What is this feeling, so sudden and new?

Brighteye padded out of camp, off to go hunt. No words were needed to explain where she was going - she disappeared often enough. However, after what had happened with Mistypaw, her solo ventures had dropped significantly. It wasn't that she was scared that she'd be attacked, more that she didn't ever want to leave his side, no matter how much she was in the way in the medicine den. I can't loose him. He won't become another Frozenpaw. But by hovering in camp almost all the time, her contributions to the clan had also lowered.

Today, she was determined to not return to camp without at least four pieces of prey, not including an especially good catch for her friend. But are we more than just friends? She though as she walked slowly through the trees, not aiming for anywhere in particular.

The way she felt about Crowpaw was now seeping its way into her friendship with Mistypaw, and she was oblivious as to why. With Crowpaw, they were both constantly trying to impress each other, especially the dark tom. He endlessly flattered Brighteye, and she was usually clueless with how she should respond. They were both handsome, she guessed, just in very different ways. More than once she had thought about how beautiful Cinderpaw was, but she was a medicine cat. Nothing could happen there, between them. She may have been willing to twist some rules a little, but that would be too far.

She paused when she scented blackbird. They were rare in Shadowclan territory, and it would make an excellent meal for Mistypaw. As she pushed her thoughts aside to focus on the hunt, she spotted it, sitting on a low branch. She dropped into a hunting crouch and crept towards it hoping that it would be a success. Her paws stretched out as she leapt, but the bird was too fast. It fly upwards, leaving the white warrior with just a few feathers between her paws.

Brighteye used 3 SP to catch a blackbird. Catch was unsuccessful!
157/160

(dice roll post)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 5

Cursing slightly under her breath at her lost catch, Brighteye turned and stalked away, mind resubmerged in her previous thoughts. That feeling of betrayal she had felt when lying with Mistypaw was stark in her head and heart. Did she feel like she was betraying Crowpaw? Probably. But why? She had no idea. She was brought back to earth yet again, this time a little more jarringly, by a lizard dashing across in front of her. There was no time to use the hunter's crouch and stalk it like she normally would, and so simply pounced on it. Her claws hooked onto its scaly back, and she dragged it quickly towards her. She then killed it with a quick nip and buried it - she could retrace her steps later to collect it. It was prey, but a mere lizard wouldn't be enough for her to deem it suitable for Mistypaw.

Brighteye used 3 SP to catch a lizard. Catch was successful!
154/160

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 3

A little happier at her successful catch, she turned to walk in a different direction. The random hunting style she was using now wasn't usual for her, but it was working, as it left her enough time to try and think, to sort her jumbled and confused feelings out. After a short time of wandering aimlessly, it hit her with all the force of the most powerful storm. Her steps faltered, then she stopped completely. Of course. What else would make sense.


First with Crowpaw, then with Mistypaw (and vaguely Cinderpaw, but the two toms were the focus of her mind now.) That strange, unexplainable feeling she had felt so many times with Crowpaw. What had overcome her the other day with Mistypaw. Everything made sense now. However, it didn't make anything any easier. In fact, it probably made it harder. Wanting to delay the time when she would have to make the decision, she thought back to her hunting goal. She still had three more catches to make before she'd let herself return to camp, along with the special one for her injured friend (or more like one of the toms I'm in love with...)

Stopping to scent the air, she picked up a trace of rabbit. The fluffy-tailed prey was fast, but she hoped she could still make the catch. She leapt, and missed, this time by quite a lot. A small sigh of frustration escaped her as she watched it scamper away into its hole, but she knew it would be useless to pursue it.

Brighteye used 3 SP to catch a rabbit. Catch was unsuccessful!
151/160

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 4

What she had deciphered from her feelings so far was this: she loved both of the toms, possibly equally, but other things got in the way of her deciding once and for all. It was undoubtable that she was a cat of commitment, and whatever she chose to do now she would probably stick with for the rest of her life (if fate allowed it.) So who was she to choose...

Her feelings for Crowpaw had appeared first - she knew that for sure. His flattery felt so fulfilling to her, like all she needed was some of his praise occasionally. Or is that something that's happened because my own family couldn't be bothered to provide the smallest amount of praise? The thought burned in her mind, the truth in it too clear to bear. But their time together always felt so tense. It was awkward: he was happy to talk for as long as the sun and moon existed, but Brighteye felt greatest comfort when in solitude, or just general silence. Maybe he wasn't the right cat for her. But I loved him first, a small voice in her head said, I only felt that way about Mistypaw a few days ago. Crowpaw may not have known it, but in being the white warrior's first love, he had gained a sort of unbending commitment from her.

