Originally Posted by Clover
She smiled amusedly at his now brown fur; it looked like he had been born a dirty sleet-brown, the color mixing with his natural gray. "You look like me. May as well be your sister," she joked, smiling almost sarcastically, tail twitching above the surface of the slush puddle. Her own white underbelly was now a complete murky slate, and she looked less like Cloversplash and more like an aging elder. Slowing her pace, she let Swampstone lead; he had always portrayed a sort of odd confidence, like an older brother who was responsible and willing to take care of others. Even though she was older, and maybe even more experienced, she still let him take the lead; the more practice he got, especially in unideal conditions, the better of a warrior he could become.
A sudden sound perked her attention; her ears snapped forward unintentionally, an immediate subconscious reaction to moons upon moons spent hunting in the wild. Simultaneously, her muscles stiffened to prevent further noise on her part, a leg held frozen in the air, poised to step again into the muck. Cloversplash opened her mouth, and the sharp, tangy scent of fresh prey flooded her her nose and tongue, tantalizing and fresh. The aging warrior glanced over at her young companion; he too seemed intent on their quarry. She crept after him, stalking silently and surely, ready to bring back even the scrappiest of food items. The ice beyond the half-frozen pond was stiff, allowing for both of them to put their weight on it without fear of crashing into water below. Every noise made her pause, muscles locking up, eyes intent and focused on whatever may come. Suddenly, in a flurry of movement, Swampstone jumped, and came down onto the terrain below, breaking the delicate layer of ice, revealing more packed snow. But, in another flash second, she realized that there were not one mice, but a near colony of them, rare but necessary in the cold of winter; one alone might die, but a group could survive the freeze.
Without a thought, Cloversplash sprung forward, hind legs tensing, and then releasing suddenly, forcing her forward a good few feet. There was one just in front of her, all squeaking and scurrying to escape the predators. She catapulted onto it, attempting the same technique of leaping. She landed practically on top of their prey, and with a quick nip, it was silenced.
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