6: The Patrol
“That rogue is on the loose. We need to increase defences so there are to be at least one patrol out at each time and guards are to remain at your posts,” Thistlestar says to his clan, keeping all expression from his face.
His clan were looking up at him impatiently, needing his reassurance. “Robinsong, you are to take two cats on the first patrol around the perimeter. If you scent an unknown cat on our territory, report back to me immediately. Briargrove, you are to patrol through the north and east side of the camp and Hawkthorn, you take the south and west side. As of now, our territory is officially closed. No cats are permitted to enter, and remember, nobody is to leave the territory unless permission is granted. No cat is to put themselves in unnecessary danger,” Thistlestar announced to the clan, “Everyone, take up your positions.”
With that dismissal, the cats began to leave, going to spots around the camp to take guard. “Sunstorm, Swallownest, you two are with me,” Robinsong says loudly, motioning to the duo to follow her. “Brindlerunner, you take the kits and queens and put them in the medicine cat den, take guard there.”
The two cats follow Robinsong out as she walks out from the camp. “Be careful, he could be anywhere,” she says as she breaks into a trot. The two young warriors follow her, looking left and right as they trot behind her.
Harepaw trots up in front of the patrol. “Am I to follow?” He asks his mentor, Sunstorm.
“You can… go to the elder’s den and take them to the medicine den. How about you go and help the medicine cats with keeping everyone calm,” Sunstorm says to his apprentice before looking at the deputy to make sure he made the right decision.
Robinsong nodded confirmation at Sunstorm as Harepaw trotted away to the elder’s den as the sky started to grow dark. She passed through the exit of the camp, nodding at Briargrove on her way past. “Alright boys, we are going to do a lap around the perimeter of our territory, try to find any traces of the Whitecloud.”
Sunstorm lifted his nose, taking a sniff to see what he can smell. “Nothing. There’s nothing,” he says with a frown, “I cannot smell anything.”
“We’re too close to camp you wont smell anything here, dork,” Swallownest says, bumping up against the other warrior as he jumped forward.
“Focus,” Robinsong snarls, “do not let your guard down.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the two warriors repeat, following her along.
As the patrol reached the end of the territory, the cats began to take scent, walking away from the forest, walking into the meadow that faces the mountains.. Robinsong lowered her head, closing her eyes to take in a breath, trying to decipher the smells in the area. “Nothing, you boys got anything?”
Sunstorm just shook his head. “I haven’t smelt any unusual cat scents,” he mumbles, looking at Swallownest for confirmation who just nodded.
“I got nothing,” he says before continuing forwards.
“Let’s keep moving,” Robinsong commands, trotting away from the two cats.
They continued onwards as rain began to fall. The cats left to go towards the forest, following the stream south. As the she-cat took a sniff, she caught onto something. “You smell that?” She asks the warriors before taking another sniff. “He’s been here. Not recently, but more recently than the sighting.”
“I’ll go back and report this to Thistlestar,” Swallownest says, rushing off back towards camp.
Before Robinsong could respond, the impulsive cat was gone. “Come on,” she says, motioning for Sunstorm to follow.
The duo chased after Swallownest, paws sliding on the ground that had turned to mud, churning it up with each stride. They moved in a serpentine movement through the trees, trying to keep the cat in their vision as he bounds off. As he went out of sight, they pushed on, fighting against the mud. Robinsong slowed down as she reached the corner, twisting around to stop herself falling in the mud.
As they turned the corner into the opening, Swallownest was simply stood there, not moving.
“Swallownest, once this is over, you will be punished. That was incredibly stu-” She trailed off while noticing what the warrior was looking at.
Robinsong's face fell as she tried to keep all emotions off her face. “Hawkthorn,” she whispered, cautious of the answer, “Please wake it. You're alive right?.”
Hawkthorn was on the ground, blood pooled around him with his eyes closed. All that could be heard was a groan as Hawkthorn lifts up his head. “I ain't dying in front of you,” he snarls before coughing in pain.
“Oh, thank god, you're fine,” she sighs, “Swallownest, Sunstorm, you two help Hawkthorn get to the medicine cat den. I need to go report this to Thistlestar. The rogue has infiltrated the camp.”
Sunstorm went to Hawkthorn’s side, allowing himself to be used as a support for the injured cat. However, Swallownest just stood, staring off into the distance, blood on his paws, as he finds himself shaking.
“Swallownest…Swallownest….SWALLOWNEST, You need to snap out of this,” Sunstorm yelled, raising his voice at his companion. “We need to get going. Get your head on straight, now is not the time to panic.”
“…what? What…Oh, right. Yes, let’s go,” he says, rushing over and supporting Hawkthorn’s other side, carrying him back towards the camp.
The rain was growing heavier with each minute, weighing her fur down as it drips off of her. Robinsong took deep breathes as she watches her littermate get carried away by the duo before heading in the direction of the camp, going straight towards the leader’s den to talk to Thistlestar.
