(Thanx for the Info) The two remaining kits continued to mewl even louder

A young cornish rex feline padded through the forest, tears threatening to spill from her amber eyes. She'd been out hunting with her twin when a fox jumped out of no where and attacked. Blazingvalley had ran, scared for her life. She found herself at the meeting point of all four territories and she would have turned around if it hadn't been for the sound of mewling. She approached the area with caution- glancing around before finding four little bundles of fur. She could take them all, but she could at least save one. "Shush little ones- Starclan watches over you now." She gently picked up the first kitten and realized she could take two. She picked up the smallest ones and turned around, leaving the other two behind.

(Eac and MC are currently sharing a camp rn)

Four kits sleep beneath the roots of a tree. Their mother had left a few days ago and The oldest of them knew they wouldn't last much longer and began a desperate cry for help. Soon the other kits joined their voices to her plaintive cry.

Marshmumble stepped forward next to Stormstar and Honeypaw, the three making quite the pair. Honeypaw looked with dismay at Dieseltooth, not understanding why the she-cat would refuse help. Her yellow eyes were watering with the injustice. Her mother leaned down, pushing gently on her shoulder to turn her away. Honeypaw resisted, and then her mother's gentle voice spoke.

"You did well, love. Now we've got to go home," she spoke, and Honeypaw turned, the blood on her paws making pink tracks in the snow. She sniffled, feeling safe under her mother's watchful eyes, next to her father's strong shoulder. That was, until Stormstar broke off from her, and Marshmumble watched after him before putting on her bravest face.

"EarthClan! Follow me home," she said, whispering in her beloved's ear, "You stay as long as you need to." Her and her daughter began the trek home. (EaC territory)

Fencestar curled into Dieseltooth's chest, lulled to a pained solace by the ragged breathing. (EcC-Sc border)

Dieseltooth bent down to help up Fencestar, putting the swirling thoughts about Stormstar and Blossomstar out of mind as she gathered up the leader's scruff as if she was little more than a kit and started carrying her carefully down the gorge, trusting her clanmates to see to Fencestar's kits or go back to the camp.

[EcC-SC Border]

Before leaving, Stormstar caught the voice of the large MoonClan leader. He picked up his head and padded over, respectfully dipping his head. He looked over his shoulder one last time at the scene before putting his full attention on the conversation with Blossomstar. "Yes of course." he nodded as they padded off.

A growl rose in Dieseltooth's throat, but she let them go without further protest.

She called over to her clan, "Three of you, stay back. The rest, get back to the camp. I want a patrol sent to each border before I return and the freshkill pile better not be empty either."

The small dilute tortoiseshell she-cat sat next to Fencestar as the cats bickered back and forth, carefully keeping an eye on the kits. All her instincts as a medicine cat screamed at her to ignore them and care for the injured queen, but there was no stepping in between the EclipseClanners. Feelings of frustration crept their way through her paws but she quickly washed them away wish a lick of her tongue.

"Fine, have it your way. The Gathering is no place for a fight." she reminded them as she placed herself between the large MoonClan leader and the EclipseClan deputy. Endlessdream stared into the deputy's soul with her own deep turquoise colored eyes. "If your leader loses another life because of your pride, pray to StarClan for their forgiveness." she added coldly. The disregard and lack of appreciation for her work saving the kits was no surprise coming from EclipseClan and the she-cat turned to her own leader. "We should go, before anyone breaks the truce."

Stormstar caught the growl of the deputy and shook his head, standing and signaling to the remaining EarthClan cats to follow him back to camp. He pressed his pelt against his daughter's protectively. It was his first gathering ever, and as a leader no less. It was quite the event and he wondered if every gathering would be this intense.

Darkpaw stumbled backward, righting herself before she fell over. Her gaze shifted to Dieseltooth, confusion evident on her face by the action. Instead of arguing like she usually would, the smoky grey feline curled up next to fencestar and her kittens in order to keep them warm. She'd wait for her deputies orders.

----

The large Maine Coon placed his tail in front of the young Earthclanner. "We're not saying that you can't handle this yourself. I'm simply offering my services." He growled out, rising to his full height. "But if you're so sure you don't need our assistance than I'll let you freeze. Like you said, we're not invited." He turned, catching Stormstar's gaze. He motioned for the Earthclanner to follow him. "I would like to speak with you, if that's alright." His words were meant for Stormstar's ears only.

"Do you think we're just abandoning her to the cold?" Dieseltooth spat, tail lashing. "No. EclipseClan's warriors will bring them to safety. We don't need your help and the longer you linger here, the worse position you're putting her in, if that really is a concern of yours."

Fencestar heard the argument break out around her, and a soft and gentle voice speaking into her ear that was ripped away by Dieseltooth's aggression. Her olive eyes spotted bundles of fur being pushed to her stained belly and she instinctively curled around them, a strange sort of contentment making its way across her face. Her paws twitched from shock- her mind had not caught up to the present, and wouldn't for a while. The world around her stretched on forever in a fever dream of pelts.

Honeypaw stepped up to Blossomstar's defense, the she-cat bravely leaving her father's side. She cast her yellow gaze at Dieseltooth. "Please, let us help, ma'am- she's ill, she's still bleeding, and she and her babies won't live to see morning in this cold. If you would just let us-" she stammered, an unnatural pause in her speech that broke her soft-spoken character to pieces, "- please, let us help-" the small pale bengal said, bravely standing up to the EclipseClan warrior. She was too young to know the war and political turmoil that surrounded her.

"What, do MoonClanners not know their own way home? Our cats will see to themselves, they aren't your concern." Dieseltooth answered, eyeing Blossomstar with suspicion. As Darkpaw approached and began to mouth off, Dieseltooth simply stepped forward and shoved her back, as though she were a kit approaching some dangerous situation she didn't even understand, and trusted that the gesture was enough to make her own stance toward the cat clear to both Darkpaw and Blossomstar: EclipseClan was strong. They didn't allow for impertinence among their ranks and they certainly didn't need the charity of their enemies to deal with something as trifling as a queen with poor timing.

Blossomstar stepped forward with tiny calico kitten in his mouth. He'd noticed the small one was having trouble breathing and placed the small bundle of fur beside her mother's belly. "If you are to stay, who's going to lead the rest of your patrol home. I do not want to impose, but I can assist in protecting her until she is well enough to be moved." He sat back on his haunches and observed the scene as calmly as he could. There was still tension between Eclipseclan and Moonclan and he knew it wouldn't dissipate any time soon, but he'd do his best to help out where he could. "We can find her den close by."

----

Darkpaw sat and listened to the adults bicker back and forth. It was starting to bug her how much the Moonclan leader was trying to take control of the situation. His clan-mates have left him already. "You should learn to mind your own business. Not everything revolves around you. All Moonclan cats are the same, trying to be apart of things they weren't invited to. We're perfectly capable of taking care of our own leader. Why don't you scurry back to your clan-mates who don't seem to really care for your leadership." She snapped, stepping forward to stand between Blossomstar and Fencestar. Eclipseclan isn't weak and we don't need Moonclan's help. She was half the size of Moonclan's leader, but her fire and determination to protect her clan was what drove her to stand her ground.

"We'll see to her," Dieseltooth growled toward Stormstar, standing over Fencestar with an undeniable protective air that seemed, momentarily, to have beat back the outright hostility she felt toward the MoonClanners. She looked fierce, standing over her mate with bloodied paws and flecks of red across her muzzle where she'd helped to lick one of the kits to life. "Thank you for your aid, but we can see to her from here."

Stormstar sat on the sidelines, hoping the MoonClan medicine cat would have StarClan's blessing to save the queen. In that moment, he was grateful there were no complications with his mate and their kits. Marshmumble hadn't let him in the den with her, and he felt useless then just as he did now. A sweet voice startled him and he looked down to see his golden colored daughter and he let out a smile. "Now we wait to see if Fencestar will be ok." he decided. It would be a bad omen for a leader to die at a Gathering. He leaned down to lick the top of her head. "I'm so proud of you for helping." he purred.

Just as fast as the leader had died, Endlessdream stood up as she came back to life and proceeded to get sick. She rushed forward to the queen, urging her to rest. "Take a deep breath." she said softly. "All your kits are alive. A little cold, but nothing some warm milk won't fix." she said sweetly, turning and flicking her tail for the cats to bring the kits forward. Now that she was alive again, she would need herbs if she would survive the rest of the night. "Are there any warriors willing to stay and help? She cannot be moved yet, and she needs a den to protect her." she looked around at the many strange faces surrounding her.

