Nightly Wanderings [Miu]

[Silver]

Silverblaze

Silverblaze stood within the RiverClan camp, near the center of the clearing, watching as sundown came upon them. The great orb of light had just began to barely dip behind the trees, the bright yet darkening leaves of the canopy contrasting with the lengthening shadows, stretching forth their dim paws from the trunks that surrounded the island camp. And as the light of the world began to wither away in face of these dark figures, a silence descended, and the newleaf noises that had so readily filled the air since sunrise had begun to fade away. All signs of a breeze had died from the air, and neither leaf nor branch stirred upon their roosts. The birds as well had already given forth their sweet chorus at the suns time of falling, and now one could only hear the occasional burst of melody, a single bird or a family within their nest, saying their final goodbye to the day as they settled in for the night. The day was coming to an end and moonrise would be upon them soon, but though the land was dimming, the darkness was not upon them just yet, and not all was in shadow. For though it would be replaced by a veil of impenetrable darkness, the sky had already started to transform from a clear and limitless blue ocean into the starting of a fiery blaze within the air, stripes of red, orange, and purple already spreading out from the horizon, though they still appeared distant and close to the edge of the sky.

Silverblaze had been staring at the beginnings of the sunset for some time, the opening in the canopy of the RiverClan camp allowing him to watch the suns graceful descent, before it would soon be lost behind the trees that surrounded the small island. The time of sundown was one of if not his favorite time. The calm silence that permeated through the still air, the soothing dimness of the world around, and the brilliant display of hope bringing colors that would soon run across the sky, all together they gave the silver tabby a sense of peace, knowing that his clan had been through yet another day unscathed, and would be able to rest without worry until the next sunrise. For the camp had already begun to mirror the land outside in silence. The elder’s had retired to their den, several snores already seeping through the bramble walls. The nursery was filled with excited mews as the kits told their mothers of the adventurers they had that day, and more than one downcast complaint as the queens attempted to calm the little balls of fur to sleep. And finally the warriors and apprentices of RiverClan were ending what duties they had or simply what they had been doing, and most were either making their way towards their respective den, or like the RiverClan deputy, enjoying a few moments of the coming dusk air and the sights that accompanied it, alone or with another, before they too would curl up within their nests for the coming night.

But sleep would not be an option for Silverblaze for some time. It was not out of personal injury or even out of present doubt or worry regarding his clan or his own self, but rather that he would lead the dusk patrol that day. He didn’t lead the dawn and dusk patrols as often as he would have liked, there were enough duties and tasks of his within the clan itself, making sure it was protected and that no trouble or problem affected it, and he did have full trust in the cats of his clan to fully watch over their borders, content enough to hear their reports. But that dawn he had felt the yearning to go out, to feel the cool caress of the nightly winds, the soft sounds of the creatures that stirred within the shadow, and to let the darkness of the approaching night wash over his silver fur. A dusk patrol was something in truth he had not been able to do for some time. He had accompanied plenty during his time as a warrior and occasionally as an apprentice, but since becoming deputy he had found little time to do so. If there were no pressing matters to confront or duties to perform, the tom was usually exhausted, still unused to the toils of a deputy’s life. But not only had he decided that he would lead the patrol that night, but standing within the clearing as sunset came made him feel like a warrior again, to be able to venture forth as the sun disappeared from the sky, into the realm of shadow and mystery that would soon encompass the world, and this simple thought was enough to cause a wave of excitement to wash over Silverblaze, washing away any weariness that had gathered, and even causing the calm and serious cat to knead his paws slightly in anticipation.

