Do I Have To?? [[Border Patrol]]

[Breeze--Gone13-25--]

The salty air was in her. In fact, it completely matted her long silver fur, and her ears couldn't hear anything but the driving gales of the sea. She liked it that way. When there was nothing there but, she, the sea, and the song. Oh, the song. She didn't know why no one else could hear its melody. She leaned forward, the sea spray a welcome visitor as it splashed against her face. The water went up to her hind paws before drawn back in. If only she could follow the ocean like that. She took a step forward when she suddenly remembered something. She was supposed to be part of the border patrol that afternoon. She looked up at the sun to see that it was already past the center of the sky, and with a gasp she turned on her heels and darted back to camp.

She hadn't even gotten there when she was intercepted by a hunting warrior. He told her that the patrol had gone on without her and they were probably by the Trickleclan border by then. With a breath to full her lungs she took another sprint to where it was believed her patrol was supposed to be. Running flat out through all sorts of shrubs as she scrambled toward the Trickleclan border, by the time she got to her destination she was panting and so out of breath she didn't even look up to see who was supposed to be in her patrol.

[Sacrifice - Vacation 20th-7th]

"Hey, wait up!"
A voice rang out after the she cat, one whipped away by the wind but still heard all the same. There was a loud crashing sound, and then just as suddenly, silence. The sudden crashing sound, and curse, provided the fact that it was Dazedpaw, confused apprentice of ShimmerClan. It really wasn't her fault though, an accident had injured the apprentice through a sheer bout of bad luck. Things had changed for the apprentice as the moons had gone on, and many, although they didn't show it, couldn't stand to be around the innocent black tortishell.

Panting heavily, eyes blanking out for a moment as any focus she had was lost, twigs and leaves seemed to be embedded into her once long and silky pelt. Soft tongue visible as Dazedpaw panted for a moment or so, sides heaving as she tried to get her breath back. Speed was what this little cat held, not stamina. In fact, it was amazing she had even made it this far without collapsing. Flicking her ears, raising that semi-blank stare to the warrior, Dazedpaw offered a lopsided smile, before going back to what she had previously been doing; panting heavily.

[Breeze--Gone13-25--]

Triggerspeed could only look at the apprentice and apprentice-like warrior with exasperation. Two other cats stood behind the senior warrior, but they seemed to be trying to focus on other things. The air was too tense and one had to notice how the tom's fur was starting to prickle up a bit. He waited for Wavesong and Dazedpaw to regain their breath.

"Do you know why we take a border patrol of up to five or more?"

He asked the question with such calm it was unsettling. There was some undertone of menace in his voice from the way he said it, and his scrutinizing emerald eyes with their rings of gold didn't help anything. He took a step forward so that his white fur with interlacing red streaks was only a fox-length away.

"It's because if we're under attack there are cats to fight and get help." Triggerspeed answered, "If we had been under attack right now, who would have been left to blame if everything went badly?" His gaze bore into Dazedpaw and Wavesong's foreheads blatantly, "You, that's who. Get here on time next time."

[Sacrifice - Vacation 20th-7th]

The problem with Dazedpaw was the fact although she seemed to be a bit slower then others, her emotions were highly unpredictable. One moment she could be happy, the next she could be bawling her eyes out without any real reason. For the moment, Dazedpaw seemed to be in a good mood at the arrival of Triggerspeed, perking back up and bouncing all around the older warrior, oblivious to the tension in the air as he spoke the both of them. Her eyes bright, it took a moment, but as the words he spoke set in, a drastic change formed in the little apprentice.

"I know! I know! Its because you need backup in case of an attack! Otherwise, you'll be killed!"
Eyes gorwing wide, the apprentice continued to chatter on all about how one would be killed, still leaping around the senior warrior. It was a rare gift, to be able to so fully ignore everyone yet still answer any question thrown at one. As he stepped forward, Dazedpaw not paying attention as usual, ran head first into the warrior. Falling to the ground with a thud, her eyes crossing slightly as the breath was knocked out from her, Dazedpaw looked up at Triggerspeed with loving eyes. She loved everyone really.

Blinking as she pulled hserself up, azedpaw's head shot up, and she left Triggerspeed as he was still talking, chasing after a bit of prey at full speed. She was back within moments of course, having lost the prey as something else distracted her from what she was doing. Shaking the sand from her fur, turning her head to the side so her blank eyes could look at the two warriors. It was like none of the words had even proccessed through her head.

Which sadly, could be the case.

[Breeze--Gone13-25--]

((Haha! I love Dazedpaw! She's so quirky! ))

Wavesong sighed as Triggerspeed began to lecture. This is why she hated the older cats, and why they hated her. She was closer to the age of Dazedpaw, being eighteen moons and only six moons out of training to be an apprentice. O f course, just because she was closer to the age of Dazedpaw didn't mean she like Dazedpaw. No, in fact Wavesong had been quite distant and off as an apprentice. She still was, even though the warriors had assured her that she would become more like them in time. They probably thought the same for Dazedpaw; that she would get better. But would she really? Probably not. Triggerspeed seemed to have come to the same conclusion, for with a sigh he called for the patrol to move onward.

