Wicked this way comes . open , Hunting

[RHINESTONE.]

LEADER ❝ RHINE ❞ PALMCLAN

Winter was a cruel mistress, and that was something that Rhinestone was undeniably sure of. While previous winters within Palmclan had been mild and mostly uneventful, this year had been different, bringing with it a bitter chill and sharp frost that seemed to sink down into his flesh. The sickness that currently gripped him was a reminder of that sudden turn of events, something that he had very rarely, if ever, had to deal with before. The last time he could remember being sick was back when he was an apprentice, and it had never been like this. That had been a mere cold, while this had begun keeping him out of commission for days, making him feel lethargic and useless. It was hardly the way for a leader to feel, and it frustrated him to no end, making him want to lash out at those that didn't deserve it. However, he managed to resist that urge, instead commonly holing himself up in his own den. After all, if there was nothing that he could really do, there was no point to doing anything but resting. Hopefully, it would make the sickness go away faster, and then he would be able to lead his clan effectively once more.

Unfortunately, Rhine also had a habit of being stubborn. He commonly put the health of Palmclan as a whole above his own, and staying within his den all day eventually made him feel bored. There was only so many times a man could go over the patrol schedule in his head before he began to go crazy, after all. So, even when he knew that things weren't exactly taking a turn for the better – that heaviness still clung to his every step, after all – he had still decided to leave camp. He hadn't gone far, just shaking off some of the soreness from being cooped up inside all day and all night. His path had eventually brought him towards the boardwalk, figuring he might as well go and visit those that took up their residence there. Previously, he had gone back and forth between the camp and boardwalk quite often, but his self-imposed exile within his den had prevented that from happening. Of course, as soon as he ventured onto the massive wooden structure, he could already tell a few were skeptical about why he was there in his current condition. He wasn't blind, and he was certainly able to catch the faintly worried and uneasy looks thrown his way.

Even with a feeling of frustration coiling in his belly and distracting him, Rhine was able to hear Vaas's call, his ears immediately perking up in excitement. He was unsure of how much help he would be, considering his small stature and current condition, but he didn't want to just wait and see what happened. He wanted to participate, especially if Vaas was involved – even though he tried not to think too hard about the implications of that. So, the sickly tom made his way over, tail flicking behind him as he spoke up, "...I'll come along. I don't know how much help I'll really be, considering I'm not very big, but I can take something down with a group." The ruddy feline couldn't help the sheepish look that crossed his face, hoping that the medicine cat wouldn't deny him the chance to help.

NEVER OPENED MYSELF THIS WAY
LIFE IS OURS, WE LIVE IT OUR WAY

— Reggan