sometimes rookfire wondered if he would ever get bored of the repetitive nature of patrolling alone (or in this case with a quiet partner that might as well just be there to carry more), but he didnt think that the equal reward of time well spent and help for the clan would ever mean any less. todays destination wasnt the prettiest in shadowclan territory but definitely not boring either. darkwater mire had a certain charm, with its foggy marsh and tall sturdy grass and dark vibe. even if rookfire wasnt really a fan of the snakes or frogs that could be found between pines and thick moss. obviously on another herb run, the enforcer had not expected to return with any prey but coming across a rabbit stuck in the thick soil was not a opportunity he would pass on. a silent glance to roachflare and the two warriors circled the struggling animal, having already picked up their scents and attempting to escape now. it would be smartest to stay on soil that wouldnt become their watery grave at any moment, but rookfire had little intention of waiting until the rabbit had tired itself entirely "hide". in the end, driving the rabbit out of its slippery destiny had taken far longer than expected, but roachflare proved himself worthy by catching the animal as soon as it set paw on land. the brief scuffle that followed was another thing rook would have to rank high on his 'never do this' list that he was sure would drive embarassment out of him..returning to camp mud soaked was bad enough.
[+1 rabbit]
Massive, long-furred, striking scarlet she-kit with deep, rich colorpoints that fade at the edges and round, fiery amber eyes.
Though the sun filtered through broken clouds, the forest was dark. Mist wreathed around the spruce and pines, choking the expanse with foggy perspiration. Bushes lay thick on the wet earth. Bright splashes of color shone on their diluted green leaves, pushing a sweet scent into the reeking air. An insect skittered across a bed of moss. A slimy green frog hopped from one clump of marsh grass to another. An earthworm slithered into the soil as easily as a paw into a snowdrift.
Heavy pawsteps and laborious grunts came from deep in a grove of spruce trees. Flashes of bright fur shone in the shadows. Then a tomcat emerged.
"Cheeto! Come on!" he called over his shoulder.
Several moments later, a she-cat emerged.
Both felines were a sorry sight. Their pelts were matted, sticking in all directions and splattered with mud. They stared at the bog ahead of them with dull eyes. Ridges were carved into the sides of their bodies, marking their ribs. Harsh pants rose from their muzzles.
The tom looked like he might've been majestic once. He was absolutely massive, a broad chest and shoulders contrasting greatly with his tapered stomach. Muscles bulged, signifying his persevering strength. His long, thick pelt would've flowed had it been thoroughly groomed, and his bright golden fur shone despite the mud that covered it. Faint colorpoints were visible, and his green eyes were filled with determination.
The she-cat, on the other paw, looked frail. She was small and startingly thin, her round head and paws a faint sign of someone who was once well-fed. Her fur was also long, though hopelessly tangled. She was a plain shade of ginger, marked by mackerel tabby stripes. Only her round amber eyes were notable. They were dim, but the color glowed through the mist. A tattered purple collar hugged her neck.
"This isn't where we're supposed to be!" Cheeto wailed. Her voice was fleeting and thin like a songbird's final breath. "Look at this! We'll never make it through!"
The tom pressed his muzzle to her forehead. He had to stoop low to do so. "We'll be okay, honey. I promise."
As the two cats spoke, the unnamed she-kit tottered across the mossy earth. She couldn't have been more than one moon old, yet she was massive and sturdy, even though it was clear that she, too, hadn't had enough to eat. Her pelt was matted and soaked in mud, yet it could be seen that it was a striking shade of scarlet. She had colorpoints that started a rich, deep shade before melting into her coat. Round amber eyes gleamed.
Exhaustion dragged at her like a hungry tongue. The she-kit felt like she was being pulled into the ground. Her head swam, her entire body hurt, and the sharp pangs in her stomach wouldn't stop. Each breath felt like someone had bitten her in the throat. She wanted to stop and rest more than anything in the world. However, she couldn't. She'd resigned herself to that. She just had to keep following Mama Cheeto and Papa Lion.
Cheeto turned around, each movement painfully slow, to make sure the kit was still there. A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips, but it didn't breach her dull eyes. "You're doing well, little one," she purred. "You're a strong she-kit. Never forget it."
Lion nodded and leaned down to give his daughter an affectionate lick.
The she-kit beamed. She loved it when Mama Cheeto and Papa Lion called her strong! She was the strongest ever, she knew. Why else would they say it to her all the time?
Cheeto turned to Lion, ears flat, pain fighting against the exhaustion on her face. "We can't keep going like this. We're so weak. And our poor daughter... We haven't even had the chance to name her!" Her voice broke. "And the others... if only I'd stayed with my Twolegs..."
Lion shook his head, his eyes flashing, his tone stern. "They would've taken our kits away. Living wild is the best life we can give our little one."
