A [Bitter] Truce

[{darkles}]

A hushed silence was spread across the entire forest. Trees swayed in the light wind, but there was no comforting rustle of leaves to remind the Clans where they were. The night was, for once, a clear one - and the stars of Silverpelt shone brightly down upon the snow-covered ground.

The thick flurries of snow had continued to build up against the four oak trees, in some places making them deeper than a full grown cats shoulder. The apprentices would have to be wary of their footing this evening. An owl called from his perch in a nearby beech, breaking the silence for a heartbeat. It seemed an unnatural, uncomfortable quiet, but then it always was on these snowy nights. Not many creatures dared to risk the freezing iciness of the outside world. As the full moon spread it's light across the clearing at Fourtrees, it highlighted the Great Rock, as though calling the four Clan leaders towards it. Tonight the truce of the Gathering would be held in this place and any cats brave enough to travel in the bitter cold with their leaders would be kept in check under it's spell..

[cloverleaf]

Silence. The mysterious sound rang in Leafstar's ears like a continuous bell. She personally hated the sound, and much preferred the chatter of the forest. But on this snowy night, that was not possible. The mammals were tucked away in their dens because of the cold, and the birds had migrated elsewhere. The small patrol behind her stayed quiet as well, as if afraid to break the ominous silence.

Her paws sunk into the thick layer of snow covering the forest floor, camouflaging. The rest of her tabby pelt was just a dark shadow against the glittering snow. Frost lined the trees and remaining plants, causing it to brush onto her pelt as she touched them. It took them forever, it seemed, before they arrived at Four Trees. The clearing was bathed by the silver glow of the full moon, and the large oaks stood proudly against the cold. They were the first to arrive.

Leafstar nodded at the small ThunderClan patrol. For the meantime, they had to stick together, at least until the rest of the Clans arrived; they could socialize more then. The tabby she-cat gave her apprentice, Darkpaw, an encouraging look. It was his first gathering. Then she turned and padded over to High Rock. She leaped up and balanced herself on the slippery surface. She sat down with her tail wrapped around herself to contain the meager warmth. Now just to wait.

[Sunspirit]

The scrawny tom trudged through the snow behind his leader in silence. Even he felt the sinister feeling in the night, and he didn't dare bother it. Not like it meant anything, but whatever. His messy fur was full with the snow, especially in between the clumps, and near his skin. It was bitterly cold, and he snarled at it. Rougeheart was almost glad when they arrived at Four Trees. Except until he noticed that the wind blew harder here because of the open space. He growled again before settling down next to one of the large oak trees, hoping the giant trunk covered his body from the wind. The ThunderClan warrior was very much pleased however, that they were the first to arrive.

[hawktail]

A wisp of hot air was slowly drawn from the mouth of a shaggy she-cat as she walked slowly with her Clan. She inhaled, drawing in the fine scent of ThunderClan. In with that smell came a bitter sting of the frigid air. The she-cat, who's eyes had been closed momentarily, blinked open her amber orbs and looked up at the trees above her head. They all were sitting still, even the faintest breeze making them howl and crack in pain. The ThunderClan cat, Wolfpelt by name, pitied the poor forest. It was forced to suffer the elements without any protection. They had no coats to protect them from the cold, no way to take shelter, no one to share heat with.

The she-cat focused on the real world once more as the area around the small patrol opened up to show the Great Oaks, standing tall against the bitter air. Her mind still partially on the trees, Wolfpelt made her way over to where all of the medicine cats -that of which she was one of- gathered to hear the leaders speak. ThunderClan was the first Clan to arrive. Not a problem; it gave her more time to think about the suffering forest and all who were suffering inside of it...

[Sunmist/Tessa]

Darkpaw followed his mentor and clan leader relentlessly through the snow. Refusing himself the cofmort of complaining, though his paws were burnt with cold. They should not even bother coming to a clan gathering now, of all times. They should stay at camp and remain warm and safe. But the hungry apprentice was also excited for his first gathering. His excitement was overpowering his discomfort, and he held his head and tail high as he and his clan ventured forth. They stopped before the gathering place and Leafstar gave Darkpaw an encouraging look. He relaxed and followed her to the gathering place, sticking near his other clanmates. He was cold and a little nervous. But otherwise, very excited.

