border THE COMPANY LOST THE WAR TODAY — kit search patrol

[GRANITEPELT]

It would be amusing, if it weren’t so precarious, that Chilledstar had asked Granitepelt to lead this patrol. Perhaps not—he’s still getting used to his role as lead warrior. As it turns out, no one in ShadowClan respects authority regardless of rank, so little has changed for him. He should have expected it—Scalejaw and Garlicpaw had so readily accused him of nonsense to his face, but they would have done the same to Flickerfire, to Geckoscreech, to Sabletuft, to Ferndance. He has no doubt. He has witnessed the rot inside this Clan since his formative years take over. It only worsens over time.

The gray warrior lifts his tail in a signal for his patrol to fall in line. “Remember what Chilledstar said. We are not here to accuse. We are here to gather information.” He eyes the cats present. As much as he’d respected Sabletuft as a youth, Granitepelt isn’t sure how prudent it had been to ask the older cat to accompany this patrol. He has no liking for ThunderClan now, after all.

At the first sign of ThunderClan cats, Granitepelt will lift his tail and give a dip of his head in greeting. “Greetings. After the Clans left, ShadowClan found some of our kits missing from our nursery. One is a little tabby, the other is a tortoiseshell. You haven’t found any signs they’ve come close to your territory, have you?” He flicks an ear, inviting his patrol to ask questions of their own if they have any.

[ @S A B L E T U F T @fleabounce @APPLEPAW @POPPYPAW @Scorchedpaw but no need to wait! ]

, ”​

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[GENTLESTORM]

I SEE A SONG OF PAST ROMANCE — Hailstorm pads along the forest taking in every sight and remembering the lush one he had walked through after departing from the snowy mountains. His paws ache from the travel, carrying Stormpaw on his back along with Flamewhisker and Lightstrike, and as much as he'd like to rest or close his eyes... He believes it's best to keep himself occupied and help around camp as much as he can, his ears pricked forward at the sight of a Shadowclan patrol and the tom at the front begins to speak. Large paws carrying him forward, the Thunderclanner pausing with his side briefly brushing against a few ferns "Hello there," The sepia tom can't help but frown hearing that they were missing kits and he grows worried wondering if the patrol would find them soon or if they had met a grim fate.

He thinks it's best to remain hopeful and pray to Starclan to keep those kittens safe that Shadowclan could find them soon to reunite them with their mother who surely must be worried sick as to where her little ones had run off to. Unfortunately, Hailstorm had only returned home only catching a few glimpses of the new kittens in camp but he doesn't think either of them fit the description that Granitepelt provides "I don't believe I've seen any kits of that description sadly." A frown pulling at the sides of his mouth and offers a light, tired chuckle "But perhaps one of my clanmates might have... I apologize, I'm still getting used to being home again after the journey." He wishes he could be more helpful but he's practically useless in this scenario.

✦ I SEE THE SACRIFICE OF MAN; I SEE PORTRAYALS OF BETRAYALS

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  ✦ longhaired blue sepia tom w/low white and brown eyes
  ✦ amab he/him ; other pronouns used towards him will confuse him
  ✦ 49 moons old
  ✦ bisexual demiromantic; mates with little wolf
  ✦ "speech", thoughts, attacking
  ✦ semi-difficult in combat; relies on strength, his large size, and wits
  ✦ peaceful powerplay allowed

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[APPLEJAW]

Applepaw is quite convinced this is a waste of time.

What was the probability that a couple of kits have wandered over to WindClan. Or to ThunderClan— without them having already been brought back to them. Nevermind RiverClan or SkyClan, which was slated to be investigated were they to turn up with empty paws. What was the likeliness of all that, over a monster having crushed them, the river having drowned them, or one of ShadowClan's other innumerable beasts tearing them apart? Certainly, they had nothing else to do. No camp that they'd be better off repairing. No prey - pile that they'd be better off restoking. They ought to search every corner of the world for kits her father has never met, and that Applepaw would've rather not.

A part of her registers that it's not fair to think— but the rest of her is too angry to care. ShadowClan had hardly celebrated the return of her father, or the salvation he'd brought for cats like Swanpaw and Comfreypaw. It's all about kits. The kits that killed her mother. A mother which was long gone to StarClan, and that she should waste no more time thinking about.

Applepaw takes a breath. She turns her attention to her mentor, instead. A single nod is given in response to his reminder.

She cannot believe what ridiculousness her clanmates choose to participate in on the brink of several disasters. If Granitepelt was already not one of the most loyal among them ( A low threshold ), his curtness along ThunderClan's border would certainly prove that so.

