[Fawn]

I guess I'm the first one here!

A young ruddy warrior-to-be shook the fat snowflakes from his coat, his whiskers twitching as he scented the freezing air, a grin spreading onto his handsome features as his green eyes lit up like emerald fire. The Gatheringplace was always something that gave him a certain thrill, and he eagerly ascended the rock where RainClan's leader, Sandstar usually stood, secretly jealous and very very proud that it was his own mentor that would now stand beside the pale golden striped tom and not someone else. Though he would've given anything to swap places with Razorfang, Russetpaw was now old enough to know that for RainClan to have an apprentice deputy would be nothing short of a laughingstock.

Still, that was one thing he could do nothing about, not for a few more training sessions at least. His warrior ceremony was close, he could feel it in his bones. Purring to himself with the strength of his own contentment and excitement, Russetpaw's green eyes narrowed against the cold, the frigid wind making his eyes water as he surveyed out over the snow-laden meeting place.

It had been his and a couple other apprentices' idea at the gathering to have one big get-together with the other apprentices. Russetpaw's first instinct had been 'that's a great idea! Sweet!' before caution set in and he firmly reminded himself not to blab any of RainClan's secrets while he was there. That was the only way this was going to work, if each cat respected and enacted their right to Clan privacy. Previously sitting upon the snow-caped rock Sandstar usually perched upon, Russetpaw rose up to all fours when he spotted newcomers closing in front all sides, the warrior-to-be calling out a warm, humored greeting.
"Come on slow-slugs! I'm freezing up here!"

Finally! Cats were starting to show up!

[Hellion]

SHADEPAW
Eavesdropping on a few apprentices back the gathering, Shadepaw had heard of some cat his age meeting at StarClan's claws. It wan't like it was against the warrior code, he might even gain some good insight with the clans bordering him. Carefully he came up with a lame excuse to leave the camp without his mentor, saying he was going to make dirt. It wasn't a total lie he left toward the direction but took a sharp turn and toward the gathering place he went.

It was odd to out on his own, without his mentor near by or even his brother for that matter. He thought for a moment of asking Harepaw to join him and he did lamely mention it to her the other day but he wasn't even sure she'd show up. Shrugging his shoulders he traveled at an easy pace. Nearly half way there he just about froze, it was so cold! With a huff and puff he heaved himself over mud soaked log and picked up pace to warm his cold body, was it always this cold?

He never noticed how cold it was until now, maybe it was his mentality, he wasn't sure he'd like to venture this far from home and surely he was afraid of his brother coming after him, it wasn't very much like the young tom to go out on his own, much to Blackwolf's annoyance, Shadepaw was a follower. However, he hadn't grown into his true self just yet, especially with his run in with Duskpaw, he wasn't confident anymore.

Still, the change in landscape brought a new light to him, maybe this could be fun? He'd be able to learn new things about his enemies, possibly makes allies if he was to go war, it never hurt right? With a whisk of his tail he nearly ran to the gathering place and saw a tom of a deep dark hue, russet he would have guessed.

Drinking in the cat's scent Shadepaw was no fool to know the tom was from RainClan, his pelt stunk like rotten food, not even if he was starving would Shadepaw willingly eat fish. Clearing his throat he made his presence known, not sure how it would all plan out. "Hi, the names is Shadepaw I come from NightClan" He meowed easily, doing his best to sound confident.

SPIDERPAW
Tired and sore from sleeping without his twin, Wasp-paw had been spending the last couple days in Rookfrost's den the cough that killed Crookedgaze was threatening his twin's life. With a heavy sigh Spiderpaw gave his brother a goodbye nuzzle and headed off, a task given to him by Rookfrost.

It was at the gathering that Spiderpaw learned of an apprentice meeting held at StarClan's claws, Rookfrost spoke of wanting to know what was going on and what better to spill the beans by accident then a group of mindless apprentices. However, Spiderpaw was no mindless fool, he was smart and cunning he'd be able to weasel his way into the heart of the conversation no matter how angry he was that he was alone. He knew he'd be able to learn a few important secrets and enough to please Rookfrost, his new found idol.

