JAWS OF LIFE &. GATHERING ANNOUNCEMENTS 2.15

[CICADASTAR]

it’s an oddly warm night. the stars are blazing overhead and the river king stares at them, the tender, raw skin around his mouth and eye pulsing with each ticking heartbeat. the frost had set too quickly into thin, membrany skin and it seems to get redder by the moment, crusting a deep blood red along the crackling edge of his rubberblack maw. a gentle wind tugs at curls astonishingly dry, for once — the river as it was now rendered untouchable by the frigid season. pallid luminaries flit down, flex against the stone pillar to watch as his warriors mill about the great oaks. his stomach aches, as he knows their do ; he once more thanks his clan for their thick coats, thankful to have regained a steadiness to his limbs, enough to have launched him upon the towering stone after riverclan’s grand entrance, silken pelts catching like flitting minnow under the full moon. beautiful and hardy ; they seem well enough off, as far from the truth as one could get.

he did not want to be here. for once, he finds himself averse to the eyes that lift occasionally towards him — wants to whip his head away, turn into the comfort of the shadows behind him, out of the star - studded spotlight cast upon him. he does not. instead, the river king stares down coldly, rotting maw set in a firm line, not so much as a twitch upon his expression to convey the urge that overcomes him to itch away at the scabbing tissue. cicadastar sits upon the furthest side, affected features positioned towards the darkness of the forest behind them, shoulders back and ears pivoted to a neat tilt. the bite was punishment — a divine retribution, byproduct of the blizzard that had risen their rivers and taken their home. he should have known better, not sullied his paws with windclan filth. he despises even the fact that she will sit here today, would taint his precious space with blasphemy.

he tips his head towards the sky again. it begins to rain, just barely enough to pitter light to the thawing ground. river king, ruler of the waters, the tightness in shoulders begin to deflate, curls slickening comfortably — he takes it as the welcome it is.

− ♱ information out of character ⟐ visual reference translated ♱ −

• ˖ ⁺ ｡ ˚ ⠀ CICADASTAR⠀⠀−−−−−−⠀⠀king of the rivers.
  m. he / him. black smoke & tortoiseshell chimera with intense salt - blue eyes. a handsome, looming tom bearing patchwork black - silver curls that fall over his slim figure in loose, shining rivulets, broken with white and glossy from his fish diet. descending from a heritage of overtyped oriental shorthairs, cicadastar stands unusually tall amongst his peers, and holds himself with a tragic grace, poised and prim and ever - aware of how he is being perceived.
  
  ᨒ gay, courting smokethroat. smells like wet stone & moss.
  ᨒ speaks with a german accent. 40 moons, ages on the eighth.
  
  penned by antlers​
  
  
• 
• none.

​

​

 

[PITCHSTAR]

it is a warm night, unlike previous moons. pitchstar is grateful for the clouds that obscure the stars; maybe they would obstruct starclan's vision, and shield his clan from their accursed eyes. the shadowclan leader weaves through the crowd before laboriously climbing the great rock, puffing once he finally rests all four paws atop the smooth stone. with the hunger that ravages his marshlands, his strength is ebbing away. he loathes the way it manifests as ribs protruding from his thinning fur and legs shaking with even the slightest activity.

pitchstar deliberately avoids cicadastar's gaze, sitting as far away from the riverclan filth as he can. it's for this reason—not that he would pity the smoke—that he misses the frostbite eating away at his lips and eyelid. he would likely believe that the bastard deserves it after those same lips uttered such abhorrent fabrications about shadowclan, alleging that pitchstar doesn't care about his own.

the rosette tabby scowls down at his paws as raindrops begin to patter on the great rock's surface, his matted tail tip twitching with irritation. pitchstar's only desire is for this night to end so he can go back to the prison he calls a den.​

 

[BLAZESTAR]

The night is strangely temperate, and there are clouds streaking the sky that open to let a light rain coat SkyClan as they enter behind the Ragdoll. He gives his pelt an irritated shake, wondering if it's a foul omen of some sort -- perhaps for taking it not one, not two, but three WindClanners freeing Sootstar's wrath this moon. He nods to his Clan, watching them stream into the Fourtrees clearing. He hopes they will keep their mouths shut about Coyotepaw, Daisypaw, and especially Dandelionwish -- if he finds out there's a talker in the Clan, they will be severely punished.

Trouble is on the wind tonight. Blazestar can feel it in his bones.

He ascends the Great Rock with ease, his wounds having healed and his step sprightly again. The flame point pointedly ignores Pitchstar, though he's a bit shocked at how absolutely haggard the young tomcat looks. His fur hangs from him in patchy disarray, his ribs exaggerated as they poke from his body like limbs from a leafless tree. Blazestar has to force himself not to stare. He knows all the Clans are struggling during the cold season, but ShadowClan looks atrocious.

Blazestar sits beside Cicadastar. It's strange to him still. He can't help but remember the distance between himself and every leader but Emberstar, and now there are two leaders he is on friendly, respectable terms with.

Emberstar. He wonders how she's fairing. He'd like to repair that relationship, too.