The first ThunderClanner they see has no results to mention. Applepaw's gaze would pass over the rest of the patrol, though she expects no dissimilar answers. A journying cat, though, she would note with interest. " Welcome home, " she offers cordially, and with a pang, she notes that it's more than she had offered her own father, in the midst of ShadowClan's chaos. Applepaw huffs a sigh. " One of them is very loud. You'll probably know if you find her... "

ooc ༊ 𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝓆𝓊𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂

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• ( I'M OBSESSED WITH THE MESS THAT'S AMERICA. ) APPLEPAW. kit of shadowclan. eldest sister to swanpaw, ashenpaw, and garlicpaw. ( + birdkit, halfkit & tanglekit )
  —— she / her; confused by the use of others.
  —— currently 7 moons old as of 10.22.23. ages every 17th.
  
  longhaired blue torbie with a white chest, paws, and underbelly. A young cat you would describe as " bossy, " Applekit is quick to take charge of any situation she sees herself as the probable head of. A rule - follower to a T, and thinks herself better than the majority of her clan for this. Not ignorant enough to think herself above a warrior, but seeks to gain that status as quickly as possible. Intensely self - motivated to be the best in a mixture of blind, childish desire, and never wanting to be afraid of anything ever again.

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[nightbird]

much like hailstorm, nightbird had remained busy despite her exhaustion. the clan had not been put on pause when they left, nor could it brake from duties upon their return. no matter what happened, there were still borders that needed to be marked and prey that needed to be hunted. it was one of the charms of clan life.

she heard hailstorm in the distance, voice mingled with that of a shadowclan patrol. nightbird joined the snowy warrior, listened to the tale of missing kits. how did one lose kits? it wasn't like they could get very far, they lacked the knowledge or foresight to cover their trail, and who in their right mind would do nothing as they watched a duo of toddlers frolic out through the camp entrance? shadowclan's negligence was not thunderclan's problem. but still, no one had mentioned the sighting of unfamiliar children. that was a topic bound to come up in camp conversation, it had not. "we have not seen or heard your kits, but we'll keep an eye out."

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‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎┌── ooc ⋆⋅☾⋅⋆ info ──┐‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

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• NIGHTBIRD ✩ she/her, lead warrior of thunderclan, twenty-seven moons
  ⭃ nightbird is a small black smoke molly with pale silver eyes. a loner turned thunderclanner, her loyalty and drive to provide for her clan is unwavering. however, she is not known for harboring a bleeding heart, instead equipped with sarcastically fueled wit, brutal honesty, and a sharply edged tongue.
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking ↛ see battle info here
  ⭃ penned by vayle ↛ @vayl3 on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

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[Sunfreckle]

—————————————————————⊰☀︎⊱————————————————————
Sunfreckle is not far behind Hailstorm, having decided to spend his time keeping tabs on the other since his return. Little Wolf's death still hurt, the clan felt the loss and it was obvious at every glance some of them were having a harder time than others. Her daughter was especially quick to anger and Howlingstar had not yet regained her usual confidence. Hailstorm was another he worried for, a hollowness in his gaze that had only recently begun to ebb away and he wept for him; he had experienced her death first hand. It seemed even crueler than hearing the news after.

The red tabby hobbles forward on his three limbs to the border when he finally realizes who Hailstorm had approached, coming to a stop near him and then glancing over to find Nightbird had joined them. Lessened tensions or not, he was glad to not be the only one here to greet the ShadowClanners.
The description of the kits strike him as familiar, but he didn't recall much else about them other than having Pigeonpaw (then kit) tell him about the games they had all played, pretending to be clan leaders and waging war; it sounded nonsensically silly but had left him with a worrying bit in his stomach given the circumstances. The clans had been together for some time before once more returning to their respective homes, he can only imagine it felt similar for the journeying cats who had been even closer.
"Those poor things...I'll ask my kits when we get back but Nightbird is correct, we've seen nothing. I know my children played games with them during our stay though." Had either noticed anything? He doubted it but it wouldn't hurt to ask. "I hope you find them soon..."
Sunfreckle didn't want to say what he actually thought, that kits lost would probably be dead by now.

——— ☀︎ light the fire, let it burn on top of you ——— ☀︎ breath again beneath the flames

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  Sunfreckle
  —⊰⋅ Lead Warrior of ThunderClan
  —⊰⋅ He/Him
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  —⊰⋅ Large red tabby tom w/green eyes and no left foreleg.
  

