The young Bengal she-cat smiled- part of her unsure of how to answer him and the other part felt so at home sitting beside him staring out at the grassland. Butterflies had taken up a permanent home in her belly it seemed, because as soon as Scorchedsky touched her paw- they were fluttering again. "I have faith in Starclan- more so than the rest of my clan-mates do. Sometimes I wonder if it would kill them to let our ancestors take precedent in our lives. I'm not very religious, but I know it would do Eclipseclan some good if they weren't all so hard-headed." She huffed, pale grey orbs drifting up toward the sky. The sun had started it's daily decent and she knew that if they wasted anymore time here they'd miss the battle patrol. Spottedpaw wanted more than anything to stay like this, the warmth of the sun encircling her pelt while she sat beside Scorchedsky and enjoyed the view of Sunclan's territory. Oh Starclan! Why couldn't her mother choose Sunclan over Eclipseclan. She wanted to spend more time with him- talk about everything, learn about his life, and meet his baby sister! However, Spottedpaw had a feeling that the alliance would end sometime soon. With the upcoming battle- whether they won or lost- Eclipseclan and Sunclan would return to their respective camps. All friendships that had been forged between the clans were to stop at once. "I'm gorgeous- it's too hard for you to keep your eyes offa me." She leaned over and swiped his cheek with her tongue before hopping to her paws. "The only cat's attention I want on me is a certain sunclanner." She flicked his shoulder once again, a mischievous grin capturing her face. "We better get back to camp- this rabbit isn't gonna carry itself." The apprentice was finding a lot of joy in teasing Scorchedsky, especially if brought about his flustered reactions. It was cute, seeing the face he'd make before trying to come up with something smooth to say.
Scorchedsky's ears fell, at her heart breaking answer. "I'm so sorry, Spottedpaw. That's a very rough thing to be going through, but I feel your pain." he covered her paw with his own. "I know what it's like to feel lost, like you don't belong. Trying to prove yourself over, and over. Not just to your clan, but to yourself. That's why i'm here after all, taking care of my baby sister. But one look at the plains and I knew I couldn't be anywhere else. Perhaps you just need to find where your meant to be. Starclan will guide your paws." he meowed, Withdrawing his paw at her teasing comment. He grinned back before feigning indignation "Hey now, I've barely spoken to anyone since my joining." Scorchedsky paused, his ears growing hot. She thought him handsome? No cat had ever said anything like that to him before, besides his mother. Ah, no! Now he was thinking about his mom! He looked down at her "I bet you capture the attention of every tom in your clan, though. You and that beautiful face, and spicy aura." he purred, clearly getting flustered. I am really beginning to wish she were a Sunclanner. Scorchedsky thought, his eyes taking in every detail of Spottedpaw's gorgeous spotted coat and picture perfect face.
Spottedpaw began to groom the blood from her paws- the taste different from the mice she was so used to. She liked the taste of rabbit better, a small smile tugging the corners of him lips. It might actually be her new favorite! She glanced at him, amusement written across her face when he started dancing. "You look ridiculous!" She breathed out a laugh, "Is that how I looked." The young Bengal question, shaking her behind again. It felt weird to goof off, especially because she'd be scolded for it if she were with an eclipseclan warrior. It's not like she hated her home, she just never really felt like she fit in. Mosspaw was so different from her- a real warrior, always ready to fight, but Spottedpaw preferred to stay in camp and clean up the clearing. She also now discovered hunting was one of her favorite things to do. Her right ear twitched at the softness in his voice, grey eyes snapping to look at him with concern.
Was she okay? The spotted feline sat back on her haunches as she thought about her answer. Up until now- she thought she'd take her mother's place as the kit giver to Eclipseclan. She could picture it right now, her life spent confined in the nursery walls. While she did want a family, what she didn't want was for that to be her purpose in life. "I'm okay- a little lost on my journey. I'm not sure where I belong anymore. I'm just kinda alone. My mother passed along time ago and my siblings and I don't talk much." Sadness had clouded her eyes, but she cleared her throat. Why was she telling him this? They barely knew each other. "I'm sure you charm all the she-cats back home. You and that stupidly handsome face." She grinned.
Scorchedsky's eyes were round as moons in awe of her masterfully executed kill. Her running technique was so close to a Sunclanner that it was hard for him to believe Spottedpaw wasn't Sunclan born. It felt like she was meant to be here, on the warm windy plains chasing rabbits with him. The sandy warrior cracked a broad smile when the bengal celebrated her first catch with the most adorable victory dance he had ever seen, and this caused him to act on impulse, bounding up to her with a playful jig of his own. "What a catch!" he said, grinning all the while. "You're a natural! I especially love the way you stopped it with your claws." He paused as she looked at him with those gorgeous stormy grey eyes, wide and searching, and his heart rate sped up. "Hey," he meowed his voice softer than it had ever been, besides when he spoke to his kit sister Arctickit. "Are you okay, Spottedpaw?" he meowed, concern plain on his face. Was she embarrassed at her celebration? He hoped not, he would never judge her. It was her first kill, and that was a huge milestone for any cat. Could it be about something more? He didn't know what she really thought of her clan, but it was coming to his attention that something was off. He had missed something. The way she had spoken about her battle oriented clan earlier...was she unhappy?
Her pale grey eyes sparkled, warmth hugging her chest at his words. She rarely ever got praises such as these back in Eclipseclan, but that's to be expected. The feeling of being encouraged and told that your ideas are valid gave Spottedpaw a burst of energy. She was determined to impress Scorchedsky and for the life of her she couldn't understand why. She had always thought of herself as an independent feline who didn't need anyone else's acceptance, but her own. Then again, her mother had been a kittypet and that is seen as a weakness. As a result, Spottedpaw craved approval and having this handsome sunclanner's gaze on her made her feel alive. The young she-cat was so lost in her thoughts that she almost forgot what they'd come out here to do. She narrowed her eyes on the movement, ears perked and listening as Scorchedsky enacted their plan. She shifted at the last moment, her weight falling to her back legs as the hare jumped into view. Not yet. She thought, grey eyes focused on the panicked creature. Spottedpaw held her breath and at the exact moment the rabbit took note of her presence, the agile eclipseclanner was off. The apprentice propelled herself forward using her back legs- her momentum turning her into a rocket. Her claws dug into the rear of the rabbit, blood soaking her paws as she brought herself forward to clamp her jaws around it's neck. With as much force as she could muster, she snapped it's neck. This all happened in one fluid motion as she herself and the hare came to stop. Surprise flickered across her pretty face at the sight of the creature dead beneath her. "Wow." She uttered before turning to jump around and do a little victory dance. "let's see any of my clan-mates do that!" She practically yowled, ears flattening against her head immediately after. "Scorchedsky." she turned, searching the plains for the tom.
Scorchedsky purred again, her eagerness made his stomach do back flips. She was so lovely, and he caught himself appreciating her form, the way she crouched was perfect and he was confident any prey would notice her until it was too late. "Splendid idea," he replied. "I'll drive it your way." before he could stop himself he leaned forward and rasped his tongue over one of her perfect pointed ears. He blinked warmly, purple meeting grey for just a heartbeat as his eyes met hers. He then gave her a wicked grin and sped off with quiet, powerful grace. He rushed in to the wind towards the hare Spottedpaw had pointed out, just seeing it's long grey-brown ears over the lush grass. As he neared the unsuspecting prey, he leaped over the patch of grass to land on it's opposite side. Scorchedsky smirked as the hare became startled and launched away in a panicked flurry of fur and powerful back legs. The rabbit tried to veer right, so he dashed over to cut it off, lunging and missing, It took off to the left, and one again he lunged...and missed! All according to plan. The hare rocketed off in Spottedpaw's direction with Scorchedsky hot on it's heels, pushing hard in to the soil with his claws to boost his speed. It was quite a good sized rabbit, he reflected in his chase, the kittens in Eclipseclan could really use this kill after all they had been through this day.
Spottedpaw got lost in the view again, a small smile capturing his lips as she tried to memorize the scene before her. She wanted to remember this moment, because she knew once Eclipseclan and Sunclan departed ways, she'd never see it again. She waited for Scorchedsky's plan of action, but she started to get curious when he remained quiet. She risked a look at the Sunclanner only to find him already staring at her. Her head tilted in question, but he seemed to snap out of his trance because he was turning away from her. The young she-cat grinned- wondering if she had the same affect on him that he was having on her. She chose to stay quiet about it, focusing her attention on the task at hand.
"Should we split up? Cover my ground just in case." She said while dropping her weight to the ground. Her posture was perfect, but once the hunt started it was all in Starclan's paws. She was confident in her skills and maybe she could translate some of her battle training to this.
Scorchedsky's purple gaze clouded at her words. It seemed to him that maybe she didn't belong in Eclipseclan..fighting for everything was no way for any cat to live, and rage tugged at his heart at the thought of her getting hurt in such a hardy clan. He was about to open his jaws to say as much when he reminded himself that it wasn't his place, and regretfully swallowed his words. She was a strong cat, this much he knew. And it took a lot of courage to come out here in yo another clans territory, and learn to do something you had never been taught. He knew she could handle herself. Silently he watched her pick through the scents of Sunclan 's plains. He was so caught up in his own thoughts, and her rather precious look of concentration that he almost didn't catch what he said.
Scorchedsky broke in to a deep rumbling purr as he followed her gaze, "Well done!" He exclaimed. He noted which way the wind blew. "We're down wind, so it hasn't scented us yet. Now, to hunt rabbits, the best way is in a group of two." He explained. "Keep your paw steps light, a rabbit will here you coming Everytime if you're not careful. Crouch just over the lip of the hill, and I'll drive it right in to your paws." Stormblaze 's
The scents were.. overwhelming and different. A good different. It was all so new to spottedpaw that she could barely contain her excitement. She'd been a babe when Winterjay brought her to Raven's fortress- the outside world a mystery to her little mind. The young Bengal had grown a lot since then and right now, she knew Sunclan territory- the grassy plains- was a sight to behold. The open fields, the space- it all made her want to run until her legs gave out underneath her. It was an odd feeling- especially because of the clan she was born in to. "I know, but it would be nice to know how to hunt. Eclipseclanner's are so battle oriented.. it's not really my thing." She admitted, knowing well that if Tigermask ever heard her say such things she'd be banished for sure. Her pale grey eyes lit up at his proposition and she nodded eagerly. An unknown emotion flickered in her gaze at Scorchedsky's smile, butterflies making themselves known deep in her belly. Spottedpaw cleared her throat and did her best for focus on the sunclanner's words. She did as he said, drinking in all the scents she could. She was a good tracking and even practiced it on her own sometimes, but Eclipseclan didn't have much use for that skill. It took her a few moments to pinpoint the scent he'd described- especially cause she was unfamiliar with the area. She followed the scent with her eyes, her grey orbs pinpointing a movement among the tall grass. "Over there." she nudged him to the left, pointing her tail in the direction the scent was coming from.