Stirring from his thoughts, Silverblaze turned away from the burning sky above and moved over to the camp entrance, stopping a fox-length away, before facing the camp once more and sitting down, his tail swaying idly behind him. Though he would have liked nothing more than to dart out of the camp and begin to make his way towards the border, the tom mustered his patience, forcing his paws to stay still so as not to run out like a young apprentice or a newly made warrior. He had to wait for the rest of the dusk patrol, for the cats he had chosen earlier that day to accompany him. Scanning the camp clearing, the deputy waited, hoping to spot a fellow clan member approaching as he prepared for the patrol ahead. He knew the real purpose of this patrol would be to ensure that the borders were secure, and to make sure that RiverClan was safe from any danger or free of any trespassers. And the silver tabby would do such, his excitement was matched by the determination he always held to aiding his clan, and the itch in his paws was as much an urge to get the patrol started out of excitement as it was an urge to start the patrol as soon as possible, in case there already was a menace within RiverClan territory or near it’s boundaries, hidden within the darkness. But Silverblaze would also not deny that he was motivated by a desire to feel the freedom of a patrol that night, to smell the scents of the river, to hear the sound of scurrying prey, and to peer into the shadow, heart beating as to whether or not a rival cat would come jumping out, claws extended. And so the RiverClan deputy waited, ready to protect his clan as always, yet also ready to be a warrior again for that night, roaming their territory with cat’s he had come to know and trust, like he had done so many moons ago.


OOC: I'm not sure if you wanted to introduce some NPC's or other members to the patrol, or just have a small one between our two characters, but it's up to you! I'm fine with anything. ^^

[Miu]

The sun was just beginning to set as Littletrout woke from his nap. The small silver tabby had been on the dawn patrol earlier, then offered to go out hunting with some of the younger warriors. Because of his busy morning he didn’t even eat when he came back to camp with three plump fish in his jaws. He was about to collapse so he just went to sleep. The smell of the prey now wafted around him and that was what woke him up. He sat up and stretched out his spine as a loud yawn escaped him. The young warrior glanced around and noticed warriors were setting into their nests already. He didn’t think he had slept that long. Quickly he ran out of his den and saw as the sky was turning even darker. The sun’s evening rays changed the scene of the camp. The usually green grass were touched with a blue glow. The rocks turned to silver and the trees glowed beautifully. Even the water at the end of camp was sharing in the lights. But due to the suns lights instead of blue it was changed into a fiery riverbed of oranges and red and yellows. It was breath-taking. Even so Littletrout felt ashamed. He was a warrior now, not a kit fresh out of the nursery. He should of known better than to sleep so late.
The sound of his stomach growling pushed his paws toward the fresh-kill pile. He pawed through them, what little there was, and found his favorite; Trout. It was small, but he grabbed it because of that. Queens, kits, and elders could use plump fish. He tore through it quickly and left the bones at his paws as he surveyed the camp. It seemed so empty. Hardly any cat was around. He could hear the kits in the nursery, fighting sleep, and the queens fighting to get them to sleep. The elders were already fast asleep and the apprentices were dozing off. He got to all four paws and wondered who had went on the dusk patrol. He knew Silverblaze was going to lead it…
The silver tom halted when he saw his deputy sitting at the camp’s entrance. He ran over to him and mewed to get the bigger tom’s attention. At least he hadn’t left yet.
“Hey Silverblaze, I’m ready for the patrol.” Littletrout asked just as a black she-cat padded up to them. She was jet black with white paws freckled with black. Her green eyes shimmered in the colors of the sunset. Littletrout recognized her as Frecklefoot, another younger warrior. After her came a white tom with gray patches and blue eyes that he knew as Cloudypelt. He guessed they was coming along also.

