EDGE OF THE WOODS | windclan border patrol

[TIGERFROST]

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They melt from the swaying grassland that is WindClan's moors, and over their heads, trees rise before their very eyes, casting dark shade across the dusty, dry earth they prowl across. The scent that hits their nose is putrid and strong, the smell of the border between WindClan and ThunderClan. Tigerfrost's molten eyes tear through the nearby undergrowth, but he doesn't spot any ThunderClan cats. Turning back to his patrol, the Lead Warrior speaks, "Let us be mindful. We do not need to make enemies of ThunderClan without cause." It's a simple enough warning. Truthfully, Tigerfrost isn't fond of any clan outside of WindClan, but that doesn't mean he wants his clan-mates to start a war with another one of their neighbors, so soon after the brawl with RiverClan. Particularily now that ShadowClan had broken off the alliance. WindClan was vulnerable, though you'd never hear Tigerfrost admit to it.

"Mark the borders, and be careful not to trespass. Additionally, if you see a trespasser, do not hesitate to confront them." After all, Tigerfrost had ordered them not to make enemies of ThunderClan without cause, but if a ThunderClan cat was caught trespassing on WindClan land, then that was certainly cause enough, was it not? Even if Tigerfrost would prefer to keep things peaceful. With any luck, there wouldn't have to be a skirmish regardless. Words could be stronger than claws when neither side wished to pick a fight, could they not? But the Lead Warrior would cross that bridge when they came to it. For now, there was no sense in worrying over something that hasn't happened yet. He begins his work of re-marking the scent lines, still vigilant of the surrounding area.

@SNAILPAW @SOOTCHASER @cottonpaw @icebreath ​

 

[cottonsprig]

Cottonpaw tries her best to not stray far from her mentor and the patrol as they stride across the territory - but it's so... expansive! Even though her little kitten paws ache from the trek (she's not used to it,) she hops along as if nothing ails her. ThunderClan's border approaches on the horizon and before she knows it, they come up upon strong scent lines. If not for attempting to glue herself to Icebreath's side, the newly made apprentice would've simply walked over the border, gaze too focused on the tall, tall, tall trees towering over them.

"These are..." she doesn't whisper, pointing a paw towards the tall oak trees. Most are still regrowing their leaves and look, at best, a little terrifying. She can't imagine them lush and full of life - even less what life would be like under them. "Trees?" she finally finishes her thought, looking towards Icebreath for approval. The concept of running into ThunderClanners is dashed for the moment, her curiosities laying instead with the behemoths before them. Tigerfrost speaks and reminds them to be cordial. Cottonpaw takes that as keep your mouth shut. StarClan knows that as soon as her questions and curiosities start spilling, there'll be no stopping her.​

 

[sandthorn]

sandpaw trotted along with the patrol, short tail held high. a quick glance across the border would show that opposite stood windclanners, the tabby was still unsure if they were to be trusted. she had heard of an exchange between howlingstar and sootstar on the border, one that may have ended in a truce between the two clans if thunderclan's leader had not rejected the proposal. even though it sounded relatively peaceful, it made it awfully confusing on where the two clans stood.

one of the smaller ones, likely an apprentice, turned to their mentor asking about the trees. a confused yellow glance was sent to some of her patrol-mates, but it quickly dawned on her that the moors lacked cover. they had no towering oaks or pines, just wide open fields. "trees, yeah. they're real tall, huh?" she rasped, taking it upon herself to answer cottonpaw's inquiry. a small friendly grin was etched on her face as she did, the curiosity about something that seemed so mundane was nothing short of interesting to the pale furred apprentice. ​

[ 𖤓 ]​

 

[Sunnyday]

☀ - WHILST MY HEART STILL BEATS
Chatter from apprentices greeted his ears and prompted him to hover closely as he watched over Sandpaw to ensure that nothing untoward was said, though it seemed peaceful enough so there was no need to interject. Although he didn't particularly like WindClan, or rather it was Sootstar who was the source of his distrust, he wasn't going to go out of his way to stir trouble. Peering over at the WindClanners across the border he offered a dip of his head in greeting. "Hey. Prey running well on the moors?"
​

 

[LICHENPAW ❁]

.°❁ YOU TOLD ME 'BOUT NOWHERE

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Lichenpaw came to a stop beside Sandpaw, peering across the border. WindClanners again, huh? Well, their leader is a little terrifying, but the Clan-cats themselves just look... small. Especially the apprentice. He has a difficult time registering her as such, when she just looks like a kit. A small kit, too. She seems to be caught up in awe -- fear, maybe? -- gazing at the tower trees. Little moor-kit that she is, she must not have seen anything like them before.

After Sandpaw's reply, Lichenpaw is quick to jump in, shooting a shart-toothed grin at the apprentice who stands on the moorland side of the border. They're real tall, huh? "Sure are!" he chirps, in response to a question not meant for him. "Pretty, um, pretty cool, right?" he asks Cottonpaw. "Y'know, just a couple moons ago they didn't even have any leaves on them! Just, uh, branches. Lotta branches." He pads a little closer to the border, squints down at the undersized apprentice, smile unwavering. "You must have -- you'd have been in the nursery back then, huh?" She looks like she should still be in the nursery, but he won't say that, too worried about offending the WindClanners. He can feel Sunnyday's gaze on his back, and he doesn't want to disappoint his mentor.

