Rookstar smiled and nodded as Night of Open Stars spoke, but he shook his head as she offered to listen. "It's far too much for one night, anyway," he meowed with a dismissive wave of his paw. "I hope things have been going well for Kyanite Keep in its first few moons of life," he chuckled, assuming the Clan to be rather young if it only had four members. While the size of a Clan didn't always reflect the age, four was an awfully small number for any age of Clan. "I was just a little apprentice when ChessClan was first started, but I still remember how every cat knew every cat in those days. Now, it's hard to tell faces and names apart from the sheer number of cats in the Clan," he chuckled. He had debated on splitting the Clan into three groups, each with their own Tour to lead them, but he knew that ChessClan deserved to stay together. There were plenty of places to split the camp into, but there was something special about how big the main camp had grown. The mix of snores, sighs, and breaths of his clanmates soothed him to sleep each night, and he always had trouble sleeping when he wasn't slow close to over two hundred other cats. In fact, the number of cats at the Gathering soothed him to be more comfortable in a place that wasn't home. "Is it just you, tonight, or did you bring your entire Clan?" he meowed, wondering if Kyanite Keep in its entirety was at this one place. ChessClan used to bring every cat able to attend, but barely any warriors attended anymore. Rookstar hoped to change that in the coming moons.
Chasmstar listened intently as Frost's Sheen spoke of Lavender. "You must be proud for your sister to already have a little one of her own," she commented with a smile. Certain kits had big personalities so early on, and they were always the most fun to watch grow. "She sounds like the perfect little niece. Is your nursery rather full at the moment?" she asked, shuddering at the thought of how many kits were currently residing in her own nursery. Several were older and nearly apprentices, but the mothers in ChessClan seemed to have larger litters more often than smaller ones. There were several mornings where the shrieks of kits playing made the molly wish the litters would be smaller, but the nights where she could sit and watch the piles of kits slumber would always remind her of her love for kits. "I can't wait for Leaffall, if I'm being fully honest. The trees are so beautiful, turning the mountains a blend of amber, gold, and brown. Not to mention the cooling of the weather, which is a welcome change after the unbearable heat of Greenleaf," she meowed. The breeze may keep her cool, but she much preferred when the weather was cooler. Snow often came mid to late Leaffall, and she couldn't wait for several of the kits' first snow. They were always struck with wonder and joy, and she couldn't help but wiggle a bit at the thought of it.
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 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.
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 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'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.
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.
Ostrich's Cry recoiled at Halepen's sharp, but brief, explanation of his name. She knew he was withholding information, but a cat could choose just how much or how little to reveal about themselves. "Ignition is a rather cool name, and I'm sorry you weren't allowed to keep it," she meowed, scratching the front of her leg with her claws. As Halepen described an ostrich and compared it to something called a cassowary, she nodded. "They can't fly, and they've actually got lighter grey necks with black feathered bodies. They're fierce birds, rather dangerous if you get to close," she snapped, gnashing her teeth together as a joke. "The legs are the most dangerous part of them, though. They've got sharp talons, and they'll kick and scratch if they feel threatened. We know to avoid them if at all possible," she meowed, eyes narrowed.
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 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 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.
♪ Foxcatcher
tom ; warrior ; tags: ploverheart
When Foxcatcher turned and saw the attractive molly meandering towards him, suddenly his confidence started to slip. He recognized her scent from the PineClan border, so at least he knew she was friendly, but now he was aware that he wanted to make a good impression on her. He cleared her throat as she made it to him, and dipped his head politely, albeit a bit awkwardly. "Hey! Didn't think I'd meet such a pretty molly tonight, but here you are." He meowed, flashing her a wide grin with confidence reinstated.
