[occultation]

( @Marigoldwhisper @burntToast )

Slatestripe didn't waste any time in splitting off from the rest of the patrol when they'd arrived. He'd always been a fairly solitary cat, usually only interacting with Rainglow and Mintpool before his departure from the Clan. Since his return, he'd become even more isolated. Deep down, he knew it was a problem, but there was also... a kind of peace in being alone.

As he moved off to mark his own part of the border, it almost felt as if a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He maneuvered around the gaping hole in the ground that lead down into the tunnel system below. If he hadn't been on a patrol, he absolutely would've considered jumping down there and exploring.

Amber eyes kept darting towards WindClan's side of the border. They weren't like the other two Clans; violence wasn't usually their first course of action. But, at the end of the day, they were warriors like everyone else. An attack as retribution for the stupidity of RiverClan's warriors was likely. Even if the reasons for the battle infuriated him, Slatestripe would defend his Clan with his life. Never again would he turn his back on RiverClan.

Once his part of the border had been checked and marked, he made his way back to the meeting spot.