Midnight Patrol (Open)

Tigerflower stretched her legs before padding out into the snow. The winds were chilling, but they were comforting because they reminded her of her kithood, snuggled up to Shimmerheart with Webtail and Viperfang in the nursery as little kits. She listened to the snow crunch beneath her pawsteps and stopped at camp entrance, deciding to set up a midnight border patrol so her father wouldn't have to when he came back from hunting. She sat down and waited for other cats to appear around camp, and focused on the breath that she could see swirling around her muzzle.

Mousefang left the warriors' den, having finished a patrol earlier in the night before curling up alone in his nest for some warmth. He was jealous of the cats that had others to snuggle up with, but he wouldn't say that aloud to anyone. He stalked to the fresh-kill pile and devoured a small lizard that he had snagged some time ago. Even the snow on the ground couldn't stop his nose from picking up prey scents. He cleaned himself and looked up to see his mother leaving the nursery and awaiting some company for another patrol. She always looked so sad whenever he saw her, and guilt flooded him. He was her son and he never bothered to talk to her. He actually felt a little disappointed in himself for ignoring her for so long, especially with the recent family tensions. He buried the bones of his meal and headed over to her, smiling sheepishly at her. "You... look like you could use some company." He meowed, his own breath showing like smoke in the cold air.

Larksong was sitting near the apprentice den, her eyes fixed on the stars that glimmered high in the darken sky above. The way the tinkled and dance, she wondered if StarClan looked down on her with a smile. Were the proud of her? Her ears twitched as she heard the rustle of the warrior den as Mousefang pulled himself out. She watched with interest as he headed over to Tigerflower and said something to the queen. Did...They know each other? It wasn't sure - having not really spent the time trying to figure out everybody's relationships to one another since she had come back. Pulling herself to her paws, she swiftly made her way over to the two when she realized that it looked like they were going on a patrol. "May I join as well?" she said with a soft smile at the two, always eager to leave the camp.


Smokestripe had been curled up in his nest, watching the flickering of his tail with slight amusement. He lifted his gaze when he spotted Mousefang exiting the den. Hoping that perhaps Mousefang would be intrested in a patrol, he quickly got to his paws to follow. Exiting the den, he spotted Mousefang heading over to Tigerflower but blinked when Larksong brushed past him to join. Not wanting to be left out, he quickly followed on the tortoiseshell's tail. "Me as well!" he spoke up, not really noticing Larksong jump at his voice behind her.

Hazeflight was sick of the nursery. It was cramped especially with three kits to look after. In all honesty when Emberkit had become an apprentice she had breathed a sigh of relief, that was one less kit that she had to be constantly watching. Hazeflight stretched, flexing her claws, before leaving the warmth of the nursery. The silver queen felt a pang of guilt as she left her kits in the nursery, but they were sound asleep and there were other queens. It would all be fine.

With a glance back at the nursery, Hazeflight padded over to her step brother and mother. The silver Bengal She-cat sat down beside them, curling her tail around her paws. "May I join you?" she meowed. The queen stared at the camp exit, she was dying to escape the confinements of camp.

Blazepaw was curled in her nest, half asleep, when she heard voices outside of her den. Running out to stretch her legs, she found a group of cats looking as if they were going on a patrol."Mind if I tag along?" With a serious look on her face she looked upon the warriors that towered over her, hoping she would be allowed to come.

Tigerflower was pleasantly surprised by her son's approach. She smiled gently at him, noting his apparent timidity, and answered in a soft mew. "You're right. Caring for kits all night is not at all like spending time with another warrior." She purred, pleased that the worst of Mousefang's bad temperament was left behind in his apprenticeship. The queen turned to Larksong when she approached, and then to Smokestripe who came up behind her. Dipping her head, she meowed, "Yes, of course. It would be lovely to have the two of you along."

Mousefang's tail flicked in concealed excitement. Hazeflight and Blazepaw joined the rapidly growing group, and the tomcat could feel the energy of the patrol beginning to pick up. The more cats on a patrol, the more interesting it tended to become. Maybe even a full-on border skirmish would start while they were out, though ShadowClan was the only clan awake at this time of night. The warrior wondered briefly, however, how his step-sister was faring. Everyone knew she'd just had half-clan kits. Mousefang couldn't help the quiet feeling of kinship with the kits whenever he saw them because he understood all that they would soon go through. But he couldn't suddenly be nice now, not after moons of being an annoying big brother, so Mousefang smiled teasingly at Hazeflight and nudged her in the shoulder. "I dunno if you can join, do you really think you can keep up?"

Tigerflower rolled her eyes at Mousefang and Hazeflight's antics. She nodded her head to Blazepaw and the newest queen, then gathered everyone's attention and led them out into the territory. "I was thinking we could check the WindClan border and the ThunderClan before heading home. Maybe do some hunting along the way, too."

Larksong blinked as a few cats joined them - Hazeflight and Blazepaw. She dipped her head to both of them with a faint smile, before turning to look at Tigerflower as the queen flickered her tail and started to led them into the territory. "That sounds like a good plan," the tortoiseshell said once Tigerflower had revealed her plans for this patrol. Simple border patrol with maybe some hunting? Simple and nice, mostly when it would be very unlikely to run into the other Clans seeing how late it was.

