[Deleted]

Darkstorm waited at the entrance to camp for the rest of her hunting patrol to gather, her tail twitching as she considered, as she did every day, the current situation NightClan found themselves in. It had been about an entire moon since Demon had attacked and Briarthroat had gone missing, no sign of his body had been recovered, no trace of his scent to be followed. Some cats were still clinging to some vain hole that he would return and take his rightful place as leader, but most had given up on that possibility… and it was beginning to stir restlessness again.

Cats were beginning to question who would lead them with the line of succession broken, but there was no definitive answer to that question. Darkstorm, Pinewhisker, Starlingcry, and a couple others had taken up leadership roles in the Clan in the absence of a ‘star’ to guide them, but they could not continue like this for much longer. NightClan needed a true leader. It was growing time to face the fact that Briarthroat was gone and the medicine cats needed to ask StarClan who would lead them now.

Crowflame, Snakestep, and Cinderpaw had soon joined her, however, and she set those thoughts aside for the task at paw. Leader or no leader, the Clan still needed to eat. She rose and led the way out of camp, slowing her steps and casting a glance back at the two younger warriors, “You two go on ahead. I'll stay with Cinderpaw.” She waited for Crowflame and Snakestep to pass and head off into the pines, the albino tom looking back curiously before he was out of sight.

“Cinderpaw. Consider this an assessment. I know we have no leader or deputy right now, but as soon as we do I will ensure they know that you are ready for warriorhood. You and your siblings,” she settled her orange gaze on the younger tom, though he no longer looked it. Whoever their father was must be quite a large tom, for Gracklepaw and Cinderpaw at least had far outgrown their mother. Sootfeather had never named a father, however. She flicked her tail to signal that he should begin, “Show me what you have learned.”

~

Padding away with Crowflame, Snakestep walked in silence for a little while, listening for prey, but his mind kept wandering to the terrible situation NightClan currently found themselves in. He had been hopeful at first that maybe Briarthroat would come home… that he had escaped. But now, it had been so long… he was finding it hard to keep believing that was possible. His mother had abandoned him, his mentor had died last season, and now Briarthroat, the closest thing he and Nettleheart had ever had to a father, was probably….

He stumbled over a root then, bringing him back from his thoughts, and hissed softly in pain. “Foxdung! Why is everything awful?” He glared at the root that had tripped him as he gingerly placed his paw back on the ground. There was a slight lingering ache but it was fading quickly. At least he hadn't actually hurt it so it cut his hunting trip short before he had even caught anything. His lashed once, then his ears flicked back and he let out a deep breath, asking in a quiet voice, “Crowflame… do you think there’s any chance at all that Briarthroat is… is still alive?” His crimson gaze turned up toward hers hopefully.

---

Taxx

[Taxx]

CINDERPAW

NIGHTCLAN

rather be the hunter than the prey

The creeping uncertainty over the leadership of NightClan was becoming more obvious by the day. For a while, they'd all clung to hope that Briarthroat would return- even if he'd been hurt, it would have been a relief. But despite numerous patrols and attempts to find him, and the others in the patrol that had vanished, there was only the fading scents left in the stretch of ground that he'd last been seen in; and the growing worry that he never would return.

Cinderpaw couldn't really admit to much distress; it wasn't his place to speak up among the warriors of his Clan. They would eventually decide on a course of action, and the Clan, hopefully, would follow suit and unify under their new leader. And the apprentices' life would go on the same: training day after day until they passed their final assessments.

The wind was howling; he could hear it clearly even in his den, and the creak of branches as they bent and twisted in the gale. At least the wind wasn't freezing anymore, and Cinderpaw stretched as he rose, padded from the den to meet the rest of his patrol. Crowflame was prancing from the warriors' den, the wound on her shoulder from the last fight mostly healed and the expression on her face cheerful. She paused next to Snakestep with a quiet purr and Cinderpaw jerked into motion again, crossing the distance and then trailing after the four as they left the camp.

