Blood Marathon, Thread 1 [Open for 1]

Bloodstar raced through the snow after a rare prey item... a white squirrel. He almost didn't see the creature it blended so well in the pale environment at the base of the tree. Then there was Bloodstar, practically an orange tiger against an alabaster background standing out like an oil spill. The squirrel raced across the forest floor like a pale flash with the Skyclan leader in hot pursuit. He thought it odd that the squirrel preferred the ground. As he leaped over frosty logs and leafless underbrush, the squirrel was beginning to slow. Silver mist raced out of Bloodstar's nose and mouth like a steam engine, while little puffs of mist flowed from the squirrel's mouth as it panted.

Suddenly the squirrel bolted up a tree, hoping to lose it's pursuer. To no avail, as Bloodstar easily followed and clambored up the bark with similar swiftness. The squirrel was running out of options. It raced across tree branches with Bloodstar less than a fox length behind it no matter what it did or where it went. It tried whirling around a thin branch, of which Bloodstar smacked a powerful claw down onto it and snapped it, causing the branch and the squirrel to fall. With the swiftness and ferocity of a hawk, Bloodstar immediately followed down after it...

He hadn't realized how high up he had been.

Cat and squirrel plummeted to the ground, Bloodstar now angling his body in a struggle to keep himself upright without the use of his tail. The squirrel fell through the snow, disappearing into the world of white as if it had never existed to begin with. The large cat sank into the snow as well, which took most of the nastiness of the fall, but he groaned loudly when the impact shocked his ankles, elbows and knees. Pain shot up all four of his legs and he rolled to try to disperse the impact. It worked well enough. He lie there for a moment, the squirrel forgotten, as he grit his teeth against the pain in his limbs.

The white squirrel was nowhere near.

Lionpaw had been out hunting, alone, when the crash of a running cat drew his attention. Angling his large head to the sound, Lionpaw decided to join the chase. Perhaps it was a rogue. Taking off through the snow, the golden apprentice soon intersected with the scene. Bloodstar was chasing a squirrel, white. A beauty. Deciding to learn from the best, Lionpaw followed the chase, trying his hard to keep up with the experienced leader. Leaf bare had been hard on him. As Bloodstar entered the trees, Lionpaw decided to follow from the ground, struggling to see the action. Suddenly, a large crack split through the air and seconds later, Bloodstar came crashing down to the forest floor. With an unconscious gasp, Lionpaw dove forward, joining the leader's side. "Bloodstar, are you okay? Do you need me to get the medicine cat?" The apprentice tried hard to hold back his panic, but a little slipped through. This was his hero. Did he have lives to spare? Hopefully he didn't need to find out.

Bloodstar heard the voice of an apprentice and looked up. Lionpaw... they hadn't interacted much but he hadn't heard anything bad about the young tom. Bloodstar shook his head and rolled onto his belly. He wasn't going to stand up just yet though. His joints were throbbing, but nothing felt broken.

"No, no I'm alright. My pride is more wounded than my body." He looked for his prey, but it was nowhere to be seen. Scowling, he got to his paws and took a few careful steps. He was fine, if a bit sore. He shook the snow from his fur, his ears making a smacking noise against his head as he did.

"Well you're out here... shall we hunt together?" Anything to get his recent plummet from the trees forgotten would be great, thanks. They were by the creek after all. More animals should be coming around soon enough if they were patient.

Lionpaw eyed the leader as he rolled over and eventually stood. He didn't look alright to him, but he was no medicine cat to make the judgement over the leader's own body. But when the leader offered to hunt with him, it was almost more terrifying than watching him fall from the tree. Hunting was not his strongest skill, and he would have preferred to show off his fighting skills on a one-on-one. (Did he even remember the first predator hunt?) But if it was hunting, time alone with the leader was invaluable. "Are you sure you didn't scare all the prey away with that fall?" The words snuck out before he could stop them. He never filtered himself, would now have been a good time? Would the leader take it as disrespectful, instead of the playfulness intended with his tone? He watched Bloodstar's body language closely for a few heartbeats, before turning and scenting the wind blowing on his pelt. After all, he did just watch Bloodstar crash to the ground, so a poorly timed leap or two shouldn't be judged too harshly.

Ooc: Mobile

At the apprentice's comment, Bloodstar's eyes narrowed for a moment. "Are you calling me fat?" Though his insecurity rose it's head for a moment as well. Bloodstar trying to be sneaky but failing at it looked at his sides and the tuck of his belly with a quick turn of his head. No of course he wasn't fat! Not in this harsh season at the very least. Still, he returned his gaze to the apprentice and gave him a small smile.

"I'm sure we can catch something. If you find that squirrel let me know. There is a rabbit around here somewhere that is white even in greenleaf and has brown speckles. I can't catch that bugger either." He admitted grudgingly. His eyes went to the trees, noting plenty of songbirds that were still hanging around. Songbirds were fine for the smaller cats, but Bloodstar needed large or at least fatty prey.

Speaking of fatty prey... a quail was spotting darting from bush to bush. Wanting to recover his dignity from earlier, Bloodstar dropped into a crouch and approached the bush. After careful step following careful step, he went for it. He massive paws came down on the bird, startling the squeaking creature, before he swiftly bit it's head and ended the struggle. He pulled the quail from the bush as it flapped and flailed, already dead but not done moving.

It was Lionpaw's turn now.

Bloodstar attempted to catch a quail. He was Successful! -7SP

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 5

Lionpaw's mouth gaped slightly, and his pelt burned hotter. "No! Not at all. You fell pretty far." He swallowed his nerves, and nodded to Bloodstar when he said to keep hunting. He watched the leader work, and even be successful. It was his turn now. Perhaps he should look for quail, too. Wandering through the forest floor, careful with his paw steps, his ears and maw searched for any sign of prey. Another quail, along with the roots of a tree, pranced around the snow. This was his moment...

Lionpaw slowly made his way, watching the tiny bird. He was about five tail lengths away and about to make his pounce when a lurry of feathers - brown and massive- dove out of nowhere! Hawk! Lionpaw didn't think. He lept with outstretch claws onto the hawk's back, using his momentum to throw the bird to the ground as he stood on its back. The hawk thrashed under him.

Lionpaw attempted a hunt for -7SP but was unsuccessful and he triggered a hawk!
Lionpaw used Jumping Strike using 7SP and caused 9 damage (6 base, 3 for additional damage.)

Lionpaw
20/20 HP
46/60 SP (-14)

Hawk
31/40 HP (-9)
125/125 SP

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 9