A Time of Peace

[☆ Y e l l o w ☆]

Willowstar gave a short nod toward Specklestar and acknowledged her greeting. "RiverClan is doing well; this Greenleaf is fortunate for all the Clans." This was the truth, however Willowstar had never liked saying much about her own Clan. It wasn't really about the other leaders learning things of her Clan, but more because she didn't feel obligated or comfortable talking about RiverClan's state. More so because she was leader.

However she had no problem asking about how the other Clans were doing. She was about to ask but stopped when she thought she saw a cat coming toward them. She was right- it was a small tom, probably a young apprentice, who had the scent of WindClan on him. Willowstar shot a questioning glance at Ravenstar and looked back to the tom.

She wondered what the apprentice wanted. It was rare for her to be approached by a cat of another Clan. She also wondered what the question was. Curiosity overcame paranoid, unneeded wariness and she faced him attentively. "Alright, what is it?"

Silverstripe was prepared for Dewleaf's continuing stream of chatter. He listened to her anyway, looking around for someone he could talk to. "Hey, Brackenpaw!" he called once he saw a familiar face. His friend from ShadowClan might be able to take his mind off of the issue with Dewleaf. Besides, he wanted to see how Brackenpaw would react when he found out Silverstripe was a warrior. "Guess what?" He asked as he bounded closer until he was a fox-length away. He waved his tail in front of Dewleaf's mouth, not wanting her to spoil the surprise before he could tell it.

Graypaw noticed certain cats in the crowd-mostly apprentices- who he vaguely recognized from last moon. Would they remember him? He realized guiltily that he couldn't remember most of their names. All of a sudden he saw a couple of cats heading toward him. There appeared to be only two but was hard to tell in the dense crowd of merged cats and scents. The she-cat called him by his name and he was surprised to recognize her. He remembered the sound of her raspy voice from last time, something unique that was hard to mistake. "Hey Eclipsepaw," He mewed as a greeting. Graypaw slid his gaze to the other tom, a cat not much smaller than himself. He didn't know this cat, and if he hadn't been told they were a new apprentice, he wouldn't have known the difference. "Hi Thornpaw. How do you like the Gathering so far? This is my second Gathering." He added conversationally. Maybe they could be friends. It wouldn't hurt to try.

[. s p o r e l e t t ♪]

As he waited for the ShadowClan leader's reply, Ravenstar scented a familiar, musky odor. It seemed that RiverClan had finally arrived. Flicking his green gaze over to the crest of the hill, the thin tom picked RiverClan's leader out of the cats plunging down the slope and waited patiently for the proud grey she-cat to reach them. As she approached, he dipped his head politely. "Greetings, Willowstar," he mewed coolly. "I just hope Shadestar doesn't make us wait too long before he arrives. I wonder if something has happened to keep ThunderClan." Blinking, the tom slid his gaze over to Crowpaw as he approached Willowstar. He had no notion of what the young medicine apprentice wanted with RiverClan's leader, but watched without comment as the little cat gathered his courage and addressed a question to her.

Watching Heathertail idly, Doveclaw spared a glance for her brother and raised one dappled eyebrow. She found herself becoming rapidly bored with this conversation. She supposed when the kits were newly born that their arrival had been scandalous, but now it was a bit dull. The kits were just kits, after all. Being partly ShadowClan didn't make them some sort of new creature. Rising to her paws, the dusty-coloured tortoiseshell padded away from Foxfur and Heathertail and sat beside Harewhisker. Noticing the arrival of RiverClan, Doveclaw scanned the crowd of incoming cats and was pleased when almost immediately she spotted Robinwing and Gingertail. "That's at least four out of five," she meowed half to herself, impressed. Waving her tail, she beckoned the two cats to come over and join them, and hoped that they would see her.