Scorchedsky let out a deep mew of sympathy. "Hey, you can't help what you do and don't know. I can help you out. By the end of our hunting trip im going to make sure that you get the killing bite on a rabbit to bring back to your clanmates. This is a difficult time, and some fresh meat will go a long way. Maybe after you can teach me how to scavenge." he winked. His smile fell a bit at her embarrassment, and he touched his tail tip to her shoulder in a sign of comforting support. "You don't have to be embarrassed. It's just your clans way. We're all different, and the things that make us different make us special." Scorchedsky's cheeks heated as he dropped his tail from her, He noted that his tail tip tingled where he had touched her, and it caused him to clear his throat. He started to ponder the reason for this, but decided they had a more important task ahead and forced himself to turn his mind elsewhere. "So, rabbits are fast, and they usually head directly for the nearest bolt hole- be careful of those by the way when your running. It can make for a nasty spill. And if you catch one, watch out for their claws, they have powerful back legs and their claws are sharp."
The tall tom halted at the top of the hill and scanned the horizon with focused lilac eyes. "Taste the air, tell me if you can smell one. They smell rather sweet, yet musky. When we find one, i'll tell you the plan." Scorchedsky looked over at her, her smaller frame and powerful body awash in the sinking sun. He swallowed hard, looking a little dazed as he tried not to touch her again.
Spottedpaw glanced at Scorchedsky as he caught up with her, cheeks warming at his close proximity. She couldn't understand why she was feeling this way. Just a few moments ago- Curlypaw, a tom, had annoyed the living dung out of her. Maybe it was because the sunclannerwas older, more mature and knew how to speak to her without getting on her nerves. They were closer in age as well- the young Bengal was so close to being named a warrior- her training almost finished and she could not wait to call herself an official warrior of Eclipseclan.
His question caught her off-guard, embarrassment warming her already hot cheeks. "I've never actually hunted before." She admitted, avoiding his gaze. "Eclipseclanners don't need to worry about something like that. We focus our time on battle training." The Bengal brushed past him, the tip of her tail flicking his shoulder, as she disappeared into the tall grass. The light beige color of her pelt helped her to blend in here far better than she had in Eclipseclan's territory.
Scorchedsky's whiskers twitched at her words, surprised by the genuine curiosity in her voice. "Rabbit, mostly or as we call them 'hares'." the sandy red warrior replied, a faint purr in his voice. "Have you ever hunted hare before?" the tom questioned. If this was her first time, then he would need to warn her of their powerful hind legs and claws. Even experienced warriors were known to get a nasty scratch from them ever now and again. The most extreme case he had seen in the mountains had resulted in the loss of the apprentices left eye.
Scorchedsky picked up the pace a little to catch up to her side as they started up the slight incline to a grassy hill. He opened his jaws to drink in the scents of heather and grass. The sweet and pungent scents of new plants washed over his senses. New leaf was always one of his favorite times of year, and the chill in the air was almost gone. The afternoon sun warmed his thick red pelt as they crested the hill, but what made him feel warmer still, to his surprise, was Spottedpaw's company.
The young Bengal she-cat padded through the territory- a little embarrassed that they were out here to hunt. Eclipseclanners rarely ever hunt, all their food is basically given to them on a silver platter. Living in an abandoned Two-leg nest gives you access to all the mouse you could ever want. She also wasn't entirely sure what Sunclan hunted, so she was really out of her element. Seeing the grasslands of Sunclan's territory was amazing. She'd only caught glimpse's of it from Eclipseclan's borders- when she would sneak out of camp as a kitten. "Wow, this is amazing." Spottedpaw mewed, glancing over her shoulder at Scorchedsky. "What do you hunt here?"
"At least it's not too far," Pretty shrugged and started northeast toward Raven's Fortress. She plodded along at an easy pace, still lingering a bit to draw out the time she had with Rumblepaw. [EcC-SC Camp]
The tabby's ear twitched slightly. Pretty didn't seem to understand that Rumblepaw was worried for her, and not at all about getting in trouble. She didn't even feel too upset anymore about not meeting any StarClan cats. She decided against saying anything else about it. "You're right, it wouldn't be any good if we both got sick over this." She picked up the small, wet rabbit and looked at the other she-cat, waiting to follow her lead.
"Hey, don't be sad," Pretty meowed, misinterpreting the she-cat's change in demeanor. "We can come back out here tomorrow, I don't think Veinpool's going to hold me up over a little scratch. It really isn't a big deal-- though we should maybe be hurrying back, it's getting kinda chilly and I'm just about soaked to my bones."
"But, I did, too!" Rumblepaw frowned, "I was having so much fun with you, and I didn't wanna ruin it for either of us... but, now it's raining and you're in pain, and... the StarClan cats aren't here." She paused for a moment, her brow furrowed in thought. "You are, though. And Clanmates should take care of each other."
"No, no, really-- it's fine!" Pretty assured her, giving a little smile that didn't quite reach ehr eyes. "I was the one who wanted to stay out here in the first place!"
Rumblepaw was instantly overwhelmed with concern. "Are you okay? Does it hurt bad?" she asked, moving closer to get a look at the bite mark. "I'm sorry, Pretty. We should have gone back to camp sooner."
"I guess..." Pretty sighed, her disappointment clear on her tone as she got stiffly back up to her feet. She winced as she placed weight on her injured shoulder and hobbled a few steps. "Foxdung, I let it get all stiff..." She complained, running her tongue over the wound.
Rumblepaw shivered a bit, and blinked through the water hitting her face. "I don't think they're coming," she voiced what they were both thinking, frowning a little. "Should we head back now?" She spoke loud enough for Pretty to ear her without shouting. She looked down at the wet rabbit near her paws, feeling silly now for waiting out in this kind of weather.
A chill rose as the night grew darker and darker and the drizzling rain turned to thick sheets overhead, masking the whole area in inky blackness.
"It must be almost moonhigh!" Pretty called after a while, though her ears were drawn back and she gave an impatient shift of her feet. Maybe they aren't coming after all...
Letting out a soft hmph, Rumblepaw settled herself beside Pretty, and said with a subtle whine in her voice, "That seems so far away. I guess we'll be here a while..." She wasn't disappointed, just impatient. She was very eager to meet the StarClan cats. Or, at least, she was anticipating something to happen.
"Yeah, probably," Pretty easily agreed, sitting down next to Rumblepaw with her tail tucked neatly over her paws. "Maybe they won't be around until moonhigh...?"
They reached Sky Rocks soon enough, and the last light of day lingered above the horizon. Rumblepaw gazed around, squinting a little, to try to get a glimpse of anything out of the ordinary. Nothing yet... She set down their catch, and turned to Pretty. "We'll probably have to wait just a bit longer, until it gets really dark." She was undoubtedly optimistic.
Pretty saw the flicker of Rumblepaw's smile and returned it, her mood turning to giddiness as they neared the stones. I'll ask if I have any kin with them, she decided. "Almost there..."
(Hm, she's holding the rabbit. xD)Rumblepaw hummed as she thought about the question. She looked to the darkening sky, seeing the first few stars begin to appear. StarClan… She imagined her ancestors with glittering pelts- no, maybe they would have the stars in their eyes. I would ask them… if they still have fun. She smiled to herself as much as she could with a rabbit hanging from her mouth.
Pretty followed close at Rumblepaw's heels, humming a little inconsistent tune to herself as they drew closer to it. "What are you gonna say, if they're there?"
Rumblepaw nodded. "If you're sure," she said with a small smile. Picking up the rabbit between her jaws, she set off at a quick pace in the direction of Sky Rocks, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Pretty was following.
"No, it really isn't. It stings a bit, but it isn't deep-- and we eat rabbits, so they can't be that dirty. I don't think it'll get all red and start smelling bad if we don't hurry," Pretty shrugged, then winced as the moment put more pressure on the bite. "We should hurry back to Sky Rocks, though, it's almost dusk already!"
"You still did a great job, in my opinion." Rumblepaw offered, sincerely. She eyed Pretty's injury once again. "Is it bad? If you want to head back to camp now... I mean, Sky Rocks will always be there."
"I mean that your part of it was clean, mine was anything but," Pretty meowed, giving an embarrassed chuckle as she bent down to lick the blood off her shoulder. "Oh well, I'll just see Veinpool later. He hasn't gotten a proper chance to chew off my ears in a while..."
As Pretty came into view, Rumblepaw felt some relief. It doesn't seem too bad… she thought, briefly looking over Pretty’s wound. “Yeah! We really did it,” she purred at the compliment, hiding most of her initial worry, although her tail twitched anxiously. “We make such a good team!”
"Did you get it?" Pretty asked as she trotted nearer, still out of sight. As she emerged, a smear of blood showed against her pale pelt and she was limping a bit, but neither seemed to be slowing her down as she approached.
Rumblepaw watched as Pretty caught up, and stopped for the brief moment the other she-cat tussled with the rabbit. Her ears flattened against her head in concern when she heard Pretty cry out in pain. But, once the rabbit took off again, she rushed to it, instinct taking over. Luckily, it was injured enough to slow down a considerable amount, and Rumblepaw tackled it easily. It didn't take much more than a swift bite to the neck to take it out. Her struggle with it was minimal, leaving her with only a few scratches. She quickly let go of her catch and stood, looking around for Pretty.
Pretty's ears pricked up as she heard the tell-tale crashing through the grass and she started at a dead sprint after it. She had no hope of actually catching the rabbit, but rather didn't want to lose Rumblepaw in the territory. Her heart thundered through her chest as she neared them and with a sudden rustle, the rabbit was less than a fox-length in front of her, running in such a blind panic from Rumblepaw that it hadn't noticed Pretty's approach. She leapt and took it in a tackling, flailing mess of kicking limbs and teeth. She cried out as it bit her shoulder, but tore her back leg through its stomach as it escaped and limped off, now moving slowly enough to be an easy target for Rumblepaw.
Rumblepaw searched around a while longer. Eventually, a different scent reached her nose, and she crouched low instinctively. Her eyes darted around, until they locked onto a rabbit not too far from her. She calculated where Pretty might be in relation to her, and took a small, sharp breath. I hope this goes well... she thought, taking a step forward. The rabbit's eye was on her and, not a second later, it darted. In the wrong direction. "No!" she hissed, darting right after it. The chase was on, and her heart pounded as she sped around the creature to try and veer it the opposite way. It worked, though the rabbit zigzagged as it ran, making it that much more difficult to keep up with.
