Whiskers on Kittens {open}

"Downpaw?" Finchstar whispered, standing above his apprentice with an amused expression. The sun rested on the hillside, casting away dawn as morning slowly broke the clouds. The grass in camp had browned to match the sand, clumped together with spots of remaining snow from last thaw. Finchstar let his yellow gaze drift above the gorse wall, watching as the territory was revealed once more under its blanket of white. The air was less chilly today than some, and the leader imagined it a good time to show the young tom below him some hunting. "Come now, 'paw. The sun waits for no one." Finchstar smiled as he arose, flicking his tail with a sort of playfulness as he lead the way to the enterance. "What does your heart desire today, 'paw? Perhaps a rabbit chase? Or a tour of the borders?" The leader's eyes creased in a grin as he licked a paw and drew it over his ears. The moors were peaceful once again, vast and unmoving through the seasons. Finchstar split through the gorse tunnel and let his muzzle rise to the sky, taking in the icy air. He chuckled, tail high and shoulders back. The sun promised a beautiful day.

Downpaw woke groggily to Finchstar's wake up mew. He'd been having a nice dream; Softpaw and him were hunting together! The chilly morning air was more bearable than some other mornings and he accepted it with a cheeky grin. "Not even you, o great powerful leader?" He quipped, ready for whatever the day awaits them.

A rabbit hunt. That sounded nice, especially on a morning like this. Downpaw enjoyed how the snow made the hills of the moor blend together, but even more he liked days after a thaw; white clumps here and there, as if clouds fell from the sky and covered the ground itself. Dowpaw shook his head, he was starting to sound like his sister! "I feel in the mood for chasing rabbits!" He mewed enthusiastically. His sandy colored paws blended into the grass they were standing on. "Perhaps you could point out the borders while we hunt?" The newly made apprentice suggested, following the golden patched tabby tom out of the gorse tunnel into the vast expanse of moorland.

Olivepaw had woken up a little bit earlier and was sitting outside the den, cleaning her fur until it was free of moss and laid smooth. Her paws were itching to run, and she hoped to be able to hunt today. When she saw Finchstar pass by, she called out a quick greeting.
”Morning, Finchstar!”

The sun’s bright rays felt contrary to Grousefrost. The silver and pale tabby looked towards his clanmates and leader. He watched as the sandy gold apprentice spoke with Finchstar, and the grey tabby that wandered up. He wished he knew their names. It was one of many things that was lost to him with his hearing. With a sighing breath, he rested his head on his paws, resigned to another day of living off the generosity of his clan and mate.

It prickled at him. It bothered him, that he wasn’t being as efficient as he should be. But how could he be? When he couldn’t hear anything? His blue eyes wandered towards the prey pile. It was lower than it should be. His long sturdy limbs ached for the chase… the hunt. His gaze lifted once more to Finchstar. Then, he stood.

He looked around the clearing. Blinked his blue eyes once as he watched his clanmates, before he padded forward. His lean frame made leaner by hard times, but his claws were sharp. His muscles were strong, and starclan had kept him alive… so it was time he did something. His expression filled with determination as he sat down next to the joyful apprentices, blue eyes meeting gold.

‘Teach me.’ He thought, though he never parted his jaws to say it. It would irk him to even admit he needed to relearn… but he was no fool. With no hearing, he wouldn’t hear the grass move, or an eagles screech.

Finchstar smiled as Downpaw arose, and already the russet-striped tabby was filled with whimsy and ideas. It made the leader chuckle. "Come now 'paw, there will be time for all these things, but for now let us-" His warm mew was cut off as Olivepaw followed their trail, the she-cat offered a friendly greeting, which the leader returned with grace. "Good morning Olivepaw, would you care to join us for a hunt?" Finchstar smiled as the young 'paw merged with the group. There was another that stood on the outskirts however. Close in proximity yet far in mind.

