Whispering Wetlands

[popsicle dream]

Weaselthorn fought off a hiss at the commotion going on around him. Instead, he sighed for the second time within a matter of minutes. If this was what WindClan was becoming, he was not impressed. He stopped as the cats started arguing, watching them silently while shooting glares at them. The mousebrained apprentice, who was standing over the border, was receiving the most. He hoped the kit's mentor would deal with him, but maybe that was too much to ask for. He groaned as he rose to his paws, ready to do one of two things: finish the patrol when the rat decided to behave, or March up there and drag him back down, if it came to that. @MooingPanda @TheNyanCatMinecart @BILL.

[TheNyanCatMinecart]

@BILL. @MooingPanda @popsicle dream

Rosebriar saw the apprentice bound over the boundary, calling back to her and calling her... stinky? Daring her to try and get him? Her fur, which she had just spent so much time grooming, began to bristle. She was about to give him some snappy remarks when Owltalon spoke up. Instantly, she whirled around to face the tom. Oh yeah, right. He was Fernpaw's mentor. The she-cat glared at him, her tail whisking just above the muddy, disgusting ground.

"You wouldn't understand!" she sniffed. "I was born to keep clean. And we're fresh from both a battle with ShadowClan and them having taken over our camp, smothering it in their disgusting scent. Is there a problem with me being bothered?" Meanwhile, Weaselthorn was just watching the commotion.

"And you should better behave your apprentice!" she added to Owltalon, hopping over the border. Instantly, she tensed at an awful rotting smell that raised to her nostrils. "Fernpaw, get back here! Stepping into ShadowClan territory is not the best thing to do right now." Rosebriar would've tried to act more sweet, but the tom calling her stinky and taunting her had really gotten on her nerves. "Listen to your mentor, alright?" she added.

Why did nobody understand?! She was supposed to be viewed as a beautiful she-warrior by her Clanmates, and they found her to be a nuisance! But it was their fault in the first place! What was wrong with complaining about how horrid a place was, especially after all the horrible things they'd been through? It was traumatizing! Rosebriar let out a long, low sigh. "I'm sorry for being a little on edge," she meowed, hoping to maybe regain some ground. "I would be fine with a patrol, but here of all places? After what happened?" Putting me on a patrol after a battle, in a place that is all icky and disgusting? She did not say the rest of that out loud, however.

[MooingPanda]

Owltalon blinked at Fernpaw in what he hoped was an encouraging blink. This wouldn't be a good time for Fernpaw to dash off in front of an already agitated Rosebriar. He also noticed Weaselthorn glaring at him. He wasn't totally sure why that was happening, but the apprentice definitely wasn't helping. He sighed as Rosebriar spouted off. This wasn't helping, either.

"Well, you're born in WindClan, so you should be expected to get a little dirty. At least at some point." I mean, you live in a Clan. Owltalon raised his eyebrows at the she-cat. "Again, this is just his second outing, so he's a little more enthusiastic than you." He really didn't want to be doing this right now. He was still wary of being around this border. "And talking like that really doesn't work with him, okay? He just does the exact opposite."

Owltalon gritted his teeth. Rosebriar was really starting to test his patience. "If you wanted to be pretty and all that stuff, go have kits," he muttered to himself. "Look, let's just finish the patrol, mark the border, and get out of here." He put a little forced enthusiasim into the last few words.
@BILL. @popsicle dream @TheNyanCatMinecart

[BEAR.]

Fernpaw was already in ShadowClan's marsh, but when Rosebriar joined him over the border (wow, she actually followed) and Owltalon tried to talk him down. Yeah, no - Fernpaw was in stink mode. "I said come and get me, Stinkybriar!" He stuck his tongue out at her as he put some more distance between them, eyes gleaming as he took in his surroundings.

The reek in the air was stronger now, and it doesn't take much longer for him to notice a rotten, shredded rabbit not far from where the patrol was located. Around it was prints in the muck he didn't recognize, and --

Fernpaw's body went rigid as a low, menacing snarl ripped through the air behind him. The scent of dog had been largely masked by the smell of crowfood, and Fernpaw wasn't ready-- his heart raced, blood pounded in his ears as he looked over his shoulder at the hulking canine that growled at him.

Then it lunged. Fernpaw attempted to spring away but the dog's fangs closed around his back and he was lifted up, shaken like a chew toy, and thrown back across the border. He fell against the ground in a whimpering heap.

[ @popsicle dream, @TheNyanCatMinecart, @MooingPanda ]

[MooingPanda]

Owltalon tensed up as Rosebriar made her way toward Fernpaw. The last time this had happened, the apprentice had dashed away. Was everything a game him? Frustrated, he lashed his tail. Fernpaw would have to learn at some point. Growling, he stomped across the mud, his paws making loud sucking noises as he picked them up. "Fernpaw, quit playing games. It's time to shape up start acting like a real apprentice!" He grew closer to his apprentice, when a sour smell suddenly assaulted him.

