[Fawn]

It was promising to be a Newleaf of many changes, Lionstar couldn't help but note as he said his last words to those TreeClanners left behind, murmuring to Nobleheart in particular before departure. ”Keep an eye on things for me.” He mewed to the reliable gray and white tom with the luminous green eyes, briefly aware of Daringheart shifting through the small crowd of invited cats. Both of his younger sisters would be attending the gathering tonight as apprentices – though their mentors had been left behind – and he couldn't have been prouder of them. Besides those two things of note, Lionstar had also selected Littlestep and Foxspirit, the two most recent TreeClan warriors, intending to acknowledge their achievement of reaching warriorhood tonight at the gathering.

With a sharp flick of a dark golden plume, Lionstar's ears shifted slightly to pick up the sound of over a dozen paws following close behind him, the figurehead of TreeClan intending to hold on to his lead despite his thoughts threatening to overwhelm him, to draw him in and allow him to lose focus and simply rely on memory to carry TreeClan to StarClan's Claws. As tempting as it was to let all attentiveness go and slide into that mode of pensiveness usually reserved for quiet moments in the forest or undisturbed peace within his den, Lionstar's gaze sharpened, golden eyes flickering as he caught the mottled array of pelts on either side in his peripherals, conscious of the many bodies all following after him.

It had been a strange Newleaf.

For starters, there were only four Clans in the forest now, and Lionstar, despite feeling completely justified in his refusal to help StoneClan even when asked, couldn't prevent a tiny prickle of guilt in the center of his chest, like a thorn being wedged into his heart that he might as well have fought them himself, for all the contribution he made to their undoing. Sometimes the biggest evil was not aggressive action, but rather standing back and letting it happen. Regardless of the slight weight upon his conscience, Lionstar felt content that he had made the right decision, though a little sympathy went StoneClan's way – wherever they were. He did not believe in all of that heathen Clan business Ravenstar seemed to spew whenever the topic was brought up; but he also did not believe in lying down and taking whatever nature threw at you even though certain measures – no matter how drastic – might be the very thing to save your Clan.

If he had been in Sandstar's position, Lionstar could surmise, stepping through a copse of newly budded trees, that he would have made the same decision as the RainClan leader, had his own Clan been endangered against his control. As leaders they were entrusted to the safety of a hundred cats or more, and sometimes they were forced to do things they did not agree with, like topple one Clan so that four others could survive.

A little while later, Lionstar and the invited cats reached the gatheringplace, a cool newleaf breeze rustling the fur along his throat and shoulders, mane fluffed as the tall, ever impressive spires of StarClan's Claws loomed overhead. Allowing the others to sit or stand where they pleased, Lionstar distanced himself from the group to go and take his place atop the great rock, noting, with a slightly eerie pang in his heart, that they would have more room up there in StoneClan's absence.

For one precarious moment, Lionstar imagined the likely battered and broken StoneClan cats all dashing into the gathering – their passive aggressive resistance to being chased out made all the more effective by showing up in a place meant to hold a fragile peace over them all. Ears pricking forward, Lionstar sat down, golden gaze sweeping the sacred grounds as though he half-expected StoneClan to really show themselves. When no such thing happened, however, he licked the fur along his chest to flatten it down some, grateful that this time around, TreeClan was no longer looking half-starved and weather-beaten.

This newleaf would be a time of healing not just for the forest, but for the cats themselves.

---

Invited TreeClan Cats:
Foxspirit (Insidious)
Littlestep (Phoenix)
Daringheart (Smokefur)
Elderpaw (Darkest)
Owl-leaf (Azzy)
Rowanpaw (Amber)
Silverpaw (Fawn)
Sparrowpaw (Fuzzy)
Briarshade (Butterfly)
Dustblossom (NPC)
Foxfeather (NPC)

[Fate Admin]

Ravenstar paced before the camp entrance, waiting for the chosen cats to assemble for the Gathering, plumed tail twitching with impatience. They had only moved back into the camp within the last few days, what with the water slow to drain out of the mostly stone cavern, and puddles still remained in the lower parts of the camp, but it was still good to be back. For some reason some cats were taking longer than usual and she was about ready to leave without them so they could still get to StarClan’s Claws in time to be first. Her fur began to fluff up in horror at the thought of arriving LAST… having to scale the Great Rock using her ‘secret’ ledge to give herself a boost up, like a kit… unable to clear the boulder in one great leap like all the other NORMAL sized leaders. He tail turned to lashing instead of twitching, but finally she spotted Roughthroat and the deputy gave her a nod that every cat was there. Finally!

Without any further wait, she charged out of camp almost like Demon was on her tail. She was NOT about to show up LAST. She arrived a bit ahead of most of the rest of the Clan and paused at the top of the slope that led down to the Great Rock to wait for them to catch up. If they hadn’t wanted to travel so fast they should have been ready faster, she growled to herself. Her tail lashed once as she scented TreeClan, spotting Lionstar’s telltale golden form upon the Great Rock. So they were second to arrive… but why did TreeClan have to be the first ones here? Her ears flattened against her head, but she composed herself as her Clanmates gathered around her, waiting for her to lead them into the Gathering. She flicked her tail and started forward at a slower pace than she’d left camp with, moving with single-minded determination around the Great Rock, to where her ledge resided, and leaping up onto it before leaping up once more to the top of the boulder, her tail twitching behind her as she settled as far from Lionstar as possible. He just made her look even… smaller… than she already was.

She closed her eyes and attempted to calm herself from the embarrassment of showing TreeClan her secret little path up to the Great Rock, and that the leader of the greatest Clan in the valley could not even clear a rock without help. She wondered if StoneClan had indeed been chased from their territory. She may have turned down the messenger that had come to NightClan for help, but she was certain they had also sent one to TreeClan if they were so desperate, and knowing TreeClan, they just might have sprang to the rescue and StoneClan might very well still be around, despite her initial efforts to get them chased out so NightClan might win more territory for themselves. Her gaze opened to pale golden slits as she looked sideways at Lionstar, dying to ask him if he had indeed gone to StoneClan’s rescue. Her tail twitched again in annoyance. It could wait. She would know soon enough….

