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Post by Fawn on Aug 26, 2016 17:19:24 GMT -5
62 Moons // Tom // Senior Warrior // StoneClan It was ideal conditions to hunt in. StarClan saw fit to provide cloud cover and, miraculously, a light, lazy rain to their parched valley. Even their dry, sometimes blandly-hued part of the valley appeared to have some color restored; the shrubbery looked greener, as did the few patches of moss that hadn't already been used to soak up water for the elders.
Knowing the prey would be out by the dozens to the sky springs or simply moving around without the oppressive heat keeping them in their burrows, Eagletalon seized the chance.
"Heronpaw, Honeypaw," he flicked his tail for the two she-cats sharing tongues in the shadows of StoneClan's camp. "Hunting patrol." Valleyfall and Ashflame were waiting for them by the dusty, sun-scorched boulders marking the entrance and exit.
Eagletalon kept up a cool demeanor, not about to let his apprentice know that her hunting assessment was going to start as soon as they reached the scrublands. He had hinted after the quarter moon that her progress would be watched more carefully--and it seemed Hawkstar's daughter was really taking this to heart--but Eagletalon kept her in suspense otherwise.
He didn't want her overthinking it, just trying her best regardless of all eyes on her or not. Crimsonshadow had agreed to let him borrow Honeypaw for the assessment. It would help keep up appearances of a regular hunting patrol--and hopefully keep Heronpaw's pessimism from getting to her.
Eagletalom took the lead, speaking back to the youngsters as he walked. "The prey will be active while the rain's stopped for a bit, but so too will the birds. Keep an eye out for hawks."
"I see one!" Honeypaw giggled, tapping Heronpaw's shoulder as Hawkstar returned with a border patrol. The little she-cat's whiskers shook with amusement, though she did her best to straighten up and smile warmly at her best friend's father when he was close enough to their group.
Eagletalon shared a knowing look with his leader; Hawkstar, of course, would be perfectly aware that Heronpaw's assessment would be now.
As the two patrols briefly mingled, Honeypaw leaned over to whisper at her friend. "Do you remember how to hunt lizards?" She'd utterly forgotten. Mice, you had to be quiet around, birds you couldn't let them see you... what about lizards? Ground vibrations? Honeypaw felt like she had bees in her brain, her imagination threatening to float her attention away like a feather on a greenleaf breeze.
--- Word Count: 405 Words Tags: BlooRey DVD Notes: Featuring Honeypaw~
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Conquer the monster in your head, and then you'll fly |
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GaleClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Aug 27, 2016 22:53:06 GMT -5
HERONPAW The older of the two apprentice was mid-lick when an all-to familiar voice cut into time spent with her friend Honeypaw. The pair had been sharing tongues after sharing a small mouse between them when Eagletalon, her mentor, suddenly called the two over. Heronpaw blinked in alarm, meeting her friend's equally alarmed gaze, before shrugging her shoulders and lifting her larger frame off the ground. Pausing only to give herself a momentary shake, Heronpaw moved toward her mentor with one of her best friends at her side. She supposed there could be worse things than going on a hunting patrol with your mentor and best friend.
That didn't stop the she-cat from feeling exhausted. Though her previous talk with her mentor had helped... It hadn't exactly instantaneously mended everything. It still felt as though she carried a stone in her belly, her shoulders sore from the overexertion placed upon her by her own mind. Flicking an ear, the cream and white apprentice did her best to dispel the heavy feeling, even managing to smile slightly at her mentor. While Eagletalon moved into a warning about the increased bird activity coming alongside the increased prey activity, her younger friend cracked a joke.
For a moment, her blue eyes blinked at the large frame of her father. What? Honeypaw sees one? All I see is my dad. Hawkstar. Hawk. Bird. The realization hit her with the force of a charging badger, and she couldn't help the snort of laughter that escaped her. Quickly smothering it as the StoneClan leader entered hearing range, Heronpaw felt her ears rotate in embarrassment. Her friend would quickly distract her once more, so that Heronpaw would miss the look exchanged between Hawkstar and Eagletalon. Instead, she was left to ponder the question posed by Honeypaw.