The she-kit listened quietly. She didn't understand what most of what they were saying meant. Mama mentioned "Twolegs" a lot. As for her siblings, she only had vague memories. They used to surround her, all warm bodies and fluffy fur. Then they'd gradually disappeared. She didn't know what had happened, but it didn't matter. She just had to keep following Mama and Papa to wherever they were taking her.
Cheeto's eyes shone with fresh tears. "Is living wild better than being dead?"
"Look." Lion nodded toward the bushes. "There are some berries there! We can eat those, then we'll be strong enough to catch real prey." His nose twitched. "I scent some around here."
Food! The she-kit knew what that meant! She struggled over to her parents. "Hun-gee!" she mewed, pawing at her mother's stomach.
"I have no milk, love. But I will once I've eaten." Cheeto glanced at Lion uncertainly. "Are you sure we can eat the berries?"
"Oh, yes. My mother used to give some to me," Lion meowed. "Let's go." He stepped forward. His front paw sank into the soil with a squelching noise.
Cheeto's eyes widened, and her fur bristled. "Don't go in there, Lion! It's dangerous!"
"It's just some mud. We'll be fine," he assured her. He kept going, and Cheeto, with a sigh, followed.
The unnamed she-kit bounded forward, buoyed by a new spurt of energy. She was gonna get to eat!
Suddenly, she felt herself sinking. She glanced down and found the mud eating her alive! She gasped in shock and tried to pull away, but that only made her sink deeper. She squealed. "Hep!"
Strong jaws sank into her scruff, and Cheeto hauled her out. The ginger tabby was clearly terrified, but she couldn't speak while holding her daughter and continued slogging through the mud. It was deep, its relentless tongues spreading brown all over her body. A horrible squelching noise filled the air.
"It's drier over here!" Lion called, hoisting himself up onto a dry patch. Cheeto followed him, movements sluggish, before collapsing on the ground. Her jaws opened, and the she-kit came tumbling out. Her tail twitched. That was fun!
Cheeto stared at him. She looked like nothing more than a hollow shell, eyes sunken, ribs even more pronounced than before as her muddy pelt clung to her sides.
"Come on! There's plenty we can eat!" Lion purred, nodding toward the bush. The she-kit looked at it, and excitement made her paws tingle. Ooh! Shiny! The berries were bright red like her, and the sight of them made her mouth water.
Slowly, Cheeto hoisted herself to her paws. The she-kit watched impatiently. She wanted food now! However, she had to wait for Mama Cheeto to eat so she got her milk. Then when everyone had eaten, they'd be happier, and then she'd get to try that mouse her parents had always promised to give her!
Lion, smiling triumphantly, leaned forward and took a huge mouthful of the berries. Cheeto copied him. Her eyes widened slightly as she chewed, red juice dripping down her chin. "Mmm! These are g-"
Her eyes grew huge, and she fell to the ground. The she-kit watched uncomprehendingly as she began to convulse. Huh. That was weird. Maybe she'd swallowed a berry funny? The she-kit smiled at the memory. She remembered when she'd swallowed milk wrong. She'd spent so long coughing! Silly Mama Cheeto!
Lion swallowed and glanced at his mate. "Cheeto?" Concern scrawled across his face as he leaned down to give her a nudge. She'd stopped convulsing now and lay twitching on the ground.
Suddenly, he emitted a choking sound. White foam spewed from his lips as he, too, fell to the ground. His limbs jerked erratically. Cheeto fell still, and several moments later, so did he.
The she-kit blinked at them. Had they both swallowed funny? Silly Mama Cheeto and Papa Lion! She giggled and nudged them. Now that Mama had eaten, she could have her milk! But, when she tried to get some, nothing happened. Why? Oh! Mama Cheeto was sleeping, that's why! Both of them were sleeping!
Usually, they didn't sleep during the day, but she wasn't going to complain. She loved resting! But she was really hungry, and Mama Cheeto had promised milk. Mama and Papa promised a lot of things that didn't happen, but they were usually right about the milk.
The she-kit turned toward those juicy-looking berries. They were yummy! So yummy that Mama Cheeto and Papa Lion had rested! They looked softer than the mice her parents ate, too. She leaned forward. Surely she could snag one...
rookfire wondered what he had done to find himself on a territory tour with not only the new apprentice, (adderpaw their name was, rook had actually listened at the meeting) but also mistlewhisker but he was certainly not complaining about the company. even if simple territory patrols were not his favourite activity, and not even close to his favourite kind of training, he was happy to at least earn a bit more extra points towards staying in this position even through injury.