OOC: I’ve introduced NPC Frecklefoot and Cloudypelt

[Silver]

Silverblaze

The sky continued to darken as Silverblaze waited for the rest of the patrol to arrive, the distant sun hanging on to the sky as best as it could, but it was a losing battle, and with every heartbeat the orb of blazing light sank further and further behind the horizon, letting the coming night begin wrapping the world in its shadowy embrace. The silver tabby kneaded the ground with his paws, waiting for the other cats with a slight amount of impatience, though his discipline was enough to keep him from pacing across the camp, or from simply running out and trusting the keen noses of his warriors to follow him through the darkness. Time was not an issue. Though the sun was quickly waning, it would still be a good while before the night truly did come, the sky void of any stars, still filled with the blazing colors of the dying light. But it was simply the mere glance the cat gave to the camp entrance every few heartbeats, the sliver of visible land across the bubbling stream of the island camp, which caused such excitement to course through Silverblaze’s body. The black trees and murky grass beyond beckoned him, each flick of a reed or whisper of a branch seeming to call out his name, urging the tom to let go of responsibility, and instead go out into the dusk air, enjoying freedom and life amid the somber world outside the RiverClan camp. But though still feeling more like a warrior at times than a deputy, Silverblaze knew enough to halt his paws, and his devotion to his clan and his recognition of being deputy kept the silver tabby in place, though with each passing moment, with each ripple of the leafy canopy above and with each snap of a nighttime creature lurking about, it became harder and harder to withstand the urge to run free.

And it was because of this, that when Silverblaze spotted the first cat approaching, he breathed out a silent sigh of relief, knowing that soon they would be able to leave the camp, and begin the dusk patrol. Narrowing his pale blue eyes slightly in the dim light, the deputy watched the fellow RiverClan cat come forward, the figure soon stopping nearby. Even wrapped in shadow, it didn’t take long for Silverblaze to identify the cat as Littletrout, the knowledge of which cats he had chosen that dawn coupled with the small size of the tom before him making the RiverClan warrior easily recognizable to the silver tabby. The warrior’s silver fur glowed faintly in the dying sunlight, the cat appearing almost like the pale moon that would soon rise up within the sky, replacing the bright sun as day transcended to night. The glow was broken now and then by the swirling of the tabbies black marks, and by his eyes, the orbs of pale blue light shining through the gloom, like two stars before the rising moon. Silverblaze listened as Littletrout greeted him, stating that he was ready for the dusk patrol. Glad to hear these words, both to know the warrior was ready, and with knowledge that this meant they would soon be on their way, the deputy returned the greeting with a slight nod of his head, unable to respond, for but a heartbeat later two more cats joined them. Tilting his gaze, Silverblaze saw that it was the other two warriors he had asked to join the patrol. One was a she-cat, Frecklefoot, her obsidian body seeming to melt and glide through the murky air as she moved, save for the shine of her white paws amid the black earth below. The other was a tom by the name of Cloudypelt, the pale colors of his fur standing out among the shadows that laced the camp, giving him an almost radiant appearance. The cat’s eyes, green and blue, glimmered in the darkness, shining like bastions of the daytime colors among the coming blackness, as each bowed their head, notifying Silverblaze that they too were ready for the patrol to start.

Lifting himself from the cool ground, Silverblaze faced the three cats in front of him. ”We’ll head across the river towards WindClan,” the deputy meowed, his eyes momentarily flickering in the direction that they would go, ”and patrol the border there.” The dawn patrol had already been along the border they shared with ShadowClan, and since they had found nothing out of the ordinary, the deputy saw no reason for them to waste an entire patrol going along its length again. Instead, they would make sure that they’re nimble neighbors on the other side were content enough to remain within their own territory, or that no other threats were present. With luck the patrol would go without occurrence, and they would be back within the camp in the same state as they left, leaving behind a border that was as safe as they believed it to be. Flicking his tail towards the camp entrance, the silver tabby quickly turned around, beginning to half-walk/half-dash towards the entrance, keeping enough composure so as not the leave behind the rest of the patrol. Energy filled his limbs, and as he moved, the thud of his paws was like music to the cat’s ears, knowing that the patrol had begun. Briefly flicking his tail in greeting to the barely visible warrior that stood guard near the entrance, the deputy ran out of the camp, and into the gloom beyond.

