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Post by Fawn on Dec 26, 2012 18:27:16 GMT -5
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Lionstar - 33 Moons - Tom - TreeClan | [style=border-top: solid 4px #000000; Width: 430px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;]
The flakes that fell were fat and lazy, and it was one of those days where the wind went to great lengths to conceal it's presence, seeming to blanket the world in silence in time with the falling snow. Pawsteps muffled by the several inches underneath him, a lion-like tom stalked through the undergrowth, frozen bracken scratching at the dark dorsal stripe outlining the ridge of his spine.
It was not the most appropriate time to go hunting, least of all for birds, given that the snow was almost smothering the forest and what little edible vegetation that had brought the birds here in the first place. Suppressing a hiss of frustration, the tom's amber eyes glanced to and fro, as though he might be able to burn a hole through this cold, wet mess in the hopes of locating a sleeping potential meal.
Considering his only remaining options were for animals of a larger and more carnivorous nature, Lionstar's behavior began to shift towards that of a tracker rather than a stalker, the golden, thick-furred tom on the look out for signs of a fox or a raccoon. No badgers. No matter how hungry they got, he would not allow his warriors to risk hunting a badger; he was desperate, but not stupid. Snowy plume brushing against a prickly holly bush, Lionstar spotted his three other Clanmates, and parted his jaws to release a calm, imploring mew that belied his frustration.
"Found anything?"
| [style=font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; border-top: dotted 4px #000000] Notes: Uhh...care for some Raccoon, anyone? Word Count: A seriously pitiful 262 Words. Ugh, sorry. Pictures: All Rights Reserved to Lisa Beattie. |
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GaleClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Dec 27, 2012 21:26:04 GMT -5
Featherpaw ~~~~~~~~ A slim, silver shape trekked through the trees, ears pricked and senses alert. Determination gleamed in blue eyes as a young apprentice, known as Featherpaw, weaved among the trees. She was on the hunt, searching for prey, as it was running scarce in her Clan this time of year. It was obvious in the way the slim she-cat was slimmer than usual. Her coat, however, was well groomed and still looked healthy. She was hungry, yes, but it wasn’t killing her just yet.
Suddenly, a sound alerted her. Her pace slowed and her blue eyes looked up into the trees. Sitting on a branch not too far up was a small, dark shape. Excitement spiked through her veins. This was her chance! She crept up the tree, her claws gripping into the bark as she pulled herself from branch to branch, purposely avoiding the one the bird was sitting on, maneuvering around the tree to stay hidden from its sight. It was a slow process as she desperately moved in a manner that would not alert the bird. She was so focused on the task at hand that she didn’t notice the golden shape that appeared not far away.
By now, the apprentice was on one of the branches above the bird. By some StarClan given miracle, it had yet to notice her. It was too focused on something else, but Featherpaw was too focused on it to figure out what had captured the blackbird’s attention. The bird was thin, just as she was, but it would do to feed someone in her Clan, which is what they needed right now.
Suddenly a loud voice broke through the quiet, startling the bird, as well as herself. With a loud squawk, the bird began to take off. With a quick movement, the silver she-cat dropped off the branch. She hissed as she caught the bird with her claws. It screeched, feathers flying everywhere as they both fell. Featherpaw attempted to catch herself on a lower branch, and though she managed for a moment, she soon leapt off again, desperate not to let the bird escape. This pattern continued until the she-cat landed with a rather ungraceful thud, jaws catching the bird’s neck before it had time to escape.
The silver she-cat groaned, blinking up at the branch above her. It wasn’t too high, being the last branch on the tree, but the fall was still enough to startle her, and make her temporarily forget about the voice she had heard.
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Post by Fawn on Dec 27, 2012 21:45:03 GMT -5
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Lionstar winced. His intentions had never been to disrupt the hunting of his Clanmates, let alone his adventurous apprentice in the hot pursuit of a blackbird. Approaching Featherpaw with some concern (and a flicker of amusement), he replayed the graceless plummet the silvery she-cat had made from the last branch to the frozen earth below, the snow having softened the landing somewhat, but not much. "Sorry - are you alright?"