His pace kept up he easily covered the ground, after all this apprentice was built for long distance travel. Spider like limbs that stretched from LightingClan to RainClan, it was no wonder his father named his Spiderpaw. The distance and actual travel was like a brisk walk for the long legged tom.

Without formal greetings or respectful courtesies, Spiderpaw barged toward the two cats already present, wrinkling his nose at the reek of fish and and nasty crowfood coming from both cats. RainClan by the look of the older tom, NightClan from the attitude and movement of the younger one. Spiderpaw was no fool, he could read body language after all he'd been doing it since he was born, that was the reason Wasp-paw and him were so in sync, they read it eachother.

"That names Spiderpaw of LighitngClan" He spoke curtly, tail curling wishing his twin was beside him, however he was doing his idol's dirty work, and growing proud of it.

[Deleted]

Mountainpaw stalked away from camp, he hadn’t really bothered to sneak out as nobody tended to notice him anyway so he didn’t feel it was worth the effort. He just Mountainpaw’d right out of camp without being noticed by the guards. He remembered the path to starclans claws he had been to a few gatherings before, however whilst at this one he had heard rumors from apprentices of his and other clans that there was going to be a big get together. Insanely enough, these rumors seemed to be true at least enough that some treeclan apprentices like himself were going to be going. So that is why he trekked though the frozen night, by himself towards a place he shouldn’t have been going. He knew it was stupid, but he really didn’t care if they were caught the worst punishment he could think they would dole out would be a delay of his warrior ceremony and that wouldn’t bother him one bit. Yanked out of his thoughts by arriving at his destination he quickly joined the apprentices already there without scoping out who was actually there, it could have been a trap but he really didn’t care. He heard some cats introducing themselves so he decided he better as well, the cats might not understand his silent behavior so well.

[Phoenix]

He had overheard talk of apprentices from all clans meeting at StarClan's Claws after the Gathering, but he had chosen to dismiss it. Since he already knew that TreeClan was superior to the rest, why should he care about the thoughts of the other clans? The idea made little sense to him and the journey seemed more like a waste of time and energy than anything else. So Noblepaw had decided that he would not show up.

Until Mountainpaw walked across his path.

Well, we can't have that, can we?

Noblepaw refused to let Mountainpaw be the only cat to represent TreeClan; far too quiet and unassuming, the younger apprentice was weak, and as a result, the other apprentices would receive the wrong impression of his clan. They needed to be shown TreeClan's strength, not their weakness. And that was where Noblepaw stepped in. Grumbling under his breath about irritating apprentices that dragged others into their problems, the tom changed direction immediately, letting his paws carry him toward the very distinctive stone spires.

Green eyes flicked around the area as he arrived on the scene shortly after the brown TreeClan apprentice. They numbered five total, counting himself, and he found that he recognized a few from the Gathering, though not necessarily by name. It appeared as though they were making introductions anyway, and the gray and white almost-warrior strode up to meet them. He turned his scarred face toward each one of them in turn, nodding slightly and daring them to comment on the marks from his run in with the lynx. He did not need to hear the introductions of Spiderpaw and Shadepaw to know that they were from LightningClan and NightClan, respectively; the NightClan stench was overwhelming and had become very well-known among the cats of TreeClan, thanks to the frequent patrols they sent to steal TreeClan's prey. Eyes narrowed slightly at the thought, and he reigned in his irritation. He glanced at the RainClan tom, who had an equally distinctive and disgusting scent, who had yet to give his name. "Noblepaw," The gray and white apprentice said after a moment, "TreeClan."

[Deleted]

where you invest your love,[/size]

The young black and white apprentice had been sitting at home, idle and minding her own business after a long and unsuccessful hunt earlier in the morning. Sparrowpaw had not planned to do anything else for the rest of the day unless it was requested her. The morning’s hunt had just set her into a rather foul mood and the apprentice felt worthless for the time; like anything she did, or didn’t do. The apprentice sat near the entrance to the apprentice den, resting her head on her paws and feeling low.