[/size] [/color]

[featherstorm]

Wildleaf followed his clan mates through the Forrest to fourtrees. It was cold and silent. He could hear the wind blowing through the trees. He walked silently with his clan mates, his head held high. He is almost unseen with his black fur, if it wasn't for his white strips. They came into the fourtrees clearing, he looked around he didn't see any other clans here. Not that it mattered for him, he just stayed by himself through out the whole gathering.

[Ebonstar]

Slight wind blew through the trees, casting a ghostly aura around the clearing. Creaking branches were a reminder of a once vibrant area, and the bare limbs extended into the sky like drowning men's hands. The night was all but silent, and the pawsteps of many cats echoed loudly in the basin-shaped clearing. Thunderclan scent was strong, meaning that the Clan was the only one present. But not for long.

Hesitating at the lip of the clearing, a black she-cat looked over the few cats sitting in the snow. It had been a struggle getting here, but it was worth the effort to see the White light of the moon gleaming on Highrock. She looked over the small group of cats present, then with a flick of her tail, led her four other RiverClan cats down the steep sides. The cat, Ebonstar, padded over to ThunderClan's leader and nodded in greeting, before leaping gracefully up and joining he on Highrock. She sat, facing the area that would soon be full with cats, and waited for the others to arrive.

[{darkles}]

[OoC; The Duskstar impersonator is coming here too!]

A shadow snuck from tree to tree, trying to blend unseen into the foliage and failing spectacularly as it's dark pelt struck against the pure white of the fresh fallen snow. Moonlight cast shadows from the trees, striping the toms flank as he pushed on through the bitter winter night. His paws were wet through and his whiskers quivered every now and again. Breath came as mist from his muzzle as he darted this way and that, making his way stealthily towards Fourtrees, his faithful Clanmates behind him.

There was a lot to mention this Gathering. A new Warrior, one and a half new apprentices. Weaselpaw only counted as half a new apprentice, and Doompaw and Rainbowspring were the other two cats he was to mention. Plus their mentors, Bleakheart and Skysong. Boasting always came naturally to the strong ShadowClan cat..

He reached the edge of the hollow in good time, sliding to a stop to look down at the other cats. It seemed RiverClan and ThunderClan were here also. With a flick of his tabby tail he pounded down the slopes, careful not to trip and make a fool of himself in the snow. His Clanmates would follow, and then it was only one Clan they were waiting for.

[Nightstalker]

Duskstorm padded quickly towards the gathering site, the cats from Windclan that would be attending the gathering with him were close behind him. They were late. Duskstorm knew that but Leopardstar had fallen ill and Duskstorm needed to make sure he had every thing he needed to say in order. He stopped at the edge of the clearing. The four trees that gave the gathering place its name stood tall and solid, heaped with snow. Duskstorm sniffed the air. The coldness of it burnt his nose but the scent told him that they were indeed, the last to arrive. Thunderclan, Riverclan and Shadowclan were all there. Waiting for him. Waiting for Leopardstar.

Duskstorm shivered. His mottled black and white coat puffing up to try and keep the warmth in. He looked back over his shoulder and nodded to his clan mates. Slowly Duskstorm padded into the clearing and slowly walked up to Highrock. He looked warily at it for a moment then bounded up it lightly. He gave the leaders gathered there a tense smile and a quick apology for his lateness. He was uncomfortable up here, he had neither expected nor particularly wanted to be deputy. But he would do hiss duty to Windclan.


Nightstalker stalked silently into the clearing after her leader. She bared her teeth and hissed softly, as uncomfortable as ever to be in the midst of so many cats. Enemy cats or Clovers? Sometimes Nightstalker couldn't figure out what was worst. But she knew that it was the Clovers. It always was. The most cats could do was kill you. She had hoped that they would die down a bit in the winter. She was the only one that wished it would get colder, snow harder, last longer. All in the vain hope that the clovers might diminish, even a little bit. But the Clovers were full of tricks, and they taunted her. The longer she stayed here, the more they came. The more she attacked them, tearing them from the ground in an effort to save her blind clanmates from their scheming, evil minds, the more her clanmates edged away, muttering about insanity. She knew they thought she was insane. And lets face it. She thought to herself. I'm not the sanest cat, but I know whats what, and those Clovers....

Nightstalker sat down carefully and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again she tried not to screech. There was another Clover, a whole bunch of them. Nightstalker growled and ripped them from the ground, then sat down somewhere that was mercifully Clover free.


