He felt pleased that Adderpaw does her usual duty at the herb patrol, but Elkmane? Wait a second, why isn't Elkmane doing anything? Isn’t he supposed to be collecting herbs to the place Honeycomb assigned him to? He shook his head. The more he would doubt it, the more he would waste his time instead of doing what he was told to. He does not want to be demoted, and he does not want to ruin his reputation. If Elkmane has his own alternatives, then let him do his work and make Honeycomb watch him demote instead.
He flinched from his thoughts. Never did he expect that to sound that cold. Maybe his long-rested mood swings kicked in. He straightens his shoulders as he heads over to the destined place to harvest at.
The search was a bit difficult, but after recalling the Lady’s mantle’s details that Sleepysunrise noted several times, he finally found the herbs that he sought for.
[D4: Rolled a 4]
The herbs are fresh and plentiful, and Honeycomb decides to snag four of them. His head perks back up, hoping that he could also find some Mallows.
[D20: Rolled a 9 / 19]
…Mallow …fuzzy pale green leaves …fuzzy stems… …pink… …bloom...
Besides, Mallows are luckily easier to find. Just like he did to the previous herb, he memorizes the details of the next herb.
[D4: Rolled a 2]
He leans down to a small patch of mallows that blooms in a pinkish hue before him and spits out a lady’s mantle to gather the two mallows. Adderpaw would hopefully take the remaining herb, if only he could call after her name.
Honeycomb draws back to the patrol, with a cluster of plants hanging in his maw. The warrior gives the apprentice a content gaze when he spots the needed herbs that she also brought along. He swings back to the opposite direction, and twitches his tail as a sign for her to follow back to the camp.
Bramblepaw acknowledged Mudslide's arrival with a nod, following his patrol to the ruins. Since they all knew what they were doing, this should hopefully be relatively painless. Bramblepaw set to work right away, parting his jaws to taste the air as he moved cautiously through the ruins. Watching where he placed his white paws. It didn't take long for him to catch the scuffling sounds of a mouse, and he dropped into his hunter's crouch. Moving forward cautiously and patiently until the mouse was in view.
-d20: rolled 19!-
The golden tabby saw his opportunity and pounced. His jaws closed around the mouse's neck for a seamless kill, but he was surprised to find another mouse there. Swiftly striking out with his claws and grabbing it, he pulled his prey towards him and killed that one too.
+2 mice
Bramblepaw buried the two mice for later and continued his hunt.
-d20: rolled 20!-
It didn't take him long to catch another prey-scent, this time a squirrel. Bramblepaw dropped again and approached, watching his body position and the direction of the breeze. The squirrel stayed blissfully unaware of Brams's presence as he approached. When he was close enough, he lunged out and swiftly brought an end to the squirrel's life. So far, so good. He buried the squirrel and prepared to continue.
+1 squirrel
-d20: rolled 14-
Bramblepaw came up a frog, but both of them were startled. He struck out to try and grab it, but narrowly missed it. The frog let out a mocking croak as it hopped onto the -paw's head and away. With a snort, Bramblepaw continued his hunt.
-d20: rolled 7-
Still nothing...well now this was becoming frustrating.
-d20: rolled 10-
His ear swiveled as he heard the tiny paws of some prey scuttle by, but it was already gone when he turned his head. Bramblepaw lashed his tail with frustration, but his facial expression remained unchanged. He turned to try another direction, also wanting to avoid straying too far.
-d20: rolled 18!-
Bramblepaw tasted the scent of more mice, and crouched down in and instinctive response. The golden tabby stalked carefully among shadows, trying to blend in more with his environment. His approach was a little more hasty, impatient from his previous failures, but he forced himself to move steadily and with purpose. Rushing it would only yield more failure. He caught sight of the two mice at long last, and positioned himself before pouncing. Landing with a claw on one mouse and his jaws around the other, he killed them both and picked them up.
