(1.59) The First Gathering
Antstride found himself following in the footsteps of his mother, Honeypurr, as the cats made their way toward the meeting-place. At first, he was surprised that Lightstar wasn't the one in front. But Honeypurr reassured him that she knew exactly where they were going; she had spotted this place on the way to the Far Greenhouse, and since she'd already been this way, she could safely lead everyone. Of course, Antstride had never doubted his mother's abilities. By far, she was one of the strongest cats he knew, even if she didn't always look the part.
His mother had seemed leery on the idea of coming here, and now that they had arrived, he could see why. The whole place screamed "twolegs", caged and full of long-worn paths, smooth-cut stones, and structures that had fallen to ruin. They had clearly been well-used in their time... He couldn't imagine why the twolegs would let such a place fall into disrepair. but then again, why do twolegs do anything? They were beyond any cat's understanding. And, after the incident with Sunkit, they were certainly not to be trusted.
Speaking of creatures that weren't to be trusted...
Antstride could soon see some figures in the distance, crowded near a platform and a pile of stones. He had expected their mystery host to be alone, but there were four cats among them, matching their own patrol evenly. One of them was far more recognizable than the rest, and it made the warrior's chest flutter with excitement.
"Mousetail!" He called, bounding forward to meet his sister. She had been gone since the beginning of the season, with no scent trail to speak of. Now, she smelled of den, of dirt, and of fungus... but she was undeniably his sister. "You kept your promise!"
But the response he got was stiff, anxious, and not at all like the warmhearted sister he knew.
"Shh," She hushed quickly, flicking her tail. "I'm not here to visit. This is business. Keep your head on straight, and... and try not to stare."
Try not to stare? At his confused brow-furrow, his sister gestured with her tail back toward where he'd come from... back toward Lightstar, and toward Mousetail's companions, whom he quickly realized were also familiar to him.
"No wonder you sent a messenger!" Lightstar spat, with fur bristled and anguish in her eyes. "I wouldn't have come if I'd known it was YOU. Skunktooth, how dare you show your face in front of me!"
Skunktooth... His father. Exiled when he was a kit, after accidentally killing a clanmate in self-defense. Antstride had known Mousetail left LightClan to live with him, but he didn't know he'd be here tonight. It was the first time Antstride had seen Skunktooth since he was a kit, and... he still didn't know how he felt about the whole thing. When Stormflower first suggested meeting with him, he had refused. It felt like he was doing something wrong by even being in his presence, even here, on neutral ground.
But there was something different about him. The way he didn't cower in front of Lightstar, like he had moons ago... he stood tall. Like a real warrior.
"I'm not the one who wanted to talk to you," He responded plainly, looking away. "It was Stormflower's idea."
Wait, Stormflower was here too? Just how many of these cats did Antstride know? Mousetail, Skunktooth, Stormflower- oh, that fourth cat is a stranger. A loosely familiar-looking stranger, but maybe that was just the lighting. They'd certainly never met before.
Stormflower brushed her tail against Skunktooth's side, then stepped up to face Lightstar. "My friend, we should not fight. Not tonight. I believe you know why."
Lightstar stiffened, then glanced upward. Antstride followed her gaze... up at the stars and the moon, which cast its greenish glow over them all. He knew the full moon was important, especially when it came to StarClan... but he had no idea what Stormflower meant.
"Of course I do," Lightstar sighed finally... turning and leaping up onto one of the smooth-cut stones that lay on the twoleg structure. "I see what game you're playing... and I'll play along."
"Excellent!" With a small signal, Stormflower leapt up onto another stone, followed by Skunktooth. "With that, let us begin. Welcome, warriors of LightClan and StoneClan, to our first official Gathering."
Antstride cast Mousetail a look, but she didn't meet his eyes. StoneClan? What was going on here?
LightClan has discovered a new location: The Flooded Quarry Camp.
The full-moon patrol arrives at the Flooded Quarry and is met by Mousetail, Skunktooth, Stormflower, and a former-kittypet named Otis.
Stormflower announces that she and Skunktooth have worked together to form a new clan called StoneClan. The LightClan cats aren't sure how to feel about this.
Lightstar is especially shaken by this news, but she doesn't dare to protest under the full-moon truce.
The two clans (reluctantly?) agree to start meeting under the full moon like proper clans do.