Glancing at Eagletalon and wondering if he was listening, Heronpaw cleared her throat in preparation. "Uh... I think the biggest thing with lizards is to remember the position of your shadow. If you're not careful, your shadow falling across them will alert them to your presence, and they'll do everything they can to disappear into the surrounding cracks and slits." She paused a moment, offering Honeypaw a smile. "Lizards are hard, if you ask me. I think to this day, I've only caught one or two. For StarClan's sake, I'd rather hunt a hawk!" She exclaimed, her statement quickly followed by a laugh.
What made it better was the laugh was only partially forced. Her laughter stop as another thought wheedled its way into her mind. With another flick of her ear, she made a thoughtful sound. "If you can... Hunt them while they are in the shadows. Although they might be harder to spot, their body temperature will also be lower. And when they are cooler, they are slower. At least I think that sounds right..." The cream and white apprentice trailed off with a puzzled look, risking a glance toward her mentor once again to see if the sand-brown tom had been listening to the pair's exchange at all. apprentice of stoneclan Fawn | background image | table by phoenix
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Post by Fawn on Aug 28, 2016 12:30:51 GMT -5
"They're hard to eat, too." Honeypaw commiserated. "Crickietpaw dared me to eat a lizard leg once, and it was horrible. Crunchy and dry, like chewing a weird stick!" That wasn't at all related to hunting, but that was her story to share on the matter. In her opinion, a nice plump bird was better than the fattest lizard any day.
Unknown to the small brown tabby and white she-cat, Eagletalon was nodding, a wry smile on his muzzle in response to Heronpaw's accurate answer to the question.
"Spread out, and mind your footing. I don't want to see either of you two back here unless you've caught something." His tone was that of a stern father lecturing his kits on how to behave during the next Clan meeting—but there was a glitter in his eye that Honeypaw recognized. Eagletalon must've been a fun mentor. He always seemed to be in a good mood.
What had she said about hunting lizards again? Body temperature. Body temperature. Body temperature. Lizards like to sun themselves, be mindful of your shadow... For StarClan's sake, what did lizards do in leafbare? Get so cold they turned to stone?
Honeypaw almost giggled aloud, but caught herself, nose twitching in her efforts to suppress a fit of the giggles. At least that explains why StoneClan's territory is so rocky. She would never be able to look at a pebble the same way again.
"Good luck Heronpaw," she whispered encouragingly, headbutting her friendly gently in the flank. "I'm gonna try near the top of those rocks. I bet I'll find some mice there."
Mice were much easier than lizards or birds combined; Honeypaw was able to jump quite high thanks to her StoneClan cat heritage, but sometimes she wasn't strong enough to kill the bird before it flapped free and took off. Besides, jumping took a lot of effort for the little she-cat. Dawnblossom had given her the all-clear to be a normal apprentice, but Honeypaw, for her parents' sake, tried to take it easy—and wouldn't admit to herself that she was a little out of shape and sometimes out of breath because it took her so long to recover.
Tiptoing over rock and craggy hill alike, Honeypaw lowered into a hunting crouch, right at home on the uneven landscape; she had to resist the urge to hum pleasantly while she listened for mice scuttling around in their dens or searching for seeds or nuts the birds might have dropped.
Tap tap tap. Honeypaw froze, keeping her ears folded back as she peered over a lichen-covered boulder to spy a song thrush tapping something onto the stone with its beak. What is that? It looked like a... snail shell? That was neat, and a clever idea, though wouldn't it be easier just to fly up and drop the shell? The fall would crack it, surely. Though it might be harder to find it again...
How did song thrushes even know to find snails? They were so slow moving, they must've been hard to see from up high. I guess that's one unlucky snail. Before her thoughts got away from her, she waited until the tap tap tap started up again before she gathered the strength in her hind legs, cleared the boulder and smacked her paws down on the thrush. "Goh ehw!" She crowed through a mouthful of feathers, the cracked snail shell rolled away, and Honeypaw took a moment to thank StarClan for her catch and to nudge the snail safely into a divot in the rock where it could collect itself and go on its way.
It's so easy to make believe, it seems you're livin' in a dreamWord Count: 600 WordsTags: BlooRey DVD Notes: xD I got carried away!
