Night came in a flash, snow now falling silently from the sky. The night sky dark, nostalgic almost. Silentstar was grooming herself, finally deciding that she’d attend the gathering alone.

She stuck her head out of her den tunnel, the clan was now using the dens in the floor that were dug out in case it rained or a heavy snowfall happened, like now. Heatherbreeze and Stalkpelt went towards the apprentices’ den, both their pelt brushing against each other as their pelts began to turn white by the flaking snow.

“Mama?” Applepaw’s voice mewed as she pushed through the dark tall grass, trembling.
“Applepaw!” Stalkpelt gasped as Heatherbreeze raced over to comfort her kit. “You look sick!” Applepaw sniffed as Silentstar stopped mid-lick as she groomed her chest fur. Sick?
“I-I’m fine.” the apprentice smiled, “i just feel a bit feverish.”
Heatherbreeze shook her head, licking her kit’s cheek. “We’re getting you to Frozensight before you get greencough!” Stalkpelt nodded, pressing against his daughter as if the three were about to leap into battle and claw at a rival clan’s warrior.
Silentstar watched the family walk into the medicine cat den, Applepaw’s pale tail tip disappearing behind a thick screen of hanging bracken.

Silentstar finished grooming, her tongue aching after trying to detangle a clump of fur. She poked her head into the Warriors’ Den, scanning for Clayfur.
“Clayfur.” she hissed, watching as Clayfur's head lifted from his large paws.

“Silentstar, what's wrong?”

“I need you to watch camp while I go to the gathering.”

“Alone?” Clayfur mewed, puzzled.

Silentstar nodded, “Yes, I don’t want to risk my warriors in the cold. I will just go there, say what needs to be said and come right back.”

Phesantflight lifted her tawny head, whiskers twitching. “Will you bring up the scarce prey?” she whispered, her eyes glowing in the dark.

Silentstar sighed. “I will briefly mention it, yes.”

Clayfur nodded, “Alright, you should be heading out, the moon is rising now.” Silentstar flicking her tail-tip. “If anything happens while i'm gone, Clayfur or Frozensight will handle it. Got it?”

Tired murmurs rose from the crowd of cold warriors, with that Silentstar backed out of the tunnel and left camp after warning Frozensight of her leaving.

Silentstar trotted quickly towards The Island. She could see the tiny dots of cats arriving, the fresh scent of ThunderClan brushed against her pelt as she sped up a bit. The ground soon shifted from springy heather to damp mashy grass and sand when she approached The Gathering hollow. She watched as Rapidstar, RiverClan’s leader, led his clan on the tree bridge before following.

“Silentstar.” the large white tom greeted, twitching his whiskers, his yellow eyes flashing with a friendly greeting. “Where is your Clan?”

“It will be just me tonight, it was too cold to bring my clan.” Rapidstar agreed with a hum. “I would’ve done the same but RiverClan has great news and apprentices.”

He led his clan across the tree bridge and Silentstar followed. It felt odd to walk on the long tree bridge without hearting the thumpiting of her clanmates paws behind her and, she paused as she also realized with a twitch of her whiskers, the sound of the lake water roaring underpaw was missing.

The lake was frozen.

She could’ve leapt down and walked across the ice if she so had she so pleased.
Silentstar leapt off the the tree bridge, cats from all diffrent clans taking in close groups. An icy wind chilled all the cats to their bones.

Rapidstar gazed around the gathering before letting his clan disperse with a flick of his tail. Silentstar watched the RiverClan warriors pad away, she was glad to see Stagleap not with the group. She padded over beside Rapidstar, shaking her fur out.
“It’s quite cold.” He mewed, “I can’t imagine how it is on WindClan territory.”
Silentstar sighed, shaking her short fur out, “oh, its terrible.” she meowed, tail flicking “I’m surprised none of my warrior have slipped and fallen on their paws yet.”

Looking down slightly, she noticed two small she-cats walking close to each other. Rapidstar purred as he turned to look over at them. “Fallenpaw! Smallpaw! Come here, will you?”

Both apprentices nearly jumped out of their fur as Rapidstar called their names and they came rushing over, a pale brown tabby tripping over her paws.

“Y-yes Rapidstar?” a plump tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat mewed, her tail quivering nervously behind her as she stared up at both leaders.

“Both of you meet WindClan’s leader, Silentstar.” the pale brown she-cat beside her sister stared up at her before dipping her head. “Hello!” the tabby squeaked. Silentstar purred, “Hello, its a pleasure to meet you both.”
Petaltoe, a sleek cream she-cat, padded over. “Silentstar! Lovely of you to meet my apprentice, Fallenpaw!”
“Petaltoe, hello.” she mewed, dipping her head as the pale brown tabby shuffled over to be beside her mentor. “No WindClan?” The cream she-cat seemed a bit disappointed. Scanning around the clearing slightly.

