Nightly Ventures {open}

Green eyes glowed near the thorn tunnel, watching ThunderClan camp sleep ever so silently. Duskrain sat with her feathery tail curled around her paws, listening to the crows caw out at night. The sky was calm and the stars shone brightly, but the cool air in the warrior's lungs called for adventure. Her paws itched to run, to hunt, to kill. She wanted to find a squirrel. Having said her goodbyes to a sleeping ThunderClan, Duskrain found her way out of the thorn tunnel and into the midnight forest.

Dacedream lay in the half-empty nest, her tail twitching impatiently. Duskrain, her remaining nestmate while Houndheart lay in the medicine den, hadn't come to bed yet. She was the only thing lately that could help Dacedream get some semblance of peace; her absence was distinctly noticed. At last the tortoiseshell she-cat couldn't resist the desire to seek out her companion, to learn what the brave and fearless warrior was spending her evening with. Dacedream rolled from the nest and exited the warriors den just in time to see the pale tip of Duskrain's bushy brown tail disappearing through the entrance to camp. Dacedream's tufted ears perked, and she swept forward more swiftly, hissing to keep from disturbing their Clanmates, "Duskrain! Hey, wait up!"

The warrior hurried out of the tunnel immediately on Duskrain's heels and swiftly caught up, her green-hazel eyes glimmering with interest. This is just like when we used to go on adventures as apprentices, Dacedream thought, vibrating with excitement. She decided to say as much. "Are you going on an adventure? Is it okay if I come, too?" she purred, her eyes looking hopefully into Duskrain's.

Cherrypaw was itching to get out of camp, having spent the day fetching moss for nests. When she saw her mother and Duskrain preparing to leave camp, she knew she couldn't pass up a chance to spend time with them out of camp. She trotted up, tail high, and trilled a greeting.
"Hey! Are you guys gonna go out and hunt? Can I come with?"

Cedarpaw got up, hearing voices. “Hello! Can I join you?” She asked the warriors, padding closer. She loved things that would distract her from her chaotic life, and adventuring was fun! She saw another apprentice, Cherrypaw. She didn’t know her too well, but she had talked to her a bit.

Duskrain's legs stiffened as she heard the rustling of leaves behind her in the night air. The she-cat turned around with sharp green eyes, attempting to spot her follower, until a familiar muted tortoiseshell came into view. Duskrain's green gaze immediately softened, and she butted heads with her nestmate, purring. "Dacedream you're awake! Most cats sleep in the nighttime, but I'm glad you're here." Duskrain thought back to the many times she had woken up a fellow denmate asking to hunt at midnight, and received a tired hiss in return. It wasn't long until she realized that not all cats liked the stars and the moon. But Dacedream did, Dacedream was here.

They padded together for a small while until two more smaller paws made their way through the undergrowth. At this point Duskrain was grinning in her signature strange, wide grin. Cherrypaw and Cedarpaw were in the darkness as well. She didn't even need to ask them. "Oh yeah! You should come too." She purred, kneading the ground with eager paws. "The night is scary, maybe we'll find a beast!"

Cherrypaw trilled in delight as Duskrain agreed to her question, and followed her mother and her nestmate out into the forest. Careful to not snag her too many claws on anything, she padded along, feeling a little rush of excitement at the prospect of meeting a "beast" out in the forest. Her training had taught her some battle skills, but she hadn't really had the chance to use them yet.
"What kind of beasts roam the forest, Duskrain? I've heard of foxes and badgers, but are there any others?"

At first Duskrain seemed surprised by or at least alerted by her presence, but as soon as the she-cat recognized her lover she grinned and Dacedream felt her own beaming smile widen. She met her nestmate's headbutt with her own thick head and rubbed her fur against Duskrain's for a moment as the she-cat spoke gratefully for her presence. "I like nighttime best when we spend it together," Dacedream answered dotingly, batting her green-hazel eyes slightly as she leaned to lick her love's cheek. The two warriors had barely gone two fox-lengths before a familiar voice chirped out. Dacedream turned to beam at the daughter she expected to see, and sure enough there was Cherrypaw with her tail high and face hopeful. Cedarpaw had joined as well. Dacedream looked to Duskrain as they asked to join, and though the permission the pretty warrior gave was a little... daunting, it was permission nonetheless.

Dacedream dipped her head, and the four slipped out further into the night. When her daughter asked what else might be in the forest, Dacedream nodded and proclaimed, "Lots of things, like snakes and adders, and owls - oh, and raccoons! I fought a raccoon when I first came to ThunderClan - that's how I got the scars under my eyes. They're fast, and I'd never seen one before. Dawngaze saved me." The memory was no longer as terrifying as it had been when she was a young apprentice fresh in the forest. Raccoons were still a daunting foe, but Dacedream had grown stronger and bigger than she'd ever dreamed. She could crush one if she needed, especially with Duskrain at her side.