His clan were looking up at him impatiently, needing his reassurance. “Robinsong, you are to take two cats on the first patrol around the perimeter. If you scent an unknown cat on our territory, report back to me immediately. Briargrove, you are to patrol through the north and east side of the camp and Hawkthorn, you take the south and west side. As of now, our territory is officially closed. No cats are permitted to enter, and remember, nobody is to leave the territory unless permission is granted. No cat is to put themselves in unnecessary danger,” Thistlestar announced to the clan, “Everyone, take up your positions.”
With that dismissal, the cats began to leave, going to spots around the camp to take guard. “Sunstorm, Swallownest, you two are with me,” Robinsong says loudly, motioning to the duo to follow her. “Brindlerunner, you take the kits and queens and put them in the medicine cat den, take guard there.”
The two cats follow Robinsong out as she walks out from the camp. “Be careful, he could be anywhere,” she says as she breaks into a trot. The two young warriors follow her, looking left and right as they trot behind her.
Harepaw trots up in front of the patrol. “Am I to follow?” He asks his mentor, Sunstorm.
“You can… go to the elder’s den and take them to the medicine den. How about you go and help the medicine cats with keeping everyone calm,” Sunstorm says to his apprentice before looking at the deputy to make sure he made the right decision.
Robinsong nodded confirmation at Sunstorm as Harepaw trotted away to the elder’s den as the sky started to grow dark. She passed through the exit of the camp, nodding at Briargrove on her way past. “Alright boys, we are going to do a lap around the perimeter of our territory, try to find any traces of the Whitecloud.”
Sunstorm lifted his nose, taking a sniff to see what he can smell. “Nothing. There’s nothing,” he says with a frown, “I cannot smell anything.”
“We’re too close to camp you wont smell anything here, dork,” Swallownest says, bumping up against the other warrior as he jumped forward.
“Focus,” Robinsong snarls, “do not let your guard down.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the two warriors repeat, following her along.
As the patrol reached the end of the territory, the cats began to take scent, walking away from the forest, walking into the meadow that faces the mountains.. Robinsong lowered her head, closing her eyes to take in a breath, trying to decipher the smells in the area. “Nothing, you boys got anything?”
Sunstorm just shook his head. “I haven’t smelt any unusual cat scents,” he mumbles, looking at Swallownest for confirmation who just nodded.
“I got nothing,” he says before continuing forwards.
“Let’s keep moving,” Robinsong commands, trotting away from the two cats.
They continued onwards as rain began to fall. The cats left to go towards the forest, following the stream south. As the she-cat took a sniff, she caught onto something. “You smell that?” She asks the warriors before taking another sniff. “He’s been here. Not recently, but more recently than the sighting.”
“I’ll go back and report this to Thistlestar,” Swallownest says, rushing off back towards camp.
Before Robinsong could respond, the impulsive cat was gone. “Come on,” she says, motioning for Sunstorm to follow.
The duo chased after Swallownest, paws sliding on the ground that had turned to mud, churning it up with each stride. They moved in a serpentine movement through the trees, trying to keep the cat in their vision as he bounds off. As he went out of sight, they pushed on, fighting against the mud. Robinsong slowed down as she reached the corner, twisting around to stop herself falling in the mud.
As they turned the corner into the opening, Swallownest was simply stood there, not moving.
“Swallownest, once this is over, you will be punished. That was incredibly stu-” She trailed off while noticing what the warrior was looking at.
Robinsong's face fell as she tried to keep all emotions off her face. “Hawkthorn,” she whispered, cautious of the answer, “Please wake it. You're alive right?.”
Hawkthorn was on the ground, blood pooled around him with his eyes closed. All that could be heard was a groan as Hawkthorn lifts up his head. “I ain't dying in front of you,” he snarls before coughing in pain.
“Oh, thank god, you're fine,” she sighs, “Swallownest, Sunstorm, you two help Hawkthorn get to the medicine cat den. I need to go report this to Thistlestar. The rogue has infiltrated the camp.”
Sunstorm went to Hawkthorn’s side, allowing himself to be used as a support for the injured cat. However, Swallownest just stood, staring off into the distance, blood on his paws, as he finds himself shaking.
“Swallownest…Swallownest….SWALLOWNEST, You need to snap out of this,” Sunstorm yelled, raising his voice at his companion. “We need to get going. Get your head on straight, now is not the time to panic.”
“…what? What…Oh, right. Yes, let’s go,” he says, rushing over and supporting Hawkthorn’s other side, carrying him back towards the camp.
The rain was growing heavier with each minute, weighing her fur down as it drips off of her. Robinsong took deep breathes as she watches her littermate get carried away by the duo before heading in the direction of the camp, going straight towards the leader’s den to talk to Thistlestar.