Windy Hills

[Kaybug.]

Originally Posted by Breezestarfire

Ashclaw walked into windy hills looking back at mistypaw he smiled" were looking for poppy seeds" he says calmly as he waited for mistypaw
@DawnIsLost

The apprentice nodded and started walking around, sniffing to see if she could smell them. Mistypaw hurried to find some as she knew she also had a punishment.

[ThePiffle]

-Wrenpaw-

“I’m ready to go.”

@RiztheHuntress [Sorry my computer isn’t working

[Rizo]

~Pinestrike | @Oobleck~

Giving a nod, the little tabby took off at a trot back towards the camp.

(No worries! I already turned in the patrol, we're all set)

[Orion]

|| Shattervenom | @NinjaBloss ||

(ooc: we've been preparing the house for family to visit over the weekend - thanks for the bump!)

Having gotten to know the deputy a little better—finally able to appreciate his viewpoint, his motivations for the clan—Shattervenom felt much more comfortable working with him. Fallownose no longer seemed like some high, unreachable soldier in WindClan's ranks... he was an ally, a peer with a knack for leadership who only wanted the best for their home. Much more relateable than Shatter initially believed. She anticipated that this patrol would end in success, and perhaps an even better understanding of Fallownose's steadfast character.

Shattervenom's silhouette portrayed the easy happiness that her marble-carved mask did not: a prance to her paws and a weightlessness to her tail as she marched through the long grass path that veered toward Windy Hills. Aptly named, this section of the territory rose in a gentle swell above the rest of the land to face the strong gusts that gave the clan its name. Vegetation rippled like ocean waves under the overcast sky, lit occasionally by splashes of golden sunlight that shimmered across the hills in shimmering fish-schools. Air roared in Shatter's pricked ears—the howl of soon-to-change weather, rich with the perfume of faraway rain. Ideal hunting conditions for the pair, since any prey would have a difficult time pinning down the direction of their own predatory scent...

Of course, that also meant a disadvantage for the felines. She and Fallownose might have to utilize different senses to locate prey on hills that swept away all but the smell of warm grass and dirt.

"Are we looking for anything in particular?" Shattervenom asked in a low, offhand tone, not wishing to disturb any nearby creatures. She lifted their muzzle and drank the air experimentally, tasting hints of rabbit, grouse, field mouse, pheasant... grey eyes then dropped to the earth, studying each dip and pebble for signs of disturbance. When she moved, the ebony-and-ivory fighter placed each foot with utmost softness, ignoring the way the wind raked through the underbrush to push persistently at her towering frame. "I'm up for anything..."

Absent alto words faded away. Shattervenom had noted the tracks of ground-foraging birds:the imprints of tiny scratching feet, the sweep of wings against loose soil. When she swiveled her ears, she caught the back and forth call of different songbirds chattering higher up the hills... warblers and grosbeaks, blackbirds and meadowlarks. If Fallownose and herself managed to converge on a flock, they could take their pick of the avians flapping away in panic.

The tall warrior tapped the ground with a paw to draw the deputy's attention to the tracks she'd found. With a shrug of you in? she then folded herself into a stealthy hunting crouch, slithering through the rippling stalks toward the bright chorus of birdsong.

[Ian]

Fallownose relished the soothing feel of the wind as he led Shattervenom along the gentle slopes that made up Windy Hills. The dancing sunlight gave the area a dreamlike feel, and the deputy had to shove away the urge to open his jaws in a giant yawn. Instead, he drew in the many scents across his tongue as he glanced back at his companion to ensure she was keeping up.

The easy happiness in the marbled molly's posture caused the gray tom to shoot her a quick grin. Fallownose was glad that Shattervenom was becoming more comfortable around him and, hopefully, her other Clanmates. It was a significant step from how she had been nearly a moon ago, and it pleased him that Shattervenom was overcoming her stiffness. However, she needed to work on her facial expression. If you weren't reading the huntresses' body language, she could easily be seen as a cold professional by her facial expression alone.

"No, it doesn't matter what we find so long as it feeds the Clan. Though something other than rabbits would be interesting," he purred. As Shattervenom moved in one direction to look for prey, the deputy moved in the other, nose twitching as he bent his head to investigate a burrow. The rabbit scent was stale, so Fallownose pulled his head back to move on to the next smell when the tap of Shattervenom's paw caught his attention.

The dark gray tom angled his ears in the direction the molly indicated. The sounds of various birds singing their songs reached his ears, and he nodded in confirmation, sliding smoothly into a hunting crouch. He seamlessly slid around blades of grass, paws practically gliding over the ground as he circled to the opposite side of the flock as Shattervenom. Once in a good enough position, he raised his tail to signal he was ready, allowing it to sway slightly so the birds would only think it was another stalk of grass moved by the wind.

@xath

[Orion]

|| Shattervenom | @NinjaBloss ||

Fallownose was a charcoal shadow as he slipped into the rustling grass, folding himself effortlessly into the landscape and orbiting the flock of birds in perfect predatory silence. Shattervenom made note of his position as she too flowed into an optimal spot; her mottled pelt offered some camouflage--a mixture of shade and dappled light--and with her quiet paws, the twittering avians hardly knew what hunted them. So far, so good. The corner of her vision tracked subtle flickers of Fallownose's form... she did not smell or hear him while he moved, but nevertheless she sensed the moment that he'd found the most advantagous spot to attack... a wave of his tail, swaying with the tall bluestem surrounding them, signaled Shatter to go. With a liquid flex of muscles, she did.