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Conquer the monster in your head, and then you'll fly |
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GaleClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Aug 28, 2016 22:23:18 GMT -5
HERONPAW Heronpaw laughed with her friend, the sound bringing with it a welcomed... Lightness to her chest. She would be the first to admit that friends did make her feel a little better. Being around Hazelpaw and Honeypaw certainly presented her with a distraction, a window to ignore those darker feelings writhing in her belly like a wounded adder. Spending time with her friends only solidified her resolve to hold to her promise of spending even more time with her friends. They could all use the break sometimes, she imagined. They had to be there for each other.
Eagletalon's voice had the she-cat stifling her laughter, clearing her throat and looking at the sand brown tom with the straightest face she could manage. But... The glint in his eye told her that, even if she'd not been able to hold the face, he wouldn't have been too bothered. Eagletalon could always appreciate a good laugh when it was appropriate. And now he was challenging the pair to catch prey for the Clan or else. A slight dip of her head was accompanied by a determined flick of her tail before she followed Honeypaw a couple steps away. She hesitated only when the other she-cat announced her hunting plan.
Blue eyes flicked toward the rocks the younger she-cat had pointed out, and she smiled. "Okay, I'll head nearer to the other side of the scrublands, start at the bottom and work my way up. Good luck to you too! Watch out for snakes, remember!" With that, the StoneClan apprentice trotted away to her destination. She let her tail dance behind her until she was ready to actually begin her mission. White paws scuffed the earth as she slowed to a stop, ears twitching at the sound of pebbles dancing down the stone face somewhere.
Probably prey somewhere... Must be a decent size if it can knock loose some pebbles. She thought to herself. Parting her jaws, she searched for any hint of prey in the nearby area. A faint trace of mouse tickled her senses, leaving Heronpaw to collect herself. Alright, Heronpaw... Got to bring something back to the Clan. She reminded herself, only if to keep the other thoughts from flooding her. Blue eyes narrowed as she stared at a nearby crevice in the rock wall. Moving as quietly as she could, the she-cat crawled up onto the rocks, shuffling herself around until she was nestled comfortably beneath a shadowed overhand.
And then she waited.
She was unsure of how long it took, as time felt rapid and painfully slow all at once, but eventually, a little gray-brown head peeked out from the crevice. The rodent's whiskers twitched along with its nose, tiny body scuttling out as it investigated the barren scrubland below it. Heronpaw could never quite figure out what mice were looking for in this terrain. There didn't seem to be anything obvious for it to eat. And yet... Off they searched, continuously looking for something, whatever it might be.
The cream and white she-cat let the mouse scurry and dart, it's path zig-zagging closer to, then away from its little crevice den. Meanwhile, she inched out of her hiding spot, staying low to the stone. It was a little more difficult on the uneven, rocky terrain, and far easier to make unintentional noise. She was forced to constantly remind herself to be careful when lifting a paw and placing it down. Slowly... Slowly... Just a little closer.... Now! Executing her pounce took some adjustments. The sun was behind her, meaning her shadow fell across the mouse before she did.
The mouse spooked, wheeling on its hind legs to attempt a streak back to its den. Heronpaw had thought of that, and had planned to fall short of the mouse. Still, it wasn't an easy catch by any means. The mouse swerved, her initial strike missing it. By some stroke of luck, the panicked mouse darted into her next strike, just as Heronpaw whipped around to chase it. Her claws caught it's hind legs, pinning it where it was as it began to squeak. Hissing, she dove for its neck, killing it before it could get any more warnings out.
She felt a little embarrassed at the clumsiness of the catch, but... At least she managed to get it in the end? Shaking out her coat, the StoneClan apprentice picked up her prey and bounded up onto the rocks, looking for some smaller stones she could move. Creating something resembling a rocky tomb, Heronpaw hid her catch from any air-born predators, and hopefully from any hungry snakes. After picking a landmark to track her prey down later, Heronpaw clambered along the rock-strewn field in search of more prey. She wondered who she'd run into first; a lizard, or her friend Honeypaw. She wouldn't mind either way. Maybe the pair could pull off some good partner hunting using various tricks Ealgetalon had taught her.