Invited Cats
Ravenstar
Roughthroat
Smokefur
Ghostlight
Blackwolf
Firejay
Ratfur
Echobreeze
Frogsplash
Darkice
Grimjaw
Oxpaw
Thornpaw
Oakpaw
Night-tail
Olivegaze

[Phoenix]

[smear:e0ca52]S A N D S T A R[/smear:e7c40c] [smear:e0ca52]Leader of RainClan[/smear:e7c40c]

It was with a head held high and the confidence of a victorious leader that Sandstar strode smoothly down the familiar path that led to StarClan's Claws, eyes already able to pick out the distinctive silouhettes of those memorable spires arching high into the sky. He was curious, to say the least, about this Gathering, a thought that had begun nagging at the back of his mind a few days back. For the first time in how ever many seasons, there would only be four clans attending, and though he had been partial toward StoneClan, he could not ignore the pride that came with their victory over their former neighbors and the additional territory that they had gained. And StarClan, though, ironically, he tried to ignore their ancestors as much as possible, had allowed it to happen. It was curious that they were perfectly fine, particularly the StoneClan warriors up in the skies, to let their mortal descendants flee for their lives. But he could consider that train of thought later, for their patrol reached the outskirts of the Gathering place. It appeared as though they were the second-to-last clan to arrive, with TreeClan and NightClan showing up prior to them. The area itself did not seem particularly empty, and he could very easily pretend that they simply needed to wait for two more clans instead of one. Tail flicking, he glanced briefly around the clearing before he rested his golden-eyed gaze upon Great Rock. Long limbs carried his lean, striped frame over toward the other two leaders, and he joined them atop the large stone with practiced ease. Inclining his head slightly, he greeted the NightClan she-cat and TreeClan tom with a polite, "Ravenstar, Lionstar." Though he would not admit to being wary of them, he was reluctant to expect a congratulatory remark from either of them. They had conspired with LightningClan against StoneClan, and despite the lack of help they had offered to the clan in need, TreeClan and NightClan could be completely disgusted with their actions for all he knew. Was he? He refused to lie and claim that he did not feel a little guilt - particularly about that StoneClan kit who had been left behind - at their actions, but if he was given the option to change history, he would not take back that decision. It was justified, in his mind, and a decision made out of necessity rather than animosity. Due to the flood, RainClan needed the extra dry land. Had that been NightClan instead, perhaps they would have approached TreeClan for an alliance. But there would have been more resistance to the idea in his own clan, had that occurred. It was nothing worth worrying about, however, he placated himself a moment later. It was done. Completed. The only clan they waited on was LightningClan. Even as that thought crossed his mind, he found his head turning slightly, directed toward the open meadows that made up their ally's territory. A surprising thought crossed his mind, startling him simply by its cynical existence. At least we will have more room to stand. Invited RainClan Cats Razorfang Swanfeather Timberwing Blizzardclaw Goosewing Tideripple Roselight Gorgelight Russethawk Heronpaw Shadowpaw Whitewater Cloudfoot

[Deleted]

Late again. Redstar was usually more organised, but a lot had been on her mind lately; what with Blazehawk’s death and all. There will only be four clans tonight. she realised. The LightningClan leader had felt a little guilt at first, after driving out the clan, but she knew it was the best.
Stretching her weary limbs and briefly smoothing down her red-ginger tabby pelt, she composed herself before calmly striding out of her den. The cats she had selected to come to the gathering had already grouped together she realised with a smile.
New-leaf had given LightningClan new strength; a moon ago, Redstar and her clanmates had been skinny and weak, now they were well-fed, their pelts glossy once more.
She flicked her tail to the gathering party, ”We will be leaving now,” she told them, ”We are late already.” The evenly-muscled tabby leader nodded to the cats left behind, before leading the gathering party away in the direction of StarClan’s Claws.

It was a reasonably warm night, compared to the last gathering at least where Redstar had been worried her paws would freeze off. I was deputy then, she realised, It’ll be my first gathering as leader.
Words couldn’t express how proud Redstar was to be leader of her clan. She loved her clan and her clanmates; from the smallest kit to the oldest elder, and despite it being a sometimes stressful task, she had loved every minute of it so far. Not much had really occurred in LightningClan since the last gathering, excluding Blazehawk’s death of course.
LightningClan could do with some more kits, she realised as they walked, Bramblekit was currently the only occupant of the nursery. Redstar loved the idea of having kits, and though she had heard of leaders who had kits whilst keeping their position, she doubted she’d ever be able to cope with taking care of several exciteable bundles of fur plus the responsibility of being clan leader.
And anyway, I don’t have a mate.

Flicking her feathered, red-ginger tail, she took a deep breath, composed herself and stepped into the clearing of StarClan’s Claws. Instantly she felt many eyes fall upon her. As she had suspected, they were the last clan to arrive. She could hear the gentle thrum of pawsteps as her warriors filed into the clearing after her.
Redstar walked briskly, making her way over to the large rock in the centre of the clearing and leaping onto it easily, thanking StarClan for her strong legs.
She dipped her head politely to the already gathered leaders, nodding to them in each turn, ”Lionstar, Ravenstar, Sandstar,” she took her place on the rock, ”Apologies for my lateness,” she emphasised the ‘my’ particularly, for it wasn’t her warriors’ fault that LightningClan was late, it was hers and hers alone.
Letting her amber gaze sweep over the gathered cats, she breathed deeply, feeling a little more in her place being on the great rock; last time she’d felt like she didn’t belong there, her being deputy and all.

Invited Cats
Firesky
Rookfrost
Snowpaw
Silentcry
Burningleaf
Rootstride
Cinderfall
Swiftflight
Willowstorm
Drizzlepaw
Bluefrost
Bubblefang

[Deleted]

~Ghostlight of Nightclan~


The black she-cat followed her annoyed leader with the rest of her clanmates down towards the gathering to join up with the other four-- three clans (now). Ghostlight wasn't sure how she felt about Ravenstar turning down the Stoneclanners for help and now they were gone from the territories. Her pale blue eyes looked up to view the clear sky, a sign that Starclan was apparently ok with there being only four clans again. Her ears twitched as she realized that she had slowed down, she felt a clanmate bump into her and grumbled at her to move.


Ghostlight flicked her tail and murmered an appology before continuing along with the rest of the Nightclanners, her pale eyes shimmering from the bright light of the moon. It was a seemingly warm night and the gentle breeze didn't bother the she-cat much. The black she-cat paused at the top of the ridge to look down at Starclan's Claws, seeing that Treeclan was there first, she figured her leader would slightly be upset by that. Following her clan leader, Ghostlight filed down into the clearing with the everyone else, the mixed scent of Treeclan and Nightclan filled the night air as Ghostlight found a few warriors to sit with through the gathering.

---

~Timberwing of Rainclan~


The older she-cat of Rainclan was supprised that she had been picked to go to the gathering with her clanmates, expecially after the outburst she had had with her leader. Well, it technically wasn't an outburts, but a strong opion that went against what Sandstar had done. Timberwing had been against driving Stoneclan out from the begining. Who were they to decide the fate of an entire clan that had been brought here with the other four clans. Was it right to drive the same clan out again that had been driven out thousands apon thousands of moons ago?


