By Light of the Moon [OPEN]

Cerulean eyes lifted, surveying the four massive oaks that cast long shadows over the hollow with curiosity. The scents of many cats were somewhat faded, and the place lay empty and quiet, the snow on the ground seemingly untouched.

Not for long, if the curious loner had any say about it. She was supposed to be prowling along the borders of the clans, seeking to fill the minds of the clan cats Klaus had said were indoctrinated with visions of a brighter future. And she would do that, just as soon as she found a bite to eat. Trespassing and stealing food from clan territory wouldn't paint her in a favorable light, so she'd come to this neutral ground to hunt instead.

The pale tortoiseshell quickly picked up the scent of squirrel, and slowly crept forward. Her tail stilled, kept carefully low as she circled the edge of the hollow. The squirrel had come down from one of the oaks, she noted, the big one that seemed to be missing a branch, bark marred by something that couldn't have come from a cat or other predator.

Once close, she leapt...

Only for her outstretched paws to come up empty, a low growl sounding from behind her. Atalante whirled as the squirrel darted up the tree, blue eyes narrowing as her gaze found a black and silver face peering at her from the darkness. With another growl the beast started forward, and Atalante darted towards it before it could make the first move, claws slashing at the raccoon's flank. A quick swipe from the raccoon in return stained her pale fur with streaks of bright red.

Atalante attempted to catch a squirrel for -7 sp, catch was unsuccessful!
113 / 120 sp

Atalante used Jumping Strike for -7 sp, dealing -8+3 damage.
Raccoon used Quick Swipe for -10 sp, dealing -8 damage.

Raccoon
9 / 20 hp (20 - 8 - 3)
110 / 120 sp

Atalante
42 / 50 hp (50 - 8)
106 / 120 sp (113 - 7)

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

---

'Hunting Dice' : 8

As moons passed, Tinypaw didn't get any bigger. However, she wasn't the same kitten that started training. Thanks to Perchfall and her hard work, she has been getting closer and closer to becoming a warrior despite her... condition. The small dark she-cat felt a little more confident in herself, despite still being self-conscious about her size.

"Maybe if I can bring land prey to Perchfall... I can finally impress her! Fish is easier but I have to prove to her how much I have grown..." The apprentice walked submerged in her thoughts, trying to figure out what would please her mentor more. She didn't even notice how far she had gotten from her homeland until she heard the sound of a growling animal. Her first instinct was to run away but before she could even move her paws, the scent of a cat reached her nose. Memories of Bumblepaw drowning came to her mind and she knew she couldn't paralyze this time. Even though this cat didn't smell like Riverclan, maybe to could use a helping paw.

Gathering her courage, the small black molly ran towards the commotion. Tinypaw entered the scene and unsheathed her claws as soon as the raccoon was in her vision range. Not paying much attention to the other cat, the she-cat rushed towards the animal, tricking it into believing she would straight forward. However, before she could be in the raccoon's biting range, Tinypaw jumped to the side and instead grabbed the grey and black animal by the tail. With all her strength, she pulled the raccoon's tail making it lose its focus and balance. Quickly, she turned her head to the injured she-cat: "Are you okay?!"

Tinypaw entered the battle. Tinypaw used Tail Yank on Racoon, dealing 7 damage and using 15 stamina.
Raccoon is stunned for 1 turn.

Raccoon
2 / 20 hp (9-7)
110 / 120 sp

Tinypaw
20 / 20 hp
45 / 60 sp (60-15)

Atalante
42 / 50 hp
106 / 120 sp

A dark form raced past her, and Atalante's eyes widened in surprise as the raccoon was yanked backward by the tail. Seizing the opportunity, she lashed out with her claws. The beast hadn't stood much of a chance against her, let alone against her and... whoever this newcomer was.