somehow settled into the position of semi leading the group, muzzle perhaps half a length in front of mistlewhiskers, rookfire had expected much but not to turn a corner, immediately be overwhelmed by the smell of a disturbed yew, spot two presumably dead bodies and a tiny kit about to sign their own fate. the enforcer sped up before that thought had really set in, driven by the vision of another death and the memory of the injured kit he hadnt been able to help because of fadingsun. he briefly wondered whether or not they had died before returning to the task at hand, that being slamming into the kit at full speed. there were probably other ways to keep the kit away but he had already started running by the time that was relevant in his mind. upon stopping and spinning back around he leaned down to the kit at a speed that wouldve made him dizzy at worse times. "did you eat any?!" he asked, gaze seeking for any signs of the berries before deciding that he couldnt spot any juice and they were out of risk. otherwise, it was unlikely for them to survive either way, they had no yarrow and deathberries were a sure bringer of death in the very most of cases.
now that the kit was definitely out of danger, rookfire stepped around the mystery kit to inspect the adult felines on the ground. by the kits presence he could assume they were at least in some way related or close and upon closer inspection of the foam pooling by their mouths and redish liquid to prove the origin of this tragedy. "theyre still warm"
two dead by the roots of a yew bush, what a fate. almost like the yew had come to do its job properly for once, the guard of the dead promoted to the one allowed to play god. what pity. rookfire supressed a smile, this was quite the scene, yet all he could think about was their cannibal. this was bloody perfect. they just had to keep silent about the circumstances of their dead, maybe make em bleed a bit, position properly and yap in camp. and none of them would ever have to take a life because they were already there! though, rookfire wouldnt have minded a bit of action. its been awfully long since shadowclan had teamed up with the other clans and it had been quiet since then.. "just the outsiders we've been waiting for" he muttered, steel grey eyes briefly seeking mistlewhiskers, aiming to guess how much mistlewhisker was agreeing with him here.
She/her - 7 moons
Lean, brown molly with dark orange spots, lighter belly, and green eyes
Dreamwalker
This was good. Adderpaw had learned that Hawkbite, the cat assigned to be her mentor, was in fact the commander of the enforcers, meaning they would rank quite high up. Dawnstar had picked him to be her mentor and said that Adderpaw had potential, so she liked the direction in which this all was heading, and now she was on patrol with another enforcer, as well as the deputy. It wasn't like she could get to know them all that well on a mere patrol, but getting acquainted while also being shown the territory would still be good, so Adderpaw had made sure to every now and then politely ask something about a piece of territory they were passing through, just to show that she was intending on being a net good for Shadowclan.
They had now come to a place apparently called Darkwater Mire, and green hues travelled over the area to take it all in. She made note of a few kinds of prey, mainly frogs but also other species, among the tall grass, but also plenty of moss growing a bit further away. Hm, useful for fetching new bedding at least, since almost everyone in Shadowclan seemed to use it for their nests.
Adderpaw was just about to ask if these were generally considered good hunting grounds, when Rookfire bolted forward towards something ahead of them, and the apprentice's eyes narrowed as she made out two bodies lying eerily still. But not only that. No, because Rookfire was speaking to something. A kit. A large one but still a kit. Still cautious, Adderpaw followed the enforcer, elegantly tip-toeing around the bodies she giving them a good look.
They were a sorry sight, to say the least. Adderpaw herself had never gone without food long enough to become that starved, but the signs of famine were still a familiar sight in the slums. "They must have been desperate," she mumbled before zeroing in on the foam and remains of berry-flesh around the cats' mawns. "...what exactly are those berries?"
Rookfire spoke mainly to Mistelwhisker which was understandable considering Adderpaw had barely been here for a few days, but one thing that the enforcer said made the molly's eyes narrow slightly. 'Just the outsiders we've been waiting for' But waiting for... for what? It was an uncomfortably suspicious feeling when cats around you were discussing something like this that you didn't know about, but Adderpaw calmed herself with the thought that maybe this was some sort of tradition or something that simply had not been explained to her yet. Either way, she was a part of Shadowclan now, so even if they needed (dead?) outsiders for something, she should be safe. @TheNyanCatMinecart @Mica @alec
rookfire felt like he was all over the place, kind of, still mildly confused who he was missing, or rather, who shouldve shown up until now, however, as the minutes stretched between them and the majority of the cats that had been gathered in the clearing slowly filtered out of camp he decided it wasnt worththe wait. "since err" he drew out the word, searching for the apprentices name he had heard vaguely whilst the patrols were listed "-tickpaw didnt show we'll leave without them". the enforcer took the time to be grateful for replacing the patrol leader instead of having to listen to some other cat yap demands at him whilst leading his group towards the foggy wetland. he hadnt particularly liked this place the first time he was here, and he sure as hell didnt like it now. soggy and dark and just overall annoying. besides, running after critters had never been something he would actively chose to do for fun.
with the warm scent of wet bark and damp cat in his nose he stopped his patrol just short of the center of the area. "i want to see at least 3 pieces of prey from each of you, understood?" the enforcer instructed, hazy memory of quiet complaint replaying in his mind, besides, he wasnt blind, and though he wasnt sure how much of the herbs were mossfreckles and grousepaws work alone, shadowclan was surely lacking in prey rather than herbs most of the time.
here, in the sogginess of it all, were some pieces of prey she wasn't a particular fan of, but nevertheless, she had to catch something. there were plenty of other cats who liked frogs more than she.
