One deep breath out from the sky | Riverclan patrol

[Snakeblink]

MAYBE I'D BE A SAINT IF I WEREN'T ————————————​

There are many reasons for Snakeblink to feel antsy as they walk along their border with Skyclan: the illness prowling the other side of the river, the foxes that have been their own plague upon the River territory, the general vagaries of his anxious soul.

But no, today, Snakeblink is in a rare mood where what stresses him out is actually something within his control: his apprentice is very, very small, and he only has a distant idea of what he’s meant to do with her. As such, he alternates between looking at her (anxiously) and staring at the two other mentors in their patrol with an intensity that may be described as… off-putting. Mudpelt and Aspenhaze are accomplished warriors and, from what he’s seen, responsible and admirable mentors. He can learn a lot from them if only he pays attention.

Every so often he also glances at the border, murmuring to Carppaw: ”Here, see? This is how you should mark the border line…”. This is still a border patrol, after all.​

——————————————————————————————————— so god damn lonely ​

ooc. information.

• Patrol tag: @CARPPAW, @MUDPELT ( & @FERNPAW ), @Aspenhaze ( & @Mosspaw )
  
• — Snakeblink • he / him. 43 ☾, riverclan warrior
  — a sleek, skinny tabby with long ears and a scar over his right eye.
  — gay, not actually evil, penned by @Kangoo
  
  
  

​

​

 

[FERNGILL]

The keen sting of embarrassment at still being an apprentice had lessened- in fact, Fernpaw thought he might just be getting used to it. Was that even a good thing, though? As optimistic as he was, he didn't want to grow stagnant- stop progressing toward the goal he had been striving for since he had been a bug-eyed ugly duckling of a thing. A smile on his face would remain though, as he dutifully walked alongside his father. Hopefully his runtish size, alongside the bulk of Mudpelt, would conceal to any SkyClanner that didn't know him that he was long overdue his warrior name.

He took in a long drag of breath through his nose, the pine forest's sharp scent feeling almost icy as it rushed through his nostrils. "Do you think it's hard to hunt with this scent everywhere?" he asked Mudpelt earnestly, looking up to his mentor with a curious glow in his solitary verdant gaze.​

✦ penned by pin ✦​

 

[CARP-PAW]

FIGHTING IT IS HOPELESS ————————————​

​

Her first outting! Oh, she was so excited, above the moon, her nose lifted and grin wide on her face. Snakeblink was a hoverer, but that was okay, so far she liked him. She had nervous butterflies in her stomach before she left, but seeing everyone getting up and getting ready to go completely overwhelmed that tiny seed of doubt in her mind. Being able to explore past camp for one of the first times was seriously exciting, too! Snakeblink had said they were going out to the border. The Skyclan question.

Carppaw held her tongue for the time being, though. It wouldn't do to be running her mouth with all of the questions she was begging to talk, but her whiskers were definitely quivering with the effort of keeping her mouth shut. Doing that and paying attention was super hard, especially with all of the new smells that were here. The border, the scent of another clan, the pine trees- which Fernpaw was doing his duty of pointing out. "The border- oh, yes, right! I got it." Carppaw responded to Snakeblink, padding up to the border.

A moment of investigation, before she was turning to a nearby clump of grasses, rubbing her paws- and thus Riverclan's scent- all over it. ".. Like this, right? I think I got it." Carppaw asked in a statement, rather then a question.

"speech"
​

——————————————————————————————— sinkin' in your ocean ​

 

[BLAZESTAR]

“The riverbank makes for good hunting,” he’s explaining to Bobbie, his claws flexing in the pebble-studded sand decorating their side of the border. “Voles like to make their home here, and sometimes we can find mice in the—” Amber ears flick, catching the footsteps of a patrol across the water. He peers through the reeds, recognizing Snakeblink, one of Cicadastar’s lead warriors, at the head of a border patrol. The tiny she-kit next to him does her best to follow his example, marking clumps of grass with her cheeks exuberantly. It brings a tremulous smile to his tired muzzle. “Snakeblink. I hope your Clan fares well.” He dips his head, turning to Bobbie and beckoning her closer.