"Who are you?" Wolfsnow asked, his pelt tingling with curiousity. Never before had a kit dared to approach him. The kit flicked a paw over her ear. "I'm Smoke."
"Well, I'm Wolfsnow. A warrior of SunClan," he replied. Smoke twitched her tail in confusion.
"Sunclan?" She asked.
Wolfsnow was taken aback for a moment, then realized that this kit must have lived in Twolegplace for a while. "Oh, SunClan! It's group of cats like myself who live together. We all have different roles in our clan and there is three other clans like us but they live in other areas. EclipseClan and SunClan are staying together on our border right now."
Smoke turned her paw around in the grass then nodded. "Okay, let's go." Wolfsnow let out a purr of amusement before taking the lead and heading for the joint camp.
Pretty was startled out of her reflection when a nightjar fluttered up in front of her with a loud protesting squak.
"Sorry!" She called after it, cursing herself for being so oblivious. Suddenly, she caught the scent of rabbit and froze, wondering where it was and if she'd scared it off as well. No, it's off near Rumblepaw... she thought and fell into a crouch, waiting for some noise to indicate that Rumblepaw had given chase.
(Hi Frosty! Please don't leave a chain of replies all on one thread, you can just edit your post to add onto it if you have more to say. As well, please post your characters to the Character Updates Page before you begin roleplaying them, so we can keep the site organized :) )
Light new-leaf rain drizzled down on SunClan's territory, bringing the scents of mud and grass to life.
For a moment, Wolfsnow itched to leap at the arrogant tabby, but decided better of it.He could not take on the entire group of hostile cats while Larkfrost was at risk as well. "Fine. You may have this land for now. This isn't over!" He snarled, whipping around. Wolfsnow could feel the gazes of each of Otgo's party burning into his dark gray pelt as he heaved Larkfrost's limp form over his shoulders. Annoyed, he dragged himself over the rise and struggled home.
Wolfsnow hissed under his breath, furious that this group of rogues had decided to take over SunClan land. "We need this land! Rabbits are rare over open moorland where cover is not provided, and this glade is the only place where undergrowth grows."
Otgo shifted. "I thought you were supposed to live in the open. Undergrowth is where the forest is, do not argue or else you shall find out the difficult way."
Wolfsnow was confused. These cats smelled identical to EclipseClan, yet they claimed to live in a band. "You are from EclipseClan though, aren't you?" He meowed.
Otgo shook his head. "We do not know of such EclipseClan. My band and I wander these streets as rogues."
Wolfsnow's jaw hung open limply as he processed the information. "Why did you attack us!" He spat out, recovering from his astonishment. Otgo growled low in his throat. "You do not deserve the stretch of land between our borders and the stream. We need it much more necessarily."
"I am Otgo. Your....clan's cats have forever wandered beside the Twolegplace walls-too close for our comfort. My band and I happen to have been watching you meander closer to our home." The tabby, Otgo, narrowed his eyes as if deep in thought.
Wolfsnow dashed to Larkfrost's side, nuzzling her fur. Scarlet blood welled thickly from a wound in her chest while several deep scratches scattered her body.
"Larkfrost..." He murmured before whipping around and screeching angrily at the unfamiliar patrol of EclipseClan cats. "You did this to her!"
A large tabby stepped forward. Scars of old battles lay across his sturdy form and hard muscles rippled under his fur.
Wolfsnow turned back to his sister. "Oh, I don't know. We can't be many fox-lengths from camp now, I suppose."
The scent grew stronger--Eclipseclan.
"Larksong do you smell-" His question was cut off as a weight crashed into his, pressing him into the springy moor grass. Wolfsnow could hear Larksong's shriek as she was attacked as well. Pummeling his attacker with desperate paws, he flung them off. Turning to face the enemy, he realized with a jolt that an Eclipseclan patrol had ignored the border and raced to battle the two Sunclan cats.
Wolfsnow trotted along beside Larkfrost, nudging his sister playfully. They stopped to re-mark the border with Eclipseclan. Larkfrost took the lead well after heading back inward on the moor, the crags of Highstones barely visible with the bright sun high light. Wolfsnow tilted his head, noticing Larkfrost's tail begin to drag.
"Alright, Larkfrost?" He mewed anxiously, his attention drifting to a worrying scent. Larkfrost kept her gaze fixed on her paws.
"Yes, very much." She replied, "But how much longer will this patrol be? M-my paws are fumbling."
Pretty was startled out of her reflection when a nightjar fluttered up in front of her with a loud protesting squak.
"Sorry!" She called after it, cursing herself for being so oblivious. Suddenly, she caught the scent of rabbit and froze, wondering where it was and if she'd scared it off as well. No, it's off near Rumblepaw... she thought and fell into a crouch, waiting for some noise to indicate that Rumblepaw had given chase.
Rumblepaw kept a steady pace as she made her first trek throughout SunClan's territory on her own. She glanced up to the sky and tasted the air, as Pretty did. All it smelled like... was cold. She shivered a little, but shook the feeling away and continued on, not a rabbit, or much else, in her sight.
"Okay!" Pretty meowed and started off, walking parallel to Rumblepaw through the territory as the two headed roughly southeast, at about a distance of 50 feet. It didn't take long before Pretty's mind started to wander and she found herself caught up in wondering what the StarClanners they hoped to encounter might be like. Will they even show up to me, since I don't have warrior ancestors?
"Yeah, we can certainly try! At least until it starts to get dark out, we should hurry back here when that happens." Pretty replied. She opened her mouth and raised her head to try and scent the air. "Hmm... how about we stay a while apart and whenever we get near a rabbit, you can try chasing it toward me?"
She smiled, feeling reassured by Pretty's words. "Do you think we can try it? Even though it's just the two of us..." she shifted on her paws, and glanced around, hoping to see another rabbit soon.
"Yep, just like that. It only really works when you can see your patrol mates, though, so after you've fanned out you just kind of have to trust your gut," Pretty answered. "As I said, no one gets good at it until they're well into their warriorhoods. Hunting hares is just hard."
Rumblepaw watched her closely. "That's so interesting and helpful," she couldn't help purring. She turned her head a bit, glancing at her own tail. "Stop... Go forward... Spread out..." she said, mimicking each of the movements. "Like that?"
"No worries, I can show you now, they're really easy." Pretty assured her. "If I move my tail up like this-" she held her tail pointing straight upward. "Then stop immediately. Like this-" waving gently up and down, "for go forward carefully. And something more like this-" her tail hovered just above the ground and swept side to side- "for spread out. Or I could tell you to go a certain way by pointing my nose that way."
"Silent signals?" she repeated, "No, I can't say I do." She felt warmth rising to her cheeks, maybe all of this hunting business wasn't as simple as she thought.
"I do now," Pretty chuckled as she craned her neck to watch the disturbed grass shake as the rabbit darted past and eventually fled down into its hole. "There's a whole warren around here, though, we will probably have more luck with the next one. I take it that you don't know all the silent signals, then?"
Rumblepaw blinked, she only heard half of what Pretty had said. "You... see that?" she asked, lifting her paw carefully and gesturing to the brush ahead of them. She was startled as the rabbit took off, darting away from them at a speed Rumblepaw could never imagine. She was too caught off guard to even think of chasing after it.
"If you're anything like the rest of us, you'll miss the first ten, then you'll get lucky once, then when you get your warrior name you'll start to get good at it. Only senior warriors seem to get them all the time, there's no shame in messing it up. It takes a lot of skill," Pretty assured her. "I'm pretty bad at it too, to be honest."
Rumblepaw brightened up right away at the initial response she'd gotten. As she listened, her facial expression shifted from interested, to curious, and, lastly, rather concerned. "O-oh," she mewed, losing a bit of confidence. "I hope I can do it right, I wouldn't want to disappoint--" She stopped, as a patch of long and dried grass a few feet ahead rustled suddenly. Rumblepaw froze in place and locked her eyes on something barely hiding in the brush; she could hardly tell what it was, the smaller creature's fur blending in with the dead grass, but it's dark, beady eye gazed steadily back at them.
"All the better, I can show you some of the basics," Pretty smiled, excited to be the more knowledgeable cat on a patrol for once- all her life, it just felt like she'd been in a desperate race to catch up to her clanmates. "The basics of it are pretty simple, though it's hard to get a hang of. Since rabbits are far too fast for any cats to catch on their own, the trick is to get a bunch of cats together and circle it, then chase it at each other until it gets too close and someone can pounce on it. You have to be very careful even then, though, since rabbits can be mean. They'll bite you if they can, I've even heard of cats getting their eyes all scratched-up when they didn't kill a rabbit fast enough."
Rumblepaw wasn't expecting the question. "Well," she started, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I actually haven't been an Apprentice for very long..." she trailed off, hoping that was enough to explain the situation. A small part of her worried if her lack of experience would be a problem. Pretty was very friendly, and Rumblepaw was excited to be able to learn a thing or two from her, but she didn't want to seem like a burden to the older she-cat, especially since she was enjoying Pretty's company so much.
Pretty trotted off after Rumblepaw, content to spend the afternoon with a cat who she was quickly beginning to think of as a friend. "Have you had much luck hunting rabbits before?"
She was too excited to properly think about the principles or any risks in the decision they were making. "We can do that," she purred, and started trotting off in no particular direction. She'd never been hunting before, but figured it couldn't be all that difficult.
"It'll probably start to get a little dark later... maybe they won't notice if we just stay out a little while longer? We could just say we lost track of time," Pretty answered. "We can go and hunt a bit, then come back here when it's darker."
Rumblepaw's eyes widened slowly. "You think we could, really? Here?" She was amazed at the thought. What would they look like? Would they look like the stars? Would she even be able to recognize them as cats? She couldn't help bouncing on her paws a little. "Let's do it!" she meowed excitedly, a loud purr rising from her throat.
"Maybe they are? I heard some warriors talking about them and it sounds like they're made of stars. It's so light out, maybe it's like the stars, where you can't see them in the day unless you look really, really hard, and then you can only see a few?" Pretty asked. "Maybe we could see them if we came back at night."
The question made her pause. "Can they?" she wondered aloud, then she shook her head slightly. That wasn't an answer. "Well, they aren't... here. Right now." Could they ever really be? she thought, and her eyes drifted to the snow-covered fields beyond them. It wasn't until this moment that Rumblepaw considered their StarClan ancestors as something more than an Elder's story-telling.
"Hmm..." Pretty considered Rumblepaw's suggestion seriously, not knowing that this she-cat hadn't meant it seriously. "Maybe, I bet it's nice and warm in green-leaf. Right now it just looks damp. Do you think they can hear us?"
