Open to Join Nose to the Ground

I did not wake up to be mediocre.

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The scent had found Nightwhisper's nose since she had been out for a solo patrol for less than a few moments. Like any other warrior, the scent intrigued her, she didn't know what it was, it didn't smell like any of the other clan, not even that mouth-watering smell of prey was present. it was... weird. So she decided to follow it and see where it would lead her.

As she walked the lengths the scent lead, her nose was too busy nearly pressed against the ground to notice another was following the same scent. 

Nightwhisper hadn't even scented Duskmantle's presence before she near slammed face first into him, the pushback causing the black and white she-cat to stumble a little. However, she quickly gained composure again and glanced over at the younger tom. "Seems we were on the same trail, huh." Nightwhisper spoke without verbal greeting, she thought that the bump the two just had would have been enough to greet in itself, it wasn't polite or... orthodox but it was a greeting non-the-less.

With a shake of her body to refresh herself, her green eyes met Duskmantle with curiosity, he was likely taking the paces along the trail for a different reason all his own and she smiled "You got a reason for following the mysterious smell aside from morbid curiosity? You don't seem the 'curious' type."

Tiptoe through the murk and mire
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Duskmantle blinked as Nightwhisper nearly collided with him, his shoulder shifting just enough to absorb the impact. The surprise lasted only a heartbeat before his eyes moved over her, an instant to take in her mistake. "Oh." He sighed behind his whiskers, side-eying the trail.

"You sure about that?" Maybe she didn't know him as well as she thought. Curiosity wasn't something he advertised but it had led him plenty of places beyond ShadowClan's borders since becoming a warrior.

Without waiting for further debate, Duskmantle stepped over the border the decision far easier than it should be. The rogue scent lingered ahead winding through brush and toward the distant rumble of the Thunderpath.

His paws stopped and for a moment the world narrowed until there was only him and the Thunderpath. A flash of black fur disappearing beneath impossible speed....

His claws pressed into the earth as he forced the memory back where it belonged. He wasn't that helpless kit standing beside the body of his mother anymore. He didn't want to be the only one making questionable decisions today. "You coming?" He spoke slowly but with resolute.

I did not wake up to be mediocre.

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"In my defense," Nightwhisper began as she followed Duskmantle, and the scent trail towards where the acrid stench made her nose crinkle. "We don't necessarily talk beyond patrol stuff. And even then, I do most of the talking." She shot back, however it was a little more playful than purposefully rude or gruff. After all, she never truly means to come off as rude, she just couldn't imagine herself dimming herself down for anyone else. At least not now anyway.

Nightwhisper's curled ears perked slightly at his offer and a smile wider, her pace quickening "Are you kidding? Of course I am!" She chirped, her mostly black body carrying her forward, closer to the Thunderpath, and Duskmantle. In spite of herself, her paws were light and near silent as she broke the border, glancing over into the territory of twolegplace. "Think the scent would have made it over the Thunderpath? I can't smell my own scent over this path. Honestly!" She added, flicking the tip of her tail in agitation, her nose perpetually crinkled at the stench.

Bur after that, she shared no words, while her words were important enough, as were her questions, this seemed far too interesting to dampen with idle talk. And so the hunt for the scent had begun. At least that is what she hoped. How fun!

Tiptoe through the murk and mire
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"That's true." Duskmantle admitted after a moment. "You do most of the talking." It was a dry observation not meant to mimic a jab, but just to ackowledge that she was right. Honestly...he half expected her to stop at the border. Or chide him into reminding him that crossing the border was discouraged; protecing and maintaining borders, yes. Overstepping them, not so much.

But she was right beside him, pratically over the moon about it. He didn't...comment about it, but now the Thunderpath loomed before them. He practically bounded over the black stone until he reached the opposite side and lowered his nose to the ground. True, the scent was masked with the stench of the Path, but he continued onwards, sniffing until he came to a low shrubbery beside a fence post.

The scent surged unexpectedly strong. A deliberate marker... "Here." They had found something and from the scent he could determine it was a she-cat. He lifted his head to consider Nightwhisper's opinion. "What do you think?" From beyond the fence post he could see a huge Two-Leg den... They should avoid that. Maybe follow the road south where the cat seemed to have gone.

I did not wake up to be mediocre.

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The dark pelted she-cat bounded across the Thunderpath with easy, it was quiet today, strangely enough, given the circumstances and the nature of the dark path being associated with death and such. No matter, she crossed it without trouble, so it didn't matter in the grand scheme of things anyway. 

When she made it across the path, she hardly had time to speak before Duskmantle was asking her what scents she could make out, what she thought about it. Her pink nose twitched at the smell. "A she-cat, not a kittypet, its not clean enough and not smelling of twolegs. Not from any clan, so best guess is that its some rogue passing through." Nightwhisper replied, more serious than usual, more-a-less she was intrigued at to where this little expedition was going to make a sassy quip about it.

With sturdy ambition and determination in her green eyes, she tentatively stepped forward, following the smell before Duskmantle could say anything in return. Had she meant to possibly be considered rude for stepping forward? No, but the two of them were on this trail together now. So why not get a head start in seeing where it goes?