Darned Adders! (StC Assignment July) 5 days left!

This is unbearable.

That thought wouldn't stop flashing across Littlesong's mind, and likely the minds of all the cats surrounding her. The unfiltered heat that was beating down on their backs from the sun was suffocating, making all the cats on the patrol pant with each breath. This type of heat wasn't normal in Stoneclan, even in greenleaf. It made hunting and patrolling difficult, with most cats only being able to work for an hour or so at a time before having to take a rest in the shade.

Littlesong was one of these cats, having a thick coat suited for the cooler weather that her Clan was known for. She walked with her head down, having little energy in this type of weather. As she slowly lifted her head to look up, she realized she was a few steps behind her Clanmates. She frowned softly and attempted to catch up, but as she quickened her pace, small white stars danced in front of her eyes.

She quickly stopped and blinked, mewing "I-I'm sorry everyone.. but can we take another quick break?"

Her patrol mates twitched their ears and turned back to look at the senior warrior before nodding, seeming to be relieved to hear her request.

Fortunately, they were at the Sunning Rocks, so it wasn't too far of a walk back to camp. Everyone found a shady spot among the stones to rest, including Littlesong. She flopped down onto her side, thankful to feel the coolness of the stone against her overheated body. Minutes later, she was feeling well again, the sick feeling she had had earlier disappearing.

Only moments later, Littlesong's eyes snapped open upon hearing the agitated yowl of Mistyspirit. "Aiiee!!"

"What? What is it?!" Ratfang snapped, seeming to have been just as startled as Littlesong. Littlesong's gaze whipped over to her Clanmate, seeing the white tabby she-cat's fur bristled up in fear, rapidly backing away from the spot where she had just been resting.

"I-It's.. an adder!" She eventually sputtered out, staring with wide green eyes at a nook between two boulders that she had been near to while resting.

"Oh." Featherheart let out a sigh of relief, rubbing her muzzle with her paw.

"What's the big deal?" Ratfang asked teasingly, "We get 'em all the time here, what's so bad about that one?"

Mistyspirit's fur slowly returned to its flattened state as she glared at Ratfang. "It's huge, and it was a whisker-length from my nose, that's what!" She hissed, earning a tongue-sticking-out from the tom.

"Well, we had better get rid of it, then." Jadestone meowed calmly, from a boulder close to Mistyspirit's. He slowly rose to his paws and leaped over, passing by the shaken she-cat. He crouched down and gazed into the nook, and his eyes widened upon seeing the size of the serpent.

"... It is quite large." He mewed after clearing his throat, standing up again. "You're lucky you saw it before it saw you." Mistyspirit nodded.

"So what do we do?" Littlesong meowed, her ears flattened. She had always been a bit jumpy around adders.

"Scream at it ta' death?~" Ratfang teased, glancing at Mistyspirit, eliciting an annoyed hiss from her.

Jadestone rolled his eyes and then proposed, "How about we agitate it until it comes out of its hole, and then kill it?"

Everyone looked at each other, then nodded in agreement. It was a good plan. "So how do we agitate it?" Featherheart asked, twitching her whiskers.

"Like this." Jadestone replied before starting to flick sand, dust, and small pebbles into the hole with one paw. Littlesong blinked and stood up, before leaping over onto the boulder. She wanted to help, even if it was just agitating the snake and not actually helping with the exterminating of it. She began to join Jadestone, kicking dust into the adder's face.

It wasn't long before they got a reaction out of the snake. It slowly began to move, uncoiling itself from its resting position and whipping its head out of the hole. All three cats on the boulder jumped back in surprise, giving the adder plenty of room. It quickly began to slither past them down the boulder, not enjoying the dust-kicking at all.

"Get it!" Featherheart hissed, running toward the adder. Littlesong froze in fear, not wanting to get too close to it. Mistyspirit began to chase it, but soon saw Ratfang and Jadestone pursuing the serpent and decided to stay where she was.

The cats hissed under their breath as they saw the snake darting down the boulders, and Ratfang lunged at the snake with one paw, claws unsheathed. He slapped it, knocking it briefly aside; however it quickly righted itself and kept going at its rapid pace. The patrol continued to chase it for several tail-lengths until it disappeared underneath another large boulder.

Jadestone growled softly and glared as the tip of the snake's tail vanished under the rock. Featherheart's tail lashed back and forth and she hissed "Now what? We can't just let a giant adder like that wander the territory undisturbed!"

"..." Jadestone frowned and continued to glare at the spot where the snake disappeared before turning away. "I don't know. Our only option is to wait for it to reappear. And until then, be careful." Littlesong and Mistyspirit padded up to the other three cats, their ears flattened with worry.