"Good evening, Cicadastar." Formal but friendly, the Kittypet King turns to his ally and has to stop himself from recoiling at the state of him. Upon inspection, Cicadastar's facial wounds are gruesome -- the eyelid, the skin peeling away at his lip. Had he been attacked again? He wants to ask, but he doesn't want to offend the other tom. "I hope RiverClan is well. I've seen the river swelling..." He shakes his head. "Must be a difficult situation to navigate."​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

​

 

[HOWLINGSTAR]

As rain begins to fall, the proud she-cat refuses to hunch her back to better keep warm. Her ears angle sideways, clearly displeased by the showers, but she keeps her face neutral as the other leaders converse. She'd leapt up upon the Great Rock when first arriving, and had busied herself with watching the chatter below, especially that of her clanmates. Sit with SkyClan, She'd told them. She doesn't fear Blazestar, but she does feel nervous about the other clans...especially after tonight. Nonetheless, despite her desire to keep the peace, she will not allow ThunderClan to be walked on and kicked. She will show they are strong and are indeed a force to be reckoned with, just like their namesake.

Stepping from the shadows, she joins the other leaders at the edge of the boulder and eases herself on the other side of Blazestar. She has no interest in sitting near Pitchstar or Cicadastar tonight. "Shall we begin?" She offers, ears flicking idly. She doesn't mean to interrupt conversation, but she has no desire for the night to stretch later than needed. There was plenty of time for conversation before, after all. Gazing out across the clans, she listens as chatter begins to die down and cats settle into their seats. Some murmurs of confusion reach her ears and she can't blame those who are puzzled; they expected to see Emberstar up here, not the much older brown tabby.​

 

[Flycatcher]

Howlingstar is not the only cat to sit in a new place tonight. This is not Flycatcher's first tethering, but it is his first as deputy, something which he seemed to have forgotten when it came to seating arrangements. He had followed his clan dutifully into the clearing, abiding by Howlingstar's instructions to mingle with SkyClan, only for a clanmate to politely remind him he should have been sitting with the deputies now. Deputy...the new title has yet to sink in. Despite his shock and wandering mind, he keeps his face neutral and calm, trying his best to fit in among the more familiar deputies of the other clans. Curling a tail around his paws, the blue tabby tom awaits the announcements of the leaders like the rest of the assembled cats in the clearing.​

 

[VULTUREMASK]

He didn't wish to be here....much rather he would have stayed inside of the medicine cat den and pretend the world outside didn't even exist. The horrible truth he had discovered and how he had been forced to let starclan decide his mentors and friend fate. His only comfort was that Dandelionwish had made it out to finally become free while him was forever caged. At this present of time he wasn't even sure how to feel especially about his feelings for Sootstar. Yet even so he was here ready to serve with a mask to hide his emotions behind. Slow in his steps maybe, the medicine cat attended the meeting his gaze avoiding to look at anyone and just to please Sootstar he would find himself to Starlingheart to silently seat down beside her. Only to her would he briefly lift up his gaze to give a nod of a greeting to the other medicine cat before he returned back to stare down at his paws. Defeated yes, but on the surface he was keeping the facade up to look as cold as stone. Untouchable. Unbreakable. Hopefully this meeting would be over quickly so he could return home to his den. That was all he wanted to do.


​

 

[SUNSTAR]

It seems they would have plenty of those bound to new positions for the night. His own was not a permanent one, though as the burnished tabby sets himself beneath the leaders' place, alongside the others who follow those at the top, he cannot help but wish that it would be. All at once, the troublesome gathering was worth this moment. His eyes seek out Wolfsong's in the crowd, searching perhaps for a familiar face, for comfort or some sign of pride. Then his eyes turn to Badgermoon. The announcements must begin soon, now that they have gathered atop the rock. And the sooner begun, the sooner done. Like many of the others here, he wishes to return home. Not to a dark den, but to the comfort of the moorland hollow, and his clanmates' rumbling pelts as they slumber.

He had not expected it to be home. But it seems that he learns quickly in this.

﹥ˏˋ〘  OOC NOTES INFORMATION 〙ˊˎ﹤

• ooc: —
• SUNSTRIDE. named for his coloration and his bold chasing of fate.
  —— cis male, uses he - him. thirty-four moons old. warrior of windclan and former rogue.
  —— cautious of clan life, but an apt learner. encourages close bonds between clanmates.
  —— loyalty uncertain, cares for those surrounding him. undoubtedly closest to wolfsong.
  
  sunstride is broad and bold– a creature standing above most of windclan, though not a beast beyond its borders, with fur that flames red at its base and deepens to a burnt amber with every whorl and stripe. his eyes, in comparison, are a pale summer's blue, still as bold as the rest of him.
• "speech"

​

 

[Badgermoon]

In many ways, this felt like a test. Perhaps not for the first time - he had been tested before, hadn't he? When first he had been chosen as deputy, when Sootstar had instructed him to lead the raid on SkyClan, when she had gotten him to vow that he would never betray her and scarred his chest as a permanent reminder of that vow? He wasn't sure, though he bore that scar with pride. He bore his role with pride. He was acutely aware that in the opinion of the other Clans, he was likely no better than a mindless follower, Sootstar's preeminent henchman. And what of it? Perhaps that wasn't such a bad thing - it spoke to his loyalty, didn't it? Besides - the queen of the moorland was deeply misunderstood, in his opinion. Her actions were sanctioned by StarClan, weren't they? They had blessed her with nine lives, they had sent her a vision to warn her of Dandelionwish's treachery, and they had just indicated their acceptance of their new medicine cat. Certainly, she had made some difficult choices, and perhaps he would have made different ones were it up to him - but Badgermoon could not find it in himself to truly oppose her, even if the idea was not reprehensible. She was a good leader. She had chosen him to be her second-in-command, to be her foremost supporter. He would be damned if he wasn't going to do his utmost to fulfill that expectation.

