Hunting (open)

[ºNìghtº]

Nightclaw walked silently across ShadowClan territory with muddy brown paws. Her dark blue eyes trailed against her surroundings, calculating any signs of movement. She picked up the faint scent of mouse near a bush. Nightclaw crouched silently, barely making a sound on the wet ground as she approached it. She leapt on the bush, paw falling on the tail of the mouse to keep it from moving. The mouse squeaked and helplessly tried to run before Nightclaw killed it with a swift bite to the neck. She proudly picked up her piece of prey, before walking away from the bush to a small patch of hard ground. She buried the mouse, planning to come back for it later.

[ḞḶIṆṪ]

Short coarse fur, as was often characteristic of mountain cats scraped against the soft ferns. The thin green plants were a pain and easily broke and clung to Pounced fur which was painfully obvious in this shadowy territory. Murk and mud were here in great numbers. Amber eyes stalked the trees. This felt like the innards of the forest, the deepest darkest parts.

Not a pleasant place. I feel so far from the sky Longingly the great blue appeared before his minds eye, somewhere it probably still existed beyond the nettles. On oval pads the brushed forward onto a dryer patch of marsh. All up his legs mud clung, along with various plant life and a unseemly bug. Nastiest place I've ever been. With a disgusted flick he got busy sitting and using his spare paw to send the marsh back were it belonged.

The task wasn't easy and Pounce, forgetting where he was, soon became distracted. It wasn't smart, He'd known upon entering this warmer claimant that the clans lived here. The sent markers had been obvious and he knew this was some cats land. Originally he'd figured as long as not a bite was eaten no one would harm him. Presently though, his mostly white pelt was like a beacon against the nearly black ground and his back was turned.

[Demon the Monsta]

Maple eyed the surrounding carefully. The tree's dark and tall, the sun hidden in clouds. Everything seemed darker and sad.

Maple flicked his tail side to side before stepping forward. This place, Shadowclan's territory, it was strangely familiar to him. Like he'd walked this path before. Seen that tree, hunted by that bush.

Maple narrowed his eyes slightly as the sun suddenly came out, causing the forest to get misty. He stepped forward again, only once, before pausing. A thought came to him. He had been here before.

Confused the young cat walked at a more brisk pace trying to jog his memory. He knew he shouldn't be here... but it felt right. Careful to avoid seeing any cats he kept to the shadows and in the bushes. The last thing he needed right now was to get caught.

Maple winced as a branch scraped his side. He needed to be more careful. He heard a sudden twig snap. Instinctively he crouched down to the forest floor, keeping him self well hidden.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed it was just a mouse. Mouse! The sweet smell of food washed over him. He got into a hunters crouch and silently crept forward. He pounced when the mouse was nibbling on a berry and killed it with one swift bite.

Food at last. As his teeth sunk into the little body he relaxed visibly. He needed this food, he hadn't eaten since yesterday around sunhigh. He knew he had been growing weaker and weaker but could do noting about it when there was no food. He had even resorted to eating some berries to keep him going.

The food was heaven. Now he could continue on and hopefully not have to hunt in someone's territory. He didn't want to anger anyone.

Maple blinked the sleep out of his eyes as he continued exploring until he found a stream. It was small, but enough to give him a good drink. He sunk his hind quarters down and lapped up the water.

Finally.

[ºNìghtº]

The faint indention in the ground from pawprints attracted Nightclaw's dark blue eyes quickly. She bent to sniff the recent paw prints before raising her head. Probably just another ShadowClan warrior, out hunting. Her sapphire blue eyes scrutinized her surroundings more carefully. A zephyr of wind tugged at her silky, ink black pelt, ruffling its smooth coat. In all, the day was nice, with fair skies and the sun streamed through the trees to hit the ground. Large, white airy clouds filled the light blue sky above. The only imperfection in the day, in Nightclaw's mind, was the uncomfortable heat on the back of her shoulders from the sun.

