in times of turmoil 𓆝 abandoned trap

[FOXTAIL]

Foxtail trudges through the heat of Greenleaf, bugs buzzing in the trees and bushes. His paws tremble slightly at the thought of leading his first patrol... he is still getting used to being apart of Lichenstar's council. It almost feels surreal... the young warrior— lead warrior— has never had it easy. He thinks back to his apprenticeship, when Ashpelt continuously lost his patience with him..... when Ashpelt threw him into the river when he (nervously) refused to start his swimming lessons. He thinks back to the red water rogues... and how he pushed off Eelpaw's training out of fear. There's so much that the young tom could think of, but Lichenstar's words drown them out. Despite his hardships, his devotion... his dedication remain unwavering.

He quickly shoves his thoughts off his mind, as he follows along the path. They were heading to the river— today is sweltering, and it feels like they're padding through a thick wall of heat. The clan needs to be fed, and he feels positive his patrolmates will feel appreciative once they arrive at the cool, soothing river. Even Foxtail might take a dip into the river.... while his coat isn't nearly as thick as it would be during Leafbare, the tom feels hot with all this fur. All he wants to think about is how refreshing it'll be to sink his fangs into a nice, big salmon.... but something shines in the corner of his eyes.

Foxtail comes to a pause, and his eyes shift onto the shiny object.... and it glimmers in the sunlight. His olive green eyes widen as he notices the greenery that is cloaked on most of it, that was meant to make it blend into it's surroundings. But there is one metal bar where the camouflage seemed to fall apart.... revealing it's true nature.... a trap! "Don't g-get any closer!" He says to his patrol as his fur bristles with alarm, he knows that the twolegs ran off, but they left their trash in RiverClan territory. Including their traps, apparently. "It... I-It's abandoned, but it's still o-operational..." He can tell by how the front of the cage is open wide.... it looks just like the trap he got caught in. ...And the trap that stole Hazecloud. If one of them were to step inside it, the weight distribution would cause the trap door to slam shut. He didn't want anyone to get trapped inside it, even if the twolegs aren't about to take the cage away to a monster.

"This n-needs to be reported to Lichenstar," He mews nervously, what if this isn't the only trap the twolegs abandoned? But in the meantime, they have to do something about this one.... "We... We need to disarm it.... s-somehow," His thoughts speak out loud, and his tail nervously swishes behind him. The trap is triggered by sudden weight distribution.... perhaps they can trick it? He looks back to his patrol, ears pricked for any ideas from his clanmates.​

𝐨𝐨𝐜 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭

• bullhead slot for the bingo event + apprentice tag @PEBBLEPAW
  
• 
  
  

  ---

  credit to raphaelion (via da) for the artwork <3
  
• Foxtail

  ​
  

  lead warrior
  20 moons
  warmhearted
  timid
  experience: trained
  backstory: [HYPERLINK]
  biography: [HYPERLINK]
  credit to meghan for the chibi <3
  

  cisgender male [he / him]
  eyes: green
  pelt: cinnamon/chocolate
  fur length: long
  parents: dawnflower and redfur (riverclan npcs)
  

  ---

  ​

​

 

[Gladefrost]

Troutsnout treaded behind Foxtail and his apprentice, her chambray gaze staring at the ground here and there. The grass felt soft against her pawpads with uneven elevation here and there, unlike the oddly even ground of a twoleg monster. It's unusual for her to be lost and tranced but a sudden yell from Foxtail snaps her and she stops in her halt from almost bumping into the newly promoted lead warrior. “Hmm?” She murmurs quietly as she allows her gaze to flick and soon spots the reason for Foxtail's sudden alert and her eyebrows furrow in concern.

“What if we trigger it using something? A fish, mouse or something?” Trout would inquire as she observes the trap before taking a deep breath. It seemed to always instantly close behind the second weight was placed onto it so maybe something with moderate weight could have it close it? They could also push it into the river or something where it'd never be an issue again. She flexes her claws in the dirt and eventually turns her focus on their environment─ her gaze looking for anymore hidden mechanisms that threatened to steal them from their homes. It was horrible and she wouldn't finish anything to live through what she did through while she was trapped with Slateheart.

Slateheart made everything tolerable then. He was her comfort.
​

 

[splashdance]

[ mentor tag! @LAKEMOON ]

Splashpaw isn't fairing well with the heat. While naturally short furred, her fur curls over itself in medium length wisps that make it feel as if she has two coats - and unlike her longer furred companions, she doesn't shed the second one come greenleaf (a new bit of info she's forced to learn in life.) She does her best, weaving in and out of shady spots, but her paws still feel clammy and she almost wishes to slip away into the water. (Odd, isn't it; nearly a moon of living with RiverClan, and she's already come to crave the tide?)

Her attention refocuses from the clouds when Foxtail stammers out his demand. She sees the trap, remembers how it's been described before, and slinks closer to Lakemoon and Pebblepaw. Her tail would hook around the tom's hind leg, as if her presence would stop him from doing anything stupid. Splashpaw listens as Troutsnout makes suggestions on how to trigger the trap, mentioning food, and -

"No!" Splashpaw says quickly, sharply. Her mouth hangs open and she realizes how harsh her tone had been, and so she tries to recover with, "That's... a waste of food! We hunt only what we can eat, and give thanks to StarClan for it, right?" That's the law? Something like it. Her ears pin back with minor embarrassment, and she instead suggests, "How about a rock? We can roll it in. That's about as heavy as a cat, I think...?"
​

 

[FERNGILL]

The heat wasn't really the problem for Ferngill- no, it was the harshness of the light! It made him glow like a big tangerine beacon. Not that he was great at sneaking anyway, but it was even worse when the light was so... so unobstructed like this. Still, he'd rather this than the world be grey and overcast... the water glittered as if made of stars in this weather, glimmers waltzing across the ripples. The sky, free of swelling clouds, glowed with blue that the river enthusiastically returned.

His attentio fled from the beauty of the world when the word trap haunted the air- alarm lit in a solitary eye of green. Foxtail was a vigilant, trustworthy tom- but he proved it even more by stopping the patrol in their tracks as soon as he caught sight of the Twoleg contraption. If Ferngill hadn't been convinced before that he would make a worthy addition to Lichenstar's council, he was certainly convinced now. But he had been convinced before, of course!

Splashpaw's protest of Troutsnout's preferred method earned a nod from the fire-pelted tom. "Definitely no prey..." A rock, though? Seemed a bit too... short. Ferngill racked his brains for a memory... one of hauling his uncle from a bit using a large stick. "I think we should use a branch. More precise than a rock, but we can still stay far away from it."​

✦ penned by pin ✦​