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Post by ᴊᴀʏғʀᴏsᴛ on Mar 12, 2017 21:42:24 GMT -5
"Confusing feelings?" Hawkwing echoed, shaking his pelt to get rid of the remaining dirt and dew from the previous catch. He stared at the she-cat blankly. "Like what?"
--
"Alright," Dewpaw slowed down, letting Sandyclaw lead the way. He took a deep breath and felt the fresh air surge through his body. The sky was beginning to turn from a bleak grey to a pale blue, indicating the arrival of noon. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.
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Post by Thunderlake on Mar 12, 2017 21:46:55 GMT -5
"Fuzzy feelings. Weird ones at that." Silverlake paused, not wanting to give too much away. But she decided it would be better than be secretive. Hawkwing might guess who it was about if she wouldn't tell him everything. "I think I may be getting feelings for a tom but, well, you know me. I don't gain feelings for them. I like toms but... I never could see myself getting feelings for one!"
Once Sandyclaw and his apprentice were out of camp, he slowed down a bit. "Now is there anything odd in the air Dewpaw?"
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Post by ᴊᴀʏғʀᴏsᴛ on Mar 12, 2017 21:57:12 GMT -5
"Fuzzy feelings for a tom," Hawkwing repeated after her, trying to comprehend what that might be. Was she in love? Is that what love feels like? He remained still for awhile, his eyes shifting from left to right, thinking of the right things to say.
"Well, maybe you're changing," he began, trying not to sound awkward. "Maybe this... this tom is different from the others, that's why you feel that way?" Hawking shrugged, his gaze slowly returning to Silverlake for any sign of a response.
Dewpaw halted, sniffing both the ground and air. "Nope," he answered confidently. "There's a faint scent of mouse, though."
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Post by Thunderlake on Mar 13, 2017 7:58:43 GMT -5
Silverlake took a deep breath before responding. "He doesn't seem to fall for my flirting. He is kind and strong." She stopped before she gave too much away. Thinking about it, Silverlake realized what was happening. "I think I have a really strong crush for someone." She meowed, shaking as if it would rid her of the weird feelings.
"Is the mouse scent fresh?" Sandyclaw encouraged, sniffing the air for himself. It seems fresh enough. It should be close by.
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Post by ᴊᴀʏғʀᴏsᴛ on Mar 13, 2017 11:00:04 GMT -5
"I'm sure toms fall for a she-cat's personality and not her flirting," Hawkwing stated as his ears twitched.
Hearing the call of a warbler, he instinctively got up, his tail swishing the cold ground. The sun's rays, filtered through the crowns of the trees, speckled on his brown pelt. Purring at the warmth, he quickly approached the stream and lapped up the cool water.
"Come on, let's head back. It's almost noon," Hawkwing nodded towards the blue sky, giving his muzzle a few licks. There was a flash of amusement in his blue eyes as he stalked past her. "Maybe you could give your crush some time. Or I could help pass a message to the lucky tom."
--
Dewpaw didn't reply, moving around in circles, lost in trying to pick up as much of the mouse's scent as possible. After a few heartbeats, he stopped, making eye contact with his mentor. Raising a paw and pointing towards the roots of a tree, he dropped into a crouch.
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Post by Thunderlake on Mar 13, 2017 13:46:46 GMT -5
Blushing, Silverlake nodded slowly. Her heart started beating faster as Hawkwing suggested he could pass the message to the tom. Embarrassment flooded through her as she took a deep breath to respond. "I, err, don't think that's possible."
Nodding in pleasure that his apprentice had found the mouse, Sandyclaw sat down to watch and assess Dewpaw's hunting crouch. He was pleased and let Dewpaw continue his hunt.
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Post by ᴊᴀʏғʀᴏsᴛ on Mar 13, 2017 14:24:23 GMT -5
She's probably uncomfortable, I shouldn't bother her too much, Hawkwing bowed his head and sniffed the ground, still trying to search for more prey.
Returning with just that mouse isn't good enough-
Realising that he had left Silverlake hanging, he tried to think of something to say. "Well, take your time with this," he replied with his back facing her. "Maybe you can talk to him when you feel more confident." Picking up the strong scent of a sparrow, he swiftly bounded away with his claws unsheathed.
--
Dewpaw examined the roots carefully. Abruptly stopping his hunt, he turned around and sauntered back to Sandyclaw. "I can't catch that mouse," he began before his mentor could say anything, his whiskers twitching. "It's hiding right beside a thorny bush. If I jump for it, it wouldn't be pretty."
