composition | strange prey

[Tornadopaw]

If you don't like me, that's your problem

Dusk was upon them and Dewspider was already beckoning for her to begin her training. While earlier than usual the curly furred femme said nothing of the matter. Truth be told, despite being dog tired the laperm eagerly looked forward to whatever was on the agenda for tonight. Ebony paws carried her along frozen slush and muddied bog, doing her best to remain silent and composed like he'd taught her. Before long the duo were stalking along somewhere near the thunderpath and with permission from the grey warrior Tornadopaw branched off but still remained in sight. Citrine eyes skimmed over the area as her maw parted to pick up something, anything beyond the smell of burnt rubber and tar. Eventually she spotted a strange square shaped object laying upon the frozen ground. Silver bars lay open with a blanket hanging just outside the lip of the carrier.

Pausing and standing stiff legged she was hesitant to approach further, tempted to turn back around and stick near Dewspider. That is until she heard the soft "week, week' of an animal slowly making its way out of the carrier. It looked somewhat like a weird, tailless mouse. With its potato shaped body, squat limbs, and short petal shaped ears. The smooth furred rodent exited the carrier, sniffing around with uncertainty as Tornadopaw's heart hammered within her chest. She couldn't turn back and get Dewspider now, not without the possibility of frightening the critter away. Excitement, anxiousness, determination, but more importantly hunger kindled her resolve. The weird mouse was rather close, greedily munching on whatever grass it happened to find and blissfully ignorant of her existence.

With pangs of hunger pushing her further she leapt. Her form was sloppy, but Tornado recovered quick enough to give chase to the former domestic pet that foolishly ran and cornered itself within its cage. Within a matter of moments the girl backed out of the carrier with a guinea pig dangling from her jaws and a thunderous purr erupting from her throat. Finally, all of her training was beginning to pay off and she had proof to show for it. In a rare act of outward expression she bounded back to her mentor in large doe like leaps with a smile upon her face. "@DEWSPIDER look! I caught something!" She had no idea what, but she hardly cared. As the pair walked back into camp Tornadopaw dropped the furry creature at her paws, pride still evident in her eyes. ​

When I let it bother me, that's my problem​

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[FLICKERFIRE]

Existence is bleak in ShadowClan. Leafbare has stripped the lead warrior of all she had known before the cruelest season -- frivolity, vitality, it's all shriveled and died like the oak leaves in ThunderClan's territory. Frost has creeped into the marrow of her bones and sank its icy teeth deep. Hunger is a shadow, never leaving her, as much a part of her very being as her pelt or her ears now.

The tortoiseshell's paw pads are like pieces of frozen-over stone. She's patrolled the entire expanse of their damn marsh and come up with nothing. The fire, along with the inhospitable nature of their territory, has taken every bit of meat from their mouths, and she's bitter, thinking about the rabbits their friends are stuffing their faces with. Thinking about the fish Bonejaw must be shoving into her greedy mouth, straight from the rivers...

She has nothing when she returns to camp, and her dull eyes are vacant, thinking of the long trek to the Carrionplace she must make next. The rats again, always the rats, or else they'll have to take to eating genuine crowfood and risk death like Twilightfall had. But before she can force herself to make that journey, she spots the curly-furred apprentice, mouth full of something that looks divine.

"Where'd you get that?" Flickerfire says, eyes flaring in her gaunt dark face. She sniffs at the creature, hope flaring in her chest. There are kits and elder who must eat first, to her chagrin, but she wants nothing more than the crunch into the fat little beastie with all she has. "Are there more of them?" Hope lights behind her eyes. ShadowClan had never been home to mice, but perhaps... perhaps this strange, short-bodied breed had set up home in their swamps?​

 

[Magpiepaw]

The newness of this new thing illicited a rare surge of excitement through him so powerful he is trembling as he stares across the camp to Tornadopaw and Dewspider's return, the odd furred thing near her paws so strange and unfamiliar. Neither mouse nor amphibian, not bird nor hare; it was a lump of something foreign and its scent drew him into a standing position.

