Pudgepaw bounced into camp with her jaws clasped tightly around her mouse and head held high. Her first kill - and nobody had to help her with it, either. She felt like her heart could sing as she made her way over to the kill pile and deposited her mouse, practically vibrating her entire body with the force of her purr.
How could this night get any better? Well...it was about too. She nearly jumped out of her fur when Mintstar said her name. She meowed loudly. "Me!? YES! I've never been to a gathering before!" She scurried over to Tigerblazes' side, threading her way in between his legs and nearly threatening to topple the bigger tom over. "What's it like, at the Gathering? Is it far? Are we going now?"
Owlmask's head whipped up when he heard his name, eyes widening and appearing quite huge against the dark rings, giving true credence to the meaning behind his name.
"M-me?" He asked. Maybe they wanted him because he was biggish. He shook his head, however. "Well...i..if your sure, Mintstar. I'll come along."
Whipping his long tail around his legs, he got up and stretched. Truth be told, he wasn't exactly looking forward to running into cats from other clans.
She glanced over at the happy apprentice, it seemed she was almost bursting with excitement. Owlmask seemed...insecure. She had decided to invite him because he rarely traveled to the gatherings. Minstar looked up at the sky "Mhm." She commented, the moon was beginning to rise. "Tigerblaze, Pudgepaw, Owlmask. Let's go." The gray she-cat said calmly as she began to walk to the camp entrance, she glances backwards to see if they followed. She continued forward until she exited camp, walking in the direction of the Brightrock.
He chuckled at Pudgepaw's enthusiasm, and nodded. "Yes, Pudgepaw, we're going now. And, I have what I think is a good route for us to go, too." He followed after Mintstar, hoping the others would decide to go to Tangletree on their way south.
The tom chuckled at Pudgepaw's excitement. She had all but forgot about him. The tom watched as the group began to leave for the gathering and he looked around. Who remained in Nestclan?
Patchpelt found a place to rest and he watched the camp as he considered what to do with his time. He would remain in camp so he could walk home with Pudgepaw after the gathering, but that didn't mean he had to stay in camp until then. Glancing at the pile, he noted that hunting wasn't really a top priority. Then he thought about the borders. Tigerblaze had surely covered a great deal of ground, but they could always use a re-fresh.
Nearly vibrating with excitement, Pudgepaw followed quickly after her mentor and the clan's leader, nearly outpacing them in her exhuberance and eagerness to get there. For the moment, even her twolegs were far from her mind - she was going to a Gathering! Nothing would stop her from being happy that day!
Owlmask was shaking - for an entirely different reason than the young apprentice. He wasn't fond of being around so many cats - it seemed a little dangerous to his knowledgeable mind. After all, most cats simply meant they were more likely to run into, well - danger.
But he couldn't let Mintstar think he was cowardly. Because he knew he should be able to trust his clan, and they him. Slowly, heart sinking into his paws, he plodded after his clanmmates.
Hedgefur became increasingly uninterested as Mintsar stepped up to announce the gathering-goers, plodding off absent-mindedly. He didn't care of Clan trifles and troubles, he could care less of what might happen at the gathering. So, left along in the clan, the smoke meandered towards the fresh-kill pile, just to be hit with a wall of foul stench, rot clinging to the air. Wrinkling his nose, the male padded forwards and lifted a seagul and a mouse, only to find a half-eaten vole buried beneath. Maggots crawled across it and flies hover over it. Gagging, he kicked the thing away from the pile to a corner of the camp, refusing to pick it up in his jaws as he began to bury it. He kicked dirt up and over it until the ground was firmly patted atop it, keeping it from stinking up the camp more.
With the job finished, Hedgefur sulked back to where he was before grumpily, the rank scent still hovering in vague remnants. He hoped it didn't stay for long, lest they have to use lavender to clear it out. Shuddering involuntarily, he took a mouse by it's tail and padded off to cling to a moonlit rock. On that Boulder, he chewed on the mouse idly, quietness surrounding him.
The large fluffy white and gray tom turned his yellow gaze towards the only soul left in the camp that was really active. It was Hedgefur, with his grumpy aura overflowing. The tom noted that he wanted his space and didn't want to be approached. Giving a shrug, he watched as the large black tom began to clean the fresh-kill from rot.