At once his dark silver body was swallowed by the coming night air, the faint shine of his pelt and the glimmer of his eyes the only light amidst the somber world around them. Behind him he heard the following paws of the rest of the patrol, and taking the lead, Silverblaze began heading in the direction of WindClan. His pace was slow enough so as to keep some amount of stealth, but fast enough that they would be able to cover ground relatively quickly. They were within the heart of RiverClan territory, and it was doubtful that they would find any danger so close to the camp, without knowing of it prior to the patrol. His ears were still erect to be sure, but all the silver tabby caught were the sounds of the night, and the movement of his patrol behind him. And it was soothing to his heart, and fully content, Silverblaze moved forward, ready to tackle whatever the coming moonrise would throw at them, but happy to even just be on the patrol, regardless of whether they would find anything, or not. And with that, like a faint shadow in the vegetation, the RiverClan patrol went on, scarcely making a sound, as it snaked its way through the dark and silent land.

[Miu]

The bright colors of the sun were melting with the oncoming colors of night. It was so glorious that Littletrout had to blink several times then duck his head. The small tom could have easily hid behind one of the other warriors to get away from the sun, but he didn’t want to seem more apprentice-like than he already did. Every cat knew he was small. They didn’t know why though; both his parents were large, powerfully-built cats. Littletrout had gotten the short end of the genetics stick. The silver and black tabby tom flattened his ears at the memory of his fathers first reaction to him; disgrace. But he had grown up confident and successful, despite his fathers stubborn views. Littletrout was one of the best swimmers and fishers in Riverclan. He had even taught himself how to hunt squirrels and birds, not something ever Riverclan cat knew how to do.

The sound of his deputy’s voice made the tom glance up. The three older cats were leaving the camp. He quickly followed, but nearly tripped. Frecklefoot hissed at him as he stumbled into her flank. He flattened his ears, ready to argue a retort, but didn’t want to look foolish in front of his deputy. Littletrout admired the silver tom in more ways then one. When he was told they were going to patrol the Windclan border his neck fur bristled up uncontrollably. He remembered all too familiarly how a bout with Windclan many moons ago had caused his aging mentor, Eaglescar, his life. The young warrior bounded up to Silverblaze.

“What if we find Windclan on our territory? Can we attack them?” He asked, though his tone was no question. It was obvious he wanted to go claw for claw with those cats, no matter who it was. His tall ears perked up and his blue eyes narrowed as he waited for his deputy’s answer. Though, really, even if his deputy said no, he had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to control himself anyways.

[Silver]

Silverblaze

Like pale specters, the RiverClan patrol moved on through their territory, further and further away from their camp with each passing heartbeat, and with each pawstep bringing them closer and closer to a potentially hostile border. Their bodies melted in and out of the shadows, only the occasional hushed rustle of a frond or a tail swishing out from the darkness betraying their passage. That and the eight orbs of light that flitted through the vegetation, a collection of blue and green that shined through the murky blackness like beacons of sunlight, though to prey and foe alike they would prove nothing short of danger. For though they seemed as innocent as fireflies, each pair of eyes belonged to a warrior of RiverClan, each one made of powerfully built and toned muscle, of razor sharp claws and gleaming teeth, and of a determination to protect their clan from any danger, to wash out any threat that may lie hidden within the reeds and trees of RiverClan territory. But this night, prey had nothing to fear from these silent hunters. The fresh-kill pile laid stocked back in their camp, enough to feed the clan when sunrise came and the hunting patrols went out, and hunting now would only slow down the band of clan cats as they made their swift way to the border. No, prey had nothing to fear, curled up within their burrows or nestled among nests of twig and branch. But foe, that was a matter entirely different. A foe would have to contend with the full force of the patrol, a patrol led by a determined deputy of RiverClan.

