Hailwatcher slips out from the medicine den, glancing curiously up at the reddening sky.
The obscured full moon shines down on ShadowClan's camp, signifying that the Clans' time of gathering has arrived.
Hailwatcher, pointedly not looking forward to the event, forces himself to look excited so as not to arouse suspicions from Willowstar or Slightclaw.
Approaching the Gathering patrol, made up of Dawnbreeze, Raggedfoot, Robinear, Newtstripe, Russetblaze, Nightwish, Acornpaw, and Fallowpaw so far, Hailwatcher pads to the front where Willowstar and Slightclaw wait.
Willowstar nods in greeting to the young medicine cat, while Slightclaw simply lets his gaze burn into Hailwatcher's pelt for a few moments longer than necessary.
"Hello," the small gray tom mumbles, shuffling up close beside Willowstar and hoping that his desire to avoid standing near Slightclaw won't be picked up on.
"Is that everyone?" Willowstar calls to the patrol, flicking his fluffy tail.
"Not yet," Raggedfoot grunts, glancing in the direction of the nursery.
"Amberfur! Are you coming or not?"
"I'm coming!"
The nursery's entrance rustles as Amberfur pushes her way out, pads to Raggedfoot's side, and mischievously bumps his shoulder.
Hailwatcher flinches as Raggedfoot glares at him from behind Nightwish; Acornpaw sneaks a glance at the small gray tom but quickly looks away as his father turns to him.
Sighing, Hailwatcher turns the other way and stares down at his paws.
"That should be everyone, Willowstar," Slightclaw chimes in with a sharp flick of his tail.
"Alright, everybody," the ShadowClan leader mews, raising his voice a little, "-let's get going then, shall we?"
-=-
ShadowClan makes its way toward the Gathering island, pausing for a few moments at the log bridge.
Willowstar and Slightclaw leap up onto the log first; Amberfur helps Raggedfoot up onto the bridge and Hailwatcher hops up next, neglecting to extend his claws and help himself grip the bark.
The rest of the Clan gradually clambers up onto the bridge as Hailwatcher pads on; visible at this point are two small clusters of cats and two figures seated atop the Gathering Tree.
Hailwatcher vaguely recognizes them as Shellstar of RiverClan and Wrenstar of WindClan and sighs quietly to himself at the possibility of Rabbitwhisker being present.
Hubbub from both ShadowClan and the developing crowd starts to fill the air, providing Slightclaw with an opportunity to fall back and address Hailwatcher.
"Remember, you made a promise," the silver tabby hisses.
"Break it and you'll be next."
Flinching away with a high-pitched whimper, Hailwatcher nods before directing his gaze to the ground.
Slightclaw lifts his head, regarding the small gray tom with a chilling stare before rejoining Willowstar at the head of the patrol.
Hailwatcher steps down next with a cautious hesitance, immediately directing his attention to finding the group of medicine cats.
He watches Willowstar climb up into the Gathering tree and regard Wrenstar and Shellstar with a nod; Slightclaw seats himself on a flat rock with the other deputies and glances out at the crowd.
Weaving his way through a series of RiverClan and WindClan warriors who seem upset with each other over something, ShadowClan's young medicine cat approaches the forming circle of Clan healers, currently consisting of only Ivyhawk and Rabbitwhisker.
Hailwatcher stifles a sigh and nods to both medicine cats, settling down a fox-length away from RiverClan's medicine cat.
"..Hi," he mumbles, pressing his paws together on the ground while trying to drown out the noise of all the other cats.
Ivyhawk grumbles in acknowledgement, seeming more tired than usual, and Rabbitwhisker says nothing at all, his ghostly pale coat shining in the moonlight.
"..Are you okay, Ivyhawk..?" Hailwatcher mews, frowning.
"Nope," the RiverClan medicine cat replies blankly, rubbing his face with a paw.
"...Oh."
"RiverClan has been having some...issues."
Rabbitwhisker squints in Hailwatcher's general direction, long whiskers twitching, but doesn't say anything.
"Oh..what kind of issues?" the small gray tom presses, trying to ignore the WindClan medicine cat.
Ivyhawk lets out a hum that sounds more like a pained groan.