"Grousefrost." Finchstar purred. However the rumble in his throat was cut off with a jolt as he realized the tom couldn't hear him. Grousefrost was deaf, and had been since the tunnel collapse. Finchstar, while nearby, had allowed Goldengale to care for the tom. The yellow tabby's steadfast loyalty was vast enough to heal all wounds. But not the physical. Grousefrost had the love of a mate, but did he feel the love of a leader? Finchstar swallowed and felt a pang of guilt, raising his tail instead as an alternative greeting. He padded to Grousefrost's side and brushed his shoulder with his head. The gesture caused a glaze to form over the leader's eyes. Finchstar was not a medicine cat. He dealt with souls and hope, those were his weapons. But never did he have to face the trials Aspenheart did. Never had he seen the physicalities his clanmates had to endure. Nodding to the gorse tunnel, the leader guided the two apprentices and noble warrior onto the moor. He smiled to Brindlestar's son, vowing tonight to sit with the tom - even for a moment. He wanted to understand.

Olivepaw’s ears pricked up at the invitation to hunt, and with the leader, no less. She waved her tail happily as she chirped, ”Of course!”

The gray tabby she-cat had little on her mind, no worries or anxieties aside from the desire to run and hunt, and the will to serve her clan. Her attention was brought to Grousefrost as the leader acknowledged him, and while she had never interacted with the pale gray tom before, she’d heard that he had gone deaf after a tunneling accident that had happened before she’d been born. She gave a friendly tail wave to him as Finchstar had done, before turning to Downpaw and greeting him.
“Morning, Downpaw!”

She had no time to wait for a reply, as Finchstar led the patrol out of the camp and onto the moor, wind blowing over the snow that blanketed the ground. Her paws were itching to go, and she couldn’t wait to get out there and run.

"Hi, Olivepaw." Downpaw nodded. As his mentor waved his tail to the older warrior, Downpaw did as well, then proceeded to follow Finchstar. "Where are we going to hunt?"

The young tom was very, very excited. This was his first time outside camp, and his first hunting session. He just had to do great; he was viewed worthy enough to be the leader's apprentice, after all. Surely he must be more special than the other apprentices.

Grousefrost’s tail lifted at the wave. He could see the other cat’s speaking, and he felt a sense of frustration at not knowing what was being said. His breath huffed, his blue gaze pointed more towards the entrance with impatience and relief as Finchstar started to lead the way. The snow covered territory once again came into his view as he padded beside the apprentices. His gaze lifted towards the sky.

Birds might be his worst enemy now. He wouldn’t be able to hear one coming, only see its shadow as it loomed over him. His teeth ground together as he grunted under his breath and stalked closer to Finchstar’s side. He was out here to learn how to hunt again, and he couldn’t do that while he was constantly watching the sky. His blue eyes fell to the horizon line, catching glimpses of movement from far off cats, and the prints of prey that had been there earlier but had since run for shelter.

The moor rippled with a gust of wind, sending the dried grasses into a wave. A cough rattled in Finchstar's throat as they continued, and the leader was reminded that leafbare was here. The grace of his surroundings seemed to have overtaken him once more. "Perhaps today we will head towards a warren, Downpaw." Finchstar purred, tail high as they padded through the meadows. "In leafbare, rabbits will make their homes in the ground. They are as cold as we are, but they still need nourishment as well. Oftentimes they will emerge from their holes to nibble on grass or flowers, leaving themselves open for the hunt." Their paws skimmed over the moor as they broke into a jog, Finchstar's breath rattled with his coming whitecough, but he was too preoccupied with their quest to worry.

Leaves whistled over the territory from ThunderClan's trees. In the far distance, the bare shells of bark could be seen beyond the hills and crests. "Downpaw, do you see there? That is ThunderClan. They hunt in the trees and are led by Oakstar, our ally. He is a fine tom and I do hope the day will come when you can meet him." The leader dipped his head to the group and continued on. The dried rye whipped around his legs as they traversed over rocks and under gorse bushes. Finchstar's favorite warren came into view. It was not long ago when he had hunted here with Barleytuft.

