Talonclan Border Patrol (27/10)

[ℓυиαя]

The lithe grey tom moved on light feet expertly over the Talonclan terrain, his ears and eyes alert. Moving at an average pace so that the rest of the patrol, Duskpaw and Maple breeze could keep up. He had to force himself to stay out of the shadows as it wasn't just him now, he had a group to lead. Ears moving to take in all the sounds, Ashnight turned to look at his new apprentice Duskpaw. "On a border patrol, we are looking for anything out of the ordinary as well as strengthening the border markings. What do you think could be something put of the ordinary for a border?" They hadn't had a proper training session yet but this would be beneficial to the young apprentice. Because Talonclan was far north of the other clans, they didn't share borders as much but it was important to still check, especially as anything could hide in the rocky crevaces of the mountain they called their home. Flicking his tail to adknowledge Maplebreeze, the slender tom stopped near a large tree on the edge of their border and looked around with narrowed eyes.

Lightningtrail and Icestorm

[Icestorm]

Maplebreeze followed Ashnight quietly and closely. Letting the gray tom lead the way though. Maplebreeze watched the area closely, he may be lazy but he was bound to keep the clan in shape. After all that was what he agreed to when he joined the clan. His green eyes scanning beyond the borders. The snow covered rocks seemed to be losing the snow as new leaf came closer. He was glad, the cold reminded him of his past - one he just wasn't sure about anymore.

Although he could do without the apprentice. His gaze rested on Duskpaw. Having Ashnight teaching Duskpaw was going to drag this out longer than it needed to be. The orange tabby held his tongue though, which even surprised him. All apprentices had to learn sometime, maybe he could even help today, maybe.

[Lightningtrail]

((I am so sorry for the delay!))

Duskpaw followed Ashnight carefully, her paws falling where his picked up off the ground. Her eyes searched the surrounding landscape, not because she was looking for differences in the territory, but instead looking at the territory itself. This was her first time out of camp, and the harsh beauty of the rocks and rubble surprised her. After being trapped in a cave for so long, she was relieved that she could be outside.

but Mapleblaze was...a bit unnerving. He kept watching her, and she felt as though he did not want a new apprentice hindering the patrol. She just hoped that she would do well, and in anything would add to the border patrol. "Um, if there are any bones or carcasses that do not smell like TalonClan, there might be intruders," She stated, hoping that this was close to the answer Ashnight had been looking for.

[ℓυиαя]

OOC: Thats ok, I'm pretty sure I tagged you in it wrong, I only just changed it :3

IC: Ahh he loved the silence and Talonclan's territory sure looked beautiful today. It was almost new leaf and that managed to put the normally silent tom in a good mood. If there was one thing the slender grey tom hated more than noise, it was failure and he was determined to not let his apprentice down. Raising his head, he opened his mouth to take in the surrounding scents, nothing unusual so far but things could quickly change. Talonclan often had to deal with powerful predators rather than clan to clan disputes so anything was on the cards.


Nodding with a sharp indication of his head and Duskpaw's words, the grey tom flicked his tail in approval, his face stony set but his gaze warm towards the young apprentice. Good, she was a fast learner and had good intuition, something that was needed with him as a mentor. Golden eyes slashed to Maplebreeze, he could be wrong but was the other tom getting disgruntled with the training? "Anything you want to add?" he inquired in an almost too calm voice. For a cat that had plenty of time to lie in wait, his patience seemed to die out when it came to other cats and their disrespect, not that he usually confronted others about it. Generally he was just silently put on edge. His words were to encourage the other tom to make the most of the patrol and perhaps help in the training, after all Ashnight very very rarely took on apprentices. He had a lot to offer but generally went purposely unnoticed by the clan. 

[Icestorm]

Maplebreeze was shocked to hear the answer out of the new apprentice. Someone had taught her well it would seem. This may go faster yet, he hoped. He honestly just wanted to go back and take a nap in his soft moss bed. Hopefully if his apprentice had refreshed his nest at least like.

His ears perked as Ashnight finally said something to his apprentice, no to him. Why in the world is he talking to me? I'm not the one in training. He looked to Duskpaw and let out a sigh. Great somehow I got pulled in training. Fine. Maplebreeze figured if he said something it would help move things along, "Hmm, well I would have to say think before you act, and don't let your anger get the best of you when you spot an intruder." His mentor had always failed to teach him that, but luckly he already knew that lesson before coming to the clan.

[Lightningtrail]

((I am so sorry for the delay, my computer broke. but I am on my mother's now.))

