Hunt[Foxflight]

[Tanglekit]

Ferncloud was sitting in squirrel hollow waiting for her new friend Foxflight to arrive. He had shown her that she was pretty and for now she had accepted that but when she was away from Foxflight she didn't feel the same as when she looked into the puddle. She looked around anxiously hoping that she could catch something and not embarrass herself in front of him. Because even though they were just friends she wanted to please him and make him proud to be friends with a she-cat like her.

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Foxflight rolled back onto his paws as easily as he could. He had been dozing underneath a patch of sunlight and rather enjoyed it. The tom began to lick his fur back down and stole a glance at the entrance. A thought quickly occurred to him, the hunt was supposed to be now!

He quickly licked one last clump of fur down and ran out of camp and into the hollow. Foxflight slowed his gait to that of a walk and continued to pad forward. A she-cat sat near the exit and he padded towards her. As he neared, he flicked the tip of her ear apologetically. He hadn't meant to be late. Usually he was the punctual one in most cases, but not now.

"Sorry I'm late," he mewed.

[Tanglekit]

Ferncloud took in a breath feeling the confidence return with Foxflight's presence. In reality she had not noticed his lateness and simply shrugged. "Ready?", she asked, excitement rippling under her soft tabby pelt. She hadn't been on a good hunt in awhile and now she would have her chance to sink her teeth and claws into some juicy prey and bring home food for her clan. She perked her ears up hoping for a sign of some prey nibbling beneath the prey. She drew her lips apart tasting the air as it wafted across her glands.

[Deleted]

Foxflight nodded and began to pad into the forest. He followed suit of what Ferncloud was doing. His mouth opened as they began to walk underneath the canopy of fall leaf strewn trees. It was brisk out and he loved it. The new air hummed with promise.

Ears went up as soon as he heard a tapping of shell on rock and wood. "Bird!," he though as he homed onto it. It was a rather big raven hoping to open up a snail shell to get at the tender meat inside.

The tom flicked his tail towards Ferncloud as he quietly stalked forward towards the plump bird.

[Tanglekit]

Ferncloud followed the tom into the forest, seeing the raven just as Foxflight did. Her ears flickered and she slunk into a hunter's crouch slinking near to the prey waiting for Foxflight to finish it off. But just as she turned back she felt a twig snap beneath her feet and the raven leapt into the sky and gave a warning caw. Ferncloud turned back to Foxflight apology in her eyes. She hadn't meant to scare off the prey but just as usual she had failed. Her shoulders slumped and she was disappointed in herself as she always was. "I am so sorry.", she whimpered to Foxflight, hoping he wasn't irritated with her.

She looked around hoping the raven hadn't alerted all of the prey in the area, and tried to sense another source of prey. She kept her ears pinned on a clump of grass where there seemed to be a mouse or vole nibbling at some seeds. She twitched her tail in excitement and started to stalk the prey.

[Deleted]

Foxflight lowered his weight onto his haunches. He was just about to spring at the raven when a twig snapped behind him. Immediately the bird heard it and flew off with a cry. His eyes looked longingly as the plump winged meat flew away. It was almost winter and the clan needed all the food they could get.

He swiveled his head around and located where the sound had come from as soon as Ferncloud muttered apologies. Foxflight nodded, but didn't say anything as some grass rustled nearby. The she-cat quickly began to stalk it and he watched while he tried to listen for any other prey nearby.

[Tanglekit]

Ferncloud leapt at the prey finding a mouse beneath her paws. She bit deep into its flesh killing it before it could get a squeak out. She brushed some dirt over it and she looked around hoping Foxflight had found his own prey. She lower pressing her ear to the ground. Her mother had taught her this before they had joined the clan and she heard a scuttling in the ground. She followed her ears until she saw a gopher peeking its head out of the den. She leapt hoping to catch the rodent. She hooked its neck fur and with a great deal of effort pulled the beast from its hiding hole.

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Foxflight listened to the sounds of hunting Ferncloud was making. Her skills were impeccable! "Great catch," he purred with glittering eyes. Just from hunting he could tell she was a clever she-cat. He was glad there was much more to her than just the shy appearance.

His body turned to find his own prey. It didn't matter that much if they just brought back a mouse and a gopher. What really mattered was a whole pile of prey to show to their clan mates and ease their stomachs.

A few yards away his ears heard something scurrying through the underbrush. Foxflight padded slowly towards it as far as he dared without going into a hunting stance. It was a squirrel carrying many acorns. Its cheeks were filled to capacity and one of its claws were holding one as well. What luck!

