Hidden Haven

[Abyssopelagic]

Woollyfeather was quick to fall into the familiar motions of hunting
It wasn't long before she spotted two muskrats, plump and right for the picking. With a quick leap, she killed the first one before it had time to react before chasing down the second one and wrestling it onto it's back before sinking her teeth into its neck, silencing it.
She found somewhere to stash her kills before continuing on.
She turned her attention to the waters when there was no land prey that turned up. After a few moments of staring intensely at the gentle, lapping pool of water, there was movement. Something quick, small.
Frog, she recognized, as she leapt just before the rippling waters, crushing the frog beneath her and stopping it in its tracks before ending its life.
She nearly shrieked when a snapping jaw just barely missed her face, instead latching onto her neck, but was choked by the jaws on the snake that had seemingly been going for the same frog.
Her claws frantically scraped at the snakes head, and fell into the shallow water trying to shake it off.
By the time the snake's jaws became limp and released from her throat, the water ran red, almost in the appearance of a blazing sunset.
The head and face on the creature was damn near unrecognizable as anything other than a stupid little noodle. Glaring at the animal, she finally leaned down to pluck up the animal to bring it along with her to add as part of her cache.
She would have seriously preferred to have not been bitten at all, but at least these things weren't venomous. Just had a painful bite.
She scrunched her neck in a way to stop the bleeding until she could meet back up with Vulturefang. It wasn't so serious that she needed immediate medical attention. She could wait until they get to camp. It'd just be awkward and uncomfortable to carry prey.
Somehow, miraculously, she did manage to drag all four of her catches with her beside tilting her head at an odd angle.
She must look silly, walking as she was and completely soaked.
If the dark tom had any sense, he wouldn't comment on Woollyfeather's disheveled state until they made it back to camp.
She plopped her prey to the ground to speak.
"Do me a favour and carry the muskrats. A damn snake got my neck and I've gotta hold it weird to keep it from bleeding. Less weight is less strain on it."
She really shouldn't have been too surprised, she'd been managing to escape a ridiculous number of fights unscathed, maybe a little squished at worse. It made sense that her luck would eventually run out.
And on a hunting patrol of all things.
"We had appearantly been aiming for the same frog. I just happened to be unlucky enought to get to it first."
She wanted to laugh but to do so would hurt, so. She tried really hard not to.

[ @Leafí ]

[elaif]

:*:Vulturefang :*:
--------
Hearing Woollyfeather approach, he turned to greet her, but was stop by a rush of surprise.
Wait... Was she bleeding? Brows knitting together darkly, Vulturefang listened to her explanation. Spitting out feathers, he let concern cross his features. " God damn, Woolly... How did that even happen? Actually Y'know what? Never mind, let's get you back." marching over to her side, he snatched up the muskrats and ushered her forward. " Next time don't be so careless... He scolded through the mouthful. " Also, your going straight to Elmshadows den when we get back. That's an order." It wasn't very typical of him to be concerned, but he'd let this one time slide.

With that, he began their trek back to camp. All pieces of prey in toll.

// @Abyssopelagic \\

[Abyssopelagic]

Once again, she felt the urge to laugh bubble up.
Since when did Mr. Deputy care so much?
Woollyfeather relinquished hold of the muskrats and sighed at the weight that was lifted from her neck.
"No more hunting in the shallows," She huffed, "got it."
It was the only reason she hadn't seen it was also hunting her frog. But now it was dead and would be feeding the Clan, and she was alive to gloat about it, so she still saw this as a win.
Her own catches that hadn't been confiscated in jaw, she prepared to head back with Vulturefang. Normally she would have teased him, but she didn't want to risk him never showing a more vulnerable side to her ever again by bringing attention to it, so she stayed quiet and followed the deputy home.

[ @Leafí ]

[Pitou]

**Cougarivy**

@nykyrian @sol.

She’d grown impatient. Her daughter had been quick enough to respond to Vilturefang’s call, Aspencry however had never shown. The commander had waited for longer than she was used to but the wait was growing tiresome so she had twitched her black tail at Shadepaw and moved out towards the camp entrance. She didn’t look back the whole time she paced through the forest and out to the Hidden Haven. Either the deputy had some faith that she could keep an apprentice from getting themselves killed all the way out here or he was trying to get her far from camp for some reason, that was a funny thought. She giggled lightly to herself as she padded near the old abandoned temporary camp. Her blue eyes glanced back at Shadepaw. ”Don’t run off too far but you know how to hunt.”

Cougarivy turned and sat down, directing her ears at the sounds around her. She let her blue eyes close as she focused on her scent and hearing. The forest was alive with prey waiting to be eaten, but what was closest? Her ears locked on the slight whoosh as a jay swept down and landed in the damp needles. She dropped into a crouch and stalked quickly forward. The bird had just landed so it’d likely be occupied on whatever food it’d seen to draw it here, but only for a moment. So she closed the gap while she had the chance. Once it was in sight, she waited. The jay’s head lifted and scanned its surroundings before determining itself clear and ducking back down. Cougarivy waited until it turned its back, hopping along and scratching at the forest litter, then she pounced, landing neatly on its back and biting hard into the back of its neck. She carried the bird back towards the camp and buried it near the entrance before turning for more.

[sol.]

SHADEPAW: AGATHA KITTY

She kept her head out, looking for tracks when her mother had told her not to run off. As if she was going to go frolicking with the loners and kittypets unsupervised.

