Comparison (Open Hunting Patrol)

Graypaw shook nervously as she sat by the camp entrance, waiting for others to join her on patrol. She hadn't been doing very well with training lately- or ever, as far as she could remember- and she had begun to feel increasingly uncomfortable on patrols. All the other apprentices could climb trees and jump at birds, and she... well, all she could do was run fast. But there was nothing for it- she had to go on another hunting patrol today. Hopefully, no one would judge her too harshly when she failed.

"Hi Graypaw!" Tawneypaw trotted up to the gray tabby. She licked a few hairs on her tail into place before she sat and waited for the rest of the patrol to gather. She took notice to the other she-cat's fidgety nature, and questioned it. "What's got ya so down, Graypaw?"

Dandeliondapple noticed the shaking Graypaw and went on over to her. "Is something wrong?" she asked gently. She had heard about Graypaw and had even watched her struggles to fit into SkyClan. Something about the apprentice was just... off. Every other cat took to the trees just fine, while this rabbit of a cat charged through the forest floor like a hunter was on her heels. She wanted to help however she could. Learning SkyClan's ways had been hard for her when she herself was an apprentice, so she wanted to help pass on the wisdom needed to survive in their territory and be a great warrior.

Swiftpaw padded near th camp entrance, hoping to catch either a warrior or Crowstar to go on a patrol with him. He’d been getting better and better with his training lately, and he wasn’t going to ruin it by slacking off. He saw Dandeliondapple, Tawneypaw, and Greypaw gathered together, so he decided they must be going on a huntin patrol. ”If you guys are planning on a hunting patrol, would you mind if I joined you?”

Graypaw swallowed down her nervousness as Tawnypaw and Dandeliondapple came up. Their questions, far from relaxing her, made her feel even more anxious about the patrol. "I-I'm fine," she lied, not wanting to seem weak. They'd find out when she failed at hunting, however. The gray tabby nodded at Swiftpaw as well. "Not at all, g-go ahead." Her long, thin tail twitched as she waited for a few more cats.

Tawneypaw saw that with the question from herself and her mother Graypaw did not seem to relax by any means.  "Whatever is bugging you, in a few sunrises it won't matter, and if you need someone to talk to, I'm here."  The tortoiseshell cat laid her tail across the tabby's shoulders in attempt to provide her with some comfort.  Tawneypaw and looked at the rest of the patrol, "Everyone ready?"

Silentpaw had been trying to gain the courage to join the patrol. When he saw that they were leaving, he ran up to them with wide eyes. "H-Hey! W-Wait f-for me! I-I want to join too!" he stuttered. He waited for them to let him join. He began to play with his paws nervously.

Blazingpaw ran right behind the older apprentice, Silentpaw. He got there panting and a bit out of breath. "H-Hey! I wanna join too! It'll be my first time out of camp!" he said excitedly, eyes glowing with pride. He wanted to join a patrol for his first time out of camp.

Graypaw felt more than a little uncomfortable when Tawnypaw laid her tail across her shoulders, but she tried not to show it. When Silentpaw and Blazingpaw came up, she nodded at them before turning back towards the entrance. "Right- we should g-go now," she meowed uncertainly, her sentence sounding more like a question. She wasn't exactly in charge, as she was just an apprentice- and she didn't want to be on the patrol anyway. The gray tabby began heading out into the territory, letting Dandeliondapple show the way to a good hunting place.

Tawneypaw heard two voices calling out, one was Silentpaw, and the other was her brother, Blazingpaw. "Right then, it looks like we should have plenty of cats to have a successful hunting patrol." She mewed agreeing with Graypaw. The tortoiseshell she-cat looked to her mother, as she was the only warrior heading out on patrol, she would be leading it.