Flowerpaw shrunk in her fur as she was surrounded by her clanmates, the cold wind blowing through her fur as her paws left the pine needle ground into a thick leaf covered forest floor. As she looked over at her mentor who was keeping close to her, the pale gray tom was looking all around him as his own fur fluffed out. As Flowerpaw turned her head back to before her she could smell a large amount of cats nearby, her eyes widened as she looked back at her mentor who also detected the scents.

As she flicked her tail her paws felt light and smooth as she grazed over the different ground, the trees high above her head reminding her of the lost oak back home… the ground felt so different from there however. The ground there still had plenty of needles spread across the grass; here there were no traces of anything of the sorts anywhere around her. The oaks hid more than any of the pines behind them, as the shadows casted from the branches far above their heads covered the ground when they entwined.

As Flowerpaw rushed to catch up with her mentor, the clan was heading up a slope towards a circle of stones. "Welcome to the Ancients Gathering, can you smell the other clans?" he meowed with a tip of his head.

Flowerpaw nodded as she could smell the scent of so many cats drifting down from above, slightly shrinking back as she looked over at her mentor who smirked slightly and let out a small chuckle. "There is no need to worry, the only time we are in threat around here is if we hunt on the way here… even though WaveClan hunt in the rivers sometimes they have no choice but to hunt on solid ground." He explained as they arrived at the circle of stones, as the steady hill rounded off to a nearly smooth top above.

Flowerpaw watched as her clanmates spread out across the clearing, the Inner Circle sticking close together as they moved across towards where a giant stone sat. Fernback nudged her forward with one of his paws as he held his head up high. "GorseClan and WaveClan are already here, perhaps you could go and talk with them… this is the only time that you will ever be able to see them as friends anyway."

Flowerpaw looked back at her mentor as the tom left her side, looking ahead she pressed back into her fur as she watched the cats ahead. As she stepped forward she felt as if their eyes were all on her, as her head remained low to the ground she avoided looking up at the cats by just staring down at her paws. As she stepped towards the greater stone a ball of fur slammed into his side, as they rolled around on the ground Flowerpaw skidded to a halt facing a slim russet colored tom.

"Oh, sorry about that, I-,"

Flowerpaw bushed out her fur as she stared over as a black and white tom and a tortoiseshell she-cat arrived behind the tom. "I told you to slow down Robinpaw, now look at what you've done."

The russet tom flicked an ear as he adjusted his stance, looking Flowerpaw in the eye as the she-cat shrunk into her fur; his eyes sparkling with… humor? What was so funny to this tom about any of this, she doesn't know him or his friends and he's bemused. "I'm Robinpaw by the way, I can tell that you are NeedleClan… correct?" the tom meowed as he tipped his head to the side, opening his mouth and sitting there for a moment before he continued. "Yep, definitely NeedleClan, what's your name?"

Flowerpaw looked between him and his friends who approached his side. "Come on Robinpaw, we shouldn't associate ourselves with those cats! The whole lot of them is only in for themselves anyway, we should just get back to the others anyway however… Daisystem will be waiting for us at a good spot to see the gathering from afar." The black and white tom meowed, looking back and forth between Flowerpaw and Robinpaw.

Flowerpaw looked down at her paws as she finally spoke. "I… I'm Flowerpaw."

"Great now you have met her, and she's told you her name." grumbled the black and white tom murmured, before turning around and heading towards a tall stone where. "Now can we get back to our clanmates, I don't want to wait for her mentor to claw my ears off." He looked over his shoulder to look at the russet tom.

Robinpaw looked over as his clanmates moved away, before looking back at Flowerpaw and he meowed. "I'll… catch up later."

The black and white tom behind him rolled his eyes, but did not argue further with the other tom. As Robinpaw and Flowerpaw were left sitting in a spot, Flowerpaw unable to look up at the tom who was watching her; she shifted a little uncomfortably in her spot as she murmured. "Uhm… perhaps you should go to your clanmates, I don't think there's anything…" she murmured, her eyes not wavering from his toes.