Duskpaw looked to Ashnight, studying him for a sign that she had done well. Luckily, she found what she was looking for, buried in the tom's gaze. Her own featured softened, knowing now that she had done well. She turned to glance at Maplebreeze, and hoped that she had also made him not think so poorly of her. Rushkit, well, now Rushpaw, had always loved to rant about the different ways a cat could help the clan. Whether he heard these things from an older cat, or he came up with them himself, Duskpaw did not know. but either way, she learned a lot from that unlikable, but logical tom.

Duskpaw turned to look at Maplebreeze yet again, curious on what the tom had to say. Honestly, she did not like him that much. He seemed pretty sullen and disgruntled. but she was sure that he at least had some good advice to share. She gave the tom a nod, and blinked slowly to show her gratitude for his tip. She gave the air a sniff, wondering if there was anything worth smelling. Whether it was that there was truly nothing out there, or her fresh, apprentice nose was not powerful enough yet, she did not smell a single thing out of the ordinary.

[ℓυиαя]

OOC: No worries, silly technology aha

IC: Having already picked up on Maplebreeze's unenthusiasm, Ashnight had to force himself to nod at the tom's reply. Surely the tom could pretend he wanted to be dutiful to the clan? Was that too much to ask? His actions said nothing of his thoughts but his eyes said otherwise as they met with the eyes of Maplebreeze. If possible, his eyes would have incincerated anything in their path, which would have been bad news for the dissinterested tom. In his defense though, that was a good tidbit for the young apprentice. Forcing himself to keep that in mind, Ashnight pulled his gaze back to the Talonclan territory ahead of them and started off again at a leisurely pace. Was Ashnight unintentionally trying to wind up the other tom? No, sometimes things happened that others had no control over and Maplebreeze would just have to suck it up and act interested for once. Plus, there was coaching to do. 

Raising his head with his mouth slightly parted to the breeze, the slender grey warrior smelled something on the wind and slowed his pace so that he could indicate to Duskpaw to scent the air with a swift flick of his ears. He could smell the stale scent trail of a dangerous predator that was at least 4 sunrises old, but nevertheless it was still there and a good thing to show the young apprentice. However stale, they were still to move quickly and be on alert as anything could happen. Signaling to Maplebreeze with his tail, all professional, the grey tom watched with careful eyes. 

[Icestorm]

Maplebreeze watched the two as they continued on the patrol. He could feel a tension between them and himself. It was something he was used to. Either they liked him or they didn't. His feelings wouldn't be hurt. He was honest with others and himself. It seemed that his honesty was off putting for these two. The orange tom let out a small yawn. Oh well. He knew there was no point in really thinking about it.

Maplebreeze had scented the stale smell of a predator. It was old, but he knew they should still check it out. He was about to say something to Ashnight, when he noticed the gray tom's tail signal. He stopped for a moment, waiting for Ashnight's decision.

[Lightningtrail]

Duskpaw could not help but to flinch away from the fire filling Ashnight's gaze as he looked at the other tom. She hated conflict, why couldn't every cat get along? Her eyes drifted to her paws as they made small circles in the dirt. Feet are so strange, she thought, her eyes glued to her fore-paws and the markings they were making in the dirt. It was a habit of hers. Whenever stress or anxiety ate at her, she searched for something else to focus on. Usually, they were her feet.

She was shocked out of her gazing as she noticed a tail flicking in the corner of her eye. She jumped a bit, as though she had just been awaken by a dream. "Um, oh yeah. Okay," She whispered, her eyes turning towards the direction Ashnight had directed her. She parted her lips and inhaled deeply, searching for a scent. Just a hint of predator was in the air, at least to her nose. "It is old though, right?" She asked quietly, worried that anything she might say could start another battle of glaring.

[ℓυиαя]

Turning his grey head to look at his apprentice as she scented the air, Ashnight's gaze was soft. He could see she was struggling with the tension between himself and the other tom and so he made a silent promise to tone it down.. a little. Not that anything had really gone down anyway. For once, there wasn't just him to worry about, there was her too. He wasn't alone anymore. Nodding agreement at her words, the normally staunch Talonclan warrior looking a little gentle, Ashnight turned his gaze back in the direction of the stench. For a moment it looked like he wasn't going to say anything but then he spoke in his blunt, cut voice. "Old but dangerous." He paused and took a few steps foward, his gaze raking over the landscape. "Our duty to find out the full risk and potential problem." With that, the slender grey warrior slinked off into the scenery, making sure to make enough noise so that the patrol knew where he was. He had a habit of disappearing on other cats and now was not the time to be doing so. The stench increased as Ashnight rounded a bend, the sharp terrain of Talonclan's territory cutting into his pads. There, a burrow neatly hidden in the landscape of jagged rocks and the occasional weed. On closer, cautious inspection, a flick of his tail indicated to the others that the inhabitants had moved on, north at a guess. There was no problems here. For now. It could later be the home to another. The best thing to do would be to cave in the burrow rather than leave out a welcome mat.