Eying the scrawny blackbird, Lionstar couldn't help but nod approvingly; for all her sass and her cheek and her...general sharptongued temper, she was one of the best hunters in the Clan, and he was fond of her. She had grown on him the past moon, in her own, irritating little way. Standing back to allow the she-cat some room to get up and collect herself, Lionstar's golden eyes darted to the left, noticing the approach of Longstripe, who appeared to be handling the cold about as well as anyone could expect him to.
Of thin bone structure and extremely thin fur, the orange tabby looked miserable, but was putting on a brave face, though Lionstar was almost certain he could see the tom-cat's very bones shivering from the cold. "You okay?" Longstripe repeated, unaware that Lionstar had just asked her that a few seconds ago. The golden tom's plume of a tail swept from one side to the other, Lionstar allowing himself a low chuckle. "It was my fault. I spoke when I shouldn't have." Gesturing with an ear flick to the apprentice, the tree and the blackbird Featherpaw had caught, this warranted the amused shrug of Longstripe. "T-Th-These t-t-things ha-happen."
The golden warrior was torn between hurting Longstripe's pride by sending him back to camp without the ginger cat having actually caught anything, and letting him stay with the hunting party because he enjoyed the company. Caught up in this indecision, he merely smiled, glancing back down at Featherpaw.
| [style=font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; border-top: dotted 4px #000000] Notes: Ouch. Word Count: 351 Pictures: All Rights Reserved to Lisa Beattie. |
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GaleClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Dec 27, 2012 22:16:33 GMT -5
Featherpaw [/b] ~~~~~~~~[/center] The silver apprentice groaned again, but this time, it was not caused by pain, but rather a flash of embarrassment. Of course, it would just so happen that not only were there two warriors nearby to witness her fall, one of them just so happened to be her leader, and mentor. She rolled to her paws as another tom pulled up, Longstripe, if she remembered correctly. Her silver fur fluffed up as she shook the snow from her pelt, which was still warm from embarrassment. Indignantly, she lifted her nose towards the sky, speaking with a huff. ”Of course I’m alright. I planned that. Duh.”
Of course that was an obvious lie. What cat would want to plummet through the branches of trees to land in a pile of snow. And not of their feet either. But even so, it was the best the apprentice could come up with. She was still dazed from the plummet. Her blue eyes flicked from one tom to the other, before she continued, obviously attempting to draw attention away from her expert fall. ”And anyway, I caught the bird, and that’s all the matters right? So what, it wasn’t as professional as it could have been. You have to adapt to the conditions that are presented to you. Not everything is a gift given by StarClan. They presented the bird. They weren’t about to make it walk into my jaws, now were they?”
The she-cat’s sassy nature was obvious in the way her tone rose, almost exasperated. Her tail, which was always a good indicator of her mood, moved in what could only be called lurches rather than its usual dancing, portraying her annoyance. The she-cat’s focus turned to her claws, and she inspected them each, making sure she hadn’t torn any of them in her fall.
Sure, she had a temper. Sure she could be irritating at times. But, she was still young at heart, and it showed when her eyes suddenly lit up and she jumped to a standing position. ”Wait a minute! Is this a hunting patrol? Ooooooh what are you hunting? Can I come? Oh please, please, pleeeaaaaaaase Lionstar? I promise I’ll be good!” Her entire focus was on her mentor as she seemed to vibrate on the spot, making little hoping motions as her pleading blue eyes focused in on her mentor. [/size]
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Post by Fawn on Dec 28, 2012 0:48:39 GMT -5
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”Wait a minute! Is this a hunting patrol? Ooooooh what are you hunting? Can I come? Oh please, please, pleeeaaaaaaase Lionstar? I promise I’ll be good!”
Well that was quick. Ears folding sideways in a gesture of surprise at the sudden barrage of...noise, Lionstar met Longstripe's eye and they both suppressed a laughing snort. With THAT kind of enthusiasm, how could he possibly say no? "Of course. You're already doing better than the rest of us." Gesturing to the blackbird with a quick flick of the tail, Lionstar walked away from the energetic youngster as though intending to return to his previous search for food. "Bury you're kill and we'll get going. Let's see how good your tracking skills are."
