Calm After The Storm | Hunting Patrol

Finally, camp had settled back down. Goldengale's paws were still acting up, and his father had been rendered deaf, but life would be okay again. Crowpaw was sure of it. Since Ploverpuddle was still recovering, Clovertwist had agreed to come on a hunting patrol with him and Spotlake, and Crowpaw was eager to get out of camp. So he stood by the den, waiting for them.

He was a bit surprised Spotlake had become a warrior before him, but, she had gotten more training in than he did before the battle threw everyone's lives upside down. His would be soon, he was sure. "Uncle? Spotlake? Are you two ready?"

Spotlake padded out of her new nest. She had taken a nap as she made it the first thing she did after her vigil. She padded towards Crowpaw warmly. "Yeah I'm ready." Spotlake meowed, stepping outside of camp. It felt weird. Just days earlier she had to ask a warrior to go outside of camp. Now she could do it as she pleased. And her new name would also take getting used to.

Clovertwist was grooming himself in his own nest when he saw Spotlake stir and heard Crowpaw outside. The silver tabby tom rose to his paws and followed the newly-named warrior out. He said playfully to Spotlake on their way out the entrance, "You're stronger than me, Spotlake - I napped until sun-high after I got my name." Then they were in the light, and Clovertwist greeted his nephew with a flick of his kinked tabby tail. The three set off quickly - Spotlake seemed in quite a hurry to get out onto the moors now that they were safe again.

Clovertwist leaned aside to Crowpaw as they followed, and he joked, "I didn't know she was leading the patrol, did you?" He bumped his shoulder good-naturedly into his nephew's shoulder, his entire demeanor reflecting his contentment.

Spotlake walked through the moor. She hadn't realized she had gone ahead until Clovertwist joked. Spotlake stopped to let the toms catch up to her. "Well one of you can catch the first piece of prey if you want." Said Spotlake as soon as the toms caught up to her.

Crowpaw chuckled, shaking his head.”Spotpaw-Er, lake can be a bit scatterbrained!” As the pretty calico padded back to them and asked a question, he twitched his whiskers in amusement. “Maybe we can make it into a contest! First one to find and catch a piece of prey wins!” He turned his gaze to Clovertwist, waiting to see what his uncle thought.

Clovertwist's whiskers twitched with amusement at Crowpaw's words and light-hearted teasing. He took it as the joke it was meant to be; he had seen how close the two were as apprentices, and how close they still were now. Spotlake turned to them then, having overheard his teasing. She suggested they could catch the first prey, and quickly Crowpaw suggested that they make it a contest. Clovertwist immediately laughed and nodded, his paws gripping at the moor in anticipation. "Alright. Sounds good to me, but let's make sure we stay out of the tunnels. It's been a bit since they've all had a proper patrol," he answered with a meaningful look at them both. He'd lost his brother to a tunnel collapse, and he'd nearly lost his sister to them, too. He wasn't going to let anything happen to these two - his friends and kin.

Spotlake nodded. "Sounds like a good idea to me! We should split up and whoever catches the first piece of prey returns here!" Spotlake said excitedly. She wasn't actully going to try to be the first one to catch it. She would let the toms try to win this one.

Crowpaw nodded, immediately bounding off. It wasn’t long before the scent of a rabbit crossed his path, and he crouched into the grass, looking around for where it might be. A rustle in the grass gave it away, and hardly a moment passed before he was bounding after the bobbing white tail, till finally he was near enough to leap. He took off, pushing hard, and landed squarely on his prey, closing his jaws around it’s neck, hearing the snap with satisfaction.

Crowpaw attempted to catch a Rabbit, costing 3 SP. The catch was successful.
Crowpaw:
20/20
77/80

As he got up, however, he found that the chase had led him rather far away from their agreed meeting-place, and had a piece of prey over half his size to drag as well. He probably wouldn’t be the first back, but he hoped he’d have the biggest catch. So he set to work, grabbing the rabbit by it’s haunches and tugging it, slowly, towards the spot.

The member 'Falc cant think of a name' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 3

When Clovertwist's words were spoken, the smart young cats were quick to nod in acknowledgement and agreement with his advice, as expected. The Clan's newest warrior suggested splitting up for a contest: when they caught a piece of prey, they would return. It would be easy to tell, then, who caught the first prey. Clovertwist nodded with a purr and scuffed the ground a bit, ensuring that their scent her was a bit strong so they could find it later. Crowpaw was gone in a flash of dark fur, and Clovertwist's whiskers flicked with amusement. He flashed Spotlake a grin and meowed, "Good hunting, Spotlake - see you in a bit!"

With that the silver tabby warrior turned and sprang away, his crimped tail bouncing ever so slightly from side to side as he walked. Clovertwist hadn't gone far before he spotted movement in a heather bush's base.

A pale, fluffy tail met his sight - a hare's rear, he guessed based on the length of the thighs - and Clovertwist quickly set into action. The bush it was by would help provide excellent assistance. He prowled, and then raced, at an angle to keep the creature's back to him. He caught it seamlessly, throwing himself onto its backside, dragging it out, and biting its throat swiftly. His tail rose and he grasped his prey, turning to go back to the meeting spot.

Clovertwist attempted to catch a hare and succeeded, costing 3 stamina.

Clovertwist
45/45 HP
157/160 SP (-3)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 7

Spotlake nodded towards Clovertwist as the silver tom dashed off. Spotlake padded in the oppisite direction until she came upon a rabbit burrow. She reajusted herself so her scent wouldn't scare the rabbit. After 15 minutes of waiting a rabbit hopped out. Spotlake then pounced.

Spotlake caught a rabbit and succeeded costing 3 sp

Spotlake
40/40
157/160 -3

Spotlake picked up the rabbit in her jaws and walked back to the meeting spot. She walked slower then usual to give the toms a chance.

The member 'Merry Happy Hitsjui' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 7

Crowpaw climbed the ridge, expecting to see Clovertwist or Spotlake with their catches. But he seemed to be the first. He set down his rabbit, with a twinge of pride, before sitting down, waiting for the others. The warm smell of his fresly-caught prey made him nearly quiver in excitement and pride. It had been a clean catch, a beautiful one for his first hunt after the battle.

Clovertwist quickly spotted Crowpaw's familiar dark pelt on the horizon as he approached the place where they'd separated. His tail still high, he waved it in a congratulatory greeting as he spotted the tom's kill. Clovertwist closed the gap and sat his hare down beside Crowpaw's rabbit before lifting his head to butt it against his nephew's. "Good catch - and you were back first. Did it hop into your paws or something?" he asked with a chuckle, and he began to set his sights across the moor, waiting for Spotlake to return as well.