Patrols, Shmatrols

[anika]

New-leaf mornings had never seemed so bleak. That dreary thought was the only thing running through Stonepelt's head as he sat, hunched, in the center of the CloudClan camp. He fluffed his fur up against the cold; despite the fact that new-leaf had arrived, the mornings were still chill. It was dawn; the sun was just peeking over the high hilltops, promising warmth and a new day, but to Stonepelt, the golden rays looked anything but warm and promising.

The Tribe ought to leave, the deputy thought grimly, narrowing his eyes. They've recovered now, and it's clear they belong in the mountains. They have no place here. Stonepelt was certain that he was right, so why couldn't the others see it, too? No, they had been too busy making friends in the Tribe. Despite Stonepelt's usual calmness, he couldn't help but curl his lip in a snarl at the thought.

Shaking the thoughts aside, the gray-furred tomcat stood and extended his front legs, stretching. Musing and moping wouldn't get anything done; they had to act. StarClan had showed them what they must do; they were warriors, and they must uphold the warrior code. But the Tribe were not warriors. They were not bound by CloudClan's code of honor. That meant they had to patrol their borders even more frequently than what would be deemed normal.

His thoughts flicked back to the previous day, when he was assigning the next day's patrols; he was going over everything again, to make sure nothing was messed up.

"I'll lead the dawn patrol," Stonepelt had decided rapidly when the warriors demanded who would be on it. He then said that he would take Sableheart, Littlewhisker, and Foxpaw. Rainstar had wanted to lead a hunting patrol, so he would, bringing along Rookfur and Firepaw. Hopefully the leader would be able to keep the daydreaming warrior focused on his hunting. Stonepelt wasn't quite counting on it, though.

He reviewed who he had assigned to the sunset and night patrols, as well as another hunting patrol. Everything seemed in order. If all went well, the day would go smoothly. But all almost never went well. Something was bound to happen, and Stonepelt hoped it wouldn't begin with the dawn patrol bumping into some Tribe cats. A border scuffle was the last thing the deputy wanted. True, leaf-bare was over and already the cats were more full-fed than they had been for moons, but the harsh season had barely ended, and the warriors were still weak. No, Stonepelt would rather avoid a battle, if possible.

With the softest of sighs, Stonepelt lifted his head, his muzzle swaying back and forth as his eyes scanned over the camp, trying to locate the cats he was taking on the patrol. They should have been up by now.

((I hope everyone's okay with the patrols I made up. If you have a problem, tell me on the cbox or something and I'll see what I can work out. Um...dodge around the mentorless cat thing for now, we'll get it sorted out soon. :3
Sorry for short intro, it's the dead of night. D;

Also, as soon as the other cats get in, the topic will move to the Borders board. ^^ -will make Patrols Shmatrols pt. 2- Hunting patrol can move to whatever sub-board in CloudClan they want. :3))

[swirl]

A slight rain comes, bathed in dawn light.
I hear it among treetop leaves before mist
Arrives. Soon it sprinkles the soil and,
Windblown, follows clouds away. Deepened

Colors grace thatch homes for a moment.
Flocks and herds of things wild glisten
Faintly. Then the scent of musk opens across
Half a mountain -- and lingers on past noon.
By Tu Fu.

As Rainstar emerged from the leader's den, he caught the distinct scent of mist, and more prominently, his deputy. Stonepelt was most likely handing out spots on patrols. Rainstar already knew that he was leading a hunting patrol... But just to make sure that he approved of all the patrols, he slunk over to where Stonepelt was, lithe frame evident in the morning lighting.

Dawn was just creeping over the hills, and gusty winds, chilly in temperature, occasionally battered at Rainstar's fur as the dark gray tom made his way over to his deputy, curling his tail absentmindedly around his side, and then snapping the long gray tail back, letting it lash from side to side as if some kind of snake. The handsome tom looked at Stonepelt, green eyes flickering with curiosity, it was something that Rainstar could never satisfy, he always wanted to know more.

"Good morning, Stonepelt. I'm just here to wait for Rookfur, and Firepaw, and to make sure these patrols will be sorted out smoothly. Not that I doubt you, or anything." His words had a sort of care-free ring to them, and the Cloudclan leader opened his jaws after speaking, and let out a yawn. Blinking several times, the smokey gray tom shook his head lightly in an attempt to wake himself up.

