MY FOOTSTEPS ON THE GROUND [☼] snowy owl

[ROEFLAME .]

ROEFLAME — I fell in love with the fire long ago.

There had been a nice lull, where the snow remained up in the clouds where it belonged.
The few sunrises of peace were over as more white dapples began to shower from the sea of grey above. Unfortunately, Roeflame and her patrol had barely gotten to begin to hunt before the snowflakes began to freckle their eyelashes.
"Hmm.." Roeflame sighs, sizing up the snowflakes. By the sheer fluff of them, the tabby could tell they may be falling for some time.
She throws her head over her shoulder towards the rest of her clanmates that had come along with her, an order to return to camp just about to leave her tongue when her forepaw presses against something that isn’t the familiar snowy soil, the sleek surface causing her front leg to abruptly jut out with a surprised grunt from the lead warrior.
"What the…?" She nearly coughs, staggering back to her original composure with pale optics squinted at the ground below.
At first, there is nothing. Not until Roeflame is practically sticking her nose into the crystallized powder does she notice the strange black dapples, faint as they trickle vertically down the spine of what the tabby finally realizes is a feather.
A feather that blends almost perfectly against the snow.
Carefully, she uses a forepaw to bring it closer before eyes turn skyward.
Huh?
Perched deceivingly amongst ivory-draped branches, she see’s it twitch. It looks like an owl, though it is a brilliant white, and as alert as ever even in the day.
"Get down!" Roeflame is quick to hiss a warning towards her patrol, pressing her flank lowly against the nearest tree trunk, gesturing towards the strange owl-like thing above.
"Look!" Keeping her whisper low, the warrior hopes she isn’t going mad.

"speech"
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[leafhusk]

leafhusk shook her head to remove any snow flurries. she watched through her eyes, as they drifted down her vision. under her breath, she mumbles about how annoying this was before continuing on. thunderclan isn’t allowed one day of peace from fresh snowfall— the chances of bringing anything back is already slim— does the weather have to rub it in?

light brown ears swivel forward, turning in the direction of roeflame’s stumble. “careful,” she mews softly, before going back to search for prey. her body lowers to the ground, she’s about to wander off to follow a sent until the lead warrior speaks up once more. at first, she couldn’t see anything, just the bright snow beginning to sting her eyeballs. leafhusk squints, following the molly’s gaze in hopes of finding it. eventually, between the blinding light, she finds the dark speckles on it’s form.

it’s gorgeous, she thinks, for something so dangerous. the regal creature perches on it’s throne, and leafhusk doesn’t feel worthy suddenly. if she was a superstitious person, she’d take this as a bad omen. this things a predator, most likely just as hungry as they are, and so close to camp. ugh, warrior’s brain is exhausting.

“it’s so… huge.” is all she can muster, breathless by the sight, despite nerves creeping up her spine.

ooc ☁️ info battle

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  base: StarlingaleBases​
  thoughts.
  "speech."
  
• LEAFHUSK 」warrior of thunderclan・36 ☾・she/her
  
  lh molly fawn point sepia w/ green eyes. lanky & agile frame. soft & neatly groomed fur.​
  ‣ backwritten ex-kittypet, joined during emberstar's reign. detailed info
  ‣ loyal to thunderclan・mentor to no one
  ‣ please attack in underline and tag
  ‣ permission to powerplay:
  
  - peaceful actions: healing, touching etc​
  - harmful actions: shoving, minor scrapes etc​
  
  all opinions ic
  ——— written by maxine ♡
  
• ‣ please attack in underline and tag
  ‣ easy difficulty・leafhusk skills are mainly in stealth & tracking she backs away if she knows an opponent will overpower her
  ‣ will start verbal fights・won't end fights・refuses to kill
  
  

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[SHININGSUN]

☼ Shiningsun was practically squinting in order to see through the snowy veil that surrounded him as he pressed on with his apprentice in tow. Every so often he found himself glancing back to check that Gingerpaw was still following him before returning his focus to the path ahead. Though before he could drift his attentions towards any form of hunting there came an interruption to the patrol's peace. Instinctively he dropped low and he aimed to use his tail to drape over Gingerpaw's shoulders as a sign for them to drop low too.

The warrior strained his ears forward in order to listen ever more closely to Roeflame and Leafhusk, and it was then that he began to grasp the level of danger they were in. "Should we head back?" He queried as he looked to the lead warrior for direction. They couldn't risk injuries if the owl decided to attack, but they also couldn't risk luring it closer to the camp.

//apprentice tag @GINGERPAW
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[MOUSENOSE]

The gray-splashed she-cat sighs and lifts her head beseechingly to the violet-bellied sky. “More snow? Jeez,” she mutters crossly. “It’s really comin’ down, too.” She turns to look at Roeflame, seeing the hesitation in the golden lead warrior’s sharp gaze. Mousenose flicks her tail toward Shiningsun, Leafhusk, and Gingerpaw, carefully avoiding looking at her apprentice as she mews, “Some of us are never bringing back fresh-kill in this.” What she doesn’t say is that even on a clear day with the sun beaming and still breezes, Sunshinepaw couldn’t bring back prey…

But she certainly thinks it. She’s about to gesture for the dappled feline to follow her back toward camp when Roeflame’s hushed exclamation draws the rest of the patrol’s attention skyward. Her blood seems to freeze as she locks eyes—acid green with dark, midnight-black—with an owl whose feathers are white as the snowfall. “StarClan,” she whispers, following Shiningsun’s lead and using a paw to push Sunshinepaw to the ground. “Stay still until Roeflame tells us otherwise.”

[ @sunshinepaw ]

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[sunshinespot]

If his ears weren't flattened prior, Sunshinepaw would've pressed them to his cranium now. They notice how their mentor doesn't look at them, and though her words are not pointed, he can tell the purpose of them regardless. Sunshinepaw cannot even say that they're trying; they've put effort in, here and there, but most days they feel useless - worthless, even. They say nothing, simply and quietly following the patrol.

It's a ripple affect, from warrior to warrior to apprentice and so on. Sunshinepaw is last to know of the beast but that does not stunt him from crouching low with everyone else. He cannot recall ever seeing an owl before, and though the beast is majestic, it's just as terrifying. "We should go," he posits, following Shiningsun's line of thinking. They do not move, however, ears still folded against their head.​