ten thousand hours

Rather than be out all night, and then exhaust himself staying up most of the morning, Wolfcall opted simply to stay in camp that night. He'd taken the first half of the guard shift at the entrance, grateful for the silence and solitude, but halfway through the night, once he'd been relieved, retreated into the warriors' den rather than into the forest. Nearly every other cat was asleep, but a pair of warm green eyes lifted to meet his when he entered, and the deputy purred a greeting, padding over to butt his head against his mother's. He didn't know the details about what happened between Murkpelt and Spottedstar - only that half a moon ago, the dark she-cat had taken to sleeping in the warriors' den rather than the leader's, and despite her constant assurances that she was fine, Murkpelt seemed a little more quiet than usual, a little sad even.

So he'd taken it upon himself to cheer her up whenever he could, and had even taken to sharing a nest on the rare occasions he was in the den at the same time she was. Tonight would be no exception, and he curled up beside his mother and shared tongues with her until the pair of them fell asleep.

He was well rested by the time the sunlight filtered down into the den, and Wolfcall opened his eyes, stretching out his forelegs and yawning widely. Murkpelt was already gone, likely on the dawn patrol, so he uncurled and made his way into the clearing, amber eyes looking to see who was up and about. Blossompaw nor Spottedstar was among those milling about the camp, so he settled down in a patch of sunlight and waited, grooming himself to a sleek, handsome shine in the meantime.

Blossompaw was practically vibrating with excitement as she tended to the elders, having urged them into the warm sunlight filtering into camp before removing their old nests and replacing them with fresh, lush bedding. She had then busied herself with bringing each elder food to share, trying and failing to resist the urge to keep scanning the camp for Wolfcall's pelt every chance she could. One of the elders had teased her, asking if the bees had already returned to the forest, and crawled into her pelt. The way her fur warmed at the comment only seemed to make her voice shake more, encouraging the teasing before they ushered her on her way. She exited the elder's den with a shake of her pelt, for a heartbeat wondering if maybe the elders were right and she did have bees in her pelt. She had never been this nervous, or excited, for a hunt before.... 

Her gray eyes fell on the familiar figure of the deputy, and suddenly she felt like her paws were rocks. Dropping her eyes quickly, she stumbled forward with the grace of a badger as her own paws betrayed her. Hissing to herself in embarrassment, she straightened and quickly ran a tongue over her pelt, wondering if she should have put more effort into her grooming that morning. She was going to go hunting with Wolfcall, after all... What if he changed his mind about inviting her? Her eyes lifted slightly to his form again, where he was grooming in the sunlight, his fur sleek and shining. What in StarClan had gotten into her so suddenly? Why was Wolfcall so... so.... She sighed, trying to snap her head out of whatever state it was in. The two would be going hunting, and she needed to be the best she could, for the clan, for Wolfcall. 

Approaching quietly from the side, Blossompaw mewed a quiet greeting, hoping he hadn't noticed the stumble from earlier. "G-Good morning, Wolfcall. How did you sleep? Are you still up for a hunt today?" She mewed, praying that the catch in her voice had been unnoticeable.

Having been so intent on his gussying up, he hadn't noticed her stumble. In fact, he hadn't noticed her emerging from the elders' den at all, and her voice suddenly at his side made him blink in surprise and freeze mid-stroke, turning towards her with his tongue still poking out of his mouth. The quick realization had him draw it back in quickly, and he licked his lips with an embarrassed grin, "Oh, hey, Blossompaw! I... I slept well, thank you!" He stood quickly at the mention of their planned hunt, nodding with an eager purr. "Absolutely! We can leave now, if you want? Unless you wanted to wait? We could go tomorrow if you'd rather?"

He rattled off his speech in rapid succession, only realizing once he'd quieted that he sounded like an absolute fool. Wolfcall cleared his throat, tail flicking nervously. Why was he so off-center all of a sudden? Was it the changing of seasons? The weird shift in the warriors' relationship with StarClan? His own newfound responsibilities as deputy? He wasn't sure - but whatever it was, it was... unsettling. Taking a deep breath, he sat, tail curling around his paws, and awaited a response, trying to look even a tad more refined than he felt at the moment.

