The silver moon reflected off of the quiet pond down below, a few animals stood there grazing the shore line. A large stag raised his head and calmly led his herd out of the clearing, just as a group of cats emerge into the center and lapped from the water. A large dark brown tabby tom approached the clear water and stared at his reflection, an apathetic expression on his face as he hesitated on the edge.
"Oakmask, are you going to just admire yourself, or are you going to get yourself a drink?" teased a short long haired silvery gray tom.
Oakmask shook his head as he regained himself. "Oh shove it up your dirt hole Bouldertail, I… I was just lost in thought that's all."
Bouldertail rolled his eyes as he shifted up to a sitting position, Oakmask leaned down and lapped hungrily at the water. "Easy now, don't drain the whole pond."
Oakmask didn't mutter a word as he shoved the tom's side, both cats laughing it off as Oakmask straightened himself out. The dark brown tabby tom fluffed out his fur as a cold night breeze ruffled his fur, staring up at the slowly rising full moon over his head his amber eyes lost in thought again.
Bouldertail brushed up against the tom's side. "I hope you gave Foxshadow your farewell, it shouldn't be too long now."
Oakmask jumped slightly. "Oh, uh… yeah; of course I said farewell, I will check up on her when we return."
Bouldertail's gaze darkened. "I know what is being asked of you, but you made a promise to her… to me Oakmask. Don't think I haven't seen you looking at that, other she-cat but you need to remember the code."
Oakmask nudged the tom's side. "Now you are just exaggerating things, she's just a good friend of mine… you can come watch me visit Foxshadow after the gathering alright?"
The solid gray tom eased up before they looked at their clan mates, just as a large black she-cat straightened up to a sitting spot. The silver on her flank shining in the moonlight, her tired blue eyes turning to the others as they finished getting their drink; each one sitting up and meeting her gaze as the large reddish brown tabby tom beside her straightened up.
And with the flick of the tail they were moving once again, a small pale ginger she-cat bounded up to Oakmask's side. "Isn't this exciting? All five clans gathering together, it sounds phenomenal!"
"Now don't get too excited, we need to watch what we share… follow my lead and you should do just fine Finchpaw." Oakmask instructed the young apprentice, "But yes, it is a wonderful time to be able to gather peacefully, share stories and revel in victories and we won't have to fight to see each other again."
Finchpaw just couldn't stand still as she bounced around. "Just think of all the friends I can make, no more boring Bristlepaw or grumpy Adderpaw! Some new faces for once!"
Bouldertail smirked. "Just try not to embarrass yourself there, not only are you representing yourself but the entirety of StormClan… we must uphold our clan as if we were it ourselves." He meowed with his head up high, his eyes flickering over to Oakmask who nodded.
Finchpaw rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything when Oakmask noticed it. He pushed her playfully and they laughed it off, both cats played as they walked down the path. Before Finchpaw was silenced, and Oakmask knew that they have arrived.
With the large looming shadows of the cliffs overhead covering them in darkness, Finchpaw pressed close to Oakmask as they walked through. These ledges once used for evil long ago, still held the shadows that hid everything inside from the light of StarClan. As they emerged from the shadows, Finchpaw relaxed as she eased up beside the dark brown tabby tom. The pale ginger she-cat then beheld the sight before her with wide eyes. While Oakmask brushed off the sight, looking around for his friends.
Before the clan sat a great gleaming oak, that shone like the stars. At its base were five large stones as the valley were enclosed by the great mountain range of seven points. Gathered around the base of the five stones were cats with two different scents, mingled and spread across with the others.
Oakmask turned his head as he smirked, flicked his tail across the apprentice. "Come on, just watch me and we shouldn't have any problems."
The pale ginger she-cat bounded after him, as Oakmask heads towards a large black tom and a short blue gray she-cat. Both light up when they see Oakmask, as Oakmask opened his maw to speak Bouldertail arrived at his side. Oakmask dropped his head but still smiled at the two warriors.
