Territory SOLDIER, POET, KING ✦ adderfang

[MISTPAW]

Ever since Riverclan settled in to their new territory, Mistpaws days have been the same. Get up, eat, fix dens, help around with various tasks... And then they end the day with fishing and swimming, the only two things they feel like are their greatest strengths. Everything else though...? Boring, and not much of a challenge, its easy to zone out when your heart isn't exactly in it... Thats why, when Adder had told them to come along, they didn't object. Something new is... well, new and exciting, and rare in their everyday life. They're happy to follow along, to be given a chance to prove themselves.

They find themselves at the bank of one of their territories, bordering... Well, they're not exactly sure what Clan scent this is wafting from the other side of the river. They heard the talks about Thunderclan, and subsequently Skyclan, which a few older warriors seem to be annoyed with. They turn back to Adderfang, a quizzical and a little bit skeptical look flashing in their eyes. "Why here...?" theres not much to do here, they think. Maybe fish...? But not much else to do. Their eyes instinctively glance back at the other side of the river as if they'd see moving creatures, or shadows, or anything out of the ordinary.

@Adderfang

 

[Adderfang]

"Because if you're going to help protect these borders, you ought to know what's on the other side of them." He answered plainly, eyes drifting across the rocky terrain. Things were moving along nicely. They had a new patrol and training regimen, HazeCloud birthed a new litter of kits, and many of their young were old enough to start sharing in the work.

But most of them didn't have mentors yet, and some were even without proper guardians. Adderfang didn't think it wise to leave them to their own devices, especially not after what happened the last time they allowed that to happen. Youngsters who were bored got up to trouble, and the less of that they had around (especially considering how prone Pikestar was to attracting that sort of thing) the better.

Mistpaw kept busy, and he liked to see that in an apprentice. They didn't whine or skirt their duties—no matter how tedious—and he admired that. He saw a great deal of potential there, as long as it didn't stagnate. "I will assume you've never encountered those that border us and even if you have...." He craned his neck to look at the apprentice. "I want you to tell me what you smell. Take your time." Adderfang reclined and waited for Mistpaw to do what was instructed.

___________________ There wasn't a wrong or a right he could choose 𓆟 He did what he had to do ________________

• "speech" - thoughts
  
  

• 

• Adderfang he/him & riverclan
  𓆟 Chocolate ticked tabby w/ amber eyes. Peppered with scars. Deep gash across the right side of his face exposing one canine slightly. Missing left ear.
  𓆟 Deep gravelly voice that might unsettle others.
  𓆟 Would and will kill a man.
  𓆟 Peaceful and healing powerplay permitted. For other powerplays, DM.
  𓆟 Fur smells faintly of river reeds and damp earth.
  
  
  penned by Scarlet​

 

[MISTPAW]

They give him a hum in response, moving their gaze downwards to the river. No splashes ring out, a telltale sign of fish, nor can they see any shadows beneath the surface. Too early, they assume. They get the best luck during the evening and early morning, but not much during the midday; they must have some sort of routine that they follow, even if not in depth as the cats. His voice brings them out of their observations, he asks them what they smell.

Well, they certainly smell a lot of things right now! Him, her, the river, the reeds, the grass, potential rain later in the day... It'd take a while to name it all and for a second they think of taking the question literally, mouth opening to answer before it snaps shut. They sit there for a heartbeat, trying to dissect what he means until they come to the conclusion that he probably means what they smell near the border... They tilt their head ever so slightly.

"Other cats... On that side. Stale." maybe about... A day? Perhaps longer, they're not exactly well-versed in how often Clans mark their territory. "And us... Obviously." they flick an ear at this. "Oak...?" they lift their head once more, eyelids fluttering shut as they tune their senses back in. Oak, yes... Territory markings from both the other cats and Riverclan... Theres a bird caw in the distance to their right and Mistpaw acknowledges this with an exhale. "Like a forest. Oak forest." they reinvent their previous observation with a little bit more clarity, not that it added much more than a few words. Now, which one was the oak Clan again...? Skyclan...? The fear of opening their mouth and making a fool of themself seems too daunting to bear at the moment, so they just look at him expectantly.

 

[Adderfang]

He sat idly as Mistpaw soaked in the scents. He does not rush or offer any additional guidance. He knew well enough that staring might stir anxiety, so he watched the light dance on the river instead.

When they speak, he grunts in response. Mistpaw had picked it up quickly. They even noted that it'd been a while since ThunderClan last marked. There was a low rumble of satisfaction in his throat as he responded. "Yes, good." His eyes shifted to pick out the line of trees just visible in the distance. The faint, sweet, and oaken scent of the forest cats drifted on the breeze.

"I'd wager they're not used to marking this far out. Either that, or they see it as a waste of time—with the river between us, or maybe because Pikestar's been workin' hard to make friendly." He gives a light shrug of the shoulders. "Still, that's no excuse to neglect their borders."

Adderfang offers no more leniency to the other clan than he would his own. A well kept border was important for survival. It was something he'd learned the hard way, living alone before he'd found Wave. "Burn that scent into your memory. ThunderClan." He rose smoothly, tail flicking in the direction of the riverbed.

"Their territory hugs this side of the river all the way up to the falls. You been there yet?" He saunters ahead at a steady pace, expecting them to follow.

___________________ There wasn't a wrong or a right he could choose 𓆟 He did what he had to do ________________

• "speech" - thoughts
  
  

• 

• Adderfang he/him & riverclan
  𓆟 Chocolate ticked tabby w/ amber eyes. Peppered with scars. Deep gash across the right side of his face exposing one canine slightly. Missing left ear.
  𓆟 Deep gravelly voice that might unsettle others.
  𓆟 Would and will kill a man.
  𓆟 Peaceful and healing powerplay permitted. For other powerplays, DM.
  𓆟 Fur smells faintly of river reeds and damp earth.
  
  penned by Scarlet​