A Bonding Hunt

A sigh escaped Mosspaw's lips as her belly rumbled yet again. She had gone out several times already, but she gave what little prey she could find to the injured and others before taking any for herself. The hollowness in her belly had become a constant state of reality for her, worse than when the ground was covered in snow. I thought newleaf was supposed to bring sunshine and more prey... She thought bitterly, before pushing the thought out of her mind. A lot had happened, yes, but at least she still had her family, and had made some new friends. Licking a raised paw, she ran it across her whiskers, trying to think positively. Besides, there were so many that had so much worse happen. Her thoughts were broken as her belly rumbled again, and she looked around. Off a little way from everyone else, she recognized the gray pelt of her father. He had seemed distant recently, and there were times that she went looking for him and didn't seem to find him, so she seized the opportunity to try to spend time with him. Quickly getting to her paws, she padded over to him, waving her tail in greeting.

"Flintfang! I was thinking about going out to hunt again, are you busy? I heard some other cats talking about a dog and I don't really want to go out alone..." She trailed off, the last thing she wanted was to be caught out on her own by a dog. She wouldn't stand a chance, especially without the comfort of the forest. She looked at him anxiously, hoping that he would agree to join her.

Flintfang blinked open his eyes to find the calico pelt of his adopted daughter standing before him, green eyes wide. It had been days since the tom had initially washed up on the muddy shore, and since that time he had finally managed to get the remaining dirt and debris from his pelt. His clanmates and friends had banded together, Scorchstar's rally seemed to stir hope in them. Hunting parties would go out, the remaining medicine cats had begun to search for herbs, those lost were buried. It hadn't been easy, but the clans had prevailed, and continued to do so.

Flintfang had done his part, hunting where it was needed, building shelters and caring for stray kits and queens. But all of this was superficial. The tom wasn't a good cat, and his clanmates knew it. He had gotten used to the distrustful glares and gossiping. But Mosspaw was different. Annoyingly so. The small apprentice that stood before him now carried so much faith in the tom, more then he could ever deserve. The green eyes that gazed up at him pleaded for approval, and it confused him. He hadn't won any of this. He had never been a good father or warrior, and yet Mosspaw had hope in him. She needs to learn to not be so trustful... Flintfang thought to himself, thinking of what could happen to the calico apprentice if she ever decided to trust the wrong sort of cat. One that, unlike Flintfang, would hunt, slash, and kill with no mercy. He worried for her, he did. And although the tom would never admit it, he enjoyed her faith in him.

"I'll come with you." The warrior said simply, rising to his paws. "Where did you want to hunt?"

A purr erupted from her chest as her father stood up, and her spirits soared as he agreed to come. Head high, she looked around for a moment, pondering her options before her gaze settled on a small grouping of trees a small ways off. It was not nearly large enough to call it anything more than a pawful of trees, but even so, it would do for now. She waved her tail in their direction.

"Why don't we try over there? There might be some mice near the roots or birds in the trees!" Her belly rumbled again, just thinking of catching something was making it ache. She licked her chest fur, embarrassed, how could her own stomach betray her in front of Flintfang, when she was so desperately trying to make sure he was proud of her? Without anymore delay, she set off towards the grouping of trees, slowing down as she got close and carefully placing her paws. She couldn't afford to scare anything off before she even got a chance to catch it, not with how many cats were hungry. Pausing to feel the wind, she circled around the trees until the breeze was blowing towards her. Confident, she slowly made her way towards the first tree. As she drew close, she saw a mouse scurrying along the roots. Perfect, she thought as she stopped in her crouch, watching the mouse through narrowed eyes. StarClan, guide my paws.

She bunched the muscles in her hind legs, leaping right on top of the mouse. At the last moment it sensed her, and tried to make a retreat under the roots, but she was able to pin it down just before it could. A quick bite to the neck later, and it was over. Silently thanking StarClan for the prey, she picked it up and proudly carried it over to Flintfang, eyes shining.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 6

A soft smile grew on Flintfang's maw as Mosspaw landed a mouse. The apprentice had picked a good spot for hunting, and was no doubt skilled. While her efforts deserved praise, Flintfang couldn't bring himself to speak, an age old fear clawing at his chest. He wouldn't allow himself to get attached to his adopted daughter, he didn't want to get hurt if she ever fell. Memories of his sister Chervilpaw and mother Tatteredleaf swam in the tom's head. He had loved them, and then swore to never love again, not after watching them die. Instead the warrior only smiled, hoping that would suffice. Flintfang gave Mosspaw a nod, and then padded deeper into the sparse tree cover, hoping for a mouse of his own.