Padding companionably next to Thornpaw, Sablepaw trailed amicably after Eclipsepaw as the older apprentice led them over to introduce them to some RiverClan cats. He smiled as they neared them, thinking that perhaps he might recognize a couple from the last time he was at a gathering. Yes, he definitely remembered Rainpaw, and perhaps one or two of the others as well. He smiled politely as they approached, a friendly expression on his face. "Well hey, Rainpaw," he mewed to the fluffy apprentice. Though she was a couple moons older than him, he didn't think she was any bigger. "Meet Thornpaw, our newest apprentice. Looks like Eclipsepaw's already well acquainted with all the RiverClan apprentices... anyone want to introduce us?"

Still situated between Rookpaw and Graypaw, Rainpaw grinned mischievously. "Hi there, Sablepaw," she purred, flicking his nose with a fluffy tail. "Meet Graypaw, our youngest apprentice. This is Rookpaw, and there's Pebblepaw, over there with Ivypaw." Idly, the blue tabby waved her plumed tail at the two toms on either side of her, and then in the direction of Pebblepaw and Ivypaw. "But you already know the medicine cat's apprentice, don't you? I'm sure you must have met at the last gathering."

From his position stretched out in a patch of long grass at the edge of the clearing, Batheart had a great view of the goings on in the rest of the gathering. Lying comfortably in the shade, he looked around idly, simply watching the other cats until the other Clans arrived. Soon WindClan showed up, and not long after RiverClan appeared too. The silky-furred tom rose into a sitting position, his dark pelt gleaming in the moonlight. He had groomed it carefully before he left, knowing how easily it got messy. Staring around, Batheart blinked as his tawny eyes rested on a pair of pretty young she-cats. They didn't look familiar... that meant they were fair game. Rising to his paws, the ShadowClan warrior padded over until he was just a few tail-lengths away. Judging by their scent, the two tabbies were RiverClan. How perfectly delightful. "Good evening, ladies," he smiled, waving his plumed tail gently in greeting. "Are we enjoying the gathering so far?"

[peregrine]

[glow=red,2,300]Rookpaw bounded down the slope excitedly with the rest of his Clan when they arrived at four trees. He sat down with the other RiverClan apprentices a bit intimidated by the other cats, exspecially ShadowClan. "Hello." he nodded his head in greeting when he was introduced.

He gazed around at the cats aside from the ones in his little conversational group. It was amazing to think that all, well minus ThunderClan, the clans were here peacfully. The thought made him smile a little bit. He returned his attention to the other cats he was talking with "This is so amazing isn't it?" he said.
[/glow]
Foxfur just sat for a moment after the story was finnished being told. He was soaking in and processing the information. So the kits played a game and it got out of hand, that wasn't to bad. The problem was that they got hurt. "Why did the game get out of hand?" he asked. He needed more information before really getting mad.

The other problem was that Ravenstar had been involved; That wasn't good at all. There was already enough trouble with the fact that he and Rivermist had mated. Foxfur imagined that if he had been there Sandkit would definatly be sorry for causing problems. Wether it was her fault or not.

(OOC:// Sandkit IS a her right? <<)

[:c a i:]

"No, I haven't been for a while." Robinwing replied, glancing at Gingertail. "Actually... I don't think I've ever been to a Gathering with you, so that would probably be why we didn't know we both knew Doveclaw and Thrushtail." She grinned, before following her friend's gaze until her own settled on Darkfoot and Mistflower. She drew in a breath and smiled. "Ohhhh..." She breathed out. "They look so cute and peaceful. You don't think...?" She didn't finish her sentence, because a new, unfamiliar voice interrupted her and Gingertail's conversation. She glanced behind them and took in the appearance of a dusky brown tom, most definitely ShadowClan. She raised her eyebrows before turning to whisper to Gingertail.

