The Color of Traquility {closed}

The drought had caused ThunderClan's forest to dry far faster than usual, or at least - so the elders had told. However, Pinefrost found he quite enjoyed the color the leaves were turning. He'd wake up some mornings to a chill in the air, one that swept through his fur and ruffled the grass under his paws. His clanmates seemed more at ease, too. The elders would emerge from their den to listen to the trees sing. The rowans around the territory were ripe with berries, lush, despite the hot Greenleaf they'd all faced. There was still a hole in the clans however, as SkyClan remained displaced, but Pinefrost found his mind wandered elsewhere, eager to relax in their newest tranquility.

A calling in the night had sparked the warrior's interest, and this time, it wasn't Rainstrike. He needed something to put his mind to, and chasing the "hoot" of an owl seemed to suffice. Gathering his nephew, Crowpaw and niece, Shrikepaw, the trio made their way out into the beautifully dying forest. As they walked, Pinefrost imagined he'd like to be something akin to their surroundings. When the inevitable came, and Pinefrost died as his ancestors did, he'd want to do it in a poetic, glorious way, as the leaves did. In shades of red, orange, and yellow. To capture that silence, that tranquility, all in one action, it would be perfect.

Shaking his head, Pinefrost smiled to himself and cast a glance over his shoulder to his apprentice. "Alright, Crowpaw. We're going somewhere fun today. I'm not a fan of the boring stuff. You can ask my brother Beecloud for that. Today we're gonna go find an owl!" There was a glimmer in Pinefrost's eye as his grin only grew, gaze shifting from Crowpaw to Shrikepaw. He had to be ThunderClan's coolest mentor, of course, and taking Shrikepaw off of Icecloud's conscious was the least Pinefrost could do. Who knows? Maybe he'd find his calling as a teacher. Yeah right... The tom snickered, knowing he was far too daft and fearless for such a thing. However, there was a certain kittish joy that had never left the tom, no matter how the seasons changed. "Whoever's last to the Owl Tree is crowfood!" Pinefrost yowled, taking off in a mad sprint towards their destination.

The leaves were changing colors, from amber to red to yellow to brown. It was leaf-fall, and Shrikepaw was excited for the changing seasons. Leaf-fall was still new to her, so she wanted to learn more and more about it. She believed that she would eventually figure out how leaf-fall worked soon, since she would be training as an apprentice in this season. She was on a patrol with Pinefrost and her brother Crowpaw. The brown tabby she-cat was looking for some prey, remembering what Icecloud taught her. However, she didn't see any prey to catch nearby, and it looked like they were not going to stay here to hunt. I wonder where we are going to, she said, before hearing Pinefrost explain it to her and Crowpaw.

Shrikepaw's eyes lit up. Owl hunting? I have never seen an owl before! And I can test my skills in battle against this owl too! She paused. She didn't know how to battle. The brown tabby didn't know anything about how to fight other cats, let alone an owl. How was she going to fight an owl when she had no idea of the proper techniques to fight it? Well, I guess I will learn how to fight the hard way, she sighed, looking down at the ground. Leaves of every color were scattered on the forest floor. I guess I could always ask Pinefrost on how to battle. When she looked up to ask Pinefrost, however, he was gone, and Crowpaw was very far away from her. Realizing that she had lagged behind, the brown she-cat picked up her pace to a sprint. "Hey, wait up!" she yowled, dashing towards the two cats.

Had it been up to Crowpaw, they would have started training approximately thirty seconds after his apprentice ceremony. He was so incredibly eager to get out there, to start learning and training, and he just knew that Pinefrost wouldn't disappoint. His uncle was cool, not stuffy and boring like the other adults tended to be, and he was super lucky to have gotten him as a mentor.

So when Pinefrost approached him with something as awesome as the promise of an owl hunt, he wasn't surprised at all, but he was ecstatic. "An OWL HUNT?" he yelped excitedly, then widened his eyes and looked around subtly, lowering his voice. "I mean, uh... an owl hunt? Sure! Let's go!" He followed out of the camp behind Pinefrost, looking far more suspicious than he needed to, and immediately perked up once they were outside the walls of the camp.

