RAINY DAYS (riverclan patrol)

[MUDPELT]

// @HOUNDSTRIDE. @FERNPAW @Sablepaw @ANTLERPAW Feel free to post before the RiverClanners!

The gorge had been clean of any scents, understandably. But as the patrol traverses down the slope by the Falls, Mudpelt can feel himself growing apprehensive. Ever since WindClan had raided them in the night, this part of the river made the warrior nervous. He's naturally conflict-averse; perhaps it's why he keeps being put on these patrols. "Fernpaw, Sablepaw, Antlerpaw, you guys go ahead and mark the border. Show us how it's done." He glances towards Houndstride who pads beside him, offers a half-smile. They look a bit silly with all of these apprentices with them, but with their mentors recovering the clan couldn't let the young ones' educations suffer for it. "Make sure it's strong!"​

 

[FERNGILL]

It made him nervous, this border. It was nice to be trusted to go ahead- to be relied on when the Clan was in need, a privilege he'd never been privy to before- but it had to be this border, didn't it? WindClan were... were evil, their hearts blackened like a lightning-struck tree. They were bad, the lot of them... but if he was really going to be a RiverClan warrior, he had to be brave in the face of adversity. Strong, staring down anything that threatened RiverClan...

Some days he felt like he was still so far from being that warrior. Most days, really- but he glanced back at his father, ears flicking at the sound go his encouragement, and there was at least a flower of safety within the bramble-bush of this border.

"Got it, dad," he hummed, nodding affirmatively. There was a little less of a bumble about him than usual as he tiptoed along their side of the border, his focus entirely set on his task. ​

✦ penned by pin ✦​

 

[SNAILSTRIDE]

It was hard not to feel guilty whenever their brain lingered on the subject of RiverClan for too long. They were no different from WindClanners, fighting for a different cause, but their blood ran the same colour and their eyes spoke of the same conviction they'd seen in the lead warriors. The world would never be friends again though, a harsh reality that a brief tenure destroying RiverClan herbs had taught the marbled tabby. As they were patrolling, they spotted the enemy, their monochrome fur bristling with a mixture of fear and nostalgia surrounding the events of the raid. So much blood... stars, why couldn't have they been small enough to stay a tunneler? Alerting the cats they were with to RiverClan presence, Snailpaw slowly crept down the side of a moor, their smile not quite reaching their eyes as they recognised the youth of the RiverClanners present. Ugh, this wouldn't be easy then. Punching down felt as good as a thorn in one's paw, but with the glares of WindClanners bearing down at the back of their choice, Snailpaw had to ask what choice they had but to play the part of the warmongering bully. At least, whilst other cats were present.

"Oh heeeeey, hey!" The adult-sized apprentice bound over, looking as if they were going to run right over the borders, but they ground to a halt just a tail length before they met the same fate as Juniperfrost. They grinned like they used to, except this time, it was a more learned and spiteful thing. Wide eyes spoke of a hesitance to be mean that their mouth did not, it was a solemn prayer they conjured up as a reaction - let RiverClan know that it wasn't personal. They'd been friends with RIverClanners before, but they needed to live, for the sake of a few hurt feelings, it was a worthwhile goal. "I heard a joke about ya'll once, do you wanna hear it? I bet you do, it's a real side-splitter! Why do RiverClanners lie about everything?" The same reason WindClan does: the world's just that damn cruel. They were all little cats involved in a bigger cat's game, their roles as little warriors were inevitable. They imagined Cicadastar was the same as Sootstar, only he'd managed to find one friend amidst the slew of cats willing to tear each other's throats out. "Because it's the only thing they're ef-fish-ient at." Snailpaw cackled.

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[GRAVELSNAP]

The black-patched warrior strides up to stand beside Snailpaw with a grimace, alabaster paws teasing at the edge of the gorge. It would be so easy to slip, to fall in…

Hazel eyes narrow coldly, flitting across the forms of the RiverClan cats on the other side of the gorge. The clan whose leader chose to harbor Hyacinthbreath, lead warrior turned spineless traitor. "I hope one of them falls in," they grumble, eel-black tail lashing with irritation.