"Talk about a dashing someone..." She murmured into her ear, making sure the tom couldn't hear. No, she definitely wouldn't let him know what she'd just said. In fact, she thought she would have a bit of fun here. If he wanted to accompany her and Gingertail, then she'd make him work for it, she thought with a small smile. "Do you mind? We're having a private conversation here." She meowed smoothly, a flirtatious tone to her voice. She was testing him, seeing what sort of a cat he was. He'd caught her attention by his bold approach, but she acted indifferent, pretending she was too busy for him. He would have to do something impressive to earn the right to hang around with her, she thought, fighting the urge to giggle. It was just harmless fun, after all this tom was ShadowClan. She turned back to Gingertail, keeping one eye on the tom, winking at her friend with the other.

"Me too." Mistflower murmured her reply, subconsciously leaning into Darkfoot as she surveyed the area, blissfully unaware of anyone else's conversation. She vaguely took in a few familiar faces, but did not bother trying to think about who they were and when she had met them. "Feels like being an innocent kit." She smiled, thinking back to her game with Hollykit. "I was playing with Hollykit earlier." She told Darkfoot. "Made me think how nice it must be to be so young." That wasn't all it had made her think of. She'd also thought about how nice it would be to have kits of her own. But she wasn't going to bring that up, it was a little too daunting.

Dewleaf stared at Silverstripe, genuinely silenced now. He'd just brushed her off, completely ignored her and gone to talk to someone else. She was hurt. It wasn't her fault he was so grouchy tonight. Well fine, if he wanted to talk to Brackenpaw instead of her, then so be it! She'd talk to... To... She frowned, searching for someone she knew. Great. "Fine." She sniffed, tail lashing crossly as she jerked her head away from Silverstripe's tail. "Good luck with him, Brackenpaw, he's as much fun as a thorn in your paw tonight!" She meowed hotly, glancing at the apprentice. "See you when you've stopped being a spoilsport, Silverstripe." Then she realised with a wince that she'd gone and done it again. She hadn't even meant to, but she'd spoiled her friend's news. Oh well, hopefully Brackenpaw wouldn't notice... She decided to run away rather fast now, before Silverstripe could get any more annoyed with her. All in all, it hadn't been particularly successful tonight. "Wonderful." She sighed, looking for someone she knew. Or even someone she didn't know who looked friendly enough.

(I need someone for her to flirt with and make Silverstripe jealous. XD)

[Amber]

"I can't relax, it is physically impossible for me. Never in my life have I been relaxed, everything I have done I have struggled so that I could achieve, and if I relaxed nothing would get done. I'm not about to start now and throw everything I have worked for away, not while I can help it." Shrewfang hissed. She couldn't believe she had actually thought about letting her guard down for more than a second. How was it this one tom was able to somehow avoid the barrier she kept around herself, the barrier to ward off everything that could tempt her into relaxing. The brown she-cat let out a sigh as she just realized he was actually closer to her than she expected, not that she didn't mind, but this was different for her. Was this cat trying to get her to let down her guard? Maybe, but maybe it was worth it, maybe he was worth it. That would be something she would have to think about. When another tom approached them, she just nodded slightly, not exactly remembering who it was, Oakstorm could do the talking, after all he was the one spoken to.


Thornpaw was glad to see that the other apprentices in his Clan were so welcoming to him. He actually felt like he belonged in the Clan. He just nodded as Eclipsepaw mentioned names, knowing he probably wouldn't remember them too well. He just followed after the she-cat, knowing that when he returned whether mad or not Nightkit would want to hear everything. "I'm not quite sure. It's a lot* to take in. There are so many cats, and well it's not what I expected. But I think I like it." he mewed watching Graypaw for a moment. This was his first interaction with another cat outside of his Clan, this was quite exciting!


Ivypaw found herself next to Pebblepaw while traveling, and was now once again beside her. The other apprentice was her sister's best friend, but she was glad she was quiet. It was a relief from listening to Cloverpaw chattering away. Although, it did seem lonely without her sister. "I really wish Cloverpaw was here. She would know what to say." she muttered, half to herself, and half to Pebblepaw.