The leader raised his tail to signal the group to stop, watching the frames from above. "Test the wind here, 'paw. See how it blows towards us? It means we can scent the rabbits, but the rabbits cannot scent us. There is a reason we are called WindClan. The wind is our greatest asset when it comes to hunting." Finchstar coughed and gave a nod to Grousefrost, hoping the tom felt included. A few small rabbits picked among the grasses far below where the WindClanners stood. Finchstar smiled in glee, turning to his patrol. "Do you see the rabbits below? Perhaps today we will try my favorite maneuver. Brookclover used to be the fastest cat on the moor. There was a day she and I caught three in one go." The tom smiled as he thought of his late mate, tail curling not from grief, but from nostalgia. "Stand next to me here, we will all run down together. Downpaw, do not worry about form this time. Today we focus on speed. You are a fast cat with a fast spirit. On my mark, we stay together, and perhaps all the rabbits will fall to our teeth." Finchstar flashed a grin and gazed at Grousefrost, attempting to interpret to the tom. He gestured with his tail for Grousefrost to stand next to the group. The patrol formed a line on the crest of the hill. Exhilaration ran through Finchstar's blood as he raised his tail high for all to see. The cats drummed down the slope, sprinting as fast as the wind could carry them. Finchstar leapt on top of a rabbit, rolling with it, letting the momentum carry his frame. With a swift bite, the leader dispatched the creature, looking up to gaze at his counterparts.

Finchstar attempted to catch a Rabbit. Catch was successful, costing 5 stamina.

Finchstar
HP: 120/120
SP: 295/300 (-5)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 2

Olivepaw had heard about this maneuver, but had never got to try it in practice. She kneaded the ground in excitement before she lined up with Finchstar, Grousefrost and Downpaw, and at the leader's signal, pelted towards the rabbits at full speed. However, in her excitement to hunt, she hadn't caught the scent of danger. When the scent hit her, she faltered, skidding to a stop as she yowled,
"Predator!"

Olivepaw attempted to catch a rabbit. The attempt failed.

20 HP/80 SP
-5 SP

20 HP/75 SP

(ooc: jfdhk im sorry for the predator encounter yall)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 10

ooc: for training purposes, I will be roleplaying the predator in this encounter

The warm smell of rabbit engulfed Finchstar's senses, when he was ripped from bliss by Olivepaw's yowl. "Predator!" The leader abandoned his catch in an instant, narrowed eyes scanning the moor for the beast that caught Olivepaw's attention. A large shadow overtook the tom and the apprentice, huge wings stretching to blot out the sun. An eagle! It dove downward at blistering speed, talons outstretched as it shot for Olivepaw. Finchstar sprinted to the younger she-cat and leapt on top of her, shielding the cat from the massive claws that now ripped through his back. The tom hissed with pain, recoiling to fall back onto his hind legs, front paws slashing at the giant bird before it took off into the sky again. The world seemed to spin as the tom's ginger patched pelt was now blotted with crimson. The bird's screech echoed through the sky as Finchstar turned towards his patrol. "Olivepaw, follow Grousefrost back to camp, he knows the way..." The patched tabby whirled around to face the bird once more. "Remember, he cannot hear, so your ears will be his guide, 'paw. When you return, tell WindClan about the bird, send some warriors. I'll remain here and fight, now go! StarClan's speed to you."

Eagle used Swoop on Finchstar, dealing 30 damage and costing 20 stamina.
Finchstar used Rending Front Paws on Eagle, dealing 20 damage and costing 25 stamina.

Eagle
HP: 40/60 (-20)
SP: 180/200 (-20)

Finchstar
HP: 90/120 (-30)
SP: 270/300 (-25)

ooc: Only one roleplayer will make the eagle fight. Usually it would be whoever rolled the "10" on the hunting dice for a predator roll, but for education purposes, I will be roleplaying the eagle this time. The next roleplayer to post will strike the eagle using the (Battle System). If you get stuck or are confused, my PM's are always open, and/or staff is available as well.

Downpaw stared in bewilderment and horror at the eagle. Wow! His first time out of camp and he was already having a battle! "Hang on Finchstar, I'm coming!" He yowled, taking off at lightning speed to his leader, and mentor's side. Downpaw knew he and Finchstar could take the eagle on, but he hoped Olivepaw would come back with reinforcements. After all, his sister didn't have herbs to waste!

Downpaw used Leap-And-Hold on Eagle dealing 6 damage and costing 15 SP! Eagle is stunned for 1 turn

Eagle
SP:180/200
HP: 34/60(-6)

Finchstar
SP: 275/300
HP: 90/120

Downpaw
SP: 65/80(-15)
HP: 20/20

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

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'Effect Dice' : 1