"Great to see you out of the dark, Oakmask… and who might this young she-cat be; your own apprentice at last?" the blue gray she-cat questioned, her head tilting to the side.
"No… its Foxshadow's actually, I am just taking over for a while… probably the rest of this apprentice's training."
The black tom laughed as he turned his head, his fur bristling but his tone was cool. "Did something happen?"
"No, no… well kind of, she's back at camp with the others." He meowed, shifting uncomfortably.
Bouldertail straightened up as he spoke. "Oakmask is going to be a father soon."
Silence fell over the four cats; Bouldertail had his head up high while Oakmask looked down at his paws. Finchpaw was looking left and right with her ears perked, while the other two warriors looked sideways at each other. Oakmask perked up, his maw open as his eyes widened.
A massive russet tom emerged through the darkness, his shoulders bunched and his scarred backside rippling behind each move. Oakmask craned his neck trying to look through the bodies of cats, before his eyes lit up and he could barely contain his excitement.
"Spottedflower!" he cried out.
A dark tortoiseshell she-cat had her head low towards the ground, but when she meets eye with Oakmask her posture changed.
The she-cat separated from her clan and sits down beside Oakmask. Both of their eyes lingered before Oakmask's attention was drawn to Bouldertail whose eyes burned into Oakmask's eye, as the dark brown tom shifted as he spoke. "It's great to see all of you again and… Finchpaw what do you think you are doing!"
The pale ginger she-cat was rolling around on the ground with a large white tom on the ground, as Oakmask took a step forward he relaxed when he saw the two laughing it off when they separated.
"Is that one yours?" the dark tortoiseshell asked.
"No..."
"Shame, you'd think Smokestar would've given you one by now." The she-cat murmured, before her eyes softened. "Cloudpaw there is my apprentice, he's good; but a bit of a hassle to deal with."
"Isn't all apprentices like that." He murmured; nudging her side as the she-cat glared at him over her shoulder.
The white tom bounded over with Finchpaw hot on his tail, both apprentices sat down before them. The white tom looked Oakmask from head to tail, Finchpaw arrived at his side.
"I saw this tom trying to sneak over, I caught him in the act!" Finchpaw meowed.
"I wasn't sneaking over here, I was just checking on Spottedflower!" he argued, before he turned to Oakmask. "Now hang on… you're from; Rainclan right?"
Oakmask chuckled at this before answered. "My clan is StormClan, actually." He answered.
The white tom cuffed the ground. "Mouse dung, so close; right?" he asked, tipping his head to the side.
"Nearly, but not quite." Oakmask answered.
"Cloudpaw has been trying his hardest to be able to tell the different clans apart, not just by scent but sight as well… no luck so far. He nearly thought Alderstar was FlameClan until he recognized who it really was." Spottedflower joked; the white tom looked at her embarrassed.
Oakmask laughed it off as he looked back at the entrance, the final clan was emerging.
Out of the dark a large dark brown tabby reared his scarred face; slouched over with his ears pinned back the tom towered over the others. Followed closely by a large bright ginger she-cat who held her head up high, her pelt sleek and cleaned without a scar in sight with her lithe appearance almost gliding across the ground; but Oakmask waved at the light brown tabby she-cat who turned to look at them. She carefully arrived at their side with her head low to the ground but still above her shoulders. "Oakmask, Spottedflower, Darkraven, Shortsky… it's great to see all of you; how are you doing? Whose Apprentices are those?" she meowed.
Darkraven adjusted himself. "Just fine thank you, and those are Oakmask's and Spottedflower's apprentices." He answered.
Oakmask opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a sharp glare from the black tom.
Shortsky smiled as she meowed. "I have been well thank you, just been tired."
Oakmask and Spottedflower nodded, but a flash of teeth from Bouldertail alerted to just how close the two had become.
"I've been fine, I have a lot to do back in camp… and our clan will get some new blood soon."
