༺ 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙡𝙮 – wc rp

[feverish]

‿꒰ GHOSTRUNNER .ᐟ ‿‿
( warrior ) ( he / him ) ( 39 moons ) ( bio ) ( previous reply )
[ location xx fallsclan camp ] ⊹𓂅 ・👻 ・𓂃𑁍 ࣪˖ [ mentions xx n/a ]
[ tags xx gorgefang, russetnose, wildfleck, paledapple, stormpaw, patchpaw, lemmingpaw ]
‿.‿.‿.‿.‿.‿.‿.‿.‿.‿.‿.‿

xx As the sun streamed in through the damp ferns that shrouded the juniper bush above Ghostrunner's head and the tom tuned back into the world of the awake, two thoughts went through his mind. The first was that of a fleeting memory - the first night he had ever spent in the warrior's den, warmed by his clanmates and too eager, too jovial at the thought of the new authority granted to him as a warrior, to fully rest. He had tossed and turned, no doubt annoying the others who just sought sleep, and to the surprise of nobody woke up late the next morning. The second thought was not too estranged from the first: It's late. It would seem that old habits die hard.

xx Ghostrunner uncurled from his cozy positioning, stretching first his hind legs before lazily flexing his claws and heaving a yawn at the morning. The den was practically barren at this point, the other warriors having had gotten a headstart to the day (as was typically expected of them, but Ghostrunner couldn't care less). The tom, amused at his own lateness, swayed his tail from side to side and crawled from underneath the berry bush. He was greeted by a nearly empty camp as well- a testament to how late he truly was- albeit a single patrol. Though the milky white tom would much rather spend his days in the lush leader's den, he knew that there was a responsibility he must fulfill if he ever wanted to receive the power he oh so desired. in reality, Ghostrunner was mostly apathetic towards his clanmates, with few exceptions; Still, he had to at least appear to care when it came to contributing to the wellbeing of everycat. With time, patience, and careful effort, he would grasp the throne and scepter. Sure of himself and fired up thinking about his future endeavors, Ghostrunner embarked on his current one- to join that patrol.

xx "Hey," he greeted, nonchalant, as if he didn't still have moss clinging to his fur. In the same instance, he took everybody in: three apprentices, four warriors, now five. Nobody particularly stuck out to him, but his clanmates rarely did. Sometimes, he even mixed up their names. Oops. "What's up? Waiting for someone?" Hope it wasn't me. I guess. "Didn't see much of anybody left in the den, so I guess they've ditched." With a lazy grin, he sat back on his haunches, licking at his paw and drawing it over his nicked ear. "Not to worry. I'll grace your presences in their stead," he joked with a flick of his fluffy tail.

[rey skywalker]

❝ 𝐒𝐘𝐊𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑 ！
( ＬＥＡＤＥＲ | ＭＯＬＬＹ | ４１ ＭＯＯＮＳ | ＳＹＫＥＳＨＡＤＯＷ )

apprentice: jackalpaw - setting | medicine den, pathway
tags | briarseed mentioned neriteblossom, rumblespout
￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣

✦

━━while her icy gaze waters over the image of the snow-and-sunrise colored molly, it occurs to sykestar just how small briarseed now appears before her, the absence of fogfern causing a hollowness to radiate along briarseed's hunched frame. since when, did the bright honey of the medicine apprentice's gaze alchemize into a vacant stare, swollen with uncertainties? the stinging sensation that makes the molly's fur bristle with frustration, slowly pales at the sight of her former apprentice's intense grief. the ruined garden seems to echo the loss of fogfern among the clan, as the former medicine cat's quick and intelligent paws are not present to repair the damage, lifeless herbs and roots echoing that reality. gazing too long at the ruins, and sykestar can practically hear the roar of rocks slipping from beneath fogfern's well-regarded paws.

━━a distant thunderous echo scrapes over the darkened sky, causing a mild twitch in sykestar's left ear. carefully, the molly focuses on the the element's echo, measuring the time between trembling claps that, at their current distance, only partially suggest their fearsome nature. her nose rises to sniff at the air, the mineral-scent infused into the land and sky, fill her lungs. a sharp whiff, informs her the storm would return eventually.

━━at her approach towards the medicine cat, sykestar catches the words repeated along briarseed's tongue, "...roots will rise as rocks now roll...". sykestar's tail twitches at the ominous nature of the words, and the hushed tone her former apprentice admits to herself among the shadows. words hushed in the darkness, tremble under the sunlight.

━━"what are you--?" sykestar cuts off, experiencing the rush of words and emotions from briarseed, initially warm as an ember, which grows only hotter with the feelings spreading through her, "...doing?" sykestar whispers briefly, registering the anxious expression buried within briarseed's features as their gazes meet.

━━receiving the apology from briarseed, sykestar reluctantly nods at the molly. "yes..., alright." the fallsclan leader replies, patting at the ground with one paw before settling down before the medicine cat. in the distance behind her, the sharp tone of rumblespout catches the mollies attention. as the remaining elder seemed to scorn over neriteblossom, sykestar's ear flicks at his unclipped tone. that would eventually need managing, as something sinister seemed to have visited the trembling medicine cat. former rogues would be dealt with in time.

━━sykestar registers the apology with a soft lick of her tongue over her own fangs, tasting the sharp edges that sometimes leaked into her voice and words. many of the clan seemed incapable of bring themselves before the 41 moon old molly, they each seemed to share the same apprehensive flickering in their gaze, not quite ready to meet sykestar's intense gaze. within the darkness, her visionaries appear rigid and emotionless. "stop that," coyoteleap's voice comes to her, "no one can approach a leader if she looks as mean as you sykestar." the familiar tom's chuckled voice echos through her ears. .

━━"briarpaw-briarseed." sykestar quickly corrects herself, tongue raking over her teeth as the familiar image of a smaller cat flashes before her gaze, replaced by the current frame of briarseed's frame; thin, worn from emotion, fur wet from the rain, features stained with the devastating loss of her mentor, she looks smaller and less capable of providing care for any of the clan. a sensation similar to the unforgiving roar of winter winds, traces through sykestar's skin, tainting the flesh beneath her warm fur. the thought of greencough ravaging her former leader's life, surfaces along briarseed's frame. something stirs on the younger molly's muzzle.

