fly like an eagle | hunting

[Flycatcher]

Oh, it felt good to be outside again.

After spending two weeks in the medicine den, Flycatcher was pleased when Berryheart and Lichenpaw deemed him fit to return to duties. The blue deputy had thanked the two profusely for their kindness and treatment and then proceeded to practically bolt out of the den. Although he longer to hunt and stretch his legs, he had not gone on a patrol immediately, instead taking a short amount of time to speak with the lead warriors to get an update on camp, before eventually calling his own hunting patrol. He waited until he had a sufficient number of cats - including his own apprentice - before setting off.

It was pleasant to be out with the warriors again, the sights and smells of the forest welcoming back as if he had never left. His paw was feeling better but Flycatcher elected to stay firmly on the ground today. He did not want to push himself and potentially risk hurting himself again. He could always save climbing a tree for another day. "Anyone fancy taking a detour to Sunningrocks?" He asked, turning back to the rest of his patrol.​

 

[nightbird]

prey was always a necessity, and although the days grew more dreadfully hot nightbird was happy to deliver. she had rounded up her apprentices to join flycatcher on his first outing since he had been injured. the molly was beyond glad he was back. duties split between three remaining lead warriors, she was fine with taking on added responsibilities until everyone was healed. however, it was distracting at times. with an apprentice so close to a warrior ceremony, she would rather her attention be on honing his skills until the time came.

she followed dutifully behind, dragging ever so slightly. her ears pricked when a question fell upon the patrol. sunningrocks was surely unbearable in this weather, but that would mean prey gathered to the river. "sounds good to me," she offered, steps hastening ever so slightly. "how's freedom feeling?" the deputy seemed beyond estatic to be out, and she couldn't blame him. the medicine cat's den quickly became a monotonous place.

// @LIGHTPAW . @DUSKPAW ​

 

[Shinebug]

When sky-blue eyes first saw his mentor making his way out of the medicine den like his injury had never happened, Shinepaw would be ashamed to admit that his gaze contained a twinge of worry. The shaft of sunlight knew that the first thing the warrior would want to do was leave camp (Flycatcher was Flycatcher, after all) and, obviously, the autumn-hued tom would be along for the ride.

In and of itself, the excursion wasn’t a problem. However, it was his own potential performance that had Shinepaw uncharacteristically silent as he padded along. There were no other ways to put it, the boy was bad at hunting. He’d managed a few catches, but if the boy suddenly became a loner, there’s no doubt he would starve. Sky-blue eyes bore a hole in the back of Flycatcher’s head, wanting to ask his mentor for help but too afraid of disappointing him to speak up.

When the deputy suggested a detour, flame-tinted ears twitched in relief at the opportunity to put his problem off a bit longer. “That sounds fun!” A squeaky voice sounded from the back of the patrol. “I haven’t seen Sunningrocks before, is it nice?” Perhaps Shinepaw would take to the location like a fish to water. After all, it and him were named for the same thing. That made sense, didn’t it?

At Nightbird’s inquiry, tiny pawpads tip-tapped in place as a question popped into Shinepaw’s head, one even he knew was inappropriate, but curiosity tipped the scales. “I’ve never sprained something before. How bad does it hurt?” ​

 

[Flycatcher]

It seems his patrol is in agreement with the suggestion of going to Sunningrocks. Flycatcher smiles, glad they are in agreement, "Sunningrocks it is then," He said, before directing the patrol in the direction of the Sunningrocks. As they walk, Flycatcher can't help but chuckle at Shinepaw's enthusiasm for going there. To look at it as somewhere interesting and new, as opposed to just seeing it as the piece of land that could provide them with the prey they needed to survive. "I think you'll like it there Shinepaw," Flycatcher tells him, inviting his apprentice closer to him. "The rocks will provide an interesting challenge for you in order to catch prey. Perhaps we could make a little game of it for our apprentices?" Flycatcher suggests, inclining his head towards Nightbird to see what she thought of the idea.

