Camp the thread that unspins // herb patrols

[serpentberry]

[ please check the ooc note below!! ]
"You're more useful out there, Ro..." Serpentberry nudges the apprentice (that's the terminology, is it not? It feels odd on her tongue,) out of their den. There's a tether to the girl as they linger by the entrance, her own eyes half lidded with reluctance. She'll share the russet-furred molly with a few warriors who would do incredibly well to ensure not a single hair of hers is out of place. But she can't withhold Rowanpaw from her duties around camp - even some who she would consider still injured are on her mind as she considers her actions. She approached Juniperstar with her intent the night prior - "My herbs; Cicada took half of them. If anything is to happen..."

They're all still learning. They're barely functioning as their ancestors once did, only knowing the recent past to reflect on. Serpentberry shackles herself to her den, to her kittens who need her, and makes the hard decisions - to trust others.

Warriors are gathered by her den, sent this way in the morning light either by word of mouth or by Juniperstar herself. She looks to them all, spies a soul or two who she'd rather not send out, and slides on her winning grin. "Thank you all for giving me your time. Finding plantlife during this season will make you feel miserable and useless, and maybe you'll believe your time better spent elsewhere -" and maybe it is. Her ear twitches, "- but it's only for a few hours of daylight. You'll manage."

She leans back, her tail draped across the entrance of her den, hoping to trip any kits that try tumbling away. "Owlbark, take Darkplume and Rowanpaw with you. Ghoststrike, Hazelheart and Trufflepaw," she groups them by threes - cats with know-how, with grit, with curiosity and hardiness. She gives the youth a chance to shine and the older the opportunity to learn new tricks. Her gaze flickers, "Thunderflash - do not make me regret this - Copperstorm, and Rampaw." A long look to the tom, who's side would bleed if he brushed a trunk too hard. He's antsy to get about. She finds a glimmer in her own eye as she separates him, however, from one of the other patrol leaders. He can't have it all. "Okay, one more... Gravelpath, how about Honeysucklecry and Tuliptail with you?" Four patrols - twelve cats hoisted into the wonderland outside of their camp at once, hopeful to return with a semblance of herbs.

"Return with anything not quite withered. Berries, leaves, flowers - if it tastes bitter, use a leaf and drag it on the snow. If it falls apart between your teeth, leave it. It will not be worth the effort." Serpentberry looks about the cast of cats she's putting her hope into - her daughter, some cats who've lost those close to them, others who almost lost themselves. Great Stars, she knows how to pick them, huh?

"Alright - off with you then!" She waves a paw, "Return by sunhigh and you'll have the rest of the day to waste away as you please."

[ what's this? simple herb patrols?? NOT!!!! welcome to your surprise landmark discovery thread!!!!! with this thread taking place after everyone gets their names, it will be assumed that these places have been seen prior - so the patrols will have a prompt to go with them as well :] patrol leads are expected to make the threads and tag their patrolmates; if this cannot be done, let me know! i'll ask someone else in the patrol to handle it :3! ]
[ additionally these patrols are randomized however they are pulled directly from the census onsite. let this be your reminder to sign your ocs up if you want to be included in fun things like this in the future!!! ]

Spoiler: patrol assignments + prompts

thunderclan territory map for the culture

owl tree
- - lead: @OWLBARK
- @DARKPLUME @rowanpaw
prompt - the tree is tall, just like any other, but it seems to stand apart from its brotheren. its trunk is wide and sturdy, too, with a gaping maw high in the branches. nearby a stack of rocks settles, and a single mouse peaks out. does the patrol correlate these two? does someone begin the rumor that owls take to roosting here?

snake rocks
- - lead: @THUNDERFLASH
- @Copperstorm @Rampaw
prompt - the thunderpath clouds the senses of the patrol. while sniffing about for herbs, someone notices that there's a cluster of stones, smelling just faintly of mice. hunger presses the patrol forward - until a rock shifts underfoot and reveals a snake corpse. the patrol begins to wonder... is this a safe place to be?