Blacknose backed off from the crowd, taking note his presence wasn't welcomed or needed anymore. He was no medicine cat and the last time he'd seen a birth, he'd nearly fainted. His yellow eyes shifted toward cottontail, a slight frown marring his features at the sight of her with Midnightstorm. The black and white tom knew that the moonclan deputy was the cause of her troubles, but refrained from approaching the pair. Separate clans, Blacknose, remember last time? He failed to say goodbye and turned his attention toward the earthclan patrol.

----

Darkpaw released her leader's shoulders, sitting back in order to give the queen some space. Her gaze drifted to the four bundles of fur mewling for their mother's warmth. What an eventful gathering. She mused.

----

Blossomstar turned to grab a kitten, licking the little grey, ginger and white calico kit to life. They were all so tiny, so vulnerable out in the open clearing. The moonclan leader was surprised Fencestar's screams hadn't attracted any unwanted attention.

Five. Fencestar died five times, from blood loss, shock, and pain. She had but one life left- a fact that she ruminated on as her olive eyes glassed over, still in shock. A vague thought of safety settled over her, feeling warmth despite the cold snow, not knowing the moistness was her own fluid. She could hear cats shouting, yelling, confusion- but it was far-away, like an underwater thought, and she could not decode their meanings. She wished to sit up and let them know it was okay, but a sixth life threatened to take what it wanted from Fencestar.

In a second, like a dam removed, it all came back, and Fencestar took in a sharp and surprised breath of freezing air, tinted with iron and salt. She was freezing, lethargic, and immediately and feebly vomited her dinner next to her before curling inward, pain beginning to emanate from her diaphragm.

There were so many cats- around her, milling about. Miidnightstorm and Stormstar and Cranestar and Blossomstar and Dieseltooth and Cottontail and Blacknose and so many others. And two cats nearest her were helping- they pressed on her belly, working in tandem, Endlessdream and Honeypaw. One's paws crushed her collarbone, holding her, keeping her from running. Yet another was taking . . . something, from her tail, and another, and another, and another, and-

A dry cry, just another, and Fencestar's tears began. She felt, in her heart, that her kits were dead. An incorrect assumption. Her lives lost had not healed her wounds; she could not stand, and consciousness crept at the edges of her mind. She was in agony, bones broken, emotionally ruined.

"D-Diesel-" she softly cried for her deputy.

Honeypaw backed off once Endlessdream began her work, watching in fascination and rapt attention. She wondered briefly how the cat could be so calm. She stepped back, covered in fluids, and looked to Stormstar. "What now, dad?"

At the sound of Midnightstorm's voice, Cottontail looked up from the kit. Her eyes didn't hold any defiance now, and only sadness for this kit. What if the mother was gone? Her own motherly instincts had kicked in and she didn't want to leave the kit, even though she knew it would be ok in the paws of the medicine cat. "But- but-" she muttered as she reluctantly turned to pad away with him. Her heart raced at the whole situation and she almost didn't realize the tom had come forward to lick her cheek. She pulled back, her eyes wide. Why was he doing this? She turned her head, searching. Now she remembered, Fadewhisker wasn't here. A flood of confusing emotions filled her mind as he talked, and she leaned forward to touch his nose. She stuck herself to his side, black and white fur mingling together in the night.

Midnightstorm's anger and jealousy immediately dissipated with the screech of Fencestar's fall and the scene that followed, and he turned away to give the kitting queen some respectful privacy. At his leader's call, he nodded, turning to the MoonClan warriors frozen in front of him and rising to his full height to gain their attention. "MoonClan! Let's go!" He called above the commotion, making sure he waited until Cottontail had taken care of the kit before he rounded together his warriors to leave. He waited for them to gather together, turning to her, a look of admiration for the way she handled the kit hidden in his icy eyes.

"I'm proud of you for what you did. You did well with that kit, but now it's time to leave it with it's mother and Clan and head home." He meowed gently, stretching his muzzle forward to lick her cheek gently before bounding to the head of the MoonClan party, his heart pounding with nervousness and anxiety at what he'd just done. He was glad clouds were starting to cover the moon, he wouldn't want his embarrassment and flush to been seen.

The tense atmosphere quickly dissipated as most of the cats began to turn and head home. Stormstar bid his farewells and turned to leave, hopping down easily to touch noses with his mate. As he started to pad off, a wailing cry erupted from behind him and he swiveled on his paws to a disturbing scene. As if in slow motion, he witnessed in horror as the heavily pregnant leader fell. He immediately rushed to her side, only to watch as she drew her last breath. Wide-eyed, the black tom stumbled back, helpless.

The tiny medicine cat Endlessdream had also started to head back to the camp, unsatisfied with how the whole gathering had played out. Her multi-colored pelt StarClan would not be happy. In leaf-bare, they should be worried about surviving. Her head snapped around to the sound of her voice being called by her leader. She bounded toward him without question. Quickly assessing the situation, she shouted at the crowd gathering.

"Please, stay back!" The queen had already passed and she must get the rest of the kits out now, or they would suffocate. At this point, no herbs would be needed just a miracle from StarClan. She began pushing on the leader's stomach gently, coaxing the kits herself through the birth canal. Blood had pooled around the queen and soaked her own white paws. With a hard push, a second kit emerged and she grabbed it up, feeling its faint heartbeat.

"Here, take this and start licking." she demanded of a white she-cat with no tail that was standing nearby. She turned and went back to work silenty, pushing out another 2 kits and handing them off to a black and white tom, and a pretty, dilute calico she-cat. Endlessdream bent over the leader, prodding her body for more kits. With a sigh of relief, it seemed she got them all out. She wasn't sure if the leader had been on her last life or not, and she looked around for any sign on who the deputy was. For the kits sake, she hoped it was not the last life.

"Who is the deputy? I need to speak with them immediately."

Cottontail shot Blacknose and Midnightstorm a look as she was handed a bloody kit. Without question she began licking at it. It let out a squeak and the white she-cat continued until the kit was dry and clean.

Blossomstar turned his body around in order to block the rest of the gatherings view, but to also respect Fencestar. He was a large cat and the least he could do was help out and give the laboring queen some privacy. Now that his back was turned toward the scene, he was able to see the shocked faces staring back at him. "Midnightstorm! Gather up our patrol and take them home." He called over the noise of Fencestar's screams. He wanted to stay and help, but he also had the intentions of catching Stormstar before he left.

----

Robinflame, at Honeypaw's yelp, stepped forward and took the kit from her. She placed it gently on the ground and began licking it to life.

----

Darkpaw charged passed Dieseltooth, half hoping to knock the deputy out of her shocked stupor. She grasped onto Fencestar's shoulders and held her down the best she could. "Dieseltooth! Snap out of it." Darkpaw shouted, struggling to keep her screeching leader pinned to the ground.

Honeypaw lacked formal training of any direction, barring her position as a warrior's apprentice. A strange sort of instinct overcame her as she rushed forward to Fencestar's side, telling her that this was the best option. Her white paws were wet with the warm blood as she took up position.

She angled herself to where she could get a closer look- the blood was coming quick, but Honeypaw noticed that the kits were coming- very quickly. Fencestar was ready, but her body was in shock. She wasn't going to push them out on her own, even as she began to convulse.

She placed her paws on the she-cat's stomach and began to massage- Fencestar's safety wasn't exactly her priority. If she could save the kits first, she would.

Immediately as the first kit emerged, Fencestar died- whether from blood loss or shock, it was unclear. The pale yellow tabby tried to stand up mid-labor, a scream released. Honeypaw shouted for back-up to keep her down as the bleeding began again.

"Hold her down! Someone take this kit-"

Marshmumble snapped out of her shock at her daughter's shout, not knowing whether to be more surprised that this was happening at a gathering, or that her daughter was helping so . . . well.

But she knew one thing.

She pushed Cottontail aside, "Toms don't need to see this- make a ring around her with me, would you?" she asked.

The frigid air was starting to numb his paws, his ears flicking in mild annoyance as he attempted to shake the cold from his pelt. He still managed to keep a close eye on the pregnant leader and as soon as he heard her startled yelp Blossomstar sprang into action. It didn’t matter if Cranestar was closer, the Moonclan leader grabbed Fencestar by the scruff of her neck hoping to break her fall. His muscles screamed in protest as he landed, the pain in his legs causing him to release the small cat unceremoniously. “Endlessdream!” His golden eyes were ablaze with panic as he called for his medicine cat. “Any other healers, we need you over here now.” He inspected the Eclipseclanner, looking for any noticeable wounds. She’s in labor. Blossomstar wasn’t surprised at all that Fencestar chose to come to the gathering instead of staying home to make sure she had an easy birth.