❋ Brindlebirch
molly ; perma queen ; tags: mapleshadow
Brindlebirch couldn't hold back a purr when Mapleshadow spoke. "You know I'm always happy to see you." Her reply was soft, and laced with nerves, but genuine as it could be. Her eyes widened when the Highgarden molly produced a delicate rose, its petals still full of color despite not being in season, and she swallowed her surprise to hear Mapleshadow stuttering about something- not what she had ever expected from the confident molly. She leaned down and daintily touched her nose to the petals, holding her breath so as not to damage it, and when she rose again she couldn't keep the smile from her muzzle. "Mapleshadow- it's beautiful. Seriously, no one's ever given me something so lovely." She glanced at her paws for a moment, building up the courage to say what she next had in mind. "It... it's like you, in that way."
A flash of waving white fur in his peripheral vision caught Cricketpounce’s eye. Perhaps it was coincidence, but the nearly inaudible one-two step of a PineClan cat, stealthy as even the clumsiest of their number were, could not be ignored. “Frostflower!” Cricketpounce called, whirling around to greet her with a smile. And as he’d thought, the white molly hovered just behind him, long tail swaying in the gentle breeze. “I’m so glad to see you here this evening. It’s really been too long. How have you and Ramkit been?”
Crimson bared his teeth in frenetic glee, splitting from the fold of his clanmates into an enveloping crowd. SpruceClan called him Crimsontail, perhaps a wry jab at Crimson’s daunting plumage, but he wasn’t particularly bothered. Hardly a moon he’d spent with the mountain cats, and now he was accompanying them to a meeting between more clans than he could count. He liked the thrill of it, of running headlong into danger and the shock of adrenaline that followed suit. The Gathering wasn’t exactly dangerous, as far as he knew, but it was still nice to be somewhere where he could play around for the evening. And as Crimson raced into the fray, he could hardly help himself from yowling in delight. This was certainly going to be fun!
By her third circle around the Gathering place, Bramblingpath found herself succumbing to boredom. Surely, it would be more interesting to find someone to talk to! As she slowed her brisk pace to a walk, the nearby bushes rustled in the wake of a small clan entering. Two mollies, one a mottled tortoiseshell not unlike herself and the other pitch-black in color, trailed off to a stop as the two older warriors leading the way split from the group. Curious now, Bramblingpath let her head tilt to the side and padded closer. “Hello,” she greeted, smiling lightly at the two newcomers. “I’m Bramblingpath from SpruceClan. Mind if I join you two?”
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sunflicker!” Lynx’s Prowl rumbled, offering his own smile in return. He stretched out slowly, dropping down into a seated position and tilting his head towards Sunflicker. “I’ve always thought these Gatherings were a nice place to make friends. Is this your first?” After a moment of thought, Lynx offered another question. “Ah, but I’m getting ahead of myself. I meant to ask you what clan you call home! Myself, I come from the Golden Kingdom.”
“Life in TidalClan sure sounds nice,” Maisie hummed, already visualizing it in her mind’s eye. “Peaceful days by the shore... why, that’s any cat’s dream! Or, at least, for us the Golden Kingdom. We don’t often see a body of water bigger than a puddle!” Chuckling a bit at the mental image of Conuresun and Sanderlingfrost bobbing up and down in the ocean’s tides, Maisie nodded as her half-sister confirmed the absence of her mate. “You’ll have to tell him that I said hello!” she purred. “It was nice to meet him at the last Gathering.”
“Thank you,” Desdemona murmured, climbing atop the rocks, and nodding in appreciation as she settled into the space that had been cleared for her. The stones were still sun-warm and made a pleasant surface to sprawl all four of her spotted legs across in contentment. For a moment, Desdemona just relaxed into the warmth, focused on nothing but the quiet breathing of her neighbor. But while sitting in comfortable silence with this unknown molly was already quite nice, she was curious as to whose company she was keeping. “My name is Desdemona,” she offered, flicking one silver ear in the molly’s direction. “What’s yours?”