Rainstar's mind went temporarily to the looming problem. Yes, the leader had said it was alright if the Tribe stayed in Cloudclan territory. But he had always assumed that they would leave once they had recovered... But now he was beginning to doubt that thought. They seemed to like it here... And Rainstar was beginning to wonder if they would leave at all. And if they didn't... Rainstar wasn't sure exactly what he would do.

Turning his head, green eyes searched the camp. Where were his warriors? Particularly Rookfur and Firepaw. It was near dawn, and Rainstar wanted to get going soon. Dawn hunting was always his favorite time. Where were they? They should've been up by now. Narrowing his green eyes, the leader, lashed his tail impatiently. Urgg... But he knew he was just tired, and that he'd be in a much better mood once they started hunting.

[anika]

Stonepelt blinked and nodded in greeting to his leader. "Good morning, Rainstar," he returned. "I'm leading the dawn patrol with Littlewhisker, Sableheart, and Foxpaw. They're late," he added unnecessarily, though he didn't betray any of his impatience. He shifted his gaze to the warriors den, eyes narrowed slightly. They weren't very late, actually, but Stonepelt wanted to get moving soon. He was growing worried that the Tribe had been hunting in their territory; their only concern, after all, was to feed their Tribe. They would never respect the borders.

"Keep an eye out for Tribe scent while you're out," the deputy meowed, glancing at Rainstar again for a moment. He doubted that he had to remind Rainstar that, but better to be safe than sorry, right? Besides, offending his leader was the last thing on the deputy's mind.

((By the way, if Elena can't post, we'll just pretend Littlewhisker is with them. ¬¬))

[anonymous]

Sableheart shook the dew from his fur as best he could before rising from his sleeping place nearby the warrior's den. He didn't enjoy sleeping his so many cats nearby, or inconveniencing them when he had his chronic bouts of insomnia, which were never pleasant for him, much less his den mates.

Sableheart was less than enthusiastic to a part of the dawn patrol, but of course, so long as his deputy demanded it-- his thought was interrupted by a wide yawn. Sable blinked his green eyes blearily before stretching his paws out in front of him in an effort to wake himself up after another night of fitful sleep.

Apparently this worked, because Sableheart jumped slightly, driving the night chill from his long fur.
Wonder what's got Stonepelt's tail in a knot?... Probably the tribe again, our deputy is always paranoid about that sort of thing. Wow, that's hypocritical.
Sablepelt's ears swiveled back in agitation. He really should stop talking to himself. The more he did, the more it seemed like someone other than himself was answering. He flicked his tail, disturbed by the thought. There were no insane Clan cats, and he most certainly was not going to be the first, he resolved, though his inner voice lacked conviction. He flinched away from the mental laughter before returning to reality.

Sableheart knew better than to interrupt a conversation between the leader and the deputy. If anything, it was because he was still on relatively neutral if not good ground with both of them.

He approached Stonepelt cautiously, sensing the warrior's agitation. "I'm ready to leave." He meowed to no-one in particular, his green eyes fixated on some point past the deputy's left ear.

[anika]

Stonepelt dipped his head slightly as Sableheart approached. "We'll leave as soon as Littlewhisker and Foxpaw get here," he assured the younger warrior politely. Stonepelt and Sableheart weren't on bad terms, but they weren't exactly on good terms, either. Then again, Stonepelt wasn't sure if Sableheart was on good terms with anybody. Mentally shrugging it off, the deputy returned his thoughts to the matter at paw. The jumpy warrior had better calm down before they left, though; it wouldn't do any good if he bolted if the Tribe surprised them, he thought. He wondered if he should say so out loud, but decided against it.

Instead, he cast he eyes on the apprentice den, this time unable to hide his impatience as his tail tip twitched. Littlewhisker was coming, he was sure; the warriors, at least, knew how to be on time. But if Foxpaw didn't turn up soon, he'd storm into that apprentice den to fetch her, disrupting the other apprentices' rest, something he was sure they did not want.

[crow]

Two pairs of dark ambers eyes cut through the dim light of the apprentice den. One of the pair was opened wide, pupils flicking back and forth as the owner tried to keep still. The other was calm; eyes almost lidded as the cat washed a paw lazily, grooming himself. The two cats sat at a comfortable distance from each other, though the first one bristled whenever her brother's waving tail got too close.

"Firepaw," came a low hiss from the first cat, her torbie fur standing up on edge. "We need to go. Now. We're so late!" Her ears twitched in annoyance as Foxpaw tried her hardest to be mad at her brother. But the fear and worry in her eyes gave it away that she wasn't really mad. Just afraid of what would happen to them.