----

Blacknose shifted his gaze, jumping to his paws as he watched both the Moonclan and the Eclipseclan leader fall to the ground. It looked as if Blossomstar had attempted to break Fencestar's fall. "It was great meeting you Midnightstorm, but I need to head back with my clan now." The black and white tom-cat, looking so much like Tidebreaker it's not even funny, turned around. He touched the white she-cats cheek as a farewell, "I'll see you later." He whispered, just barely loud enough for Cottontail to hear. He trotted over to Marshmumble, unable to do much for the eclipseclan leader.

----

Darkpaw jumped to her paws barely taking care in not knocking her brother over. "Fencestar!" She screamed, paws carrying her over to the scene. She stopped a paw step behind Dieseltooth, yellowish-green eyes focusing in on the blood pooling between the she-cats legs.

Fencestar's olive gaze snapped immediately towards Blossomstar, heeding his comment with a polite but hastened nod.

"Indeed- some of us have a long walk home. Gathering dismissed!" she called out, feeling the pressure on herself as the eldest leader. She quickly stood, meeting eyes with Dieseltooth in order to let her alarm be shown. These were, technically speaking, based on their conversation, Dieseltooth's children too.

But alas, Fencestar opened her mouth to speak to Dieseltooth to gather her clan together when her paw slipped on the icy branch she sat on. She scrambled for purchase, but StarClan had cast its lot against her. A gust of wind blew, wrenching her sideways, and the she-cat screamed in alarm as she plummeted to the ground. It wasn't a long fall, for a cat- only a few meters. But Fencestar was a small cat, heavily pregnant, and she crumpled against the snowy ground like a pinecone, only she didn't bounce quite as high.

Her face screwed itself shut, a ripple of pain opening like the floodgates of a springtime levee, unwilling to face or acknowledge her accident. She croaked, pained, and lifted her head only to lower it to the ground again.

By her tail, a pool of blood began to spread.

Marshmumble looked up in alarm as Fencestar fell, seeing within seconds that this was an emergency. Her prior days as a medicine cat apprentice kicked in and she urged to help, the fact that clan didn't matter drilled into her head. But this was an EclipseClan cat- this was a war, and Marshmumble hesitated. She didn't even know what she could do. She looked up at Stormstar, frightfully unsure, and whimpered in fear and alarm.

Honeypaw gasped in shock, barely audible, and stayed just as silent as the blood began to spread. But her instinct was right as she anxiously and rightfully stepped forward in action rather than back in shock. A single question burdened itself into her ears- how can I help?

Dieseltooth shifted, getting ready to help Fencestar down from the rock or to muster as much dignity as she could as the leader insisted on having Cranestar do the task. At least Stormstar's posturing will keep their attention, it probably doesn't matter what the rest of us do. They're the only undecided ones in this whole war...

"I think we're all eager to get home." Blossomstar answered, raising himself to his paws. It had been a rocky start, but now he knew his thoughts of an alliance were justified. Moonclan may be strong, but two v. one is a fight I want to avoid. He needed to catch Stormstar before he left, already thinking of sending Midnightstorm ahead to guide their patrol home.

Fencestar looked at the EarthClan and MoonClan leaders with a critical eye before passing her gaze over the unsettled cats of the four clans. The quiet murmurs of the cats weighed on her shoulders heavily, and with Blossomstar's words she held her breath. With Stormstar's, her tail-tip twitched. She hoped the apology held a semblance of peace, rather than veiled threat. But Stormstar was wrong- his youth made him naive. The gathering was just the place for thinly drifted comments and threats.

"Glad to hear EarthClan is well, Stormstar," Fencestar forced out, her heart racing. She had to get back to EclipseClan before she gave birth- the excitement of meeting her kittens mixed with the fear that something was already going wrong with their birth left her ridden with guilt, but she knew she couldn't give birth to Glass-star's children with EarthClan as the witness. Her paws itched to go, even as the slippery tree below her cracked and wheezed with every pathetic breath of leaf-bare wind.

"Are we in conclusion?"

Marshmumble let out a loud whoop of excitement when Stormstar mentioned their children, contrary to her soft voice she usually touted as her character's defining trait. One of her fellow warriors gave her a quizzical look- she coughed, embarrassed, and settled back into character next to Heatherpaw and Honeypaw. She smiled up at Stormstar, encouraging him. He was saying exactly the right things.

Or just a lover's quarrel... Fenstrike decided, still watching Midnightstorm as the pair approached him. She got up and stretched, anticipating that the gathering would soon be called to a close and they'd all be able to head home. This could have gone worse, all things considered.

He nodded stiffly to the other tomcat, not wanting to start anything and not upset with Blacknose at what Cottontail was getting herself into. "Yes, friend." He said, his icy eyes sparking slightly at her defiance. He couldn't quite understand why he felt so jealous and angry, just that seeing her with another tom made these feelings flood through his body.

Blacknose, having noticed Cottontail's gaze, followed it to the Moonclan deputy. He felt the rage, Starclan he felt it, but he'd seen scarier. He knew the look on Midnightstorm's face was born out of jealousy. It was the same look he'd held for Ripplestream when she held affection toward one of her Moonclan friends. In the end Blacknose had won her over and now he had four healthy children. He was lost in his own mind, wishing to see his kits until Cottontail drew him back to reality with a soft touch. The broad-shouldered cat lifted himself to his paws and followed after the she-cat. "Pleasure to meet you Midnightstorm. Congratulations on being named deputy." He dipped his head respectfully toward the dark furred tom-cat. He blatantly ignored the death glare, brushing Cottontail's side slightly to get arise out of him. Her frustration seems to stem from him. He noted.

Cottontail of MoonClan -

Feelings of triumph were short lived as an idea crossed her mind. No, she shouldn't do it. Not here at a Gathering of all places, where the entire world could see. Adrenaline was pumping through her now, causing her train of thought to derail completely. She nudged the black and white tom beside her, beckoning him to follow as she padded through the snow defiantly toward the deputy. Cottontail sat proudly in front of him. "Midnightstorm. This is my friend Blacknose of EarthClan." she introduced him, exchanging glances between them to see their reactions.

He's pissed... Fenstrike noted, her eyes sweeping across Midnightstorm. Maybe there was trouble between MoonClan and EarthClan, she wondered, the EarthClan leader certainly seemed to know a lot more about MoonClan's drama than she, or, she assumed, any other SunClanner, did.

It wasn't the sting of disappointment Cottontail wanted him to feel that burned through the deputy, it was instead jealousy and pure rage for what he was seeing. Not only was she purposefully shoving whatever this was in his face, but she had the nerve to do it with a cat from another Clan. The fury burned colder than ice in his eyes, enough to terrify any cat who held his gaze.

"The leader may change, but not all the cats who allowed that leader to act went with him..." Fenstrike muttered under her breath, taking no heed of the MoonClanners around her who might hear and object. Juniperspring shot her a dirty look, but didn't dare speak out and further her already-strained relationship with her younger clanmates.

Stormstar of EarthClan -

His yellow eyes shifted back and forth between the leaders as the tensions grew higher. He knew there could be no fighting here but he wasn't so sure if the other leader's cared. Although, MoonClan was the closest to StarClan and their new leader seemed to have a good head on his shoulders. Stormstar stood up, lashing his tail to show his discomfort.

"EarthClan is stronger than ever. We have many new warriors, and my own six kits have become apprentices." he announced. He sympathized with Blossomstar; having SunClan and EclipseClan blame him for what a different cat did was unfair. Perhaps StarClan will judge the two leaders. Stormstar looked down to his mate again and smiled before continuing.

"However, as with any leaf-bare, there is some sickness, but the prey is plentiful and i'm hopeful it will pass." he added, making sure that the other clans knew they would be alright. He turned to look at Blossomstar and dipped his head. After the gathering, he decided he would go speak to the MoonClan leader. He couldn't sit by and let them tear the tom to shreds, and he would need an ally if the decided to attack EarthClan. He looked back to the other two leaders.

"Remember, Blossomstar was chosen and accepted by StarClan because Buckstar was a coward and abandoned his clan. We should not hold him to Buckstar's actions that he had no part in." he concluded, giving them a cold stare.

Cottontail of MoonClan -

The she-cat nodded her head and felt her heart flutter as the tom contacted her cheek. "Yes he is. He's going to be a great leader for MoonClan." she replied as she looked up to her leader. He was compassionate and understanding, much like an EarthClanner. She wondered if the two clans would form an alliance and hoped they did so she could visit Blacknose more often. Leaf-bare always causes the prey to go into hiding and she had been too busy hunting to get time away. Cottontail scooted closer to the tom and let her pelt touch with his. She looked away to MoonClan's deputy and caught the black tom looking at her, and she felt a sense of accomplishment as she met his gaze. If he didn't want her, she found someone else who did and she hoped he felt the sting of dissapointment just as she did when the tom doted over an apprentice.