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WELL IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMEPLACE I'D LIKE TO GO ! .°❁

⟪ OOC ⟫ ⟪ INFO ⟫ ⟪ REF ⟫

• //​
• LICHENPAW named for the lichen on the trees of his home.
  — he/him or they/them. 8 moons.
  — thunderclan apprentice, mentored by sunnyday.
  — impulsive chatterbox with a near-permanent nervous grin.
  
  primary character, medium-high activity. penned by saturnid.​
• 

​

 

[TIGERFROST]

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He pauses, eyes flickering briefly down toward Cottonpaw. She seems mystified, shocked, perhaps. The trees, of all things. WindClan has very few, and none of those were the height of those on ThunderClan's land. Tigerfrost supposes it's understandable then, if this was Cottonpaw's first time to the ThunderClan border. He's not her mentor, so he won't interfere in terms of training, but still, he utters, "Make sure to take in the ThunderClan scent, so you can recognize it later." A simple enough comment, one that the Lead Warrior didn't think would count as stepping on Icebreath's toes. It's only moments afterward that a ThunderClan patrol comes into view, peeling themselves away from the forest shadow.

One of the youths answers Cottonpaw, while another, an older looking Warrior, inquires about prey. Tigerfrost is rarely talkative on such patrols. He prefers to get his business done and leave, after insuring the scent lines were strong and that there were no signs of trespassers. Sootstar's recent announcement about seeking a truce with ThunderClan is the one thing that makes him consider actually bothering to reply. He doesn't care about ThunderClan, but he isn't about to make enemies of them for no reason, especially if Sootstar intended to maintain neutral relations.

"Prey runs well in new-leaf. Plenty of hares on the moor." The Lead Warrior finally responds. His entire body aches, but he hides it well, steps with confidence and pride. They'd surely see the healing wounds etched into his skin, but none of them could see just how painful the injuries really were, not while Tigerfrost maintained such a stoic composure. He's not going to allow a different clan to see weakness, after all.

"How about the forest? I assume the squirrels are out and about again." The tom comments idly, redirecting the question back at Sunnyday. He thinks the woodland must be recovering from that fire by now, but Tigerfrost can't know for sure. He only knows that ThunderClan appeared to be suffering, based off information shared at the gathering. The dogs, the loss of Emberstar, and Howlingstar's demand for Sunningrocks the previous moon.

WindClan's troubles were nothing in comparison. Prey ran well, and no cat was sick or starving. The raid left many injured, but none dead. All would recover, stronger than ever before. But, Tigerfrost pushes those thoughts away. ThunderClan's troubles are not WindClan's troubles, he thinks to himself. No sense in prying. The other patrol wouldn't answer any probing questions anyways, at least not if they were smart. The Lead Warrior says nothing more for now, simply goes back to his task of re-marking the scent lines. He does hear the second ThunderClan apprentice speaking to Cottonpaw, though. That was Icebreath's problem, if the other warrior even cared. Since this was Cottonpaw's first border patrol, Tigerfrost decides he'll let her learn all she can.​

 

[icebreath]

TAGS — Icebreath is rarely assigned to border patrols by virtue of her job as a tunneler, though every occasion is defined by dread rather than novelty. She hates border patrols. Thankfully, nothing's ever gone awry during those she's attended, but she doesn't trust the other clans as far as she can throw them and she can easily imagine a whole list of ways for conflict to arise from a confrontation. Their own safety has always been a big concern; they're small, trained for underground combat and lousy in a fight regardless of location. And now they have an apprentice to look after, too! Sootstar's daughter, to boot. At least ThunderClan and WindClan have a neutral relationship right now. They think. Even though the official truce hadn't come to fruition, ThunderClan certainly isn't in a place to be starting conflict, right?

Squinting against the sunlight, they do their best to appear self-assured as they walk with their clanmates, relieved that Cottonpaw's sticking to their side. They'd been worried about how well she'd listen, considering her stunt in the tunnels with Burnetpaw while they were still kits, but the little molly's been impressively good about it. Pale eyes drift to Tigerfrost, watching as the tom strides confidently along despite his injuries. He's always so levelheaded and strong; truly deserving of his promotion to lead warrior. But despite her respect for him, and how safe she feels with him at the head of the patrol, the memory of his brutal attempt at an attack on Daisypaw flashes through her mind and hastily pulls her gaze away. He did what he had to, they think. She was beyond saving. They hate the way their gut twists with sympathy for the molly, a sign of weakness. A traitor's a traitor no matter their age.

At least Snailpaw's with them; a familiar, friendly face even if they aren't close. She just hopes their un-serious attitude won't tick off any ThunderClanners. Or drive her nuts. Plus, being around them always makes her feel a little better about herself. How inadequate can she really be if she got promoted early and trusted with an apprentice before he, a beyond of-age moor-runner, had even had his warrior ceremony?

