LOST FOR A LONG TIME [ morning patrol ]

[batwing]

.i'll be your calm, —————————

————————— before the storm!.

▵ ———————— ◮ ———————— ▵

It was early- a morning patrol, just through the territory. Snow was ebbing, the temperatures for newleaf just around the corner, but the ground still frozen. Batwing wasn't too horribly bothered, though he was itching for newleaf, for a start anew. His kits would be growing up, getting their summer pelts, becoming full-fledged warriors... it almost sounded like a dream. His ears twitched as he pad through the territory, keeping track of his patrol members with a glance now and again. The wind was heading away from them, making it hard to detect anything from ahead of them.

CRACK!

Batwing crouched down, ears flattened against his head- tail snapped down, indicating the patrol be silent and do similar to himself. Another tail twitch, one letting them to know to stay behind him. He slowly crept forward, through frozen brush and snow-drifted trees. And through the brush he crept through, a tall figure stood- no, not just one. Deer, with flanks of soft fur, some with great antlers akin to the boar's tusks he knew well, but far taller and more impressive in their twirls and curls. Their tails flicked, white undersides hidden for now. Batwing inhaled quietly. There must have been... stars.

He spoke then, softly, for he knew they weren't going to attack. Deer were peaceful creatures, the strange one or two he had run into before, but never... this many. More then a couple dozen spread out in front of them, grazing and moving occasionally. "This is..." Some looked their way and lazily blinked at the group of cats, before moving to graze again. An antlered deer snorted loudly, blowing hot air towards the cats, though the patrol was a hint too far from them to feel the puff of air that turned white. "Starclan above. There's so many of them."

Batwing's ears twitched, head turning towards the rest of his patrol members. "Don't get too close. Heard their hooves can crush you like the horses beyond Windclan." He said, vision turning back towards the great beasts, then inspected closer. Underbrush had been pummeled, chewed upon, snow tossed about to be able to reach frozen grasses.

// tl;dr: there is about 30-40 deer in this herd! bucks and does. they're harmless and won't attack! they've dug through snow to eat grass and chewed on bushes for food.
// @tigerpaw. apprentice tag!

"speech"​

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[FALCONHEART]

𓍊𓋼 Tabby-striped fur wards off the worst of the cold morning air, but Falconheart can still tell that it isn’t as chilly as it had been in earlier months. This morning’s patrol isn’t as bad as it could be—with Batwing at the head, he feels especially hopeful about it. He can’t pinpoint exactly why, but he wants to impress the older warrior, somehow. Every patrol spent alongside him is an opportunity to do so, and Falconheart intends to take as many chances as he can get. He pauses and crouches down when the lead warrior flicks his tail in a motion to hang back. Nervously, he glances around, but he doesn’t see anything until Batwing says something.

Then he spots what’s alerted the older tom, and his chest seizes with fear. All around them stand an uncountable number of deer. The lead warrior speaks calmly, as though the deer aren't a threat. But Falconheart... he knows better, doesn't he? He can hear the horrible crunching already, bones shattering beneath impossibly powerful hooves. He can see blood trickling down cream-colored fur, staining pale snow with crimson. He can feel the chilled fur against his own, the weight of a lifeless body across his back. For a moment, he isn’t with the patrol, but perched in a tree and fearing for his life.

He blinks, and with a harsh shake of his head Falconheart’s vision zeroes in on the herd of deer that has clearly chewed through parts of the brush. How hasn’t he noticed them before? "Batwing..." he says, his trembling voice hardly more than a whisper. He wants to be as brave as the lead warrior is, but how can he be, when he had seen Sandthorn’s crushed body and helped return it to camp? The warrior’s pale paws shake as panic courses through him, dual-colored eyes wide and flitting rapidly around each time a deer moves.​

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[Rabbitnose]

A herd of deer was not what he was expecting to see this morning, but here they are, and here he is, watching them in awe. He's never seen so many before. Yet with all their grace, all Rabbitnose can think of is how great it would be to be able to hunt them. Just one of them would feed every cat in camp and then some, probably. Just thinking about it threatens to make his stomach rumble. He creeps closer to Batwing and Falconheart, unwilling to stay too far from the patrol with so many deer around.

"They can be so graceful when they aren't startled." He whispers to them.

He doesn't dare say more, he knows how dangerous a stampede would be. He has not forgotten what happened to Sandthorn, and he doesn't want to see it happen again. All they can really do is watch them until they leave, and hopefully they leave in a direction that isn't towards camp.​

 

[leafhusk]

lowering temperatures signaled newleaf preparing to open her wings, gracing the forest with a new season. in a few moons, the slush will drain away and new flowers will unearth. she couldn’t wait to wake up with sunlight warming her fur— a luxury she certainly misses the most. the closer newleaf is, the less she starts to dislike snow. ironic, with how much she hates how melting snow feels.

she trotted after the patrol, tail always a flew inches off the ground so it wouldn’t brush against the cold. the silence that lingered around the group made her aware of anything around their surroundings. perhaps too aware, the crack that rang in the air nearly made her jump. as instructed, she quickly lowered her belly towards the ground. leafhusk ignored the sudden chill that brushed against her fur.

first, a snowy owl, and now a hoard of deer? stars, the end of leafbare was ruthless.

