Can’t Stop Won’t Stop (closed hunting patrol)

Russetpelt had been asked to lead a patrol. He literally a just got in camp but he wasn’t gonna refuse. He wanted to be more well-known around the clan, so he wanted to at least hunt a few times with almost every cat in SkyClan. Not that popularity was that important to him, he just didn’t want to be that cat that people go “Who?” at.

He hadn’t done much with Mumblepaw, did he? Yes? No. No he hadn’t. Mumblepaw seemed chill. And Poplarpaw? When was the last time he did anything with Poplarpaw? They went on patrol one time with others but no one talked that entire patrol. It was weird.

”Hey, Mumblepaw, Poplarpaw, want to go hunting with me?” Russetpelt asked, as he padded up to them.

There was a new determination in him that hadn't quite been there before. The little black and white tom had walked away from his visit from the moonstone more bound and determined than ever to be a great warrior. However, alongside that had come great amounts of discouragement. How was he supposed to become that way? How could he be less scared like the warrior Eagleheart had demanded? These questions swam at the forefront of his thoughts as he pawed mindlessly at the snow within the camp walls. He wanted to sink down into the white flakes as he imagined disappointing Starclan. Tiny claws kneaded the ground in frustration. The apprentice was still too much of a coward to leave the camp walls alone. Even the idea of going out with a patrol caused him to be hesitant.

Interrupting these thoughts was a meow from Russetpelt. The warrior came over near where he lay. No doubt his father had asked the ginger tom to take out a patrol. His eyes darted over to Poplarpaw at the mention of his denmates name. They had never really spoken before. In fact, Poplarpaw seemed keen on not talking to much of anyone. Mumblepaw gritted his teeth but heaved himself up onto his paws. He nodded stiffly to Russetpelt. Well... here goes nothing. There could be a fox out there. It could tear into the warrior's throat as easily as the one had done to Crowstar, except this cat did not have lives to spare. His eyes squeezed shut for a brief moment and a chill ran down his spine. But, instead of letting it overwhelm him this time, the apprentice pushed back on the debilitating fear.

After a deep breath, he meowed, "O-okay. Let's go." There was a bit of waver in his tone. Mumblepaw tried to ignore it and hoped that on his first hunting trip out with the other apprentice that Poplarpaw would not see what a coward he was.

Of course, Poplarpaw's idea of an ideal and enjoyable day didn't include socializing with cats that he barely knew. Maybe, if it was one of his littermates, he'd feel a bit more open towards going on a patrol. Russetpelt was a warrior that he didn't know, and he certainly wasn't his mentor. The brown-and-white tom hadn't had any real interactions with Russetpelt, so it wasn't like he could tell what the warrior was like. Mumblepaw was another cat that Poplarpaw wasn't familiar with. However, from what he had seen and heard, the other apprentice seemed to be a bit timid. Maybe after this patrol, he'd be able to determine what he thought about both Russetpelt and Mumblepaw. Lifting his green eyes upwards in a lazy manner to meet the warrior's eyes, Poplarpaw didn't immediately respond. He knew that he couldn't just shrug off a patrol. Being an apprentice meant that he had to hunt prey in order to provide for the Clan. He'd just have to silently persevere through this until it was over. Noticing the small waver in Mumblepaw's tone, the fluffy tom narrowed his eyes a little bit. What he had heard about the other apprentice was true, apparently. The nod that he gave Russetpelt was quick and curt.
"Sure," There was a slight edge to his voice, "Let's just make it quick."

Russetpelt blinked. Neither other the apprentices seemed to be in their best mood. Perhaps once that actually got out? "Um...... Okay lets go."
The russet warrior led them out of the camp, he tried act all upbeat in hope that could make Mumblepaw and Poplarpaw more cheery. He couldn't tell if it was working.

"I guess ill go first," The warrior meowed as he just detected a squirrel. He crept up on it as he spotted the little furry rodent. Timing his pounce, measuring his distance, shifting his paws, he sprung and killed it with one bite.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 3

Poplarpaw's unfriendly demeanor caused Mumblepaw's ear to twitch. The tail-less tom wanted to throw himself back into the snow rather than go out of camp with a cat who did not even want him there. Although, Russetpelt seemed friendly. That might help? Hesitantly, he padded after the ginger warrior. Part of him longed to run to his father and beg to never be forced out of camp again. He refused to be that pathetic. As much as he hated to leave camp, the tom knew he would never stoop that low. As he padded along, his paws left tiny prints in the snow and he couldn't help but compare them to the two larger cats. Did Poplarpaw think lesser of him for his size? Maybe his tail or his pathetic nature?