>My God she's mad! Sorry for my lateness every one.<

[{darkles}]

Two pelts slipped side by side into the hollow, one a dark grey, the other a dark striped tabby. Two pairs of eyes glanced around the clearing though each displayed quite different feelings. Darkwhisker, well known for his anti-social attitude was gazing at the gathered cats with wary eyes, seeking the less crowded spots to take a seat. Blackthorn on the other hand was scanning the faces of each of the cats, hoping to see someone he shouldn't have been hoping to see. The tom had struck up a friendship with a she-cat in the past few days.. Mistydream, of RiverClan.

Whilst Darkwhisker occupied a lonesome seat near to the edge of the clearing and settled himself for a cold night, Blackthorn weaved inbetween the warriors and apprentices, nodding briefly to every cat he knew or recognised, disappointment welling in his heart as he began to realise Mistydream hadn't accompanied her leader to this Gathering.

[Hannibal]

The wind blew like thorns as Lightningsnap trudged through the snow. As far as he could feel, snow had encrusted his fur. Fortunately, his fur was thick enough to provide some protection, but not a whole lot. The dark night sky stretched overhead, revealing the bands of Silverpelt. The four brightest stars got a chance to shine more than usual due to the clear night. The moon stared down at him like the cold eye of a fish, giving more evidence of the cold temperature of that night.

Lightningsnap did his best to brave through the wind. His snow-encrusted paws made stepping difficult. The snow on most days served as a blanket to cover his paws, but today was different. He could hardly feel his legs at all and moved simply form the well-rehearsed mechanical motion. He was not going to complain. This would give him a chance to see Clan politics at its best. Lightningsnap was never prepared to go to the Gathering. He deemed himself "not the type." However, Ebonstar had willed it, so he was grateful.

[Sunspirit]

Trailing along at the back of the group, Pumahunt trudged through the cold in silence. For like the thousandth time this leafbare, he was very grateful for his long pelt. It kept him that little bit warmer. Arriving at Four Trees wasn't the best though, as the open clearing allowed the winds to sweep through and sting the cat's fur. He growled softly but decided to just ignore it and deal with it. He sat near his clanmates, the energy for starting a conversation temporarily gone.

[{darkles}]

With a surprisingly graceful bound the tabby tomcat launched himself to the top of the Great Rock, nodding a quick greeting to both Ebonstar and Leafstar in turn. As he took a seat the WindClanners arrived, but it was not Leopardstar who headed the patrol. Instead it was Duskstorm, her deputy. Narrowing his eyes slightly he flicked an ear in a highly dismissive greeting guesture and managed to shuffle himself over to make room for the other tomcat - but not much room. Shaking himself to try and warm up the striped tom stood up abruptly and paced to the edge of the rock, calling for silence. It was too cold to sit around chatting.

'ShadowClan is thriving despite the snow. We are pleased to welcome Rainbowspring to the rank of warrior and Doompaw and Weaselpaw to the rank of apprentice. The prey is still running and the borders are well marked.' with a sweeping glare of the clearing to warn any other cats from trying to skip the border lines the ShadowClan leader sat down again with a whoosh of snow. His part was done for now.


[OoC; Sorry it's short - I cant play Duskstar very well =(]

[cloverleaf]

Nodding stiff greetings to all the arriving leaders- and deputy- as they arrived, Leafstar watched the clancats emerge into the moonlit clearing and warily strike conversations with the cats of enemy clans. Well, at least enemies any other day but the night of the full moon. Flicking her ears as Duskstar began the gathering impatiently, she tilted her head in his general direction to listen. When he finished and regained his spot, she stood up and padded to the top of the Great Rock to take her turn.

"ThunderClan does well also. We have a new apprentice, Firepaw. And I am also proud to announce that we have a new Deputy, Crookedfeather, who stayed behind to watch the camp." With her words said, Leafstar returned to her seat and waited for the next cat to take their turn and share their clan news.

[Ebonstar]

The black she-cat nodded a greeting to the arriving leader and listened absent-mindedly as both Leafstar and Duskstar spoke about their Clans. She sighed, knowing that her news would be the worst of all, unless there was a bigger reason for Leopardstar not showing than an illness. As soon as the ThunderClan leader stepped back to her spot, Ebonstar moved forward to the tip of Great Rock.

