The beast howls in my veins ✶ SkyClan patrol

[Owlheart]

Dusk patrols are not her favourite thing, she will never complain because that's not who she is. So she takes Bloomfur, Sillybreeze and Hollypaw out into the lands of the unclaimed border. Sky bleeding into that navy blue that early night can bring. Nerves cling to her in this evening, more so than usual. There has been an uptick of rogues, not that they're ever uncommon. Or maybe she's just more on edge about it now that she has vulnerable family in the nursery. There were those siblings... Kitestorm's right? They had been hanging around by the border but they're meant to have left or something right? Then there was Doeblaze, she seemed jumpy lately... Surely that meant that some was rogue lurking around too.

This territory isn't anyones but it sure feels like it belongs to the rogues. Their scent may linger near the borders but it permeates here, it sticks to every tree and fern. She wrinkles her nose in disgust, fur raises in every direction at the slightest rustle of leaves or cracking of twigs. "Don't wander too far from the patrol, please" she murmurs to Hollypaw but looks to everyone else in tandem, just because the others in attendance are warriors doesn't mean that it should go unsaid. Better to be safe than sorry.

There's a shocked gasp to her side and she can't help but feel her eyes widen in shock, had something happened? Was it rogues? A predator? "What happened? What is it?" She finds herself asking, staring at whoever would be willing to speak up. The mention of movement behind them concerns her, it could be nothing but it also... Oh Stars, what's she supposed to do? She's leading the patrol so she should be doing something- running away would be cowardly but attacking blindly doesn't seem right either.

"Okay... Okay. Let's keep walking but look out, okay? If you keep hearing movement then... We'll figure out a way out" That should be the right call, right? Owlheart clings to hope that this may actually be nothing.

// @BLOOMFUR @SILLYBREEZE annddd @HOLLYPAW <33

PROMPT:
There's been a lot of rogue scent, lately... and someone on the patrol swears there's movement behind them.
​

​

 

[BLOOMFUR]

bloomfur assumes that rogues are a natural occurrence for skyclan. they're the only clan with borders open to anyone over the age of small baby, and their scent markers end right into the forever unclaimed land. when she lived the title of 'loner', the molly turned her nose up at the life of a rogue. she didn't understand why someone would say a bunch of rocks were theres… they're just rocks.

the reminder from the patrol lead goes through bloomfur's tufted ears. she hums, waves a paw dismissively, like the statement was intended for her. lilac paws do end up wandering, a few tail-lengths away from the rest of the patrol. it's only for a second, she swears, but the ominous, distant rustle makes her fur prickle.

"augh!" she yelps, jumping away from the area she totally didn't wander off to. bloomfur shakes off her nerves, turning to face owlheart. "i'm sure it was nothing–" she starts, pretending she didn't just leap back into position. "probably just a squirrel."

❀

​

 

[SILLYBREEZE]

Sillybreeze pads through the dusk-shadowed forest, feeling an odd mix of alertness and amusement as he listens to the quiet exchanges around him. The sinking sun casts long shadows through the trees, its fading warmth making the chill of the oncoming night more pronounced. Sillybreeze can't help but feel that sense of thrill that comes with a border patrol, especially as Owlheart's tension seems to radiate through the group, alerting him to the unease in her tone. When Owlheart instructs them to stay close, Sillybreeze gives a respectful nod, though his usual attitude doesn't waver. "Don't worry, I won't stray too far," he murmurs lightly, giving one of them a grin. His pale eyes scan their surroundings, the rogue scent strong enough to nearly mask the subtler, earthy smells of the forest. Even he feels his usual jovial attitude slipping, realizing just how thick the rogue's scent is in these parts. Maybe that explains Owlheart's edge tonight.

The sudden yelp from Bloomfur jolts him, and he turns swiftly, his muscles instinctively tightening. He watches as she quickly brushes off her leap, trying to play it cool, which brings a slight smirk to his face. "Squirrel, huh?" he drawls, voice warm and teasing, though he keeps his steps closer to the others, glancing over his shoulder as he listens for any lingering sounds. "Pretty intense squirrel, if you ask me." His casual humor is paired with a thoughtful glance at Owlheart. He catches her anxious gaze and offers a light-hearted nod, as if to say, I've got your back. It's his own way of easing the tension without dismissing the seriousness of the situation. He knows Owlheart feels the weight of responsibility for them as the leader of the patrol—something he respects, even if he's not likely to outright say so.

As they resume, Sillybreeze positions himself on the edge of the patrol, his eyes scanning the rustling leaves and shadows. "Alright," he says to the group, his tone playful yet oddly reassuring. "Let's keep an eye out for any oversized squirrels, yeah? Wouldn't want to lose anyone to an acorn ambush." He glances at Bloomfur with a smirk before turning his gaze back to the path ahead, feeling the seriousness of Owlheart's directive in the back of his mind. For now, though, he keeps his movements light and his spirits high, determined to keep both himself and the others focused but not overwhelmed by tension. If there were real danger out here, he'd take it seriously, but he doesn't want them all to get too stressed, especially if it turns out to be nothing.​