“you’re right.” she agrees in a murmur, watching a doe graze.

“…but they’re scaring all of the prey away.” she adds, tail lashing against the ground in annoyance.​

 

[TOADHOP]

The morning’s chill still bites at his form, his breath billowing clouds as Toadhop walks with the rest of the patrol. It’s a patrol far too early for him to quite blink away sleep from his eyes, exhaustion lingering with each step. Soon, these mornings won’t be as cold, he knows — the weather is already warming up as is. Perhaps then, he’ll find more excitement in jaunting around the territory at dawn.

Or… Maybe now. A loud crack! captures his attention, blue gaze lifting to look around the forest. His paws come to a stop just as his patrol-mates do — just as he sees what everyone else sees.

“ Woah — “ he meows in awe. Large and hoofed, a countless amount stand grazing between patches of snow before them. Deer, he realizes. He nods to Batwing, to the lead warrior’s order and explanation.

Toadhop doesn’t think he’d want to get too close anyway, fear striking him at the thought of their moment of peace being disturbed by the patrol’s watchful gaze — there looked to be end to the herd, no way out to the other side without creating a fuss. Still, he can’t help but think of what a catch a single deer could be if they were able to sink their claws into one. The fresh-kill pile would be full with the feast they'd carry home!

Looking to his older clanmates, he asks, “ Are... there usually this many? “ Toadhop doesn’t think he’s seen anything quite like it.​

✦ ABOUT

• 

  TOADKIT ‣ TOADPAW ‣ TOADHOP
  ── Warrior of ThunderClan
  
  ── Cinderfrost x Grime
  ── AMAB; He/Him
  ── A brown tabby and white tom with blue eyes.
  ── Mentored by Stonepool
  ── "Speech"; Attack​

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[RACCOONSTRIPE]

The snap and crash of crushed undergrowth causes Raccoonstripe to duck with the rest of the patrol; his dark eyes narrow as he peers through the brush, tail bristling behind him with adrenaline. There’s a strange scent on the breeze, berry-stained, earthen, not unlike unfamiliar prey. He creeps forward until his pelt is brushing against Toadhop’s, against Rabbitnose’s. He flicks tufted ears with interest. “I’ve never seen so many in one place,” he mutters in a low, strained voice to the blue-eyed tabby at his side.

Leafhusk comments roughly about the herd scaring the prey away; Raccoonstripe’s mouth twitches in silent agreement. Even when they aren’t stampeding, they’re loud, graceless creatures, tactless in their blundering through the forest, as though they know there is no predator here big enough to slay them for their meat. He, too, remembers Sandthorn’s brutal end, crushed flat beneath careless hooves. “Batwing is right. We don’t want to startle them and get them moving.” He can feel fear prickling off of Falconheart’s fur like sparks flying from a wildfire. “We should turn back and report this.”

『 out of character. 』 ✧･ﾟ:* 『 about. 』

• ooc: —
• 
• Raccoon . Raccoonstripe, he/him w/ masculine terms.
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — 37 moons old, ages realistically on the 5th.
  — mentored by n/a ; mentoring Smudgepaw ; previously mentored Wildheart, Moonwhisper
  — thunderclan lead warrior. gray wolf x howlingstar, gen 2.
  — currently mated to Nightbird.
  — penned by Marquette.
  
  
  lh black tabby with white and dark brown eyes. charismatic, charming, calculating, ambitious, shallow, manipulative.
  
  

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[batwing]

.i'll be your calm, —————————

————————— before the storm!.

▵ ———————— ◮ ———————— ▵

His patrol-mates spread out, edging closer around him. He sighed gently, white breath curling in the air, still wary of what stood in front of them. Batwing's paws shifted, watching the deer as they continued to circulate. His ears twitched, vision rounding towards Falconheart. At length, he could see the same nervous shift in others. Concern grew, gently at that. Batwing had been momentarily stunned by the fact that graceful creatures had invaded their territory, but Falconheart's fear-scent was thick.

"Hey. Hey, hey." He murmured softly, stepping back to press his shoulder against Falconheart's. He provided silent comfort- something about his paternal instincts kicking in seeing the fear writ upon the younger's face. He answers another younger warrior in the group, vision briefly shifting towards Toadhop. "No, there isn't usually this many. This is far out of normal. " A head nodded towards Raccoonstripe's suggestion.

"Everyone back up the way we came. Softly, slowly. We'll head back and report it." He murmured a hint louder, making sure to guide Falconheart away before heading back towards camp on swift paws.

// going to be heading back to camp in another thread! will tag you all there <3

"speech"​

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