Amber eyes flicked to Darkstorm as she began to speak, not bothering to watch as the younger warriors padded away. He dipped his head in response to her and then turned, face into the wind as he began to scent. It was difficult with the strong gusts- facing into them, his fur slicked back against his body and the flood of scents- some prey, some not- were hard to pick apart, and the constant gale muffled or buried completely the quiet noises of prey. Darkstorm might have done this on purpose to test him; it was up to Cinderpaw to pass.

Besides, it might make it harder for the prey to hear or scent him, too, as opposed to a calm night. They were likely to be wary, but he could get lucky if he remembered his training. Without a backward glance, Cinderpaw padded off, minding his steps and his tail as he headed off, relying more on sight than scent and hearing this time. He managed to locate smaller prey, catching a few frogs as they tried to escape, and then a snake. He buried them under a layer of pine needles, ears flicking at the high squeaks of bats overhead- he wondered if he'd be able to catch one, or if he ought to stick to ground prey.

@tag || Notes

Watch me, I'll make a name for myself

Even with the strong wind, it wasn't so bad. It was warm, which made it a lot more tolerable than if it were still leafbare. A bit annoying, perhaps, but not as bad as it could have been. Crowflame had woken from her doze by Snakestep and had followed the albino tom from the den; when Cinderpaw joined them, the four set off. And when directed by Darkstorm to carry on by themselves, she obeyed.

Snakestep's curse caught her attention and she looked back, concern flashing across her face as she watched him straighten, limping just a bit on the sore foot. Crowflame waited for him to catch up and then set off again, adjusting her stride to match his. She felt bad for him- he was as upset about Briarthroat's disappearance as she had been about Blackwolf's death- maybe even more, because no cat even knew if he was alive... or dead. Even if they'd found his body, as hard as it would have been, there would be none of this uncertainty over his fate. Snakestep and Nettleheart were close to him, like his own kits, and she knew they looked up to the deputy.

Her glance toward the white tom was unsure. She didn't know- how many had escaped the lynx's claws when he'd set his sights on them? And yet, who was to say that Briarthroat hadn't managed to save himself, somehow? Was he injured, and that's why he hadn't returned? Or...

Her fur prickled and she wished she could offer a clear answer. "I don't know," she murmured, halting in her tracks and leaning over to press her nose into Snakestep's fur. "I wish I did, so I could help you... but he's a strong cat, and skilled. And for you, and Nettleheart, I really hope he's alive, and that he'll come back soon."

Crowflame

NightClan Warrior

I won't be just another face in the crowd

@zen || Notes

[Deleted]

Darkstorm followed carefully after Cinderpaw, keeping quiet and out of sight as she watched his progress. Frogs were a good choice to go after in this weather. The easy choice, but when the Clan needed to be fed, trying to show off was not endearing. No, the logical choice was perhaps the better word. Cinderpaw had a level head. A warrior shouldn’t turn their nose up at any chance to bring fresh kill back to their Clan.

Despite the challenges of the weather, he had already made three catches. She watched as he seemed to consider his next course of action, waiting to see just what he would do next. Briefly, she wished Sootfeather was still alive, that when they returned to camp she could proudly tell her friend that her son would certainly be a warrior as soon as they had a leader to name him. Then her ears twitched as if flicking away the thought. If wishes brought back the dead, every cat would live forever. Sootfeather could surely see her kits from StarClan. She didn’t need any cat to tell her how well they were doing.

~

Snakestep closed his eyes and sighed as Crowflame murmured that she didn’t know. He hadn’t really expected anything more than that. How could she could know? And it wasn’t fair of him to put his hopes on her when she was as helpless about this whole situation as he was. His crimson gaze flickered open again when she pressed her nose into his fur and he suddenly felt a rush of heat under his pelt. He stood there a moment, letting her words sink in, and was really grateful for them.