Blossomstar listened, his golden eyes focused on the faces of his clan-mates. He hoped a change in leadership would help Moonclan. He'd never imagine that his clan-mates would choose him to lead, not in a million years. Buckstar had neglected his responsibilities and let an outsider corrupt his mind. Change was indeed necessary, but maybe there could have been a better candidate. Blossomstar loved Moonclan, he was Moonclan born and raised, but he was unsure of a lot of things. Especially now that Sunclan and Eclipseclan were an alliance. Buckstar's decisions are coming back to bite us. He thought, glancing toward Stormstar. He hoped that Earthclan would consider an alliance. Even if they say it's for self defense, you can never be too safe. We might be targeted. Blossomstar shifted his gaze, focusing on Fencestar again. He was worried for the she-cat. She looked about ready to pop and the pained look on her face wasn't helping the case. "I will formerly apologize for the trouble Moonclan has caused. Even so, this is a gathering and we should put all of our hostilities towards each other at the back of our minds." He had no intention of backing down from Cranestar's words. It wouldn't fair well with his clan if he let the other leaders walk all over him. "Stormstar." Blossomstar dipped his head toward the Earthclan leader and awaited his report.

Juniperspring looked up in surprise at Cranestar, not expecting such an explicitly critical comment from them. Are they trying to woo EarthClan? She wondered, gauging Stormstar's reaction.

Fencestar's tail curled- Meadowclaw had been the cat reported as her sister's murderer. Her birth didn't make her any less guilty.

She listened stoically to Blossomstar's report in its entirety, choosing initially to remain quiet and with a small amount of dignity. Her plans were dashed when Cranestar gave his report. Fencestar was forced to nod along, as per the alliance, but she wished the tom would've had a small amount more of tact. Still, she supported SunClan, and her reaction only showed slightl on her face and was easily disguisable underneath her discomfort- StarClan, her belly- what was it doi-

She went pale, glancing nervously down at Dieseltooth as the blood drained further from her ears. She knew the feeling, it terrified her. She was unsure if actual birth would be different- this felt different.

Now was not the time or place. Fencestar spoke up in turn, words forced but audible, "Indeed, Cranestar. It is our hope that we only use it to defend what is rightfully ours."

Marshmumble locked eyes with her mate and smiled softly from next to their apprentice-aged kits. Her green eyes were soft and matronly, proud of Stormstar to a fault. You're doing great, she said, sending him the positive energy best she could. Do us proud.

Cranestar couldn't agree more with the words that Fencestar stated, he calmly took a simple glance in the SunClan leader's direction when her tail rested over his and soon he began to wonder if this was the type of alliance that he truly wanted. 'Of course it will do us well, won't it?' He wondered silently, however kept a strong composure, his tall height looming in the night sky. The caramel colored tom listened to Blossomstar's words with a cold glare in his pale, green eyes. "Thank you for that, Blossomstar, it's good to know that your clan is doing perfect." He meowed in a discouraging voice. Cranestar was always a calm and stoic leader, however he was not going to let SunClan be pushed around. "SunClan has trouble with Leaf-bare, for it is normal during such a time in an open camp, however it has only made manners worse when our herbs were stolen by MoonClan and our clanmates lives taken away." Cranestar clenched his teeth, but stayed diplomatic while he spoke. "The alliance between SunClan and EclipseClan will be powerful."

The dark deputy listened to his leader, though his icy eyes stayed on Cottontail and the warrior she was with the entire time. The feeling of jealousy strengthened when he saw the other tom touch his nose to her cheek, and it took a lot for him to hold back a growl at the sight.

The black and white Tom-cat was surprised by her affection, but accepted it all the same. He touched her cheek with his nose, ignoring the stares he received from some of his clan-mates. "It's been awhile. We haven't talked since the snow started." He motioned for her to follow him to the side so they weren't the center of everyone's attention. "How're you? Isn't that your best friend up there?" Blacknose motioned toward Blossomstar, having heard Cottontail talk about him on more than one occasion. ---- Once he was sure everyone was finished absorbing Fencestar's report, Blossomstar stood and puffed out his chest. "Moonclan is thriving," he boomed, making sure every cat in the clearing heard him, "We've had an influx of new warriors and apprentices. A few days ago, Meadowclaw gave birth to a litter of six healthy kittens." The large feline paused for a moment, watching the reactions of the gathered cats below him. He knew there was nothing he could say to ease the tension.

(Response for Stormblaze/Darkpaw, sorry for the wait)

Stonepaw smiled. "I'm so excited! This is absolutely amazing." He sat down next to his sister and listened to the Gathering carry out.

------------

Mudsplash sat tall, his fur matted and neat. He listened to the leaders speak, tail curled around his paws.

------------

Thunderpaw sat down as the Gathering began. A ginger apprentice with black feet spotted him, and the two made eye contact. Thunderpaw's gaze was cold as he turned away from the apprentice, who was indeed Foxpaw of EarthClan. Foxpaw's ears went down and he shuffled silently to find a spot.

Dieseltooth glanced impatiently up at Hawk's Tree, breaking her stare at the MoonClan patrol, as she waited to see which leader would speak next. As of the moment, them seemed to be in a tense silence after Fencestar's announcement. That's just as well, she reflected, it's good they're nervous.

The deputy narrowed his eyes more at the blatant affection he witnessed between the two cats, a slight feeling of jealousy rising in his chest. He sat taller, doing his best to hide his emotions as he listened to the leaders speak.

Stormstar of EarthClan -

The black tom glanced over to the new leader of MoonClan, admiring the tom's large build as a sign of strength. A considerable imporvement on the clan's previous cowardly leader. With EclipseClan and SunClan gathered against him, he made it a point to catch Blossomstar's gaze and dipped his head respectfully. If he was going to attempt an alliance he would have to make a good impressions. Despite the sickness in EarthClan, they still had many able-bodied apprentices and warriors, including his own six children.

Cottontail of MoonClan -

The she-cat's dual colored eyes brightened instantly at the sight of the tom. She bounded over to him, making hardly any effort to conceal her excitement. Her pelt blended with the snow, with the exception of the multicolored patch near the base of her tail. She let out a purr and rubbed her side against his. "How are you? I feel like it's been forever since we last talked." she greeted the tom happily.

In all honesty, Blossomstar wasn't surprised to hear of the alliance. His golden eyes focused on Fencestar, meeting her piercing gaze head on. There was no way for him to take back what Moonclan has done under Buckstar's reign. He couldn't even apologize for the death of the eclipseclanners. Even so, the large Maine coon couldn't show weakness. He'd been considering an alliance with Earthclan and was now convinced it would be in his clan's best interest to do so. He dipped his head toward Cranestar and Fencestar, not missing the pained twitch of her body. /She should not be up her, for the safety of herself and her unborn kittens./ Blossomstar made sure to keep a close eye on the pregnant feline.

----

Blacknose would be lying if he said he wasn't looking for his children amongst Moonclan's patrol. He'd been looking forward to this gathering for a while since his daughter and youngest son didn't like to visit him on the border. As soon as his yellow gaze landed on a white coat, he was up from his spot and padding over to the she-cat to meet her. "Hey Cottontail." He smiled, teeth glinting in the moonlight as he tapped her shoulder with the tip of his tail.

Midnightstorm glanced back down at the cats surrounding the tree, his glowing eyes picking out the familiar pelt of Cottontail. He sensed that she was avoiding him, or something similar, and his eyes narrowed slightly, wondering who it was she was looking for.

Stormstar of EarthClan -

Stormstar sat quietly with the other leaders, observing the many faces of the clans below them. He wasn't sure how exactly the gathering was supposed to play out, but he could sense the hostility from EclipseClan. He had heard about their alliance with SunClan, and wondered if MoonClan would join them against EarthClan. He shifted his weight between his paws anxiously and looked down to his mate, Marshmumble, hoping for some kind of reassurance that he was doing alright. No matter what the other leader's said, he would be sure to make sure they knew EarthClan was strong.

Cottontail of MoonClan -

The she-cat had been blessed this moon and made her first trip to the gathering. She made sure to travel seperately from Midnightstorm, even though she hadn't caught sight of Fadepaw. Fadepaw was now a warrior, Fadewhisker. No doubt that Midnightstorm would take her as a mate within a few moons. She rolled her eyes as she entered the gathering. She padded through the snow right past the ebony deputy and searched out the only reason she came here. Immediately she recognized EarthClan's musky scent and she welcomed it and let it envelop her. With the leader's preoccupied she wasn't concerned with who would see her. The fluffy warrior searched out for the striking black and white tom.

Well, that's a haughty thing for a leader who couldn't even muster two cats for the gathering to say, Juniperspring smirked, glancing back at her fellow MoonClanners to gauge their reactions.

