Sleepy Thicket

[Captain]

Originally Posted by Clock Dragonshifter

Vinewatcher saw what Snowleap had spotted. Quietly she made a semi circle around the squirrel so she stood directly in front of Snowleap with squirrel in between the 2 cats as the squirrel was burring something. She looked at Snowleap her tail swishing silently above the leaves.

Snowleap watched silently as Vinewatcher moved around the squirrel that he had spotted, preparing herself on the opposite side of the prey, just as they had done for the vole. The Riverclan warrior dipped his head to his clanmate as lowered himself to the ground, creeping forward quietly before he sprang forward with a heave of his back paws. The squirrel’s head jerked upwards, locking eyes onto the incoming feline for a mere split second before turning tail and running, directly towards where Vinewatcher was waiting. Snowleap kept a close eye on the squirrel until the she-cat had her grasp on it, making sure it wouldn’t try to flee up the tree to it’s nest and make it too difficult to catch.

[Clock Dragonshifter]

Originally Posted by tokyo_driftin

Snowleap watched silently as Vinewatcher moved around the squirrel that he had spotted, preparing herself on the opposite side of the prey, just as they had done for the vole. The Riverclan warrior dipped his head to his clanmate as lowered himself to the ground, creeping forward quietly before he sprang forward with a heave of his back paws. The squirrel’s head jerked upwards, locking eyes onto the incoming feline for a mere split second before turning tail and running, directly towards where Vinewatcher was waiting. Snowleap kept a close eye on the squirrel until the she-cat had her grasp on it, making sure it wouldn’t try to flee up the tree to it’s nest and make it too difficult to catch.

Vinewatcher quickly leapt onto the squirrel and pinned the creature with her front paws snapping it's neck swiftly. She picked up the fluffy creature in her jaws as it hung limp she carried it to Snowleap and dropped it at his paws with a small nod. "Well we caught the squirrel no problem" she mewed quietly.

[Captain]

Originally Posted by Clock Dragonshifter

Vinewatcher quickly leapt onto the squirrel and pinned the creature with her front paws snapping it's neck swiftly. She picked up the fluffy creature in her jaws as it hung limp she carried it to Snowleap and dropped it at his paws with a small nod. "Well we caught the squirrel no problem" she mewed quietly.

Snowleap lifted himself up into a standing position, his stance relaxing as Vinewatcher successfully caught the squirrel. “Well done,” The tall tomcat remarked with a soft purr rumbling in his throat, “Shall we go get that vole that we caught earlier and head back towards the camp now?” He said this with a friendly smile as he looked down at the squirrel, happy that their hunt had gone so well, especially with how close they were to leaf-bare. There probably weren’t gonna be as many plentiful catches like this one anymore.

[Clock Dragonshifter]

Originally Posted by tokyo_driftin

Snowleap lifted himself up into a standing position, his stance relaxing as Vinewatcher successfully caught the squirrel. “Well done,” The tall tomcat remarked with a soft purr rumbling in his throat, “Shall we go get that vole that we caught earlier and head back towards the camp now?” He said this with a friendly smile as he looked down at the squirrel, happy that their hunt had gone so well, especially with how close they were to leaf-bare. There probably weren’t gonna be as many plentiful catches like this one anymore.

Vinewatcher nodded with a quiet purr. "Yes let's get these back to camp" she mewed picking the squirrel up in her jaw. As she started heading in the direction Snowleap had had buried the vole so they could grab it and take it back to camp.

[Captain]

Originally Posted by Clock Dragonshifter

Vinewatcher nodded with a quiet purr. "Yes let's get these back to camp" she mewed picking the squirrel up in her jaw. As she started heading in the direction Snowleap had had buried the vole so they could grab it and take it back to camp.

With a slight spring in his step, the tall warrior followed after the Riverclan she-cat as they headed back to the spot where they had caught the vole together. Once they had reached it, Snowleap padded over and scraped the leaves and dirt aside, picking up the small prey animal in his jaws. It was tiny compared to the squirrel that Vinewatcher had taken down, but he knew that every bit counted towards feeding the clan, no matter the size. He dipped his head to his clanmate to silently let her know that he was ready to make their way back to camp, the vole swinging from his mouth by its tail. His tail swished behind him happily, content that he had gotten what he wanted out here and more in the process.

[Clock Dragonshifter]

Originally Posted by tokyo_driftin

With a slight spring in his step, the tall warrior followed after the Riverclan she-cat as they headed back to the spot where they had caught the vole together. Once they had reached it, Snowleap padded over and scraped the leaves and dirt aside, picking up the small prey animal in his jaws. It was tiny compared to the squirrel that Vinewatcher had taken down, but he knew that every bit counted towards feeding the clan, no matter the size. He dipped his head to his clanmate to silently let her know that he was ready to make their way back to camp, the vole swinging from his mouth by its tail. His tail swished behind him happily, content that he had gotten what he wanted out here and more in the process.