He crouched and stalked the scrambling squirrel and was glad when it finally stopped moving to rearrange the acorns it held so dear. It was then that he pounced, claws unsheathed, eyes alight with excitement. The squirrel tried to leap away, but he held it with his claws and caught it with his other paw. Quickly, he ended the struggle with a nip to the neck. Foxflight picked it up and put it with Ferncloud's gopher and mouse.

[Tanglekit]

Ferncloud blushed at his compliment and gave a sheepish smile. "Not to shabby yourself.", she mewed quietly. In reality it was a great catch, with all of those acorns in his mouth he would be full of essential nutrients to survive the cruel fast approaching leaf-bare. She scraped some dirt over the prey looking around to see if there was anything else to be hunted. She stole a glance or two at the handsome tom trying not to be seen. He was so kind and gently to her, and so clever and witty. It was as if the tom could see the true her buried beneath this facade of shy insecurities.

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Foxflight's eyes shone and he meowed a thanks. He immediatly helped Ferncloud cover up the prey. It wouldn't do if it was stolen by some snake because of the smell of blood resonating everywhere.

An idea coursed through him and he quickly looked towards the she-cat when he was done patting down the dirt. "Ferncloud, if I may, can I ask who your mentor was? You're such a great hunter, full of swiftness. If there was a contest between you and a Windclan warrior, I'd have to say you'd surely win," he mewed in interest.

His own apprenticeship was so jumbled up until his mentor set him straight that he'd never forget his. He always thought that mentors were the ones that trained a cats' essance and allowed it to grow into a great cat. They also told a lot about a cat. Sometimes, attitudes or habits were picked up by the apprentice.

[Tanglekit]

Ferncloud tried to remember who had taught her but she was so lost looking in Foxflight's eyes. "Err Umm Goldenfur.", she mewed after concentrating for a good moment. She finished burying the prey looking at the handsome tom. "Your mentor taught you well also.", she mewed returning the compliment trying to get the attention off of her. She didn't like being in the spot light, if cats looked to close she feared they would see all of her imperfections, and then she would really feel insecure.

[Deleted]

He listened as she gazed at him. What she said made him understand a bit more about Ferncloud. Goldenfur was a great teacher, she had to be because she was a senior warrior after all. Foxflight could tell she didn't like the spot light on her so he was just about to change topics or perhaps find another piece of prey when she uttered her own reply back towards him.

It caught him off guard and his ears layed back as he remembered those chaotic years. He'd been a 'cat-killer' to some of the warriors after they had seen him almost kill an enemy at a skirmish. Through his desperate times though, it had been his own mentor to bring him back and make him who he was now.

He blinked and it all went away in an instant. Foxflight smiled and meowed a thanks once again. The tom knew not what to do or say next, but he wanted Ferncloud to continue.

[Tanglekit]

Ferncloud saw his smile disappear and she wondered of she had done something that upset him. So she decided to continue the conversation. "Goldenfur was an excellent teacher. She never pushed me too hard, but always kept me on track.", she mewed quietly in her usual calm indecisive tone. Goldenfur had taught her well, and she was a great hunting, but she did not however excel in fighting and if would be a very easily defeated opponent. She thought of her battle training and she knew most of the moves in order to fight, but when the time came to use them she would freeze up of forget what she was taught.

[Deleted]

His unease flitted away as Ferncloud wove her tale of how Goldenfur had trained her. Foxflight's ears came back up as he listened. From everything he had heard, Goldenfur was a great cat to anyone. Of course, he respected her whenever he saw her, but to hear others speak so happily about her made it clear.

"I'm glad to hear your mentor was great because your definiantly a cat who deserves it," he meowed as he looked at her. After glancing at her, he noticed she seemed to be thinking a bit more about the subject, but he didn't push her.

"Well, do you think we should get this prey to the clan, or do you want to continue hunting?," he said.

[Tanglekit]

Ferncloud pieced through her answers wondering which was a better choice. They had enough prey to take back to camp, but she wanted more time with him, and she was afraid she wouldn'tget it if they went back to camp. And she remembered the thing that Goldenfur had always told her. 'The clan comes first', and she knew her duty was to her clan first. "We should take it back", she mewed softly trying to hide her remorse. She wasn't ready to leave just yet but her judgment was clouded, so she decided it was best for them to just go back to camp, for both their sakes. In an attempt to keep the conversation going she wanted to know about his mentor. "Your mentor seems to have taught you as well as I", she purred keeping her quiet rhythm.