Hunting [OPEN]

Patrol, patrol, patrol, Beechfang was hardly in camp these days, and this frigid, icy morning was no exception. The former medicine cat led the hunting patrol towards the creek, grimacing at the layer of ice that was forming along the surface of it. Snow covered the ground and the trees in a blanket of white, and before long they were going to have limb patrols needing to get rid of branches damaged from the snow's weight. A shudder swept through her at the thought... Or maybe it was the bitter cold. Not that she would admit to either.

The fresh scent of squirrel caught Beechfang's attention, and she flicked her tail signaling that she was going to go after it. Dropping into a crouch, the silvery she-cat stalked forward, finding the squirrel on the ground. Prey was becoming scarcer by the day, and Skyclan needed all it could get. She crept silently forward, large, wide paws easily keeping her from floundering in the snow that was up to most cats' belly fur. The squirrel seemed unaware of her presence, and once she was close enough Beechfang leapt forward.

She landed squarely, paws pinning the squirrel in place as she leaned down and snapped the prey's neck. Definitely an improvement, but she wouldn't be satisfied until she nailed the catch like this more often. Her reduced field of vision and lack of depth perception still played tricks on her more often than she would like.

Beechfang quickly buried her catch, then turned. One squirrel wasn't going to be enough to feed the clan.

Beechfang attempted to catch a squirrel. Catch was successful!
65 / 70 sp

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 1

Hollypaw set a brisk pace behind Beechface — er, Beechfang — as the group set off on the hunt. The day was crisp and cool, but the sunlight on her back warmed her fur, and she was getting better about the snow. Leaping over it, walking on top of it. Routinely she resisted the impulse to break away and follow something — a flutter of wings, or an interesting smell...

She also kept resisting the urge to break the silence. It was hard, being quiet, but when Holly bounded close enough to pester her patrol leader (and aunt), she’d — seen the scar, pink and old but stark. The old molly was... okay, maybe a little scary. (The scariest in the family.) It looked like someone... or something... had torn half her face off. She’d thought so as a kit, when visiting Muddythorn, and seen any glimpses of her brother’s mentor.

She... um, also might’ve believed it was a monster that took her face, as a kit. Something out of a Dark Forest nightmare: grizzly, with vicious horns and bat wings and two sets of drooling maws. (Which she knew now didn’t exist, obviously! But it couldn’t have been a cat.) It wasn’t something Holly had thought of in a long time, but.. out here, she kept catching glimpses of it.

Normally, Holly didn’t see the molly too much.

The scar could’ve been... a bear, or a dog. Is that why she became a warrior? Hollypaw wondered. To... someday get revenge?

Hollypaw stilled as the newly-named warrior halted them, sensing something — and with a new respect in her eyes. Because, well, that made sense, didn’t it? You couldn’t fight anything without training, or if you were busy doing Muddy’s job... and being a medicine cat was a big deal. You didn’t just quit for no reason!

Maybe it was a bit ridiculous... Holly didn’t actually know who took her face off. (But was it?) Should she ask? But what if the molly didn’t want anyone to know...? (Maybe she wanted revenge in secret!)

Distracted by a something off to the side, Holly turned, ears perked... but when she leaped over a snowdrift, her paws were empty. ...Again.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 9

Beechfang didn't actually know her niece all that well. She'd interacted with her older siblings plenty, but the younger apprentice and Beechfang always seemed to have differing schedules, even when they'd shared the apprentice den. Ravenclaw and Bloodstar both trained their apprentices hard, and that had simply led to them seldom being in the same place at the same time.

She could feel Hollypaw watching her as they moved through the snow, though for the moment the apprentice didn't say much. Still, the curiosity all-but radiated off of her pelt. She'd need to actually speak up if she wanted answers, however.

Hollypaw missed her own catch, and Beechfang offered her a sympathetic glanced before returning her focus to finding more prey. Birds seemed to be in search of food as well, a flash of bright feathers catching Beechfang's eye. Carefully she made her way toward it... Only for a rush of wings and an angry screech to split the air. With a snarl, Beechfang lunged for the hawk, talons slicing into her shoulders as she knocked it to the ground.