"I'm not at liberty to tell you that, unfortunately- you know, Shellstar's orders- but take comfort in knowing that we absolutely have it under control," the golden tabby tom mews in a cheery tone that indicates the opposite.
"Hmph," WindClan's medicine cat grunts, glancing vaguely at Ivyhawk through half-lidded hazel-blue eyes.
Rather uncomfortable and not sure how to respond, Hailwatcher frowns sympathetically and lies down on his stomach.
He isn't sure why Ivyhawk harbors such a disdain for RiverClan's leader, but based on the couple of Gatherings he had attended prior, a few reasons came to mind.
"Hailwatcher." Rabbitwhisker twitches an ear.
"Oh- yes..?" the young medicine cat replies apprehensively, dread settling down in his stomach.
"How's ShadowClan? Not being driven into the ground, I hope," the pale tom mews, an unclear tone underscoring his words.
"We're- fine....one of our warriors went missing a quarter moon ago, though, and we still haven't found him.." the ShadowClan medicine cat murmurs, repeating almost verbatim what he's been instructed to say.
"Oh...that's a shame," Ivyhawk mews, starting to smooth down his golden fur with his tongue.
Hailwatcher is hit with a pang of guilt and resigns to staring down at the ground.
Rabbitwhisker, having drawn away somewhat, mutters thickly to himself and straightens out his whiskers.
Hearing a commotion rise up, Hailwatcher glances over his shoulder toward the log bridge.
ThunderClan, led by Stormstar, arrives, bringing with them an abnormally large group of cats for a Gathering patrol.
Hailwatcher snaps out of his thoughts; Ashpaw comes bouncing through the crowd with Starlingclaw trailing behind.
"Hi, everyone!" ThunderClan's medicine apprentice mews excitedly, bouncing from paw to paw.
"Oh- hey, Ashpaw," Hailwatcher mews, a little caught off guard.
"Hey," Ivyhawk mumbles.
Rabbitwhisker says nothing, having settled down on the ground.
"Good evening, you all," Starlingclaw mews in greeting, dipping his head.
Ashpaw beams, sitting down next to Hailwatcher with a fluttering excitement in her movements.
"Guess what?"
"What?" the gray tom mews, a little bit overwhelmed.
"I'm gonna have siblings! Starlingclaw says there's gonna be a lot of them, too!"
Starlingclaw, sitting down next to his apprentice, purrs, but weariness lingers in his expression.
"Oh, that's great...congratulations." Hailwatcher smiles weakly, though Ashpaw's joy unlocks a hurt he's been trying not to think about.
Thinking of his severed relationship with Acornpaw and Fallowpaw, Hailwatcher sighs.
Focusing back on the present and feeling a bit guilty for making Ashpaw's announcement about his feelings, Hailwatcher glances down for a few moments before he realizes the light gray she-cat is beaming at him.
"Hailwatcher! You should come meet my dad! I got him to come tonight."
"Oh- huh?" Hailwatcher sputters, but before he can say much else the ThunderClan medicine apprentice twines her tail with his and nudges him to his paws.
"C'mon!"
Hailwatcher haphazardly snakes his way through the crowd while Ashpaw bounces ahead.
She glances back at him, motioning for him to move faster, and he obliges as best he can.
The crowd of ThunderClan warriors seem anxious about something as they murmur among themselves and glance around at their surroundings.
WindClan and RiverClan carry on with glaring at each other, and on the deputy's rock, Slightclaw and Meadownose, ThunderClan's deputy, are having what appears to be a pleasant conversation.
Ashpaw pauses in front of a gray tom with speckled fur, bouncing up to him.
"Dad!"
The tom twitches an ear and smiles softly down at his daughter, though regards Hailwatcher a little skeptically.
He looks almost exactly like Ashpaw, only taller and with yellow eyes.
"Hey, Ashpaw."
"I have someone I want you to meet!"
The light gray she-cat turns back to the ShadowClan medicine cat, beckoning him forward with her tail.
"Dad, this is Hailwatcher, and Hailwatcher, this is my dad, Cindercloud."
Hailwatcher nods politely, still uncomfortable about being in this situation.
