A Hunt to Remember

Echo of Shattered Ice had already been on several hunting excursions, and weariness was tugging at her bones. However, she had agreed to go out once more, with so many mouths to feed she knew she had to hunt as much as possible. She left her mate's side with a gentle nudge to the cave-guards shoulder and waited by the entrance for the two cats who would be joining her - a clan cat named Emberheart, and Hawk. Her tail tip twitched slightly as she hoped that Hawk would keep her tongue in check, and that this clan cat would be friendly and understanding.

Emberheart was itching to do something, as she usually was: even with the current situation (and, in part, because of it), she was uncomfortable every second she wasn't actively contributing something. Perhaps it was a desire to continue proving her worth, leftover from her days as an apprentice in ThunderClan, or perhaps at present it was simply not wanting to seem ungrateful toward the Tribe cats. Speaking of which, as she approached the cave's entrance, she found herself incredibly nervous. She wanted to make a decent impression, but their way of living was as unfamiliar to her as the Clans' had once been. What if she did something wrong, or something that they considered wrong? The last thing she wanted was to offend them while the Clans were sheltering here.

Eventually she reached the entrance, trying to recall the name of the cat she was looking at. After a few moments, though, she realized her silently standing next to a cat she didn't know might seem strange. "Sorry," she said quietly, an apology for her awkwardness, and flicked her one intact ear. "Is this the patrol... No, that's not right... The hunting party?" And then, a few moments later, she realized she should probably introduce herself, fighting back the urge to apologize again. It was like she really was Emberpaw all over again, and for a moment she almost introduced herself as such. "I'm Emberpaw-- Um, Emberheart."

StarClan, why was this so difficult?

Ants seemed to crawl underneath Hawk's pelt since the moment these strange forest cats had arrived in their cave. Perhaps it was her usual irritable nature spurred on further by the presence of more cats in their midst, or maybe it was the soured past between the two groups. She knew the tales well of how the tribe had sought help from the clans and while seemingly accepting at first, they were persecuted for not being alike. There was no reason Hawk of Jagged Talons should not spare them the same level of kindness. If it weren't for her mentor's prior engagements, given everyone seemed to be on their paws more with the new level of mouths to feed, Hawk might have been in training. But instead, she was being sent out, as a to-be of all things, to help protect one of the prey-catchers and some foreigner. A mixture of disdain and pride swirled in her chest. It wasn't often the to-be's were trusted to go out on their own. But it was only the extenuating circumstances and the unwelcome guests that had prompted this moment.

The chocolate-coated she-cat made her way over to Echo's side, whiskers twitching in a normal frustration and her ears flattened for effect. If she had to deal with this, others would have to know her displeasure. As she neared, so did a ginger clan cat. Hawk thought twice about bearing her teeth but Emberheart attempted to introduce herself before she could even think to act. The words were met with a derisive snort, followed by sharp and mocking laughter, "Alright, Emberpawheart. Let's see if you can hunt better than you can speak. I'll be watching you. Making sure the dangerous prey birds of the mountain don't tear you apart before you can say your own name." Oh, already she knew the scolding that would be offered up by Echo of Shattering Ice, and she didn't care. Her tail flicked a little more casually behind her now, losing some of the defensive edge as she turned to lead the way out of the cave. Normally, it was the cave-guard's duty to just follow and keep an eye on the skies. But they would figure that out later.

Echo watched as the ginger clan cat made her way over, smiling softly at the she-cat as she stood silently next to her. Just as the silence started to concern her, though, Emberheart introduced herself. The slip of the tongue caught Echo's attention, more that the other she-cat had gone through a name change than anything else. Clan cat traditions were certainly odd...

"I am Echo of Shattered Ice. You're in the right place, Emberheart. She mewed, smiling at her kindly. At Hawk's words however, she glared down at the to-be and hissed quietly. "Hawk, Stoneteller has commanded that we welcome these clan cats. Behave, or I will have you taken off of this hunt. It is a privilege to be chosen as a to-be to go alone on a hunt. You were chosen because of your talent, don't mess this chance up on account of your disdain." Straightening and shooting Emberheart an apologetic look, she stood, motioning after the to-be with her tail as she followed her. "Hawk will watch the skies as we hunt. I'll explain more as we hunt, but for now just follow my lead. We'll make sure to bring back something big for everyone."

