Open Season [open hunting patrol]

Mistyfalcon's paws trailed after the hunting patrol he'd been assigned to, and for once even the mud seeping between his paws didn't seem so bothersome. He was finally free of Cinderpaw's den, finally free to go on patrols, and he'd earned his warrior name.

Yet despite the joy that should've brought, the newly-named warrior found himself strangely hesitant, ears twitching at noise in the surrounding area, face turned away from the rest of his patrolmates. He'd heard Flintstar's words, and had appreciated them, but... Crowpaw's words hadn't taken long to resurface in Mistyfalcon's thoughts.

The lanky tom gave himself a slight shake, willing himself to focus on the task at paw. He was on a patrol to hunt, not stew in his own thoughts. It didn't take long to pick up the scent of mouse among the pines, and Mistyfalcon carefully crept forward until he spotted the creature.

When he was close enough, he pounced, landing squarely and quickly killing his prey. He hadn't realized it, but he'd tensed slightly in anticipation of a dog's bark that never came.

Mistyfalcon attempted to catch a mouse. Catch was successful!
117 / 120sp

-dice roll post-

The member 'kjSage' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 4

Brighteye padded out of camp with her patrol, a few small paces ahead of Mistyfalcon. Her friend seemed a little downtrodden, but at least his wounds were healing well. She was glad that she had been assigned to the same patrol as him, because she still felt so... protective? Yes, she had been there when the dog attacked. But she hadn't been with him in the moment. She should've been more wary, more cautious. It wasn't really her fault, no matter how much she may tell herself it was, however.

He had been deemed well enough to leave the medicine den and earn his warrior name: there was only so much Cinderpaw could do. No matter how many herbs she had tries, his ear was shredded and his face and body criss-crossed with scars, probably forever now. His eyes still shine though... she thought. Brighteye, get yourself together. You're not allowed to love him, and you made that promise to yourself. Just get on with the hunt.

They reached the pine grove before long, and Mistyfalcon began to hunt. It felt strange for her to be here with someone else again - this was normally her safe, private haven where she would spend hours on end alone. Turning to the hunt, she picked up the scent of a shrew. She slowly stalked it, being careful not to give away her presence. One more step. She leapt, and her paws easily trapped the little rodent. With one swift bite, she cut off its shrieks.

Brighteye used 3 SP to catch a shrew. Catch was successful!
197/200

The member 'khamosa khristmas' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 9

"Nice catch," He mewed softly, glancing briefly at Brighteye. Turning, the dark-furred warrior quickly picked up the scent of a vole, and spotted the small creature rooting among the grasses.

Slipping into a crouch, Mistyfalcon stalked forward, and pounced once he was close enough. Jaws closing around the creature, he nipped it quickly, then turned to bury it for later retrieval.

Mistyfalcon attempted to catch a vole. Catch was successful!
114 / 120sp

The member 'kjSage' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 9

"Th-Thanks" Brighteye muttered. When she did speak, it was rare for her to stumble over words. Why did she have to act so weirdly? Normally she relished in silence, but not this kind of awkward quiet. Although she had made her decision, and so she would stick with Crowpaw. Going back on that now would surely do more harm than help.

Just focus on the hunt then. She told herself as she watched Mistyfalcon's pursuit of a vole, then successful catch. "You too," she said, a small smile escaping her control and sliding onto her maw. Shaking her head slightly so she could concentrate properly, she parted her jaws to search for prey. Rabbit! Rare as they were in Shadowclan territory, if they were to be anywhere it would be the Pine Grove. Remembering that the bob-tailed prey was difficult to stalk, she instead took a different approach. Like a shadow (or more like a ghostly figure due to her white pelt) she flitted between trees, nearing the rabbit quickly. Soon she saw it, and, hidden a little by a fallen tree, dropped into a hunting crouch to pounce.

As Brighteye was about catch it, a raccoon ran out from seemingly nowhere, making a racket and scaring away the rabbit she was pursuing. Its teeth sunk into her back leg, the shock and pain combined making her cry out. She would've preferred to stay silent so Mistyfalcon didn't come to try and help her: the tom may've been deemed well enough to hunt, but his wounds would be easily opened again by a battle. Unable to escape the hold of the masked predator, she had to wait for it to release her before she could attack. As soon as possible, she reared up on her back legs and sliced at the raccoon's dark face with her claws, ignoring the pain in her leg.

Brighteye used 3 SP to catch a rabbit. Catch was unsuccessful and summoned a predator!
194/200

---

Raccoon used Iron Bite on Brighteye, costing 20 SP and dealing 30 damage
Brighteye used Rendering Front Paws, costing 25 SP and dealing 13 damage


Brighteye
30/60 HP [-30]
175/200 SP [-25]


Mistyfalcon
40/40 HP
120/120 SP


Raccoon
17/30 HP [-13]
280/300 SP [-20]

The member 'khamosa khristmas' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 10

Mistyfalcon had picked up the scent of bird, and while Shadowclanners were no tree climbers, it was worth a try. Food was food, after all, and feathers were far better than lizardskin or frogs.

