YOU SING ALONG TO THE TRAVELER'S SONG \ thunderclan patrol

[RACCOONSTRIPE]

The morning sky is milky, with a bud of scarlet pinkening the horizon, waiting to bloom into sunrise. The wind is still brisk and cool, and it combs through Raccoonstripe's thick tabby pelt with chilly claws. He darts through the undergrowth at the head of the dawn patrol, his whiskers trembling with the morning dew they catch.

SkyClan's scent assaults his nostrils, and he slows to a loping gait. Sap and acidic Twoleg scents. He lifts his tail in a signal for the cats behind him to begin marking. "Be cordial and alert. You heard Flycatcher, and Blazestar at the Gathering. Our neighbors have quite the Twoleg infestation at the moment." He shakes the revulsion from his pelt and begins to rub his cheeks and hind legs across clumps of foliage.

// patrol members: @Sunfreckle @BLIZZARD FANG
// optional apprentice tags: @WILDPAW @Moonpaw @SHALLOWPAW

feel free to post before the patrol members!​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

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[WILDHEART]

"LITTLE HELLIONS, KIDS FEELIN' REBELLIOUS"​

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"I guess that's the price a clan pays for allowing kittypets to live among their ranks." Wildpaw huffed as he looked at his mentor with one of his classic hard glowers. What Wildpaw was referencing to was that of the daylight warriors that SkyClan allowed within their ranks. No wonder the twolegs had discovered their territory so easily. If the twolegs came across the other clans then they would know exactly who to blame. Remarks aside, he then moved away in order to lay down his own markers, ensuring to lay down a solid coverage as a way of reinforcing the border.
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[BLIZZARD FANG]

Silently Blizzard Fang begins to spray his scent along the border, his eyes searching the trees for any sign of SkyClan. He has heard of the twoleg invasion his lead warrior spoke of, since the gathering the news has spread to the majority of the forest. Blizzard Fang is sympathetic for them but can't help but be selfishly relieve his clan was for once free from the drama and danger. Hopefully they'd stick to harassing SkyClan, not ThunderClan cats.

He grunts an agreement with Wildpaw, it was a dangerous game allowing cats to have a paw in each world. Surely, they knew that the universes would one day try to combine. "So long as they don't wander onto our side of the territory... StarClan knows ThunderClan needs time to relish in our recent victories before confronting a new problem." The silver masked tom complains with a lash of his tail, pelt rubbing against bark.

tags​

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[Shardpaw.]

Windrise​

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Shardpaw had strayed little bit further from the rest of the patrol, having the eagerness to explore new grounds the young apprentice took charge, knowing their poor mentor, @Bramblebelly was perhaps not far behind them trying to catch up with their energetic apprentice before they paused at the border with round eyes at the Thunderclanners.

Shardpaw had never seen these cats before and they smelled funny, like wood and earth combined together and then they would tilt their head in curiousity with a bright look in their light blue eyes as the dilute tortoiseshell's tail swished in slight greetings. "Hello!! Ooohh you're thunderclan cats? Whats that like? And whats wrong with kitty-pets?" two curious questions flowed from the newly made apprentice, after all this was their first time encountering another clan and didn't know much about keeping a distant from others, yet who said they couldn't be friendly with them?​

"speak""Thoughts"​

 

[Bramblebelly]

❖
The border with Thunderclan was long and stretched on for tail lengths, the spacious forest giving way to thicker undergrowth and more enclosed trees than that of Skyclan. Large paw moved across the ground as he tried to keep up with the pitter patter of smaller paws and then came upon the patrol of Thunderclanners. If he could recall their names it would be Raccoonstripe, Blizzard Fang and Wildpaw. They had briefly met at gatherings before or rather Bramblebelly had seen them at gatherings and he tried to keep up on names for cats.