Smiling, Rumblepaw followed in Pretty's steps, and circled the rocks, same as her. She was having fun. "For the StarClan cats to sleep on when no one is around." she mused, deciding to be imaginative with her answer rather than logical.
"That's good," Pretty chirped and turned away from Rumblepaw to look up at the rocks. She began to walk around them in a wide circle, squinting to try and get a close look at them without drawing any nearer. "I wonder why there isn't any grass here."
"Oh, I'm fine!" Rumblepaw replied, sitting up quite quickly. She took a few steps backwards and copied the other she-cat, attempting to shake off the snow from her own fur. "That was close..." she murmured, letting out a short laugh, as she looked to Pretty and then toward Sky Rocks. She had no idea what would happen if she actually touched them, but she figured it was probably safer to not try and find out.
"I... I think so?" Pretty answered as she slowly got back up to her paws and gave a dog-like shake to her pelt, shifting her weight between her four legs as she took a full account of her state and found that she was nothing more than a little bruised and discombobulated. "You?"
Rumblepaw let out a small gasp as she was sent rolling by the impact. The snow definitely acted as a cushion between her and the frozen ground, but her head reeled with dizziness and her back ached a bit from where Pretty had collided into her. "Mmf..." She let out a groan and lifted her head up, shaking the snow off of her face. "Pretty, are you alright...?" she asked, her voice trailing off as she opened her eyes. She noticed she was a lot closer to Sky Rocks than she had meant to be, nearly a pawstep's reach from touching the edge of the smooth, stony hill.
Not expecting Rumblepaw to stop so abruptly, Pretty ran headlong into the other apprentice, "oof!" She exclaimed as she tumbled across the gorund and landed splayed out with her limbs going every which way. "Owww...."
Rumblepaw was smiling as her paws carried her through SunClan's territory. She quickly forgot about her discomfort, and found herself enjoying leaping over snow drifts and the soft crunching sound the snow made as she would land again. As she reached Sky Rocks, she remembered what Pretty said about not being allowed on it. So, just before the grassy field ended and the rocks began, she skidded to a halt, and tumbled into a pile of snow.
“Hey, you got a head start!” Pretty half-heartedly protested as she tore across the hills of dormant bunchgrasses, picking her path carefully through them and trying to leap over lingering snow drifts where she encountered then. By the time she reached Sky Rocks, she was panting heavily and about to just drop from exhaustion, though a wide smile still graced her face. “Watch out, I’m catching up!”
The tabby she-cat's whiskers twitched as a snowflake landed on her nose. "Oh! Okay." The short explanation was enough for Rumblepaw. She'd heard about StarClan before, and knew she should respect them as her -- and all the Clan cats' -- ancestors. "Let's go then!" Once again she picked up her pace, and started running toward Sky Rocks.
"Just keep heading northeast until you see rocks on top of a hill, then go to that hill. We can't go on it, though, since it belongs to StarClan, who are all the dead cats. I don't know why it's their rock, but one of the warriors said it was, so it just is." Pretty meowed, pleased to sound so smart in matters of the clan despite her start.
Rumblepaw grinned. "Yeah!" she meowed, her breath coming out as a cloud of frost. She started to pick up her pace before a thought came to her, then she stopped and faced Pretty again. "Where's that?"
Rumblepaw wasn't so used to being outside of the Clan's camp; it was still recognizable, though. It was still home. However, she most definitely wasn't used to the snow. With every step she took, it took all of her willpower to not just stop and lick away the snow that clung to her paws. It seemed like Pretty had no problem with it, so Rumblepaw didn't want to slow the patrol down or make herself look silly.
She only giggled softly at the other Apprentice's comment and said, "Yeah! I hope- I mean, I think so."
Pretty tromped through a snow drift as her little patrol crossed through the territory, trying to put the thoughts of the gathering's events out of mind as she ducked under a sideways leaning bunch of grass. She shivered as the wind whistled over the camp.
"StarClan, isn't it supposed to be new-leaf soon?" She grumbled.
Speckle's eyes fluttered open at the sound, her first image that of a tomcat mere yards away. She withdrew into herself, ears back and tail swept around tan-speckled paws. "Get away from me!" she snapped, hissing, fearful beyond her wildest images of self-preservation. She'd just spent moons abused by tomcats, and here she was at the paws of another. She would not be recaptured.
Brassblaze rambled through the territory. Sniffing at the scene around him. As he reached the border, the tom noticed a peculiar scent, one much like his.
"Hello?"Padding quietly towards the source, Brassblaze caught sight of a small she cat. Was it a former clan cat?
Burdockbone padded out into the territory, his pace picking up as he reached a few fox lengths' distance from the camp to an easy run that he expected the apprentice could keep up with without little difficulty.
Frecklemask collapsed Only a few Leagues inside the Sunclan border, her paws bleeding from atrophied exercise on uneven ground. Her skeletal form was surprisingly camouflaged by the stalks of heather, her dotted pelt blending beautifully. She remembered Sandstar and wondered if she was truly cheated froma life of Sunclan glory. EclipseClan has nearly killed her thrice. now, she collapsed on a clan’s doorstep and begged to be discovered before death.
she was a haggard image. Small scratches adorned her skeletal pelt and bedsores attaches themselves to her joints from moons of forced liesure at the paws of those of the gang. Her body beaten and battered, if a tom touched her she’s would kill him. Even worse, her ribs showed through every Patch of broken skin, but on her waist, a bulge of softness. Kits.
But she had gone as far as she would- her paws would carry her no further. Her stomach exaulted from lack of sustenance And her eyes grieving sleep, she closed them and slept.
Pippa thought that Thunderpaw's story seemed believable, so she allowed herself to relax a little. "Y-yeah, um, Flintstar?" The tiny molly tilted her head softly, trying to remember the name, then reminded herself of the former leader who spoke of her long ago. "Oh, she left quite a whiles back, the clan couldn' find her a' all...Cranestar is leader now." She stated softly o Fencestar, a little confused that the Eclipseclan leader didn't know. Pippa added, her lime eyes flickering to the older apprentice as she added. "We can take you t' him though.." With that, the little black and white molly with a single ginger spot nudged Thunderpaw softly then padded back towards the camp. (SC camp)
Fencestar smiled and dipped her head, trying best she could to appear non-threatening. She was by no means an intimidating cat, but she was running out of patience. “It’s a beautiful territory, I’m sure there’s a lot to see,” she prodded, “But do you think you could take me to your leader? Or bring them here? I need to speak with them- Flintstar invited me.” Fencestar said, wondering how the striking she-cat was doing.
Thunderpaw glanced back down at Pippa, his gaze cold with fear but his expression hid that. He stared up at Fencestar, looking for an excuse. "W-We... were on a patrol, yeah. They said I could take Pippa here ahead and show her around a bit."
Fencestar nodded, already amused by the antics of the young cats. But she also worried- why had SunClan sent two young apprentices out? Was there no mentor available or had they simply snuck off? The implications of either were enormous- either Sunclan was desperate or incompetent, neither possibility pleased Fencestar In a future alliance. But then again, EclipseClan hasn’t much better.
”If you’d rather, I can pretend to stumble into your camp on my own,” she said, wondering if the apprentices were worried about being found in the territory with no supervision. A twinge sounded in her belly- one of her kits kicked idly.
Pippa's ears flattened when she realized the the creature was actually a cat and she just happened to be not fast enough. With a growl as the molly let her go, the young apprentice bounded straight to Thunderpaw's side with bristling fur. 'Kit?' Her head tilted slightly with wonder while she watched Fencestar carefully. "I'mma fine an' I ain't no kit," Pippa meowed with hint of sass in her country accent and a lash of her thin tail before adding, "I'mma apprentice an' I found you." Her paws scuffled against the ground, knowing that she was young and tiny, a runt to be exact, so it would simply be too easy to mistaken her for a kit. Pippa's eyes casted up to Thunderpaw, uncertain what the proper answer would be.
Fencestar let our a meow of surprise as the kitten’s little needle teeth pulled out a chunk of her tail-fur. She yowled, standing, and Had a paw on the kit’s tail before she could realize what she’d trapped- she’d suspected a rabbit.
she backed off immediately upon realizing her mistake and her olive eyes grew wide- She saw Thunderpaw- “Oh dear, oh dear- little kit, are you okay?” She said, making a show of making sure the kit wasn’t okay. She Flicked her gaze up to notice thunderpaw, stepping back- “I-I seem to have found your kit.” He queen admitted. “I’m Fencestar- I was wondering if I might trouble you for your leader’s time.”
Pippa nodded her head then watched the large tom, her tail flicking back and forth. At first, her eyes narrowed when it appeared that he had let the creature go, but then she realized exactly what he was doing. 'How am I going to reach when it flies? I'm not that strong..' She wondered with a small sniff before she spoke out in a soft voice,"yeah! I think I'ah get what you're doin'." The tiny molly raised her head to sniff out creatures around them, however an odd scent dragged found it's way into the young apprentice's maw, and she soon spotted a long tail through the long grass. 'Squirrel? There aren't many of those here...' She assumed, however that tail came from none other than Fencestar, Eclipseclan's leader. Pippa bent down, her kit-like features still twinkling on her lithe body, and made a leap to catch the leader's tail in her paws. "I'ah caught it, Thunderpaw! I-" Pippa squeaked with excitement until she realized it was a cat, not one from their clan.
"Okay, watch me and stay as silent as possible." Thunderpaw crouched down, listening for prey. Hearing a blackbird scuffling around, he silently stalked it and leaped. The bird took off, but it was too late; Thunderpaw dragged it out of the air and killed it with a clean bite. He dropped it in from of Pippa. "Want to give it a try?"
Fencestar curled her tail over her mismatched paws as she heard the patrol approach, attempting to appear less threatening. She hadn’t a clue of Sunclan’s condition but It seemed as dismal as her own clans from the fleeting glimpses She’s had from across the border. The she-cat lowered her head in humble greeting.
"Yeah!" Pippa's lime eyes widened with curiosity as she meowed to Thunderpaw. 'Then I could catch somethin' for Ma and Pa or even Pretty!' She thought to herself with genuine excitement, being small was not going to ruin it. "Show me, please! I wouldn' want anyone else to."