Thus, the test: on this unusually warm evening, stand in for his dark-furred queen. Speak the words she had fed to him; exude strength, joy, and gratitude, for WindClan had the favor of StarClan. StarClan, help me do this right. prayed the black-and-white tom with a tiny, grim smile, one which disappeared as he entered the Gathering with his Clanmates. With as much solemnity and dignity as he could muster, he parted from them and made his way toward the Great Rock; Badgermoon was the final "leader" to join the group of cats atop that hallowed landmark, and he felt a small chill run down his spine at the prospect of the other Clans believing he and Sunstride were now leader and deputy of WindClan. A shiver of fear and nothing else, he assured himself; he wasn't ambitious, surely not. Or, even if he was, he could not be, for to wish for advancement in his current role would be to wish something dangerous to befall Sootstar. And to wish anything but long life and prosperity unto Sootstar was punishable by death - quite literally. He had made a vow for that to be so. Regardless, he was happy to have Sunstride here with him; the handsome mottled tom was a friend and a loyal Clanmate, and Badgermoon offered him a little smile before seating himself next to Pitchstar.

Dark rosettes and jutting bones, the reek of the swamp; the ShadowClan leader was unmistakable, even if they had never exchanged words directly. He looked quite the worse for wear, and he had a moment of uncertainty - should he be blithe and not acknowledge the clear signs of hardship? Or should he risk making Pitchstar feel defensive and ashamed but address the obvious? In the end, he tried to choose a middle road, and dipped his head in respect to the lord of the marsh. "Pitchstar," murmured Badgermoon. "Leaf-bare is a harsh season. I am grateful to know that WindClan and ShadowClan may endure it together." he would wait for any response before clearing his throat and stepping forward. The bicolor tom's yellow eyes were round as the moon for which he was named as he swept them over the assembled Clan cats, and felt a jolt in his gut as he began to speak: no room for hesitation. No margin for error. He was here to do his duty, and nothing else. As raindrops pattered down, Badgermoon loosed his voice, feeling Sootstar's emerald gaze bore into him despite the fact that she remained in the hollow of their camp.

"Good evening. I am here in Sootstar's stead, for StarClan has blessed her and our Clan with five strong, healthy kittens." a genuine smile unfurled over his face as he spoke these words, the slightest edge of a purr in his voice. "Moorkit, Adderkit, Harrierkit, Bluekit, and Cottonkit are thriving despite the season. We are also happy to welcome Burnetkit, born to Swiftshrike. WindClan is thankful for this new life." one white-tipped ear flicked as he paused to remember all of the things she had instructed him to say, and the way she had instructed him to say them. "StarClan has welcomed our new medicine cat, Vulturemask: hand-picked by Sootstar and, now, welcomed by our ancestors." he used one speckled paw to gesture to the tom, now seated near his colleague from ShadowClan. "Similarly, with Vulturemask's skill and our good fortune, we have recovered from illness other than the occasional leaf-bare sniffle. WindClan is healthy and fully recovered." this was a good thing, of course, though announcing that they were better did mean conceding that they had been unwell to begin with.

Sootstar had specified not to mention the most recent expulsion of traitors; why sully a perfectly good series of announcements with the mention of rot excision? It was done with, now; better to highlight the good in their Clan, which was abundant, in his opinion. "WindClan also welcomes new warriors and apprentices; Elkpaw and Lemonpaw have joined our ranks as full warriors, known as Elkskull and Lemontongue. And we are especially pleased to welcome Sootstar's previous litter as warriors also; Sootpaw and Windpaw, now Sootchaser and Windstrider." Badgermoon's whiskers twitched contentedly as he thought of the newcomers to warriorhood. "Additionally, WindClan welcomes two new apprentices: Larkpaw and Sparkpaw." they rhymed, he realized; how funny. "And speaking of our apprentices...Nettlepaw has recovered from the attack he suffered at the hands of a rogue. WindClan would once ask for justice, that this rogue be brought to us so that the survivor of their attack may determine their fate." his brow furrowed at this announcement; it unnerved him to think of someone preying upon their apprentices. At least Nettlepaw was well again.

There was just one last thing, perhaps the most mysterious and important of all: the prophecy. Badgermoon had been told not to reveal that Vulturemask had received a prophecy, but instead to vaguely mention that good fortune seemed to be in WindClan's future. Indeed, perhaps the warm weather tonight was another indicator! He cleared his throat and offered a broad smile. "Lastly, StarClan has indicated that good tidings are coming to WindClan, sweeping in as surely as new-leaf comes to us all. We are grateful to be strong and healthy beneath the stars, as our ancestors bless us." the deputy gave a tiny nod to punctuate this final announcement before stepping back and resting lightly on his haunches, heart thrumming against his ribs. Did I do it right? And if this indeed was a test ... had he passed? In silence, Badgermoon waited for the other Clans to begin giving their announcements, trying to shove his whirling thoughts aside.​

 

[Orangestar]

Orangeblossom shoots Badgermoon a filthy look as he ascends to sit beside the leaders, ignoring Sunstride entirely from her place beside Buckgait (mirroring, she notices, the positions of their leaders above their heads)- only to announce that Sootstar isn't dead and is just taking care of her kittens. Damn. The ginger-and-white molly makes a mental note never to use those same names. She does, however, turn a quizzical eye to Flycatcher as he joins them, head held high but paws unsteady as if filling pawprints too large to be his own. Weird. It's not like Emberstar would be in the same position as Sootstar, right? She hadn't mentioned or shown that she was expecting kittens at the last Gathering ... maybe she was unwell. She'd hate to hear that anything had happened to their neighbour.​

✦ ooc ✦ info

• // ic opinions ofc
• 
  ✦ orangeblossom, deputy of skyclan
  — mentor to eveningpaw
  ✦ 26 moons, she/her
  ✦ fluffy white and ginger cat with brown eyes. torn ear, scarred muzzle, scarred right legs. walks with a limp.
  ✦ bi, single. @ on discord for plots.
  ✦ "speech" — thoughts

​

 

[BERRYHEART]

Fluffy, Lilts, Big Mama and Spikes all congregated atop the stone, as expected- though a certain she-cat with acidic eyes was nowhere to be seen. For a moment he allowed his mind to wander to all the possibilities- most of them ending up in the same place. Had she walked to the stars with Emberstar? It would be morbid to think so- last he had heard, Needles had been carrying kits. Perhaps that was the reason- death by life, or simply caring for new kin. The latter was more likely.

