STOP AND STARE || WindClan border patrol

[WEASELCLAW]

He's thankful Duskfire has seen fit to send Inkylotus towards the waterlogged cats instead of him. He doesn't know anything about ThunderClan, except for what little he'd seen at the Gathering. Their leader is young, younger than Sootstar and himself even, and in comparison is friendly and unimpressive. He imagines there won't be trouble, and he is determined to ensure they don't make any for Sootstar today.

They near the place where the great four oaks stand, the place they'd met all of the other cats in the forest, and he can see trees towering where the moor has precious few. The strange, woody scent, mingling with leafmold and undergrowth, crosses his scent glands. He knows they've arrived.

"This is ThunderClan's border," he says, turning to Owlpaw and Goldenpaw. He knows Lavenderstorm and Brightshine don't need to be told, but this is the young she-cat's first time so far from her home, and Goldenpaw was a loner before. "You can see they have a lot more trees than we do. They don't get many rabbits; not enough open space to run."

With a dismissive flick of his tail, he begins to pad alongside the border. With a blunt edge to his voice, he tells the other cats, "Remember, we aren't here to make trouble. Just make your markings so we can go home."
​

PENNED BY MARQUETTE​

// just a border patrol! feel free to have interactions! you don't have to wait for all the WindClanners to post. :)
@OWLKIT @BRIGHTSHINE! @LAVENDERSTORM @GOLDENPAW.

 

[Hollow Tree]

Hollow Tree remembered the days she could go wherever she pleased. The brown tabby had been unsure about borders in general. But she understood that each group just wanted a piece of promised land. A reassurance that something belonged to them. And though she may have missed her strolls in the moor, she didn’t dare try to break the forming rules. She didn’t want to cause trouble or add stress to Emberstar.

She didn’t recognize any of the felines on the border. But she could tell they were Windclaners by their scent. Overhearing their intentions of marking up their side. Fair enough. The feline kept to herself for a moment before it felt awkward to just keep to the shadows. They were just checking the border, nothing to stress about. So the Thunderclan warrior stepped forward, forgetting about her hunt for the time being.

“Windclanners.” she greeted, taking a moment to look over each one with a hint of curiosity. They all seemed to be doing well. It was good to see another group doing well. Were these meetings at the border going to become common? Hollow Tree grew quiet again, thinking to herself. Before realizing it was probably awkward to speak to a cat without knowing their name. “I am Hollow Tree. Just came over to say hello since I saw your group.” ​

[ she-cat . 32 moons . warrior ]​

 

[Leafshade]

SO YOUNG, YET SO BROKEN​

---

Paws of pale blue points would carry Leafshade towards the border of Thunderclan was well, not a patrol really, but he had been refreshing whatever seemed stale as he passed it by. The sound of chatting caught his attention, and a soft breeze carried the scent of Windclan to him.

A frown would touch his lips, as his pawsteps quicken, but he would fight back the urge to bristle up and slide out his claws. There were no sounds of fighting or yelling, at least not yet. He would walk into the open and see Hollowtree, moving to stand beside the older molly as his steel blue eyes settled onto the Windclan patrol.

"Things are well in Windclan, I assume." Leafshade stood tall but kept his tail low as a sign that he was at least trying to be cordial to the moor-loving cats. He flicked his tail tip slightly before adding, "I'm Leafshade."​

 

[GOLDEN.]

Who knew once he returned to the forest, it'd be in a manner such as this? Flanked by new faces on all sides, the ripplings of different shapes and patterns spattered across wiry pelts. It's all so new, almost uncomfortable, allowing them so close. His stance remains rigid. Tense, but he maintains good posture. He'd have to remain the ideal warrior if he was to stay, isn't that right?

The head of the patrol is another of Sootstar's lackeys, he's come to find; entrusted with her very own kit, whom otherwise, she'd only see fit to be trained by herself. It was peculiar, the way things were, but in a way it was admirable. She sought to keep her and her family safe no matter the means necessary, it seemed. He couldn't quite blame her for that, could he?

His own mentor he found strange: a calico who stood at a height below his own, all sunshine and rainbows. She seemed utterly out of place in a group like this, where stony faces oversaw the everyday goings of life. Perhaps she'd fit in more with these Thunderclanners, talkative as they were. Quick to give up their names, too. For what reason, he couldn't imagine. "Friendly bunch, aren't you?" he says, amusement lacing his words, friendly-enough. A close-lipped smile on his maw is amicable, just barely pushing at the corners of his eyes.​

 

[BRISTLE]

This place is strange and weird, with even weirder customs. But he likes it and he feels like it fits himself just fine, perfectly even. It's a wonder that he traverses the forest with little efforts, picking up on the manners of his new home. Thunderclan. It sounds like they control the very heavens to him and he allows a small chuckle to leave his muzzle even as he follows Leafshade. His steps are loud thumps against the ground and he keeps his muzzle grasped around the earthworms he's just uncovered. A good meal for any kit he thinks and he allows his eyes to roam over the odd cats that are just standing there looking....odd. Blinking his gaze he levels his wicked eyes upon them before he looks to one who speaks and calls them a friendly bunch. Tail shifting back and forth in a slow wag he slowly puts down his earthworm treat and gives a brief smile of his own. "Why not be friendly, hmm? Were you expecting insults? Tenacity?"

