horseplace TEAR IT APART | windclan patrol

[SEDGEPOUNCE]

Dusk lends itself to a reddish, moon-tinted sky and a cold breeze trickling through the meadow. Sedgepounce leads his patrol with little pomp, chatting amicably while they wander paths cut through the sawgrass and heather, his pelt tinted a dusky pink in the waning light. He wishes that he could've brought Marigoldstem, or maybe Stoatspot—to leverage their familiarity with the barncats, but also to give them a chance to visit up close. His pelt still stings at the memory of his ignorance earlier that moon. He still doesn't fully understand the feeling of having more than one home, but any opinion which aligns himself to Sootspot is an opinion he'd rather avoid.

"Almost there," he meows toward Bunnypaw. Despite the burly look of her, he's quickly discovered that his apprentice is much more skittish than she seems. Even now, she's got a nervous hunch, and he watches concerned as her yellowed eyes dart this way and that in some constant hyper-vigilance. He tries for a reassuring smile.

Sometimes it feels like he's gotten stuck with a little ghost of Doompath, haunting him even now in death. But he's sure...he's trying to be optimistic that she'll break out of her shell, eventually. She has only been an apprentice for barely a moon.

Eventually they do make it near the territory's edge. The barn sits a distant, faded-red monolith, and the border is near enough to sting his nose. At a glance, it's peaceful. "Get down," whispers Sedgepounce. There, in the distance—as he flattens himself to the earth, he keeps an eye on the twoleg milling around through the parted undergrowth. It's draped in orangey flannel and denim and a wide-brimmed hat, its back blessedly turned toward their patrol. "Twoleg over there..."

A part of Sedgepounce is inclined to cut their losses and head back home, and he nearly does. But Scorchstreak's gruff voice burns some heartrending memory into the forefront of his mind. Horseplace still remains a risk for DuskClan activity.

He can picture it clearly. Just on the other side of their human-shaped obstacle, the barncats are waiting with crucial information. They know everything about DuskClan's plans. Or maybe they're already held captive, overrun by rogue-like invaders. WindClan could help, if only they knew.

Sedgepounce tenses with indecision. "Whaddya guys think? Head back, or..?" he wonders. The answer is simple enough for himself, but he wont drag his unwilling clanmates down with him.

As the patrol draws close to the barn, they notice a twoleg wandering around. The twoleg seems to be occupied with something, but that doesn't mean it isn't a threat. Does the patrol turn back, or do they risk being spotted by the twoleg?

@bunnypaw @Mossthorn @Grasspaw @MIDNIGHTPAW + this is open to any barncats, loners, rogues, etc! :3c
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