who let the dogs out | patrol

[Flycatcher]

Grief is still heavy in Flycatcher's mind as he leads the patrol back out into the territory. He is certain he is not the only one grappling with this rush of feelings and how to process what had happened today. There will be more time to grieve later he supposes but for now, they need to determine if and where the dogs are in their forest. Although in mourning, his mind is clear and focused on the task given to him and the patrol. Howling Wind hadn't told them to fight the dogs but even just scouting them out would go a long way in further ensuring the safety of the clan.

As they approach snakerocks, the familiar tang of blood and dog scent hits his nose, and he finds himself slowly. He had kept it together quite well on the return journey here but coming back to this place just reminded him of what they had all lost on this day.

Flycatcher did a quick glance over the area, double checking there were no dogs nearby, before turning back to the patrol. "There are a lot of scents intermingling here," He noted, lifting his nose into the air. "It's hard to tell where exactly the dogs came from and where they left the area. Let's split up and find the freshest dog scent. That will likely lead us to where they are hiding or at least ran off to."

@RACCOONSTRIPE @nightbird @Silverlightning @Stormchaser ​

 

[RACCOONSTRIPE]

Raccoonstripe lags just behind Flycatcher, his tail flicking with pent-up frustration. Somewhere behind him, @Moonpaw. and @WILDPAW pad through the eerily quiet forest. The whole of ThunderClan seems to have become a tomb -- the stench of blood and death and dog is heavy, weighs like lead on the tabby warrior's tongue.

His paws begin to slow as Flycatcher surveys Snakerocks. Like the lead warrior, his eyes dart back and forth, trying to catch a glimpse of movement. "It's hard to pick anything out here. They must have nested here for a long time." He licks his lips distastefully, trying to clear the scent from his glands.

Flycatcher orders them to spread out, and Raccoonstripe gives him a curt affirmative nod. "You two, with me," he orders his apprentices. He gives Wildpaw especially a hard look. "If you spot a dog, you stay silent, and you certainly don't charge at it. If you do, I'll let them make a meal of you while I make my escape. Am I understood?"

He waits for their responses before continuing away from where their patrol leader searches. Scraps of fur -- golden and black -- litter the forest floor. He frowns -- did the dogs have black fur? It doesn't look like mutt hair, but he can't think of any other explanation for the other color mixed with Emberstar's lost pelt.

"You notice any strong scents, speak up now." His directive is devoid of warmth. An order to Wildpaw and Moonpaw.​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

​

 

[Stormchaser]

"WELL, I'VE GOT THICK SKIN AND AN ELASTIC HEART"​

Traversing along beside the dark tabby warrior, Stormchaser keeps his jaw clenched and his head low. The rather pungent smell of blood mixed with dog flooded his senses, leaving only his eyes and eyes to do the work. Crimson shades splattered along the sludge that was the forest floor now, droplets littering the foliage before him. Stormchaser spares a glance behind him, spotting the familiar pelts of @Littlepaw and @JAYPAW . At first he regretted vouching himself to scout out, not realizing his apprentices had to tag along. Now his worries grew larger, a pool of dark rushing water that threatened to drown him at any moment. He couldn't bear to call himself a mentor, a warrior, of anything happened to them. Flamewhisker would line her nest with his pelt if a whisker was out of line of her apprentice while in the nursery. "Come on, you two. Stay close."
The familiar stones of Snakerocks soon come within his vision, the fur along his spine prickling as the landscape unfolded before him. Overwhelming amounts of blood surrounded them, tufts light fur scattered along the ground mixed with black fur. He raises a brow quizzically, curiosity pulling at his chest to investigate it. The warrior had seen his share of drooling hounds before, all different coat types and colors just as felines did. But, this was—weird. He hooks a shaded tuft with a claw to give it a good whiff and cocks his head. "It's—from another cat..." He murmurs, observing the unfamiliar fur tangled in his claw. The smell of dog invaded his nostrils too much to detect where exactly it came from, but there were other matters at hand.
Flycatcher orders them to spread out, and Stormchaser already had veered away from the others when examining the black fur. The air felt stagnant here, as if the forest held it's own very breath for what would happen next. Raccoonstripe's firm tone echoes through his ears, pulling him away as he looks to the tom scolding Wildpaw specifically. "He's right, y'know. No playing hero, here. I'd love to run them off as much as anyone else here—but we can't do that if we're dead." Stormchaser eyes his two apprentices as well, his tone flat when speaking as a darkness looms in his gaze. Regardless of his own feelings, the fierce blaze that burned in his chest and the prickle of his claws instinctively sliding from their sheaths; he had two young ones to keep an eye on. There was no time to be reckless.
White paws prowled forwards, his lean muscle rippling under his feathered coat as he moved around the stones. "Does anyone see any tracks, perhaps? The ground is soft—maybe there's a trail.."

