The Gathering... (WiC)

Smoketail, WindClan's deputy, padded into the camp. At first he didn't believe his eyes. The camp was shattered. Warriors and queens ran about, screaming in terror as they frantically searched for all the kits. The kits who would need mentors soon. That is, if they made it to their new home alive.

The dens, most of them, at least, were collapsed. The warrior's den was one of the only one's left standing, though it didn't look stable. The nursery, medicine den, and apprentice's den had all been reduced to rubble.

He almost wanted to look away, to hide like a kit behind his mother after being scolded by a warrior. But he couldn't let the Clan see him as weak. In a few bounds, the smoky gray tom had leaped up to the top of the Meeting Place (Forgot the name. Don't criticize me over it. >>) to survey the camp.

At least we don't have trees in out territory... All the other Clans probably have it worse than we do. Fear raced through him. What if, on the way back to their respective Clans, the other leaders had been killed by a falling tree? Or fallen into a crevice, like the one that had opened up at the Gathering Place? It's none of your concern right now. Focus on WindClan! he thought harshly, moving his blue gaze over the Clan.

"WindClan!" he yowled. "Gather here beneath the Meeting Place!" While he issued these orders, his eyes quickly found Duskshadow. If Smoketail ever became leader, he was going to look to the other warrior for guidance. He might even be WindClan's future deputy. "Duskshadow. Please scout the camp. Make sure everyone's here." he mewed. Then he turned to Nightfeather, the tom with the twisted hind leg. "Nightfeather, please take an apprentice with you and survey the freshkill pile. See how much food we have left."

He meowed the orders calmly, his voice smooth and emotionless. Amidst all this chaos, when, before, he'd found himself to be near the point of panicking, when he issued the orders he felt an eerie sense of calm. He flicked his tail in dismissal to the two warriors, turning back to the Clan. He was going to wait for them to return before speaking. He didn't want to repeat himself.

Duskshadow was relieved as Smoketail returned to the camp, unscathed and looking a little shaken but nontheless, healthy. It would have been disastrous if the deputy would have died and, not being a leader with nine lives, had never come back. The black tom had also come out of the earthquake with little to no damage; a scrape here, a small bruise there. The camp was shattered however, and took the blows of the shaking terribly. Nearly everything was destroyed. He took Smoketail's order with a simple nod of the head. The smoky-colored deputy was one of the only cats he actually begrudgingly respected. Where was Wolfstar? Oh, it didn't really matter. Duskshadow quickly began weaving between cats, silently going through his mind the warriors, apprentices, and so on. When a cat was injured he grunted at them to go see Pinepaw. No sympathy from him.

OOC: Btw... Braveheart died. Spiderfang's old mentor. He was an elder and I haven't RPed him in a century, soo.... Yeah.

Smoketail nodded to the black warrior, happy that he obeyed him. He wasn't going to force anyone to take orders.

Meanwhile, in the elder's den, a limp bundle of brown-and-white tabby fur lay. It was the broken body of Braveheart, the Clan's only elder. He'd been trapped inside the den during the earthquake, and though the sturdy structure had not collapsed, a part of the roof had fallen, crushing the helpless tom.

Goldenstorm was about to come under the Meeting place, but he was too busy with the kits. WindClan's future needed tending to, the meeting would have to wait.

Pinepaw trodded out of the Medicine den with his head low. So many injured cats from the earthquake. Day in and day out he was healing cats. It was a tough chore with the limited herbs he had. His voice was hoarse from mewing all the time. He gazed up at the deputy, Smoketail, waiting for the meeting to begin.

Watertail walked out of the warriors den, stretching out his tired bones. His old age was catching up to him, after over uncountable moons. He sat beside Pinepaw, and followed his gaze to the place where Smoketail addressed the clan.

Silverfang's eyes widened. He stared up at Smoketail, noticing the deputy's anxiousness. "Is something wrong Smoketail?"

Smoketail took a deep breath. Oh well. Duskshadow and Nightfeather would hear it. They weren't far off. "Yes, Silverfang." he mewed. In a louder voice, he said, "Cats of WindClan, the Gathering Place has been destroyed by the earthquake." He waited a moment, hearing no howls of protest of screams of terror. Only a shocked silence reached his ears. "Just before the quake hit, Silverstar made an announcement. She announced that Leopardstrike, the cat who journeyed with Dewshine not long ago, confided to her that we must leave our home. I have though long and hard about this, and I have decided that WindClan will travel with ThunderClan to the new home in one quarter moon. If any cat thinks otherwise, speak now."

Fernbreeze padded over to her mate, her face was pale and her legs shaky. "Smoketail," She mewed shakily. "Smoketail I must tell you something," She sat down to avoid collapsing.

The gray tom immediately looked at the she-cat. "Yes, Fernbreeze?" His voice was calm and yet edged with softness.

"I'm having kits..." Fernbreeze mewed, still shaking. Her eyes were wide with uncertainty.

ooc: lol. just straigth forward. "I'm having kits." xD

ic: Berrykit, Skimbleshanks and Liontail stood there and could say nothing. Leaving there home? How are they going to do that with hurt kits and elder and so on? And where to?