A few tail-lengths away Dacedream heard a rustle, and her eyes swished to focus on a little shape darting through the grass. Her bushy tail flicked and she immediately went silent, breaking off from the group to begin creeping after it. A vole's small tail wriggled between snow banks, out for a late night seed hunt. The tortoiseshell she-cat crept up on it swiftly. However, as she moved, her tail fur caught on the scraggly edges of a bush; a bundle of snow tumbled from it into the blanket below with a crunch, and Dacedream cringed. Instantly the vole was darting away.

With a bashful expression, Dacedream headed back to the patrol and mewed sheepishly, "Sorry, I thought it would be an easy catch. I think I was a bit too relaxed about it."

Dacedream tried to catch a vole and missed, using 5 SP.
45/45 HP
155/160 SP (-5)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 9

Cherrypaw listened intently as Dacedream told her about the other beasts one could find in the forest. She flicked her tail as she tried to imagine what they looked or smelled like, but was brought out of her thoughts by her mother attempting to catch a vole.
"It's okay, you can't catch them all."

The scent of squirrel crossed her nose, and she broke off from the party to creep up on it, the bushy-tailed rodent coming into her view soon enough. She crouched, then pounced, landing square on the squirrel before quickly dispatching it with a quick killing bite. Satisfied with her catch, she brought it back to the group.

Cherrypaw attempted to catch a squirrel, and was successful.

Cherrypaw:
20/20 HP
75/80 SP (-5)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 4

Duskrain purred in the cold leafbare air at Dacedream's words. They were soft like her fur. Duskrain didn't have soft words, but that was okay. They continued to walk deeper into the forest, undergrowth rustling quietly beneath the stars. Duskrain's nestmate explained more about beasts and such, talked about her scars. Duskrain thought Dacedream's scars were cool. Soon the muted tortoiseshell broke off from the group to pursue a scent, but the bushes were loud. Duskrain blinked at Dacedream as she returned. "It's okay Dacedream. Something else will kill the vole."

Not long after, Cherrypaw left the group as well, her cream form disappearing into the night. Duskrain watched her with impossibly wide green eyes and wondered what would happen if she never came back. But Cherrypaw did, with a squirrel. "I like squirrels." The warrior mewed strangely, sniffing the apprentice's catch. Duskrain now decided that she'd like to have her own squirrel. Padding off in the direction Cherrypaw had come from, the she-cat let the night fall over her. Here, no one could see her go missing. Lives could come and go, and the night saw all but spoke none. It was good. Duskrain liked the night. She sniffed the leaves and caught a fresh scent of life and heat. Following it carefully, the she-cat ducked under a bramble arch to spot a squirrel of her own. Crouching low, Duskrain leapt from her spot and landed squarely on the small creature. She ended its life with a quick nip to the throat and thought of Beartooth and Hailpaw. Their blood tasted the same as squirrel.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 2

With all of her Clanmates' relaxed demeanors and support, Dacedream didn't feel too heartbroken at having missed her target. She hoped, at the very least, that maybe Cherrypaw or Cedarpaw would take it as a subtle reminder to not be too careless or else they'd miss their prey. Another cat's failure could often be a successful teaching tool anyways. Dacedream's daughter was the first to leave the group, distracted by some scent or sound that the warrior herself missed. After a few moments there was the sound of rustling, and then Cherrypaw returned with a squirrel hanging from her jaw. Dacedream purred and murmured, "Well done, sweetheart."

Duskrain's voice chimed in with interest from Dacedream's side, and the tortoiseshell she-cat watched as her lover then turned and disappeared in the direction where Cherrypaw had come from. Dacedream stared after her for a few moments before carrying on, glancing to see that both apprentices were still nearby. In the dark it was best to have a warrior close by - just in case. The she-cat padded along patiently for a while. She was slightly startled as a mouse darted out directly into her path, and her eyes widened. She lunged forward hopefully, but felt her paw slam on empty space as it scrabbled aside and then disappeared across the other side of the path. She huffed, then shrugged, checking on her apprentice companions again.

Dacedream tried to catch a mouse and missed, using 5 SP.
45/45 HP
150/160 SP (-5)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 9

Cherrypaw gave a purr and rubbed her cheek against her mother's after dropping her squirrel near the others. She then turned back towards the undergrowth as she heard more rustling.

She smelled the distinctive scent of mouse as she slipped away once more, and once she was sure of her target, she pounced. Her leap carried her true, and she landed square on the mouse before dispatching it with a nip to the back of the neck.

Cherrypaw attempted to catch a mouse. She was successful!

Cherrypaw
20/20 HP
70/80 SP