"How do we find-" he started to ask, but Shrikepaw's voice calling behind them made him hesitate, and Crowpaw turned around as she bounded over to meet them. The dark kit reared up on to his hind legs, batting playfully at his sister's head and shoulders as she caught up. "Come on, slowpoke! We can't be crowfood!" With that, he sprinted after his mentor, long legs almost a blur in his haste and certainly hinting towards a WindClan heritage were someone suspicious to look closely enough.

Just as quickly as their mad dash to the Owl Tree began, it ended. Pinefrost slid to a halt on a rocky slope, tail high in the air to signal his apprentices to do the same. He panted quietly, lips parted in a wide grin as the tom flashed a glance over his shoulder, looking quite kit-like. "Stars, you two are fast. Not quite as fast as yours truly, but you're getting there." Pinefrost leapt down the slope to a fading glade a good few foxlengths away from the tree. He raised his muzzle to the air and sniffed, hoping to catch the scent of something other than the Leaffall air that filled his lungs. A squeak sounded from the undergrowth nearby, and Pinefrost dropped into a crouch, nodding to Crowpaw and Shrikepaw to do the same.

"Rule one of finding an owl." He whispered quietly. "Look for its prey. Hear that? Mouse. That means there's gotta be a big bird nearby, maybe we'll drop in on its dinner, eh?" Pinefrost knew nothing about finding owls. He'd never done such a thing before. But in the warrior's mind, the key to a good teacher was having a good amount of confidence, and the warrior was never lacking. He mouthed the word "watch" to the apprentices, before stalking through the drying bracken to spy his prey.

Miraculously, the tom's musings were correct, much to their unfortunate fate. A shadow fell over the trio, wide wings splitting apart the sun as a huge owl dove onto the mouse only taillengths in front of Pinefrost's nose. He leapt back in shock, heart slamming against his chest in a mixture of exhilaration and fear. "Alright, you mangy crowfood eater! Found ya!" With a massive leap, the tom hoisted himself into the air, scooping a clump of bloody feathers from the owl's wing. His claws ached from the collision, but Pinefrost landed quickly, turning to his apprentices, a sparkle in his eye. Oh, this was life.

Pinefrost used Rear-Up to Slash on Owl, dealing 9 damage and costing 15 stamina.

Pinefrost
HP: 40/40
SP: 105/120 (-15)

Owl
HP: 41/50 (-9)
SP: 120/120

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 10

After her brother batted her on the head after she was able to catch up to him, Shrikepaw ran towards the Owl Tree. If it had been up to her, she would not have rushed to the Owl Tree, but she was basically forced to run so she wouldn't fall behind Pinefrost and Crowpaw. She wanted to catch an owl, but she did not want to burn out all her energy before getting there.

Shrikepaw reached the Owl Tree somewhat quickly, but of course Pinefrost got there first. As Pinefrost told her and Crowpaw to crouch, the brown tabby obliged. She had learned that this was proper technique to catch some prey from her mentor, so she assumed that that was how they were going to catch the owl.

After Pinefrost told them how they were going to catch an owl, Shrikepaw rolled her eyes. She wasn't completely sure why, but she had a hunch that Pinefrost did not know what he was doing when talking about catching owls. How many cats have fought an owl before anyways?

When Shrikepaw noticed the big brown owl fly towards the mouse the warrior was trying to catch, Shrikepaw's eyes flickered with curiosity and confusion. Well, Pinefrost was right, but I don't know if he thought he would be right. But now was not the time for her to get lost in her thoughts. As Pinefrost slashed the owl's wing, Shrikepaw slashed at the owl's other wing. She didn't think she did as much as Pinefrost, but she liked to think that she impaired its flight.

Shrikepaw used Front Paw Strike on the Owl, dealing 6 damage and costing 10 stamina.