The russet and white she-cat traveled at the back of the group, her bushy tail twitched with annoyance as she followed her adoptive clan towards Starclan's Claws, where there would only be a gathering of four clans rather than five clans tonight. The older she-cat felt her breath increase as she thought about the fact that her clanmates had helped drive out a clan that should still belong, she twitched her ears to calm down as she scented the overwelming mix of Treeclan and Nightclan in the air as soon Rainclan would flood and mix with the other two as well. Timberwing followed the other Rainclanners down into the hollow as she found a place in the back were the elders would normally sit, she curled up and laid her head on her paws to watch the three leaders mingle as they waited on Lightningclan to show up.

---

~Silentcry of Lightningclan~


The large siamese tom quickly raced after his leader and clanmates as they hurried towards the gathering. Redstar was in a rush because of how late the Lightninclanners would be, he knew she must be nervous as well, considering this would be her first gathering as a leader, and the first gathering without Stoneclan. Silentcry's ears flicked back, laying against his head as he ran, he had been there, in the battle that drove the fifth clan from the territories of the other four. He may have fought for Lightningclan and Rainclan, otherwise dubed as Stormclan for the time being to drive out Stoneclan, adding more territory to the other two, but he wasn't sure how he felt towards it. Yes, Lightningclan needed the territory, and maybe Rainclan did too, but should Stoneclan have to suffur at such a price for it.


Silentcry shook his head, gathering his muscles to race down the slop towards Starclan's Claws as they arrived last and very much late. His tail waved around behind him as the quiet tomcat joined Treeclan, Rainclan and Nightclan in the hollow below. In the corner of his eyes, the tom caught site of Redstar joining the other three leaders, let the gathering begin .

[Fate Admin]

Ravenstar - NightClan Leader

Ravenstar’s ears twitched as Sandstar and finally Redstar joined them, but she made no further acknowledgement of either of them other than to eye them both curiously. She wondered if either of them would make mention of StoneClan, but it appeared not for the time being. If they had truly chased out that wannabe Clan of cowards and kittypets, she may have to reevaluate her respect level for them. This would be an interesting Gathering indeed. Finally she deigned to dip her head slightly to them, “I will speak last. I am sure we are all eager to hear the news of RainClan and LightningClan.” Her amber eyes glittered with interest.

She all but ignored Lionstar; she couldn’t care less what he might have to say. With the flooding, she had not pulled her warriors back from hunting in TreeClan territory yet, but still he had not attacked, save the few skirmishes here and there where her cats were caught in TreeClan territory. She was losing what little respect might remain for TreeClan every day he allowed NightClan to continue hunting in his territory without a fight. They were little better than StoneClan in her eyes now.

Oakpaw - NightClan Apprentice

Oakpaw was so super excited to attend his first Gathering he was literally tripping all over himself on the way there. He wasn’t at all paying attention to his surroundings, but no matter how many times he fell and was nearly trampled by his Clanmates in their rush to keep up with Ravenstar, his excitement never dampened. He all but tumbled into the clearing where the Clans of the valley met each full moon and was instantly off to try and talk with some of the TreeClan cats that were already there, tripping over himself in his haste and tumbling right into a young silver she-cat (Silverpaw).

Snowpaw - LightningClan Medicine Cat Apprentice

While he waited for Redstar to lead them to the Gathering, Snowpaw couldn’t help but wallow in his guilt. StoneClan wouldn’t be there. StarClan had given him a warning and he’d failed to prevent what it spoke of from happening. StoneClan was gone, and by his own Clan’s doing. Rookfrost had even gone with to fight in the battle! He glanced at his mentor, feeling disdain for the older cat. He’d gotten the prophecy too, they’d talked about it…. He was a medicine cat, how could he have helped to chase StoneClan away? They were supposed to stand outside of Clan rivalry! He could barely stand to look at Rookfrost these days.

He plodded along after his Clanmates as they made their way to StarClan’s Claws even though all he really wanted to do was curl up in his nest and try to figure out how to help StoneClan. They were the last ones to arrive, he noted, if you didn’t count StoneClan who wouldn’t be arriving at all. Miserably, he padded after Rookfrost to join the other medicine cats, taking his place a little away from them and looking down at his paws. Poor Ivypaw…. He was always excited to see her at Gatherings, at Medicine Cat Meetings, to compare what they’d both learned so far and talk about their different experiences as medicine cat apprentices for two different Clans, but now she was gone. His Clan had done a horrible thing.

[Deleted]

O X P A W
of NightClan

Despite his general ambivalence to the entire thing, Oxpaw couldn’t help but feel his fur prickle as he raced to his first Gathering with the rest of the clans. His first Gathering should have been earlier, by most standards, but the apprentice’s decidedly unfriendly demeanor hadn’t quite done him any favors in that department. Previously, the affront had been more annoying than actually getting to go: meeting cats from the other Clans and being forced to be friendly with them wasn’t exactly something he was interested in. All the rest of the days, they’d fight with them, so why bother being nice this one night?

Still, walking into the clearing to see what was surely half of (TreeClan, from the stench) standing in the clearing, and when the other two Clans’ cats arrived as well… That is… a lot of cats. The young tom felt his heart beat a tiny bit faster, and he made sure to stick to the edges instead of trying to mingle with tomorrow’s enemies. Light blue eyes watched all the other cats, trying to pick out who was an apprentice, who was a warrior, and what clan they belonged to. It was a harder task than he would have thought: now that all the clans had mixed, it was near impossible to tell if they were TreeClan, RainClan, or LightningClan. Now, the cats with the weird dark points on their tails and face and legs were all from RainClan, right? There; two cats down. Did he include that scrawny one that had stripes on her legs as well? Sure, why not. It wasn’t like he needed to know everyone. While he remained stuck to the sidelines and lacking in the Gathering “spirit” that all the other cats seemed filled with (that idiot Oakpaw had gone dashing over to some TreeClan apprentice, and other cats of his clan were… mingling… as well), Oxpaw was glad to be taken to the Gathering instead of Strawberrypaw.

G O O S E W I N G
of RainClan

The almost senior warrior walked calmly alongside her Clanmates, making sure not to look embarrassed or shy to the other cats, no matter how she felt inside. The all-too-recent battle that drove out StoneClan Goosewing felt no guilt for, as it was her leader’s order and she felt no overriding affection for the cats of StoneClan, but during the fight she had ended up killing one of StoneClan’s cats by accident. Many other cats had lost their lives during the fight, of course, but… well, Goosewing was rather relieved that no StoneClan cats were here, so she wouldn’t have to try and look them in the eye.