The ticked tabby tomcat gave a small nod of his head in greeting to the patrol and opened his maw to speak, but someone decided they needed to take charge of what was going on. A sigh left the large tomcats' nose and he shook his head slightly in reponse. Though he had it bite his tongue when Shardpaw questioned what was wrong with kittypets. He didn't have the heart to share with her his true feelings on the matter.
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Bramblebelly followed up behind the diltue tortie cat and gently placed his tail tip on her shoulders, "Slow down, there," Then looked to the patrol with a slight, apologetic smile, "Afternoon, Raccoonstripe, how're you? How are things with the patrol?" He tried to keep up the friendliness for the most part. Things had to be tense with everything going on here, but that was not needed to know for Thunderclan.

Speech​

 

[CLOUDBERRYTHORN]

ThunderClan patrols aren’t his favorites, but normally Cloudberrythorn can tolerate them, at the very least. Of course, most ThunderClan patrols don’t include idiotic apprentices who mouth off at any given chance. His own mentor hadn’t been harsh, but she’d known when strictness was required, and he understands basic respect. Treat others as you wish to be treated, but do not lie down and let them trample all over you like some sort of sentient doormat. Shardpaw asks what’s wrong with house cats, and his irritation only grows when Bramblebelly doesn’t defend them, but instead tells the apprentice to slow down.

The smoky blue tom levels a dull look at Wildpaw, an ear flicking irritably. Imagine thinking that a cat who eats better than you is somehow lesser. At least I won’t starve when wintertime comes. He crosses one white paw over the other, stretching out along the length of the branch he’s settled upon. "It’s truly too bad you aren’t as smart as you think you are," he says mildly, clicking his tongue. Blazestar can tell him off for it if he wants, but Cloudberrythorn’s respect for the leader has already dipped low enough for it not to matter. For a leader who insists that his new warriors promise to uphold the warrior code, he sure is lenient with ThunderClan—wonder why that could be.

"Now, if the unlicked kit is finished," he offers a broad, faux grin to the other cats of the other patrol, "I’m interested to hear how ThunderClan has been doing, too. Any more new territory acquisitions?" He doesn’t truly care about the other clan, but he is interested to hear whether they’ve managed to keep Sunningrocks under their paws, or if they’ve decided to take any more of RiverClan’s land. Maybe they could take some ShadowClan land as well—that could certainly get the marsh cats to shut up, wouldn’t it?


// this is all ic opinions rip
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[ just a side character ]​

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[RACCOONSTRIPE]

Raccoonstripe rumbles an amused mrrow of agreement at both Wildpaw and Blizzard Fang's comments. He's voiced it before, and he has no trouble doing it here; kittypets do not belong in the forest. Certainly not while they still stuff their face with Twoleg slop, wearing their collars and playing pretend at being a true warrior.

SkyClan cats appear as they continue to do their marking. Raccoonstripe stifles a yawn; one of the young cats blunders close, asking what's wrong with kittypets? How sad that a Clan apprentice has to grow up in a place where that isn't common knowledge! What a joke of a Clan.

He says none of this, though. Instead, Raccoonstripe smiles disarmingly at the apprentice. "Forgive Wildpaw. We don't have kittypets in ThunderClan." He flicks his gaze to the tabby who joins his apprentice. "It's fine, thank you. I hope yours is too."

Another cat, this one bristling at Wildpaw's kittypet comment. Raccoonstripe has to hide a smirk of amusement at his barbed comment. He sees this house pet has a sore spot about the kittypet remarks. "Any more new territory acquisitions?" Raccoonstripe gives the other cat a curious look. "Why, is SkyClan looking to give some territory away? We'll have to decline, especially if it comes with Twolegs." He yawns passively. "Don't be bitter about another Clan's accomplishments. It's not very becoming." There's nothing sharp about his tone; he locks eyes with the young warrior who'd spoken as he rubs his cheek against a bit of undergrowth.

With a smile, he lifts his head again and cheerfully meows, "Hope SkyClan is still thriving!"​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

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[Fireflyglow]

"The land we have is StarClan gifted, Uncle. It is ours." Fireflypaw remarks as he arrives on the scene, cobwebs over his eyes and yet he seems to move around the trees as if born to do so. He's used to this, after all- his eyes had always been bad. His tail lashes behind him, but his expression never shifts from the neutral line of his lips. "It's unbecoming of you to mock my clanmates." He holds his head high, though he doesn't bristle at the tension in the air. No, he had better things to do.

