cloudwatcher
─────────── coldclan warrior ───────────
where camp | with spiderpaw, crowwing, softpaw
indentCloudwatcher hadn't meant anything with his jesting, but her indignation in return had him chuckling. The warrior tossed a look over his shoulder to shoot her a quick grin. "Well, I should hope not. You've only had those legs for, what, ten moons now?" The rest of their walk was uneventful as the start, and Cloudwatcher watched the river come into view with the characteristic spring in his step. He had a lot of memories of this river. One of these days he would need to share some stories with Spiderpaw, if he hadn't already. The tom pulled to a hard stop next to the river, twitching his whiskers when the spray coming off of a jutting rock hit his flank.
indent"Cloudwatcher?" His ears pricked, and Cloudwatcher turned his face on his apprentice. She stood not far behind, but her posture suggested she wasn't keen on coming closer. Was it the thing about her swimming? He wondered. "Would it be okay if I looked for a mouse first? I promised Robinfrost I'd bring her one."
indentThe warrior frowned, worrying his lip with a snagged tooth. He would hate to disappoint her, hate more to lead her to disappoint Robinfrost, who she was close to. Still, he replied, "I'd rather you didn't, Spiderpaw. With the badger-scent we found in our territory yesterday, I don't want you wandering off alone. If you'll come here and fish for a while, I'll see about hunting for a mouse or two on the way back to camp." Compromise, right? It'd gotten him out of jams before, and he didn't think he was being unreasonable. He attempted to lighten the mood with humor. "We can stay out until you find one, or until our paws freeze off. Whichever comes first."
driftpaw
─────────── coldclan apprentice ───────────
where camp | with cindermist, wolfheart
indentEven if it wasn't the highest praise, Driftpaw's chest puffed proudly with Cindermist's next words. If she cast a discreet glance in Wolfheart's direction to ensure the other warrior was just as impressed, it was nobody's business but her own-- Wolfheart, for her part, seemed to be running in another forest. Deflating somewhat, Driftpaw tracked her mentor's movements across the camp to Raggedheart and his apprentice. Mistypaw looked distressed, and Driftpaw expended some energy keeping her place rather than running to her side to find out what the matter was. She wasn't close with the other apprentice, but she was attached to each of her clanmates to some degree, and it wasn't right that one of her elders should look so crestfallen, certainly not so early in the morning.
indentCindermist returned to her patrol without the other half in tow. Driftpaw watched Raggedheart and Mistypaw leave camp with as much interest as she could muster before she was also being led out into the territory proper. She trailed after Cindermist with her eyes and ears alert, watching every snowdrift for signs of the badger, or perhaps prey. It wasn't their duty, not at the moment, but she was nothing if she wasn't a multi-tasker.
indent"Do you think we'll find anything suspicious?" Driftpaw asked after they'd been walking for a while. The border was almost in sight-- or it would be, if there wasn't a thick layer of snow covering everything from her belly down. "Anything could've happened while the borders were unmarked. Somebody else could've stolen them, for all we know." She exaggerated to fill the silence, knowing that her mentor would respond to whatever she said but wanting to make the most of little conversation. Where Cindermist was comfortable enough to speak around her, Driftpaw knew that she was still prone to short statements and nerves. The opposite of the apprentice. Border patrols, for all her fantasizing, were boring, and with Wolfheart's brain off StarClan-knows-where, Cindermist would need to entertain her. "What if the badgers have taken them?" They came upon the border shortly after that, and Driftpaw took a hearty whiff of the clean snow above it. Barely smelled like ColdClan anymore.
softpaw
─────────── coldclan apprentice ───────────
where camp, forest | with crowwing, spiderpaw, cloudwatcher
indentSoftpaw sighed heavily, watching his breath dissolve into the cold air. It was, after all, too much to hope for. He was almost a warrior himself, and if something like that had existed he would know about it by now. Who would take the long way to the river if there was some other way? At least Crowwing seemed to understand his plight, and didn't seem to be mocking him for his discomfort. They approached the river as a unit, though Softpaw kept back from it for some moments before he followed his mentor to the edge.
indentSoftpaw sat with some hesitation on the bank of the river, casting his eyes down before checking Crowwing's posture to ensure he was doing it correctly, and nodded to himself. "Yeah, I remember." His voice was a whisper, now, as if the fish could hear him speaking when he couldn't even see their silhouettes in the water. He didn't want to fish. He wondered if he could just scare the fish away intentionally and remove himself of the burden, but immediately regretted a thought so selfish. The river was their greatest source of food with the snow so heavy on the ground. These fish would feed kits and elders, other apprentices and warriors. He should be proud to be hunting them, but he couldn't bring himself to be anything but cold.
indentHe pulled himself from his thoughts, taking his eyes off of the water without moving another muscle lest he disturb the peace somehow. "You say to wait until you see one, and then swat it out of the water, right?" Still no sign, but it was only a matter of time. If they were lucky, a few might happen upon them at once. He'd feel much better if he weren't alone in trying. "I don't know if I'll be fast enough. Should you sit downstream?" It wouldn't stop his trying, but it wouldn't be the first time his hesitation cost him a catch, either.
