the patrol [streakz/samma/open]

[` `shadsywadsy.]

I am damaged at best, like you've already figured out
I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart that's still beating
In the pain, there is healing
In your name I find meaning

Today would be a good day.

That's what she kept telling herself. The day was warm, as was all of Greenleaf, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was just right for a day full of patrols. That's exactly what Rainthistle, Thunderclan's deputy, thought this morning. The air was still cool then, but it was almost noonhigh now, and the air was no longer wet with dew. In fact, she had plans to spend the day hunting chipmunks in the underbrush, not that her white and gray pelt allowed her much luck wth hunting. But she had planned solitude. And now, instead, she was assigned to be on a patrol with two of her fellow clannmates.

But today would be a good day. It had to be.

Hulkfury was assigned to be on the patrol with her, and that was her only saving grace. However, another warrior, who was called Earthwhisker, was also assigned to be on the patrol. She had never really talked to him, but anyone who would be a damper on her having fun with her hero would be annoying to her today. She bounded out of camp, leaping toward the designated meeting spot at Sunningrocks. They were supposed to patrol the Riverclan border, making sure that no one got a little greedy while Wolfstrike was away. She was probably going to be the first one there, but she didn't mind.

When she reached the rocks, she was the first one there. She hoped they wouldn't be late. Hulkfury wouldn't be one to abandon clan duties, especially since he was trying so hard to redeem himself. But in his mind nothing would ever be enough, and nothing would ever rectify him of everything he had done. But to her, him saving her from certain death was enough. It showed her that no matter how much bad was in him, there was still good, and there would always be good. And she wasn't one to be naive about things. She knew this for a fact.

With a plop she sat down just where the rocks met the dirt. They would see her patch work pelt, they would know she was there no matter which way they came. The breeze shifted in the air and a scent caught her nose. No. No, no, no! panic spread through her and her muscles became rigid. It was Addergaze's scent. But it couldn't be his scent. She closed her eyes and calmed herself, letting her breathing return to normal and her heart beat slow. She opened them, fully convinced that Adder was no where to be found. Hello Cinder.

Cinderfrost practically jumped out of her skin, her mentors face inches away from hers. She backed away onto the stone and closed her eyes again. She controlled her breathing, repeating that he wasn't really there. He couldn't really be there.

When she opened her eyes, no one was around. At least this time she hadn't been pushed off a cliff by him into freezing cold waters. She could swim, was the thing that bothered her. She could always swim. But that day, she couldn't. She even tried it since and she could. It didn't make sense to her, but she couldn't ponder it. Hulk and Earthwhisker would be there soon and she had to pretend like she wasn't seeing ghosts. She sat down, tail curled around her white paws. Her blue eyes watched for her patrol.

Today would be a good day.

C I N D E R F R O S T

[sammonroll]

Heavy paws bounded through the trees towards the patrol's meeting spot. In the dim light of the forest, this warrior easily slunk through the leaves like a shadow cast by the overhead foliage. The only thing that discerned him from one was the steady thud of his weight hitting the packed forest floor.

Hulkfury concentrated on the noise and feelings of his movements. Every snap of a twig and every press into softer dirt, he took note of. His muscles stretched and contracted with ease and his ears were on constant alert. He always did this when he was going anywhere. It started when he began thinking of ways to ease his mind from its temper, but it served a dual purpose. Because of this training, sneaking up on Hulkfury when he was alone became increasingly difficult.

There was nothing today that was particularly irritating to Hulkfury, so it wasn't necessary to empty his mind as he did, but constant exercise made it habit. Besides, Hulkfury was loath to give it up, knowing full well he wasn't ready to give up any mental training.

Still, he couldn't quite help let his mind wander. A giddy, little smile touched his serene face for a moment as he thought of his patrol. He had been assigned to patrol the RiverClan border with Cinderfrost. Well, there was Earthwhisker too, but his excitement wasn't for the tom, that was for sure.

As Earthwhisker came into his mind, the greenish tom realized both Cinderfrost and Earthwhisker were warriors his senior. I guess they musta become warriors together... His smile made way to a frown of disappointment as his head swirled with ideas. Having been kept a tails length from ThunderClan since his apprentice-ship, he wasn't sure what the two warriors' relationship was like. He tried to think of any time he had seen them together, but nothing significant came to mind. After his kithood, Hulkfury didn't have to analyze his social relationships much.