Turning away from the patrol momentarily, he sniffs in a crevice of a tree before sticking his paw inside, pulling out a wad of cobwebs. Wrapping them around his forearm for safekeeping, he turns back to the ThunderClan cats before he sits down. Awkward. "Let me remind you that my siblings are half kittypet by blood."​

 

[SILVERSMOKE]

Silversmoke's paws were soft on the earth below as he moved toward the border, limbs tense for fear he would stumble upon a trap at any moment. He was but a ghost for the most part, listening to the patrol's back and forth with a figure that grew taller and taller as he reached his full height. Unsheathed claws toyed at the newleaf grasses left well-trodden by SkyClan patrols and ripped them out of the ground. 'You've only got those accomplishments because we didn't get involved.' He wanted to remark to the loudest of the ThunderClanners. It became a moot point the longer he dwelled on it - politics was too messy for the spotted feline to want to bother with. Even now, his thoughts acrid and combative, he wanted to walk away. A mention of half-blood kittypets living amidst the so-called kittypetless clan caused the Lead Warrior's eyes to dart upwards to meet the ThunderClanners' eyes. It was hardly the same thing, daylight warriors and ex-kittypets, but in favour of unity, logic abated the tabby tom. "Forgive them, Fireflypaw. They don't have good memories in ThunderClan." A smile ghosted his scarred muzzle, provocative in the face of adversity. He stood amidst collared cats, parallel to a group who had just let their distaste be known for such ilk.

Silversmoke didn't know who needed to know he was wilder than any ThunderClanner that stood before him, but it felt better getting to prove it all the same. His gaze was icy as he cast it upon the border, instinctively moving closer to his own clanmates. An air of arrogance, marred by the bristle of silver fur as he tried to contain his frustration at their neighbour's blatant disrespect. He was not so clueless as to not see the passive-aggression hidden behind such pleasantries, but he knew he could not play the same verbal game Racoonstripe did. His claws had always been sharper than his tongue, but there was no way of using the former unless he wanted to endanger his home. Matter-of-factly, the Lead Warrior mewed, "Not that I blame you for choosing to forget, to admit someone has outdone you is a difficult thing... yet, these collared cats have shown more faith to the Warrior Code than your old leader ever did." Weak and useless as he thought the Daylight Warriors were, they hadn't broken any codes by being kittypets - the same couldn't be said for Emberstar, and the lack of accountability from ThunderClan for their late leader's actions felt like a bruise that was constantly being pressed. "The next time you are going to show such disdain for my clanmates, remember that." He looked towards Wildpaw.

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[CLOUDBERRYTHORN]

The opposing tom says that they don’t have kittypets in ThunderClan, and Cloudberrythorn snorts. Emberstar had allowed them into her borders, hadn’t she? Although, Emberstar had also broken the code that she created, so… yikes all around, he supposes. Fireflypaw comments on their siblings in ThunderClan, though, and suddenly the blue smoke feels a bit guilty—he doesn’t aim to hurt the apprentice with his words, and he hadn’t realized the ThunderClan tom was Fireflypaw’s uncle. Every ThunderClanner just looks the same!

The dark tabby speaks directly to him, and Cloudberrythorn pauses. He blinks once. Twice. Bitter? "I think you must’ve misheard me or something. I was just asking to be nice, dunno where you got bitter from." From that little piece of dung that each ThunderClanner apparently houses inside their skulls, maybe? The expression on his face is mostly confusion—are they looking for reasons to be upset with SkyClan? Or is it just a result of their pointless biases?

His clanmates are quick to defend him anyway, though, and something in his chest lightens at the thought, despite how unnecessary it is. He does recoil a bit in shock when Fireflypaw blindly grabs a bundle of cobweb and wraps it around their leg. "How’d you know there’s cobwebs there?" His voice is quiet, but he’s clearly awed.
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[ just a side character ]​

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[WILDHEART]

"LITTLE HELLIONS, KIDS FEELIN' REBELLIOUS"​

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Wildpaw finds his attention drifting towards that of Shardpaw and he finds himself giving a quick scoff. He longed to tell them how kittypets weren't real clan warriors due to their softness and pitiful lifestyles, but he doesn't get the chance when more SkyClanners arrived in prickly attitudes. Instinctively the defiant tom finds himself staring back at Cloudberrythorn with a stern glower, refusing to back down in the face of insult. He longs to bite back but already his mentor is there and doing just that. A grin worms its way across his features as he offers a nod of agreement with Raccoonstripe's words.