It was a common misconception that TreeClan cats more or less dropped down out of trees upon unsuspecting prey, but such wasn't the case at all. It required patience, and good tracking skills to be a TreeClan warrior, capable of hunting in the ever-changing forest in times of snowfall, leaf-fall and anything else in between. Though the territories TreeClan called home seemed fairly stagnant, many warriors and non-TreeClanners tended to forget that the forest was just as alive as they were. Some trees died, some got taller, some plants were invasive, and took over others in the span of a season; not to mention the animals. Some lived on, some died of natural causes, some relocated to a different part of the forest.
There was one thing their territory could guarantee on, and that was change.
Ears swiveling to and fro as though to catch even the slightest hint of a bird call, Lionstar lost track of Featherpaw's positioning in favor of focusing on the much-needed prey. Well, assuming there was prey hidden somewhere in this snowy, icy, heavily wooded landscape.
It was just a matter of finding it. And if they discovered another pile of bones and NightClan's stench all over it again, StarClan help him, he was going to start flaying NightClanners. He could use a new lining in his nest, after all.
| [style=font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; border-top: dotted 4px #000000] Notes: NightClan beware! Word Count: 390 Pictures: All Rights Reserved to Lisa Beattie. |
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GaleClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Dec 28, 2012 2:36:33 GMT -5
Featherpaw ~~~~~~~~ The silver apprentice jumped up excitedly when her mentor gave her the go ahead. She was nothing but a silver bullet as she grabbed the blackbird in her jaws, scampered to a nearby tree, burying into the snow and depositing the blackbird. The moment it hit the ground, she began to shovel snow over the dead bird. Once she was satisfied, she looked up at the tree, scoring it with a neat line of claw marks to remember exactly which tree it was, in case she lost its scent.
With that, she spun around, blinking in slight confusion at the fact that her mentor was gone. She hesitated a moment before parting her jaws to draw in the scents around her. And there it was, her mentor’s scent. She bounded after him excitedly, before remembering they were hunting. Her ears flattened in embarrassment as she stopped the bounding, abandoning it for a quieter, collected stalking. She followed behind Lionstar, close enough that she could see him most of the time, see what he was doing, but far enough that she wouldn’t get in his way. That was the last thing Featherpaw ever wanted to do.
The silver furred she-cat was so focused on what Lionstar was doing, trying to mimic him, get a feel for what he was doing, even if she had no idea what he was doing, that she wasn’t exactly looking where she was going. It was for this reason that she ended up hitting a tree headfirst. She backpedalled quickly, startled by the tree’s sudden appearance. She felt something drag on her fur, and she panicked slightly, whirling to face a low tree branch, covered in snow. As she whirled, however, her right back paw slipped into a rabbit burrow, dragging her down slightly. As if it couldn’t have been worse, the branch she had run into had dumped the snow resting on it right over top of her, almost completely trapping her.
The silver apprentice tried to wriggle out of it, but the snow threatened to cave in around her when she did. With a huff, she lay her head on her forepaws. She was about to do the one thing she hated most. She spoke in a regular voice, hoping that someone would hear her. ”Um…. I seemed to have encountered a predicament…. I’m stuck and need help.” [/size] OOC - Was randomly thinking, and I couldn't help but think that some regular old bonding time between these two, no big distractions, might be good for them XD Ahahah
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Post by Fawn on Dec 28, 2012 21:29:19 GMT -5
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A sudden, uncharacteristic rustle in the undergrowth forced hard muscle to freeze and a lightly swaying tail to cease it's movements; amber eyes burning into the terrain, Lionstar instinctively crouched, lowering his belly near the ground, trying to make his rich dark golden-ticked fur less of an eyesore against the mostly monochrome environment. The wind picked up just then, causing his eyes to stream before he could narrow them quickly enough, the warrior's ears flattening as the breeze was so cold he could scarcely get a scent of what was upwind of the hunting patrol. The object of his intense stares remained a mystery for a few seconds more, Lionstar daring to pad closer in an effort to unveil what was hidden there amongst the snow-shrouded brambles and frosted, dying lichen.