Alyssum smiled to herself as she padded into the Gathering-place after the rest of the Golden Kingdom. It was indeed a bustling, noisy hubbub of activity, just as Frost had said, and the cacophony of sound and scent assaulting her senses had Young Alyssum nearly reeling. Still, though, the excitement brewing beneath her skin went untempered. She knew she was small and dainty, like her father and her sisters and her brother, but she was not afraid. Not even when she bounded headfirst into a full-grown molly! Stumbling backwards, Alyssum’s face felt as warm as her ginger fur as she stammered apologies to the ticked tabby before her. “My name is Alyssum, and I’m a squire from the Golden Kingdom,” she said, once she’d collected herself enough from the embarrassment. “Sorry again for bumping into you!”
♪ Foxcatcher
tom ; warrior ; tags: ploverheart
When Foxcatcher turned and saw the attractive molly meandering towards him, suddenly his confidence started to slip. He recognized her scent from the PineClan border, so at least he knew she was friendly, but now he was aware that he wanted to make a good impression on her. He cleared her throat as she made it to him, and dipped his head politely, albeit a bit awkwardly. "Hey! Didn't think I'd meet such a pretty molly tonight, but here you are." He meowed, flashing her a wide grin with confidence reinstated.
❋ Brindlebirch
molly ; perma queen ; tags: mapleshadow
Brindlebirch couldn't hold back a purr when Mapleshadow spoke. "You know I'm always happy to see you." Her reply was soft, and laced with nerves, but genuine as it could be. Her eyes widened when the Highgarden molly produced a delicate rose, its petals still full of color despite not being in season, and she swallowed her surprise to hear Mapleshadow stuttering about something- not what she had ever expected from the confident molly. She leaned down and daintily touched her nose to the petals, holding her breath so as not to damage it, and when she rose again she couldn't keep the smile from her muzzle. "Mapleshadow- it's beautiful. Seriously, no one's ever given me something so lovely." She glanced at her paws for a moment, building up the courage to say what she next had in mind. "It... it's like you, in that way."
✥ Lotusfall
molly ; warrior ; tags: splitfire
Lotusfall craned her neck to see above the crowd, having heard her mate's voice and recognizing it instantly. "Splitfire!" Doing her best to avoid strangers who certainly didn't want her in their space, she let a purr rumble in her throat as she padded forward to meet the cat who she had been missing, and pressed forward to bury her head in Splitfire's shoulder fur. "It's been too long, my love. Far too long."
♛ Night of the Stars
molly ; queen ; tags: rookstar
Night nodded slowly when Rookstar declined her offer to listen to his woes. In truth she had fully expected the refusal, and after a short internal questioning, decided that she probably would have denied any similar offer to herself- she wasn't one who really tried to feel things anyway, and talking about them made them much too real. She smiled at Rookstar's kind wishes and tilted her head thoughtfully. "Well, I can tell you I didn't expect to be the leader of a Clan- oh, what was it- four or five moons ago? It's certainly been a journey, and one that I'm still learning about. I don't know if I'll ever have what it takes to be a leader like those of ancient Kyanite Keep... but, I'll do my best for my Clan." She gave a sheepish shrug and drew absentminded lines in the dirt with her claws. "It's only a few of us attending tonight. The rest stayed behind to guard. What about you?"
A flash of waving white fur in his peripheral vision caught Cricketpounce’s eye. Perhaps it was coincidence, but the nearly inaudible one-two step of a PineClan cat, stealthy as even the clumsiest of their number were, could not be ignored. “Frostflower!” Cricketpounce called, whirling around to greet her with a smile. And as he’d thought, the white molly hovered just behind him, long tail swaying in the gentle breeze. “I’m so glad to see you here this evening. It’s really been too long. How have you and Ramkit been?”
Crimson bared his teeth in frenetic glee, splitting from the fold of his clanmates into an enveloping crowd. SpruceClan called him Crimsontail, perhaps a wry jab at Crimson’s daunting plumage, but he wasn’t particularly bothered. Hardly a moon he’d spent with the mountain cats, and now he was accompanying them to a meeting between more clans than he could count. He liked the thrill of it, of running headlong into danger and the shock of adrenaline that followed suit. The Gathering wasn’t exactly dangerous, as far as he knew, but it was still nice to be somewhere where he could play around for the evening. And as Crimson raced into the fray, he could hardly help himself from yowling in delight. This was certainly going to be fun!