When she heard something curious from the apprentice den. An apprentice Gathering? All the apprentices of all the clans are meeting at StarClan’s Claws? That isn’t against the code, is it? Sparrowpaw thought to herself, pricking her ears forward to make it easier for the apprentice to hear the details.

Later when the black and white apprentice saw some apprentices leaving TreeClan camp for the Gathering, Sparrowpaw followed the others close behind and hoped that she would not be seen. The young apprentice definitely needed to see others in order to find her way to StarClan’s Claws. She had already been to the area once and even then, the gangly feline had been too bubbly and excited to pay attention to where she had been heading. Like most of the other cats in the group, she had been one cat in a herd – mindless and squawking about one thing or another.

The black and white apprentice had no clue why she thought that it was a good idea to head out on this journey. Only after it was far too late for her to turn back did she realize her situation and her stomach lurched. Though, as far as she knew, this gathering was not against the code, it did not stop the apprentice fearing the punishment that might come upon her from the meeting. And, what if there are NightClanners there? Sparrowpaw asked herself, her thin pelt flicking upwards at the thought of the cats who she feared so greatly. The young apprentice felt that she was rational in her fear of NightClanners. They were such a shady bunch and she had heard (though not officially seen) NightClan stealing their prey! What kind of cats would do that? Sparrowpaw thought, but she had little time to ponder the situation because she found herself at her destination.

A few cats were there, and Sparrowpaw was relieved of one thing. It appeared, from a quick glance around and a quick analysis of the other apprentices’ scents indicated that the TreeClan cats, those who she was somewhat familiar with, outnumbered the other cats at the time. And, only one NightClan cat is here. He better not try anything funny, Sparrowpaw thought, eying him suspiciously. It also bothered Sparrowpaw, momentarily, that she was the only female apprentice who had arrived. ”I’m Sparrowpaw, also hailing from TreeClan,” Sparrowpaw meowed, and successfully fought to push any hesitation out of her voice.

you invest your life.

[/size][/u]

And that's how the story goes,[/font]

The marbled brown tabby tom had been excited about this day ever since he had eavesdropped and had heard word of it after the Gathering. Volepaw had been highly upset that he had not been allowed to attend the Gathering, but when he had heard of the other apprentices’ plans, his anger dissipated. The apprentice what very excited about meeting other clan cats and hoped to learn a great deal about them from his meeting. I wonder how they smell? Volepaw wondered to himself and quivered with excitement with such a simple question.

After a day filled with hunting, the young tom was ready to leave. The plan was to meet when the sun was in the middle of the sky. So, once the tom found that he had done enough for his clan that morning, he headed for StarClan’s Claws. Unlike some of the other clans, the journey was not particularly long for Volepaw. Though he had not been to the Gathering and was not 100% sure of the way, the tom was not afraid at all. Getting lost, after all, would simply be another opportunity for adventure, discovery, and understanding about the clans.

It was lucky for the tom that so many different cats all in a specific age group were headed to the same area, however. With his jaws pinned wide open, the apprentice drank the fresh scents of the apprentices who had passed through the area not long before him. He hoped that he wasn’t too late to the meeting – he wanted to spend as much company with these foreign cats as possible. As Volepaw padded along the often-treaded pathway, the scents of the other apprentices grew stronger and stronger.

It was not too long before he spotted their meeting place. It was not too hard for him to spot – the big rocks that he had only heard about from other warriors on camp towered above his head. The tabby felt shaken by seeing what he had once imagined, more so than being flooded with the scents and visions of cats from other clans.

As he sat, shuffling and awkward while waiting for his turn to speak, the apprentice learned of where the other cats were from. He was in the presence of a RainClanner, a LightningClanner, a NightClanner, and several TreeClanners. The tom could not wait to get started. ”I’m Volepaw of StoneClan! Does anyone know who else is coming, if I may ask? I can’t wait to get started!” Volepaw announced, practically beaming with the thought that he – a simple apprentice – was getting to meet cats so foreign to him. If no other cats intended on coming to the gathering, Volepaw wanted to know right away so they wasted no time. Time is as precious as knowledge, Volepaw thought to himself, perking his strange curled ears forward to hear what the other clan cats had to say.

