[Deleted]

During Minkfire’s training with her mother, Frozenrain had told her about how the Tribe hunted large predatory birds. MountainClan or whatever had taught them after they’d been run out by RainClan and LightningClan, because their leader had been from the Tribe, apparently. She had never really gotten a chance to try it herself, but last night she’d dreamed of catching a giant eagle and how the entire Clan had celebrated how awesome she was. Being at the center of so much attention and adoration had really made the dream stick with her when she woke, and now she was determined to make it reality. Besides, she was getting bored of the same old prey anyway.

So she had shirked off participating in any patrols and gone out hunting for bait, like her mother had told her, and managed to catch a mouse. Then she found a good open place to put it and hid in the nearby shadow of a boulder to wait, watching the sky with wide, excited blue eyes. This was going to be so cool. Just wait until the Clan saw her bringing home an entire eagle. Her claws itched, her fur prickling, as she waited restlessly. And then the silhouette appeared in the sky and she held her breath, willing it toward her. Hopefully it was an eagle and not just some puny falcon, it was hard to tell from this distance. It had to be an eagle.

She was forgetting a rather important part of hunting such large birds, however, and that was not to do it alone. The bird circled lower and lower and Minkfire’s excitement grew as she realized it was indeed an eagle. And then it dove. She darted from her hiding spot before she realized just how big it really was. She’d never seen an eagle up close before, and though the one in her dreams had been bigger, facing one in real life suddenly seemed a lot more difficult.

She had put herself in the way of the eagle and her bait, but the Eagle hadn’t hesitated in the least and she screeched as cruel talons hooked into her pelt. She struggled to free herself, felt the rising panic as those giant wings beat down and she felt her paws start to leave the ground. No!

BlooRey DVD
Greenleaf 4 - It is a mild and dry day, cooled slightly by the previous day's rain. A few wisps of clouds drift through the sky.

[BlooRey DVD]

Hawkstar

may your dreams be larger than mountains

The big tom padded slowly through StoneClan's territory, pale amber eyes enjoying his surroundings contently. The air was cooler today, and the broad shouldered tom had decided to take this opportunity to go for a walk. His steadily advancing age left him stiff in the mornings, and he found it best to start his day with an easy paced walked to loosen his muscles. The sky above was clear and open, bluer than he'd seen it in a while he was certain. The quiet stillness went undisturbed, the air rustling only with the sound of the wi-

A sand brown ear snapped to the right as a piercing shriek broke the quiet. His muzzle swung toward the sound, just in time to see the winged form of an eagle circle above the Boulder Fields. An eagle? The big tom thought, unease growing in his chest. They only circle like that when... His paws had already begun moving in the direction of the bird's circling. It was unusual for a bird of that size to be out at this time of day. It was unusual for an eagle to be in the area at all; they were normally much closer to the mountains and only paused in StoneClan territory when StoneClan cats were purposely hunting them.

There isn't supposed to be a patrol out here right now. He thought, already running full tilt to investigate. Either the eagle had been lucky and found a piece of prey that had ventured too far from cover, or someone was in trouble. No... He thought, pushing himself harder as the eagle's wings tucked in and it dropped from the sky with remarkable speed. Paws thundered over the stony terrain, the StoneClan figurehead bursting into the clearing to see a terrifyingly familiar pelt in the unforgiving talons of an eagle.

"Minkfire!" The booming call ripped out of the aging tom's throat, Hawkstar desperately willing himself to move faster. If it managed to get any higher, there would be little the tom would be able to do. Little more than a sand-colored streak as he tore across the open plateau, he angled himself toward a raised boulder, hind legs bunching and releasing to throw him into the air in quick succession. Using the boulder as an extra step, Hawkstar launched his frame into the air, claws unsheathed from his large paws.

By some StarClan-given miracle, he landed his mark, claws sinking into the large bird's side mid wing-beat. The beast shrieked in a combination of pain and annoyance, one set of talons releasing Minkfire to try and shirk off the unforeseen attacker. Pain seared through him as the thorn-sharp talons ripped at the skin of his chest and shoulders, barely missing his neck. But he refused to release the bird, teeth sinking into the feathered skin near the top of the bird's leg while his claws grasped for purchase on its belly and wing. Desynchronized wing-beats unbalanced the eagle, and it veered sharply, another annoyed screech leaving its beak.

