[Abyss]

Following not too far behind the silvery tom that Rainclan called Leader, deep blue eyes widened slowly as they neared the sacred lands of Starclan’s Claws. As the cats of Rainclan made their way into the large clearing, the sight of so many unfamiliar cats was amazing to Silentpaw. He had been told of these Gatherings quite a bit, and how this was a time of truce when the clans met together in peace, discussing news and the state of each clan. Every Apprentice was required to come to one of these Gatherings before they could become a Warrior, and he could understand why. Getting to see and know your neighbors from a young age was smart for each clan. Granted, the ginger and white tom was older than your average Apprentice, but that didn’t change the requirement.

Many strange smells filled his nose and many voices filled his ears, so many things that he hadn’t experienced before. He watched as his clanmates dispersed among the crowd, some meeting together with cats they knew from other clans while others kept to themselves. Seeing a flash of movement, his head turned and slightly lifted, gaze landing on that of the Leaders. Perched proudly on the large stone were five cats: a large orange-brown tom with a wise appearance, a similarly sized orange tom with a distinct facial scar, another large cat with a golden tabby pelt, a dilute calico that sat shorter than the others, and then there was Silverstar.

Looking up at the slender silver tabby, there was an air of admiration in the Apprentice’s eyes. Silverstar had accepted him into Rainclan about five moons previous, giving him the role of an Apprentice within his clan. His Leader had given him a new name, a role, a mentor, and a place that he could call home. If it hadn’t been for him, Silentpaw likely would have still been out in the valley by himself, looking for his family. His family…..he hadn’t thought about them in a while. He was more focused on training and learning new things about the clans. Where was his family? Had his siblings not actually been following him all those moons ago? Were they...still ali-

Not realizing that he hadn’t stopped walking, Silentpaw bumped right into someone, causing him to slightly jump back quickly, turning forward. Who he found in front of him was not someone that he recognized, but his tongue caught in his already silent mouth.

The cat he had bumped into was a somewhat smaller, or younger rather, cat that smelled of grass and jumbled scents typically carried through the wind. It was the appearance that caught him speechless first, though. The cat that stood before him, quite clearly a she-cat, wore a long and quite soft coat, many shades of gold tabby in color mixed with snow white markings. The face that turned to meet his gaze was young, elegant, and quite pretty if he were honest with his thoughts, pale green eyes meeting his own dark blue. Only to add on to the inability to speak, alongside this golden femme was another she-cat, slightly smaller than the other with a shorter coat. Only her pelt was both a lighter and darker brown adorned with dark tabby stripes and a mix of cream and white markings, a unique white streak running up the bridge of her nose that was somewhat similar to his own. Her eyes, similar to the she-cat she stood next to, were a darker green, and still equally as pretty.

The ginger and white tom swallowed down his breath, a tinge of heat rising in his cheeks as he peered at the two. “S-Sorry.”

617 | Ginger @jet | ^^

[Ginger]

Following behind their leader had been exhilarating. Finally feeling like they were truly part of the clan. Running alongside the swift warriors of LightningClan on the way to the gathering.

Here, not only would Goldenpaw come face-to-face with unfamiliar cats, but she would also be able to observe the tensions that many others felt. The tensions that were created by loss, by toil, and by hatred. An incredible learning experience. 

As the three sisters made their way into the clearing, Goosepaw was quick to wander off. While it used to concern Goldenpaw, the large she-cat had no doubt that her sister could hold her own. In fact, Goldenpaw had more fear for those who would have to experience Goosepaw's wrath unknowingly. It didn't much bother Goldenpaw, but she grew up with her grey-furred and feisty sister. 

Goldenpaw instead just sat with Greenpaw, observing the multitudes of interactions happening around her until she was knocked into with a small amount of force. Turning her head around to see who had run into her, Goldenpaw's green eyes locked with the intense blue eyes of another cat. Orange and white danced around his coat as he moved, like fire and ice locked in a ceaseless struggle. He looked older than she was, but he was no warrior. He was like her. 

Except...fishy.

But Goldenpaw was a cat of many talents, diplomacy being one of them (as she was finding out for the first time). At the tom's stumbled apology, Goldenpaw simply flashed a radiant smile. "Don't worry about it, RainClanner. This place is a lot to take in." 

In that, Goldenpaw was not lying one bit. The gathering proved to be a sensory overload for the apprentice's nose. So many different cats that ate so many different things. A new land with strange smells. The night impacting every smell, making it damper than usual. It was strange. But it was an opportunity. 

"I'm Goldenpaw." She gestured at her smaller sister. "This is one of my sisters, Greenpaw." Cocking her head to one side, Goldenpaw looked up at the tom. She was not used to looking up to other apprentices, being the biggest one in Lightingclan. It was strange. 

"Who are you?"

---

369 words
@jet Abyss

[Deleted]

The weight of loss hung over Greenpaw like a stormcloud, thoughts of Briartail and Gorsebelly's death threatening to drench her with a new wave of sadness for Birchspots. She had breathed a heavy sigh of relief when the announcement was made of those who were to attend the gathering: she would have volunteered to stay behind for one reason or another if it were to put distance between herself and the grieving tom, but he had been left behind in camp this full moon. Greenpaw had departed camp quietly, rather sluggish.

For once, Greenpaw didn't want to talk. She swallowed her bubbly, kind nature and replaced it with the same brooding intensity Goosepaw often emanated. A soft conversation with Falconblaze perked her up slightly, the free-spirited tom helping her push away thoughts of loss and grief.

