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Post by DKT on May 18, 2015 19:11:29 GMT -5
There was an ache in Spottednose’s paws, but the poor pickings of the fresh-kill pile wouldn’t let him rest. Such a selection might have been acceptable in leaf-bare, but the prey had returned and was already starting to fatten up. It was almost dusk now, but there was still time for another good hunting patrol. Besides, cats that went to their nests with good fresh-kill in their bellies were cats up and ready to go the next day.
But who to take? Not the cats due to go on the border patrol, obviously, but no specific cats came to mind. Well, maybe it was time to see who still had some energy to burn off before crawling into their den. Moving to the center of the camp, the black-and-white tom raised his voice.
“Alright, I’m ready for one last hunting patrol. Who’s coming?” Hearing a grumble from the direction of some younger warriors, he added, “Come on! Whoever goes with me won’t be put on dawn patrol, promise.” The ache was gone, replaced with a second wind of sorts. It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence, given the deputy’s penchant for catering to his stomach before his common sense.
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Post by envy on May 18, 2015 19:35:16 GMT -5
 WORDS: 358 | TAG: DKT | NOTES: x
a wave of fatigue washed over the large she-cat as she came out of the warriors den. she had been laying down trying to catch a few minutes of shut eye, but her over active mind had other plans for the femme. flicking her ears, her lips parted revealing her yellowing fangs as she yawned, the strength of it raking over her body and causing her eyes to water. her jaws snapped back together, and she blinked her pale green eyes a couple of times, the frame of the deputy coming into her slightly blurred vision. she cocked her head to the side slightly, and her tail swayed from side to side as she deliberated on whether or not she should join the patrol.
it wasn’t a secret that she wasn’t the best hunter in the clan; actually to be perfectly honest she was probably one of the worst hunters. she was born without the raw talent for the hunt, and her bulky frame made stalking prey difficult. lichenstrike’s quirk where her tail never stopped moving also created a problem that was hard to ignore for the cat. she had to constantly be concentrating on where her tail was, what was beneath her paws, and whether or not it was going to make noise if she let it fall to the ground. she could go on the hunting patrol, and put forth an admirable effort, but she wasn’t exactly keen on going with spottednose. he would probably judge her on her lack of skills. though the prospect of not getting up at the crack of dawn to do a patrol was too good to pass up.
“I’ll go with you, spottednose.” she mewed, her ear flicking again at a stray fly that had wandered too close to her head. she sauntered over to him so that she was a rabbits length in front of him and stopped, studying his face. she wasn’t particularly close to the deputy, but then again, she wasn’t really the type of cat to get close to others. thanks for the baggage littleheart and olivestep. she thought bitterly, a small smirk crossing her maw.
Now the dark begins to rise Save your breath, it's far from over Leave the lost and dead behind, Now's your chance to run for cover |
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Post by vixen. on May 19, 2015 18:06:05 GMT -5
baby we're crazy lucky it's like faith, god, or the big bang, it's just one of those things you can't explain.  The she cat had been scampering around the camp all day. The thrilling feeling of new-leaf had left her with a bundle of energy that she couldn't exactly contain. Her paws seemed to be on fire and unable to control where they wanted to go. Sitting around and doing nothing wasn't an option. Her ears twitched as she made her way back to the nursery den with a soaked ball of moss hanging from her mouth. She dropped it off for the queens to lap at before she heard her deputies call. He was leading a hunting patrol! The leader's heart leaped in her throat and she found herself bounding to one of the senior warriors and setting them in charge so that she could hunt alongside her deputy. It had been quite a long time since the she cat had been able to hunt alongside her clan mates on a patrol. But, with the weather so beautiful and her energy so high, there was no reason not to take advantage and capture the moment.
She paced up to the black and white cat and dipped her head. "I would love to join you. It's been a while since I've been out on patrol." She meowed, her eyes shining with the thrill of a hunt. Back when she was a young warrior, she had been the best hunter in the clan. Now, being the leader and having less time to be out on patrol, her skills were a little bit rusty. But, the idea of just being out with the other cats and not trapped inside the camp with no where to turn. It was like she was locked in her own head with the walls closing in. Yes, the fresh air would do her some good. The tabby turned her head with a friendly glint in her eye as she dipped her head to the other she cat. "Evening, Lichenstrike, you look well." She purred, giving her tail a small swing before she flicked her ears, waiting for anyone else to join the little patrol before the clan settled down for the night. | • 380 words
• "I'm speaking."• envy & DKT• hope you guys don't mind me popping in! |
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Post by DKT on May 19, 2015 20:49:07 GMT -5
Spottednose didn’t hide his surprise well when, of all the cats to come out of the warriors’ den, Lichenstrike approached and volunteered to join him. He admired her dedication to the Clan and her skill in battle was undeniable, but he wouldn’t be the first cat to cast doubt on her hunting ability. Though his thoughts were betrayed by a curious twitch of his whiskers, he refrained from airing his doubts. The Clan wasn’t on the brink of starvation; maybe a low-stress hunting patrol would do her good.
