pafp EVERYTHING IS TURNING [ "olive drab, carve" prompt ]

[willowroot]

( ☾ ) a soft yawn stretches the jaws of the smoke molly as she pads along the river's edge. the sun is high in the sky, casting a weak beam of warmth down across the barren landscape. beneath thinning ice, the river trickles quietly, and pawsteps are muffled by snow as the patrol makes their way towards their destination. verdant eyes flick from tree to rock, the feathery tail kinked high over her back, fur bushed out to keep the cold out. it's a simple hunting patrol, one she's conducted a thousand times before, and she finds herself loosing interest by the second.

there are only so many days of catching fish that they can handle before they have to grit their teeth and find something new to do. it appears the time has come yet again for boredom to sink in. slowing her movement to fall into step alongside @CRASHINGTIDE , the molly glances at her tabby companion with a half smile. "at least it's a nice day for this, ay?" they comment, then twitch their whiskers as they realize they are carrying on the most basic level of small talk. "the sun makes me wish for greenleaf. feels like only a moon ago when this whole bank was covered in green." her vocals fade to silence as she continues padding along, gaze still ever watchful.

it's almost like fate that they speak about the green-leaf herbs of moons past. as the patrol's paws crunch over half frozen pebbles, willowroot spots a flash of color. intrigue prickles at her paws as she steps away from her companions, pressing her nose into the snow for a moment before she delicately picks up a chunk of ice with her teeth. setting it on a fallen log not far from the water, the feline paws at the ice. within the hazy crystal, a bubble of drab olive hue can be seen. looking at it closer, the warrior's eyes widen in surprise. there are flecks of plant life trapped within the ice- they swear they can see a full leaf of some herb that had been frozen before it could die. "would you look at that," they murmur, beckoning crashingtide over. "do you think we could carve it out?"

// prompt fill, finally! please wait for crashingtide to reply!
( apprentice tag cause it's a patrol @robinpaw. ) ​

 

[CRASHINGTIDE]

The titan of a feline padded alongside on this hunting patrol. The winds were harsh and cold, tempting him to turn back home. The sun, however, was giving them a subtle warmth in the icy terrain. His odd-colored eyes danced over the horizon, hoping to find anything that they could put on the freshkill pile. The river was far too cold for them to fish in currently, the icy rapids were harsh and could freeze a cat to death if they weren't careful. On top of that, they fished constantly. It was tedious work now. The fields were barren from what he could see, the vegetation was nothing more than branches and brambles. All sight of green was gone, the trees and bushes bare or dying.

The felidae looked to his compatriot alongside him, noticing her half-smile. His expression remained the same, but he nodded to the other. "I suppose. Better than most days." Thankfully, it was not snowing. However, it was still rather cold in his opinion and rather dreadful out. "Hopefully, the days of leafbare will be forgiving and we will have new leaf upon us soon." The green, vibrance was missed. The warmth, the peace, the warm river. Crashingtide missed the flow of the river, the fish in a way. Yes, was he bored of fishing? Of course, but the fish were a part of the river a place where he felt his safest.

He stopped as she did, noticing the femme's eyes traveling below her paws. The large tom's optics followed hers until he noticed it. The verdant color amongst the grays, whites, and browns. His head nodded before he could even think about it. "Of course. I'll get through the ice, since that takes a bit of force. Plus, I have a bit of heavier fur. So, my paws won't get too cold." The tabbied feline scratched at the ice, breaking it and scratching at the sides to avoid damaging the plant life below. He came upon mud. "Alright. I think it should be easier now."
​

RIVERCLAN ✦ WARRIOR ✦ 26 MOONS ✦ BROWN TABBY​

​

 

[Hawkcloud]

Hawkcloud trails along behind the more experienced warriors while they speak a few tail-lengths ahead of her, her own jaws parted in search of prey-scents hidden beneath the chilled blanket of snow. She misses greenleaf, too, especially the warmth of the river where she could splash around and play with her littermates beneath the sunshine. However, it's only the she-cat's second leaf-bare — and for the curious Hawkcloud, the powdery snow is nearly as refreshing and fun to play in as the river's water.

She pauses when Willowroot and Crashingtide do, peering between the tom's legs to see the herb the two have spotted. The young warrior approaches with a bounce in her pawstep, eager to share in the discovery — and to bring something useful back to camp with them besides the few and far-between prey that isn't freezing fish. Hawkcloud doesn't recognize the herb, but in the middle of leaf-bare's chill, she knows sicknesses are easily caught. Perhaps the surviving leaves buried in the ice could even be life-saving. "Good job!" she praises the two brightly.​