"The sunset was fine this evening." Falconblaze had mentioned quietly, shifting back through the crowd of LightningClanners to Greenpaw's side. It was just enough of a conversation starter to pull her from the deepest, darkest parts of her mind. She prided herself on her respectable and elegant behavior, not daring to refuse a kind encounter. Their chatter dissolved as LightningClan arrived to the gathering.

"Go off and enjoy yourself!" Falconblaze had meowed kindly, parting from Greenpaw to mingle. TreeClan was the first to have arrived, and not long after she had trotted into the clearing came the Tribe.

They are weird. I don't trust them. Greenpaw thought uncomfortably, eyeing a few of the mountain folk neutrally. She made sure to smile if their eyes met, and to offer a nod and quiet mew of welcome as politely as she could. Soon the rest of the valley's clans appeared, and StarClan's Claws had never felt so hot and full.

The presence of her sisters was a blessing and a burden. Goldenpaw and Goosepaw always threatened to thieve attention at every turn, the thing Greenpaw desired above all else. When Goosepaw separated herself from her sisters after their arrival at StarClan's Claws, Greenpaw felt irritation rush through her electrically being left with her perfect sibling, but the courage to leave Goldenpaw's side had failed her.

Rabbitdung. Greenpaw grimaced to herself, fighting back the anxiety threatening to strangle her voice as she pushed through the crowds. A soft hiss from the small apprentice rivaled an unknown warrior's brusque and abrasive apology. Why are cats so rude and unobservant? She stifled the remark, swallowing her criticisms like mouthfuls of dirt.

Goldenpaw stopped in front of her. The two sisters had found a fair spot to observe, though not long after their halt of momentum, a quiet, ginger tom with a crooked blaze and blue eyes unluckily managed to engage. Here we go. Greenpaw rolled her eyes at Goldenpaw's ego. Acting like Goldenstar again, with her perfect everything. Jealousy flashed like fire in her green gaze, and a stroke of it was released in the form of a sharp glance when Goldenpaw gestured to her seemingly innocent.

I can introduce myself thank you! Greenpaw thought, jaw tight as she stepped forward, the smaller apprentice forcing a taught grin. The tom was rather handsome. His shy modesty made something stir in Greenpaw's chest, softening her envy.

"Greenpaw has a voice too." She smirked at her sister, offering Goldenpaw a playful look before directing her gaze back towards the RainClan tom. Green eyes searched for his blue gaze, waiting for a response from her sister's questions. Greenpaw liked to think herself courtly, on the outside at least, though deep down the LightningClan she-cat couldn't help but crave recognition.

She didn't care from who.


Abyss Ginger

[Abyss]

As two pairs of pretty green eyes locked onto him, he felt tiny fish swimming through his stomach. Guessing based on the smell of them, he could only assume that these were Lightningclan cats. Granted, he had never smelled Lightningclan’s scent before, since they didn’t share a border. But he knew the scents of Nightclan and Stoneclan already, both distinct in their own way. He could only assume that the scent of trees and pine belonged to cats of Treeclan. Which left Lightningclan as the only conclusion. These two lovely she-cats were cats of the meadows.

As the voice of the golden Apprentice filled his ears, he only felt the heat in his cheeks rise more. A pretty voice that fit well with a pretty face. Thankfully, she settled his internal thought that she might be upset over him running into her. She then introduced herself as Goldenpaw, which was a very fitting name for a cat with her appearance. She also spoke for the she-cat next to her, stating that the other was her sister, Greenpaw. His gaze turning to the brown tabby, she took a step forward, stating that she had a voice too. Two pretty voices, two pretty names, and two eye-catching she-cats. For a brief moment, Silentpaw wondered how he had been lucky enough to run into such things.

Swallowing down his nervousness once more, he knew it would be rude not to introduce himself as well. “Silentpaw.” It wasn’t much of an introduction. But his name would surely suggest why that was. He was given his name by Silverstar for a reason, and it was a reason that many of his clanmates were aware of. But cats from other cats that didn’t know him wouldn’t know these things. He didn’t think to say anything else at that moment, though he probably should have. He just found himself at a loss for words.

What was really unexpected, even to himself, was what he suddenly said next. “Y-You two have p-pretty names.” He said a full sentence? What in Starclan? He never said full sentences! He surprised himself, his eyes widening for just a moment at his own sudden burst of talkativeness. But he pushed that expression away from his face, hoping not to seem strange.

379 | Ginger @jet

[Ginger]

At Greenpaw's bold statement, Goldenpaw looked to her smaller sister. It was good to see that some things never changed, both of her sisters' attitudes being one. With a soft smile, the long-furred she-cat turned her attention back to the RainClan cat.

Silentpaw? Interesting name. No kit would ever just be named silentkit, and Silentpaw sure was mute in any way. He got the first part of his name based on his personality...which means... 

"You're not originally a clan cat, are you?" Walking closer to the tom, Goldenpaw's interest was now incredibly piqued. He had told Greenpaw and Goldenpaw that he thought their names were pretty, showing a hint of interest. She could use that to make him feel more comfortable with talking about his own life. Maybe she and her sister could even get a friend out of this. Odd to think, a friend in a different clan. Thinking back to Firesky's story about other clans and their strengths, Goldenpaw reassured herself that it could be good to have friends in other clans. On top of just having a wider circle, they could also prove to be assets.

"You must have been very brave to go all the way there. That's incredible, isn't it Greenpaw?" Looking into his eyes, Goldenpaw offered a smile.

 

---

215 words
@jet Abyss