Nightclaw silently sat in the clearing, tail tapping the ground lightly to show her boredom. I should've joined a hunting patrol, would've been much more interesting than hunting alone. Nightclaw's head shook angrily as she stood up. Complaining wasn't going to get her anywhere- No one was listening except herself anyways. She started at a nice, fast pace towards the heart of the territory, her ears pricked lightly for the sound of prey nearby. The least thing, she could do for her clan for the day was catch another piece of prey before heading to camp to find something to dispel her boredom.

[ḞḶIṆṪ]

_{I was hopeing Night could join before Flystar anounced there presents Demon?}

Pounce;;

In the far distance Pounce had finished cleaning the mud from his fur. Relived his back formed an arch and a few pops could be heard. Flashing an reddish amber orb over the area the trained hunter decided there was little here of interest. The ground wouldn’t work for his hunting style anyway. His paws were used to smooth stone, not sinking mud so far form the open air. With an agitated flick of a paw Pounce got up and attempted to move off out of the mud and Shadowclan. Though it was sometime later he passed beyond the border again drenched and slick in a new brown coat. It was quite frustrating and he disappeared in search of prey.

------------------------------------

Flystar;;

Far from the border a naturally brown cat moved along unhidden and unhindered. Her pelt was like liquid as shadow and sunlight played over her back, blue gray flecks of fur rippling with her step. Flystar’s head was high. She for one loved this territory and knew all the best paths around the mud, as of yet her lard paws hadn’t been dirtied. The leader never moved far from root clumps which were guaranteed solid spots. Long legs bore her a good swift pace and she lengthened her stride into a trot.

What a lovely day She purred the thought and smiled softly, looking about. Not much stirred here. As was common the air was thick and still, water hung in it densely and make the land humid and dank. The sent of earth and ground roots were all about her though Flystar couldn’t smell them. She had been born without this skill but it was no problem in most cases. Like right now for one, having lived in the territory so long as to know were all the prey already was. This fact would gave any hunter an advantage and made it so she always brought back a fair share.

Presently she’d been sitting, dark two colored fur melting against the forest and making her nearly invisible. The sun drew higher though and mist began to rise on silent threads about the air. Her pelt grew uncomfortable, it felt like wet moss and she abruptly sprang up and made for a cooler area, that is, by the stream. The icy water had a shade effect and prevented the area there from warming. Over and under ferns and fallen logs she treaded. A final bolder was passed and her paws touched down in stony sand.

With a pleased flick of the ear her tail curled up. Her head bent, the leaderess moved forward again at a quicker pace, there was nothing here to get in her way save the occasional jagged rock. Over her left shoulder the water glittered and rolled waves upon the shore, gently the lapped against her paws with a soothing touch.

By chance some small shape ahead caught her eye. It looked rather like a overgrown mouse she darted between the shadows and crept around to watch. The fur ball lapped water, it’s back was turned and a tail stuck out behind it. A kit! Olive eyes flashed. A little kit was alone in the territory! There was no way this was Shadowclans. Since her leadership four moons ago Flystar had not seen any new litters yet. Disquieted she got up and moved back into the forest, never far from the kit but keeping so it wouldn’t see her. Ahead she was making a circle around the tom and was moving in Nightclaws direction, noticing the warriors sent she glanced back and straightened up. Nightclaw? She whispered, tone hushed so not to be heard well over the bubbling waters.

[ºNìghtº]

occ: I'm not sure if this is exactly what you wanted, so just pm me if you need any changes. I have no problem changing how they meet up, or whatever you need.



Through slitted dark blue eyes, Nightclaw examined her surroundings carefully; wondering if she was just imagining the strange feel that clung to the air and that she was missing something in plain sight. She felt the strong sense of peace and silence, which unsettled her. Life in the forest was anything but calm. Every day Nightclaw got up wearily for a day full of complaining elders, demanding medicine cat’s, foolish and reckless kits, and warriors that droned on an on about pointless and irrelevant things she didn’t care about. Nightclaw knew, that none of the cats in Shadow Clan liked her much, and they had no reason to. Rather than wasting her time gossiping with warriors, training lazy and clumsy-footed apprentices, or checking the borders three times a day, Nightclaw hunted alone. She didn’t like having anyone else for company, usually, because she didn’t like having to depend on someone else for anything. Nightclaw prided herself in her independence. Besides, groups created attention. She liked to seclude herself from the others. Either way, she had always felt a bit superior to the easy life of a clan warrior.

