While he hadn't yet been chosen to attend a gathering, Luckypaw had still gone to bed late that night, and now he sits rather blearily among the crowd waiting for the meeting to commence. He hadn't gone, no, but Scorchpaw had, alongside Badgermoon, which twitches his expression into a soft frown. She had gotten to go see what it was like amongst so many other Clans, while he had waited anxiously for her return. Had she even thought about him, back at camp, or had she been too dazzled by all the new experiences? Did she wish he were there alongside her, or was it more fun without him there to hold her back? Stifling a yawn, he tries to stifle down those thoughts, too, at least until the meeting is over - it's too early to get all worked up over something like this, anyways, and from what little talk he's heard, important things had happened at the gathering. Not that unimportant things got announced there; or, at least, he assumed they didn't. That sounded like a waste of everyone's time, though maybe the other Clans were into wasting time like that. Thoughts reign themselves back in as Sootstar begins the meeting in earnest, Luckypaw gazing up at the Tallrock with eyes as awake as he can manage.
First up, a proposed addition to the code - kits, queens, and elders get first pick of prey, before anyone else. It's not a topic he's well-versed in, and he wouldn't dare add his own voice in to comment on it, but the idea seems reasonable enough, since those are the members of the Clan who probably need it the most. Probably it wouldn't affect him all that much, since he tended to eat later in the day after training anyway, but it doesn't escape his notice that Sootstar doesn't seem all that impressed with the proposition. Hardly does it matter to him what his leader does or does not agree to during gatherings; really, all that matters to him is what she announces to the Clan, and besides, it's not as though she's wrong. As far as he knows, they haven't ever had any issues with that sort of thing, and that thought sends his chest puffing up slightly with pride. WindClan is strong all on their own - they don't need any of the other Clans to tell them that! Glancing around, it seems like most everyone else is in agreement, too, which only makes him feel all the better about Sootstar's decision.
The mood quickly plummets with their leader's next words, outraged words and bristling fur all around him, though Luckypaw can't find it in himself to join them immediately, round green eyes instead locking onto Sootstar as he processes what she's just said. Someone had been killed by this new disease? And there was no cure? A shudder runs down his spine, and he sends a nervous glance out to the rest of the crowd, as though a kittypet might pop out at any moment, leaving a trail of disease and destruction behind them. The crowd around him crackles with energy, though most of it seems to be put into anger - anger that SkyClan had so carelessly mingled amongst all the other Clans even knowing they carried such a terrible illness, which is more than understandable. Anger bubbles up somewhere inside of him, too, but it's effortlessly snuffed out by fear; if this sickness really doesn't have a cure, then, what are they supposed to do if anyone gets sick? Sootstar says to visit Wolfsong, and even if Luckypaw does like the medicine cat, he's still dubious how that's going to fix anything if even he doesn't know how to help. Were they just all doomed, then?
Hardly paying any attention to what his fellow clanmates have to say about this new illness, he instead seeks out Scorchpaw, Badgermoon, any other cats he knew had gone to the gathering, green eyes sparkling with worry. Had any of them gotten sick? Surely Sootstar or Wolfsong would have announced something like that, but he can't help but worry his claws into the ground at the thought of sickness ravaging not just the other Clans, but WindClan, too. Scorchpaw hadn't complained of any ill symptoms when she'd gotten back, but he hardly knows anything about illnesses of any kind, let alone some new, deadly one; what if she still did start to feel bad? A world without any of his family is hardly imaginable, left only to his nightmares and deepest worries, and yet now there's a chance that Scorchpaw and Badgermoon, among many, many others, could be torn away from him. Equal parts wanting to seek them out, to nestle against his taller family to prove that they're still here and fine, and to run far, far away, Luckypaw instead stays rooted to the spot - he's not sure which decision would be wiser, and besides, there's somehow still more to be said. Warrior ceremonies perk him up slightly, neck craning to catch a glimpse of Honeypaw and Sedgepaw. What would their warrior names be, he wonders? What would all of their names be? Still feeling disturbed from the previous announcement, he waits with a characteristic silence for the meeting to once again progress, and for five new warriors to be announced.
[ PENNED BY HIJINKS ]