Beechfang attempted to catch a bird for -5 sp. Catch was unsuccessful.
60 / 70 sp

Hawk used Swoop on Beechfang for -15 sp, dealing -9 damage.
Beechfang used Leap and Hold on Hawk for -15 sp, dealing -8 damage. Hawk is pinned for 2 turns.

Beechfang
26 / 35 hp (35 - 9)
45 / 70 sp (60 - 15)

Hawk -pinned 1/2-
32 / 40 hp (40 - 8)
110 / 125 sp (125 - 15)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 10

dice roll

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

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'Effect Dice' : 6

"Stupid bird, or squirrel, or... tree-thing," Hollypaw grumbled, busy feeling clumsy over her lost catch (not that it was anything new; at least she was used to it) -- so much so she didn't notice her aunt stalking away, attention diverted. It was only once she heard a screech that Hollypaw turned, tail lashing in alarm; a screech too bird-like to be feline, and too powerful to be prey, and no sound of her hunting leader-former medicine cat.

Heart picking up speed, she shot toward it. Could it be--?

Beyond a drift of snow, she saw feathers -- lots of feathers, and thrashing -- which soon revealed Beechfang, fangs bared and snarling... pinning down a hawk with her claws, like she'd hunted it, like it were a common tit or a tiny finch. And all this while bleeding from her shoulder, the red bright and glistening against pale fur, dripping into scars. Hollypaw's aunt looked... glorious.

"Whoa," Hollypaw mewed, temporarily still. She wanted to be like that.

It was another thrash, like a jerk from the hawk, that broke the spell. It was held captive by claws, but it wasn't dead yet; and it would certainly hurt them if it tried. And so with a shake of her head -- but Starclan, was that fierce -- she darted in, quick, and leaped for a wing. Paws digging in, she sunk her fangs into the bone of it, determined to hear it crack.

If it was Aunt Beechfang's desire to seek kill the creature that maimed her, this -- making predatory birds her prey, Starclan -- was definitely a start. And heart thrumming with excitement and surprise both, Hollypaw would help her.

Hollypaw used Snap on the hawk, dealing 6 damage and costing 7 stamina.

Hollypaw
20/20 | 50/60

Beechfang
26/35 | 45/70

Hawk
26/40 | 110/125

Beechfang shot the apprentice a grateful look for the assistance, continuing to rake at the hawk's feathers while she had the stupid bird pinned. She wouldn't be able to hold it down for much longer, but the damage had already been done. She didn't speak, rather continued to focus her attention on the threat under her paws.

Beechfang continued Leap and Hold on Hawk for -15 sp, dealing -8 damage. Hawk is pinned for 1 more turn.

Beechfang
26 / 35 hp
30 / 70 sp (45 - 15)

Hawk -pinned 2/2-
18 / 40 hp (26 - 8)
110 / 125 sp

Hollypaw
20 / 20 hp
50 / 60 sp

Keeping herself steady, even in the midst of the hawk’s thrashing — a feather whipped to sting her eye! — was difficult. With a hiss and a wince, Hollypaw darted back, only to lash out fiercely with a clawed paw.

Hollypaw used Front Paw Strike on the hawk, dealing 6 damage and costing 7 stamina.

Hollypaw
20/20 | 43/60

Beechfang
26/35 | 45/70

Hawk
12/40 | 110/125

Beechfang snapped at the hawk while it was still disoriented, though the thrashing had managed to dislodge her grip. At the end of the day it didn't really matter, the bird's struggles grew weaker with each blow from the Skyclanners.

Beechfang used Snap for -7 sp, dealing -8 damage.