The best thing about hunting alone to Nightclaw was the welcoming peace and the things you could notice alone that miss your gaze around others. Nightclaw’s quick eyes missed nothing in the forest when there was nothing to distract her. With other cats around, you couldn’t admire how to the complicated pattern of light streaming through the leaves to the ground or the gleaming drops of dew on the strands of long grassed that whipped your legs unmercifully when you passed. But- Nightclaw shook her head. She was losing her touch. Since when did she notice sentimental things like that? Nightclaw took in a deep breath of air, sniffing at a dried leaf lying on the ground. Her ears pricked instantly in surprise. She could smell Flystar. Her scent wasn’t on the leaf, but she was nearby. Nightclaw sniffed the air again. Her lip curled back in disgust as she fought the overwhelming desire to snarl. She smelled rouge, which only meant trouble. Rouges were filthy crow-food eaters that couldn’t be trusted… Nightclaw’s whisker’s twitched as she heard the faint sound of snapping twigs. She slipped silently in the shadows, watching as a small kit stumbled into the clearing, looking a bit lost.

[ḞḶIṆṪ]

Heartbeats slipped past and Flystar waited for some response. Ears straining forward she searched out a sound, any sound of the warrior Nightclaw. Though the she cat was known to be a bit adrift from clan life, Flystar respected her for what she was. If the warrioress liked solitude the slender leader hadn’t a thought of disturbing it, until now. Seeing that brown fur ball had been a bit of a shock, she didn’t approach at first and chose to let the shadows conceal her. But if Nightclaw was here though, she couldn’t bide her time and sneak about while the kits tail was turned. Still not even a rustle of wind met her ears. That’s a pain. Nightclaws pelt blends perfectly here, I can’t see her. Tail tip twitching irritated, Flystar turned and backtracked to the bubbly stream she’d found the little kit. Hope it hasn’t dorwnd. Her pace stepped up a notch or two.

The leaves parted to reveal bountiful light and she breathed a soft sigh of relief. It looked like everything was ok. Stealing herself up Flystar pressed forward so she was directly behind the young intruder. Moments away from taking the final step into the open, Flystar abruptly spotted Nightclaw menacingly watching the same kit. Alarm prickling down her back, she withdrew and made threw the forests shelter again over to the black she cat. Coming up from behind she whispered again Nightclaw? She tried to search her clan mates face but to no avail, those tell tail blue eyes were still focused else where. Sure not to disturb a single stem Flystar leaped over some fen and fell to her paws at Nightclaws side, not saying anything until her balance was certain. We need to go get that. A kit can’t be left alone on our watch.

Picking her way under the shade Flystar emerged for the first time amongst the full sunlight. Though her shoulders were small, in total her body was a large and threatening with thin scars and wire muscle. In an effort to look kind she crouched down and moved only within a few fox lengths of the fluffy brown lump. Green eyes warmed over a smile, And where are you from?

[Demon the Monsta]

Maple sighed as the water kit his throat. Suddenly he heard something in front of him. At first he thought he imagined it, but then he heard something else. A voice!

Maple let out a yelp of surprise and toppled over and landed in the river. Maple thought he could get out for a second but soon realized he was wrong. His little legs could no longer touch the rocks underneath him and they were flailing rapidly, trying to keep his head above water. Red had never taught him how to swim!

Maple choked on some water as his head finally went under. The water swirled around blinding him and went up his nose and in his ears. All he could hear was the rush of the water.

Soon his limbs were going numb and he could barley feel the rocks as they bashed into him one at a time.