Emberheart bristled slightly at the chocolate-colored cat's words, but at the same time they almost put her at ease. Being judged as an outsider, this she was used to. It had been a long time since she had been an outsider, true, but the whispers (and sometimes not) of her Clanmates had followed long after she had been a full-fledged warrior. If Hawk didn't like her for being different, she could deal with that. It was possible that it was even a good thing, because here she was with not only a chance to prove herself but also the confidence to do so. At the same time, Echo of Shattered Ice seemed kind enough, and the sharp retort she might have given Hawk fell off her tongue - they were guests in the mountains, she didn't outrank anyone here. She had to remember that.

This place was different from ThunderClan's territory, or even the Twolegplace that was only a distant memory now, and she was more than happy to follow the lead of a cat that knew it well. "Of course," she said cheerfully, some of her nervousness fading. "It's an honor to accompany the both of you on this hunt. Please, lead the way, Echo of Shattered Ice."

The thought of her privileges being revoked silenced any more quips. Although instead of any external acknowledgement, the to-be held her head higher as she stalked ahead of the others for a brief moment to scan the skies. A lack of quivering from the clan cat annoyed her more than she would have expected. And the pleasant response from Emberheart threw off her guard. Unsure of how to react, Hawk of Jagged Talons settled for glancing over the territory to busy herself from the obvious confusion. If it weren't her honor bound duty, of what little honor she held close to her, the brown she-cat might have decided to simply act as if neither cat existed. But instead she parted her maw to drink in their scents along with any others that happened to drift over the ceaseless stone face. Little of merit was there so she flicked her tail in a signal that only Echo was trained to understand, attempting one last effort to make Emberheart feel out of her element.

"It's clear. I'll continue to watch the sky. You may hunt nearby." Her voice was curt and short. Hawk turned her cold gaze to the left, peering into an outcropping of jagged rocks. There appeared to be something scuttling among the tiny breaks in stone, as she deducted from the subtle movements here sharp eyes picked up on. Never before had her paws itched for the hunt, they'd never been trained for such a task, and moons of mountain life had long sense bred such a primal nature from her claws. Hawk was simply not built for hunting like Echo of Shattered Ice had been. However, there was a particular longing to race through the territory like a careless kit once more. Being chained to a defenseless patrol was a burden she would carry forever, unlike the prey-hunters who roamed while she protected their lives from the open sight lines of prey birds. If it weren't for the nagging fear at the back of her mind since the hawk who had taken a chunk from her ear, Hawk might have allowed her guard to drop for once and allow her the freedom she so craved. But none of her would offer such a worry free jaunt. Besides, she had a job to do. And Emberheart still had to prove she could even make a catch here. So she simply relaxed and waited for the inevitable, pathetic display.

Echo looked between the two she-cats with curiosity and almost amusement, taking notice of the way that Hawk had reacted to Emberheart's cheerful response. As they walked together, she opened her mouth, taking in the same scents as Hawk. "Please, call me Echo. It's much easier." She smiled towards the clan warrior before waiting as Hawk stopped, giving the signal that it was safe. Immediately her demeanor changed, growing serious, and she seemed to shift right into her style of hunting. Her brown eyes searched the peaks and crags for any kind of movement that would indicate prey.

It wasn't long before her eyes caught the same scuttling that Hawk's had, and she glanced to Emberheart, speaking in a breath that was barely audible. "Do you see the movement over there? Why don't you try to catch it, I'll go around the other side in case there's more than one." She waited momentarily for confirmation before slowly, and silently crept around the other side of the creature, her paws gently placed down on the stone as she had down for many moons. As she grew close, she recognized the small flash of a brown mouse, shuffling among the stones. Once she was in place, she motioned to Emberheart with her tail, and crouched, poised to help should aid be needed.

Emberheart nodded, almost imperceptible, and fell into a familiar hunting crouch. Even here, on these unfamiliar cold stones, some things were the same. She spared a quick thought to wonder if the taste of mouse was among those things, but brushed it off: ideally, she'd have a chance to find out. For now, though, she simply approached the creature. Once she was within a short distance, she readied herself. This had to be just right, and with that thought fresh in her mind, she pounced, landing directly on top of the mouse. Thank you, StarClan, for this prey, she thought, wondering if the Tribe cats similarly thanked their own ancestors. After a swift bite to the rodent's neck, she gave a questioning glance to the Tribe cats, standing with it in her jaws. Did they have their own customs? She thought it likely that they did, and didn't want to dishonor them somehow.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 5