken nearly twenty moons, after all. She had been Faonpaw longer than both Faonkit and Faondapple combined, and yet she was still entirely embarrassed to call herself the wrong name. "This is my first Gathering with my full name, and I'm so excited to be here," she purred, tail curling high over her spine. Most medicine cats that she had met had been kind, if not a little grumpy, and Cloudtongue seemed to be on the kinder side. She had yet to meet a genuinely cruel medicine cat, but she doubted that would ever happen. Why would a cat who hated other cats want to help them? In any case, she hoped to never meet a medicine cat she didn't like.
LINDTPAW - Tom - 14 Moons - Fou Apprentice - Tagged: Open
Lindtpaw let out a quiet growl as Lichenpaw began to chase him. "You'll never catch me!" he cried, running in a circle around Faondapple. The two cats were delighted as they ran, and he skidded to a halt as Wolfwhiskers began to scold them. "I have more sense than a kit," Lindtpaw gasped, placing his paw on his chest as if in shock. Wolfwhiskers just shook his head and padded off, quickly followed by Faondapple. "Well, where would you—" Lindtpaw was cut off as he realized Lichenpaw had already dashed away. The molly was clearly eager to be at the Gathering, so he stumbled through the crowd slowly. He wanted to find other apprentices, maybe even another medicine cat apprentice, but he felt that the chances were low. With a grumble, he sat down and let his eyes flutter closed. He was just going to take a quick nap, and then he'd find someone to talk with.
LICHENPAW - Molly - 10 Moons - Fou Apprentice - Tagged: Frostbitepaw (IslandClan)
Lichenpaw was startled by the tom who spoke to her. She jumped and spun, tail bushed out to nearly twice its normal size, before she smoothed her pelt down when she realized he was just about her size. "Oh, I'm sorry about that," she murmured, her voice nearly as quiet as a whisper. She shuffled her paw awkwardly in the dust, looking at Frostbitepaw out of the tops of her eyes. "It's nice to meet you, Frostbitepaw. My name is Lichenpaw," she mumbled, repeating the phrase Faondapple had taught her when she'd expressed her worries at not knowing how to greet another cat at the Gathering. She swallowed nervously, smiled awkwardly, and sat down to prevent herself from pacing. "I'm not that good with strangers," she whispered, pinning her ears back and leaning away as she waited for Frostbitepaw to storm off. Most cats would huff and leave when they realized how shy she was around strangers, so she was expecting this ghost bengal tom to do the exact same. She was usually outgoing and bubbly, but strangers scared her to the point that she could barely speak above a whisper to them. Her clanmates barely knew this side of her, as if only appeared when a new cat joined the Clan and checked into the medicine den to get a thorough check-up. She hated that she was acting like this in front of a cat who she hoped would be her friend by the end of the night, so she straightened up and tried to put on a brave face. Maybe if she acted less shy, she would become more comfortable quicker.
OISEAUDAPPLE - Tom - 21 Moons - Cavalier - Tagged: Quakestone (Highgarden)
Quakestone spoke of tournaments, and Oiseaudapple longed to have something similar in ChessClan. "It's feather-brained that roses can't participate in the spring tournament. If you could, I might just sneak in to watch you put all the toms on their tails," he meowed with a huff, pretending to be more serious than he really was. As she mentioned the rose tournament to find an heir if there wasn't one, Oiseaudapple shuddered. "I couldn't imagine having to rely on a tournament for the next dame and roi. It's a good thing that we have a tour to take over when they pass," he meowed. Richterscreech was getting old, so it was clear that he would be replaced soon since it didn't seem that Rookstar and Chasmstar were going anywhere anytime soon. Quakestone asked about traditions in ChessClan, and he just shrugged. "Our final assessment is a two moon ordeal. We have to start at the far point of the Northern Pass and survive on our own in the treacherous terrain until we make it back to camp. No cat comes back unscathed, and many don't come back at all," he meowed. He was reminded of when Fourmisplash took off after a gut feeling told him that Acaiheart was hurt. When the tom returned with the injured apprenti, it had only made Oiseaudapple even more afraid for his own final assessment. Yet, all he'd returned with was a hidden scar on his belly from a close call with an eagle. "It's a shock I made it through with just the one scar," he purred, his heart racing as he remembered the fight for his life.
