GIVEN A GIFT OF HOPE 𓆩♡𓆪 hunting patrol

[DARKWHISKER]

ੈ♡˳ . ° ✦ Most cats look forward to leading their first patrol. Not Darkwhisker. He’s always been a follower, preferring to take orders rather than give them. At least when he’s following orders, he wouldn’t be able to disappoint anyone. The stakes are much higher when you’re in charge… And now, he’s the one in charge.

Darkwhisker hopes StarClan received the prayer he sent before they departed.

Crouched by the river, his eyes flit across the crystalline water… Trying to focus on fishing rather than the weight of responsibility Lichentail put on his shoulders. At least I’m not on the patrol to WindClan, he muses to himself. A quiet effort to find the positives.

“So, how is the life of a warrior treating you three so far?” The question is directed towards RiverClan’s newest graduates, all of whom were coincidentally assigned to his patrol. Darkwhisker never was fond of silence, especially now, when his thoughts are so loud.

Suddenly feeling bad when he realizes his conversation starter left out the two apprentices, he glances towards Minnowpaw and Chicorypaw with an apologetic smile. “Both of you must be excited for your own warrior ceremony… Do you have any hopes for what your name might be?”

A fish suddenly darts across the surface of the water, rousing Darkwhisker from the conversation. One white-toed paw flashes out, unsheathed claws hooking into the gills of the fish. The movement is so instinctual, he’s sinking teeth into a squirming fish’s throat before he could even think about it. A chub, he realizes when he pulls back and notes the long, stocky body and green-tinged scales.

A burst of pride that’s rare nowadays warms his chest. Darkwhisker dips his head. “Thank you, StarClan.”

It seems the stars did receive his prayer.

✧　°　.　✶　.　°　✧​

ooc information

• @Catfishpaw @Hazepaw @Sablepaw @Minnowpaw @CHICORYPAW
• 

  DARKWHISKER — HE/HIM ･ 17 MOONS ･ RIVERCLAN WARRIOR ･ PENNED BY NICO

  tall, lithe dusky brown tom with splashes of white. a cheerful tom who tries to put a smile on the face of everyone he talks to, darkwhisker's life is devoted to spreading positivity in a world full of negativity. though his words may be fanciful— and coated in the sugar of white lies, at times— he is a well-intentioned, albeit overly idealistic, young warrior.

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[Hazewish]

TRAVELER, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED (AND NOW YOU MUST GO) ⋆⁺₊⋆

There is definitely a bounce in Hazewish’s steps as they follow Darkwhisker on this patrol, amber eyes looking around as if this is the first time they go on patrol through the territory. Strange to think that they’re a warrior at last -- free to go wherever they want! As soon as they’re done with this patrol, at least. There’s still a clan to feed. Somehow it doesn’t feel like as much of a chore as it did as an apprentice.

”Good!” They reply cheerfully to Darkwhisker’s question, glancing back at the rest of their little patrol. They’re curious to hear what Sable and the younger apprentices will say, but their attention is quickly diverted by Catfish.

She’s right there, but she’s never felt so distant.

The two of them are warriors now, and it feels… Final. Like whatever they add as apprentices -- sneaking out together, getting into trouble, just the two of them against the world -- broke with the badger attack and was put in the ground for good by this passage into adulthood. They will never be careless apprentices again. They will never sneak out together again -- they’re allowed to go walk through the entire territory whenever they want now, as long as they’re not assigned to anything else. And… and they will never be friends again; they left that chance behind, along with their -paw and their nests in the apprentice’s den, still apart after moons sleeping side to side.

The thought dims some of the luster of a brand new warrior name, and Haze turns their attention to the water -- just in time to see a fish darting past, already out of their reach before they even noticed they could have had it. They stare at the flowing river dejectedly, heaving a sigh before focusing on fishing once more.

[⋆]​

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[Sablemist]

Ebony ears twist in the direction of Darkwhisker's voice, the question teasing out a small smile from the newly made warrior. Hazewish's ecstatic cheer of "Good!" prompts the molly to nod her head in agreement. A new weight of responsibility rested upon all of their shoulders now that they've shed the name of paw and it felt good to be able to do more to help. Turning her attention away from the rippling waves of the river she glanced over her shoulder. "It's nice," Sablemist uttered softly, the smile on her face growing a bit more. "Although for some reason I keep expecting Cindershade to pop out at any second." She jests, but there is a bit of seriousness to her tone. Sablemist hoped it wouldn't take long for her to stop expecting the former lead to carefully evaluate her every move.

A small disturbance against the shore caught her eye, the ripples bubbling at the top helping her to locate the creature beneath the waves. With a swipe of her paw Sablemist's claws hooked into the shimmering scales of a bream. Quickly she followed up with a bite to the flailing fish's body before dragging it ashore. Glancing to the sky above she whispered a quick prayer to starclan for the success of her hunt before settling down. "The scales on this one are beautiful. I'm a little tempted to ask whoever eats it if I could have a few to line my nest with." They would look really nice next to the pebble Fernpaw gave her.

✿ ≖≖ riverclan apprentice / thirteen moons old / she/her ≖≖ ✿​

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