Smokestripe eyes glimmered when he saw Hazeflight strolling over, having not interacted with her that much since he had become a warrior. Wanting to be friends with everyone in his Clan, doing on a patrol together was a plus for him. Turning to follow after the patrol, he nodded his head at the queen's words. He didn't have much to say - Larksong saying the words right out of his mouth so he simply followed along in silence as he glanced around the swamp, on the lookout of any prey.

He had heard their voices. He remember Mousefang saying something about a patrol this evening, but the apprentice couldn't bring himself to wake up. With a groan, Swiftpaw finally got up, shook himself out and padded into the clearing only to see the tail ends of a large patrol leaving the camp without him. "H-Hey wait up! I need to come along too!" he cried, darting after the group as fast as he could, half-tripping in the mud along the way. Yet, somehow he had managed to catch up with burning lungs and deep gasps of air when he slowed down next to Mousefang and and Blazepaw. "Sorry Mousefang! I'm here like I said I would be!" Swiftpaw managed to say, trying to brush past the fact that he was most definitely late.

Hazeflight purred at Mousefang's words. " I'll have a." better time at keeping up than you, shorty she retorted playfully as she got to her paws and followed the rest of the patrol out, laughing slightly at Swiftpaw's lateness. Apprentices were so eager sometimes even if they hated to admit how kit like they were.

Hazeflight did struggle to keep up her muscles and joints were stiff and sore from spending all her time in the nursery, but she soon got use to it. And easily caught up to the others once she was warmed up. " I can't stand being in camp for much longer, even if I have kits! Hopefully they'll all go and join Emberpaw in the apprentice den and I can go back to being a full time warrior." she meowed.

Though it was beginning to feel a little crowded, the queen wasn't going to turn away Swiftpaw for the patrol. That was her son's first apprentice, after all, of which Tigerflower was secretly proud. She had not trained any apprentices, so she was pleased that Mousefang could instead. She trotted at a comfortable pace through the muddy snow to the Thunderpath border with WindClan, leaving ShadowClan scent in places that were not too close to the foul path. "So, Larksong," She meowed to the other she-cat, making pleasant conversation. "you seem to have settled in well. I'm pleased that you were able to get your warrior name so soon as well, I think it's quite the pretty name." She hadn't had much time to catch up with her former denmate, and now was as a time as any, so she figured she out to say something.

Mousefang grinned at Hazeflight's comeback. Having no adequate response that would not get him in trouble with his mother, he settled with playfully flicking her ear with his tail and turning to greet Swiftpaw. He rolled his eyes at his apprentice's labored breathing and his muddied pelt, but otherwise didn't criticize him for his tardiness. He definitely understood needing sleep, and as Swiftpaw technically made it to the patrol in time, he'd go easy on him.  "Alright, Swiftpaw, you made it this time. Be up early for the next one and I'll let it go." The young warrior said, wondering if the apprentice could even manage to get up on time, let alone early. He helped Tigerflower mark the borders and then waited for everyone else to be ready to move on, making faces at Hazeflight to distract her.

Hazeflight snorted at the tom's silliness. It'd been ages since she didn't have to worry about anything an the she-cat welcomed it with open paws. As Hazeflight walked past Mousefang, she shot a face at him too. Her ice blue eyes glinted with a light that had died out in her early time as an apprentice. Maybe everything would be fine.

Larksong had dipped her head to Swiftpaw as the apprentice hurried to join them, but her gaze shifted to Tigerflower as the queen spoke. A faint smile flashed on her face, warmed at the queen's words. It was clear that she herself wasn't the same cat that Tigerflower had met in the swamp that night...She had been Lark, a lost kittypet searching for the home she abandoned. But now, she was Larksong, a proud ShadowClan warrior who would dive into danger to protect her Clanmates at any cost - the scars on her side a proud symbol of her protective nature. "Thank you," she said with a smile, feeling relieved at the chance to talk to Tigerflower as they had really failed to speak after Larksong had been accepted into the Clan. "Its wonderful to be back...Everything just feels so natural now, its easy for me to forget that I ever left." But, she knew that she would never truly forget. Even if she had been accepted in, she knew she would have to carry the burden of that stupid choice that she made so many moons ago. It was something she wanted to make up for by being the most loyal warrior that she could be.


Smokestripe padded along, his ears perked as he stayed on high alert. With everybody really just chitchatting back and forth, he wanted to keep an eye out. Not that he didn't mind that they were talking, if he really had anybody to talk to he would as well...He frowned slightly, wishing that Ravenclaw was here. He had grown rather fond of the she-cat and adored spending time with her. He blinked. Speaking of which...He slowed down his walking to fall in line with Swiftpaw, glancing at the black and white apprentice. They had interacted a few times before, Smokestripe recalling him being on the patrol that saved Larksong and Ravenclaw from that badger but they didn't really know each other. But he was rather sure he recalled that he and Ravenclaw were siblings, something he decided to find out by simply asking. "You are Ravenclaw's brother, right?" It felt strange that the two of them hadn't been made apprentices together but remembered hearing how Swiftpaw had gotten rather sick as a kit which had led to his apprentice ceremony being postponed.