Inspections [c]

While the days of being an apprentice was spent with countless hours of training and learning about the forest, there had certainly been the expectations and hopes that being a warrior would be much more relaxed. Unknown to the warrior, it would be the exact opposite. The constant rush of life never stopped, only the thrill of change seemed to go away. It didn't bother her to the degree she had presumed that such an occurence would. There had been a lull as she celebrated her entry into being a warrior, but the forest stopped for no cat. She found herself on more and more patrols, finding where she fit in the puzzle of Riverclan. Her mother's place certainly put some pressure on the she-cat as well. After all, being the daughter of the deputy meant that, should anything happen, her mother would certainly find out about it.

It had been a rare moment of respite, though. A particularly rare one, as she had been able to convince a particular two-toned molly to accompany her as well to enjoy a small break at Sunningrocks. "It's nice to just... spend some time at Sunningrocks." She said out loud, for really no reason in particular. It was certainly her favorite place to go, and she wanted to go back with Grebedance. Minksplash adjusted the pelt that rested around her shoulders, ensuring it wouldn't fall off as they got to the silvery stones. It wasn't quite as big as the raccoon pelt that her mentor had, but it was fitting that, given her name, she had a mink pelt. She wore it as a badge of pride, something truly special. Finding a good spot to settle down at, a kind gaze looked towards Perchstar. "When was the last time you got to come here, auntie Perch?"

Minksplash was certainly the most... energetic of Poppyshine's children; and given who their mother was, that was saying a lot. It seemed that apprenticing her to Grebedance had been a good choice. The two warm and bubbly she-cats had bounced off of each other, both tempering and amplifying each others' energy. It was still a little bit odd to Perchstar that Minksplash had taken on the habit of wearing an extra pelt on top of her own. Wouldn't that be uncomfortable? Especially in the greenleaf heat? Yet, she did not care enough one way or the other to make a comment on it. Grebedance had not particularly enjoyed the leader's company. Thankfully, Minksplash was not the same. She seemed as bright and happy as ever as the two walked towards Sunningrocks, in order to "relax." The term was something Perchstar was still mostly unfamiliar with... but one she was getting better at. It had been difficult to turn up the invitation, given from shining eyes that looked so similar to those of Perchstar's dearest friend.

Minksplash spoke up, and Perchstar let her ears swivel toward her companion without moving her head much in response. A small jolt went down her spine at the term used-- "auntie Perch." She'd heard the same from one or two of Poppyshine's kits... still, she had no clue what to think of the term, much less how to react to it. She was not a very motherly figure, at least not in the sense of warmth and care. She'd spent most of her life uncomfortably distant from those she cared for, as a matter of fact... so to have young cats using such a term of endearment both made her distinctly uncomfortable and brought a strange warmth to her heart. For now, she decided not to comment on it, but to answer the question instead-- though if Minksplash looked closely, she might have seen the odd flush that lingered on Perchstar's face for a moment or two. "I was here just recently, actually," she said neutrally, "with your mother. She and you enjoy this place similarly, it seems. It is certainly prettiest in greenleaf." And pretty it was. As they arrived at the sun-warmed rocks, with cool blue water glimmering around them at a much slower current than in moons past, it was hard not to feel a slight lift of the weight on her shoulders. Nature had always soothed her somewhat. Sunningrocks was no exception.

It was odd, perusing Thunderclans territory on his own, and he knew it wasn't a particularly good look on his part, disobeying the little rules that Thunderclan had set in place, but Nightstalker was exhausted. He wanted some time alone to himself, the hustle and bustle of a clan and a half packed into one camp were suffocating, especially with all the delegation and conversations he was having, double the amount he'd typically be having when Froststar was around. So when he spotted an opportunity to sneak out, he took it. Though, he certainly wasn't expecting to run into Riverclan, much less Riverclan's leader and... some warrior.

But this was as good a time as any to chat with Perchstar, wasn't it? When else would he be able to build relations between their two clans when they don't even share a border? Nightstalker padded up carefully, sniffing at the border that he knew was close, but couldn't quite separate it from the fresh fishy scent amongst the strong smells of the forest. It seemed to him though, that they hadn't quite realized he was there, which was good for him. "Good afternoon you two, what brings you here? Come to enjoy those stones? They look mighty comfortable, though I obviously wouldn't know that myself!" the young deputy joked, nodding his head respectfully to the two Riverclanners.

Minksplash couldn't help the chuckle that sounded from her chest at hearing the similarities that she held to her mother. They were certainly two I N C R E A S E T H E P E A S in a pod, of some variety. She had gotten all of her excitement and joy for life from her mother, that was for sure, though she still wasn't quite sure just where her passion for swimming had come from. Poppyshine seemed to be rather wary of the water, despite being a Riverclan cat, whereas Minksplash herself couldn't get enough of it. It even was reflected in her name, only further symbolizing how the young molly ended up living to her own name. Perhaps it was a gift from the stars to reflect the silly little weasels that hopped about the stones. "It's nice, sometimes you don't even feel the humidity here."

Her head snapped over instantly at the sound of a new voice appearing at the rocks. It was from Thunderclan's side, and as such, she had fully expected to see a Thunderclan cat appearing on the other side. But her nose told her... differently. It was a stranger scent, one that was tinged with water, but... muddy? If mud was a scent, that was what she would describe it as. Minksplash tilted her head as she studied the new frame, and couldn't help the slightly friendly smile that tinged at her maw. If anything, she was simply... curious. But it wasn't her place to speak at this time, especially given that it was Perchstar who had accompanied her to Sunningrocks. She'd follow her lead here.