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Post by Thunderlake on Mar 13, 2017 14:36:07 GMT -5
"I have been talking to him. I just don't think he can take a hint. Toms tend to be oblivious to such hints." Silverlake purred in amusement and followed Her companions lead. She began to sniff around but couldn't smell anything other than the forest smells.
"You're right. Normally I'd suggest we try chasing it out. But we are just on a border patrol of sorts. So let's just continue forward." Sandyclaw responded, already standing up to walk away.
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Post by ᴊᴀʏғʀᴏsᴛ on Mar 13, 2017 14:54:44 GMT -5
(Hey! I'm going to bed now, I had a tiring day. I'll continue tomorrow!)
After a few moments, Hawkwing returned with a brown sparrow in his mouth and a sharp pain in his left hind leg. Limping towards Silverlake, he dropped the sparrow and tried to examine his leg.
"I must've slammed it against the bark of a tree when I landed after catching the sparrow," he groaned, giving the pained area a few licks and tasting the sweetness of blood. Mouse-dung! How could I be so clumsy?
--
Dewpaw nodded, following his mentor deeper into the territory.
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Post by Thunderlake on Mar 13, 2017 19:35:08 GMT -5
[ alright! sleep well! c: ]
"Are you okay?" Silverlake asked, worry in her tone. Bending down to sniff his leg, she noticed blood on his leg. "You need to go get it checked by the medicine cat. I- I mean we- I mean you! You don't want to get hurt now, do you?" I am sucha mousebrain!
Sandyclaw began marking the border as they reached it. "Have there been any intruders in our territory lately, Dewpaw?" He questioned, sniffing the air for himself.
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Post by ᴊᴀʏғʀᴏsᴛ on Mar 14, 2017 9:41:33 GMT -5
"I'll be fine," Hawkwing sighed, slowly getting up and trying not to wince at the pain. Picking up the sparrow, he limped in the direction of the camp. "Please don't worry about me. Let's pick up that mouse I buried and then be on our way."
--
Dewpaw tilted his head to a side as he drew in a breath of air. "Nope," he stated flatly. "But we should watch out for bears, because they're probably done with hibernation and are now lumbering around."
Dewpaw began to recall nursery tales about bears as he mentioned that. I wonder how they look like.
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Post by Thunderlake on Mar 14, 2017 9:49:30 GMT -5
"But I have to worry because you're my clanmate!" She shot back, rushing to her companion's side. "At least lean on me to reduce the pain." Why did I offer that?! He will notice when I shiver at his touch! Silverlake's mind began running circles around her brain once again and she almost missed Hawkwing's response.
"Very good Dewpaw." Sandyclaw meowed, continuing along the border. "Do you know what a bear looks like?" He questioned, nearly shivering at the memory of seeing the big animal.
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Post by ᴊᴀʏғʀᴏsᴛ on Mar 14, 2017 9:57:14 GMT -5
(FAST REPLIES, THUNDER, FAST REPLIES.)
Hawkwing almost turned red at the idea of being so close to a she-cat. "N-no, it's fine, it doesn't hurt that much," he quickly replied, his voice muffled by the sparrow's feathers. He tried to rid of his limp to prove his point. "Just help me unearth the mouse and bring it back."
--
Dewpaw shook his head, trying to picture what the massive mammal would look like. "It's huge, right?" he looked at Sandyclaw. "Have you seen one before? What does it look like?"
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Post by Thunderlake on Mar 14, 2017 13:00:17 GMT -5
[ nOW THEY ARE SLOW ]
"You sure?" Silverlake questioned, flicking her ears at the tom. But she nodded and followed Hawkwing to the mouse. I wonder why he won't let me help him when it's clear he's in pain? Maybe he's just trying to act strong. Typical tom.
"Oh yes it is quite huge. They can be brown or black. The brown ones are always bigger and a lot more dangerous." Sandyclaw took a deep breath before continuing. Oh Whisperbreeze... I'm so sorry I couldn't save you! Dark images ran through his head of the fangs and massive claws coming towards him. He visibly flinched but forced himself to calm down. "They have huge paws with claws the size of a cat. Their fur is thick and hard to penetrate. They're fierce and territorial animals though the black ones tend to stay away from us. Just try not to get into a fight with one and you'll be fine."
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Post by ᴊᴀʏғʀᴏsᴛ on Mar 14, 2017 13:44:38 GMT -5
Stumbling into the camp and heading straight for the fresh-kill pile to place the sparrow down, Hawkwing looked around for Tumblefoot before giving his wound a few licks again. Realising that it was a gash and that it was still bleeding, his ears flattened in frustration. The brown tom slowly made his way to the medicine cat's den and glumly sat outside.
I can't believe I let myself get injured like that, especially when it was finally getting warmer.
