until my feet wear thin ➳ tired hunter

[Steepsnout]

WE'RE TAKING OVER THE WORLD, A LITTLE VICTIMLESS CRIME ➳​

A grey sky dimmed the river’s surface, a breeze tousling the water. Their fishing patrol would have to contend with the muddled visibility but that shouldn't be an issue for Steepsnout. Every hunt was a chance to bring back bigger prey- no matter the conditions! Strangely though, today she had been lagging behind a little. Where reliable strength once bullied the current with ease, she instead felt the unfamiliar burn of fatigue in her limbs. The water slipped chill into the tips of her paws, seemed to slow her blood rather than whipping it into action. Steepsnout suppressed an irritated huff, unable to afford the breath. She had a preypile to fill.

Propped up on a submerged boulder that offered a solid anchor point, the warrior waited. Still to avoid disturbing any passing fish, she took in the leaf-fall air. This was supposed to be easy- when had her joints started to tremble? A glint in the deep thoroughfare at her flank quickly chased away the ache in favour of adrenaline. A slow start and sloppy hook of the paw meant the potential success was squandered, however.

Steepsnout’s ears were flat as she returned to the shore. "Hah- no luck." The admission was breathy, cropped. Her chin nestled slightly into the crook of her sooty shoulder, sheepish, before the warrior steadied herself. Embarrassing. Tail low and jaw parted in a half-growl, it took Steepsnout another moment to fully address her clanmates again. "I’ll give it another go, can’t-" she sucked in another breath,"- can’t be going back to camp empty pawed."

​

 

[Moonbeam]

On the patrol, Ratpaw had been excited to be able to watch other warrior's techniques when it came to fishing. Salmonshade's technique was amazing - and her teachings matched that - but the apprentice had been curious to see what it was like for others within the clan, and was curious if they'd all use the same techniques at the same time, or if there were different ways each cat had learned to do something that worked best for them. She had watched with baited breath as Steepsnout sat upon her boulder, looking down into the water before suddenly there was a paw crashing down towards the water - slower than Ratpaw had expected - and... no fish?

She watched as the older feline came back to shore, ears pricked as she listened to the words the other spoke, absorbing as she tried to do at most times while learning, afraid that if she spoke she'd miss something. But there was no learning in this, simply a promise to try again and not come back to camp with nothing. "Are the fish tricky today Steepsnout?" She meant no harm with the question, she had yet to catch anything bigger than a minnow, and was worried about the trickiness of the bigger fish. Some of them had to be smart, too, right? Not every fish could be dumb like the minnows.

ᓚᘏᗢ …... . . . . ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ

• [ooc] mentor tag! @salmonshade
• ratpaw is a four moon old apprentice of RiverClan. Her mentor is Salmonshade. She is an all white cat with rounded ears and orange eyes. She is currently a weak swimmer, weak hunter, and a weak fighter. She is loyal to RiverClan, is bisexual and is currently NOT looking for a relationship. She is OPEN to plots and private threads, but CLOSED for injuries. PEACEFUL POWERPLAY IS ALLOWED.
• a reference image should go here (I do not have one teehee)

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[willowroot]

( ☾ ) perhaps it's not the best idea for the new queen to be out and about at this time, but starclan, her legs need to stretch. the nursery is extremely comfortable, and she adores the time she spends with her little ones. however, with the winds changing for the worse, a chill moving in from over the water, the feline itches to escape out into the autumn world. today, she finally convinced a warrior to accompany her out to the river, and she finds her former apprentice hunched over the river, her fur damp, golden gaze fixed on the water. ratpaw and salmonshade hover close by, and the pale furred apprentice watches eagerly, clear confusion in her words as she asks about the fish.

willowroot purrs softly, pushing through the reeds towards the small patrol. "we all have slow days," she'll assure the group. "i bet the fish are none to happy with the lowering water." eyes of emerald flick towards the river, where the bank is muddy and the grasses crumble and break. "don't overwork yourself, steepsnout."

// if anyone wants to be the warrior accompanying willow, feel free​

 

[salmonshade]

Salmon, albeit a little distracted, holds a fish of her own. Ratpaw would learn well, today, on how to navigate the waters when conditions are not favorable for Riverclanners. She returns to her apprentices side, dripping wet from diving in after it; she watches Steepsnout with a quirked brow. What was wrong with the girl today? Ratpaw speaks, she places her tail over her apprentices back but makes no move, again, to say anything. She opts for silence for a couple heartbeats until she parts her maw to speak.

Theres a nagging fear in her heart that drives her next words.

