Sprocket and Hunter
 

@BluBunnie

Hunter saw a rabbit and began to chase it, he sprinted after it, he wouldn't let it escape, not now, after it was so close. He kept chasing it, but it was faster than him, unaware of his surroundings he sprinted across a border into someone's territory trying to catch the rabbit, he really wanted to catch it, maybe he could catch it...thunk.His head hit a tree, chase was over the rabbit was long gone, maybe he'd have more luck next time. He shook his head and sat down dwelling on his disappointment.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

A tan and cream mottled tom walked through his territory, trying to find something to hunt. He soon caught a the scent of rabbit, but something was strange. The rabbit smelled more like fear then what a normal rabbit would, he wondered what caused its fear. His question was soon answered when another cats scent came across his nose, he followed the scent and came around a tree when he saw the other cat slam into another tree. Sprocket winced, 'That must hurt.' He thought. He watched the rabbit continue to run off and took a few moments to decide if he should go after the rabbit or help the tom. Although the cat had crossed his border, Sprocket wasn't that annoyed. The tom was inexperienced, based upon his hunting skills. Besides, if he chased the rabbit into the territory he might've not noticed the border. He shrugged as he walked over the tom, "Are you alright?" He asked. Sprocket was a smaller cat, with a light country accent and a sweet lavender scent. He wasn't all that threatening. The tom was never one to fight, but he could if he needed to.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

The light brown short-haired tom's eyes grew wide as he realized he was in another clans territory," I...umm...sorry I was trespassing!" he gasped before the tom asked him if he was alright. He shook his head," It's only a little pain? Why is their a big gash. I mean, being a former Dusk Syndicate Fighter so I'm use to worse pain. I'm sorry I'm a bad hunter...I never had to hunt for myself until two moons ago, and I never was trained to hunt anyways. Oh, my names Hunter by the way." It's kinda ironic that a cat who can't hunt is named Hunter.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Sprocket let out a small chuck as the cat finished speaking. "There's no need to apologize, I know it was an accident. Plus, there's enough prey in my territory to accommodate at least one other cat." Sprocket had heard of the Dusk Syndicate before, but never really talked to one of the cats from it. "they don't teach you how to hunt?" He asked. "Well, maybe I can teach you." He mewed, "Then maybe you can stay out of others territory." He joked.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Hunter blinked," That's very generous of you, you see the Dusk Syndicate has four groups, hunters, fighters, healers, and guards. I was a guard trained only to protect other cats- I never learned how to heal myself, fight beyond guard fighting, or hunting." he meowed

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

"Oh dear, that's not very good. Well, you're going to need to know all those things if you're going to live on your own. Maybe you can stay with me a while so I can teach you a few things." He mewed. "Maybe we should start with hunting, you're probably hungry." He added.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Hunter nodded,” I’ve occasionally ate fresh crowfood in the twolegs place.” He meowed knowing it was bad.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Sprocket whole his head, "Well, let's get started then. Do you know anything about hunting?" He asked. He lifted his muzzle into the air, he wanted to start off with a small prey. Rabbits were one of the most difficult to catch so he ignored the faint rabbit scent . He caught a fresh mouse scent and looked at the fellow tom, "So, what prey do you smell?" He asked.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

He shook his head,” I know you need your nose.” He murmered he sniffed,” mouse, and traces of rabbit.” He meowed. He had heard rabbits were difficult to hunt so he hoped he’d stick with the mouse, but wanting to impress his trainer or whatever he was suppose to think of Sprocket.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

"Good and your nose is very important when hunting. Onc you get more experience you'll be able to tell which scents are the freshest or closest to you." He mewed. "We will start off with the mice, they're the easiest and we can work up from there. We can practice on rocks first if you'd like."

