|
Post by Twilidramon on Jul 13, 2014 19:09:01 GMT -5
Firetail took off in the other direction, keeping close enough to Redpaw that he could still see her, but far enough away that the scents wouldn't be muddled.
He opened his jaws and tasted the air. Scents flowed in, and prey was faint - far away. Firetail lashed his tail in frustration.
His tail smacked against a scrubby, smelly bush beside him. A rabbit darted out, quick as a flash.
"After it!" he called, leaping to his paws.
|
|
|
Post by pookakin on Jul 15, 2014 21:27:51 GMT -5
Redpaw's head whipped around at Firetail's shout. She caught a small brown flash- a rabbit? She froze for a moment, realizing what was happening. Cursing her fumble, she zipped after the creature, tiny paws churning. It was hard catching up with it, but Redpaw wasn't going to let it get away. She gritted her teeth. She was still tired from the trip to the gorge, and this wasn't helping.
But she would catch that rabbit! There were but a few mouselengths between her and the tiny creature. She sprung, aiming for the rabbit's neck.
(you can decide whether she catches it or not! i wasn't really sure which would be better for the sake of the plot. if she catches it, i'll have her note that's pretty scrawny.)
|
|
|
Post by Twilidramon on Jul 16, 2014 7:56:24 GMT -5
"Redpaw!" Firetail called. Dust clouds cleared, and Firetail saw that Redpaw had crashed to the ground. He bounded over to her, worry in his paws. She was curled up in the tufty grass, her bony limbs splayed. Firetail's heart sank.
"Redpaw, are you all right?" he asked.
|
|
|
Post by pookakin on Jul 23, 2014 12:17:00 GMT -5
She had almost had it- the rabbit was not even a mouselength from her grasp. Then it ducked and vanished in a hole. Redpaw yowled as she crashed to the ground. She was not injured, but felt very ashamed. She'd almost had it! How could she let that happen.
She heard Firetail's concerned voice. Quickly, she scrambled to her paws, shaking earth from her pelt. "I'm okay," she mewed, staring sullenly at the tiny rabbit hole.
"I'm really sorry I missed it." She said, shifting her gaze to her paws.
|
|
|
Post by Twilidramon on Jul 23, 2014 12:54:33 GMT -5
Though Firetail's stomach was growling, he sighed and said, "It's not your fault. Rabbits are hard to catch."
Firetail looked about the area. "There's got to be more around here," he insisted. The sun was beating down on his back, and he mewed more quietly, "There has to be."
|
|
|
Post by pookakin on Jul 26, 2014 20:39:31 GMT -5
Firetail wasn't mad, but Redpaw was still disappointed.
She wasn't sure what her mentor meant with has last comment, but it sent a little shiver through her. She couldn't help but think of the hushed conversations in-camp. How scrawny had her last meal been? That rabbit would have been someone's meal. She glared at the rabbit hole, as if she could will the rabbit back out into the open.
"I'm definitely going to find something else." She said, trying to sound confident. She wasn't, but a little false bravado was better than admitting that she was crushed, and that she thought they were all definitely going to go hungry.
But all the scents were stale. Redpaw had thought she might be a little better at tracking than the other apprentices, but she just couldn't seem to find anything.
Maybe there wasn't anything.
|
|
|
Post by Twilidramon on Jul 26, 2014 21:44:12 GMT -5
Firetail lashed his tail.
"I have an idea, but it might be a risk," he meowed. "There might be some prey near the ForestClan border. So long as we don't cross, ForestClan can't object to us hunting there. It's the only other place I can think of." He could only hope to StarClan that the budding trees were shady enough to hide some morsel of prey.
|
|
|
Post by pookakin on Jul 28, 2014 13:25:00 GMT -5
Firetail's idea was fine with Redpaw. She didn't really care what ForestClan thought of where they hunted- it wasn't any of their business. Of course, they were all greedy and wanted the few trees FlameClan had. She couldn't help but give an indignant huff at that moment.
"I don't see why we shouldn't. I mean, if you're ready to go, I'm ready too."
|
|
|
Post by Twilidramon on Jul 28, 2014 22:39:46 GMT -5
Firetail nodded. He was glad his apprentice agreed, but he couldn't help but feel apprehensive. So long as they didn't cross the border, though, things ought to be fine. He began leading the way, following the stream towards the Moontree. His stomach growled, and he kept his eyes, ears, and nose aware for prey - but there was none. They reached the ForestClan border without incident. Taking a deep breath, Firetail mewed, "We're here. Be careful - ForestClan patrols might be about. They might get snappy if we get too close." ((Thinking I might add in a little detail from this thread, where Darkeyes has crossed the Forest-FlameClan border. To sort of help the tension between the Clans. Is that all right with you? Redpaw can scent them if you like.))
|
|
|
Post by pookakin on Jul 29, 2014 12:53:18 GMT -5
(that sounds fine! i'll have her notice it in the next post, as she closes in on the mouse.)
Redpaw nodded. "I don't want any trouble." No matter what ForestClan might think, she wanted little to do with conflict. She was just trying to feed her clan. She had already messed up once today. Instigating a border scrap was the very last thing she wanted to do.
She ignored the pulsing heat and the emptiness in her gut, and plunged into the trees. Things were eerily silent- had all the prey heard them coming, or was this place barren too? Worrying wouldn't bring a meal to her paws, however. She frowned. Quit bellyaching and get to it! You know your nose is good. She stood stock still and tasted the air. The smells were harder to parse- the forest seemed a bit more muddled and stinky than the open fields and moors. Or was she just not as used to them?
There were notably more prey scents. Most were stale, but the scent of a mice, and something that was a bird were present. She crept along the roots of a tree and immediately startled a thrush into the treetops. Mouse dung! After that, she wanted to just give up. Even a stringy bird would have been worlds better than nothing. She just had to botch every chance she got!
She glanced at Firetail, before swallowing her disappointment and pressing on. The mouse scent was close, and she wasn't going to let herself lose a third chance.
|
|