A Windy Day's Patrol (OPEN)

Duskpaw followed on still enthusiastic but silent he thought about becoming a warrior and having a mate.

(Shortness)

Duskpaw followed on still enthusiastic but silent he thought about becoming a warrior and having a mate.

(Shortness)

As soon as Emberfall agreed with her idea, Brindlepaw took off in brisk trot; relieved to have something that would help take the edge off of her boredom and restlessness. The peaty, course ground crunched softly under Brindlepaw's small feet as she hurried along to the Riverclan border, the anticipation of the ever-possible trouble with Riverclan making her feel much more energized and eager to do the usually dull task of patrolling. Brindlepaw noticed that Duskpaw was rather quiet, but she shrugged it off as him likely being preoccupied. Energy pulsed through Brindlepaw's veins, making her paws itch- with everything being so tense with the accusations from Riverclan, nobody in Windclan had been able to rest, relax, or enjoy themselves. Stopping, Brindlepaw looked over at Duskpaw, feeling mischievous-"Hey Duskpaw, wanna race to the border?" she questioned her denmate, her tail lasing eagerly.

"Sure!" Duskpaw said racing towards the border already as a grass whacked him in the face he slowed down a bit. His amber eyes glimmered with amusement as he fastened his pace.

Staying quiet so that the apprentices could interact, Smokepelt watched in amusement as Brindlepaw attempted to talk with Duskpaw and was glad to have so a wonderful granddaughter. She'd been doing great with her apprentice duties and would soon receive her warrior name. "Be careful!" he meowed when the apprentices started to run off, and trotted after them.

"Hey cheater- I didn't even say go!" Brindlepaw yowled after the quickly-disappearing apprentice, her mouth twisting in annoyance and amusement. Brindlepaw twitched her ear in response to Smokepelt's words before she took off after Duskpaw, tail streaming out behind her as she vanished among the long grasses. Paws hurriedly pounding, Brindlepaw swerved to avoid particularly thick clumps of heather while she quickly caught up to Duskpaw, her eyes glimmering with amusement as she raced shoulder-to-shoulder with him. "C'mon, you're running slower than a Riverclan cat!" Brindlepaw called, swerving to knock him softly with her pelvis as the Riverclan border quickly came into view. With another burst of speed, Brindlepaw leaped over a protruding rock in her path and continued to race as if she had suddenly sprouted wings.

"Hey! ThunderClan flea-pelt." Duskpaw yelled his sudden burst of adrenaline sent him flying across the border. He didn't realise he had run so far until he felt sludge underneath his paws and slipped into the river. Huh? How did the river move here? . "HELP!" he screamed as his head went under.

Finally in view of the apprentices and able to see them running ahead, Smokepelt continued to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary or maybe a piece of a prey. Enjoying his little stroll and glad that Brindlepaw was getting along and having fun with other apprentices, Duskpaw's terrified screech made the tom's head shoot up. After a couple seconds of silence, Smokepelt started sprinting towards the last place he'd seen them. Please be alright, please be alright, he prayed.

Reaching the edge of the river, he was relieved to see that his granddaughter was alright but the scent of Darkpaw told him he'd be needed to take a little swim. Seeing the small cat's head bob in the river and then go under, Smokepelt braced himself and jumped in. The shock from the ice cold water sent the deputy to let out a yowl and trying to stay afloat, he swam as fast as he could towards the apprentice. Luckily for both of them, the part of the river that Duskpaw had slipped into was unusually shallow and the current was not as ragged as it would've been near the gorge.

Breathing heavily and trying to regain his bearings, Smokepelt caught sight of the apprentice through the water splashing in his face. RiverClan was truly crazy if they swam in this water!

As if StarClan was helping him out, the tom's paws hit a shallow part of the river. I won't let an innocent life go to waste, not today! Pushing forward with his hind legs, he reached Duskpaw and grabbed the apprentice's scruff. Shivering, he turned his body towards the shore, fighting along the oncoming current and finally made it to land.

