camp RATIONAL GAZE ↷ [ PATROLS ]

[smogstar]

Broken sunlight filtered through pines to dapple the marsh clearing. Crisp air carries the scent of seasonal change, a prelude to budding flowers and fully thawed marsh pools: mud, and a lot of it, too. Mud is a mild annoyance, and the dark-patterned deputy lifts each paw with a near grimace, gingerly taking steps through it until halting before Clanrock. He could wipe his pads clean on the granite but opts against it. They'll just get dirty again when he turns around next, and he has no mind for wasted effort. Besides, mud feels far nicer on the paws than slush.

"ShadowClan, heed my words and listen well," Smogmaw proclaims in his customarily firm baritone. His vision naturally rakes across camp from end to end, assessing attentiveness and overall disposition with a practiced keenness. "I've a couple'a patrols to send out, so get yer legs all stretched for a full day of scurrying through our beautiful swamp."

A beat comes to pass, the blackened tip to his tail drifts along the rock behind him. Fox-dung. The ol' stream of thought always runs dry whenever all eyes turn to him. "Ehem, alright. Leading a patrol to ThunderClan is @SHARPSHADOW. " He angles his forehead downward to confront her anxious stare. "Take @mottlefox, @Skunktail, @betonyfrost, @Swanpaw, and @Halfpaw. Keep it cordial if you end up chancing upon any of 'em tree-huggers." The concluding tidbit is solely reserved for two cats in particular; Betonyfrost, whose conversational prowess was forever hinged on an antagonistic tilt, and Halfpaw, who'll never go near that border again should she somehow start another fight. Her very presence on this patrol is less about second chances and more about testing her ability to learn from past blunders.

"Newleaf is fast approaching. The sooner we can get Starlingheart's cave teeming with herbs, the happier our medicine cat'll be. @Magpiepaw, lead an herb patrol, and take @shrewpounce, @scorchfrost, @APPLEPAW, and @THISTLESIGHT. Do everything in your power to make Starlingheart's day."

His knowledge on herbs is exceptionally limited, and hence he pushes on to the next two patrols without further input or room for questions. Hell, for all he knows, their capacity to make the medicine cat happy could be purely conjecture. "There will be two patrols out WindClan way. One at dawn, one at moonhigh. @Frostbite will take charge for the day patrol. With him will be @lilacfur, @Skywish, @BATCHASER, @POPPYPAW, and @CATERPILLARPAW." No additional instruction for their expected etiquette comes. What grievances were held against the moor clan were righteous and true, and muzzling them outright will hardly be conducive. "At moonhigh, there will be another, and I will be leading it. @FERNDANCE, @fleabounce, @Willowburn, @ASHENPAW, and @ONYXPAW, I would like you all to join me. Be sure to rest up ahead a' time."

"And-" he continues quickly, though he requires a moment or three to snag a breath. "And, and, and... there's another li'l exploratory patrol I'd like to send out. The stream that cleaves the territory in two is our most pristine source of drinking water, and I'd like to know if it's safe to drink, or if snowmelt's gone and gunked it all up. @FORESTSHADE, you will take @Scorchedmoon, @pipitclaw !!, @orchidpaw, @Snowpaw., and @Sweetpaw. Go from end-to-end of the stream if you can, try to find any impurities." His chief worry is crowfood or twoleg waste from Carrionplace having found a new home in the stream over Leaf-bare.

Alright. Phew. A deep exhale, and his pulmonary systems are all up to par. "Alright. Buh-bye. Get to work." ​

 

[Snowlark.]

[ ༻❄༺ ] Another day rolled around and more patrols were made. This time, dhe got sent onto a patrol to check their water supplies. Which, seems simple enough and sounds like it would be fun, yellow gaze slipped to her mentor with a slight nod before getting onto her paws and make way towards Forestshade, waiting for the command of the blind lead warrior. Check their water supplies... how hard could it be?

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎┌── You ve wasted your life , but thanks for applying ──┐‎

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  "speak""Thoughts"
  
• 
  Snowpaw ❄ She/Her, apprentice of Shadowclan, 6 moons.
  ⭃ Lithe long hair blue lynx sepia with high white, and yellow eyes. Stubby tail, permanent resting bitch face
  ⭃ Hailfreckle x Mudsplash
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted (ask first) / / underline and tag when attacking
  ↛ see battle info here
  ⭃ penned by Ryn ↛ @/Rynnaro on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

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[FORESTSHADE]

ShadowClan, heed my words and listen well.

