ain't no crying — hunting trap

[DUSKPOOL]

anger makes you stupid . stupid gets you killed .
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

/ some minor gore, skeletal remains of deceased prey, hunting trap

Free of the densely packed oak forest, Duskpool moved forward with what little grace he had left, limp prevalent in a poor attempt to rest his shoulder while walking. Tender as it was, it gave him something to focus on. He breathed, glancing at the huge stretch of land when he caught sight of glimmering metal, barely visible against the scattered oaks that bled into a tree-less land.

Too close to their tired-worn group.

The obsidian warrior stiffened, heart quickening until it threatened to leap up into his throat, palpitating something harsh. He breathed shakily, tail lashing out before someone stepped to lose for comfort. It wasn't active, as far as he could tell, peeking at ivory-hued bones, heavily battered and giving off a pinkish tint. It was then, he realized was a hare had fallen into its unforgiving trap.

Nothing more than a skeleton burrowed beneath the derbies.

His mind reeled, haunted by the ragged breath of his brother, shot by one of the upwalker's firesticks and an empty-eyed corpse trapped between metal bars. His vision swarmed eerily silent. His expression gave little away until a slow blink was the only visible reaction, breath harsh sounding. "Be careful." He rumbled, ignoring the burn behind his eyelids, not from tears, but something Duskpool couldn't even pinpoint.

He was deathly calm, tiredness seeping out of his pores when he spoke again. "We don't know what else is out here." He rumbled, turning away from the remains with a subtle twitch of his tail, muscled frame pulled taut almost ready to hear the ear-shattering sound in the distance—to see Shadowfire's crumbled body bleeding out until his own teeth sunk into flesh, ending his brother's life.

/ skyclan word prompt " skeleton " ,, takes place the day they leave the forest ​

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thought speech​

 

[FERNGILL]

Be careful. Duskpool's voice was as stern and monotone as ever, and Fernpaw glanced toward the SkyClan warrior. Freckled light lit argent the metal of an abandoned trap. A successful trap- the ferocity of those contraptions had been one of the first things Fernpaw had learned as an apprentice. The first thing he'd succeeded at was heeding the advice to steer clear of them- and he recognised that metallic sheen immediately, drawing to a very steadfast stop and casting a wide-eyes glance over his shoulder to make sure no-one was hurtling towards it.

"I can't believe twolegs venture out this far," he murmured, voice heavily infused with underlying discomfort and wariness. Some Skyclanners seemed to trust them, and he wasn't going to hate them for it, but Fernpaw would never be happy to star at one of those furless, gangling beasts and the inventions they armed purely to harm the hearts and flesh of Clan cats. And... to kill their prey, apparently.

He could hardly see the floor below him, but Fernpaw's steps grew more deliberate then, purposefully and thoughtfully placed. Duskpool looked tense- the feeling surged over to Fernpaw like a ripple, and he squinted a little at the large warrior. "Are you alright?"​

✦ penned by pin ✦​

 

[smogstar]

It would be remiss for Smogmaw to deny his loathing for the congested woodlands. Putting the forest behind them allows the tom to breathe more freely, dark-smirched shoulders no longer hampered by tension as he walks. Claustrophobic proclivities aside, the lack of dense growth meant the course ahead could be charted with ease—and the newfound clarity in the path soothed his anxieties remarkably.

A fox-length or thereabouts separates the ashen deputy from Duskpool's steady gait. He keeps his vision downcast as he plods onwards, low-lying grasses and scattered sticks passing underfoot. In maintaining a certain degree of ignorance to the outlying sights and scenery, Smogmaw nigh on bludgeons into the parked SkyClan warrior. His head raises then, eyes all asquint, though the coming jibe becomes caught in his gullet before it can see daylight. Duskpool wore discomfort openly. As per the sudden rigour in his breath pattern and the marked strain in his bones, he reckons that his injury isn't the root factor.

Amber eyes recalibrate their position on behalf of his and Fernpaw's remarks. They skim over the periphery in search of this unsaid danger, ultimately landing on metallic jaws cached in the shadows. Upon noticing them, clasped around a long-forgotten quarry, he scoffs. "Waste of meat," the tabby snarls idly in a hushed tone, his vision swaying away shortly thereafter. His focus shifts towards Duskpool's incomplete gaze when he gives the trap the cold shoulder. "Be careful, indeed," he muses, "we don't want you disjointing another limb. Might actually have to cut it off, next time."​

 

[DUSKPOOL]

anger makes you stupid . stupid gets you killed .
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

He wrinkled his muzzle. "Means we're gettin' closer." Regarding highstone, tail tip flickering before him, refusing to look at anything but the open moor. Maybe Duskpool enjoyed stayin' up in the mountains despite the shivering cold. Away from anythin' that resembled upwalker junk. It was nice while it lasted. Any good to come out of this journey would be minuscule to remembering the heart-stopping fear and grief some of these cats have experienced.

He breathed, lips twitching when his helm curled, staring at the ivory pink-tinged bones when Fernpaw spoke up. Was he? Hell if I know, kid. Letting out a huff, grinning despite the somber expression he wore. "Doin' just fine, kiddo." Thank the stars he didn't flip a lid when he spotted it. Some unfortunate fool would be eatin' leaves.

He grunted in agreement, peeling his gaze away from the snare. No doubt some predator came to gnaw on its skeletal remains if it weren't for the teeth divots in the bone from where he stood. "I have a feelin' you'd enjoy seein' that." He directed his light-hearted joke to the ShadowClan deputy. "Shoulder's busted anyhow. Won't be doin' much with it when we get to where we're goin'."

/ skyclan word prompt " somber "​

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thought speech​