Shrikepaw:
HP: 20/20
SP: 70/80

Owl:
HP: 35/50
SP: 120/120

It didn't surprise Crowpaw at all when the owl appeared - Pinefrost had said it would, and so it did! The apprentice gave a whoop of laughter, not completely realizing the danger that they were in. Owls could carry away kits, and even apprentices, he'd heard, but they had his uncle with them, so obviously this owl didn't stand a chance.

"Come on, ya overgrown pigeon!" he yelped, sprinting forward as it dove at his mentor. Pinefrost batted at it first, and then Shrikepaw, but Crowpaw wasn't far behind. He reached the bird as it was still reeling from his sister's strike, slamming into it as hard as he could.

Crowpaw used Run-and-Tackle on the Owl, dealing 6 damage and costing 10 SP.

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

Owl:
HP: 29/50
SP: 120/120

It wasn't long after Pinefrost had made his attack that the apprentices followed. Shrikepaw threw herself at the owl's other wing, causing the large creature to screech in pain or anger. The warrior let his green gaze drift to the apprentice as she landed back on her feet, his heart soaring in pride. "That's the spirit!" The tom yowled, ducking as the owl made another pass for his head. It swooped upward and flew between the tree branches, before coming back down to be tackled by Crowpaw. The dark tabby's comment towards the beast caused Pinefrost to let out a youthful laugh, eyes tearing up from a mixture of amusement and exhilaration. The apprentices were doing great! It wasn't too terribly hard to train ThunderClan's youth, the tom thought to himself as he looked back at Crowpaw. Stars, maybe he even enjoyed this.

Pinefrost's triumph lasted a little too long, however, as the persistent bird made another downward dive towards the trio of cats, catapulting itself into Shrikepaw's vicinity. "MOVE!" Pinefrost shouted as he barreled into her, pushing the she-cat into a bush, his spine taking the full force of the owl's talons. The warrior hissed in pain as they scraped across his back - although it was better his than the apprentice's. But he was no stranger to wounds, and rounded quickly before the bird could take to the skies again, claws gouging into its soft underbelly beneath its wings. It shrieked and circled overhead once more, before diving downward again. Must be hungry... Pinefrost thought.

Owl used Talon Strike on Pinefrost, dealing 10 damage and costing 10 stamina.
Pinefrost used Bellyrake on Owl, dealing 9 damage and costing 10 stamina.

Pinefrost
HP: 30/40 (-10)
SP: 95/120 (-10)

Owl
HP: 20/50 (-9)
SP: 110/120 (-10)

After Shrikepaw slashed the owl's right wing, it ended up swooping upwards, the attaks on the wings not hindering its flight. Man, I hoped that Pinefrost and I would have stopped it from flying. When Crowpaw rammed into the giant bird, it looked much weaker than it was before the fight. We can take it down. The brown she-cat glared at the owl, trying to identify a way to defeat it. Its wings are battered from the attacks before, she thought. So perhaps if we can tear at least one of its wings to shreds, it would-

"MOVE!"

Before she could react, Pinefrost pushed her away from the incoming owl strike, taking the hit himself. She realized how close she had been from getting taken away from the eagle. I should have been much more observant of my surroundings. Before the owl could fly away from Pinefrost, Shrikepaw slashed it with her front paw, her claws ripping through the owl's soft feathers.

Shrikepaw used Front Paw Strike, dealing 6 damage and costing 10 stamina.

Shrikepaw:
HP: 20/20
SP: 60/80

Owl:
HP: 14/50
SP: 110/120

The scent of blood filled the air as the owl raked Pinefrost with its talons, but there wasn't even a moment of fear as Crowpaw whipped around. The young apprentice had never experienced pain or loss or hurt, and as far as he was concerned, blood was just a fact of life. You fought things, and you bled, when he hunted, the prey had blood, and right now, they were the prey, for this owl. Or at least, it thought so.