His playthings are discarded in his haste to investigate, beetle carapaces and mouse bones scattered in his wobbling wake and he clambers over with an expedience he usually only reserves for food but this is important. It was new. Magpiekit wanders forward, bumping into Flickerfire's legs as he walks directly under her and stops to stand under her chest; his wide eyes seem even larger as he looks upon the molted body entirely covered in long hair-it looked more moss than mammalian and his tail twitched in erratic delight. He pointed at it with a paw, his words failing him in his enthusiasm, but eventually he is able to conjure up a breathless, "....can I touch it?"

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[Swiftclaws]

Swiftclaws has tried all matter of things but he has never seen the plump little rodent Tornadopaw has brought in, curiosity lights in his chest as he approaches and like Magpiekit the young warrior wants to see it himself, it's odd looking like a rat with a snub muzzle no tail and way rounder - it's plump like nothing else they've caught in a long time maybe even bigger then the prey he's caught when the weather was warm. It's a blessing from starclan in all honesty, it wouldn't feed the whole clan of course but it was large enough that at least a couple if not more clanmates would get a bellyful to keep them going. At lest he hopes the kits and queens would be eating well. A purr rumbles in his chest as he comes up to Tornadopaw and her mentor ❝Nice work Tornadopaw!❞ he cheers with a grin ❝What a catch! You're our savior of the day❞ he purrs plopping himself down to sit next to Magpiepaw, tail moving to gently curl around the kit to make sure he was keeping warm.

He too like Flickerfire would feel the pangs of desperate hunger looking and smelling the fresh catch, but he wouldn't dare let it get the best of him he could continue to fight on through the harsh winter on the little that was caught, he could handle the taste of rat for a while longer even if it was rancid compared to the likely delicacy before them. He smiles ❝Maybe you could show us where you managed to find it soon, so we can see if there's any more out there❞ like their lead warrior he hopes there is, he knows it couldn't be too likely but regardless there could still be a shred of hope that others could be found that the cruel nights of leafbare would lighten and their bellies could be full once again. It's a beautiful but naiive thought.​

( TAKE MY LEAD ; ILL SET YOU FREE )

 

[Tornadopaw]

If you don't like me, that's your problem

Flickerfire is swift to approach her as the curly furred laperm takes a seat upon the ground. Her tail twists to wrap around her paws as she wears a brief thoughtful expression. Were there more of them? She wasn't sure, she'd been so wrapped up into grabbing this one that she did not know if there were others about. "No, I don't think so. Although it's possible." She offers with a mild shake of her head before continuing on. "I found this one by the thunderpath." As Magpiekit comes shuffling over Tornadopaw's citrine gaze lowers to land upon the boy. A single paw just barely restrains itself from touching the felled guinea pig though she found it slightly amusing he used his manners and asked first. "Yeah sure, go ahead." She mummers with a nod, lifting her gaze to meet that of Swiftclaws.

Her lips split into a grin at the praise, internally burning with pride as he labels her a savior. "Thank you Swiftclaws. It's my first catch." That only served to make this moment even more special. In regard to showing them where she nods with a rare smile. "Yeah I can do that, hopefully there are more of these things around." Tornado voices whilst nudging the guinea pig closer for Magpiekit to touch. ​

When I let it bother me, that's my problem​

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[SHARPSHADOW]

† "Your first?" Sharppaw mumbles, his tone the strange low-spoken warble it always was, though, tucked beneath is something stranger. Intention bidden between something congratulatory, and something not. What's her luck, that the first thing she catches is something odd and exotic? Something strange enough to make Flickerfire's dull eyes light up, as they always did at the prospect of food. All of them– their eyes light up. And why wouldn't they, when it's leaf-bare? Even Magpiekit, hardly concerned with self-preservation at all is happy.

"It's funny." Dully spoken, his eyes invade the others'– and the beady face of her catch. It wasn't so great, wasn't so fat. What was there to say about your skills, when your first kill isnt a frog or a toad. Not a rat, either. Just something... soft and stupid looking. She doubted it could leap with the power of a frog. She doubted it could bite you, like a rat could. Differen't did not mean good.

...But, Tornadopaw had caught something, and that was more than most could say in this season. Ravenpaw would not say things like that. Sharppaw ducks his head. "G-good job."​