"Actually, I have been dying to meet a NeedleClan cat!" the tom meowed; Flowerpaw was taken it back by his quick response. "So many stories that I have heard from my clanmates, but I always wanted to know from experience what one is like!" the tom stepped towards the calico she-cat, who took a small step backwards. Her eyes finally looking up to meet with his soft amber eyes, as he tilted his head to the side and looked her over. "Rather skinny, most of the cats I have seen from your clan are big and mean looking! Are most cats like you, small and skinny?"

'Sure does like to run the words off his tongue.' Flowerpaw thought to herself as she sat down. "I think the cats' you are familiar with seeing are Middle Layer, or even Inner Circle warriors and apprentices." She answered the tom, thinking back to Sharppaw who was back at camp still. "I am just a simple Outer Circle apprentice, that's why we aren't as threatening as the other cats in our clan." She looked over at her mentor who was talking with a WaveClan cat.

The tom sat there as he seemed to be thinking carefully about what to say. "What's the Middle Layer, or Inner Circle?"

Flowerpaw tilted her head to the side as she watched the tom. "Do… do you not have structures to your clan… the inner circle are the highest ranked warriors and apprentices, they are the pool that Deputies are chosen to become future leaders." The calico she-cat responded while looking up at the sky. "The Middle Layer are the cats in between, their kits or injured warriors are chosen to become medicine cats. Both cats get first picking on choosing prey, which is caught by all three groups. Outer Circle cats always get the last pickings, and it isn't very much at all."

The tom looked at her with a strange look. "That's stupid; every cat should have a fair picking, at least that's the way it is in our clan. Even when the rabbits and mice run low, no cat gets a better meal than the other. Have you tried rabbit before?"

"No, only mice and Lizards… not too bad of meals but they aren't much." Flowerpaw responded.

Robinpaw flicked his tail. "Dang, let me tell you though, a rabbit will fill you up so much! You would have enough energy to run through these hills and back again, but that is why we have to share every meal with our Clanmates… too much will be problematic." The tom meowed as he flicked his tail behind him, his head up high with a smile spread across his muzzle. As she took a step forward a loud yowl sounded and their attention was drawn to the quickly approaching cats, Flowerpaw watch them arrive at the top of the hill and disperse into the groups.

"That must be BarkClan; the gathering should be starting soon… right?"

"You've never been to one before?"

"Nope, first time here in fact." The tom meowed as he sat down, a little close to Flowerpaw but Robinpaw didn't seem to notice.

Flowerpaw laughed a little. "It's also mine in fact, but I think that's how it goes." She murmured as she looked back at Fernback, who was watching the calico she-cat. Before he flicked an ear and looked back up towards the large stone, Flowerpaw looked up at the group where she could see Stormstar sitting beside a lean black tom with a long tail and a pale golden she-cat. There was also a bright ginger tom beside her; the four cats seemed to be leaving a conversation with one another.

The black tom beside Stormstar stepped forward with a tired meow as he lifted his head. "The moon is high, let the gathering begin."

Robinpaw leaned in and whispered into Flowerpaw's ear. "That's Nightstar, my clan leader."

Flowerpaw kept her head down low as she looked up at the cats above them, as the black tom raised his silver touched muzzle towards the sky. "GorseClan has been thriving since last new-leaf, and we are set to delve into Leaf-bare not too far from now." He meowed as he looked down into the gathering of cats, his muzzle spreading into a warm smile. "We come with two new changes to our clan, a warrior and two apprentices; Addertooth, Kinkpaw, and Robinpaw!"

Flowerpaw looked at Robinpaw who straightened up and pushed out his chest, his amber eyes gleaming as the cats in his clan cheered out his name with the other two. As Flowerpaw looked around she notices a small white tom with a floppy ear sitting on the far side of the clearing, his head a little lower than the pale blue gray tom who nudged the cat's side. And a black tom who sat as tall and proud as Robinpaw was but the tom had a more wary look to him.