While attending a Gathering was an honor, of course, the socially-awkward cat couldn’t help but feel a bit out of place at every one she attended. She was always a bit jealous at the ease other cats seemed to feel around each other, while she was just… awkward. Awkward with cats of her own clan, and certainly awkward with cats of other clans. Despite this, the lynx-point she-cat always made an effort for the Gathering, and tonight she walked closer to the LightningClan cats. TreeClan and NightClan hadn’t been involved in driving out StoneClan, and if even members of her own clan contested the action, the warrior didn’t want to risk trying to talk with a cat that wanted to claw her ears off.

[Insidious]

F O X S P I R I T

At the last clan gathering, she had attended as an apprentice. Now, however, she was attending as a warrior. A ripple of pride swelled in the she-cat's chest, following alongside a fellow warrior's flank with whom she recognized as being Owl-leaf. Her gray-green eyes skimmed those traveling ahead, lingering upon Daringheart and Lionstar: the clan hierarchy. A flash of longing appeared in her fixated gaze; a wonder as to how it felt to walk at the head of a clan as leader or deputy. Foxspirit's mind briefly wandered to the day Daringheart was announced deputy, the slight narrow of her eyes indicating a newly found interest as to how it likely felt inside when her name was called.

Shaking her orange, tabby patterned head, the she-cat locked her gaze on the pathway ahead, ducking beneath tightly knit brambles to enter the field of StarClan's Claws. It wasn't anything she hadn't witnessed before. Still, she couldn't help but burst the small bubble of excitement that continued to expand within her stomach. Trailing an analytical stare across nearby faces that belonged to the other clans, she settled into a seated stance, not entirely bothered to interact with anyone – for not a soul pricked at her interest.

For a moment, her eyes found Littlepaw: an invited apprentice. She recalled the incident that had prodded Lionstar to gift her with a warrior name, and she couldn't help but spill a smile across her tabby jaw regardless of the true danger that afternoon had presented. To the apprentice, Foxspirit dipped her head in a nod, gaze lingering for another short moment before averting toward the Great Rock where clan leaders stood in quiet conversation.

F I R E J A Y

Firejay had entered StarClan's Claws amongst the middle of NightClan's invited group of felines. Her dark red fur stood out like a thorn; the brown-black toned fur colourations of her surrounding clan mates majority being quite opposed to that of her own. She didn't have any direct problems toward being amongst the center of attention. Therefore, she blinked light green irises with the same thoughtful buzz of warmth that they always possessed. Yet another characteristic that tended to differ the red warrior from her NightClan reputation. They didn't all have cold hearts, after all.

The she-cat's apprentice, Oxpaw, had received the honour of attending the clan gathering this time around. Briefly, she twisted her head over lean shoulders in search of his familiar face. The sight of Blackwolf, however, triggered a lack of interest toward an attempted pinpoint of her apprentice's whereabouts. It would have been nice if none of his posse had been invited, though Firejay couldn't muster a reason to genuinely dislike Ratfur. He would likely hardly even acknowledge her presence, if she so happened to be given the chance to near. Settling nearby the jet black warrior, Firejay turned her attention toward the Great Rock – presenting herself as if she had hardly even meant to sit in such a proximity.

D A R K I C E

An ebony tom with a newly assigned warrior name traveled with NightClan's invited cats alongside two others with a similar story to share: Frogsplash and Grimjaw. A playful nudge was offered to the shoulder of the she-cat with pretty gold eyes and marbled fur, the excitement clearly alight within the depths of his silvery eyes. He recalled about a moon prior when Frogsplash and himself had sat atop of the Great Rock, speaking about the warrior names they expected to receive. Darkice hadn't been named during that conversation, though he surely couldn't muster any complaints toward it. And as for Frogsplash... well, it was truly better than Frogchaser.

He entered StarClan's Claws with an elegant spring accompanying his step, gaze following Ravenstar's motioning toward the Great Rock, skimming upward to find his light gray eyes upon TreeClan's leader. He had never conversed with the one known as Lionstar, nor a TreeClan cat, for that matter. He couldn't honestly claim himself to be interested in that clan, either. But, there was one good thing that came with attending a gathering full to the brim with unfamiliar faces... a wide selection of she-cat's with unclaimed hearts.

With a charming smirk being offered to the companion he traveled to StarClan's Claws alongside, he brushed passed Frogsplash with his sights set on an orange tabby that smelled particularly of TreeClan (Foxspirit); she not seeming swayed to approach any other.

R A Z O R F A N G

Hollow; unusually so. Not a flash of anything even briefly glazed the deputy's gray-green irises, each movement of his paws seemingly an action he was unwilling to make. He was subconsciously aware that Roselight was attending this gathering, and under any other circumstances he would have traveled to the gathering place alongside her. He kept a distance from her this time around, though. He kept a distance from all – even his former apprentice that strode to the gathering as Russethawk.

RainClan and LightningClan, as allies, had targeted StoneClan prior to this gathering. Before the battle, Razorfang couldn't claim himself to be entirely excited. To chase a clan out of their territory; it was unlawful, even for him. Now, however, he was thrilled he would not be witnessing a single StoneClan face tonight. Lives had been lost during the battle, one in particular being behind the inward screams that violently boomed within his eardrums. His mentor, Coldgaze: the white-as-snow Senior Warrior that had aided Razorfang through his difficult apprenticeship. The cat that had raised him from an insanity that would have likely consumed him if it had not been for Coldgaze's determination. For that, he could never thank the now deceased cat. And he would never be given the chance to try, for he hadn't even been able to save his life.

He was familiarized with the feline that had killed Coldgaze: StoneClan's leader, Hawkstar. The memory of having Hawkstar pinned; the loss of a leader's life being entirely at the grip of Razorfang's shark teeth. The bloody image brought a smirk to his hazelnut jaw, the grin being raised to the surface from the darkest of realms. He had stolen one life from him. He vowed to steal another if the face of StoneClan's leader was ever before him again.

Upon reaching StarClan's Claws, Razorfang didn't linger behind in wait of Russethawk or Roselight. Instead, he pushed forward to immediately find his seat at the foot of the Great Rock. He was in no mood for company; the sharp glint of his icy eyes indicated just that. A swift inhalation of the air satisfied an inner monster that had developed within the deputy after the battle; the lack of StoneClan's scent a sign of their victory.

It was unknown to Razorfang whether or not this phase would pass with time. Normally, a white cat brought him out of any storm-clouds of depression, hatred, anger, etc. How could he become better, then? The cat that always made him realize the importance of getting passed such tragedies was unable to tell him of said importance. If there was one thought that plagued his mind above the rest: it was that he should have been there to save Coldgaze from that untimely fate.

It shouldn't have been Coldgaze. It should have been him.

