camp swapping songs with swallows | patrols

[Cherryblossom]

The morning is brash and blue. Perched around the ferny rim of camp, pines sway and murmur in the wind. Dim blue shadows shatter around the hollow, throwing glimmers of sunlight across the rustling dens. Cherryblossom looks away from them and lifts a blush nose into the winds, lashes fluttering against the strength of it. "SkyClan, time for patrols!" the forest's youngest deputy calls. Her tail, wreathed in flame and ash, dances in the breeze like a flag.

Her porcelain statue stands at the fore of the hollow. On her flame-painted face is an odd, faint expression of severity, a shallow etching of her mother's likeness. She knows the muttering that arose during the meeting has not died down. In time, she's sure it will. She will make it so. Citrine eyes narrow at each SkyClanner in turn, trickling from their dens or sunning spots; each a doubter? The calico imagines their scrutiny painting her pelt, washing it in the sickly hues of the myriad gaze, and she breaks her posture to drag a paw through her chest. She must be composed, stately: all things a deputy should be. (All things Twitchbolt was not.)

As though jumping on the chance to order her around, sunshine eyes find a coral-wreathed head in the crowd. "Orangestar," she meows, levelling with the stone queen of the pines. "Take Owlheart and Moonseeker for the dawn patrol to RiverClan and ThunderClan." Her sister would take kindly to her orders, she thinks. Owlheart has never struck her as someone who would buck her rules. Moonseeker though, she doesn't know as well. The enigmatic longhair is a little like Crowsight, in her mind, with their odd mannerisms and a character bordering on creepy. Maybe Owlheart would tell her about them afterwards. "And Springpaw too, obviously." Faintly, she wonders if the apprentice has recovered from watching Orangestar die yet. Cherryblossom would say she has, if never thinking about it counted as being recovered.

"For the dawn patrol to the unclaimed border..." She contemplates for a moment. "I'll take Silversmoke and Florabreeze." She regards the storm-striped tom for a moment too long. His thinly-veiled concerns at the meeting hadn't been thinly veiled at all; Cherryblossom almost would've preferred he openly say he disapproves of her rather than pretend she was too stupid to get what he meant. Him being Crowsight's mentor was a tragedy: instead of weeding out his awkwardness, Silversmoke just amplified it. Florabreeze, however, she likes. Enjoys, more like, as she's hardly talked with the ebullient daylight warrior, but what she's seen has been entertaining. A little birdie also says she and Silversmoke have a "rapport" going, so there should be no shortage of patroltime amusement.

Her gaze lands on a sharp, scarred face. Mottledove is cold and in the earth, but Pinefeather and Pollenclaw's father remains. His situation is a more fraught mirror of her mother's. Ashenclaw has been dead for moons now. Whether her mother still feels his absence like she does haunts her at times, but not enough for her to ask. "Beetleback," she meows, refocusing. "You, Bluepaw, Drowsynose, and Ekat are doing the dusk patrol." If Blue didn't what what "a ShadowClan" was still, hopefully he'd be able to figure it out after seeing ThunderClan and RiverClan. Ekat, she's curious about. Drowsynose, not so much. A gaggle of ex-loners and a new warrior to present to ThunderClan might not go over well, but she doesn't care.

Now for her least favorite duty. "Leading the hunting patrols will be Greeneyes," Like Orangestar and Silversmoke, Cherryblossom feels a slight rush of glee at telling a tom who was for moons her superior to do something. She holds no animosity towards the ginger-splashed lead, but she wonders if being Falcongaze's mentor has something to do with his opinion of her, in addition to her shiny new rank he'd been overlooked for. "and Momowhisker." Daylight warriors were warriors too, right? That was, like, the whole point of them. At any rate, she likes Momowhisker and hopes his bling might distract the prey. Taking a breath, she finishes, "Mallowlark, you're in charge of training today." One corner of her mouth quirks slightly. Unorthodox decision, she knows, but the past few sunrises have been full of unorthodox decisions.