[/color]

The story of the beast

with those four dirty paws

[/color]

[Fate Admin]

Cricketpaw all but shot out of camp like a bat out of hell as the time neared for the apprentices to meet at StarClan’s claws. She’d gone out hunting with Fawnchaser earlier, though not with much success. She’d scared away most everything they’d been able to find at first and then Fawnchaser said they would split up to hunt on their own and meet back at the camp entrance before sunhigh. Well Fawnchaser had caught a thing or two but Cricketpaw had come back with nothing. She’d been too excited and distracted by the prospect of this meeting to focus on anything else. Not to mention she was exhausting herself with the effort of not yowling to the whole camp how very excited she was about this awesome plan!

The other apprentices had made it very clear that it needed to be kept a secret, however, so Cricketpaw had tried her very best and actually succeeded with not talking about to anyone she wasn’t supposed to talk to about it. She’d left Fawnchaser at camp telling him she would go back out and try to catch something and she wouldn’t come back until she did before she shot away before he could say anything. Not stopping for anything she quickly came upon StarClan’s Claws and took note of all the apprentices that were already there before skidding to a halt and tripping over her own paws in her effort to come to a stop before she ran into anyone.

She looked up from her place half buried in the snow, grinning like a fool, “Hey!” She giggled and hopped out of the snow like her namesake, landing in the midst of the gathered apprentices and beaming around at everyone before noticing Volepaw. “OH Hey Volepaw! Hey... everyone else!” She rolled onto her back and wriggled around happily. “This is so great! Everyone’s so GLUM all the time and here we can just have fun and talk and do whatever and no one’s telling us to do things or complaining about cold and snow and food-or that there’s no food anyway and I couldn’t focus on hunting at all cuz I was so excited to come here and meet everyone so I caught all of NOTHING but it was a good excuse cuz I told my mentor I wouldn’t come back ‘til I caught something and then I came here and now he thinks I’m off hunting and it worked out pretty well I think!”