[Fawn]

SILVERPAW || TREECLAN

My first gathering! Weaving in and out of the throngs of cats, Silverpaw kept her eyes peeled for Rowanpaw, eager to see what her sister had gotten herself into - the pretty silver TreeClanner utterly oblivious to the one-cat-collision-course headed her way. Sent tumbling ears over tail with a surprised squeak, Silverpaw's thoughts flashed back to Oceanpaw and their first encounter - No way, how could he possibly be - oh, no, that wasn't Oceanpaw. Shaking the dirt off her whiskers, Silverpaw studied the brown tabby curiously, trying to ignore the unease that had been in her heart over StoneClan ever since the had been chased out. "I'm sorry, are you okay?" Concentrating so that she might single out his scent amongst the many cats surrounding them, it wasn't until she tasted the swampy tang of NightClan that she was able to identify him. Did StoneClan go to NightClan for help too? ...well, that might've been a little in vain... Silverpaw did not agree with her older brother's decision to refuse StoneClan's plea for help. She could still recall just how panicked and scared she was that day - not for herself, but for the kits that would likely be frightened out of their minds, the worried mothers and apprentices like herself. One apprentice in particular. Oh Oceanpaw...please be safe.

THORNPAW || NIGHTCLAN

"Well this gets my vote as biggest waste of time yet." Thornpaw mewed under his breath, just loud enough for a slightly older NightClan apprentice to hear, taking station beside Oxpaw. He wasn't a huge fan of mingling - and if he was, it would've only been to chat up a few she-cats, really. Not that Thornpaw ever considered himself a player, he simply reasoned that if he was going to talk to strange cats from strange Clans he was going to forget about in half an hour's time, they might as well be pretty and the same age as he was. Letting sharp orange eyes scan the crowd, he kept his ears tuned for snippets of information, but otherwise avoided the bigger groups of cats all milling around and pretending to be friends. Surprised Oxpaw wasn't with his sister, however, Thornpaw chose the opportunity to speak up. "Without Strawberrypaw here to rankle your fur, I'm a little surprised you aren't talking to a couple warriors or something." Thornpaw was half tempted to go pick out a few and pick their brains for battle techniques, (this stupid gathering might as well be useful to his education) but he didn't want to call attention to himself as a troublemaker.

RUSSETHAWK || RAINCLAN

He had seen death on the battlefield, found a forgotten kitten amongst the bloodied bodies of the fallen, and watched as his mentor flew into an unspeakable rage. These were strange times for Russethawk of RainClan, strange, strange times. The kind of days that resulted in night terrors and an embarrassed fear towards the one who had taught him everything he knew. Russethawk gave Razorfang a wide berth; he knew how much Coldgaze had meant to the tom, he knew how much pain he was in, and because he understood that all too well (not to mention the sight of Razorfang tearing into Hawkstar, StoneClan's leader to wrench a life right out of him was slow to fade), Russethawk knew enough to give the older tom his space. Instead, he lightly brushed past his cousin Roselight as he went, before approaching a ginger tabby from TreeClan - a new warrior just like him (Foxspirit), if he had to wager a guess - his jaws parting in a pleasant mew. "Hello. Were you at the last gathering? I'm Russethawk." To a tom as social as him, a gathering was the perfect thing to get his mind off of his first few moons of warriorhood. He would socialize and laugh and be himself tonight, before he had to go back home to the heartache.

LIONSTAR || TREECLAN

A curt incline of the head to each leader, Lionstar opened his mouth to claim the speaking order of last for himself before Ravenstar beat him to it. Jaws shutting with a soft click, Lionstar's eyes narrowed slightly at the corners, but he held his tongue. He always found it extremely annoying when the NightClan leader chose to speak last, it meant Ravenstar would have the final word on whatever it was he announced, the final retort, and while he knew it was petty, he couldn't help but feel a thorn-prickle of indignation at the small, haughty she-cat's treatment of TreeClan. "I will speak after LightningClan and RainClan." Almost addressing them as StormClan - oh yes, he'd heard that name floating on the wind, what they had chosen to call their alliance - Lionstar signaled for Daringheart, the TreeClan deputy, to stand nearby. Though the leaders were likely to allow the four Clans to mingle a few heartbeats longer, Lionstar was certain the thing on everyone's mind right now would drive them to start a little earlier than usual.

[Deleted]

Elderpaw:

When Lionstar told Elderpaw he would be attending the gathering, Elderpaw got extremely excited. He had only been able to talk to Rookfrost so far since the journey to Moon Tree. Sure he was smart, but he wasn't the best company. He looked forward to seeing the other apprentices, Snowpaw and Flickerpaw. Hopefully they could trade knowledge or maybe become better friends. And his excitement only increased as he got close to where the gathering was. By the time he got there, Elderpaw wanted to run in right away. Yet he held himself back and waited to walk in with the rest of his clan.

Since they were there first, he walked around a bit, trying to get a feel for his surroundings. He almost walked into a few clanmates, but avoided them at the last second possible. Looking up, he saw that Nightclan was coming. He tried to remember if Smokefur was nice or not. Deciding he would just have to find out, Elderpaw walked over to the older cat. Smiling he said "Hello Smokefur! Nice to see you." Not sure what else to say, Elderpaw waited for a response.

Shadowpaw:

Following the older cats in her clan, Shadowpaw's thoughts raced. The gathering was so exciting for the apprentice. Not knowing what to expect, she was also a bit reserved. But she was also hopeful that she might find some friends. Arriving in the clearing, she looked around for any friendly looking cats. There were so many cats gathered, she was a bit overwhelmed. As her clan started to disperse, Shadowpaw desperately searched for anyone to talk to.

Looking about she spotted groups of apprentices. She saw an especially excited apprentice bump into another. Deciding that apprentice looked like good company, she bounded over. Quickly coming to a stop, Shadowpaw stopped a whisker away from the silver she-cat. Giddy with excitement she blurted out, "Hello! I'm Shadowpaw, from Rainclan. Who are you guys? Are you as excited as I am? It's my first gathering so I'm really excited!" Looking between the two cats Shadowpaw sat tail twitching back and forth.