[Kitty]

"That explains that," Gingertail agreed. She was about to day something else, but then another cat, ShadowClan by his scent, came over. She gigled at her friend's "dashing commetn, and, catching Robinwing's wink, Gingertail decided to play along. "Yes? We are a little busy," she meowed in a fake, slightly annoyed voice. She hoped it sounded convincing.

She had to admit, though, that hte tom was a little handsome. For a ShowdowClan cat.

But then she noticed Doveclaw. She et out a little squee, and mewed, "Um, Robinwing, Doveclaw's here! I'm gonna go sit with her. You can come too, if you like!" She winked at her Clanmate and trotted away to the WindClan she-cat. She meowed a greeting as she sat down. "How's WindClan, Doveclaw?"

"Really? I haven't visited the nursery recently." Darkfoot mewed softly, warmly gazing down at Mistflower. Was that tone a little wistful, or was it just him? He blinked away the thought. There'd been really no reason to visit the nursery, he thought, getting his mind back on track. He wasn't particularly close to any of the queens. Maybe if Gingertail were to have kits...but he couldn't really imagine his slightly scatter-brained sister having kits. Although it wasn't an impossibility, and he knew she wanted them.

Would he like to have some kits of his own? This thought brought him up short. After just thinking for a few heartbeats, he remembered their conversation. "Everything was so easy as a kit. It was actually kinda nice, looking back on it."

[hedgie]

"This has nothing to do with the rest of my Clan,I promise."Crowpaw mewed, glancing at Ravenstar quickly.
He took a deep breath and steadies himself, he felt a bit shaky.

"My brother,Birchpaw, basically well, ran away from Windclan not too long ago. Mostly over an argument we had the night we both became apprentices. A few cats followed his scent, but stopped at the Riverclan border. It's as far as we went, and I'm desperat to find him. I won't make him come back if he daoesn't want to....but I'm taking this into my own paws."

Crowpaw paused.He'd said it all in practically one breath. "So....I was wondering if any of Riverclan caught his scent or saw even a glimpse of him. You don't have to...but if you want,could you ask around your Clan?I know it sounds kind of stupid to you,probably. But I'm hoping you may consider."

[. s p o r e l e t t ♪]

(( XD lol, Ravenstar's definitely thinking, "Don't tell them we lost one of our apprentices! Are you retarded?" D:< *strangles Crowpaw* ))

Batheart grinned winningly at the two she-cats when they turned to look at him, his amber eyes gleaming. The game was on. At the brown tabby's playful remark, he affected an apologetic expression. "I'm dreadfully sorry," he gasped, looking away as if embarrassed at committing such a grievous offense. With mischievous entreaty in his eyes, he glanced sidelong at the two RiverClan she-cats. "I certainly didn't mean to intrude, but I couldn't stay away. As soon as I spied you from across the clearing, I simply had to know your names." With disappointment, Batheart realized that the ginger tabby was leaving, and without even giving her name. He dipped his head courteously to her as she passed, but the motion also hid the fleeting smile that appeared on his lips. So, the other she-cat's name was Robinwing.

Doveclaw grinned devilishly when Gingertail spotted her and trotted cheerfully over. "Took you long enough to notice me," she snarked by way of greeting. "WindClan is the same as usual. It's flat, windy, swarming with rabbits, and utterly boring." Rolling her eyes, the tortoiseshell flicked her long, dark-flecked tail in Gingertail's direction. "How have the last few moons been treating you? You look well. Still as full of kit-like enthusiasm as ever, I see." Though her words might have been a bit cheeky, there wasn't any sting behind them. Her eyes sparkled as she reacquainted herself with one of her very best friends.

