[Mauve]

Originally Posted by Thistledawn

Ashnose flinched away from the tom- Shadetail, he remembered. He hadn't expected the tom to snap at him like that, even if Ashnose had acted like a mouse-brain. He bit his tongue, not wanting to say anything to make Shadetail's mood worse. He wanted to defend himself, but thought better of it. Ashnose would prove himself better by leading this patrol with confidence. The ShadowClan warrior let his eyes scan over the other tom once before he looked back to where the prey was hiding. "Okay," Ashnose began, trying to make his voice sound firm and confident. "You go to that side and wait for me to drive the prey towards you." He flicked his gray tail towards the right of the swamp. The tom's command was definite, but uncertainty lingered in his thoughts. He wasn't used to ordering other cats around. He'd gotten nervous all of the sudden and it was throwing him off.

Not wanting to let himself worry any longer, Ashnose set off towards the swamp. He strayed far to the left, trying to circle around the prey. His paws were light on the ground as he tried to be as quiet as possible. No matter what, Ashnose wasn't going to make a fool of himself by alerting the nearby prey of the toms' presence. He waited under cover and let his eyes, his nose, and his ears do all of the work. He waited until he could see, scent, and hear his target. After a couple dozen heartbeats, a chunky looking frog hopped into view. Ashnose's first instinct was to pounce and catch the slimy creature. However, he wasn't entirely sure that he'd be able to close the distance in one leap. The tom had almost forgotten that his Clanmate was waiting not too far away. If he wasn't able to make the kill himself, then he was sure he would be able to lead the frog towards Shadetail. With any luck, the other tom would be able to catch the slippery creature and make the kill. Ashnose crept half a paw-step forward, hoping that Shadetail would be ready to move when the frog headed his way. Angling himself the best that he could to make sure the frog would hop towards Shadetail, Ashnose finally pounced with a hiss of determination. The frog began to hop away from Ashnose as fast and far as it could manage. It was heading towards Shadetail, just like he wanted. Even as the distance between him and his prey grew, Ashnose continued to chase after it to make sure that it didn't stray in the wrong direction.

[ I've been super sick for the past two or so weeks. So sorry for the late reply!! ]

(You are perfectly alright, no worries!)

Shadetail left out a disgruntled 'humph' that was barely noticeable unless Ashnose had been listening closely. It irritated him that even though at times he seemed to know better than a ShadowClan born member, he was still treated with disdain. Normally, the warrior was content with the looks he received, and the whispers made behind his back. But they were beginning to wear on the tom, and he gave a shake of his pelt as if to throw them off like an enemy clawing on his back. He'd worry about his reputation later. Right now he was in a hunting patrol that, despite his initial frustrations with, would be a great opportunity to prove himself. Bringing back bountiful prey during the tail-end of a rather harsh leaf-bare? Surely that would gain him some points with his fellow ShadowClanners - and perhaps even Goldenstar and Halfgaze themselves.

Now, his ears twitched as his dazzling yellow gaze followed Ashnose. The warrior was stalking towards the briar patch where the croaking sound was coming from. Shadetail crouched low, keeping his ears up for any alarming sounds but kept his tail flat and still, careful to not stir a dangling bramble of leaf with it. Any noise and whatever prey was so graciously giving away it's location would be gone. It wasn't long until a rather large frog hopped out from the safety of the briars. Shadetail froze, his forepaw in midstep as his eyes zeroed in on the target. Patiences was key here, and the warrior waited as he saw Ashnose ready himself out of the corner of his eye. Come on... come on... he thought silently, not daring to move a single muscle for fear it would scare the frog. In a flash, the frog lept in his direction, blinded by the fear of Ashnose hot on it's trail. "There we go!" Shadetail yowled, muscles tensing as he bounded from his crouched position towards the animal. He sailed through the air - one bound, then another - until his claws were locked onto the frog, striking down at an alarming speed. The prey didn't have time to comprehend what was happening as it prepared for another leap - a leap that it never completed thanks to Shadetail's unsheathed claws connecting with it's back. The frog went limp instantly, and the ShadowClan warrior delivered a swift bite to the back of it's head for good measure.