On the other hand, her feelings for Mistypaw had only come around days ago. They may've been stronger, but being second to love made him second in her heart. But did it? Did she love the quiet apprentice more? The time they spent together always left Brighteye feeling more relaxed than she had before - conversation flowed easily (well, mostly because there wasn't much), and they had been through a lot together, but mostly the recent dog attack.

She had fought an owl with Crowpaw, but that was different. It didn't take long for the winged predator to flee, and the apprentice didn't have much lasting damage from it. Mistypaw had nearly died. After nearly loosing him, so soon after Frozenpaw had left her and gone to Starclan, she didn't think she could ever forget how happy the tom made her.

A rustle nearby. Her ears pricked up and she turned to look for the source of the sound. So busy in comparing the two toms, she had almost completely abandoned her hunt. She dropped into a hunting crouch and crept towards where she had heard the sound come from. It didn't take long for her to scent that it was a mouse, and seconds later it dashed out of its hiding place. The small rodent ran right into her paws, and she quickly killed it, then buried it nearby in a tree hollow.

Brighteye used 3 SP to catch a mouse. Catch was successful!
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The member 'khamosa khough' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 3

Two down, two to go. This time, she stopped to scent the air like she would normally do on a hunt. She had been out for a while, and only had a lizard and a measly mouse to show for it. She scented another songbird, this time a smaller one, but when she spotted it she was sure that it would be good enough for her to bring back for Mistypaw. You've got this, she thought, just don't your mind wonder when you're stalking it. Worrying that she would miss again, she dropped into a silent hunting crouch. Again she leapt, and again she failed. Now it was probably due to her misleaping, not jumping high enough. She didn't have Skyclan-strong haunches, and vowed not to try and go for another bird on this particular hunting trip.

Brighteye used 3 SP to catch a bird. Catch was unsuccessful!
145/160

Much to her luck, it didn't take long for another animal to run past her. Following her instincts, she leapt at it without any thoughts before. The rabbit was fast, but not fast enough for Brighteye this time. Her claws hooked into its haunches, she pulled it towards her and killed it with a swift bite. Upon further inspection, she realised that she had only been able to catch it as it had a seemingly pre-existing injury on its leg, something that would've severely slowed it.

However, it would make a very good meal for Mistypaw, and its soft pelt, if she skinned it carefully enough, could maybe line his nest in the medicine den. Her mood now greatly  better, she buried it and moved on. One more successful catch and she would be satisfied enough to return to camp.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 4

The though came to her as a surge, but of all the things she had thought of, one reason outweighed the rest in her mind. Crowpaw had been first, the first to (possibly unknowingly) win her affections. Brighteye may've found her time with him awkward, but maybe that was how it always felt when you were in love with someone. Her and Mistypaw could still be friends, right? They could still hunt together, once he had healed of course. Just 'mates' was never a title they would have together. But she still had to repeat it to herself. Convince herself that she was making the right decision. Something didn't feel quite right.

Mistypaw is just my friend. It's what we always have and always will be. Just friends. She thought as she retraced her steps to collect her previous catches. A fourth piece was necessary, but she could she find something else on the way back.

It didn't mean that she would stop caring for the grey apprentice, just limit the physical affection. She had stepped too far the other day. Crowpaw had earned her loyalty - she would feel as if she were betraying him if she ever loved anyone else, even Mistypaw. But sometimes, at the back of her mind, something about the dark tom felt too good to be true: the way he just seemed too perfect, and how he always knew the right thing to say. Nevertheless, she wouldn't go back on her decision. Her mind was made up, it just needed some convincing. Doubts in Crowpaw were something that she needed to leave deep in the territory, on her little hunting expedition, and to never consider again.

She stopped to ensure she hadn't missed any of her prey when a small shrew nearby made a fatal mistake. Brighteye's nose caught wind of it, and it didn't take long for her to locate the little furry mammal. One step at a time, she crept closer to it in a hunter's crouch. Once near enough, she pounced, and her paws landed neatly on top of it. She cut off its shrieks with a quick bite, before adding it to her pile. There was too much prey to take it in one trip, so she first picked up the freshly caught shrew, mouse and lizard to carry back to camp first. She would return for the rabbit when she knew she could face Mistypaw. He wouldn't know about anything that had happened while she was out, or what conclusion she had come to, and she planned to keep it that way.

Brighteye used 3 SP to catch a shrew. Catch was successful!
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The member 'khamosa khough' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 5