Still, at Brighteye's cry, his head snapped around, the bird quickly forgotten as the newly-named warrior bounded silently through the pines in the direction of his friend. The source of the racket turned out to be a raccoon, and the dark-furred tom wasted no time in strike at the thing with unsheathed claws, ears flat against his head.

Mistyfalcon used Shadowed Ambush on Raccoon for -15sp, dealing -8 damage.

Mistyfalcon
40 / 40 hp
99 / 120 sp (114 - 15)

Raccoon
9 / 30 hp (17 - 8)
280 / 300 sp

Brighteye was grateful for Mistyfalcon's help, even if she would have liked for him to be far, far away from any threat. But that brief moment of thankfulness didn't last long. The raccoon, surprised at its second attacker leaping out of the darkness, quickly shifted focus onto the tom. Claws outstretched, it tried to slash them across his eyes, right where so many wounds already lay. Luckily, the grey warrior dodged it slightly, saving his eyes at the cost of his shoulder.

Her strange, overprotective side took over again, and a deep, ominous growl rumbled in her throat. She leapt at the raccoon and clung onto its fluffy, striped tail. Wanting to take it as far away from Mistyfalcon as she could, she jerked the animal towards her before flinging it to the side. No doubt it would return soon, but it gave her the time to ready her self and chat her friend was alright. "Mistyfalcon? Are you alright?" She said, sounding a little frantic.

Raccoon used Quick Swipe on Mistyfalcon, costing 10 SP and dealing 20 damage
Brighteye used Tail Yank on Raccoon, costing 10 SP and dealing 6 damage

Brighteye
30/60 HP
165/200 SP [-10]

Mistyfalcon
20/40 HP [-20]
99/120 SP

Raccoon
3/30 HP
270/300 SP [-10]

4Mistyfalcon sprang back as the raccoon took a swipe at him. Foxdung, what was it with predators and going after his face? Did he not have enough scars? He'd managed to avoid looking into puddles so far, but even now Crowpaw's words lingered at the back of his mind, much as he tried to pretend that they hadn't affected him. Still, he'd flinched as the claws had flashed for his face. It had been slight, and he really hoped that Brighteye hadn't noticed it, but it had happened, all the same.

The raccoon's claws caught his shoulder instead, Mistyfalcon having not quite been quick enough to dodge, took the hit. The claws in his shoulder... well, it wasn't the worst pain he'd experienced. Brighteye yanked the raccoon roughly backward, tossing it to the side with an amount of force Mistyfalcon honestly hadn't been expecting. Taking the opportunity, the scarred tom slash his claws across the raccoon's throat while it lay prone, quickly ending the fight before it could do any more damage.

And Brighteye was asking if he was okay. Because she hadn't been the one attacked first, not me, he thought to himself sardonically.

"I'm fine. Are you okay?" He countered, dark gaze focused on her. He was less frantic now that the raccoon was dealt with and couldn't cause any further pain for his friend, but he was still concerned. There was blood dripping from Brighteye's hind leg, but for the moons spent in Cinderpaw's den Mistyfalcon was no medicine cat to tell how bad it was.

Mistyfalcon used Front Paw Strike on Raccoon for -10 sp, dealing 8 damage.

Mistyfalcon
20 / 40 hp
89 / 120 sp (99 - 10)

Raccoon DEAD
0 / 30 hp (3 - 8)
270 / 300 sp

"Oh, yeah." Brighteye said, shocked at how quickly the raccoon had perished at the claws of the two warriors. She was going to check that its claws hadn't reopened any of his old wounds, but if Mistyfalcon said he was alright, she might as well trust him. But there was no saving him from the earful he would get from Cinderpaw when they returned to camp. She herself had taken some pretty hard hits from the masked predator, even if they didn't look to bad. Although she didn't want her friend to worry about her. It was mostly just her leg, and she could make it back to camp fine on three working legs - she had done it before.

She carefully rose from her seat where she had been recovering, bending and stretching her leg slowly and gritting her teeth slightly at the pain. Four large puncture marks showed up bright and bloody on her snowy pelt. They would probably scar over, but no scars of hers seemed like anything compared to Mistyfalcon's array. Hobbling slightly, she went to go retrieve her shrew from earlier. It was all she had managed to catch before the raccoon had appeared. "You ready to go?" she asked the grey tom. Luckily his injuries didn't seem too bad this time, which was probably due to how quickly the enemy had lost. Brighteye also didn't think either of them could cope if something anywhere near what had happened.

"I'm good. Come on," Mistyfalcon stood, offering Brighteye his uninjured shoulder to lean on if she needed it. Cinderpaw was likely going to chew them both out for returning to camp bloodied, but the raccoon was dead and they had caught prey, at least.

The dark-furred tom retrieved his mouse and vole from earlier, as well as Brighteye's shrew, before settling in at her side once more as they began to make their way back towards camp. He was still concerned about her, and it seemed like every time they went hunting together they ran into something. Still, Mistyfalcon was beginning to realize that he didn't enjoy seeing Brighteye in pain, probably about as much as she did with him. And yet... something about her concern for him made something in his chest feel oddly warm. He couldn't quite put his claw on why.