There is a measure of mirth in his voice as he lifts a paw to try and lick dirt and debris off from between his toes. Mmm..the taste of dirt doesn't bother him and he pauses after a moment to really finally take in the scent of them. Color him a measure surprised and he glances over to Leafshade. "You called them Windclan? They hardly smell like air, more like mice." He furrows his brow as he shakes his head. "No, that's not it. More like.....rats maybe? Hmm, hmmm, I can't place it but I swear I've smelled it before." He thinks about it a little longer before he shrugs his shoulders a little after giving up. Whatever it is he is just surprised that there is another clan. Perhaps he needs to educate himself on their affairs.

---

​

 

[emberstar]

"WE ARE THE BROKEN ONES, WHO CHOSE TO SPARK A FLAME"​

"We certainly are!" Emberstar laughed in response to the Windclanner's comment, stepping forward. Aside from the gathering, she didn't get many chances to speak with the other clans, so she was eager for this one. She gave a nod toward the apparently leader of the patrol, a brown tabby she didn't recognize. He seemed nice enough, to her eye. Then again it was rare that she thought otherwise.

"I'm Emberstar, leader of Thunderclan. Nice ta meetcha!" she introduced with a grin toward the warrior and his apprentices. It was important to her to be nice at all times, but especially toward the other clans. The best way to keep the peace was keeping relations good. So long as they did they, she was confident they could solve any problem. "Could you give us your names, since we gave you ours?" she asked warmly.​

✦ ★ ✦​

 

[TRUFFLEPELT]

Eyes gilded with wandering golden glimmer settled upon the group, of differing scent than those who dwelled within the first alongside him. Interest immediately sparked a warm glow within his chest, and his head tilted in a way that quite obviously betrayed this newfound curiosity. Taking rank beside his Clan, the conversation flittered around him- of mice, of air, of WindClan. He had heard of the other Clans, knew of their history from many a conversation, but this was indeed the first time he had ever encountered them. Trufflepelt hardly noticed the slack hanging of his tusk-toothed maw before he thought of something to say.

"The moorland," he whispered to Bristle, as if it was a helpful comment. "The skies are clear and open- do you, too, rest beneath StarClan's watchful eye?" His voice beat with silvery wonderment, tongue twisting questions about his most prominent current interest. He wished to know all about StarClan- did the 'Clan' suffix perhaps connote those who rested beneath StarClan's expansive, perfect skies?​

( PENNED BY PIN )​

 

[WEASELCLAW]

Weaselclaw tenses as a curious ThunderClan patrol meets theirs head on. The first to speak is a light brown tabby with a polite greeting, introducing herself as Hollow Tree. He thinks about just not responding and telling the other cats to keep going, but Hollow Tree is soon joined by her Clanmates. A blue point with stark eyes named Leafshade, an older, grizzled brown tom and a tabby who says they smell like rats.

Weaselclaw almost bristles at this comment, but he forces his neck fur to lie flat -- especially when a young flame point introduces herself as ThunderClan's leader. The blue-eyed tabby tilts his head, scrutinizing Emberstar. She's so different from both Sootstar and Cicadastar that it's hard to believe she's really StarClan-blessed.

He swallows his negative feelings and answers her in a gruff but neutral voice, "I'm Weaselclaw. I'm one of Sootstar's lead warriors." He flicks his tail towards the small gray and white she-cat at his side. "This is my apprentice and Sootstar's daughter, Owlpaw." He will let the rest of his patrol introduce himself as they wish.

He casts a critical eye to the young tom who had made the rat comment. He forces himself to calmly state, "Rabbit. We hunt rabbits. We don't have trees like this." He gestures loosely to the undergrowth and towering oaks around them.

After a moment, he gives the oldest tom who'd spoken a blank stare. "Of course! We're the closest to StarClan, after all." A hint of smugness creeps into his tone. "No trees to block the stars from our sight."
​

PENNED BY MARQUETTE​

 

[BRIGHTSHINE!]

// SORRY THIS IS SO LATE I lost the notification!

Brightshine bounces along with the patrol, pep in her step with a grin plastered across her face. This was so exciting! Her very first patrol with her brand new apprentice! This would be so much fun! The calico comes to a halt at Weaselclaw's side and beams at the cats to appear on the other side of the border. Her feathery tail waves in greeting, and she responds eagerly as Emberstar asks for their names. "I'm Brightshine, and this is my apprentice, Goldenpaw!" She gestures to the young tom at her side. "It's swell to meetcha!" ​

 

[OWLPAW]

Owlpaw trailed dutifully behind her mentor as they reached the border they shared with ThunderClan. Tall and strong oak trees loomed before her and the idea of being confined by so much forest was stifling to say the least. Owlpaw preferred the open—the beautiful night sky overhead and the bracing breezes. As she got to work making her mark as her mentor instructed, a ThunderClan patrol found them. This wasn’t Owlpaw’s first time seeing cats from another Clan. After all, Sootstar had let her and her brother attend the Gathering to show off WindClan’s first litter of kits—her kits. She had seen lots of Clan cats then, more than most of the apprentices she shared a den with and in her eyes, that made her better than them. She did her best to appear unbothered and unimpressed with the patrol, but her eyes lingered on each ThunderClanner, memorizing pelts and faces, names when given. They were greeted by the leader of ThunderClan herself, and so Owlpaw straightened up to reflect her mother’s strength and dignity.

Weaselclaw took it upon himself to introduce her as his apprentice and Sootstar’s daughter. The young she-cat flicked her tail and dipped her head curtly in greeting, offering a brief, “Hello.” And not much else. A cat of few words she was, especially around strangers. But talk of StarClan caught her interest and it was like the lock on her tongue suddenly fell away. “I couldn’t imagine sleeping in a place where my view of Silverpelt was blocked by trees. Perhaps ThunderClan’s camp is more open to allow them the same view of the night sky,” she suggested, talking to no one in particular.​