SPIRIT - Molly - 21 Moons - Cavalier - Tagged: Sunlight (The Fallen)
Spirit nodded as Sunlight shared her name and her Clan. She had heard snippets about The Fallen, she believed that one of her leaders had spoken with One at a previous Gathering. "I guess apprentices would like that sort of thing," she meowed, sticking her nose up as if she hadn't been their age less than a season-cycle ago. She was glad she had joined ChessClan when she did, just barely old enough to be a cavalier. She didn't know how she would have reacted if they had wanted her to train as an apprenti despite being as old as the oldest apprenti. She did watch the other cavalier closely, having so recently escaped from being a kittypet, but she was learning quicker than if she were being taught one on one. She had learned through trial and error during her journeys, but she was still a weak hunter and fighter. She participated in more drills than the average cavalier, mostly learning from those sparring around her, and she attended as many hunting parties as she possibly could. "Some of those apprentices are probably stronger and more skilled than I ever could be," she chuckled. Several young cats dedicated themselves so whole-heartedly to their studies that they were able to outsmart even senior warriors. Those were always the apprenti that brought the most honor and pride to their mentor, and Spirit hoped that one day she could train her own apprenti like that. "Have you been in The Fallen for very long?" she piped up suddenly, remembering she was in a conversation with Sunlight.
LAPINHOP - Tom - 22 Moons - Cavalier - Tagged: Shadowgaze (TidalClan),
Lapinhop's long legs were aching by the time he reached the Gathering. His eyes were strained from being narrowed against the bright sun through most of the journey, so he walked with his eyes mostly closed until they reached the crowd. He stepped on several paws and tails until he stopped to apologize to one molly. "I'm extremely sorry, my eyes still hurt from that intense sunlight we had today. Why couldn't we have had a single cloud for cover?" he moaned dramatically, resting his paw on his forehead and swooning backwards. He had hoped to make a good impression on the molly, who was just a blob in his sight as he tried to open his eyes wider. He knew there was only the light of the full moon, but it would take him several moments to adjust to the semi-darkness. He'd been warned as a kit that his eyes would make him more easily hurt by the light, but he hadn't believed them until recently when he couldn't leave the trees until the sun was beginning to set. He sat beside her and rubbed his eyes with his paws, the blurryness beginning to retreat from his vision until he finally stopped and turn to look at the molly fully. She was rather pretty, with her pelt shimmering in the moonlight. Lapinhop noted that every pelt seemed to shine in the moonlight in a way completely different than in the sunlight. "It's beautiful out here tonight, now that I can see," he chuckled. He was tired and could have taken a nap right there, but he knew he needed to stay awake and at least talk to one cat at his first Gathering.
- THE ORDER OF THE HYENA !!
Hyena's Breath narrowed her eyes as she approached the Gathering. The last time she had attended the Gathering, she hadn't had a single member in her Clan other than herself. Now, she had an Aide, an Herbalist, and three Scavengers. All five cats followed along behind her, and she turned to nod at them slowly. They fanned out behind her, their thin frames hidden behind long claws and bared teeth. She wouldn't do to have her Clan present themselves as quiet and calm, and she nodded as she saw them hiss at the cats who got too close to them before they reached their destination. "Now, you know to only gain information. Never give away any news about the Order," she meowed, slinking off towards the leaders as the rest of her Clan broke apart behind her. She sat down and swept her tail close to her, her strangely mottled tortoiseshell pelt making her blend into the dappled shadows across the ground.
CIVET'S SCURRY - Molly - 34 Moons - Aide - Tagged: Wispwillow (SnowClan)
Civet's Scurry noticed Wispwillow get suddenly silent, as if she had something on her mind, but she didn't want to open up the discussion to anything that might make the molly uncomfortable. "Have you been in SnowClan for very long? I'm not even sure how old your Clan is," she meowed. She knew next to nothing about any other Clan, so she wasn't aware if SnowClan was a rather new Clan or one that was countless seasons old. The Order was a relatively new Clan, that much was clear, but Civet's Scurry felt as if she had been a Clan cat for her entire life. She felt comfortable in the camp, as if she'd always lived there, and she knew the daily duties like the back of her paw. "The moon is rather lovely. I wonder what the surface of it is like. Do cats walk on the moon as they do here on the ground? Hyena's Breath once spoke of a story of cats who tried to travel to the moon through its reflection in a pool," Civet's Scurry chuckled. She didn't mention that the story had ended with the cats never being heard from again, even if Civet's Scurry believed they had made it to the moon rather than the alternative that most cats claimed to believe. She typically chose to believe the brighter option of things, even if most cats chose to believe in the darker option. She could imagine them now, the cats walking happily across the moon, content with their lives since they had reached their destination when many cats said they wouldn't. Civet's Scurry dreamed of a grand adventure like that someday, to defy the odds, but she doubted a random cat like her would ever be the one tossed into one.