Strolling slowly through the clearing, Firepool looked idly around and thought that it had been close to a season since he had attended a gathering. Though he wasn't a disloyal cat, his general sneaky laziness tended to get him left at camp when the gathering patrol left. It had been a while since he had seen anyone from another Clan. Letting his sharp grey eyes roam, he gazed around the gathering in search of anyone he remembered. A movement at the corner of his eye attracted his gaze; was that Dewpaw? Well, that was something, at least. He thought he remembered the playful brown tabby from a few moons ago, at the last gathering he had attended. Making a quick decision, the lanky tom broke into a trot and quickly covered the ground between them. "Hey, Dewpaw, is that you?" he smiled easily, reaching her side and looking down at her with a lighthearted grin. "It sure has been a while. How have you been faring?"

[:c a i:]

Robinwing tried not to look alarmed when her friend sped off and left her alone with the ShadowClan tom. The last thing she wanted to look was uncomfortable. No, she had to look completely unaffected by his presence. Play it cool. Too bad her ears had just started burning. She pulled herself together mentally, thinking out her next move carefully, whilst maintaining a perfectly disinterested expression. She glanced at him, wondering why he suddenly looked so smug. She replayed Gingertail's words in her mind. "Um, Robinwing, Doveclaw's here..." She sighed, realising what it was. No need to tell him her name now, she thought, scowling as she realised she'd just lost the upper hand. "I'll come find you later!" She called after her friend, before turning to half-face the tom.

"Hm, well it seems you've scared her off." She meowed in an off-hand voice. "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to talk to strangers?" She licked her lips, a daring gleam in her eye. She wasn't usually so flirtatious, and especially not with cats she'd just met. But she couldn't help herself; the playful tone had attached itself to her voice somehow. "Well since you know my name now, you'd better tell me yours." Her best I-Don't-Really-Care face was on and she tried to look down her nose at the tom, but her size didn't allow it. Oh well. The meaning was there. This, she thought with a concealed smile, was a game which she wasn't going to lose.

What. A. Stroke. Of. Luck. A devious plan formed in Dewleaf's mind as she glanced briefly over her shoulder. Oh yes, this was perfect. She'd be in view of Silverstripe from here... "Oh, Firepool!" She smiled, eyes bright and innocent. "I'm Dewleaf now, actually." She corrected him with a cheeky grin. "But it's so nice to see you, Firepool!" She almost bellowed the last part, making sure Silverstripe wouldn't be able to miss it. "I've been great, things couldn't be better for me. Especially now I can catch up with you." She blinked up at him, a coy smile on her face. "But you're looking great, Firepool. You must be doing well yourself." This'll teach Silverstripe not to ignore me. She grumbled in her head. She knew Firepool would be just the cat to help her make Silverstripe realise exactly who he wanted to spend time with. And it wasn't Brackenpaw.

"Hmmm." Mistflower hummed in agreement. As a kit, she was... Probably not that different to how she was now. She let her brothers do all the tumbling around, whilst she watched, smiled and encouraged them. Which was what she did now, if she was honest. She wasn't that keen on being a hot-headed warrior with her claws unsheathed. She'd known for a while that she'd like to have kits of her own, it was just a problem of finding a tom she really, really loved. Glancing up, she'd noticed a couple of cats staring over at them, and she half smiled when she realised who it was.

"I think your sister was checking up on you." She chuckled, watching as Gingertail bounded over to another she-cat. "Hmm." Actually, she realised she was sitting rather close to Darkfoot. "She wouldn't... Jump to any conclusions, would she?" She turned her head to look up at him, not bothering to move any further away. She liked being settled against his side, and she wasn't planning on moving for a while.

Oakstorm sat, head to one side and momentarily silent. He thought over what Shrewfang said, thinking about his next words carefully. In the end, he shook his head, smiled slightly and looked her in the eyes. "Relax around me." He said simply. "I won't judge, I won't run away, I won't insult you. It's time you started to enjoy life and really live it, instead of just surviving." And then the moment was effectively ruined when Shellclaw approached. Great He thought with a sigh. And I was just getting somewhere with her. With a covered-up sigh, he glanced at the RiverClan warrior who had approached them. "Hello, Shellclaw. ShadowClan is well thank you." He glanced at Shrewfang, wondering what he was supposed to say.

