Song of Ash [Ashstorm]

Birdsong yawned, blinking as she made her way from the warriors' den. She'd been assigned to a hunting patrol with Ashstorm, and the newly-named warrior padded toward the camp entrance. It was still early, but they'd be leaving soon enough and Birdsong wouldn't be the cause of any delays.

"Hi, Ashstorm." Birdsong greeted her aunt when she appeared at the entrance a few moments later, though she left the greeting at that. Hopefully hunting wouldn't be as 'interesting' as the gathering had turned out to be. Birdsong had been all too happy to keep her distance from that argument involving the medicine cats and leaders about those two Riverclan apprentices. The mood in camp after returning home had certainly been... different, though Birdsong was beginning to grow used to the tension. Skyclan, it seemed, didn't do 'normal' even when there weren't strange rogues occupying their forest.

Ashstorm forced her eyes open as the sun made its way up the sky.  She had barely slept that night.  Sleep was something that seemed to become less and less with every passing moment in Skyclan or, the most recent case, at Fourtrees.  She stood up and slightly stumbled, before she steadied herself and strode out of the den to go find Birdsong.  This hunting patrol was not something she was greatly looking forward to, not because she did not want to spend time with her niece, but because she just was not generally looking forward to too much these days.

Birdsong deserved a good time though and she was not about to make it anything but that for the new warrior.  "Hello," she responded with a slight smile.  The smile was shallow, but she began to get used to hiding her emotions.  After all Dawnhawk was her mentor and that was something he taught her to do.  It was slightly weird for her to think about that Ravenclaw had kits, especially since she had no idea that her sister had ever been pregnant, but standing in front of her was proof that it was true.

"Are you ready?"  She asked, about to walk out of camp and sort of happy that there were no Asylum cats there to watch their every move.

"I'm ready." Birdsong said, briefly pressing against Ashstorm before turning and making her way out of camp. The older warrior looked tired and worn, just like grandmother did. Birdsong didn't know how to comfort either of them, and couldn't relate to their struggles with loosing the kits. Still, she didn't like seeing her family so upset all the time. In a way it was draining, and she was honestly glad to be moving. Hunting gave her something to focus on.

It wasn't long before the soft trickle of the creek could be heard a short distance away, and Birdsong slowed her pace, jaws parting and ears flicking up as she searched the forest for signs of prey. It didn't take long to pick up the scent of squirrel, and Birdsong slipped into a crouch, green eyes making out the red-furred tree rat on the ground a short distance away. She made her way toward it carefully, and the squirrel didn't notice her presence until it was too late. Birdsong quickly killed it and turned to bury it. They could come back for their catches later.

Birdsong attempted to catch a squirrel. Catch was successful!
117 / 120 sp

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 8

Ashstorm watched Birdsong catch the squirrel with a small sort of real smile on her face.  Watching her niece, she imagined that she was Sneezingpaw just for a moment and it made her feel less empty.  "Great catch Birdsong," she encouraged that new warrior.  "I wish I could hunt as good as you."  A shy smile came.  She knew that her niece was grown up, but she also knew that she would have liked that encouragement as a young warrior.

A rabbit ran out of a bush, this was her time to hunt.  She carefully watched it, took a hunting stance, then pounced, in an attempt to catch it. She caught it in her claws and bit into its neck so it would have a fast, hopefully not that painful death. Then she dropped it to the side, ready to catch more.

Ashstorm attempted to catch a rabbit.
197SP / 200SP

The member 'Little Ripped' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 3

"You're praising me, but you caught that rabbit." Birdsong mewed, awed at how effortlessly her aunt had seemed to catch her prey. Even so, the praise elicited a warm feeling in the younger warrior's chest, and she couldn't quite keep the smile from her face.

Turning, Birdsong's ears caught the soft rustle of a bird flitting through the branches of a nearby tree. Moving quietly, she carefully made her way back into the branches and towards her target. It wasn't long before she got in range of the branch the bird had settled on, and Birdsong leaped, claws pinning the bird down as she quickly ended its life.

Birdsong attempted to catch a bird for -3 sp. Catch was ?
114 / 120 sp

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 5

Ashstorm saw the genuine smile that spread across her niece's face, making one come across her own.  She was having fun with Birdsong, instead of the horrible day she was expecting.  Today was nice, better than most.  She started realizing how little time she was spending with her family that was still here, Birdsong included, while thinking about her family that wasn't there.

She saw a rat walking to pick up a seed.  She quickly stalked towards it and then jumped, paws outstretched.  She grabbed it in her paws, killing it quickly.  She picked it up from the tail and returned to Birdsong.  She dropped it when she got to her.  "Want to see who can catch more?" She challenged her niece to a game.

Ashstorm used 3SP to catch a squirrel. The catch was successful!
194SP / 200SP

The member 'Little Ripped' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 4

It was uplifting to see Ashstorm return her smile. Things had been so... tense and unhappy in the clan lately, and Birdsong had found it hard to be around some of her clanmates when all they wanted to do was brood in silence. Ashstorm caught a rat, then turned towards Birdsong, seemingly wanting some friendly competition.

"Okay, you're on, then." Birdsong grinned up at her aunt, before turning in search of her own prey. Spotting another squirrel foraging on the ground, Birdsong crouched, moving quietly towards her target. Once close enough, Birdsong leaped, claws snagging the squirrel as its head snapped up. She bit it quickly, killing it as cleanly as she could before turning back to Ashstorm.

Birdsong attempted to catch a squirrel for -3 sp. Catch was ?
111 / 120 sp

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 3

Ashstorm grinned back at her niece, liking the friendly competition.  She left at around the same time as Birdsong to catch something, but she looked back a few times so she would know where Birdsong was and not to too far out.  Searching, she spotted a hare.  She knew that she probably could not catch it, but it was worth a try.  Plus if she didn't then she'd like to see the smile on Birdsong's face while she was in the lead.

She carefully walked, keeping low to the ground and getting closer to the large creature.  Slow, quiet, barely noticeable, she approached.  Right before Ashstorm jump to catch it, the hare's eyes shifted to look at her.  As she leaped to try to kill it, it jumped away.  Her landing was not very graceful as she hit right into the ground.  Her fur became knotted and dirty and even though she did not expect to catch it, she very much didn't expect it to go the way it did.  She quickly stood up, again meeting with Birdsong and seeing the newly caught squirrel.  "And what did you say earlier about me being a good hunter?"  She joked.

The member 'Little Ripped' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 7

Birdsong continued to search for her own prey, coming across another bird. Stealthily, she crept towards it, and leapt. She quickly dispatched it with claws to the back of the head, and buried it. Trotting back towards where she'd seen Ashstorm, Birdsong was just in time to watch her aunt miss a rabbit. A really big rabbit.

Oh, not a rabbit, it was a hare, she realized. Birdsong had never actually seen one on the fresh kill pile.

"I don't think I've seen anyone catch a hare." Birdsong replied to Ashstorm, "They're faster than rabbits are." She added.

Birdsong attempted to catch a bird for -3 sp. Catch successful.
108 / 120 sp