[rolled 13]
speaking of, there's one croaking now. she stalked over to the source, trying not to let the mire schlop shlop slop on her paws. sometimes the ground got boggier than other areas, which drew her ire. it drew her balance, too, as she pounced on that amphibian. it was luck that spared her failure - her claws snagged in its leathery skin past the mucus slime and pinned the squishy creature down for a killing bite. she set it down elsewhere and continued on.
[rolled 2]
her attention turned toward a curlew's call. she rushed her game, eager to catch her next two kills, and it cost her this one. the bird's feathers slipped from her muddy paws, and her claws found no purchase on the perched bird before it took flight with a surprised 'eep!'
[rolled 17]
the warrior lashed her tail and scoffed. "whatever," she muttered under her breath. a squirrel's bushy tail caught her eye, just out of the corner. she dropped down into a crouch and prowled close to it. her eyes narrowed as she paused a couple fox-lengths away. carefully, she stepped closer. one small inhale, then she pounced on it and snapped its neck before it could cry out. she discarded the squirrel's body next to the frog's.
[rolled 10]
a small rodent smell wafted to her jacobson's organ. fenneldrop perked up and looked around to pinpoint the scent. it was taking her back to the wetter soil, the loam's rich scent muddying the shrew's. her jaw clenched. her pale fur is already so dirty. val regrets having all his shadowclan cats be white-furred. the mire was working against fenneldrop, and it was beginning to tick her off. even so, she caught the shrew just as it was about to retreat into a hole, alerted to her presence after a squelch from the mud.
fenneldrop added the small rodent to her small pile, getting the three fresh-kill rookfire had wanted.
Finally, this patrol was finally kicking off! She was happy that she had been placed on this patrol when it had been assigned, but she was afraid that nothing was actually going to come of it when their assigned enforcer never arrived. Thankfully, Rookfire was on the case.
With a dip of her head, she was off to find some prey. Three pieces, just as Rookfire told them. She stalked across the muddy territory, and the first scent that she managed to track was–quite frankly, her least favourite prey to hunt. A frog. Nevertheless, she dropped into a crouch, scenting the air to follow it's hippy-hoppy trail. Once she spotted the small creature, she got as close as she could before she pounced. The frog nearly got away, but she flipped it over onto it's back as it attempted to leap elsewhere. There, she nipped at it's throat.
Once she dug a small hole to leave the frog in, she set off to find something else. Not wanting to waste time on any more frogs or snakes, she scampered off to where she could find some spruce trees. There, she caught the scent of some squirrels. She followed the strongest scent trail to find the creature scrabbling about on the floor, perhaps trying to unearth something that caught it's interest. She took this as the opportunity to strike. Once close enough, she pounced, delivering a quick and easy nip to the back of it's neck. Similarly to the frog, she buried it to return to once she found her third piece of prey.
Perhaps it was a family of squirrels that she had found, so she followed the trail of the next nearest one. This one was perched on a root that twisted up and out of the ground, munching on… Something, that she didn't care much for. She stalked around the tree's body, ears angled forward as she peered at the small creature. When the squirrel's ear twitched, she wasted no time in pouncing, catching her prey between her jaws and delivering it's end with a soft crunch of her jaws.
It was time to return now. She backtracked, unearthing each of her kills before she returned to the meeting spot. Fenneldrop had returned with her catches, so now they had to wait for Rookfire to arrive.
the other two disappeared to hunt quickly and rookfire was glad that he hadnt accidentally gotten himself entangled in a helpless situation trying to get his patrol mates to do their work. well enough, now that he didnt have to worry about getting cats to do what they were told he just had to suffer through actually hunting. rookfire vaguely remembered what lostspark had said about this place during the territory tour, frogs and snakes, ugh, he'd rather focus on the berry bushes that seemed to sprout out of every second dry patch...perhaps after he had caught something.
