A Hunting We Will Go

Dewlight sat patiently by the entrance to camp, tail flicking back and forth. Her wounds had mostly healed, but she found she was still sore if she moved a certain way. With that in mind, she decided she would take it easy today. Loonwhisper had tasked her to go hunting, and she had readily agreed to the assignment... But she had swiftly grown nervous as he revealed who would be accompanying her. Did Yarrowpaw even want to see her after his injuries? Was this really a good idea? Loonwhisper had seemed confident in his decision, so she had quietly agreed. Robinpatch was the other tom joining them, perhaps his presence would soothe her worries. He was an older warrior, though he had been gone until fairly recently. Perhaps with the three of them it would be alright.

Yarrowpaw couldn’t wait to see Dewlight again. The apprentice wanted to say so many things to Dewlight; apologize, maybe, for not being able to protect her. Thank her for protecting him. Tell her how much he appreciates her Either way, Yarrowpaw could hardly contain his excitement when Loonwhisper assigned him to a hunting patrol with her- he could finally say all the things he’s been bottling up in Dennis’ den!

His scar still burned, a constant reminder of his failures. Failures to protect, to show his strength, to prove himself.

He loved his scar. It showed everyone he survived his failures; he can overcome them.

Running up to Dewlight, Yarrowpaw attempted to call her name, short, staccato yowls emanating from his throat.

As soon as he'd been cleared of any illnesses or injuries and having regained a good amount of his strength, Robinpatch had asked Ivystar if he could start joining patrols. Once he was given the go ahead, the dilute calico tom felt much lighter, the weight of feeling like a burden no longer heavy on his shoulders. He jumped at the first opportunity he got to help out.

Robinpatch made haste in joining the rest of the members of the patrol he'd been assigned into by the deputy. Despite his eagerness to finally gain normalcy in his chaotic life, he was still wary and nervous around those he didn't know or remember. He was going to be as polite as he could be but he was certain he'd be rather awkward during the whole time. Hopefully his groupmates wouldn't think of him any less because of...that.

Yellow-green eyes locked onto the two figures at the camp's entrance. One was smaller than the other. He cleared his throat before he got to close as to make sure his voice wasn't unpleasantly rough for when he greeted them.

"Hey...Dewlight and Yarrowpaw right?" he asked as he offered them a somewhat uncertain smile. "Name's Robinpatch, as you might've been told...Nice to meet you both." There. That wasn't so bad was it? He didn't make a total fool of himself and he was grateful for that.

Short yowls echoed across the camp, and Dewlight's ears pricked. She knew that voice. She turned towards the sound nervously, expecting the worst... Only to be greeted with quite the opposite. Yarrowpaw seemed positively thrilled to see her, and she pulled him in close with a foreleg, a purr rumbling in her throat as she nuzzled her apprentice's head before releasing him and lowering her head to peer at him with a smile. "Hi, Yarrowpaw. It's good to see you!" She mewed, pronouncing her words slowly and deliberately so he could understand. Another set of pawsteps approached, and she straightened to see a pretty unfamiliar face, but one she had heard about. "Hi, Robinpatch. Yes, I'm Dewlight, and this is my apprentice Yarrowpaw. It's a pleasure to properly meet you!" The she-cat greeted him before turning to lead the way out of camp, gaze lingering on Yarrowpaw for a couple heartbeats. Would he be alright?... Spiderquill wouldn't let him out of camp for a patrol if he wasn't...

"We'll be hunting at the Beech Copse, so be aware of your surroundings." She advised her companions, scanning the area as the reached the edge of the sparse trees. It seemed quiet, for now, hopefully it stayed that way. "I'll be over there. Don't go too far, okay?" She directed the last statement towards Yarrowpaw before turning and walking a few steps away, scenting the air for a potential catch. A frog jumped among the roots of a nearby tree, and she stalked towards it slowly before making her leap. The small, squishy thing stood no chance, falling still as her teeth pierced it before it even knew what was happening. Straightening, she buried it in a shallow hole before looking to check on her companions.

Dewlight attempted to catch a Frog, catch was successful! -3 SP. (Thank you +2 for hunts in Beech Copse! 237/240 SP)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 7

Yarrowpaw watched Dewlight hunt, suddenly reminded of his hunting test, before the hawk. He was really enjoying himself, and he hadn't gotten out to hunt since, keeping it easy in camp and waiting for his chest to heal. But now that it's just a shiny pink line parting his fur, from just under his eye to his belly, Yarrowpaw was cleared for hunting. He was excited to really show Dewlight was he could do, not impeded by an unwanted visitor.

Robinpatch was not, in fact, an unwanted visitor. Though Yarrow wished it was just the two of them so that he could show off his skills, Robinpatch seemed like a capable hunter and a kind cat. Walking up to the calico, Yarrowpaw nodded his head in greeting, trying to communicate his muteness. Would Robinpatch be able to tell Yarrowpaw was deaf? He hoped the other cat wouldn't think any less of him- or think that he was an incapable hunter.

Yarrowpaw would just have to show him, wouldn't he?

Spotting a small squirrel foraging in the undergrowth, Yarrowpaw made sure that his mouth was completely shut- a nod to Dewlight- before lowering himself onto his belly. Pupils dilated, haunches wiggling, Yarrowpaw pounced.

Yarrowpaw attempted to catch a bird, costing him -3 SP. 12/50 SP. Hunt was successful!