With a rather puzzled look on his face, he bounded out to his destination. He could tell Earthwhisker wasn't there yet, and he secretly rejoiced in that. The tom stepped towards the white she-cat, still holding a puzzled look on his face from his earlier thoughts, but those sweet, blue eyes of hers expecting his own emerald irises had him smiling again. "You ready...Cinderfrost?"

[` `shadsywadsy.]

I am damaged at best, like you've already figured out
I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart that's still beating
In the pain, there is healing
In your name I find meaning

The she-cat's ears perked at the sound of paw steps. She listened, trying to decide if they were Hulkfury's or Earthwhisker's. She didn't have to wait long, for the dark pelt of her hero came out of the forest. A smile lit up her face as her frosted gaze glanced at his body. He truly was an interesting cat, or at least his body was. She found herself mesmerized by it. She was intrigued by his pelt color, most of all. It scared some cats, frightened them because they thought he was a mutant, a freak. But she thought differently. She thought it was a gift, as someone who's pelt didn't blend into the territory around her. He was probably a much better hunter than her, for she had to use surprise, whereas he could actually sneak up on his prey. She had to be faster, smarter. She studied his strong legs, his rippling muscles, and found herself wanting them to protect her.

His words awoke her from her thoughts, and her desires. She stood up in a bouncing motion, happy that her friend was finally here. Perhaps they could talk before Earthwhisker got here. He asked her if she was ready, as if she ever wasn't. She was always ready, for anything that came her way. She was a little ball of energy, of fake happiness. Because appearances were all that mattered to her, that mattered to others. Even Hulkfury was concerned with how things appeared, because otherwise he wouldn't try so hard to be "the perfect warrior". He tried so hard to repay for his sins, and that was only because he cared about what other's thought of him. But that didn't matter to her, because he could've left for dead, and he didn't. He saved her, even when he didn't know her. And for that, she would be eternally grateful. She would always remember what he did that day, no matter what he did in the future.

The smile on his made her's even bigger. She loved it when he smiled, because it was such a rare occasion. Rarer even was hearing him laugh. And that, that was made her want to be his friend. Because he needed someone fun, someone who didn't judge in his life. She just wanted him to be happy, because he deserved it. After a lifetime of being bombarded with demeaning words and harsh stares, he deserved happiness. They all did. She felt sorry for the cat's that had things go wrong in their life, because no one deserved what fate gave them. No one. Not even the most evil murderers out there in the world. Everyone deserved a chance to be happy, to be loved. And she could only hope she would give that to Hulkfury, because she couldn't give it to anyone else.

Of course, Hulkfury! Remember, I'm a tough little warrior! She crouched down, hind in the air, creeping toward him in a more comical manner than threatening. She was referring to their first meeting, and hope he would get the reference. You still need to teach how to swim like a Riverclanner! She smiled as she resumed her original, standing position. A laugh escaped her lips as she reached up to touch his nose with her's in a friendly greeting. So what if they had cuddled in her secret hide out place? That meant nothing. Hulkfury cuddled with every kit in the clan, she could only assume it was the same for all cats. He really was a giant teddy bear when he wasn't mad. Then again, she had never really seen mad. Only upset. He had almost hit her, in fact. But she deserved it. She hit him first.

She stepped back down to her paws, and bounced a little with happiness. She was so excited to hang out with her new found fried before Earthwhisker arrived. She hadn't had much interaction with him, but still. He stood between her and something she wanted. And she would not stand for that. Not at all. I think the real question is are you ready. She purred, putting her tail under his chin and flicking it upward playfully. She hoped he would return her playfulness, she loved it when cats played with her.

C I N D E R F R O S T

[sammonroll]

Hulkfury welcomed the white warrior's bubbly response. It hadn't even occurred to him that he was being overly optimistic, so it was only lucky that Cinderfrost did seem to hold him in high regards. Hulkfury was a gullible one. The only thing he wanted was acceptance, and when it was granted, he was all hers.

He playfully sneered at her stalk towards him as she bragged about her fierceness again and laughed when she meowed, "You still need to teach how to swim like a Riverclanner!"

"A tough cat like you? If I teach you 'ow to swim like that, you'll take over the whole forest!" Hulkfury declared, shaking his head in disapproval. He looked at her warmly, and added, "Nah, I think I'll just have to stick around in case you need saving again." This playfulness was putting the patrol way in the back of his mind. By now, the cuddly warrior had forgotten that Earthwhisker should be here any second. Duties were past him and there was only the sky he found in Cinderfrost's eyes.