OSTRICH'S CRY - Molly - 43 Moons - Herbalist - Tagged: Halepen (CascadeClan)
- Halepen boasted of his Clan's strength, and Ostrich's Cry ground her teeth as she listened to him crow on and on about how great the skyhunters were. "Well, the Order eats small mammals and birds, but we're known to lie in wait until the apex predators finish their meals. Those are the nights when we feast. Not to mention all the vultures and hyenas we have to protect our feasts from," she snarled. "They're nothing compared to jumping across crocodile backs to cross the river," she meowed, staring down her nose at Halepen. She chose to let the tom know she was bragging, and she winked at him when she managed to catch his eye. She wanted him to know of the dangers of living on the savanna; she wanted to paint her Clan to be so dangerous and brave that he wouldn't think of sharing a negative word about them with his Clan.
ZEBRA'S GALLOP - Molly - 40 Moons - Scavenger - Tagged: The Tree (DuckClan)
Zebra's Gallop's mind was racing as The Tree spoke. She was still perplexed, but she chose not to press the issue. Some traditions of other Clans would never make sense to her, and she felt it not to be beneficial to try and understand. With a sigh, she listened to where he came from. She had never heard of tribes, but she had definitely heard of Clans. "Matriarch Hyena's Breath might know more about tribes, so I'll have to ask her for more information about them. I've never actually heard about them," she meowed. The savanna was only home to the five Orders, none going by the name 'Clan' or even using traditional Clan naming systems. The only reason they were considered a Clan was because they claimed themselves to be one. "If I'm being honest, I've never heard of DuckClan. I've never actually heard of any Clan, but that may be because I'm so new to the Order, who is not bordered by any Clan," she chuckled. They were a secluded Clan, and she rather liked it that way. There was a high chance that this would be her last Gathering, mostly because she never wanted to return to such a large group of cats. It was rather unsettling to be surrounded on all sides after living in such a small Clan as the Order. She wasn't used to the large number of cats in one place, but she wondered if the Order would ever grow large enough to have more than a dozen cats in their camp. She couldn't help but chuckle at the thought, especially since the Order had been so small for several moons now.
WILDEBEEST'S STAMPEDE - Tom - 38 Moons - Scavenger - Tagged: Fairytail (MoonClan)
Wildebeest's Stampede could see that Fairytail was slowly becoming more comfortable the more they spoke. Fairytail was a rather unusual name, mostly because Wildebeest's Stampede didn't know what a fairy was. "You have nothing to apologize for, Fairytail. Some cats struggle with conversation and meeting new cats, and that's completely fine. Several friends I've had were the exact same way," he chuckled, remembering how Crash and Boom had always frozen and mumbled any time they met a new cat. At the thought of his old friends, who he hadn't seen in many moons, he couldn't help but wonder what they were up to now. What was in the past stayed in the past, so he turned his attention back to Fairytail. "It's good to be wary with what kinds of cats are running around nowadays. There's been too many stories of cats trying to take over Clans to fully trust a cat at your first meeting," he rumbled, hoping to comfort her but wondering if it was at all the right thing to say. "I'm not saying that I'm one of those evil cats, at least I don't think I am, I just thought it might help. I mean, with your nerves. Well—" he quickly clamped his jaws shut and shook his head, refusing to speak another word before he fully thought out what he was meaning to convey. Zebra's Gallop always teased him that he had a tendency to get tongue-tied out of the blue, but he always hated it when it happened around a cat he'd never met before.
LION'S SHADOW - Tom - 41 Moons - Scavenger - Tagged: Mallowbrook (LightClan)
Lion's Shadow stared at Mallowbrook as she mentioned never hearing of the Order before. "We've come a rather long way, if I'm being honest. It was a several day journey to attend, which is why we don't make it to every Gathering. This is my first, and my Clan has only attended one other," he meowed, his voice just as quiet as when he had introduced himself to Mallowbrook. They had left approximately three sunrises before, and they'd traveled for several days to attend the Gathering. Hyena's Breath had spoken that she would only like to attend a maximum of every other Gathering, but Lion's Shadow knew they wouldn't even make it to that many. It was simply too far, and too tiring to attend very many. Lion's Shadow may still have been a relatively young scavenger, but he didn't want to spend most of his life traveling. He had settled in the Order for a reason, but he was willing to attend a Gathering every now and then. "Have you had to travel far? I'm not sure where any other Clans come from," he meowed. As a new member to the Order, he only knew that they didn't border a single Clan. Before the Order, he hadn't even known Clans outside of the five main Orders of the savanna even existed. Now that he was here, he was aware that Clans came from all around. While the Order may be removed from most of the Clans, he knew that he would happen across a Clan no matter what direction he traveled in. There were too many scents of different Clans to count, and it almost shocked him that this was just a small fraction of most of these Clans. It was beyond thrilling to think that so many Clans existed.