Mumblepaw had never spoken to the other apprentice, but he couldn't stop from getting wrapped up in all these concerns. His head was low in thought as they left camp. However, his head still continued to turn in every direction on the lookout for a predator. The tiny cat wished he could convince himself that it was for the sake of the whole patrol. But, he knew that the second something showed up he would bolt or press himself to the ground as happened before. That would have to change someday in order to become the cat Eagleheart said he should be. Although, he had no idea how it would happen. His gaze flicked up to look at Poplarpaw as he wondered if his denmate knew that he was the reason Crowstar had lost two of his lives. He often found himself wondering who in the clan knew what had happened that day.

As he came back into focus, Russetpelt had managed to already catch a squirrel. It was great for the clan, but hard to follow up when he was trying to impress cats he barely knew. Despite his timid nature, the black and white tom had already proven to be a decent hunter once he had actually learned to do so. He thought he heard something and broke away just off to the left. To his surprise, a rather fat mouse was digging through the snow. Although he preferred to hunt in the trees, there was no way he would pass up the opportunity to catch anything for the clan. He had something to prove to them, and to himself. Crouching down immediately, the little apprentice crept forwards with his eyes focused on the creature ahead. There was no way he could break focus, he couldn't. But, the fact that he couldn't glance around at his surroundings and look at the catch made him uneasy.

Right before he could pounce, a flutter of wings from the tree above cause him to dive into the snow in panic. Needless to say, the mouse was gone before he could realize what he had done. After a split second, a miserable Mumblepaw was hauling himself to his feet. With his ears flattened and his head low, he padded back to the other two. He longed to come up with some excuse to make up for his sad display of hunting, but the words did not come.

The member 'Grandaddy Ripped' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 7

Lighthearted conversation and brightening the mood was definitely not something that was on Poplarpaw's mind. In fact, his main goal was to completely ignore the others and act like they didn't exist. Considering that he wasn't the shy type, he didn't keep his head down, and instead lifted his chin up a small bit as a sign that he still had his pride. As the patrol of three padded through SkyClan's territory that was rich with trees, the fluffy apprentice kept his ears pricked and his eyes open so that he could be on the lookout for any prey that he could catch. Hunting wasn't the most thrilling activity in the world, especially the part where prey had to be waited for, but Poplarpaw appreciated the quiet.

Russetpelt was the first cat to hunt, and Poplarpaw's gaze averted towards the warrior to watch every move that he made. When he successfully killed the furry squirrel in one bite, the young tom barely nodded, but did begin to base his opinion on Russetpelt. Obviously, he wasn't close to the tom, so he couldn't determine his thoughts based on his personality, but if it came down to hunting skills, then Poplarpaw thought highly of the warrior. Both his interest and his gaze was torn away from the russet cat as he noticed that Mumblepaw had veered off a bit in order to try and catch something of his own. Maybe, for an apprentice who seemed so timid, Mumblepaw could actually hunt. Perhaps that would balance Poplarpaw's opinion on him. The brown-and-white apprentice blinked dully as the black-and-white tom shrank back into the snow by something as simple as the fluttering of a bird's wings. The fact that the catch had been missed bothered Poplarpaw greatly.

"Great StarClan," Poplarpaw muttered as Mumblepaw rejoined the group, "Was that a joke? Or are you actually that terrible? It was just a harmless bird, it wasn't going to bite your head off... but I might, after that performance."
The apprentice made the small yet quick movement of shaking his head before it was his turn to branch off from the trio a bit and find his own bit of prey. His green eyes had spotted a gray pigeon poking around near the base of a tree. It was unaware of the young tom as he crept forwards through the fluffy, white snow. He silently stayed in his position and stared at the pigeon for a couple of heartbeats, and then he pushed himself off of the ground and into the air. His claws slipped out of their sheaths as he sprang towards the winged creature. His eyes glittered as he landed squarely on top of the gray bird and trapped it beneath him. With one swift, merciless bite to the neck, Poplarpaw killed the pigeon. He was extremely satisfied with his catch as he buried his catch in the snow before padding back to the other two cats on the patrol. He didn't say another word to Mumblepaw, but he did fix the other apprentice with a look that seemed to silently say 'that's how it's done'.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 8

Russetpelt was a little surprised Mumblepaw got so frightened of a bird, but it wasn’t that terrible.
Though Poplarpaw’s harsh words made his fur prick, and his tail twitch. ”Ignore him,” The young warrior told Mumblepaw. The Bird was loud and it probably would’ve scared off that mouse anyway.” He hoped Mumblepaw would find Russetpelt’s words at least a little encouraging

”I’ll go, then you too can go again. Mumblepaw, i know you’ll catch something this time. Your stalking was great, it was just that bird that messed you up. And Poplarpaw, that was a great catch! You both will make great warriors!” Russetpelt said. He truly wanted to lighten the mood. maybe make Poplarpaw brighten up and be, ahem, a little nicer. And maybe make Mumblepaw more confident. Confidence has been something that Russetpelt struggled with when he was an apprentice. Though simply receiving his warrior name boosted it a lot more, because his getting his warrior name basically said “you did it!” and “Well done!”.