It was worth a shot, right? apprentice of stoneclan Fawn | background image | table by phoenix
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Post by Fawn on Aug 29, 2016 20:41:35 GMT -5
Honeypaw buried her catch as carefully as she could, resorting to piling stones over the indent in the tough, dry earth to make sure nothing came by to snatch up her fresh kill. The light brown tabby scuttled over the rocks with the deftness of a mouse or vole, searching among the nooks and crannies for any signs of life other than her own whiskers twitching in the gloom.
A harmless garter snake hissed when she got too close, and Honeypaw stuck her tongue out at it, quickly scrambling away from the serpent with the full klnowledge that Crimsonshadow hadn't taught her how to catch snakes yet. I'll come back for you some day.
Well, maybe not. All garter snakes tended to look the same...
It was easy to see Heronpaw among the rocks, when she climbed up higher to get a better vantage point, and her tail twitched in amusement, seeing a flash of cream-and-flame pelt disappear around a craggy overhang, her best friend obviously in pursuit of something.
Good luck, Heronpaw!
Unknown to the she-cat, both Valleyfall and Eagletalon were watching Heronpaw's progress, the sandy warrior having buried his own mouse, and straightened in time to see his apprentice's rather clumsy catch over the stones. She'll do better. He knew she could; he had complete faith in her abilities as a warrioress. She just needed a bit more time. The assessment wasn't over until the sun began to set, anyway.
Squaring his scarred shoulders to the sun, Eagletalon continued his own hunting.
Honeypaw, meanwhile, had the chance to put Heronpaw's advice to practice. Spotting a beady-eyed lizard trying to sun itself on one of the few flattish parts of StoneClan's terrain, the she-cat's haunches wriggled, her eyes glistening like dew-drops with excitement. Remember your shadow. Don't make too much noise. They're also terribly fast...
She edged closer. Just... a bit... more...
The pale brown stripes on the lizard's hide were starting to become visible, and Honeypaw sent a thankful blessing to StarClan for her brown and white coat, able to blend in well enough with the rocks to give her a fighting chance. Her heart like thunder, Honeypaw crept closer, no more than a harelength away.
But her shadow ruined it, Honeypaw exhaled a sigh of dismay as a black shape flitted over the stones—until the shape dived down and snatched up the lizard right before her very eyes. "Hey!"
That hadn't been her shadow at all, it had been a hawk!
Honeypaw shivered, realizing, once her startled indignation had faded, that the hawk very well could've been stalking her.
Better the lizard than me...
Another shadow flitted across the ground. Honeypaw's ears folded back, and it was just as she twisted, trying to get a good look at the airbourne predator that she felt hawk talons graze her pelt. There's a second one!
With a yelp, Honeypaw took off running, flying like a rabbit over rock and scrabbling, her claws making a panicked scratching sound on the boulders as she desperately scaled a tall one, trying to get over the crest. "Help!"
It's so easy to make believe, it seems you're livin' in a dreamWord Count: 511 WordsTags:BlooRey DVD Notes: ^^ Gave Heronpaw the chance to get one more catch before she had to go fight the hawk!
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Conquer the monster in your head, and then you'll fly |
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GaleClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Aug 29, 2016 21:41:39 GMT -5
HERONPAW The cream and white she-cat focused on the way her shadow fell across the stones as she stalked forward. She hovered over the rocks, her weight shifting easily now that she'd managed to focus herself on the task at paw. Blue eyes were glued straight forward, on that striped reptile sunning itself a few tail lengths ahead of her. It was blissfully unaware of her presence, staring off in some other direction with the sun beating down on its scaled hide. If she could just close a little more of the distance separating them, she could take it down easily.
Slowly, she inched her weight onto her hind legs, feeling the energy building there before she released it. Her body streaked through the air, claws unsheathing just as her forepaws landed heavily on the lizard's back. With only a couple heartbeats between her landing and her killing bite, the lizard soon lay limp at the hunter's paws. Nodding in satisfaction, the StoneClan apprentice was just leaning forward to pick up the kill and bring it to her growing pile when Honeypaw's voice broke through her concentration. Alarm flashed through Heronpaw as she glanced over her shoulder in the direction she'd heard the younger apprentice's voice.