"I think the real question is are you ready," she teased back, bringing him back to their warrior life, yet immediately distracting him again with a flick of her tail against his chin. He paused and looked at her for a moment. They could play this "are you ready?" game forever and never get anywhere. So he swerved, both verbally and physically. His paws started taking him away from her coldly as he admitted, "Well, I guess I'm not. Enjoy your patrol with Earthwhisker." He made it to the first tree that led into the forest away from the rocks before stopping, turning his head, and winking at her.

Notes: lol, Earthwhisker's gonna be thirdwheelin'

[STREAKZ]

earthwhisker
first there's lights out, then there's lock up

It was time for patrol, but Earthwhisker found himself standing at the very edge of the Warrior's den listening to the music that was snoozing cats. The rise and fall of breath, life in it's most pure of forms -- sleep was fascinating. A cat couldn't hide who they were in sleep. Even the most fierce of warriors looked like tame kits in the throes of dreams, and it was moments like that that connected them all. They were part of a massive web, thousands of strands interwoven into one thing. Even the other Clans were like this, Earthwhisker knew this better than some cats he was sure. That boundaries and names of what they were meant nothing when you got down to it. They all slept the same in the end.

He had jerked himself from his thoughts and found one brown paw after the other leading him to where he was supposed to meet the others. The dreamy warrior found himself ambling along slowly -- taking his time was something that Earthwhisker did. Rushing did nothing to finish a job, it merely wasted energy that could be used if there was danger to be found.

The chocolate colored tomcat could see the green-tinted pelt of Hawkfury as well as Cinderfrost's more neutral coloring. Angling his ears toward them he tried to pick up their conversation before he reached the two. Earthwhisker hadn't socialized with these particular cats often -- granted he'd certainly worked with Cinderfrost before considering the two of them had grown up in the camp together there had always been that line between him and the other warriors of ThunderClan. He was a Rapidfalls cat, and Earthwhisker wasn't sure if some of the Clan even trusted him yet. Of course he'd trained an apprentice which ought to have been proof enough, but still.

He was getting the vague feeling -- mere tail-lengths as he was from the two cats -- that he was going to be the odd cat out in this situation. His whiskers twitched as he looked over both Cinderfrost and Hulkfury. He tried to think of something to say, dipping his head first to Cinderfrost and then to Hulkfury. Earthwhisker remained silent, blinking warm brown eyes as though he were wracking his thoughts for words. Finally he offered a friendly purr, there was little that could be said against a friendly purr -- even if one couldn't think of what to say after all.

"I was listening to the others sleep," The brown warrior said -- not by way of explanation certainly. He simply found the idea fascinating, and wanted to share. Earthwhisker's whiskers twitched, ears perking as though he expected to still hear soft snores, "So quiet -- ah we should be going."

He purred again, padding forward a bit and looking up at the clear sky with a smile. At least it was a beautiful day.

masterpieces serving maximum sentences

[` `shadsywadsy.]

I am damaged at best, like you've already figured out
I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart that's still beating
In the pain, there is healing
In your name I find meaning

The she-cat's smile disappeared as she watched her friend began to walk away. Her tail dropped to the ground like a wilting flower, and her eyes got big and round. She hadn't meant to offend the tom, really she hadn't. Her heart sank at the thought of hurting the sweet warrior. She took a pawstep toward him, her maw open in a desperate attempt to make sound. But nothing came out. She was speechless, watching possibly the greatest tom she had ever met walk away from her.

And then he turned around and winked at her. Her heart bounded up to the clouds and surprise filled her face. Her tail jumped up, springy into a furious frenzy of waves. She wasn't angry, she was too happy that he really wasn't mad at her to be upset about her being gullible. A smile found its way onto her lips as she took another step toward him. She was so ecstatic that Hulk wasn't upset she could hardly contain herself. She didn't know what she would have done if she had hurt him.

But her joy was short lived. For Earthwhisker padded into the clearing, dipping his head politely to her and then to Hulk. She dipped hers back, out of habit and courtesy. She honestly remembered growing up with the rapid falls cat around but never really talked to him. Never really had reason to do so. As she sized up the tom, her eyes narrowed and her ears rotated forward. She didn't know if she trust him, not being full Thunderclan, but then again she also didn't have any reason not to. Not yet at least. And so she decided he was harmless enough, and that Hulk was here. He'd already proven that he'd protect her. Even if it was from her own stupidity in the water.