"Pleased to meet you," Cindercloud mews amicably, still seeming a little wary.
"Nice to meet you as well," the young medicine cat replies with a weak but convincing smile.
Starting to feel a pit forming in his stomach, the small gray tom glances up at the dark sky.
"How did you meet this young'un, sweetheart?" Cindercloud mews to his daughter, gently licking her head.
Hailwatcher twitches an ear, sensing that this might become awkward.
"Oh, right!" Ashpaw chuckles, appearing to catch on to her father's skepticism.
"Hailwatcher's ShadowClan's medicine cat, Dad. And he's really good, too!"
Shrinking into his pelt at the compliment, Hailwatcher bashfully trails a paw through the dirt.
He chastises himself for failing to remain professional but can't shake off his flustered demeanor.
"Uh- thanks, Ashpaw.."
ThunderClan's medicine apprentice nods in acknowledgement, grinning widely.
Ashpaw's father flicks his tail, glancing down at the younger tom with a chuckle.
"Awful young to be a medicine cat, aren't you, kid?"
Grimacing, Hailwatcher nods.
"Y-yeah, I suppose I am.."
Trailing off into nothingness, Hailwatcher clenches the ground with his paws.
The older tom pauses, seeming to perceive that he's hit a nerve.
"Well, I'll let you two get back to where you're s'posed to be sittin'."
"Alright," Ashpaw mews, reaching up to nuzzle her father's cheek.
"I'll see you later, Dad."
"Bye, sweetheart," Cindercloud purrs, touching his muzzle to Ashpaw's ear before nudging his daughter gently in Hailwatcher's direction.
"Have fun."
Trying not to let jealousy creep into his demeanor as pain wracks his insides, the small gray tom forces himself to look away.
The whole situation is quickly becoming too much for him to handle- as if life itself isn't already- but the prospect of making Ashpaw upset by saying anything makes him feel too guilty to seriously consider doing it.
All that clouds his mind is that day out in the forest with Raggedfoot and the things he desperately lacks.
Ashpaw bounds back toward Hailwatcher, glancing over his head toward the log bridge.
"Looks like SkyClan is here! Let's get back to where we were sitting," she mews, dropping her voice to a murmur.
Surprised Ashpaw could be this quiet, Hailwatcher nods blankly and follows the light gray she-cat as she starts trotting through the crowd again.
-=-
Hailwatcher trudges back to the ring of medicine cats, staring down at the ground.
"Hey, kiddo," Beechfoot purrs with a twitch of his whiskers.
"...Hi," the small gray tom replies, feeling empty as he musters a weak smile.
He glances over at Mossyspots, who eyes Starlingclaw with an air of slightly facetious menace only she can pull off.
The black tom stares back at the bracken-colored she-cat, clearing his throat with a weak rumble as his tail-tip starts flicking back and forth.
Beechfoot murmurs something along the lines of 'You alright, kid?' as Hailwatcher moves past him to sit back down next to Ivyhawk, but words aren't coming easily to him.
"So, Starlingclaw," Mossyspots mews, fluffing out her bracken-colored fur, "-has your Clan been eating well lately?"
Beechfoot pricks an ear in alarm, leaning forward to intercept his fellow medicine cat.
"Mossyspots, not here-"
"Don't worry," she mews back, flicking her short tail in Starlingclaw's direction.
Rabbitwhisker mutters something to himself about getting an apprentice so he can retire, rubbing his face.
Starlingclaw lifts a paw and shakily draws it over his whiskers.
"Well- yes. But only as of...very lately."
"Try and guess why that is, Starlingclaw," Mossyspots retorts.
"What do you mean?" Ashpaw interjects, looking ruffled on behalf of her mentor.
"And here we go," Ivyhawk mutters, rubbing his face with a paw.
"What are you getting at, Mossyspots? Just say it," Starlingclaw mews, sounding more firm this time round.
"Fine. To cut it short, your Clanmates have been hunting on our territory and attacking our hunting patrols. They're stealing, Starlingclaw."
Hailwatcher frowns.
"Stealing?" Ashpaw echoes, disbelief present in her tone.
Starlingclaw grimaces.
"Oh. ...Oh dear."