By her third circle around the Gathering place, Bramblingpath found herself succumbing to boredom. Surely, it would be more interesting to find someone to talk to! As she slowed her brisk pace to a walk, the nearby bushes rustled in the wake of a small clan entering. Two mollies, one a mottled tortoiseshell not unlike herself and the other pitch-black in color, trailed off to a stop as the two older warriors leading the way split from the group. Curious now, Bramblingpath let her head tilt to the side and padded closer. “Hello,” she greeted, smiling lightly at the two newcomers. “I’m Bramblingpath from SpruceClan. Mind if I join you two?”
“Hullo, Caperpaw,” he said, grinning as his conversation partner did a little dance around him. “I’ve been apprenticed fer’ maybe three, four moons? In SpruceClan— that’s where I’m from— we study lots of things. Hunting first, then how to climb the mountain’s face. We do some sparring an’ swimming, too.” Stormpaw eyed the bright-faced apprentice before him, trying perhaps a little too hard not to show how entertained he was. “What do they teach where you come from?”
“Yes,” Frost’s Sheen purred. “We are always delighted to welcome new lives into the Kingdom, particularly those in the family. But at the moment, there are only a pawful of little ones. With autumn on our heels, or Leaf-fall, in your terms, it is fortunate that there are only a few more expecting parents.” Ginger’s Root was the only cat she knew personally, but already the molly had begun to complain about her kitting falling during the colder months. Frost’s Sheen hummed in agreement as Chasmstar described the shift in weather, already imagining the cool embrace of winter winds as they raced through the valley she called home. “Snow does not last long, where we come from,” she said, smiling lightly. “It did make for delightful games as a kitten, though. I look forwards to seeing the bantlings and squires experience their first snowfall.”
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sunflicker!” Lynx’s Prowl rumbled, offering his own smile in return. He stretched out slowly, dropping down into a seated position and tilting his head towards Sunflicker. “I’ve always thought these Gatherings were a nice place to make friends. Is this your first?” After a moment of thought, Lynx offered another question. “Ah, but I’m getting ahead of myself. I meant to ask you what clan you call home! Myself, I come from the Golden Kingdom.”
“Life in TidalClan sure sounds nice,” Maisie hummed, already visualizing it in her mind’s eye. “Peaceful days by the shore... why, that’s any cat’s dream! Or, at least, for us the Golden Kingdom. We don’t often see a body of water bigger than a puddle!” Chuckling a bit at the mental image of Conuresun and Sanderlingfrost bobbing up and down in the ocean’s tides, Maisie nodded as her half-sister confirmed the absence of her mate. “You’ll have to tell him that I said hello!” she purred. “It was nice to meet him at the last Gathering.”
“Thank you,” Desdemona murmured, climbing atop the rocks, and nodding in appreciation as she settled into the space that had been cleared for her. The stones were still sun-warm and made a pleasant surface to sprawl all four of her spotted legs across in contentment. For a moment, Desdemona just relaxed into the warmth, focused on nothing but the quiet breathing of her neighbor. But while sitting in comfortable silence with this unknown molly was already quite nice, she was curious as to whose company she was keeping. “My name is Desdemona,” she offered, flicking one silver ear in the molly’s direction. “What’s yours?”
Alyssum smiled to herself as she padded into the Gathering-place after the rest of the Golden Kingdom. It was indeed a bustling, noisy hubbub of activity, just as Frost had said, and the cacophony of sound and scent assaulting her senses had Young Alyssum nearly reeling. Still, though, the excitement brewing beneath her skin went untempered. She knew she was small and dainty, like her father and her sisters and her brother, but she was not afraid. Not even when she bounded headfirst into a full-grown molly! Stumbling backwards, Alyssum’s face felt as warm as her ginger fur as she stammered apologies to the ticked tabby before her. “My name is Alyssum, and I’m a squire from the Golden Kingdom,” she said, once she’d collected herself enough from the embarrassment. “Sorry again for bumping into you!”
