A Hunt to Remember (closed)

The orange tom rested comfortably on the sand. Snow laid around the edges from where it had been pushed during the morning lessons. The sun's evening rays were getting into the hollow at just the right angle for some warmth as he half-dozed. Though he was alert just the same.

Earlier in the afternoon, he had padded over to Daypaw. Her bright and soft coat catching his attention immediately. It was strange to feel so close to a cat he wasn't related to. Normally it was his siblings he spent time with, but he felt comfortable around Daypaw, enough to be more than willing to help her. He had nudged her softly with his nose, and told her that when she was done, she should sneak up on him in the hollow.

Featherpaw had confidence in the apprentice, even though she was new. He stretched his paws and rolled languidly in the sand, enjoying the rough feel of it against his fur. What would the world look like in spring? He stared at the treebranches above him. They were so bare right now, it was hard to imagine them full of life.

Daypaw was more than happy when she received the nudge and invitation from Featherpaw, to join him in hunting practice. He hadn’t forgotten about his offer, and it seemed her really cared about her. It felt so great to be cared about, by someone not directly related to her, and in return care about them. Not to mention Daypaw thought he was cute, but that was a story for another time. Today they were friends, going to train together.

Once she’d finished her duties for the day, the young apprentice made her way to the training hollow where she’d been told to meet him. To her delight, she saw him waiting there, rolling in the sand. This made her smile, and she had every intention of joining him. She hopped over and flopped down on the ground next to him, then rolled to face him. ”This one of your hobbies? I like it.” She said, a bit teasingly but also serious. It did feel great to have the small specks of sand scratching her back.

His own thoughts distracted him, and Featherpaw looked up at Daypaw with a chuckle as she joined him in rolling in the sand.
"It feels good doesn't it?" He asked as he rolled onto his belly. His tail twitched casually beside him as he watched Daypaw. Her pale coat showed the sand a lot more than his. "I like to do it when the sun is out. It's soothing." He explained, then stood up to stretch his muscles. "Are you ready to begin?" He turned his curious green eyes towards her as he settled down beside her.