[ti]Open[/ti]Down to Business

[KingHarry]

Mothstar had been thinking (an unusual turn of events according to Silvertongue, but it did happen from time to time). This dead cat that had washed up on MistClan territory before the last gathering - what if it was from another group of cats? Either a different clan, or another gang of rogues like the irritating one that currently plagued them. That would be pretty dangerous, no? So they should probably investigate it, just to check that there wasn't anything like that settled within travelling distance?

Because of these thoughts, he had come up with a plan. If the clans grouped together, they could surely take down any foe - so, in this situation, they should do just that. It was genius! Or, at least, he certainly thought so. Now he just needed to convince the other leaders to agree.

"Stay close," the leader instructed his clan as they arrived at the gathering. "We start as soon as every clan is here." Now was not the time for rambling pleasantries. They wanted to get this sorted, and they wanted to do it as soon as possible.

As his warriors filled the clearing, Mothstar leapt onto the dead monster that the leaders spoke from the top of. He stood tall and proud - ready to speak the second both of his fellow leaders arrived.

[Storm]

BATSTRIKE
MothClan | Warrior | Tom | 12 Moons | Heterosexual

The young black and white warrior followed Mothstar and his clan into the clearing. His cold yellow gaze crossed the previously empty space as they entered and the tom let out a small sigh in relief. He was glad they were the first to arrive, he didn’t want to walk past his previous clanmates so they could gawk at him as he entered with his new clan. Batstrike’s ears twitched forward as Mothstar spoke, he stood up taller to see over the others. He had no problem staying close to the other MothClanners, in fact he was already planning on sitting among them. This way his woodsy scent, which clung to his short fur and would still be a touch familiar to an IvyClan cat, could go unnoticed.

The tall tom waited for his clanmates to start to settle then found a place to sit comfortably. Shifting his weight back and lowering onto his haunches he sat, long tail lagging behind him purposefully to save himself some personal space. Batstrike turned his head over his shoulder so he could watch the entrance to the clearing. His gaze remained there as he awaited the arrival of the others so the gathering could begin.

[mewmehh]

The lithe, milky white tabby moved fluidly after her leader and mentor, dazzling blue eyes trained on Mothstar's unruly pelt. The new warrior was antsy with energy; the idea of this being her first Gathering as a warrior was enough to set the normally relaxed she-cat into a mild tizzy, but the severity of the situation the clans faced was what kept her excitement at bay. Mothstar was swamped by worries; those regarding the wayward body of the cat with odd, long features, and of the rogues who barely let the clans' rest in between their attacks. It was a wonder that Mothstar had the strength to even make it to the Gathering this moon, though Milkberry chastised herself for doubting her mentor.

As they reached the clearing that held the monster's mighty carcass, Milkberry broke away from the bulk of her clanmates, though she still remained close by. She tucked herself away beneath a patch of long grass, her berry-blue eyes scanning her clans for a face she could perhaps interact with in the meantime while they waited for the others to arrive.

[M'Lady]

Owlstar had a rather annoying day. She wished she could just have a good nights rest, forget about the whole living her life thing for a moment, and find peace in the fleeting moments of her dreams where her family was there to greet her. But alas, no such luck, a Gathering called for her attention and her presence. Perhaps she'd tell Roseblaze to handle things tomorrow morning, so she could get a few more hours of rest. Exhaustion weighed down her paws and fogged up her golden eyes as she led her clan through the forest. Where had the days gone, when she was a brighteyed warrior trampling the undergrowth in her hurry to catch up to Rushstar? Where were the days where she'd fish in the fresh mountain lake, that pooled from the streams in Mistclan's higher territory?

She came into the clearing, confusion flickering on her features when she noticed Mothclan was grouped up so closely. She twirled oh so gracefully on her paws to face her clan, yellow eyes clearing with a blaze of determination. Something must be happening, for them to be so wary. She could smell it in the air.

"Keep close to yourselves, watch out for your clanmates. Mentors, rein in your apprentices." She spoke quickly and quietly, before she whirled back and bounded forward to meet Mothstar, who was sitting up straight and had a strange look on his face. What was happening? Some odd news? If he made some sort of annoying declaration she'd sweep him off this twoleg contraption for wasting her time!

Owlstar peered at him, wary but curious. "What has your whiskers in a twist, Mothstar? Have those rogues been giving you trouble?"

[Longstride]

A gathering! A gathering! They were going to a gathering! Longstride danced along behind their great leader. His tall form towering over everyone as he strode along in his normal, odd manner. It was exciting, that this was. Going to a gathering of the clans. Mothins, Misties and Ivylings all gathered together in one place. It was one of the few chances that he had to mingle with the other cats. Not that many cared to mingle with other clan members.