[Kitty]

Darkfoot followed Mistflower's gaze to Gingertail and Robinwing and watched his sister bound away to sit with a cat he thought belonged to WindClan. "She always jumps to conclusions," he meowed. Well, she usually did, and now was probably one of those times. This irritated him for some reason. Of course he and Mistflower were just friends! Weren't they? darkfoot wasn't sure anymore. He really liked Mistflower's company. He glanced down at the she-cat, to find she was looking up at him. He smiled, eyes warm.

"Oh, I hear you. riverClan is the most boring Clan ever!" The orange she-cat slumped onto her side over-dramatically. "Seriously, though, it's not the most fun place ever. Its wet, although I can't say I really care about that, and...yeah, that's it." She yawned. "So, Doveclaw, how's the past moon been?" she asked, pleased to be chatting with her friend again. Her green eyes were wide with warmth and pleasure."

[mikey]

Watching Crowpaw run off, Thrushtail cocked her head, feeling rather bad for the fluffy apprentice. She didn't really know the feeling of loosing someone close to you (she never really did like her brother and, when he passed on she felt no different as she always did) but, she assumed the black cat must have been suffering. Turning her head away from the direction the little tom had run off to and back to Russetfang, the dainty torbie let a large smile stretch across her face. "Of course! They always do like being the center of attention, don't they?" Her grin grew just a bit mote as she spoke, her large tail thumping against her paws as she spoke.

"I bet ol' Shadedstar's planning to bring in nearly all of ThunderClan's warriors, just to show off." Making a kitt-ish face at her own statement, the tiny warrior smile up at Russetfang, her ears swiveling to the left as Snaketail made his presence known once more.

Oooh, a story!

"Oh, tell us Snaketail!"[/color]

Nearly bouncing as she sat, Thrushtail listened intently to Snaketail, waiting for him to speak. Absently, as she waited, she heard Gingertail and Robinwing's voice but, reminded herself she could talk to them in a minute. She wanted to talk to Russetfang some more~[/size]

[☆ Y e l l o w ☆]

((Yes, Sandkit is a girl. xD))

Heathertail thought for a few seconds, trying to see if she could remember any more of the story. To her, she didn't think it mattered why the game got out of hand. It was a game after all, and it wasn't too hard for them to get out of control. Though, she didn't know what it was like to be a parent, and Foxfur was probably concerned about things she didn't understand. Either way, she just wanted to tell him what happened.

"I'm not sure," She replied. "All I know is that apparently Sandkit just leapt at Voiletkit and they had to be pulled apart." Her yellow eyes widened as she remembered that detail. What else had she forgotten?

"Oh, hi, Gingertail." Heathertail's attention jumped to the RiverClan she-cat as she came over. She smiled, wondering whether or not Gingertail just wanted to talk with Doveclaw or with her too. It didn't matter to her.

Birchpaw? She certainly had never heard that name before. Willowstar didn't think there was much chance he was seen on RiverClan territory. An apprentice wouldn't have been stealthy enough to avoid detection by patrols. No, if a cat had run away from his Clan, he would stay far away from any of the other Clans so he wouldn't be found. The leader wondered why the apprentice had run away in the first place.

"I'm afraid not. My patrols haven't scented any WindClan scent past our border recently." She shot a questioning glance at Ravenstar. He hadn't said anything about an apprentice missing. Of course he wouldn't have. Willowstar still felt victorious at this tidbit of information received from this apprentice.

"But, perhaps someone has seen him, yes. Maybe we'll make an announcement once the Gathering starts, hmm, Ravenstar?" The smugness in her voice was not masked; she twitched her mouth into a smile and looked at Ravenstar again.