Vinewatcher walked beside Snowleap the squirrel limp in her jaws as they walked towards camp the walk was quiet but the silver and gray tabby was used to the quiet so it didn't bother her.

[plum]

[ open but mostly a post for activity ; response will be slow if engaged ]

The grass was dead, wiry and brown. Still it seemed to ensnare the whole thicket in its grasp. An inescapable knotted mess, hardly worth navigating for the average RiverClan cat. However, Plumstorm knew her way around the underbrush and trees. She was more suited to hunting on land than fishing- The promise of any fat fish was slim to none for the silver mau, though a squirrel, even a bird could be hers to claim with ease,

The shield hadn't been feeling herself for a while now, and it was becoming near-impossible to shrug off, yet she continued to do it anyway. There was no water around the thicket though. No babbling brooks, no rushing rivers, no steaming springs. Just a thick swathe of comfort. Familiarity. Even if that, too, brought memories.

Doing her best to shake them, to let the thoughts stream off of her back like water off of a duck's, Plumstorm forces herself into a hunter's mindset. Her eyes narrow, lips part, and she inhales deeply and slowly to taste the bitterly cold air. She would pray for something daring enough to brave this frigid evening.

[Dizerel]

There was a soft crunch underpaw, the normal soft squish of vibrant grasses instead had a more crispness to them. Normally it would be from leaves on the ground, though leaf-fall was ending, and leaf-bare was settling in, meaning that said crunch was from a decent layer of frost and snow about the ground. the dew that had once settled on this calm place turned many of the blades of grass into popsicles.

Junipersong in particular caused quite a bit of crunching with her large figure and wide paws. She would be embarrassed of all the noise she was making on this hunting patrol if she wasn't just completely oblivious to it and instead focused on the fact that she finally had a chance to get out somewhere with her best friend. Trying to strike up some small talk as the sniffed around, searching for something to hunt. "So you have heard the stories about this place, right? Do you just think its a story passed around by wide-eyed apprentices or do you think its true?"

// @arden

[spade]

Heading out of camp on a patrol felt nice, something to do other than roam the territories for lost little lambs or mope in his den about lost connections. Kestrelstar honestly felt pretty good today, and the fact that Junipersong was next to him only added to that. It was wild to think about everything they had been through together - the predator patrol, their shared meal here in this very thicket back when he had been a warrior and had learned then that Junipersong was not the greatest hunter. The memory made him smile as frosty snow crunched underpaw.

While his was quieter and more controlled, his whiskers twitched in amusement at the loudness created by his best friend. He knew her well enough to know she had no idea, and that this hunting endeavor would most likely be futile, but at least it would give him a much needed break from the expectations of being RiverClan's leader. "About the headless ghost? Please, that's a story made up to scare kits into not going out of camp. Not that it does much good," he snorted, checking the air around him for any sign of life. The air was rather silent and still, save for the two of them, so it was hard to detect really anything.

Casting his yellow gaze to her, he feigned a look of curiosity and surprise. "Why, do you believe them?" A smirk grew on his face, though he had to fight it back so as to not ruin his expression. "Do you really think... there's a headless ghost-cat who haunts all who enter here?"

// @Dizerel

[Dizerel]

The sky above was a darkish gray, covered in clouds. There was no snow at the moment but it felt like it could start at any time. Though the dark sky did nothing to make the land look any sort of dreary, instead the white canvas of snow across the ground contrasting with the dark sky gave everything that winter feeling. Calm, relaxed, but also far from bland. Junipersong loved it, because her pelt was thick enough that the snow didnt bother her much, and most of the prey that still ran around during this seasons usually got slowed down by said snow, slow enough that she actually had a decent chance to catch some things! Cause she will be damned if she goes back from a hunting patrol empty-pawed!

Though with the noise she was making it would be a while before the prey in this area would get brave enough to take an expedition out into the snow, so the two of them should have some time to just chat and be friends. "Maybe not a ghost. But when I was a kit, before my mother brought me to join the clan, I heard similar stories from her. That she had seen a strange creature out somewhere around here. Cat-like but also.... not cat-like. Just different enough from a cat to put you on edge. Some sort of.... monster!"

If the snow had been tall enough to hide in she would have emphasized that by burrowing down into the snow, and then jumping out as she said 'monster'. Unfortunately it was only an inch or two at most, this being just the start of leaf-bare. "You ever wonder what creatures are out there? We know there are coyotes, badgers, foxes, twolegs, but do you ever think there might be other things out in the world that we have never seen yet?"

// @arden