What she didn't expect was to see a hawk diving for her friend. Springing around immediately, she staggered only momentarily while she found her grip, bounding desperately along the rocks to close the distance between herself and her friend. "Honeypaw!" She called, hoping to draw her friend toward her. No no no no no! She chanted to herself, seeing the hawk circle and prepare for another dive. I'm too far away! I'm too far away! Her thoughts screamed at her, heartbeat thundering in her ears while her heart attempted to escape through her throat. No. I will get there.
She could see it's talons glint in the sun as they opened, the bird preparing to grab her friend once more. She'd run straight down the stones, and by some StarClan appointed miracle, hadn't tripped or caught her paw in between two stones. She wasn't sure if she could make it, but she knew she was running out of time. Sharp talons grabbed at Honeypaw, causing the younger apprentice to scream in a mix of what she assumed was pain and terror. Leaping onto a rock that jutted up to the sky slightly, Heronpaw threw her weight into her hind legs, tensing her muscles in preparation.
With the speed of a crack of lightning, she let the energy explode, a shriek tearing from her throat painfully.
"Let. Her. GO!" Outstretched claws hoped to meet feathers, blue eyes narrowed against the wind tearing at her face. She'd managed to get enough air to make it look as though she dove down onto the bird, which had been her plan; she'd wanted to land on its back and force it to the ground with her weight. Unfortunately, her hind paws didn't quite make it.
Even so, her fore claws dug aggressively into the bird's skin, her teeth grabbing desperately at it's back and ripping feathers from it's body. The bird screamed in alarm, its wings flapping wildly in an attempt to shake its attacker. But Heronpaw wasn't about to give up. Dust kicked up around them, assaulting her throat and making it extraordinarily difficult for her to breaths. But she couldn't give him. Inching her way forward, clinging to it's back to avoid the bird's deadly talons, Heronpaw found her head pulling back on occasion as the bird attempted to nick her with its beak.
Throwing her weight to the side in a desperate move, the she-cat buried her claws deeper to ensure the avian predator stayed with her throughout the roll. Here, she received another miracle from StarClan; the roll proved enough to disorient and startle the bird, Heronpaw's fangs sinking into its neck just as she rolled herself back to her paws. Her jaws tightened instinctively, the StoneClan apprentice vowing not to let go until she was sure it was dead, until its wings stopped its frantic beat. The seconds dragged on as the bird flailed and kicked, desperate to get back into the air.
And then it all stopped. With her heart still thudding against her ribcage,she released the dead hawk, haunches sinking to the ground as the cream and white she-cat flopped ungracefully to the side. With what little energy she had left in her panting frame, she raised her head, worried blue eyes searching out a familiar frame. "Honeypaw..?" She rasped through a dirt-dry throat. "Are you... Are you okay?" apprentice of stoneclan Fawn | background image | table by phoenix
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Post by Fawn on Aug 30, 2016 0:58:11 GMT -5
Everything. Happened. So fast!
Just when she'd thought she'd never catch her breath, or no cat would ever find her in time, Heronpaw appeared falling like a star, latching onto the hawk with needle claws that snatched tufts of feathers out of the hawk's wings. She saw all the ferocity of LeopardClan in her friend's eyes, and she stared, transfixed and trembling, as the pair of predators engaged in serious, bloody combat. B-Be careful Heronpaw!
The tabby she-cat began to move with frantic, fretful energy as the battle between Heronpaw and the hawk seemed to go either way, and her paw would occasionally raise, claws unsheathed, uncertain how or when to help. The noises were terrible. She'd never known a hawk could screech so badly, or that her best friend could sound so... so ferocious. She's a real warrior... Honeypaw realized, awe coloring her thoughts like sunlight dappling through the trees.
Hard sandy paws thudded beside her without warning. Honeypaw jumped, veering wildly away until Eagletalon steadied her with a reassuring look, his gaze locked on to Heronpaw and the hawk. "Aren't you going to help her?" she squeaked, voice high with adrenaline.
The scarred, sandy warrior shook his head. "She doesn't need it."
How can you be so calm? She's fighting a hawk, for StarClan's sake—
And just like that, the fight was over.
The hawk was still. Far too still to be alive, and she saw the dark spots on the rocks where blood had dripped; the smell was definitely blood, but the appearance of it on the stone... it looked like rain. Almost. Honeypaw shivered, racing over to Heronpaw. "I'm fine! You were amazing, Heronpaw! I can't believe you leaped out of the sky like that!"