+2 mice
Bramblepaw returned to where he last left his patrol, picking up his catches along the way. Not a bad hunting experience, he at least managed to catch up to five pieces to contribute to the prey pile. So he could return to camp with pride, even if it lacked diversity.
Bramblepaw acknowledged Mudslide's arrival with a nod, following his patrol to the ruins. Since they all knew what they were doing, this should hopefully be relatively painless. Bramblepaw set to work right away, parting his jaws to taste the air as he moved cautiously through the ruins. Watching where he placed his white paws. It didn't take long for him to catch the scuffling sounds of a mouse, and he dropped into his hunter's crouch. Moving forward cautiously and patiently until the mouse was in view.
-d20: rolled 19!-
The golden tabby saw his opportunity and pounced. His jaws closed around the mouse's neck for a seamless kill, but he was surprised to find another mouse there. Swiftly striking out with his claws and grabbing it, he pulled his prey towards him and killed that one too.
+2 mice
Bramblepaw buried the two mice for later and continued his hunt.
-d20: rolled 20!-
It didn't take him long to catch another prey-scent, this time a squirrel. Bramblepaw dropped again and approached, watching his body position and the direction of the breeze. The squirrel stayed blissfully unaware of Brams's presence as he approached. When he was close enough, he lunged out and swiftly brought an end to the squirrel's life. So far, so good. He buried the squirrel and prepared to continue.
+1 squirrel
-d20: rolled 14-
Bramblepaw came up a frog, but both of them were startled. He struck out to try and grab it, but narrowly missed it. The frog let out a mocking croak as it hopped onto the -paw's head and away. With a snort, Bramblepaw continued his hunt.
-d20: rolled 7-
Still nothing...well now this was becoming frustrating.
-d20: rolled 10-
His ear swiveled as he heard the tiny paws of some prey scuttle by, but it was already gone when he turned his head. Bramblepaw lashed his tail with frustration, but his facial expression remained unchanged. He turned to try another direction, also wanting to avoid straying too far.
-d20: rolled 18!-
Bramblepaw tasted the scent of more mice, and crouched down in and instinctive response. The golden tabby stalked carefully among shadows, trying to blend in more with his environment. His approach was a little more hasty, impatient from his previous failures, but he forced himself to move steadily and with purpose. Rushing it would only yield more failure. He caught sight of the two mice at long last, and positioned himself before pouncing. Landing with a claw on one mouse and his jaws around the other, he killed them both and picked them up.
+2 mice
Bramblepaw returned to where he last left his patrol, picking up his catches along the way. Not a bad hunting experience, he at least managed to catch up to five pieces to contribute to the prey pile. So he could return to camp with pride, even if it lacked diversity.
Shadepaw
[pure black pelt ; dark gray mackerel markings ; amber eyes ]
She/her • 12 moons • Shadowclan Apprentice
⤷ post count: [84] | purrks: Just a Scratch, Agatha Kitty, Silver Tongue [T1], Shadow Fiend
~---~
Shadepaw followed the others to the Mourning Ruins. She paused, tasting the air. Amber eyes glanced at Newtbelly when he gave his instructions. What's he think, we're going to get in trouble? she thought scornfully. If she got in trouble, she could handle it. But if that meant getting help, she would. She wondered what made the warrior say the latter part of his sentence. Had something happened here before? She could imagine it; the walls of the abandoned Twoleg building gave off a crawling aura. Although the last time she was here, she hadn't seen anything like that, but maybe she had missed it, or maybe Newtbelly was just being cautious. She could respect that. Anyways, she had hunting to do.
[ tracking: 17 | stalking: 19 ]
Almost immediately Shadepaw picked up a scent, slipping through the undergrowth with ease, letting the shadows of the trees and undergrowth hide her pelt. She pinpointed the prey, identifying it as a squirrel, and quickly caught it.
[ tracking: 11 | tracking: 20 || stalking: 14]
After scraping dirt and leaves over her catch, she raised her maw once more. Not scenting anything, she padded in a random direction, trying to catch a sign of prey. It wasn't long before she found something: a small bird, probably a robin. She carefully crept towards it, crouched, about to pounce, when it abruptly flew away. She let out a small growl of frustration, amber eyes burning at her failure.