Smoketail's eyes widened. Maybe they shouldn't leave... But... He looked over at the she-cat, remembering once before when she was bright and full of health. Now she looked like a fragile shell of that cat. She needed food, badly. "When did you find out?" he murmured in a low voice, trying to keep it calm so he wouldn't scare his Clanmates.

Pinepaw was shocked at this news. He debated the pros and cons in his head for a few minutes. After a while, he concluded that it was a good idea. "I support this" He mewed loudly, "we have pitiful amounts of herbs, and the plants have been destroyed. If we stay here longer, the sick cats will remain sick" After finishing his supporting statement, Pinepaw sat down again.

The deputy nodded at the medicine cat apprentice. "Then we will leave with ThunderClan in one quarter-moon. I am going to lessen border patrols for now and double hunting patrols. We will need all of our strength to move!" His voice raised to that of an encouraging howl. Then he looked back down at the warriors, pride gleaming in his eyes. "Goldenstorm, gather two warriors and an apprentice and head towards the ShadowClan border to hunt. All other patrols resume as scheduled." Smoketail looked over at Pinepaw. "Pinepaw, can you take another apprentice with you to gather traveling herbs?"

Mintleaf stood up and looked at Smoketail. "You have my full support!" she declared strongly. She looked at Goldenstorm and asked, "You mind if I come with the hunting patrol?" She was in full health apart from a few minor scratches, nothing big, so she wanted to help the Clan to the best of her ability.

Goldenstorm heard the deputy from inside the Medicine Den. He leaned out and replied, "Yes Smoketail. I'll get the best hunters." Pinepaw would have to deal with the young ones. He left and looked around, he sat below the Gathering Place and began to call out names. "Mintleaf, Badgerclaw, Vixenstep, Watertail, and Liontail." he smiled and at Mintleaf, organizing the patrol so that he could be with his friends.

Pantherfin padded to the clearing, the ground was all shaken up, well, so were the cats. Things had been bad lately and he could see something like this coming. At the gathering Sliverstar had mentioned leaving. Pantherfin couldn't figure out why some had been against the idea. This weather was wearing down everything an everyone. They needed to leave. He murmured his agreement and like the calm and quiet tom he was he waited for someone to confront him. Maybe someone would ask the him to help re-pair or go hunting, or go on a patrol of some sort.


Azurepaw looked up at Smoketail, her wide aqua blue eyes even wider. They were going to just pick up and leave? Shouldn't they give themselves more time to prepare for the up coming event? [i]I'm only an apprentice, they could care less. [/i She decided to drop that and continue listening to the speech.

Poppypaw gazed up at the meeting stone[?], her pelt rubbed against her sisters, Azurepaw. Ever since the earthquake her father, Pantherfin, had been crazy going around checking on their mother, Halostep. He wasn't as calm as he usually was but he some how manage to keep from talking to his clan-mates. She wondered how her father could last so long with out meowing a word. Hmm. "I'll help you Pinepaw." she mewed as she heard the tom call out.

Fieldpaw sat in the centre of the clearing, his thought pilling in his head. Would Dewshine be able to remember where she was going, she was getting older by the day. What if this and What if that. Everything was racing through his head. "I can help with something." he meowed out to no one in particular. The young tom didn't want to seem to nervous so he stood up, along with the others and listened to all of their mumbles.

Pinepaw shook his head solemnly, " You can help me Fieldpaw, but we wont find much" He told the deupty and the apprentice, "I've scoured our territory, and came up with scraps. I'll check to see if any of the plants have grown, though" He finished, starting to walk out of the camp with his head low.

Watertail nodded as Goldenstorm said his name. It might be his last patrol. "We leave now?" He asked in his slow and calm voice.

Goldenstorm nodded solemnly, "As soon as we've gathered everyone. Do we know where Vixenstep and Badgerclaw went?" he questioned?

As if to answer him, the long-haired brown tom skidded up to his friend. He was gasping for air, "I heard Smoketail yowl, is anything wrong?"

Goldenstorm answered Badgerclaw, "No, nothings wrong old friend, we're just going hunting." he looked around to see where Mintleaf and Vixenstep went to.

The golden and black spotted she-cat arched her back and streched her legs. She padded over to Goldenstorm and wondered, "I wonder if we'll catch anything." The earthquake may have been the final straw in leaving but shortage of food was a big cause. Mintleaf twitched one of her ears as they waited for Vixenstep to show up.

"We have to." Goldenstorm meowed gravely, looking in the crowd for his friend Vixenstep. He turned to Badgerclaw, "Can you smell her?"

The brown tom used his great nose and scented the air, his nostrils scanning the area. "Yeah, she's here."

Vixenstep scurried out from the crowd, mewing in irritation as some random cat stepped on her tail. Her pelt was slicked to her sides; it was tough getting through the jostling crowd of cats. "Coming, Goldenstorm," she called, bounding over to them. She twitched her ears; all of them had become warriors at the exact same time. They'd maintained a close friendship throughout their warrior-hood.

The warrior stifled a great grin, "Right, let's go." he mewed gruffly, padding forward to the lead his patrol out of camp.




ooc: SOMEONE MAKE A THREAD!!