The young Bengal she-cat smiled- part of her unsure of how to answer him and the other part felt so at home sitting beside him staring out at the grassland. Butterflies had taken up a permanent home in her belly it seemed, because as soon as Scorchedsky touched her paw- they were fluttering again. "I have faith in Starclan- more so than the rest of my clan-mates do. Sometimes I wonder if it would kill them to let our ancestors take precedent in our lives. I'm not very religious, but I know it would do Eclipseclan some good if they weren't all so hard-headed." She huffed, pale grey orbs drifting up toward the sky. The sun had started it's daily decent and she knew that if they wasted anymore time here they'd miss the battle patrol. Spottedpaw wanted more than anything to stay like this, the warmth of the sun encircling her pelt while she sat beside Scorchedsky and enjoyed the view of Sunclan's territory. Oh Starclan! Why couldn't her mother choose Sunclan over Eclipseclan. She wanted to spend more time with him- talk about everything, learn about his life, and meet his baby sister! However, Spottedpaw had a feeling that the alliance would end sometime soon. With the upcoming battle- whether they won or lost- Eclipseclan and Sunclan would return to their respective camps. All friendships that had been forged between the clans were to stop at once. "I'm gorgeous- it's too hard for you to keep your eyes offa me." She leaned over and swiped his cheek with her tongue before hopping to her paws. "The only cat's attention I want on me is a certain sunclanner." She flicked his shoulder once again, a mischievous grin capturing her face. "We better get back to camp- this rabbit isn't gonna carry itself." The apprentice was finding a lot of joy in teasing Scorchedsky, especially if brought about his flustered reactions. It was cute, seeing the face he'd make before trying to come up with something smooth to say.
Scorchedsky's ears fell, at her heart breaking answer. "I'm so sorry, Spottedpaw. That's a very rough thing to be going through, but I feel your pain." he covered her paw with his own. "I know what it's like to feel lost, like you don't belong. Trying to prove yourself over, and over. Not just to your clan, but to yourself. That's why i'm here after all, taking care of my baby sister. But one look at the plains and I knew I couldn't be anywhere else. Perhaps you just need to find where your meant to be. Starclan will guide your paws." he meowed, Withdrawing his paw at her teasing comment. He grinned back before feigning indignation "Hey now, I've barely spoken to anyone since my joining." Scorchedsky paused, his ears growing hot. She thought him handsome? No cat had ever said anything like that to him before, besides his mother. Ah, no! Now he was thinking about his mom! He looked down at her "I bet you capture the attention of every tom in your clan, though. You and that beautiful face, and spicy aura." he purred, clearly getting flustered. I am really beginning to wish she were a Sunclanner. Scorchedsky thought, his eyes taking in every detail of Spottedpaw's gorgeous spotted coat and picture perfect face.
Spottedpaw began to groom the blood from her paws- the taste different from the mice she was so used to. She liked the taste of rabbit better, a small smile tugging the corners of him lips. It might actually be her new favorite! She glanced at him, amusement written across her face when he started dancing. "You look ridiculous!" She breathed out a laugh, "Is that how I looked." The young Bengal question, shaking her behind again. It felt weird to goof off, especially because she'd be scolded for it if she were with an eclipseclan warrior. It's not like she hated her home, she just never really felt like she fit in. Mosspaw was so different from her- a real warrior, always ready to fight, but Spottedpaw preferred to stay in camp and clean up the clearing. She also now discovered hunting was one of her favorite things to do. Her right ear twitched at the softness in his voice, grey eyes snapping to look at him with concern.
Was she okay? The spotted feline sat back on her haunches as she thought about her answer. Up until now- she thought she'd take her mother's place as the kit giver to Eclipseclan. She could picture it right now, her life spent confined in the nursery walls. While she did want a family, what she didn't want was for that to be her purpose in life. "I'm okay- a little lost on my journey. I'm not sure where I belong anymore. I'm just kinda alone. My mother passed along time ago and my siblings and I don't talk much." Sadness had clouded her eyes, but she cleared her throat. Why was she telling him this? They barely knew each other. "I'm sure you charm all the she-cats back home. You and that stupidly handsome face." She grinned.
Scorchedsky's eyes were round as moons in awe of her masterfully executed kill. Her running technique was so close to a Sunclanner that it was hard for him to believe Spottedpaw wasn't Sunclan born. It felt like she was meant to be here, on the warm windy plains chasing rabbits with him. The sandy warrior cracked a broad smile when the bengal celebrated her first catch with the most adorable victory dance he had ever seen, and this caused him to act on impulse, bounding up to her with a playful jig of his own. "What a catch!" he said, grinning all the while. "You're a natural! I especially love the way you stopped it with your claws." He paused as she looked at him with those gorgeous stormy grey eyes, wide and searching, and his heart rate sped up. "Hey," he meowed his voice softer than it had ever been, besides when he spoke to his kit sister Arctickit. "Are you okay, Spottedpaw?" he meowed, concern plain on his face. Was she embarrassed at her celebration? He hoped not, he would never judge her. It was her first kill, and that was a huge milestone for any cat. Could it be about something more? He didn't know what she really thought of her clan, but it was coming to his attention that something was off. He had missed something. The way she had spoken about her battle oriented clan earlier...was she unhappy?
Her pale grey eyes sparkled, warmth hugging her chest at his words. She rarely ever got praises such as these back in Eclipseclan, but that's to be expected. The feeling of being encouraged and told that your ideas are valid gave Spottedpaw a burst of energy. She was determined to impress Scorchedsky and for the life of her she couldn't understand why. She had always thought of herself as an independent feline who didn't need anyone else's acceptance, but her own. Then again, her mother had been a kittypet and that is seen as a weakness. As a result, Spottedpaw craved approval and having this handsome sunclanner's gaze on her made her feel alive. The young she-cat was so lost in her thoughts that she almost forgot what they'd come out here to do. She narrowed her eyes on the movement, ears perked and listening as Scorchedsky enacted their plan. She shifted at the last moment, her weight falling to her back legs as the hare jumped into view. Not yet. She thought, grey eyes focused on the panicked creature. Spottedpaw held her breath and at the exact moment the rabbit took note of her presence, the agile eclipseclanner was off. The apprentice propelled herself forward using her back legs- her momentum turning her into a rocket. Her claws dug into the rear of the rabbit, blood soaking her paws as she brought herself forward to clamp her jaws around it's neck. With as much force as she could muster, she snapped it's neck. This all happened in one fluid motion as she herself and the hare came to stop. Surprise flickered across her pretty face at the sight of the creature dead beneath her. "Wow." She uttered before turning to jump around and do a little victory dance. "let's see any of my clan-mates do that!" She practically yowled, ears flattening against her head immediately after. "Scorchedsky." she turned, searching the plains for the tom.
Scorchedsky purred again, her eagerness made his stomach do back flips. She was so lovely, and he caught himself appreciating her form, the way she crouched was perfect and he was confident any prey would notice her until it was too late. "Splendid idea," he replied. "I'll drive it your way." before he could stop himself he leaned forward and rasped his tongue over one of her perfect pointed ears. He blinked warmly, purple meeting grey for just a heartbeat as his eyes met hers. He then gave her a wicked grin and sped off with quiet, powerful grace. He rushed in to the wind towards the hare Spottedpaw had pointed out, just seeing it's long grey-brown ears over the lush grass. As he neared the unsuspecting prey, he leaped over the patch of grass to land on it's opposite side. Scorchedsky smirked as the hare became startled and launched away in a panicked flurry of fur and powerful back legs. The rabbit tried to veer right, so he dashed over to cut it off, lunging and missing, It took off to the left, and one again he lunged...and missed! All according to plan. The hare rocketed off in Spottedpaw's direction with Scorchedsky hot on it's heels, pushing hard in to the soil with his claws to boost his speed. It was quite a good sized rabbit, he reflected in his chase, the kittens in Eclipseclan could really use this kill after all they had been through this day.
Spottedpaw got lost in the view again, a small smile capturing his lips as she tried to memorize the scene before her. She wanted to remember this moment, because she knew once Eclipseclan and Sunclan departed ways, she'd never see it again. She waited for Scorchedsky's plan of action, but she started to get curious when he remained quiet. She risked a look at the Sunclanner only to find him already staring at her. Her head tilted in question, but he seemed to snap out of his trance because he was turning away from her. The young she-cat grinned- wondering if she had the same affect on him that he was having on her. She chose to stay quiet about it, focusing her attention on the task at hand.
"Should we split up? Cover my ground just in case." She said while dropping her weight to the ground. Her posture was perfect, but once the hunt started it was all in Starclan's paws. She was confident in her skills and maybe she could translate some of her battle training to this.
Scorchedsky's purple gaze clouded at her words. It seemed to him that maybe she didn't belong in Eclipseclan..fighting for everything was no way for any cat to live, and rage tugged at his heart at the thought of her getting hurt in such a hardy clan. He was about to open his jaws to say as much when he reminded himself that it wasn't his place, and regretfully swallowed his words. She was a strong cat, this much he knew. And it took a lot of courage to come out here in yo another clans territory, and learn to do something you had never been taught. He knew she could handle herself. Silently he watched her pick through the scents of Sunclan 's plains. He was so caught up in his own thoughts, and her rather precious look of concentration that he almost didn't catch what he said.
Scorchedsky broke in to a deep rumbling purr as he followed her gaze, "Well done!" He exclaimed. He noted which way the wind blew. "We're down wind, so it hasn't scented us yet. Now, to hunt rabbits, the best way is in a group of two." He explained. "Keep your paw steps light, a rabbit will here you coming Everytime if you're not careful. Crouch just over the lip of the hill, and I'll drive it right in to your paws." Stormblaze 's
The scents were.. overwhelming and different. A good different. It was all so new to spottedpaw that she could barely contain her excitement. She'd been a babe when Winterjay brought her to Raven's fortress- the outside world a mystery to her little mind. The young Bengal had grown a lot since then and right now, she knew Sunclan territory- the grassy plains- was a sight to behold. The open fields, the space- it all made her want to run until her legs gave out underneath her. It was an odd feeling- especially because of the clan she was born in to. "I know, but it would be nice to know how to hunt. Eclipseclanner's are so battle oriented.. it's not really my thing." She admitted, knowing well that if Tigermask ever heard her say such things she'd be banished for sure. Her pale grey eyes lit up at his proposition and she nodded eagerly. An unknown emotion flickered in her gaze at Scorchedsky's smile, butterflies making themselves known deep in her belly. Spottedpaw cleared her throat and did her best for focus on the sunclanner's words. She did as he said, drinking in all the scents she could. She was a good tracking and even practiced it on her own sometimes, but Eclipseclan didn't have much use for that skill. It took her a few moments to pinpoint the scent he'd described- especially cause she was unfamiliar with the area. She followed the scent with her eyes, her grey orbs pinpointing a movement among the tall grass. "Over there." she nudged him to the left, pointing her tail in the direction the scent was coming from.