Still he planned to do just that. Long tail waving like a fluffy banner the once-rogue strode onto the scene. He eyed the Mothins and their close gathering. It would seem whatever they were doing had Owlstar concerned. He cocked his head at them. That crooked, cheshire smile parting his lips. Oh, this seemed like it would be an interesting meeting indeed.

Keep close had been their orders. Longstride wanted to go poke the other cats though. He would dutifully follow everyone, keeping to the back. Though his height made him easy to spot. He waited for everyone to settle and oh so quietly slipped away. Something had these Mothins all tense and concerned. Might as well do a bit of socializing to see if he could learn something.

He honed in on the young black and white warrior. He pranced up behind him. Instantly he spotted the other cat’s long tail. He smiled and batted at it with his paw to get his attention. “Might wantta keeps a close eyes on dat there tail, yes you would.” he said happily. “Wouldn’t wants someone ta come alongs and steps on it, now would we?”

He trotted around to sit next to the other cat. Plopping his furry rump down as if he were the best of friends. His head canted to one side as he smiled. His own, extremely long tail, curled around his paws. “Us long-tails gotsta stick together, yes we do.” He smiled. One corner never seeming to reach as high as the other. His golden eyes twinkling with mirth. “Name’s Longstride. What be your’s Mothin?”

[Storm]

BATSTRIKE
MothClan | Warrior | Tom | 12 Moons | Heterosexual 

The young warrior’s whiskers twitched as Owlstar and her clan arrived. His yellow gaze still held as his former clan marched in behind their leader. He made no effort to place names with the old faces as they entered, he simply watched. This was when Batstrike noticed the tall creature that kept to the back of his clan. Batstrike didn’t recognize the monstrous tom. The cat seemed to be watching the gathered MothClanners, the same as he was watching the entering group. Hmph, the feline let out a huff of annoyance, looking up at the dead monster as the other clan settled. Owlstar had joined Mothstar, they seemed wary of MothClans actions already when the clans really needed to be getting along so they could join forces.

Batstrike’s ears flicked back as someone swatted at his tail. He rolled his head back around on his shoulder and his narrowed eyes widened as Longstride overwhelmed his vision field. Batstrike was already quite a tall warrior, he could truly appreciate how massive this tom was because he had to look up to meet his crooked smile. The dark tom’s thoughts clicked away as he wondered why the IvyClan warrior had made his way into the dense group, but he was thrown more by the tom’s speech. It was quite strange, but friendly, he decided not to say anything about it since he could still understand. He gave a simple nod of thanks for not stepping on him as he drew his tail in, letting it loop around him with the white feathered tip sitting at his flank. Hopefully that wasn’t a threat that he would have stepped on his tail, they were supposed to be peaceful at gathering, it had to just be how this cat spoke. Batstrike thought for certain that the cat would continue to move through the group, he had to have wanted to speak to someone he knew to prance through all of them. He was caught off guard, yet again, when the creature made himself comfortable next to him. So much for some extra space for me.

Furry eyebrow raised, Batstrike surprised himself when he chuckled at Longstrides ‘long-tails’ comment. “I guess we do, huh? Not everyone knows how hard it is to keep track of all that tail, right?”  Normally he wouldn’t have said anything more than necessary to this cat he didn’t know, but he had piqued his interest. Mothin…? Really? Very strange for sure. “Longstride is appropriate for you”, he joked in a friendly manner as he exaggerated eyeing the large cat. “I’m Batstrike.”, he responded with his charming grin. What could this strange creature want? I quite like him already, it’s unlike me, really.

[foggy]

♚♚♚♚♚♚♚♚♚♚♚

Her long fur had become significantly less fluffy since the last time she had been here, though she was still an apprentice then. Technically, she should still be an apprentice now, but here she was proudly, maybe even a little snootily, as a warrior. Her shoulder had healed up nicely, despite the vague ache, and any flesh wounds she'd received had faded away under her fur. The only sign that the young she-cat had of being in a fight was how one of her ears had been torn off, though compared to some of the older warriors of Mothclan, she still looked daisy-fresh to the horrors of a real war.

Though she had met a few cats during the first gathering she'd been to, the tabby had never really connected with anyone in particular so she had no reason to be straying from her clan, preferring to stay closer to them anyway. There was something new in the air tonight, something that teased danger, it would've made her fur bristle had she not been able to control herself, but it still set her on edge a little. Hopefully the other clans would arrive soon and they got get this over with, Hailstrike had better things to do than wait for the slowpoke clans.

---

Jaggedtooth, however, was having a lovely time. The light-coloured tom padded at a leisurely pace with his clan, enjoying the change of scenery. Though he too decided to stay close to his clan, casting a yearning look towards his usual spot, the round feline took a seat much closer to the metal machines the leaders stood upon, and idly drew a paw over his fat, round face while waiting. Mothclan certainly had a lot to convey this time, unusual, but he supposed that the other clans had had their share of time in the limelight with missing kits and murderers, so why not them?