"Thank you, I appreciate the help" Atalante mewed gratefully. The newcomer smelled of the cats who lived along the riverbank. The 'Riverclan' that the gray tom she'd met had spoken of, perhaps? She quickly glanced down at the slashes in her shoulder before her eyes returned to the cat in front of her. She seemed young, maybe a little older than Atalante was. Her wounds weren't the worst, at least, they'd be fine so long as nothing became infected. The gashes did sting a bit, though the cold air was almost enough that she didn't notice.

"That was good thinking, grabbing it by the tail. It scared off the squirrel I was trying to catch." She could hear it moving about in the branches above, but Atalante wasn't confident in her ability to climb trees just yet. She didn't turn her head to search for it, instead keeping her gaze fixed on the cat in front of her. It never hurt to be wary... Especially after the last encounter she'd had. "Who are you?"

Atalante used Front Paw Strike for -7 sp, dealing -8 damage.
Raccoon is dead!

Raccoon
0 / 20 hp (2 - 8)
110 / 120 sp

Tinypaw
20 / 20 hp
45 / 60 sp

Atalante
42 / 50 hp
106 / 120 sp

Tinypaw didn't have time to plan her next attack. The other she-cat had quick reflexes and took her chance to kill the beast while it was still disoriented. A sigh of relief came out of the dark molly as she tried to catch her breath after that scare. After recovering a little from the adrenaline rush, she turned her gaze to the strange cat.

Just like she initially thought, the other molly didn't smell like any other clan she had ever met. Tinypaw tilted her head a bit, trying to figure out if she was just being forgetful or if this stranger truly was an outsider. Either way, Tinypaw didn't mind too much. Clan-born or clanless they were all cats, in the end, trying their best to survive in the forest in their own ways. To prove her she meant no harm, the she-cat sheathed her claws and sat down, trying to look as relaxed as her timid personality allowed her. "I'm sorry you lost your meal. Prey is scarce enough as it is and predators and predators don't help either." She mewed, empathizing with the tortoiseshell molly.

"I'm Tinypaw, from Riverclan, though I'm sure my smell already gave that away. What's your name? I can't seem to figure out where you belong. Are you a rogue?" Perchfall would probably order her to chase the outsider away but it seemed unfair in Tinypaw's mind. After all, this wasn't Riverclan territory and this land was no hunting ground to any clan. Additionally... the dark apprentice was curious about her. Surely she had more experience hunting birds and land prey than Tinypaw who, as a future Riverclan warrior, had to specialize herself in fishing.

"No need to apologize. I'm sure everyone's is having this sort of luck lately." Atalante offered, a smile flickering across her face briefly. The other she-cat had sheathed her claws and sat, and Atalante didn't believe that she intended to deceive her with that body language. Relaxing a little, she sheathed her own, tail curling over her paws.

So her guess had been correct, Riverclan then. "Nice to meet you, my name's Atalante. No, I'm not from the clans, though I've heard a few things here and there." She responded. 'Heard a few things here and there' wasn't quite a lie, the Thunderclanner had given her some information, albeit unwittingly. And both Klaus and Tarot had firstpaw experience with the clans.

Atalante's head turned sharply at the sound of small pawsteps, and cerulean eyes landed on another squirrel. "Sorry-- You don't mind, do you? I try not to hunt on clan territory, and this isn't owned by anyone, right?" Before the dark-furred she-cat could respond, the pale tortoiseshell was already slipping towards the squirrel, claws unsheathing once more. This time however, the wind shifted directions sharply.

"Foxdung." Atalante muttered, "Most prey doesn't want to be out here any more than we do, as it is. I hope your luck has been better than mine has been tonight." She sighed, gaze turning back towards Tinypaw.

Atalante attempted to catch a squirrel for -7 sp. Catch was unsuccessful.
99 / 120 sp

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

---

'Hunting Dice' : 6

Atalante... what an odd name, though it fitted the strange rogue customs. Surely, clan names were weird to the outsider. After all, they belonged to different lifestyles. Tinypaw heard her words with interest until the molly seemed to be distracted by a rustle nearby. The apprentice smiled, kindly. "No trouble at all. Though this could be considered clan territory, I don't recon it is considered as a hunting ground from any clan. So go ahead." Though she was being sincere, the small she-cat had other motives to watch the she-cat hunt. Atalante was probably better at hunting land prey than her and if she could learn something from her... maybe Perchfall would finally make her a warrior.