As the new face spoke, his sunshine eyes roving the crowd, Berryheart realised that the WindClan deputy was speaking in his leader's stead, rattling of the news of the past moon with a fair amount of fervour. He took after Needles, in that regard... not that the other leaders did not seem proud, but Needles always seemed over-eager to speak boldly of how WindClan bloomed brighter and fuller than the rest. As Sun-eyes' speech began to wind down, Berryheart let a yawn overtake him, splitting his broken jaw.

"Always strong and prospering..." he murmured boredly, words mumbled to no-one in particular. Either WindClan life was monotonous in its happiness, or there were moons when they did not let on their pain. ​

PENNED BY PIN ☾​

 

[HOWLINGSTAR]

Howlingstar's attention shifts to Badgermoon, notably surprised to see him there. He quickly explains it is because Sootstar has given birth, and the tabby pricks her ears curiously. "Congratulations to WindClan and to the new mothers," She murmurs, dipping her head. She does not claim to be a friend of the extremist heathens of the moors, but motherhood is a gift, and it's hard to completely become cold towards a she-cat she'd watched grow up. She wouldn't wish harm on any litter of kits, even those born to a monster.

When the WindClan deputy finishes, Howlingstar takes the lead. She can hear the whispering and wants to silence it as quickly as possible before rumors begin flying about. "I know it's confusing to see me up here as well. ThunderClan comes bearing solemn news this moon. We came across dogs in the oak forest, and tried our best to avoid them, hoping they would just pass through. Unfortunately, they brought an insurmountable loss upon us. Emberstar gave all of her remaining lives to defend an apprentice, who today is alive and healthy because of our leader's sacrifice. I have been to the Moonstone, I have gained my nine lives and the title Howlingstar. I have chosen a deputy - Flycatcher - and a new lead warrior - Sunfreckle. We have also lost a warrior to blackcough this moon - Blackmoon, may StarClan light his path. We have also been blessed with moments of joy, such as the birth of two healthy kits to our clan's new deputy, and our lead warrior, Flamewhisker - Falconkit and Stormkit." She opts to leave out the fact that two others did not make it. She won't have the clan's future warriors be thought of as disadvantaged, nor will she tolerate anyone thinking their mother is weak.

She is not finished, though. She intends to make one thing very clear tonight: ThunderClan is not a clan to push around. She takes another step closer to the edge of the Great Rock and lifts her tail high, shoulders pushing back so she can stand tall. "Earlier this moon, we came across a ShadowClan patrol hunting in our territory. We drove them off, but since then we have continued to find their fresh scent on our territory. ThunderClan is struggling enough with prey as it is; part of our forest is still recovering from the fire, the dogs scared away anything around them, leaf-bare has been cruel to all of us, and now ShadowClan is stealing our prey. Let me be perfectly clear; if ShadowClan is found on our territory, stealing our prey again, we will not hesitate to fight back with the strength and persistence of LionClan themselves. This is your final warning," She states, casting a purposeful look to Pitchstar, a cool anger seen in pale green eyes and a tightened jaw. The ThunderClanners look thin, with dingy coats and hollowed faces. Though blessed with powerful builds, one cannot deny the toll that hunger has taken on them.

"Speaking of the prey problem we are facing," Howlingstar continues, now shifting her sharpened gaze to Cicadastar. "The dogs that settled on Sunningrocks, RiverClan's territory, scared away every mouse, squirrel, and vole within earshot of the riverbank. When we asked you for help to rid your land of them, you said no - you had your own troubles to deal with, yes? That's alright, you'll be happy to know ThunderClan did it for you. Our warriors and apprentices alike fought valiantly to ensure they would not return and harm anyone again." She lifts her chin, casting a glance over the crowd to gauge their reaction, but her expression remains neutral, stony. Anyone who knows her well would know, however, that "Many warriors were injured, as it was no small feat, but we managed. In return for ridding your Sunningrocks of the beasts, I would like to peacefully ask for hunting rights to them. You said yourself you cannot even use them in the cold; ThunderClan will. Mice are rich in the cracks and I think it would be a fair exchange made in good graces. What do you say, Cicadastar?"​

 

[BLAZESTAR]

Blazestar's eyes widen as the empty space beside him is filled not with a small, chirpy flame point she-cat, but with a proud tabby. The mother of his mate, grandmother to his kits, deputy of ThunderClan, wastes no time with chit-chatting, and Blazestar does not miss the pointed way she ignores Pitchstar and Cicadastar.

"Hello, Howling Wind," he murmurs awkwardly. "Of course. I hope Emberstar is well?" He notices in her spot, a lead warrior sits, only foxlengths from where Sootstar's lead warrior stands sentry. What is going on?