A triple of fear ran down her spine as her mother stared at her, and it elicited a "Yes, Cougarivy," from her, but nothing more. Her head was still mulling over the stunt shad had pulled against Vulturefang, but she put it out of her mind to hunt.

There was a mouse, she could smell. And small tracks pressed into the dirt. She noticed them almost as soon as she had stopped. She got into a hunting crouch, and stalked after it.

Well, she had been right. A mouse huddled into some weeds, unaware of the danger behind it. Shadepaw got ready, bunching up her hind to crouch. Her yellow eyes sharpened as the mouse carefully crept out of the weeds, and she sprang forward, sinking her teeth into its neck before it could make a sound. She smiled satisfactorily for a moment before she buried it.

[ @nykyrian @Ravensong ]

[nykyrian]

He got held up somehow, what was supposed to take seconds made it so that he was trekking through the territory at high speeds trying to catch up to the long departed patrol. Aspencry stopped before he reached the haven, not wanting to run the risk of ruining someone else’s hunt. The land was mostly still around him, and he had to take time to watch the trees. This was how he was able to see the red rodent at the base of one, nibbling at the seeds there. It soon wasn’t nibbling on much of anything as it payed limply in the forest cat’s jaws. Then he was off to find his patrolmates.

[Might rewrite this tomorrow, I can’t get my laptop to work and didn’t want to hold this up any longer. @Ravensong @sol. ]

[Pitou]

**Cougarivy**

@nykyrian @sol.

One jay caught and time to spare, the commander made her way toward a boggy area she knew from when they'd spent their last stint in the getaway camp. As she padded out, her paws slowed and her blue eyes turned to the sound of approaching paw steps. She unsheathed her claws but shortly after the sound reached her, the scent caught up. She didn't bother completely resheathing her claws but a small half smile split one corner of her mouth. "Look who decided to show up!" she giggled, "I hope whatever held you was worth it." She didn't wait for a response, not truly caring what had held up the warrior and caring a whole lot more to not hear about. He had made it out to hunt before they were wrapping up so the only way to get under her ire now would be to inhibit their hunting as it was. So she continued on toward the bog and found a dry perch scaling a large rock sticking up out of the damp ground. Then she waited. It only took a couple heartbeats of her silent crouch for the frogs to take up their croaking once more. Her ears swiveled to pinpoint the closest then she angled her body toward the noise. Rising slightly so she could prepare a better pounce, she waited until the croak came again before she leapt forward, her paw diving into the muck beneath the overhanging brush then, after her claws dug into the slimy flesh of a fat frog, she pulled them out. She didn't bother burying the frog, other frogs seemed to care little about a nearby dead frog, the arrogant creatures. They carried about their racket even with an obvious threat nearby, so confident that their hiding place was good enough to avoid detection. Well, Cougarivy would make sure to punish such disregard. She dropped the limp amphibian beside the rock then retook her mantle, waiting for another croak to erupt nearby. This time she didn't hesitate. As soon as a croak voiced near her, she lifted, turned, and pounced in one swift movement. Her claws dug into cool flesh once more and she returned to drop it with its friend beside the rock before she padded further through the sludge to find a different perch on a rotting log and waited.

[sol.]

SHADEPAW
PARIAH BY CHOICE

The young molly frowned at Aspencry, before going back to track a new scent. Frog, she decided. Her mother had caught one, its croak silenced just like her friend. Truly a hunter.

A different croak sounded in her mother's direction, and the daughter slunk closer, taking careful consideration into her crouch and technique. The frog sat on the floor, blissfully unaware of the fate that had been subjected to its friends. She slunk closer, her yellow eyes narrowing.

And... pounce! Cold slime filled he rmouth as she leapt forward and cut the animal short with a swift bite. Its croak trailed off suddenly, and she dropped the limp body before spitting and making a face. Frog slime. Disgusting. She didn't know how Mousepaw put up with this.

[ @Ravensong @nykyrian ]

[Pitou]

**Cougarivy**

@sol. @nykyrian

The mottled she-cat waited on her log until a fat croak echoed over the boggy ground. She copied her previous flip then pounced. She hadn't seen the lumpy creature before jumping and was shocked as she misjudged the leap, what remained of her left claws grabbing only the back leg of a large toad. It bounced off, tethered backwards by the claws holding its leg to the ground, and flopped clumsily on its flank as Cougarivy scrambled forward with her free claws, slashing at the writhing creature until she got a good shot at its underbelly. The insides popped and the noisy toad fell still. She smiled, holding back a laugh. It hadn't been her cleanest catch but the ordeal had been funny enough. She grabbed the freshkill and added it to her two frogs and jay then paced forward to find her daughter. She'd caught glimpses of the younger she-cat hunting, especially as she had moved closer to her own hunting area. She had not, however, seen Aspencry again though the optimist in her said he was likely hunting as a good Shadowclanner should: silent and out of sight. She sat down and waited for a few moments but with no apparent sign of Aspencry, she gathered her catches and flicked her tail toward Shadepaw, "Might as well be getting back. Wouldn't want to keep our deputy waiting." Aspencry was a grown warrior, he could finish his hunting and catch up.

[ +1 jay +2 frogs +1 toad ]

[Galaxy_]

Echoshine lead the way out and towards the Hidden Haven. "Cougarbite? Want to have a challange?" @jackhunt_12