Wavesong was about to follow, when she suddenly though that maybe she should take the rear instead of Dazedpaw. Who knew what could happen if the apprentice straggled off. Turning back, she went behind Dazedpaw and followed the patrol which Triggerspeed was leading at a fast pace, only stopping to mark the territory when needed. If anyone got left behind, they probably wouldn't catch up.

((Dazedpaw should run after a squirrel into Trickleclan, and Wavesong could go after her. Then the whole patrol will look around and be like: "Wth? Where are they?" And have a huge search party around the terriotory in this post, and then we can make another post about the adventures of Dazedpaw and Wavesong in a thread in Trickleclan territory. Haha.))

[Sacrifice - Vacation 20th-7th]

Leaping around, creating quite a racket as she crashed through anything that she was able to catch, having quite a good time at that. Triggerspeed and all the other warriors kept getting farther and farther ahead, and for a moment, Dazedpaw wondered if she could catch up. She knew the territory well enough to get home, but she didn't want to be left alone. As soon as Wavesong appeared, and a joyful look flickered into her eyes, a lopsided grin being offered to the warrior. A quick movement though, made the apprentice's head snap to the side, her eyes growing wide as she tracked the movement.

It was a squirrel! Glory be, it was just sitting there! She could get it! Excitment winding up the apprentice like a spring, her eyes grew wider and wider until they seemed to consume half her face. Lunging forward, the squirrel took off, Dazedpaw right behind it!
"Squirrel!Squirrel!Squirrel!Squirrel!Squirrel!Ssssssssqqqqquuuuuuuiiiirrrrrreeeeeellllll!!
Voice ringing out over the forest, Dazedpaw was like a flash as she charged after the squirrel, paws seeming to fly as she, for once, didn't run into anything. The border flew by, unnoticed to the apprentice as she flew onto TrickleClan land.

If any patrol found her, Dazedpaw was going to be in big trouble. The squirrel, having no place to run, was going to become the first piece of prey she had ever caught alone, and on someone else's territory at that. Lunging forward, Dazedpaw laughed as she landed on the squirrel, ending the chase with a swift bite. Sides heaving, the young cat happily picked up her prey, and then promptly fell into some water.

Flying out of the water, fur plastered to her pelt, Dazedpaw finally looked around, seeing that she was.. lost. Letting out a cry, the young apprentice took off at another run in any direction, trying to get back to where she had last been, but running the wrong way the whole time. It was all so confusing to her.

[Breeze--Gone13-25--]

Wavesong gave a distant smile to Dazedpaw as she walked along beside her. She herself wasn't really paying attention to the patrol or anything. Her mind simply wandered, idling over the possibility if she might get to get back to ocean that day or night. It seemed likely at the fast pace Triggerspeed was going, yet unlikely all the more because Dazedpaw would surely hold everyone up. Wait a second. Where was Dazedpaw? Wavesong looked around her inquisitively when she sniffed out the obvious trail the apprentice had made. She didn't even need her nose, now that she looked. In a curvy, zig-zag line, the bushes and wilderness were completely blundered. With a small sigh Wavesong ran after the apprentice.

Even being the agile cat she was, her long fur still got cut on brambles and twigs as she followed Dazedpaw into Trickleclan territory. As she delved farther and farther in, she couldn't help but realize how much trouble the two would be in. Eyes narrowed in annoyance, the warrior picked up her speed by double and promptly found where the she had fallen into the water as well as blood from the squirrel. Oh Starclan, if they were ever in trouble to start with, they were most definitely in the snake's hole now!

She was breathing hard, not used to so much running but managed to give herself one more bout of sprinting before she finally caught up to Dazedpaw. She was about a foxlength away when her tired and aching legs caught on a root that was sticking out of the ground. She went tumbling into Dazedpaw and with a splash, found she and the apprentice in a strong river current. It was all she could do, but grab onto the apprentice's scruff.

((I'm going to start a thread in Trickleclan. Oh, and it would be nice if another warrior in the patrol noticed the absense of Wavesong and Dazedpaw and told Triggerspeed so that a search party will happen.))

[Sacrifice - Vacation 20th-7th]

The familiar scent of Wavesong was a comfort to the young apprentice, of course, until she stopped dead in her tracks and was tackled by the older warrior. Gasping, her amber eyes shocked as the river seemed to grow larger, Dazedpaw's previous somewhat blank look was, for a moment, replaced by something that was pure terror. It was an oddly focused look, they happened every now and again, as though her mind was clear once more. As she hit the water with a splash though, everything was too swirled to even try to make sense of what was happening. The water was icy, and the long pelt of the apprentice was quick to drag her down. It was only through blind luck that Dazedpaw managed to get to the top, thanks to Wavesong. Squinting as water flew into her eyes, trying to support herself the best she could, it seemed that this would be the end of the apprentice and warrior. For the most part, Dazedpaw couldn't swim too well, and if they were not found soon, they would die.