the first scent he picked up was a vaguely unfamiliar one, whilst also being one he could pick out of the general mixture of scents around here, it was only after following it around one of the aforementioned berry bushes, that he was able to accurately place it as frog. the enforcer dropped into a crouch with only slight complaint from his still injured shoulder, and approached the frog as he would any other small prey. unexpected yet welcome, rookfire had pounced on the small muddy green-brownish frog and pierced its slick skin with a heavy paw before the now twitching and struggling animal had been able to catapult itself out of his path. the enforcer picked up the frog, carefully carrying the animal as far away from his tongue until he picked up the next scent, this one familiar, yet laced with a unfamiliar dampness that he blamed on the wet terrain. with a bit of lose leaves and soil scraped over the frog and the position secured in his mind, rookfire followed the scent towards two mice nestled so securely beneath a bush that he simply gave up and turned back around. no use trying to catch them there. instead, he finally shifted his attention to the berries that had been calling his name, pale pink bumpy looking ones growing in groups on a lanky looking bush. relatively thin thorned stalks and ovate serrated leaves that appeared wrinkly and fuzzy from its texture and fine light hairs, rook knew this bush from sight alone, brief disconnected flashes of memory from his time before riverclan. however, the leaves did remind him of the description of a herb he had heard recited once before and, no matter how stupid it was, rookfire was convinced enough that this would kill him to extend a paw, nick a berry and bring the reddish juice covered claw to his tongue. sweet. curiosity sated, rookfire wandered around the vicinity of where he had hidden the frog, briefly losing track of his actual task until the furry body of a damp mouse collided with his paw and he slammed it down on the animal without much thought, earning himself another piece to add to his prey collection.
the next two were a bit more of a challenge, a pretty sizeable rabbit that had his shoulder aching and chest heaving following a rather annoying chase and final struggle, and a small bird that he had only grazed at first and then fled into the more watery mud. by the time he had layed eyes upon the last animal of the day, he was wet up to his chest, mud and bits of moss clinging to dark pelt and the small greyish mouse gave him a short yet exhausting chase. rookfire had already chased around animals for far too long now, so the enforcer collected his mouse, shook as much mud out of his fur as possible, before circling around to collect the remainder of his prey.
satisfied and almost overwhelmed with the amount of prey he would have to carry, rookfire briefly sorted through the dead animals before picking them all up (dont ask me how he did that) and returning to lead his group back to camp. looks like the others had finished earlier than the enforcer himself, with the rabbit dangling limp between his jaws, the enforcer simply gave midnightpaw and fenneldrop a satisfied nod and flick of his striped tail to signal them to follow.
[ rolls: 12, 8, 2, 17, 16, 19, 1, 15. success: 5/8. total prey caught: 1 frog, 1 rabbit, 2 mouse, 1 bird ]
[ @Omari @narcissus i am suffering, why did i have to write over 500 words for this. imma report the patrol, no need to reply to this again if you dont wanna lol #rooksummer24 ]
Massive, long-furred, striking scarlet she-kit with deep, rich colorpoints that fade at the edges and round, fiery amber eyes.
Though the sun filtered through broken clouds, the forest was dark. Mist wreathed around the spruce and pines, choking the expanse with foggy perspiration. Bushes lay thick on the wet earth. Bright splashes of color shone on their diluted green leaves, pushing a sweet scent into the reeking air. An insect skittered across a bed of moss. A slimy green frog hopped from one clump of marsh grass to another. An earthworm slithered into the soil as easily as a paw into a snowdrift.
Heavy pawsteps and laborious grunts came from deep in a grove of spruce trees. Flashes of bright fur shone in the shadows. Then a tomcat emerged.
"Cheeto! Come on!" he called over his shoulder.
Several moments later, a she-cat emerged.
Both felines were a sorry sight. Their pelts were matted, sticking in all directions and splattered with mud. They stared at the bog ahead of them with dull eyes. Ridges were carved into the sides of their bodies, marking their ribs. Harsh pants rose from their muzzles.
The tom looked like he might've been majestic once. He was absolutely massive, a broad chest and shoulders contrasting greatly with his tapered stomach. Muscles bulged, signifying his persevering strength. His long, thick pelt would've flowed had it been thoroughly groomed, and his bright golden fur shone despite the mud that covered it. Faint colorpoints were visible, and his green eyes were filled with determination.
The she-cat, on the other paw, looked frail. She was small and startingly thin, her round head and paws a faint sign of someone who was once well-fed. Her fur was also long, though hopelessly tangled. She was a plain shade of ginger, marked by mackerel tabby stripes. Only her round amber eyes were notable. They were dim, but the color glowed through the mist. A tattered purple collar hugged her neck.
"This isn't where we're supposed to be!" Cheeto wailed. Her voice was fleeting and thin like a songbird's final breath. "Look at this! We'll never make it through!"
The tom pressed his muzzle to her forehead. He had to stoop low to do so. "We'll be okay, honey. I promise."
As the two cats spoke, the unnamed she-kit tottered across the mossy earth. She couldn't have been more than one moon old, yet she was massive and sturdy, even though it was clear that she, too, hadn't had enough to eat. Her pelt was matted and soaked in mud, yet it could be seen that it was a striking shade of scarlet. She had colorpoints that started a rich, deep shade before melting into her coat. Round amber eyes gleamed.
