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.
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
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.
"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."
"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.
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.
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..."
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.
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.
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 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."
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.
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.
"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."
"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.
"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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
"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.
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!”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
"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."
"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.
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.
(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..."
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.
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.
(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 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."
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.
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.
"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."
"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.
"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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
"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.
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!”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.