A thrush!
It was likely an old or ailing thrush, but a thrush was a thrush, and he'd be damned if he was going to let it get away from him. Noting the bird's positioning, Lionstar briefly ran over the possibility of getting his large claws tangled in the thick undergrowth when he went to pounce, but the bird hopping out into the open laid that concern to rest. Haunches wriggling, the lion-like tom burst from his snowy hovel like a member of LionClan from days of Yore, a soundless predator that sliced through the snow to grasp at the speckled soon-to-be-fresh-kill.
”Um…. I seemed to have encountered a predicament…. I’m stuck and need help.”
So intent upon his task, the TreeClan leader was momentarily deaf to the embarrassed cry for help that came from nearby; flattening the snow as he pinned the bird to the ground, Lionstar delivered a swift killing bite, purring with satisfaction and relief. The bird had had a broken leg, and it had been getting plump on the berries that had fallen late into the season. It was much better than he would have expected; selfishly, the warrior thought of presenting it to his mother Sandfur, and his two half-sisters, Rowankit and Silverkit, but a scolding tone at the back of his mind reprimanded him for such bias. There are other kits, queens and elders who could use that thrush! And someone ELSE who could use your attention right now.
Featherpaw!
Rising from the snow, Lionstar shook the frozen crystalline clumps from his dense, ticked fur, hastily but properly buried the thrush before sauntering off, ears flicking and rotating to catch any more of the she-cat's distressed words.
He found her in quite a tangle. Suppressing a groan and a laugh mixed together, Lionstar approached the half-buried apprentice, putting his huge front paws to work as he scooped back the snow, chuckling under his breath. "This is your idea of hunting?" Teased the golden tom, his fiery, sunlit eyes full of humor as he successfully enabled Featherpaw to slip out into the open. He casually threw his shoulder up against the second overhanging branch, knocking the clumps sideways and away from any unsuspecting cat's head, a few small clods showering his ears as he did so.
A quick, doggish shake of the head and he was good as new, nose shining from the flakes that had melted upon it. "Be a little more careful, Featherpaw. I can't have you spraining anything, we need all paws healthy and ready to hunt and fight for the Clan at a moment's notice." He wasn't trying to scare her, simply draw attention to the fact that right now would be a terribly inconvenient time to get herself injured.
| [style=font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; border-top: dotted 4px #000000] Notes: xD Clumsy Feather~ Word Count: 629 Pictures: All Rights Reserved to Lisa Beattie. |
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GaleClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Dec 28, 2012 23:45:17 GMT -5
Featherpaw ~~~~~~~~~ The silver apprentice was just as exasperated to see the leader of her Clan as he seemed to be to see her. His words were teasing, she knew that, but even so, her ears flattened against her head and she ducked her head in embarrassment. She sat quietly, blue eyes focused on the snow in front of her as the larger tom dug her out of her predicament. Slowly, she felt the pressure relieved from her as he took care of the fallen snow. Once she felt she could move again, she pulled her tall, but thin frame from the remaining snow with only a small effort. She quickly shook out her fur, trying to return heat to her body once more.
"Be a little more careful, Featherpaw. I can't have you spraining anything, we need all paws healthy and ready to hunt and fight for the Clan at a moment's notice." The young she-cat knew that such a thing had been coming. That didn’t make it any easier. She turned her blue eyes on him, a new fire ignited in them as she replied, a perfect example of her back-sass.
”You think I meant to fall down a that stupid rabbit hole, or run head first into a tree, or make a fool of myself? For your information, I was trying to learn by watching and mimicking what you were doing! Pardon me if I wanted to learn a little something!”
And then she realized exactly what she’d done, who she was speaking with. She may have had a temper, and he may have been her mentor, but it didn’t change the fact that he was the Clan leader. And she’d just basically spat in his face. Immediately, her ears flattened against her head and she took a step back, lowering her head and tail.