Exhaustion dragged at her like a hungry tongue. The she-kit felt like she was being pulled into the ground. Her head swam, her entire body hurt, and the sharp pangs in her stomach wouldn't stop. Each breath felt like someone had bitten her in the throat. She wanted to stop and rest more than anything in the world. However, she couldn't. She'd resigned herself to that. She just had to keep following Mama Cheeto and Papa Lion.
Cheeto turned around, each movement painfully slow, to make sure the kit was still there. A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips, but it didn't breach her dull eyes. "You're doing well, little one," she purred. "You're a strong she-kit. Never forget it."
Lion nodded and leaned down to give his daughter an affectionate lick.
The she-kit beamed. She loved it when Mama Cheeto and Papa Lion called her strong! She was the strongest ever, she knew. Why else would they say it to her all the time?
Cheeto turned to Lion, ears flat, pain fighting against the exhaustion on her face. "We can't keep going like this. We're so weak. And our poor daughter... We haven't even had the chance to name her!" Her voice broke. "And the others... if only I'd stayed with my Twolegs..."
Lion shook his head, his eyes flashing, his tone stern. "They would've taken our kits away. Living wild is the best life we can give our little one."
The she-kit listened quietly. She didn't understand what most of what they were saying meant. Mama mentioned "Twolegs" a lot. As for her siblings, she only had vague memories. They used to surround her, all warm bodies and fluffy fur. Then they'd gradually disappeared. She didn't know what had happened, but it didn't matter. She just had to keep following Mama and Papa to wherever they were taking her.
Cheeto's eyes shone with fresh tears. "Is living wild better than being dead?"
"Look." Lion nodded toward the bushes. "There are some berries there! We can eat those, then we'll be strong enough to catch real prey." His nose twitched. "I scent some around here."
Food! The she-kit knew what that meant! She struggled over to her parents. "Hun-gee!" she mewed, pawing at her mother's stomach.
"I have no milk, love. But I will once I've eaten." Cheeto glanced at Lion uncertainly. "Are you sure we can eat the berries?"
"Oh, yes. My mother used to give some to me," Lion meowed. "Let's go." He stepped forward. His front paw sank into the soil with a squelching noise.
Cheeto's eyes widened, and her fur bristled. "Don't go in there, Lion! It's dangerous!"
"It's just some mud. We'll be fine," he assured her. He kept going, and Cheeto, with a sigh, followed.
The unnamed she-kit bounded forward, buoyed by a new spurt of energy. She was gonna get to eat!
Suddenly, she felt herself sinking. She glanced down and found the mud eating her alive! She gasped in shock and tried to pull away, but that only made her sink deeper. She squealed. "Hep!"
Strong jaws sank into her scruff, and Cheeto hauled her out. The ginger tabby was clearly terrified, but she couldn't speak while holding her daughter and continued slogging through the mud. It was deep, its relentless tongues spreading brown all over her body. A horrible squelching noise filled the air.
"It's drier over here!" Lion called, hoisting himself up onto a dry patch. Cheeto followed him, movements sluggish, before collapsing on the ground. Her jaws opened, and the she-kit came tumbling out. Her tail twitched. That was fun!
Cheeto stared at him. She looked like nothing more than a hollow shell, eyes sunken, ribs even more pronounced than before as her muddy pelt clung to her sides.
"Come on! There's plenty we can eat!" Lion purred, nodding toward the bush. The she-kit looked at it, and excitement made her paws tingle. Ooh! Shiny! The berries were bright red like her, and the sight of them made her mouth water.
Slowly, Cheeto hoisted herself to her paws. The she-kit watched impatiently. She wanted food now! However, she had to wait for Mama Cheeto to eat so she got her milk. Then when everyone had eaten, they'd be happier, and then she'd get to try that mouse her parents had always promised to give her!
Lion, smiling triumphantly, leaned forward and took a huge mouthful of the berries. Cheeto copied him. Her eyes widened slightly as she chewed, red juice dripping down her chin. "Mmm! These are g-"
Her eyes grew huge, and she fell to the ground. The she-kit watched uncomprehendingly as she began to convulse. Huh. That was weird. Maybe she'd swallowed a berry funny? The she-kit smiled at the memory. She remembered when she'd swallowed milk wrong. She'd spent so long coughing! Silly Mama Cheeto!
Lion swallowed and glanced at his mate. "Cheeto?" Concern scrawled across his face as he leaned down to give her a nudge. She'd stopped convulsing now and lay twitching on the ground.
Suddenly, he emitted a choking sound. White foam spewed from his lips as he, too, fell to the ground. His limbs jerked erratically. Cheeto fell still, and several moments later, so did he.
The she-kit blinked at them. Had they both swallowed funny? Silly Mama Cheeto and Papa Lion! She giggled and nudged them. Now that Mama had eaten, she could have her milk! But, when she tried to get some, nothing happened. Why? Oh! Mama Cheeto was sleeping, that's why! Both of them were sleeping!