However Fireflypaw's words attract his attention and reminds him of the blight marring the Howlingstar family. "Half-kittypet by blood, but they picked the clan that shuns the kittypet lifestyle. They picked the honourable life." He honestly didn't like how Fireflypaw and, formerly, Howlpaw, had walked away from ThunderClan in favour of the confusing lifestyle chosen by SkyClan. It wasn't right.

Though Silversmoke was now threatening to attract his ire as he rudely brought up the unfortunate situation of Emberstar's forbidden lover. It was a battle to subdue a snarl, though fortunately lacking a full tail made it easier to hide his irritation. Instead he forced himself to continue grinning. "Hrm? Oh yes, that was unfortunate about Emberstar, fortunately we have Howlingstar now, someone who leads with strength and honour. So much so that our warriors know to stay in line, unlike those in SkyClan's ranks. Must have been frustrating for Blazestar to lose control of a warrior, right?" He looked a little smug as he proceeded to walk away with a saunter, spraying a few bushes as he went. It was time to take his leave lest a fight broke out then and there. No doubt Raccoonstripe would pull him up on what he had said, but it had felt good to get it out.
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[BLIZZARD FANG]

Blizzard Fang had almost watched the scene with amusement, there was nothing wrong with a little bickering and competition. The jests on both sides had seemed to be mild to him, SkyClan pokes at their sunningrocks battle and ThunderClan jabs at their kittypet acceptance and twoleg issue. Yet hearing Silverflame, a SkyClan lead warrior, insults Emberstar. All of the sudden he launches himself to the borders edge, threateningly close to overstepping, he stares intensely at the Tom. ”You dare ravage the memory of Emberstar with such accusation?!”He yowls, refusing to stand by as they tarnish the name of ThunderClan’s founder. He can’t even help but shoot a glare at Wildpaw for his own implications, but its short lived before he’s glaring at the SkyClanner’s once more. ”Emberstar, just as much as Howlingstar, led ThunderClan with great honor and strength.”

Blizzard Fang was disinterested in a fight, not now, not over this, it isn’t what Emberstar nor Howlingstar would want… But StarClan curse if he lets these cats run his former leader to the muck, as dead as she may be, Blizzard Fang felt immensely loyal to her memory nonetheless. ”Is SkyClan so impious you are willing to insult the dead?!”

tags​

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[SILVERSMOKE]

His brows twitched at Wildpaw's first words, 'a shame', the apprentice called it. It was an admittance of guilt he hadn't been expecting from the righteous group, his chin pointed forwards as the ThunderClanner continued.... and then proceeded to ruin the victory the spotted tabby felt his clan had achieved. It was painful knowing that SkyClan's biggest vice was its acceptance of scum, it got harder and harder to justify it to the world when animals like Sharpeye existence. He feigned indifference with rolling eyes and moved to continue his patrol when a cloudy shape-shifted in the corner of his sapphire eye.The cold voice smashed into the side of his skull and he whipped his head around, slit pupils settled on the older ThunderClan warrior who'd leaped dangerously close to the border. The muscles in his legs tensed at the threat, his lips slowly curling back to reveal a set of teeth that hungered for combat so frequently denied from him. It was hardly an accusation when the whole gathering had heard it, Blazestar's reaction had been enough to convince the tom that it was true.

