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Post by rox on Feb 2, 2011 19:31:54 GMT -5
"Don't want me don't want me don't want me..." F O X P A W "...something's so sick about this, my misery's so addictive." The massive expanse of gently rolling hills stretched away in front of her, pitching softly like a leaf caught on a turbulent stream. A light wind stirred the long grasses and the rustling sounded like a gentle whisper. "Shh," the grasses murmured, their thin, reedy voices drowning even the soothing drone of the wind. The yellow-green plants glistened under the cold leaf-bare sun, and when Foxpaw squinted her eyes, she could see patches of snow and ice among the long grasses. She flexed her claws, tangling them among the trampled grass underneath her paws. Foxpaw liked the wide spaces of the Openland. The wind lapped at her fur and blew fiercely on her whiskers, which brushed back against her cheeks. Far too often she found herself feeling like a loner, or even worse, a rogue, among her own Clanmates. The other apprentices were all bigger, stronger, and faster than she, and their established relationships made her fur prickle with resentment. It was clear to Foxpaw that the her Clanmates were avoiding her, tiptoeing around her with care. Even the thought of them made her tail lash fiercely, battering the stems of grass behind her. Did they think she was sick? Did they think she was ill like Sparrowheart? Resentment boiled underneath her fur. The deaths of her litter mates were still raw wounds on her psyche and every pitying glance or conspiratorially whispering cats that fell silent when she passed were like tongues on diseased flesh.
The wind whistled through her fur, and she shivered. It was too cold to be hanging about thinking painful thoughts. Sooner or later, it was her belly, not her heart, that would be clenched in pain if she didn't find prey. Anxiety thrilled through her from her ears to her tail tip. If the experienced Clan warriors were having trouble finding food, why was she out here searching for what they couldn't find? Foxpaw drew in a deep breath. "Stop standing around," she muttered under her breath. The Clan was hungry, and she was running in circles like a newborn kit over the shadows in her past. The DustClan apprentice stretched, pressing her chest down towards the frozen ground, before she pattered down the hill, pushing her way through the grasses that stroked her fur. Her white paws plucked at the ground as she stretched out her muzzle, whiskers twitching. The bitter leaf-bare wind was seeping into her bones. She wished she were back in the apprentices' den, snug in her nest.
What kind of mouse hearted cat are you? She challenged herself silently. This was her first solo hunting trip. She should be reveling in the challenge. Tail flicking, she opened her jaws to taste the air. All she could scent were the musty smells of grass and a cooler scent she suspected was snow. Foxpaw shook her head disgustedly, hurrying along the gentle valley between two of the sloping hills. She was starting to pad up the side of another hill when a delicious smell made her belly growl. Hunching down uncomfortably, the tortoiseshell's fur bristled with anticipation. Rabbit. Pulling herself forward through the grass, weaving around the thicker clumps like a snake, Foxpaw soon found herself treated with the tempting piece of prey a few fox-lengths in front of her. It was skinny, nowhere near as fat as the prey she had eaten during greenleaf, but it was prey, and it would feed a cat of her Clan. Letting out a piercing yowl, Foxpaw darted out of the grass. The rabbit fled her outstretched claws, and she followed it easily, her strong legs propelling her over the hillside. What a stupid animal, she thought to herself as it made a sharp turn. The diagonal space between them was now much shorter than it had been on a straightaway. Foxpaw leaped the distance easily, flattening the rabbit to the ground and breaking its spine with her teeth before it could kick out at her.
Satisfaction tingled through her fur, and she picked up the rabbit, dragging the prey up to the top of the hill. Foxpaw sat down and breathed in slowly. No other prey scents reached her, and she curled her lips in frustration. The apprentice looked off to the side, and her tail flicked curiously. To her right, the trees that marked the PineClan border stretched above the Openland. Curiosity slammed down on her shoulders, the grip as strong as a warrior's. Her paws ached to carry her to the border and explore, but her assignment was to catch prey. She spat under her breath but remained frozen at the top of the hill. After that last catch, she thought she deserved a break.
N O T E S Lyrics: Northshore by Tegan and Sara Image: Credit to Wonderlane of flickr.com For: Dawn and Moonie :]
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Post by Dawn on Feb 2, 2011 21:16:48 GMT -5
P E B B L E P A W *Sometimes I feel cold as steel Broken like I'm never gonna heal [/size][/font] A small light gray tabby padded through the open DustClan territory, her light amber eyes scanning the barren land. Patches of snow and ice laced the hill side, and dark clouds upon the horizon threatened more. A faint breeze swept towards her, carrying with it a familiar scent. Being new to the apprentices den, Pebblepaw had to stop and taste the air for a moment, trying to place the scent. That was... Foxpaw! The tortoiseshell who shared the apprentices den with her.
Along with Foxpaw's scent, came her voice a moment later.
"Stop standing around,"
Pebblepaw blinked and looked around, her brow creasing with confusion. Foxpaw couldn't have seen her, she couldn't even see her. She couldn't have scented her, as Pebblepaw was downwind. She must have been speaking to someone else, but who?