The sight of Wolfcall with his tongue still poking out of his mouth caught her by surprise, making her giggle as he drew it in and grinned at her. Smiling back as he stood, her tail curled with joy as he eagerly responded. Without thinking, she leaned forward and touched her nose to his briefly, purring. The realization of her sudden gesture made her pull back suddenly, sitting back on her haunches as her eyes dropped from his to the ground, then the exit to camp, desperately searching for a way to distract herself from what she had just done. When she glanced back, the tom was sitting again, and she couldn't help but wonder if it was because of her. Wincing internally at the thought that she had just ruined the opportunity that Wolfcall had given her, she mewed quietly. "Now is perfect, Wolfcall... I can't think of a better time. Shall we go? I can lead the way, if you'd like, or you can if you'd prefer?"

"N-no, you go ahead!" he encouraged, rising, and tipping his head towards the entrance in a ladies first sort of gesture while internally chastising himself for acting so strange. Once she'd moved on, Wolfcall trailed after Blossompaw, staying at her side though just behind her, until they were past the entrance and into the trees. The first few moments were spent in a companionable silence, and he used that time to reflect on why, exactly, he all of a sudden felt so strange when interacting with Blossompaw.

His eyes narrowed in thought as he pondered, but really it wasn't that hard. He liked the elegant little she-cat, more than he liked other cats, and he wanted to make a good impression. Wolfcall glanced up, his ears flicking back against his head. He hoped he hadn't made their interactions uncomfortable. Shaking his head, he cleared the thoughts from his mind, moving forward to butt her gently in the haunch with his shoulder. His words were a little less tense and awkward now that he was out in his own element, (mostly) alone and ready to hunt, "So, which way do you want to go?"

At his encouragement, Blossompaw nodded and turned, her tail brushing lightly against his shoulder as she led the way out of camp and into the peaceful quiet of the woods. They walked in silence for a while, and Blossompaw's heart wouldn't stop racing. What was going on? Why did she become such a bird-brain around Wolfcall, feeling as though she was racing through the treetops even when she was just sitting close to him? Recalling the way he had looked just a little while before, caught off guard by her approach, her pelt flashed with warmth again and she cast a sideways glance at him as she cleared a fallen branch. She had always respected the tom, and looked up to and admired him.... But something recently had shifted into something more. She couldn't put her paw on when, or how, but at some point she had started to want to be closer to him, to get to know him more. Oh stars, hopefully she hadn't dashed her chances....

Pulled from her thoughts as Wolfcall lightly nudged her haunch with his shoulder, she slowed to a stop. Her heart was still beating far faster than normal, but she too had relaxed, and further relaxed when his demeanor was more natural as well. Perhaps all was well, she thought excitedly, before turning her mind to the hunt. The best place to go would be... "How about the creek? The sunshine has started to thaw it, so prey will most likely be going there to quench their thirst and enjoy the warmer air. And with the water thawing, it will cover the sound of our paw steps." Feeling more confident now that she had a destination in mind, she turned and directed her paws towards the creek, looking back to Wolfcall with a warm smile as she swept her tail behind her, inviting him along.

The quiet murmur of the creek grew louder as they drew closer, and Blossompaw slowed as she approached. Keeping a sharp eye and ear out, she paused as movement rustled the leaves at the base of a nearby tree before slowly balancing herself into a hunting crouch. Just as she thought it may have been the wind, a small brown creature wiggled out of the leaves and she recognized the prey. Mouse. Okay, mice have sharp hearing and can feel you approaching if you're not careful. Must be quiet, and step lightly... With this in mind, she started her stalk, the sound of her paws on the ground masked by the gentle breeze and the bubbling creek nearby. Feeling as if she was floating, she waited until she was mere whiskers away, the mouse still blissfully unaware of the cat behind it. With hardly a sound, Blossompaw struck out, jaws meeting the body of the mouse and ending the life of the prey without a heartbeat of hesitation. As the mouse went limp, she straightened and turned towards Wolfcall, eyes gleaming as she made her way back to him and placed the mouse to the side, covering it lightly. "I can hunt the far side of the creek, and you can hunt this side, if you'd like? We can meet back here in a little bit?"