--
Dewpaw's green eyes widened at the image that formed in his head. "Wow, that's terrifying," he commented in awe before noticing Sandyclaw flinch. Did he just flinch? I guess it's a sensitive topic.
"Where are we heading to now?" he quickly got on his paws, trying to change the topic.
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Post by Thunderlake on Mar 14, 2017 18:33:53 GMT -5
After placing the mouse on the fresh-kill pile Silverlake followed Hawkwing to the medicine den. "I'm gonna make sure you are alright." She explained quickly, blushing under her fur.
Sandyclaw let his apprentice change the subject. Sighing in relief, he flicked his tail towards the center of the territory. "Let's hunt a little bit. The elders and queens will need some food." Making sure Dewpaw was following, Sandyclaw began padding away from the border.
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Post by antpelts on Mar 14, 2017 18:39:44 GMT -5
(howdy yall)
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Post by ᴊᴀʏғʀᴏsᴛ on Mar 15, 2017 0:53:18 GMT -5
(Good morningggggggggg.)
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Post by Thunderlake on Mar 15, 2017 11:09:11 GMT -5
[ morning ]
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Post by ᴊᴀʏғʀᴏsᴛ on Mar 15, 2017 19:14:49 GMT -5
"Okay," Hawkwing mewed without even looking at Silverlake, trying his best not to sulk over his incompetency. He didn't want the she-cat to worry too much over him. "I'll be fine."
As the words came out of his mouth, he realised that he was getting hungry. Raising his head to look at Silverlake, he asked, "Do you want to have something to eat while we wait?"
--
Padding after his mentor, Dewpaw's belly began to rumble. Excited at the thought of food, he began to sniff around for prey. "Let's make a bet," he proposed once he picked up the scent of a squirrel. "If I bring back a good catch, you'll let me nap before I help the elders out."
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Post by Thunderlake on Mar 15, 2017 20:57:54 GMT -5
Blushing at the thought of eating prey with the tom, Silverlake bent her head to smooth down her chest fur. This isn't cool. I'm supposed to make cats blush... not the other way around! With that thought in her head, the she-cat took a deep breath and looked back at Hawkwing. "Sure!" She purred, smiling sweetly. Silverlake wasn't terribly hungry but that was probably because of her nervousness around this odd tom.
Sandyclaw thought for a moment, his thoughts spinning in circles. Would I be a bad mentor if I let him get away with making bets? Stumped, he sunk his claws into the ground in thought. But maybe it could be fun and increase Dewpaw and my bond. Hm... "Fine." The strong warrior agreed, narrowing his eyes at his apprentice. "But the nap will not be for long." He meowed quickly, asserting his authority. What did I just agree to?
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Post by ᴊᴀʏғʀᴏsᴛ on Mar 16, 2017 2:55:45 GMT -5
"Okay," Hawkwing blinked. Do all she-cats hesitate before they speak? The tom took a good look at the gash again and saw that the blood was beginning to clot and dry up. Sighing in relief, he got up and limped towards the fresh-kill pile.
--
"Of course it won't," Dewpaw retorted, already creeping towards where the squirrel was. It was perched on a tree branch not too far from the ground. Yet it was still risky to catch. It could either run up or come down. But I definitely want it to come down.
"Sandyclaw, could you help me toss a small rock-" Dewpaw whispered, nodding at the russet rodent on the tree. "-to strike the bark above the branch where the squirrel is on?" He stationed himself a few tail-lengths away from the tree's roots, unsheathing his claws. If we get it right, it should be startled enough to descend from the tree, right into my grasp.
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Post by Thunderlake on Mar 16, 2017 6:58:02 GMT -5
"Wait Hawkwing!" Silverlake yowled after the tom, rushing towards him. "Go rest. I'll get something for us."
Sandyclaw nodded to his apprentice, eyes warm. I didn't even think of that! I'll be sure to praise him after the hunt. Looking down, the warrior began sifting through the forest floor. Beneath some leaf mold he unburied a decent-sized stone. Holding it in one of his forepaws, he shifted so he had a perfect view of the squirrel and the branch above it. "Alright Dewpaw. You better hope you catch this." He purred, tossing the rock through the air. It hit its target with a bang and Sandyclaw purred in satisfaction.
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Post by ᴊᴀʏғʀᴏsᴛ on Mar 16, 2017 10:25:34 GMT -5
"Oh, alright," Hawkwing paused as he went back to the spot. He usually wouldn't mind moving around despite an injury, but he didn't want Silverlake to worry anymore. Still keeping an eye out for Tumblefoot or Chamomilepaw, he continued cleaning the bloodstained fur around the wound. It doesn't look that bad. I should be able to have a decent recovery by tomorrow.