By this point, the pale tabby she-cat had been to her first Gathering, and perhaps she’s familiarized herself with some of the cats. “Snakeblink is one of the cats on Cicadastar’s council,” he explains. “That big brown tom is Mudpelt, and the spotted cat is Aspenhaze.” His blue eyes gleam as he catches the one-eyed ginger tom’s query about difficult hunting. “Not at all!” He calls across the water. “We’ve got no undergrowth to pick through. We are fortunate with our hunting grounds.” Blazestar’s exhaustion peeks through his cheerful façade, but the smile he offers the patrol is genuine enough. Perhaps the river has protected RiverClan from the worst of the illness.

✧ INFO.

• @bobbie pseudo-apprentice tag!
• 
  — blaise . blazestar
  — he/him ; leader of skyclan
  — pansexual ; divorced ; single
  — longhaired flame point Ragdoll with blue eyes
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — penned by Marquette
  — chibi by Mercibun

​

 

[edenberry ?!]

He moved like a lion through the open fields of SkyClan territory every time he left the camp! It reminded them of the first time they'd met, when he'd prowled up with bushy fur billowing in the idle breeze, that friendly smile. It was a wonder to Edenpaw that more of the clans didn't like Blazestar more! Hurrying along behind as the cream-colored tom moved ahead with Bobie in tow, the apprentice couldn't help but chime in their two cents, "The fish ones! Hey! Hey Snakeblink, hello! Is it hard to fish when you guys smell like them?? Or does it help! Do the fishes think you're fish too?"

Lashing an excited bob of a tail, they looked up at their leader with wide eyes, having come to another even more important question, "Excuse me, Blazestar? Do fish have noses?" Surely he would be able to answer that even if he wasn't one of those fisher cats! Blazestar had to know a lot to be a leader- after all, he made entire laws! And it was a good question- did Bobie know yet? Maybe that would help!

Peering around the form that had been quickly introduced as 'Mudpelt' (terrible name... why would you wanna be named after Mud? Dude should ask Cicadastar for a new one...), the bright tuft of fur that had asked about hunting through the pines seemed pretty shy. That's okay... maybe next time Edenpaw would get a chance to say hello to him too!

/ ic opinion im so sorry mud​

 

[DOEBLAZE]

✿—— she twitches an ear as blazestar explains about hunting on the riverbank; she herself has been relying on mostly ground hunting for the moment, so it's important information. somehow she'd never considered the riverbank as somewhere to hunt, what with all the emphasis her clanmates placed on hunting up in the trees, but it makes sense. she's pondering asking someone to hunt here when the ragdoll's ears flick and her own head turns a breath after his own, late catching the sounds of a riverclan patrol. bobbie pads over dutifully when she's beckoned closer, looking across the river at the other patrol; she doesn't really know any of them, though she spoke with a smoke-pelted riverclanner by the name of willowroot (if she's remembering correctly) at the recent gathering.

"i hope riverclan is well," she chimes in, mimicking blazestar's phrasing in an attempt at diplomacy. still, she doesn't know who they are, not having the fortune to grow up surrounded by these cats, or hearing the tales of the forest's ranks, so she flicks her half-tail and listens as he explains. bobbie nods in understanding, trying to commit the names to memory, and glances across the river at the group. blazestar seems cheered by it, which she's grateful for—he seems stressed, exhausted, in light of the recent sickness, and it's worried her. irrationally so, she supposes, but still.

thankfully the thought's interrupted when edenpaw pops up out of quite literally nowhere, spouting off a bunch of questions and making bobbie fight not to laugh in front of the riverclan patrol. she glances down at the apprentice and mews with some amusement, "i don't think so, but i'm n-not the expert here." the tabby smiles across the water as brightly as she can manage.

NO LOVE, HOWEVER BRIEF (✿) 𝑰𝑺 𝑾𝑨𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑫

• ooc: ——
  
• nothing here, have a nice day :-)
• 
  — bobbie
  — she/her ; warrior of skyclan ; 40 ☾s
  — "speech" ; thoughts ; attacks
  — chibi by its_oliverr
  — penned by dejavu
  

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[Mosspool]

Mosspaw was padding alongside her mentor Aspenhaze, listening politely to Snakeblink's instructions to Carppaw, but not really needing the information herself. The days when she needed to be taught how to patrol the border were far gone, she was almost a warrior now. When the apprentice asked if she was doing it right, she chimed in. "Yes, that is correct."

Meanwhile, she was trying her best to ignore Edenpaw entirely. He was simply being a nuisance, in her opinion. His mentor had her pity.