Maple's head reached surface one more time, allowing him to cough out water and draw little air in. But it was just enough to give him strength witch he lost soon when his head hit a rock and he was knocked unconscious.

Blackness took over and all went still.

[A/N - Sorry it's short, you can only add so much drowning time you know?]

[ºNìghtº]

From the shadows, Nightclaw made out Flystar's pelt barely, but her scent and voice was strong. Nightclaw kept perfectly still in the shadows like a statue of black. "I'm here." Nightclaw whispered in a cracking voice, watching in surprise as Flystar's brown pelt stepped pointedly in the strong sunlight in the clearing. For a heartbeat, Nightclaw held back in the shadows, almost wondering if she would scare the kit with her menacing gaze and black pelt. She knew that her appearance could scare many enemy clan's warriors. It's not like she chose her appearance- it was just the way she was. There was no way the kit could see her here- the only way the kit could no of her presence was by scent, and this cat probably had never been taught the importance of making sure to check the scent around every once in a while. Unusual softness fell into Nightclaw's hard sapphire blue gaze as she walked quietly to stand beside her leader in the harsh sunlight, with a glance towards Flystar's. Then, Nightclaw focused her dark blue eyes on the small fluffy kit in front of her. "My name is Nightclaw. What is yours, little one?" Nightclaw asked, surprised by how smooth and self-assured her voice sound. Really, her mind was full of second-doubts about everything. But then again, Nightclaw had always been good at keeping her cool in a situation- or at least her expression. She kneaded her paws against the ground, wondering how the kit would react to clan cats.

A short uncomfortable silence followed her words. Nightclaw's sharp ears caught the nearby yowl of surprise. "Did you hear that?" Nightclaw asked Flystar, keeping a respectful distance away from her leader, "It sounds like it came from the river. I'm not sure though." Nightclaw's pelt bristled a little in worry. No cat got near that water unless they knew how to swim. Nightclaw wasn't a terrible swimmer, she just hated getting her long, fluffy pelt wet because it took hours to dry. "Do you want me to check it out?" Secretly, Nightclaw knew she had never been much good at talking to kits and didn't want to end up making an embarrassing mistake with her words in front of the leader, and scare the little fluffy brown rouge kit. She knew she wouldn't be much help with this and her leader probably could take care of things smoothly without any help. It was just a kit, after all, and kits weren't hard to talk to. Nightclaw had never been very good with words- especially around kits.

[ḞḶIṆṪ]

Crouched down as she was Flystar had all the power in her backs legs as the kit tipped forward and splashed down into the stream. She had been about to answer Nightclaw who’d come up from the leaves behind her and who’s shadow now fell over her side. Wishers twitched as she thought, honestly here strong love for kits compelled her to go up and make first contact. No, no, don’t do that to yourself. Just let Nightclaw deal with it. Heart sinking between her paws, Flystar bad been about to recommend Nightclaw try saying something to get it’s attention when with a start the kit slipped. It felt like her spirit moved to catch it, mind shouting NO! with out the use of her mouth. Parting the pebbles, lethal black claws cut out. It was like her whole body tensed and flinched without moving, the event playing out slowly before a captive Flystar.

Some distant thought struck the motionless brown and gray form. I thought this would happen! Kits don’t go into the forest! Helplessly watching a crash shattered the musical gurgling notes of the water. Flystar came back to her senses hard. Most her weight was already centered over her back legs, without a moments thought she sprang the entire distance and over shot. Greedily the current tugged the dark lump beneath away before she touched down. Pebbles flew into the air with a great noise of shifting stone. Struggling to pull her paws free fast and turn around again, they stung her back on the return trip to earth. In a second leap her face and chest was struck by freezing water.

