[oh.joy.its] -- { p a t r o l } -- [x]

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Crystalrose led the way, but paused for a moment to let Hailwind take the lead. After all, he was the deputy of EarthClan, so he should be the one leading the patrol, even though Maplestar had asked the two of them at once to get Battooth to accompany them on their patrol.

"It was lovely," Crystlrose responded to Battooth's earlier question, remembering how the hunting before the Gathering had gone with Maplestar and Twistedpaw. "We brought in a decent amount despite it being late leaf-fall," she added, feeling rather proud of her hunting skills although she was careful to not get too overconfident and conceited.

Hailwind nodded, just briefly listening to the chatter between the two cats. "Nothing seems too out of the ordinary," he reported quietly, gazing around with his eyes intently, determined to catch any sign of any danger.

[Battooth]

Battooth nodded politely and meowed, "So Maplestar's not a bad looking tom, is he?" He had noticed Crystalrose during the Gathering when he had been pushed away the first time by his sister, and he had noticed how Maplestar seemed to be nicer around her. Not as stern. Not as... leader-y.

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

At Battooth's comment, Hailwind glanced at Crystalrose and the black warrior rather quizzically, not bothering to ask, but he still kept the statement in the back of his mind so that he could think about it later. Strange, how strange. Why would Battooth talk about Maplestar to Crystalrose? He mentally shook his head, failing to make the connection.

Crystalrose looked at Battooth with a rather strange expression on her face. What was up with his comment? "No, he's not," she responded nonchalantly, purring slightly.

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[Battooth]

Battooth flicked his ears back and purred. "I wish I were like him," he meowed, "I'd look more normal." He shook a leg at the she-cat jokingly, then darted away into the bushes. He leaped around, scattering leaves like a kit, until he decided it was time to be serious. Or as serious as he could be. He stalked haughtily back to the two cats, walking stiffly and a frown across his mouth. He looked at both cats, holding back the rasping laughter that tried to force it's way from his throat.

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Crystalrose cast a rather akward glance in Hailwind's direction, but Hailwind himself had no clue why Battooth had brought the subject up. Then again, Battooth was often the mysterious and rather joking type, although Hailwind failed to see the extreme humor that Battooth seemed to explode with. Hailwind shook his head and continued making his way across the moist and dry, cracked leaves underneath him as his heavy paws fell along them.

Blinking and stealing side glances through her chocolate brown eyes towards Battooth, wanting an explanation, Crystalrose followed Hailwind, feeling as if Battooth had forgotten what they had come out of Camp to do -- patrol. Remaining alert, she glanced around, hoping with all her might that everything would be fine on the patrol.

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[Battooth]

Battooth returned to a normal pace and slunk after his Clanmates, realizing he was being too immature. He took a breath and steadied himself. Maybe he was just too excited after the Gathering, or just had too much energy. He padded slowly after the two, thinking hard all of a sudden. Crystalrose had thought right, although Battooth had no way of knowing what she was thinking. He had forgotten what they had come out to do. Hunting? he thought frantically. No, otherwise, they'd be stalking prey instead of just walking. Um... fetching herbs for Ivorywing? No, we wouldn't need three cats to fetch herbs, and Ivorywing would probably have come, too. Patrol then. It must be a patrol. But to where? I'll just follow them and hope for the best.

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Glancing up at the sky, Hailwind realized that it was nearly sunhigh. Satisfied with how much the three had conquered on their patrol, he paused and turned back to look at the two cats that were with him. "I think our patrol is almost done. We should start heading back to Camp and report that there isn't anything unusual around here," he meowed, beginning to pad off in the direction of Camp.

Crystalrose nodded and without a word, followed the deputy, glancing over her shoulder to see if Battooth was following.

((-KITTEHS ARE MIGRATIN' BACK TO CAMP-))

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[Battooth]

Battooth shrugged and followed the two other cats. "That was a good patrol," he meowed- afterwards he felt- stupidly. He dashed past the others, calling, "I'll catch you at camp!" over his shoulder. He just had to run for some reason. A strange tingling in his legs was normally followed by something like that. He didn't know where he had gotten that insane desire to run from either.

((Battooth's movin' back to the Camp))

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