Birds of a feather (closed)

A tiny near featherless form hung in the molly's jaws, the only problem with that was that it was still moving. It hadn't made much noise on her way back to camp, which was odd. She wasn't sure if it was too scared to say anything, or if it was too weak, but it had been hard to bring it back to camp without alerting her patrol mates. Any sounds it had made needed to be covered up immediately, and the occasional squirming had to be hidden too. To this point she wasn't sure if she had actually fooled any of the warriors, but as the patrol made their way towards the fresh-kill pile to deposit their prey, Shrewpaw split from the group and headed towards the apprentice's den. She was quick to hide the creature on top of her nest, pushing a clump of moss over the thing to make sure it was out of sight.

So far so good, but what would she do with it now? Shrewpaw's mind raced for a short while, then it hit her. She may not know what to do, but she knew someone that did. He always knew what to do. The she-cat's gaze swept around the den. That was something she should have done before entering, but it seemed that it hadn't mattered. Shrewpaw nodded to herself before leaving the den, green eyes scanning the camp for the familiar red pelt. Ah! Shrewpaw trotted toward the tom, a sense of urgency in her stride and in her voice. "Cedarstar, I need you to follow me." Without giving the tom a chance to respond, Shrewpaw started off toward the den, pausing just outside as a thought crossed her mind. She was missing a bird buddy. There was no time to look for him, they needed to hurry. "Amberstar, apprentice's den! Now!" She had yelled loud enough to scare all the prey in their territory. Not very tactful of her at all.

Shrewpaw pushed back into the den, closing in on her nest and the lump that was still obscured there. The she-cat plopped down beside it, regarding the hidden figure as she waited for her friends to file in. Cedarpaw would know exactly what to do with this, and Amberpaw, well. He was their leader. What kind of clan would undertake a mission without their leader?

Well that wasn't what Amberpaw had been expecting to hear echoing throughout the sweet Newleaf air of Thunderclan's camp: "Amberstar". The amber tom, who had recently finished all his duties for the day, was positioned outside of the nursery, ready to see the friends he had left behind from his recent move to the apprentice's den. The call both stopped him in his tracks and filled the tom with raging embarrassment as nearby clan members turned to look at him - the only cat name Amber- in the clan (who was surely not the leader).

But, the nickname could only mean one thing: Birdclan. Shrewpaw, who's voice Amberpaw instantly recognized, needed him urgently. Amberpaw's heart suddenly leapt with a childish excitement as he remembered the joys of playing with Shrewpaw and Cedarpaw as a kit. He buried this giddiness deep within himself and let his face fall into its usual, reserved expression. As quickly as he could - that is, without drawing any more attention to himself - Amberpaw hurried across camp to the apprentice's den. He ducked inside a few heartbeats after he saw Cedarpaw's tail engulfed into the den. Amberpaw took his place beside Shrewpaw's nest and looked at her questioningly, the scent of a bird filling his nose. I wonder what this is about, he thought. If it involved Birdclan, surely it would be fun.

Shrewpaw didn't answer the tom's question immediately. She waited a few moments until Amberpaw joined them, then she waited some more. Her yowling was sure to attract unwanted attention, but as long as no one entered the den they would be fine. Shrewpaw's gaze sat on the den's entrance for a good while before she finally turned back to the lump in her nest. "It's a mission all right, and it has to be a secret one too." There was no telling what their clanmates would do if they found the baby bird, and this mission would require leaving camp again. There wasn't a single warrior she could think of that would be sympathetic to their cause, so this would have to be a Birdclan only affair.

"Cedarstar, Amberstar, I've got something to show you. As members of Birdclan I trust that neither of you will have any problems with what I'm about to show you." There was no playfulness in the molly's tone as she spoke. This was a serious matter after all, she couldn't have them thinking that this was just another game. Shrewpaw took one last glance at the den's entrance before flipping the bird's covering off with a golden paw. "I found this while out on a hunting patrol. I wasn't sure if the others would try to kill it or not, so I acted as if I already did. I think I managed to fool them, but it can't stay here." As if responding to her, the bird belted out a couple of weak begging calls, its mouth opening wide. It wouldn't last long on its own, and keeping it hidden in camp would be impossible.