Rolling her shoulders, the fire-dusted feline stares back at everyone. "Well?" she huffs. "Shoo, go do your jobs."

OOC: This takes place after I COULD BE SO BRASH, I'M GOING TO CRASH — prey stealing and the first character listed for each patrol is the patrol leader!

Dawn patrol #1 (RiverClan board): @Orangestar (+ @Springpaw ), @Owlheart , @moonseeker

Dawn patrol #2 (Loner Lands board): @Cherryblossom , @SILVERSMOKE , @Flora

Dusk patrol #1 (ThunderClan board): @BEETLEBACK (+ @Bluepaw ), @DROWSYNOSE , @Ekat

Dusk patrol #2 (Twolegplace board): In her inexperience, Cherryblossom forgot the patrol to the Twolegplace! Feel free to have characters notice and call her out on this! If they do, she will send @Sorrelsong (+ @weedkit ) and @Eggshellbloom

Hunting patrol #1: @GREENEYES
↪ Optional prompt: The patrol sees a black squirrel! Is it too weird to be hunted, or will it become someone's special dinner?

Hunting patrol #2: @MOMOWHISKER
↪ Optional prompt: In the distance, the patrol hears a woodpecker. Do they know what it is? Will they seek it out?

Training: @MALLOWLARK

TAGS​

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[FIGFEATHER]

Cherryblossom is taking to her new authority... well? Figfeather doesn't think the calico has been shy about it anyways, she has no problem strutting into the center of camp and calling for the clan. With dog-like obedience as usual, even if the new deputy was very young, she trots over to listen to her order.

Orangestar is to RiverClan, Cherryblossom assigns herself loner lands, Beetleback gets ThunderClan. Her eyes narrow in thought of their forest dwelling neighbors, "Stink up the place for them, Beetleback!" She yowls, not as an add-on warrior but more in a show of angry comradery. ThunderClan would pay for their crime.

Greeneyes will be leading one of the hunting patrols while Momowhisker takes the reigns of another. Mallowlark is given the task of hosting training, which causes Figfeather to raise a brow... The black-pawed warrior had long earned her trust, but he was still an oddball. To be frank, she doesn't have full trust he'll train Daisypaw to her standards. She isn't one to argue with her deputy though, not even if her deputy was Cherryblossom now.

The deputy looks back at them for a moment, she meets the deputies stare awkwardly waiting for her final instruction. It never comes, though. Instead, she shoos them away to go 'do their jobs'. "Are we not to patrol the twolegplace today?" The red tabby vocalizes her confusion, glancing around at the rest of her clan-mates to see if they caught this too.

♡ INFO BATTLE

• 
  » Figfeather
  » SkyClan Lead Warrior
  » She/her . AMAB
  » Sire to Sangriakit & Coffeekit
  » Mentoring Daisypaw
  » A red tabby she-cat with a mangled leg.
  » ”Speech”․ thoughts ․ attack
  
• 
  » A foe in battle whose ability to strategize can shift tides.
  » Excels in strategizing and pre-planning her battles.
  » Fights defensively and to aid her clan to victory.
  » May powerplay minor harm. Can powerplay healing

​

 

[Owlheart]

It was strange, having Cherryblossom delegating patrols like this. She didn’t believe that her sister was doing anything wrong, if anything she seemed to be handling the role of deputy deftly. This was the first patrol assigned without Twitchbolt at the helm though, that change was always going to feel weird. She takes her place alongside her gathered clan-mates, wide golden eyes staring at her sister with curiosity, did she plan these patrols out well in advance or was she making it up as she went?

Being assigned to the RiverClan dawn patrol alongside her mother and Moonseeker caused the tabby to blink in surprise. Cherryblossom’s assumption of her sister was correct, she took the order well. Giving a nod in response, a bright smile beaming up at the calico, there was excitement to be assigned to be part of the first ever patrol her sister assigned as deputy! She didn’t dislike any cats in SkyClan either but to be assigned with someone as quietly pleasant as Moonseeker and her mother- her leader. The only downside was having to visit the ThunderClan border, she hoped to not see any of the cowards who decided to hunt on their territory there. Surely they had been properly reprimanded, Owlheart hoped they were at least. Apart from this she hoped that this would be a pleasant patrol, hopefully the others would find their patrols pleasant as well.

