This Is Wrong But It Feels So Right (Stormwind)

Mallowstar bared her fangs in a snarl. “No. If you want our territory you will have to fight us for it.

Robinsong looked unmoved, though a slight smirk crossed her face, invisible to the gathered warriors below them. “Hardly. I’m just saying you’ve bit off more than you can chew, and am offering to help you by taking some of the burden myself.”

Mallowstar bristled, letting out an offended hiss. “Are you calling my Clan weak?” She growled.

Robinstar looked wholly unconcerned, closing her eyes condescendingly as she replied. “If you were meant to have that territory, your patrols wouldn’t be stretched so thin that you couldn’t chase us off. Perhaps you should consider ceding that land to Forestclan.”

Blackstar raised a threatening growl from deep in his throat, but refrained from lashing out beyond that as he gazed up at the moon, which was still partially covered with heavy clouds.

“You were invading,” Mallowstar returned coolly, eyeing the clouds warily.

Robinstar growled back. “He attacked us first. It’s only right that we show him his place.” The she-cat glanced upwards as a shadow fell over the gathered cats, the moon now covered suddenly by thick clouds.

Mallowstar narrowed her eyes slightly. “I find his behavior is entirely justified,” she retorted mildly. “After all, your Clan kidnapped him and you tortured him.” She didn’t comment on what she had done that she felt she deserved his hostility.

When Mallowstar didn’t continue speaking, and rather showed a reaction to the hostility from her and Blackstar, Robinstar turned towards the gathered warriors.

“I can’t lie and say I’m not distressed by your refusal to clamp down on the ridiculous behavior Blackstar is exhibiting tonight, Mallowstar.” Lakeclan’s small contingent erupted in protest.

Mallowstar tensed slightly at the hostile glares she was getting from the other two leaders.

Robinstar and Blackstar both watched Mallowstar as she spoke, each one harboring differing reasons for regarding the she-cat with icy glares.

Once Blackstar had finished, Mallowstar picked up the thread. “We have three new apprentices: Harepaw, Swiftpaw, and Wolfpaw,” she paused for the scattered cheers, “and our new deputy after Rabbitfire’s death is Dawnspirit.” She managed to keep her voice from breaking when she spoke about Rabbitfire’s death only through sheer force of will.

“Would you like me to tell them why?” Blackstar threatened with a low growl, using his tail to gesture at the gathered warriors as he eyed Robinstar warily from his higher vantage point. The she-cat flared back up at him but didn’t protest further, sitting down beside the rock.

"The prey is running just fine in Lakeclan.” Blackstar finally began. He didn’t talk about the losses they’d suffered in the battles against Forestclan, since both other leaders already knew full well of this. “Despite our recent setbacks, Lakeclan is stronger than ever.”

Mallowstar darted a glance at Blackstar, not speaking for either side, even though she agreed with Robinstar’s words. She didn’t know all of what had been done to him, but he had no right to attempt to bar ForestClan from the Gathering. When he had been alive and pseudo-leader of LakeClan, Lightningscar had been almost as bad as the red she-cat.

Blackstar sighed loudly, rolling his eyes in Mallowstar’s direction before speaking. “I must protest Forestclan’s presence here.”

Robinstar sneered. “And why is that, Blackstar? Gatherings are meetings for warriors from every clan, not just the ones you like.” Forestclan’s cats, mostly unaware of what had happened to Blackstar during his captivity, raised their voices in agreement.

Mallowstar didn’t want to start the Gathering either, shifting on her paws.

Robinstar snarled angrily, but eventually merely turned and sat beside the rock, leaving the place normally reserved for Forestclan’s leader empty.

Blackstar didn’t speak, waiting impatiently for one of the She-cats to start the gathering.

“Don’t look at me, I’m not doing anything,” Mallowstar said mildly, neatly side stepping the blame. Indeed, only LakeClan cats were blocking Robinstar. MeadowClan just wasn’t doing anything about it.

“This is blasphemous!” Protested Robinstar with a hiss. “The gatherings are for a peaceful meeting of every clan. Now, let me take my place!”

Blackstar simply shook his head, glancing hopefully up at the sky and smiling slightly when he saw that his actions were not causing clouds to appear around the moon.

Mallowstar didn’t seem to particularly care for ForestClan’s struggles either.

The warriors at the foot of the Great Rock didn’t budge when Forestclan finally approached, nor when Robinstar attempted to get up into her place on the rock with the other leaders. Blackstar watched her struggle to get past his warriors, unmoved.

Mallowstar tensed slightly at the tom’s cold attitude but she had been expecting it. “Good evening, Blackstar,” she said calmly, glancing out across the clearing as the two waited for ForestClan.

Darkwhisker And Redfeather parted to give Mallowstar space to jump up, looking apologetically at Mallowstar.

“good evening.” Blackstar’s Greeting was tinged with frostiness, showing none of the warmth and friendliness it once had. The tom didn’t even turn to face Mallowstar, giving her the side eye and a cold shoulder. The tom watched the treeline carefully, waiting for a sign of Forestclan.

Mallowstar calmly made her way past the LakeClan cats, a calico she-cat walking just behind her. Presumably, the new deputy, seeing as she sat down near Honeysong. The leader leaped up onto the Great Rock, keeping a careful distance from Blackstar.

(I think it was actually the Great Pine, originally XD)

Blackstar and his Lakeclan contingent were already in the clearing. In fact, they’d been there since just past Sunhigh. Blackstar has demanded they arrive exceptionally early on this occasion, and so it had been done. While most of the small group of Lakeclan cats were sitting in the clearing and talking amongst themselves, a few were standing in a defensive ring around the Great Rock. Blackstar was already seated in his place atop it.

Half a moon after Mallowstar broke up with Blackstar, the red-and-white she-cat led her Clan to the Gathering.