'I have some bad news to share. Recently, one of our newer warriors, Mistydream, had an unfortunate accident. We were unable to save her, and she now resides with Starclan. May they watch over her and lead her spirit to join them.' She bowed her head, staying silent for a moment in respect for the passed warrior. Then, lifting her head, she continued. 'We have a new apprentice, Seapaw, and our Medicine Cat is well prepared for the months ahead. Our Clan is eating well and prey is running fine. Even with our loss, RiverClan is thriving and is well prepared should anything happen. Our borders are well marked, and we have just gained a new resident in Sunningrocks. Wildfang is a King Cobra and though he has promised not to attack anyone, this will not count in the act of self defense, and Riverclan will not be held responsible for any action of his.' She hoped that no one would notice how her voice wobbled a bit as she spoke about the prey, but it was mostly true, so what could they say? Prey was okay, though the Clan was still a little hungry, but otherwise they were fine.

[Nightstalker]

Duskstorm watched nervously as each leader stepped forward in turn to address the gathered clans. He was strangly gratefull for the cold that gave him an excuse to puff up his fur. It was daunting, standing infront of so many cats and knowing that it was his turn to speak. He had waited to go last out of respect to the leaders, they didn't seem to expect any less, which didn't help his confidence. Stepping forward carefully Duskstorm sweapt his gaze quickly around the clearing, he took courage from his fellow Wind Claners. "Despite the hard Leafbare Wind Clan is doing well. I have taken Leopardstars place at the gathering tonight because she is unwell. She is recovering fast however and Wind Clan is no weaker for her sickness. The prey is still running and our borders are strongly marked." Duskstorm stood back, had he even breathed during the whole time he had spoken? He couldn't remember doing so. He was anxious that Wind Clan would be targeted because of his leaders illness and wasn't as confident as he had tryed to sound. Wind Clan was strong enough, but Duskstorm didn't want a fight, it would only weaken them and make it harder to hunt and take care of their own. Duskstorm glanced at the three leaders. They could end it if they had nothing to add. Duskstorm was simply glad that his part in this was over.

[cloverleaf]

Seeing the awkward silence, Leafstar decided to step up. "This gathering is now over. Let us return to our own territories," she yowled, standing up. She was the first to leap off the Great Rock and pad towards the ThunderClan side of the forest. She looked over at her clanmates, giving them a curt nod and a swish of her tail telling them it was time to go. She glanced up at the other leaders and deputy and flicked her ears in farewell to them. Then she stepped into the woods. Once again, the freezing cold was closed out by the denseness of the forest undergrowth. Oh how she loved the woods! What would she do without ThunderClan? Even while covered in a thick blanket of snow she loved it with all her heart. A smile crept on her muzzle as she made her way back to camp confidently, the other Thunderclanners in step beside and behind her.

[Ebonstar]

With the short gathering over, Ebonstar followed Leafstar off High Rock with a yowl. 'RiverClan, Let's head home!' Her paws hit the icy ground, and she weaved through the gathered cats towards the RiverClan border. The thinning, skeletal trees seemed to farewell the members of her Clan as they waved in the cold breath of wind. Breaking out into a full run, paws thumping in the layer of snow, she ran for the joy she was feeling. Even though they had lost a clanmember, her heart was soaring. She loved the feeling of running in the snow, even if she did end up wet at the end. Her paws followed the familiar path and she made her way home, thinking about how lucky she was to be able to frolik as she was.

[Nightstalker]

Duskstorm leaped quickly off the rock, he flicked his tail, beckoning his clan mates to tell them that they were leaving also. He padded quickly towards Windclan territory. It could of gone a lot worse.

Nightstalker looked up just in time to see her leader bounding away. She hissed in annoyance. blacksharpgreyeyeslongclaw should be more careful. The Clovers were very active this winter, to active in Nightstalkers opinion. She jumped to her feet and was about to race after her leader to warn her when she remembered that everyone thought she was crazy and didn't believe her about the Clovers. With a dejected sigh Nightstalker padded slowly back to camp.

>Sorry they're so short. My muse has gone on a holiday.<

[Sunspirit]

Rogueheart was the first of the ThunderClanners to react. He jumped up eagerly, anticipating his first steps into camp. The scents of the other clans were getting to his head. Fish, shrubs, and rotten. The tom wondered if they ever realized how terrible they smelled. Probably not. Moons of being used to it. He padded behind Leafstar, not giving the clearing a second glance as he left it and entered into ThunderClan territory once more.

Pumahunt surveyed the clearing. It had been a quick gathering, and the cats were few. After the ThunderClan leader finished the gathering and left, Ebonstar followed suit and announced that RiverClan was leaving. Falling into step behind her, the black and white Maine Coon rushed into their own territory. The ebony leader began to run, and Pumahunt bounded after her, although he fell back a little to give her space.