━━"briar...seed." sykestar utters again, voice softer, kinder, attempting to reach past the distance between them. a rare, shaky exhale lifts off the leader's grey muzzle. "briarseed," she begins, her voice unnaturally hoarse, the strong authoritative tone that laces through her throat absent from her words. "i cannot lead...i cannot lead this clan alone." she finally admits after a long shadowy pause, where the darkness of the cave seems to curl around her features. her thoughts turn to the ruined garden. "a herbalist and leader cannot be at odds," she explains, "not at the state of fallsclan, as is it."

━━a shaky breath passes the molly's dark muzzle as she speaks. "we will move the garden somewhere safer. i salvaged some of your herbs before the flooding...do not take offense to this. redstorm..." a soft, intensifying silence waters over the mention of the fallen deputy who had a paw in sykeshadow's raising, "...he taught me always have provisions, even at the expense of honesty with his medicine cat." the memory of redstorm and fogfern's mentor bickering about the state of their herbal reserves, surfaces in sykestar's mind. she had only been a young warrior then, absorbing the knowledge her mentor could provide. sykestar shakes the memory away, gaze returning to the bi-colored molly.

━━a lump forms in her throat the expression on the mollies features. "you don't look well briarseed." she exhales, feeling her heart pound wildly in her chest at the intensity of the darkness spreading in the herbalist's visionaries..."what fate does starclan bind us to?"


WC:800+

❝ 𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓 ！
( ＷＡＲＲＩＯＲ |ＴＯＭ | ２８ ＭＯＯＮＳ )

apprentice: none setting | in the trees of the surrounding forest, close to the falls
tags | firefly
￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣

✦

━━the drizzle infused through the tom's fur sinks deeper into his frame as his lithe figure slips from the growth of the surrounding. the symphony of the forest's scents, ferns, nettles, cedar and oak swirl through his nostrils as the agile tom takes a deep breath, scenting the air for traces of hidden prey concealed in the emerald of the infinite forest. the distant roar of the falls tingles along the edges his darkened ears. aspencurrent's gaze of dark charcoal waters over the great height of the trees above. the thought of climbing the land to it's highest peak, causes a strong itch beneath his moist pawpads.

━━a sniff at the bark and roots revealed no lingering prey residing near. with a mild shrug, the tom glances around to confirm his observation before leaning forward. lifting both paws onto the earthy color of the redwood trunk. the tom sinks his claws into it's solid material, which seems to cripple as the feline applies an intensifying pressure.

━━quickly, aspencurrent's figure climbs effortlessly up the tree, his silvery coat dappled with shadows, darkened by the water rippling along his fur. sighting just a few lengths above him, the tom manuvers to the right, clinging skillfully into the crevices of the trunk, stabilizing himself with a mild ease that apprentices could only envy from the ground. hoisting himself up by fastening his fangs to a moderately thick branch reaching over his shoulder, aspencurrent appears perched above the forest that stretches widely around him. the emerald hues of the flora darken with the distance his gaze can barely fathom.

━━a rustle of motion fox-length's beneath the tom, catches aspencurrent's straining ears, and curious gaze. peaking out from the leafy cloud pooling around his face, the warrior's eyes narrow at the tremble of the bush closer to the roots of the tree, shake. a few long moments of holding his breath, and the tom detects the familiar scent of the rogue, firefly, emerging. her familiar golden fur glides from beneath the emerald surrounding.

━━ silently summoned by her presence, aspencurrent silently descends down the trunk of the tree, his claws hissing against the bark as he leaps from a height above the molly, his shadow flickering over her figure. "firefly," the tom meows into the air. once landed, aspencurrent flicks his tail playfully before her. "how long has it been since i've seen ya?" the tom leans into her space to sniff at her ear, their whiskers gracing each other.

❝ 𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐏𝐀𝐖 ！
( APPRENTICE | TOM | 10 ＭＯＯＮＳ |

mentor: paledapple setting | camp clearing
tags | ghostrunner, paledapple, russetnose, gorsefang
￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣

✦

━━lemmingpaw's pale visionaries rise from the shadow to meet his mentor with a bored stare when she poked her head into the apprentice den. "what?" lemmingpaw inquires, ear twitching at the image of the grey molly peering inward. "oh...patrol," he exclaims softly, gaze drifting to the half eaten mouse at his paws. "i'd love to get a rabbit or something." the tom admits as he departs the den, following the molly towards the patrol. while lemmingpaw caught the edge in paledapple's voice, he shakes his fur indifferently and waits at her side for the party to move onward. his gaze lazily sights the tree ripped down the center, the bark dark from the stain of the lightning bolt.

at the approach of the pale-furred tom, lemmingpaw's ears curl closer to his head. lemmingpaw didn't particularly like the tom or seek his company. ghostrunner's presence in the patrol, promised nothing but unnecessary trouble. "ghostrunner. about time" lemmingpaw addresses the the tom curtly with a flick of his ear, focus concentrated on paledapple. voice softening from it's monotone default, the apprentice gently bumps paledapple's shoulder. "are we gonna wait any longer?" he questions the molly. "i don't think i can wait any longer....all the prey will be gone." though his gaze was averted elsewhere, lemmingpaw could feel the white tom's orange gaze watering over his pale fur. subject to the tom's eyes, lemmingpaw leans into the soft fur of paledapple's body, the touch providing some comfort to the apprentice.

❝ 𝐊𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐏𝐀𝐖 ！
( APPRENTICE | MOLLY | 10 ＭＯＯＮＳ |

mentor: starlingflight
setting | clan entrance, starlingflight's side, assembled patrol
tags | starlingflight, assembled patrol: (swallowsight, spottedfeather, rabbitsong, mothgaze, snakepaw, yarrowpaw)
￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣
__

✦

━━"whatever," she mutters, heading deeper in the forest. ears flat against her head, the young molly responds to her mentors remarks with a soft his, and a icy glare, "watch your footing featherflight," she teases, reverting back to her younger moons when she didn't respect starlingflight as much as she did now. the buzz of the forest around her, and the scamper of the mouse into the brush, causes a flicker of remorse in her gaze. the tom might be correct in her assessment of the patrol, but she rolls his opinion off her back as she moves deeper into the growth, distracted by the deep scent of the forest filling her lungs. awaiting for starlingflight's instruction, kyanitepaw rakes an unsheathed claw over the mossy flooring beneath her paws.

