[Hellion]

Dipping her head in farewell, Harmonymoon flicked her tail as a single for the those assigned to her hunting party to follow. She considered it a routine endevour to go hunting in the Star Fields. The growing grass allowed for a decent amount of cover. The blue-hued she-cat only hoped that StarClan would allow for more rains to come. LightingClan's territory needed all they could get to promote the healthy growth of grass. Short gass meant prey didn't wander out, the taller the better.

Turning her head toward the cats in her hunting party, signaled to pick up the pace. With the sun at it's highest point prey would be the most active. If they were lucky they could bring back a few quail, enough to feed everyone for the night. As the particular hunting ground came into view the she-cat slowed the group's pace and scented the air. There was the lingering scent of burnt grass but the new growth was budding well.

"Who wants to chase or I can chase and others can catch," She asked the group in a soft whisper, waiting for their answer before they furthered their hunt.

You’re dripping like a saturated sunrise,
You’re spilling like an overflowing sink
You’re ripped at every edge but you’re a masterpiece
And now I’m tearing through the pages and the ink

@tag 200-ish Open, assume cats that join were already apart of the hunting party.

[williams]

DAPPLEDHEATHER

Hunting was Dappledheather's joy. After her tasks with clearing camp were complete, she was released to fulfill her duty as a warrior and provide for her clan once more. Harmonymoon lead this patrol, and the soft warrior was thankful for the group. The undergrowth she had relied on was still growing, and patrols were becoming more successful than solo trips. She followed the older warrior's lead easily, keeping pace and adjusting as the she-cat indicated.

They traveled to the Star Fields at the quick pace, hoping to beat the sun in its journey. It wasn't Dappledheather's typical hunting grounds, but Harmonymoon had a plan and she was more than willing to go along with it. "Who wants to chase or I can chase and others can catch." Their group's leader asked in a quiet voice. No sense scaring away the prey before they got there. Dappledheather flicked her tail to get attention, "I can chase." Her green eyes sparkled with anticipation.

166Hellion

?

[Hellion]

Harmonymooon's ears perked at Dappleheather's words. Turning her attention toward the multi-colore she-cat, Harmonymoon dipped her head in agreement. "Thank you, you and I will be partners and Robinwind and Lakefur will work together," She told them in the continued whispered tone. The other two warriors nodded before heading off in a different direction leaving the two she-cats alone.

Moving to stand a bit closer to Dappleheather to prevent anything to be misheard. "I will go hide on the opposite end of the undergrowth and you can drive forward any of the quail you find. You can catch as you pleace but quails are pretty fast," Harmonymoon explained to her clanmate before heading off to prepare for thier partnered hunt.

You’re dripping like a saturated sunrise,
You’re spilling like an overflowing sink
You’re ripped at every edge but you’re a masterpiece
And now I’m tearing through the pages and the ink

@willams ~150 Notes

[williams]

DAPPLEDHEATHER

”I will go hide on the opposite end of the undergrowth, and you can drive forward any of the quail you find. You can catch as you please but quails are pretty fast.” Dappledheather nodded her understanding, quietly humming to give a vocal cue that she understood. This would be a nice challenge for her. She didn’t often hunt quail. Solo hunting was her main way to hunt, and quail absolutely required two cats, or a very lucky catch. “I’ll leave you to catch, I think we will be more successful.” Her voice held praise for the older she-cat, with a gentle teasing of herself. It was well-known in the clan that Dappledheather would hunt alone more often than in groups. But she also knew of Harmony’s skills. One would only hunt quails if they knew what they were doing, and could be successful. After Harmonymoon’s response and with a wave of her tail, the calico warrior trotted off into the undergrowth, her pawsteps becoming lighter as she drifted into her hunting mindset. They would be successful today, she decided, refusing to let the ruined landscape determine their success.

206Hellion

?

I’ll let you find the first one for us!

[Hellion]

Harmonymoon nodded in agreement to Dappleheathers words as she left. The undergrowth was badly burned but recvoered decently, lucky her blue-hued pelt let her blend into the ashy patches of the landscape. Lowering herself down she crept toward to sit and wait for the faint rustle of the grass to alert her for the quails.

Her belly fur started to shift color again, changing to be ashy blue instead. She didn't mind, instead, she focused all her attention on the sounds around her and the movement of the grasses.

Trusting Dappleheather not to alert too many quails at once, Harmonymoon curled her tail to tuck against her hindpaws. Out of the way and as little of a distraction as possible. Normally the waiting was the worst part, but Harmonymoon embraced it. She liked being able to focus on a single task, direct all her attention and energy to it.

However, she didn't have to wait long. A frantic rustling of grass captured her attention and she turned to prepare for the catch. A quail burst forward and attempted to leap into the sky, but Harmonymoon was already there. She sunk her claws into the quail right before it left the ground and held it there. A swift bite to the neck ended the bird's life. A large enough catch to feed at least two cats. Allowing the pride to fill her up, Harmonymoon promptly covered the quail with some dirt before walking a few tails lengths away. Hopefully still within leaping distance of any future prey.