Eagletalon checked over the pale, flame-pointed she-cat with a few careful prods of his nose, but when he straightened, evidently finding no serious injury, pride glowed in his gaze like sunlight. "Well done, Heronpaw. Your father would be incredibly proud to have seen that. Bring that back to camp; even if no-cat eats it, it's feathers will serve as nice trophies to line your nest with." The sandy tom was smiling, his claws unsheathed, paws flexing wistfully as if he'd relished the opportunity she'd just gotten.
Honeypaw, still awash with excitement of her near-death experience turned triumphant-rescue, couldn't keep still long enough to properly lick some of the dirt off of Heronpaw's pelt, too giddy with relief. "I'm glad you're okay! Oh my stars, that was wild!"
It's so easy to make believe, it seems you're livin' in a dreamWord Count: 421 WordsTags: BlooRey DVD Notes:
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Conquer the monster in your head, and then you'll fly |
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GaleClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Aug 30, 2016 16:52:29 GMT -5
HERONPAW The older she-cat felt herself relax the moment she heard her friend's voice, blue eyes landing on the younger she-cat standing side by side with her mentor, Eagletalon. She remained still as he checked her for any injuries, honestly curious to know the answer to that question herself. She couldn't remember the hawk landing anything too heavy, only noting a dull sting in her shoulder where the hawk's beak had managed to reach her. She made a note to get it checked out by Dawnblossom, just to avoid any infection from setting in. The last thing she needed was for her training to be delayed further because of another injury.
When Eagletalon stepped back, satisfied that she wasn't dying, she met his glowing gaze with a tired smile and a soft purr. Though he praised her, and the thought of her father being proud of her was incredibly exciting... The best kind of praise she could receive from that event was knowing Honeypaw was okay. Dragging herself to her paws, she glanced at the hawk, already imagining how soft her nest would be with those feathers in them. I'll share them with Hazelpaw and Honeypaw. She promised herself with a slight dip of her head.
Clearing her throat, she glanced up the stones she'd so recently bounded down. The thought of scaling them again was exhausting in itself, but she had prey to collect. She just hoped that another predator hadn't snatched up the lizard she'd killed. "I'm going to go collect what I caught quickly." With a glance at Honeypaw, she nudged her friend reassuringly. "I'm fine, really... You should go get your prey too." Of course, she was assuming that the patrol was over. Glancing in Eagletalon's direction to make sure she wasn't overstepping, she took his nod as a sign she was right.
Momentarily excusing herself to clamber back up the stone expanse, she found herself pleasantly surprised to see the lizard lying where she'd left it. Hurriedly retrieving it, she picked her way down to the make shift tomb she'd created for her first bit of prey. Pushing the stones aside, she retrieved the gray-brown animal, each hanging from her jaws by the tail. Little bounds took her back to flat ground, where she hesitated just to stretch out her muscles. Though her shoulder stung again, it did feel nice to give her body a good stretch.
Trotting back to her friend and her mentor, she deposited the two pieces at her paws, blue eyes returning to the lifeless brown form of the hawk. With a slight frown, she found her gaze returning to Honeypaw and Eagletalon. "Um... Could one of you take the mouse and lizard? I... Don't think I can carry those and the hawk all at once." She admitted with a slight laugh.Thankfully, it would see as though she were not on her own today. With her two pieces of prey taken care of by the two patrol companions, Heronpaw was left to focus on the hawk.
Gripping one of it's outstretched wings in her jaws, she tugged it slightly to see how the limp creature moved. Which... In hindsight sounded weird, but it made sense in her head. Shimmying herself under the brown bird's wing, she managed to (somewhat awkwardly) pull the hawk onto her back. It's wing feathers dragged on the ground slightly, and she was certain she looked more than a little silly with the hawk's head perched on top of hers, but there wasn't much she could do.
Shuffling about to give Eagletalon a nod, she let her mentor know she was ready. With that, the three StoneClan cats began the journey back to camp, the two younger patrol-goers unaware of the other two warriors that had been watching from afar. apprentice of stoneclan Fawn | background image | table by phoenixEnd thread ^^
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