A Ruined Hunt [Eagleflame]

[løиetëaя]

The pretty white cat paced back and forth, her ears flat against her head. Her unmatched eyes were locked on the patch of brambles, her quarry hidden inside it. Illusionwind had been hunting, sprinting after a rabbit at full speed. Her long limbs covered the ground easily and she was just a mouse-length from the creature when an eagle had passed over head. Immediately she had had to drop low to the ground, trying her best to blend in despite her bright colored pelt.

As soon as the shadow had passed she had bolted after the rabbit, though it had already taken cover in the brambles. A low growl escaped her, her frustration clearly showing. She had been so close to catching the creature and her clan was in need of as much prey as she could get. Yet that eagle had ruined it. Now she would have to start all over someplace else and hope she could find something to bring back to camp.

Behind her she could hear pawsteps and she sniffed the air, her pink nose lifted slightly. The scent of her own clan hit her and she calmed, knowing it wasn't a danger. Turning around her greeted the cat softly. "Hello Eagleflame."

[Silentheart]

The burly, thick-furred tom had watched from a distance, the lithe she cats interrupted hunting session. He looked to his own rabbit, which had given the slow wind-clan tom a hunt for his life. Picking it up carefully in his jaws, he padded down. She was quickly alerted to his arrival, turning and greeting him coolly. Dropping his kill, he dipped his head in a meek greeting, 'Hello, Illusionwind." His sharp yellow eyes flicked to the sharp brambles that made a caged refuge for the rabbit. "Escaped?" He mused wistfully, giving her a quick glance and a wry smile. "A rabbit outsmarted you? Impossible!" He parted his jaws, pricking his ears toward the thorny bush, the scuffling of the furry beast still present, as well as its scent. "Must be a smart rabbit." He shrugged his shoulders, sitting down and giving his chest fur a few quick licks.

He could sense how agitated she still was, and again turned a wistful gaze to the panicked rabbit's hideaway. "If you wanted, I could spook it out, and you could chase it down." He offered, "Brambles don't get to me that much, and I'm not that fast. Besides, I caught something already." He flicked his black tail to motion to the dead prey, gazing at her, proud of his helpful idea, whether she'd accept it or not.

[løиetëaя]

Her tail flicked once at his words, her eyes narrowing. Then with a sigh she let it go. "Stupid eagle flew overhead. That's when the rabbit got away." Her eyes appraised the warrior gently. She didn't really know her clan mate all that well, and it made her feel bad. He seemed like a nice enough cat, a little different but she liked different. Besides, she herself didn't exactly fit your everyday description of a cat.

Gracefully she sat, her tail curling over her soft paws, the tip flicking up gently every now and then. She gave her chest a few quick licks before turning her eyes back to Eagleflame when he spoke. "Would you really?" She wondered why any cat would go crawling through brambles just to spook out a rabbit. The thorns dug deep into your pelt, scratching the skin and leaving it stinging. And then afterwords they weren't all that easy to get out of your fur. She had had more then enough experiences with the angry plants to know to stay clear of them.

[Silentheart]

He pawed the ground gently, feeling her eyes boring into his thick fur. He twisted his head, eyes bright and ears pricked, "Of course, anything to help a clanmate!"He purred, waving his tail, quickly composing himself. He surveyed the area around the bramble patch, and concocted his full plan. Motioned with his fluffy tail toward the east side of the patch, "I'll go in there, and see if I can't spook it out, to you." Standing, he padded around the dense, thorny throng of plants, and once he could see that she was in a position that he found good for this, he let out a deafening yowl, making as much noise as possible, and flung himself headfirst into the plant.

The sharp thorns tugged angrily at his fur as he hissed and spit at the rabbit. The barbs found there way deep, scraping against his skin, but only a couple of the longer ones, seeing as his pelt was thick enough to protect him from the worst, but the sharp sting fueled his hissing as the nervous quarry panicked at having its predator so close. He heard its feed thrumming the ground as it darted from the brambles, wanting to be as far away from Eagleflame as it could manage. His yowling quieted as it darted from the bramble, knowing it would be darting right into Illusionwind's waiting claws.

[løиetëaя]

The pretty she-cat winced as she saw Eagleflame push his way through the brambles. She could imagine the sharp thorns digging into her pelt, scraping her skin. She felt bad for encouraging the tom to scare out the rabbit, she should have just gone and looked somewhere else.