Patchpelt let out a sigh as he noticed that the only thing left on the pile was his seagull, and even that would be on it's way out soon.
Walking over to the pile, he took a mouthful of the gull and laid down. He would gather his energy and would go out on a solo night hunt. He still needed to wait for Pudgepaw to return so they could travel back to their nest.
Finishing his meal, he looked over towards Hedgefur once more. "I'm going on a hunt." With that, the long furred tom left camp.
Butler entered the NestClan base, stopping to assess his surroundings. It was peculiarly still and quiet, as if most of the cats had left. Butler frowned behind the blackberry twig in his jaws, trying to recall any important details he had forgotten. He at first assumed they might be out hunting, but as he studied the moon-bathed camp he realized that it must be the Gathering. Secretly, Butler was ashamed for forgetting such critical information. He liked the idea of attending one sometime, but he always preferred his own nest to the long journey he'd have to take instead.
Butler noticed that there was one warrior still lingering in camp and gave him a brief nod. Hedgefur was not his favorite cat; however, he might make a good candidate for medicinal trials. He was strong, a trait necessary to recover from any side effects encored along the way. Butler wasn't fond of his inclination for complaining, though. As his superior in both age and status, Butler felt that he deserved silent cooperation from his fellow companions. After all, it was for the greater good.
Butler turned away from the tom, intending to engage in conversation as soon as he had deposited his newfound herbs in the Medicine Cat's Den. Perhaps he could find something useful for the large warrior to do, as Butler was not one for idleness. (Butler exits)
Returning from the Medicine Cat's Den, Butler headed toward Hedgefur when he suddenly stopped. His lip curled in disgust and he coughed. There was a foul odor emanating from the fresh-kill pile, and without even approaching it Butler could tell that the seagull had become inedible. "Are you all trying to get sick?" he demanded of nobody in particular. The tom walked over to the seagull and grunted. Yes, very dead indeed. so entirely dead it had attracted life again -- there was an unnerving movement inside and underneath it. Butler hated all matter of uncleanliness; surprisingly, he did not have a strong stomach per se. However, it wasn't so much his ability to not feel sick at such a sight but his ability to bear it.
Butler still considered commanding Hedgefur to do it, but he couldn't trust that the warrior would do it in a timely fashion. Butler set himself to the task with stony resolve, picking up the seagull and calmly carrying it to the outside of the NestClan post. (Butler exits)
Honeyleaf reenters camp. She holds a plump mouse in her jaws. Upon reaching the freshkill pile, she releases her grip on the rodent, letting in fall to the ground. Luckily, nothing major happened to the mouse. The fluffy she-cat sighed, she sometimes wished for more company. Most cats in Nestclan just did their own thing.
Arriving back at Nestclan camp, Tigerblaze notices Honeyleaf and her mouse. Huh, didn't seem like the others did much hunting while they were gone. But, oh, well. "We're back." He says, going over to Honeyleaf and smiling. "Hey, Honeyleaf. That was probably the longest Gathering I've ever been to."
By the time that Pudgepaw returned, her paws felt like they were on fire. She wanted to run more, but truth be told - she had never been up so late. Her eyes were drooping by the time she arrived home; but her eyes light up upon seeing the mouse in Nestclan Camp's pile.
Sure...there was no other food around; and she could mostly just go to her twoleg nest...but she had never thought about much for food.
She rushed forward almost immediately..."Oh boy!" She yelped, scooping up the mouse and eating it with a few short bites. She had never tasted a mouse so good; probably because she was pretty hungry after her long night.
"I would definitely agree." She purred, it was nice to finally see Tigerblaze, and the other clan members that had attended the gathering. "How was the gathering anyways?" Honeyleaf was generally curious about what had happened during the gathering but she just didn't want to seem too nosy. The tabby she-cat glances over at the freshkill pile, it was empty...but she had just put a mouse in there. She spots Pudgepaw, who was completely devouring the mouse like she hadn't eaten in moons. It was fine, Honeyleaf had intended the mouse to be for her clanmates. She paused, "The freshkill pile seems pretty empty...would you like to go hunting with me?" She adds, hoping he would say yes to her casual invitation.