The cat who is standing in for Sootstar tonight -- her deputy, the audacious black and white tom who'd marched to their border and demanded herbs from them -- begins to speak. He does not seem nervous at all, and his voice is strong, filling the clearing and silencing the last idle discussion among the Clans.

Sootstar has five kits, and Blazestar's gaze darkens. The same number I had once, he thinks. StarClan had blessed that monster with a gift she did not deserve. Raised in a Clan who exacts violence on those closest to them, who exiles and throws cats away without any respect for the sacrifices they'd made for WindClan...

Blazestar notices that Badgermoon names Vulturemask as the new medicine cat, but carefully avoids mentioning Dandelionwish's disappearance, or Coyotepaw's or Daisypaw's. He's glad; he has no wish to lay all that out. Those cats are in his territory now, in his camp, resting and praying under the full moon they can cleanse themselves of Sootstar's ire.

The flame point says nothing about Badgermoon's news, though Howling Wind does congratulate WindClan on their new kits. He only waits for the ThunderClan deputy to tell them all where Emberstar is.

"Emberstar gave all of her remaining lives to defend an apprentice, who today is alive and healthy because of our leader's sacrifice." What? He hadn't heard her right, had he?

Blazestar looks incredulously at Howling Wind -- no, she goes on to clarify, Howlingstar -- and the cat who sits beside Orangeblossom, Buckgait and Chilledgaze is not a fellow lead warrior but her new deputy.

Emberstar is gone.

"No," he whispers dully. "StarClan... all of her lives?" He remembers the brilliant fire of her pelt as she'd ascended the Great Rock beside him, claiming the oak forest for ThunderClan. He remembers her kindness, her love of helping outsiders despite the toll it might take on her Clan. He remembers the look on her face as she had come to his den to offer her condolences.

The cat he'd known since coming to the forest is gone. With StarClan. With Morningpaw and Rain and Haku and Haze and all of the cats he'd once known who walk the starry skies now.

He bows his head. "I'm sorry to hear about Emberstar. She was a great leader, and a good friend." It registers further that the dogs that had taken their leader's lives had also infiltrated their territory further. He jerks his head up, fear glowing in blue eyes. "Were-- were any others killed?" Surely Howlingstar would have told him if Little Wolf or Moonpaw or Burnpaw had been, but irrationality seizes him briefly before he forces the fur to relax. She wold have said so -- she would have honored them. He hadn't seen any of his ThunderClan kin at the Gathering tonight, but perhaps it was merely to rest from the fight.

Howlingstar's last two pieces of business are with Pitchstar and Cicadastar, which surprises him. He looks at the skinny rosette tabby tom who hulks near Badgermoon. Blazestar cannot keep the contempt from his voice as he mutters, "Just like ShadowClan to steal from those already suffering. No better than your allies, I see." He shakes his fur out to hide the bristles that threaten to spike up.

But when Howlingstar begins to talk about Sunningrocks, Blazestar cannot help but look at her with surprise. "Hunting rights on RiverClan's territory?" He echoes. He gives an uneasy look to the monochromatic leader who is now his ally. He does not know the full story, but he will wait to comment until he hears from Cicadastar.​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

​

 

[Starlingheart]

Starlingheart loves her brother, truly she does. That’s why it’s so hard to see him struggle onto the great rock, to see his diminished form standing along the other leaders. Leaf-bare has hit them hard but not nearly as hard as it’s hit them, as hard as it’s hit him. She wishes she had something to heal him but it’s a simple fact that there wasn’t a herb in the world that could help her brother right now. She could give him watermint to help the stomach pains subside but she couldn’t fill his empty belly or give him back the lives he had lost from the rats.

When Vulturemask comes to sit next to her she does not say anything, only smiles slightly and nods her head before turning her emerald gaze back upon the leaders. They were starting.

She blinks in surprise, the news about the clans shocking her but she does not say anything. The drama between these clans were not her concern. She could not bring herself to care when ShadowClan had problems of their own.

​

 

[CHILLEDSTAR.]

DON'T YOU GIVE ME UP, PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP​

---

this was cheap talk for the thunderclanners. they had plenty of prey, and shadowclan was fucking starving. tch. chilledgaze felt themself roll their eyes, biting their tongue just this once. if i end up saying anything... starclan would be severely upset. keep the peace, just this once. only this once. howling had been fucking lucky they were supposed to be peaceful here. they gave a glance towards pitchstar. they didn't even want to both stopping whatever hatred spewed from him. they fucking deserved it. fuck thunderclan, and fuck starclan for making them so desperate in the first place.

//IC OPINIONS!! of course yall know i love thunderclanners kisses yall
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[PITCHSTAR]

[ putting a very important OOC note that most of what pitchstar believes/says in this post isn't true and his opinions are strictly IC! ]

it doesn't surprise him that howling wind's representing thunderclan tonight; smogmaw had told him that emberstar was little more than a memory after the dogs got ahold of her, and it seems that his warrior's words ring true as the stocky she-cat pulls herself up onto the great rock. little more than a glare is spared in howling wind's direction. it's strange to think he'd once looked up to howling wind, moons ago when he was little more than a scrap of fur tussling with his littermates in the safety of the nursery. he'd looked at her with awe, then, thinking to himself; i want to be like her when i grow up!

now, whenever he looks at her, he sees nothing but a traitor. someone who abandoned the marsh for an easier life. cicadastar, howling wind, bonejaw... they're all the same deep down. lying, backstabbing bastards.

what does surprise him is windclan's deputy taking sootstar's place. badgermoon, if pitchstar recalls the black-and-white tom's name correctly... has something happened to sootstar, then? would they have told shadowclan if she lost her last life? pitchstar doubts it. no one seems to be fond of sharing the truth nowadays.