The warrior wondered what life could possibly entail after the flood waters went down. If they ever went down. Perhaps the Clans would venture back into the forest, Flintfang would go back to ThunderClan, and live out life as the code wanted him to. But he still felt limited. Burntstag and Littlepaw would still live on the other side of the border, and after the events a few sunrises ago, Flintfang didn't know if he could bear the distance. Falconwing, Mosspaw, Lilypaw. They were commitments too, and kept him loyal, whether he liked it or not. How far would Flintfang go? How far could he stretch their kindness, and would his conscious allow it? Looking back at Mosspaw now, a pang stuck the tom in the heart, and he hissed at it. He wouldn't get attached, never.

Shaking the thought away, the warrior spotted a bird amongst the undergrowth, nibbling at a worm. Something like that would make a good meal. Eyes narrowed, the gray tabby stalked forward and slithered on the mud, the bird flying up into the trees. "Foxdung." The tom spat, giving Mosspaw a look, wondering what she thought of him. "Since when have you become a better hunter than me?" The young warrior asked, surprised by the tone of his voice. It wasn't demeaning, but rather nice. A croon of sarcasm and subtle playfulness. Perhaps it was Flintfang's way of dealing with embarrassment, or perhaps Mosspaw was growing on him.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 9

Mosspaw's eyes shone as she saw her father smile - it wasn't often she got to see it. Although he didn't speak, she took his nod as praise enough, after all, he didn't say much to her at any point. Placing the mouse down and covering it to pick it up later, she turned to follow Flintfang further into the undergrowth. She pushed her way through just in time to watch a bird fly away from the tom's paws. She smiled at his words and shook her head lightly. "Don't lie Flintfang, I'm nowhere near the hunter you are. It must have been startled by something else." She walked over and pressed her nose to his shoulder before turning back towards the trees. She smelled... something... She couldn't quite put her paw on it. Shrugging it off as some new animal, her ears caught the rustling of something small chewing just ahead. Dropping into a crouch, she crept forward until she saw a vole nibbling away on it's catch of the day. Suppressing a purr at the amount of prey they were seeing, she began to stalk.

She slowly crept up on the vole, carefully placing her paws so it did not sense her. There was no time for it to react as she pounced, finishing it off and silently raising another thanks, burying it. As she stood, a bird flew out of the bush in front of her, and instinctively she pounced towards it, landing on the other side. Silence fell, but soon after she came backing out of the bush, tail and back fur bushed up. Once free of the bush, she turned, running back to Flintfang's side eyes wide with fear. "There's something strange over there... I think... I think it saw me...."

At that moment, a pointed black and white nose poked through the bush, and a raccoon emerged, it's beady eyes locked onto Mosspaw. The apprentice's ears flattened against her head as she hissed at the creature. Remembering her training with Emberheart, she balanced herself in a defensive position, pushing her fear aside as she prepared to fight.

~~~

The raccoon had just settled into it's makeshift nest when it was suddenly woken by Mosspaw landing near it's head. It followed her through the bush, and now eyed the apprentice who had inadvertently disturbed it maliciously, waiting for these intruders to make the first move.

~~~

No attacks have been made!

Mosspaw:
20/20
80/80

Raccoon:
30/30
300/300

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 1

Flintfang hid a smile at Mosspaw's response. It was almost amusing how the she-cat blamed his failure on other things. It still confused the warrior why she liked him as much as she did, but there were other days to pry. The apprentice caught two more pieces of prey inside a bush, but emerged moments later with no creatures in her jaws, instead Mosspaw looked frightened. "What is it?" Flintfang asked, feeling his haunches raise in suspicion. His answer appeared moments later.

The black beady eyes of the raccoon had Flintfang's fur standing on end. Memories flashed from his fight with an owl all those moons ago. But never had the warrior encountered a beast like this one. Only elder's fables gave him knowledge of what it could possibly be. Mosspaw was already dropping into a battle stance, ears flat and hissing. Flintfang mimicked her actions, lowering himself to the ground to bunch his muscles, the scars on his pelt rippling with the action. His adopted daughter was much smaller than himself, and both of the cats were dwarfed by the big black and gray shape that snarled at them. A fear for Mosspaw sparked in Flintfang's chest. He would protect her, no harm would come to the she-cat.