“Thank you,” he murmured, leaning into her fur for a moment more of comfort. He took a deep breath, put a little more weight on his paw to see if any pain lingered, and when it didn’t he moved forward again, “I guess we should try to catch something…. Briarthroat would be pretty disappointed if he came back and there was an empty freshkill pile.” He purred softly, trying to regain a brighter perspective, to hold on to his hope. Briarthroat just had to be alive.

---

Taxx

[Taxx]

CINDERPAW

NIGHTCLAN

rather be the hunter than the prey

Though Cinderpaw's attention had been more on the bats, his next catch was of a squirrel- a tad messy, as it had been running from something else and he had stepped out right in front of it. It was more instinctive than controlled, as he'd slapped both paws down on its tail as it tried to duck past him and then hooked it closer to grab it by the neck for the killing bite.

Not a catch to turn down, though, and he held on to it as he spotted the ghostly form of the owl, probably the same one that had been chasing the squirrel, perched in a tree a short distance away, both large round eyes fixed eerily on him. Deliberately, Cinderpaw bristled, fluffing himself up to make himself look larger and decidedly not worth the fight, but he kept his firm hold on his prey as he retreated.

For whatever reason, it didn't follow; Cinderpaw headed back to where he had dropped his previous catches, adding the squirrel to the cache and raking another layer of earth and pine needles over it. Then he was off again, in a different direction this time, nose down and following the recent track of a possum; Darkstorm was watching, he was sure of that, but she'd stop him when she was ready, and until then he'd just carry on doing as told.

@tag || Notes

Watch me, I'll make a name for myself

Crowflame felt bad that she couldn't offer proper comfort, but she was grateful that Snakestep accepted what little she did give with gratitude. For a minute longer they remained leaned together, and then he straightened with a quiet sigh. Crowflame straightened as well, flicking the tip of her tail against Snakestep's shoulder and padded onward. "If we even can," she sniffed, breaking into a comical stagger at a fresh gust of wind. "Maybe if we just sit tight, something will blow right to us and we won't have to do any actual tracking."

A nice thought, but not likely. So, lifting her nose, Crowflame drew in a breath as she sought the scent of something worth trying for. The wind, however, gusted too fitfully for her to get a firm read on anything and she dropped her head with an irritated flick of her tail. "Let's try the ponds?" she suggested. "There'll be frogs there we can catch, and they never go far. Come on! I don't know about you, but I'd rather not have Darkstorm catch us just standing around here." She set off as she spoke, tail up and waving as she headed off, but she hadn't gotten far when she caught the low rasping growl of warning and froze; a quick scan for the source showed her the raccoon, back arched as it stood boldly, facing her.

"Or we can hunt this?" she asked without taking her gaze off it, waiting for Snakestep's reply before making any move; she'd need his help to kill it, and if he wasn't willing then it'd be best to just let it go on its way while the two cats carried on with their original plan.

Crowflame

NightClan Warrior

I won't be just another face in the crowd

@zen || Notes

[Deleted]

A messy kill was still a kill. Sometimes when the opportunity presented itself to you, there wasn’t time to plan, to execute a fluid motion to ensure a clean result. Darkstorm was curious as to why that squirrel had all but run right into Cinderpaw’s claws, however. From her vantage point, she could not see what Cinderpaw saw a moment later, but when the young tom suddenly fluffed up his pelt, inflating his already formidable size, Darkstorm’s claws dug into the earth, ready to leap out and help him if some sort of predator threatened him. Instead he turned and padded away, safe and not pursued by anything.

Darkstorm did not retract her claws just yet, waiting until the tom had gone ahead before slinking forward, checking for signs of whatever had caused Cinderpaw to react in such a way. She spotted the owl a few heartbeats later, from the safety of her cover. Owls could be dangerous for smaller cats, but Cinderpaw would likely never need to fear one trying to make him into prey. Relaxing now that she was sure the danger had passed, she turned to follow the tom’s scent trail and catch up to see if he could make one more catch. That would be plenty for his assessment, whether he made a final catch or not. He was clearly a capable hunter. But if he was in the middle of a catch when she caught up to him, she wouldn’t interrupt.