Gravelsnap may not be immature enough to stoop to the level of the fish-eaters annd throw insults, but they are certainly not too mature to snicker at Snailpaw’s joke. RiverClan’s leader is a liar, Hyacinthbreath is a liar—RiverClan is made up of liars. Water snakes, spitting venom and killing loyal warriors, leaving unborn kits fatherless. Gravelsnap can find no sympathy for the RiverClanners who defend the actions of traitorous scum like Hyacinthbreath. She will not go to StarClan when she dies, and neither will any cat who fights at her side.
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[ DEATH OF A DREAM ]​

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[Bluepool]

All of WindClan, it seems, had come to the silent consensus that Wind Clan was full of nothing but liars, traitors, murderers. Bluepool was no different, when she looked upon the cats across the border she saw Spiderbloom, pregnant and without a mate, she saw Periwinklepaw and his sibling left without a mother and scrutinized for every action and it was all because of one cats selfishness. There were others, she knows. Other traitors across the way that RiverClan had foolishly decided to harbor. But Hyacinthbreath was the one she found herself loathing the most.

She lets out a laugh at Snailpaws joke, loud and obnoxious and obviously meant to dog the RiverClanners on. "Hah! Good one Snailpaw, everyone knows a RiverClanner can’t be trusted." her pale yellow eyes flash to the patrol standing before them and quickly, she notes how many apprentices are there and really, how was she expected to take this patrol seriously. "Was your battle with us so bad that you only have kits left in your clan or what?" surely, if there was it is what they deserved for being fox-hearts. The stars would see to it that they are punished, in that she believes because the proof is right here in front of her.

RiverClan looks beat.

// apprentice tag! @Periwinklebreeze.
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[TIGERFROST]

TIGERFROST ♂

0/9

WINDCLAN / LEAD WARRIOR
BIOGRAPHY AND TAGS
PLAYED BY SHEOGORATH

HEALTH: ████████████████████​

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At the very least, Snailpaw's joke was amusing. If Tigerfrost were a bit more laid back in nature, he might have laughed. Even Gravelsnap snickers over it. As it stands, the tabby is as cold shouldered as ever, though he nearly barks a warning when his apprentice skitters too far toward the edge. The gorge would swallow them up and spit them back out as a corpse. It was not a risk worth taking, getting so close. Snailpaw was old enough to make their own decisions though, were they not? Tigerfrost pauses farther back, glaring across the river. Sootstar had made it clear in the last meeting that RiverClan would likely retaliate. He is as suspicious as any other WindClan cat. There was a reason so many patrols were being sent to this particular border. RiverClan might have been gravely wounded in their battle, but their wounds would heal just as WindClan's had. Tigerfrost flicks an ear toward Bluepool's comment, acknowledgement, though little more.

"Don't forget to mark the scent lines." The Lead Warrior reminds the group. They certainly seemed distracted with their petty jokes and insults toward the other clan, and quite frankly, Tigerfrost doesn't care, so long as they all remember the real reason they are here. The powerful tabby allows the glow of his flaming eyes to shift across the passing RiverClan patrol, though Tigerfrost's expression is one of frosty stone, unreadable, and shrouded by stoicism. If they really did try anything foolish, they'd have him to contend with. After Juniperfrost's murder, the Lead Warrior had no qualms about returning the favor.​

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[Badgermoon]

The deputy let a soft hmm escape his throat as he rubbed his cheeks against a large clump of cottongrass, contributing to the intense heather-and-sky scent of WindClan's border. Snailpaw's joke hadn't been a bad one by any means, but it was an unusual thing for the blue tabby to make an explicitly mocking remark. Perhaps recent events have changed them. Badgermoon reflected with a pang of sadness, pressing his multi-colored paw pads firmly against a small boulder's smooth, mossy surface. It was a bit of a shame to think that Snailpaw's buoyant heart and good spirit could turn into something darker, but...well, it couldn't be helped, he supposed. At least not while the rest of the Clans seemed determined to think of the moor-cats as downright demonic.

"Mind the gorge." he called over to Gravelsnap, though without the urgency that indicated he truly feared for the bicolor warrior's safety. Gravelsnap was smart and competent - it felt highly unlikely that the younger cat would fall in. Nevertheless, Badgermoon couldn't help himself from at least mentioning it, out of habit if nothing else.

