ThunderClan Territory

[popsicle dream]

Cedarleaf copied Sunripple, and she guessed he was having the same results as her: nothing. Leaf-bare was her least favorite month for many reasons, but the soft wind hitting her face felt good. She padded a little farther from camp, hoping to find something there. She raised her nose to the air, taking a deep breath of the familiar earthy forest scent. She looked at Sunripple, wondering what he was thinking about. @rosetherosey

[rosetherosey]

@Phoenix Fire
"Anything?" Sunripple said looking over at her. Leafbare was awful. There was barely any prey, it was extremely cold, etc. The only thing good about it was that it meant the forest would be bustling with prey. It wasn't likely they would find anything very satisfying to eat, but that didn't take away the thrill of the hunt.

[popsicle dream]

Cedarleaf didn’t know Sunripple said anything. She wasn’t watching. She had caught a scent: vole. It was her favorite food, but it was going to an elder or queen, most likely. She didn’t feel jealous or envious, though. She understood why. Leaf-bare was harder on them than on her. She dropped into a crouch when she saw the vole shuffling through the undergrowth. She leapt for it, biting it in the throat and sending a quick thanks to StarClan. @rosetherosey

[rosetherosey]

He realized that Cederleaf hadn't heard him. Well it didn't matter, she caught something. Sunripple could tell she was enjoying herself. Well, hopefully. He had a hard time reading some cats.
He walked up to her looking at her he said. "That's the biggest vole I've seen all leaf-bare!" It indeed was bigger than you would expect in leaf-bare. The elders and queens would certainly enjoy eating it. @Phoenix Fire

[popsicle dream]

Cedarleaf laughed a little. It was a big vole. She dropped it and scraped dirt over it with a paw. Then she scented the air again. She couldn’t find anything. “Want to go a little farther out?” she asked. Her yellowish green eyes met his eyes, and for a split second, her breath caught. Then she was back to normal, other than that... feeling. She still wasn’t sure what it was. Part nervousness, part awkwardness, and part sheer joy. @rosetherosey

[rosetherosey]

"Yeah, the prey might have been scared off by the sound of cats from the camp." Sunripple signaled with his head where to go. He knew a good hunting spot, it was a darker part of the forest but that wasn't a problem. Prey liked to hide there all the time because of the dark. But, cats are nocturnal after all. Which meant that they would be able to see in the dark.
As they were walking he slowed down a bit to match her steps. The feeling had never gone away, but he did his best to suppress this certain one. It was a feeling that was good, but also not at the same time. Until he would understand it, it would just make him wonder what it was.
Once they arrived at the spot he immediately smelled fresh prey. A mouse. Stopping in his tracks he crouched spotting it almost immediately. He slowly moved towards it, careful to be soft on his paws. Then he pounced! It was finished off quickly, and he gave thanks to Starclan. @Phoenix Fire

[popsicle dream]

Cedarleaf nodded in agreement and padded after Sunripple. Sound would definitely scare away prey. She tried to step lightly, hoping her footsteps weren’t too loud. She smiled as Sunripple slowed down to match her pace. He was such a kind cat. The strange feeling she had around him and when she thought of him intensified, to the point Sunripple was all she could focus on. She hardly noticed the area around getting darker.
She knew he caught the same scent of mouse filling her nose when he dropped to the ground. She watched him catch it quickly. “Good catch!” she mewed. She felt so happy in that instant... just Sunripple, her, and the calm forest. She smiled involuntarily, then noticed another prey scent. Ooooor not. It was a bird. She was not good at catching birds. She found it with her eyes now, watching it flutter around. On the ground. Maybe she could catch it! @rosetherosey

[rosetherosey]

Sunripple smiled thankfully and mewed a quick "Thanks." He noticed she had also found prey. A bird. Those prey were harder to catch than other creatures like the mouse for instance, but she was a skilled cat. Cederleaf would probably catch it anyway.

[beepaw]

c...can i join?

[Zero]

- @Mia

Valleypaw glowered for a moment. That hadn't been good enough for her. She felt the need to prove herself once more, to show that she could really catch a bird. She didn't want to return to camp without one. "Let's keep hunting," Valleypaw meowed, easily taking charge when the decision was handed to her. "I'm going to try to catch another sparrow, but in the meantime, maybe you should try to catch something as well? We don't want to come back to camp empty-pawed." Especially with the prey shortage at the moment from cats skipping out on their duties - she left that out, knowing Meadowvalley was aware. Though it was winter, the prey was still plentiful, the leader and deputy just needed to send out more cats capable of getting it done.