[peachpit.]

« 𝚛 𝚊 𝚋 𝚋 𝚒 𝚝 𝚜 𝚘 𝚗 𝚐 ! »
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tom | forty-five moons | deputy | crush: swallowsight | heterosexual | location: patrolling | mood: anxious | tags: yarrowpaw, swallowsight, spottedfeather
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Rabbitsong trailed absentmindedly at Swallowsight’s side, the gentle hum of the whirlpool beckoning them as Cinnamonthorn led them near. He couldn’t help but wonder why in Starclan was Cinnamonthorn choosing to pick the whirlpool to bring the patrol, of all places? With the recent events? Blue-pointed face shaking solemnly, it was obvious he had been lost in deep contemplation. Should he urge them to retreat to someplace safer? It would look terrible if someone were to be hurt on a patrol that he, the new deputy, inhabited. He could hear Sykestar’s ill-mannered words now.

A gentle brush against Swallowsight caused him to come crashing back from his thoughts, a fleeting glance from the blue pools that twinkled above her nose calmed him at once. He was to be on high alert, and to monitor by the whirlpool to ensure nobody was to get hurt. Unfortunately for Yarrowpaw, this would mean no fishing practice for today.

Spottedfeather’s presence had borrowed his attention long enough to cast aside his anxious worrying, another familiar face he had been more than acquainted with. Spottedfeather happened to be his dearest childhood friend, who saved his tail quite often as they grew to be close.

Rabbitsong silently tuned in to Spottedfeather and Swallowsight as they scolded Gullsplash and Hopperpaw, making note that he ought to punish Hopperpaw with a moon of replacing the elder’s bedding when he caught a glimpse of him next. He figured Sykestar would have more fun with Gullsplash’s punishment then he would anyway, perhaps she would want to finally work together in punishing the pair of slackers for once. Spottedfeather’s comment made his ears burn in embarrassment, flashing a sorry glance to Swallowsight for the trouble.

The patrol had finally arrived fox-lengths from the whirlpool, and he was relieved to see mentors and apprentices breaking off to hunt inland toward the trees. His gaze fixed on Yarrowpaw next, dipping his head to speak to him, his tone apologetic. “I don’t trust getting in the water by the whirlpool, looks like we’ll just have to settle for hunting on land today.”

Rabbitsong softly pressed his face to Swallowsight’s cheek before splitting off from her and Goosepaw, who had been in a rather rude passing conflict with another apprentice.

He led Yarrowpaw toward a small cluster of trees, lowering his tall, lanky frame toward the forest floor. Scents of a small squirrel filled his senses and instinctually, he sprung from the floor and into a swift gallop. His eyes stuck on the gray squirrel, the critter dashed up the tree, and Rabbitsong with it. He made it halfway up the trunk before his serrated enamel caught the fluffy tail of the squirrel, a sharp downward thrust of his head ripping the squirrel from its grip on the tree. His paws landed firmly on the ground, and the tall tom readjusted his grip on the squirrel between his lithe paws. A firm bite below the chin and the creature lay limp. He turned to Yarrowpaw, only a few tail lengths away, his expression beaming with delight. “Now, I don’t expect you to do that on your first go, but I figured I would show you anyway. How about we start with something that lives on the floor?”

« 𝚙 𝚞 𝚖 𝚙 𝚔 𝚒 𝚗 𝚙 𝚊 𝚝 𝚌 𝚑 ! »
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molly| twenty five moons | warrior | crush: eeleyes | lesbian | location: flooded creek | mood: scared | tags: mistback, owlsong's patrol
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Pumpkinpatch’s nose wrinkled with the metallic scent of blood as she pressed the damp moss into Mistback’s nose. ”What in Starclan happened here?” she exclaimed, mostly to herself through a mouthful of moss. The rest of the patrol had gathered around now, their gaze hot on the back of her neck. She caught the eye of young Risingpaw who bounded over, stepping back to let them assess the situation. Lynxspring’s words were right, they needed to get Mistback to Briarseed immediately before she lost too much blood.

After Risingpaw’s assurance that Mistback was alright to move, Pumpkinpatch was quick to scruff the limp molly. Through a mouthful of wet fur, her orange eyes fixed on Wolfpath. “Will you support the rest of her body while I drag it?” Pumpkinpatch’s brow was furrowed as she began to tug Mistback toward the camp, all four of her petite paws planted into the earth as she tugged backwards with all her might.

« 𝚖 𝚘 𝚝 𝚑 𝚐 𝚊 𝚣 𝚎 ! »
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molly| twenty five moons | warrior | crush: open | heterosexual | location: in camp | mood: reassuring| tags: snakepaw
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Mothgaze could feel her timid apprentice pressed close to her side as the sight of the tails before them split off into different directions. “Perfect day for a first lesson.” She purred to Snakepaw, tilting her freckled face toward the noisy canopy. The sun hesitated behind the clouds, its brilliant rays peeking ever so slightly out of the pauses. A soft cough briefly compressed the molly’s chest, a cough that had seemed to stick around ever since her accident.

Her tail swayed curiously as the gentle wind tangled her blue-cream spotted pelt, leaving a task to be groomed before she was to retire to bed. Heading northbound, she pressed the pair off of the path and toward someplace rather uncharted. Mothgaze’s rosy nose lowered inches from the earth, it tingled as the scent of a rather fat mouse danced in her sinuses. “Snakepaw,” She spoke quietly, her lips barely parting as she whispered, “How about you try to get this one?” Her pale yellow gaze flicked over to her young apprentice, a comforting glint in her eyes. “Try your best to catch the mouse and then I can fix your technique, do not worry if it gets away from you.” She smiled encouragingly to her apprentice, trying her best to seem a bit more confident. It was no secret she had been much more gifted in fighting then hunting, but alas, her apprentice still needed to be trained.

