THE EYES OF TORNADOES || victory patrol

[WEASELCLAW]

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮​

The skies are an inferno, scarlet streaked with pearlescent clouds and a sinking golden core where the sun begins to disappear. The patrol just before night comes sifts their paws, waiting for him to lead. He emerges from Sootstar's den, pelt cleaned thoroughly -- not out of vanity, but out of a desire to be uniform, put together. He's a lead warrior of WindClan, and he has a job to do -- hunt for the Clan, and keep his warriors safe from harm as they sprint beneath open skies.

Skies filled with winged foxes, their beaks sharp as any fangs, talons ripping at flesh and fur. The tabby's face is grim as he stalks toward the waiting warriors and apprentices. As he speaks, it's perfunctory, order clipped: "From now on, as Hyacinthbreath and the others discussed, we must ensure we are sticking together while we hunt. The hawks will pick off anyone who separates -- especially the smaller of you." Dim blue eyes find Yewberry and Shrewpaw. "If you are an apprentice, you will stay close to a warrior at all times. If you are a tunneler, you will do the same. The rest of us will ensure we are keeping an eye on the skies. It's a dangerous mission, but the Clan will not starve because of these winged bastards." He lashes his tail, blue eyes blazing. Thinking, as he's sure Leechpaw and the others are, of poor Rosepaw.

He leads with squared-back shoulders, tail lifted high and proud despite the trepidation weighing his paws down. Brightshine, Moonrabbit, and Echolight are his size, and he nods to each of them as they begin to leave the protective shield of gorse arcing over their camp. "Brightshine, you will flank the right. Echolight, you'll be on the left. Moonrabbit, you'll bring up the rear. The tallest cats should be lookouts.

Throwing his head back to the forefront, he continues, "Yewberry, Crowcall, Shrewpaw, and Leechpaw -- you are not incapable, and I know that. You will be expected to hunt. Just ensure you're doing it safely. If any of us spot a hawk heading your way, we'll be able to take it on together.

The sandy grass beneath their paws, stiff with heather and prairie grass, gives way to the wide open moors. A distant shadow appears on the horizon, but the felines do not detect its yet -- its wingspan has not yet disturbed the air cradling their senses.

@BRIGHTSHINE! @moonrabbit. @Echolight . @crowcall @Yewberry @SHREWPAW @LEECHPAW

// THIS IS THE VICTORY PATROL FOR THE HAWK PLOT !! This patrol will be instrumental in learning that sticking together is vital while hunting under open skies. This patrol is allowed to take down a hawk. No one cat will be able to do this -- it should be a team effort!

- ,,​

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[Echolight]

Hawks had never been a foreign concept, especially growing up on the moors, an aunts watchful eye and occasional warning, scampering for shelter.
Yet, the carnage the warrior had witnessed up close was nothing short of horrifying. The image of the patrol returning, gashed and splattered with shades of rust and cerise- her own brother, the bush of snow that he was- was almost unrecognizable in her shock.
Her attention is hyper-focused, only sparing a quick side-glance towards Weaselclaw before following his orders, maneuvering herself to the left of the patrol. Her long legs had always given her an advantage, even when it seemed to be a universal joke that she so happened to be apart of a clan known for their small stature and today she was eager to put them to use.
She finds herself glancing over to Leechpaw every once in awhile, the concern for her apprentice still as daunting as the day Rosepaw had passed.
Only when the prickly grass and sand gives away to the moors does Echolight attempt to gently touch her tail against Leechpaw’s shoulder, her usual glowing gaze now serious, "If one of us tells you to do something, you will listen, do you understand?" Leechpaw is a good apprentice, a good listener, Echolight knows that, the reassurance is for her own benefit- that Leechpaw will not take his vengeance and be the hero. If it had been up to her, Leechpaw would have stayed put in camp, but even through her paranoia she could acknowledge that was impractical.
She sweeps her tail back to her own self, signaling that Leechpaw is free to move on with hunting before looking back towards the skies in front of her, with the sunsets angry glare, she cannot see anything just yet.
"Speech."
​

