The prey stock was low. Batglare was aware that Crowtooth had recently sent out patrols, but as he hadn't sent Batglare on any he took it upon himself to help out anyway. A small, chunky, blind she-cat padded lazily behind him with a nervous-looking brown molly with dirt on her fur.
Dustbunny quickly darted away as soon as Batglare signaled they could start hunting. She had been shocked when the terrifying warrior showed up and ordered her on a hunting patrol. But as she was always happy to help, she trailed after him without complaining. The she-cat dove down into the first rabbit hole she found. Her fangs clamped around the necks of two prairie dogs with ease. She left them off to the side of the tunnel and walked further into the dark space. Dustbunny's large paws scratched at the walls when she heard the squeaks from within. She was expecting mice but found two large rats. She caught one by its tail bit into its neck, then had to chase the scurrying one down, barely catching it with her claws before she lost sight of it.
[ 2 praire dogs, 2 rats]
Above ground, Dreamlight flinched and pouted as Batglare growled at her for losing the second rabbit he had chased towards her. The tom proved to be far less intimidating once she could no longer see him.
"Use your ears and whiskers, and try imagining what's going on around you. You know how to hunt." The tom growled and padded off, leaving the younger warrior to pad behind him. The warrior located a hare after some wandering and started the chase. Batglare didn't normally waste time chasing his prey, but the things he does for the younger generation.
Dreamlight strained her ears, falling back on the older tom's advice. She found it rather helpful, imagining the hare running toward her using the beat of its paws on the ground. Using her whiskers, she swore she could feel the vibrations in the air. This time when she pounced, her paws met solid fur. She used her claws to grasp the spooked hare, and though bit the wrong place, twice, eventually sank her teeth into the hare's neck and felt it go limp.
While Dreamlight was praising herself for catching the hare, Batglare had wandered off to do some solo hunting. He hoped with that catch under her paws Dreamlight's confidence would return. He grumbled softly about fluff for brains and sank into a smooth hunting crouch. His forepaw landed on the fluffy tail of a squirrel after he pounced, and his teeth broke its fragile neck.
He tossed it towards the lone pine once it stilled and walked off. He stalked and wrapped his claws around a vole, and caught a thrush off guard while it was pulling an earthworm from the ground.
[1 squirrel, 1 vole, 1 thrush]
Gathering his catches, Batglare returned in time to watch Dreamlight bite down on a mouse. He saw she had a smaller rabbit hidden in the long grass nearby. Dustbunny popped out of some hole with a mouthful of prey. After Dreamlight missed a sparrow by a few whiskers, Batglare signaled for them to return home.
[1 hare, 1 mouse, 1 rabbit]
°•○♧ BIRCHPAW ♧○•° He/Him • Apprentice • 8M • WC A fluffy white & brown ticked tabby tom POSTS: 30/100
---
Birchpaw follows Dapplebreeze out to Sky Glade, still thinking about her question when he finally thought of an answer. "Well.. rabbits are a bit more pudgy and fluffy.. while hares are more hardy, wiry and have less fluff?"
He hoped he was right, but he knew if he wasn't, she wouldn't mind. Dapplebreeze was an awesome mentor already.
Traversing through WindClan's territory, Dapplebreeze led her young apprentice towards Sky Glade. Despite the place having once been taken from them by ShadowClan, it was clearly WindClan's dominion once more, its flat lands and open skies a clear sign of who its rightful rulers were. While the patched molly would never lead a new apprentice to this part of the territory - the very real threat of predatory birds constantly there - Birchpaw had a couple of moons training now. No longer smelled of milk and soft moss. It was time to have him start honing his senses. Be aware of all surroundings as all WindClan warriors needed to be. They had no trees to shield them from danger like the squirrels and rats. No water to throw themselves into like the fish. Instead, they relied on themselves and their knowledge of the land to thrive, and thrive Birchpaw would!
Mismatched ears twitched as her apprentice gave his response on the difference between rabbits and hares, and while she gave a small nod and an encouraging purr, she quickly realized there was much to teach before she sent him to hunt his prey. "Right you are, my dear. One must always be able to identify rabbits and hares by physical traits, although scent is also important. Rabbits are indeed fluffier. Plumper. Softer all around. Hares in the meantime give the look of war worn soldiers in their own right. The warriors to the kittypet visage of rabbits, one could state."