”I…. I didn’t mean… I’m sorry… It was not my intention to act the way I did.” She had to force herself to speak those words, as her temper was still ignited from the embarrassment she had endured. She felt that she would more than likely be punished, or at least berated for this. She just hoped that she would be able to keep her cool and accept the punishment. OOC - World's dumbest post right there. Sorry about that, Fawn. I didn't know what else to do XD
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Post by Fawn on Dec 29, 2012 17:26:00 GMT -5
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”You think I meant to fall down a that stupid rabbit hole, or run head first into a tree, or make a fool of myself? For your information, I was trying to learn by watching and mimicking what you were doing! Pardon me if I wanted to learn a little something!”
Ever the patient one, Lionstar watched with mild satisfaction as Featherpaw seemed to catch hold of herself after that outburst, the look of remorse and horror enough to soothe his temporarily angered pride. He was well-adjusted to Featherpaw's unique personality, it was going to take more than a couple of indignant words to get his fur rubbed the wrong way. Shaking his head in dismissal, the golden tom did not seem bothered; "I understand, Featherpaw, though mind your manners both in and outside of camp. Let's go, I'll show you how to track and catch quail if you promise not to step into any rabbit holes." |
[/color] Sparing her a rare, pure smile of humor, Lionstar used his tail to sweep snow off of her ears, padding away from her in easy, fluid movements not hindered by the decent snowfall, his pace quiet save for the occasional crunch of vegetation under paw. StarClan forbid she ever speak to me like that at a gathering. Just the very thought had his skin burning beneath his pelt in mortification and anger - but the next gathering was several sunrises away, and Lionstar was confident that he would be able to suppress (more like curb) her inappropriate outbursts in time for any large-scale social gatherings. It would not be quite so important if she were anyone else's apprentice, but given that she was his, the leader of TreeClan's apprentice, he expected her to behave correctly. She did not have to be the greatest apprentice to ever set foot in the forest, Featherpaw just had to be civil and respectful of those deserving her respect. Though Lionstar was more than understanding of the outlook of 'you don't get my respect until you earn it', there were immediate exceptions to the rule that his headstrong, loose-lipped apprentice just could not ignore. Medicine Cats, Medicine Cat Apprentices, Deputies and Clan-Leaders were, without question, to be respected, and the same went for elders and queens as well, no matter how uncivil or downright incorrigible some of them may be. It came to the golden tom's attention that Featherpaw may have viewed herself as being higher up on the totem pole than she really was; he chuckled low in his throat. He had been the exact same way; in fact, he'd practically considered himself a star when he'd been Lionpaw, and if anything, he'd probably been worse than her at that age. Glancing over a golden-ticked shoulder, Lionstar grew still, listening to the surrounding forest though his eyes had sought out - and found - Featherpaw. "Be sure to keep up." He mewed, trusting her to not lag behind but rather practically hop and skip her way to catch up. Featherpaw was, if anything, enthusiastic.
[/td][/tr][tr][td][style=font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; border-top: dotted 4px #000000] Notes: xD I like them a lot! Word Count: 548 Pictures: All Rights Reserved to Lisa Beattie.[/div][/td][/tr][/table][/center]
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GaleClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Dec 29, 2012 19:24:37 GMT -5
Featherpaw ~~~~~~~~ "I understand, Featherpaw, though mind your manners both in and outside of camp. Let's go, I'll show you how to track and catch quail if you promise not to step into any rabbit holes." Though the last bit caused a flick of irritation from her ear, the young apprentice kept her head bowed slightly and murmured to the ground. ”Yes Lionstar.” Even through her flash of anger, however, she could feel the excitement bubbling through her. Quail! She had never hunted quail!
She looked up at her mentor, blinking a little stunned at the smile she received from him, and when his tail swept over her ear, she felt a fluttering warmth whisp through her frame. Her gaze focused on the ground as her cheeks warmed, but she convinced herself it was just her previous irritation.
She looked up again in time to see him glancing over his shoulder at her. "Be sure to keep up." The excitement bubbled over then and the sleek silver she-cat leapt up into the air. Her paws moved quickly as she dove around a tree, then basically exploded through a snow bank, her target being Lionstar’s side. She bounded excitedly as she mewed, a little over normal voice. ”I’m coming! I’m coming!”