--
The alarmed squirrel reacted in the instant the rock sailed through the air. Swiftly it moved down the tree, it's bushy tail waving from side to side. When Dewpaw saw this, he tightened his muscles for the jump. As the rodent reached the ground and prepared to charge towards a safer spot, the apprentice pounced towards it.
Feeling his claws sink into something soft and warm, Dewpaw grinned. Once he landed on all fours, he delivered a strong bite to his prey's neck and picked up its limp body. "How's that for a catch?" he looked at Sandyclaw, his words muffled by the squirrel's fur. Delight was written all over the young cat's face.
Yes! My plan worked!
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Post by Thunderlake on Mar 16, 2017 16:44:52 GMT -5
Smiling with delight, Silverlake dashed to the fresh-kill pile. Beneath their own catches were a squirrel and a finch. Picking up the squirrel for both her and Hawkwing, Silverlake padded back to the tom. Dropping it at his feet, she let out a gasp of relief. "That is heavier than it looks!" She joked, purring. "You can have the first bite."
"Great job!" Sandyclaw praised his apprentice honestly. "Let me catch something then we can be heading back." The warrior began sniffing the air for some sign of prey. The strong scent of vole reached his nostrils and made his mouth water. "Wait here." He whispered, crouching down for the hunt. Slowly, paw step by paw step, Sandyclaw made his way towards his prey. The vole's nose twitched as it snuffled along the ground. Nearly letting out a purr of satisfaction, Sandyclaw continued forward until he was close enough to pounce. Letting his back legs propel him forward, Sandyclaw landed atop his target. Quickly he nipped its neck to stop the creature from escaping. Eyes bright and body energized, Sandyclaw padded back to Dewpaw.
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Post by ᴊᴀʏғʀᴏsᴛ on Mar 17, 2017 1:25:54 GMT -5
"Thanks!" Hawkwing grinned. The squirrel looked tasty. Taking a bite of the fresh-kill, he couldn't help but ungracefully swipe his tongue over his muzzle. "Nothing beats the taste of fresh-kill after a hunt."
--
Dewpaw watched his mentor's catch in grudging admiration- he was bad at stalking and could only resort to tricks to get his prey. "I still don't really know how you get the whole stalking thing right," he mewed, shrugging as he began strolling back to camp. "I can't seem to get a good gauge of when I need to pounce."
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Post by Thunderlake on Mar 17, 2017 9:08:05 GMT -5
"Mmm." Silverlake agreed, taking a bite of the freshly killed squirrel. She purred as its flavors reached her tongue. "This is very, very tasty." She purred after she had swallowed the last bits of fresh kill in her mouth.
"It takes practice is all." Sandyclaw mumbled around his prey. "Maybe after you care for the elders we can work on your pounce." He suggested, padding in front of Dewpaw in the direction of camp.
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Post by ᴊᴀʏғʀᴏsᴛ on Mar 17, 2017 10:05:19 GMT -5
(I'm going to fast forward just a little bit.)
Feeling sleepy after finishing the fresh-kill, Hawkwing yawned and curled up into a ball. "You don't have to stay here with me," he murmured drowsily. "I'll just wait til' Tumblefoot or Chamomilepaw wakes me up."
--
"Really?" Dewpaw questioned skeptically as they almost reached the camp. "Maybe I'm just not cut out for it."
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Post by Thunderlake on Mar 17, 2017 13:56:01 GMT -5
[ that works c': ]
"No, no it's fine. I wouldn't want you waiting alone." Feeling awkward, Silverlake flopped down next to him. Her fur barely brushed his and it sent a tingle down her spine. Placing her paws on either side of her muzzle so Hawkwing couldn't see her smile, she let out a low purr.
"Every cat can crouch. It's in our blood." Sandyclaw meowed, sure of himself. "Some cats it comes to naturally. But others need to practice. You're just one of the latter." The tom began to pick up the pace until he was trotting through the forest, head held high and tail waving to and fro.
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Post by ᴊᴀʏғʀᴏsᴛ on Mar 17, 2017 22:15:43 GMT -5
Wow, she really cares about me. Soon, Hawkwing dozed off, snoring softly with his long tail wrapped around his paws.
--
"Hm, if you say so," Dewpaw nodded and bounded for the fresh-kill pile as soon as he entered camp. The squirrel got heavier with each pawstep and a sigh of relief could be heard from Dewpaw as he placed it down.
Giving his pelt a shake, he spotted Hawkwing and Silverlake taking a nap just outside the medicine cat's den.
"Woah!" he exclaimed, looking at Sandyclaw with a grin on his face. "I didn't know Hawkwing was that close to Silverlake."
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