[ @SNAKEPAW apprentice tag <3 ]​

 

[Sablemist]

In every situation you give me peace

Sablepaw trails behind Mudpelt and Fernpaw with an air of silence. Out of all the patrols, why did she have to skirt the border of a clan that managed to clobber riverclan half to death? Periwinkle eyes flash across the gorge with mindful steps, witnessing a silver tom marching along the edge attempting to gather their attention. Where was Cindershade when she needed her? The tom continues on, creating a rather scathing joke, accusing them of being liars. She remains silent, lips pulling into a frown as she brushes against river reed and cattail. More windclanners join the silver one, each one hurling their remarks. Attempting to goade them on. Sablepaw turns to Mudpelt, voice soft as she draws close. "Are we nearly finished here?" Although her tone remained respectful there were notes of urgency to be found. She did not wish to linger too long around Clearsight's killers. ​

Don't gotta be afraid because you're in the lead​

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[SNAKEHISS]

❪ TAGS ❫ — The apprentice was not reluctant to march up to the ravine and tout WindClan's superiority and status to those fish-eaters. In fact, Snakepaw wanted them to remember his face, to know him and fear him and—

It's him. The RiverClan warrior.

Snakepaw slows his stride, perhaps uncharacteristically, though tries to play it off as he pauses to rub his muzzle against a random rock on the ground. He averts his gaze from the RiverClanners across the way, though flicks his gaze up repeatedly to try and catch a glimpse of the chocolate-hued tom from the corner of his eye. Stupid Sparkpaw. The midnight black apprentice thinks to himself bitterly about how the other tom had abandoned him to fight the large warrior alone. Snakepaw had ended up fleeing shortly after and taking cover on the outskirts of the chaos; nobody had noticed, it seemed.

Attempting to shield himself from the RiverClanner's view, he stuck close to Badgermoon.​

 

[Periwinklebreeze.]

STEADY THE RIGHTS AND THE WRONGS
periwinklepaw | 09 months | demi-boy | he/they | physically easy (pacifist) | mentally easy | attack in bold #ccccff

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A border patrol is an awkward enough affair on its own - the fact that its riverclan only makes it more so. With his change in mentorship, it is no longer possible for the boy to avoid the things that bring him discomfort - he lacks the trust he had with his first mentor, and the familial loyalty of the second. Bluepool is not... bad, per say, but he still wishes desperately he could have managed to escape her watchful gaze.

As the closest companion of those on patrol, he'd chosen to cling to snailpaw and gravelsnaps side - hiding his smoke masked frame between the older toms in the hopes of remaining unnoticed. He's hoping for an uneventful patrol - hoping that she won't be there. Any hopes are utterly crushed as his friend opens his mouth - clear blue gaze wincing. maybe he should've stuck near bluepool after all...

Everyone seems to laugh and joke about - taunting the riverclanners, who's patrol does in fact seem to made up mostly of apprentices rather than warriors, but he takes no part - finds no joy in it. He does not care for the fish eaters, but he cannot find the will to hate them either. He goes about his task instead, focusing his mind on scent marking the border, giving cautionary glances at those around him just in case.

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[MUDPELT]

Mudpelt nods as Fernpaw glances back at him, encouraging him and the other apprentices to go closer to the river to mark. Of course, he remains their shadow, watching and making sure nothing goes wrong when he sees WindClanners approach on the opposite shore. Almost immediately, they show their nasty colors, spitting insults and mocking them. A frown tugs at the warrior's lips as he surveys them, and with a pang realizes even the young black-furred apprentice he fought off in the battle at the beech copse is there. The warrior leans close to Houndstride and mutters, "Pleasant bunch they are, eh?" Flicking his nub of a tail, the massive tom then strides forward and looks down to Sablepaw with his sullen expression. "Let's just get to the twoleg bridge then we'll go straight home, okay?" He doesn't blame the apprentice for wanting to leave; WindClanners are proving to not make for very good company! In fact, the friendly tom can't even find words to say to them. He only gives them another look and continues down the bank, murmuring, "Just ignore them."​