But when Earthwhisker spoke about listening to cats sleepimg, her ears flattened against her head briefly. She caught her disgusted expression however before he could see and tried to return it to a normal, neutral one. Why the hell was he listening to cats sleeping? She mistrusted him now, wondering what kind of nut job this cat was. You mean like a nut job that sees her probably dead mentor and talks to him. She reminded herself that she was a nut job too, and couldn't judge this poor tom. He was probably just dreamy and socially awkward.

She looked to Hulkfury, and a smile reappeared on her face. As long as he was around, she felt safe. She was safe. She looked back to Earthwhisker and nodded to him. She began to pad to Hulkfury and dragged her tail under his chin. Come on my dearies. Let's start heading along the border. She walked away from Hulk and toward Earthwhisker, gently tapping his shoulder with her tail. She decided she was self appointed leader of this patrol, seeing as the two toms were much too preoccupied with being toms. She giggled at the thought of her being stronger than the both if them. Well I am the greatest cat in the forest!

C I N D E R F R O S T

[sammonroll]

When Earthwhisker arrived, the bright expression on Hulkfury's face immediately dimmed. A green-shaded ear twitched in nervousness as the brown tom approached the two. Those ears swiveled forward when Earthwhisker spoke. It was nothing particularly important, something about other cats sleeping, but Hulkfury listened intently all the same. He had no room to disrespect his Clan. But still...

Watching them sleep? That's...creepy. Shining green eyes narrowed involuntarily at the other tom, before Hulkfury realized where his mind was headed and snapped his eyes open. He tried to think in a new perspective. I guess it's peaceful...

Earthwhisker marked the beginning of their patrol, and Cinderfrost snuck up to the front of the pack, her tail brushed along his chin in her usual, flirty way. But Hulkfury wasn't as responsive as he normally was, and paid no mind to the tickle. As the group padded along, the large tom slowed his pace, taking the rear position, but not in the confident, protective way that most cats did. His steps were still strong, but there was a hint of discomfort about his movements.

Hulkfury kept eying Earthwhisker. He knew that the tom was a Rapidfalls cat, but they had long since been welcomed by the Clan. Meanwhile, Hulkfury was distrusted by native and non-native ThunderClanners alike. Earthwhisker didn't seem to hate the green-tinted tom, but Hulkfury rarely payed attention to what things seemed. He knew well enough that a majority did not seem, they were. And what were they all? Distrusting, cautious, fearful... The near-outcast gulped, keeping a close eye on Earthwhisker's movements and gestures, and falling out of his Cinderfrost induced happiness.

[STREAKZ]

earthwhisker
first there's lights out, then there's lock up

If he was at all aware of the inner misgivings of the two cats he didn't display it in the slightest. Actually it was safe to say that he didn't notice it at all. Earthwhisker was terribly observant, he could hear and see things easily and quickly but he had always had a bit of difficulty in the social department. He was quirky in that way, he couldn't help it. The solid brown tomcat was just so busy paying attention to everything else that sometimes he didn't know the right thing to say or do in conversation.

Not that it bothered him, it was quite the opposite really. Since he didn't know much about social workings he seemed to have missed the memo that sometimes a cat gets embarrassed when they say or do stupid things -- or make themselves out to be a creepy stalker. Of course that wasn't why he listened to cats sleep. Sound had simply always been important to Earthwhisker, he could still remember the crashing of the waterfall back home and he missed it with an ache so strong that sometimes the silence was what woke him. Even now, he sometimes used the steady breathing of his clan-mates to lull himself back to his dreams.

The forest was warm as he stepped into it, and immediately he opened his senses to embrace what it had to offer. Birds rustled in the trees -- far out of a hunter's reach but still showing that they were at least around. The wind was a warm ruffle in his fur, the air smelled good and alive.

"It's lovely out," He meowed, more as a distracted murmur to himself than anything. Earthwhisker glanced Hulkfury's way, noting that the tom was watching him. He blinked after a moment, tipping his head in question at the other warrior.

Maybe it was also a lack of social cues, but he had no reason to distrust Hulkfury personally. Gossip -- while he paid attention to it -- was never very interesting to Earthwhisker. He twitched his whiskers at the younger cat, lifting his tail as though to wave and twitching the tip back and forth to finish the picture.

He wondered suddenly if he should have taken lead of the patrol, but he was happy to step back for Cinderfrost and let her deal with it herself. He opened his jaws to drink in the scent of the forest, padding along with quiet paws. Walking next to Hulkfury had him burning with curiosity over the tom's strange green tinted pelt. He couldn't quite ask him about it though -- that'd be ridiculous. If some cat asked him what it was like to have brown fur he'd think they'd lost their marbles.