​

✦ ★ ✦​

 

[Silverlightning]

War weighin' on my heart but I can't fall

Silverlightning remained silent as they encroached the clearing of snakerocks, grey eyes flitting about with keen inspection of the area. His long plumed tail flicks in silent instruction for Mousepaw to stick close to him. "Stay close, keep your wits about you, and proceed with caution." He murmured, a firm command ushered from his lips. Ears rotating to listen to several conversations being held. Another cat? Looking upon the tuft of brindled fur his lips press into a grim line, no particular scent stands out to him outside of blood and dog. "Another cat indeed, although it is hard to determine their affiliation..." His gaze harden momentarily. "What were they doing here?" Willowy limbs laced with muscle turn from the heaviest parts of the crime scene, leading the ticked tabby along the outskirts of the battle.

Upon further investigation Silver picks out droplets of crimson spread apart haphazardly in what seems to be a broken albeit somewhat linear trail. He has a hunch, a growing suspicion that this might be a possible lead. Standing straighter, Silver squares his shoulder, steel tinted gaze falling upon his apprentice below. "Come Mousepaw," He beckons, voice full of just enough reassurance to curb any anxieties the girl may be facing, but not enough to baby her to any degree. A single paw lifts, making a sweeping gesture toward the trail he'd noticed moments before. "Tell me, where do you believe this trail leads?" With careful observation he would continue to watch his pupil, only drawing his attention away briefly to scout for the presence of dogs. (apprentice tag @MOUSEPAW !)​

Seekin' shelter from the storm on this blank road​

​

​

 

[WILDHEART]

"LITTLE HELLIONS, KIDS FEELIN' REBELLIOUS"​

---

Although Wildpaw wouldn't openly admit it he was finding it difficult being back at snakerocks. The haunting images of Emberstar's dying form plagued his memories as he was made to approach the scene behind Raccoonstripe. Though the sombre emotions did nothing to contain the blaze building within him, nor his tendency to bite back at those daring to be authority figures towards him. "Worry about yourself, old man." He spat back bitterly as he looked back sharply at his mentor. The defiance was evident in his gaze, even more so with the pulsing hunger for revenge now rippling through him.

Keeping his nose trained to the ground, the apprentice began to work his way around the area in search of other scent trails. He just wants to hurry up and find the dogs. Eventually he stumbled across a large pawprint in the softer soil. Though he can't confirm how fresh it is. Carefully he moved to set his own paw down in the middle of the much larger dog pawprint, and he finds it to be quite the sobering reminder of what they were up against.
​

★ ​

 

[nightbird]

nightbird keeps a steady pace towards the back of the group, scanning for any signs that might point to where the dogs had fled to. they approached snakerocks rather quickly, it was a depressing sight to say the least. blood and fur laid haphazardly across the earth, there had been too much of it lately.

they halted and the smoke took the break to glance at the various tracks littered around. some paw prints could be seen, but trails of blood drawn from the canines was far more vibrant. if only they were kind enough to leave a straighter trail, rather than frantic splotches. her head was drawn from the ground at the commotion of something being found, fur of another cat. she frowned, tail twitching, but continued to search on quiet paws.

breaking off from the group, she sent a sharp flick of her tail to @LIGHTPAW . , a not so gentle prod to follow her. "you'd think they're dying to become dog food with how much they're talkin," she huffed to the golden apprentice, keeping her voice low and leading him further away. her decision to bring him wasn't an easy one, but there was no reason he should stay behind if they were just tracking the dogs. some time out of camp would do him good.

a few trails were spotted, all turning up to be dead ends. "see anything?" she addressed lightpaw once again, raising her head to check on the rest of the patrol members while he looked. ​

[ ☾✩ ]​

 

[Moonwhisper]

Moonpaw had bore witness to Emberstar's body being brought to camp at a distance, refusing to get close because the memories of a bloodied, crumpled form being set upon the snow was all to fresh in her mind. She wanted to scream, cry, a nauseating feeling welled up inside her head and just the thought of having to be close to a dead cat sent her into a panicked bolt to the edge of camp. It was there she had sat, huddled outside the bramble wall and shaking in her misery until Raccoonstripe had come to fetch her; grim faced and determined. There was no words of comfort or moment longer to mourn, it was back to business as usual and she followed with a quiet whimper and her head low.