However, the rogue's luck didn't improve. The squirrel fled as fast as it appeared, leaving the tortoiseshell empty-handed. The dark-furred she-cat stood up and fixed her gaze on her. "To be honest, I haven't tried my luck yet but I don't think it will be any better than yours. You know, being Riverclan and all of that... We sure are experts on fishing but hunting mice or squirrels? I still need to learn about that." All of her words were true but with them, the young Riverclan molly was trying to cheer Atalante up. "But I guess I'll never find out until I try." With those words, the apprentice shifted her gaze to the bushes, in the hope to find something interesting.

Her nose caught the scent of the moors, something unusual to find in the Fourtrees. Crouching, she tracked down the unknown animal to a small, almost frozen puddle. The rabbit was standing on one of the largest roots of the trees surrounding the Fourtrees, probably near its den. She had to be quick since these animals were known to run fast. Taking advantage of her small body to make as minimal noise as possible, Tinypaw prepared herself to jump. From the darkness, the black she-cat leapt towards the rabbit and the odds favoured her. Her claws sank into its back and before it could try to jump away, her fangs reached the neck. After seconds of sloppy struggle, the rabbit exhaled its last breath. "I finally did it! Now no one will ever mistake me with a kit!" She purred gleefully as she returned to where she met the rogue, forgetting that Atalante was probably listening. Feeling a little bad for the rogue's bad luck, the apprentice came out with an idea... "Maybe... You can have a leg for yourself, so you can have something to eat today. It must be hard to live on your own..."

Tinypaw attempted to catch a rabbit for -7 sp. The catch was successful.

Tinypaw
20 / 20 hp
38 / 60 sp

The member 'Jay Bird' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'Hunting Dice' : 1

"Only one way to find out." Atalante agreed with a small smile. She fell quiet as the dark she-cat began her search and seemed to pick up on something.

Atalante let out a soft gasp as Tinypaw caught the rabbit, eyes widening a bit in admiration. "Wow, rabbits are fast, nice catch!" She mewed.

The offer of a rabbit leg was surprising, but then, that Thunderclan apprentice had at least offered to split the squirrel when the gray, one-eyed tom had wanted to take it and drive Atalante off of her territory. It seemed some clan cats were more generous than others, maybe some would be more susceptible to what she had to say, too. "Thank you."

"Fish? I've never had one. I'm sure trying to catch them comes with a whole new set of challenges just like rabbits or squirrels. And I can't imagine rabbits being common along the river, really is an impressive catch." Atalante mewed softly. She'd see how Tinypaw reacted to that, and only press at what she was hoping for if she thought the dark she-cat would be receptive.

The apprentice was happy that Atalante took her offer. She was a little wary that she might attack her and take off her catch but her suspicions were wrong. It seemed like her first impression of her was just like she expected. Carefully, Tinypaw laid down the rabbit and, at the best of her ability, managed to separate a leg from the body. Sure, it wasn't half of the animal but, unlike Atalante, Tinypaw had a clan to feed. She can come up with a story to explain the missing leg. She was sure her clanmates would be more impressed with the fact she brought something different than fish.

Tinypaw offered the tortoiseshell molly her share, hoping she would enjoy it. "Yeah, fish taste a lot different. I personally prefer it but the other clans don't seem to be fans of them. Probably because they don't know how to swim like us so getting close to the river is a risk they won't take." Before she could say anything else, Atalante surprised the young she-cat with her next words. No one... has ever complimented her for something, really. Her size didn't make her a great fighter (not to mention how little intimidating she was) and having short paws often didn't help with hunting. Tinypaw could feel her face heating up and she drifted her gaze away, bashfully. With a timid smile, she finally mewed: "Yeah... to be honest, this is the first time I see a rabbit. My mentor Perchfall has only taught me how to catch fish but I always thought it is best to know everything I can. Even if that means hunting prey that isn't usual in my land. Who knows when fish won't be available? It is best to be prepared. Feeding a whole clan isn't easy." Finally, she managed to leave her shyness away and looked back a the outsider, with a genuine smile. "I'm sure it was more luck than ability but... thank you for your words Atalante. They really... mean a lot to me."