« 𝚐 𝚘 𝚘 𝚜 𝚎 𝚙 𝚊 𝚠 ! »
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tom| 8 moons | apprentice | crush: open | bisexual | location: patrolling | mood: YEOWCH | tags: swallowsight, kyanitepaw (briefly)
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Goosepaw was interrupted as soon as he began to groom by a seemingly annoyed Kyanitepaw. The lynx-pointed molly had intentionally slammed into him, though Goosepaw was quite a bit heavier than her and she had moved him very little. He shot a puzzled glance at the apprentice, his honey colored gaze a bit annoyed if anything. He truthfully took after his name, being that things just rolled right off his back like a goose’s feathers. The fat apprentice had been vulnerable to teasing about his appearance all his life, the words meaning less and less as they grew boring and repetitive. Kyanitepaw had uttered some rather harsh words but surprisingly, he just shrugged and peered over to Swallowsight. His mentor had looked more bothered than he was. He knew Kyanitepaw was out of line to be speaking to him in such a manner, seeing as it was her own siblings who had treated her the very same way. His family loved him dearly, a one-up on Kyanitepaw in itself, he didn’t even bother with any remarks. He knew his skill in hunting was far greater than hers, as he had been able to hunt on his own by the time he was only two moons old.

“I’m prepared to eat, Swallowsight!” The squishy apprentice got to his paws springfully, urgency in his voice. He had been delighted to hear Swallowsight was finally ready, and eyed the couple of ducks before them hungrily. If there was one thing he was good at, it was hunting. The squat apprentice took off after the water-birds, slicing through the shallow water rapidly as the ducks started to lift off. Maw opened into the air, he managed to make contact with the fleshy leg of the duck, a gentle crunch followed by the intense squawking and panic of duck wings flapping against his head. He shut his eyes tightly and strengthened his grip on the leg as the duck beat him with her wings, a sharp pain in his left ear as the duck nipped at it. He prayed to Starclan that Swallowsight would manage to get its neck soon, and it would be over.

[katarinabluu]

☇ wildfleck
━━━━━━━━━━━━

( rank: warrior ) xx( location: in patrol group ) xx( mentions: patchpaw, dapplepaw )xx ( tagged: x )

her tailtip flicked back and forth as dapplepaw left with her usual stinging retort. uncertainty shadowed wildflecks gaze as she was seemingly rooted to the ground. she knew she was a good warrior, but maybe her and dapplepaw weren’t a good fit for eachother. after all there had to have been stories of apprentices switching mentors, right?

she could feel a gaze bore into her back as she sharply turned and saw patchpaws amber gaze searing through her. she wondered how long she had been staring off into the distance, deep in thought. sitting back on her haunches she gave her chest fur a few quick embarrassed licks and hopped right back up onto four paws. surely sykestar knew what he was doing! and, it wasnt her fault she was stuck with an apprentice who had a frost bitten heart. alarm rang suddenly in her heart at the thought of letting her leader down and how disappointed he would be with her, all because of her own insecurities. she sure wasn’t going to mope around about it, she knew she just needed to gain a little bit of confidence around her, that was all.

the small peptalk she had given herself had her attitude perked significantly, as time went by slowly. weak sunrays peaked throughout the clouds edges warming her furtips slightly. still, she fluffed out her fur in hopes to ease her chilled bones and nerves for once.

☇ patchpaw
━━━━━━━━━━━━

( rank: apprentice ) xx( location: in a patrol group ) xx( mentions: ghostrunner, rumblesprout(lol) )xx ( tagged: x )

patchpaws amber gaze hardened as dapplepaw skittered towards the entrance, leaving her mentor wildfleck looking like she was a mother that couldnt find her kit! minutes crawled by as the wind ruffled his fur, and finally jostled the usually sharp, spotted she-cat - her sharp gaze turning and looking straight through them. he knew he shouldnt have stared but why was she just standing there taking it? if he wouldve said that to russetnose he would bet a moons worth of patrols that hed be staring at rumblesprouts haunches for for ticks until the next moon!

patchpaw circled the patrol his gaze an unreadable cloud, but his tail twitched with agitation as the clearing of cats slowly funneled out through the camp entrance. he muttered under his breath until a flash of white caught his eye. immediately recognizing the longfurred useless lump of fur! he stopped his pacing and settled next to russetnose, forcing his bristled fur to lie flat so it didnt brush his mentors. “nice of you to join us while the suns still up ghostrunner” he growled under his breath, adding to what lemmingpaw had said.

[ColonelHamster]

ＦＩＲＥＦＬＹ
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
➼ age: 32 moons ➼ gender: female ➼ rank: rogue ➼ tags: aspencurrent

Firefly had been up long before the sun, intent to set out today. She'd been stuck for the last few days, Smokey didn't like how much she was gone and had kept her busy. Even this morning when she had gotten a foxlength away before a deep voice called her name. Firefly had stopped in her tracks, her ears pinning to the back of her head as she turned her head to look at Smokey. The large tom leapt down from the fallen tree next to the den she had just exited. The tom was always on her back about how much time she spent away from the group. Thankfully the tom wasn't in such a sour mood. Smokey questioned her about where she was going, and how long she'd be gone. Firefly gave short answers, hoping he'd be satisfied enough to let her go. Smokey gave a grunt, and said she'd need to do a fighting exercise before leaving. Not having much choice if she wanted to leave in peace, She obliged.

A few hours, and some fresh scratches later, Firefly was bounding away in the fog, headed towards the Fallsclan territory. There wasn't much for her to report at the moment, but she needed to be away for a few days, and a day at Fallsclan sounded better than anything else at the moment to the young molly. Firefly also hoped the fog and drizzle would help conceal her whereabouts if anyone was to try to follow her.

The ginger molly slowed to a stop as she neared Fallsclan's border. She hadn't met the border yet, but she knew it was just up ahead. Firefly crouched low to the ground, the fur on her belly soaking the droplets on the grass underher. Her amber eyes watched the landscape before her, looking for any cats patrolling nearby. No one in sight. Firefly hesitated for a moment, the strange feeling she always got when crossing the border without anyone around raising. Firefly gave one last glance behind her, then she rose and sprung forward with a wince. Her spring was stiffer than normal, but after a few foxlengthes her stride smoothed out. As she strode forward she hoped Skyestar or Coyoteleap would be among the cats she'd meet first. Starlingflight would of course always be a welcome sight as well. A faint purr rumbled in her throat as the dark brown and white tabby crossed her mind.