A gruff titter left his throat, similar to a crow's caw, and he looked towards those sat closest to him to join in. It was short-lived, though, as his face soon fell back to its usual expression, and once again turned his attention to licking his dampened paw once more.

---

♚♚♚♚♚♚♚♚♚♚♚

This would be Kestrelpaw's first ever gathering and the calico torbie was vibrating with excitement. It had been a busy at camp today so she wasn't entirely sure whether any of her littermates were coming, but she had a good few siblings in the clan so she could stick by one of them for guidance if necessary. Kestrelpaw wasn't too sure on what a gathering was but she did know that it was a bunch of cats from every clan so she would get to meet the other clans for the first time too. that would be so fun! Obviously Ivyclan was the best of all the clans but she couldn't deny being curious as to what the other clans were about. Mistclan sounded so dark and mysterious, like they were all shrouded in intrigue while Mothclan… she didn't really know how to interpret. She'd saw a moth once, it was brown and it just kinda' flew around before flying away completely. Maybe Kestrels ate moths, and they should all fear her.

She was pumped to do whatever this was, and do it amazingly well. Her tail was swishing with unreleased energy even as she, and the rest of her clan, flooded into the gathering place to join the already-present Mothclan, and her amber eyes swept over everyone there, dancing with excitement, ready to launch into an introduction with one of their apprentices, regardless of what Owlstar said. And...

Oh.

Did Mothclan not want to play today? Most of them were huddled close together, maybe they really were scared? Air escaped her in a huff, and a sulky look crossed over her face. This sucks. I was all ready to play and they don't want to, that's unfair. Fine, she supposed she'd have to go sit with some of her own clanmates, and then she'd see whether she'd have more luck with Mistclan. That was providing they didn't take too long and Kestrelpaw didn't die of boredom like they apparently wanted her to.

[Longstride]

Well, well! Not only did the Mothin not send him away, he was willing to partake in a friendly conversation. How interesting. Seemed not all were as tense as they outwardly appeared. His great golden eyes looked about him, taking in the group of Mothclan cats. "Not many indeed." He cackled. At the mention of his name he smiled. "I rightly think so, that I do." He agreed. "Been a long stalk since I's a kit, though me name wasn't always so fitting, no it wasn't."

He looked towards the monster where their leader had positioned herself along with Mothstar. Quite a large, hairy he was. Long would have greatly liked to talk with the odd leader. Having heard his love for fighting and all. He figured they'd get along well. Or have a glorious battle if they didn't. Honestly he'd like to fight him even if they were friends. His claws itched for a good challenge. His head titled back towards Batstrike. A massive ear swiveling to listen while the other shifted to the entry where the Misties would be coming from. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Batsrike, that it is." He responded with a smile. The end of his tail twitched in pleasure. Seemed these Mothins weren't so bad after all. All it took was a little effort to get to know them. Long let out a heavy sigh as he rolled his shoulders. With a great flop he settled upon the ground, not seeing a need to be on his feet. Best make himself comfortable until the other clan arrived. "Seems both our clans are on edge tonights, that it does." He muttered as he sprawled out on his stomach, front legs stretched out before him. "Can't gets much socializing done if we're all sticking to our own clans, that we can't."

"A cry'n shame, that it is." He didn't understand why Owlstar had ordered them to stay back. It seemed the best way to get any information was to actually talk with the cats that seemed to have it. At the very least se could have ordered them to mingle, but stay on guard. They could have lingered closer to the other clan so they could react if anything did happen. Insert a few skilled warriors in key locations without drawing too much attention to themselves. But he wasn't the leader and he was currently ignoring her order. If things did go down he'd be the first to be attacked. Course given his spot he could inflicted some major chaos before he killed over. Not that he considered the Monthins were about to attack them. Batty here gave no indication that he held any form of hostilities towards the clan. If he was aware of any betrayal, he might not be so keen to speak on friendly terms with the enemy.

Cats gave off subtle clues, and most inside the clans held enough of a belief in honor that a guilty conscious could be spotted. Course there were masters of masks among every clan. It'd be his luck to find one the moment he set foot in the gathering. But he wasn't just watching Batstrike. He was causally observing everyone. The way they sat. The way they looked at him, at his clan, at each other. Not everyone could hide their thoughts. He didn't see anything that arose any suspicions. So what ever had the clan so riled up was an outward disturbance. The rogues again? Hmm, maybe. He should probably tell Owlstar that he had seen more than a couple entering their territory. Not that he had had a chance. No bother. It could keep. 