[BlooRey DVD]

[smear:8dc2ff]Echobreeze of NightClan[/smear:ffffff]
~~~~~~~~~~

The small calico she-cat hung at the back of the gathered cats, ears low on her skull. She had been picked to go to the Gathering for some odd reason that she couldn't name. She really didn't want to go. There were cats there. So many cats, from so many different Clans. Her heart was racing in her chest, and she had to focus so hard just to stop herself from showing any visible signs of panic. Well... Other than her already evidently meek personality. Her green eyes were wide as she glanced around wearily.

Suddenly they were running towards StarClan's Claws. Echobreeze desperately pushed herself forward, not wanting to fall behind. The whole time they were travelling, however, her green gaze was flashing here to there, terrified that something would jump out and attack them. She couldn't figure where this irrational fear was coming from, she just knew that it was there, and that it threatened to sweep her away. She could tell they were getting closer. She recognized the area. It wasn't long until they burst into the clearing.

The little calico recognized the scent of TreeClan. NightClan had arrived second. Taking the opportunity presented to her, Echobreeze slunk away to near the back, hoping to stay hidden and out of sight for the night. She knew she wouldn't be able to speak with anyone else. Her voice was so unpredictable, and with a nervous stammer like hers, she would make NightClan look weak, because it was so painfully obvious that her speech troubles were linked to her nerves, and nothing else.

The scent of RainClan snagged her attention next. She shrunk back slightly, as though she were trying to slip into a small crevice to hide. The shadows cast funny patters over her pelt, occasionally covering her completely, until a swatch of orange, or a fleck of white caught the light, giving away her position. She remained terrified for a moment longer until a realization hit her like a bird falling from the sky.

Gorgelight is from RainClan.

Slowly, the timid she-cat straightened up, her mind occupied as her green gaze tried to sift through the now mingling cats. It certainly didn't help when LightningClan joined in. There were too many cats. How was she supposed to find out if he was here, when she could no longer tell who her own Clanmates were? Still, she would not give in. Her heart's rapid rate turned into a flutter as she nearly forgot to breath. Was he here? Would he look for her? Would he want to see her again? So many questions were tearing through her mind, every last one of them centered around that one tom who'd stolen her heart.

[Phoenix]

Sandstar

Yellow eyes flicked to focus on the newest leader as she arrived, leaping with ease to join them atop Great Rock. He acknowledged her apology with a dip of his head, murmuring quietly in response, "The night is sill young." As a result of StormClan, he had become better acquainted with Redstar, though it made sense in retrospect, as they had led their two clans into battle together. With thoughts of their victory crossing his mind, he glanced back down at the clearing, watching as the new arrivals began to mingle with cats from the three other clans in an attempt to distract himself from the guilt that twinged in his gut. Out of habit, his gaze shifted upward, finding comfort in the bright, silvery glow of the moon above them. StarClan, as much as he tried to avoid thinking of them, had yet to stop the Gathering or show any particular sign of displeasure at the absense of a fifth clan. The observation helped to soothe his nerves.

Ravenstar and Lionstar volunteered to speak after him and Redstar, and flicking his tail, the RainClan leader gestured toward his LightningClan partner-in-crime with ease. "After you."

Littlestep

Entering the clearing with the rest of the TreeClan patrol, she could not ignore the sentimental feeling that began to seep through her. The last time she had set foot in StarClan's Claws had been an apprentice, awed by the sheer number of cats that attended the Gathering beneath StarClan's gaze. She was still awed, even if their number had been reduced by a clan - a change she was completely against, as no clan had the right to drive another from their home - but this time, she was a warrior. And that seemed to make all the difference. With her head held high, she strode forward, pivoting slightly to face the NightClan patrol as they arrive.

Littlestep could almost feel the tension in the air, and in order to distract herself from the uncomfortable atmosphere between the rival neighbors, she let her thoughts wander. They returned, of course, to StoneClan, and in particular, to a StoneClan tom whom she had not seen in a while. Granitepaw, but was he a warrior now, perhaps? Regardless, they had gotten along fairly well, and due to her quiet disposition, she did not have very many friends in other clans. She was not the type to reach out to others, so the felines whom she did know had a habit of sticking in her mind. TreeClan's new warrior had been looking forward to telling someone the news, and part of her had hoped that she would see him at the Gathering. StormClan, or whatever LightningClan and RainClan had taken to calling themselves, had made it impossible to do so.

Green eyes glanced around the area, catching Foxspirit's lingering gaze and the quiet nod in her direction. Settling down, the tabby she-cat returned the gesture, tail wrapping around her paws as she redirected her gaze to the Great Rock.

Ratfur

Pale green eyes watched the pathetic sight that was his very own apprentice with well-disguised disgust. Even though his motions were fluid and he kept pace with the rest of the patrol with relative ease, Oakpaw could barely stay right side up. He tripped and stumbled, but miraculously, did not fall and cause a subsequent collision that would no doubt be rather comical and a source of amusement for him for the next few days. In the end, he figured that it was probably for the better that the younger tom had managed to stay on his paws, for he did not wish to draw Ravenstar's ire upon himself; he still avoided Smokefur and her den as much as he could.

Noticing their proximity to StarClan's Claws, he inched closer to the apprentice, gritting his teeth as he put his paws in the danger zone and hoped that they would survive unscathed and unflattened by Oakpaw. The warrior parted his jaws, hissing a sharp, "Calm down. It's only a Gathering." that was evidently lost on the tom, for they had just reached the clearing. The overwhelming stench of TreeClan permeated the air, and he worked to keep his lip from curling upward in disgust. Narrowed eyes gast a glare in the direction of Oakpaw's departing figure as the apprentice stumbled and lost his balance. The wiry warrior parted from the group, moving swiftly away from the pathetic creature, intending to deny any relation to the apprentice should anyone ask. All he needed was for the younger tom to befriend a TreeClan cat, but surely StarClan would not be so mean. Against his better thoughts, he glanced back. Just in time to see him collide with a TreeClan apprentice. Shutting his eyes, he forced himself to take deep breaths.

[Deleted]

SPARROWPAW

Quiet eyes stared at the ground as she padded, remaining several pawsteps behind the majority of the arriving TreeClanners. Sparrowpaw padded with the other slower, older clan cats, but not because she was naturally slow as well. In fact, her lithe, angular bodice gave her quite the edge in speed while she was fighting or hunting. The reason Sparrowpaw stayed so far behind the others was because she did not want to chat. The black and white apprentice felt that the ability to laugh had been choked out of her chest and her smile ripped from her maw. No company, no matter how friendly or kind, could ever replace the one she had lost -- her calico friend, Duskflower. Sparrowpaw could still recall every feature of her deceased friend before the monstrous badger stole her life. The way Duskflower had spoken, the way her smile had been able to give Sparrowpaw everything she was missing. The TreeClan apprentice knew that her friend was gone.

The TreeClan apprentice looked up from the well-worn path to realize that her clan had just arrived at StarClan's claws. It appeared that they were the first to arrive. This will give me the chance to pick a secluded spot, Sparrowpaw thought, green gaze flicking around the in-the-moment peaceful scene before picking a spot close to the speaking rock but towards the outer boundary of the eventually gathering cats. Settling on her haunches, Sparrowpaw returned to her staring contest with the floor.

--

    G R I M J A W 

 Eyes sharp like the moon watched the heads of the other cats bobbing up and down ahead of him in mid-stride as they moved towards the meeting place of the four clans. Grimjaw's mind, though his eyes might argue otherwise, was not focused on what lay ahead of him. Grimjaw, like usual, was focused more on the past. Recently past events had made the gray and white tomcat quite surprised that he had been invited to join some of his other clan cats at the Gathering. Isn't the Gathering supposed to be a privilege? Have I not been stripped of this privilege? Or ... does she not know? Grimjaw thought, mind running with confusion. By her, of course the gray and white tomcat meant the black and white she-cat padding far ahead of him -- Ravenstar, his sister. Grimjaw had done something wrong, something that the NightClanners who found out had outcried as being purely "suicidal".  

Grimjaw had gone out on his own during his vigil and had openly challenged the lynx, demon, to fight. The newly named warrior had been planning the confrontation carefully for moons after the death of his deputy, and the night had gone far from what he had planned. Instead of courageously fighting the monstrous demon to win back peace for mourning NightClanners and Boneshadow, as well as alleviating some of the previously cowardly warrior's guilt, Grimjaw had been interrupted. The gray and white apprentice had been interrupted by two stupid apprentices, as well as his mentor, to try to knock some sense into him as to why this was a "bad idea". Grimjaw didn't think so, but he had agreed to return to NightClan camp in fear that bringing them along would weigh him down and prove to hurt some of his clanmates. I'll have to rethink things and try again, Grimjaw thought to himself, yellow eyes like flecked rolling to the back of his head in irritation.

Upon arriving at the Gathering, the NightClan tom chose to sit close to the other NightClanners. Whenever he thought another clan cat was trying to speak with him, he gave an annoyed snort and turned his head.