Usually, they didn't sleep during the day, but she wasn't going to complain. She loved resting! But she was really hungry, and Mama Cheeto had promised milk. Mama and Papa promised a lot of things that didn't happen, but they were usually right about the milk.
The she-kit turned toward those juicy-looking berries. They were yummy! So yummy that Mama Cheeto and Papa Lion had rested! They looked softer than the mice her parents ate, too. She leaned forward. Surely she could snag one...
rookfire wondered what he had done to find himself on a territory tour with not only the new apprentice, (adderpaw their name was, rook had actually listened at the meeting) but also mistlewhisker but he was certainly not complaining about the company. even if simple territory patrols were not his favourite activity, and not even close to his favourite kind of training, he was happy to at least earn a bit more extra points towards staying in this position even through injury.
somehow settled into the position of semi leading the group, muzzle perhaps half a length in front of mistlewhiskers, rookfire had expected much but not to turn a corner, immediately be overwhelmed by the smell of a disturbed yew, spot two presumably dead bodies and a tiny kit about to sign their own fate. the enforcer sped up before that thought had really set in, driven by the vision of another death and the memory of the injured kit he hadnt been able to help because of fadingsun. he briefly wondered whether or not they had died before returning to the task at hand, that being slamming into the kit at full speed. there were probably other ways to keep the kit away but he had already started running by the time that was relevant in his mind. upon stopping and spinning back around he leaned down to the kit at a speed that wouldve made him dizzy at worse times. "did you eat any?!" he asked, gaze seeking for any signs of the berries before deciding that he couldnt spot any juice and they were out of risk. otherwise, it was unlikely for them to survive either way, they had no yarrow and deathberries were a sure bringer of death in the very most of cases.
now that the kit was definitely out of danger, rookfire stepped around the mystery kit to inspect the adult felines on the ground. by the kits presence he could assume they were at least in some way related or close and upon closer inspection of the foam pooling by their mouths and redish liquid to prove the origin of this tragedy. "theyre still warm"
two dead by the roots of a yew bush, what a fate. almost like the yew had come to do its job properly for once, the guard of the dead promoted to the one allowed to play god. what pity. rookfire supressed a smile, this was quite the scene, yet all he could think about was their cannibal. this was bloody perfect. they just had to keep silent about the circumstances of their dead, maybe make em bleed a bit, position properly and yap in camp. and none of them would ever have to take a life because they were already there! though, rookfire wouldnt have minded a bit of action. its been awfully long since shadowclan had teamed up with the other clans and it had been quiet since then.. "just the outsiders we've been waiting for" he muttered, steel grey eyes briefly seeking mistlewhiskers, aiming to guess how much mistlewhisker was agreeing with him here.
She/her - 7 moons
Lean, brown molly with dark orange spots, lighter belly, and green eyes
Dreamwalker
This was good. Adderpaw had learned that Hawkbite, the cat assigned to be her mentor, was in fact the commander of the enforcers, meaning they would rank quite high up. Dawnstar had picked him to be her mentor and said that Adderpaw had potential, so she liked the direction in which this all was heading, and now she was on patrol with another enforcer, as well as the deputy. It wasn't like she could get to know them all that well on a mere patrol, but getting acquainted while also being shown the territory would still be good, so Adderpaw had made sure to every now and then politely ask something about a piece of territory they were passing through, just to show that she was intending on being a net good for Shadowclan.
They had now come to a place apparently called Darkwater Mire, and green hues travelled over the area to take it all in. She made note of a few kinds of prey, mainly frogs but also other species, among the tall grass, but also plenty of moss growing a bit further away. Hm, useful for fetching new bedding at least, since almost everyone in Shadowclan seemed to use it for their nests.
Adderpaw was just about to ask if these were generally considered good hunting grounds, when Rookfire bolted forward towards something ahead of them, and the apprentice's eyes narrowed as she made out two bodies lying eerily still. But not only that. No, because Rookfire was speaking to something. A kit. A large one but still a kit. Still cautious, Adderpaw followed the enforcer, elegantly tip-toeing around the bodies she giving them a good look.
They were a sorry sight, to say the least. Adderpaw herself had never gone without food long enough to become that starved, but the signs of famine were still a familiar sight in the slums. "They must have been desperate," she mumbled before zeroing in on the foam and remains of berry-flesh around the cats' mawns. "...what exactly are those berries?"