Raccoonstripe gives Wildpaw a very pointed warning and the other responds in his usual way; foolish disregard. The tortie point sighs quietly to herself as she examined the ground and the dark hairs littering it, the stench of stale dog too overwhelming to make out much else around her. She makes an effort to cling close to the side of her fellow apprentice, while their mentor was willing to abandon the hotheaded lad she realized she would struggle to do the same so she hoped her presence closer might dissuade any future impulsiveness. At the very least she could try to knock him over if he did it.
How silly to be more worried over if she could trip another apprentice than the very real threat of dogs wandering around them, perhaps her panic and unease was so astronimically high she had circled back around to feeling eerily calm. That had to be it really, keeping her composure otherwise seemed unheard of. A stray paw knocked aside what looked like a mouse spine, scattering the tiny pieces before her path off-white and grisly. Moonpaw grimaced as she withdrew her paw back as if afraid to touch it. It was just bones but...
​

 

[MOUSENOSE]

Mousepaw's usual exuberance is tampered down with the Clan's grief and the solemn tone to their mission. She's one of several apprentices accompanying their mentors. She watches Raccoonstripe berate Wildpaw and Moonpaw and Wildpaw fire back, and her somber expression creases with a smirk. She likes Wildpaw. He should stand up to that jerk!

Her own mentor speaks to her calmly, as he always does. She listens to his words for once, uneasiness in her steps. The ticked tabby warrior gestures with a forepaw to a trail of blood droplets littering the forest floor. She grimaces. Emberstar's blood? ... Or prey blood? She can't tell, there are too many scents and tracking isn't her best skill. "I... it's too hard to tell," she admits to him, hating the failure and that Wildpaw and Moonpaw are seeing it. "But... it almost seems like... RiverClan border?" She hesitates, not wanting to be wrong.​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

​

 

[LIGHTSTRIKE .]

❝ WE HAVE YET TO CRASH ✧°.☀ ————————————
Everything was a bit of a blur. Emberstar was dead. Her lifeless body had been brought into the ThunderClan camp, Howling Wind announced that she now walked with StarClan. Dead. All of her lives stripped away, just like that. Would they all die like that? Brutally, in the jaws of a threat they couldn't hope to counter?

Nightbird summoning him for a scouting patrol was the last thing he expected, but rather than the exciting prospect of finally leaving camp for the first time in ages, he only felt a sense of dread. Even still, he agreed, expression firming with determination. Even so, as the patrol set off, he was unusually quiet.

The closer they got, the more uneasy he got, the fur on his shoulders beginning to rise when he smelled the tang of blood among the musty scent of something unfamiliar. It must be the dogs. The words of the patrol had gone in one ear and out the other, but the flick of Nightbird's tail toward him made him jolt, eyes flicking up to meet hers. He was nervous, and doing a poor job at hiding it.

Rather than respond to the snarky comment with one of his own, he only offered a small hum in reply, closing the already small gap between them as he turned his head to look around owlishly. For a moment he paused in his tracks, gazing down at scattered blood with a mixed expression. Was it Emberstar's? Had she really fought dogs all on her own, suffering until her Clan arrived at the last moment? He found himself afraid of sharing a similar fate.

"...No," he quietly said at last, stepping past the blood and catching up to Nightbird's side. His shoulder was still stiff, and the brisk pace was making it ache, but he found it easy to ignore in the midst of all else. "What do we do if we find it? Them?" How many were there?

[penned by its_oliverr - ☀]

———————————— ☀.°✧ BUT WE STILL MAY AS WELL ENJOY IT ❞ ​

​

 

[Silverlightning]

War weighin' on my heart but I can't fall

The ticked tabby watches, enveloped in silences as he evaluates his apprentice's progress. She appears hesitant, unsure of herself by the time her gaze meets his own. That uncertainty creeps into her voice but the words that tumble forth are met with a rare ghost of a smile. A minor twitch of the lips skyward. Hooded eyes move from the girl, falling upon the trail again as he speaks. "Marvelous work, little Mouse..." He responds softly with praise on his lips, pride blooming within his chest. A rather difficult feat for many to coax out of the stoic warrior. "No need to be hesitant, continue to trust your instincts. Again, job well done." Silver's attention swivels toward their patrol leader, calling out to the man in his usual low tone to gather his attention. "Flycatcher, this trail is worth noting." He murmurs, beckoning the tom over with a wave of his plumed tail.​

Seekin' shelter from the storm on this blank road​

​

​