AS HE RAISED HIS FIST BEFORE HE SPOKE — It was a strange feeling, striding out in front of everyone to the middle of a camp bustling with cats ready and eager to head out on patrols. It was even stranger to raise his muzzle to the sky, voice chipper and confident as he demanded the attention of those milling around about him. "Everyone, gather around! I've got patrols to hand out this time, and I'd better not hear any whining about where you end up." His last words were directed in particular towards the apprentices nearby, knowing full well that that plenty of them were eager to get out to the borders of other clans. The lead warrior couldn't really begrudge them that, even if his pelt pricked at the thought of such young cats anywhere near the Riverclan border.
His gaze scans over the gathered crowd, pale green glittering as it sought out the one cat he trusted over anyone - perhaps even Sunstar. His sister's colorful face was staring back at him, prompting a crooked grin on his muzzle. "First off - Scorchstreak. I'd like you and Pinkpaw to go and check on the state of the tunnels near Thunderclan's border, while Addervenom, Firefang, and Heatherpaw mark the border at dawn. Might as well utilized our tunnelers and moor runners all at once, right? Make any repairs you think are needed while you're there, and if there's anything bigger that needs to be done we can figure it out once you're back." Rattleheart wasn't too worried about Thunderclan giving them any trouble, considering how Howlingstar had interacted with them in the past. It seemed as though she was actually willing to give them a chance, a fact that he didn't intend to jeopardize by sending any of their more volatile cats out. Addervenom and Firefang were both tough, but they were also good at following orders, and if Scorchstreak told them not to cause trouble, he had every reason to believe they would listen.
Next was another of his fellow lead warriors, her silver pelt sticking out from the crowd well enough - likely not very far from Scorchstreak's side. "Bluepool." His head was dipped briefly in her direction, before his tail flicked off towards the same border. "I'd like you to lead the dusk patrol nearer to the Riverclan border, while taking Mouseflight and Redheart with you - and Featherpaw, of course. Remember that we don't want any trouble with them, just don't let them think we've rolled over to show our bellies either." He had his doubts about Redheart helping too much on the intimidation side of things - he loved his son, but the warrior was hardly the frightening, scowling type. However, that was what Bluepool and Featherpaw were for, along with the often vaguely annoyed form of Mouseflight. "And Mouseflight, give the tunnels near there a brief once over too, same as Scorchstreak." He would normally split the patrols more than this, but they were so low on tunnelers lately that such a thing was simply impractical.
Shadowclan was next, and Rattleheart searched until he could find the smoky black pelt of a cat that looked much like himself in terms of color, only more muddled. "Periwinklebreeze, you're heading to Shadowclan this time. Take Foxglare, Sedgepounce, and Sparkspirit with you, please? No tunneler this go around, but I'm sure the ground around there is still soft enough anyways that it'll pay to wait for a little while. So just mark the border and keep an eye out." A big patrol, sure, but the tunneler still wasn't exactly sure where he stood on Shadowclan. On one paw he preferred them to Shadowclan, and he liked the general no-nonsense attitude of their deputy - it didn't leave him guessing. On the other hand, they couldn't exactly expect any clan to be chummy at the moment without consequences. Hence, a cautious patrol of five including Sunlitpaw.
Already his usually hoarse voice was beginning to sound like it had gone through a shredder from so much talking, but he powered through the roughness - hoping everyone else would be able to understand him still. "As for the Horseplace... Sunstar, would you please lead the patrol out there and to the lands nearby? Take Rabbitclaw, Slateheart, and... Snakehiss, with you. I'm sure the barn cats will be glad to see some familiar faces if you decide to stop in, and it'll be good to see if there's anything unusual out there at the moment." Sunstar was more prepared than anyone to face Sootstar's fled loyalists with the strength of nine lives on his shoulders, and Snakehiss... Snakehiss was bait, if Rattleheart was being honest. Perhaps they'd be more inclined to show themselves if the deputy that had betrayed them was patrolling alongside other Windclanners proper. "And Rabbitclaw - again, check on any tunnels out there. Try to avoid Scorchstreak and I's blood." He briefly grinned at the thought of the battle that had taken place near the tunnels there, actually feeling somewhat fond about the chance he had been given to dig his claws into the loyalists at that point. Normally he wouldn't celebrate violence, but Hollowcreek had been a special case.