"There is a warning that we bring to the other clans, a badger was spotted on our territory and we chased it out of our borders… we never directed it towards any other clan but it could come back and we should all be on alert." The leader up on the large stone meowed from his perch, before taking a step backwards. Flowerpaw watched as the tom closed his eyes, falling silent behind the other leaders.

Flowerpaw flicked her tail and adjusted her position, as Stormstar stepped forward after the tom. his gray fur fluffing out as he stood tall, his eyes scanning the clearing below. "NeedleClan has been thriving strong, the prey has been plentiful and we too are ready to go into the upcoming Leaf bare."

"That's Stormstar, right?" Robinpaw whispered, as his eyes did not leave the dark gray tom. A large pale gray tom growled under his breath and the tom ducked down before sitting tall facing the stone again.

"We too have received blessings from StarClan, Sharppaw and Jaggedpaw have started their training. They will make for fine warriors in the future, and have already shown great battle prowess during training so far."

Flowerpaw fluffed out her fur as she heard her own clanmates cheer out the two apprentices' names, some even adding her name to the mix but they were drowned out. As Flowerpaw looked down at her paws, Robinpaw nudged her side as she looked over at the russet tom. He nodded with his chin for her to lift hers, as he looked back up at the leaders high above them. As she followed his directions she could see the cats much better now, her green eyes flicking between them as Stormstar took a step backwards.

Flowerpaw looked to the next cat, a pale golden she-cat who stepped forward. Her head high and her gaze scornful to the prior leaders, Flowerpaw noticed a scowl in return from Stormstar. But the she-cat flicked her tail and looked down into the clearing below, as she took a deep breath before speaking. "WaveClan has been thriving, the waters have been plentiful this green leaf. Our clan has brought news of our dear deputy; Drizzleslip has retired to the elders den. Cricketleap has been anointed in his place as the new Deputy, may he grow to lead our clan strongly."

"Drizzleslip, Cricketleap!"

"That must be Larkstar then." Robinpaw whispered, earning himself just another warning from the gray tom; Flowerpaw watched the she-cat as she took a step back. As she looked back at the next cat, a bright ginger tom who dipped his head and took a step to where she stood. Flowerpaw noticed something strange in his step, and then she noticed the torn toe on one of his paws. As his eyes were warm and proud as they looked upon the cats.

"BarkClan has been staying strong; the season of new leaf has brought us more kits than I could have imagined… two of whom have just recently become apprentices." The tom flicked his ear and looked down into the clearing, following his gaze Flowerpaw could see a dappled she-cat with a pale ginger tom sitting by a stone that was leaning over the edge of the hill. "Fawnpaw and her brother, Lichenpaw, will be training to be a warrior; they will certainly make their parents proud on the path that they will take."

"Fawnpaw, Lichenpaw!"

Flowerpaw then saw the tom's eyes darken as he shut them tight, taking a deep sigh as he held back his tongue before opening her eyes again. "The ancients have taken a good warrior from us since the last moon, many of you know and trust our dear old Firethorn from earlier gatherings… an adder had invaded our camp and firethorn gave his life to save one of our kits." The tom's meow was distant and mournful, before he lifted his muzzle towards the sky. "He remains with us, watching over all of us even tonight… our ancestors hold his paw in the place of his mate until they are reunited."

A deep silence fell over the clearing, however Flowerpaw thought she could hear a few snickers from her clan… but it was too quiet to be able to tell if it was her imagination or not.

The bright ginger tom took a step back and the clearing quickly settled into sayings of goodbyes, as Flowerpaw looked over she saw a white she-cat stepped up to the tom's side. "The gathering is over now Robinpaw, time to leave." The she-cat meowed, before flicking her tail and the russet tom looked at Flowerpaw.

"Goodbye, I hope I can see you again." He cried out before turning and following his clan.

Flowerpaw inhaled her mentor's scent as the tom stepped up to beside her. "Well, that wasn't hard to make a friend, now was it?"

Flowerpaw flicked an ear as she watched GorseClan disappear. "He was very talkative." She commented.

"So I heard, well we should be leaving as well." The pale gray tom meowed before turning around, and Flowerpaw followed the tom as NeedleClan left the circle of stones.