~---~

Hey all! It's been quite a while since we had an assignment in Stoneclan, huh?

Well, if you didn't read through the narrative above (You bad Stoneclanner, you!), here's what happened. A Stoneclan patrol was out in the heat and they decided to rest in the shade. While resting, they encountered a large adder. They tried to exterminate the adder, but it escaped and disappeared under a boulder. Now they don't know where it is! So be on the lookout for that adder, and other adders that could be in the rocky areas around the Stoneclan camp. All those nooks and crannies make great hiding spots for snakes.

Your assignment will be..

For warriors and apprentices:
Upon hearing the news of the giant adder on the loose, Adderstar has called for more patrols and a few search parties. Warriors and apprentices are to keep an eye out for serpents on patrols and to look in all potential snake-holes. This kind of hot weather is making snakes active, and it is forcing them to find more homes closer to camp, so yes, your character might indeed find a snake!
Some good places to look: Sunning Rocks, Rocky Caves, and any small holes and dark spaces in between rocks in camp.

Searching at Sunning Rocks:
Sweettail/Echoflight/Emberpaw RavenpuffWolf 0/1
Cedarsnake Shiningstarofwinter 1/1
Panthersong/Sparrowstripe/Jadestone TheCandyDragon 1/1
Wildpaw rowani 0/1
Palebird CrussoFang 0/1
Slatewhisker/Songheart Cleverpelt (Done in another section)
Sladerunner TimeSpaceAntimatter 0/1
Searching at Rocky Caves:
Littlesong/Applefur GwentheCatify (Done in another section)
Thistletail/Viperfang/Coyotepaw grizzzly-bear 0/1
Ratfang/Ashenpaw/Scorchpaw Accidental-Strix 1/1
Lastecho DrunkBatman 0/1
Bitterstorm/Skydancer/Morningpaw SunnyTheKitteh 1/1
Featherheart KatyTheBatHH 1/1
Searching in Camp:
Mousestorm/Youngheart MafagafoGirl 0/1
Brittlestep sheldrakes (Done in another section)
Nighthaze/Mistyspirit Umikah 1/1
Callingbird TheMosspelt 0/1
Beechbird JuneauPaws (Done in another section)
Vinethistle chat--cat (Primary clan changed)
Cloudstep TheArtNarwhal (Done in another section)
Spiritpaw/Eaglepaw RaveGalaxy 1/1

For Queens, Kits, and Dovepelt Nursery Workers:
Queens and Nursery Workers will most likely be quite distressed upon finding out that a snake is on the loose in Stoneclan territory, especially near the camp. Perhaps fortify the nursery, or keep your kits within your line of sight at all times? Kits might want to go find the snake on their own, or play Snake and Warrior.

Brooksong JuneauPaws 1/1
Dovepelt MafagafoGirl 0/1 (Possible extension)
Winterfrost PaintedMagic 0/1
Waspkit Cleverpelt 1/1
Buzzkit TheArtNarwhal 1/1
Stormkit Accidental-Strix (Done in another section)
Fogkit adopt-a-shop 1/1
Jasperkit sheldrakes 1/1

For Medicine Cats:
Gather supplies to help with potential snake bites!

Gentlebreeze GwentheCatify 1/1

You only need to do an assignment from ONE category. If your name is listed in more than one, you don't need to do both. You only need to draw ONE picture.

If you are DRAWING:
-Must have shading and a decently detailed background; basically, it must look like at least a bit of effort went into it.
-Must include one other character that doesn't belong to you
-Have fun!

If you are WRITING:
-At least 700-800 words
-Use common sense. Please use paragraphs, spellcheck, and very few typos
-If you use a roleplay you've done for your assignment, please try to smoothly turn it into a story; don't just leave it as if it's a series of comments.
-Again, have fun!

This is how finding snakes will go: NOBODY will find the large adder yet, and only some will find smaller adders. If you are doing your assignment and not all of the adders in your searching area have been found, you can have your character find an adder. First come, first serve. If you are doing your assignment and all of the adders in your searching area have been found, your character will not find an adder.

Sunning Rocks: (2/2 adders found)
Rocky Caves: (2/2 adders found)
Stoneclan Camp: (1/3 adders found)

If you have a character you would like to have killed off, this would be a good time to do so. Note me, and we can work your character's death by snake bite/whatever into the plot.

This assignment will be due by 5:00 PM EST on August 5th. If you need an extension, please tell me by July 31st or I will not grant you an extension, unless you have a really good reason.