Once the applause had quieted, Fencestar took a deep breath. “In addition, I’d like to announce that on behalf of myself and Cranestar, any cat that attacks a SunClan or EclipseClan cat will have both of us to contend with. These are harsh times- We will not attack first, only defend our own.” She turned to pierce a sharp glare at Blossomstar’s hide. Hydrantbreath and Waterfang’s death were inexcusable acts of violence against what had been an astonishingly peaceful clan.

“We will not kowtow to The bullying of border patrols, nor the desperate attempts at thievery of Herbs. Attack us in desperation, and die. The consequences are known.” The queen stepped down, making a small move of glaring political victory as her tail crossed to lay on Cranestar’s.

her stomach rolled. Fencestar visibly winced.

Silversplash put thoughts of Nightpaw's rudeness out of mind and instead tried to focus on the gathering, in particular, scrutinizing all the cats around Hawk's Tree that she didn't recognize. Those MoonClanners are hardly older than I am, she noted. I wonder what happened to their old leader. What was her name? Brinestar?

The dark deputy looked up at Fencestar as she began the meeting, his icy eyes flicking to Blossomstar for a second before returning to the older leader. The moon reflected in his blue orbs made them shine an icy silvery-blue colour.

Darkpaw puffed out her chest proudly, yellowish-green orbs shining as all eyes from Eclipseclan turned toward her. (sorry for the short post)

Fenstrike gave a polite mrrow of approval, knowing that it was in SunClan's interests to back Fencestar up even if she knew full well that leaders were frequently lying through their teeth in gatherings. No one would openly say that their clan was sick or had been attacked by rogues or were having trouble catching enough prey.

Fencestar bowed her head at Blossomstar's confirmation, "Then we shall begin."

She let out a loud yowl of announcement, finding herself the most senior leader. Her high-pitched roar bounded around the misted clearing. Above them, the moon seemed extra icy as it stared down at them.

She waited a moment for the dust to settle- Marshmumble settled in comfortably at the base of the tree, near Mudsplash.

"EclipseClan has done well for itself this leaf-bare. As always, our nests are warm, and this leaf-bare we've been blessed with a full nursery and a new apprentice, Darkpaw, along with a graduate of our processes- Flickstripe has been named a warrior."

Fencestar paused briefly for comment and for the clans to praise EclipseClan's products.

"We were barely apprentices when that happened, surely if there was going to be a problem, then it would have happened already," Silversplash countered, her own voice taking an edge as she called back after him. Upset, she plopped down with a heavy sigh.

Nightpaw just shook his head. He seemed more irritable lately, not coming out of his den to visit Silversplash as often, awake at odd hours. He seemed lost, the bags under his eyes gettimg worse every day. “There are many things going on, I’ve heard, that would cause tension at this gathering. For stars sake Silversplash, we killed Sunclan’s leader!” He hissed this part out, low and upset. Turning, he walked off into the gathering.

Nightpaw felt a pang of regret, and guilt. He hadn’t meant to lash out like that, but really? How was she so oblivious to the facts? Perhaps everything was just taking a much bigger toll on him than he imagined.

”You know, you should really be more nice to that lass.“ Cheshire ground his teeth at the voice. “I know that, shut up...” It was that dumb spirit cat that had been following him for moons. It had started talking to him a week ago, commenting on his poor habit of not eating. It had nearly scared him half to death. And it sometimes still did, though he’d grown rather accustomed at this point.

"Why do you say that?" Silversplash asked. "It's been a while since all that trouble with EclipseClan and SunClan and Mom always said that MoonClan always started problems, but they've been quiet lately."

She frowned, watching the MoonClanners and noticing, for the first time, the distance with which they held themselves away from the EclipseClanners. "Or maybe not..."

What are you doing? Dieseltooth thought, glancing over as Cranestar helped Fencestar onto the tree. She held back the first comment that came to mind and focused her attention back on the cats before them, in particular watching the MoonClanners.

"Seems like," Juniperspring shrugged and settled down beside Swanpounce.

Fenstrike stepped away from the clump of SunClanners and wandered nearer to the MoonClanners, spotting a few apprentices she could try and wrangle some news out of.

"'Evening," She greetd Stonepaw and Darkpaw.

"Oh, hi Juniperspring." Swanpounce glanced to Juniperspring and flashed a smile, nodding. "I think they're about to start." She mewed.

Blossomstar, watching as Fencestar struggled into the tree, sat back on his haunches before launching himself upward. His claws dug into the bark, muscles tending beneath his pelt while he pulled himself on a branch nearest to Stormstar. "I'm ready." He glanced toward the other leader's awaiting their responses.

----

Sparkpaw, coughing a few times, shook his head furiously at his mother's suggestion. "I'm good where I am." He said, glancing toward the leaders who were now perched on the Hawk's tree.

----

The smoky grey she-cat startled a bit when Stonepaw leaned into her side, having been distracted by the commotion of the gathering. Even though the Tom-cat was her brother, she was still a little skeptical that he could provide for the clan. He couldn't see and having no sight means he couldn't hunt or fight. "There are so many different colored cats. Right now the leaders are sitting up in the tree. I think they're going to speak soon." Nevertheless, she'd protect her brother with every fiber of her being.

Fencestar - EclipseClan

Fencestar’s throat let out an unceremonious mrow of effort as Cranestar helped her up, the vertigo a bit much. Her stomach rolled once more- stronger, this time. She attributed it to nervousness- and loneliness. She had glanced around the leaders and noted that she was the oldest one there. A blank realization came over her when she realized she had already been in power when their predecessors, and some of their predecessor’s predecessors, were newly appointed.

she clawed at the tree and came to sit next to the tom, using him as a windbreak against the icy freeze. Her tail came to a pompous rest over her small paws. She cast her glance over to the other branch. “Thanks,” she said.

Seeing the represents, she cleared her throat loudly. “Are we ready to begin?” She said, pointing the question at Blossomstar and Stormstar.

Marshmumble - Earthclan

”It’s So we can catch up with each other- see acquaintances. Some cats have family in other clans, others, friends. It’s a chance to meet up, say hello, without having to sneak out for a rendezvous on the border. And there’s a truce, so there should be no fighting.” maeshmunble said it as a warning to her little one, touching him on the nose affecfionately, caching his sickness for a later plot point.

”Why don’t you go meet some apprentices? Not EclipseClan, ideally.”

Stonepaw sat next to Darkpaw, his pelt brushing hers. "I wish I could see like you, Darkpaw! There are so many smells and so many voices... this is crazy!" The young tom said enthusiastically. "If only Ryepaw tagged along!"

Cranestar's brown, tufted ears flicked with uncertainty when he turned to look at Fencestar. 'Is that really a good idea?' He thought to himself, however the chausie tom nodded his head with a smile wandering onto his muzzle. "Of course," a light meow escaped Cranestar's voice as he climbed down carefully to a low branch and leaned over. "Just be careful...Let me lift you, but try to keep your paws on the base of the tree just to be safe." He realized just how small of a molly that Fencestar was when he secured his long tail around her chest and began to haul her upwards.

Nightpaw nodded, pressing close to his companion. “This is sure to be a tense gathering though. I don’t like it.”

Darkpaw sat within eclipseclan's ranks, yellowish-green eyes taking in her surroundings. There were so many cats and so many smells, all of which overwhelmed her a bit. This was her first time at a gathering, her first time being outside of Eclipseclan's camp. She was excited to meet the competition, a smile appearing on her face.

----

Robinflame sat beside her clan-mates, a little out of place among all of the much larger cats. She was built for Sunclan's open fields, lanky limbs and lean muscles giving her the advantage of speed. The reddish brown she-cat was wary of the Moonclanner's, her shoulder still not quite healed from their battle. They'd caused so many problems, stole herbs and even killed an elder. Every clan here had a right to be hostile towards them. She took note of the new leader, blue-grey eyes taking in the large cat. Robinflame shifted her sights on the Eclipseclan's, wondering if she should engage in conversation and make friends. This alliance would definitely strengthen the two clans.

----

A small mirror image of Stormstar sat beside Marshmumble. "Why do we do this?" He directed his question toward his mother, doing his best to stop himself from coughing. He'd dry heaved this morning, but failed -rather, choose not to- mention this fact. He knew his parents would freak and not let him come along to the gathering, but he wanted to see what the big deal was. Sparkpaw concluded that the gathering occurred in order to size up the competition.

Silversplash stuck closely by Nightpaw's side, watching the other cats around them with wide eyes.

"There are so many of them!" She whispered.

Juniperspring spotted Swanpounce stumbling through the territory, seemingly there only in body and elsewhere entirely in her head. "Hey!"

