following the breeze (closed)

Flutterpaw could have been happy forever like this. Out on the territory, with a light breeze ruffling his pelt, the warmth of the sun heating his dark fur, and the long grasses around him waving as if to a friend... well, it was perfect. If not for Adderpaw and Whisperear and his other many friends in WindClan, he wouldn't mind just living on his own forever, running across the moors until he couldn't anymore and basking in the silence of the wind. However, he was not alone. He was with Brackenwing-- one of the warriors he hadn't talked to very much before. And they were on a patrol in the territory he loved so much. So he stopped himself from running too far off, and walked close by her side instead, though he couldn't stop the spark of light in his eyes at the wide-open expanse of the moors. He wasn't sure if Brackenwing was one of those warriors who loved the territory as much as he did, or one of those who were obsessed with the tunnels-- or, worse, who would rather stay in camp all day. It would probably be rude to ask, though. And no matter what, he wanted the she-cat to be his friend! So, he was mostly quiet on their walk out. It was strange not to chat as much as he usually would. He did his best. However, when they finally reached the Lone Stump, he couldn't help but ask. "Have you ever stood on top of the stump? What's it like? Does it just make you feel taller?"

Brackenwing was glad to get out of camp, stretch her muscles in the warmth. There was little shade to be found on the moors, but the breeze that ruffled her short fur was a welcome one and made the heat far more bearable than it had been. She was patrolling with one of the apprentices today, Flutterpaw. She wasn't a cat given to starting conversations and she basked in the relative silence, the only sound the whisper of the wind through the long grass and their light pawsteps.

Flutterpaw eventually did break the silence, and she glanced over at him, "Standing up there feels a bit strange, but it lets you see farther that you can on the ground. There's nothing at all to obstruct your view." She mewed. Muscles bunching, the marbled tabby leapt. Any Skyclan cat would've hidden their face in secondhand embarrassment at her ungainly ascent to the top of the stump, she was sure, but it wasn't like Windclan cats got much practice at it. She did however, much prefer standing on the lone stump overlooking the territory than she did the claustrophobic tunnels.

Flutterpaw watched in awe as the powerful tabby leapt up, using her sharp claws and distributing her weight to ascend the stump. She thought she was ungraceful; Flutterpaw thought it was impressive. Climbing so high! Nothing to obstruct your view, huh?... He was a fairly small cat, so the long grasses around him made it a bit hard to see past his own nose sometimes. More than anything right this moment, he wanted to get onto the stump and see the beautiful WindClan territory. Brackenwing looked so tall up there! Surely there would be room for two cats up there... right? Well-- there was only one way to find out.

"Here I come!" Bunching his shoulders, the fluffy black cat leapt up, unsheathing small claws to try and gain some footing on the gnarled stump. Thankfully, he jumped high enough-- a few small bumps in the bark offered balance, and he let out a triumphant "mrrrp" as he put his small paws on the stump's rim. So close! In a few moments, he pushed himself up, squishing close to Brackenwing in order to fit. Their pelts brushed together. But he didn't notice. All he could see was the moors stretching out in front of him, going on forever and ever. The only place they seemed to end was the low valley full of trees where the Gathering was, and where the rest of the Clans lived. "Wow...." Flutterpaw whispered, the exhalation leaving him almost subconsciously as he gazed down on everything. So this was what it was like to be tall! Did Whisperear see things like this all the time?

Brackenwing watched as Flutterpaw clawed his way onto the stump, body tensing briefly as he looked like he was struggling. "Careful," She mewed. The apprentice made it however, and Brackenwing shifted over to make room, well, as much as she could given the small area they stood on. Their fur still brushed, though she tried to avoid stepping on Flutterpaw's paws. "It's great when the newleaf rains have made the grass grow too long. You can even see camp from here." Her striped tail flicked in the direction of the dip in the earth surrounded by gorse.