"If you're so worried," the tom said smoothly. "Then just go. There is no need to wait for me to finish grooming." Actually, there was a need. If Foxpaw went alone the she-cat would more than likely be sent back to fetch her brother. That would be a trip wasted. Both the apprentices knew that and Foxpaw just glared at her brother while he continued washing his paw.

As the dawn light crept into the den Foxpaw shifted and twitched like a kit that had been kept in the nursery too long-- a feeling she knew too well. The torbie huffed, she growled, and she almost shoved her brother. But getting him dirty would prolong their already late arrival.

Finally Firepaw stood, his fur looking brilliant in the dim light. Foxpaw leaped to her feet, charging out of the den and heading straight for the group of cats that were obviously waiting for them. Or at least in her mind they were waiting. Behind her strode Firepaw, looking like it didn't matter if he was late. In his mind, it didn't.

"Sorry!" Squeaked Foxpaw as she approached Stonepelt, taking a quick seat by the deputy. "We did-"

Her excuse was cut off by an almost-snappy reply from Firepaw, the striped tom taking his position a few tail lengths from Foxpaw. "I overslept; Foxpaw was trying to wake me. Obviously she didn't do very well." At least they were there. And they weren't even the last ones to approach. Firepaw smiled in apology, even if he didn't mean it, and flicked his tail was Foxpaw who couldn't decide whether to growl at her brother or roll her eyes.

ooc|
writer's block = fail.
:c

[anika]

((Powerplaying Littlewhisker out of the warriors den since Elena won't be able to post until Saturday. Also going to the borders board in the next post or so, in case someone wants to say bye, delay, or whatever. xD))

Stonepelt narrowed his eyes at the two apprentices. Foxpaw started to apologize, only to be interrupted by Firepaw. The deputy twitched his ear, unsure whether or not he believed Firepaw's excuse. Oh, well. He'd take care of it later, if he had time. He wasn't planning on delaying any further by asking questions. Besides, Littlewhisker had finally emerged from the warriors den.

"Come on, then," he meowed. "We're late enough as it is." He flicked his tail to beckon to Foxpaw, Sableheart, and Littlewhisker and padded towards the camp exit, pausing only to nod respectfully to Rainstar in farewell. He didn't turn back as he walked but he addressed Foxpaw without breaking stride. "I won't ask what kept you, but see that you aren't late again."

[lighdramon]

He was late, and it wasn't a good thing. Warriors weren't supposed to be late. But he'd been dozing, as usual. Thinking about things. Trivial things. Things that ultimately didn't matter to the well-being of the clan. His daydreaming wasn't unusual. Rookfur was well-known for getting off track by retreating to his mental fantasies. Fantasies about exploring far-off lands, wonderful places, and seeing things no other cats this side of StarClan had ever laid their eyes upon.

But ultimately, Rookfur shouldn't have been daydreaming. He should have been on point; he should have been up with the other warriors, ready to perform his daily duties. Instead he'd almost fallen back asleep in his nest, curled up in a tight little black bundle. Thankfully he was awoken from his dozy stupor by the sounds of cats mobilizing outside. They were getting ready for the dawn patrol, or getting ready to go hunting. Ready to get on with the day, to do important things.

That was, in his mind, the "everyday mundane things". But even with that being said, he managed to motivate himself enough to stand up in his nest. That was a start. After that, Rookfur stretched his long legs and ran his tongue through his black fur. There wasn't much to fix in the first place; he has such short hair. But he remembered his mother's words, and how she always told him to groom himself.

So he straightened out any little patches that happened to be sticking up or facing the wrong way. He also quickly flicked a paw behind each of his large ears. With that done, he gave himself a quick shake and ran out of the warrior's den.

The camp was already lively, making it easier for him to remain unnoticed when he arrived outside. Rookfur saw Stonepelt, the deputy, followed by the warrior Littlewhisker, and the apprentice Foxpaw. They were probably going on border patrol, he figured. Border patrols were Stonepelt's responsibility, after all.

"I wish I was picked for more border patrols," Rookfur mumbled to himself wistfully.

But the chances of that happening was unlikely. He was too spacey; he wouldn't be able to focus on actually patrolling the border. Rookfur would just stand in one spot, looking off at the distant mountains and praying to StarClan that one day, just one day, he would be able to cross them.