The warrior's long, lithe body sprang from the undergrowth like a striking serpent, utilizing the impressive stretch of her physique to startle the birds into scattering low in panic. Her slashing claws batted a few of the sparrows closest to her out of the air--their wings milling desperately, feathers flying--and she balanced on her hind legs for as long as possible to act as a flight deterrent. Any sudden motion, no matter how stealthy, would've triggered the flock to flee in a split second; utilizing grander techniques to take advantage of their prey's inevitible drive to escape would hopefully yield the hunting pair a higher kill count and more delicious poultry to consume.

Here and there Shattervenom darted and leapt, throwing herself high over the ocean of bristling gold. Feathers were torn by her quick claws; she practically herded the flock, stirring their shrieking swarm into a more compact bundle for Fallownose to pick from. Whenever she could, the skinny fighter scooped tiny plumed bodies out of their trajectory with her talons... most escaped, shedding soft plumage of black and brown and brilliant yellow, but Shatter did manage to down two sparrows and a fat meadowlark. Their plump bodies were torn back to earth and pinned under her weight--dispatched with merciful swiftness before Shattervenom jumped toward the sky yet again. The dirt beneath her bore the raking tracks of her hind daggers scraping her back and forth--visual testimonies of her agility. Feathers and specks of blood stuck to her visage. Shattervenom panted roughly, grey eyes alight with crazed energy, and only when all the songbirds had finally escaped her attention did all four feet thum back down to the soil.

A broad smile cracked her usually expressionless facade. She gathered up her three lucky birds by a wing and dragged them to the deputy, purring low in her throat.

"A bit unorthodox, but... did that work for you? I usually go after fatter birds, hah."

[Ian]

Fallownose was not far behind Shattervenom when the warrior sprung into the midst of the flock of songbirds. He immediately picked off a rather plump grouse that had darted toward him in a desperate attempt to avoid Shattervenom's claws. The deputy matched the ebony and ivory molly by rearing onto his hind legs, his tall height allowing him to swipe at the birds with ease.

It was refreshing to let loose and have fun, especially when it wasn't chasing rabbits. Fallownose would always enjoy running across the moor and the feeling of freedom it brought, but changing it up now and then was fun. He didn't focus much on killing individual birds and instead tried smacking them out of the sky and stunning as many as possible. The tom could pick them off once the rest had flown off.

All in all, it appeared to be a good hunt, and Fallownose killed one more bird that he had stunned; the others had flown off before Shattervenom was finished. The warrior's grin was returned with one of his own as he nudged his two birds to form a small pile so he could pick it up easier. "I found it rather enjoyable and a good change from the usual. We should do this again sometime," he purred back, leaning down to pick up his catch.

@xath [You don't have to reply if you want, but I will go ahead and put Fallow's catch in the Prey Pile since the patrol is officially completed!]

[Orion]

|| Shattervenom | @NinjaBloss ||

Seeing Fallownose smile—really smile, bright and breezy and uninhibited—sent a spark of wonder flickering in Shattervenom's chest. She'd never witnessed WindClan's deputy in his element like this, never watched him let loose and actually have fun. It was almost disconcerting... as though Shatter had been given a glimpse of something special and rare that could be ruined with a single wrong move. The tall warrior went stilled herself just in case: clearing her throat and flattening her childish grin into a more modest expression. See? I'm professional! Totally professional. We're cool. I'm good at hanging out. "Happy to hunt with you, Fallownose. Thanks for inviting me on the patrol."

She purred warm and quiet, the gentle burble of hot tea poured into a mug. With a lighthearded quirk of her banner, Shattervenom snatched her three birds and followed the deputy away from the wind-stirred hills—pressing her face into the push of a pillowy gust and falling in love with the territory all over again.

[Spotty]

> Owlglide

Strong muscles pushed him forward as the brown tom ran across the moorland, hot on a rabbit's tail. The rabbit did try to get away but its attempts were in vain as Owlglide managed to lunge and tackle it down, killing it with a bite to the neck. He stood up and shook his fur clean of the dust and pieces of grass from his fur before heading back.

[Spotty]

> Owlglide @~Fierce~ [Since only five herbs can be brought back per trip, I'm splitting them here]

His first instinct had been to head to Adder rocks, where he had last time found Marigold when searching for them, but he also wanted to keep his apprentice away from the adders. But he could have sworn he saw some of the yellow and orange flowers near the Windy Hills. And when he arrived there he was glad to see his memory seemed to have been correct.

He flicked his tail to Midnightpaw and began to pad down towards the meadows. "Let's stay down here instead of going up there." He mewed, referring to the large hills. "The winds get very, very strong up there." All the Marigold was down in the meadows anyway, so there was no point in venturing.

Well, finding the herbs didn't seem to be a problem, it would be carrying all of them that might be difficult. "Well, I don't think we'll be able to take with us as much of this as I would like to return with, but if you go and find the... say two biggest and healthiest looking ones, and I'll do so as well on that side." He was a bigger cat, and would be able to carry there, but two large ones were a good number for the apprentice. He motioned to a nearby Marigold flower, too tiny to take back, but a good example if Midnightpaw needed a reminder of how they looked.