♪ Foxcatcher
tom ; warrior ; tags: ploverheart
When Foxcatcher turned and saw the attractive molly meandering towards him, suddenly his confidence started to slip. He recognized her scent from the PineClan border, so at least he knew she was friendly, but now he was aware that he wanted to make a good impression on her. He cleared her throat as she made it to him, and dipped his head politely, albeit a bit awkwardly. "Hey! Didn't think I'd meet such a pretty molly tonight, but here you are." He meowed, flashing her a wide grin with confidence reinstated.
❋ Brindlebirch
molly ; perma queen ; tags: mapleshadow
Brindlebirch couldn't hold back a purr when Mapleshadow spoke. "You know I'm always happy to see you." Her reply was soft, and laced with nerves, but genuine as it could be. Her eyes widened when the Highgarden molly produced a delicate rose, its petals still full of color despite not being in season, and she swallowed her surprise to hear Mapleshadow stuttering about something- not what she had ever expected from the confident molly. She leaned down and daintily touched her nose to the petals, holding her breath so as not to damage it, and when she rose again she couldn't keep the smile from her muzzle. "Mapleshadow- it's beautiful. Seriously, no one's ever given me something so lovely." She glanced at her paws for a moment, building up the courage to say what she next had in mind. "It... it's like you, in that way."
✥ Lotusfall
molly ; warrior ; tags: splitfire
Lotusfall craned her neck to see above the crowd, having heard her mate's voice and recognizing it instantly. "Splitfire!" Doing her best to avoid strangers who certainly didn't want her in their space, she let a purr rumble in her throat as she padded forward to meet the cat who she had been missing, and pressed forward to bury her head in Splitfire's shoulder fur. "It's been too long, my love. Far too long."
♛ Night of the Stars
molly ; queen ; tags: rookstar
Night nodded slowly when Rookstar declined her offer to listen to his woes. In truth she had fully expected the refusal, and after a short internal questioning, decided that she probably would have denied any similar offer to herself- she wasn't one who really tried to feel things anyway, and talking about them made them much too real. She smiled at Rookstar's kind wishes and tilted her head thoughtfully. "Well, I can tell you I didn't expect to be the leader of a Clan- oh, what was it- four or five moons ago? It's certainly been a journey, and one that I'm still learning about. I don't know if I'll ever have what it takes to be a leader like those of ancient Kyanite Keep... but, I'll do my best for my Clan." She gave a sheepish shrug and drew absentminded lines in the dirt with her claws. "It's only a few of us attending tonight. The rest stayed behind to guard. What about you?"
A flash of waving white fur in his peripheral vision caught Cricketpounce’s eye. Perhaps it was coincidence, but the nearly inaudible one-two step of a PineClan cat, stealthy as even the clumsiest of their number were, could not be ignored. “Frostflower!” Cricketpounce called, whirling around to greet her with a smile. And as he’d thought, the white molly hovered just behind him, long tail swaying in the gentle breeze. “I’m so glad to see you here this evening. It’s really been too long. How have you and Ramkit been?”
By her third circle around the Gathering place, Bramblingpath found herself succumbing to boredom. Surely, it would be more interesting to find someone to talk to! As she slowed her brisk pace to a walk, the nearby bushes rustled in the wake of a small clan entering. Two mollies, one a mottled tortoiseshell not unlike herself and the other pitch-black in color, trailed off to a stop as the two older warriors leading the way split from the group. Curious now, Bramblingpath let her head tilt to the side and padded closer. “Hello,” she greeted, smiling lightly at the two newcomers. “I’m Bramblingpath from SpruceClan. Mind if I join you two?”