Silverstripe froze before he reached Brackenpaw. She wasn't coming with him? The annoyance at her saying his warrior name wasn't as bad as when he realized she was going off without him. Fine, I'm mad at her anyways. He turned his back on her to look for Brackenpaw again when suddenly he heard her loud voice again. Too tempted to see what it was. he turned his head around for a brief moment. What he saw filled him with such shock that he almost couldn't believe it. His striped fur started to bristle and his eyes filled with anger as quickly as his heart sunk with disbelief. She was talking with a WindClan tom? She was doing it on purpose, he knew it. What in the world did she think she was doing? Trying to make him more mad? Well, she did it, Silverstripe thought as he tore his gaze away from them.

Nearby, he saw a group of apprentices, mostly RiverClan and ShadowClan cats. Maybe he should go over with them; just because he was a warrior didn't mean he couldn't hang out with them. A plan formed in his mind as he strolled over to them. Dewleaf may have some WindClan cat but he could get her back with the next best thing. Silverstripe smiled at the one ShadowClan apprentice he assumed was a new one, and glanced at the other cats before he finally landed on one certain cat. "Hi guys, mind if I join you? Rainpaw certainly wouldn't mind, I hope."

((XD))

[. s p o r e l e t t ♪]

Batheart turned his attention back to Robinwing and smiled politely at her, enjoying himself despite her deliberately cool words. This RiverClan cat was delightful conversation as well as beautiful to look at. "Perhaps she was overcome by my charm," he offered, and added with a wink, "besides, what my mother doesn't know won't hurt her." Looking at the slender she-cat with an appreciative eye, Batheart's ears perked up at her offhanded question. Amber eyes shining, he dipped his head and waved his tail in an exaggerated flourish. "Where are my manners? I am none other than Batheart, loyal and courageous warrior of ShadowClan. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance, Robinwing. You have a beautiful name, but let me assure you that it isn't half as lovely as you are."

Doveclaw snorted at Gingertail's reply. "RiverClan life being dull as well, hmm? That's not terribly surprising. I always thought that Greenleaf was the slowest time of the year." Looking around the gathering, the gave a short sigh. Speaking of slow, ThunderClan was taking its sweet time showing up. With an offhanded shrug, she returned her light blue gaze to Gingertail. Oh well, at least she had someone to converse with until all the leaders got together and started the meeting. Returning to the conversation at hand, she thought for a moment about the question addressed to her. "Well, we've got a new medicine apprentice," she said thoughtfully. "That's about the most interesting thing that's happened. Russetfang accepted Crowpaw as his apprentice not long after the last gathering, actually. Oh, and the camp is overrun with more kits than I care to count, but that's never been an odd thing. They always seem to be underfoot."

Firepool looked delightedly at Dewleaf as she eagerly started a conversation with him. It didn't escape his notice that she was being much louder than usual, even for her, but he didn't comment. He didn't mind if he was being used as a prop. He genuinely liked Dewleaf, and was delighted to have fun with her while she was willing. And he did hope that he would be able to help her resolve her quarrel with Silverpaw. He knew how close they were. "That's wonderful, Dewleaf," he said exuberantly, not bothering to keep his voice down. "I've been doing well, thank you for asking. And you look like you've been taking care of yourself. It's a relief that I don't have to worry about your safety when we're apart."

Rainpaw, situated contently between a pawful of toms, was feeling completely at ease. Of course she did like meeting new she-cats too, but there was nothing quite like a tom to have a little fun with. And, speaking of toms, here was another, come to enjoy her delightful company. "Silverstripe!" she mewed joyfully. Bouncing energetically, she waved her tail at the silver tom, beckoning him to join the group. "Come meet the new ShadowClan apprentice, Silverstripe! His name is Thornpaw!" With unfailing cheerfulness, the fluffy blue tabby called her invitation with zero subtlety. She was just pleased that Silverstripe had decided to join them. After all, the tom had been sharing the apprentice den with her until recently. He was still good fun, even though he was a warrior now.