Silverblaze maintained his position at the front of the patrol, his silvery pelt blending with the shadowy darkness around him. His ears were now fully erect, the sound of his fellow clan mates and their paws upon the ground thudding behind him. But the silver tabby was more interested in what he heard around them, in the flickering gloom of the dusk world. So far the only noises that had penetrated the wall of shade were natural, sounds of the night that had repeated themselves for moons upon moons, even though the makers of such sounds changed many times over. The snap of a twig beneath the paws of some small creature here and there, the chatter of the canopy above with the disturbance of leaf caused by the sweeping of a chilled nighttime breeze, and even the occasional call into the vast, lightless void that was the dusk sky, the sound of another hunter prowling through the obscure murk. Even so, Silverblaze kept his vigilance up. They were still some ways away from the border, but they were no longer near the camp either. Though not as dangerous as the edge of the territory itself, there was every chance of danger where they walked, and the tom would take no chances to fall into an ambush or potential accident. The likelihood was slim to almost nothing yes, but anything was possible, especially within the realm of night.

The sudden sound of approaching pawsteps almost caused Silverblaze to halt in his tracks, his tail twitching in surprise, before he realized that the sound was coming from behind him, rather than from the darkness around them. And rather than the pouncing form of another clan cat, claws and teeth glinting with a sinister pale light, it was only Littletrout pushing his way towards the front of the patrol next to Silverblaze, Frecklefoot and Cloudypelt reluctantly moving to allow the younger warrior some room, coming together to form the back of the patrol, while Littletrout now accompanied the RiverClan deputy at the front. Casting a curious glance towards the warrior, Silverblaze regained his composure, concentrating once more on the world around them as he continued to move forward, his movement not slowing in the slightest and fully expecting the younger and smaller cat to keep stride with him as they went onward. The sound of Littletrout speaking pierced the still air a heartbeat later, Silverblaze swiveling one of his ears to better listen to the cats’ hushed meows, though in the mostly quite air the sound seemed to resound across the grass and through the trees with a frightening loudness, as though the earth itself wished to break the silence, this will giving power to the younger cats voice. The deputy listened as the warrior asked whether or not they could attack any WindClan cats if they found them on RiverClan territory, granted if such an event were to transpire.

Silverblazes’ ears twitched slightly when he noticed the warriors’ tone of voice, and giving a quick glance towards the smaller silver tabby, the deputy saw even in the pale light of the dusk air that Littletrouts’ fur bristled at the mere mention of WindClan. Silverblaze was quite a few moons older than Littletrout, the tom had in fact been born when Silverblaze was still a young warrior, and so the deputy knew much about Littletrouts life, having observed it almost firsthand being within the RiverClan camp, watching the cat go from a small ball of silver fur, much like he had been at one point, into the warrior he was now, still younger than Silverblaze, but with many moons behind him all the same. And so the deputy was fully aware of the pain Littletrout had gone through at the hands of WindClan, of how just one moon prior to becoming a warrior, an event that would have made his mentor, Eaglescar, filled with endless pride, the great warrior had fallen in a border skirmish with the rival clan. Though a warrior of some moons at the time, Silverblaze had not been a part of the battle, but he had felt the pain at losing Eaglescar regardless, having known the warrior for some time, and the cat being of RiverClan. But it was because of this that the deputy understood why Littletrout showed such hostility at the possibility of battling WindClan, why even a hint at the clan caused him to bristle and hiss. If Silverblaze had felt pain, having been only a clan mate to Eaglescar, how had his apprentice felt upon his passing?

But it was also because Silverblaze knew that Littetrout was much like the deputy, how the two of them shared little love for the other clans, and even less to those that trespassed upon RiverClan territory, that the deputy understood, and even more so, brought about the answer he gave. Turning his head fully to face the silver warrior as he walked, Silverblaze peered into the cats narrowed blue eyes, again, much like his own, burning with an inner flame, though the deputy, even if he shared the same passion, worried how deep that flame burned, and just how much of Littletrouts mind it was consuming. ”We haven’t had any problems with WindClan for some time, so I don’t see any reason for them to be in our territory,” the silver tabby meowed, his eyes again moving to peer into the infinite blackness, ”but, if we do find some of their warriors on the wrong side of the border, then we’ll be sure to give them a reminder as to which side they should stay on.” The deputy’s’ voice was hard, and he lashed his dark tail out slightly as he spoke, his eyes narrowing towards the night, as if a WindClan patrol at that very moment had begun to slink out from the bushes around them.