“Be glad to have you. Especially now that you don’t have to sneak out, right?” He’d nearly become an apprentice by the time Lichenstrike and her siblings started their all-but-infamous routine of sneaking out when they thought no cat was looking. Crowpetal had talked of joining them once or twice, but the three siblings had been their own tight-knit group and Spottednose had no desire to try and worm his way into their mischief when soon he would be going on real patrols.
As if StarClan were making it a point to catch him off his guard, what other cat but Fawnstar herself would join their excursion? He returned his leader’s gesture of respect, admiring her energy. She’d been on her paws all day, but she still had the energy of any young cat going on their first patrol. It was one of many traits he found admirable in her.
“Do you think the Clan will behave with both of us gone?” It was mostly a joke. There were no pressing dangers that would prevent leader and deputy from going on a quick hunt, but there was always a weight in his gut when they both left the camp. As if they were a litter of kits instead of a Clan of capable warriors! He did his best to push the feeling to the back of his mind. “I thought we might head towards the… the…” Foxdung! He knew the word! With a frustrated snort, he lashed his tail and nodded his head towards the mountains. “That way! If there’s no problem with that,” he added, looking between the she-cats.
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Post by Onyx on May 19, 2015 21:47:50 GMT -5
Ivypaw bounded towards the hunting patrol, but abruptly slowed down when she saw the cats the patrol consisted of. Her mentor suggested - insisted, really, that she 'volunteer' for the hunting patrol, but Ivypaw was now having second thoughts. Being around Fawnstar left Ivypaw quivering from being nervous; she desperately wanted to impress her leader, but often just made herself seem silly because she was shy. Ivypaw was a decent hunter, but was still early in her training, and didn't want her leader to look down on her. She didn't know Lichenstrike very well at all, and she'd made a point nearly her entire life to avoid Spottednose. Apparently, she wouldn't be able to do that forever. She sighed. I should have known better. She couldn't back out now though, since she already told her mentor that she would join them.
She took the remaining few step towards them, and tried to sound as chipper as she could. "I'd like to join you, if that's okay." She pointed her question at Fawnstar rather than Spottednose, who had called the patrol. If she had to pick one, she would always pick Fawnstar, and not just because she was the leader of the Clan. "But if you don't have any room, I'd understand..." Her voice shook slightly, and she berated herself internally for it. She definitely did not want to look weak in front of these particular cats. |
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Post by envy on May 19, 2015 23:27:36 GMT -5
as soon as the words left the deputy’s mouth, the she-cat bristled and her eyes flashed with anger. she had forgotten that spottednose had been only a few moons older than her when she was a kit, and would of course remember the late night escapades her and her siblings would have. however, that wasn’t the reason for her anger. everyone pretty much knew her relationship with her siblings was strained, and that she hardly spoke to littleheart, and never spoke, nor acknowledged the existence of her sister. there was far too much bad blood between her and her sister to let bygones be bygones. pursing her lips, her tail snapped behind her aggressively and she was about to fire a snarky comment at the deputy to call him out on his lack of tact but something else had caught her attention. now was not the time to shoot down the deputy.
out of the corner of her eye, lichenstirke caught the sight of her leaders pelt. curiousity flared up within her, dulling the heat within her heart. and she turned her head to watch the other tabby she-cat approach her deputy. both the leader and the deputy on a patrol? that was an interesting combination, and almost unheard of. she wasn’t in any position to judge however, and with a fair bit of restraint, the she-cat kept her opinion to herself. it wasn’t exactly smart to leave the clan without a leader and deputy, even if it was for a short period of time to do a late night hunt. the situation screamed of stupidity, and uncertainty flashed in her eyes as she dipped her head in acknowledgment of her leader. scared something rude would slip out of her mouth in front of her two superiors, the she-cat didn’t respond.
lichenstrike couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the deputies attempt at a joke. leaving the camp unguarded wasn’t exactly a laughing matter, but once again she kept her lips sealed, though her displeasure with the situation was clearly represented in the scowl etched upon her face. cocking her eyebrow at spottednose’s indecision about where to go, she turned her head to look in the direction he was pointing before turning to look at him again, an unamused expression resting on her face. “I’m assuming you mean the big pointy rocks, otherwise known as mountains?” her tone was cool and mocking, unimpressed with the tom. was he really the right cat to lead this hunting patrol if he didn’t even know what their destination was called? giving him one more pointed glare, she turned around and almost walked right into the apprentice. letting out a snort of surprise, she backed up a few paces and shot a dirty look at ivypaw.
maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.