“Hullo, Caperpaw,” he said, grinning as his conversation partner did a little dance around him. “I’ve been apprenticed fer’ maybe three, four moons? In SpruceClan— that’s where I’m from— we study lots of things. Hunting first, then how to climb the mountain’s face. We do some sparring an’ swimming, too.” Stormpaw eyed the bright-faced apprentice before him, trying perhaps a little too hard not to show how entertained he was. “What do they teach where you come from?”
“Yes,” Frost’s Sheen purred. “We are always delighted to welcome new lives into the Kingdom, particularly those in the family. But at the moment, there are only a pawful of little ones. With autumn on our heels, or Leaf-fall, in your terms, it is fortunate that there are only a few more expecting parents.” Ginger’s Root was the only cat she knew personally, but already the molly had begun to complain about her kitting falling during the colder months. Frost’s Sheen hummed in agreement as Chasmstar described the shift in weather, already imagining the cool embrace of winter winds as they raced through the valley she called home. “Snow does not last long, where we come from,” she said, smiling lightly. “It did make for delightful games as a kitten, though. I look forwards to seeing the bantlings and squires experience their first snowfall.”
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sunflicker!” Lynx’s Prowl rumbled, offering his own smile in return. He stretched out slowly, dropping down into a seated position and tilting his head towards Sunflicker. “I’ve always thought these Gatherings were a nice place to make friends. Is this your first?” After a moment of thought, Lynx offered another question. “Ah, but I’m getting ahead of myself. I meant to ask you what clan you call home! Myself, I come from the Golden Kingdom.”
“Thank you,” Desdemona murmured, climbing atop the rocks, and nodding in appreciation as she settled into the space that had been cleared for her. The stones were still sun-warm and made a pleasant surface to sprawl all four of her spotted legs across in contentment. For a moment, Desdemona just relaxed into the warmth, focused on nothing but the quiet breathing of her neighbor. But while sitting in comfortable silence with this unknown molly was already quite nice, she was curious as to whose company she was keeping. “My name is Desdemona,” she offered, flicking one silver ear in the molly’s direction. “What’s yours?”
Alyssum smiled to herself as she padded into the Gathering-place after the rest of the Golden Kingdom. It was indeed a bustling, noisy hubbub of activity, just as Frost had said, and the cacophony of sound and scent assaulting her senses had Young Alyssum nearly reeling. Still, though, the excitement brewing beneath her skin went untempered. She knew she was small and dainty, like her father and her sisters and her brother, but she was not afraid. Not even when she bounded headfirst into a full-grown molly! Stumbling backwards, Alyssum’s face felt as warm as her ginger fur as she stammered apologies to the ticked tabby before her. “My name is Alyssum, and I’m a squire from the Golden Kingdom,” she said, once she’d collected herself enough from the embarrassment. “Sorry again for bumping into you!”
♪ Foxcatcher
tom ; warrior ; tags: ploverheart
When Foxcatcher turned and saw the attractive molly meandering towards him, suddenly his confidence started to slip. He recognized her scent from the PineClan border, so at least he knew she was friendly, but now he was aware that he wanted to make a good impression on her. He cleared her throat as she made it to him, and dipped his head politely, albeit a bit awkwardly. "Hey! Didn't think I'd meet such a pretty molly tonight, but here you are." He meowed, flashing her a wide grin with confidence reinstated.
❋ Brindlebirch
molly ; perma queen ; tags: mapleshadow
Brindlebirch couldn't hold back a purr when Mapleshadow spoke. "You know I'm always happy to see you." Her reply was soft, and laced with nerves, but genuine as it could be. Her eyes widened when the Highgarden molly produced a delicate rose, its petals still full of color despite not being in season, and she swallowed her surprise to hear Mapleshadow stuttering about something- not what she had ever expected from the confident molly. She leaned down and daintily touched her nose to the petals, holding her breath so as not to damage it, and when she rose again she couldn't keep the smile from her muzzle. "Mapleshadow- it's beautiful. Seriously, no one's ever given me something so lovely." She glanced at her paws for a moment, building up the courage to say what she next had in mind. "It... it's like you, in that way."