Shadepaw padded through the undergrowth around the area, searching for any sign of prey. It felt like she'd been looking for a very long time, all unsuccessful. She turned towards the river, ear twitching in frustration. Surely there'd be some fish there. She couldn't turn in a single piece of prey, she wouldn't.
She crouched at the river's edge, staring intently into the water. She waited, until she could see a scrap of silver out of the corner of her eye---she tensed, but it flashed out of sight. Shadepaw waited again, silently and still, acutely aware of the time ticking by. Finally, the fish she had seen earlier came back. It's so slow, she thought, annoyed. But she didn't dare flick her tail to show it; she had to catch this fish.
When it was in range, her paw lunged in to the water, catching it and slitting its gills to kill it just as Rookfire had taught her. Finally.
[ fishing: 4 | fishing: 13 | fishing: 17 ]
It took a minute, which was to be expected after she had splashed that much, before another fish came into range. She lunged too soon and the fish slipped out of her grasp. Thankfully, not too long after, she was able to catch another fish.
She wanted to try her luck on land again, but no one else was fishing that she could see. Maybe I'll catch one more, she reasoned, then switch to land hunting. If I'm not out of time.
[ fishing: 6 | fishing: 20 ]
Just as she finished thinking that, movement caught her eye in the rippling water and she caught the fish with ease. All this practice must be making it easier, she thought, with just a hint of smugness.
Shadepaw prowled around, once more hidden by the shadows, keeping her jaw slightly erected and her ears pricked. She thought she caught a scent, once, but the wind whisked it away before she could pinpoint it. It felt like she'd been on patrol forever. Apprehension tickled her fur. Maybe there's enough time for one more catch... she thought, feeling slightly panicky. She turned her head and saw Newtbelly waiting in the clearing. I probably wasted too much time at the beginning, she thought with a slight snarl. I should've done better. I should've found something. Shadepaw collected her prey and left the shade of the trees to sit by Newtbelly in prickly silence.
Shadepaw nodded - he had to fight the urge to breathe a sigh of relief. Newtbelly was always happy to train apprentices, but he'd gather a lot more prey if he wasn't giving lessons. Bramblepaw arrived quickly enough, and he gave a nod to the apprentice. Then, Shadepaw spoke again, "mhm," is all he responded with. He'd wait a few moments more, it hadn't been too long - speaking of, there she was. They were all ready to go. "Shall we?" He motioned with his tail, exiting the camp.
Since the run in with that fox, he'd visited the Mourning Ruins plenty of times, so it was beginning to phase him less and less. It was still one of the things that came to his mind when they arrived, but maybe not the first. He scented the air. Prey was plentiful today. Good. He didn't think he needed to say it with these apprentices, but he often made sure too, just to be safe, "'paws, don't stray too far, and give me a shout if you see anything weird." Imagine if he didn't say anything one patrol, and an apprentice went missing? He'd be in for it.
With a quick stretch, he went on his way, following the tantalising smell of mouse. He crept round a corner of the dishevelled den, crouching low as the scent got stronger. It was around here where they'd cornered that beast, wasn't it? A mouse skitted out, from behind a bush. Suppose he was the beast now. He waited, watching the creature stop to dig at something, then pounced. Claws met fur, and with a quick bite, it was dead. Thanks for your life, little creature. You'll make a fine meal for someone.
He buried it carefully, then went to search for his next catch. There were definitely more mice nearby. He sniffed the ground, settling on the trail. Couldn't be far. The calico crept along carefully, and soon enough it was in his sights. A plump brown mouse. He sprung forward, and like the other one, it was quick. He silently thanked it for its life, and placed it in the hole alongside the other. At least one more would be good. He scented the air once more. Hm. Plenty of prey remained, he just needed to find it.