Her gaze snapped to Edenpaw sharply as he spouted his nonsense to the Skyclan patrol. "That is not a question for a leader." Mosspaw told Edenpaw bluntly, her ear flicking in disapproval. Leaders had more important things to do than consider such useless queries. The model of a perfect apprentice, she turned toward Blazestar and dipped her head in respect. She had not shown Howlingstar such courtesy when she had seen her at the border, but the Skyclan leader was more deserving of respect than any Thunderclanner ever would be.

She offered a polite smile in response to the Skyclan patrol's well wishes for her clan. "Thank you. Riverclan is well. I hope the same is true for Skyclan."​

 

[JAGGEDSTORM]

you're like snow , beautiful but cold .
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

He nearly sighed at Edenpaw’s harmless question, icy optics snapping to watch Mosspaw answer, although correct, Edenpaw had not been talking to those opposite of the border, but to their leader.

Of course, Jaggedstorm had no reason to call out because it was not his apprentice, and not his responsibility to teach them respect. The willowy tom remained silent, simply watching from where he stood, gaze lingering on the apprentice, plumed tail flickering.

He shifted, paw steps lights, barely audible to rub his scent along their border, icy gaze flickering to Bobbie. They do. He wanted to comment, gaze narrowing. He distinctively remembered it rested just above their mouths when he’d been with his clowder, having stopped at an upwalker's house that held colorful fish until Lostmoon stumbled into the water, alerting the upwalkers of their presence. ​

​

thought speech​

 

[Snakeblink]

MAYBE I'D BE A SAINT IF I WEREN'T ————————————​

”You got it,” Snakeblink nods curtly to his apprentice — the apparition of Skyclan cats has distracted him. He bobs his head as if to lean closer to Carppaw, looking like an awkward waterhen for a second. ”That is the most River-smelling clump of grass in the territory,” he adds, wanting to encourage her early in her apprenticeship although she has admittedly not done much. He must build up her goodwill towards him: he’ll need it in the future.

He nods politely in response to Blazestar and his companions' well-wishes, eyes lingering on the unfamiliar molly at his side. ”So are we,” he says following Blazestar’s comment on Skyclan’s hunting grounds. ”I hope the shade of your trees keeps you as cool in this heat as the river does for us.”

That’s it for him; if any more polite smalltalk is required, he’s all out of subject ideas. Thankfully a small apprentice on the other side sees fit to provide one, asking exuberantly about… fish noses.

Despite Mosspaw’s disapproval and the pale Skyclanner’s dubious look, he answers the other part of the question: ”You cannot smell as well underwater, so our fish-like scent has never proved to be an issue while fishing. And it makes us a little harder to track: even standing near the river as you are, you would never smell us coming.”

He winks for good measure. It does not do much towards making his statement sound less ominous.
​

——————————————————————————————————— so god damn lonely ​

ooc. information.

• 
  
• — Snakeblink • he / him. 43 ☾, riverclan warrior
  — a sleek, skinny tabby with long ears and a scar over his right eye.
  — gay, not actually evil, penned by @Kangoo
  
  
  

​

​

 

[Aspenhaze]

Aspenhaze almost absentmindedly trots along with the rest of the patrol, their thoughts elsewhere. They've felt out of it a lot lately, and they're still not sure why. They're happy...mostly. Why wouldn't they be? They have a lovely mate now, and they really couldn't ask for more. Maybe it's because of how hectic their life seems to be. They're afraid that the sickness will come for them, Petalnose, and even Mosspaw, and being chosen to border SkyClan didn't exactly put them at ease. Someone has to do it, though, so here they are.

It takes a moment to register that Blazestar points them out to the cat accompanying him. They don't think they've ever seen the lilac tabby, but it's not like their mind is fully present. Either way, they put back on their signature smirk to hopefully hide their inattentiveness so far. "That's me. Pleasure to meet you," they say to the stranger. It seems like she was most likely a loner or kittypet before joining SkyClan, if a cat older than them is being tutored by her leader. Other than a slight feeling of disgust, they just tuck that note in the back of their head.

They try their best to keep focus as the topic of fishes are questioned by one of the SkyClan apprentices, amusement making them trill as their apprentice chastises her bob tailed fellow. They haven't really paid that much attention to their prey, but some fish have more obvious noses than others. They're not even proper noses, more so just flat holes. It is a little odd, if you think about it too hard, but at the same time imagining a fish with a nose like theirs or like a twoleg is even weirder. "Maybe it's a good thing you can't immediately tell that fishes have noses." ​