| Snowybreeze |
34 Moons - WindClan Warrior
Heightened Perception [Smell] - Active | Rapid Recovery - Inactive | The Collector - Inactive | Not Skiddin' Around - Active
The gentle giant's paws shuffled nervously as he took note of his son's displeasure. It was clear he had noted what the tom had been trying to say in as kind a way as possible, and it took everything in his power to not instantly apologize and take it all away. Because... well... it was true. The prey didn't have to be perfect. But... well... when there were so many chunks missing, some cats could be... picky. Especially the kits! Why, his own little ones were the fussiest eaters he had ever seen. Nothing but the best for them, of course, but then... it would be nice if they could reciprocate and give the best to the clan in turn. It was a vexing situation to find himself in. StarClan help him... it didn't matter how long he was a parent for, he would never get used to this careful balance that needed to be struck. He would be much happier simply agreeing to everything his kits said and protecting them forever, but that wasn't fair to them. He wouldn't be around forever... and he wanted them to have a safe, comfortable home in the clan, just like he'd had throughout his life.
"O-oh. Yes. I. I think. You are. Right. Of course. Prey is. Going. To be eaten. It doesn't. Matter. How pretty. It looks. But some. Of the kits. And elders. Are a bit. Pickier. And they can't. Hunt. For themselves. So. It's best. To provide. As best. A meal. As we can. For them. Just like. They did. For us. When we. Were young," Snowybreeze purred, lowering his muzzle as he attempted to lovingly lick Jaggedpaw's head.
Upon the younger tom's agreement, the Maine Coon mix visibly relaxed, a happy little shuffle of his paws accompanying his delighted smile when Jaggedpaw reminded him of the traps. His son. Always so thoughtful and caring. He could already feel tears of happiness welling in his eyes, but he controlled himself. No time to think about himself or his feelings of wanting to envelop his son in a hug! He was here to teach him! The hug could come later. Hopefully. He never did tire of showering his treasures with love.
One massive paw taking to his nose, he tapped it, one eye closed in a bashful wink as he mewed a soft,
"No. No need. To worry. About. Your old. Snowydad. Those traps. Can fool. My eyes. But they cannot. Fool. My nose. Anything. That smells. Off. We stay. Well away. From."
Perhaps his words were more boastful than Snowybreeze was comfortable with. He really did not like to sing his praises... especially when there were none to talk about in the first place. He knew, of course, that he had a powerful nose, but he was hardly the only cat in the clan with a potent gift for sniffing out trouble, and to top it off, it was... just as much trouble as it found itself. Especially when he was younger and was extremely overwhelmed by new, strong scents. Gatherings still gave him a headache, as it was, and battles sometimes drove even him to a frenzy as the strong stench of enemies and blood overpowered him. As things were right now, it wasn't too different. The vile reek of twolegs was everywhere, making the traps be more hidden than he liked to admit, even with his potent nose. But he was certain that as long as they avoided the areas that were... off... With more than just twoleg scent adding to the danger of the spot, they would be fine. They had to be. He would never forgive himself if he let his son be taken or hurt by their invaders. He knew that much.
Saying any of this was meaningless, however. The last thing the silent warrior wished to do was worry his young companion. And so, he kept his mood airy and happy. It wasn't hard to do. Despite the dangers, spending time with family could never be unhappy to him. And so, he raised his head and sniffed the breeze, taking in the many different prey scents in the wind. He was looking for something... different. Something that perhaps would interest Jaggedpaw. There was rabbit, of course, which was always delicious, and bird... but that didn't sound like it would be appealing to- Aha! Was that weasel he detected? Perfect! He'd always been good at catching those.
Eyes losing their usual timidity, a focused expression sat uncharacteristically upon Snowybreeze's features as he flicked his tail, indicating for his son to follow... silently. Weasels were aggressive. More so than hares. But his size tended to help, not that he needed it. Weasels as a whole tended to be smaller than most cats... the tinier of WindClan potentially not included when compared to the absolute biggest of weasels. Still, they were rare, and perhaps a treat for the apprentice to see!
Shoulders tensing, Snowybreeze followed the scent, slowly falling into a hunter's crouch the fresher the scent got, keeping an eye on the general direction he assumed Jaggedpaw was at - losing sight of him with all the traps around was non negotiable - as well as the trail the weasel had left, the white furred giant saw it. The beady eyed critter. Small, either a very young or tinier weasel type. But his attention had been too divided, and one false step upon a crunching, dried up twig - the remains of leaf-bare, no doubt - announced his presence, and in an instant black met blue before the long, brown furred creature, noticing the size of his opponent and the fact that he was outnumbered, ran.
"Stay here!"
Snowybreeze's voice had been unusually strong and level headed as he ordered his son to stay behind, dashing after the weasel the next second. Nowhere nearly as fast or as nimble as hares and rabbits, it was difficult, but even he could catch up to this prey. Except... something was wrong. His nose, filled with the scent of weasel almost missed it, imperceptible and almost lacking until it was almost too late. The strange, unnatural stench of the trap hit him before he reached the trap, however, and instinctually, he halted, glad to let the weasel go if it meant he didn't fall to the twolegs and leave his son alone in the open. He wasn't sure if Jaggedpaw would agree to going back to camp and leaving him behind, and he did not wish to leave his remaining family without a father and brother. Not after Seedpaw had gone missing as well.
He'd realized the trap was there. He had smelled it. But he hadn't realized just how close it had been. The weasel, in it's panic, never noticed where it was heading, and when the trap sprung, it faltered, falling back, its head landing on the too large metal before it snapped with a deafening clang, the sickening crunch that accompanied it causing the warrior to take a few steps back, horrified.
The long furred tom, for all his pacifism, had never been opposed to hunting. The clan needed to be fed, and while he took no joy in the act of killing his prey, he was never regretful over the death. To see this now, however, shook him. It was... senseless. There was no reason for this. The weasel had died, and its life would nourish no one. Because the twolegs would get here, and they would find that instead of a cat, they had gotten a weasel... and he doubted they would eat it. Meaningless death... and a death that could have been his son if they hadn't been careful.
A shudder ran down Snowybreeze's spine at the thought before his eyes widened. The twolegs! Jaggedpaw! They had to go! Now!
"Grab your rabbit. We leave. Now!" he mewed, his voice vibrating with concern as he turned around to guide his son away from here. They would not be having another excursion to the territory in some time if he had anything to say about it.
@
burntToast [Jaggedpaw]