There was also the chance of meeting up with the Tribe cats. The chances tended to be slim, seeing as the cats were now more than ever keeping to themselves... but if he did meet up with them, Rookfur knew he wouldn't be able to resist talking to them. And that would waste valuable patrol time.

But what does that mean for me? What am I going to do? he wondered.

He already knew the answer to that question. It meant that he'd end up going hunting. Again.

---


ooc//

Woohoo, first Rookfur post.

[swirl]

A slight rain comes, bathed in dawn light.
I hear it among treetop leaves before mist
Arrives. Soon it sprinkles the soil and,
Windblown, follows clouds away. Deepened

Colors grace thatch homes for a moment.
Flocks and herds of things wild glisten
Faintly. Then the scent of musk opens across
Half a mountain -- and lingers on past noon.
By Tu Fu.

The gray leader watched the warriors assemble, giving a nod of greeting to Foxpaw, Firepaw, Sableheart, and Rookfur. They were all late... But oh well. He could deal with it. When he heard Stonepelt's words, his ears pricked forward, slightly annoyed. "Stonepelt, I do not need a reminder of our most eminent problem, thanks. But... I will, and you do the same." His voice was on the frustrated side, but it mellowed out near the end.

Turning to Firepaw, his apprentice, he spoke sternly. "And are you going to oversleep tomorrow?" Rainstar asked out of pure curiosity. But it was also a question with meaning. If Firepaw was not going to oversleep tomorrow, he could battle train with Rainstar. But if he was... He could always care to the elders all day. A smile played on Rainstar's face, daring Firepaw to say he would oversleep.

The dark gray tom nodded to Rookfur in greeting. "Since we're all here, might as well get a start on it, shall we?" The leader looked around to see if anyone had objections to them leaving right then.


ooc;; ohh.... Fail.

[crow]

Foxpaw nodded promptly, following her deputy with haste in her paws to try and make up for being late. It was the dawn patrol after all. They had to leave at dawn, not minutes after due to late apprentices. Her torbie fur was up on end as Stonepelt spoke to her, amber eyes wide as she waited for a sharp berating from the important tom.

"I won't ask what kept you, but see that you aren't late again."

Her ears flattened in shame. The way Stonepelt worded that was much worse than outright yelling at her. ”I’m sorry, Stonepelt.” She said, voice wavering only slightly in her shame. ”I promise it won’t happen again.” Though she doubted that Stonepelt would see her promise as anything worth trusting.

Meanwhile Firepaw watched as his sister hurried along with Stonepelt, humor in his eyes. Perhaps he might have felt a little bad about the situation if he had been in her position with her personality and look on life. But being as he was different the only thing he could feel was humor.

"And are you going to oversleep tomorrow?"

His head turned up and Firepaw gazed kindly at his leader. ”No sir,” he said confidently. ”I will not oversleep tomorrow.” Naturally there was the chance that he would be so overworked today and would just have to sleep late tomorrow. Rainstar couldn’t blame him for that, now could he?

Actually Firepaw was sure he could. ”Let’s.” Was his simple reply to Rainstar’s suggestion of getting started.

[Elena]

Littlewhisker followed Stonepelt with her one green eye narrowed, still adjusting her vision from the dark of the den to dawn light. She noted, with a bit of amusement, that the deputy was reprimanding the apprentice, but not the senior warrior who had taken even more time to wake up. She was too groggy to point this out, but took a note to mention it later, trying to wake herself up by picking up her pace and closing the gap between her and the leading Stonepelt.

After all, this one patrol was going to take the whole day, their journey going from the camp to the new border, across the vast majority of the enormous imaginary line, and back home. It was a waste of time, in her opinion, since she didn't appreciate the separation of Clan and Tribe in the first place, but it didn't stop her from getting picked for the day-long patrols. It made sense for her to participate, of course - she was much better at fighting than hunting, considering her one-eyed depth perception - but since she had become so outspoken about her beliefs, she supposed the deputy and leader probably wanted someone to know that she was in a position where she would have to fight the Tribe, and not off meeting in secret.

A slight breeze hit Littlewhisker's coarse ginger-and-white pelt, and she shivered, much more awake. Eager to complete the patrol as soon as possible, she sped up, matching Stonepelt's position. "It was rather crude to criticize the apprentice and not the warrior, I hope you realize," she commented, her voice low but probably audible to the rest of the patrol.

[anika]

((The border patrol has moved here.))