Hawkstar's added weight successfully prevented the raptor from getting much more lift, and it seemed to realize that. Its second set of talons soon released, freeing Minkfire from its grip so it could focus its attention of the nuisance currently dangling from its side. In a bizarre set of acrobatics, the bird ducked its head to pepper the big tom's exposed shoulder with piercing pecks. The stinging pain was enough to cause the StoneClan figurehead's jaw to release the bird's leg, leaving only Hawkstar's foreclaws clinging desperately to the beast as it continued its attempted climb.

Heaving himself up, Hawkstar swung his hindquarters, trying to find purchase for his other claws. He couldn't see the ground below from his current position, and had no way of knowing just what he'd be landing on if he dropped now. Before he could find a hold, the bird kicked out with a set of talons, knocking him squarely in the chest and ripping at the skin there. Unable to hold on much more, Hawkstar retracted his claws and plummeted. Twisting in the air, he did what he could to reorient himself, just barely finishing the rotation in time to land heavily on his paws. Staggering sideways as one of his forepaws wobbled oddly, he didn't have much time to think, for a shadow swept over them once more.

Wheeling around and rising to his hind legs, the big tom lashed out with a paw in time to land a heavy blow against the attacking raptor as it collided talons-first with his shoulder. With a roar of pain, Hawkstar ducked out of the way of a dangerously snapping beak. The eagle broke away again, trying to find another opening. "Get under cover, Minkfire." The tom hissed, blood seeping from several punctures littering his shoulders and chest, staining his pale fur a crimson red.

Pale amber eyes remained on the sky as he shuffled about, keeping himself between the bird and his daughter at all times. "Get under cover, and don't come out until it's gone." A shriek cut through the air, the eagle diving again. Between his racing blood and hammering heartbeat, the old tom guessed the eagle must have been starving, putting so much energy into this one catch. StarClan, save her. With that last thought, he leapt to meet the striking bird once more, clawing at its neck in exchange for its talons burying themselves in his side once more.

He felt his hind paws leave the ground despite his best efforts to be dead weight, and the tom changed his plan. Lunging forward, he sunk his teeth into the base of the bird's neck, earning a panicked caw and a beak tearing at his shoulder blades. The eagle's movements turned less aggressive and more desperate, talons punching and flailing in an attempt to kick the tom from its vicinity. He held on a little longer, dragging his claws against its side to deter it from returning when he finally did let go.

His second time falling felt strangely... Slow. It was dizzying, yet clear all at once. He could hear his breath rasping in short pants as he twisted to land on his paws. When he did connect with the ground, he did so gracelessly, as though he had no strength left in his bones. His body connected with a thud that was just a little too loud not to have hurt, darkness rearing its head on the outskirts of his vision as his focus blurred. His muzzle tipped up to the sky, pale amber eyes trying to find the shape of that damned bird.

Hawkstar was fairly certain it was flying away, its wing beats strained and jagged, as though it were in pain. Good. He thought, sinking to the ground as the darkness began to cloud his vision. Though he felt like he had moss balls stuffed in his ears, he thought he heard a muffled voice screeching as he slipped out of consciousness. "Dad? Dad! Minkfire! Run! Run to c-camp, get Mom, Sandblaze and Ebonypaw! A-And Bearclaw!" A shadow passed over him, along with a familiar scent. Though he could not see the way Herondive ran in to stand over him, fear-widened blue eyes glued to the sky in case the bird came back, the last thing to register for the StoneClan figurehead was his eldest daughter's scent.

leader of stoneclan

and may you have the courage
to scale their summits

background image | harley king | @zen Fawn Justice Ghost the Undead Goddess | table by phoenix

Note: 112 moons

Fawn, Ghostie and Justice, you were tagged for mentions! If Zen okays it, you are welcome to post here too though! Bearclaw was tagged for his size XD He's probably one of the few who can carry Hawkstar back. And of course, old boy needs some treatment after that, Ghostie