Beechfang
26 / 35 hp
23 / 70 sp (30 - 7)

Hawk
4 / 40 hp (12 - 8)
110 / 125 sp

Hollypaw
20 / 20 hp
43 / 60 sp

Hollypaw saw the hawk jerk, weakly, attempting to break free. And yet even though it slipped out from Beechfang’s claws, it couldn’t go far. There was something a bit… sad about it, Hollypaw thought, as she made the mistake of looking into its eyes. It wasn’t a badger or a fox; the hawk was truly tiny in comparison to those. It was a fierce bird, certainly, but against her and Beechfang, especially with it taken down like this…

Even if it somehow fled from them, the hawk’s wing was still… mangled. It would never fly away.

She did feel the excitement of it, fighting such a thing — it was a hunt and a fierce bird, and of course she was proud! Aunt Beechfang was amazing! But Hollypaw was surprised to feel a pang of pity for it, too. For most prey, this part was mercifully short — not that she’d taken many — but it was still struggling. Not wanting to give in, to go?

It was with this in mind that Hollypaw’s teeth flashed towards it: fangs cutting through feathers to snap its delicate neck. There you go. Her shoulders straightened.

She looked up then at Beechfang — and flushed. Inside, she squirmed; her aunt Beechfang was just... so cool. (How could she not have seen it before?) Oh! And she was still... ”Um, you’re bleeding.”

The talon-marks across her shoulder gleamed red, and looked... painful. Hollypaw almost asked if she should go get Muddy, or if they should clean it, but — Beechfang used to be their full medicine cat! She didn’t need Holly’s help, did she? (For all she knew, it wasn’t a big deal for the older molly.)

You didn’t forget that stuff when you became a warrior, did you?

Hollypaw used Snap on the hawk, dealing 6 damage and costing 7 stamina.

Hollypaw
20/20 | 36/60

Beechfang
26/35 | 23/70

Hawk (defeated)
0/40
110/125

Hollypaw broke the hawk's neck, cutting off the ever-weakening struggles, and Beechfang stepped aside. "Good job, Hollypaw." Beechfang praised, blending up towards the trees. The prey she'd originally gone after chattered from a branch, mocking her from high above where it likely knew it was safe. Cowardly piece of... She'd find that one again, and then it would grace Skyclan's fresh-kill pile. And her nest would have new lining.

Ah, she was bleeding. "Nothing that can't be fixed back at camp." She shrugged, texting the bloody shoulder. It stung a bit, but the bleeding was already beginning to slow.

"I get the feeling we won't be catching much else out here... We'll take the hawk back with us." Beechfang was, at this point, very much oblivious to the way her niece was looking at her. The thought of being looked up to about as far from her mind as the thought of going swimming in the frozen river was.

Hollypaw nearly squealed -- and wouldn't that have been embarrassing? -- when her Aunt praised her. She didn't, 'cause she wasn't a kit and a warrior apprentie didn't do that sort of thing, but it was a near thing! The she-cat practically glowed. Aunt Beechfang thought I did good?!! And then her patrol leader seamlessly leaped into the trees, as if the whole encounter with the hawk was basic, routine -- even shrugging off the injury with a distracted glance. Like she barely noticed it.

The young molly stood straighter, trying to imitate that -- casual fierceness. Hollypaw's ears flicked up, eyes narrowing... but then her Aunt's voice drew her attention. "Oh! O-Of course!" she said quickly -- it felt quick, but then Hollypaw wasn't sure how hunting patrols usually went... (Only training, really.) But, then -- "I didn't catch anything, though." 

The last part slipped out more than anything, and Hollypaw wasn't sure why she said it. It was -- well, she might admit to herself hunting wasn't her strong suit, but she didn't want her Aunt to know that! (One of them already did -- being responsible for teaching her how, and everything, and that was enough!) But then... she shifted. Ravenclaw meant for her to practice, and might ask. I caught a hawk? But um, it was mostly Aunt Beechfang...

"I, uh, kind of have a hard time with it," the young molly admitted, flushing. "Not that bad! I mean, Ravenclaw is helping me fix it. I'm not a failure or anything. But, um... and you don't have to! I know you hunt bigger things, normally. And I'm probably not ready for that. But could you help me catch something? On the way back?"