Maybe Duskpaw was right. Maybe the other Clans just had cotton for brains. What was so bad about being just one big giant Clan? They could have all of the coast for themselves, and there wouldn't be any worrying about prey ever again. His mind wracked for any downsides; sure Barricudashade and Dawnstar were sort of hostile, and they'd cause trouble, but if they all worked together they'd just be easier to punish, right? The same thing could be said for anyone else. That was why he liked to talk to Duskpaw. She made him realize that he was overthinking things way too often.
He couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed when Duskpaw said she had to go. Albatrosspaw didn't even have the chance to say goodbye before she darted off. She always did that. Great. He felt his fur prickle when he realized that he should probably get back to Embersky. Had his mentor realized that he had snuck off? Hopefully not. He hated getting yelled at. Shaking out his fur, he made his way back to where he last saw him. Luckily, the medicine cat hadn't gotten too far.
"Are we leaving yet?" he asked him, his tail swaying behind him slightly as he turned his gaze to the floor. Now that he was finally away from Duskpaw, he really wanted to go home. The Gathering had taken a lot more out of him than usual.