In the waters icy fringes her eyes opened and ribs clenched in a painfully. It was just a few mouse lengths to deep and with nothing to grab onto, Flystar was as easily carried away as the kit had been. Good job. Go jumping into streams why don’t cha? Not like anyone in Shadowclan can swim! Sharp stones beat her legs and sides, she was thrown against protruding boulders but her head managed to breath the surface several times. Deep breaths powered struggling limbs but nothing worked, it was like being caught by wind and blown away! She had no wings, or fins for that matter, to fight with. Twice the make of the stream bed pulled her under. Below the world sounded strange and rushing, she didn’t see the unknown kit anywhere.

Shaking, her ears and tail started to go numb and with each heart beat her panic grew. Where is it! Momentarily the water calmed and she plunged below expecting to see empty water wasteland again. No, there! Shock zapped beneath her drenched fur, using only some vague instinct Flystar swam forward still tucked under the water to the limp fur ball. Each stroke hurt her lungs, she could manage only one more lunge before her teeth and tongue scraped against velvety kit fur. Clamping down on the mass, it was a dead weight and pulled her to the bottom. With only a desperate kick at the black stones, she and the wet moss looking tom managed to rejoin the air. They had come far down stream and here the banks were sandy and the bubbling replaced by shallow swishing. Getting to shore was easy.

This patch of territory was familiar, the pair were much closer to camp and new beneath the pines on the open land not sheltered by shady plants. None of this was to the leaders concern though. Echoheart once said what to do

[/b] Gasping for new air herself, she grip the kits tail and pulled up so his nose faced down. Not an easy task it was, tired and with the brown fur adding double the weight, only her will not to let it die kept her still. Gently she grasped it’s tail and preyed to starclan they’d guide it back to it’s body, fear clenched her heart, it started to beat like a drum ticking as seconds slipped by. [/blockquote]

[Demon the Monsta]

Maple was in blackness for what felt like forever before he felt something sink into his scruff. He knew he was still in water so he just concentrated on breathing, he was too tired to move his paws so he remained still and did not once struggle. Before long he was out again.

When Maple awoke again he felt something push against his side. A large paw... Maple was not yet ready to open his eyes just yet, but he felt as if there were many many little pebbles pounding him from every direction.

Maple opened his eyes to a dark shadowy shape hovering over him. He coughed a few times before spitting up some water.

"Thanks" He rasped.

[ḞḶIṆṪ]

Gently letting go so his back legs were again on land, a relived Flystar flopped down next to the tom. She couldn’t help but feel shaky, either from the struggle of breaking past the waters torrent or from hearing the kit was ok, her limbs didn’t want to stand. It had sounded like he’d mumbled something, the leader was pretty sure at least. Now she just needed a brief moment to regain her strength. Both of her back legs felt sore, likely from all the rocks she’d managed to hit on her way downstream. My shoulders hurt to but what’s worse is this strange weak feeling all over. That had to be her main problem, only perhaps twice before had she gone for a swim, and never such a life threatening one.

Here on the more sandy shore sunlight greeted her fur and warmed the white little stones all about them. Flystar begin to notice there situation as feeling crept back into her ears and tail. For one, Nightclaw was gone, still upstream she figured and hopefully on her way down to greet them. As luck had it though, the pair were now actually closer to camp then before, the home trip would be brief. Good thing to, if he’ll let me, this kit should be checked out. Other then those two obvious facts the terrain beyond the shore was far less fern riddled, this was one of there driest sections of territory.

Rolling up Flystar stretched out her front legs and lay on the sides of her hind ones. Wishers making a blur, she shook the last remains of water from them. The numbness had gone back into the dark waters and she felt quite a bit better. In thin strand her short feather like fur began to dry and fluff up under the weight of a soft breeze. Despite the silence, her attention was on the brown kit. Having never seen to many young cats, Flystar had no idea if this one was ok.

Balancing on one arm, she picked a paw up and very gently prodded his ribs. Are you ok? Both hind legs curled up and shifted under her so the she cat lay on all her paws upright. His had been open earlier. . . Don’t be worried, everything’s ok now. No one plans to hurt you – we just want to help. Her view was slit with narrowed, worried eyes. May I ask your name? Mine is Flystar.