Whether anyone was paying attention or understanding what she was saying was another story all together, considering she was talking about a thousand miles a minute.

~~~

Snowpaw padded along with his sister, ears perked forward attentively. He was wholly curious about how this little apprentice gathering would play out or he wouldn’t have come at all. It wasn’t really right… not that they were really doing anything wrong by it, but he knew the rest of the Clan would not be happy with them if they found out about it. He did not particularly like being in trouble and would avoid it if he could, but he wasn’t about to let this meeting go on without him there to witness it and anything that might happen. Not to mention it was a great way to learn more about the other Clans! He hoped the others wouldn’t take his questions the wrong way… he didn’t want to hear how weak and without food the other Clans might be, he just wanted to know general things about them… like what sort of prey they normally ate and what their territories were like in comparison with his own. He had no problem telling them about his Clan in such a manner first to prove he harbored no ill intent.

Though… after the prophecy he had heard at the Moon Tree, he WAS sort of interested in more than what the others should be telling him. He wanted to know what the prophecy meant and how it affected not only his Clan but all the others as well. He glanced at Frostpaw, wondering if she had gone along with their plan for her excuse as to why they were going out of camp together. That Rookfrost wanted him to scavenge for any herbs that may still be living anywhere and that Frostpaw was coming along as an escort. It would have been a more solid story if Icepaw was with them as well… Frostpaw hadn’t been an apprentice any longer than Snowpaw had and wouldn’t have been able to do much if they were attacked, but it was better than nothing. Besides, they supposedly weren’t wandering far from camp, so it was safe enough and didn’t require a warrior who could better be hunting for the Clan. Or at least that’s what Snowpaw had come up with.

Rookfrost didn’t seem to care much if his apprentice stayed or went, unless he was in the mood for giving a lecture on something or another. Snowpaw hung on his every word whenever he actually paid him attention and taught him about something, but this leaf-bare, with a bare minimum of herbs, dwindling every day, he could hardly even be taught to identify herbs and what they were used for. He sighed and swished his tail dismissively, wishing that newleaf would hurry up and get here so he could start learning more rigorously. He’d seen his fair share of sickness so far anyway. Greencough was horrible. He fluffed out his fur and hurried a bit as he spotted StarClan’s Claws jutting up in the distance. He paused as they neared and he spotted the others, one black and white she-cat rolling on her back, chattering away nonstop about something or another. He wondered how this was going to go, and how it might end as he padded up to stand a little behind the others, not shy, but observant.

[Fawn]

More cats than I thought really turned out for this.

With a perfect view of the other cats from his perch, Russetpaw felt no such desire to jump down and join them, enjoying the lofty view perhaps more than he should, the ruddy tom right at home above the rest of the group. "Russetpaw of RainClan, in case it wasn't obvious." Mewed the would-be warrior, utterly in his element now that he had such a large group of potential friends, enemies and rivals here in one place. Tail gently swaying as though stirred by a gentle breeze, the ruddy tom let his emerald green gaze swivel from Shadepaw all the way to the two white-furred new arrivals that were making their way into the group, his eyes lingering on the scarred face of Noblepaw, Russetpaw recognizing him to be the tom that had been attacked by the lynx.

Russetpaw wouldn't say it out loud, but he actually thought the scars looked kind of cool. They more or less said 'I'm a fearsome warrior, you should see the other guy'. There was another tom here who hadn't introduced himself, and he came off as one of those strong silent types, so Russetpaw's attention was drawn elsewhere, lingering on the broken dam of words that came pouring out of Volepaw's and Cricketpaw's mouth. The RainClan tom stared.
Were all StoneClan warriors as talkative as this? No wonder the cats in his own Clan weren't all that fond of StoneCan...they had some serious chatters in there.

"Riiight, well there isn't really a plan with this thing, the only rule is to more or less not kill each other," chuckling out these words, the handsome ruddy tom's eyes darting to a bold ginger and white she-cat who had announced herself calmly and confidently;

"I'm Frostpaw of LightningClan, hello!"

Yes! This was exactly the kind of get-together Frostpaw had been dying to have; going along with Snowpaw's fib that they were out collecting herbs for Rookfrost, Frostpaw had practically skipped her way here with her quiet, thoughtful brother at her side. Frostpaw wasn't sure if Icepaw was going to stop by or not, but she wasn't going to worry about Icepaw right now - not when there were so many interesting toms to talk to instead.

Minus Spiderpaw. Glancing the brown tom's way, she met his eyes and acknowledged his presence with a dip of her head, her ears flicking every which way as the sounds of chattering drew the she-cat in all possible directions. Purring pleasantly, Frostpaw had half a mind to ask the scarred up tom how he'd gotten those injuries - TreeClan, wasn't he? - but thought it would be rude, considering they hadn't really been formally introduced... Settling for the distinctive gray apprentice who smelled strongly of NightClan, the black and white she-cat from TreeClan and another quiet tom from TreeClan, Frostpaw walked over with her tail held high, speaking in a cool, friendly tone; "Hello. Crazy weather we're having, huh? It would've been nice if we could have this gathering in Newleaf, but I won't complain."

[Hellion]

SHADEPAW
The presence of all the other cats, was a whirlwind to the young tom, however the she-cat that seemed fairly friendly and nice came toward him, he flicked his tail in greeting and tried his hardest to smile warmly.

When the other cats coming from TreeClan came into view, Shadepaw did his best not look for the she-cat that he had attacked, he'd rather not fail again even if his brother wasn't around.

Looking to the she-cat that called herself Frostpaw, the grey and white tom moved a little closer, trying to be friendly. "I think it's good for all of us to get together. It never hurts to make friends." As those words left Shadepaw's mouth he nearly tore out his own tongue. If Blackwolf was there he'd give his sibling a lashing that would make his first seem like a playful talk. Looking away Shadepaw kept himself silent, eyes forward and attention toward the older tom, Russetpaw.

The brown tom of mix-matched eyes remained silent, simply nodding his head the cats of his own clan, not giving a care in the world to the other cats around him. He simply kept his ears alert and eyes open, listening and learning.

[Fate Admin]

Snowpaw watched his sister move forward to interact with some of the others and twitched his ears in her direction. Hm… there were so many others to talk to he wasn’t sure where to start. He wished he knew which of them would be more receptive to his questions so he didn’t waste time or make himself any enemies just because he was curious about how others lived. And… Doveflight’s words of prophecy kept whirling around in his head… but it wasn’t like he could talk to anyone here about it, they weren’t medicine cats. But maybe… he could find out more about it? But where to start… and what sort of questions to ask? Something bad was going to happen and Snowpaw would rather be prepared than have it come upon him suddenly. He shifted, still unsure, and simply padded forward rather than hanging back at the edges. He was hoping someone else might approach him, for that would be a good sign of someone who was more eager and friendly to chat with.