Now a bit lost in thought, She pushed her way through a bush, unknowingly passing under the tree Aspencurrent was in. It wasn’t until the sound of the young tom descending from the tree that Firefly looked up. Having been caught off guard, Firefly jumped back as his shadow passed over her. Her ginger fur bristling, though with the wet fur from the current morning's drizzle, it did not give quite the desired effect.

The ginger tabby soon relaxed when she saw it was Aspencurrent that had landed before her. Firefly’s pelt smoothed, giving the tom a smile. Firefly did stiffen as he leaned forward, not used to her space being invaded without claw or tooth to fend off. The ear he was sniffing had gotten some blood in it from her tussle with Smokey, but if not already dried she hoped the mist in the air had been enough to wash it away. Hello to you Aspencurrent."Firefly greeted, her whiskers twitching as they brushed up along his. Firefly took in Aspencurrent’s scent, noting the familiar scent all Fallsclan cats had, but also the scent unique to him. Firefly then took a step back, her head tilting at his question. [color=##FBB117]“Hmm, it has been a while.”[/color] She mewed with a sigh. She’d only been there once since the death of Fogfern. “a little more than half a moon ago I think.” Firefly recalled, giving a flick of her tail, not wanting to bring up the death of one of his clanmates.

“It’s been a bit difficult to get away recently.“ Firefly decided not to keep it at that. For now at least. There wasn’t much else to say, and she felt she should do most of her reporting to Skyestar. “How has your clan been? Any more trouble with the rogues further south?”

ＬＩＧＨＴＰＡＷ
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
✦ age: 8 moons ✦ gender: male ✦ rank: medicine cat apprentice ✦ tags: rumblespout, neritebloom

Lightpaw was crouched down, a broken root between his paws as his eyes swept over the garden that now lay in ruins. He let out a heavy sigh, his paw gripping tightening at the root. It was just two moons ago when he spent his first few days as a medicine cat apprentice walking among the different herbs with Fogfern, learning the herbs by name, touch, and smell. Now it was all gone. All the time they’d spent caring for the plants that’d help his clan, now gone to waste. Now everything felt like it was crumbling around him. Lightpaw tightly closed his eyes, scrunching up his face as he felt a wave of pang washed over him. It was a few heartbeats before he opened his eyes. Lightpaw then quickly pushed the root away, wishing he could push away his thoughts and hurt just as easily.

Hearing the voice of Rumblespout, Lightpaw rose to his paws and turned to see what was wrong. Lightpaw frowned as he saw the elder circling Neritebloom, a queen that had recently joined Fallsclan. Lightpaw moved forward without a second thought, hoping to find out what was wrong. Lightpaw had padded up just in time to catch the tail end of what Rumblesprout was saying. Lightpaw’s face softened a bit. Rumblesprout was trying to make a break for it, again.

Lightpaw cleared his throat, making his presence known. “Hello Rumblesprout.” Lightpaw lowered his head to show the elder respect as he addressed him. Lifting his head, Lighpaw turned his gaze to Neritebloom, giving her a warm smile. “Hello Neritebloom.” He purred with a flick of his tail. “How are you both doing?” Concern crossed his face as he spoke. After everything that happened just this morning, let alone yesterday he was a bit worried. The loss of the garden now coming back to him more, especially If either of them had stiff muscles or aching joints.

[Lights.Out]

• Owlsong •
warrior | bio | tags: Wolfpath, Lynxspring, Finchpaw, Risingpaw, Pumpkinpatch, Mistback | mentions: --

Her heart was pounding in her chest. What had happened? She wanted answers, but knew that would have to wait. Right now, their priority was getting Mistback help. She found her way beside Pumpkinpatch. “If you get too tired I can take over for you,” she mewed to her gently. While she didn't doubt the she-cats strength, she knew that dragging another cat would be tiring. She stayed close, keeping a watchful eye. She may not be the best under pressure, but the gravity of the situation kept her, mostly, focused and clearheaded.

• Russetnose •
warrior | bio | tags: Patchpaw, Paledapple, Gorgefang, Wildfleck, Stormpaw, Ghostrunner | mentions: --

As Ghostrunner approached the patrol, he gave a small nod in greeting. If he had been a more sociable and outgoing cat, he would have let out a purr of amusement at Patchpaw's little remark. But those are not words that would ever be used to describe Russetnose, so he just sat there silently. On the surface, he appeared calm and unbothered, but he was honestly annoyed. Other patrols kept leaving, yet they were still waiting. “How hard is it to just stay in camp and be ready in case you're being assigned to a patrol?” he thought, trying to hide his agitation.

• Stormpaw •
apprentice | bio | tags: Gorgefang, Paledapple, Russetnose, Wildfleck, Patchpaw | mentions: Gullsplash

Her face lit up at Gorgefang's words, and she nodded. “Oh that would be so cool!” she whispered back enthusiastically. Her initial annoyance was gone, and she sat a little taller. All thoughts of Gullsplash had evaporated from her mind. She was feeling a little bored watching other patrols leave, but didn't mind too much. She tapped her paws on the ground mindlessly, trying to pass the time.

[Nunavik]

❛ 𝐥𝐲𝐧𝐱𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠

( 35 moons / tom / apprentice, Finchpaw / crush, Wolfpath / tags: Owlsong, Pumpkinpatch, Mistback )

Lynxspring's body screamed at him as he neared Pumpkinpatch and Mistback. His light-green eyes zeroed in on the she-cat injury upon her head, covered in cobwebs by the ginger-and-white femme above her. "Did she fall in?" The tom inquired, more to himself than anything. With Wolfpath nearby, Lynxspring elected not to offer his assistance. Instead, the warrior bounded away, his nose following the scent of the blood. By now, only the scent lingered in the air. There were faint traces of blood around the area but nothing to indict what had occurred. Then again, he wasn't a detective. Turning back to Pumpkinpatch, Lynxspring took note of that potentially struggle it would be to get Mistback all the way back to camp in a timely manner. Lynxspring brushed against Owlsong, "I got her, Owlsong. Let Wolfpath and I carry her. Help us get her on our backs. Someone should go alert Briarseed. The sooner she knows, the sooner she can help her." Although his body was slowly beginning to fail him, Lynxspring remained the gentleman of the warrior he had always been.