Scorchedsky let out a deep mew of sympathy. "Hey, you can't help what you do and don't know. I can help you out. By the end of our hunting trip im going to make sure that you get the killing bite on a rabbit to bring back to your clanmates. This is a difficult time, and some fresh meat will go a long way. Maybe after you can teach me how to scavenge." he winked. His smile fell a bit at her embarrassment, and he touched his tail tip to her shoulder in a sign of comforting support. "You don't have to be embarrassed. It's just your clans way. We're all different, and the things that make us different make us special." Scorchedsky's cheeks heated as he dropped his tail from her, He noted that his tail tip tingled where he had touched her, and it caused him to clear his throat. He started to ponder the reason for this, but decided they had a more important task ahead and forced himself to turn his mind elsewhere. "So, rabbits are fast, and they usually head directly for the nearest bolt hole- be careful of those by the way when your running. It can make for a nasty spill. And if you catch one, watch out for their claws, they have powerful back legs and their claws are sharp."
The tall tom halted at the top of the hill and scanned the horizon with focused lilac eyes. "Taste the air, tell me if you can smell one. They smell rather sweet, yet musky. When we find one, i'll tell you the plan." Scorchedsky looked over at her, her smaller frame and powerful body awash in the sinking sun. He swallowed hard, looking a little dazed as he tried not to touch her again.
Spottedpaw glanced at Scorchedsky as he caught up with her, cheeks warming at his close proximity. She couldn't understand why she was feeling this way. Just a few moments ago- Curlypaw, a tom, had annoyed the living dung out of her. Maybe it was because the sunclannerwas older, more mature and knew how to speak to her without getting on her nerves. They were closer in age as well- the young Bengal was so close to being named a warrior- her training almost finished and she could not wait to call herself an official warrior of Eclipseclan.
His question caught her off-guard, embarrassment warming her already hot cheeks. "I've never actually hunted before." She admitted, avoiding his gaze. "Eclipseclanners don't need to worry about something like that. We focus our time on battle training." The Bengal brushed past him, the tip of her tail flicking his shoulder, as she disappeared into the tall grass. The light beige color of her pelt helped her to blend in here far better than she had in Eclipseclan's territory.
Scorchedsky's whiskers twitched at her words, surprised by the genuine curiosity in her voice. "Rabbit, mostly or as we call them 'hares'." the sandy red warrior replied, a faint purr in his voice. "Have you ever hunted hare before?" the tom questioned. If this was her first time, then he would need to warn her of their powerful hind legs and claws. Even experienced warriors were known to get a nasty scratch from them ever now and again. The most extreme case he had seen in the mountains had resulted in the loss of the apprentices left eye.
Scorchedsky picked up the pace a little to catch up to her side as they started up the slight incline to a grassy hill. He opened his jaws to drink in the scents of heather and grass. The sweet and pungent scents of new plants washed over his senses. New leaf was always one of his favorite times of year, and the chill in the air was almost gone. The afternoon sun warmed his thick red pelt as they crested the hill, but what made him feel warmer still, to his surprise, was Spottedpaw's company.
The young Bengal she-cat padded through the territory- a little embarrassed that they were out here to hunt. Eclipseclanners rarely ever hunt, all their food is basically given to them on a silver platter. Living in an abandoned Two-leg nest gives you access to all the mouse you could ever want. She also wasn't entirely sure what Sunclan hunted, so she was really out of her element. Seeing the grasslands of Sunclan's territory was amazing. She'd only caught glimpse's of it from Eclipseclan's borders- when she would sneak out of camp as a kitten. "Wow, this is amazing." Spottedpaw mewed, glancing over her shoulder at Scorchedsky. "What do you hunt here?"
"At least it's not too far," Pretty shrugged and started northeast toward Raven's Fortress. She plodded along at an easy pace, still lingering a bit to draw out the time she had with Rumblepaw. [EcC-SC Camp]
The tabby's ear twitched slightly. Pretty didn't seem to understand that Rumblepaw was worried for her, and not at all about getting in trouble. She didn't even feel too upset anymore about not meeting any StarClan cats. She decided against saying anything else about it. "You're right, it wouldn't be any good if we both got sick over this." She picked up the small, wet rabbit and looked at the other she-cat, waiting to follow her lead.
"Hey, don't be sad," Pretty meowed, misinterpreting the she-cat's change in demeanor. "We can come back out here tomorrow, I don't think Veinpool's going to hold me up over a little scratch. It really isn't a big deal-- though we should maybe be hurrying back, it's getting kinda chilly and I'm just about soaked to my bones."
"But, I did, too!" Rumblepaw frowned, "I was having so much fun with you, and I didn't wanna ruin it for either of us... but, now it's raining and you're in pain, and... the StarClan cats aren't here." She paused for a moment, her brow furrowed in thought. "You are, though. And Clanmates should take care of each other."
"No, no, really-- it's fine!" Pretty assured her, giving a little smile that didn't quite reach ehr eyes. "I was the one who wanted to stay out here in the first place!"
Rumblepaw was instantly overwhelmed with concern. "Are you okay? Does it hurt bad?" she asked, moving closer to get a look at the bite mark. "I'm sorry, Pretty. We should have gone back to camp sooner."
"I guess..." Pretty sighed, her disappointment clear on her tone as she got stiffly back up to her feet. She winced as she placed weight on her injured shoulder and hobbled a few steps. "Foxdung, I let it get all stiff..." She complained, running her tongue over the wound.
Rumblepaw shivered a bit, and blinked through the water hitting her face. "I don't think they're coming," she voiced what they were both thinking, frowning a little. "Should we head back now?" She spoke loud enough for Pretty to ear her without shouting. She looked down at the wet rabbit near her paws, feeling silly now for waiting out in this kind of weather.
A chill rose as the night grew darker and darker and the drizzling rain turned to thick sheets overhead, masking the whole area in inky blackness.
"It must be almost moonhigh!" Pretty called after a while, though her ears were drawn back and she gave an impatient shift of her feet. Maybe they aren't coming after all...
Letting out a soft hmph, Rumblepaw settled herself beside Pretty, and said with a subtle whine in her voice, "That seems so far away. I guess we'll be here a while..." She wasn't disappointed, just impatient. She was very eager to meet the StarClan cats. Or, at least, she was anticipating something to happen.
"Yeah, probably," Pretty easily agreed, sitting down next to Rumblepaw with her tail tucked neatly over her paws. "Maybe they won't be around until moonhigh...?"
They reached Sky Rocks soon enough, and the last light of day lingered above the horizon. Rumblepaw gazed around, squinting a little, to try to get a glimpse of anything out of the ordinary. Nothing yet... She set down their catch, and turned to Pretty. "We'll probably have to wait just a bit longer, until it gets really dark." She was undoubtedly optimistic.
(that does present a challenge to speaking xD)
Pretty saw the flicker of Rumblepaw's smile and returned it, her mood turning to giddiness as they neared the stones. I'll ask if I have any kin with them, she decided. "Almost there..."
(Hm, she's holding the rabbit. xD) Rumblepaw hummed as she thought about the question. She looked to the darkening sky, seeing the first few stars begin to appear. StarClan… She imagined her ancestors with glittering pelts- no, maybe they would have the stars in their eyes. I would ask them… if they still have fun. She smiled to herself as much as she could with a rabbit hanging from her mouth.
Pretty followed close at Rumblepaw's heels, humming a little inconsistent tune to herself as they drew closer to it. "What are you gonna say, if they're there?"
Rumblepaw nodded. "If you're sure," she said with a small smile. Picking up the rabbit between her jaws, she set off at a quick pace in the direction of Sky Rocks, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Pretty was following.
"No, it really isn't. It stings a bit, but it isn't deep-- and we eat rabbits, so they can't be that dirty. I don't think it'll get all red and start smelling bad if we don't hurry," Pretty shrugged, then winced as the moment put more pressure on the bite. "We should hurry back to Sky Rocks, though, it's almost dusk already!"
"You still did a great job, in my opinion." Rumblepaw offered, sincerely. She eyed Pretty's injury once again. "Is it bad? If you want to head back to camp now... I mean, Sky Rocks will always be there."
"I mean that your part of it was clean, mine was anything but," Pretty meowed, giving an embarrassed chuckle as she bent down to lick the blood off her shoulder. "Oh well, I'll just see Veinpool later. He hasn't gotten a proper chance to chew off my ears in a while..."
(Thanks! I thought so too ^_^)
As Pretty came into view, Rumblepaw felt some relief. It doesn't seem too bad… she thought, briefly looking over Pretty’s wound. “Yeah! We really did it,” she purred at the compliment, hiding most of her initial worry, although her tail twitched anxiously. “We make such a good team!”
(ooh, your new profile pic is so pretty!)
"Did you get it?" Pretty asked as she trotted nearer, still out of sight. As she emerged, a smear of blood showed against her pale pelt and she was limping a bit, but neither seemed to be slowing her down as she approached.
"Clean kill!" She complimented Rumblepaw.
Rumblepaw watched as Pretty caught up, and stopped for the brief moment the other she-cat tussled with the rabbit. Her ears flattened against her head in concern when she heard Pretty cry out in pain. But, once the rabbit took off again, she rushed to it, instinct taking over. Luckily, it was injured enough to slow down a considerable amount, and Rumblepaw tackled it easily. It didn't take much more than a swift bite to the neck to take it out. Her struggle with it was minimal, leaving her with only a few scratches. She quickly let go of her catch and stood, looking around for Pretty.
Pretty's ears pricked up as she heard the tell-tale crashing through the grass and she started at a dead sprint after it. She had no hope of actually catching the rabbit, but rather didn't want to lose Rumblepaw in the territory. Her heart thundered through her chest as she neared them and with a sudden rustle, the rabbit was less than a fox-length in front of her, running in such a blind panic from Rumblepaw that it hadn't noticed Pretty's approach. She leapt and took it in a tackling, flailing mess of kicking limbs and teeth. She cried out as it bit her shoulder, but tore her back leg through its stomach as it escaped and limped off, now moving slowly enough to be an easy target for Rumblepaw.
Rumblepaw searched around a while longer. Eventually, a different scent reached her nose, and she crouched low instinctively. Her eyes darted around, until they locked onto a rabbit not too far from her. She calculated where Pretty might be in relation to her, and took a small, sharp breath. I hope this goes well... she thought, taking a step forward. The rabbit's eye was on her and, not a second later, it darted. In the wrong direction. "No!" she hissed, darting right after it. The chase was on, and her heart pounded as she sped around the creature to try and veer it the opposite way. It worked, though the rabbit zigzagged as it ran, making it that much more difficult to keep up with.
"Who are you?" Wolfsnow asked, his pelt tingling with curiousity. Never before had a kit dared to approach him. The kit flicked a paw over her ear. "I'm Smoke."
"Well, I'm Wolfsnow. A warrior of SunClan," he replied. Smoke twitched her tail in confusion.
"Sunclan?" She asked.
