Blazing Scorches on the Marsh

It was rather early. Well, that went without saying, the sun wasn't even up yet. But Scorchfang found he couldn't really sleep. He needed to get up and do something productive. He was itching to go out and hunt. He imagined how the Clan would react to a fully-stocked fresh-kill pile when they all woke up; they would be so pleasantly surprised, and every cat would be able to eat before beginning their duties. The thought of all the cats of his beloved Clan finding joy and satisfaction in eating earlier than usual -- eating together at once, sharing each other's company -- brought a smile to his face, his chest warming up. That would truly make everyone happy, and that's all he ever wanted for his dear Clanmates.

He rose up out of his nest and carefully padded out of the warriors' den. The air outside was chillier than the warmth of the den, and a shudder ran through his body, but not unpleasantly. It smelled fresh and cool out here, and he loved it. It would be a good temperature for little rodents seeking a pre-dawn snack. He began making his way towards the camp entrance, unaware that his movements had woken up another cat in the den.

Blazeflight's eyes slowly opened her eyes when she heard the quiet rustling and pawsteps outside of the den, grimacing slightly when her stiff muscles began to twitch. As the sun dipped just below the horizon, the fleeting colors of dusk made their way into her line of sight. She lifted her head slightly, glancing around to try and unearth who had gotten up at such an early time. When she was greeted by nothing more than the screeching reticence around her, she let out a slightly petulant sigh. The awareness that she'd be incapable of going back to sleep irked her, because the fiery she-cat had nothing more to do but sulk around camp and wait for the first patrol of the day- yet another time for her to render herself essentially useless.

She would've been perfectly content with the idea of lazing around in the den all day if the notion of doing something at least a little productive hadn't already hit her. She knew Silentpaw could always use a little help, and she happened to know where a decent patch of Horsetail was from her time with Nettlesting. After a loose stretch, she stepped out of her nest and tried the best she could to avoid any noise, releasing a breath that she subconsciously held once she excused herself from the den. A wave of relief washed over her when she spotted the dark tom moving in the direction of the camp entrance. "Scorchfang." She called out to him simply, not wanting to frighten him by sneaking up on him.

Scorchfang stopped and looked behind him to see Blazeflight approaching. He smiled apologetically at her, not meaning to wake her up. ”Evening, Blazeflight. What’s up?”

Blazeflight purred softly, grinning as the younger cat smiled."I... I figured that I could go out and find some herbs for Silentpaw. Nettlesting showed me where to find Horsetail when I was stuck with him." The last part came out in a joking manner, and a smile remained on her face as she hobbled over to his side."I won't complain though, someday the knowledge might come in handy. I should probably share what I picked up with Silentpaw."Looking down at her paw, she thought back to when the dog had attacked the two of them, along with Lionpaw. She'd never thanked him. Really, Blazeflight?!"Thank you, Scorchfang. That dog would've killed me if it weren't for you." She looked up into his vibrant orange eyes, her serious tone obvious in the way she talked as well as the expression on her face.

Scorchfang’s gaze softened as the older she-cat’s gratitude towards him. It really did warm his heart every time he heard someone thank or praise him. He really had come such a long way ever since he was an apprentice. ”You really don’t need to thank me. I would risk my life for any of my Clanmates. I’m glad to see you’re recovering from that dog bite, though. Speaking of which, let’s go find some horsetail, huh? And perhaps while we’re out we could work some more on your hunting technique, if you’d like.”

"Yes I do, you oddball." She held a somewhat serious tone, but her gaze was rather blank as she looked at the Deputy with only a glint of comedy in her eyes. That last part, though, she wasn't too sure about. The both of them knew what had come of the last time they'd practiced hunting, and it wasn't something she wanted to revisit. She was careful to keep her feelings behind a mask, though. If it was what the young ShadowClanner wanted, then she would go with it. That was what friends were for, right? With only a hint of hesitance discernable in her words, she responded to his offer with a warm smile."That sounds great, Scorchfang." Nodding and flicking her ears in the direction of the camp exit, she began to slowly make her way forward with the dark tom by her side.

Scorchfang smiled kindly and padded after his friend. Once the two had slipped out of camp, he turned to her. "If you'd like, I can help you carry some of the horsetail back to camp. With two full mouthfuls, Silentpaw should have more than enough."

(OOC: Short and crappy XD)

"Agreed. She's probably already got some anyway, don't wanna overflow the den with herbs, now do we?" The she-cat chuckled after the rhetorical question, hobbling into the marshy, wet terrain. She began to lead the Deputy further into the territory, smiling as the pair reached the patch of Horsetail that she'd grown used to. Gesturing towards it after she'd gathered a mouthful, the she-cat smiled loosely through the bundle. "Mever failfs!." The three-legged she-cat said, muffled slightly by the bunch she carried in her mouth.

Scorchfang smiled and rolled his eyes with a good-natures huff at Blazeflight’s retort.

Once the she-cat found where the herbs grew, he made himself a mental note; just in case either Silentpaw or Blazeflight were for some reason unable to collect more horsetail, it would be good for another cat to know where it could be found in their territory — though to be fair, the bright, vivid greenness of the tall stocks were a little difficult not to find among the darker, browner landscape of ShadowClan’s marshes.

He smiled and nodded approvingly when Blazeflight gathered up all the horsetail she could fit in her mouth, and he teasingly flicked his bushy tail tip once over her nose, tickling it. ”Well done, you’ve just caught yourself some horsetail. Would you like to see if we can bring home some prey of your own, too?”

Blazeflight faltered slightly at the mention of hunting, still sensitive with the subject. If they got caught in another fight with a predator, the outcome likely wouldn't be as bright for her again. Looking around for a leaf to hold the Horsetail, the she-cat nodded to the toms question. She'd have to practice if she ever wanted to hunt the same again, even if it was reluctant. Setting the Horsetail into a rather large leaf, she moved the bundle to the side, near a fallen log where she knew that she wouldn't forget it. "I'll start." Sniffing the air around her, she pointed her ears in the direction of a rather small lizard resting in the muddy terrain. Slowly, she stalked towards the prey, making sure that she stayed downwind so it wouldn't detect her. Then, using the same tactic that Scorchfang had taught her, she prepared to leap towards it, but...

Fox. The rancid smell hit her nose right before she jumped, and before she even had a chance to flee she heard the deep growl coming from behind her. It was almost as if the world was against her, telling her that she might as well let the russet-furred creature kill her then and there. She quickly turned to face it, tensing her muscles to jump towards its throat. Before she could think twice, however, it was right in front of her, clasping its powerful jaws and shaking her by the scruff as hard as it could.

The Fox used Thrash, dealing 20 damage and using 20 Stamina Points. Blazeflight is Stunned for 2 turns.

Blazeflight:
75/95 HP
250/250 SP

Fox:
90/90 HP
260/280 SP

ooc; YOU HAVE GOT TO BE HECKIN KIDDING ME

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 10

dice for stun move ;;

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

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'Effect Dice' : 6

"Blazeflight, no!" Scorchfang cried out, rushing to his friend's aid. He leaped up to the large fox and reared up on his hind legs before repeatedly thwacking his clawed forepaws against its muzzle, trying to make it let go of the flame-colored she-cat.

Scorchfang used Rear-Up to Slash on Fox, dealing 17 damage and costing 15 stamina.

Scorchfang
100/100 HP
265/280 SP

Fox
73/90 HP
260/280 SP

Blazeflight
75/95 HP
250/250 SP