Saltmeadow Marsh

[Ziera]

// @Dipper

Stormtalon openly scoffed at the medicine cat, though the patterned fur of his pelt lay flat. His eyes flickered in embers of green, but Storm betrayed no anger or irritation, instead using the sardonic, natural curve of his jaw to regard Fawn with cold amusement. Fawnsqueak wasn’t going to rile him up. It took more than that to coerce an emotional response, and in all truth, he didn't believe the reddish-brown tom was capable of it.

But the opposite was true for Fawn, apparently, as Storm had burrowed his way under the medicine cat’s skin with exemplary ease.

Nosy, he thought, definitely nosy.

“You’re right. I don’t know much about pouring effort into pointless, self-indulgent, unasked for investigations. How exciting to meet an expert in the field.” Storm’s tone morphed to something more closely resembling their banter at camp, words said more to test the other’s boundaries, their fortitude, than any other reason. Even if the tom did mean everything he said.

Did Stormtalon think what Fawn investigated was interesting? …Of course he did. Secretly, it was part of the reason Storm agreed to accompany Fawn in the first place, because he wanted to see abandoned ShadowClan territory with his own eyes. Being curious was not the problem; the problem was acting on it in an inefficient, unreasonable way. An admirable quality misapplied.

Fawnsqueak’s only logical justification for this trip was his own meddlesome curiosity, masked under the guise of collecting valuable information that might serve some strategic purpose down the line??? Well, it wouldn’t. Give it some time, and whatever “valuable insights” gained by Fawnsqueak would become small talk of elders and kits. Every cat would know sooner than later.

“Apparently, politics do go over some cats’ heads,” Storm murmured to himself before following the medicine cat once more, padding deeper into the marshes of ShadowClan’s husk. He intentionally made no promises to stop being a jackass. It was his only form of entertainment at this point.

Fawnsqueak was a piece of work, but complaining about it wouldn't change the situation. And it wasn’t like Stormtalon was going to leave him here. He wasn’t extremely bothered, just unimpressed by the medicine cat’s carelessness, but besides that-- the tabby kept his agreements.

Despite himself, when the toms made their way into the ghost-camp of the shadowcats, Storm’s annoyance began to fade. He started to observe little haunting details that were, in all honesty, fascinating. Like the scuff marks in the earth where WindClan claws might have torn into ShadowClan flesh. The empty dens, the hollow area nearby Storm assumed was something like a fresh kill pile.

“I wonder how long it’ll be till Icestar retaliates,” Storm said aloud, then instantly regretted it. StarClan, he was being suckered in.

[panchiko]

// @Shimm [creekwind, duskpaw], @BreadTurtle [blackswift], @Harmless potato [fireflight], @Cobra [meadowsong], @The Shadow Flower [berrypaw], @Rainquail [stormfly], @RedHead [freezepaw], @Neon Lights [gleampelt], @Beck [frecklepaw], @Kittenism [roachsmoke], @Lynxpaw [russetpaw], @kittygirl [lilysnap], @Zesty Mango [croakingtoad]

alright, so it was time to reclaim. cool, cool. they could do that, no problem, right? yeah, sure, whatever. leading her.. rather large patrol over to that familiar border, duskblossom let her fluffy gray pelt blend in with the darkness as she crept, her pawsteps rushed albeit as inaudible as she could make them. her pupils darted from place to place, never quite landing on one area, and although it was somewhat dizzying, duskblossom was set on not having any surprises turn their way; not if she could help it. her pawsteps slowed before she came to an abrupt stop as they neared saltmeadow marsh, and she turned around to speak.

"alright! not much to say, but, uh. you guys know what you gotta do. don't cause problems. don't try to steal someone else's territory. don't make a lot of noise. we're just here to remark our borders! shouldn't take too long! unless you make it take long. but you better not. like, you obviously have the ability to, but with great power comes great responsibility, yada yada yada, you know the drill, but please be nice and polite and just mark the borders and we can go back and it'll all be great and fun and dandy. got it?" duskblossom glanced at her patrol members.

pausing as she stopped to think and see if she'd forgotten to add something, she perked up. "oh! and if you're an apprentice, please stay close to a warrior or something. and don't wander." ...another pause. "oh! and please shush, too. like, everyone. no talky. quiet. it'll make this easier... i think. not that we can't handle a challenge, because we totally could if one came our way, but don't make this harder than it needs to be or i'll make your life harder than it needs to be!" duskblossom beamed, before gesturing with her tail to come along so that they could go ahead and reclaim their borders.