Dragging Duskpaw's body up to the dry shore, Smokepelt's back legs collapsed under him and he sat down, freezing from his soaked pelt that clung to his body. He'd never touch that water again. Well, unless an apprentice fell in of course. "Duskpaw," the tom huffed through his aching lungs. "You alright?" Please be alive, please be alive.

The laughter died in Brindlepaw's throat as Duskpaw pulled ahead much too quickly and proceeded to plunge into the swiftly moving river that separated Windclan territory from Riverclan territory. He only managed to keep his head up for a few heart beats before he disappeared under the rapidly moving water. Terror rooted Brindlepaw's feet to the ground as she came screeching to a halt, almost as if her paws were suddenly tangled in an invisible swath of heather that prevented her from going after the apprentice. "Hang on Duskpaw!" Brindlepaw wailed as she saw Smokepelt flash past her and plunge into the swirling dark water after the other young apprentice, her pelt spiking with terror.  Brindlepaw paced the muddy bank of the river as Smokepelt eventually grasped Duskpaw by the scruff and drag him back to the border, her plumed tail lashing anxiously as she waited for the two toms to reach shore.

The moment Smokepelt deposited the smaller tom safely on Windclan territory, Brindlepaw dashed up to her grandfather and denmate with wide, anxious eyes. Pressing against Smokepelt's soaking pelt with her own body in an attempt to warm him, Brindlepaw looked down at Duskpaw's small, sodden form nervously- why wasn't he responding? Leaning down, Brindlepaw nosed his pelt and found with relief that he was breathing- although it sounded a bit odd. "I remember one of the elders saying that sometimes when a cat falls in the river and goes under, sometimes their lungs can get clogged with river water. Duskpaw will need to get to go straight back to camp and get checked out." Brindlepaw reflected, ears flattening. Crouching closer, Brindlepaw began to briskly lick her denmate's fur to help warm him back up and hopefully clear some to the water from his chest. " He seems okay- but he'll probably need to go see Cindercloud so he doesn't get sick from falling in." Brindlepaw mewed between her licking, fighting off the urge to shiver as Smokepelt's wet fur sucked warmth from her own.

Huh? It was all quite in his mind underneath the cold freezing water. What's that? he thought as something tugged at his scruff. Duskpaw gasped for air as he pulled onto the shore. "Wh-a-t h-ap-pe-ned?" he asked in ragged breath's. And then he fell unconscious.

(OOC: Not really happy with the whole Duskpaw falling into the water ordeal, but I guess they have to take Duskpaw home now and this topic will end there.)


flared momentarily in Brindlepaw's chest as Duskpaw regained consciousness momentarily, but as he managed to garble out a barely coherent question before passing out, her ears flattened against her skull. Turning to look at Smokepelt with wide, nervous eyes, Brindlepaw continued to press against her grandfather as she continued her brisk licking. "I guess we need to take him back to camp now- Hopefully Emberfall can find others to take our place so she can finish the patrol." Brindlepaw mewed as she pulled away from licking her denmates sodden, cold fur; her tongue was sore, her pelt was wet from pressing against Smokepelt, and she had clumps of mud tangled in the soft, billowing fur between her toes, so going back to camp sounded incredibly relieving.

OOC: K, trying to not lose my temper >;c If you want us to go along with some little idea of yours, tell us ahead of time. Not cool that he randomly fell in, and now we can't even enjoy or finish the patrol 'cause we have to drag his butt back to camp.

IC: Tired and cold from the swim, seeing the apprentice fall unconscious didn't heighten his mood. "Let's get this over with," the deputy meowed bluntly, standing up with shaky legs. Having Brindlepaw by his side was definitely a blessing and he didn't know what he'd do without her. Begrudgingly grabbing Duskpaw's scruff, the tom drug the apprentice back towards camp, dreaming of when he'd get to sleep in his warm, dry nest. How'd he even get in this mess in the first place?

OOC: Not much else to say, so unless you want to post Seer, I'm considering this topic over.

OOC: SORRY! IT'S JUST THAT I GOT BORED!

IC: Duskpaw flopped uselessly as he got lifted up. Aww we wasted the patrol!said a voice in his head. Such a disappointment.

Falconstone shook his head as he followed the patrol home. Silly apprentices.