badgermoon seats himself beside the hulking rosette tabby, and pitchstar allows the brief silence to pass between them before the deputy breaks it.

leaf-bare is a harsh season. i am grateful to know that windclan and shadowclan may endure it together.

he turns the words over in his brain, his eyes narrowing... trying to find anything malicious; contempt, condescension, a lie embedded within faux friendliness. they're laughing at us, his mind supplies. we're nothing but skin and bones, while they get fat off of rabbits. he'd seen the hare sootstar brought in exchange for pine needles. windclan doesn't know half of the struggles shadowclan endures as badgermoon implies. none of them do. we're on our own, pitchstar convinces himself.

he doesn't see the other clans' suffering through his tunnel vision, he could only focus on the protruding ribs of his own.

in the end, pitchstar responds to the deputy with a snort. "right," he says, unable to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

the gathering commences with badgermoon stepping forward. he explains sootstar's absence, telling of her successful delivery and the birth of five healthy kittens. howling wind offers her congratulations, but pitchstar remains silent. staring ahead, unmoving aside from the twitching of his tail tip, he lets badgermoon's voice fall away into a dull buzz. he couldn't bring himself to care enough to listen after learning the truth of sootstar's absence; it isn't like the rest matters to him, anyway.

howling wind steps forward next. pitchstar tunes back into the announcements then, ears flicking forward. what she says regarding emberstar is just what pitchstar expects; a meaningless spiel about how honorable she was. honorable, yet she disregarded the code that she made and pursued pitchstar's lead warrior. she turned flickerfire against shadowclan. she convinced flickerfire to become a thunderclan spy. it's then that the flicking of his tail tip turns into full-blown lashing, claws clicking against the stone. the rosette tabby didn't stop the bitter laugh from escaping his curled lips as blazestar commended emberstar on being a wonderful leader. what a fuckin' riot.

the brown tabby turns to him next. he meets her eyes, her cool anger a foil to his blazing fury. she lays him bare, tells everyone that he has been sending patrols to hunt in thunderclan's territory. but like most things in his life the past moon, pitchstar couldn't force himself to be bothered. he stopped worrying about his reputation long ago; everyone would always see shadowclan as the villain, so why should he try to appeal to them? it's a fruitless endeavor.

blazestar confirms his beliefs when he mutters that it was just like shadowclan to steal from the suffering. pitchstar's hackles rise, bristling down his arched spine as he rises to his paws. are we not suffering, too? "what other choice did i have? there isn't enough in our territory, and the rats of carrionplace have proven to be ruthless and a threat." you could've asked windclan for help, a voice whispers, but he pushes the thought to the back of his mind. desperate he may be, but pitchstar couldn't fathom crawling to sootstar and groveling at her paws. she would've denied us, anyway. who would share their prey in the dead of leaf-bare?

"don't act as if thunderclan's morally superior, howlingstar," he spits her new suffix with his ears pinned flat to his head. "the leader you praised so heavily- she was mates with a shadowclanner. in fact, her mate was recruited to be a spy for thunderclan! one of my own lead warriors, a member of my council, was revealed to be spillin' our secrets to her lover across the thunderpath!" the accusations force their way from his gnashing teeth before he could even think properly about what he's saying; repeating what smogmaw had told him, had told everyone. even if it was true, should he have revealed it to so many? he's already told of shadowclan's crumbling loyalty in the past with bonejaw's betrayal; would retribution be enough to pay for the weaknesses in shadowclan he's shown to his enemies, fabricated or not?

"emberstar was no honorable leader. she betrayed her own damn code to pursue flickerfire. how hypocritical is that, to break the law you made?!" he's tired of shadowclan being persecuted for trying to survive while the other clans get paraded as heroes no matter what they do. "but flickerfire got what she deserved, in the end. torn apart by the very same dogs who took her precious mate's lives."

howlingstar sends a final warning to shadowclan; back off, or they will use force. pitchstar sneers in her direction, but says nothing. shadowclan is desperate, but they're also small in numbers and weakened by hunger. could they really survive a war with thunderclan at this point in time?

as quickly as the attention had settled on shadowclan, it shifts to riverclan. and as much as he's fuming at the moment, pitchstar perks with interest at the tension growing between the two leaders. how interesting. before he makes his own announcements, he wants to watch this unfurl.​

 

[CICADASTAR]

news continues. badgermoon is present in lieu of sootstar and he finds momentary solace in it, even glances towards blazestar with a quirk of his brow. his hopes are dashed when, instead, he announces her spawn. it takes all he has not to make a face, instead merely flicking an ear. children, he thinks. born of windclan blood, of her blood — more moorland parasites. harmless now, they would grow quickly, before cicadastar’s time was done he would see them reach warriorhood, life after life. five more windclanners to extinguish in time. howling wind offers her congratulations and he says nothing, merely tips his head up, away from the bicolored deputy. easy to read as a dismissal, a lack of caring. his whiskers twitch, mulling his thoughts as howling wind steps forward and announces.. emberstar. the ball of agitation in his chest unravels to dismay, the hulking flame point at his side inquiring to more deaths and he merely stares, gazes out into the crowd. the aging mollys voice fades into the background as he thinks, until.. she addressed him. turns, looks him in the face, and speaks. accuses. asks. and at first, the chimera laughs — a wry chuckle, ears perking forward and just barely managing to suppress the wince as it pulls on his maw.

it soon dawns on him that she is not kidding.