"you aren't dummies, so don't act like one! or be one. it might not be an act, i don't know. just— use your brain. or let someone else think for the both of you." sigh. she continued walking.

[Festive Neon]

she nodded then ranover and marked a border
@hope

[Beck]

Originally Posted by hope

// @Shimm [creekwind, duskpaw], @BreadTurtle [blackswift], @Harmless potato [fireflight], @Cobra [meadowsong], @The Shadow Flower [berrypaw], @Rainquail [stormfly], @RedHead [freezepaw], @Neon Lights [gleampelt], @Beck [frecklepaw], @Kittenism [roachsmoke], @Lynxpaw [russetpaw], @kittygirl [lilysnap], @Zesty Mango [croakingtoad]

alright, so it was time to reclaim. cool, cool. they could do that, no problem, right? yeah, sure, whatever. leading her.. rather large patrol over to that familiar border, duskblossom let her fluffy gray pelt blend in with the darkness as she crept, her pawsteps rushed albeit as inaudible as she could make them. her pupils darted from place to place, never quite landing on one area, and although it was somewhat dizzying, duskblossom was set on not having any surprises turn their way; not if she could help it. her pawsteps slowed before she came to an abrupt stop as they neared saltmeadow marsh, and she turned around to speak.

"alright! not much to say, but, uh. you guys know what you gotta do. don't cause problems. don't try to steal someone else's territory. don't make a lot of noise. we're just here to remark our borders! shouldn't take too long! unless you make it take long. but you better not. like, you obviously have the ability to, but with great power comes great responsibility, yada yada yada, you know the drill, but please be nice and polite and just mark the borders and we can go back and it'll all be great and fun and dandy. got it?" duskblossom glanced at her patrol members.

pausing as she stopped to think and see if she'd forgotten to add something, she perked up. "oh! and if you're an apprentice, please stay close to a warrior or something. and don't wander." ...another pause. "oh! and please shush, too. like, everyone. no talky. quiet. it'll make this easier... i think. not that we can't handle a challenge, because we totally could if one came our way, but don't make this harder than it needs to be or i'll make your life harder than it needs to be!" duskblossom beamed, before gesturing with her tail to come along so that they could go ahead and reclaim their borders.

"you aren't dummies, so don't act like one! or be one. it might not be an act, i don't know. just— use your brain. or let someone else think for the both of you." sigh. she continued walking.

Geez, got the hint, Frecklepaw thought, following Duskblossom's lead.

[Reptilian Cabinets]

BlackSwift just nodded and quietly but swiftly padded to the border. He marked it, feeling vulnerable, as soon as he was done he stepped back into the shadows.

[Confuzzled.Lynx]

@hope

Russetpaw was silent. She didn't feel like talking or listening to anyone. She wasn't used to it. The molly used to be a loner. Trying to survive. Only looking after herself. She had joined when Blackhaze took her to the camp after he found her stealing prey a couple of times. The apprentice nodded once. She could be quiet. She didn't want to talk anyways.

[kittygirl]

Lilysnap had nodded and trotted along with the group, she had a lot on her mind and was kinda spaced out. nonetheless she still helped mark and kept quiet.

@hope

[Mango]

@hope

Croakingtoad gave a nod. He wasn’t sure if this was the best move, but he’d do it. He knew where the borders were anyways. So he padded up to a bush by the border and began to rub himself against it to mark his scent. He couldn’t help but wonder if Shadowclan’s scent had changed since leaving their territory.

[Sweetie]

Creekwind quickly gave a goodbye nudge with her mate before trotting over to the large party. One dark sapphire eye roamed around before Duskblossom gave orders. Nodding to show her acknowledgement Creekwind cautiously padded along the old territory line and marked it.

-----

Duskpaws eyes whirled around looking for her mentor but came up empty pawed. Invisible eyebrows bunched the apprentice stuck close to the oarty leader, not wanting to cause any trouble.

[Cobra]

[ @hope - PTSD ]

~~Meadowsong~~

"Whatifsomeonecomesyou'reanidiotwegottabesafeahaha helphelphelppleaseWindClanandeveryclanelseeatsoran gecatsforbreakfastomghelphelpHELP!" Meadowsong was so scared. WindClan was...awful. And she couldn't shake that image from her head. That sweet, poor, tiny cat gazing at them with terror, as she fled with WOUNDS ALL OVER HER. No cat deserves that.