Post by Xx.Blackness.xX on Sept 1, 2011 21:32:58 GMT -5
And Dawn Rose...<br><br>
A yowl pierced the clearing and all eyes raised in surprise. All talk and movement stopped as if frozen, as the cats looked up as a light ginger tom leaped to the top of the meteor. He looked down with flashing eyes and flicked his tail impatiently. Murmurs flew across the clearing as protests and meows of shock coursed through the Clans. "What is he doing?" "Why is he starting the gathering so early?" "DuskClan hasn't even arrived yet!" but the other three leaders quickly scrambled up in bewilderment and stood behind him waiting. <br><br>
He raised his voice to a yowl, as it echoed throughout the crater. "StormClan is in the middle of a troublesome time" he proclaimed. "Never before have the two-legs ventured so far into our territory from their great smoking nest. They come with monsters that put all others to shame, screaming and tearing up the earth, sending great trees toppling to the ground. They scare prey far off, and leave destruction in their wake. StormClan is finding less and less prey." He paused to let this sink in, taking in all the shocked faces below him. "I have come to ask; no, demand that a portion of each Clan's prey is to be spared to StormClan for now until the monsters leave and the prey comes back" he said, raising his head high and holding a steady and challenging look as caterwauls of outrage broke out through the crater. <br><br>
A light redish brown tabby stood, her lighter green eyes taking in his narrow frame, now understanding the ribs she could see through his carefully groomed pelt, as he gazed at her daring her to challenge it. "Sharpstar, we are all shocked at this news, and you must accept our deepest sympathy for StormClan, but we can not simply hand you our prey! Most of us have barely enough to survive by anyways, without giving a portion of our already meager rations to StormClan." she said, looking at him steadily.<br><br>
Sharpstar hissed lightly, turning to her and the other leaders, his fur bristling and eyes flashing. "I will not let my Clan starve Sparrowstar." he hissed through bared teeth.<br><br>
Sparrowstar shook her head. "I know. But you can not speak like this. There must be some other-" she was cut off by Sharpstar-<br><br>
"There is no other way!" he hissed, lashing his tail and standing tall. A light gray she-cat with darker flecks turned her fern-green gaze to his face.<br><br>
"Calm yourself" she said, watching a cloud pass the moon. "StormClan has faced more difficult times" she said practically. "It shall be fine now. There is no reason to go demanding prey and threatening the other Clans. Sparrowstar is right. I don't know how CloudClan somehow gets by on our rabbits and field mice, let alone how FireClan survives on what they find in that desert of theirs."<br><br>
Sparrowstar nodded greatfully. "It's true. We don't have much to give. I'm not quite sure how StormClan would like eating lizards and deer mice and the occasional coyote and roadrunner" she said with a shrug. <br><br>
"I understand that" Sharpstar said slowly. "But how is StormClan to survive on nothing?"<br><br>
At this a long coated gray tom with white stomach, paws, tail tip, and a white muzzle and blaze stood, his light blue eyes narrowed. "You can't possibly have nothing Sharpstar." he said.<br><br>
"No Hailstar." replied Sharpstar. "We have some, but not nearly enough to support us." he said quietly.<br><br>
Hailstar shook his head. "None of us have enough to spare though." he mrowed regretfully.<br><br>
Then Sharpstar looked up with a glint in his eyes. "Maybe not CloudClan, or FireClan, or IceClan... But maybe DuskClan." he said, looking at each of them in turn. Gorsestar's eyes widened, Sparrowstar's eyes narrowed, and Hailstar shook his head. "DuskClan has done nothing to us" he said.<br><br>
"Yes," replied Sharpstar. "But each of you knows DuskClan has plenty of prey. They practically hand it out. They've grown sleek and fat while my Clan starves." he hissed lightly. "They must share it. Or better yet," he paused. "We take it." Here he stopped to yowls of anger breaking out across the clearing. Sparrowstar narrowed her light green eyes even more.<br><br>
"DuskClan has been blessed by StarClan, not stolen or cheated us somehow. We should not be angry with them just for their luck." she said. Gorsestar shook her head.<br><br>
"DuskClan is a strong Clan, and we have no quarrel with them."
Hailstar sat not saying a word.
