Open Camp Darker in the day than the dead of night 🌾 01/26 patrols

[Merrystalk Merrystalk]

There was a subtle shake in the paws of the tortoiseshell; he'd grown more than accustomed to the routine of sitting below for the patrol announcements. So when he offered to handle the patrols for Goldy for now, he hadn't considered the uneasy amount of pressure that would come walking before the clan. It was a simple task in the scope of everything else: hand out patrols, smooth out any issues. But there was a routine everyone had grown to, and helping in place of his brother only forced him to remember what all had been lost.

He let a shaky breath slip from his maw, rising in rivulets into the morning sky. 'Is Dusty up there, watching over us all?' It wasn't something he needed answered; it was reassurance enough to think of their first leader safe alongside Breezewing and Molewhisker. So, with strained steadiness, Merrystalk padded up the rock. The one so many times he watched Dusty and Goldy take a stand upon. He was out of place up there, like a trespassing kit, wandering where he wasn't supposed to.

But he silenced that nerve as best he could as Merry finally cleared his voice to address the clan. "Windclan. A lot had come to change in our clan, but we still got our duties to fulfil." Everything was still so awry, so much change and loss, all in the midst of Leafbare. But they had to persist.

"Honeyflower." He looked first to his fellow Gale Guard, a muted smile on his maw, her first patrol since her own kits had apprenticed. "Lead Lightning'growl, Dirgefrost 'nd Sassafraschill t'wards Shadowclan 'nd the thunderpath, see how our allies 're fairin'- Though the ice ain't sparin' that side've the moor, keep safe 'nd watch y'all's pawsteps." Merry nodded, especially with so many new apprentices; they needed to get their grasp on the borders. Especially after… Recent events.

He pushed the thought from his mind, looking out again before some familiar faces came to view. "Hollowmumble, Solacewhisker and Ripplemist, we'll be headin' to the Skyclan border. It's unfortunate, but we gotta maintain our borders." Merry didn't linger on his own patrol, not ecstatic about it, but they wouldn't be causing any provocation.

Instead, his gaze met the medicine cats, pride in his gaze. "Dimmingsun, I know you've requested a herb patrol fer y'all's stocks, so take along Meadowbloom, Jaymoon, 'nd Gorsehowl. I know the snowfall's gonna cause issues findin' herbs, if y'all needs extra paws that can be arranged." The gale guard smiled at the medicine cat. He didn't envy the idea of numb paws looking for herbs in the snow. But if it was ever needed, he'd help out as much as the medicine cats needed to keep the clan safe.

Nodding at Dimming again, his gaze fell to the tunnelers, giving them a watery smile as he now addressed the lead. "Clayspots, lead a huntin' patrol in the tunnels with Silentstep, Harefoot, 'nd Fogstare. Prey's scare atop the moors, so I'd like to see how fair huntin' is in the tunnels." It was something that'd come up in a conversation, how the scarce prey on the moors meant they'd been driven below ground. The council trusted their dutiful tunnelers to traverse beneath the territory to see how hunting might go; they needed as many opportunities for hunting as they could in Leafbare.

Finally, with a tired gaze, he looked to his brother. "Goldenstar." Merry caught himself that time; he'd basically never called him Goldenroar, but this was something else entirely. His brother needed his respect before the clan. "Please take Harvestseeker, Swiftwatcher, 'nd Tinytail to Fourtrees, see if all is well in the unclaimed territory, 'specially before the gatherin' comes to pass." Was it selfish to send his brother to what would be an easy, quiet patrol above all else? Maybe it was, but Starclan knows his brother didn't need the pressure of their neighbours; rarely did anyone run into other patrols at Fourtrees, and that's what he needed for now. A small respite.

There were some heartbeats of silence before Merrystalk could hear the hammering of his heart in his ears. The last patrol assignments had been a nightmare, but he reassured himself that all should be well. They're just adjusting.

"That is all, thank you." He nodded to the clan, grateful as always.

---

Shadowclan patrol: The Thunderpath is already a dangerous and rather precarious thing, but on closer inspection, there seems to be ice patches covering the path. Do you try to cross to greet allies, or do you run the risk of slipping in an already dicey location?
- Lead: @Honeyflower ( @Dreamkit ), @Lightning'growl, @DIRGEFROST, @sassafraschill

Skyclan patrol: No one particularly wants to approach the gorge after recent events, but borders must be maintained. While the fallen snow does not bear cat prints, on closer inspection, there are strange-looking prints. Will you investigate further?
- Lead: @Merrystalk ( @Talonpaw ), @Ripplemist, @Solacewhisper, @Hollowmumble

Herb patrol: The snow is well and truly falling thick and fast in the height of leafbare, but even so, some hardy herbs persist. Don't let the cold dissuade you; there's a certain beauty in the cold--or do you spend the whole patrol lamenting your freezing paws?
- Lead: @DIMMINGSUN, @Meadowbloom, @Jaymoon, @gorsehowl

Tunneler hunting patrol: The frost soaking into the earth has finally hardened the tunnel walls, with fewer worries about collapses for now. You catch the scent of rabbit in one of these offshoot tunnels. Will you work together to make a plan to catch something tasty, or spread out to try and cut the thing off? Perhaps there are more rabbits if you just follow...
- Lead: @CLAYSPOTS ( @Finchpaw ), @Silentstep ( @Hootpaw ), @harefoot, @Fogstare

Fourtrees patrol: On the horizon, flashes of faux stars (fireworks) dart from the distant twolegs place. The sounds are sharp and frightening at first, but the longer you stare, the more they're almost... Enchanting.
- Lead: @GOLDENSTAR ( @Rubblepaw ), @HARVESTSEEKER, @Swiftwatcher ( @Branchpaw ), @Tinytail

OOC - If there's any issues with assignments please contact me so I can fix accordingly!

​

MERRYSTALK He/Him, Windclan Gale Guard, 35 moons.
A lithe, tortoiseshell cat with green eyes and pelt speckled with rye grass.
mentored by none // mentoring Talonpaw
sibling to Goldenroar and Sunnyspring
NPC x NPC / parent to no one / mated to Harefoot
"SPEECH" // "THOUGHTS" // ATTEMPTED ACTION // EMPATHY DETECTION // ALETHIA DETECTION
penned by Pheo ↛ phoenixwashere on discord, feel free to dm for plots.