pafp who put this here | a muddy incident

[MIDNIGHTASH]

જ➶ The thunderous rains that swept across the territory have finally decided to dissipate. Leaving the river swollen and alive with the swarming of fish. Easy hunting if someone asked her and she wants to go out. With her luck she has managed to tag onto the back of a hunting patrol, amber eyes bright with veily hidden excitement at being able to do something instead of all her camp duties that she has admittedly been shirking. Just the ones that have to do with cleaning out some of the nests in the nursery. But she promises she will do that later on. When she gets back of course. The heavily saturated ground shifts and squishes against her paws as she lightly follows behind the rest of the patrol. There is a figure she remembers rather well also with them. Foxtail. Her face falls slightly but she doesn't say anything as she focuses on picking her path and keeping up with the adults before her. Though soon she pauses as she sees a fish leap out of the nearby river. "I can totally catch that." It's the divating from the patrol that seems to seal the deal.

Her paws sink in and she doesn't seem to mind. Dragging herself closer and closer to the water till she realizes with a small and startled cry. She can't move. The mud is thick and clogging this close to the river and she struggles, managing to jerk one leg out but it rocks her and she falls to the side. "Ow, ow, ow..." Midnight hisses given that her limbs don't bend correctly because of how deeply the mud is. Quickly she looks for the rest of the patrol, her maw parting to ask for help when all she sees is one feline. Great.

@FOXTAIL ​

 

[FOXTAIL]

Finally, the sun seems to get through the thunderous clouds that painted the sky; sunlight beaming onto the wet territory. To Foxtail's relief, the thunderstorms that rolled through the territory were not as intense as the storm that caught him by surprise weeks ago. The rain now wasn't nearly as heavy; the hunting patrol he was apart of didn't need to seek shelter and wait out the storm. In matter of fact, the thunderstorm was.... calming? The pitter patter of the raindrops was practically music to his ears; the occasional rumble of thunder being so as well. He tastes the air momentarily as the clouds dissipate; the young warrior will never get over the unique smell of rain— it isn't a smell that everyone likes, but it's so distinct that it can be picked up on before a storm rolls in.

The earth below him feels soaked with every step he takes; and he glances over at the nearby river. The water level rises and lowers throughout the year; and a good storm can fill a river with an abundance of extra water. It isn't as exactly good as it sounds, as if the river overflows just enough.... the river bank might be unable to hold all of it. It can spill onto the earthly floor and soak into the grass.... creating a messy situation— mud. The fish feel tempting as they swarm in the overflowed river, but the warrior fights the urge. "L-look at all the mud at the bank," He observes, his tail swishing behind him, "Let's focus on land p-prey for now..." But his ears twitch to Midnightpaw, who's gaze also caught that fish leaping out of the river. "I totally can catch that." He wants to open his maw and object to the idea, but the young apprentice is already on the move.

His ears flatten as the young apprentice's paws begin to sink into the mud, and that's when Foxtail would've given up on the pursuit. But Midnightpaw is young and hardheaded; she doesn't seem to think things through. ...Just like how she continued to run her mouth back in camp, this too might have an unfortunate consequence if she continues to push forward. "M-midnightpaw, turn around!" He tries to warn her before it's too late to go back, "You're going to get st-stuck-" But his voice is cut off by her whimpering, and he winces as the apprentice struggles to move her body against the thick mud. She manages to jerk out one leg, but the rest of her isn't moving. She looks for the patrol with pleading eyes, and her gaze seems to.... drop when she realizes he's the sole cat noticed her slipping away.

He pads forward towards the river bank, and he begins to sink faster than her. Midnightpaw is still an apprentice; she still has plenty more moons to go until she is a full grown warrior. He certainly weighs more than her due to his full grown size, and he hides a grimace as the mud sticks onto his fur. "Don't worry Midnightpaw," He gasps out as he pushes forward, "I'm going to g-get you out!" StarClan, she got pretty close to the water, He briefly thinks to himself and trudges forward, I hope I'll be able to pull her out to safety. It feels like it takes him forever to reach her, but at the end of it.... it felt like a battle against the mud. "I'm... h-here," He pants, her sticking out leg being merely a fox length away from him. The position she has gotten herself into doesn't look comfortable; and he trudges forward one last time... and he aims to gently sink his teeth into Midnightpaw's leg and attempts tug. ....But as he does, he's unable to hide his alarm as he sinks deeper into the mud. He might've gotten Midnightpaw out of her uncomfortable position, and he tries to tug again and move back, but now he can't move. "Oh no," He gasps out, and he struggles against the mud, but he makes no kind of movement. His muddied tail manages to stick out, but the rest of him isn't, and he looks over at the apprentice. "I-I can't move e-either!" He gasps, and he tries to look back at the patrol that continues to get further and further away from them. "Come back!" Foxtail tries to yowl, unsure if his desperate voice would be heard. Help!​

𝐨𝐨𝐜 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭

• apprentice tag: @PEBBLEPAW
  
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  credit to skaicraft (via insta) for the artwork <3
  
• Foxtail

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  warrior
  warmhearted
  timid
  experience: trained
  backstory: [HYPERLINK]
  biography: [HYPERLINK]
  credit to clangen for sprite <3
  

  cisgender male [he / him]
  eyes: green
  pelt: cinnamon/chocolate
  fur length: long
  parents: dawnflower and redfur (riverclan npcs)
  19 moons
  

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