>><<

The large red and brown tom had been in front of Dazedpaw and Wavesong when it became silent for a moment. With any other cat, the silence from Dazedpaw would have caused a lot of concern, but Cardinalfeather was more of a 'go with the flow' type of cat. It was when the faint ring of 'squirrel' reached his ears, that he whirled around. That voice, so high strung and eager, could only belong to one apprentice. An apprentice, that was suppose to have been following behind him along with Wavesong. Shock gripping him, the sounds had come from TrickleClan, the fast tom dashed up beside Triggerspeed, shaking his head slightly.
"It seems that we've lost Dazedpaw and Wavesong. I heard Dazedpaw just a moment ago, it seems she was chasing after a squirrel, and I think they've wandered into TrickleClan land."
Ears flicking back, trying to catch whatever sound there was, the forest was oddly quiet now, the area was oddly quiet now, something that was never good..

[Breeze--Gone13-25--]

Triggerspeed had noticed nothing at all unusual. The birds sung softly and the bushes rustled now and then when a squirrel or mouse passed by. Setting an undertone was the gentle sound of waves in the distance. Sometimes being away from the camp was better. Then one didn't have to listen to kits and apprentices. Apprentices like Dazedpaw. Wait, but wasn't Dazedpaw supposed to be on this patrol. The tom spun around to look back just to turn right into Cardinalfeather. He stepped back so that he wouldn't bump into him.

As the warrior delivered the news, he felt himself getting evermore exasperated and tired of the pair. Whoever had decided that he had to lead a patrol with the two worse cats in the clan, he was not very happy. He turned his head to a tree some distance away and chewed on his teeth while he thought of what to do. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and it seemed no matter what move he made it wouldn't result in much, or it would, and that result would be a bad one.

"Damn," he muttered, "We'll keep going around the border in case they managed to circle back. One of you alert Crevicestar and get him to come out here. I'm sure he'll have an inkling on what should be done to retrieve our missing our cargo."

[Sacrifice - Vacation 20th-7th]

"Sure thing."
The large warrior Cardinalfeather said, turning back around and setting out on a swift jog. He would have to be the bearer of bad news it seems, thanks to Wavesong and Dazedpaw. It was something common with Dazedpaw, that apprentice was always finding herself in over her head in trouble, but he hadn't expected Wavesong to follow the apprentice. Maybe it was a good thing though, that she had. Dazedpaw could just survive their territory, she'd be lost if she entered another. He could only hope that they found those two before someone else did...
"Crevicestar, Dazedpaw and Wavesong are missing. We think they may have crossed a border."
Calling out to the den above him, it was only moments before the tall purple grey tabby tom became visible, his silver eyes shinning as he took in the news.

>><<

Crevicestar really wasn't too suprised about this, although he was shocked that this had happened on Triggerspeed's patrol. There had been a reason he had put the two cats with Triggerspeed, the senior warrior was one of the strickest warriors he knew, which was exactly what Dazedpaw needed. He usually didn't have a problem with Wavesong, she was distant but usually behaved herself. The only reason he would even consider her running away from the patrol would be because of Dazedpaw. This had two possible endings really, it could go well, or it could go very, very bad. Time was of the essance here, and there was none to waste.

Taking off at a brisk jog, which for poor Cardinalfeather a run, the purple tom easily covered the territory, keeping away from the things that would slow him down. Within moments, he saw the patrol, and then caught up with them. Mercury eyes gleaming slighlty, he jogged up to Triggerspeed, and then in front of the tom, flicking his tail for the patrol to stop. Looking at the cats, Crevicestar spoke his thoughts.
"This is a difficult situation. While I'm relucant to break up the patrol, we need to retrive our cats. So, I want about half of the warriors to come with me. The other half of you will stay here, and keep border patrol. For the ones coming with me, this will be a peaceful meeting with Littlestar first, since that is their border. Remember, we are on their land."
Turning, Crevicestar broke into another jog, this one a bit slower so everyone could keep up. He didn't look behind him to see who was following, he would trust his warriors to make a good choice for who was going.

It was time to bring their cats home...

[Mav]

And from the treetops above, vivid green eyes watched the entire situation unfold. A cream belly was more visible from where the cats stood beneath, but in reality Adderpaw was a faint blue colored tom. He had had to stifle many laughs watching the overexuberant Dazedpaw catch wind of a squirrel, but after losing sight of her it became quite obvious that the situation had taken a much graver turn.

The young tom had been exploring, and had only recently discovered the warped and worn tree amoungst the otherwise beachy territory. It was just sitting here, quite alone, with a full canopy of leaves. It's trunk was twisted and damaged by the wind and salty water, making it extremely fun to climb and even funner to spy from. As a serious mood took hold of the scene before him, Adderpaw leapt down from the short foliage with a fiery excitement in his eyes.

He tried not to draw attention to himself, to simply mesh in with the other felines. He didn't say a word, simply took a position amoungst the others, the view of him a tad bit obscurred by the others' bodies. Adderpaw didn't want Crevicestar to send him back to camp, and he tried his hardest not to look suspicious as he plowed on, ears back and tail pointing up, straighter than the tree he'd been hiding in.