Curiously, Pebblepaw padded forward, her light paws making little noise on the soft earth. Creeping up the side of one of the hills, Pebblepaw peered down into the Openland to see Foxpaw standing alone. Apparently she had spoken to herself. Indeed, a moment later, Foxpaw padded off.
Pebblepaw paused a moment, then decided to test her ability to track without being noticed. Gravelpelt and she had not been training long, but she had been given that lesson. She allowed Foxpaw to get further away from her, then set off, darting from tall clump of grass to patches of bramble, always keeping downwind of her quarry.
She watched as Foxpaw let out a screech and chased after a gray rabbit, catching it and snapping it's neck. Pausing a moment longer, Pebblepaw stepped out from her last hiding spot, a large clump of crumpled brambles. "Nice catch."
[/color] She mewed, padding towards her fellow apprentice with a slight incline of her head. She didn't much know Foxpaw, and knew little about her temperament. Hopefully she wouldn't be angry that the younger apprentice had followed her. Pebblepaw had had enough fighting in the last few moons to be going on with. She was grateful that she had managed to escape the confines of the nursery; the confines of her overbearing, over controlling mother. She hadn't spoken much to her mother or father since moving to the apprentices den, and the couple had not attempted to contact her either. They had been focused on her brother Cloudkit's death towards the end of her kithood, leaving her free to leave the den for the first time in her life. Upon leaving the nursery, Spruceflower had moved to the warriors den to be with Whitepelt. From what her older, half-brother Buzzardfang had told her, the two were hidden in the back corner of the den and rarely spoke to anyone. They did their patrols together and rarely with others. It wasn't surprising, from what Buzzardfang had told her, his father Tigerfang was still angry with his former mate and the cat she had cheated on him with, that anger even more pronounced when Spruceflower had shown no remorse when their daughter Stripepaw had died soon after Cloudkit. Any cat who did not revolve around Spruceflower, was unworthy for her attention or sympathy apparently. Pebblepaw pushed her mind back into the present and fixed her eyes with Foxpaw's, her mind once again wondering back to it's curiosity about how the other apprentice would react to her sudden appearance. Song:
[/color] Hello World by Lady Antebellum [/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/right]
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Post by moonie on Feb 3, 2011 18:29:14 GMT -5
The gusts that flattened her fur still tasted icy. Flintstorm shivered, looking out over the yellow-brown hills. She could see the trees of PineClan rustling in the distance, peeking out over DustClan's tall grass. She shook her head. Focus. She was here to hunt, not daydream. She huffed impatiently. She had been out since mid-morning and had only been able to catch two scrawny mice; not exactly top form.
Flintstorm raised her nose to the wind with a flick of her tail. It was blowing straight towards her, bringing the earthy sent of the long grasses, the scents other members of her Clan nearby, and -- her ears pricked up. Rabbit. Her mouth watered. After the scant Leafbare DustClan had just endured, any prey would be welcome on the fresh-kill pile. She sank into a hunting crouch with the ease of long practice, but an apprentice got there first. Flintstorm watched with narrowed eyes as the little ball of fur raced past with a screech. If the little idiot let it get away --
But there, it was safely in Foxpaw's claws. Flintstorm relaxed, chuckling, just as another apprentice emerged from a nearby patch of bramble. "Nice catch." Maybe from the point of view of another apprentice, she thought wryly. Lucky catch, more like. Still, at least Foxpaw had made one.
Flintstorm nodded a greeting to the two apprentices. "Hello Foxpaw, Pebblepaw." She wasn't positive that she had gotten their names right, but they'd get over it. "Certainly the Clan can use the food," she agreed.
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Post by rox on Feb 4, 2011 16:02:47 GMT -5
"Don't bend don't blink don't beg don't scream..." F O X P A W "...don't whine don't fight don't tell me don't tell me don't tell me." "Nice catch." Foxpaw whirled around, her tortoiseshell fur buffeted by the wind. The young cat staggered sideways, tripping over the rabbit that she had placed between her forepaws. Pebblepaw! The gray tabby she-cat was padding towards her, her head inclined slightly as she approached over the yellowed strands of grass. Alarm flared through Foxpaw's body. Her nose twitched as she scented her den mate. Pebblepaw's scent was as familiar as the PineClan stench that flooded from the border. She knew the other apprentice existed but as far as interaction went...well, it didn't. They may have exchanged words, bunched up together in the clearing while Pebblepaw waited for her mentor and Foxpaw for a warrior to take charge of her, but Foxpaw did all she could to distance herself from the other young cats she shared a den with. In her opinion, no cat could ever compare to Rabbitkit.
When she closed her eyes, Foxpaw could see Rabbitkit's glowing amber eyes as the small tortoiseshell bundled towards her, loudly demanding that Foxpaw stop what she was doing and play with her. Longing sank its vicious claws into her heart. She didn't know anything about Pebblepaw's history, only that her mother, Spruceflower, seemed to be a tad eccentric, but Foxpaw knew that she wished she had had a normal family. A mother who loved me and litter mates who didn't die. Her whiskers quivered, her yellow gaze sweeping her fellow apprentice as she looked at her curiously. StarClan, was that too much to ask?