But it was too late. Taking a deep breath she waited silently for the rabbit to emerge. Her eyes flashed as she saw it, the small creature flying out of the brambles. It didn't get farther then a few steps before her claws were deep in its flesh and her teeth in its neck, instantly killing it. Carrying it back the few steps she dropped it by Eagleflame's, her tongue darting out and licking around her muzzle. "Thanks."

[Silentheart]

He listened as the rabbit ran to its death, giving its shriek of surprise as it was snatched up and swiftly killed. He began to wiggle backwards out of the bramble, the sharp thorns tugging out tufts of fur. He hissed as one raked down his muzzle, but was finally freed. He watched Illusionwind approach, dropping her rabbit by his, and thanking him. He purred, waving his tail,"No problem." He meowed, raking his tongue over his muzzle, but wincing as he aggravated the small, fresh gash. Shaking it off, he twisted, rasping his tongue over his now unruly fur, plucking a thorn out with his teeth, "Every piece of prey counts in leafbare." He added as he straightened, facing her with bright yellow eyes.

Stooping, he gathered up his rabbit, dropping it only to speak again, "With that eagle off hunting, most of the prey is probably hiding deep in their burrows, so we should be heading back to camp." He suggested, flicking his tail, with a wry smile, his fur still town and tufted, a few thorns still buried deep that he'd need to soon pry out of his thick, long pelt.

[løиetëaя]

She gave out a small purr of appreciation before going over a plucking another thorn out of his thick pelt. Letting her tail brush against his side she stepped away again silently. "Hopefully the prey will be easier to find soon. We're already getting thin and leafbare has just started." It made her worry to see the prey be so scarce already.

She nodded in agreement with Eagleflame, picking up her rabbit and holding it firmly between her jaws. With a flick of her tail she began to pad across the land, heading in the direction of camp. Every now and then she would glance at the tom, enjoying his company though they walked in silence.

[Silentheart]

He purred as she tugged another pesky thorn from his fur, her tail gently grazing his side. Snatching up his rabbit again, he padded next to her, ignoring the leaf-bare chill, his focus completely on the white she-cat. He said nothing- doing so being a difficult task with the furry rabbit in his teeth, so instead he just kept quiet at her side, the only sound being their paws on the frosted moorland grass. It wasn't long before the dip in the ground ahead heralded their arrival at the camp, and he was almost sad that his time alone with the pretty she-cat had drawn to a close. She'd join the other warriors to share fresh-kill, and he'd probably go off and eat on his own. He had found himself immensely enjoying her company, and it was nice to feel he could make a friend.

A few cats perked up as they entered the camp, happy to see the two rabbits that would at least feed a few mouths. He dropped his prey on the fresh kill pile, and before going off on his own, turned to Illusionwind. "We should hunt together again sometime." He offered warmly, flicking his tail and walking toward his nest, sitting down and beginning to groom his unruly fur, picking out the thorns he could reach, and stretching to reach some near the base of his tail, with no luck, flicking his tail in aggravation, and instead turning his attention to the clumps of torn fur, smoothing down the now jagged patches.

[løиetëaя]

She slowed as they neared camp, wishing they didn't have to return. But there were many mouths to feed and the two rabbits they were bringing back were greatly needed. Now wasn't the time to be off doing nothing when they had duties to their clan. With a flick of her tail she entered camp, putting her catch on the freshkill pile, noticing the hunger filled eyes locked on it. She let out a sigh when she noticed how low the pile had gotten. Few would eat tonight, only queens, elders, and kits old enough to eat solids. The rest would have to wait awhile.

His voice broke through her thoughts and her ears flicked gently. "Yeah we should. It was great." Before she could say much more however, he was padding away, taking a place away from the rest of the clan as he began to fish out the remaining thorns. A small chuckle escaped her as she saw him trying in vain to reach a few stubborn thorns that were just out of his reach. With light steps she padded over, her tail swaying back and forth over her back. "You know, you don't have to sit alone." Her voice was quiet and before he could answer she began to carefully pluck out whatever thorns he couldn't reach on his own.

[Silentheart]

He looked up at her in surprise as she approached him, and grew hot under his fur as she spoke. His jaws parted to answer, but she bent her head and had begun to pluck out thorns that he couldn't reach. He gave his chest fur a few quick licks, "The rest of the clan prefers it. I get in their way during the day, and sleep out here at night, because I take up so much room in den." He nervously plucked at a stray piece of heather with one claw, then let it fall limply back into his nest. He wasn't so used to having company, but he didn't mind it, although his embarrassment was due to his awkwardness. He could act confident and brave outside of the camp, diving into brambles after a rabbit, but StarClan forbid he be alone in camp with a pretty she-cat.