Catch was successful! -5 SP.
75/80 SP

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 3

Listening to her explanation, Wolfcall nodded approvingly. He also loved to hunt along the creek, so it was a welcomed suggestion, and her reasoning was solid. There would likely be a plethora of prey capitalizing on the very first signs of Newleaf, and the cats of the forest, Wolfcall included, were happy to take that opportunity as well to fill their bellies after a long, prey-scarce Leafbare. As Blossompaw moved off, he followed, smiling warmly. Together they moved towards the creek, and when they were nearly there, she caught the sight of a mouse a second before he did, and they dropped into hunting crouches simultaneously.

His was instinct, though, and Wolfcall stilled as he watched Blossompaw creep towards her prey, watching her for stance and form - she was a good hunter, and the mouse didn't even stand a chance. Before he knew it, she was bringing it back with a pleased expression, and he mimicked it. "That was great, it never even saw you coming."

At the suggestion that they split up, he couldn't help but feel a tiny pang of disappointment, but he didn't let it show. This was a hunting patrol, and they would obviously bring back more prey if they covered ground separately. He nodded, "Okay, sure thing! Just call out if you need something alright?"

Once they'd gone their separate ways, Wolfcall prowled through the undergrowth, appreciating the few green shoots that poked through the moist dirt beneath his paws. Soon, this place would be bustling with life. Until then, though, it still took a little tracking before he finally spotted something worth hunting - a squirrel, perched on the edge of a small boulder. Creeping towards it, he waited until the last moment to spring... but he hadn't noticed a tiny patch of ice nestled within the shadowy cracks at the base of the boulder, and as he went to spring, his forepaw came down on to the slick surface unexpectedly. The leg collapsed as it slid from beneath him, and the rest of his body followed. The squirrel fled as Wolfcall ungracefully slammed into the boulder, whacking his chin hard enough to force his teeth together with a painful click.

He lay there winded for a moment, staring dazedly up at the sky, before his breath came back to him and he was well enough to hiss, "Mouse dung!" and hope that no one saw or heard his failure.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 9

Purring at his praise, Blossompaw gently brushed his nose with her tail as she nodded. "I sure will! You too, okay?" As Wolfcall split in his direction, Blossompaw felt a pang of regret for having suggested splitting up. Sure, hunting would probably be more efficient separated, but.... Looking the direction that Wolfcall had gone longingly she shook her long fur out. This had been her idea, and Wolfcall hadn't seemed terribly disappointed. With a small sigh, she turned to try to find what she could. At one point she thought she heard a dull thud, but she hadn't heard anything else, so she attributed it to a dead branch falling to the forest's floor. Hopefully all was well... Just then, a squirrel came running towards her, and without having the chance to truly react she let instinct take over. Crouching down, she let the squirrel get almost to her nose before she lunged, the squirrel in it's haste never noticing her until it was far too late. 


Her jaws snapped closed on the squirrel's neck, and it fell limp in her jaws as she straightened, looking around to see what would have made the squirrel so panicked. Had Wolfcall startled it making a catch, perhaps? Her gray eyes landed on a familiar figure on the far shore, and she gasped, the squirrel falling from her jaws as she bounded to the water's edge, jumping into the cold water without hesitation to get to Wolfcall's side. "Wolfcall, are you alright? Are you hurt?" Oh stars, she would never forgive herself if her choice had put Wolfcall in harms way.


Blossompaw attempted to catch Squirrel, catch was successful! -5 SP.
70/80 SP

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 8

Dazed, Wolfcall sat up still for a minute, trying to let the ringing in his ears subside. He blinked several times, eyes swimming, and stared at the blurry shape that pelted towards him, realizing only at the last second that it was Blossompaw. It took him a moment for her words to make sense, but once they did, Wolfcall was immediately overwhelmed with horror. She was all over him, worried sick that he'd hurt himself - and how had he done that? Not in a heroic fight with a predator, or an enemy clan... but a slip and fall in the middle of a - failed- hunt.