Fencestar nodded in tandem to the EarthClan and MoonClan leader, not sparing Blossomstar a second glance. She was disappointed to see Brinestar replaced- and Buckstar she hadn't met. She nodded to Cranestar with a sly smile before doing a double-take. Where was Glass-star?

She tucked her head to her chest, remembering he was gone- she'd been accused of his murder. And now she carried his children. In front of his whole clan. Her stomach turned again- would it ever stop, at this point?

She turned back to Cranestar, the large tom easily twice her size. She eyed the icy tree, slick with frost. "Do you think you could help me up?" she asked him, slightly embarrassed to make the query. But she didn't want to fall, and her stomach was bulging. The medicine cat had predicted many kits.

Marshmumble emerged with the Earthclan group, following proudly after unveiling her apprentice-aged children. It was all a show and she performed proudly in front of the multi-clan crowd, fat and happy as she could be.

NIghtpaw quietly slipped into the crowds, seamlessly and wordlessly watching the other cats. There was so many of them, so many different faces. He looked around, searching for other medicine cats.

Swanpounce stayed with MoonClan quietly. She had no idea what was going to happen, even in the slightest. She watched Blossomstar, her eyes zeroed in. Swanpounce didn't need to look at anything else, much less disturb anyone else.

Cranestar led the SunClanners into the clearing, the tall tom's legs clinging onto small pieces of snow. The journey wasn't easy to travel, not with all the snow in their path, however the caramel tom kept SunClan together. "Keep calm, my clanmates..." He meowed to them in a quiet voice, the cold air wrapping around his muzzle. The leader turned away from them and climbed onto a branch of Hawk's tree where the other leaders sat. "Greetings Fencestar." He meowed simply, nodding his head to her with ease before his pale, green eyes met Blossomstar. The tom's brow raised slightly, surprised that Buckstar hadn't shown his face to the clans again. Pity. His long tail lashed when he curled it around his paws, although the SunClan leader was calm, he was still unsatisfied that he couldn't give the tom a piece of his mind.

Pippa watched the clans gather, her lime green eyes wide with enthusiasm. She hadn't seen so many cats in one place before. The tiny, kit-sized apprentice looked around in awe.

Mudsplash, the EarthClan deputy, sat [below/nearby] the Clan leaders. He was by himself, cleaning his paws and grooming his fur.

-----------

Thunderpaw sat next to Owlswoop. "You're lucky," The black-and-white tom commented. "You get to be a warrior already." "I was an apprentice for longer. It won't be long before you receive your warrior name," The tall brown warrior replied. He looked up, and spotted Mudsplash. He stood and trotted over to the EarthClan cat, and both greeted each other and had a quick conversation before Thunderpaw called Owlswoop back over to him. As the SunClan tom walked away, he glanced back at Mudsplash before catching up to Thunderpaw.

-----------

"Why were you talking to Mudsplash?" Thunderpaw asked Owlswoop when they sat down.

"Oh, we're just good friends," Owlswoop briskly replied.

"Okay then..." The apprentice looked unsure. I can't shake the fact that they look so similar...

Dieseltooth's pelt prickled as Midnightstorm sat down next to her, her mind drawn back to their fight. He must be the deputy, she noted, cursing herself once more for not calling Hydrantpaw back first and allowing the whole situation to escalate. As little as she trusted MoonClan not to simply raid their camp when leaf-bare came and EclipseClanners were briefly the best fed of clan cats, she did not like the idea of having given them a righteous-sounding excuse to do it, and she liked the idea of having lost a potentially useful apprentice even less, with how few cats EclipseClan had dwindled to.

Midnightstorm followed Blossomstar to the tree, glancing at Dieseltooth as he sat beside her. Though he knew Cedarpaw was the one who egged the EclipseClan patrol on most, it was her who had attacked first. He nodded respectfully at her, though he didn't say anything. He didn't want any fighting, especially since this night was supposed to hold a truce for all the Clans. He gazed out over the other cats, making sure his warriors weren't causing any trouble.

Dieseltooth offered Blossomstar only a rigid nod in greeting, regarding him with a suspicious air. Her gaze slid over him to the rest of the MoonClanners, who she picked through for any sign of other cats that had been in the skirmish. Her own wounds hadn't even been seen to and with how little time had passed, she expected the same for any MoonClanners who hadn't been seriously enough wounded to warrent staying back from the nursery.

The large Maine Coon watched the Eclipseclanners descend upon the Hawk's Tree. He waited beside his own patrol, letting Fencestar and her clan-mates get comfortable before he lead Moonclan into the area. He still wanted to avoid anymore fighting and being her alone with Eclipseclan might not fair well for them. "If any of you cause any problems with the other clans, there will be consequences. I do not want to hear harsh words from any of you or see teeth or claws. Have I made myself clear?" A hushed agreement passed through his patrol and with that, he moved forward. He made his way to the tree, dipping his head toward Dieseltooth before settling himself a few paw steps away from Fencestar. "Greetings." He nodded, a friendly smile slipping into his face. He would do his best to fix the mess his clan-mates have caused. He knew only what Midnightstorm had told him, so he kept a wary look out on Dieseltooth. It was Cedarpaw who more than likely started it. Blossomstar glanced to his clan-mates, watching out for any signs of hostility. He did not want a fight to break out on this night. Starclan would not approve.

"Or they're late..." Dieseltooth grumbled in returning, taking up the traditional place for deputies at the base of Hawk's Tree. "That, or they won't come at all. How long do you expect we should wait? I'd say a few hours, otherwise, but in this weather..." She shivered as if to prove her point.

Fencestar was surprisingly unwinded when she crossed the thin ice separating the island of Hawk's Tree from EclipseClan territory. The air was frigid, icicles clung to whiskers, but there was no snow. The grass was dormant and the tree itself that marked the center of the peninsula was covered with slick ice.

Fencestar looked around cautiously, sniffing the air for signs of the other clans. There seemed to be none- were they early? Did they have the wrong day? A glance up at the milk-bowl moon reassured the tabby, and she descended through the cattail marsh, leading EclipseClan into light. They would wait- and her cats would get the best seats. She didn't bother climbing the tree yet- it looked rather dangerous. Fencestar thought with amusement back to Risingstar's blunder, back when he had been surrounded by three female leaders and had dared to try his seductive techniques on them with all the clans as his witness. He'd also fallen out of it before. Fencestar could claim she had not.

The she-cat let out a withheld breath, fluffing her fur up against the cold. "Seems we're early," she said apprehensively.

Glasswind didn't wait for a response. "Nevermind that - EarthClan, don't go forgetting everything Risingstar's done for this clan. If he wants to join, he's one of us, and I expect you'll treat him that way. Now, if you'll excuse me-" Glasswind turned away, a certain tension rippling through his muscles, "-Wren, with me! We have an appointment with our lovely leader friend in the city."

Duskfang nodded, and gestured to a handful of warriors before setting off towards EclipseClan.

[If people could please add 4-5 warriors to this group, that would be appreciated.]

[EclipseClan Camp]

Glasswind was taken aback - however naturally the name may have come to Duskfang's tongue, it didn't come naturally to Glass's ears. He hesitated a few seconds, processing the name.

Glass-star.

It felt... so wrong. Not for him to be leader, but for Risingstar not to be leader.

Glasswind nodded to Duskfang, taking in a deep breath in an attempt to hold himself together.

"Right. Bring some warriors, but make it quick - and make sure Fencestar gets the message. Not her warriors, not her deputy. You do not leave until you've spoken to Fencestar herself."

Glasswind turned away, seeking out the voice of the newcomer.

"What's your name, EclipseClanner?" There was an edge of hostility to Glasswind's voice, but it was more defensive than aggressive. After what EclipseClan had done here, it was only reasonable to be suspicious of an EclipseClanner who'd spontaneously shown up and their motives.

Duskfang glanced back to the bodies, and with the turning of her neck, she found her body turning too. There were enough warriors here to deal with this city-scented scoundrel after everyone had finished the immediate grieving. After a moment of pause, she glanced towards the city.

"Glass-star," she said, the name coming naturally. "I'll bring a patrol to EclipseClan, and tell them that if they don't repay us for this crime, they can expect another attack. Hopefully they'll remember how the last one nearly turned out, and they'll smarten up before we need to make a move."

Glasswind froze as a final, shuddering breath slipped from Risingstar, and was not followed by another.

"Risingstar?" His voice was nearly a whisper, disbelieving and growing in a manic desperation. "No, no, Risingstar, stay with me, you're alright. Come on, talk to me, just breathe, Rising. Stay with me, you're okay, you're going to be fine."