❛ 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

( 29 moons / tom / apprentice, Kyanitepaw / tags: Kyanitepaw )

Do not let her ruffle your feathers, Starlingflight. The tom-cat thought to himself, watching through narrowed eyes at his young apprentice as she takes the lead to head further into the forest. When the two were first paired together as mentor and apprentice, their squabbles had been harsh and full of a disrespect that even Starlingflight had never held as a young warrior himself. Nonetheless, their combined attitudes had increased and then eventually plateaued to where they currently stood: Starlingflight laying the law, Kyanitepaw briefly teasing and then the tom-cat deciding if he wanted to press the issue or not.

In this case, he did. Sending a silent prayer to StarClan to keep him from efficiently pummeling his apprentice, Starlingflight stalked towards her. Like a predator to prey, his pawsteps were light. The sounds of the forest became silent to the roaring of blood in his ears. Within sight, Starlingflight leapt at Kyanitepaw, aiming to box one of her ears. "I'd watch the attitude." He meowed, "One more paw out of line this morning and it's your tail back to camp, hunting for ticks for the rest of the afternoon. And believe me, i'd be more than happy to hunt alone." The warrior doubted the threat lingered for her long, but it was enough to satisfy his annoyance. Without any additional words, Starlingflight put distance between himself and Kynaitepaw to resume hunting.

As the roaring of blood calmed throughout his body, the dark-colored tabby could finally return his senses to the forest around him. The humidity created a heaviness to his coat that made him feel icky and slow, but despite this, he remained nimble as he slouched back into a crouch and parted his maw, allowing to scents of nearby prey to bathe his tongue. Mouse. Probably not the one he had originally lost, but one that would redeem himself. With a swish of his tail, Starlingflight signaled to Kynaitepaw to go another way to cut off the prey's escape route before he began his stalk towards the brown creature hiding in the brambles of a nearby thicket.

[TheClockmaker]

Gullsplash
Warrior | 25 M | Male | Tags: Hopperpaw | Mentions: none

Gullsplash thought about Hopperpaw's question for some time. "I did go there once, but I couldn't shake the sense that someone was watching me." The normally cheerful warrior shivered. He thought about what lay ahead in that dark forest. There were rogues out there. Gullsplash had always wanted to taunt a few of them out, to get revenge on the rogues for killing his father. But with all his duties and patrols, he never really had the chance.

He also thought about what Hopperpaw said about burying shiny rocks everywhere he went. "One of the first places I traveled to had a lot of cool rocks like that. I used those rocks to mark everywhere I'd been. I wanted to be a real explorer back when I was an apprentice," Gullsplash explained proudly. "Do you want to go to that shiny rock place?"

Snakepaw
App | 7 M | Female | Tags: Mothgaze | Mentions: none

Snakepaw's ears flicked toward the sound of her mentor's cough. "Mothgaze, are you sick?" she mewed, peering at the warrior with round, fearful eyes. Worries of white and green and every other kind of cough filled her head.

Snakepaw felt her mouth savor the scent of the mouse some distance ahead of them. "Um, I'll try," the apprentice managed to squeak out. She watched the prey and then ran toward it. The rodent, hearing the noise, quickly fled the scene. "I'm never going to catch a mouse!" Snakepaw whimpered sadly. She felt sad that every other apprentice could catch prey for the clan, but she couldn't. And she missed out on such a big, juicy mouse too. However, the comforting look on Mothgaze's face made Snakepaw feel better.

Gorgefang
Warrior | 48 M | Male | Tags: Stormpaw | Mentions: none

Gorgefang smiled at Stormpaw, happy to see that she had cheered up. "Alright, since you really want to, I will show you the new move. However, it does somewhat violate the Warrior Code, but it's strong. It is called: punching the enemy's throat." Gorgefang's front paw lashed out at the air ahead of them, acting out the move. "Knocks the breath right out 'em! Sure, the enemy uh, might possibly get injured. But, the point of the battle is to fight, so you would think there would be a few casualties here and there. Now make sure your claws are sheathed, or--- well, you know. Just make sure your claws are sheathed." Gorgefang grimaced internally at the thought. He hoped that Stormpaw would be okay with this new move.

[Queen of flames]

Neritebloom
Female Gueen, former loner, 21 moons, crush is open, mate was Jinx
tags: Rumblespout, Lightpaw
__
She rolled her eyes at the elder 'Great you want me to go hunting and now you're going to accompany me as well...' she thought to herself with a sight "Well you wanted me to get out to do something so I am going to do something, even I don't like to stay still doing nothing at all" she said to him little annoyed. She stood up and started to move close to the camp entrance "I don't think any prey stays too close to the camp, our smell is so strong, so they could avoid getting too close...I don't mind getting further to the camp..." she said. She looked to Lightpaw "Hello Lightpaw...I am doing fine I guess just pretty bored and all" she meowed to the medicine cat apprentice.

Perchwood
male warrior, 62 moons, crush is open, apprentice is none, mate was Flintflower
tags: open
__
... sorry low muse on him right now...

Cinnamonthorn
female warrior, 30 moons, crush on Rabbitsong & Aspencurrent, an apprentice is open
tags: Rabbitsong, Yarrowpaw, Swallowsight, Spottedfeather, Mothgaze, Starlingflight, Snakepaw, Kyanitepaw
__
She arrived at the whirlpool or the forest next to it, she somehow liked this place even if it was a dangerous place, the Whirlpool was still beautiful to look at and a little mysterious as well. She chose this place as she thought that where there is water are lots of fresh grass, bugs, and prey animals, they could maybe not fish too close to the Whirlpool, but maybe downhill, where the water didn't move that recklessly. Her ears flicked as her patrol started to slip for their own ways, making her stay alone there, which was not a problem for her. She enjoyed hunting by herself more than letting someone watch her hunt, which made her feel rather nervous.