Now the dark begins to rise Save your breath, it's far from over Leave the lost and dead behind, Now's your chance to run for cover |
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Post by vixen. on May 20, 2015 9:25:30 GMT -5
baby we're crazy lucky it's like faith, god, or the big bang, it's just one of those things you can't explain. The she cat listened politely as her deputy teasingly asked if the cats would be able to manage without their leader and deputy while they went out for a bit of a hunt. She let out a purr of amusement and then twitched her tail toward Spottednose's shoulder. "I sure hope we have taught then well." She meowed, her eyes shining in the playful mood that was around them. Though when the tom seemed to forget the words he wanted to say, the leader remained quiet, waiting for him to work it out. This was his patrol and she didn't want to intervene on anything. She may be the clan leader, but just because of that didn't mean that she had to be in charge of everything. She loved to be able to be a normal clan cat every once in a while.
The leaders ears perked up as Ivypaw bounded over to them, wanting to join the patrol. She seemed enthusiastic enough, but also a bit nervous, though Fawnstar couldn't blame her. A patrol with both the leader and deputy could be a little intriguing, but it was also a test that could change the way the clan looked at a young apprentice. When the apprentice looked to Fawnstar for an answer, she politely shook her head. "That's up to Spottednose, he is the leader of this patrol." She meowed, but her voice was gentle and friendly toward the nervous apprentice. It must have taken her a lot of courage to come up to the leaders of the clan and ask to join the patrol. It made the young she cat's body swell with pride for her clan.
Catching the roll of the she cat's eyes, Fawnstar flipped her gaze to Lichenstrike. Her eyes were soft, but her voice was rather stern. "There is nothing to worry about. The clan will be safe with the senior warrior in charge for a quick hunt. We aren't going out far and we will catch any scents of trouble before it can reach the camp." With that said, she put her gaze back on her deputy, waiting for him to give his reply to Ivypaw and then head out. For now, Fawnstar ignored the tension that was obvious between the two cats and remained neutral, but cool-headed in the whole situation.
This is going to be one long patrol.. She sighed internally. | |
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Post by DKT on May 20, 2015 22:21:33 GMT -5
He briefly considered a tart retort of his own, but decided against it. He wanted no enemy in Lichenstrike. Or maybe it was Fawnstar's good energy affecting him. Either way, he ignored the unkind tone of the comment altogether. "Is that what we're calling them now? Alright then, towards the mountains."
If Lichenstrike and Spottednose were to agree on one thing, however, it seemed to be their reaction to Ivypaw's presence. For an innocuous enough apprentice, she immediately made him uneasy. But tonight, for just a moment, he also felt a glimmer of pride; it wasn't every new apprentice who would voluntarily go on a patrol like this, surrounded completely by warriors. Not that he would admit the feeling. He'd given up the chance to be a father moons ago, when he'd refused even to give his kits their names. Pride wasn’t his to claim.
He shot a grateful look at Fawnstar, hoping she understood how he appreciated her support. Just another reason he was proud to support her as deputy. "Of course you can. Every cat is welcome." Like Ivypaw, his chose not to make eye contact when he spoke. Spottednose could be said to be a lot of unpleasant things, but he wasn't about to get in the way of an apprentice's training to ease his own mind. After quietly asking his warrior ancestors to watch over the Clan in their absence and to ease the tensions of the patrol, he gave a flick of his tail and started for the camp exit. "If we don't get going now, we'll still be hunting when the dawn patrol leaves."
As he left the camp, Spottednose turned his paws northeast and set an easy pace. The best part of hunting patrols was that the destination didn't matter. Whether they traveled five fox-lengths or 500 didn't matter, as long as they had something to show for it.
Spottednose did wish he could try to strike up a conversation and relieve some of the earlier tension or catch up with Fawnstar, but unnecessary chatter was frowned upon when stealth was the name of the hunting game. At least it saved him striking up conversation with the youngest she-cat.