~

Snakestep laughed at Crowflame’s antics. She was always so animated and lively. Her easy humor helped him too and when she put on a show of staggering he made to brace her against the wind. “Don’t worry, I’ll hold you up,” he laughed again, “And you can catch whatever blows our way.” With a final chuckle, he joined her in attempting to scent any nearby prey, only to be just as disappointed. The wind made it rather impossible.

Crowflame’s suggestion of frog catching made sense to him and he nodded, turning to follow her, though when she mentioned Darkstorm catching them standing around not hunting the fur along his spine tingled with mild alarm. Darkstorm was so intense and took everything so seriously, she would hardly be impressed if they had nothing to show for their hunting trip. He did not want to find out just what she would say or do in such a situation, and hurried his steps along beside his companion.

Only to stop abruptly as Crowflame did. He followed her gaze to see a strange looking creature, clearly prepared to fight them if they got any closer. His fur fluffed out as he stared at it, “What even is that?” He had never seen one before. Though the wind blew a scent he recognized at them after a heartbeat. Honeywhisker had pointed the scent out a few times as something called a racoon, though they had never met one before, only crossed its scent trail. They could be dangerous, especially to cats alone, but they if they could be killed, they could certainly be brought back as prey. Apparently they had a rather strong taste to them that not many cats liked… but looking at how big it was, Snakestep couldn’t help but think how many cats it would feed. Was it worth the fight?

Darkstorm certainly wouldn’t have anything to complain about if they brought a whole racoon back as prey. His tail flicked uncertainly and he glanced at Crowflame. She had fought in two battles against TreeClan so far. There was no way she was at all afraid of fighting this thing. He drew in a deep breath and nodded. “Let’s do it,” he mewed softly, claws unsheathing as he tried to determine the best place to attack. He didn’t want Crowflame to think he was a coward.

---

Taxx

[Taxx]

CINDERPAW

NIGHTCLAN

rather be the hunter than the prey

Was it too showy, trying to catch a bat? They weren't much of a meal, really, but catching one proved a warrior's skill. Quick on the wing and hard to spot, they were as much a testament of ability as food to the Clan; Cinderpaw's gaze returned to them as they flapped overhead, hardly seeming to mind him as they snapped up insects and then disappeared into the night once more.

He crouched low, holding stone-still for a moment as his yellow gaze flickered between them. One stalled, turning back to try to catch a bug it'd missed, and Cinderpaw finally sprang. Yet, at the same time, a blast of wind whipped his pelt into his eyes and he was blinded; he flailed his paws toward where the bat should have been, but felt nothing beneath his claws and he dropped back to earth empty-pawed. Mouse-dung. He snorted, his tail lashing once. Stupid bats. Whatever, there was other prey he could catch.

@tag || Notes

Watch me, I'll make a name for myself

Crowflame had beamed at Snakestep at the offer, purring shortly before they got down to the serious business of hunting, and now she kept her bright eyes on the raccoon. She'd seen one, once, but only at a distance; Thornscar had told her to keep her distance. "Raccoon," she replied. "We'll have to be careful, Thornscar warned me that their bites can be nasty." But oh, yes, she was willing to try it, and Snakestep's agreement meant that she could. Too risky on her own, but two warriors could watch each other's backs.

"Come at it from both sides?" she suggested. "I'll take left and distract it." She waited for her Clanmate's nod before circling around, drawing the creature's attention to her and off Snakestep. Teeth bared and ears laid back, she hissed, edging closer as the low growls gained strength, pushing it until she knew that one more step would result in it lunging at her, its fur bristled so that it looked twice the size. She wasn't afraid, though- it was more dangerous prey than a mouse or squirrel, but it was still prey. Before the night was over, it'd be on NightClan's fresh-kill pile.

Crowflame

NightClan Warrior

I won't be just another face in the crowd

@zen || Notes