"You better not be sick." Salmon warns, her eyes narrowing even if her tone lacks bite to it. For Ratpaws sake, at least, please do not be. "You need to see Ravensong immediately if you feel bad." her tail twitches in thinly veiled fear as she lifts a paw with the intention of hooking Ratpaw away, but she drops it back to the ground. Might as well get everyone else sick, she flattens her ears and looks away- its better to be safe than sorry, shes no medicine cat but she knows that eventually herbs will run dry. What will happen then? Willowroot comes over, Salmon has half a mind to send her away (she holds no authority, she bites her tongue). Blazestars voice echoes in her head like it usually does in her bouts of anxiety: I fear this sickness will kill every cat it touches. She worries even more, now, that the queen is here.

₊˚.༄ info

• 
  -> salmon ,, salmonshade
  -> cis female ,, she/her ,, 30 months
  -> warrior of riverclan ,, former marsh grouper
  -> fluffy & dainty chocolate tortie smoke with low white and blue eyes
  -> “speech, ff91a4” ,, thoughts
  -> lesbian ,, single
  -> smells like warm flowers & freshly cut grass
  -> image by @wrendoings [ disc ]
  

​

 

[iciclefang]

Of all her siblings, the only one to offer any meaningful competition is Steepsnout. Lilybloom is kind and efficient, but she’s older than Iciclefang by many moons. Darkwhisker is certainly not a go-getter; she remembers the way he’d cried after RiverClan had returned home from aiding SkyClan in their camp. Fernpaw isn’t even part of the equation. But since their kithood, Steepsnout had been loud, brash, and quick to try and one-up Iciclefang. The tortoiseshell burns with satisfaction that it had been her and not her black-and-white-patched sister who’d become a warrior before her twelfth moon, though that dims a bit when she sees the way her littermate’s flanks heave.

She pads behind Ratpaw, her brow quirked. She’d not seen Steepsnout make a mistake that sloppy—her paw still drips river water, decidedly devoid of fish. “The fish are difficult every day for Steepsnout,” she says to Ratpaw, her taunt playful. “What’s wrong, sister? Couldn’t wait long enough for it to leap into your paws?”

Willowroot’s purr is gentle and maternal, as usual, but it’s Salmonshade’s concern that darkens the mirth in Iciclefang’s pale eyes. Sharply, she strides toward Steepsnout, tasting the air. RiverClan had seen Otterpaw and Lichentail sickened, but Ravensong has lungwort… she frowns, irritation lashing her tail behind her. “You’ve got yourself sick?” She takes a half-step back. “I’m taking you to Ravensong. You’ve ruined enough hunts for one day.” The few cats who know her personally would know the concern behind the ice in her words—but truthfully, fear hardens Iciclefang past the point of breakability, past the brittle exterior of her namesake. “Come on.”

✧ INFO.

•  
• 
  — iciclekit . iciclepaw . iciclefang
  — she/her ; warrior of riverclan
  — lesbian ; single
  — short-haired tortoiseshell with white and ice-blue eyes
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — penned by Marquette
  — chibi by Pin

​

 

[Steepsnout]

WE'RE TAKING OVER THE WORLD, A LITTLE VICTIMLESS CRIME ➳​

Ratpaw’s snowy form was bright in the dim daylight. At the apprentice’s question, Steepsnout huffed. "Guess so! Slippery…" A pinched grin bent her large nose, not quite as cheery as it might have been. She should be setting the pace for apprentices, proving her rank as a warrior with a strong paw and steady mind. This, breathlessness, was not that.

Her former mentor was kind in her commentary, as she always was, but Steepsnout couldn’t help the dismissive lash of her tail. She wasn’t overworking- she hadn’t even caught anything yet. A mock growl whistled out to combat her sister’s taunt. Strangely, it prickled her throat painfully. "The only difficulty I have is carrying them all camp."

Words planned to placate Willowroot fell in a heap in her chest as Salmonshade chipped in. Sick? No- nah. Short black ears flattened fiercely, a mirror of the other’s. Steepsnout had heard the news, seen her clanmates ferried into the sedge shade of the medicine den, and the thought of it bristled her pelt. But she was no healer, so the molly had simply worked to stock the preypile tall or walk the borders more often. She trusted Ravensong and Cicadastar to lead the clan through it.

Iciclefang’s urgent tone doubled down on the oak-earred warrior’s speculation. "No- no, I haven’t gotten myself sick. Y’know I don’t get sick." Steepsnout was hardy, her physical strength was infallible, really! 'You’ve ruined enough hunts for one day'. The words petrified her frame. Her sister was right, as she often is, but the keen cut of the tortie’s decisiveness landed painfully. A sour expression brewed in the white-striped planes of the warrior's face. Refusal was an option. She could go back to hunting. But it was family asking, Iciclefang. Steepsnout knew how stubborn the molly could be.

"Alright." The concession was ground out with an open scowl. "But I'm telling you, I'm fine. Water up my nose or s'mthin. I'm coming back out as soon as Ravensong clears me." ​