sandy hollow
- - lead: @- Ghost -
- @hazelheart @cassidy
prompt - after wandering the territory for a while, the patrol happens upon a clearing. they become hopeful - perhaps beneath the snow, there will be herbs! however instead, sand shows itself. it seems the entire hollow is softened underfoot. does the patrol find use in this discovery, or are they frustrated with the failrd endeavor?

sunningrocks
- - lead: @GravelPath
- @Tuliptail @honeysucklecry
prompt - although no one in the patrol claims to be a good swimmer, the cats persevere towards the river regardless. they happen upon a small outset from the treeline, where the sun beams down on wide, flat stones. the patrol feels warmer than they have since leafbare began; do they take the time to relax and sunbathe a bit?

 

[THUNDERFLASH]

Thunderflash was nothing but interested in what Serpentberry was going to ask of them. Her new name was just as unfamiliar as Ghoststrike's was, but he's getting used to it, he thinks! His own name was replaced in his mind, even if he had gone nearly a quarter of his life with just one part of it. Thunderflash felt right in ways he couldn't describe. But, enough waxing poetic- he was getting things to do. That was his favorite, after all. He makes his way over carefully to where they were gathering by Serpentberry's den, settling near Ghoststrike with a wink and a grin.

His vision shifts towards their... healer- no, that wasn't the word. Medicine cat? He thinks so, but that was another strange word he wasn't totally familiar with. A soft breath left him, relieved to see her... relatively okay. Thunderflash had spent plenty of time with her over the last moon or so, but it was always heartening to see her put together. Hawthorne's death was still like a cloud over them from time to time, and to see her free of the rain that threatened them from that cloud... well, he'd keep it to himself, but it was a relief. His ears perk as she begins to speak. Plantlife, during leafbare? A frown already crossed his maw, but yet, it was still a movement outside of camp. That's all he could hope for.

And then she was suddenly splitting them into groups. His muzzle opens to request perhaps sticking close to Ghoststrike, like a burr at this rate, but he was quickly silenced. Thunderflash huffs quietly, his tail twitching with mock-annoyance, but then his name was being called. Not only being called, but being given the title of patrol leader, even if it was only for a few hours of sunlight. "Wh- hey, I won't!" He calls back midassignment, nearly missing his patrol mates. Baby blues turned, searching to see Copperstorm and Rampaw. He nodded his head once to the both of them. He quiets for the rest of the assignments, then pushes to his paws, stretching tenderly- mindful of the scabbing on his side yet.

Thunderflash doesn't linger by Ghoststrike- a touch of his tail to the other's shoulder before he's moving off. He's learned in the past moon the less he invades the better, but that was one touch he was allowed. Thunderflash hums as he moves towards Copperstorm and Rampaw. "Y' two ready? M' gonna head out as soon as possible, a'right?" He grins at the two of them, excited for what's in store.

___________________ YOU'VE GOT MY BODY ☆ FLESH AND BONE, YEAH ___________________

• "speech"
  

• 

• THUNDERFLASH he/him, thunderclanner, twenty moons.
  ☆ a sh/lh chocolate tabby with low white and stunning baby blue eyes. stands of average height with a 'mohawk' and spiky-shaped mane.
  ☆ mentored by who / mentoring no one
  ☆ whichever relations / want listed
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ☆ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

WE SLEEP SAFELY AT NIGHT BECAUSE ROUGH MEN STAND READY TO VISIT VIOLENCE ON THOSE WHO WOULD HARM US

​

---

Things had been pretty slack in the weeks since Thunderclan had arrived in the ravine, with cats mostly just going about their business as they had before. There hadn't really been any structure with it, but cats acting on impulse and whim. ' i'm hungry so I'll hunt'. 'I'm cold so I'll look for bedding'. Nothing routine or regular. Noting official.