Yarrowpaw
male apprentice, 7 moons. crush on Hopperpaw, a mentor is Rabbitsong
tags: Rabbitsong, Goosepaw, the patrol
__
He listened silently as the two she-cats were talking about Gullsplash and Hopperpaw, not saying anything that he kind of knowed they going out together. At first, he and Goosepaw were supposed to go with the tom warrior and Hopperpaw, but neither of them was taken out by their mentors. He then shook his head a little bit, when he realized that Hopperpaw was supposed to be on this patrol as well because Spottedfeather was, then when did he actually leave the camp with Gullsplash? Maybe they used that secret pass the warrior told them about. He looked over to his mentor for a moment, following him to the woods "I don't mind what we hunt as long we get something to bring back... I mean I don't want to be the only one left who didn't get anything if Goosepaw does actually catch something" he meowed to him with a sight "Actually I could want to try to catch birds? I know there hard, but I know how to catch mice on ground" he meowed.

[selasphorys]

𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗘𝗗
(medicine cat) (27 mns) (she/her) (appr: lightpaw) (x)
(location: medicine den) (tags: sykestar) (mentions: neritebloom, lightpaw)

A silhouette eclipsed the light from the mouth of the cave. The shadow formed a shape at once familiar and unfamiliar. A shadow she once hid behind, a shadow she now hid from. Sykestar. Briarseed could only await her leader's barbed words with the fluttering in her belly. She bowed her head, figure twisted like the tangled branches of her namesake, mumbling her outpour of apologies.

But this time, she felt no trace of the stinging disappointment she had come to expect. Only a few curt words, and... did she see that correctly? At the edge of her averted gaze, she saw Sykestar pat the ground before her. An invitation, as if they were to speak... as companions, even equals. Was that right? Briarseed lingered there for a moment, perched on four paws like a very uncertain bird. Shifting her weight as she shifted her gaze, she stood uncomfortably above her leader. Briarseed finally tucked her paws underneath herself in a narrow, closed-off crouch.

Now she sat face-to-face with a cat she had only ever hoped to look up to, far too close to avoid the burning glare she had always trembled beneath. Silence hung heavily between them. It was only broken by the roar of the clan's rowdiest elder, a strident cry above the unending roar of the falls. Briarseed's ears flicked toward the sound. Lightpaw should step in before any cat got hurt. Her apprentice ought to be tending to the elder this morning anyway. Shame once again broiled under her pelt at the thought of the duties she always shied away from. Once left to Fogfern and now to Lightpaw, as Briarseed alone remained in the cave.

The medicine cat turned her attention to Sykestar once more, or rather, the gray fur on her muzzle. She could not yet meet that cutting stare. Her leader's fangs glinted in the half-light, sharper than the darkness that circled around them. When Sykestar began, her heart dropped from the very first word: Briarpaw. A name she knew too well, a name they all knew too well. It was the bitter fruit of fifteen moons as an apprentice, never able succeed, never able to take the lead. Of course it suited her better than the medicine cat name she had barely earned three moons ago. The crouching molly tensed visibly at the mention of it. If she could crunch herself inward and become even smaller, she would. Maybe small enough to sink into a crevice and lie there forever.

When Sykestar spoke her name once again, Briarseed could sense that something had changed. Her voice-- it was slower, almost sensitive. Completely inconceivable from a leader as unshakeable as stone. Surprised, Briarseed couldn't help but look up, meeting Sykestar's eyes for the first time. They still carried the same fire she remembered, but now with more warmth than ferocity. Her next words struck Briarseed at her very core: I cannot lead...I cannot lead this clan alone. She could never imagine her leader this vulnerable. As her honeyed gaze traveled over her old mentor's features, she felt a new emotion stir in her chest. Not fear, not regret, but some rare tenderness for a cat who was once her whole world. Sykestar had shared this other side of her, this fragile part of her heart and soul. Briarseed was beyond lost for words. She could only stare, mouth slightly parted, as the wavering words sunk into the silence. The reticent molly never knew the right thing to say. Was there even a right answer in a position like this?

As the quiet stretched on, she turned phrases on her tongue like some unfamiliar taste. Nothing came close. When she did speak, the words fell flat anyway. "We aren't-- we aren't at odds...? We can work together," Briarseed managed to squeak out, more as a question than an answer. She had no clue that Sykestar felt that way. The medicine cat would have deferred to her leader's every order. Lifting her head, she continued with a bit more conviction. "I trust your leadership, Sykestar." The rest of the phrase lingered unspoken in the air, as intangible yet undeniable as the fog over the gorge: but I do not trust myself.

Briarseed listened as Sykestar spoke of Redstorm and the secret herb stores, nodding now and then. She did not interrupt when the other molly's gaze glazed over, distant with memory. "I understand now," she mewed when their eyes met once again. The medicine cat had noticed when her meticulously-sorted herb stocks dwindled before their time, but she had blamed herself then for miscounting. She let out a small sigh. Perhaps some of the failures that haunted her steps were mere shadows she conjured herself. Her jaw still clenched with uncertainty as she tried to envision a new garden, safe from the tragedies that would befall the clan. Swallowing these doubts, she meowed, "I am grateful to have your stocks as we prepare for the new garden together."

The stars and their words spiraled around her head faster and faster. The prophecy thundered on in its steady rhythm, screaming to leave her jaws and reveal its power to all. She didn't know where to begin, how to begin. "During the thunderstorm, I felt... drawn to the clearing. No cat with sense would go out in the storm, and I knew that, but..." She finally started with this meaningless, meandering tale. Cursing herself for her lack of clarity, she continued. "When the lightning struck the tree, when the flood destroyed the garden, I heard it." Was heard the right word? She felt it, spoke it, knew it. She could no longer doubt. These words were not her own. The stars had seized her in that instant and left her with this: "A prophecy." This last utterance left her lips as barely a whisper. Tinged with awe and terror, she spoke with a faraway look in her eyes. She saw the power of the storm colliding with the stone of their home, washing everything away in less than a breath.

Refocusing, her gaze wandered to the entrance again, registering the scattered colors of cats in the clearing. "Is it safe to discuss this here?" she murmured, eyes round as twin moons.

