Forum - pussy and the owl by the light of the moon (5 LS 09 OPEN)

A startled hiss escaped the lanky tom. His short pelt bristling, he whirled to face the snowy warrior.

He eyed her suspiciously, none too pleased that he'd been caught by surprise, too busy ranting to keep on guard from all directions (like I should have been). Then Yellowfrost snapped, "Don't your ears work? And can't you see the moon overhead?"

He paced restlessly around his clanmate in a wide circle, feverishly bright yellow eyes roving all around camp. "Yesss, I said Moonhigh Patrol. But you and me aren't enough cats to go out. Bah!" The tabby lashed his skinny tail particularly viciously. Seeking another cat free nearby (preferably one he trusted not to ambush him, like Sparrowflight or Frozensky or even that upstart Rowanbough,) he muttered irritably to himself, "Now where's that deputy of ours?"

Rowanbough slipped through camp in the dim moonlight, his black coat well suited to being missed in the shadows. If it wasn't for his brilliant blue eyes. "I'm leading tonight's moonhigh patrol. I hadn't directly assigned anybody and was going to wake those I felt had rested enough during the day to be up at this hour." His insecurities about his rank at such a young age made him rankle a bit at Yellowfrost's tone, but he made a concentrated effort to keep it from his voice.

"Volunteers are easier than having to drag anyone from their den."

Don't use the term 'good person'

Snowdust held her tongue; she knew from experience how horrible it was to be woken up from a well-earned rest for moonhigh patrol. Still, she never resented Rowanbough for it. He was just doing his job, after all, and someone had to patrol the borders. She did agree with him that volunteers were much easier, however.
She shifted her focus from Yellowfrost to Rowanbough as he came to a stop next to them. "That they are," she purred, "and here we are." Her paws gently kneaded the ground as she imagined racing through the grassy moor. "Where are we going tonight?"

because you can't be good for everyone.

If Yellowfrost was relieved to see the deputy appear, hardly visible save for gleaming blue eyes, he didn't show it, only continued to shift his weight impatiently from paw to paw. He greeted the younger tom with a scowl, then watched Snowdust from the corner of his eye as the pale warrior kneaded the ground, as if she, too, were eager to be off.

"Let's go, then," he mewed brusquely, and started off, the Talking Cliff nothing more than a darker, starker shadow rising steeply to block off the sky to his right. Only when he was already on his way did the restless tabby realize Snowdust had not stopped talking---they'd never discussed a destination.

Huffing with renewed irritation, Yellowfrost debated inwardly whether to continue stalking off for the moors and leave it to his companions to catch up, or to wait in camp for instructions. It may be more prudent---and probably a lot more diplomatic, too---to allow Rowanbough time to to give instruction; Rowanbough outranked them both, never mind that he was moons younger.

After a heartbeat's consideration, Yellowfrost decided to plant himself pointedly just to the side of the camp's entrance, signaling that he was ready to go, and couldn't everyone hurry up already?! They could talk on the way, after all.

He eyed his fellow WindClanners with speculative yellow eyes, then nodded sharply to himself. Besides, this way he wasn't turning his back on any cat, and could instead keep an eye out. One never knew when some cat might snap and attack him, was the paranoid tom's reasoning.

’’’”Yes, lets go.”’’’ Rowanbough agreed with Yellowfrost. ‘’’”I think we should cut down to Rockfield and along gate riverbank to the flatlands. Those areas of the border are the most frequently a problem.”’’’ He gave a nod and began to lead the way towards the entrance, glancing back to make sure he was being followed.

Don't use the term 'good person'

Snowdust got up to her paws as Yellowfrost sulked over to the camp entrance, but stayed where she was, content to let him make his point. One of her ears flicked with uncomfortable amusement as she tried to imagine scowling as much as he did--didn't he know his face might get stuck like that?--but she kept her thoughts otherwise to herself.

As Rowanbough described the route they'd take, she traced through it in her mind. "A nice long run," she meowed, her paws tingling anew as she imagined the cool night air blowing in her long white fur. She'd never admit it, but she loved running next to Rowanbough; it was as if he were her shadow, with her fur white and his black.

As Rowanbough took charge of the patrol, Snowdust padded after him. "Ready to go," she affirmed as the midnight deputy glanced back, then paused by Yellowfrost in case he wanted to go next. After a moment's hesitation, she slipped through the camp entrance and was instantly relieved to feel that the winds were not still this night.

because you can't be good for everyone.

Yellowfrost was gratified to see that everycat was under way. He leaped to his paws and moved aside, giving his deputy a wide berth as the rusty-furred Rowanbough passed him. He didn't expect the level-headed, dutiful tom to attack him, not really, but Yellowfrost couldn't resist checking to ensure his and Snowdust's claws were sheathed; by now, it was an old habit.

The lithe tabby glanced up, just in time to catch Snowdust's bright blue eyes. Yellow eyes, feverishly bright, stared back for a startled moment, then his face creased into yet another frown. Was she waiting for him to go first?

Oh, no. That wouldn't do at all. He'd be taking up the rear, for now; Yellowfrost didn't fancy exiting camp with another cat at his back, not one he didn't trust explicitly. And while he'd never been overtly bothered by the mild-mannered, snowy she-cat before, neither did he know her enough to trust that far.

Glancing back at Rowanbough, then back around at the dim clearing of the WindClan camp, Yellowfrost took a pawstep back and waited --- impatiently --- for his clanmates to exit the camp proper. His nerves twanged and his skinny tail-tip twitched in anticipation; he could hardly wait to get out on the open moor, with nothing but endless night sky overhead!