Perchstar's guard was mostly down, simply spending time with one of her Clanmates, the daughter of her dearest friend. She rarely allowed herself time to relax... but perhaps, as Poppyshine had said, she could use some rest. Just this one time might be okay. The leader stepped forward a few paces, putting paws on the warm rocks, letting the heat travel through her pads up to the rest of her body. Would it really be so bad to recline on them, just for a moment? She was within a few heartbeats of giving in and actually lying down on the Sunningrocks when a foreign scent suddenly drifted across the border. ShadowClan musk-- almost completely masked by the strong, woodsy scent of ThunderClan. Outwardly, she showed no sign of panic, simply straightening her shoulders and raising her gaze to the other side of the rocks. Inwardly, her heart pounded. What if a hostile cat had seen the leader of RiverClan lazily lying on the border? Well, no matter. No one had. And it would stay that way.

For a few moments, Perchstar was perplexed. Why was Nightstalker, deputy of ShadowClan, on the other side of the Sunningrocks from her? They didn't share a border. However, it was only a few moments before she remembered the events of the last Gathering. Minnowstar had said ShadowClan territory was flooded, and half the Clan ended up taking temporary shelter in ThunderClan camp. So, it only made sense that the deputy would be there too. He didn't seem too injured, at least. How awkward of a meeting. Still, her leader persona slipped back across her features so easily that no untrained eye could tell she had ever been so close to letting it drop. "Simply enjoying the last of greenleaf's warmth," she answered the question neutrally. "Forgive me for not seeing you earlier-- it simply seemed strange to see a ShadowClan cat, in daylight, on ThunderClan land. But Minnowstar spoke of the flood, so all is well." Her torn ear flicked as she glanced back over to her patrolmate. "Minksplash, this is Nightstalker. Deputy of ShadowClan. He was not at last moon's Gathering, so you may not know him." Light blue eyes slid back to Nightstalker's. "How does the rest of your Clan fare?"

"It is quite alright, Perchstar. I would be disappointed in myself if I had been seen too soon. Thunderclan has such nice, dense undergrowth that it's easier to blend in here than in my own home territory." The young deputy mewed, feeling a bit annoying that he couldn't quite properly introduce himself without stepping past the border, so he'd have to put up with the circumstances. When he was introduced to a young warrior named Minksplash, he nodded his head respectfully but otherwise remained neutral before he turned his piercing amber eyes back to Riverclans leader. "We are recovering each day, though while our bodies strengthen each day, it seems our territory is struggling to recover itself. We are very grateful for Thunderclan's hospitality in these trying times... I can only hope that Skyclan is showing the same." Nightstalker responded a bit solemnly, uncertainty coloring his tone briefly before he changed the subject. It would not be wise to dwell on Shadowclan being so weak, their territory while currently unsuitable for even their main occupants, could still be trodden upon.

"How fairs Riverclan? I do not expect that the clan of Rivers would not do well with the rain we had, even if you can swim." Nightstalker shook out his fur, to free it of twigs and leaves before he sat down, hoping to put them at ease if his presence was bothering more than they were letting on. Proceeding to carefully groom, his paw still quite tender. Maybe showing a little weakness, amongst his pride, would lead to looser lips.

A quiet, slight frown appeared on the molly's lips at how Perchstar immediately seemed to lose any sense of relaxation. Hopefully, once the deputy had left, there would be chance for them to once more enjoy the serenity of the rocks. However, she gave a friendly nod, before settling back to observe. Studious eyes observed the deputy a bit closer, imprinting his name into memory. Nightstalker. it seemed rather intimidating, and truth be told, his appearance seemed to match it. Strong, observant, battle-worn. All of it showed the signs of a tom who knew what they were doing, fit of the title of deputy.

Flicking a russet-colored ear, a tiny chuckle chirped from her chest at the mention of swimming against torrential rain. Giving what had happened, it was no doubt that even Riverclanners would struggle to swim against the waters. "Even with the ability to swim, I'm sure the destruction of your territory would cause just as much trouble. It's good to see that it didn't completely wipe you guys out." She commented politely, attempting to dampen any potential offense from her tiny laugh.

Perchstar sat and listened to Nightstalker, seeing the brief flash of uncertainty cross his face. How would she feel, if she was separated from half of her Clan? If they had limited contact, and she was unsure how her Clanmates and friends were faring? It was an unpleasant thought. The ShadowClan deputy seemed to be dealing with it fairly well, at least. Maybe he was hiding his emotions as she did... or maybe he was truly as stoic as he seemed. Either way, ShadowClan would survive this disaster. It might be difficult-- and downsize their Clan a little bit-- but they would survive. Since she shared no borders with them, Perchstar was unbothered.

"It is true that rain is not a bother to us," she agreed concisely. "Much of it goes into our river. It makes the rapids higher, but all RiverClan cats are trained to swim, and so it causes little trouble. Fish still swim the same as always." Her ear flicked as she thought about what it must be like for the other territories to flood. "I have never seen the marshes, but I imagine they are less than swimmable. Do you think your camp has survived the flood, or will you rebuild?" She couldn't imagine water encroaching on the shores of RiverClan's island camp. The river level rose and fell, but never enough to reach their small reed dens, which had stood for generations. What would it be like, for a camp to be remade again? Thankfully she would never need to worry about such things. Or so she hoped.

Nightstalkers striking amber gaze flicked over to Minksplash at her slight laugh before sliding to look back over at Perchstar, "I suspect that there will not be lots left. Those waters that swept us away were very strong, so I'm sure it took everything it could with us. Nonetheless, I'll be taking the opportunity to expand and strengthen Shadowclan past what it was before." the deputy chimed, making sure it was clear that despite the setback and the circumstances, they were still strong and formidable. Nightstalker switched to cleaning his other paw.