She nods along with Tigerfrost's remark. Nothing he could say or do would ever be considered stepping on Icebreath's toes, not in her opinion; she's always happy to let him take precedence. Any advice a lead warrior could offer her apprentice is beyond welcome. "Be careful and don't get too close if we see anyone," they tack on quietly. They'd already barraged their apprentice with extensive warnings when they were first assigned to this patrol, about that and about minding her own business and avoiding chit-chat, but it can't hurt to really drive it home. The little molly's attention is captivated by the forest, though; Icebreath follows her gaze to ThunderClan's land. The trees look strange with so few leaves, covered in claw-like branches. It's such an ugly territory no matter the season.

Strangers are quick to approach the border, and Icebreath tenses up as her hopes for a quick, quiet patrol are swiftly dashed. At least they're peaceful, devoid of aggression, though she doesn't necessarily like that a ThunderClan apprentice beat her to answering Cottonpaw, as smiley as she is. The blue lynx point stares at the pair through large eyes before looking briefly to Tigerfrost, who's conversing with a warrior. Well, she supposes it's a good idea to be cordial considering the whole mindfulness thing; advising Cottonpaw to ignore the apprentices right in front of the ThunderClan patrol would look bad at this point, as much as she'd like to. She does shoot the younger molly a warning look in the hopes of conveying something of use, though it's more beseeching than anything else. Please, let's just get this over with and be done. With that, Icebreath starts getting to work on marking the border with her scent, shooting the other patrol a halfhearted smile before proceeding to pretend they aren't there.
​

 

[Sunnyday]

☀ - WHILST MY HEART STILL BEATS
"Yes, the squirrels sure are. It does take a good climber to catch them though." Sunnyday replied with a gesture towards the trees themselves. Though he wasn't much of a climber himself, admittedly. No, he much preferred to spend his time hunting on the ground and taking down pheasants and quail whenever they appeared in the territory. Though unfortunately prey was still not running well in ThunderClan, not that he was about to admit to that. WindClan didn't need to know. "Well, anyway, safe travels to you. Come along Lichenpaw, Sandpaw, lets get this patrol finished." He honestly needed a rest.
​

 

[cottonsprig]

Cottonpaw is startled, briefly, by the first apprentice that approaches. With her gaze formerly trained on her mentor for some sort of lesson or guidance, she hadn't been paying attention to scents whatsoever (silly, she thinks now, considering Tigerfrost advised her to learn it while she can.) She turns her attention straight to Sandpaw, blinking away her surprise as the apprentice speaks. Icebreath's worried advising from before vibrate in her head for the few seconds that span between Sandpaw's words to Sunnyday's - however the warrior's pleasantries are instead met by Tigerfrost taking them in kind.

Not quite friends, she admits to memory. Their leader did deny a truce, but she guesses with how amiable everyone is in the moment, that doesn't mean that they're enemies either. Like... Periwinklepaw and Gravelsnap. Maybe. Blue eyes flick towards Lichenpaw, who must've thought she took too long to reply to Sandpaw as he instead takes up the mantle to do so. He harps on about the trees and how they looked worse before, and she hardly restrains her own expression - they don't look so great now, even. Lichenpaw steps closer to the border and Cottonpaw, for a second, hesitates to step back from it.

Icebreath watches with a nervous gaze, though her mentor says nothing immediately. Tigerfrost, too, keeps from telling her otherwise. She looks back at the apprentices with a little more confidence in her returned smile, "I was explorin' the tunnels a couple moons ago," she corrected with ease. It's not an entire lie, she doesn't think. Last moon, she ducked her head in with a good friend of hers and managed to get a couple feet into the mouth of one before being told off for exploring - but the ThunderClanners didn't need to know that! All they needed to know was that she had experience, and she totally wasn't some kitten straight from the nursery (when she absolutely was.)

Sunnyday calls his apprentices away and Cottonpaw furrows her brows for a second, merely upset she hadn't the chance to talk more with the new faces. Instead, she tips her head to them, "Have fun with your... trees," she says the final word distaste, though her expression hasn't changed much from the excited, newly-minted apprentice they would've approached her as.​

 

[SNAILSTRIDE]

Snail realised that this was their first tenure to another group's borders (outside of raids, which they refused to mention). Blue eyes grew wide as they took in new sights and smells, wishing they would be allowed to stay longer to take in the sensations. But, things had been all business lately, and they would be until they died. Their pelt, wild and ungroomed for fear of having to look back at the healing wounds left by RiverClan's medic, seldom moved as the faint wind brushed through the knots. The old apprentice took in ThunderClan's words to their clan, finding momentary comfort in their neutrality. Even polite indifference was better than baring teeth and having to wage verbal battles with animals he seldom bore ill will towards. The marbled tabby was no giant, but they took notice of how much smaller ThunderClan's apprentices were compared to them. For a fraction of a second, their tail swayed lowly, before a grin was forced upon their wanton maw and any guilt was pushed down in favour of peace. "Hehehe yeah I bet." They mewed as Sunnyday began to lead his apprentices away. "Dunno any clanmates who can climb. It seems more like a squirrel thing! " ​