“ .. you’re serious? “ it’s almost incredulous, bewildered amusement shaking on the edge of his oddly sloping vocals. it’s a ticking thing, the way realization settles heavy on his features. he sits straighter, grits his teeth to prevent his tongue from lashing without a thought. you had your own troubles to deal with, yes? oh, they had. they were growing strong after their stint in the copse, and that line enough whirlpools in his mind. yes, they certainly had — and he would play it to his advantage. it was his turn, and the man lifts, sways his tail to the side of him as he does. a flourish, a subtle call for rapt attention, tipping his face towards the moonlight to reveal the mangled rot of his maw. frostbite. it pulls with each word he speaks, red and torn, “ as i’ve told you at the border, led by warriors you had intended to inform me of your expectations, riverclan has faced many hardships in the last moon.”

he turns his gaze towards the crowd, voice loud over the sea of faces, “ for us, the waters have been a source of many things — provides us food, protection. but just as it gives, it takes away, and leafbare is the season of taking. our camp was flooded in the wake of the blizzard, freshkill pile wiped, apprentices den collapsed. left stranded, freezing, forced to evacuate with two litters in tow. it’s during this time howling wind comes simpering to our border, asking one of my patrols to cross the freezing river and drive dogs away from the rocks. of course, i could spare no warriors — sickness in wake of the flood has been rampant and our focus has been on rebuilding what was lost. they informed her that we were unable. “

a bark of laughter, if only to keep himself calm, “ and yet you stand here today accusing shadowclan of stealing, and ask aloud to do the same to us. “ he spares pitchstar a glance, only briefly. they were thieves, he would not argue — but his point remained, sharp tone throwing her words back into her face, “ each mouse, squirrel and vole to be found at the sunningrocks does, and always has belonged to riverclan. “ of course he hadn’t sent his warriors to the rocks, biting cold as they were, they were unusable. merely patrol, scent marking — but it was his word against hers, and he was no stranger to a straight face, “ and those mutts certainly hadn’t come from sunningrocks, not daring cross the frozen waters to us. those dogs had come from thunderclan territory, and with this, i could have reason to believe they were even lured to my rocks. i could spare no cats to fight a threat the river had rightfully protected us from. “

he turns to face the crowd, “ howlingstar stands here today asking to take prey from the mouths of numerous apprentices, warriors, elders and queens who have suffered the weight of homelessness in the wake of a flooded camp due to predators born of her land. “ he flicks his gaze back, “ need i remind you all, riverclan harbored thunderclan in the wake of the fire that ravaged their home. and now, evacuated from ours, they demand a piece of our territory and the abundance of freshkill that comes with it now that newleaf is upon us. “ and now.. “ despite it all, riverclan still welcomes many to apprenticeship this moon. skunkpaw, silentpaw and sablepaw, born to boneripple and wolverinefang. as well as willowroot and poppysplash’s litter — antlerpaw, poolpaw, and hazepaw, as well as fawnpaw, oddpaw, dovepaw and catfishpaw. our apprentices den is stronger now, sturdy, full of eager future warriors to feed. each one hungry, rations short as the waters made crowfood of it all. all kits at the time, forced from the nursery in disaster. “ his teeth grit, looking back towards howlingstar with eyes like ice chips, hard and cold, “ we could afford no warriors to fight thunderclan’s battles yet again, as much as you begged my warriors and i. it’s for this reason that i’ve decided riverclan will no longer assist thunderclan in any regard, as they seem to have gotten the idea that we will do everything for them. “

again, he turns away, takes a breath, “ regardless, i want to also take the time to welcome two of our newest lead warriors — snakeblink and cindershade — to my council. outstanding, brilliant warriors, brave in the face of our wreckage. “ they would be sitting up front, and he hoped the thunderclan leader recognized the two of them, one for her sharp tongue and the other for his intimidation and evident skill, both aside smokethroat and willowroot, and former already known for the words he’d thrown. he’d expected an apology back then — he does not now, “ we are recovering well, growing strong, our numbers still high.. and so peacefully, i refuse. in fact, i will be sure to lead a patrol of only our best to mark our rocks myself, now that thunderclan’s dog issue has been taken care of. “ a brief quirk of a smile, lacking any warmth. a promise.

− ♱ information out of character ⟐ visual reference translated ♱ −

• ˖ ⁺ ｡ ˚ ⠀ CICADASTAR⠀⠀−−−c−−−⠀⠀king of the rivers.
  m. he / him. black smoke & tortoiseshell chimera with intense salt - blue eyes. a handsome, looming tom bearing patchwork black - silver curls that fall over his slim figure in loose, shining rivulets, broken with white and glossy from his fish diet. descending from a heritage of overtyped oriental shorthairs, cicadastar stands unusually tall amongst his peers, and holds himself with a tragic grace, poised and prim and ever - aware of how he is being perceived.
  
  ᨒ gay, courting smokethroat. smells like wet stone & moss.
  ᨒ speaks with a german accent. 40 moons, ages on the eighth.
  
  penned by antlers​
  
  
• 
• none.

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[HOWLINGSTAR]

Howlingstar remains standing tall, expression stony. She shifts her gaze to Blazestar when he asks if any others were killed and she gives her head a small shake, sympathy swarming green eyes. He's worried about Little Wolf, Burnpaw, and Moonpaw. They are fine. There were close calls. Many of them. But because we acted fast, ThunderClan was able to drive the dogs off without losing anymore cats."