“Much too cold, I'm hoping to rush home after this.”

Petaltoe nodded. “Come along Fallenpaw, Smallpaw. Lets go sit beside Cranewing.”
Hollystar’s howl sounded and all the cats began to shuffle towards their clanmates. Rapidstar and her excused themselves and walked towards The Great Oak. Rapidstar crouched low, bunching his muscles together, as he leapt onto a high branch. Balancing carefully on it.
Silentstar watched before, couching low and leaping as high as she could, she scrambled with her hindlegs as she awkwardly sat down. A murmur began in the crowd as she licked her chest fur embarrassed. The other leaders glanced at her before turning away.

“Lovely night, hm?” Rapidstar mewed, looking around at the other leaders, and the clans.

Volestar, ShadowClan’s leader, huffed, his scruffy tail lashing from over the branch he sat on.

“It’s much to cold.” the ShadowClan leader growled, “I almost didn’t attend for that reason...” he paused, scanning the gathering clearing. “Silentstar. Where’s WindClan? Is it just you?”

She nodded, tail flicking from over the branch.  “Yes. And I agree with Volestar, wholeheartedly.” Another breeze stirred and she shook her fur out. “It is much to cold.”

Hollystar purred loudly from her spot, green eyes gleaming.  “Lucky me then.” Silentstar sighed, Hollystar may be the smallest leader, but she certainly was the fluffiest. Her holly green popping from that cloud of darkness she called fur.

“Let’s just carry on with the gathering.” Volestar grumbled, rolling his eyes at Hollystar's comment.
“ShadowClan will go first. We have a new deputy, Lostwing.”

Silentstar gazed down at the large roots where the deputy’s sat. Falconheart was missing from her place, Lostwing, a tortoiseshell she-cat with a missing leg, sat there instead. Her chin raised proudly as she bathed in the praise and calls of cats from all the clans.

“Congratulations!” Silentstar called, flicking her ear.

Volestar continued, “And we have a new warrior, Blackwhisker.” The gathering meowed their congratulations. As Blackwhisker licked her chest fur, mewing a small thanks as a large tom nudged her, purring. “Lastly, the last thing I have to announce is that Leaf-bare has been very harsh for ShadowClan but we are strong and living well. Now, Hollystar?” Volestar meowed, “Any news? If so, please, StarClan, make it quick."

Hollystar rolled her bright green eyes, “Yes, ThunderClan has much news.”

The ShadowClan leader groaned.

“We have four new warriors, Seedwhisker, Mousefoot, Cricketsong, and Snakescales. We also have three, talented, new apprentices. Sootpaw, Vinepaw and Finchpaw!" The gathering called their names as Hollystar continued, “and a new queen, Rainspeckle. She could not attend because as we left she had just finished giving birth to two healthy she-kits as we left!”

Rapidstar purred, “Give her my congratulations!” he mewed.

Hollystar nodded. “Of course!”

“Leaf-bare has been kind to us, despite the cold weather prey seemed to thriving in our territory. I hope it’s kind to you all too!” she said it while looking at Silentstar. The WindClan leader turned, meeting her gaze unflinchingly.

“I’ll go next, I suppose. After I speak I would love to hurry back home, well, after Rapidstar's news of course.” she dipped her head at her friend. Rapidstar smiled at her, twitching his whiskers.

Silentstar looked away, now addressing the clans.

“WindClan does not have much news, but what I have mentions only losses.”

The clans began to worriedly murmur.

“Rosethroat, the loving mate of Birchback, is hanging on life with barley her claws. She’s in the paws of StarClan after having caught greencough. Birchback has also been replaced as deputy by Clayfur. Milkfur has also lost two of her young, beautiful toms. Blazekit and Wolfkit." The clans gasped, before holding a moment of silence for those lost. Silentstar look a quiet breath before speaking again.

"Leaf-bare has been, rather troubling. Prey has been,” she paused, thinking for the right words when Hollystar's voice filled her ears.
“Terrible? Scarce? Owltalon told me that his hunting party gave you their prey earlier today. He mentioned that you looked like fur and skin. You still do. Honestly.”
Silentstar glared up at the smokey-black she-cat, bristling. “WindClan is doing just fine! StarClan will guide our paws and help us! I’m sure of it!” she snapped. Hollystar smirked.

“You owe us.” she meowed. “We helped you, so you help us. It's only fair, dear Silentstar.”

Silentstar stood up, crouching low before leaping off the branch, the remaining leaves at the end of the branch shaking. “I will do no such thing.” she growled at Hollystar, lashing her tail as her voice echoed high into the trees and echoing down into the gathering hollow below.

As she exited the gathering hollow, the wind becoming even stronger, pressing her fur to her frame and freezing her to the bone. Her ears growing numb from the harsh cold.

The gathering was shrouded in darkness as clouds covered the moon as she left.