[Miss Tactical]

Green eyes peered ahead, this was her first gathering as warrior and more notably now, a queen. Sure she could have stayed home but she still had half a moon before her kits would be born and there was no way she was missing the excitement. Her father had met her in the rain, and a deep secret was held in her mind. She looked over to her sister wanting to blurt out what she knew, but as her father said, a good leader knew when to inform and when to withold information. She sighed softly and looked around the clearing that was filling with cats, her father said to stick together so she would do just that. She fell in step with her sister Hailstrike, her fur brushing against hers. "Are you excited? Our first gathering as warriors!" She whispered her tone soft and light.

She looked around as cats sat with their friends but MothClan isolated herself. She hadn't gone to the last gathering due to her being out on an adventure with Hailstrike, so this was all new, however the time before that she had met some cats and she was wondering if they had been named warriors yet, or perhaps they were still apprentices after all they were still very young, probably the youngest warriors ever to be named! Well second to boarspark but did that really count? Her gaze lifted to where her father sat, he seemed impatient. There was a deep feeling in the pit of her stomach before she looked towards Brackenfall whom had taken his spot near the deputies sitting slightly near was Eveningblaze who swiveled his ears picking up gossip.

Her head turned slightly, her green eyes falling on Silvertongue. She took in a nervous breath before quickly looking away her attention focusing back on her sister. In the past she would be listening to the others but that involved not following MothStars orders. Today, for once, she decided to listen and stayed close to her family. "Dad looks impatient...It's got to be important..." She whispered. She was curious as to what possible thing could be so important that he wanted no socializing today. She shifted her weight nervously, only time would tell.

---

Eveningblaze sat near the deputies, not in their exact spot but close by. He locked eyes with Stormwatcher, eyes narrowed slightly, then over to Brackenfall. He had his lip curled in an irritated snarl 'don't talk to me' type of way to anyone who wandered close. Tonight he listened there was nothing else that needed to be done. With the moons past events things were shakey, warriors running off, a warrior going missing... granted as much as a pain Ruststripe was, she still had skill as a warrior, just a heart of gold, she was soft. If she could turn that energy into something more useful she would make an excellent warrior.

He looked up at the leader, then back down to his deputy he was certainly keeping busy training two apprentices back to back not giving him much time to sit and have a decent conversation with the tom. Sure they were oil and water Brackenfall kind, himself serious and cold, well perhaps cold not the best term, more like closed off...he knew Brackenfalls time would be coming soon, and every cat needed words of encouragement even if they were hard to piece together for the black warrior. He needed to make time, perhaps after the gathering would be good.

What has your whiskers in a twist, Mothstar? Have those rogues been giving you trouble?"

Eveningblaze swung his head to look at the leaders up on the two-leg contraption. Was that...was she mocking? His eyes turned to small slits before he parted his jaws mimicking her words with rapid movements a scowl ripping across his face. His whiskers twitched with amusement before wrapping his tail around his paws waiting for the gathering to start. Oh would tonight be exciting...indeed it would.

[mewmehh]

The day seemed to creep by the Mistclan deputy as Sabletail had awaited the fall of the sun. It had only been that morning that Bearstar had expressed to the tabby tom of her condition- still to remain in her nest until further advised by Silverfang, it was going to be up to Sabletail to take his leader's messages to the others this full moon. It was something the tom was sure he'd handle in a professional manner, though even still the playful cat felt a twinge of nerves itching through his pelt.

His wide paws hammered the ground as Sabletail led his clanmates forward, his thick cream tail like a fluttering beacon in the encroaching dusk. His haunches flexed beneath him in each bound, feeling his stomach coil up each and every time in unison. This Gathering, he felt, would be different from the rest, and not because he'd be standing in Bearstar's place. Had Sabletail been a medicine cat, he would surely label the feeling an omen.

Of course, he wasn't and instead it had been Silverfang who received the actual message from Starclan. He felt his chest heave in ease at the thought, only to tightened with the next; he would be the one to deliver to the clans this Gathering. There would be no time to relax this evening.

As the slumped form of the monster's hefty carcass came into view, the scents of the other two clans washed over him and Sabletail felt himself lurch a bit in an attempt to steady himself. He remembered the commotion when Brackenfall had taken Mothstar's place in the Gathering a few moons before and silent sent a prayer to Starclan for such to avoid him. A petty and little reason, but one he still couldn't help to make. Flicking his gaze to those who followed quickly behind him, he felt himself be soothed by Silverfang's face and that of the rest of his clan. He would be fine with them backing him, he thought happily and pushed into the moonlit clearing.

Padding over to stand before Owlstat and Moth Star, he dipped his ruddy head curly and meowed,"Bearstar was unable to make it this moon. I shall be substituting in her place instead." After his brief and polite announcement to the pair, Sabletail hoisted himself up the unfamiliarly cold metal to sit with the leaders.