"Mosspaw stay back." Flintfang mewed seriously, gesturing with his tail. The gray tabby warrior began to trod in a circle, hoping to lure the raccoon away from his daughter. "Over here fox face!" He yowled to the beast, trying to draw its attention. "You smell like dirt and your mother is a badger!" Senseless insults flew from the warrior's mouth as he thought of a battle plan, knowing that the massive raccoon could strike any minute now. Once he had drawn its eyes off Mosspaw, Flintfang let out an earsplitting roar and charged at the beast, rearing up on his hind paws and slamming his forepaws down on its head. Blood and fur was ripped from the spot as Flintfang leaped back, catching his breath, preparing for another attack.

Flintfang used Upright Front Paws on Raccoon, dealing 11 damage and costing 20 stamina.


Flintfang:
HP: 45/45
SP: 140/160

Raccoon:
HP: 19/30
SP: 300/300

The raccoon's attention shifted from Mosspaw to Flintfang, eyes gleaming as it hissed in return. Turning it's body to follow the warrior, it bit down on him as he charged, teeth connecting with the scruff of the tom.

Raccoon used Iron Bite on Flintfang, dealing 30 damage and costing 20 stamina.

Flintfang:
HP: 15/45
SP: 140/160

Raccoon:
HP: 19/30
SP: 280/300

~~~

The apprentice felt more than saw her father prepare himself as the raccoon stepped out. Her ear flicked as he left her side, circling around the strange creature that she had discovered. She narrowed her eyes as he told her to stay back, did he really think she would leave him to fight this... thing, all by himself? Not for all the prey in the forest! She watched as the two faced off, and her expression quickly shifted to horror as she watched the raccoon bit down on Flintfang's scruff. "Dad! No!" She yowled, running up from behind the beast and sliding under its belly, raking it with her hind claws furiously. It dropped Flintfang, and she helped the gray warrior stand, worry and fear glazing her eyes as she supported him until he regained his footing. "I'm so sorry, dad, I'm sorry.." She whispered, tears welling in her eyes as she faced the raccoon, praying to StarClan that Flintfang would be alright.

Mosspaw used Belly Rake on Raccoon, dealing 7 damage and costing 10 stamina.

Flintfang:
HP: 15/45
SP: 140/160

Raccoon:
HP: 12/30
SP: 280/300

Mosspaw:
HP: 20/20
SP: 70/80

~~~

Not expecting the sudden attack from behind, the raccoon let go of the scruff of the cat it had bitten, staggering as it eyed the two and chittered angrily. Its black eyes flit between the two, the larger to the smaller, before settling on the larger once again. It hissed once more, staring the warrior down.

The massive jaws that collided with Flintfang's back seemed to rip the very life out of the tom. The pain was searing, and threatened to tear him from consciousness, but a soft calico pelt reached the warrior's side, keeping him upright. Mosspaw's worried voice was nothing but a blur. It drifted in and out of Flintfang's mind as he shuffled his paws and swayed his head. Blood dripped down from his back, spattering over the muddy floor, and staining the tom's gray stripes crimson. With a groan, Flintfang managed to open his eyes, watching as the raccoon returned for another attack. I need to fight back... The warrior told himself, heart pounding. Why? He asked, feeling his mind tank again. You can't lose anymore, no more losing, Mosspaw... Mosspaw! Finding his cause, Flintfang dropped into a battle stance, hissing from pain. But he had felt this before. Both from eagle and owl. And both were conquered through perseverance and a silver tongue. This beast was no exception.

"Come on foxheart!" The warrior roared, ducking under the raccoon's fangs and sliding through the mud, letting his claws rip through the soft underbelly of his enemy. Flintfang was drenched in crimson now, looking less like a cat and more like a raging fighter, green eyes wild and glowing with adrenaline. This had to be the end, the raccoon was done for. That blow was too strong to leave it alive. The warrior winced with pain and gave Mosspaw a smile, knowing that they had avoided the danger.

Flintfang used Half-Turn Belly-Rake on Raccoon, dealing 11 damage and costing 20 stamina.