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 4

The warrior cracked a smile and gave a single nod. Why had he been worried in the first place? They both seemed like nice cats. He wasn't going to be judged by these two. Robinpatch eyed the apprentice a little longer, noting that he was trying to make him understand something. After a minute of wracking his head, he finally realized that Yarrow was perhaps deaf or just hard of hearing. His lack of vocal communication and the way Dewlight had spoken with a more exaggerated pronunciation were the biggest clues. From the time he'd spent away from home, he was able to learn quite a lot about how those with disabilities interacted with one another or how they learned to live life as normally as they could with their incapacities. The only real 'friend' he'd met 'out there' was mute so if Yarrowpaw was worried of being judged by him then he'd have to prove to him that he would be doing no such thing.

Robinpatch offered a bigger smile to the younger tom, eyes twinkling with something akin to reassurance. Hopefully the other got that he understood. Turning back, the older warrior followed behind the she-cat as she began to lead them out of the camp and into the territory, eagerness swelling in his chest. He was drowning in nostalgia right that moment. It felt just like the old days. Hopefully he'd be able to actually catch something. He was rusty after moons of not hunting, after all.

"Alright. Got it Dewsh-light." he replied to Dewlight's instructions and warnings once they arrived. The calico nearly outwardly flinched at the mix-up but managed to keep his cool. This was not the time to start missing his late mentor. He had some hunting to do! He breathed in from his nose and let out a shaky breath as he tried to calm his rising anxiety. Oh Starclan. Would he be able to actually do this? He wasn't just talking about the hunting either. Being back in a Riverclan that was so familiar yet very foreign was throwing him for a loop. It'd probably be a while until he'd be fully settled in.

The tom split up from the group but not before signaling what direction he'll be going just in case he was needed or if he needed help. Robinpatch wasted no more time and slowly wandered along the path he chose, eyes and ears open for something he'd be able to catch. Not much time passed when he spotted a squirrel. He crouched down into the hunting crouch and carefully stalked closer to the prey. Once he felt like he was at a good distance, he quickly pounced.

Phew! Thank the stars! He did it and he felt great! The warrior sagged with relief as he stared down proudly at his first catch in like moons. He buried it somewhere safe and continued on, a small bounce in his step.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 1

She smiled at Robinpatch as he stumbled over her name, shrugging off the brief mix-up. She watched as Yarrowpaw caught a bird, purring at his success and giving him a nod of approval before turning just in time to see Robinpatch catch a squirrel. If this success continued, they'd be returning to camp with a significant amount of prey to add to the pile. A good return to hunting, for sure. Opening her mouth, she scented for anything else that may be around. A sour scent hit her tongue, and she moved towards it slowly. At the roots of one of the trees sat some remains of a mostly-eaten fish, and she winced at the sight and stench of it. Her lips wrinkled in disgust, and she looked up to try to find the culprit, perhaps a predatory bird, or even a raccoon? She would have to investigate, the fish certainly wasn't fresh, but that wasn't a good indicator of if the perpetrator was still close. Rustling nearby caught her attention, and she turned away to see a water vole nosing around underneath a nearby bush. Crouching low, she stalked it carefully before launching forward, throwing the small beast into the air. As it landed on the ground stunned, she quickly bit it's neck before it could make a noise. Turning, she tried to catch Robinpatch's eye, gesturing with her tail towards the remains of the fish.

Dewlight attempted to catch a Water Vole (Rodent), catch was successful. -3 SP (234/240)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 6

Yarrowpaw could smell it too; heavy and rotten in his mouth. What did it mean? Why was there a half-eaten fish just laying around? No clan cat would do that, especially not in RiverClan. It must have been a wild animal.. Yarrowpaw shuddered. Last time he encountered a wild animal, he got a nasty scar to show for it, one still raw and aching. Yet, Dewlight seemed to have good control over the situation, and they also had Robinpatch with them to help. Yarrowpaw knew little about Robinpatch, if anything at all, but he seemed dependable enough that his presence calmed Yarrowpaw’s nerves, if just a little.

Spotting a squishy, foul smelling frog hopping alongside the bank, Yarrowpaw dropped into his perfected hunting position; he had been practicing the entire time he was healing in the medicine cat den. Close to the ground and odd eyes wide, he carefully stalked the frog, watching it hop around for a moment or two, before beginning to wiggle his haunches, preparing to pounce.

Yarrowpaw attempted to catch a frog, costing 3 SP. Success!

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 4

Narrowed eyes followed where Dewlight's tail gestured, a sense of wariness beginning to bubble in his chest. He did not like the sight of that. Whatever had left that half-eaten fish was most likely still roaming nearby and he was sure that Dewlight figured the same thing. He hesitated on going over when something else caught his attention first. He spotted a toad from his peripheral vision and slowly began to stalk it. However, he gave the she-cat a grim nod and a look that said that he'd go right over as soon as he finished. He was determined to be of use in any way he could.

The calico tom stopped in his tracks once he was at the right distance to leap at the toad. He took one last look back at Dewlight before swiftly pouncing on the bumpy creature. His quick reflexes helped him quickly trap the prey under his paws and he delivered a killing bite to stop it from slipping away. It had been a successful catch. The warrior snatched up the toad and went over where he'd buried his last catch and dug a hole right beside it to deposit his latest prey. He then briskly made his way back to Dewlight to take a better look at the fish remains.

"Have you heard or seen any suspicious movements around here? Whatever left that must be close by. We have to stay cautious and attentive." he whispered to the she-cat, gaze intensely trained on the evidence of lurking danger. "I think Yarrowpaw should stick close to us just in case...." he meowed after a few moments of silence, ears swiveling as they stood vigilant in case of a surprise attack by a predator.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 6