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[GRANITEPELT]

The first cat to approach is big, pale, with a thick coat that appears snow-blown despite the temperate weather. Granitepelt recognizes him as one of the cats who’d journeyed for the lungwort. The lead warrior dips his head to him, even as his apprentice welcomes him home. He notes that despite the thorns residing under Applepaw’s tongue, she knows to be cordial at the border, knows to mind her manners for the most part, and that pleases him. He gives her an appraising look before his gaze drifts to the two cats who part the undergrowth across the Thunderpath next.

He recognizes them both; the slim smoke-furred she-cat is Nightbird, and the large ginger tabby is Sunfreckle. Granitepelt is their equal now within the hierarchical structures of their Clan, but he offers them a courteous, careful dip of the skull regardless. “A shame that you have not seen them, but we feared that would be the case.” He straightens, voice cool as water as he continues, “Chilledstar would ask ThunderClan to grant a patrol safe passage to SkyClan. Chilledstar wishes to ask them if they’ve seen or heard anything that could give us a clue as to the kits’ whereabouts.”

[ tagging @HOWLINGSTAR ]

, ”​

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[S A B L E T U F T]

can we leave it behind? — A bored stare observed the reactions of the ThunderClanners that approached, quiet as he sought for any slight change in any of their expressions to say if they were truthful or not. Granitepelt assured the gathered cats that this was no accusation, that there was no evidence to bring that the forest-dwellers housed their Deputy's young, but it was an investigation all the same. Any one of these cats may have potentially seen something, or the potential culprit could be somewhere else. The possibility of either seemed equal to him.

While the newest Lead (hadn't he told the slate tom this should happen? Poor timing it had to be within Chilledstars council) conducted the request on behalf of their leader, Sabletuft nodded his head. He's started to share the same thoughts as Applepaw, this was a waste of time. If any of the Clans they visit even had the kits in question, it would be ridiculous that they hadn't been returned already. They were not just now weaning from a milk-mother, already eating solid food and in some Clans, one paw already set forward to apprenticeship.

However he remained silent still, nothing more needing to be said until Howlingstar arrived to either grant or deny Granitepelt's request. — tags​

 

[HOWLINGSTAR]

// SORRY I never got this notification but happened to see this tag now </3

Howlingstar steps next from the undergrowth, but not with the others. She had been out hunting on her own, evident by the squirrel that now drags from her jaws. She can hear the tail-end of the conversation, see the ShadowClanners that lurk and pace on the other side. Her ears fold back sympathetically as she drops the fresh-kill at her paws and shakes her head. "Poor things..." She repeats Sunfreckle's words, for not much else can describe the pain such a thought brings. She and her friend have both bore kittens themselves; the thought of having them get lost. She frowns. "I'll have Flycatcher send out an extra patrol to look for them. They'll turn up, I'm sure of it." She tries to sound hopeful; it's all one can do in a situation like this.

But then Granitepelt asks for safe passage to SkyClan so they may ask them the same and she hesitates, nearly turning him down. She doesn't like the thought of ShadowClanners traipsing through the forest; how would SkyClan feel if they showed up right to their border demanding kits? How in StarClan would they have gotten there? But she holds her tongue and thinks for a moment. If ThunderClan kits were to go missing, she'd want to search the entire forest for them. Besides, ShadowClan just housed them in their very marsh; perhaps this is the least she can do for them in return. "We will escort you there along the river and walk you back here," She offers, turning to face her clanmates and give them a nod. "Could one of you go back to camp to let Flycatcher know what is happening?" She mews to the three of them. She imagines the rest of them won't be back till dusk with this detour, and the clan will surely get worried.​

 

[Sunfreckle]

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"I'll head back and let him know." Sunfreckle volunteered with a somber mewl, thoughts of missing kittens worrying at him. The poor parents of these lost little kittens, he could only hope they turned up somewhere but the realist half of himself was already dreading an update at the gathering informing them of loss. Still, he dipped his head politely to the patrol and then Howlingstar before pivoting about to head back to camp as briskly as he could. He'd never been a very fast cat, but he made up for it in an even pace and endurance; it wouldn't take him terribly long to reach their home and hopefully Flycatcher wasn't too far off.

——— ☀︎ light the fire, let it burn on top of you ——— ☀︎ breath again beneath the flames

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  Sunfreckle
  —⊰⋅ Lead Warrior of ThunderClan
  —⊰⋅ He/Him
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  —⊰⋅ Large red tabby tom w/green eyes and no left foreleg.
  

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