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Starting Scene

Spring is new within the garden but is beginning to settle. Prey is bounding and buds are in bloom. Its been only a few days since the scout team came back from over the wall with the word of luscious woodland and hills. Members of the pride are continuing to process this information and its very likely that arguments about the best of the pride will break out. Another morning brings the need for new prey and daily rounds around camp. The past few days have been tense, the question lying for the future is if they will continue to be.

He'd taken the night shift. He always did this - why did he always do this? It wasn't even the fact that he hadn't gotten a wink of rest that bothered him the most. Being alone and the silence that followed had never been something Noir was ever attracted to. With a restless, over thinking mind as well, one could infer how the night had gone with ease. And when he wasn't reviewing the day previous' interactions, he was on edge and pacing at the snaps of twigs to his left and right. He'd kept moving most of the night, circling the camp on quiet paws in a desperate attempt not to wake any of the pride members or whatever possible dangers could be nearby.

The scent of a fox had caught his attention when the moon was clear over the sky, but it was too far away to be something of a danger. Sure, likely report the scent to Dark in the morning, but he didn't need to worry for now.

By the time warm light began to seep through the trees, Noir had made his rounds - at least five laps around the camp - until he was satisfied and padded his way back to the center of camp. Blue eyes flitted around camp, half closed due to exhaustion, as he noted the lack of movement. A relief. His heavy paws dragged him to a smooth rock platform above the Guard dens, and leaped up to reach it, back paws needing to give him a slight push up because of its height off the ground. One last look to the trees who's tips were being coated in the warm, butter color of the sun before Noir turned twice and settled his head against his from paws, back legs tucked into him sides. He let out a long sigh, a chuff through his nose and his eyes glued themselves shut.

[ Otter | Hunter | Mentions: Ferret, Mink, Noir, Dark ]

Two bundles of pale fur are curled up in the tangle of a dense, overgrown hedge. There's usually three of them, but Mink got up at the crack of dawn to begin her shift, giving relief to Noir, who was up all night.

Otter lets out a grunt as Ferret's back paws kick out, digging into her stomach. She expects it, but is never prepared. Her sister is rising to her paws, stretching herself out. They all carved out enough space in the hedge to allow for movement.

Otter shoots upright and gives herself a vigorous shake. Reporting for duty. Her tail flicks and she leaps into the open, Ferret slinking out after her.

Otter tips her head back to judge the time of day. The sun is up, too. It's dragging itself up the horizon wearily.

Otter has one thing on her mind now: feeding the pride. She cuffs her tail over Ferret's ears, who stopped to groom herself. Ferret lets out a shrill hiss and bats it away.

"What is it, boss?" Ferret snaps, wispy fur on her neck rising. She's not a morning person- er, cat.

Ferret's mood rolls over Otter's head. "I'm going to tell Dark that I'm heading out. You're welcome to join me."

Ferret's pelt lies flat. There's that glimmer in her eyes, all destructive blue fire. "Fine, but only because I have nothing better to do."

Otter swears she hears Ferret mutter something about not wanting to get caught on patrol with a bunch of flea-brains. Otter has to agree, though she wouldn't have worded it like that.

Side-by-side, the pair make their way across the camp and find Dark taking up her usual post by the Chieftain's den. Otter lets out a mrrow of greeting, but she sounds more like a honking goose - that was normal in her family, though.

"Dark," she nods her head formally. "I hope the morning is finding you well." Her ears swivel back as Ferret snorts derisively behind her.

Otter continues, "Me and Ferret want to go out on our own hunting patrol. Is that okay with you?"

She knows Ferret thinks it's silly, getting permission to do their job, but Otter is just trying to be polite. Plus, it helps that another cat knows what they're doing in case they run into trouble.

[ Ferret | Hunter | Mentions: Otter, Moon ]

Ferret and Otter were turning to leave when Moon came waltzing over and at the word of Dark, suddenly joins the patrol. Ferret huffs out a barely-disguised sniff of annoyance, earning a nudge - well, rougher than a nudge but not enough to be a shove - from Otter.

"We'd love for you to join us, Moon," Otter speaks through a tight voice.

"Yes, we're both oh so thrilled to have you tagging along," Ferret groans. Another disapproving glare from Otter. Ferret swears that she'd get such a look if she so much as breathed the wrong way. Or, more specifically, what Otter deems as wrong.

