Fallingstream decided to hunt alone in the territory, she managed to track a sparrow, she crouched, leapt and bit its neck. She took her prey to the clan after that.
@Abyssopelagic "If only," Leechscar snorted in amusement at Moorpaw's response. He was genuinely surprised that Moorpaw didn't seem to mind being around him. Leechscar was a very unsociable tom, and his sharp tongue and views tended to make him feel somewhat alienated from the clan, not that he was upset with that. So long as it didn't have any repercussions for his family. Moorpaw was easy to get along with, she wasn't snappy or overly excitable. She wasn't trying too hard or acting like a know-it-all either. He could understand why Dapplebreeze seemed so fond of her, she was a good apprentice. She reminded him a lot of Dreamlight, or Midnightpaw, in ways, a less sassy Midnightpaw.
As she made to follow him, Leechscar took a moment to part his maw and scent the air, ignoring how unfamiliar everything smelt to him, and located a fresh scent. He twitched his ear, urging Moorpaw to stay on his tail. before plunging into some overgrown grass, shoving it aside, and forcing a path through it with his broad shoulders. He stopped, drooping low as he reached the edge of the grassy tunnel. Across from them some tail lengths away, there was a finch rummaging through dirt in what he assumed was for bugs.
"Stay very quiet, don't rustle the grass. Birds are hard to catch, super sensitive to noise and their wings give them an advantage when running." Leechscar whispered, eyes focused on the bird. "Birds need a bit more patience than rabbits we can chase down. The trick is you need to pounce when it's distracting and move quickly but quietly. Timing plays a big part in bird catch. If you miss your pounce, it's flying, but if you are quick enough you can clip its wings when it goes up and still catch it, you just need to leap up and stretch out with your claws, even the slightest nick in a bird's wings can send it plummeting back down. Give it a try." Leechscar told her.
The new territory was interesting, to say the least. The grass was longer, and more, well, grassy, than the moor's heather and brush, and wildflowers dotted themselves more frequently. The grass was a bit annoying with its height, as it was far more difficult to spot rabbit holes from far away, but it did also lend some camouflage to the hunter if they were able to spot their prey. It was more like forest hunting than before, more the finding of the prey than the test of speed rabbits typically brought. Not that rabbits were the only thing on the menu, small rodents seemed more frequent here, although along with them came large, predatory birds which they should avoid.
Regardless, she was going to be testing out how the hunting in new terrain would work. Should she get another apprentice for some reason, or be sent on hunting patrol, or be approached for training, it would do no good to fumble about like a newbie. She had never quite mastered forest hunting in her time away from the clan, but there had been only herself to provide for, and she had gone to the edges of the moor quite a few times for some rabbits. Scenting the air as she trotted along, Deadmoon was able to identify a songbird of some kind, swaying on a grass stem. How to get it was quite another question. She settled for trying to sneak up and then lunge at it, as birds eyes were better than their noses, but she accidentally rustled a few too many tufts of grass and it flew away with a loud cry. Drat.
Fortunately, there were other animals about. A mouse could be scented, and with a bit more care Deadmoon captured it, having avoided startling it with grass motion the way she had the bird. Shoving it under some fallen stems she continued her hunt, scenting a rabbit as she continued away from the camp. Not knowing where it's burrow was she tried to come from downwind and chase it, but it had remained close to its home and she wasn't able to fit down after it.
Eventually though, having pursued two other fruitless chases(although short ones, it must be said), she found a rabbit far away enough from its home that her speed was able to take effect. When she was spotted she took of into a run, almost getting tangled in the long strands of grass but staying on her feet and continuing the chase. Once it became clear that the rabbits hole had been left behind and it wouldn't be able to duck into another one it was a small matter to catch up to it. The fleetest of rabbits could avoid her through twists and turns or speed because her leg slowed her down a bit, but any rabbit not in their prime was still quite cacheable, and this one was rather young, probably one of this year's kits. It was a bit on the small side, which only confirmed her theory, but with it and the mouse she was happy to head back to camp. She'd eat the rodent herself and see if any of the kits were interested in the rabbit.
__________________
All hail the Rat Queen's!!
Shrewstep has Silver Tongue and Mind Reader purrks
Pit has Just a Scratch and Beefed Up Tier 2
Moorpaw remained behind Leechscar, avoiding bumping into the warrior as he pushed apart the grass, the path he'd made making it easy for her to travel through without getting grass up her nose.
She carefully crept to his side as he stooped low, mimicking his posture.
Her eyes quickly landed on the finch, happily munching away on something on the ground.
Even as she turned to listen to Leechscar, she kept the bird in her pereferal vision.
With a nod, the apprentice crept forward, resisting the urge to nervously flick her tail.
Something about trying to hunt on her own in front of the warrior just.... made her anxious. She had no idea why.
She was careful to avoid the grass, creeping closer to the bird.
Moorpaw paused for a moment, legs bunching up as she calculated the force needed, and then launched herself. Her trajectory trapped the now startled bird beneath her front paws.