Sharpstar turned his head back to the assembled cats. "DuskClan has plenty of prey." he yowled. "StormClan, if we have to, we will fight for our lives. Even if it isn't DuskClan we're fighting." he said, glancing back with narrowed eyes at the other three leaders. And just as another cloud began to cover the moon, more yowls broke out, but not in anger this time.<br><br>
"Look!" called some, all eyes now turning to the tunnels. "DuskClan is coming!" they called. And with that, the first cats poured into the clearing. <br><br>
A score of cats raced into the clearing, melting into the crowd with warm purrs and welcoming meows. Only StormClan seemed to treat them a bit strangely. A sleek black she-cat looked up with icy-blue eyes, gazing up at the cats on the meteor questioningly. "I assure you we were not planning on ditching." she mrowed amusedly, and with a powerful thrust jumped lithely through the air and landed beside the other leaders gracefully on the rock. She returned the nods with a question in her eyes. She stared at Sharpstar as he did not return the greeting. She looked him over thoughtfully. "Is everything alright Sharpstar?" she asked. He lashed his tail looking back at her.<br><br>
"StormClan is being threatened by two-legs" he murmured quietly. "I have asked the other Clans for a prey ration." he said. Her eyes widened slightly.<br><br>
"Can your land no longer support you Sharpstar?" she said quietly. "It can." he said lifting his head. "But most of our prey is being killed or driven off. My Clan is getting desperate." he murmured. Gorsestar turned to the black cat quietly.<br><br>
"The monsters are cutting down StormClan's forests Blackstar." she said. "And he said DuskClan has to much prey." Added Sparrowstar quietly, as Hailstar looked on unmoving.
Blackstar turned to Sharpstar questioningly. "Is this true?" she asked.<br><br>
"Yes." he nodded. "StormClan needs prey." he looked each leader in the eye in turn, making sure they knew he meant not only DuskClan. "And we will fight for it if we have to." he said. And with that, stood and jumped off the meteor, calling to his Clan with a yowl, and the thin StormClan cats quickly filtered out of the clearing and back into the tunnels. Hailstar turned to the others with a curt nod. "IceClan has no wish for war." he mrowed, and hopped off the rock leading his Clan away as well. Blackstar turned to the other two she-cats. "I suppose that just leaves us then." she said, and turned back to the clearing stepping up and quickly quieting the outraged mass.<br><br>
"DuskClan is doing well. We thank StarClan for all we have, and would never brag of it. We are sorry for StormClan, and wish them the best." "We have currently had five new kits, to Brambletalon and Petalstripe. Fawnkit, Berrykit, Whitekit, Daisykit, and Cloverkit. Sunkit is now a medicine cat apprentice to Morningberry, and has been accepted by StarClan." she stepped back with a nod to the cats chanting the names, and let Gorsestar step up.<br>
"CloudClan has two new kits, and three new warriors. Two of those warriors are here tonight." she said looking down warmly. "Fernkit and Runningkit were born to Windpelt and Ivorytail, and shall be their last kits. And the new warriors are Goldear, Bristlefur, and Dewclaw." she said stepping back with a smile to the names. Sparrowstar stepped up and stood.<br>
"FireClan has three new apprentices, one kit, and some news. Since we border StormClan very close to were the twolegs have been attacking, we know this to be true. We saw two StormClan warriors killed by one. ..." she paused a brief moment in respect, then continued in a brighter voice. "Rattlekit was born to Firetail and Rockfang. Our apprentices are Flamepaw, Sandpaw, and Tumblepaw." she stepped back as the chanting died down, and Blackstar stepped up. "The gathering is done" she called, and jumped down nimbly and spoke a few quick words with some cats before gathering her Clan. She stood for a moment, watching the sun rise, leaving red streaks like blood across the sky. She nodded stiffly to Sparrowstar, and quietly to Gorsestar, and padded back into the tunnels. <br><br>
The day was spent catching the rest of the Clan back at camp up in the news, hearing the anger course through the camp at StormClan's judgements, but pity as well. The day went fast, and soon the sun began to go down. <br><br>
"FireClan seems quite neutral." she murmured thoughtfully to the deputy. "And I believe CloudClan is with us. StormClan is giving every Clan the eye, and I think IceClan is leaning toward StormClan. <br>
She looked at the deputy. "Remind me never to be late again." she said. <br>
And Dusk Set...
