shooting the moon [for alex and little ripped]

Stoatfur was going to lead a patrol. It wasn't something he was overly thrilled to do, nor was very opposed to. This was simply a fact of warriorhood and a sign that the clan's leadership must have trusted him in some way. The little tom had gathered Waterlily and Wolfblaze. One he knew more than the other but it seemed like each day he was feigning half-interest in another member of the clan. His tail flickered as he lead them out into the territory. This particular patrol was happening late in the evening when the moon was high and the cool night air had already set it.

"So we're going to cross the territory and check the Skyclan border, nothing too exciting. This isn't a hunting patrol but if anything passes by, it's worth catching." And eating, he thought to himself as he noted his growling stomach. The little brown and white tom trotted along, chattering slightly about the condition of the weather and noting several plants as they carried on, "I could probably be a medicine cat with all the plants I have memorized but it's good to know so you don't eat poison berries or something that will make you sick but... what do you think about Minkstar being Riverclan?"

Although he was not overly close with any of his clanmates, a small level of comfort allowed him to slip into this state of endless drabble. Not only did Stoatfur know everything, but he liked to shared it as well, almost as if to prove the many things running through his mind, or as a way to get out the babbling in his mind. The matters of Minkstar's origins had stuck in his thoughts, not that it was a particularly awful thing but it had intrigued him. Maybe his pair of clanmates would have their own assorted feelings as well. Maybe less Waterlily, she hadn't been born in Thunderclan anyways.

Wolfblaze was always happy to head out on patrol, it felt great to be providing for her clan, and she simply enjoyed being out of camp. Though Greenleaf had been excruciating, the night was cool, and her heavy fur was no longer a problem for her. She was also excited to be out with two cats she didn't know all that well, Waterlily and Stoatfur. Waterlily, she knew, was the mother of her apprentice, so she was excited to report on how Sparrowpaw had been doing. Then there was Stoatfur, who seemed to be a fairly new warrior, newer than she. It surprised Wolfblaze a little that a new warrior would be leading a patrol, but sometimes the best way to learn was to do!

Her ears perked up when Stoatfur began to speak, always one to talk herself. "Its interesting that you know all those plants! Maybe I should ask Dovefrost to teach me some on his downtime. Oh, and Minkstar? Who cares about blood, he is loyal to Thunderclan and has always seemed to have our best interests at heart, no reason for him to not be leader or something on account of where he was born! He's proven trustworthy, and he wanted to tell us the truth before it came out in a worse way, that's commendable to me." Her quick speech always tended to blur her words together, and that was no different now. Though, she did try to quiet herself on account of prey being nearby.

She quieted herself for a moment, before looking over to Waterlily. "You're Sparrowpaw's mom right? She's been doing great as an apprentice! I'd bet she'll be a warrior soon." Wolfblaze smiled warmly at Waterlily, happy to even be teaching anyone at all. Mentorship seemed to be suiting her. She could only hope she'd have another apprentice soon after Sparrowpaw became a warrior herself.

Waterlily strode towards where her apprentice now new warrior and Wolfblaze was.  She came up to them and greeted both of them with a smile and a quiet "hello".  The night air felt sort of cold to her because of her short fur, but she ignored it.  Something as trivial as that would never stop her from hunting or make her complain.  She nodded when Stoatfur talked about how he could be a medicine cat.  She couldn't see him as a medicine cat, but she was pretty sure that was only because she was his mentor.  Still, she did find it cool that he knew so much about herbs.


Then, he asked a question that she just hated.  It was sort of too close to home.  "I, um, I agree with Wolfblaze.  I mean, I have no Thuderclan blood in me, but I'm loyal to Thunderclan and I call it my home and I hope others see me as another clanmate."  Then Wolfblaze started to change the subject, which she was happy with.  "Oh, yes, I am her mother."  The words Oh no popped into her head before Wolfblaze finished speaking.  Waterlily was instantly relieved when the other she-cat finished.  "That's great.  Do you like being a mentor?"

"You don't need Dovefrost, I could teach you." Stoatfur tossed the offer casually over his shoulder, tempering his voice so as to not portray the mild frustration. He'd sped through apprenticehood quickly, and with such knowledge, why would his patrolmate feel the need to ask the medicine cat. Trotting on his tail flickered back and forth. Every so often his maw parted and raised to test the air. As the pair responded to his question, the little warrior simply nodded along and swung his head to see if there was anything about. Mentioning Minkstar was more of something to keep his tongue busy with talking about rather than an actual point of concern.

"Yeah, you're right. I just can't imagine fighting my own kin in battle. Sure would feel strange to claw your maw and mean it, Waterlily." The warrior shrugged his shoulders and should his pelt ever so slightly. The matter of his leader's origins was something he had to wrestle with, mostly on the logistics of the whole idea. Stoatfur had decided to believe in Minkstar, a thing that his instincts screamed wholeheartedly against. It was a small step, something seemingly inconsequential, especially on the account of that regardless this was his leader and that fact would not change; but to a cat whose faith was as fleeting as a passing butterfly, to put any trust in something was quite the feat.

There was a flicker of movement that caught his eye and the little tom locked in on his target - a vole rooting about the foliage at the base of a tree. He darted off and dispatched it with a swift movement of his claws. The creature let out the tiniest of cries before falling limp. Success. Stoatfur trotted back with both his head and tail high. Catching the end of his clanmate's conversation, he muttered through the sides of his maw while scouting a place to bury it, "Fink I'll get mmf apprentice any day now, mm? 's only a maffer of thime."

Stoatfur attempted to catch a vole, it was successful! -3sp

The member 'Ripped' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 4

"Oh, I love being a mentor! It's great teaching, it just feels nice to pass something on I guess." Wolfblaze's smile only grew wider, which she had almost thought impossible. Before she heard anything else, she rushed off, wanting to get some hunting done before she ended up talking the entire patrol and scaring away the prey. Before long, she had caught the scent of a squirrel, no doubt taking advantage of Greenleaf's bounty. With careful paw steps, the gray warrior made her best attempt to blend with the undergrowth when approaching it.

Wolfblaze must have done something right because she was able to close in undetected. She crouched, leapt, and killed the squirrel, ensuring one more prey item for the fresh-kill pile. With haste, she returned to the rest of the patrol, squirrel in maw. As she approached, she caught Stoatfur's words, smiling with her eyes, because if she really smiled she would've dropped her prey. "I'm sure you'll get one soon, you're a pretty new warrior though, just be patient!" All her words were muffled by the fur of her squirrel, and Wolfblaze decided to hold onto it for a little while. She'd bury it in a little while.

Wolfblaze caught a Squirrel! -3 SP.

The member 'Alexcentria' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 7

Waterlily nodded at the excited young warrior who was the mentor of her kit.  She was glad that Wolfblaze was excite to be a mentor.  She had thought that maybe Sparrowpaw would be too much for sweet Wolfblaze, but at least she was pretty sure that Sparrowpaw was the most well behaved out of all her kits.

Her focused changed to Stoatfur.  "I'm sure you'll get an apprentice soon.  And I bet that you'll be a great mentor," she said to her old apprentice.  A flash a fur caught her attention.  She looked over to see a rabbit.  It had rushed into a bush, but she was sure she could still see it.  She walked up to the small bush the creature was hiding in.  With one swift scratch to the throat, the rabbits blood spilled and it fell to the ground, lifeless.  She then returned to the others, dropping the animal she had in her mouth and continuing to walk with them.

The member 'Little Ripped' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 4