Together As A Family [Closed Patrol]

Blizzardshine walked towards her kits with a smile on her muzzle. She had seen them as she walked out of the warriors den and watching them together always caused her to feel a great joy she simply couldn’t put into words.

Without even stopping to hear what they could be talking about she decided to take advantage of the situation. Their mentors were busy with their own warrior duties while she had some free time on her paws, she didn’t know when this opportunity would ever present itself again “Hello there” She purred casually before nuzzling them gently one by one “I see you are free right now, so I was wondering…how a family patrol sounds like to you? I could teach you some tricks I had learned in the past”.

Beepaw turned to his mother. A patrol sounded good. His heterocolored eyes glittered as he thought about it. Pricklepaw, Ridge(paw?), and Hail(paw?) and him were all cool. "Sure," He said. "Why not it be hunting?" He suggested. His siblings were all good hunters, like him. The prey pile would be so full once they were done.

Bearpaw was a little less than a taillength away. His adoptive brothers, as close as they were, stood together just nearby. So, when Blizzardshine padded up, the words no doubt had reached his ears. With Marshstorm juggling recovery and assisting in leading the clan, it was a miracle that he ever had time to speak to his apprentice at all. A moment without training was no unusual for him. However, Bearpaw was always keeping silently to his work and constantly working on one thing or another. A family patrol sounded wonderful. His maw twitched just at the edges unveiling his fangs that much more. The massive-pawed apprentice turned towards his adoptive mother, echoing Beepaw's even tone.

"I could go for some hunting." Today had been filled with caring for the elders. It was something he never found himself resenting, that fact that he spent so much time clearing bedding and ticks from their graying pelts. The former warriors and queens had incredible stories and gave great advice, plus it was always nice that most of their visions were poor and they never saw anything wrong with his several toed pads. With a flick of his tabby tail, the tom padded next to his adoptive mother and affectionately butted his head gently into her cheek.

Pricklepaw had been sitting near his brother, Beepaw, when their mother walked over to her. He smiled happily, always glad to see her- Blizzardshine always brought out the best in him. She was such a good she-cat; he could tell why she had once been leader. It filled him with a burning rage whenever anyone insulted her, as that one RiverClan apprentice had done. He may have lost that fight, but he had at least taught her a lesson. "I'd love to go hunting," he purred, green eyes bright. "I never get to spend enough time with you." It would be nice to get out, go be with cats that he liked and who would be fun to hunt with, unlike his mentor Snowdrop. Honestly, who put burrs in her nest? A patrol with his mother and siblings would be just what he needed to unwind, and get some practice into the bargain.

However, his hackles raised slightly when another cat that he hadn't noticed replied to his mother's request. It was Bearpaw- that other tom who claimed Blizzardshine as his own mother even though he had none of his own. As always, the sight of his garishly long claws and fangs filled him with disgust. What did he think he was up to? The apprentice stiffened, turning in the other cat's direction. "I thought Blizzardshine said that it was a family patrol," he pointed out coolly, eyes pinpoints of malice that his quiet and somewhat polite tone did not convey. There was one tom he was not keen to be around any longer than necessary.

Blizzardshine smiled as her kits gathered around her, ready to go out hunting. Who knows? Beyond some of her tricks and some quality family time and bonding she would be able to tell them some more tales. StarClan knew she had many to tell them still and she hoped they would show interest in them as apprentices just as much as they did as kits…at least now they wouldn’t dare to run off to Sunningrocks without supervision knowing about the code and limitations they had…or at least she hoped so.

However, Blizzardshine couldn’t keep her gaze from hardening with Pricklepaw’s last words “Yes, Pricklepaw, this is a family patrol. Bearpaw IS part of our family, and allowed to come and hunt with us should he wish to” Her words, while holding her usual warm and motherly tone, were firm and left no room to debate.

“Now, let´s go” With a quick flick of her tail, the smile returned to her face as she led the way out of camp, followed by her kits.

Beepaw wasn't sure about that. Is he really? I doubt it. He shared an annoyed glance with Pricklepaw before following. He had to deal with Bearpaw, he supposed.

His pelt felt hot under the noticeable disgust of Blizzardshine's kits. It was palpable in the air. Yet he easily allowed the feeling to melt away as his adoptive mother spoke up. They had always seemed to hold burrs somewhere within the depths of their long coats, but Blizzardshine was quick to dispell any thoughts of hostility. Although the tom kept a neutral expression, there was a blossoming of relief in his chest. This would be just as any other patrol, perhaps even better since he would be along with the cats he viewed as his kin. With merely a flick of his ear, no other indication to the other apprentice's words, he disappeared into the gorse tunnel and followed after the former leader.

The camp entrance seemed to cling to his fur as if holding him back, yet it was shaken away without much hesitation. Outside the light breeze of the day seemed to carry every scent in the forest right in his direction. Squirrel was the first thing that came to him. Not far off. Bearpaw lifted his nose trying to pinpoint it and meowed lowly to the cats nearest him, "Squirrel."

His paws were light as they could be as he intentional tried to minimize the noise from his many clawed toes. It proved difficult due to the fact that the foliage was beginning to dry with the change of season. The apprentice did not even realize as he held his breath while sneaking up on the creature. He disappeared out of view of the rest of the patrol in search of the prey. Once he did, it was only a few tailengths away. A few more steps... another slow breath. Because of his muscular bulk, it was difficult to cover a further distance. Bearpaw would have to be closer. Another. Another. And his back leg muscles coiled and then sprang, propelling himself forward and onto the squirrel. It was taken swiftly under the weight and tearing of his awesome paws. That held air seemed to release slowly. A successful catch. He trotted back to the others to bury his catch off the main route they were taking, somewhere he would remember.

The member 'Joker Rippedseau' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 4

Pricklepaw listened to his mother, tail-tip flicking irritably as the words went in and out of his large ears. Yeah, right. Bearpaw is my family just as much as you and Ivystar. He didn't openly doubt his mother, but he did shoot a glare at the other apprentice that let him know that he wasn't party to Blizzardshine's lies before brushing past the tom and falling in right behind his mother. He didn't want to look at that... abomination any more than he had to.

Once they finally got to a good spot of forest, he started looking around for some prey to catch, hunting senses tingling. Unfortunately for him, Bearpaw found something first. Though it was annoying to be suddenly upstaged, the air he had been holding uncomfortably released itself in a huff when the long-toothed tom was out of sight. "I don't see why he had to tag along," the apprentice muttered to Beepaw, out of his mother's earshot. "I wish he wouldn't; he's spoiling our time with mom... Maybe we ought to discourage him."

Shaking out his fur as if he hadn't said anything important, the fluffy tom padded a few pawsteps further out into the foliage, smelling the wind carefully for any interesting scents. Sure enough, the scent of a pigeon drifted towards him. His steps were more quiet, consciously aware of the crunchy leaves beneath his feet, as he tried to pinpoint his target's location. There it was- halfway under a thorn bush. This would be tricky. He dropped into a hunting crouch, stealthily moving downwind of the plump gray bird. A feast for Chervilpaw. His long, spiky tail was flat out behind him, shoulders swiveling from side to side as he crawled towards it. When he got close enough, he carefully gathered all his strength into his hind legs- stopped for a moment- and then leapt towards it, regular-size claws ready to grab it. This would not escape him. Sure enough, he caught it- he with his superior skills made quick work of the delicious-looking pigeon. He trotted back with it, burying it shallowly under some dirt, offering a quick and insincere prayer of thanks to StarClan before glancing over to see what Beepaw was up to, and if Bearpaw had come back.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 4