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Hunter nodded,” Alright.” He meowed I wonder if my guard skills will be useful in hunting.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Sprocket found a nice sized rock, "This might seem ridiculous at first but trust me, it helps a lot." He said. "I didn't grow up in the wild so I was taught all this as well." He added. "Now when hunting mice or any prey, mar sure you stay downwind, most prey have sensitive noses to smell out predators like us." Sprocket moved downwind of the rock and crouched. "You'll crouch like this, keep your tail off the ground. When stalking you'll keep your paw steps light." He said. He began to stalk towards the rock, he kept low but his belly and tail barely touched the ground.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Hunter nodded and dropped into the crouch he demonstated, he was downwind, as he himself could have figured out, he was a little to high up, and he was swishing his tail on the ground. He glanced up at Sprocket, not quite sure if he should be stalking yet.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Sprocket stood and trotted towards Hunter, "Go just a bit lower, but not enough to where your belly touched the ground. Don't move your tail, it'll alert the prey. Try stalking a bit." He mewed.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Hunter was a little suprised he wasn’t getting a claw across the face for his mistake loners are different, oh well... he got himself much lower and got his tail up and off the ground holding it still before he took an awkward loud step then some quieter ones, but not that quiet.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

"Hmm not bad, with a bit of practice you could get better!"He mewed. "Now I'll show you how to catch the prey." He cooed. The mottled tom returned to his spot, got into his hunters crouch and quietly began to stalk the rock. Once he got a tail length away from the rock, he stopped and waited. "Also wait a moment before jumping into a catch, the noise from the pounce could scare off the prey and they could run just before you catch them." He said. After bunching up his muscles the tom pounced, almost silently onto the rock. "Now you try." He said encouragingly.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Hunter gave him a small nod, wondering why a tom who was doing well on his own, chose to help him out, did he want something in exchange, but what. Hunter shook away the thought and focused on hunting, he dropped into his close to perfect crouch before stalking forward a wee bit to loud, before making a pounce directly in front of the rock, as he didn't wish to injure his paws on the rock.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

"Nice job! You'll probably wanna try landin' on the prey next time." He joked. "You were a bit loud though, would you mind trying a few more times nd then we can get to actually huntin'?" He said.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

He shook his head in agreement, and dropped into a hunter’s crouch and stalked forward carefully, taking more effort in his steps, but they still were a little bit loud before he lept forward and hit the rock falling on his back, shaking snow off his fur,” I messed up the pounce, yeah...” Hunter mumbled.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

"You'll get better at it, why don't we try with actual prey? I'm sure you're practically starving." He chuckled.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Hunter nodded,” Yeah. But umm...Sure.” He meowed only half-trusting Sprocket,when would he attempt to kill him or give his demends for an exchange, life wasn’t so fair outside the Syndicate, it was an eye for an eye, a hunting lesson for prey. You always knew the first part, never the second.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Sprocket tilted his head slightly, "Don't worry I'm not gonna to try and pull anything on ya." He said, "I know what is like to be alone and not knowing how to take care of yourself." He mewed. "Why don't you track those mice we smelt earlier?" He asked. "I can help catch 'em if you have trouble."

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Hunter had his doubts about the first thing Sprocket said, but shrugged it off,” Okay.” He began quietly stocking the mice, he didn’t want to alert them. He finally could see them and dropped into the crouch that Sprocket taught him and took a few quiet steps towards a mouse before leaping and landing on the mouse, scattering the remaining mice. He bit the mouse,” I got one, but I scared off the rest of the mice off.” He meowed.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Sprocket watched carefully, the tom was doing pretty good. As the mice shatter one of them ran right into him, he quickly bit the mouse and held it in his jaws. 'That was probably the easiest catch I've ever had.' He thought. "No worries, it's tough for even an experienced hunter to catch multiple mice at once. It looks like we got one mouse for the each of us, why don't we head back to my den? We can eat then make you a moss bed to sleep in, I can also show you where the bet water." He mewed.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Hunter stood with his sleek black fur and his small mouse in his jaw. He listened carefully to Sprocket, the tom who’s territory he was in while he nodded carefully it was only dusk in leafbare at that time. I feel inclined to refuse, yet I keep falling for his tricks, let me guess, in exchange, I’ll be enslaved to him for two to three moons hunting for him or marking his borders. he couldn’t keep silent about it,” What do I owe you for this kindness. Like, how many moons of enslavement does this cost?” He asked pressuming Sprocket would understand. He wanted answers, he’d get answers, realizing he might have sounded rude he added in a quick thing,” if you don’t mind telling me.”