Watching Crowpaw suspiciously as he spoke to Willowstar, the WindClan leader stifled a growl of fury at the apprentice's naive question. He felt like screaming at the young cat for his incompetence, but he remained outwardly calm as the RiverClan leader replied. There was nothing he could do now. He would deal with Crowpaw later. "That's a good idea, Willowstar," Ravenstar meowed smoothly. "I'll be sure to mention it once it is my turn to speak." There was nothing else he could do. That blundering, foolishly sentimental apprentice of Russetfang's had left him no choice. Narrowing his green eyes speculatively, the black tom wondered why the medicine cat was not keeping a better eye on his apprentice. He should pay more attention to his own Clan. Being a medicine cat did not mean that you could be allowed to forget where your loyalties lay.

[:c a i:]

Robinwing gave a snort. "I don't think so, because for Gingertail to be overcome by your charm, you'd have to actually have some." She smirked. "You know what they say, Batheart, if you want to find out how a tom will treat his mate, you look at how he treats his mother. Is that any way to speak of her?" That's it, Robinwing... Back on track. She was glowing inside, for this conversation was growing ever the more interesting.

"The pleasure's... All yours." She meowed, smiling what she hoped was a flirty yet indifferent smile. Despite what she said, this tom had caught her attention. He was amusing and brimming with confidence. Not to mention not bad looking. Not that she was looking, or anything. "Now, where did Gingertail get to..." She turned away, as if she were about to leave, just to see what Batherat would do. She watched him from the corner of her eye, hoping that he would stop her leaving. They could have some fun tonight.

"Rainpaw? Who in StarClan is Rainpaw?" Dewleaf muttered furiously. If any stupid apprentice got their slimy paws on Silverstripe, then she'd... She'd what? Why should she care what happened to Silverstripe? It was him who was acting like a spoiled kit. Firepool was much more mature. And charming. "Oh, but I like it when you worry about me." She replied sweetly to the tom, turning her back on Silverstripe and his silly little apprentice gang. "What a shame it is we have to be apart so much. We get on so well, don't we, Firepool?" There was absolutely no way Silverstripe wouldn't notice that. She'd practically yelled it at the top of her voice. She smiled smugly, until she glanced up at Firepool and then felt very guilty for what she was doing. She was being rather mean, using poor old Firepool to get back at Silverstripe. Though she knew he would probably help her out if she asked... Hm. Yes, that would be a better idea. She let out a sigh. "Oh, I'm sorry, Firepool." She whispered, not wanting to risk Silverstripe overhearing. She leant forwards to whisper in his ear. "Can you help me? Silverstripe's being an idiot and chasing after that silly apprentice. Why can't he just get over himself?" She drew back, lashing her tail crossly and hoping Firepool wouldn't mind putting on a show with her, just to get Silverstripe back. "Rainpaw. What does he see in Rainpaw?"

(I'll do Mistflower tomorrow, I have to go.)

(Blah... Mistflower is in a new post.)

[hedgie]

//I love Crowpaw...Family first,think about how stupid you were later.XD
//"Well,Alright then."He sighed, obviously dissapointed. He shot a glance at Ravenstar, barely realzing he'd made a mistake. He'd pay for it later, he thought, and pushed the feeling away. 'Sorry' he mouthed to his leader before slowly padding back over to Russetfang. He stood a little bit away from his mentor.unwilling to interrupt the conversation.Maybe it'd be a good idea talk to some other apprentices.

But that naging quetion popped into his skull again, slight worry gnawing at him. Who should he talk to, and how to go about it? Oh if only he'd been born a bit more social. It would make things so much easier.There was a group of apprentices nearby, made up if Riveclan and Shadowclan. With a nervous smirk, he padded over. Why not throw some good old Windclan into the mix? He mde it to the rest,replacing the smirk with a calm smile. "Mind if I join in?"he purred happily. "I'm Crowpaw...Windclan medicine cat apprentice." He added quickly, glancing around the group.