Another purr escaped the patched lieutenant, a small smile of amusement gracing her round, demure features. "Now, there is a reason for this, of course. Hares are like WindClan. They run. Their bodies are built for near flight upon the grasslands. Unlike rabbits, they are also just as quick to turn on a warrior if they sense weakness. They can be rather massive. Why, I once hunted down a hare that was the size of Dawnstar. It made the mistake of seeing my smaller stature and assuming I would be weak. It did give me a fight as good as any true warrior would, too. Underestimating is a risk always, my dear.
Rabbits on the other paw are softer. Quick on their paws, yet. And swift to react. But when they flee, they don't do so to outrun you. They run to hide. For you see, where there is a rabbit, my dear, there is always a burrow. Which means that if they hear you, sniff you, or see you, they will be gone underground before you can even begin your run. Was that clear, darling?" the former queen mewed, her head tilted lightly to the side as she turned her attention on her apprentice, dark blue hues slowly regaining some of their brightness as she spoke.
°•○♧ BIRCHPAW ♧○•° He/Him • Apprentice • 8M • WC A fluffy white & brown ticked tabby tom POSTS: 31/100
---
The ticked tabby nodded enthusiastically. So rabbits were like kittypets and hares were like warriors? That made sense. Soft vs. tough. He would remember that in the future and be cautious.
"Yes, Dapplebreeze, it makes sense." He mewed, smiling and purring at his mentor.
His eyes briefly darted to the sky , scanning quickly for birds of prey, before returning his attention to his mentor.
"Excellent, dear. Now, because both prey animals are so skittish, of course we must always use our surroundings to our advantage. You have already hunted mice, so I won't touch up on such basics with you again. But remember, for rabbits, it is always smartest to locate their hiding holes before launching your attack, if only to predetermine where the rabbit will flee. If you can launch at them from a location that blocks their escape route, they will be confused and easier to catch if they sense you before you pounce in for the kill.
Hares are all about outrunning them. In reality, you want to get as close as you can to them while downwind, much like you would any other prey. Taking care to not be seen or heard either, as the slightest of hints as to your existence will make the hare that much harder to catch. Of course, we are WindClan, my darling. Which means outrun them we always do. It is our specialty. One that you will learn in time. Now, practice makes perfect, so please, do not fret if you do not catch your first hare or rabbit. And remember, I am here to help. Working in teams always improves one's chances to take down these flighty prey," Dapplebreeze mewed gently, making sure to impart as much knowledge as she could upon her apprentice without overdoing it. Some things were best left to experience, after all!
"So tell me," the fury stated, pausing for the first time since they had begun their walk. "Here in the midst of Sky Glade as we are... what prey can you sense close by?"
@Aroogi [Birchpaw]
| I never have so much dialog in my posts. This felt so odd to me. |
__________________
Lightningstorm is WindClan's current medicine cat.
She has a semi-closed den policy.
"Excellent, dear. Now, because both prey animals are so skittish, of course we must always use our surroundings to our advantage. You have already hunted mice, so I won't touch up on such basics with you again. But remember, for rabbits, it is always smartest to locate their hiding holes before launching your attack, if only to predetermine where the rabbit will flee. If you can launch at them from a location that blocks their escape route, they will be confused and easier to catch if they sense you before you pounce in for the kill.
Hares are all about outrunning them. In reality, you want to get as close as you can to them while downwind, much like you would any other prey. Taking care to not be seen or heard either, as the slightest of hints as to your existence will make the hare that much harder to catch. Of course, we are WindClan, my darling. Which means outrun them we always do. It is our specialty. One that you will learn in time. Now, practice makes perfect, so please, do not fret if you do not catch your first hare or rabbit. And remember, I am here to help. Working in teams always improves one's chances to take down these flighty prey," Dapplebreeze mewed gently, making sure to impart as much knowledge as she could upon her apprentice without overdoing it. Some things were best left to experience, after all!
"So tell me," the fury stated, pausing for the first time since they had begun their walk. "Here in the midst of Sky Glade as we are... what prey can you sense close by?"
@Aroogi [Birchpaw]
| I never have so much dialog in my posts. This felt so odd to me. |
°•○♧ BIRCHPAW ♧○•° He/Him • Apprentice • 9M • WC A fluffy white & brown ticked tabby tom POSTS: 35/100
---
Birchpaw stopped and sniffed the air, closing his eyes to concentrate better. Many prey scents crossed his senses. Opening his eyes again, he gazed at Dapplebreeze.