And now she was faced with the problem of Pebblepaw. She worked her claws into the ground, wondering how she could get rid of the other cat. Nice catch, the other she-cat had said. Foxpaw lifted her head proudly and stepped over the rabbit, sheltering it between her four paws. At last, some recognition for her talents! The tortoiseshell arched her back luxuriously, her tail tip sweeping the grass. Some days, the rabbit she had just caught was more than the DustClan warriors managed to find. Frustration licked at her paw pads. Maybe she should have let the rabbit live. Then she could have tracked the stupid piece of prey to its burrow. She could have been the apprentice who fed the Clan for days with her rabbits. She liked the thought of that.
"Hello Foxpaw, Pebblepaw." Her heart sank, but she swung her head sideways and pricked her ears at the approaching gray-and-white warrior. Flintstorm was padding towards them, her blue gaze sweeping both apprentices. Foxpaw knew the warrior's voice anywhere. Sometimes she laid outside the apprentices' den and watched the warriors as they went about their various duties. Flintstorm was one of the more interesting cats in the Clan. She had a history that Foxpaw only heard when she crept up on other warriors, and she had an attitude. Foxpaw licked her lips, eyes narrowing as the fur on her tail struggled to rise defensively. "Certainly the Clan can use food." The apprentice shook her fur against another gust of wind. She didn't particularly like the way Flintstorm was looking at them. The warrior's eyes glinted in the sunlight, and Foxpaw drew herself up, hoping to appear taller.
Fluffing up her fur against the wind, she gave a stiff nod to Flintstorm, acknowledging her seniority. "Thank you, Pebblepaw," Foxpaw purred, blinking at her fellow apprentice before she narrowed her eyes at Flintstorm and against a blast of icy wind. "The stupid thing thought it could get away from me." She sniffed, inhaling the tang of snow and ice. "Are you both on hunting patrol?" Her ears pricked, an edge to her voice nipping at the air. If the other she-cats thought they could interfere in her hunt, they were wrong. She stooped and picked up the rabbit's scruff in her teeth, beginning to drag it to a bramble patch so she could collect it later. Her tail lashed, irritation flashing in her yellow gaze. Rabbitkit, come down from StarClan and help me!
N O T E S Lyrics: Northshore by Tegan and Sara Image: Credit to Wonderlane of flickr.com For: Dawn and Moonie :]
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Post by Dawn on Feb 4, 2011 23:06:45 GMT -5
"Hello Foxpaw, Pebblepaw."
Pebblepaw's ears flicked with surprise at the sudden addition to their little group. She turned to see Flintstorm approaching them through the grass. Her stately appearance disorientated Pebblepaw for a moment, but she regained herself fairly quickly. "Oh, hello Flintstorm."
[/color] She mewed, incling her head in respect for the older cat. She didn't particularly know Flintstorm either. Not surprising, after all she had spent most of her life up to this point imprisoned in the nursery. Her brother had told her about Flintstorm though; she was a no-nonsence cat, intelligent and honest. Not one to cross. "Thank you, Pebblepaw," Foxpaw purred towards Pebblepaw, who smiled slightly. She was glad that Foxpaw did not seem too angry at being disturbed by she and Flintstorm, even though they had come seperately. Had Flintstorm followed her? Had Gravelpelt told her to watch her? She wouldn't be irritated if her mentor had had her followed, he had been worried about the dangers of the territory when they had began training. After the stories of the MarshClan attack on DustClan however many moons ago, she couldn't blame him for being somewhat paranoid. "Certainly the Clan can use the food,""The stupid thing thought it could get away from me." Pebblepaw flicked her ears slightly. She didn't speak up, for she could find nothing to say. Although, her pelt did prickle a bit at the fact that Foxpaw had insulted her catch. Gravelpelt and Buzzardfang had always told her that you must respect the life that was given up to feed the Clan. Buzzardfang had also always insisted on going out into the forest to bury bones of eaten prey, for he said that he felt that they were closer to their home that way. He said that it would insult them to bury their bones in the camp, for that is where their killer lived. Even if it was for a good cause, Buzzardfang always believed that any killed animal deserved to get away from that which had killed it. "Are you both on hunting patrol?" Pebblepaw looked up from her ranting thoughts. "I'm not,"[/color] Pebblepaw mewed, looking from Foxpaw to Flintstorm then back again. "I was just testing some tracking strategies Gravelpelt taught me the other day."[/color] She told them, perfectly honestly. "Though if you want some company on your hunting trip, I could join you. I haven't had a lot of training in hunting yet and it might be good to watch how you do it."[/color] She added, looking at Foxpaw somewhat hopefully. Thus far, she had learned some of the basic hunting techniques but she had never really watched a cat truly hunting until today. Unless you count Gravelpelt leaping on a fallen leaf. [/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]
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