"I knew that sudden influx of prey was a bit suspect, but- the Clan was fed, so I let it slide-"
"I thought as much," Mossyspots mews, shaking her head.
"Seems like a terrible bind Stormstar's got you lot in if you have to resort to stealing from SkyClan," Rabbitwhisker quips with a twitch of his whiskers.
"If Wrenstar isn't on their tails for it already, she will be soon."
Ivyhawk snickers bitterly, looking as if he's laughing at something else besides what Rabbitwhisker said.
Mossyspots narrows her eyes at the WindClan medicine cat, fluffy fur bristling up.
"If you don't have anything nice to say, Rabbitwhisker, don't say anything at all."
The pale tom squints through his half-lidded eyes back at Mossyspots, twitching an ear as a gust of wind ruffles his neat fur.
"It was an observation, Mossyspots. Don't you have anything better to do than chastise a tired old medicine cat?"
Checked out at this point in the conversation, Hailwatcher glances up as Wrenstar lifts herself to her paws and glances down at the crowd.
"Everyone! This Gathering has begun!"
Settling back down on her haunches, the gray-brown she-cat clears her throat.
"Who would like to speak first?"
A small silence elapses before Willowstar rises to his paws.
"I would like to," the ShadowClan leader mews with a dip of his head.
"Very well. Go on ahead, dear," Wrenstar replies.
"The prey is running well in ShadowClan," the dusky brown tom calls to the crowd, "-and I have several pieces of news to report."
"First, unfortunately, our senior medicine cat Thornflight has passed on to StarClan, and in this season of new beginnings we welcome Hailwatcher, her successor."
A few paltry cheers rise up from the crowd; aside from that, no one seems to care.
"Second," Willowstar continues, pausing for a moment, "-one of our warriors, Birchstorm, has been missing for a quarter moon and we are working tirelessly to locate him. Any leads would be greatly appreciated."
"That is all." The ShadowClan leader dips his head and sits down, curling his tail over his paws.
"Thank you, Willowstar," Wrenstar mews, flicking a tattered ear.
"I'll go next, as I have something rather important to say."
"The prey runs well in WindClan; greenleaf has been a true blessing to us."
"However, I wish to bring up the specifics of an incident that occurred
around a half-moon ago regarding RiverClan so that we can all be clear going forward."
The infamous Shellstar lets out a scoff, which prompts Ivyhawk to glare at his leader with a sparkle of bitter fury in his eyes.
Hailwatcher glances up at the leaders, tail bristling up a little bit.
"One of our apprentices wandered over the border and was jumped by a group of your- cronies," Wrenstar spits.
"They nearly killed her, the poor little thing, and old Rabbitwhisker spent all night fussing over her to make sure she wouldn't die of blood loss."
The named medicine cat jolts, seeming to not expect being mentioned, and draws away, expression unreadable.
Realizing why RiverClan and WindClan seem opposed, Hailwatcher nods to himself.
"Do you RiverClan cats have no class? Beating an apprentice half to death?"
A few yowls of RiverClan protest rise up from the crowd.
"I endorse no such thing," Shellstar hisses defensively.
"However, I assert that the apprentice should have been able to see where your territory ended and where ours began."
"That's the point, fish-face," the WindClan leader snarls.
"She couldn't see where it ended, and either way it was clearly accidental."
"And what exactly do you mean by that?" Shellstar retorts, twitching an ear.
"You cannot be this dense-"
"Alright, everyone," Willowstar interjects, chuckling nervously.
"If that's all you had to announce, Wrenstar, you can go ahead, Featherstar."
SkyClan's leader rises from her perch, tail swaying behind her.
"Gladly, Willowstar. Thank you."
"The prey runs well in SkyClan...so well, in fact, that it seems ThunderClan feels free to help themselves to some of it."
Surprised at Featherstar's candor, Hailwatcher pricks an ear; beside him, Ivyhawk shakes his head in disapproval.
Starlingclaw sinks down to the ground, looking mortified.
"Excuse me?" Stormstar mews, turning to glare at Featherstar.
"Just what are you insinuating?"
"Exactly what you think I am," the light brown tabby mews, narrowing her eyes.