Nearly there... so close. Starclan, he had nearly forgotten himself in the rush of it all, hadn't he? "As for me... some of you may know about how Marmotbite managed to escape to the barn by using a tunnel collapse to her advantage. While I admire the ingenuity, I'd also like us to be able to rebuild that tunnel if possible. So Heathermoon, Whitedawn. You'll both accompany me in checking the state of it and seeing how much progress we can make in forming it back up. Downypaw, you'll be coming along as well of course." Rattleheart nodded towards his apprentice and the tunnelers that he had picked up, hoping that they were ready to get their paws duty. He knew Downypaw's practical experience so far had been limited, but that was fine. This would be the perfect opportunity for him to get some, seeing a tunnel being built back up from what was left behind.
A brief croak left the lead warrior's throat before he let out a cough, shaking his head with a scowl. His voice had already been harsh before the yellowcough had held him in an iron grip for a while, and it had only become worse even after he had been cured. "Finally, I've gotten a request from the medicine cats for a few cats to go with them on an herb collecting patrol now that the fields have blossomed. So Wolfsong, Cottonpaw, how about you take... Gravelsnap, Bearpaw, and... Sootspot." He could cause the least damage in that particular group with a muzzle full of flowers, and no one else would be forced to deal with him - besides Wolfsong, who Rattleheart was confident could handle him just fine. As for Bearpaw... Rattleheart hadn't seen Brightshine in a while, and it seemed like he would be happy to go along with his ðir and collect herbs. "Like the other tunnelers, check out any nearby tunnels for things to make note of. And hey, you might find some other herbs popping up down there." He briefly met the other tunneler's eyes, his tail twitching and lashing behind him as if looking for Sootspot to try and challenge him.
Finally, it seemed that he had reached everyone - or at least everyone that he had seen around as of late. Rattleheart didn't immediately take off on his own patrol though, tail coiling around his paws as he sat and waited for any stragglers. "If anyone didn't get an assignment and wants one, just come and see me and I'll figure out something for you to do, don't worry." Although he silently hoped not too many faces would pop up, so that he'd be able to go and enjoy the silence of the tunnels as a balm to his aching throat.
His gaze scans over the gathered crowd, pale green glittering as it sought out the one cat he trusted over anyone - perhaps even Sunstar. His sister's colorful face was staring back at him, prompting a crooked grin on his muzzle. "First off - Scorchstreak. I'd like you and Pinkpaw to go and check on the state of the tunnels near Thunderclan's border, while Addervenom, Firefang, and Heatherpaw mark the border at dawn. Might as well utilized our tunnelers and moor runners all at once, right? Make any repairs you think are needed while you're there, and if there's anything bigger that needs to be done we can figure it out once you're back." Rattleheart wasn't too worried about Thunderclan giving them any trouble, considering how Howlingstar had interacted with them in the past. It seemed as though she was actually willing to give them a chance, a fact that he didn't intend to jeopardize by sending any of their more volatile cats out. Addervenom and Firefang were both tough, but they were also good at following orders, and if Scorchstreak told them not to cause trouble, he had every reason to believe they would listen.
Next was another of his fellow lead warriors, her silver pelt sticking out from the crowd well enough - likely not very far from Scorchstreak's side. "Bluepool." His head was dipped briefly in her direction, before his tail flicked off towards the same border. "I'd like you to lead the dusk patrol nearer to the Riverclan border, while taking Mouseflight and Redheart with you - and Featherpaw, of course. Remember that we don't want any trouble with them, just don't let them think we've rolled over to show our bellies either." He had his doubts about Redheart helping too much on the intimidation side of things - he loved his son, but the warrior was hardly the frightening, scowling type. However, that was what Bluepool and Featherpaw were for, along with the often vaguely annoyed form of Mouseflight. "And Mouseflight, give the tunnels near there a brief once over too, same as Scorchstreak." He would normally split the patrols more than this, but they were so low on tunnelers lately that such a thing was simply impractical.
Shadowclan was next, and Rattleheart searched until he could find the smoky black pelt of a cat that looked much like himself in terms of color, only more muddled. "Periwinklebreeze, you're heading to Shadowclan this time. Take Foxglare, Sedgepounce, and Sparkspirit with you, please? No tunneler this go around, but I'm sure the ground around there is still soft enough anyways that it'll pay to wait for a little while. So just mark the border and keep an eye out." A big patrol, sure, but the tunneler still wasn't exactly sure where he stood on Shadowclan. On one paw he preferred them to Shadowclan, and he liked the general no-nonsense attitude of their deputy - it didn't leave him guessing. On the other hand, they couldn't exactly expect any clan to be chummy at the moment without consequences. Hence, a cautious patrol of five including Sunlitpaw.