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Sprocket looke at the tom in confusion, "You don't owe me nothin', you can stay as long as you want and you can leave whenever you please. I'm just looking to help you out, just like another cat helped me. Maybe a bit of friendship too." He chuckled. He started to head to his den, not knowing if the tom would follow or not.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Hunter nodded wondering why the tom would say that, don’t owe nothin’, I do right? What tricks he got up his fur... he didn’t voice his slight concern just followed as if he accepted what Sprocket voiced.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

"It's just a few tail lengths away." He muffled though the fur of the mouse. Sprockets den wasn't that easy to see, the tom had torn out some roots from the base of the tree and dug underground. All the entrance looked like was a gap between the thick roots of the tree. "It's just under here," he said as he squeezed though the entrance. It was only a tail length more of walking before the cats came into a large clearing with a single nest in it. It had taken the tom many moons to get it this huge. There was an exit on the other side of clearing, it was meant for any emergencies. The den was pretty dim, but the sunlight from both entrance and the exit made the clearing brighter then it would be at night. The tom also had dug out a small cave in his den for herbs. "Well, this is my home. Make yourself comfortable." He stretched, kneading the ground for a few moments. He sat and wrapped his tail around him, He bit into the still warm mouse. He only took him a few moments to finish off the mouse, he buried the bones and began to clean his muzzle. "Whenever you're ready I can show you where to getwater and we can collet stuff for your nest. Theres no rush, its still daylight and you need rest." He mewed

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Hunter blinked,” Is their a reason it’s so well hidden- is someone trying to kill you and you hide your den.” He asked a little nervously. Sitting down to eat his mouse.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

"There are cats out there who don't care about boundaries or other cats. They'll hunt in any territory they want and hurt any cat who stands in there way. I don't mind sharing prey or nothin but they will take any excuse to hurt others." He grumbled.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Hunter gave a nod,” Ahh..must be all the former fighters and guards, with the exception of me, they all seem to love hurting other cats.” He meowed he hated being that cat who didn’t find torture fun.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Sprocket grumbled a bit more before beginning to groom his chest fur. He didn't like the clan cats that much, their egos were too big, but these Dusk Syndicate cats seemed worse in some ways. He had heard rumors of their group but always brushed them off but after hearing this cat talking about them, some of those rumors must've been true. "Well, it's good you don't like to hurt others. Then we wouldn't get along very well." He chuckled lightly.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

He nodded as he groomed himself,” Yeah. They think cats should learn whatever job they are picked for at only three moons old, which I personally think is too young to be fighting, hunting, guarding, or healing.” He muttered, he paused,” They judge you for which you do, when it isn’t even your choice.” He meowed

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Sprocket shook his head, "That doesn't sound too fun... Well, I, for one, am glad you got yourself outta there. Although, being a loner ain't all sunshine and roses. Out here you play every role, you're the hunter, fighter and healer. I prefer that way but some loners like to get into small groups, sometimes its easier to survive as a group rather then yourself." He said. Sprocket spent most of his life as a social kitty-pet but since the abuse of his previous owners and being left by his only friend he preferred to keep to himself.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Hunter flicked his tail,” I like having a few friends to talk to no more or less...” he meowed calmly,” And no it isn’t fun Syndicate life.” He meowed not sure what else to say.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

The tom nodded, not sure what else to talk about. He stood and cleared his throat, "Well, um, we might wanna gather your bedding supplies soon. It gets pretty cold here at night." He said.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Hunter nodded,” Thank you, do you mind tellinng me where I might find moss?” He asked, as that was what he had grown up seeing as bedding, truthfully being raised as a guard, he never had slept on moss, he was trained to sleep standing guard in the open, I’m sure I can learn to sleep in moss.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

"The best places to find moss are damp rocks and trees. I would look by water sources, also wring them out a bit so your bedding isn't so wet. If you find any features lying around gather those too. Do you want me to go with you?" He asked.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

Hunter paused,” It’s up to you, as I am able to defend myself enough on my own.” He meowed, unsure which to do Will I manage to sleep laying down in moss for the first time instead of sitting up on a rock.

Re: Sprocket and Hunter
 

"I need to gather some herbs, we can meet back here once we are done." The tom wanted to make sure he had enough herbs to combat colds for two cats, the cold den and rainy weather tended to cause Sprocket to have colds every now and then. With Hunter being new to the territory he might get the cols more easily.