Her paws slipped on some ice, and she skidded slightly, using her claws to keep her upright. She leapt off of a tree, her paws making a soft sound against its bark before she sprung back towards the ground. It had been that or attempt to avoid the tree and probably fail. She landed a little heavily, staggering slightly, but managed to slow herself enough to trot up beside Lionstar. She couldn’t stop moving, however, the excitement buzzing through her.
Her silver tail danced in the air excitedly as she circled her mentor, blue eyes bright. ”I’m here! I’m here! We’re hunting quail!” She purred excitedly. It took her a moment to realize that they were hunting. She snapped her mouth shut with an audible click of her teeth. Her blue eyes were stretched wide and she flinched a little in embarrassment. She lowered her voice a little bit, to a tone that was more appropriate for hunting. It was barely above a whisper, and meant only for Lionstar. ”Oops… That was too loud… Sorry Lionstar! I’ll be quieter, I swear by StarClan!” She told him in a hushed whisper, grinning up at him innocently in a way that only a young cat like she could.
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Post by Fawn on Dec 31, 2012 14:53:58 GMT -5
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Lionstar snorted. Oh the simple joys of being an apprentice! Where hunting still brought excitement, battles seemed so significant and almost fantastical, and your biggest worry was whether or not you earned a silly warrior name when the time came. Just about to tell his overly enthused apprentice to calm down and contain some of her giddiness, Featherpaw was quick to apologize and acknowledge the error of her ways. "Good. Quail are very sensitive to noise - no unnecessary movements, and no unnecessary words, either." The note of sternness was put in place due to TreeClan's current state of hunger; they weren't quite famished, but Lionstar had observed early on that this winter would get worse before it got better, like a nasty, horrid infection. They were going to suffer from hunger pangs and possible winter-related injuries in the future, so it was essential that the Clan be fed while there was still prey to be caught and healthy cats to catch it.
Flicking Featherpaw's shoulder, he signaled without words for the she-cat to follow close behind him, all senses fine-tuned and alert, ready to call to attention even the slightest shiver of movement or the low thrum of a prey-animal's heartbeat. The appearance of a fallen tree wasn't any sort of true obstacle for the TreeClan leader, though he felt a small twinge of concern for how Featherpaw would clear so high a jump, not quite trusting her to employ stealth in that type of situation. Still, he jumped over it with ease, his paws making a soft crunch into the fresh, powdery snow on the other side, the lion amongst warriors turning around to review his apprentice's behavior.
She's got spunk, she's definitely intelligent. If I can get a handle on her energy and channel it into something productive, she will be able to contribute so much to TreeClan, both as an apprentice and a warrior. Lionstar was not at all unaware of Featherpaw's 'eager-to-please' personality when it came to him, and he had more or less attributed to his high rank, though a little voice at the back of his subconscious was telling him otherwise. That wouldn't be a problem, if anything, her willingness to listen to him was exactly what he needed from her - no matter her reasons for being so compliant. "We will hunt around the base of the Great Maple, be careful of roots hidden under the snow," Mewed Lionstar, wide, thick paws leaving noticeably large tracks wherever he stepped.
| [style=font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; border-top: dotted 4px #000000] Notes: ^^ I'm going to really look forward to all of their threads together~ Word Count: 446 Pictures: All Rights Reserved to Lisa Beattie. |
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INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Dec 31, 2012 15:13:40 GMT -5
Featherpaw ~~~~~ "Good. Quail are very sensitive to noise - no unnecessary movements, and no unnecessary words, either." The silver apprentice flinched slightly as his words. She knew she had had them coming. She should have been more in control of her actions. She let herself be slightly scolded this time, actually agreeing with him for once. She still had a chance to prove herself, however. And she would do everything in her power to do just that. She had to show Lionstar that she was a good apprentice, and that she was worth being proud of.