"I smell mouse, maybe some shrew... and rabbit?" He asked that last one questioningly, because it smelt like heather, the wind and dirt and dust, but he wasn't sure.
SOMETIMES MY MIND DON'T SHAKE AND SHIFT
BUT MOST OF THE TIME IT DOES
── ⋅ ⋅ ── ❖ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──
WHITERABBIT . 20 MOONS . SHE/HER . WINDCLAN
Whiterabbit's moving out as if what's left of her poor tail has caught fire until she catches the nearing tamptamptamp of another set of paws. A peek over one light shoulder confirms: it's Spottedpaw!
"Awh hey, Spotted—oop," not looking where she's going leads to a graceless slip and stumble, but nothing worse, "Spottedpaw!" Whiterabbit gets her bearings and offers a toothy, self-satisfied grin: "Hehe, glad you're feeling better. It's pretty nice out! We'll probably get this done quick. If we see anything that looks like it wants to hurt us I'm in favor of running back home, no uhh. No heroism." Whiterabbit's still working on getting back to the sort of fitness she'd maintained before having kits, and while the regular running has been helping, she hasn't yet been able to drag anyone off for a spar to help gauge how badly atrophied her battle-sense has become. She can guess, though, and her guesswork has her thinking that her best option in the face of adversity right now would be to book it right back home.
But, it doesn't really seem like they'll have to do that. It's a nice day out. The glade seems calm. All is well. Except...eh? Movement twitches a ways away from the pair, drawing Whiterabbit's eye to a docile shape nosing at the ground near the Lone Pine. Her hackles bristle reflexively, paws ready shifting as if she really means to dart home right now immediately, only...huh. The beast just snuffles around. Surely it's heard or seen or smelled the two of them and yet. And yet.
It snuffles, despite. Being not afraid. Being polite; demure, even. What a charming little fellow.
Whiterabbit finds a sense of overwhelming inner peace and fondness for the unbothered animal, something that prevents her from running and also from trying to pounce on its great, spiny back (something which had almost been left up to a coinflip executed by the powers that be—it's not that she doesn't know any better, but that knowing better will not always be enough to stop her) . She peers long at the porcupine, then back at Spottedpaw, twitching a shallow little shrug at the other she-cat. And that's here, too!
"What a cutie. I vote we keep it. Anyway, don't go far and I won't," she speaks up finally, moving along to get huntin'.
Peaceful ⋆ Dejected ⋆ Melancholic ⋆ Neutral Good
“Life is fickle and self serving."
@nyme
Spottedpaw snickered softly when the warrior stumbled on themselves. The warrior seemed to excited that they forgot where their feet were. It was endearing for sure. "Yeah its surprising how I suddenly fell ill and then suddenly was better. Maybe I should be the med cat instead with such amazing healing abilities, huh?" Spottedpaw said with a smirk It was going to be admitably a little fun to match the same energy of this cat. Spottedpaw wasn't in the business of just laying down and taking it!
Seeing the grass shuffle, Spottedpaw got down into a crouch to prepare to kill whatever the suspect was. The moment she saw brown she leapt out at it, but managed to wiggled herself off trajectory enough to avoid plunging into this unknown beast, but she ate dirt next to the beast. Her pride was hurt badly, which was funny as she thought there wasn't any of that left after her ego death. Seeing its back arch the apprentice quickly rolled away from it before bouncing back up to see that it relax seeing Spottedpaw wasn't actually a threat.
Spottedpaw flicked her ear in curiosity. She wanted to follow the strange creature around since it seemed to be strangely lack but the personal garden of grass like things on its back made her wary. Maybe they were more like bee stringers? Looked closer but boy were these things as long as the grass is tall! "I wish we could watch whatever this thing does and why its so chill." Spottedpaw said as curiosity wanted to kill her. "But I guess that doesn't fill bellies.." Spottedpaw sighed as she watched the beast get obscured by the tall grass. This was sad, little excited her anymore and she had to let it go.
