slow and steady [solo]

Thalia fell into a hunting crouch in a single, practiced movement; slowly creeping forward. Failure was not an option. She would succeed, or she would succeed; it was simple. After all, the greatest prize of all was on the line: her own self-confidence. It was easy to doubt her skill, or whether she truly deserved to be part of ShadowClan, when she struggled to do the things warriors were known for. Oh, she provided valuable service to her Clan in other ways: reinforcing dens, gathering herbs for the medicine cats, learning and passing on their history, and now she was teaching them about predator pelts at Nightstar's own request.

But she still didn't exactly feel useful.

Any cat could do most of that, except maybe the predator pelts. Still, cats had been hurt in their attempts despite her best efforts, so what was that really worth?

She wasn't a natural hunter, and she wasn't someone who had managed to learn the skill. Not well. But if she had to stalk the marsh all night to bring a few pieces of prey back to her Clan, then she would.

Her first attempt more or less fell right into her paws; giving her some semblance of hope. Maybe this wouldn't be a waste of time, after all?

Thalia caught a Rat, costing 3 SP!
137/140 SP

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 7

With that first success, she kept moving. There was no need to rush: it was early in the night, the moon slowly rising to reveal a sky full of stars. A lizard scurried past her, and she began slowly following its trail. She took her time, keeping it within sight but staying far enough away that it wouldn't pay her any attention.

Only after following it for quite some time did she decide to make an attempt. And before she did, she moved closer; fox-clad warrior moving silently and stealthily through the marsh.

Instead of pouncing, she decided to try a different approach: she tried to guess where it would go next, and lay in wait; ready to catch it as soon as it passed.

The lizard, too, fell into her waiting paws.

Thalia caught a Lizard, costing 3 SP!
134/140 SP

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 6

Maybe the issue was with her approach, more than anything? She was always in a rush, eager to prove herself useful. But now, moving slow and steady, she had managed to easily outdo herself. Or maybe it was that she was alone, away from any potential judgment; just the chill of the season and the light of the moon and stars to keep her company.

The beauty of the night was disrupted when she spotted something that had, in some form or another, taunted her for seasons: a rabbit, surely not the same as any of the ones she'd chased before, but just as striking and uncommon in the marshland.

One more try.

She had already been successful. If she failed now, that failure meant nothing. But if she succeeded, that success would mean everything to her.

Leap of faith.

Thalia leapt for the rabbit, and it just barely escaped her.

But it was just barely; she had almost succeeded.

Thalia failed to catch a Rabbit, costing 3 SP!
131/140 SP

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 4

And that was enough, wasn't it? That almost success?

It was for her, at least. And despite that, she kept chasing it; one paw after another, at a distance. Moving slow and steady, at her own pace.

Try again. And again, and again.

There was no one watching, no one to see her fail.

She might catch it before the end of the night, or she might not.

All she knew was that she wasn't done hunting yet.