--
ROOTSTRIDE

Everything to the tan LightningClan warrior felt uncomfortable, from the way the grainy dirt felt smashed up against his hardened pawpads to the strange scents of other clan cats felt against the roof of his slightly parted jaws. Rootstride padded in the middle of the pod of LightningClan cats invited to attend the ceremony and kept a quiet sort of smile on his jaws, despite feeling wrong in every way possible. Rootstride felt uncomfortable because he wondered if he would be seeing one particular RainClan she-cat at this Gathering, Honeygaze. When the two warrior cats had met one another, it had been completely average. Across the border, she had greeted him friendlily and he, for whatever reason, had agreed to engage in conversation with her. When they saw each other again, during the battle between RainClan, LightningClan, and StoneClan, things had been different. The look of horror she had given him after killing the StoneClan cat along with him was one that the tan tabby cat would remember for many more moons of his life. The reason it struck the tan tabby was because he had connected with her. For the brief moment he saw her face, he had felt everything she felt like a tidal wave, pouring over him and drenching him. Rootstride had grown up carrying the idea that cats between clans are unfriendly to one another because they are different beings. Understanding everything Honeygaze felt had opened the LightningClanner up to another, terrifyingly truthful thought. What if we are the same? 

Upon arriving in StarClan's Claws, Rootstride's pale yellow gaze glanced around for Honeygaze. He picked through many cats -- seeing that LightningClan was the last clan to arrive. Will she be here? He wondered, half wanting her to appear before him and half wanting to go hide in the shadows. Why me? 

--
R O U G H T H R O A T;;                                

The tall dark gray tomcat padded slightly behind his black and white leader, a small smile a little worn on his blackish face. Roughthroat, despite being exhausted from a long few moons protecting his clan from a world full of water and his mate from her own toxic feelings, was happy. Everything in his life had changed. A few moons back, he would have been hanging with the end of the crowd, watching over his clanmates as a silent authority and supporter. As he had moved from senior warrior to deputy, the gray tomcat now had the authority he could show and love to give. Not only had his position changed, but the deputy had also met the love of his life, who was now expecting his kits. Gracklefire had proven to the usually quiet, emotionally confused tomcat that he did have the capacity to love another person and to be loved in return. His feelings for Gracklefire were different than that for his clan which, previously, the NightClanner had felt synonymous with love. She touched him.

The stone gray tom stayed close to his leader upon arriving to the Gathering. Roughthroat carefully picked his way through the crowd just pawpads behind Ravenstar and only halted once the space only separated him and the leader rocks. Roughthroat smiled at the front of the crowd, not socializing with the other cats. His bright blue gaze was focused on Ravenstar. 

--

GORGELIGHT   
 

Big paws settled upon the earth with each step, though the dark russet tabby tom could hardly feel it. Every step the RainClanner took only drew him closer and closer to StarClan's Claws and thus to other clan cats -- including other NightClan cats. Upon hearing that he had been invited to join other RainClan cats to attend the Gathering (though he was not sure why,) all Gorgelight had been able to think about was Echobreeze and the long moon that had passed before he had seen her beautiful face. The last time Gorgelight had gotten to see her hadn't gone well at all. Gorgelight had touched her one hair too far, had loved her one beat too much. She had run off before they had been able to talk, hastened on her way into the depths of the boggy, swampy territory by the scent of an apprentice. Gorgelight had been back to the RainClan-NightClan borders many times since their last meeting, but all the tom had been able to do was draw in her sweet scent. Every time he drew up the courage to seek the shy she-cat out, she was no where to be found. Echobreeze was like a whisper in his ear.

Though every day, the sweet memory of her grew. The way she sounded when she spoke, the way her eyes glistened when she looked at him, the way she made him quiver, the way Echobreeze touched Gorgelight's heart. The russet tom had found that the time separating the two clan cats had only made his feelings for the calico stronger. In fact, every single day they were apart made him want to be with her again more and more. Gorgelight was thrilled to have the chance to see the NightClan she-cat, even if he didn't get a chance to speak with her.

It made the patched tom extremely nervous as well. Gorgelight was not sure was he would say to the pretty she-cat if he got to speak to her, or how he would even react. Even at the prospect of seeing her set his emotions on overdrive. The RainClan tom wondered if setting his eyes on hers would make him burst into bits. Can I even speak to her? What if I am a jumbled mess when I try to speak? What if she doesn't even have the patience to hear me out? What if she ignores me entirely? Gorgelight asked himself, focusing his bright gaze on the ground to watch for any sharp rocks. The tom had many questions stored in his brain and heart that kept on worming their way to the surface of his consciousness. It was because of this that the road to StarClan's Claws seemed to stretch on forever.

When he arrived, Gorgelight padded casually through the clan, sifting through many unique pelts, some strange and familiar, to find who he was looking for. The tom moved at a slightly slow pace, hoping that though he was clearly looking for some one, the darker colored tom did not seem too suspicious. No matter how much Gorgelight wanted to talk to the calico, he did not want to risk her safety. Echobreeze, in Gorgelight's mind, had done nothing wrong and certainly did not deserve punishment. If she did get in trouble, Gorgelight would do whatever it took to insist her innocence in whatever their relationship was. Even if it meant claiming he had instigated everything.

The russet tom suddenly stopped, every muscle in his body feeling frozen. Before him, Gorgelight could faintly see a pelt so beautiful and vibrant that it would only belong to Echobreeze. Gorgelight wanted to approach her or speak -- but everything in his body refused to work. He could not breathe or move, it seemed. The only thing that did work was his mind; which was working in overtime, pushing the russet tom to speak to the cat of his dreams. 

--
HERONPAW

The small apprentice's smokey paws could hardly keep up with the older, bigger cats as they padded towards StarClan's Claws. Despite the excitement that was overflowing through the young cross-clan apprentice, Heronpaw could not translate her excitement to distance travelled. Her short legs simply could not keep up no matter how hard she tried. As a result, Heronpaw was resigned to flank the RainClan cats, padding towards the edge of the pack of RainClanners and to the back. A small, sensible part of Heronpaw worried that the more she padded, the further and further she would stray from the group and the more she would risk the possibility of getting lost on her way to StarClan's Claws. The sensible part, however, was small enough that she did not ask another warrior or an older apprentice to walk beside her. Instead, Heronpaw walked alone, her smile all too big to not alert any cat who saw her that she was quite pleased to be there.

Negative thoughts did not usually enter the blackish gray apprentice's mind, though with age Heronpaw had noticed that she felt sad more and more often. As she padded, reasonably quiet despite her excitement, Heronpaw felt her mind stray from joyous thoughts of seeing other clan cats and poking fun at their various smells to thoughts of her traitor brother, Hawkpaw. Though it was quite a treat for any apprentice to be invited to the Gathering, Heronpaw did wonder. She had not spoken to her brother since he had disappeared behind the borders into StoneClan territory and calling him Hawkpaw was merely something she had supposed about him. If Hawk-kit was alive and well, he was sure to be Hawkpaw by now. But what if cats in StoneClan are apprenticed later than us? Heronpaw wondered as she padded. 

The she-cat realized her feet hurt but, with a grin, also realized that she was here. The different scents of clan cats was astounding to the apprentice. 

[Deleted]

Redstar

"After you."
Redstar gave a subtle dip of the head to the RainClan leader. It seemed it would be her to explain what had happened with the whole forming of StormClan and StoneClan. Stepping forward so that she was right at the edge of the great rock, she spoke loud and clear, ”I am sure you are all aware of StoneClan’s absence,” she began, ”And many of you may believe that the actions taken were wrong, but I am here to justify our actions.”
Well, it was going well so far. Inhaling a deep breath of air, she let her amber gaze sweep over the gathered cats, ”Leaf-bare has been particularly hard for all of the clans and when StarClan sent us the prophecy, it obviously told of there being four clans once more, ‘five will fall to four’,” she quoted.
The red-ginger tabby paused to breath before resuming her meow, ”Both my clan and RainClan have been suffering which is why we formed an alliance to drive out StoneClan,” she sat up a little taller, amber gaze unblinking, ”By doing this, we both for filled StarClan’s prophecy and were able to gain more territory to feed our clans.”

Redstar was done speaking about the whole StoneClan situation and dismissed it with a simple flick of the tail. There was a tiny voice in the back of her mind that worried about the clan; What if they don’t find somewhere to live, somewhere safe like the valley, what if they all die because of my actions?
She shook the thoughts from her mind and cleared her throat before speaking again, ”LightningClan are now thriving and welcome New-leaf, our apprentices are excelling in their training and hopefully, by the next gathering, there will be several new warriors.”
The slender red-ginger tabby took a step back making way for the next leader to speak. She felt a lot more confident, this being her second gathering to speak for her clan.

[BlooRey DVD]

[smear:8dc2ff]Echobreeze of NightClan[/smear:ffffff]
~~~~~~~~~~