Rookfire spoke mainly to Mistelwhisker which was understandable considering Adderpaw had barely been here for a few days, but one thing that the enforcer said made the molly's eyes narrow slightly. 'Just the outsiders we've been waiting for' But waiting for... for what? It was an uncomfortably suspicious feeling when cats around you were discussing something like this that you didn't know about, but Adderpaw calmed herself with the thought that maybe this was some sort of tradition or something that simply had not been explained to her yet. Either way, she was a part of Shadowclan now, so even if they needed (dead?) outsiders for something, she should be safe. @TheNyanCatMinecart @Mica @alec
Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Deputy
she/her | 42 moons
[Large black cat with a half white muzzle and a pale green eye] Purrks: Beefed Up T3, Shadow Fiend, Mind Reader
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The Chariot ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
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Dawnstar had ordered her to continue her regular patrols in the territory, though Mistlewhisker probably would have anyway. Each trip brought something new to chew on, and this one would probably be no different. Mistlewhisker had been happy to accompany Rookfire and Adderpaw--both having gained considerable favor within the elites of the clan. Mistlewhisker was pleased with Rookfire herself, and Adderpaw seemed like a sharp mind. Mistlewhisker let Rookfire lead, focusing mostly on their surroundings.
She scented something off moments before Rookfire was peering around a corner and making a beeline for something the deputy couldn't see. Mistlewhisker strode forward, the unfortunate scene coming into view. Rookfire was already inspecting the sole surivor of the trio, so Mistlewhisker padded over to the dead cats. She gestured for Adderpaw to stay back. "Don't get any on your paws." She meowed, before turning back to the dead. Yew berries. The telltale signs of starvation made their bodies malformed, but even though their fur hung lank over bones, Mistlewhisker could tell these were previous kittypets. Made sense they didn't know about the poison, then.
Rookfire slid his gaze to Mistlewhisker's, muttering about the earlier conversation in the Enforcer meeting. She glanced at Adderpaw out of the corner of her good eye, then nodded briskly. "Ensure the kit has no juice on their fur, then we'll bring it back with us." Leaving a kit out in the territory without attempting to help was strictly against the Warrior Code. Though, she did wonder if Nightshiver would curse her for bringing her yet another ward.
[WARNING: This post contains accidental misgendering]
~ UNNAMED [YEWKIT], ROGUE ~
AFAB | SHE/HER | KIT | 1 MOON | JUST A SCRATCH
Massive, long-furred, striking scarlet she-kit with deep, rich colorpoints that fade at the edges and round, fiery amber eyes.
The she-kit was so transfixed by the sight of the bright red berry and overcome by her growling stomach that she didn't hear the frantic pawsteps as they rushed through the sucking mud. Her adorable muddy toes were hardly a hair's-breadth from her salvation when something very big crashed into her. WHAM! The striking scarlet kit was flung away from the berry bush with a loud squeal. She landed in the mud. Panic set in as she felt it dragging at her pelt. No! I don't wanna be eat! Mama and Papa couldn't help her since they were sleeping. The she-kit rolled and thankfully ended up on a dry patch. Her side throbbed a little from when she'd been hit, but not as much as she'd expected from such a large object.
She hardly had time to process any of this when a dark gray she-cat with lighter markings shoved her face into the kit's. Her face was a bit like Papa's, rough and scarred, not delicate like Mama's. From what the she-kit had picked up on, Mama had lived with "Twolegs" and Papa had lived "wild." They wanted her to live "wild," too. This cat was clearly wild, and she looked upset. She also smelled bad. The kit blinked up at her. She wasn't scared, just confused. Things happened all the time that she didn't understand. She just went with it.
"Me no eat," the long-furred she-kit mewed. Her stomach wailed for food again, and she turned her sad amber eyes on the stranger. "Me hun-gee. Want berry!"
She would've liked to try and get the berry again, but there were more cats now, also stinky she-cats who looked wild. One was even bigger and darker than the dark gray cat, and the other was a smaller brown cat covered in orange spots.
The dark gray cat had moved over to her parents and was making some strange comments that the she-kit struggled to understand. Something about... Outsiders? She didn't know what that meant. But it seemed like she wanted them for something. The massive she-kit tottered over to her parents. They looked a little weird, but they were definitely resting. She nudged her mother. Want milk!"Wakie, Mama Cheeto! Me hun-gee!" she complained. But Mama Cheeto did not move.
Huh? When the biggest cat mentioned "the kit," she looked up. Her parents often called her "kit." She didn't have any other name. Like most things in her life, she'd never questioned it. She just followed them. Did what they told her to do. Hoped for food and rest. Want to bring me with? She blinked her round, fiery amber eyes up at the black-and-white she-cat. Now that she thought about it, she remembered Mama Cheeto and Papa Lion mentioning other cats. She'd smelled their stinky scent, too, but she hadn't realized they'd belonged to other felines.
Now she was going with them! Her and her parents! It was an... what was the word? A-ven-ture! She grinned, tufted ears pricking. "You have food?" she asked hopefully. "Me hun-gee! Want berry!" She nudged Mama Cheeto, then Papa Lion. "Come! Wakie!"
Re: Darkwater Mire