She dug her claws in to keep it from flying, and snapped its neck, the birds screech muffled by the way she'd stuffed its head in her maw.
When it was still, she turned to face Leechscar, bird head still between her teeth.
Profile picture drawn by Rani and used with permission
Add me on PokémonGo: K9WVBVJYJ
While I do not (currently) have any cats in the Clan's, I try to have at least a few role plays with my outsiders (Sedgestorm, Woollyfeather) and my StarClanner Coldamber. Most of my role plays until I feel well enough to keep up with sweeps will be related to Covenant of the Sky duties.
Okay, 'operation: leave camp' was a success! Goldenpaw took a few tentative steps along the moor, gaze set far on the horizon. This land was flat, not like the hills he'd grown so fond of back closer to their old territory. Tail brushing along the tips of the grass as he walked, Goldenpaw turned his focus towards his immediate surroundings, keeping his ears perked. Now it was time for phase two of his plan: get training.
...how was he going to do that, actually? His brows furrowed at the thought. Maybe try hunting? He was already pretty okay at that, though. Fighting, then? But what was there to fight? And if he wanted to practice, he'd need someone else, wouldn't he? He really hadn't thought this through.
Somewhere far above him, a bird's caw rang out. Fur bristling, Goldenpaw glanced up only to find the enormous blue sky staring back at him. Did he imagine it? He shook his head before turning his focus back down. Well, maybe he'd just wander the territory until he found something to do. Or something found him.
Normally, one did not run into random apprentices out in the middle of the territory. Apprentices typically remained in camp until taken out for training and patrols, because they were LEARNING. They didn't know how to get themselves out of trouble if they got into it, and, for some paradoxical reason, were especially prone to getting into trouble. So spotting a cat who was definitely not a warrior, judging by the aimless pattern he was tracing through the grass, was her cue to make her way to them.
Her initial hypothesis was, in fact, correct. She believed Goldenpaw was his name, and he seemed to have no idea what he was doing. Which was kindof to be expected. Once she was relatively close, Deadmoon called out Oi! Kiddo! What are you doing out of camp? It was probably better to avoid yelling at him for now, just in case he did have a legitimate reason to be out of camp and there was a warrior somewhere nearby. It was sort of a telling-off already, but she'd hear him out before hauling his tail back to Fallownose or Twilightstar, if he deserved it. @ameko
__________________
All hail the Rat Queen's!!
Shrewstep has Silver Tongue and Mind Reader purrks
Pit has Just a Scratch and Beefed Up Tier 2
Moorpaw remained behind Leechscar, avoiding bumping into the warrior as he pushed apart the grass, the path he'd made making it easy for her to travel through without getting grass up her nose.
She carefully crept to his side as he stooped low, mimicking his posture.
Her eyes quickly landed on the finch, happily munching away on something on the ground.
Even as she turned to listen to Leechscar, she kept the bird in her pereferal vision.
With a nod, the apprentice crept forward, resisting the urge to nervously flick her tail.
Something about trying to hunt on her own in front of the warrior just.... made her anxious. She had no idea why.
She was careful to avoid the grass, creeping closer to the bird.
Moorpaw paused for a moment, legs bunching up as she calculated the force needed, and then launched herself. Her trajectory trapped the now startled bird beneath her front paws.
She dug her claws in to keep it from flying, and snapped its neck, the birds screech muffled by the way she'd stuffed its head in her maw.
When it was still, she turned to face Leechscar, bird head still between her teeth.
Leechscar kept a keen eye on the she-cat as she began making her way towards the bird nice and slow. He noticed the nervous twitch of her tail but made no comment about it. She did great with the first hare, he was certain she'd do great here as well so long as she heeded his words. She crouched, waited, and then pounced landing right on top of the bird before it could even think of flying off. Leechscar relaxed the muscles he had been tensing and listed himself out of his crouch. The larger tom padded over to Moorpaw with a faint smile on his maw. "Purrfect, I am such an awesome teacher. I even shock myself sometimes." The warrior continued teasing the she-cat since clearly she wouldn't have made the catch without him.
"But really, you did great. You'll make a splendid hunter." He added more seriously. He was momentarily distracted by the rustling of some tall grass and turned his head towards it. "Give me one moment." The tom meowed, padding off in the direction of the movement. He lowered himself into a hunting crouch and vanished in between the tall grass, returning a few heartbeats later with a vole hanging by its tail from his maw.
"I'll grab the hare and we can head back to camp." He told her after returning to Moorpaw. He padded back the way they had come to fetch the hare. With the hare and vole in his grasp, he glances at Moorpaw to make sure she was keeping up with him and then heads back to camp so they could drop these off.
Fallingstream while trotting would smell something, and as soon as she felt it, she crouched, and in middle of the tall grass, there was a creature. Not sure what it was, Fallingstream carefully aproached it, withouth making a single sound, and she lunged when she was close, but it was not enough, it was a bird and it fleed, but the she leapt and with claws unsheathed, she scratched the cardinal's head and grabbed it in the air from the troath, and took her kill to the camp.
Re: WindClan Territory
