Post by Phoenix on Jul 4, 2013 14:16:54 GMT -5
Relatively relaxed muscles went rigid in alarm as the breeze, the very same set Silverpaw on her second hunt, brought a plethora of scents to his awareness. Dismissing that of a small flock of birds and a nearby mouse, which he assumed was his apprentice’s next target, if her direction hinted at anything, the warrior focused on something older, less recent. Though he had never come face to face with the creature before, he had been introduced to faint scent trails so that he would be able to recognize the animal for what it was. In any case, every apprentice heard tales, told by eager elders, of its ferocity and everything that made it a formidable opponent. Jaw clenching and ears alert for the sound of any threat, the scarred warrior turned on his paw, springing in the direction the she-cat had left.
As it turned out, he did not have far to travel, for he nearly ran into his apprentice on the first leap. The odious scent of fox hit him, far stronger than it had been moments before, and he cast out another cursory glance around the area. Unbidden, the fur along his spine rose and his claws itched to unsheathe themselves. ”Let’s get out of here, Silverpaw,” Nobleheart ordered, voice urgent and eyes never ceasing their movement as they scanned the nearby brush and undergrowth. ”Fox dung is never a good sign, and we need to alert Lionstar before something bad happens.” As experienced as he would like to believe himself, the reasonable part of the warrior, the part where his ego dared not to tread, knew that a warrior with no previous experience fighting a fox and an apprentice who had just begun training stood no chance should the beast be lurking nearby. The powerful scent of the dung at their feet prevented him from determining where the fox was; how far away from them it had traveled in the time it had taken for Silverpaw to discover its waste?
Senses on high alert, the tom could not shake the paranoia that seemed to have settled upon him. His heart raced, pumping adrenaline through his veins at the perceived threat to him and his apprentice. Quickening his pace, he led the way back, growing more uneasy when the scent of fox did not fade like he had hoped it would once they left the proximity of the dung. Green eyes found Silverpaw again as he paused, claws unsheathed. ”You wiped off your paw when you stepp--“ A flash of red caught his attention from the corner of his eye, and he broke off with a startled, ”Get down!” even as he flattened himself to the ground, reacting on pure instinct.