Getting to Know You [Closed]

Crowpaw followed Brighteye into the territory, trotting along at a good pace.

He was happy for the chance to get to go out hunting with the young warrior. He hadn’t gotten to talk to her nearly as much as he’d wanted to before she left the apprentice den. He’d liked talking to her the brief times they had interacted, and hoped the feeling was mutual. Of course, he hoped everyone liked him, but in this case it was at least grounded in something genuine.

Soon, the two stopped, and he looked over at the warrior.

“D’you think this is a good spot to start hunting, Brighteye?” he asked, trying his best with expression and tone to walk the line between familiar and friendly while also offering the respect that was due from an apprentice to a warrior.

Brighteye was a little surprised when she was put on a hunting patrol with Crowpaw, but didn't frown on the idea. The tom was interesting and she had enjoyed their sparse interactions much more than she did with other cats that she didn't know too well. "Yeah, here's good." she was about to turn away to hunt before she remembered that the dark tom was still an apprentice who probably never hunted without a little instruction. "Uhm, let's spread out a little, but I'll stay nearby just in case something bad happens." she said. There could be rouges like Twig lurking anywhere (Twig, just thinking of the rouge she-cat's name brought a sour taste to her mouth) and there was always predators somewhere in the forest. 

Once Crowpaw seemed alright with her badly-given instructions, she parted her maw to scent for any prey nearby. Her ears pricked when she heard a nearby rustling. Vole. Slowly, she crept towards it watching for twigs or bushes that might make her lose her catch. She pounced, her paws landing on the vole. Cutting off its shrieks with a swift bite, she carried her catch back to where her and Crowpaw had been to see how the apprentice was doing.

Brighteye used 3 SP to catch a vole. Catch was successful!
117/120

The member 'khamosa khin' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 6

"Sounds good!" Crowpaw replied, before heading off. He appreciated that the warrior had not gone too far away; not so much because he was nervous, but simply because he usually much preferred the company of others to being by himself. He just wasn't sure what to be when he was alone.

Crowpaw began scenting around until he caught wind of a mouse. Carefully, slowly, he began moving towards it, grateful not for the first time for how well his dark pelt blended in with his surroundings. He spotted the mouse itself and began making his final approach, primed and ready to leap at it. As soon as he was close enough, he sprung into action. He caught the small, unsuspecting animal with ease, and ended it with a quick bite.

He turned to see that Brighteye had been watching.

"So, um. Did I do okay?" he asked, knowing full well he had.

Crowpaw used 3 SP to catch a mouse. Catch was a success!

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 4

Brighteye watched as Crowpaw caught his mouse. He seemed to be looking for praise, but it was clear by the look in his eyes that he knew full well that he deserved it. "That was great!" she said. Then, much to her surprise, she smiled. Thinking about it, she couldn't remember the last time she had smiled. Certainly not since I've become a warrior, she thought, probably last time I was with Mistypaw. Her smoky grey friend and her had fallen out of touch a little. Now that she was a warrior, they rarely had time together. She truly missed it, but he was busy with his train and she was busy with what? Sorting out my feeling I guess. Losing bother her parents so suddenly had been hard on her.

Shaking her head slightly to clear her thoughts, she tried to focus on hunting. She heard a quiet pitta-patter somewhere fairly nearby, and began to follow it. After a short while, she scented and spotted a lizard. Shuffling slightly around so that she was downwind, she crept closer. Once in the right position, she leapt for it. Her paws landed on it and she quickly killed it. She quickly scent a silent pray to StarClan for the hunt's good luck - the days were cooling quickly, and it felt as if with each one the prey's numbers dropped.

Brighteye used 3 SP to catch a lizard. Catch was successful!
114/120

The member 'khamosa khough' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 1

"Thanks!" Crowpaw said, returning Brighteye's smile. His eyes were alight with genuine gratitude and falsified modesty. "Sometimes even when I catch something I worry that I just did it by luck, and that something's off with my technique that I don't know about," he continued, gracefully lying through his teeth, "So it's always really nice to be hunting with a good warrior who knows what they're doing, like you,"

With that, the pair broke off in separate directions again, and Crowpaw began pursuing a vole. His tail twitched back and forth as he stalked after it, drawing nearer and nearer until he was ready to pounce.

But before he could make the catch, a deep pain began blazing through his back, and the sound of two large beating wigs echoed through his ears. He gaze moved up in fear, meeting with the glowering eyes of an owl.

"Brighteye!" he called out, his voice shot through with distress. The pain was crippling his thoughts, and even he wasn't sure whether he was calling out to her more to try and warn her of the danger so she would be safe or whether he was simply trying to get her to come save him. "An owl!"