She did wonder why her sister would assign herself the loner lands, and why she would assign the company they had. Surely she had heard Silversmokes displeasure about her being announced deputy. Was this possibly to get back at him for it? She liked to think her sister was above that and chose to not think beyond it. Something felt strange in this assignment, like something was missing. Though since she couldn't name what was off about this Owlheart just assumed that she was over thinking again and rose from her position to leave upon dismissal when Figfeather spoke up. Oh. The twolegplace, right something was missing. “Maybe she was just testing us? Making sure we were actually paying attention.” she mews softly in response, a concerned look thrown her sisters way as she tries to offer the calico an out, surely she hadn’t forgotten it. Right?

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[falcongaze]

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ- Like any other time that Cherryblossom spoke before the new revelation, his pelt crawled and prickled at the sound of her voice. So sure of herself, and yet, still a moon younger. His head turns, but he does not leap and trot over like Figfeather. Her stunning figure- even he could deny that she was gifted with looks- stood stark amongst the sky, and his ear twitched. Nose wrinkled and he looked away, his own pointed tail twitching at the thought of all of this.

Ignoring the voice giving them tasks, he focuses instead on the commands given, patrols handed out. And with each patrol, he loses hope. Recognizing that he was not given an assignment, narrowed blue eyes shifted towards the self-assured figure, still stark against the sky. A scoff left his mouth, but Figfeather and her sister were speaking to Cherryblossom. "Or she forgot." Chin lifted and pointed vision stared on towards the new deputy. He would have to hand it to her- yes, this was her first rounds as deputy, and mistakes were easy to make.

But what sold it to him, perhaps, was the fact that she was so sure that the shoo'd them. A snort left him as he considered all of that in a package. The tom turned, neatly tucking his paws and giving the deputy his full attention now. How would she assign the rest then?

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎┌── ILL SEE YOU WHEN ⋅❁⋅ THE WRATH COMES AROUND ──┐‎

• "speech"
  

• 

• FALCONPAW 🌧 he/him, apprentice of skyclan, thirteen moons.
  ⭃ LH chocolate lynx point with deep blue eyes, and a long scar on his left cheek down under his jawline. pushes his 'hair' back. very long legged, half oriental moggie.
  ⭃ mentored by greeneyes / / mentoring no one
  ⭃ padding after lupinepaw / / brother to spottedpaw and sagepaw
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

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[SILVERSMOKE]

He tilted his head as Cherryblossom stared pointedly at him, his fur bristling with discomfort from the eye contact his pride forced. Outwards protest was not in the spotted tabby's nature, lest the situation seemed dire enough, but he had learned moons that leaders were not flawless. Months had passed until he'd found out about Blazestar, only four had passed since Orangeblossom revealed that she too suffered the same... affliction as her predecessor - a certain bias towards her family that could come above SkyClan's best interests. Even as the calico delivered the patrols with ten times the confidence of Twitchbolt, it was difficult not to see her as a child wearing too big of a fur coat - especially when she decided to lead the group to the clan's deadliest border, the one that had taken a life from her mother and shattered Twitchbolt's body and spirit. His tail lashed in uncertainty at the decision to take only three cats, seldom blinking as he pondered whether he should show Cherryblossom how such a patrol should be led.

Before he got the chance to say anything, he was shooed away, leaving a head normally raised in respect suddenly lurching away from Cherryblossom. Figfeather spoke up, questioning the lack of a Twolegplace patrol, and the tom eventually forced his attention back to the Deputy. His whiskers subtly twitched in amusement before he found his good sense and frowned once more. It was a dangerous mistake to forget (or avoid) the Twolegplace, expectantly, he awaited Cherryblossom's answer.