"And is ThunderClan so thick-skulled that they're willing to insult the one thing that granted them those damn rocks? We value our neutrality with ThunderClan, but don't pretend you're better than us when even your own can see that your leader was a codebreaker." He sneered, black claws flexing. There was a challenge in Blizzard Fang's posture that demanded an answer. Silversmoke squashed the impulse to throw the lynx point's head into the soil. "You let your apprentices disrespect SkyClanners on the border, you let your warrior taunt us with false praise knowing full well what we are going through. Then when we defend ourselves you cry like kits without a queen." Good StarClan, he had no clue what his leader saw in a ThunderClan warrior if all of them were as insufferable as this. It was a messy situation Blazestar's love life had put them all in, even now he felt his balance wobble on the thin line between loyalty to a leader and loyalty to a clan. He thought they were one and the same, now he couldn't decide which one held more weight. His glare was dangerous and level as he watched the patrol members, waiting for either an apology or a rebuttal, grimly knowing which one he was more likely to get.

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[BLIZZARD FANG]

Blizzard Fang remains appalled, ”The only thing that granted ThunderClan sunningrocks is our own strength and courage. We owe no thanks to any cat but ourselves.” The silver masked Tom bites back to defend his clan’s honor. Thick-skulled… hmph… His nose wrinkles and he wants nothing more than to launch himself over the border and rake his claws down the tabby’s unscarred eye. Yet he refrains, Blizzard Fang knows how far to push and that would be past the limit. His blue eyes flash to Raccoonstripe in an effort to gauge how far the lead warrior would let him go. Silversmoke’s other retorts are left unanswered, for now.

tags​

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[RACCOONSTRIPE]

Raccoonstripe's dark gaze glimmers with amusement at the quick retorts. SkyClan bristles easily, but he does not fear their claws. Still, he knows his mother would not appreciate if he encouraged open antagonism. He's a lead warrior now; a quip or two is fine, he thinks to himself, but he can't let himself slip into a verbal altercation with these kittypet-loving fools.

It's Fireflypaw who draws his attention, though Raccoonstripe only narrows his gaze at the young tom. "You don't have to remind me of that," he says, his tone turning sharp. "Your siblings, kittypet blood or not, chose to remain with their family, and they are all still safe." He lets the implication hang in the air. He will not forgive Blazestar's incompetence for Howlpaw's murder. As far as he is concerned, both of his niece's blood is on that fool kittypet's paws.

He's stirred to anger at Silversmoke's words about Sunningrocks, about Emberstar, but Blizzard Fang does his best to put the younger cat in his place. Raccoonstripe knows it's time to disengage before the patrol comes to claws.

After a few heartbeats, the dark tabby only says, "Well met, as always, SkyClan." It's a warning for Wildpaw to keep his mouth shut, but it's also a dismissal. He's back to rubbing his cheek along the undergrowth, distinctly turning his back to the Clan that has killed two of his kin.

// out​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

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[Moonwhisper]

"...and let me remind you, Fireflypaw, that only two of us chose to embrace it." Wildpaw and her uncle has already said as much, defended her, and for that she shoots them both a grateful glance because at least her fellow ThunderClanners had her back when her siblings and father did not. It was all she could ask for, ThunderClan was the right choice and nothing will have altered that perception from her. No matter how big their talk was, SkyClan was a bunch of fools leaf by a bigger fool.
Her large spotted tortie tail rises behind her as she stalks forward to the border, pale blue eyes narrowed cooly but her tone remains frigid as the ice of her gaze. Raccoonstripe has already walked away and she will dutiful follow after him in a moment, but she would not stand to be called half-kittypet when she had deliberately chosen not to join their clan of softpaws and collared necks.
"SkyClan should be grateful." Her fur around her neck rises, she feels herself getting irritated and so her pelt fluffs up naturally, threateningly to increase her size, "...your territory isn't worth taking or it would be quite easy."
Why would anyone want this kittypet scented stretch of land anyways. Her nose goes up into the air and she turns with a pivot so sharp she kicks up dirt in her wake, spotted paws following hastily along behind Raccoonstripe.

//out
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[Fireflyglow]

His sister makes her point, like a record replaying over and over again- that he'd chosen wrong. SkyClan was his home, and right when she turned, Fireflypaw was about to make his own remark but finds himself falling silent instead. He hears her footsteps retreat, and turns back to Cloudberry with a furrowed brow.

"Just a skill, I guess." He finally answers his question about the cobwebs, though his mood seems dampered by the interaction with his siblings. He begins his slow trek back to camp, his tail whipping wildly behind him.

//out​