✥ Lotusfall
molly ; warrior ; tags: splitfire
Lotusfall craned her neck to see above the crowd, having heard her mate's voice and recognizing it instantly. "Splitfire!" Doing her best to avoid strangers who certainly didn't want her in their space, she let a purr rumble in her throat as she padded forward to meet the cat who she had been missing, and pressed forward to bury her head in Splitfire's shoulder fur. "It's been too long, my love. Far too long."
♛ Night of the Stars
molly ; queen ; tags: rookstar
Night nodded slowly when Rookstar declined her offer to listen to his woes. In truth she had fully expected the refusal, and after a short internal questioning, decided that she probably would have denied any similar offer to herself- she wasn't one who really tried to feel things anyway, and talking about them made them much too real. She smiled at Rookstar's kind wishes and tilted her head thoughtfully. "Well, I can tell you I didn't expect to be the leader of a Clan- oh, what was it- four or five moons ago? It's certainly been a journey, and one that I'm still learning about. I don't know if I'll ever have what it takes to be a leader like those of ancient Kyanite Keep... but, I'll do my best for my Clan." She gave a sheepish shrug and drew absentminded lines in the dirt with her claws. "It's only a few of us attending tonight. The rest stayed behind to guard. What about you?"
Silverstar hummed, "It's not required to attend each full moon, though my younger clanmates insist that they'll die from boredom if I don't allow at least some of them to interact with otherclanners." She didn't mind much; her ways of leading differed from the other leaders. And then there were certain clans that attended Gatherings only once every couple of seasons... not that she had any right to judge. Silverstar smothered a laugh. "Yes, I'm doing well. I know how it feels, an influx of kits. The Cascade has more kittens than mentors at the moment; even with the rate at which the apprentices are graduating, I don't think we'll have enough." The molly shook her head. "Not that it's too troubling. The warriors seem excited to pass on their skills; at this rate, the kittens will be allowed to choose their instructors." Silverstar fell silent for a moment, the oddest feeling that she was forgetting to mention something... "Ah! I'm carrying," she shared, "kits. A gift from the Storm... the Stars. Though if I'm truly honest, I'm not sure how this parenting thing will work," the leader admitted sheepishly.
"Congratulations," Aldernight offered. He thought about the ongoings of his own clan, parroting amiably, "Nothing much. Too many kittens and apprentices for the warriors to handle. The esteemed leader's solution? Graduate all the current apprentices without telling anyone, then assign each of them an apprentice, presuming that they prove themselves responsible enough to keep the rank. He shot Badgermask a wry look. "Does that sound effective to you?"
Choralpaw dashes away, then glances around frantically. As long as she can see Castedbreak, she's not lost.
"Too old for Gatherings," Copsewhistle grumbled to herself, not bothering to hide her irritation. "See who's stopping me? No one! Lazy cascadors, always bumbling around." The former MistClan elder paused, scenting the air. Was that? "Spruceleg!" the molly called out, a smile growing on her maw. Ha, this is why she wouldn't take 'no' for an answer -- to encounter her ex-clanmates and see how far they'd come. Copsewhistle hobbled over to the other feline. "Are you happier now that MistClan's gone?"
"Nah, not really," Pilferplum replied. "Or sorta? I dunno." Usually, rebellions were squashed down pretty quickly, but the Cascade... had never been Pilferplum's idea of a safe place. There was always some underlying tension in the air no matter how hard he tried to ignore it... "Yeah, I dunno. But! The cats from my generation are all on good terms with each other. The older ones and the important high ranks... I think they all hate each other? Like an ongoing, serious game of mossball that no one's ever gonna win."
Castedbreak steps away from his apprentice, searching for someone else to speak to.
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