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Post by Onyx on May 21, 2015 17:57:49 GMT -5
Ivypaw stumbled to get out of Lichenstrike's way, before the older she-cat backed up and gave the apprentice a dirty look. She blanched and looked at her paws, before resolving to get a backbone and stop appearing weak. If she had to do this, she would do it without the other members of the patrol thinking she was nothing but a mouse-brained apprentice at the end of it. She met Lichenstrike's glare for a moment, hoping that the warrior didn't notice her quivering. Trust me, I don't want to be here any more than you want me here.
At least Fawnstar received her well, and for that she thanked StarClan. She smiled at the leader, but was nervous again when she brought Spottednose into the conversation. Her mood darkened, but she could see the leader's reasoning. Ivypaw liked Fawnstar, and she knew it wasn't her fault her deputy was a mouse-hearted flea-brain, at least in the apprentice's opinion. She was glad when she chastisted Lichenstrike, but tried not to let it show on her face. I don't want any more trouble than I'm already in.
She didn't look at Spottednose, but at some point behind him when he spoke to her, and he returned the favor. She was sure he would have refused her presence if their leader hadn't been there. After his quick welcome, the deputy turned and led the patrol, and Ivypaw followed suit a couple paces behind. She didn't want to fall behind, but she equally did not want to be next to Lichenstrike, out of fear, or Spottednose, out of resentment. She tried to claim a spot near Fawnstar, without looking as though she was clinging to her like a kit does to their mother.
The silence felt strained, even though it was protocol for these patrols. There was definitely tension in the air, and Ivypaw considered this one of the most awkward patrols she'd been on in her young life. The pace Spottednose set was easy to maintain, and they traveled quickly towards the mountains. Out of habit, Ivypaw began scenting the air, and did her best to be wary of where she placed her paws. She wanted to make her mentor proud just as much as she wanted to appear competent in front of Fawnstar and the others.
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Post by envy on May 22, 2015 22:25:05 GMT -5
the she-cat found herself bristling once again as the leader gave her a pointed look. her tone was anything but friendly, though her eyes told a different story. her lip twitched slightly, and threatened to branch into a full blown scowl, but she forced herself to think about the consequences and opted to look away instead. lichenstrike glanced at spottednose, feeling a gnawing at the base of her gut as he spoke only moments later with a less than snarky comment. narrowing her eyes, she looked back down at the apprentice she had been glaring at moments before and noticed she was trembling slightly. her heart broke at the sight of the scared apprentice. she didn’t think she was a scary cat, but to an apprentice who didn’t know her would take one look at her scowl and the ugly scars under eye and probably think she was something out of a nightmare. dropping her gaze sheepishly, the long haired tabby watched as the deputy trudged out of the camp.
sighing heavily, lichenstrike glared at the mountains before running out of the camp after him half-heartedly. the silence of a hunting patrol always made her grumpy, especially when she had a few choice words for the black and white deputy. a storm cloud hung over her head, and an ugly scowl was pretty much etched upon her face with the air of permanence. if this patrol didn’t end quickly, the she-cat was going to have a conniption fit, and that was something no one needed to see. letting her jaw fall open slightly, she welcomed the scent of the territory warmly upon her tongue. maybe it was the lack of hunting skills, but she could not catch the scent of anything remotely prey-like on the wind. lichenstrike snapped her jaws shut, she let herself fell to the back of the patrol and slow to a lazy stroll.
Now the dark begins to rise Save your breath, it's far from over Leave the lost and dead behind, Now's your chance to run for cover |
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Post by vixen. on May 23, 2015 12:23:08 GMT -5
baby we're crazy lucky it's like faith, god, or the big bang, it's just one of those things you can't explain. Fawnstar was pleased when Spottednose allowed Ivypaw onto the patrol. While she was the leader, she was very flexible with the things she would do. For example, when she was to group up with a patrol, she was more than willing to hand the leadership duty over to another cat for the time being. Sometimes, it just felt good to be able to step down from the the throne and be a normal cat. As the patrol set off, Fawnstar flanked the back of the group, resting her tail on Ivypaw's shoulder briefly to try and comfort the nervous she cat before she slowed her pace even more and returned her tail to a high, yet average stance. As the patrol continued onward, Lichenstrike fell to the back of the patrol and strolled along. The tabby she cat allowed herself to part her jaws and scent the air, coming to a complete halt when she caught the taste of squirrel. Her tail flicked forward, letting the patrol know she had found something and they could keep moving forward if they noticed her lack of motion.