[ WHAT A TIME ]​

 

[crowcall]

✧ CROWCALL ✧

---

Crowcall was nervous, though she knew she shouldn't be. The entire time, she couldn't help but think that there were many stronger and more capable cats for this job -- Ravensong, Inkylotus, anyone but her. It wasn't necessarily the prospect of hawks that scared her, although such ferocious beasts stalking from the skies was a frightening thing -- it was the idea that her clanmates might realize fairly quickly that she was the wrong choice for the job. The bicolored molly shook those thoughts away as best she could and gave a nod at Weaselclaw's instructions. He was a great warrior. If she didn't know what she was doing, surely he did.

Her glance up at the sky was fulfillment enough of her own anxiety. The sunset dyed the moor grass gold. It was a gorgeous sight, if only it didn't mean that visibility was already beginning to die off. What would happen once twilight passed? When the sky was too dark to watch for any hawks, and the stars hadn't yet appeared to protect them?

No, don't think like that! Crowcall shook her head a bit more violently this time, and tried (fruitlessly) to make herself look brave. She could do this. She would do this. And the clan would eat well knowing she was among those who provided everyone their supper. And everyone would look at her and go 'Wow, Crowcall! I didn't know you could be so brave!' and she would be the talk of all of WindClan for moons!

... Probably not. But imagining cheers and congratulations when she returned (even if it definitely wouldn't happen) did help to ease her nerves a little bit. ​

windclan · she/her · penned by cuzn · tags​

 

[Irispath]

Oh yes.

It was finally time.

Yewberry listened to Weaselclaw with a fire in his eyes rarely seen. He was excited for the hunt, for once. The thrill of taking down worthy prey, sinking his fangs and claws into it's flesh and listening to its dying gasp. Oh, yes. Those birds would pay in blood for what they had done. He would tear them to shreds. Rosepaw didn't deserve to be mauled. None of them did. And he was going to visit their pain upon those birds ten times over.

He nodded when he was addressed with a rare confident smile. He was out for blood today.

"We're going to come home with hawks instead of rabbits." He said, his voice clear and practically radiating bloodthirst.

He was a small cat, but he sure did carry as much wrath as anyone else.
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[SHREWTUFT]

"the hawks will pick off anyone who seperates -- especially the smaller of you."

the words spoken by their lead warrior would echo throughout her skull, jaw tensing subtly as eyes would drag over the smaller pair of cats that made up the patrol but she did not let in deter her. like hell she'd ever let those feathered devils even think for a second that she was an easy target.

they had begun their departure from camp the moment weaselclaw began to assign roles to everyone to ensure everything runs as smoothly and safely as possible. shrewpaw fell in behind yewberry as they traveled through the heather tunneled entrance where they'd reppear on the other side, the familiar sight of rolling hills greeting them. umber-colored paws would flex against the soft grasses, ears angling forwards to keep alert for anything out of the ordinary.

[ penned by cobi ]​

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[VULTUREMASK]

Leechpaw silence was dangerous today as he followed the patrol out to hunt. His eyes being the only thing that bedrayed that livid storm inside of him. Nothing anybody had to say could change his mind the intentions he had if he ever come close to one of this featherd birds. That was all he could think about, what keept him up at night. He just wanted to sink his teeths into something and if it did not ended up being one of the hawks...then somebody else would fall victim to his wrath eventually. Sooner or later he would snap, that was unavoidable.

He had just finished listening half-heartedly to what Weaselclaw had informed them about to remind them about the new rules to protect them from the hawks. That he was much to his annoyence on hunt duty. He had just put up a disapproved frown when much to his discomfort felt something nudge his shoulder. By instinct the back fur of his neck bristled as he flinched away from that very much unwelcomed physicial contact. Lately, cats had tried touching him more then usual and he absolutely hated it. Leechpaw narrowed his eyes to his mentor while listening to her warning words to him. He had not forgotten that she had been there during his grief over Rosepaws death, a grief he was far from over just dealing with it...in his own way. In that moment he had been too much of a mess to reject it but now afterwards he was left with conflicted feelings over it.