Darkraven nodded as he looked down at his paws, Spottedflower smiled. "Well more warriors are always welcome, if I may inquire if… Foxshadow is here?"
Oakmask opened his maw before Bouldertail interjected. "She is not; she will need to stay away from gatherings for a very long time now."
Spottedflower relaxed as she flicked her tail. "I've been just alright, how about you Wrenflight?"
Wrenflight shrugged as she looked back at the clans. "It's not my place, but you should see soon." She murmured as she looked up at the five clan leaders.
Smokestar had taken his spot up on the closet one to the center, and watched as the dark brown tabby tom ascended up to stand sit on the stone beside him. Both cats held a cold and callous stare down but no words were shared between the two, as a large long haired brown tabby was the first to engage. "Good evening Pinestar, you seem… well." He meowed.
Pinestar didn't mutter a word as the tom as he stared blankly out before him; his ear twitched an ear as acknowledgement to what the tom had said.
"Patrols have noticed that you have been sending larger patrols of your own, it has raised many questions about what has scared so easily."
Pinestar furrowed his brow as he muttered. "Let's just get to business; I don't have time to dawdle." He snarled.
Smokestar twitched an ear to this, before he turned to look over his shoulder at a silvery gray she-cat who raised her muzzle. Smokestar dipped his head before he spoke. "StormClan enters Greenleaf with high hopes, leaf bare has made us tougher but we rejoice at the chance of a full stomach. We also bring a new apprentice to the gathering today, Finchpaw is here without her mentor but is under the watch of one of our most able warriors."
"Finchpaw, Finchpaw!" the clearing roared and the pale ginger she-cat practically swelled at the sound.
Oakmask smiled as he thought back to his first gathering, the sounds and feelings were all too familiar for him. He looked at Spottedflower, who seemed to be thinking the same thing
"We also have chased a badger off of our borders not too long ago, but our border patrol has reported its scent in the area… please take great caution." Smokestar finished before taking a step back.
Alderstar was the next to speak, as he quietly stepped forward with little grace in his step. "LightningClan thrives, we welcome new apprentices to our clan, all of whom are accompanying us tonight; Cloudpaw, Hawkpaw, and Emberpaw!"
"Cloudpaw, Hawkpaw, Emberpaw!"
The silvery gray she-cat looked at Pinestar, before stepping forward. "RainClan brings news of a great start to Greenleaf, with plentiful warriors and apprentices. I believe we encountered your badger Smokestar, but we drove it off this morning."
The pale brown tabby dipped his head to her, before he stepped forward. "DarkClan has been doing well so far, and thank you Shinestar! You drove that badger onto our territory, but it is gone for good now."
Shinestar didn't even acknowledge this, before all eyes were turned to Pinestar.
The dark brown tabby tom took a deep breath before stepping forward. "FlameClan comes with dark news, for just yesterday we lost two of our cats; Hickoryfoot… and Swallowpaw. Their family mourns their loss."
The clearing was silent was silent as the cats hung their heads, Alderstar dipped his head.
"We warn all of you, watch your borders! Strange scents have been encountered and–"
"Rogues, but they have been warned before! Any rogue would have been warned against attacking us again."
"Perhaps it was just a stray fox, or a dog!" argued Smokestar.
"Is there a dog or fox that can rip a fully grown warrior in half, or destroy an apprentice's entire body but leave them alive for only a few hours?"
The four other leaders dropped their heads as a deep breath was taken, the dark brown tabby tom settled down before turning a cold shoulder. "This gathering is over, I must return home!" he snarled, before leaping down into the clearing.
FlameClan parted and soon they were leaving, Oakmask bade farewell to Wrenflight as she left.
Oakmask turned back to his other friends, all of them were a little shaken. "Take care all of you." He meowed, as Smokestar dropped down to beside them.
Spottedflower reached out with her tail as they parted ways, Oakmask connected his and they soon parted ways. Bouldertail nearly trampling on Spottedflower as the tom glared at her.