She was certain she had glanced over all the cats in the clearing a thousand times, and she hadn't been able to spot him. Her tail hung a little in disappointment, but she decided to give it one last go, sweeping her gaze over the crowd once more. Green eyes flashed from cat to cat, picking out the individual cats, making sure she didn't miss anyone. As she begun to finish that round, she caught sight of a familiar reddish coat, and she was certain that her heart nearly leapt out of her chest in her excitement. He's here! She was immediately on her paws, about to leap forward and run towards him. And then she realized that that would be a completely foolish idea, and that she should have been ashamed of herself for even considering doing that. Her body froze as she tried to figure out what it was she should do. Oh, she wanted to go see him! Just to catch his scent. She'd be happy with just that. But she'd look suspicious if she charged forth like he was her best friend.

Her ears flicked back as she tried to think of a solution. They were there for a moment as she stared at her paws, thinking hard. And then the idea came to her. Her ears went straight up and she slipped into the crowd. At first, she wasn't heading towards him. She kept herself small, trying not to get in anyone's way as she nervously weaved in between cats. She made a circle, pretending as though she were simply trying to find a place to sit, and kept her head low. Her heart was beating furiously in her chest, but she kept on moving, placing one paw in front of the other. She carefully slipped around others, occasionally looking up slightly to ensure she was still on the right path. Lowering herself once more, she continued forth until...

Tap. With the softest of thuds, she quite literally headbutted him. Her ears shot up in alarm and she stepped back, shock landing upon her features. It had been her plan all along, but she was good at being nervous, and everything about her looked as though it had been a complete accident, and that she was absolutely mortified that she had just run into some cat she didn't know.

But her eyes said the opposite. They glittered with recognition as she blinked at him, keeping a soft and excited glow even as she stuttered out the words. "S-Sorry! I d-didn't m-mean t-to!" At that moment, she heard someone call the meeting to a start. With a soft blink, she whispered, more for show than anything else. "M-mind if I s-sit?" When the big tom gave a shake of his head, she quietly lowered herself into a seated position beside him, turning her gaze up towards the leaders. It was hard for her to focus on what they were saying. She felt as though she was wound up so tightly. He was sitting right there. So close, if she leaned over slightly, their fur would brush.

She knew that their last meeting had been a moon ago, and it had ended rather abruptly, both due to her reaction to his touch, and an interruption. It was true that it had spooked her a little bit, but... She wanted to feel the brush of his fur again. That, she could handle. Little steps for little paws, after all. But it would be too obvious, she was certain, if she let her fur brush against his. Someone would notice. And then what? She didn't even hear what the first leader had said, her mind far too occupied with its current train of thought.

So close!