Didn't made it any better when she looked at him like she did right now.

He would give a understanding nod to her but that was all. Leechpaw then walked right past her refocusing on his path once more as he started to do his part in this organized patrol by sniffing up after prey...or he pretended to anyway. In truth his attention where elsewhere, and he hoped shadows would start to circle them above thier heads soon. That was all he was thinking about, all he cared about.

The rage inside of him blinded him to care about anything else.

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[BRIGHTSHINE!]

Black ears remain tucked against Brightshine's head as she follows the patrol, eyes on the sky. Like Echolight, she had always been used to the hawks that circled the skies. She's lived on these moors for seasons upon seasons, and always knew they were a danger to avoid and she'd done it well, teaching her kits to as well. But lately, the shadows of the winged beasts fall upon the land more often, to the extent that they never seemed to leave. No hunt is safe anymore. There is no "let's way for that eagle to leave and we'll go hunt then!" These hawks, they never left! The danger had become most obvious to her when her very son returned, bloodied and slashed open. Now, her daughter and one of her sisters accompany her today, and the fear that the same will happen to them eats away at her.

Weaselclaw gives his instructions, and the comment about the smallest of them makes her gulp. She falls within that category. But she follows his instructions, moves to her assigned point on the patrol, and her emerald gaze lifts watchfully to the sky once more. Yewberry speaks up with confidence, claiming they'd bring down one of the predators, and his conviction is enough to draw a half-hesitant grin from the usually upbeat she-cat. "You said it!" She chimes, trying to lift her clanmates' spirits (and her own).​

 

[moonrabbit.]

Damn, she guesses she should've listened to Dandelionpaw back when the warning was fresh. It's not like she ignored it, she just... pushed it to the side in favor of more pressing matters. Prey had been bountiful, rabbits-a-plenty all throughout the moor. If leaf-fall was coming, they all might as well get fat while they still had the chance. The thought of looming danger or whatever the hell was something she'd rather not dedicate brainpower too.

Though, she figures it's time for her to once one of those bastards descends on her nephew and rips him open like a piece of prey. Time to start carin'. Lil' ol' her ends up placed on a patrol with with sister dearest, apparently trying out some sorta... strategy. She rolls her shoulders, does as she's told when she drops her pace to slide to the back of the patrol. What a strange world this was, where someone her size was on the taller side for Windclan standards. Brightshine too, yeesh. "The tallest cats," she whispers to her sister as she passes by. "We're livin' it up now, huh?" Her quipping was to ease spirits, n' she guesses she's similar to her sister in that regard. Any who looked to her would be met with a light smile and a quirk of a brow. Easy does it.​

 

[WEASELCLAW]

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮​

Weaselclaw feels the determination, the raw, ragged anger, that emanates in waves from his Clanmates. It spurs him on, pale blue eyes searching the open skies for any sign of darkness. There is none. The clouds roll into the sunset, giving them relief from the reddish glare that burns into their eyes.

He tastes the air, and the luscious scent of hare caresses his scent glands. He turns to give Brightshine and Echolight an affirmative nod. "There's prey here, but remember. We stick together. Any sign of trouble, regroup. We fight together." His voice is grim. He won't forget those injuries in a hurry. Won't forget the look on Leechpaw's, Dandelionpaw's, Duskfire's face as Rosepaw had dirt kicked over his pelt.

Before he can instruct the patrol to move out, a distinctive sound thrums at his ears -- the wind stirring around him, a wingshadow falling over his shoulder. Weaselclaw turns with a shrieking hiss. "There! I knew the bastards couldn't resist trying to make a meal of us."

The hawk is lowering, its talons stretched towards the smaller cats who are flanked by the moor runners. Weaselclaw's tabby pelt bristles into spikes and he spits, "Attack together!" With unsheathed claws, the warrior rears up on his hind legs and aims a slash toward the bird. He just barely grazes a feathery leg, not drawing blood -- but it serves a warning, a lesson to be learned. The WindClan cats would fight, and they would win this time.