"I-I-I... I'm fine," he stuttered out quickly, righting himself and shaking his pelt from tail to toe. "I uh, I slipped, on the ice, but no I'm fine I promise." The deputy subtly ran his tongue across the back of his teeth, wincing at the soreness. Then he noticed that she was wet, and his eyes widened. "You're soaked, Blossompaw! Spottedstar will murder me if you get sick, come here," quickly, he moved over, crouching and running his tongue across her pelt in quick, sure strokes, an effort however futile to assist. "We need to get you dried off before you catch your death out here," he paused, "unless you'd rather get our - your - cache and head back to camp?"

Wolfcall's eyes seemed to be glazed over slightly, out of focus. Concern and fear for her dear friend filled the she-cat as she nuzzled his cheek, licking his ears gently. His stutter did not go unnoticed, and the apprentice turned her attention to look for injuries, not seeing anything right away. The tom stood and shook his pelt out as her gray eyes continued to search his fur for wounds before his explanation came. Relaxing slightly to hear that it was just a slip on the ice, Blossompaw stepped forward to bury her nose in his shoulder. "Thank StarClan... I could never forgive myself if I got your hurt..." She shivered, in part due to the fear she had been feeling for the tom she liked so much and also for the chilly wind now cutting through her wet pelt, her thick fur holding in the water heavily. As Wolfcall moved closer and began to lap at her fur, a warmth grew in her chest, he was helping her.... A soft purr rumbled in her chest as she tucked her head under his chin, lifting his gaze to hers. "I'll be alright, Wolfcall. I promise. I'm just glad you're okay.... Yes, we gather our catch - you were part of this hunt too - and head home.... Would you like to eat together again tonight?" Her eyes seemed to sparkle, soft and hopeful as she gazed at the tom. "We can come out to hunt together again once the ice is gone, I've slipped a few times myself out here.... You can get checked out by Sagelight and I can get you something to eat, if you'd like."

Yes, that was a good idea. Back to camp, where it would be easier to get Blossompaw dried off and warm. "Okay, let's go," he agreed, trying and failing to ignore the fuzzy feeling that spread over him - one that he was absolutely certain had nothing to do with hitting his head, and everything to do with the she-cat pressed against him.

Smiling, at her offer of another accompanied meal, Wolfcall nodded. "I'd like that very much... though I don't think seeing Sagelight is necessary." He hoped that Blossompaw wouldn't think the clumsiness showed today was typical of him - as normally he was very surefooted. But there was nothing to be done about it, he supposed, other than prove himself capable in the future. The dark tom sneaked a sideways glance at his companion as they headed to pick up the prey that had been left earlier, eyes softening. He had to admit, to himself if no one else, that even despite the way it ended, he'd enjoyed himself immensely today.

"I really hope we do this again," he told her, and then with a self-depreciating roll of the eyes, "minus the whole uh..." he flicked his tail back towards where he'd lost the squirrel.

Purring, Blossompaw licked the tom's shoulder once in agreement, before her eyes took on a more stern tone. "Please, Wolfcall, for me? I'll go too, to make sure I didn't catch a cough, if you'd like!" She pleaded, gazing up at him. As they moved to head towards where she had stashed her catches, she caught his head as it turned away from her, and she found herself smiling like an excited kit as she padded behind him. She had seen other cats as they fell in love, and her parents had shown their affection to each other throughout her kithood and apprenticeship - so as the warm feeling wriggled in her chest again she wondered if this was what love was. The thought frightened her slightly, what if Wolfcall didn't feel the same? He was the deputy, after all, and she was just some silly apprentice. She had always prided herself in the amount of work and training she put in, but she could never be on the same level as him... Could she?

As she gathered her catches in her jaws and turned to him, their eyes met again and her tail swished behind her joyfully. Maybe, just maybe, she could. She would work even harder, strive to be the very best she could... Not just for herself and her parents now, but for Wolfcall too. She yearned to see his smile, and to be by his side. But first, she would work to earn a place at his side. Wolfcall's voice pulled her from her thoughts and she set down the prey before smiling. I"I hope so too, Wolfcall. I'd love to spend more time with you..." Her pelt flushed with heat suddenly as she realized what she had said and she broke eye contact quickly. "That is, well, if you'd like to as well, oh.... I'm making a mouse rain of myself, aren't I?" Her voice softened as she peeked back up to the deputy, suddenly seeming timid and shy.