"We've caught ThunderClan trespassers with fresh-kill dangling from their jaws and had hunting patrols hijacked by your warriors. It's obvious you're stealing. Why?"
Stormstar stiffens, lashing her tail.
"I've given my warriors no such command. ThunderClan prides itself on being noble."
"Sounds about right," Ivyhawk mutters to Hailwatcher, rolling his eyes.
It seems they're stealing of their own accord."
Ashpaw gasps, flattening her ears and pressing against Starlingclaw.
ThunderClan, unwilling to take this affront lying down, begins to dissent.
"Liar!"
You told us to steal!"
"We're going to starve!"
"Enough," Stormstar mews firmly, glaring down at her Clan through burning blue eyes.
Featherstar straightens.
"I've heard enough, Stormstar. And I've given you enough time to get it together. If you have a prey issue, sort it out. Ask for help and we'll find a way. But I will not excuse wanton theft and violence."
Sighing, Stormstar goes silent before conceding.
"Very well."
ThunderClan still appears restless; furious hisses ripple through the air.
"That is all," Featherstar mews, dipping her head and seating herself again.
Hailwatcher crouches down on the ground, starting to feel a familiar pain behind his eyes; Beechfoot whistles out a sigh, curling his tail around his paws.
"Thank you, Featherstar," Willowstar mews.
"Shellstar? Care to go next?"
"Sure," the RiverClan leader replies with a smug grin, rising to his paws.
"The prey runs well in RiverClan...our waters provide us with everything we need."
"I would like to clarify that we deny involvement in the incident Wrenstar detailed, and instead suggest that she was mistaken, since we can all clearly see that she is becoming rather old-"
"Watch your mouth, you little-" Wrenstar snaps, narrowing her eyes.
Ivyhawk sighs, and Hailwatcher finds himself feeling sorry for him.
Featherstar mutters something unintelligible to Shellstar, shaking her head.
The blue-gray tom clears his throat, glancing sidelong at the WindClan leader.
"To continue on a different topic my beloved, Fallowtail, has kitted recently, and we welcome two new kits into our ranks," the RiverClan leader mews, puffing out his chest with pride.
"That's lovely, Shellstar. Congratulations," Willowstar mews, nodding respectfully.
"Thank you, Willowstar," Shellstar replies, flicking an ear.
"And with that, I have nothing further."
"Thank you, Shellstar, for your announcements," Willowstar replies.
"You may proceed with what you have to say, Stormstar."
Stormstar nods stiffly, glancing down at the crowd.
"I am pleased to announce that ThunderClan is doing well and that any statements implicating the contrary are unfounded."
Starlingclaw looks poised to argue against his leader's claims, but Ashpaw leans against him and he eventually relaxes.
"So your plan is to lie to everyone's faces?" Featherstar retorts, flicking her tail.
"Excuse me?"
"Again, your Clan is stealing. From us. All I want is an explanation."
A turbulence breaks out over the crowd as SkyClan and ThunderClan cats start hissing at each other.
"Thieves!"
'We have no other options!"
"Dirty liars, all of you!"
Shellstar yawns, letting his fluffy tail dangle from his perch.
"And so the real show begins," he remarks, raising a brow at Willowstar, who becomes more ruffled by the second.
"Behave yourselves, SkyClan," Featherstar mews sternly, glancing down into the crowd.
The Clans' deputies sit nonchalantly at their posts, unfazed by the chaos.
The medicine cats coordinate in a similar fashion except Ashpaw, who appears crestfallen.
The Clan cats' arguing spikes in volume and intensity, now involving RiverClan and WindClan's earlier dispute as well; Hailwatcher glances up at the sky to see clouds creeping toward the moon.
Willowstar shakes his head; clouds cover the moon and the island is flooded with darkness.
"StarClan has decreed that this Gathering must come to an end," the ShadowClan leader mews solemnly.
"ShadowClan will make its departure."
Hailwatcher shakily rises to his paws, thrown off kilter by how loud it is and the throbbing pain in his head, and nods weakly to all the medicine cats.
"I'll be going.."
Anything mewed in response is drowned out by the rippling sea of cats as the small gray tom pads off in search of his Clan.