And then her mentor leapt. Clean over a fallen tree. Her blue eyes widened slightly as she stared at the tree before her. Now that just wasn’t fair! He was so much bigger than she was! It was probably nothing to him, but it was huge to her! She may be tall for her age, but she still didn’t compare to him! Her ears pinned back slightly as she took a step back, her blue gaze never leaving the log before her. She had to do it. She knew she did. Lionstar was always keeping an eye on her, seeing if she was up to being a warrior for TreeClan.
"We will hunt around the base of the Great Maple, be careful of roots hidden under the snow," She heard his voice from the other side of the log, but wasn’t paying it all that much attention. Instead, she was trying to calculate how much force she would need to leap over the fallen tree, just as Lionstar had. Her muscles bunched as she shifted her weight back slightly, preparing herself not only physically, but mentally as well. Careful now… Focus…. It couldn’t possibly be that hard…
"Be a little more careful, Featherpaw. I can't have you spraining anything, we need all paws healthy and ready to hunt and fight for the Clan at a moment's notice." Lionstar’s earlier words entered her head suddenly, and her tail drooped slightly. She gave a sigh and shifted her position, leaping to land on the log, rather than try going straight over it like Lionstar had. She knew she was a little reckless at times, due to her hard head and excitement. But every once in a while, she came to realize it, and she would cut back a little bit.
Her silver paws landed silently on the log, and she glanced down, checking the landing on the other side. Once she felt she was safe, she jumped down, landing beside her golden mentor. She waved her tail, tipping her head as she spoke in a hushed voice. ”So.. You’ve told me they are sensitive to sound and such… Is there anything else I should know about them?” She asked her mentor, genuinely curious. [/size]
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Post by Fawn on Dec 31, 2012 15:39:51 GMT -5
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Very good. The caution and good sense of judgment Featherpaw had just exhibited was enough to momentarily warm the very corners of the warrior-tom's heart, his previously serious (though pleasant) aura broken by an affectionate kind of surprise. Good job, Featherpaw. He didn't want to embarrass her and keep pointing out her every move, whether good or bad, so his appraisal remained silent, allowing the tall, silvery she-cat her dignity.
”So.. You’ve told me they are sensitive to sound and such… Is there anything else I should know about them?”
"Well," began Lionstar, allowing Featherpaw to keep pace with him as the familiar, enormous trunk of the Great Maple came into view "Though quail mainly use their sharp sense of hearing to detect danger, that can be used to our advantage. Stalking into the wind can help to muffle the noise our paws make, especially during this weather considering the snow." Though quail did not make the top of Lionstar's list for 'smartest prey', they were not entirely stupid, and neither were they to be taken for granted or presumed more unintelligent than they were.
All animals had a will to survive, and would either fight or flee to make sure they made it to another sunrise.
Lionstar slowed to a stop, changing directions as he began to creep, movements halting but cautious, into a nearby patch of undergrowth, the empty branches of the bushes and the other forest-dwelling plants less bare looking thanks to the snow that continued to clump against them. "There is one more thing you should know about quail, Featherpaw," Lionstar spoke in a hushed, almost whispering tone, his voice resonant despite the lowered volume. "If a quail is startled, they will fly away and will not come back down for a very long time, and usually they land in a different territory then where they first started. It's very frustrating." Amber eyes swiveled to look upon the silver-pelted she-cat of whom he was to teach and look out for. "Though times are tough, Featherpaw, I don't want you to feel discouraged if you make a mistake - quail are tricky, and even some more experienced warriors have trouble catching them."
Considering quail was more NightClan's forte, as the territory belonging to their shadowy neighbors was more suited to the appetite of the quail, and only a pawful or two of quail ever made it past TreeClan's borders. They weren't exactly rare, but they were definitely more uncommon than Lionstar would like.