Glasswind wasn't sure what he was trying to do - reassure Risingstar, bring him back to life, or maybe reassure himself. Whatever he was trying to do, it wasn't working. Glasswind swore, his claws unsheathing and curling into the earth beneath his paws.

"Risingstar, you- you stupid, reckless, foolish idiot!" The words caught in his throat as he struggled to choke them out, and he continued in a quiet, tortured hiss. "I came back for you. For you. Don't you leave me now."

There were cats over him, shouting. Risingstar didn’t recognize them, nor could he comprehend what was being said. Soon, he was distracted from the disorienting shapes by a pale blob entering his field of vision.

Despite the very real perceived interaction on Risingstar’s part, nothing that followed happened aloud.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” The words exhaled from Risingstar in a pained gasp as the familiar form of a small, flat faced persian appeared before him. She strode in from the treeline as though she owned the ground beneath her. Without hesitating the little white cat stalked past the patrol of EarthClanners without acknowledging them, and settled before Risingstar’s bloodied form. His jaw clenched. He knew what this was.

The apparition didn’t completely resemble Wrinkledface, as this image was was partially see-through, pelt shimmering against the greying skies. Still, the sight of her was eerie. The image of the former deputy of EarthClan regarded him with a cocked brow, as though just as disappointed to be making this reunion. “Of all the cats who could lead me to the afterlife… you? Not the tens of gorgeous she-cats and toms I’d been with? Well… that’s… that’s kind of a rip off.”

“Honestly, Risingstar, I’d be offended if I didn’t know you were using this ploy to mask your fear.”

A laugh escaped him, or at least one attempted to. It was a choking, garbled sound that sent pain resounding through his chest and a line of blood trailing from his mouth. A grimace flickered across his features, though he held amusement through the pain Right, let’s not do that again…

“I’m not afraid of dying,” He whispered to the hallucination stood before him.

“No,” The white persian agreed, voice softer than he had ever heard in life, “but you’re afraid of leaving.” Another shaky breath escaped, a faltering attempt at a laugh as he responded to the statement.

“Isn’t everyone?” His heart rate had increased, his breaths picked up as the anxiety spiked through his waning muscles. His claws flexed, as though attempting to find traction in something real. The crimson tom’s emerald eyes had widened, pupils dilated as he focused on this fantasy. The rest of the world fell away, the cats standing over him seemed unimportant. Their voices were distant. Risingstar was aware of time, continuing to tick by around him, but this moment seemed slow. It seemed frozen.

“They’ll be okay without you, Rising.”

“You don’t know that,” He spoke with intensity. If willpower alone could keep him rooted to earth, he would stay forever. But he couldn’t. He was aware of this as adamantly as the specter. Perhaps that underlying fear was what drove him to plead with death. He knew the attempt was futile. It would not make an exception. Not for him.

“Just tell me,” He whispered, the fight leaving him as fear ran cold through his blood, “did it matter?”

“Hmm?”

“Don’t give me that- yo-you’re a figment of my imagination you know what I mean!” Risingstar retorted bitterly, tears of helplessness beginning to well at the corners of his eyes. His vision swam, but the picture of Wrinkledface remained unmoving. Defeated, he whispered,

“Did I matter?”

“We all matter, Risingstar,” Was Wrinkledface’s soft response. The translucent persian tilted her head towards the sky, as though she was waiting for a sign. Perhaps she was. “Are you ready to go?” Her gaze turned back to him, soft, but ultimately uncaring. Numbly, Risingstar realized that there was no spirit with a higher knowledge awaiting him here, willing to reassure him of the importance of the world. This was his dying brain, attempting to soothe itself into peace. He decided to succumb to its efforts.

“Yes.”

And like that it was over. The crimson head of the tom-cat sunk to the cold earth. The light left his emerald eyes, and a final breath slid from his struggling lungs. A shudder ran through his entire form, and then he was still. Gone.

Stormspark was taken aback by this cat's defensiveness. He was only trying to help. In reality he didn't think of what this could look like, what certain scents could mean to others. He knew close to nothing about life of a clan cat. The tom twitched his tail and stared. "I was traveling through the territories, actually, and I heard fighting," he explained carefully. He figured it was best not to mention his companion so he wouldn't risk her safety. His ears felt hot now. Everywhere he went he landed in this predicament. This wasn't the time for this. The large black tom stood straight; he wasn't intimidated. "Are these two from your clan? I can carry one back." Surely the other couldn't do it all himself.

"What are you doing here?" Duskfang demanded, hackles raised. The stench of EclipseClan pervaded the clearing, but was wafting more strongly off of this tom in particular. He was no EarthClanner, for certain, and in this moment, where her leader and one of the most trusted warriors of her clan sat dead on the clearing floor - presumably as the handiwork of merciless EclipseClanners - Duskfang was in no mood to tolerate this strange arrival.

A large black tom jogged through the forest, wondering where he would decide to have his new home with his mate. They both deserted EclipseClan in the midst of battle, so he would like to get far from there for the time being. His ears pricked forward as he heard the echoes of fighting cats. His pace quickened and he began sprinting toward the sound. He came upon a small clearing with several cats, two of which seemed dead or close to dying. His heart was racing, and he scanned the treeline for the perpetrators. He caught a glimpse of something moving away but stayed behind. He darted into the forest without a word and gathered all the tiny cobwebs he could. He knew nothing about healing or what had just transpired in the past few moments but he wouldn't let any cat die in his presence. The tom returned to the clearing and immediately began attempting to press the fragile cobwebs onto whatever wound he could see on the cat's body. Stormspark looked up to the cat crouching nearby. "Where is your camp? I can fetch the healer!" he quickly offered. He examined the other cat which seemed to have stopped breathing. He felt hopeless and wished he could be doing more but felt he was useless in this clearing full of strangers.

Glasswind crested the hill alongside Wren, breathing heavily. He didn't need his vision to be able to tell the two weren't in good shape - and his hearing was enough to betray the sudden halt to Blackpanther's rattling breath.

"Risingstar, you idiot," Glasswind cursed in a sharp hiss, crouching by the leader's side as he and Wren arrived by the two. "Are you alright? What happened?"

The questions were desperate, almost begging Risingstar to answer that he was fine, with the same reckless attitude as always. Though he couldn't see the extent of Risingstar's injuries, a deep dread and unease had rooted itself firmly in Glasswind's gut - he couldn't dismiss it.

Duskfang was directly behind the deputy and his seeing-eye-cat, gauging her speed to avoid overtaking them. The forest smelled like soot tonight - a bad wind from the direction of the city. Soon, though, that wind brought the welcome scent of blood. They were getting close to whatever came ahead. Duskfang grinned.

"Hey, hey, stay with me," Risingstar whispered frantically to Blackpanther, able to hear Glasswind's yowl. It was too little too late for the Bengal, and both toms had already been aware that their time was fleeting. The charcoal Bengal's breathing had turned agonal. His eyes had widened but fixed unseeing before him. The tom shuddered with a few more gasps before falling still.

Glasswind sprinted through the trees of EarthClan's Territory, the Gathering Clearing coming up fast ahead. He narrowly dodged trunks and fallen logs with every terrifying, blind bound - but by some miracle, he managed to break free of the treeline with only the scrapes of stray branches and close brushes with trunks. Wren was by the deputy's side, a patrol at their heels.

"Risingstar! Blackpanther!" Glasswind yowled, the scent of blood filling his nose as they entered the clearing. Wren was quick to spot the bloody scene atop the crest of the hill that held Hawk's Tree, and gave Glasswind a quick nudge in the direction of their fallen comrades - the two toms took off at a sprint up the hill.

It was five against two, and they did not stand a chance in Dark Forest. It was five against two injured, exhausted warriors who had just sprinted across all of EarthClan’s territory to hit the clearing. It was five against two middle aged tom-cats, both hardened by battle but fatigued, recovering from a halfhearted assault against EclipseClan. It was five against two, and Risingstar and Blackpanther were dead men walking.

The two toms fought back to back, defending each other’s’ hindquarters as they lashed out at the advancing Children of the Night with every ounce of energy they had left. It was death by a thousand cuts for the two EarthClanners, a race against time as they prayed a rescue party would arrive in time to save them. Each landed blow, no matter how small, drained at Risingstar’s fading spirit.

It seemed to happen in slow motion, but before Risingstar could react, Roulette had lunged forward, slid past his defenses, and laid open his throat with a powerful blow directly beneath the chin. White hot pain tore through his neck and his legs gave out under him, sending him face planting into the dirt. He hit it hard, getting bits of earth and grass wedged into his mouth. He spat them out as he flopped painfully onto his side. His chest heaved, eyes widened as he found himself unable to draw a full breath. He ended up choking on his own blood and coughed it out across the grass. His eyes turned towards the sky as a shadow moved over him and he awaited the end. It did not come so quickly.