𝗦𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧
(warrior) (40 mns) (she/her) (appr: goosepaw) (x)
(location: near whirlpool, on cinnamonthorn's patrol) (tags: goosepaw (pfft his YEOWCH mood had me in stitches)) (mentions: rabbitsong, kyanitepaw)

Pride shown on Swallowsight's face, from the lift of her whiskers to the light in her eyes. Her steady apprentice had handled Kyanitepaw's insults with incredible patience. Purr rising in her chest, she touched her nose to Goosepaw's shoulder in a gesture of praise. He would make a fine warrior, one who could hold strong against any attack. Ever the meticulous mentor, she made a note to work on ambush evasion tactics later. But for now, she was more than pleased with his response.

"Go get 'em, Goosepaw!" Swallowsight cheered, racing after him to the water. The birds took flight as their hunters sent waves through the water. Out of a chorus of cries and a flurry of feathers, she spied a shock of white. There was Goosepaw, a duck held firmly in his tenacious maw. Perfect form. To rescue him from the bird's flailing wings, the warrior focused her piercing gaze until she found an opening. With a sharp dart through the water, Swallowsight honed in on her target and snapped her jaws shut on its neck. Her fierce concentration only faded when the duck went limp. She murmured her gratitude to StarClan for its life, then opened her eyes.

Only then did she see the whitewater churning in the river beyond. When had they gotten so close to the Whirlpool? Had they really traveled so far? Swallowsight couldn't remember. Time seemed to stop on those walks with Rabbitsong, with those sweet nothings that somehow swallowed everything else. This little inlet by the shore was shallow, gentle, safe for the most part. But still much too close to the rapids. The normally-vigilant molly would have never suggested to hunt by the water if she had known. But why hadn't she known? The chill of the water soaked through her thick pelt, freezing like the aimless terror that seized in her chest. If anything happened to Goosepaw, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself. She could remember, even visualize, her brother Grebecrest slipping under the foam and fog for the last time. She could remember why she would never, ever feel safe. She could remember.

"Leths ged back to thore! Quigly!" Swallowsight mumbled through a mouthful of feathers. She kicked against the water, suddenly aware of how small she was, how little she could do if they were dragged below by the current. If they shared the weight of the duck and swam in sync, they should be able to make it.

𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗣𝗔𝗪
(apprentice) (9 mns) (he/him) (mentor: spottedfeather) (x)
(location: unclear territory between clan and rogue) (tags: gullsplash, falcon) (mentions: goosepaw, yarrowpaw, spottedfeather, firefly kinda)

"Whoa, you went there too?" the apprentice breathed, eyes wide. Gullsplash had ventured into rogue territory and lived to tell the tale. Hopperpaw had some catching up to do as an adventurer. Slicking down his ruffled chest fur with a lick, he put on a brave face and meowed, "Well, it doesn't scare me." All those horrible rogue stories were probably made up by elders to keep the 'paws in line. Hopperpaw had heard rumors about clan cats meeting a friendly rogue named Fireflight or Butterfly or something. Real rogues sounded like regular, boring-old cats. What was everyone so afraid of? The golden tom threw his head back with a nonchalant glance into the woods. Ants prickled in his pelt as he stared into the darkness, but he forced his fur to lie flat.

Itching to run, Hopperpaw pawed at the leaves beneath his feet. He had to prove himself. Gullsplash's explorations overshadowed everything Hopperpaw had ever done, and he both loved and hated it. This was just the kick he needed to climb even higher, scout even farther. Besides, Gullsplash's exploits seemed to stop after he got all his warrior duties. "Why'd you quit being an explorer after becoming a warrior? Shouldn't you be more free without a bunch of toad-brains breathing down your neck?" Hopperpaw asked, making a face like he had eaten something foul. Apprentices never had any fun or freedom. If the warriors had their way, Hopperpaw would be stuck in the elder's den with a mouthful of mouse-bile for the whole six moons. Thankfully, Spottedfeather was one of the cool ones.

Hopperpaw's pelt rippled with excitement at the thought of seeing the shiny rock place. But he couldn't keep fawning over Gullsplash like that, as if he wasn't an explorer in his own right. Keeping composed, he mewed, "Yeah, you've gotta show me that place. Just need a second. I'm gonna catch a rabbit here for Goosepaw and Yarrowpaw." With a casual flick of his tail, he rose to his paws in one smooth motion. The lithe young tom slipped into the tall grass. Stalking between the stalks, he soon spied a rabbit nibbling a few tail-lengths away. Just as he readied to pounce, one misplaced pawstep sent the creature careening into the trees. "Mouse-dung!" Hopperpaw cursed in a quiet hiss. The prey bounded into the shade of the forest, the apprentice hot on its heels. The time had come. Hopperpaw, the most daring of apprentices, would snag a catch from the world beyond the falls.

𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗨𝗧
(elder) (121 mns) (he/him) (x)
(location: fallsclan camp) (tags: lightpaw, neritebloom) (mentions: none)

Did Neritebloom have the nerve to roll her eyes at him? Rumblespout fumed, the hairs along his spine bristling like thorny thistles. Part of him expected the lazy loner to back down with some made-up excuse. This was better. Though that attitude of hers had him seething, at least everything was going to plan. He could finally escape this miserable camp. Rumblespout strode alongside her to the camp entrance. Most of the warriors had left on patrol already, and the stragglers seemed occupied in their own inane conversations. Perfect for an elder to escape. "Fine then," he conceded, as if that in itself was a favor to her. He had only suggested they stay close to camp because he thought her too much of scaredy-mouse to leave. "The farther the better!" he rumbled, an almost maniacal glint in his yellow eyes. Ah yes, he could taste the open air already. It had been far too long since he had last gone out.

Rumblespout would never admit that his hearing had declined with time. As far as he was concerned, he was just as capable as ever. But nevertheless, Lightpaw had crept up on him with his appropriately light pawsteps. His expression soured as soon as the apprentice cleared his throat. The two of them had been caught. Ears flattened, the elder muttered in response: "I'm doing as well as I can, in these trying times." Somehow, the young tom's gentle words soothed the fire in his belly. Perhaps he could work with this sweet naivete. His rough face softening, Rumblespout murmured with a purr, "Say, son. Do you need someone to go herb-hunting with you? What with that mess of a garden. How about we all go together, stretch our legs a bit?" With any luck, they might be able to get out of here after all.