The two cats barely fit together on the stump, fur meshing together in a way that would make a less social cat uncomfortable. Flutterpaw could barely pay attention to his immediate surroundings as he gazed far, far away. His eyes traveled quicker than any paws could, darting over the endless grassy fields. Brackenwing's voice seemed distant. However, when she mentioned camp, his ears pricked up. Looking over to where she gestured... sure enough, there was the low valley in the roaming moor hills, blanketed in grass and gorse bushes, as safe as one could get out here from the elements. If he squinted reeaaally hard, he could almost make out tiny cat forms moving around between the sagebrush. Was that how they looked to hawks and eagles? Was this what Whisperear saw all the time? He exhaled involuntarily, the awed sound almost lost in the swirling breeze around them. It was just... beautiful. He could look at this forever.

But, he realized belatedly that Brackenwing was probably uncomfortable with how cramped it had become. Carefully, the small black tom bunched his muscles up and leapt down from the lone stump, landing with a satisfying thump among the long grass-blades that now obscured his vision once more. There was a fleeting pang of grief for the beautiful view-- but then he remembered that he could come back and see it any time he wanted. Flutterpaw's smile returned. "Thanks, Brackenwing," he chirped, looking up at the tabby far above him. "You're really cool! Sorry to sidetrack the patrol, though. You get to pick what we do next."

Flutterpaw seemed just as awestruck as she had once been, taking in the views. Truthfully, Brackenwing liked the sweeping views of the territory much more than the confines of the tunnels she'd been helping Coyotegrin assess, but she wouldn't complain either way. Windclan needed the tunnels, and what Coyotegrin was trying to do was commendable. She was glad to help, even if the tight, dark spaces made her heart leap into her throat. Flutterpaw leaping back to the ground drew Brackenwing from her own thoughts, and her whiskers twitched in amusement at his words. Her, cool? She felt her pelt heat with mild embarrassment, though couldn't help a small smile, "Thanks, I try. And every cat should know the advantage the lone stump gives us." Soon they would know the tunnels too, she hoped, though the tunnels were proving to be difficult and slow for the moment.

"You can see prey from up here too, and they almost never think to look up this way." Brackenwing mewed, leaping down after him. "We may as well see if we can bring something back to camp with us."

Flutterpaw nodded in agreement. He'd only done a little bit of hunting with Whisperear, but he'd mostly had to rely on his nose so far... the rabbits were good at hiding in the long grass that he had difficulty seeing above. He would have to keep the Lone Stump in mind; it would be a good way to find nearby prey. With that in mind, he walked a few paces away from the stump, trying to re-orient himself with the ground. The view kept flashing back into his mind and making him wish he was taller.

"Oh!" His ears pricked up at the sound of distant rustling. Was that a rabbit nearby? Well, there was only one way to find out. Flutterpaw quietly stalked closer through the grass, trying to make as little noise as possible. He thought he saw a flash of white fur in the distance. Should he go for it? Well, I might as well try. The small tom took off running, following his nose and ears a short distance away. Sure enough, there was a rabbit. It started to run when he broke out of the grass, startled at his appearance. But his guesswork had been correct, and he had a head-start. It only took a few moments for him to catch up and pounce on it. It was kinda small for a rabbit... maybe it was young and inexperienced, which is why his odd tactics had worked. Either way, he'd caught one! Taking hold of its neck in his jaws, Flutterpaw held his head high above the grass, looking for Brackenwing a few fox-lengths away. "I gotth one," he meowed, voice muffled through the fur.


Flutterpaw attempted to catch a rabbit... Success! -3 SP

The member 'Ash' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 7

Flutterpaw seemed to find a rabbit quickly, and Brackenwing sought out her own prey, keeping an ear swiveled in the apprentice's direction. It wasn't long before she came upon a second rabbit, and slipping forward, Brackenwing managed a burst of speed once she was closer to the creature, paws outstretched to bring it down quickly. She relied on getting closer to her prey than most Windclanners typically would, but so long as prey was on the fresh kill pile she didn't think her clanmates cared much. Glancing up, Brackenwing smiled at seeing the rabbit in Flutterpaw's jaws. "Good catch!" Brackenwing mewed, padding over with her own prey.