Blackpanther stood over Risingstar’s fallen form. He was bleeding from injuries inflicted to his chest, hindquarters, legs, face, and underbelly. But he stood strong. When Blackpanther was the only one left standing, The Children of the Night rushed in like a pack of hyenas and attacked him from every side. The Bengal lashed out with fierce and pained yowls at anyone he could, but several bites landed and the muscular cat had soon sunk to the ground beside Risingstar.

The two were stretched out, side by side, when the blood stained EclipseClanners suddenly turned and fled from the Gathering Clearing. Risingstar heard the sound of pawsteps approaching, but only distantly. His vision was fixed on Blackpanther, and the two held each other’s gazes as they awaited their final breaths.

“Wh… y…would you… c- come?” Risingstar sputtered out the words in between a wave of coughing. A line of blood trailed from the corner of his mouth, and his tongue was flooded with a metallic taste. He hardly noticed, he was beginning to go numb to the outside world.

“I… I… wouldn’t let you d- die… alone,” Blackpanther replied, his laugh turning into a cough of pain as he responded. A grin managed to light his blood stained face.

“Yo… u’re… a- idiot,” Risingstar gasped, letting out his own bout of laughter that was spiked with fits of coughing.

“You too,” Were Blackpanther’s final words before the EarthClan patrol reached them.

Risingstar hit the territory mere seconds after Blue-eyes’ revelation that Charlie was being held hostage by the Children of the Night. The ginger tom-cat tore through the forest like a bat out of hell. His thoughts attempted to stray, consider the possibilities, all of the potential consequences, but he refused to let it happen. At his very core he knew that this was a suicide mission. He knew that if he paused and thought it through there was a chance he and Charlie both came out alive. But there was a part of him that didn’t want to make it out. He had suffered an additional seizure with Littledoe and knew it would only get worse from there. What good was he to the clan?

Not much.

What good was he to Charlie?

He was her only chance at survival.

So Risingstar focused his mind on one task and one task alone: making it to the Donskoys and freeing the she-cat who was like a daughter to him. He would ensure that every one of them paid if even a single hair on her head was harmed. He was so consumed with this mission that he didn’t notice the large, charcoal colored cat trailing only a few fox lengths behind him. Blackpanther kept mainly to the shadows, ensured his paw steps fell in time with Risingstar.

“Praying Mantis!” The name left Risingstar in a howl, torn from his mouth by the raging wind as he reached the crest of the hill that Hawk’s Tree stood upon. The Children of the Night had assembled themselves there, with Praying Mantis’ skeletal form silhouetted by the light of the setting sun.

The crimson colored tom slowed his pace as he neared the group, coming to a halt only about two fox lengths from the matriarch. His muscles were tensed, unsheathed claws digging into the ground as he anticipated a dirty trick. His lips were curled back in a fierce snarl, and his emerald eyes gleamed in the dying light. “I’m here, alone. Just as you requested. So let Charlie go and let’s settle this, just you and me.”

Each muscle of his body was held in suspense as he awaited the hairless cat’s response. He expected her to sic her minions upon him, to murder Charlie before his eyes while he stood helpless, he expected any number of apocalyptic responses.

“Well, I’m a woman of my word, Risingstar.” Praying Mantis half turned back towards her brother and dipped her head in a signal to continue. On cue, Gargoyle shuffled aside and gestured Charlie from the clearing. The bloody Egyptian Mau staggered forward slowly. She took the first few steps, realized she was still alive, and raced across the next few bounds.

“Risingstar-!” She greeted the older tom-cat, tears glistening in her eyes. She moved to nuzzle into his neck, but he pushed her aside. He nudged her back towards the tree line.

“Good to see you in one piece, Bright Eyes… now go.”

“Rising-!”

“Go!” The exclamation was enough to send the silver she-cat running out for the trees and she disappeared into the underbrush. With the cat that was like a daughter to him safe from the bloody claws of the Donskoys, Risingstar turned to look death in the face. “I’m a man of my word too, Praying Mantis. I came alone, and I won’t fight you…”

“Well, I appreciate it,” Praying Mantis replied, eyes glistening with feigned diplomacy as she advanced on the ginger warrior. The rest of the group drew forward as she did, younger seeming cats positioned at the corners of the patrol. “If it’s any consolation…” She began as she circled around behind him. Her hairless hindquarters slid up against his, causing a shudder to run through Risingstar’s body, “I’ll make it quick. It’s hardly personal between the two of us, Risingstar, and I do enjoy you quite a bit, but you’re responsible for the deaths of two of my sons. You understand, I can’t allow that to stand.”

“Get it over with you wrinkled hag,” Risingstar spat through gritted teeth, his emerald gaze holding her eyes unflinchingly. He continued to look at her, even as a paw was raised, claws unsheathed. He waited for the life ending strike, the flash of pain, but it did not come so suddenly.

There was an earth shattering yowl that seemed to shake the clearing as Blackpanther barreled into Praying Mantis at full speed. The two cats went tumbling towards the edge of the cliff, a mess of teeth, claws, and blood as they fell into a deadly scramble. Risingstar reacted only milliseconds later, knowing it was far too late to protest his best friend’s presence. He launched himself forward and struck Gargoyle hard enough to bring them both down.

Fencerunner nodded affirmingly as the last clan left, "Then now's our chance. Thanks for coming with me Mapleshadow, Quailpaw." she said before looking out- they'd have to follow the EclipseClan-MoonClan border out, then up towards the moonstone. It would indeed be a long walk.

She was so grateful for their company. The she-cat was never good by herself. She coughed- her own sickness was growing, she'd need the two of them to help her reach the moonstone with it raging through her. Fever was beginning to return, and EclipseClan still had no medicine cats. Fencerunner didn't believe in StarClan- her mother had not been a clan cat -but she appreciated the clans need for guidance. Her conversation with Hollowstar was also quite influential. Give them a chance- go in with an open mind. Fencerunner had mulled over this advice over and over- and decided to follow it. She looked up at the stars and sighed. Please don't let this be for nothing.

"Let's go." [Moonstone]

(earlier) Brinestar lingered on the branch a moment longer, observing EarthClan's movements (even as they vanished into the depths of the woods) to see if she could gather any real-time affirmation that they were heading to the city. Much to her chagrin, there was nothing worth she could collect in her examination. With a unsettling feeling prickling through her pelt, Brinestar leapt down and gestured for MoonClan's exit. [MoonClan Camp]

Fencerunner flicked her tail at the apprentice, "I'm Fencestar, Quailpaw," she said, looking around to see if anybody had heard the slip-up. But she digressed, looking over the tom. She settled her olive gaze on his dark eyes- a feeling tugged at her. Let him come.

"I suppose it is a requirement to become a warrior- you're not tired, are you? You sure you can keep up?" she ventured. It was already quite late for such a young cat to be awake. But Quailpaw was already seeing eye-to-eye with her- his legs were long enough even if his age was not.

Fencerunner gathered her escort, which consisted of only Mapleshadow. She grabbed the she-ct before she could disappear back to camp.

"You ready?" she asked her, tearing her away from a rough-looking MoonClan warrior. Fencerunner grimaced at her image.

Meadowclaw moved away to talk to a different generic MoonClan cat.

When she was certain she’d rounded up all the EclipseClanners and the apprentices were, in fact, in the center of the group as ordered, Dieseltooth took up the rear of the patrol and followed her clanmates homeward. [EcC Camp]

Praying Mantis and Roulette made their way back to the camp, wondering what the purpose of the rather uneventful Gathering was. *EclipseClan Camp*

"I'll be sure to lollygag," Dieseltooth grumbled back, but jumped down from the lower branch of Hawk's Tree and started rounding up the other EclipseClanners.

"Apprentices, stay in the middle of the group!" She reminded them. "Anyone I see lagging behind or getting ahead isn't going to eat tomorrow!"

Fencerunner stifled a grumble but stayed in the tree as EarthClan left. She looked down to Dieseltooth, "Start getting ready to go, Diesel. Please make sure none of the apprentices lag behind," she said with a smile, turning to her two other comrades in the tree. She intended EclipseClan to be the last to leave so none of the other clans would see her leave for the moonstone.

She sighed, "I'm at my wits end with that tom." and it was true- she hoped to form some sort of loose allegiance between the three clans, based solely upon a foundation of mutual hatred of Risingstar. It seemed to be going well so far- Flintstar hated him for misogyny, Brinestar hated him for leaving behind the old traditions, and Fencerunner herself . . . worried about him, though after tonight was rather unfulfilled. She sighed- she hadn't seen Glasswind either. EarthClan had suffered, intentionally or not, at her unknowing paws.