Until now.

Serpentberry had asked for groups to go out in search of herbs, and while Ghost – now Ghoststrike despite his best attempt to assert he wasn't one of them– had no idea what he would be looking for out there, he'd been among the first to fall into line to receive orders. Unsurprisingly Thunderflash was just as eager for something to do, the bright-eyed tom appearing at his side with a wink and grin that had Ghost shaking his head and turning his gaze back to the front, muttering about keeping things tactical.

Damn menace, that one was.

He was surprised to hear himself called as a patrol lead, having expected the more established cats of the colony to be called on. He wasn't sure how he felt about being put in charge of other cats lives again, but he didn't contest it. Still trusting his own calls more than his 'clanmates'.

He nodded in understanding as he placed the job in an imaginary folder marked 'mission', dark eyes sparing a moment to meet with blue beside him when he felt a tail brush against his shoulder,

And then they heading in different directions, Ghost getting to his paws to meet with Hazelheart and Trufflepaw while Thunder made for Rampaw and Copperstorm.

"We're out in five." he called to the pair who'd be accompanying them, giving the two enough time to do any last minute prepping they might need to, be it a quick snack or making dirt. If they weren't with him at the entrance by then, he'd go without them.

​

---

future thunderclanner - male - a large, grey tabby with dark amber eyes and several scars​

​

 

[Copperstorm]

COPPERSTORM OF THUNDERCLAN

Copperstorm sat silently, his golden eyes fixed on the medicine cat as she spoke. The mention of herb patrols during leafbare made his ear twitch, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind. Leafbare had little mercy for those in need, and the herbs they relied on were often buried beneath snow or withered away by the cold. Still, it wasn't in his nature to give up without trying.

As the patrol members were called, his name rang out, and he blinked, momentarily surprised before his gaze shifted to find his companions, Rampaw and Thunderflash. His smirk flickered as he spotted Thunderflash lingering near Ghoststrike, but he quickly masked it and pushed himself to his paws.

" Come on, Rampaw. " he called with a lighthearted tone, spotting the younger cat nearby. " Time to put those noses of ours to good use! "

As he approached the leader of their group, he gave Thunderflash a respectful dip of his head, his sharp eyes momentarily scanning the tom's wounds. He would have to tread carefully. " Ready whenever you are. " he said, his voice steady and confident. His gaze drifted toward the camp's exit, the cold wind already teasing at his fur.

The territory stretched out beyond them, quiet and blanketed in frost, holding both challenges and possibilities. Perhaps, if they were lucky, they'd find what they needed... or at least something unexpected to bring back to their clan.

you walk along the edge of danger ——･ﾟ✦​

･ﾟ✦ —— AND IT WILL CHANGE YOU

 

[OWLBARK]

A huff left Owlbark at the direction from Serpentberry. His body ached from lack of movement. Before this ThunderClan-thing, he had been prowling for hours at a time, constantly moving and hunting. The sedentary lifestyle that was settling with this camp made his muscles ache for his previous life. He couldn't live that life anymore, unfortunately. The woods and moors and marshes he roamed were being sectioned and partitioned and patrolled by clans now. Being alone wouldn't cut it anymore. So he chose to follow Hawthorne and consequently Juniperstar.

Here, at least, he would have a full belly and something to look after and grow into a strong home base. Plus, the idea of having a solid reason to fight other cats was promising. He nodded to Rowanpaw and Darkplume to follow as he padded from camp toward the old, tall tree he spotted while wandering several days ago. Maybe it'd have something growing there.

i turned 'round and there you go *ੈ✩‧₊˚

• ooc: -
  
• 

  ☾ OWLBARK
  ☾ THUNDERCLAN WARRIOR
  ☾ 51 moons, ages every 1st of the month
  ☾ open to peaceful interactions
  ☾ "SPEECH"
  ☾ penned by muddly

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