Shrewpaw turned to face the two, concern finally showing in her eyes. "What do we do?" Cedarpaw would have a plan she was sure, but the question was mostly directed at Amberpaw. He was their true leader, and it would be his first official act as Amberstar.

A baby bird. Amberpaw was dumbfounded at the scene before him: Shrewpaw sheltering the winged creature in her nest, Cedarpaw rattling off a plan to return the hatchling...or, the skeleton of a plan, rather. Had Amberpaw been in Shrewpaw's position, he likely would've left the thing in the forest to let Starclan decide what would happen to it. Afterall, it was Starclan who provided prey for the clans to eat. Perhaps this bird wasn't meant to make it to adulthood. But, what if it was meant to survive? What if Starclan intended for us to save this bird? Perhaps Amberpaw was overthinking the chance encounter. Saving a helpless little bird was so silly! Who would ever do such a thing? But, that worried look on Shrewpaw's face...that concerned tone tumbling from Cedarpaw...saving the creature seemed to be important to his friends. The tom cat set his jaw, transforming his expression from a look of doubt to a look of determination. If this is important to them, then it is important to me. Amberpaw would make sure that Birdclan saved this hatchling, if it were the last thing he'd do. And so, he threw himself at the problem, bursting into action from his reserved state as if he had spontaneously combusted.

"That's a solid plan, Cedarstar. One problem: apprentices aren't allowed out of camp without permission." The amber tom backed toward the entrance of the apprentice's den and, raising his deep voice, said: "SURE, SHREWPAW. CEDARPAW AND I WILL HELP YOU CLEAN OUT THE OLD BEDDING." There. Now the group was just a couple of friends helping Shrewpaw complete her duties so that they could have time to relax before nightfall. Nobody would question a group of apprentices cleaning out old bedding because, after all, no apprentice would willingly volunteer for a task like that. Thus, they must have been ordered to do so by a warrior. Also, it gave Birdclan the perfect way to get the baby bird back out of camp.

"Shrewstar, can you wrap him up in some bedding, so that he is mostly concealed but can still breathe? Cedarstar, help me actually gather some of the old bedding in here." Even as he spoke, Amberpaw began to tear apart old-looking nests, gathering up the moss into a big bundle. Then, he suddenly realized something - he had just barked orders to his friends as if he were a warrior telling them what to do. Embarrassed, Amberpaw ducked his head in shame. "I mean, only if you guys think that's a good idea?" He had gotten so sucked into solving the problem that he had forgotten it was all of their problems, not just his. Oi, maybe I shouldn't be the first leader.

The golden molly's paw tapped idly on the ground as she contemplated Cedarpaw's suggestion. Shrewpaw was sure she could lead them back to where she had found the bird, but she had also gotten Cedarpaw lost the last time she had lead anyone anywhere. Was she even confident that she wouldn't get all three of them lost? I'd know the place when I see it, but what if I- The scent tracks! Their patrol's scent was still strong having only recently returned, they could find their way to and back to camp like that!

Shrewpaw gave the red tom a confident nod, then her attention settled on Amberpaw. That was true, without a warrior it would be impossible to leave camp. There had to be some way to sneak out, or someone that they could bribe- Stars! A smile split the molly's determined face as Amberpaw announced their excuse. He was an exceptionally quick thinker, something that she might have been envious of if not for their current situation.