Already his usually hoarse voice was beginning to sound like it had gone through a shredder from so much talking, but he powered through the roughness - hoping everyone else would be able to understand him still. "As for the Horseplace... Sunstar, would you please lead the patrol out there and to the lands nearby? Take Rabbitclaw, Slateheart, and... Snakehiss, with you. I'm sure the barn cats will be glad to see some familiar faces if you decide to stop in, and it'll be good to see if there's anything unusual out there at the moment." Sunstar was more prepared than anyone to face Sootstar's fled loyalists with the strength of nine lives on his shoulders, and Snakehiss... Snakehiss was bait, if Rattleheart was being honest. Perhaps they'd be more inclined to show themselves if the deputy that had betrayed them was patrolling alongside other Windclanners proper. "And Rabbitclaw - again, check on any tunnels out there. Try to avoid Scorchstreak and I's blood." He briefly grinned at the thought of the battle that had taken place near the tunnels there, actually feeling somewhat fond about the chance he had been given to dig his claws into the loyalists at that point. Normally he wouldn't celebrate violence, but Hollowcreek had been a special case.
Nearly there... so close. Starclan, he had nearly forgotten himself in the rush of it all, hadn't he? "As for me... some of you may know about how Marmotbite managed to escape to the barn by using a tunnel collapse to her advantage. While I admire the ingenuity, I'd also like us to be able to rebuild that tunnel if possible. So Heathermoon, Whitedawn. You'll both accompany me in checking the state of it and seeing how much progress we can make in forming it back up. Downypaw, you'll be coming along as well of course." Rattleheart nodded towards his apprentice and the tunnelers that he had picked up, hoping that they were ready to get their paws duty. He knew Downypaw's practical experience so far had been limited, but that was fine. This would be the perfect opportunity for him to get some, seeing a tunnel being built back up from what was left behind.
A brief croak left the lead warrior's throat before he let out a cough, shaking his head with a scowl. His voice had already been harsh before the yellowcough had held him in an iron grip for a while, and it had only become worse even after he had been cured. "Finally, I've gotten a request from the medicine cats for a few cats to go with them on an herb collecting patrol now that the fields have blossomed. So Wolfsong, Cottonpaw, how about you take... Gravelsnap, Bearpaw, and... Sootspot." He could cause the least damage in that particular group with a muzzle full of flowers, and no one else would be forced to deal with him - besides Wolfsong, who Rattleheart was confident could handle him just fine. As for Bearpaw... Rattleheart hadn't seen Brightshine in a while, and it seemed like he would be happy to go along with his ðir and collect herbs. "Like the other tunnelers, check out any nearby tunnels for things to make note of. And hey, you might find some other herbs popping up down there." He briefly met the other tunneler's eyes, his tail twitching and lashing behind him as if looking for Sootspot to try and challenge him.
Finally, it seemed that he had reached everyone - or at least everyone that he had seen around as of late. Rattleheart didn't immediately take off on his own patrol though, tail coiling around his paws as he sat and waited for any stragglers. "If anyone didn't get an assignment and wants one, just come and see me and I'll figure out something for you to do, don't worry." Although he silently hoped not too many faces would pop up, so that he'd be able to go and enjoy the silence of the tunnels as a balm to his aching throat.
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THUNDERCLAN: @SCORCHSTREAK ( @PINKPAW ) @Addervenom @Firefang ( @HEATHERPAW )
RIVERCLAN: @Bluepool ( @FEATHERPAW ) @Mouseflight @REDHEART
SHADOWCLAN: @Periwinklebreeze. @SEDGEPOUNCE @FOXGLARE ( @sunlitpaw ) @sparkspirit
HORSEPLACE / LONER LANDS: @SUNSTAR ( @rivepaw ) @RABBITCLAW @slateheart @SNAKEHISS
COLLAPSED TUNNEL REBUILDING: @RATTLEHEART ( @downypaw ) @heathermoon !! @whitedawn
HERB PATROL: @WOLFSONG @cottonpaw @SOOTSPOT @GRAVELSNAP @Bearpaw
If you weren't assigned a patrol and want a task, just let me know! -
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❥ longhaired black and white tom with pale green eyes
❥ 49 moons old; ages the 1st every month
❥ afab; uses he/she/they pronouns
❥ homosexual homoromantic; mated to venomstrike
❥ sibling to scorchstreak, lizardbounce, and rabbitclaw
❥ currently mentoring downypaw
❥ somewhat difficult to befriend; wary but kind
❥ "speech", thoughts, attacking
❥ peaceful powerplay allowed
❥ all opinions are ic