Freezing in place, Owltalon's first thought was that ShadowClan was nearby. Then, he realized that even ShadowClan didn't smell that bad. He recoiled in horror as a low snarl emitted from the bushes. His eyes traveled from Fernpaw to a dark shape rising from behind him. "Move!" he shrieked, dashing toward his apprentice.

The dog tossed Fernpaw in the air and Owltalon skidded to a stop beside him.
(Are we going to fight it or is the dog just running away?)
@BILL. @popsicle dream @TheNyanCatMinecart

[TheNyanCatMinecart]

@BILL. @popsicle dream @MooingPanda

Rosebriar looked at Owltalon unhappily. Her leaf-green eyes narrowed at him, and she forced her fur to lie flat. She had to act professional, even if she was being insulted. Taking a deep breath, she told the tom, "I know that we're Clan cats, and we can't avoid the inevitable. But nobody likes getting mud in their fur, do they?" His instructions about Fernpaw just made the patrol get a lot harder, real fast. Seriously? An apprentice that did the opposite of what they were supposed to? She gritted her teeth as she eyed the apprentice before remembering that they were over the border.

Owltalon mumbled something under his breath before mentioning the border marks. Rosebriar swung her head in his direction. "What did you-" she began before being cut off by Fernpaw's teasing. Anger made her fur lift along her cream-colored spine, but then she paused. The apprentice wanted her to chase him, right? And get her lovely fur all muddy and dirty? Well, she wouldn't do that! She'd be like him: do the opposite of what she was told. Plus, who knows, that could gain her some popularity points. Rosebriar backed up and nodded, meowing with a sigh, "Let's just get this over with. Nobody wants to be near this border after what happened."

The dark red-orange she-cat was about to mark the boundary when, out of nowhere, a dog appeared and flung Fernpaw back over the border. She jumped, letting out a yowl of shock. How had she not scented the dog? How could anyone scent anything in ShadowClan territory, when it all stinks like crow-food? she wondered silently. Instantly, her claws slid out, and despite how badly the apprentice had annoyed her, jumped in front of the smaller tom. "Get away, foul beast!" she yowled as the dog swung its head toward her.

Come on, guys, are you watching? she wondered to the two other warriors. They'd better be. She wouldn't put her life on the line like this for nothing. They already thought that she was annoying, so why not prove them wrong? They'd also better jump in to help. Then she realized that she did not want another scar. As the dog swung its attention toward her, Rosebriar ducked down and hissed, "Let's get Fernpaw to his paws and get out of here before the wretched beast attacks us!" Thinking of the recent fight gave her a very good excuse. "We can't afford to get injured right now!" Or more like she couldn't. Fernpaw had been taught his lesson. Rosebriar herself did not deserve any lesson teaching. She was too pure and pretty.

[popsicle dream]

This was a perfect example of what disasters happened in the Clans, whether it be on patrol or anything else, really. Cats argue over stupid things. Well, borders were to be taken seriously, but childish apprentices and petty warriors having disagreements really shouldn't have gone as far as this situation (which he was probably going to have to fix) was. What bothered him more was the brat running farther into ShadowClan territory. He didn't want any more problems with the rival group, and he was sure Twilightstar wouldn't, either.

He started to take a few steps forward, following the Rosebriar, but another creature joined the party. A snarling dog. Lovely. It occurred to him that, as he watched what was going on, he might actually need to step in. Neither warrior was really doing anything about the dog, just about the apprentice. He darted forward with His claws unsheathed, ready to attack. He caught part of Rosebriar's idea, but the dog could easily follow them. And, really, he could. He wasn't even at the Gathering, so what difference would it make for him? @TheNyanCatMinecart @BILL. @MooingPanda

[MooingPanda]

When he saw that Fernpaw was still breathing, Owltalon glanced around. He was relieved to see that the other two cats had stepped up and were confronting the dog. He heard Rosebriar's yowl over the dogs' growling. "We can't afford to lead it back to camp!" he replied. "With three warriors, we should be able to drive it off."

He stood and planted himself over Fernpaw, snarling at the dog. He raised one paw threateningly and swiped at its' jowls as it got too close, but continued to guard his apprentice. "Yeah, get out of here, you vile creature!" he yowled. "Scum!" Owltalon began hurling insults at the dog. @BILL. @TheNyanCatMinecart @popsicle dream

[MooingPanda]

(bump) @BILL. @TheNyanCatMinecart @popsicle dream

[Willow_Tree]

Echokit wandered out of Windclan territory and into the Whispering Wetlands. She looked around, paying close attention not to cross the border. She'd already gotten in trouble earlier that day, she didn't need to get into any more trouble. The 5 1/2 Moon old kit curled up beneath a tree, enjoying the shade and the quiet.
@FrostCat