A yowl pierced the clearing and all eyes raised in surprise. All talk and movement stopped as if frozen, as the cats looked up as a light ginger tom leaped to the top of the meteor. He looked down with flashing eyes and flicked his tail impatiently. Murmurs flew across the clearing as protests and meows of shock coursed through the Clans. "What is he doing?" "Why is he starting the gathering so early?" "DuskClan hasn't even arrived yet!" but the other three leaders quickly scrambled up in bewilderment and stood behind him waiting. <br><br>
He raised his voice to a yowl, as it echoed throughout the crater. "StormClan is in the middle of a troublesome time" he proclaimed. "Never before have the two-legs ventured so far into our territory from their great smoking nest. They come with monsters that put all others to shame, screaming and tearing up the earth, sending great trees toppling to the ground. They scare prey far off, and leave destruction in their wake. StormClan is finding less and less prey." He paused to let this sink in, taking in all the shocked faces below him. "I have come to ask; no, demand that a portion of each Clan's prey is to be spared to StormClan for now until the monsters leave and the prey comes back" he said, raising his head high and holding a steady and challenging look as caterwauls of outrage broke out through the crater. <br><br>
A light redish brown tabby stood, her lighter green eyes taking in his narrow frame, now understanding the ribs she could see through his carefully groomed pelt, as he gazed at her daring her to challenge it. "Sharpstar, we are all shocked at this news, and you must accept our deepest sympathy for StormClan, but we can not simply hand you our prey! Most of us have barely enough to survive by anyways, without giving a portion of our already meager rations to StormClan." she said, looking at him steadily.<br><br>
Sharpstar hissed lightly, turning to her and the other leaders, his fur bristling and eyes flashing. "I will not let my Clan starve Sparrowstar." he hissed through bared teeth.<br><br>
Sparrowstar shook her head. "I know. But you can not speak like this. There must be some other-" she was cut off by Sharpstar-<br><br>
"There is no other way!" he hissed, lashing his tail and standing tall. A light gray she-cat with darker flecks turned her fern-green gaze to his face.<br><br>
"Calm yourself" she said, watching a cloud pass the moon. "StormClan has faced more difficult times" she said practically. "It shall be fine now. There is no reason to go demanding prey and threatening the other Clans. Sparrowstar is right. I don't know how CloudClan somehow gets by on our rabbits and field mice, let alone how FireClan survives on what they find in that desert of theirs."<br><br>
Sparrowstar nodded greatfully. "It's true. We don't have much to give. I'm not quite sure how StormClan would like eating lizards and deer mice and the occasional coyote and roadrunner" she said with a shrug. <br><br>
"I understand that" Sharpstar said slowly. "But how is StormClan to survive on nothing?"<br><br>
At this a long coated gray tom with white stomach, paws, tail tip, and a white muzzle and blaze stood, his light blue eyes narrowed. "You can't possibly have nothing Sharpstar." he said.<br><br>
"No Hailstar." replied Sharpstar. "We have some, but not nearly enough to support us." he said quietly.<br><br>
Hailstar shook his head. "None of us have enough to spare though." he mrowed regretfully.<br><br>
Then Sharpstar looked up with a glint in his eyes. "Maybe not CloudClan, or FireClan, or IceClan... But maybe DuskClan." he said, looking at each of them in turn. Gorsestar's eyes widened, Sparrowstar's eyes narrowed, and Hailstar shook his head. "DuskClan has done nothing to us" he said.<br><br>
"Yes," replied Sharpstar. "But each of you knows DuskClan has plenty of prey. They practically hand it out. They've grown sleek and fat while my Clan starves." he hissed lightly. "They must share it. Or better yet," he paused. "We take it." Here he stopped to yowls of anger breaking out across the clearing. Sparrowstar narrowed her light green eyes even more.<br><br>
"DuskClan has been blessed by StarClan, not stolen or cheated us somehow. We should not be angry with them just for their luck." she said. Gorsestar shook her head.<br><br>
"DuskClan is a strong Clan, and we have no quarrel with them."
Hailstar sat not saying a word.