Cicadastar's laugh jolts her eyes back to him. Her tail lashes once behind her, clearly annoyed at the blatant lack of disrespect being shown to her. Had every RiverClanner become so ill-mannered? Or is it only the cats this tom invites onto his council match his own impoliteness. To think she once thought highly of him! Brow furrowing slightly, she fixes him with a stare as he speaks. Her tail lashes again. And when he implies the dogs were lured to RiverClan's territory, her teeth bare slightly. "How dare you suggest that in Emberstar's sacrifice, she purposely drove the dogs to Sunningrocks? ThunderClan has never wanted trouble with any clan; we have remained peaceful with you through the seasons and have never wanted harm to come to you."

He continues to speak but she will not back down. Rage burns into her facial features as he spits and attempts to stir the crowd. Briefly, she glances down, reading the faces of her clanmates. Are they as shocked as she is by his response? "So let me get something straight, Cicadastar," She mews tersely, turning once more to face him. Even if she must tilt her chin up to look at him, the senior woman doesn't waver. "We must face the risk of dangers that lurk at Sunningrocks because they are on our side of the river, but only you will reap the rewards. Is that right?" She's beginning to doubt that the rocks should have ever belonged to RiverClan in the first place with this reasoning. Her eyes are certainly being opened to the flaws in the boundary lines.

// IC OPINIONS OBVIOUSLY but still feel the need to say it​

 

[BLAZESTAR]

Blazestar's empathy and sorrow over Emberstar's death begins to drain from his expression as Pitchstar launches into a strange, stilted speech. He wonders, at first, if he's simply trying to rile the other cats by making insane, blatant accusations. "Emberstar wouldn't," he murmurs, but there's no conviction in his voice. The shock draws his features down like a rubber mask.

"Emberstar was no honorable leader. She betrayed her own damn code to pursue Flickerfire. How hypocritical is that, to break the law you made?" The ThunderClan leader had been mate to a ShadowClan cat? "How do you know this?" He rasps, his temper rising. "What did ThunderClan know of this?"

He turns accusing blue eyes on Howlingstar, but he cannot read her expression. Is she as shocked as he is to hear that Emberstar had broken the warrior code she herself had proposed? "I lost everything. My daughter died. I can't even see my mate or two of my kits anymore." The anger in his voice bites, acidic. "She came to me, wanting to prevent Morningpaw's death from happening to anyone else, and then she--"

Blazestar's tail begins to whip the surface of the Great Rock. "Well, SkyClan hasn't forgotten the warrior code!" Howlingstar and Cicadastar choose to accost one another over some bit of territory that divides their Clans, but he can't listen to it. He barely hears what anyone else says.

"I've listened to enough of this," he says, breaking his way through the two bickering leaders. "SkyClan, with me. We're done here."

Blazestar leaps from the Great Rock and signals with his tail for the cats to return home.

// out! he's gonna combine march and february news at the next gathering <3​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

​

 

[Badgerstrike]

Had she heard correctly? Emberstar had a Shadowclan mate? Badgerstrike scrunched her nose. She thought Emberstar had better taste than that- No. That wasn't the problem here. She was the one who laid down the code.... The very one she broke..... She wasn't sure how she felt. Her head was tilted with a thoughtful, skeptical look as she thought on what she had just heard.

Was it true? Was the Shadowclan leader speaking the truth, or was he spouting lies to rile them up? She couldn't tell.

Her fur began to bristle. If it was true....

Blazestar was right to be furious. She remembered the day his daughter died, it shook both clans to their cores. She hadn't been at the skirmish, having been elsewhere on the territory, but the news hit her as hard as everyone else. It was terrible, to lose someone so sweet so soon....

And Emberstar..... She was the one who made the code. No cross clan lovers, put your clan first.

And she.... So readily broke it?

Black claws dug into the ground below her and fur began to bristle. She was angry.

How could she? Did she think herself above her own rule?

How.....Irresponsible of her. She felt a wave of disappointment hit her. So many cats looked up to her..... None of them would take this easily. If it were true, anyways. If it were a lie, she'd rip Pitchstar apart where he stood, stars be damned.
​

 

[HOWLINGSTAR]

// SORRY timing is a little wonky I was trying to make it flow easier, so I'm writing as if this is her now responding to Pitch

Howlingstar's ears twitch as Pitchstar's words reach them and they hardly register at first. She is so angry with Cicadastar that she doesn't quite process what he's saying, can only look at him with wide eyes.

"What?"

She finally utters, bewildered. Emberstar with a ShadowClan mate? That's impossible. Emberstar saw the harm in having love across a border, saw that only pain could come from it. She saw it so clearly she wrote the Warrior Code into existence with her tongue. "You're lying," She hisses, fur bristling. "How can you claim such preposterous things? Everyone knows Emberstar wouldn't have done that!" It's painfully obvious that she knew nothing of this,but doubt begins to swim in ferny eyes. It would explain the unexplained solo hunts she took so often...but why? Why, Emberstar?

Confusion still warping her features, she looks to Blazestar as he speaks. "We knew nothing!" She exclaims loudly for all to hear. She would not let the other clans believe them to be code-breakers. "ThunderClan follows the Warrior Code! After Morningpaw, you know we would take anything like this seriously!" She levels the SkyClan leader with a wide-eyed stare. He of all cats should know she would not take something like this lightly if she'd known about it. She's his children's grandmother; Morningpaw's loss hurt her, too.

As Blazestar calls for his cats to leave, Howlingstar is only able to stare at her clanmates down below, reading their expressions. Did any of them know? By the looks of it, none of them did. Her desperate gaze finds the stars above them, jaw slack with defeat. Is it true, Emberstar? ​