hey gal, slow down | slipping

[HEATHERPAW]

જ➶ Being on a patrol is always fun. Always something to look at or to catch or to stare at or to sniff. It's one of her favorite things to do, especially the dawn patrol. She is always up super early and being called out for one is always a treat. Her bright smile never leaves her muzzle as she steps with confidence across the familiar terrain. Her bright and pale amber eyes focused on the wavering flowers in the light breeze and then up the swinging leaves in the trees. It is a beautiful day and she loves just about everything she has witnessed so far. Her ears pull forward then as she hears the lead speak of doing some impromptu hunting and she can't help but bounce in her paws. "Yes! I'll catch everything!" She ahouts brightly and then she is off, hardly hearing the warrior telling her to slow down. Her trotting paws are headed towards the water and she doesn't think about the slippery mud and rocks. No, she is on the hunt for maybe a water vole or a newt. Anything at all!

Her paws shuffle and she leaps forward as she sees the river but her paws hit the wet ground weird. They dart out from underneath her. "Woa–!!!" With a smack her face is in the mud and she seems to just lay there for a long and silent moment. Slowly with a grunt she pulls herself up and her face is covered in the stuff and she huffs, shifting to shake it off. "Ewwww, I look like a Shadowclanner....."​

 

[Earthsoul]

As the aged tom was another one of the clan’s early risers (along with heatherpaw), he was a natural pick for the dawn patrol. There were likely some silent calls of concern from others on the beat about how effective the old man could be, but the part-time kittypet had put his paw down and was determined to help in any way he could.

As oaken fur moved its way through the underbrush, though, the cats ahead stop. It seems they’re doing some hunting, and Earthsoul couldn’t be happier. The elder had been forced to subsist on kittypet food for too long, so much so that the thought of just biting into some prey was enough to set him salivating.

However, it seemed that someone else was even more eager than Earthsoul. As the elder attempted to track some prey, a shout sounded nearby. The elder raced to the scene, scared that another cat was about to disappear without a trace. Thankfully, the old man skidded to a halt with emerald eyes locked on the apprentice instead of an empty patch of ground. Earthsoul approached, features turning from anxious to amused. “You okay?” he chuckled, stepping back a few paces after realizing he might be in the splash zone for when Heatherpaw shakes off the muck. “Y’know, that could be a new strategy for catching prey! Lie in wait for ‘em to come to you!” ​

 

[GREENEYES]

Greenpaw isn't the biggest fan of dawn patrols.

A boy who values what sleep he can get, having to wake up so early only disrupts his sleep further - leaves him wanting to sleep the rest of the day away. And what fun was that? Having to sleep, while the rest of the clan was awake and enjoying the day?

And, while Greenpaw himself is usually bright and filled with excitement, even Heatherpaw's excitement for a dawn patrol is a lot for him. How could anyone be this excited for a dawn patrol? Did she realize that the sun had hardly come up, yet?

He's yawning while Heatherpaw is racing off, a warning called to the younger apprentice by a warrior on the patrol. A warning, evidently not listened to, as he soon hears his fellow apprentice shout. Bright eyes look up just in time to see Heatherpaw fall flat on her face, a puddle of mud cradling the cream-furred cat.

The boy is stifling a laugh as he makes his way over to Heatherpaw, an amusement-filled gaze settled upon her. "Are you okay?" he asks, while she whines about the mud that covers her.

"Oh, come on," he says. He feels much more awake now - a whole puddle of mud is before him! "The mud's not that bad." Greenpaw then leaps forward, orange and white paws landing in the puddle. Mud splashes everywhere, and he's sure he looks like a kit, but this dawn patrol needed some excitement anyway!
​

 

[cloverjaw -]

TAGS — Heatherpaw's cheeriness helps alleviate the pressure that SkyClan is under as of late. Cloverjaw admires her optimism, and he identifies with it; there's some sort of whimsy there that he likes to think he shares, even in tough times. What he doesn't share is everyone's ability to get up so early. He, like Greenpaw, values the precious sleep he can get- especially right now. But he's at least a little more open to Heatherpaw's excitement.

The warrior trails behind Earthsoul and the cream apprentice, ears twitching as she cheers and skips ahead. He tries to wipe weariness out of his eyes while she darts away. It seems that it doesn't take her long to find trouble, though he thanks StarClan it isn't the kind of trouble they've been running into lately.

Cloverjaw follows Greenpaw as he moves to assess his fellow apprentice. He stills next to Earthsoul instead, tail flicking with amusement. "My, my," the silver tabby tom purrs, "what's a ShadowClanner doing so far into our territory, hm?" He's teasing, of course. And he'd be lying if a part of him wasn't also curious about playing in the mud like a kit-- though he thinks he'll live vicariously through Greenpaw instead. Maybe it's the show cat still in him, but he loathes the idea of having to get mud out of his silky pelt.​

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