Crowpaw thought that the owl was definitely mousebrained, if it thought it could carry them off. They were strong and tough, they were warriors. They were not prey. It seemed this owl would have to learn that the hard way, because as it swooped away, it circled around for another pass, but this time, Crowpaw was waiting. He crouched, the muscles in his legs bunching tight like springs, and as the owl neared he shot upwards, crashing into the bird with enough force to wrench the air from his lungs. The two of them plummeted, Crowpaw sinking his fangs into the joint of the thrashing raptor's left wing. "I GODDIT!" he yelped through a mouthful of feathers.

Crowpaw used Leap-and-Hold on the Owl, dealing 6 damage and costing 10 SP. In effect for two turns.

Crowpaw:
HP: 20/20
SP: 60/80 (-10)

Owl:
HP: 8/50 (-6)
SP: 110/120

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

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'Effect Dice' : 5

The owl was quick and agile, which made it such a dangerous threat. Especially to Shrikepaw, who preferred to analyze the situation before it played out. She expected it to be easier than this. But instead of her mind being a strength, it seemed to be a weakness during a fight, where if she stood around to analyze the battle, she could get attacked.

And if it wasn't for Pinefrost, she would have been attacked.

The brown she-cat didn't know how to fight, and she could admit it. But nothing was going to stop her from trying. She looked up at the owl, whose right wing had just been grabbed by Crowpaw in the few heartbeats that she looked away. As the owl fell to the ground, Shrikepaw ran towards the owl. Seeing the owl's underbelly completely exposed, the apprentice began to slash at it with ferocity, soft feathers coming out of the angry bird's underbelly.

Shrikepaw used Belly Rake on the Owl, dealing 7 damage and costing 10 stamina.

Shrikepaw:
HP: 20/20
SP: 50/80

Owl:
HP: 1/50
SP: 110/120

The next few moments flashed before Pinefrost's eyes, the owl swooping up once more, feathers falling to the forest floor like Leaffall leaves. His spine ached in pain, the skin stretched across his back seared with the fiery heat of the beast's talons. Thank StarClan it hadn't been Shrikepaw... A deep gray color flashed in Pinefrost's vision, and he turned his head quickly to see Crowpaw perform a massive leap, catapulting himself onto the owl's back. The bird screeched and crashed into the undergrowth, wings flapping madly as it tried to eject the apprentice. But the three of them quickly overpowered the beast, with Shrikepaw reeling around the bird, slashing at its exposed underbelly as it rolled. Ferns and bracken were torn to bits as the owl fought with talon and wing, tearing up the undergrowth as Crowpaw held it down. Blood dripped from its feathers, and there was a fearful look in its eye, but the bird had been bested. ThunderClan would feed well tonight. Sprinting past Shrikepaw, Pinefrost leapt onto the beast along with his apprentice, letting his teeth sink into the owl's neck. He twisted his grip quickly, hearing the cold snap of bone echo from inside the flesh. And then the predator went still. Only the occasional flap of a wing hinted at the life that once had been there. They'd taken down a beast. "Hahaha!" Pinefrost cackled, stepping off of the bird to gaze at Shrikepaw and Crowpaw with shining eyes. "We did it! We killed the owl! Didn't I tell you we'd be able to find one? ThunderClan will feast tonight! Imagine the stories you'll be able to tell your denmates, huh? You've gotta be at the top of your training group now. All thanks to uncle Pinefrost!" There was a twinkle in the warrior's eye as he knew he couldn't get away with being quite so cocky. "I couldn't have done it without you two, I'll admit it." His voice softened as the tom tilted the owl's body with a paw, inspecting their kill. "We make a pretty good team, huh? The Owl Hunters, they'll call us! Now lets get this bird back to camp before nightfall, eh?" Oh, Leaffall, the color of tranquility.

Pinefrost used Killing Bite on Owl, dealing X damage and costing 10 stamina.

Pinefrost
HP: 30/40
SP: 85/120 (-10)

Owl
HP: 0/50 (-1)
SP: 110/120