As she worked thorns from his thick fur, be began to lap at the scrapes and scratches that he could reach, along his forelegs and shoulders, licking at a paw and drawing out over the stinging gash across his muzzle, one of the few that were still actually bleeding, that and one down his flank, the rest were just angry welts under his fur now. He swiped his tongue over his muzzle, ignoring the tang of his own blood, grateful it wasn't deep and would heal soon, because it was quite a nuisance, but the sting would soon fade, and he figured she would be done with the thorns soon, and he could put this bramble experience behind him- that is, if he wanted to forget his first real experience with Illusionwind, which he doubted. He'd keep the memory forever, to keep him company these cold leafbare nights.

[løиetëaя]

Her tail twitched in annoyance at her words, her eyes narrowing. "Well it doesn't really matter what they think does it? And they shouldn't treat you like you get in the way either, because you don't." She hated when cats from the same clan, cats that were born and raised together, treated another member of their clan like an outsider just because they were a bit different. With a sigh she plucked the last thorn from his fur, setting it down on the small pile that had formed.

"They're all just jealous that you're special, that's all. So don't mind them. Its not worth your time." She hoped her words were a bit of a comfort. She knew first hand what it was like to not be fully accepted and she hated when she saw others being treated the same way. It was their differences that held the clan together, the talents each cat brought forward making the clan strong. Yet there were some who wanted everyone to be the same, or thought they were better then another because that cat was a bit strange.

[Silentheart]

He felt the annoyance tense her muscles, and was curious as to what could be irking her, until she spoke. Not getting in the way? No one had ever claimed that to the burly WindClan tom. Getting in the way was his specialty. Her muzzle once more buried into his dense fur, and with a slight tug, the final bramble thorn was freed, and placed into a pile with the others. He stood, giving a long stretch, and settled back down. Her next comment shocked him, and he could only stare at her. Special? He had never thought of himself as special. The sudden liveliness in his eyes faded and he looked away, shaking his head, "It may not matter what they think, but I assure you, I'm more of a nuisance to them than anything special." He gave a chuckle, giving his chest fur a few awkward licks, "Although, I'll take that I'm "special" into consideration next time I'm snapped at for being in the way." He teased playfully, and leaned over, touching his nose to her ear-tip, "It is nice to know I'm not a nuisance to everyone." He purred, before twisting and using his tail to sweep the thorns away from his nest, and to the edge of the camp, where no poor, unlucky soul would step on them.

[løиetëaя]

She shook her head gently. "They just have seen that you are special yet. Just give it some time, they'll come around eventually." She herself had never noticed Eagleflame getting in the way or being a nuisance, and she was usually a very observant cat.

She watched as he swept the thorns away with his tail. "Of course your not a nuisance, you're my friend." She wondered what he had done to make everyone think he just got in the way, but she didn't want to bring it up either for fear of hurting his feelings or something like that. "Just you wait, one of these days you'll save their behinds and then they can't have anything bad to say about you anymore."

[Silentheart]

Glancing at her, he saw the curiosity in here eyes that swiftly faded, and brushed it away himself as she spoke. He couldn't help but laugh at her comment, "Cats always have bad things to say. It makes them feel better about themselves." The swept the rest of the thorns out of sight and stood, moving back to where she sat.

"To be honest," He started wryly as he sat by her side, "They ostracize me because of my size, not only because I look different than them, but also because I can't hunt rabbits as well as them. I'm not fast, so they feel like I don't do much- I do what I can though, which is why I was so willing to plunge into the brambles. I have to use wits- or maybe just plain stupidity, in order to catch my fair share, whenever I can."

[løиetëaя]

"True enough." She nodded her head in agreement. She hated that some felt they needed to make fun of others so they felt better about themselves. It just showed how uncomfortable some cats were in their own skin.

Quietly she sat, listening to his words, the tip of her tail twitching slightly. When he finished she thought for a moment and then an idea hit her. "Maybe you should try hunting in pairs. You could wait in ambush while a faster cat herded the rabbit toward you. Then as it passes you, you attack. I think it would work out well for you." It was a technique she sometimes used, though not very often. But it could come in handy at times and for slower cats it could turn into a huge advantage.