| [style=font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; border-top: dotted 4px #000000] Notes: xD Had to Google Quail-Hunting for that one, lol. Word Count: 470 Pictures: All Rights Reserved to Lisa Beattie. |
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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 Dec 31, 2012 15:58:11 GMT -5
Featherpaw ~~~~~~~~~ Featherpaw listened intently to her mentor, nodding her head to show she understood him."Though quail mainly use their sharp sense of hearing to detect danger, that can be used to our advantage. Stalking into the wind can help to muffle the noise our paws make, especially during this weather considering the snow." It would be an interesting feat, stalking into the wind. Still, it made sense. If the wind was blowing at them, the sound would be muffled to the quail, standing upwind. "There is one more thing you should know about quail, Featherpaw,"
She blinked at her mentor. He sounded serious about this. "If a quail is startled, they will fly away and will not come back down for a very long time, and usually they land in a different territory then where they first started. It's very frustrating." Her ears pinned back slightly and she winced. Perhaps she shouldn’t be doing this then… The Clan needed the prey. She didn’t want to mess up. "Though times are tough, Featherpaw, I don't want you to feel discouraged if you make a mistake - quail are tricky, and even some more experienced warriors have trouble catching them."
She flexed her limbs a little nervously as she thought, her gaze flicking to the ground. She looked more as though she were built for jumping and running more than anything. It was a surprise to a lot of cats that she was such a good hunter. She slowly looked up back at him, her blue gaze focusing on him once more. She didn’t want to back out of this. She would look weak if she did. A new determination sparked in her eyes, but she couldn’t help but think aloud.
”You would almost think it would be best to hunt in pairs. Have someone climb up into the tree, and then have the other purposely startle the quail. Then the one in the tree could surprise them just when they thought they were safe.” She shrugged her shoulders slightly, parting her jaws as she glanced towards the Great Maple. She looked up in wonder at it, whispering softly. ”Where in the name of StarClan do we start…” [/size]
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Post by Fawn on Dec 31, 2012 22:22:11 GMT -5
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Lionstar - 33 Moons - Tom - TreeClan | [style=border-top: solid 4px #000000; Width: 430px; font-family: verdana;]
”You would almost think it would be best to hunt in pairs. Have someone climb up into the tree, and then have the other purposely startle the quail. Then the one in the tree could surprise them just when they thought they were safe.”
The golden mane Lionstar was known for shook with the sudden kick-up of the wind, blowing a fine, powdery layer of snow right over the two cats, causing his whiskers to twitch with a mixture of minor annoyance and at the words Featherpaw had spoken. Though she'd only been voicing her thoughts aloud, Lionstar had immediately shaken his head, looking both amused and somewhat remorseful, as though he'd seen something he'd rather not; "I don't know of any two cats who are coordinated enough to try a pairing-hunt when it comes to quail. There's so much that could go wrong, I wouldn't suggest it unless you've been trained for it for a long time."
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[/color] He'd seen quite a few friendships and alliances broken over partner-hunting. What a lot of warriors and apprentices failed to realize, is that they all had different styles, different techniques, different quirks and methods with which they all went at the same thing; some were more effective than others, some were bizarre by normal standards. Either way, he'd seen quite a few friendships dissolved once someone made a foolish mistake on a partner hunt, and then they started playing the blame game... Given Featherpaw's hot-headed personality, Lionstar would not suggest she and another apprentice team up for quail-hunting any time soon. Not to mention if you missed the bird when pouncing on it from above, the landing might be awkward and a potential injury, not to mention that quail would be long gone. Hearing the desperation in the silver she-cat's voice, however, Lionstar came down out of his thoughts, scenting for quail even as he spoke; "Relax, Featherpaw," he mewed with calm reassurance, his tone of the same calibre of an uncle in the presence of their niece. "Start first by scenting for the quail; remember, it is a bird and it is noise-sensitive. Once you find your timing and your opening, you should not encounter too many problems."Just don't miss.The golden warrior shifted then, as though to crouch, his amber eyes locking onto something just past the brambles of which they hid, his dark-ticked ears pricking forward as he caught a familiar dappled pattern standing out against the snow. Yes! Just as he'd anticipated, around the base of the Great Maple would be a few plants that had not yet died or withered from the winter, and it would be prime pickings for the quail that had remained in the forest all season. [/size][/blockquote]
[/td][/tr][tr][td][style=font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; border-top: dotted 4px #000000] Notes: Word Count: 506 Pictures: All Rights Reserved to Lisa Beattie.[/div][/td][/tr][/table][/center]
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