He didn't speak anymore, he simply gazed around him and decided that it'd be better to not mull around the question of Hulkfury's coloring. The world had a lot to listen to after all.

masterpieces serving maximum sentences

[` `shadsywadsy.]

I am damaged at best, like you've already figured out
I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart that's still beating
In the pain, there is healing
In your name I find meaning

The patrol continued on underneath the tree tops, treading lightly on the soft dirt the forest floor offered. Prints were easily made, and could easily be hid, but they were not traveling in secret. They were simply establishing the scent, which she herself could not do. It was a male thing, marking the boundary. Her scent wasn't strong enough as a female, but she didn't mind honestly. It was just another thing, just another reason she couldn't be anything of importance. There was no room for females like her, females that wanted a happy family and a mate, in leadership roles. For good reasons, she assumed, but she also knew that it hurt. She would make a great leader, she thought, but she would rather have a mate and kits. She would rather live her life without restrictions. Being a warrioress, she supposed, had its advantages.

Earthwhisker's comment made her glance up around the sky. It was a nice day, she remembered noticing it before now. Before Hulkfury had come up. She glanced sideways at him, smiling as she did so. He always made her smile. The thought of him made her smile. And she was so happy he was her friend. Her one and true friend. She looked back ahead, snaking through some thorn vines that decided to be in her way, barely missing them. Perhaps she wasn't the best to lead the patrol. She was hardly focused. Then again, there was hardly a time when she was focused. After making it through the bramble like thorn vines all clumped together, the way opened up to the place where she had fallen not too many days ago. She flicked her tail, trying to calm herself. She was reminded of what made her fall, what she saw this morning. He only came when others weren't around, when she was alone. He haunted her subconscious, lurking and always waiting for the perfect time to strike. He wanted to tear her down, as if she hadn't been torn enough.

Yes, it is. Though I enjoy everyday. She figured Hulk wouldn't respond, simply because of the way he shut down when Earth was around. The reaction she got from him was very different from the one Earth got from him. She wished he would show everyone the side of him she saw, but she knew that would be unlikely. Hulk wasn't shy, or maybe he was in a way, he was just so worried about being correct, about not hurting others, that he didn't want to screw things up. There was no way he could go wrong in her mind, for he had already saved her life. That proved enough to her. Much more than enough. She knew the type of tom he was, and her mind could not be changed. No matter what happened, no matter what he did.

It didn't take long for her to notice something odd. She sniffed the air, but the scent was stale and old. She doubted anything was around. She couldn't quite place it, and didn't really think too hard on what the scent actually was. It was stale, after all, and headed into Riverclan's territory. It wasn't her problem anymore, and she wasn't about to do anything about it. She continued on without a word about it, without even a gestation in her step. Not her problem. You two boys playing nice back there? She smirked as her teasing tone rang in the air. She threw her head back slightly, looking back to the pair of toms. They looked so official, so uniform trotting together along in place. Anyone else wanna give it a go at leading? Earthwhisker dear? She flicked her icy gaze upon the rapid falls tom, the gaze she had been named after. It wasn't incredibly cold or hard, but the icy blue of her eyes was enough to chill most everyone's hearts. She started to drop back, ducking under a low-hanging branch as she did. It wasn't like her to give up command, but she wanted to be next to Hulkfury, and Earth was obviously willing to lead. Well, maybe not obviously, but she assumed he wouldn't mind.

She squeezed herself beside Hulkfury, and flicked Earthwhisker lightly with her tail. Go on dear, take charge. She didn't know the tom all too well, and honestly was indifferent on him. She had neither a negative or positive opinion about him. She was just along for the ride. She looked to Hulkfury, tapping him with her tail as well to make sure he was looking when she winked at him. She smirked slightly, mischievously even. It might have interrupted as making fun of the older tom, but such was not the case. She was in way doing so. And when she ran her body slightly into Hulk's that became apparent. She wanted to play, to have fun, to go around and frolic in fields of clovers, something - anything. She needed to break the silence, break the ice. So, Earthy, what do you think of us trying to undercover the moonstone? It was a risky question, she knew, but she also knew he was the type of tom to give his opinion and benefit from hearing theirs as well. She looked to hulk, telling him to answer too, if he wished. It didn't really matter, this patrol was just much too quiet for her likings.

C I N D E R F R O S T