But though Silverblaze would never tolerate another clan trespassing on RiverClan territory, and if such an event were to come he would rarely hesitate to attack, the deputy had enough sense to be somewhat wary of Littletrout’s words, as well as his demeanor. For all Silverblaze cared, the other three clans didn’t have to exist, or at the very least be confined to their own territories, with little to no interaction with RiverClan, and so it was not the knowledge that the fellow warrior was ready to fight another clan that troubled him slightly, but why he wanted to do so. Clan loyalty was one thing, but personal revenge, well, Silverblaze had already had a taste of what the thought of revenge could bring, and even the briefest recalling of this memory caused the silver tabby to cast his eyes downward, his tail dropping slightly from the air. It wasn’t long ago that the deputy had acted out of hatred and vengeance, and in the sunrises that followed, what resulted had only cost him endless pain and sorrow, something that Silverblaze did not want to see happen to Littletrout. Though it was not only out of the interest in the smaller tom’s safety that made the RiverClan deputy continue, but also caution regarding the well being of the entire patrol. If Littletrout acted rashly, it could not only cost him, but could endanger Silverblaze and the other two warriors with them, potentially pulling them into a losing battle, one which even Silverblaze might not dare to face.

Regaining his thoughts from the brief flicker of despair, the cat again looked at Littletrout, keeping his eyes narrowed, to show the younger warrior that he was serious about what he was about to say. ”I expect you to act as a RiverClan warrior though, and follow the patrol Littletrout. I picked you because I needed exactly that, not a reckless apprentice fresh out of the nursery. I don’t doubt you, but anger has ways of misleading us.” Hoping that he made his point clear, Silverblaze pressed forward, moving a fox-length ahead of the small tom. His words may have been harsh, but verbal wounds would heal quickly, wounds from claws and teeth not only took time, but crimson blood and perhaps, at the end of it all, the ultimate price of losing one’s life. And this was not something that Silverblaze would allow within RiverClan if he could help it. His duty as deputy was to ensure that his clan was protected and safe at all times, at least in the silver tabby’s mind, and that extended to the dusk patrol. And if this meant battling those within his clan to some extent, than it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. For if even a single whisker of the three cats with him was harmed, then whoever dared act in such hostility would have to answer to Silverblaze. It was of course mere fate that eventually every clan cat would hunt with StarClan, but as long as Silverblaze still drew breath, their star brethren would have to wait for the honor of having a RiverClan cat join them.

[Miu]

Littletrout blinked back the light that was reflecting off of a puddle of rain water. The fierce gleam of moonlight nearly made him stagger. He kept his blue gaze on his deputy though, waiting for an answer. When the bigger tom spoke Littletrout flicked his bobbed tail in annoyance. Of course windclan would start something. They were nothing but trouble, killing without mercy. He spat and began to move forward when Silverblaze's stare caught him and he froze on the spot. He could tell the tabby was trying to tell him something important. But the words that formed in his confident mew made Littletrout's pelt prickle with both embarrassment and fury. He wasn't a kit! Was the leader telling him that if he attacked those cat-killers he'd look like a kit? Like an apprentice?! The small silver tabby tom spat, catching the attention of all the cats. He wanted to yell and scream at how those cats deserved to have their throat torn from their neck. They had killed his best friend and mentor. They deserved to all suffer the way he had for so many moons. But he wasn't a kit. He wasn't an apprentice. No, Littletrout was a young warrior of Riverclan. He'd listen to his deputy because he respected him.

"But if they cross one hair out of line i'm cuffing them where it hurts." Littletrout warned, narrowing his blue gaze to the deputy.

OOC: Sorry for the rushed post