who let the dogs out? | discovery patrol / at-camp plot #1

[Daisyflight]

"SUREFIRE, YEAH, THE SETTING SUN WANTS COMPANY"​

This is the first step in the at-camp chihuahua plot! As this is the more casual side of the clanwide plot, it will just be an open for those who signed up to stay. There will be no sighting of the dogs in this thread, however they will be finding a lot of evidence of their activities- flattened swathes of foliage, a ripped apart carcass, scent trails and perhaps even faeces. Feel free to have your cats discover these pieces of evidence, or even put together that there might be a lot more canines in the forest than expected!
@BATSHRIEK @REDSTORM ! @MISSY. @BAGUETTE. @HUCKLEBERRY @BUGPAW @~Deersong~ tagging those who signed up!

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Daisyflight was distracted, thoughts abuzz in a swarm of flies that dove at her concentration in droves. Scarred ear almost perpetually flat, she led the patrol between feathered ferns and greenery laden with the morning's dew. The taste of fear was ever present on her tongue, worry for her daughter and the rest of the expedition weighing heavy. It was why she had called the hunting patrol, a desperate attempt to shed it from her pelt.

Despite her moth-bitten attention span, even she couldn't ignore the sour scent that suddenly laminated her senses. It reeked of- was that dog? Stride stunted, the deputy turned to the others and hissed out, "Do you smell that? Careful, there's been a hound through here- it's so strong..." A paranoid turmoil split her instincts, the want to seek it out or run woven tight into a frayed knot.

"It seems recent, we need to find out where it's been. Check it's out of the territory." Spoken with a sigh, Daisyflight gestured with a sweep of her tail to get low. With Blazestar and the rest gone they couldn't afford to have unforeseen threats wandering about. Hopefully, it was just a twoleg's tied-toy that had gotten loose.

"Bury any prey and keep quiet- a dog at any of your necks is not something we want today." Grim smile set and styled, she crept forward on light feet.
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✿ ✿ ✿​

 

[HUCKLEBERRY]

Still holding steady with a stranger's laugh ♡​

the expedition made up of their leader, medicine cat and a handful of mostly apprentices had already set out towards the twolegplace earlier to find whatever it was that the prophetic dream showed them. this left the deptuy, daisyflight, to take charge as their temporary leader until they can comeback but it seemed like the she-cat was a little distracted by what he could only assume was nerves by the way she quickly compiled a hunting patrol together and set out into the territory with the rest of them tailing behind her.

a few mintues into their traversing through dew kissed foilage, the biting scent of dogs wafted throughout the area causing huckleberry to wrinkle the bridge of his. he had his fair share of smelling pungent things back at the barn, including hounds that roamed there but those guys were quite amiable and never posed a threat to any creature living there but out here was a different story. the tom scanned their current surroundings but saw nothing out of the ordinary where they stood and assumed it was further in.

"jus' our luck ta run inta potential hounds lak this. ah'll scout ovah on this side jus' to make sure nothin' catches us by surprise." he mews, heading towards the right of the group with as much of a light stepping as he could while keeping an eye out for anything odd. ​

 

[~Deersong~]

A soulmate who wasn't meant to be​

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Deersong followed beside Huckleberry among the rest of the patrol. Her expression was the same as always, except for the newly scabbed scratches across her left cheek. Aqua eyes were half-lidded in peaceful content until the sour scent of the dog also invaded her nose. Her muzzle would wrinkle up a bit and her ears would lay back slightly as Daisyflight gaze her orders to stay vigilant.

Deersong would nod to Huckleberry's words, and she would take that as a signal to take the left. It would not take her long to find that the deeper in they went the strong the horrible odor became. Stepping through some tall grasses, she would startle at the sight that was before her.

"Jeepers Creepers..." She immediately felt pity for the poor creature before her, a small brown thing that had been ripped to shreds and she turned her head to quietly call out, "Daisyflight, check it out." She would wait for her deputy to come over before pointing to whatever animal had fallen victim to the dog, "Looks fresh too. Should we bury it?" ​

 

[BAGUETTE.]

baguette's paws led him near his clanmates, nose twitching back and forth with slight curiosity. not the curiosity that wanted to make him investigate, but curiosity that made him worried. what could possibly be happening that there had been a dog around here? huckleberry speaks up, and attentively baguette turned his attention to the other, tilting his head. interesting. "i'll tag along with you." he offered his company, fur slightly fluffing up before he walked near the other, slowing his own gait to match the very tempo of the other's. his gaze darted back and forth, nose twitching with nearly every step as he tried to find any more signs of the dog. or maybe... maybe there had been more than they knew. baguette preyed to the stars that this wasn't the case. "ssst-ssstarssss... another sssscent trail? ugh." he huffed quietly, coming to a slow halt, looking over at huckleberry. had he smelled it too? baguette hoped. it was all unsettling. the last thing they needed was more bloodshed.
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[ RUNNING LOW ON SEROTONIN ]​

 

[Daisyflight]

"SUREFIRE, YEAH, THE SETTING SUN WANTS COMPANY"​

A nod to Huckleberry acknowledged his words, eyes met in agreement. It was just their luck, frustration at the situation rearing readily. Parting grasses and leathery fern fronds, Daisyflight continued with a taut spine and wide whiskers. Deersong's call for her had the deputy skimming through the brush on quick paws, swift to her side. "Ah, delightful. Well noticed." Distaste crumpled her features briefly before she leant over to inspect it. At the molly's suggestion, she paused, uncertain. Were dogs the type to return to their prey? Either way, they couldn't risk it out in the open drawing in other predators. "Yes, if you could. You're right about the freshness..." A decisive nod, along with an apologetic grimace, confirmed her choice.

Head swung to seek out the others, she took note of the smashed plant life around them. Following one hollowed-out pathway, tail low, Daisyflight met up with Huckleberry and Baguette once more. Here, the dog scent was overpowering. It crisscrossed, this way and that. More crushed foliage. Standing briefly tall, the calico looked above the grass line. The evidence was everywhere. "This was either one very enthusiastic hound, or there's more than one." Growling out the admission, she gathered the patrol. "We can't tell where they are at the moment and I'm wary to lead us into a pack of them. Let's head back and recoup, we can bring out a bigger patrol in the morning." It irritated her to have to be so cautious, as they still had no idea where the dogs were, but with their reduced numbers pressing on would be foolish.

Positioning herself at the rear of the patrol, she began to usher them back. As they left the torn clearing, Daisyflight could have sworn she almost heard far-off yips.

/on the way out! if people still want to reply, absolutely feel free. this is just the foundation for thread coming in the next few days :)
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[REDSTORM !]

The thought of even just one dog in the territory sends a shiver along Redstorms spine. He, personally, had never had to face one but he had heard stories from his siblings and from his father, from back when they used to live in the two-leg place, and though he had even seen one before, it had been from the comfort and safety of a tree, far enough away from those slobbering jaws and sharp teeth. It's a frightening thought, that one may be roaming about unbidden. He knows that those images will be haunting his dreams later when he curled up in his nest to try and sleep.

He watches his clanmates with distant eyes, lost in his own thought before Daisyflight motions for them to continue on. He gives one last, forlorn, glance back to the clearing behind him before he follows the deputy with a swish of his tail.​