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[Sorrelsong]

Florabreeze's name sends a shiver down her spine. Pale eyes search out the molly in the crowd. The loner lands? With only three...? Fear clawed at her throat. She turns as a near by rustle of foliage - just the wind? Or a fox?
"Uh, Cherry...." Her maw moves, spurred by fear, her voice a dull ache. She eyes Silversmoke, a warrior she had been frustrated at during the clan meeting for speaking up against Orangestar, she finds herself wishing he would speak up against the deputy now. Should she? Could she? She, a warrior against a deputy's orders. She thought again of Wind Clan and their power struggle following something similar. She thought of Duskpool's kit - her kin. She thought of the foxes, and of Orangestar's lifeless body. She thought of Flora, her found-kin.
Decided, Sorrelsong opens her lips, but another voice rings through the crowd first.
When Figfeather speaks, Sorrelsong is somewhat relieved. She hadn't caught the lapse in patrols- she had been sidetracked by something more important- but once the molly points it out it is hard to ignore. Sorrelsong nods, sharing the molly's question. Is she worried about everyone, too? Unable to read her thoughts, one thing is clear. Figfeather pointing this out makes it easier to ask the next question.
"Three cats..." She starts, her voice meek before it finds it's footing. "I'd like to tag along to the unclaimed border, if that's alright." She then adds, "Just..." her eyes flick to Florabrezze. How can I say this without being disrespectful..
"Just as another pair of paws,"

✧ Out with lanterns, looking for myself

•  
• 
  
  
  
  — A chocolate point tabby molly with icy blue eyes and a slightly uneven pelt. She has small scars on her back, her shoulders and a slightly crocked tail.
  — 44 moons old; ages the 1st of every month
  — aro/ace. ; currently not looking
  — child of NPC and NPC :: sibling to Duskpool, Shadowfire and Smokefang
  — Mentoring Flora
  — Sky Clan; warrior since 3/11/24 ; loyal to Orangestar, Flora, and Duskpool
  — Not hard to befriend ; trusts easily
  — "speech", thoughts, attacking
  — peaceful powerplay allowed

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[weedpaw]

𓆝 . ° ✦ Weedpaw tags along with his mentor. He often says nothing, observing her words and actions. He watches through calculating blue eyes as Sorrelsong stiffens uncomfortably during Cherryblossom's assignments. He follows her gaze to Florabreeze, watches her concern for her former apprentice, and stiffens in kind. Weedpaw is her apprentice now, shouldn't she be unconcerned with her former student being sent on a patrol?

"What are we meant to do with a border that is unclaimed?" he whispers to Sorrelsong, trying both to catch her attention and figure out why everyone lingers here despite being dismissed. He may be young, but he isn't an idiot. There is a palpable tension that hangs in the air around the cats who interact with the deputy. Weedpaw doesn't understand why- none of the adults would indulge him- but he thinks that Cherryblossom is an alright choice for deputy. She's straight to the point, something that Weedpaw can appreciate.

✧　°　.　✶　.　°　✧​

ooc Information

• ooc: —
• 
  
  

  WEEDPAW — HE/HIM ･ 6 MOONS ･ SKYCLAN APPRENTICE ･ PENNED BY CARAT!

  longhaired black tomcat with low white spotting. born 11/9/23 and ages realistically 1 week every Thursday. Follow along with his growth here!

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[GREENEYES]

✧ . It was strange when Twitchbolt started organizing patrols, but now that he’s grown used to his friend’s call, it’s even stranger for a new voice to be in his place. It always would’ve been, no matter the situation, Greeneyes supposes, but the lead warrior can’t help the nagging irritation that grows at the sound of the new deputy’s call, at the sound of authority placed in the paws of someone who’d hardly grown out of the apprentice den.

Greeneyes approaches the young deputy, moving to stand beside his sister as he listens to Cherryblossom’s order — one carried out in more confidence than Twitchbolt’s first patrol assignments — and Figfeather’s commentary that follows suit.

