a grand old time (closed)

Juniperpaw rolled absentmindedly in a springy patch of grass near the camp wall. It was midday and he hadn't yet hunted or patrolled, instead occupying his time by staring at glittering beetles and trying to get a good look at the medicine cat den without going in. His sister was working in there and he didn't want to distract her from her duties. He wished uncle Sagelight would come out and talk, or at least sit and share tongues with him, but he was busy like everyone else. The black apprentice flicked an ant from his pelt and followed it with his golden eyes as it scurried off, wondering where ants ran off too. He was oblivious to the cats around him, as usual.

Foxfire trotted from the warrior's den, a soft yawn escaping his jaw. He had decided to take a quick nap and blinked at the sunlight that trickled through the canopy of the camp. They still had plenty hours of sunlight left, enough time to easily get in a bit of hunting before the sun would set. He shook his pelt, chasing off what tiredness still clung to his muscles as he started to trot toward the entrance of the camp. However a flicker of blackness caught his eye, coming to a halt as he watched Juniperpaw scamper around the edge of the camp. He didn't know the tom that well - he had been the one to name him an apprentice but he hadn't really gotten the chance to ever really spend time with the tom.

"...Hey, Juniperpaw!" he called out after a second of hesitation, turning to face the young apprentice. "I'm planning to go hunting. If you want, you can join me." It was a bit odd to think about going out with just Juniperpaw thought - he wasn't his mentor after all. His whiskers twitched before he glanced around looking for Firflower. Yet another cat he didn't know all that well - he perhaps had always been a little skittish around her to the fact that he wasn't quite sure how to interact with the deaf she-cat but...Well, the other cats in SkyClan found a way - he might as well give it a shot as well.

Firflower lazed in the midday sun, soaking up its warming rays not unlike some of the small lizards that scampered around their dens. The little things were more than welcome to keep the insects in check when the kits weren't chasing them. Those scaly friends were surely glad Leafbare had officially come to an end, much like the rest of SkyClan. One blue eye opened at the feeling of pawsteps nearby. 'Ah, Foxfire.' She watched him for a moment as he spoke with her apprentice and grandson, Juniperpaw. Then he started looking around as if to find something, and she ended up locking eyes with the ginger tom. 'Me?' She rose to her paws and stretched before padding towards them. Her head tilted with a question. 'What's up?' What was on his mind?

The black apprentice rolled to his paws and nodded serenely, not bothering to shake out is dirty pelt. Foxfire had once been deputy but was later replaced. Juniperpaw had no immediate feelings about the tom except that he was curious about where he went and what he did as a warrior that apprentices weren't allowed to do. He scampered to Foxfire's side, then caught his gaze and followed it to Firflower. Brightening up, Juniperpaw smiled broadly and jumped on his toes in excitement. "Come hunting with us, Firflower!" He chirped, then stepped forward to butt his head against her shoulder, leaving bits of grass in her fur as he went.

Foxfire perked at the sight of Firflower, relieved that he didn't have to go poking around the dens to find her - it would have been impossible to call out with her being deaf. As she trotted over, he slowly started to work on what he wanted to say. He had only really spoken to her once...When he had given Juniperpaw to her as her apprentice. It just felt...Hm...Confusing on how to talk to somebody who couldn't hear you. He wanted to sound out his words, try to make things...Obvious but that seemed like an insult - she wasn't stupid. She got by just fine without being able to hear.

He opened his mouth, finally ready to speak when Juniperpaw pipped up, jumping at his side to invite the she-cat along. He spared a glance at the apprentice, a soft purr escaping him. Ah, well it would be easier with the knowledge that the apprentice was just as eager to have Firflower along as he was. "Yes! I'm bringing Juniperpaw hunting with me and we would love to have you along," he said, perhaps being a little careful with his words as he made sure to keep his muzzle faced toward her. As he finished, he jerked his head in the direction of the entrance just to further his point, smiling softly.

Firflower leaned into her grandson when he butted into her, giving him a short purr. 'Hunting? Oh, I should be taking you out more!' The sweetest apprentice she ever did teach. She gave Juniperpaw a lick on the forehead before looking up towards Foxfire. A nervous one, he was. Though she never quite knew why. In any case, she gave him a gentle nod of agreement and looked to her apprentice and took a step towards the camp entrance. 'What are we waiting for?' Today was a beautiful day, and it certainly would be best enjoyed in the branches of a tree!

Foxfire sighed in relief as Firflower seemed to get the idea, before he quickly turned to lead the two out of camp. At least hunting didn't require a...Lot of talking. He liked Firflower, she seemed nice and was Spottedstar's mother but he just...He got nervous a lot just thinking about trying to approach her. What if he did something wrong and offended her, what if just made himself look like an idiot or didn't treat her with enough respect and... It honestly felt much better having Juniperpaw at his side as the young tom didn't seem to have any of the same...Hesitation that he had and it was nice to have support in that way.

As they walked, he took in the beauty of the forest along with keeping a mouth open for any prey. It was a rather lovely day, the forest was well-lit through the sunlight filtering in from the canopy above and was casting all sorts of shadows. Whenever the group walked underneath one of the sun beams, he could feel his pelt warm at the glowing touch and it was glorious until they walking in the shadows again. Quietly he made a note to himself to head toward the river at some point, to try to see if he could watch the sky from there. He had always enjoyed watching fluffy clouds but the trees made it hard to get a proper view of the sky. Finally he came to a stop, taking in a deep breath before he nodded his head. "I think this is a good spot to hunt," he meowed as he turned to look at them.

Juniperpaw followed after the pair of warriors with a spring in his step, perfectly happy to be out of the camp. Working wasn't so difficult when he had others with him. He appreciated the warmth of the season after the cold of leafbare and was glad that his dark pelt wouldn't stick out so much against bright white snow now that it had all melted away. Pausing to listen to Foxfire, Juniperpaw nodded and waved his tail in the air. He padded off wordlessly, certain that the older cats would want enough space to spread out and cover more territory. He spotted a finch that fluttered about the gnarled roots of a pine tree and readied himself by sliding expertly into a hunting crouch. He sailed through the air with a powerful kick, sunk his claws deep into the bird's wings, and smushed it flat against the ground. Then he bit down on its neck for the killing blow and triumphantly shook its body about, more than pleased with his unusual success.

Juniperpaw: 77/80 SP

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 7