Crowpaw used 3 SP to try and catch a vole. Catch was unsuccessful, and an owl has appeared!
Owl used Talon Strike on Crowpaw, dealing 10 damage and costing 10 SP

Crowpaw
HP: 10/20 (-10)
SP: 80/80

Owl
HP: 50/50
SP: 110/120 (-10)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 10

Brighteye felt her face get a little hot at Crowpaw's praise. The only cat who'd ever really properly praised her like that was her late mentor Emberspark, but he was now.. well, dead. "T-Thanks" she stammered out slightly, the surprise showing clear as day in her voice. She padded away a little once again to continue her hunt, and was about to start tracking the scent of a toad when she heard Crowpaw's shout.

Owl. Running at full speed, she dashed to where the dark apprentice was. He had been about to catch a vole when an owl had swooped out of nowhere and attacked him. As hard as she could, she kicked the owl with her hind legs, trying to get it as far away as possible from Crowpaw. "Get away from him!" she yelled, "Over here! Come get me!" Caught up in the fight, she forgot to ask Crowpaw if he was alright. By the pain in his voice he clearly wasn't, but she didn't know if she could fight the owl completely alone; she may have been the warrior of the two of them, but she was still young and fairly inexperienced when it came to fighting winged predators.

"Crowpaw, try and slash at it while it's distracted!" she shouted.

Brighteye used Back Kick on Owl, costing 15 SP and dealing 10 damage

Brighteye
40/40 HP
105/120 SP [-15]

Crowpaw
10/20 HP
80/80 SP

Owl
40/50 HP [-10]
110/120 SP

"R-Right, I will!" Crowpaw said, trying to re-gain his composure as Brighteye appeared. He took a few shaky breaths and braced himself for the waves of pain he knew would come with every step. He made himself move steadily, as if he were unaffected by the pain, and slashed out at the owl with all his might, dragging his claws along its feathered chest. Despite the pain in his-- well, everything-- the last thing he wanted was for Brighteye to think he was a coward, or a weakling. No, he wanted to use this opportunity-- because, like everything, it was an opportunity-- to prove just how brave and strong he was.

The owl, reeling from the two blows, switched its focus to the cat who had first attacked him, assuming it was the bigger threat. It launched itself at Brighteye, digging in its talons with a screech.

OOC: I'm so sorry for the late response!

Crowpaw used Belly Rake, doing 7 damage and costing 10 SP
Owl used Talon Strike on Brighteye, doing 10 damage and costing 10 SP

Crowpaw
10/20 HP
70/80 SP (-10)

Owl
33/50 HP (-7)
100/120 SP (-10)

Brighteye
30/40 HP (-10)
105/120 SP

Brighteye flinched as the owl lashed out at her this time, using a similar move to the one it had used on Crowpaw. It luckily missed her more vulnerable head, but dug its sharp talons into the back of her shoulders. She was glad that it had gone for her and not the dark tom, however, as at this point she didn't know if he would be able to handle another blow. Even though he was young, he was fighting well, and she didn't think he's back down.

Mind recovering from the pain a bit, she tried to turn her mind to the fight. The gashes on her back weren't huge, but they were telling her to stop. But Crowpaw needs me to help him, she thought. Rearing up, she slashed at the owl's face and belly. She stayed up as long as she could, eventually coming down when she felt herself start top wobble. Maybe this would be enough to drive it away? If not, she was ready to continue fighting, as long as it protected Crowpaw.

Brighteye used Rear-up to Slash on Owl, costing 15 SP and dealing 9 damage.

Brighteye
30/40 HP
90/120 SP [-15]

Owl
24/50 HP [-9]
100/120 SP

Crowpaw
10/20 HP
70/80 SP

With a screech, the owl moved upward, looking ready to dive down and strike once again.

Crowpaw braced himself for another attack, staring anxiously at the owl's gleaming talons.

But the bird seemed to suddenly think better of continuing the fight, and fled, flying up and off into the sky.
 
A sigh of relief escaped the apprentice's mouth. He looked over at Brighteye, hoping she wasn't too badly injured. He was truly grateful for how well she had protected him; if she hadn't rushed over so quickly and fought so well, the owl might've left him way more seriously injured...or worse.

"Brighteye-- are you alright?" he asked. "And...thank you. I think...I think if you hadn't been with me, I would've been a goner. Really. You're great," he smiled, and for once the flattery was genuine.

Owl has fled!

Brighteye was unimaginable relieved when the owl took off to the sky, giving up on the fight. Of you fly, fox heart! That'll teach you for attacking an apprentice. And not just any apprentice, but Crowpaw, one of her friends.

"Oh, uh, thanks," the pale warrior said awkwardly following Crowpaw's compliment. An embarrassed smile crossed her face yet again, until she was brought back to the moment by the sight of blood on the young tom's dark pelt. "Crowpaw! You should get that cleaned and checked out." She took a few steps towards him and stood firm against his side. The gash on his back was bad, and no doubt the pain would affect his ability to walk. Making a mental note to collect their prey later, she lead him back to camp.