Forestshade pauses her conversation she’d been having with Sharpshadow, ears flicking towards the deputy near the other side of camp. She snickers in amusement at his formal tone - who does he think he is, king of the swamp? She takes a moment to mock his tone in a whispered voice to her friend, echoing his words while sticking a paw haughtily to her puffed out chest, before getting to her feet and padding closer.

She listens for her name in the border patrols or hunting patrols, but it is not spoken. Her ears twitch in acknowledgement - no patrols means more time for rest and training today. But it would not be. Whiskers quivering, she listens as she’s told she will need to lead the patrol to…look at the water? You know….with her eyes…

Smogmaw has sent her on laughable patrols before, but this one takes the rabbit. She guffaws in amusement, a snort soon following as she tosses her head back. “Oh sure, send the blind cat to examine the stream. What could go wrong?” She ridicules in amusement. With a wave of her tail, she summons her patrol members. “Alright, everyone, let’s get this over with.” She’s sure she and her kit will be super helpful.​

 

[scorchfrost]

Herb patrol was easy enough. It would be a nice break from his normal hunt, fight, hunt routine. It would also mean he could see Starlingheart when it was done. Starclan, he could remember when the medicine cat was just little and now he was on patrols with her apprentice. Time moved too fast.

He acknowledged the assignment with a nod, chuckled at the situation Forestshade was in, and waited for his group to gather.
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[ YOU CAN'T BREAK MY SPIRIT ]​

 

[ONYXPAW]

I WISH YOU COULD SEE THE WICKED TRUTH — A patrol with Smogmaw, the deputy of their whole clan? A patrol not only led by Smogmaw, but a patrol to Windclan? Avocetfall had told her plenty about the clan and their sordid history all on their own, but she hadn't actually ended up on a patrol out to their border just yet. The prospect filled her with both excitement and terror, glad to have the chance to see things for herself - but what if Windclan wasn't as focused on reforming as they claimed? What if things ended up going south, and she had to fight alongside the rest of her patrol? Fighting was one of the areas that her mentor had mentioned she was actually excelling in, but that didn't mean she wanted to show off those skills in anything beyond spars.

Would she be able to forgive herself, if she ended up truly drawing another cat's blood?

Onyxpaw wasn't sure, but it wasn't as if she was going to just reject Smogmaw's assignment. She dipped her head in response to his words, tail twitching beneath her paws as she kneaded anxiously at her own fur. "Alright, I'll make sure I'm ready before moonhigh. Promise." At least it didn't seem like she was the only one a little uneasy about her assignment, though Forestshade's worries were a bit more comedic than her own. She joined Scorchfrost in giggling at the lead warrior's words - though she did hope they'd still be able to make sure the stream was fine for them all to drink from.

CAUGHT UP IN A RUSH ✦ IT IS KILLING YOU

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• 
  ✧ shorthaired tortoiseshell point and chocolate point chimera with blue eyes
  ✧ 6 moons old; ages the 1st every month
  ✧ bisexual; crushing on yellowpaw
  ✧ daughter of monarchroot and sleetjaw
  ✧ shadowclan born; silently loyal to her home
  ✧ difficult to befriend; shy to most except yellowpaw
  ✧ "speech", thoughts, attacking
  ✧ peaceful powerplay allowed

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[FERNDANCE]

A smile reached the cinnamon tabby's maw, oh praise be, she was allowed to go on patrols once more. She'd missed greeting other clans and hunting random endangered creatures within the territory, even the impish Ferndance could not help but be sincere in her joy as she listened to Smogmaw announce the patrols. She paused when she heard her name for the WindClan Dusk Patrol - heart briefly stopping in its chest before it began beating with twice the vigour. Oh how she wanted to sink her fangs into those creatures, all calls for murder beforehand paled in comparison to the sheer disgust she felt for the cats that had made her feel unsafe in her own home. The cinnamon tabby rolled her shoulders in a sort of shrug, she'd happily rest before she went out towards dangerous land, but Ferndance could not say how much of that would be dedicated to sleep. "Ok... see you soon, Smogmaw."

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