The tom wandered along a little further, constantly smelling the air, remaining downwind. Was he just unlucky? Then, he saw it. He crouched low, staring. A squirrel. Fast as he could, he lept forward, jaws fastening on its neck. Thanks for your life, weird creature of the trees. You'll be yummy. He carried it over to his pile, and sat down briefly, gazing about the place. He probably had time to get one more catch - the rest of the patrol would be wrapping up soon. Sniff. Sniff sniff. Another squirrel. Hmm. He blended into the shadows, waiting for it to appear. A little time passed and he wondered if it was a losing game - but eventually, he saw it. Clambering down one of the old den walls. He dashed forward, paw reaching it in an instant. Then he bit down, quick as possible to avoid causing any kind of necessary suffering, This would do. He headed back to his prey pile, and collected them up. It was certainly a mouthful. Now he'd wait for the others to come back.
Mudslide separated from the group as soon as the torn soil hit her paws pads. The ground was warm and beckoning, as if begging her to trot fourth. She remembered being here with her apprentice, Mosquitopaw. It was a short lived tour since lockdown came soon after.
Icy eyes instinctively caught onto the rotting structure, her short pelt buzzing with anticipation. She stood and stared at it for awhile, wondering what bugs may lay beneath rotting floorboards. An intriguing endeavor, but not worth the risk. Mudslide wouldn't do anything about that, she'd just stick to trees and logs.
Right then, everything was silent besides what she wanted to hear. The calm of usual nature for once not interrupted by the sting of words cutting through her ears. The she-cat trotted along in shadow, her small paws carrying her across the ruins. Her feathery tail twitched as she weaved through foliage, wandering through dead patches of ground.
Then, she felt something shuffle beneath her paws. Bug? She thought excitedly, ears perking in the faintest of interest. But no, a shrew. A rather dumb one for that matter.
[mudslide rolled a 19!]
[+1 shrew]
She held the creature in her jaws, shuffling around a bit before burying it in the shade of a tree. Alright, one down. There was something so nice and predictable about being productive, it made the lump in her throat easier to speak through. Nocat could possibly judge her for being as cooperative as a robot, not a single complaint. And Mudslide couldn't judge herself either... Not harshly anyways.
Painted paws pressed to the floor as she focused on a vole, her belly licking at the slick floor with off-white fur. She unsheathed her claws and narrowed her eyes. Voles weren't something she commonly hunted, let alone saw. Maybe it was the way they blended into everything, an admirable trait.
[mudslide rolled a 4!]
She must've been just as blind as a shrew, because she missed. Paws staggered against the forest floor as she tried to send her body out of motion. Her claws only barely skimmed skin before the brown pelted creature completely bolted. Mudslide blinked, her expression holding not a thought behind her eyes. She shook herself, already feeling the ick of mud on her fur settling in.
She had to wander for a bit before finding anything else. A mouse. Basic, but still a doable meal, certainly. She pinned down her ears and felt wind tickle at the back of her neck. She shuffled her position multiple times before she sprang, jaws aiming to stun at the head and kill at the throat.
[mudslide rolled a 13!]
[+1 mouse]
She buried the mouse right next to the shrew. She nearly missed where she was going focusing on a beetle. As her eyes trailed the area, a sparrow caught her interest. Birds were always tricky... There was a chance she wouldn't even get it. But she'd rather try than have them beat her up for not trying. How fun.
[mudslide rolled a 1!]
It clearly wasn't meant to be. Mudslide half heartedly bolted for the starling. She expected it to run away, and goodness was she right. The oriental shorthair stared as it left, fluttering it's wings in such a startled array of color. The tip of her tail twitched, wondering how good it would feel to be able to get up and run like that. Maybe some night... She could bolt through trees and slide until her sides hurt. Mudslide pushed the thought away as quickly as it came.
Her ears perked. A startled rustle of leaves. She turned her angled head and followed the inky blots of shadow, her muzzle wrinkling in such a slight matter it was near unnoticeable. A squirrel. They were right next to a tree, so it was obvious who had the advantage here...
Re: Mourning Ruins