"Let's get going," Otter positions herself in a way that clearly puts herself at the head of the group and starts marching onward, leading the way. Always leading; it seems like she'd die if she's not in charge. Ferret slithers after her.

The patrol moves steadily through the grass before veering onto a narrow stone path. It's warm against Ferret's paws, but she knows it'll be hotter as the day progresses, and she's glad they're heading out now than later.

After the patrol follows the trail to the river, they break off from the path as it curves toward the rose garden. Then they continue upstream, weaving past reeds and sedges.

"You seem to know the route to the willows well, dearest sister," she purred from behind Otter's tail. In contradiction to her condescendingly smooth tone, Ferret let out a crackle of laughter as her sister's neck went stiff.

"Y-yes, well... every cat does..." Otter mumbles. Ferret didn't get the satisfaction of seeing her face.

The big deal with the willows is that Otter likes to go there to 'think' (or mope, as Ferret likes to put it), apparently in secret. Ferret was out hunting when she found her sister there one day, and when she confronted Otter, she made up some excuse about scenting a fox and wanted to scout it out from a high vantage point.

Ferret doesn't know what part of 'scouting' involves staring wistfully at the sky, and not at the ground where a supposed fox is going to be. She understands why Otter didn't want her knowing, because she believes that sitting around and brooding is no way to serve the Pride. But Ferret doesn't see the point in being embarrassed about it.

Still, it was more ammo against Otter, so she'd take it.

The patrol is approaching the willows now. They're a pair of titans, towering over the undergrowth surrounding them. Their leaves are thick and full, casting broad shadows around the trees' trunks.

The perfect place for mice and birds to hide. Easy pickings.

The warm beside her shifted. Winnie stirred with a quiet hum, nose twitching as something soft brushes against it. For a moment, she didn't move. Her eye stayed shut, paws tucked close to her chest as she enjoyed what little peace the morning was willing to give her. It didn't last long with a tiny paw pressing into her shoulder, then another. She cracked one eye open to find Murphy staring back at her, tail swishing as he kneaded clumsily at her side. Behind him, Merlin was curled into a tight ball, looking entirely uninterested in the fact the morning had arrived. Ramses, on the other paw...

There he was. Looking far too well groomed. Her gaze wandered to the familiar shape settled nearby. Fae. "...Morning," Winnie mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. It wasn't hard to put the pieces together. Ramses had wandered off again, hadn't he? A small smile tugged at the corners of her muzzle a she brushed her nose gently across Fae's shoulder. "Thank you." The words were quiet but sincere. She'd been learning how quickly curious kits could get into trouble, and Ramses had already shown he wasn't one for staying put.

Turning back to her sons, Winnie shifted onto her belly, immediately finding Murphy attempting to climb onto her back while Ramses watched with obvious interest. Merlin merely blinked at the lot of them, as though questioning how he'd gotten such energetic brothers. A soft laugh escaped the mother. "You three are going to wear me out long before you can even leave the nursery." She reached forward to smooth the fur between Ramses' ears before giving Murphy a quick lick over the forehead. Merlin earned one too after a moment of hesitation, though he accepted it with the same mildly offended expression he seemed to wear most mornings.

It was clear that the camp outside the nursery was beginning to stir, the scent of flowers and fresh moss drifting through he entrance as she picked up the few soft chatters of pride members outside. Patrols seemed to be getting organized and somewhere, she caught the mention of the scouts again.

Of course.

The discovery beyond the wall seemed to be the only thing anyone was talking about these days. She understood the excitement. Truly, she'd she'd probably have been among those eager to see it herself it things had been different. Her eyes drifted down to the mewling bunches of fur that toppled over one another. She just wanted them safe... Her thoughts were interrupted by an impatient squeak. Murphy had abandoned climbing altogether in favor of nudging insistently beneath her chest. Ramses quickly joined in, his own tiny voice adding to the chorus, while even Merlin finally sat up with an unmistakable look of expectation.

Winnie blinked. "Oh, don't look at me like that." The three pairs of eyes continued to stare. She let you an amused sigh, rising carefully to her paws so as not to step on any tiny tails. They weren't the only ones who'd woken up hungry. Her own stomach had began to grumble not long ago, and she knew she wouldn't have much luck feeding three growing toms if she didn't feed herself first. "I'll only be a moment," she promised softly, glancing towards Fae with an appreciative smile before slipping from the nursery.