Where his name falls in the she-cat’s call is not unordinary, but his assignment is. He’s grown used to it by now, the twolegplace border being assigned to him with an apologetic look, however, in its place is a hunting patrol instead. Greeneyes blinks at this, at the shift in order, though a “ Will do! “ is still chirped out, a tone wavered by his confusion. Hunting and training patrols are always called last, aren’t they?

And they still are, a sharp shoo following them that a crooked tail flicks at in response, though, like those that gather, he doesn’t follow this order. Figfeather is quick to point out why, and Greeneyes looks to his sister with a nod of agreement, before his gaze returns to the she-cat before them — though not without a quirk of an amused smile at Falcongaze’s comment.

“ It’s important that every border is checked, “ he quips a reminder to the new deputy. A dip of the head follows in polite afterthought, for even if Greeneyes has stood in his own rank — and in a warrior’s rank before that — for far longer than Cherryblossom has, she still ranks higher than him. ​

✦ ABOUT

• 
  GREENEYES ✦ AMAB. He / Him. Lead Warrior of SkyClan.
  ✧ . A red tabby and white tom with bright green eyes.
  ✧ . Daisyflight x Raven Ramble
  ✧ . Mentored by Sheepcurl ; Mentor to Fluffypaw, formerly Falcongaze
  ✧ . Peaceful and healing powerplay permitted!
  ✧ . Penned by Abri ‣ @_abri_ on discord, feel free to dm for plots!
  ✧ . " Speech " ; Attack
  

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[DOGBITE]

✦ Dogbite laid comfortably in the warriors' den, relishing the distraction of sleep. Anything that would take his mind away from the last few days. The morning sun was beginning to climb, casting a warm, golden glow over the camp. Cherryblossom's voice rang out clearly, calling for patrols, her tone steady and authoritative. Slowly, his frame rose from the nest. Clambering out and over to the entryway. Peering at the calico in question before trotting in to join the growing crowd.

As he listened, the tabby noted the assignments with interest. Orangestar to Riverclan, Cherryblossom off to the loner lands, Beetleback for the dusk patrol, and Greeneyes and Momowhisker leading the hunting patrols. He waited for the mention of the twolegplace, but it never came. Figfeather's voice echoed his own thoughts, questioning the omission.

A flicker of surprise crossed Dogbite's features. That couldn't have been intentional? The twolegplace was a volatile border, always requiring vigilance. He glanced around, sensing the unease among his clanmates. Falcongaze's scoff and Silversmoke's frown speaking volumes.

Despite his curiosity, Dogbite remained silent, preferring to watch how the situation unfolded. Florabreeze's quiet offer to join the unclaimed border patrol added another layer to the moment. Her apprehension was palpable, and Dogbite couldn't blame her. The border was fraught with danger, and Cherryblossom's decision to lead it with a small group was bold.

They appreciated the chance to stay back, but he felt tempted to offer his help. Well. Let's wait. He respected Cherryblossom's new role, understanding the pressure she faced. Even with his doubts and disappointment from Twitchbolt's choice. Her confidence was clear, but so was the undercurrent of naivete.

For now, Dogbite was content to remain seated, listening to the rustling leaves and the murmur of his clanmates. From his vantage point, Dogbite awaited Cherryblossom's response keenly, curious to see how she would handle the situation. Would she acknowledge the oversight? Dogbite nodded to himself as their fellow leads interjected. The dynamics within the clan were shifting, and Dogbite found himself intrigued by the unfolding power play.

✦ OOC ✦ INFO ✦

• 

• 

  
  ✧ LH cinnamon tabby high white blue eye
  ✧ npc x npc ; sibling to crescent and bear
  ✧ skyclan lead warrior ; ex-loner
  ✧ 34 moons old ; birthday 07/01
  ✧ AFAB ; nonbinary ; he/they
  ✧ pansexual ; polyromantic ; single
  ✧ "speech", thought, attack, powerplay
  ✧ peaceful powerplay allowed
  ✧ penned by tasmagoric​

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