You’re dripping like a saturated sunrise,
You’re spilling like an overflowing sink
You’re ripped at every edge but you’re a masterpiece
And now I’m tearing through the pages and the ink

williams ~290 Notes

[williams]

With her fur sticking out against the ash of the fire, Dappledheather moved slowly as she got into position. She paused once to roll onto her side, dimming the brighter patches of her fur with the muted greys and blacks of the lost grasses. With her fur better blended, it was easier to lope along without startling any wildlife when she didn't want to.

The fire had made the quail bold she realized, rounding a small bend in the waving grass. Several quail stood pecking and humming to each other. They looked like a little herd the calico warrior laughed silently. Careful to be spotted by only one, Dappledheather led a quail away from the others using the noise of the grass to startle it further and further away. Then, she lunged, teeth bared in a snarl. Her tactic worked, scaring the bird towards her companion. One successful catch, she turned her attention to the remaining two.

Let's see if they behave too. Dappledheather thought, creeping up. This time though, the wind was not in her favor. Both birds looked up before she was fully in position, faces colored with fear. "No, no, no!" She hissed through her teeth, charging at them to corral them back towards Harmonymoon. They veered with their fear, feet stumbling over the fire remains in their attempt to get away. Dappledheather slid across the ground, curving right into their path. The tactic worked, thankfully, sending the birds now towards Harmonymoon. They were afraid though, and were more likely to fly when they saw the second cat. Determination on her mind to feed her clan well tonight, the warrior ran after them, hoping to provide aid if they flew off.

--

notes | image site hacked, posting w/out tables for note
words | 297
tagged | Hellion

[Hellion]

Harmonymoon kept her pace like that of a snail. Slow and weaving, back and forth along the edges of where she expected Dappledheather to send the quail. She trusted her clanmate to keep a steady pace, nothing too crazy and risk losing the hunt. Her tail flicked as she settled down again, ears pinned forward to listen for the rustle, but she didn't expect them to come rushing.

Backing up rapidly Harmonymoon struggled to snag one of the fleeing birds. Luckily she was able to pull one down by its feet and deliver the killing bite. Panting slightly and a little startled, Harmonymoon looked for her Clan with the bird handing ruffled in her jaw.

"Everthing okay?" She asked as she dropped the birds at her paws.

You’re dripping like a saturated sunrise,
You’re spilling like an overflowing sink
You’re ripped at every edge but you’re a masterpiece
And now I’m tearing through the pages and the ink

williams ### Notes

[williams]

DAPPLEDHEATHER

Out of breath, Dappledheather watched with amazement as her clanmate's remarkable catch. Her own catch, unfortunately was too high in the sky. Her claws grazed its bottom, but did not catch. She growled in frustation at her poor attempt. They almost had three birds!

"Everything okay?" Harmonymoon had asked, and Dappledheather waved her tail as she paused to breathe. It had been a while since she had leaped after her prey like that. "Yes," She said, feeling her heart beat slow. "I accidentally startled the last two, I'm sorry. Great catch though, at least we got one." Her voice held her frustration, but also had an apologetic quality to it. She had been picked to hunt for a reason, and she felt like she had failed. Her side stung where it had hit the ground, dirt and ash clumping her fur. Two quail was better than none, she thought with a sigh, twisting to clean off the dirt. She could taste the ash, making her face screw up at its bitterness. "Do you think it's worth to find more? I'd like to make up for the one we lost."

192Hellion

?

[Hellion]

Harmonymoon twitching her ears before nodding toward Dappleheather. The blue coated she-cat was well versed in a failed hunt. She knew the awkward guilt that sat deep in one's belly when something went wrong. Harmonymoon wouldn't be the strong huntress she was without a few failures in her past.

Flicking her tail to touch Dappleheather's shoulder she offered a smile with bright mix-matched eyes. "Its okay to mess up, I still do sometimes and I've been hunting long before you were even born," She purred before turning back to pick up the bundles they had caught.

Her attention was on gathering her prey when she heard Dappleheather's request to look for more. "I'm happy to keep hunting with you but it doesn't hurt to head back home with what we got. There is plenty to feed the queens and warriors. Plus yourself." She explained with a sweetness in her voice before tilting her head up toward the sky. The quail were landing a few dozen fox-lengths away. They could go after them.

"On second thought I think it would be wise to leave. If we got all the prey we saw there would be nothing left for tomorrow," She added waiting for her Clanmate to gather up her things, intending to walk back together.

You’re dripping like a saturated sunrise,
You’re spilling like an overflowing sink
You’re ripped at every edge but you’re a masterpiece
And now I’m tearing through the pages and the ink

williams end?!