Shrewstar threw herself into the role of the third Birdclan leader, quickly wrapping the hatchling as gingerly as the speed of her paws allowed. It looked really awkward, uncomfortable even for the baby bird. Hopefully they would be done with this mission soon. Shrewstar leaned down and started whispering soothing words to the hatchling, only stopping when Amberstar spoke up again. Shrewstar knocked into the tom's side affectionately, a wide grin on her face. "Any idea of yours is a good one Amberstar, now let's get a move on!" Scooping up the wrapped hatchling, Shrewstar padded to the entrance of the den where she eagerly waited for her fellow leaders to join her.

Amberpaw nodded a thanks to his friends, then bundled the old bedding he had scraped up and grabbed the top corners of the bundle in his mouth. He trailed after the two other Birdclan leaders out of camp and into the forest. With a glance over his shoulder, Amberpaw made sure that nobody was following them. Ahh, it worked! Now, to get the little fellow back to his nest...hopefully Shrewpaw remembers where she found it. The large, red-swirled Maine coon stuck close to the back-left side of Shrewpaw, letting her take the lead of the mission.

"I'm glad you brought the bird to us. I feel kind of bad for it, it must be so scared." Amberpaw listened to Cedarpaw's concerned comment with a reserved expression, hiding his amusement underneath. Yet, no matter how silly the mission was to him, the kindness of Amberpaw's friends to the helpless creature truly warmed his heart. He felt bad that he couldn't feel concern for the baby bird as strongly as the other two. If it had been a kit, he would've smothered the creature with love and care. Perhaps he was just too logical. Regardless, as stated previously, the concerns of Amberpaw's friends were the concerns of Amberpaw. Besides, saving a baby bird was not against the warrior code nor did it bring harm to Thunderclan. So, he was all for the mission.

Amberstar's plan had worked perfectly, no one batted an eye as the apprentices left camp with their package. Shrewstar was as gentle as could be with the fragile creature between her teeth, trying her hardest to make the trip comfortable for the poor hatchling despite its cramped conditions. Shrewstar wanted to say something to Cedarstar, mostly an agreement of his statement but as the tom looked away the words she wanted to speak transformed. If her mouth wasn't full of bird and moss she would have let it out, but for now she had to settle for something less. Shrewstar pushed into the tom's side, hoping that it would be enough to reassure or comfort him. They would get this hatchling back to its nest, even if they had to search all day and all night for it.

Shrewstar found it hard to smell anything past the scents of moss and bird, but the scent trail left by her former patrol was still thick in the area. She could just barely get hints of it, though the path they walked seemed to be getting more and more familiar the deeper they got. Soon the she-cat began to spot mental landmarks, like the tree Sycamoreblossom had used to hide her prey and the scratch marks Fernflight had left on the ground when she had failed to catch her mouse. Yes, yes they were getting close! Shrewstar's pace quickened as the realization of where they were hit her.

The rustling of leaves above made the molly pause. The apprentice tipped her head back to see what had made the noise, but saw nothing. There was no more rustling, but she was faintly aware of something watching her. Shrewstar turned to face her fellow apprentices with a look of confusion plastered on her face, and as she did the sound of flapping wings filled the air. A brown bird with a white undercarriage swooped down on her, dragging sharp talons along the she-cat's back before returning to the sky. Shrewstar cried out in pain, biting down on the bundle between her teeth. This earned a sharp squawk from the fragile critter inside. Immediately the molly opened her mouth, placing the bundle gingerly on the ground. Had she hurt it just now? No, she was sure it was fine, the moss wrapping would have protected it.

The apprentice's attention shot skyward to the beast that still circled above them, keeping an eye on all three of them as if they were to be its next meal. Despite the pain and wetness that blazed along her back Shrewstar managed to stand tall, the only physical show of her pain being the tears that welled in her eyes. Shrewstar's voice quivered as she spoke. "Amberstar, Cedarstar, I don't think we can run from this one." It seemed too fast, even as it circled above them it looked like the thing was playing with them, sure that they wouldn't get away and it would secure three very large meals. They would have to fight it, though the thought of that made Shrewstar's legs shake with fear.