Tinypaw reacted how Atalante had hoped. Was it frustration with being limited in what she could do that made her speak so? Atalante had caught on to her words, and decided to follow them. By asking questions she'd get information, and maybe get Tinypaw thinking outside of her boundaries. Perhaps she would be agreeable.

"Understandable, it's only natural to fear the unknown. But swimming can be dangerous just like anything else, no?" Atalante mewed, "I've never understood how your clans stick to only one territory and limit their options for prey. Wouldn't sharing resources and learning from each other help lessen your burdens?" She queried, tipping her head curiously. "You seem to be one of the smarter ones. Why would your... mentor? limit your success by only teaching you to catch one thing? My father always taught us to learn from any opportunity we could. We might not have a territory like what your clans have, but we learn all the skills we need to survive and help each other, not just a narrow subset of skills that only benefit us in one place. It might be a harsh leafbare, but my siblings and I are thriving despite my lack of luck in catching prey tonight." A hint of a smile before she bit into the rabbit leg that was offered.

Atalante response was... unexpected but highly interesting. Tinypaw loved her clan life, she liked being part of Riverclan, feeding and protecting her clanmates and family. Sure, she didn't have many friends but she had Perchfall's support and Hollyleaf seemed nice... She wouldn't change that for anything but it was true that the young dark-furred molly wanted more. Tinypaw wasn't satisfied with only learning how to fish -despite her love for that prey - and swim. However... it wasn't like Perchfall was stopping her from learning more. Since her first day of training, the deputy has been open about her own skills and what she could teach her and if Tinypaw wanted to learn more... Perchfall would search for a warrior that could help her.

"I agree with you that we shouldn't be fighting all the time for petty reasons such as territory. The clans would be better if they would learn from one another. I would love to climb trees like Skyclanners or hunt in the shadows like a Shadowclanner but between my shyness and their lack of interest in teaching another clan cat... there's little to be done." Tinypaw admitted with an honest look of disapproval. She hasn't had the displeasure of fighting a cat from another clan but to her... it seemed like a foolish idea. There were things more dangerous and important to fight off. After all... they were all cats trying to survive, wouldn't it be best for them to try to get along?

"I can see why you and your family wouldn't find clan lifestyle... your thing. It is far from perfect and since you don't have an established territory like us, it makes sense to learn every skill you can. To be honest... learning everything sounds exciting and effective but... I wouldn't change my life in Riverclan." A nostalgic smile drew on her face and she drifted her gaze back to where Riverclan territory was. That was her home, her clanmates were her family. The sound of the rushing river, the constant chattering of the camp and the smell of fish in the air filler her mind as she let out a relieved sigh. "Perchfall, my mentor can be strict and serious... but she encourages my curiosity. She admits she doesn't know things that other clans do, like climbing, and she isn't interested in learning about it. However... she has offered me special training with warriors who know said skills if I truly wanted to. Clan life can have its rule but it doesn't limit our potential. I have the freedom to learn more if I want to... that's why I'm here in the first place, haha. I wanted to test hunting land prey."

Finally, she looked back at Atalante. This meeting wasn't in her plans at all but she was glad it happened. "It's getting late for me and Perchfall will be worried if I don't come back. It was nice meeting you, Atalante. Though I see we don't agree on some stuff... I truly admire how you and your family thrive without a clan. I hope... we can meet again and maybe we can learn a new skill from one another." With a final nod and a purr, the small she-cat grabbed the rest of the rabbit between her jaws. Slowly but steady, she walked out of the clearing and disappeared into the forest, starting her way back to her homeland.