When she was sure that they were not waiting on her, Fawnstar fell into her hunters crouch, her tail straightening out behind her to keep from brushing along the ground. Honey-hued eyes followed the sound of rustling until she caught sight of the gray, bushy tailed creature digging in the dirt for something. Step by step, the she cat pulled herself forward, trying her hardest to hold back the urge to run up at the prey. But, at the last second, a random gust of wind - most likely caused by the storm clouds above their heads - blew her scent into the squirrels nostrils and it raced up the tree trunk. However, the leader was not willing to let it get away, so she pushed all of her weight onto her haunches and leaped up the trunk. She extended her claws and raced up the tree, using her swinging tail to keep balance. As the squirrel raced across the nearest branch to leap across to the next tree, Fawnstar used her small size to weave after it, landing a paw on it's bushy tail and quickly snapping her teeth against it's spine - killing it instantly.
With her prey dead, she parted her jaws to allow her to catch her breath before she picked up her kill and neatly leaped out of the tree. She then waited until it was appropriate as to not mess up anothers hunt, before rejoining the patrol. | • 461 words
• "I'm speaking."• DKT , envy , Onyx• notes: |
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Post by DKT on May 24, 2015 10:45:26 GMT -5
Spottednose let his shoulders relax as the patrol slowly began to fan out. The tension didn’t evaporate, but it certainly thinned. It was a sign of a good cat to put aside hostilities for the sake of another duty. And I’ve always wanted to be a good cat, haven’t I? His own paws began to move delicately, steering clear of crispy twigs or loose pebbles almost on their own accord.
Opening himself fully to his surroundings, the deputy was almost surprised to feel the itch of a storm prickling at his fur. A glance upward and yes, thick clouds hung heavy. He’d thought the storm would take time to develop, but now he wasn’t sure. Hopefully it would hold off: no cat would thank him for settling down in the warriors’ den with wet fur. But the sky wasn’t his concern, the ground way. There was some prey-scent nearby, but it was stale. He heard the rustling of a tree nearby a saw Fawnstar scurrying after something. At least one cat would make a kill on his patrol.
Another scent, shrew for certain and nearby. Cautious of the shifting winds, he moved carefully until he spotted it. The residual hunger from leaf-bare drove it to forage and it was busily nibbling on its latest wormy prize. Not a hard catch at all. He crouched down, ready to sneak forward, before pausing. With the other cats also seeming to go off for their own prey, now would be a good time to see what Ivypaw could do. Though she wasn’t his own apprentice (thank StarClan parents were rarely given their own kits!), he had always made a point of knowing how the training of apprentices were coming along. This would be a good early assessment of skill to judge progress. Backing up, he motioned towards the apprentice and the shrew, hoping she would see and understand his silent message.
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Post by Onyx on May 30, 2015 12:28:26 GMT -5
Ivypaw relaxed as Lichenstrike fell behind a bit, but tensed up again as Fawnstar went off abruptly, following a scent the apprentice wished she'd noticed. For the moment, it was Ivypaw and Spottednose, and she wasn't feeling very comfortable about that. She looked for an opening to fan out as well, thankful that it was time to spread out and she could put some space in between her and the other members of the patrol. For the moment, she kept a steady pace, allowing for some distance between her and the deputy, remembering to watch her paws and avoid anything that would make noise under them.
She felt the storm coming when Spottednose did, and sighed quietly. Just what this patrol needs. She supposed it would rain soon, and she would have to go back to the apprentice den soaked to her skin. Her fur was short, and she anticipated a cold night.
Ivypaw caught the scent of the shrew just a couple heartbeats after the deputy. She stopped as he crouched, and cocked her head as he stopped. That's an easy kill, why did he hesitate? She was too curious to begin to walk away. She stilled even further when he motioned for her to attack the shrew. She almost sighed again, but didn't want the noise to startle the prey. He's testing me! She was almost angry, but took it as an opportunity to prove herself.
She took a couple silent steps forward, then crouched as he had done previously. The shrew was some how unaware of what was going on around it, as it took it's dinner. It took no notice of her as she slunk forward, and made as little noise as possible as she half darted, half jumped on top of it. The kill was quick, though a little sloppy as she landed a bit awkward on top of the prey. She picked it up in her jaws, disliking the fact she cared how Spottednose perceived her. I wish I hadn't stumbled!
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