~~~

Cricketpaw didn’t spend too long rolling around on the ground. When Russetpaw introduced himself from atop the Great Rock she leapt to her paws and streaked forward, leaping up to join him. She had always wondered what the view from up there might be like, but had never really had the chance to find out. “WOW! It’s like you can almost see straight to camp from here!!!” she cried, leaning forward and squinting in the general direction of StoneClan’s camp. She giggled gleefully and whipped around, taking a prideful strut about the circumference of the top of the Great Rock and looking out over all the other territories as well.

She paused suddenly, looking around as she realized she hadn’t introduced herself yet, “OH! I’m Cricketpaw by the way! I don’t know how my parents may have known to name me that but I am like the BEST leaper in all of StoneClan!” Feeling the need to prove it, she crouched and leapt up in one fluid, graceful motion, and if she did say so herself it was one of her best leaps ever. Much better than when she had been a new apprentice, how clumsy her leaps had been then! But they had still been pretty amazing at times, even Ringtail had said so! “When I was a new apprentice I leapt up and plucked a blackbird right out of the sky just like that!” She beamed with pride, remembering one of her first trips out hunting. It hadn’t been skill that day, it had been complete and utter, stupid luck, but no one else needed to know that!

“The elders tell stories about when StoneClan was called SKYClan because we can jump so high it’s like we’re FLYING! Some of them say old SkyClan cats COULD fly, but I’m pretty sure that’s just a story for kits. It does make them practice their jumping real hard though, they all wanna fly like SkyClan cats!” Her tail waved, sticking up behind her proudly as she looked around. She wanted to hear stories like that from the other Clans. She turned to Russetpaw, “Do RainClan elders tell the kits stories about your ancestors breathing water like fish? I could believe your ancestors came from the water, you smell enough like fish.” She honestly wasn’t trying to offend, she as just telling the truth, with no hint of scorn or disgust in her voice even if she did find the smell of RainClan to be rather unpleasant. How the other apprentice might take it, however, was another story.

[Insidious]

Foxpaw //

The orange tabby furred feline was always found in the trees of her camp. There was nothing more self-assuring than having a bird's eye view of Treeclan. While at the Gathering, Foxpaw had detected news of an apprentice meeting. The idea of such a thing was intriguing. However, she had no real desires to go exchange words with apprentices from the other clans.

It was only when Mountainpaw passed by from beneath her tree that Foxpaw found herself reconsidering. Were Treeclan apprentices actually considering going to this thing? She snorted lightly, blinking in the direction Mountainpaw traveled with interest. A part of her was concerned about Treeclan apprentices attending. Mountainpaw was a quiet tom, so, it was unlikely he'd go about babbling secrets. But, Noblepaw... no, she didn't necessarily have to worry about him either. Although, she did find herself wondering about his true intentions for attending. The glum expression lacing itself across the gray-and-white tom's facial features as he passed underneath the tree in the same direction of Mountainpaw was only heightening Foxpaw's desires to go as well. Despite how utterly awful the idea appeared in her intellectual mind, the she-cat already found herself scrambling down the side of the tree, landing on the terrain below with a silent thud.

