INHALE, EXHALE // fire concern

[SOOTSTAR]

The crispy autumn air blows with fury through the moors, pushing and tugging back on Sootstar's fur as she trots against its course. She prized her long-fur once, she thought it's length made her even prettier, yet in WindClan somedays she wanted nothing more than to pluck it all out. She envies the short-furred cats of her clan, their momentum was not altered by the strength of the wind... On the plus side, at least her long-fur kept her warmer. The autumn breeze was no joke, and it was hard to adjust when they had only known living under the radiant heat of the sun since arriving on the moors.

Yet they were hardy, the increasing cold did not stop them from treading the hills and getting their duties done. Nor did it stop the leader as she advances through the hills, nearing the foul-smelling horse-place. The sight of the place shot fear down her spine, she's ordered her cats not to roam the area, but she suspects she'll have to put a lift to those words with leaf-bare approaching. She prays StarClan continues their blessings, but if leaf-bare proves difficult they may just have to nab whatever prey was necessary... and Weaselclaw had told her mice were always plentiful in the barn.

Yet she hardly gets time to daydream about her getting plump on mice, a disturbingly familiar scent creeps into her nose. It burns her lungs, it makes her fur bristle as she lets out a cough. Smoke, she thinks as a green eye twitches. Eyes locked on the barn in the distance she watches as thick smoke pours out of the area, allowing itself to be carried by the wind. Had something caught aflame? She spots no sparks, no dancing orange, but the smoke wouldn't cease. It keeps pooling, and pooling, it's vile scent smacking Sootstar in the face.

They needed to look. Despite her vow to never return, they needed to know if this was a threat to WindClan, if a fire was beginning. Camp was a safe ways from the horseplace, but StarClan knows how far fire can travel when it wants to? She gives the patrol with her a telling look, we must investigate.​

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[Irispath]

Yewberry shivered at the cold breeze that swept by him. It was a reminder of what was to come, it was only going to get worse. He would grin and bear it though, as he had no choice.

Then the smoke hits him. He lowers his ears, but before he could say anything, the assault on his nose causes him to sneeze.

And sneeze again.

And again.

Until one final sneeze shakes his whole body.

"Ugh."

He's so embarrassed. He's going to find the source of this smoke and smack it. Unless it was unsmackable, then he would just glower angrily at it.
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[Dapplefoot]

Dapplefoot shook her fur out, wrinkling her nose in distaste at the smell. She let out an audible breath, trying to force it from her lungs. She remembered smelling something similar once at the twoleg place. It came from a bright barrel, two foul smelling twolegs had gathered around. She had quickly encouraged her siblings to move fast away from it when they started coughing their eyes watered. It came from the fabled "horse place" the other cats spoke of. Dapplefoot knew there were twolegs there so it made sense this twoleg thing would be too. Even so, when Sootstar silently told them to follow towards it Dapple stepped after her without question. There is more of the dark visible smell than she had previously encountered, that probably made the difference. The new warrior prepared herself as she ran with the group, if the smell was this bad from where they were than it must be unbearable at the source.

 

[Galeforce]

↞ RACE THE WINDS

The apprentice scrunched up his nose as the acrid scent filtered into his senses and slithered uncomfortably into the depths of his lungs. Natural instinct ran like a code in his brain, screaming for him to run the other way. Yet here he was, willing to follow Sootstar towards the source of the smoke. Then again the term 'willingly' was probably incorrect in this case as he was simply wanting to do his part for the clan. Investigate the problem, deal with it, don't piss off the boss. Galepaw gnawed the inside of his cheek as his sense of unease continued to deepen and he began to wish that he was still back at the camp.
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[SUNSETBREEZE]

Of course she was with the patrol. Sunsetpaw would take any given opportunity to follow anywhere Sootstar went, and today had been her lucky day!. A pleased smile was danced upon the pretty apprentice maw as she followed along trying to behave extra good today in their leader presence. She had even made sure to groom herself a extra time just so she would look presentable to Sootstar, to look good just like them!. Of course thier pretty face had no chance against thier leader beauty , she was the most beautiful shecat in windclan after all but Sunsetpaw for sure could work hard to look second best. To be worthy enough to at least stand behind them.

The smell of fire was alarming but not good enough to ruin her day. Sunsetpaw had faith in her leader and knew Sootstar after they had investigate this further would come up with a plan on how to handle this unexpected situation. Despite thier fear for twolegs though the apprentice would still choose to follow thier leader into the fire. There was no way they would allow cowardicy take control of them.

Sunsetpaw started to follow when they spoted Galepaw from the corner of their eye. Blinking the apprentice stopt to send a look over towards them wondering why they didn't look so confident like they usual did. Galepaw was known to have a bit of an ego after all. " Hey Big-guy, are you still with us?." she would ask after getting closer to them not wanting to alarm the others or call Galepaw out if he felt unease right now. Sunsetpaw would watch them as she walked beside them waiting patiently for them to say something.


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[WEASELCLAW]

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮​

Weaselclaw had been shocked that Sootstar had wanted to go to the Horseplace. He knows all too well how she feels about it -- both the smell of it, and the rancid memory of her dying at his paws. She must be more afraid of leaf-bare than she's admitted even to him, he thinks.

He has to admit, as an indoctrinated WindClanner, even he wrinkles his nose a bit as they draw near his old home. The scent of horse dung is immediate. He twitches an ear. To think I used to smell like that.

But it's another, harshes scent that alerts him. Smoke. The smell that had poured from the pelts of the ThunderClan and ShadowClan cats, that had cloaked their territories even from a distance. He bares his teeth, eyes flicking madly to see where the source could be. "Should we get closer? Make sure it's not headed our way?" Like the others, Weaselclaw does not see flames or feel heat against his fur, but he'll be damned if he's a sitting duck while their beautiful moors get swept by fire.

- ,,​

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[SHREWTUFT]

the sighting of thick plumes of smoke in the distance from the barn would cause fur to prickle uneasily along her spine, they weren't even remotely close to the source and yet the harsh scent was enough to sting the back of her throat. shrewpaw flicked a glance at the rest of the patrol who all seemed to be just a on edge, whatever it was that was causing all this smoke seemed to have yet to spread to anything else which was a good enough sign but who knows if minutes from now a raging inferno could be sweeping across the moors.

the thought caused a subtle shudder to trickle along her limbs, they already had to deal with the hawks encroaching their skies how were they supposed to deal with a fire?! shrewpaw shook her head to clear those worried thoughts, starclan was sure to protect them from getting into harms way . . .right? the apprentice awaited orders from sootstar or even weaselclaw, if they were going to investigate it would be best to wait for a solid confirmation before moving in closer to inspect this potential issue.

[ penned by cobi ]​

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[THYMEROOT]

Bad news after bad news.

Thymepaw stands beside his littermate, cornflower-hued gaze wide as he watches smoke rise in the distance. First ShadowClan, then ThunderClan - was WindClan next to be singed by flames? Was the whole forest going to be consumed?

StarClan had to protect them, right? They wouldn't... They wouldn't want land so close to their means of communication with the clans to just... burst into flames, would they?

He stands quietly, uncertainty wavering within him as he awaits his assignment from Sootstar, from Weaselclaw.
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