Wolfsnow was taken aback for a moment, then realized that this kit must have lived in Twolegplace for a while. "Oh, SunClan! It's group of cats like myself who live together. We all have different roles in our clan and there is three other clans like us but they live in other areas. EclipseClan and SunClan are staying together on our border right now."
Smoke turned her paw around in the grass then nodded. "Okay, let's go." Wolfsnow let out a purr of amusement before taking the lead and heading for the joint camp.
Wolfsnow padded away from the double-clan camp, resentfully remembering the attack by Otgo and his followers. Stressed, he began to talk to himself.
"What was the point? Maybe if I hadn't led Larkfrost there, she wouldn't be out right now. I can't believe myself!"
"Who are you talking to?" Wolfsnow jumped at the small voice.
"Well?" A small kit slid down the fence and padded determinedly over to him.
(Repost for Royal :) )
Pretty was startled out of her reflection when a nightjar fluttered up in front of her with a loud protesting squak.
"Sorry!" She called after it, cursing herself for being so oblivious. Suddenly, she caught the scent of rabbit and froze, wondering where it was and if she'd scared it off as well. No, it's off near Rumblepaw... she thought and fell into a crouch, waiting for some noise to indicate that Rumblepaw had given chase.
(Hi Frosty! Please don't leave a chain of replies all on one thread, you can just edit your post to add onto it if you have more to say. As well, please post your characters to the Character Updates Page before you begin roleplaying them, so we can keep the site organized :) )
Light new-leaf rain drizzled down on SunClan's territory, bringing the scents of mud and grass to life.
For a moment, Wolfsnow itched to leap at the arrogant tabby, but decided better of it.He could not take on the entire group of hostile cats while Larkfrost was at risk as well. "Fine. You may have this land for now. This isn't over!" He snarled, whipping around. Wolfsnow could feel the gazes of each of Otgo's party burning into his dark gray pelt as he heaved Larkfrost's limp form over his shoulders. Annoyed, he dragged himself over the rise and struggled home.
Wolfsnow hissed under his breath, furious that this group of rogues had decided to take over SunClan land. "We need this land! Rabbits are rare over open moorland where cover is not provided, and this glade is the only place where undergrowth grows."
Otgo shifted. "I thought you were supposed to live in the open. Undergrowth is where the forest is, do not argue or else you shall find out the difficult way."
Wolfsnow was confused. These cats smelled identical to EclipseClan, yet they claimed to live in a band. "You are from EclipseClan though, aren't you?" He meowed.
Otgo shook his head. "We do not know of such EclipseClan. My band and I wander these streets as rogues."
Wolfsnow's jaw hung open limply as he processed the information. "Why did you attack us!" He spat out, recovering from his astonishment. Otgo growled low in his throat. "You do not deserve the stretch of land between our borders and the stream. We need it much more necessarily."
"I am Otgo. Your....clan's cats have forever wandered beside the Twolegplace walls-too close for our comfort. My band and I happen to have been watching you meander closer to our home." The tabby, Otgo, narrowed his eyes as if deep in thought.
Wolfsnow dashed to Larkfrost's side, nuzzling her fur. Scarlet blood welled thickly from a wound in her chest while several deep scratches scattered her body.
"Larkfrost..." He murmured before whipping around and screeching angrily at the unfamiliar patrol of EclipseClan cats. "You did this to her!"
A large tabby stepped forward. Scars of old battles lay across his sturdy form and hard muscles rippled under his fur.
Wolfsnow turned back to his sister. "Oh, I don't know. We can't be many fox-lengths from camp now, I suppose."
The scent grew stronger--Eclipseclan.
"Larksong do you smell-" His question was cut off as a weight crashed into his, pressing him into the springy moor grass. Wolfsnow could hear Larksong's shriek as she was attacked as well. Pummeling his attacker with desperate paws, he flung them off. Turning to face the enemy, he realized with a jolt that an Eclipseclan patrol had ignored the border and raced to battle the two Sunclan cats.
Wolfsnow trotted along beside Larkfrost, nudging his sister playfully. They stopped to re-mark the border with Eclipseclan. Larkfrost took the lead well after heading back inward on the moor, the crags of Highstones barely visible with the bright sun high light. Wolfsnow tilted his head, noticing Larkfrost's tail begin to drag.
"Alright, Larkfrost?" He mewed anxiously, his attention drifting to a worrying scent. Larkfrost kept her gaze fixed on her paws.
"Yes, very much." She replied, "But how much longer will this patrol be? M-my paws are fumbling."
Pretty was startled out of her reflection when a nightjar fluttered up in front of her with a loud protesting squak.
"Sorry!" She called after it, cursing herself for being so oblivious. Suddenly, she caught the scent of rabbit and froze, wondering where it was and if she'd scared it off as well. No, it's off near Rumblepaw... she thought and fell into a crouch, waiting for some noise to indicate that Rumblepaw had given chase.
Rumblepaw kept a steady pace as she made her first trek throughout SunClan's territory on her own. She glanced up to the sky and tasted the air, as Pretty did. All it smelled like... was cold. She shivered a little, but shook the feeling away and continued on, not a rabbit, or much else, in her sight.
"Okay!" Pretty meowed and started off, walking parallel to Rumblepaw through the territory as the two headed roughly southeast, at about a distance of 50 feet. It didn't take long before Pretty's mind started to wander and she found herself caught up in wondering what the StarClanners they hoped to encounter might be like. Will they even show up to me, since I don't have warrior ancestors?
She nodded, "Okay! That sounds like a good idea." Rumblepaw trotted off away from Pretty, purring all the while. "We'll meet back here soon!"
"Yeah, we can certainly try! At least until it starts to get dark out, we should hurry back here when that happens." Pretty replied. She opened her mouth and raised her head to try and scent the air. "Hmm... how about we stay a while apart and whenever we get near a rabbit, you can try chasing it toward me?"
She smiled, feeling reassured by Pretty's words. "Do you think we can try it? Even though it's just the two of us..." she shifted on her paws, and glanced around, hoping to see another rabbit soon.
"Yep, just like that. It only really works when you can see your patrol mates, though, so after you've fanned out you just kind of have to trust your gut," Pretty answered. "As I said, no one gets good at it until they're well into their warriorhoods. Hunting hares is just hard."
Rumblepaw watched her closely. "That's so interesting and helpful," she couldn't help purring. She turned her head a bit, glancing at her own tail. "Stop... Go forward... Spread out..." she said, mimicking each of the movements. "Like that?"
"No worries, I can show you now, they're really easy." Pretty assured her. "If I move my tail up like this-" she held her tail pointing straight upward. "Then stop immediately. Like this-" waving gently up and down, "for go forward carefully. And something more like this-" her tail hovered just above the ground and swept side to side- "for spread out. Or I could tell you to go a certain way by pointing my nose that way."
"Silent signals?" she repeated, "No, I can't say I do." She felt warmth rising to her cheeks, maybe all of this hunting business wasn't as simple as she thought.
"I do now," Pretty chuckled as she craned her neck to watch the disturbed grass shake as the rabbit darted past and eventually fled down into its hole. "There's a whole warren around here, though, we will probably have more luck with the next one. I take it that you don't know all the silent signals, then?"
Rumblepaw blinked, she only heard half of what Pretty had said. "You... see that?" she asked, lifting her paw carefully and gesturing to the brush ahead of them. She was startled as the rabbit took off, darting away from them at a speed Rumblepaw could never imagine. She was too caught off guard to even think of chasing after it.
"If you're anything like the rest of us, you'll miss the first ten, then you'll get lucky once, then when you get your warrior name you'll start to get good at it. Only senior warriors seem to get them all the time, there's no shame in messing it up. It takes a lot of skill," Pretty assured her. "I'm pretty bad at it too, to be honest."
Rumblepaw brightened up right away at the initial response she'd gotten. As she listened, her facial expression shifted from interested, to curious, and, lastly, rather concerned. "O-oh," she mewed, losing a bit of confidence. "I hope I can do it right, I wouldn't want to disappoint--" She stopped, as a patch of long and dried grass a few feet ahead rustled suddenly. Rumblepaw froze in place and locked her eyes on something barely hiding in the brush; she could hardly tell what it was, the smaller creature's fur blending in with the dead grass, but it's dark, beady eye gazed steadily back at them.
"All the better, I can show you some of the basics," Pretty smiled, excited to be the more knowledgeable cat on a patrol for once- all her life, it just felt like she'd been in a desperate race to catch up to her clanmates. "The basics of it are pretty simple, though it's hard to get a hang of. Since rabbits are far too fast for any cats to catch on their own, the trick is to get a bunch of cats together and circle it, then chase it at each other until it gets too close and someone can pounce on it. You have to be very careful even then, though, since rabbits can be mean. They'll bite you if they can, I've even heard of cats getting their eyes all scratched-up when they didn't kill a rabbit fast enough."
Rumblepaw wasn't expecting the question. "Well," she started, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I actually haven't been an Apprentice for very long..." she trailed off, hoping that was enough to explain the situation. A small part of her worried if her lack of experience would be a problem. Pretty was very friendly, and Rumblepaw was excited to be able to learn a thing or two from her, but she didn't want to seem like a burden to the older she-cat, especially since she was enjoying Pretty's company so much.
Pretty trotted off after Rumblepaw, content to spend the afternoon with a cat who she was quickly beginning to think of as a friend. "Have you had much luck hunting rabbits before?"
She was too excited to properly think about the principles or any risks in the decision they were making. "We can do that," she purred, and started trotting off in no particular direction. She'd never been hunting before, but figured it couldn't be all that difficult.
"It'll probably start to get a little dark later... maybe they won't notice if we just stay out a little while longer? We could just say we lost track of time," Pretty answered. "We can go and hunt a bit, then come back here when it's darker."
Rumblepaw's eyes widened slowly. "You think we could, really? Here?" She was amazed at the thought. What would they look like? Would they look like the stars? Would she even be able to recognize them as cats? She couldn't help bouncing on her paws a little. "Let's do it!" she meowed excitedly, a loud purr rising from her throat.
"Maybe they are? I heard some warriors talking about them and it sounds like they're made of stars. It's so light out, maybe it's like the stars, where you can't see them in the day unless you look really, really hard, and then you can only see a few?" Pretty asked. "Maybe we could see them if we came back at night."
The question made her pause. "Can they?" she wondered aloud, then she shook her head slightly. That wasn't an answer. "Well, they aren't... here. Right now." Could they ever really be? she thought, and her eyes drifted to the snow-covered fields beyond them. It wasn't until this moment that Rumblepaw considered their StarClan ancestors as something more than an Elder's story-telling.