// feel free to have two or three cats start attacking and killing the hawk! again, it's a team effort :)

- ,,​

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[Irispath]

Yewberry was worried. He tried to push it away, but anxiety gnawed at him every step of the way out of camp. He kept his senses alert, swiveling his ears to keep track of every sound.

He wouldn't have to wait long.

Weaselclaw alerted them to a hawk coming in for the kill, and for a split second, he was terrified. Fur fluffed up. But, it was only a split second. His fear turned to wrath, and he bore his teeth and leaped for the hawks head.

He would go for the eyes. An eye for an eye.




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[BRIGHTSHINE!]

Brightshine's nerves are pushed down further as her littermate whistles a little joke, and she gives Moonrabbit a cheeky grin. The two of them are little, but somehow being called the tallest on the patrol? It draws a giggle out of the calico. "Take it in 'cause we won't get this again!" When Weaselclaw looks towards her, she focuses her attention on him, ears pressing forward with interest. Prey, she can smell it, too. But alas, her job today is keeping her eye on the skies. She glances up, but not a heartbeat later she hears her lead warrior yowling his commands.

A screech leaves the warrior as she bristles, immediately rushing to Echolight out of instinct. As soon as she reaches her daughter, she stares up at the hawk that is now upon them and lets out a hiss, claws unsheathing. She had to protect her kin. Bunching her muscles, the small calico leaps into the air, claws catching one of the beast's wings. With another cat's help, she could perhaps bring it to the ground!​

 

[VULTUREMASK]

It didn't took long before Leechpaw caught up to the situation. He hadn't been far away and currently as hiding in the tall grass. The apprentices eyes were wide and hunger for blood was burning in his flame-like eyes. There it was. The anger he had wore on a loose leash this whole time. It was now boiling over. He had come out here today for revenge, to sink his teeths and claws into the feathery birds that had taken his friend away from him. He had been waiting for one of the birdbrains to dare target one of them and now he had his chance. Leechpaw was not gonna froze up like he had on the thunderpath, or when Bumblepaw had got attacked by that dog. Today he would free himself from that pathetic role he had played in the past as he let the rage inside of him loose.

Like a quick shadow the tall apprentice sprinted forward straight towards the hawk Yewberry and Brightshine was attacking. His eyes were locked on the birds chest and with claws out and ready to spill blood he lunged up into the air to aim for its vunerable open chest. But he...missed. The hawk manged to get out of the way while dealing unsteadily in the air thanks to Brightshine having one of its wings. However Leechpaw did captured something between his teeths and that was one of the hawks legs...Leechpaw landed back down on the ground while holding a tight grip on one of the hawks legs. It struggled in his grip and Leechpaw did his best to hold it down there as his claws now was used to dig into the dirt to keep himself down there on the ground. It was a thoughtless move of him, one he had made in the moment of his rage that he didn't even realise the danger he was being in.

The hawk made a desperate attempt to get free and Leechpaw could see from the corner of his eye how the hawk used its free talon that come his way, and before he realised what had happend the hawks talons digged into his cheek and down it went, clawing and spilling blood as the hawk pulled the talon down the apprentice cheek right under his eye, to his throat and down to his neck before finally breaking free. It was unbearable painful, the mark the hawk just had done was burning like fire on his new opend flesh. Leechpaw hissed in pain and his grip started to loosen itself around the leg that had been trapped in his mouth. The pain had made him briefly dizzy, but right before the hawk manged to pull its leg away this sharp teeths tighten its grip once more, and the hawk let out a shriek. Now with a bloody face, and scars so deep that they never would fully recover he was still hanging on refusing to let go.

This pain this hawk just had left on his flesh was nothing to the pain he had endured in the past. Nothing to the pain this hawks had caused him emotionally...So he could endure it for just a bit longer....until someone brought this hawk done. He refused to let go until it was dead and until his heart stopt beating. Whatever come first.


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