Sharpstar turned his head back to the assembled cats. "DuskClan has plenty of prey." he yowled. "StormClan, if we have to, we will fight for our lives. Even if it isn't DuskClan we're fighting." he said, glancing back with narrowed eyes at the other three leaders. And just as another cloud began to cover the moon, more yowls broke out, but not in anger this time.<br><br>
"Look!" called some, all eyes now turning to the tunnels. "DuskClan is coming!" they called. And with that, the first cats poured into the clearing. <br><br>
A score of cats raced into the clearing, melting into the crowd with warm purrs and welcoming meows. Only StormClan seemed to treat them a bit strangely. A sleek black she-cat looked up with icy-blue eyes, gazing up at the cats on the meteor questioningly. "I assure you we were not planning on ditching." she mrowed amusedly, and with a powerful thrust jumped lithely through the air and landed beside the other leaders gracefully on the rock. She returned the nods with a question in her eyes. She stared at Sharpstar as he did not return the greeting. She looked him over thoughtfully. "Is everything alright Sharpstar?" she asked. He lashed his tail looking back at her.<br><br>
"StormClan is being threatened by two-legs" he murmured quietly. "I have asked the other Clans for a prey ration." he said. Her eyes widened slightly.<br><br>
"Can your land no longer support you Sharpstar?" she said quietly. "It can." he said lifting his head. "But most of our prey is being killed or driven off. My Clan is getting desperate." he murmured. Gorsestar turned to the black cat quietly.<br><br>
"The monsters are cutting down StormClan's forests Blackstar." she said. "And he said DuskClan has to much prey." Added Sparrowstar quietly, as Hailstar looked on unmoving.
Blackstar turned to Sharpstar questioningly. "Is this true?" she asked.<br><br>
"Yes." he nodded. "StormClan needs prey." he looked each leader in the eye in turn, making sure they knew he meant not only DuskClan. "And we will fight for it if we have to." he said. And with that, stood and jumped off the meteor, calling to his Clan with a yowl, and the thin StormClan cats quickly filtered out of the clearing and back into the tunnels. Hailstar turned to the others with a curt nod. "IceClan has no wish for war." he mrowed, and hopped off the rock leading his Clan away as well. Blackstar turned to the other two she-cats. "I suppose that just leaves us then." she said, and turned back to the clearing stepping up and quickly quieting the outraged mass.<br><br>
"DuskClan is doing well. We thank StarClan for all we have, and would never brag of it. We are sorry for StormClan, and wish them the best." "We have currently had five new kits, to Brambletalon and Petalstripe. Fawnkit, Berrykit, Whitekit, Daisykit, and Cloverkit. Sunkit is now a medicine cat apprentice to Morningberry, and has been accepted by StarClan." she stepped back with a nod to the cats chanting the names, and let Gorsestar step up.<br>
"CloudClan has two new kits, and three new warriors. Two of those warriors are here tonight." she said looking down warmly. "Fernkit and Runningkit were born to Windpelt and Ivorytail, and shall be their last kits. And the new warriors are Goldear, Bristlefur, and Dewclaw." she said stepping back with a smile to the names. Sparrowstar stepped up and stood.<br>
"FireClan has three new apprentices, one kit, and some news. Since we border StormClan very close to were the twolegs have been attacking, we know this to be true. We saw two StormClan warriors killed by one. ..." she paused a brief moment in respect, then continued in a brighter voice. "Rattlekit was born to Firetail and Rockfang. Our apprentices are Flamepaw, Sandpaw, and Tumblepaw." she stepped back as the chanting died down, and Blackstar stepped up. "The gathering is done" she called, and jumped down nimbly and spoke a few quick words with some cats before gathering her Clan. She stood for a moment, watching the sun rise, leaving red streaks like blood across the sky. She nodded stiffly to Sparrowstar, and quietly to Gorsestar, and padded back into the tunnels. <br><br>
The day was spent catching the rest of the Clan back at camp up in the news, hearing the anger course through the camp at StormClan's judgements, but pity as well. The day went fast, and soon the sun began to go down. <br><br>
"FireClan seems quite neutral." she murmured thoughtfully to the deputy. "And I believe CloudClan is with us. StormClan is giving every Clan the eye, and I think IceClan is leaning toward StormClan. <br>
She looked at the deputy. "Remind me never to be late again." she said. <br>
And Dusk Set...