With that disappointment, Spottedpaw walked off to find where prey was with little remembrance at where the warrior was. It didn't concern her much. The apprentice lurked around looking for prey, soon a earthy scent hit her noise. Then two long ears popped out of a burrow. Slowly she approached the burrow from behind praying to the stars that it allowed her to get closer. She was a leaps away from the rabbit before it got out of the burrow and squealed loudly. Then the chase began. Spottedpaw wasn't Spottedpaw during this... All she was in the heat of the moment was the feeling of digging claws into the ground and the motion of flinging forwards. It was the only thing allowing her to keep after this rabbit's speed. Adrenaline her friend keep her endurance up.
Then the rabbit squealed and quickly pivoted on a dime and ran towards her... With stingers in it? Oh! It ran into the beast! Quickly Spottedpaw took advantage of the rabbit's confusion and snapped her teeth into its neck. The beast looked at Spottedpaw warily as the dirt bound leaper turned to a killer. Then it didn't care again as she dropped due to exhaustion.
SOMETIMES MY MIND DON'T SHAKE AND SHIFT
BUT MOST OF THE TIME IT DOES
── ⋅ ⋅ ── ❖ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──
WHITERABBIT . 20 MOONS . SHE/HER . WINDCLAN
Whiterabbit's grin creeps wider at the corners. She's glad Spottedpaw's bein' a good sport about the attempted ditching. Granted she likely wouldn't have felt very bad if the apprentice was upset about the whole thing—would've waved it off as dumb, broody kid stuff—, but it's still nicer when other cats just roll with the bit. Whiterabbit rumbles with a short, warm laugh, torn between looking at the prickly creature and looking at her hunting partner. Both, she decided, were decent company, but this assessment almost sours when Spottedpaw takes a leap closer to the thing. The um. Uhhh...gosh, she knows this one, it's ummmm....!!
"Heyheyhey, be careful with the pricklypine—!" Whiterabbit winces, tensing up as the creature flares its quills in warning...but oh, what benevolence...it looks, after a moment, as though it has no interest in punishing Spottedpaw for taking a closer look. It just continues to snuffle about and enjoy the day, same as they are. Whiterabbit's heart swells in her chest. What a wonderful animal this pricklypine is.
"I think it likes us." She chirps after letting go of a relieved sigh. This seems, to her, to be the absolute only explanation. The gentle beast must be as taken with them as they are with it. Whiterabbit wonders if there's any way to coax it back to camp with them...but she abandons the thought with a short, wistful sigh. The pricklypine looks perfectly content to nose at the ground out here, rooting for whatever animals like it root for. Stealing that peace from it feels mean.
And anyway. She really doesn't want to consider the consequence for pulling back up from their hunting expedition with a giant needle-covered thing in tow. Probably not any good, but she supposes she could always try to sell Crowtooth on the idea once they're back...
Yeah. Yeeeaah.
[ rolls: 19, 7, 9 ]
Spottedpaw goes and finds herself a hunt, so Whiterabbit moves to get just as busy.
And, wouldn'tcha know,
"WE'RE BACK!!" We're so back, baby. Whiterabbit's gone a while, but her triumphant return back to the Lone Pine and the pricklypine is heralded by a muffled cheer through a mouth stuffed with prey. She has to offload her bounty for just a moment to catch her breath, panting doglike and looking downright exhilirated. Two rabbits, one with significantly more ease than the other, and a lucky, lucky bird.
"Hehehe, too easy for the both of us. Let's get goin'."
+ 2 rabbits, + 1 bird
@Fish ; SPOTTEDPAW speedrunning a followup at the burrow
Under the blazing late summer sun Windclan’s rolling hills of thick grass had long since baked and turned gold.
Its not an uncommon sight, but be it by fate, bad luck, or simply the wayward spark of the fireworks that have been so common of late today is the day it all ignites. A spark catches, smolders and burns here, thin wisps of gray smoke threading into the air as a small fire grows. It is not large, yet, perhaps the size of a small campfire. But surrounded by the fuel of dead grass it will not be long before unopposed, it engulfs all.
[‘Congrats’ assigned spotter (and you better be them if youre reacting to this post, if you are not specifically assigned to this job DO NOT notice or react to this post)! There is fire on this thread. Small yet and the smoke only visible to those in this thread but dangerous nonetheless.]
__________________
Crowtooth is Deputy of Windclan, If he's needed mention me at any time~
Have a kittypet/outsider who needs healing? Vm me!
Re: Sky Glade
|