Gray-green irises carefully performed a shoulder-check. Not that she had much to worry about, anyway. Sure, warriors and older likely wouldn't be pleased to be informed of this apprentice gathering. But, they wouldn't be finding out from Foxpaw. She was far too quick and cunning to be seen departing. With the stealth of the creature she was named for, Foxpaw slithered gracefully through the foliage upon the trail recently traveled by both Noblepaw and Mountainpaw.

She arrived a little late, by the looks of things. Her perked ears detected numerous voices; this immediately triggering Foxpaw's desire to glue herself to the shadows. But, she wouldn't have herself ruining a glimpse of Treeclan's reputation by appearing to be hiding. Besides, a cat that expected her of performing such a cowardly action would be false. She was examining, not hiding.

The mysterious feline crawled forward with quick, airy steps. Her limbs radiated precision with each sway of her slender figure, settling herself just close enough to be noticed, but not necessarily acknowledged. Foxpaw flipped an ear, her gaze momentarily resting upon each nearby individual. She wasn't oblivious to those introducing themselves, nor to the fact she was probably supposed to do so herself. However, she felt no need to so freely gift her identification to these strangers. If someone asked, she'd consider the offer depending on just who was requesting. But, no cat could possibly be so utterly blind as to tell she was here to listen, not talk.

Darkpaw //

The Nightclan tom had silently been intrigued by the idea of an apprentice gathering since the moment news had boomed in his eardrums. Although Darkpaw hadn't spoken to any apprentices around camp about it, he was sure most had already been informed one way or another. The obsidian furred tom's leg was still slightly problematic. He knew that this minor weakness would be a setback, but, that wasn't about to stop him from attending this gathering and seeing just what kind of felines belonged to the other clans.

With hasty maneuvers, the tom glided toward the edges of camp. Thankfully, his black fur harmonized well with the element of night. Therefore, he had managed to scramble away unnoticed by the attentive eyes of Nightclan warriors. The silvery gaze of Darkpaw briefly flashed from over his shoulders, performing an analytic scan. It was unlike him to be overly cautious, but, he simply didn't want to get caught and have to explain himself to anyone. It'd be much easier to slip away unidentified in the shadows, and so far, his mission was successful.

The stench of all the clans mingled as one in the tom's nostrils. He attempted to be-rid of the musky odor with an exhalation of air, the mild disgust visible upon his array of facial features for the briefest of moments. Emerging from the brush, the tom immediately took to examining those nearby. He wasn't frightened, more so excited. Although, Darkpaw was known for his lack of emotion shown upon the surface. So, to any wandering eyes, he was merely just another Nightclan cat.

He recognized Shadepaw amongst the crowd, to whom he offered a swift nod. Most of his attention was instantaneously caught traveling up the great rock to where two cats were positioned. The Nightclan apprentice cocked his head sideways, a subtle wonder as to if they were attention hogs. He stifled the laughter, his thinly furred tail lashing lightly behind his frame with amusement.

It wasn't long before Darkpaw took to his usual routine of scouting about for the most appealing she-cats. Not that he was picky; but he'd grown used to differing before-hand about who he liked, and who he didn't so much. It wasn't like anyone around here would even come in slight comparison to Frogpaw. But, from what he could see, the marble furred she-cat of his clan wasn't currently present. You could claim him to be disappointed, but he'd never admit to it.

“Darkpaw of Nightclan,” his voice oozed from his vocals in a light, charming tone. The ebony hued apprentice's silver eyes performed a glance over his shoulders, establishing eye contact with as plentiful a she-cat as he could. “The pleasure is mine.” Darkpaw formally dipped his head, the gesture for anyone who desired to have it for themselves.