A Hawk has appeared!
The Hawk used Talon Strike on Shrewpaw, dealing 7 HP and costing 10 SP

Hawk:
40/40 HP
115/125 SP (-10)

Shrewpaw:
13/20 HP (-7)
60/60 SP

Amberpaw:
20/20 HP
60/60 SP

Cedarpaw:
20/20 HP
60/60 SP

The large tabby tom padded close behind the other Birdclan leaders as they dove deeper into Thunderclan's territory. He noticed a moment between Shrewpaw and Cedarpaw - a nudge from the she-cat - but ultimately didn't think much of it. As the trio made their way through the forest, Amberpaw entertained himself by thinking up games to play with Fawnkit the next time he saw her. Perhaps they could play-hunt and he could teach her how to crouch properly. Such a game would help Fawnkit get a head start on the skills she needed to master in the future.

And then, Cedarpaw gave him a questioning look. Amberpaw could decipher the gist of Cedarpaw's queries through reading his amber gaze, but couldn't answer before Shrewpaw and Cedarpaw sped up. The Maine coon quickened his pace to keep up with them. And then...loud rustlings...a flash of brown...Shrewpaw's pain-filled cries. "Shrewpaw," he gasped. Amberpaw was briefly stunned, unable to process what had just happened. Everything had unfolded so quickly! His eyes locked onto the injured Shrewpaw and an explosion of indignation erupted in Amberpaw's chest. Nobody was going to hurt a Thunderclan cat and get away with it - especially not a bird.

Amberpaw slid his claws out as he huddled in close to the other two apprentices. Cedarpaw already seemed to be tending to Shrewpaw, so Amberpaw didn't worry himself with that. Instead, he honed his attention in on the predator above. "Oh, we're definitely not running, Shrewstar. Nothing attacks a leader of Birdclan and gets away with it. Cedarstar - that's a good idea. It will be hard for the hawk to single us out if we are close together. Let's teach this thing a lesson!" The apprentice crouched down, muscles tensed, waiting for the hawk to swoop down again so he could strike.

Amberpaw cannot reach the hawk and has made no move this round!

Hawk:
40/40 HP
115/125 SP

Shrewpaw:
13/20 HP
60/60 SP

Amberpaw:
20/20 HP
60/60 SP

Cedarpaw:
20/20 HP
60/60 SP

Shrewstar pressed herself close to Cedarpaw as he curled around her, using the tom to steady herself. Her eyes never left the hawk, which continued circling patiently above them. Amberstar might have been right. The hawk made no attempt to attack them, would it run now that they had become a unified force? It was wishful thinking. The hawk transitioned into a dive, talons stretching out as it got close enough to strike. From Shrewstar's point of view the attack wasn't meant for her, but that didn't stop her from leaping from the protective circle her fellow apprentice's had made.

If left alone the hawk would continue its pattern of swift strikes while taking to the sky to avoid their attacks. It was a moment of pure stupidity, but it was the only plan that seemed to work in her mind. Shrewstar snatched the hawk out of the air, pushing it to the ground and digging her claws into its wings. The risky maneuver had earned her a slash to the belly, but she had gotten a hold of it! All pretense of calm left the winged beast as it started it thrash beneath her. It was feeble, but the pain seeping from her belly was slowly loosening the molly's grip on the beast. Shrewstar gritted her teeth against the pain.

Hawk used Swoop, catching Shrewpaw and Dealing 7 HP and Costing 15 SP
Shrewpaw used Leap and Hold, Dealing 6 HP and Costing 15 SP
Hawk is stunned for 2 turns!

Hawk: Stunned [0/2]
40/40 HP (-6)
100/125 SP (-15)

Shrewpaw:
6/20 HP (-7)
45/60 SP (-15)

Amberpaw:
20/20 HP
60/60 SP

Cedarpaw:
20/20 HP
60/60 SP

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

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'Effect Dice' : 4