Fishing for Fish (C)

Since the sun rose again over the horizon, there were more mouths that needed to be filled, and more prey that needed to be caught. The light crunching sound of snow beneath Perchfall's paws was almost lost in the cold wind that blew almost all warmth away from her body. However, cold or not, early morning or not, she needed to be out getting food for RiverClan. Many lives depended on whether or not she was able to find enough food today, or tomorrow, or any other day. Face almost as bleak as the chilly leaf-bare sky, the deputy kept her eyes mostly fixed on her destination, only glancing once or twice at her companion. Egretstorm was not a cat that she knew much about, but it didn't matter whether or not she knew the warrior as long as they could fish together adequately. Once they reached the river, which was churning with an excess of yesterday's melted snow, she stopped. There was no need to say anything... only to fish.

Egretstorm followed beside the young deputy, short grey fur fluffed to fight the cold. Tiny, glistening shards of ice clung along her flanks and whiskers where she’d brushed against some frost-laden clumps of reeds along the way, or where the wind had tossed freshly fallen flakes into their path. The older warrior had to squint whenever the wind picked up so she didn’t get the stuff in her eyes. Hardly anything alive seemed to have disturbed the snow overnight, not a frog’s hop, not a crow’s feather, not a mouse’s breath. And with so many young mouths to feed back at camp… things were getting dire. When the two she-cats reached the river, Egretstorm’s face twisted in resigned preparation.

It was a great stream of slush. What luck. It ran too quick and chaotic in this part to freeze over well, which came both as a blessing and a curse. It didn’t tempt cats to walk across like pure ice did, but the slurry obfuscated where fish could possibly hide. “Almost makes you wish those skin-wearers were still around to show off and catch something. Ah, I shouldn’t say that. It’s far better with them gone.” Not even the Asylum, as powerful as they thought themselves to be, could fare any better in this situation. Besides, it felt off to snort at their pelt-wearing tendencies when that lingerer Brick - Harebounce - seemed to bear the cold better from beneath her ragged hare pelt. Egretstorm shook her head, scattering bits of glittering snow, it catching the morning sun’s rays as it fell to the earth. She moved herself downstream of Perchfall, perhaps subconsciously wary of the grey and white cat falling into the strong, freezing current. Paws not quite tucked under chest, but still close enough to keep somewhat warm, she watched and waited. And waited. And watched.

And watched.

And waited.

After what felt like eons something that looked alive moved within her reach and her sharp claws dashed forward.  They hit nothing. ^{-7 SP} Letting out a short, irritated huff she licked her paw dry and moved to sit back on her haunches, but she could feel two holes being burned into her pelt. Glancing backwards, her eyes narrowed and she called out to Perchfall, “Aye. We got a hopeful thief here. How about we take it home if we find nothing else today?” She kept her dark gaze fixed on a little creature staring right back at her through the reeds: a starved weasel. It’d picked a poor day for pick-pocketing.

The thing, shivering in the cold, raised up on its hind legs and wriggled its head, perhaps trying to figure out how best to take the warrior down for its own little feast.

A Weasel appeared! HP: 20/20 SP: 135/135

Egretstorm
HP: 40/40
SP: 93/100

The member 'Nutcracker Knight' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 9

Perchfall continued to be silent in the chilly wind, keeping her eyes on the overfilled, streaming river. She knew that Egretstorm was talking to her, but the words went in one ear and out the other without comprehension. Blue eyes fixed and focused on the water, she watched intently to see if there was any hint of where a fish might be swimming through the slush. However, her concentration was marred when the warrior spoke again, calling attention to a weasel that hid in the reeds. At this point, food is food. None of my patrols seem to be going how they should lately.

Turning on a dime, the deputy nodded to her companion and lunged at the predator, maw opening wide with sharp fangs. She had intended to catch it in her mouth completely, but it slipped out. Her attack still left a wound where her teeth had punctured, however. Definitely wouldn't be as easy as hunting a fish.

Perchfall used Snap, dealing 8 damage and costing 7 stamina.

Perchfall:
40/40 HP
93/100 SP

Weasel:
12/20 HP
135/135 SP

Egretstorm:
40/40 HP
93/100 SP

The creature let out a yipe of pain and quickly wriggled out of Perchfall’s reach, soon beginning to realize its mistake and its immediate peril. It easily evaded Egretstorm’s heavy paws, fast as lightning, and lunged for the deputy’s front leg in a desperate attempt to fight back. Its small, sharp teeth drew hot blood from the grey she-cat’s pelt.

The weasel used Gripping Bite! It dealt 7 damage to Perchfall and used 15 stamina. It will remain gripped for two turns.

With the little thief firmly affixing itself like a leech onto Perchfall, the heavy-set she-cat could finally get a hit on the slippery varmint. “Get off her you little…!” She gave it a hearty smack with unsheathed claws, but it only bit down harder. Ouch.

Egretstorm used Front Paw Strike on the weasel! It dealt 8 damage and used 7 stamina.


Weasel
HP: 4/20
SP: 120/135

Perchfall
HP: 33/40
SP: 93/100

Egretstorm
HP: 40/40
SP: 86/100

A sharp hiss of pain went through Perchfall's teeth as the little weasel bit down hard on her front leg. It had been a while since she'd really been in a battle, and the sudden sting seemed to heighten her senses. She needed to get this enemy off of her. But how could she attack when it was stuck on her leg? Her other paw darted forwards, claws unsheathed, slashing desperately at the small predator. That seemed to do the trick-- it lost the strength to hang on, her blow knocking it out. However, as the weasel's fangs left the wound, it opened up. Blood began to trickle down the deputy's leg, and she winced. "That was unpleasant."

Perchfall used Front Paw Strike, dealing 8 damage and costing 7 stamina.

Weasel:
K.O.

Perchfall:
33/40 HP
86/100 SP

Egretstorm:
40/40 HP
86/100 SP

The sharp scent of blood rose to her nose, making her give a small grimace. "You said it." Egretstorm took the weasel in her jaws and carried it towards a little snowdrift. "Th's n' cmin ou oo has, righ? (That's not coming out too fast, right?)" She meowed through the rapidly chilling lump as she buried it beneath a light layer of snow. They wouldn't have to worry about some other hungry thing taking it now. Even wounds in usually non-lethal places could nick a vital artery, though she doubted something as small and short-lived as an attack from a weasel could find such a place. Why something obscure like that had crossed her mind gave her pause. She mumbled a bit to herself. "Who am I, Cloverheart?"

Something about the mud around her paws caught her eye and she quickly realized it was a rather large, brown toad. Whether toads tasted good or not, that didn't matter right now. Without thinking, she tried slamming her paw down on it.^-7SP It leaped out of the way, leading her on an embarrassing little chase that ended with it crawling into a deep cranny in some tree roots, right where she couldn't get it. "Scat."

Egretstorm
HP: 40/40
SP: 79/100

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 7