Flintfang:
HP: 15/45
SP: 120/160

Raccoon:
HP: 1/30
SP: 280/300

The raccoon hissed as it's legs started to buckle, eyes glittering with rage. It was too late to run.... It raised a paw for one final attack, eyes locked on Flintfang... It started to bring it's paw down on the warrior, when suddenly...

~~~

Mosspaw watched as her father steadied himself, then ducked down to land another blow upon the creature’s belly, claws raking deeper cuts that crossed over the wounds she had created. She was still terrified, her tail bushed out and legs shaking, but the admiration for her father grew as she watched him face the beast calmly, striking out with precision. I hope he doesn’t get mad at me for not staying back… If he really thought I would, then he is a mouse brain. She thought as his claws made contact and the creature stumbled back. Realizing that they were almost finished, her spirits soared and she met Flintfang’s gaze with her own, returning his smile. As she prepared to launch an attack of her own, potentially the finishing blow, she suddenly realized that the creature had reared up, a paw with sharp claws glinting in the light that filtered through the trees. Its eyes were locked on Flintfang, and a cold, hard stone of realization fell in her stomach as she realized what that hit would mean for her father.

Time seemed to slow down as she screeched inaudibly, jumping in front of the grey warrior and closed her eyes, bracing herself for the impact. No amount of preparation would help though, as the sharp claws of the raccoon dug into her chest fur, leaving four deep gouges behind them. Mosspaw’s limp figure flew past Flintfang, hitting the ground by the tree where she had caught the mouse just a little before with a dull thud. All the small she-cat felt was pain, everything had gone blurry and she felt as though she couldn’t breathe. As the burning pain started to fade, she saw what she thought was the vague shape of her father, and tried to call to him. Her words came out as a mere whisper, filled with agony as they floated on the breeze. “Don’t worry… I’m.. okay… sorry……. dad…”

The world went dark around her, and she slipped into unconsciousness. Her breathing never stopped, instead, it merely got shallower as time went on. One passing by would think she was merely sleeping, if it weren’t for the red seeping into her white belly fur as she lay still among the roots of the tree.

~~~

Raccoon used Quick Swipe, dealing 20 damage and costing 20 stamina.

Flintfang:
HP: 15/45
SP: 120/160

Raccoon:
HP: 1/30
SP: 260/300

Mosspaw:
HP: 0/20
SP: 70/80

The moment of victory was cut short as Mosspaw jumped in front of her father. The warrior turned to see the raccoon, barely standing, large claws slashing through the sky, and colliding with Flintfang's daughter. "NO!" The tom yowled as the apprentice was thrown onto the ground, rolling to the base of a tree. Blood roared in Flintfang's ears as he raced over to Mosspaw, feeling a rock of guilt in his chest. She saved me... If Mosspaw hadn't taken the blow for her father, he would probably be dead. The warrior nudged the calico pelt with his nose, gasping as blood began to flow from four large gashes in her chest. "Moss... Mosspaw… Hang in there, okay? I'll get you to safety... just..." The raccoon was padding closer now, wild eyes shining. It was his last stand, and Flintfang knew the beast would fight harder then ever in the face of death. Anger boiled from within the warrior as he locked eyes with his target. How dare he hurt Mosspaw. What did he think she was, some prey?! Feeling as if he might explode, Flintfang let out a mighty yowl, and charged at the beast. His precision was fueled by anger, and power fueled by revenge. Never had the warrior fought as hard as this. But he had purpose this time, a cause. "Keep your paws off my daughter you foxheart!" Flintfang roared, leaping and twisting to land at the raccoon's front, ripping out his throat without a second thought, and watching as the beast died beneath him.

The warrior stood panting for a few moments, gazing at the blood that flowed into the muddy grass. He had won. Revenge had been made. But there was still another battle that needed fighting. Spinning around, Flintfang nudged Mosspaw gently with his muzzle, feeling his green eyes glaze over. "Come on Moss, hang in there... please." He hoisted her smaller frame onto his back and began to run back to the abandoned twoleg dens, as fast as his legs would allow. The bite marks in his back screamed at him to stop, but the warrior kept going, kept running. No one will die today...

Flintfang used Killing Bite on Raccoon, doing ??? damage and costing 10 stamina.

Flintfang:
HP: 15/45
SP: 110/160

Raccoon:
HP: DEAD
SP: 260/300