"Hmm..." Pretty considered Rumblepaw's suggestion seriously, not knowing that this she-cat hadn't meant it seriously. "Maybe, I bet it's nice and warm in green-leaf. Right now it just looks damp. Do you think they can hear us?"
Smiling, Rumblepaw followed in Pretty's steps, and circled the rocks, same as her. She was having fun. "For the StarClan cats to sleep on when no one is around." she mused, deciding to be imaginative with her answer rather than logical.
"That's good," Pretty chirped and turned away from Rumblepaw to look up at the rocks. She began to walk around them in a wide circle, squinting to try and get a close look at them without drawing any nearer. "I wonder why there isn't any grass here."
"Oh, I'm fine!" Rumblepaw replied, sitting up quite quickly. She took a few steps backwards and copied the other she-cat, attempting to shake off the snow from her own fur. "That was close..." she murmured, letting out a short laugh, as she looked to Pretty and then toward Sky Rocks. She had no idea what would happen if she actually touched them, but she figured it was probably safer to not try and find out.
"I... I think so?" Pretty answered as she slowly got back up to her paws and gave a dog-like shake to her pelt, shifting her weight between her four legs as she took a full account of her state and found that she was nothing more than a little bruised and discombobulated. "You?"
Rumblepaw let out a small gasp as she was sent rolling by the impact. The snow definitely acted as a cushion between her and the frozen ground, but her head reeled with dizziness and her back ached a bit from where Pretty had collided into her. "Mmf..." She let out a groan and lifted her head up, shaking the snow off of her face. "Pretty, are you alright...?" she asked, her voice trailing off as she opened her eyes. She noticed she was a lot closer to Sky Rocks than she had meant to be, nearly a pawstep's reach from touching the edge of the smooth, stony hill.
Not expecting Rumblepaw to stop so abruptly, Pretty ran headlong into the other apprentice, "oof!" She exclaimed as she tumbled across the gorund and landed splayed out with her limbs going every which way. "Owww...."
Rumblepaw was smiling as her paws carried her through SunClan's territory. She quickly forgot about her discomfort, and found herself enjoying leaping over snow drifts and the soft crunching sound the snow made as she would land again. As she reached Sky Rocks, she remembered what Pretty said about not being allowed on it. So, just before the grassy field ended and the rocks began, she skidded to a halt, and tumbled into a pile of snow.
“Hey, you got a head start!” Pretty half-heartedly protested as she tore across the hills of dormant bunchgrasses, picking her path carefully through them and trying to leap over lingering snow drifts where she encountered then. By the time she reached Sky Rocks, she was panting heavily and about to just drop from exhaustion, though a wide smile still graced her face. “Watch out, I’m catching up!”
The tabby she-cat's whiskers twitched as a snowflake landed on her nose. "Oh! Okay." The short explanation was enough for Rumblepaw. She'd heard about StarClan before, and knew she should respect them as her -- and all the Clan cats' -- ancestors. "Let's go then!" Once again she picked up her pace, and started running toward Sky Rocks.
"Just keep heading northeast until you see rocks on top of a hill, then go to that hill. We can't go on it, though, since it belongs to StarClan, who are all the dead cats. I don't know why it's their rock, but one of the warriors said it was, so it just is." Pretty meowed, pleased to sound so smart in matters of the clan despite her start.
Rumblepaw grinned. "Yeah!" she meowed, her breath coming out as a cloud of frost. She started to pick up her pace before a thought came to her, then she stopped and faced Pretty again. "Where's that?"
Pretty giggled, noticing how Rumblepaw seemed to stop herself from just dancing through the snow.
"Race you to the Sky Rocks?" She asked, her tone playful.
Rumblepaw wasn't so used to being outside of the Clan's camp; it was still recognizable, though. It was still home. However, she most definitely wasn't used to the snow. With every step she took, it took all of her willpower to not just stop and lick away the snow that clung to her paws. It seemed like Pretty had no problem with it, so Rumblepaw didn't want to slow the patrol down or make herself look silly.
She only giggled softly at the other Apprentice's comment and said, "Yeah! I hope- I mean, I think so."
Pretty tromped through a snow drift as her little patrol crossed through the territory, trying to put the thoughts of the gathering's events out of mind as she ducked under a sideways leaning bunch of grass. She shivered as the wind whistled over the camp.
"StarClan, isn't it supposed to be new-leaf soon?" She grumbled.
Speckle's eyes fluttered open at the sound, her first image that of a tomcat mere yards away. She withdrew into herself, ears back and tail swept around tan-speckled paws. "Get away from me!" she snapped, hissing, fearful beyond her wildest images of self-preservation. She'd just spent moons abused by tomcats, and here she was at the paws of another. She would not be recaptured.
Brassblaze rambled through the territory. Sniffing at the scene around him. As he reached the border, the tom noticed a peculiar scent, one much like his.
"Hello?" Padding quietly towards the source, Brassblaze caught sight of a small she cat. Was it a former clan cat?
Burdockbone padded out into the territory, his pace picking up as he reached a few fox lengths' distance from the camp to an easy run that he expected the apprentice could keep up with without little difficulty.
"Do you know who that was?" He asked gently.
Frecklemask collapsed Only a few Leagues inside the Sunclan border, her paws bleeding from atrophied exercise on uneven ground. Her skeletal form was surprisingly camouflaged by the stalks of heather, her dotted pelt blending beautifully. She remembered Sandstar and wondered if she was truly cheated froma life of Sunclan glory. EclipseClan has nearly killed her thrice. now, she collapsed on a clan’s doorstep and begged to be discovered before death.
she was a haggard image. Small scratches adorned her skeletal pelt and bedsores attaches themselves to her joints from moons of forced liesure at the paws of those of the gang. Her body beaten and battered, if a tom touched her she’s would kill him. Even worse, her ribs showed through every Patch of broken skin, but on her waist, a bulge of softness. Kits.
But she had gone as far as she would- her paws would carry her no further. Her stomach exaulted from lack of sustenance And her eyes grieving sleep, she closed them and slept.
Pippa thought that Thunderpaw's story seemed believable, so she allowed herself to relax a little. "Y-yeah, um, Flintstar?" The tiny molly tilted her head softly, trying to remember the name, then reminded herself of the former leader who spoke of her long ago. "Oh, she left quite a whiles back, the clan couldn' find her a' all...Cranestar is leader now." She stated softly o Fencestar, a little confused that the Eclipseclan leader didn't know. Pippa added, her lime eyes flickering to the older apprentice as she added. "We can take you t' him though.." With that, the little black and white molly with a single ginger spot nudged Thunderpaw softly then padded back towards the camp. (SC camp)
Fencestar smiled and dipped her head, trying best she could to appear non-threatening. She was by no means an intimidating cat, but she was running out of patience. “It’s a beautiful territory, I’m sure there’s a lot to see,” she prodded, “But do you think you could take me to your leader? Or bring them here? I need to speak with them- Flintstar invited me.” Fencestar said, wondering how the striking she-cat was doing.
Thunderpaw glanced back down at Pippa, his gaze cold with fear but his expression hid that. He stared up at Fencestar, looking for an excuse. "W-We... were on a patrol, yeah. They said I could take Pippa here ahead and show her around a bit."
Fencestar nodded, already amused by the antics of the young cats. But she also worried- why had SunClan sent two young apprentices out? Was there no mentor available or had they simply snuck off? The implications of either were enormous- either Sunclan was desperate or incompetent, neither possibility pleased Fencestar In a future alliance. But then again, EclipseClan hasn’t much better.
”If you’d rather, I can pretend to stumble into your camp on my own,” she said, wondering if the apprentices were worried about being found in the territory with no supervision. A twinge sounded in her belly- one of her kits kicked idly.
Pippa's ears flattened when she realized the the creature was actually a cat and she just happened to be not fast enough. With a growl as the molly let her go, the young apprentice bounded straight to Thunderpaw's side with bristling fur. 'Kit?' Her head tilted slightly with wonder while she watched Fencestar carefully. "I'mma fine an' I ain't no kit," Pippa meowed with hint of sass in her country accent and a lash of her thin tail before adding, "I'mma apprentice an' I found you." Her paws scuffled against the ground, knowing that she was young and tiny, a runt to be exact, so it would simply be too easy to mistaken her for a kit. Pippa's eyes casted up to Thunderpaw, uncertain what the proper answer would be.
Fencestar let our a meow of surprise as the kitten’s little needle teeth pulled out a chunk of her tail-fur. She yowled, standing, and Had a paw on the kit’s tail before she could realize what she’d trapped- she’d suspected a rabbit.
she backed off immediately upon realizing her mistake and her olive eyes grew wide- She saw Thunderpaw- “Oh dear, oh dear- little kit, are you okay?” She said, making a show of making sure the kit wasn’t okay. She Flicked her gaze up to notice thunderpaw, stepping back- “I-I seem to have found your kit.” He queen admitted. “I’m Fencestar- I was wondering if I might trouble you for your leader’s time.”
Pippa nodded her head then watched the large tom, her tail flicking back and forth. At first, her eyes narrowed when it appeared that he had let the creature go, but then she realized exactly what he was doing. 'How am I going to reach when it flies? I'm not that strong..' She wondered with a small sniff before she spoke out in a soft voice,"yeah! I think I'ah get what you're doin'." The tiny molly raised her head to sniff out creatures around them, however an odd scent dragged found it's way into the young apprentice's maw, and she soon spotted a long tail through the long grass. 'Squirrel? There aren't many of those here...' She assumed, however that tail came from none other than Fencestar, Eclipseclan's leader. Pippa bent down, her kit-like features still twinkling on her lithe body, and made a leap to catch the leader's tail in her paws. "I'ah caught it, Thunderpaw! I-" Pippa squeaked with excitement until she realized it was a cat, not one from their clan.
"Okay, watch me and stay as silent as possible." Thunderpaw crouched down, listening for prey. Hearing a blackbird scuffling around, he silently stalked it and leaped. The bird took off, but it was too late; Thunderpaw dragged it out of the air and killed it with a clean bite. He dropped it in from of Pippa. "Want to give it a try?"
Fencestar curled her tail over her mismatched paws as she heard the patrol approach, attempting to appear less threatening. She hadn’t a clue of Sunclan’s condition but It seemed as dismal as her own clans from the fleeting glimpses She’s had from across the border. The she-cat lowered her head in humble greeting.
"Yeah!" Pippa's lime eyes widened with curiosity as she meowed to Thunderpaw. 'Then I could catch somethin' for Ma and Pa or even Pretty!' She thought to herself with genuine excitement, being small was not going to ruin it. "Show me, please! I wouldn' want anyone else to."
"I can teach you to hunt, would you like that?" Thunderpaw quietly answered Pippa, crouching down in the undergrowth so nobody near could see them.