But it was his turn again. He spotted a shrew, and crept up on it. He always had bad luck with shrews. He refused to miss it. He wiggles his hindquarters, adjusting his position, and leaped. The shrew, of course, almost got away, got Russetpelt managed to kill it with a second swipe of the claws.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 4

His ears only flattened further to his head as Poplarpaw finally spoke up. He shrunk back as if struck. The little tom wanted to speak up for himself, but there was no real excuse for what he had done. Mumblepaw did not want to seem as pathetic as he always did, especially not in front of Poplarpaw. The words cut deep and the pressure to prove himself was overwhelming. However, it almost felt like too much to stand up and want to do that. The little apprentice felt defeated already and they had barely left camp. He wanted to turn tail and run back to his nest.

The memory of the fox tearing at their leader was at the forefront of his mind. For a moment the tiny tom squeezed his eyes shut and dug his claws into the ground to push it away. After a second, they snapped open and glanced up at Poplarpaw. Finally, he meowed softly, "I'll try again."

He processed Russetpelt's words and hints of a smile appeared on his maw. There was a spark of confidence that pushed him forwards. While the warrior broke away to attempt another catch, Mumblepaw finally straightened himself. With a spurt of determination, he leaped forwards through the snow to the trunk of the nearest oak tree. He was more comfortable in the trees and much faster than his own father, mostly due to the natural strength in his hindlegs from Whiteheart. The tom heaved himself quickly up the side of the tree and settled on the lowest branch. A low sigh escaped into the and fogged it up quickly. After scenting the air, he set out on his course. This time he would be taking down the bird instead of running. Up here, he could avoid most predators and felt like he was the biggest thing around.

A soft chirping came from a tree to his left and he swiftly flew between the branches, making as little noise as possible. His claws scored the bark. He wouldn't make a fool of himself this time. Finally, his orange eyes landed on the target. With one last powerful leap, Mumblepaw threw himself at the creature and lunged forwards to lodge his teeth in its neck. He stopped and just held it stuffed in his mouth. Mumblepaw had finally done it; he hadn't panicked this time! Pride seemed to overwhelm him instead of fear for once as he stood above ground looking down on everything. After looking at his surroundings for a second, the black and white tom made his way back to the snowy forest floor. Setting the bird down at the base of the tree, Mumblepaw buried it underneath the snow for when they would be heading back.

"I did it." He muttered softly, hints of a smile still there as he stared at his paws and returned to his place next to Poplarpaw.

The member 'Grandaddy Ripped' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 6

Poplarpaw flattened his ears against his head as he listened to Russetpelt reassure Mumblepaw. He didn't understand why the warrior was saying that to Mumblepaw. The hunting attempt had been awful. If cats went on all their life without any criticism, then they'd grow up to be complete and utter failures. The fluffy tom rolled his eyes after thinking about it. That's when the black-and-white apprentice offered to try again. This was going to be amusing. Poplarpaw didn't say a word in response, but he did watch as Mumblepaw leaped towards a tree. His green eyes followed Mumblepaw as he leaped from branch to branch like it was the easiest thing in the world.

At least he can get one thing right, the fluffy apprentice thought with a bitter expression.
The tom watched as the other apprentice sprang forwards and killed the bird with a bite to the neck. Poplarpaw still stared on with a bored expression as Mumblepaw came down from the tree and buried his catch. He wasn't impressed. SkyClan apprentices were taught how to climb trees and navigate through branches to catch prey. It wasn't anything new, interesting, or special... at least, that's what Poplarpaw thought.

"Congratulations, you've proved that you can climb a tree, just like any other SkyClan cat. Big deal." Poplarpaw told Mumblepaw with sarcasm coloring his sharp tone. Without saying another word to the other tom, Poplarpaw broke off from the group and headed over to find his own catch. Almost immediately, his eyes landed upon a squirrel. Perfect. Crouching low and keeping his breathing quiet, the apprentice edged towards the prey with his green eyes narrowed. The little creature was facing away from Poplarpaw, but its tiny head was lifted and staring off to the left. At least it wasn't looking at him. The tom took a brief heartbeat to strategize his jump, and then he executed his mini plan. He sprang towards the squirrel with his claws outstretched and with a glitter in his green eyes. After ending the life of the small creature with a swift nip to the neck, Poplarpaw looked down at his catch with a triumphant shine in his eyes. The brown-and-white cat buried his catch underneath the snow and bounded back towards the group. He didn't glance over at Mumblepaw, and he didn't say a word to him, but he did flick his fluffy tail in a sharp and dismissive way.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 4