Nightbird enquires how he is feeling being out of the medicine den and before he can answer, Shinepaw chimes in with a following question regarding spraining his paw. "It hurt in the moment and a few days afterward, but it really didn't hurt that bad afterward. Just a bit uncomfortable to walk on. At least it was easier to deal with than a broken leg," He would answer. Hoping he had answered the question sufficiently enough to Shinepaw's tastes, his gaze flickers to Nightbird. "Freedom is delightful," Flycatcher purrs, "Whilst I appreciate what Berryheart and Lichenpaw did for me, I am glad to be out of the den. It was beginning to feel quite hot and stifling."

As the conversation slows, the patrol finally arrives at the Sunnigrocks. The smooth stones look perfect for lounging and relaxing on top of, but they are not here for that. "Take in all the new smells, Shinepaw," Flycatcher encourages, taking his own opportunity to draw in the scents. The river smelt so strong here, and there was a faint odour of mice and vole in the air, just waiting to be caught within the crevices of the rocks.​

 

[LITTLE WOLF]

Hunting is an activity that the shaded warrior would never say no to. When she had spent her days cooped up in the nursery she had itched to be out in the forest, all of her senses in tune with the earth around her. Birds fly high in the sky overhead. mice nibble at the base of trees and squirrels leap from branch to branch. The forest always seemed so full of life and in turn it made her feel alive, but it also had the ability to make her feel small. She is only a tiny part is something so much bigger than herself and she knows it just by looking around. It was humbling.

The group of cats she had found herself with also made this a much more pleasant experience. Green-leaf was hot and miserable but in the shade of the forests canopy it was made a little more bearable. It would be much worse if she was hot and uncomfortable. But Flycatcher is a good tom, one who she considers a friend along with his mate. Nightbird she is not as close with but her brother seemed to like the midnight colored lead and she trusts his judgement. "Sunning rocks sounds good" she says with a smile. While the idea of being in the sun sounds absolutely miserable to her right now but it was a hard won piece of the territory. That and it actually sometimes held decent prey. It would be unwise to not put it to use.

With these thoughts in mind she follows the others to the rocks. Her ears flick as she listens to Flycatcher instruct Shinepaw and for a moment she feels sad. She no longer had an apprentice to instruct, to pass along her knowledge to, and she didn't want to infringe on the deputies training. Instead she turns to the next nearest cat and says "All the prey is probably hiding in the shade of the rocks, want to look over there with me?"

​

 

[GENTLESTORM]

( ❄ ) This was about one of the times that Hailstorm wished he had been a cat with much shorter fur, his long coat giving him an advantage around the time of leaf-bare but now... "Great Starclan... It's hot." He thought to himself when they had first headed out and even if the weather seemed to be against him currently, it didn't deter him from joining Flycatcher's hunting patrol. Sure, Snowbutt tended to stick out like a sore thumb amongst all the greenery and earthy browns that made up Thunderclan's territory but Hailstorm had managed to find ways to somewhat conceal himself from prey. Other cats? Not so much, he was still working on that. Maybe if he covered his coat with mud? The thought making his snout briefly wrinkle thinking about dry mud caking his coat, he mentally shook his head at the idea knowing that he would need to wash and he'd look like a drowned cat.

It was an amusing thought really but he sighed quietly as the hunting party was kept cool underneath a canopy of trees, his large ears perking up at the mention of Sunning Rocks and he nodded slowly to the deputy before his heavy paws continued to move forward following everyone else as he did so. He began to wonder how the other clans were currently doing to manage keeping cool in this weather, the thought subsiding as they arrived at Sunning Rocks and turned to watch the deputy start to teach Shinepaw about the little area. His head turning to Little Wolf as she mentions there being prey hiding beneath the rocks, Hailstorm steps forward with a small smile "Sure," He chirped out in response taking a few more careful steps towards the rocks not wanting to potentially startle prey. ​

( O SOL PEDIU A ; LUA EM CASAMENTO )

 

[DUSKBIRD]

Duskpaw had never found Berryheart's den to be a monotonous place. Though he could not see himself following in the other's pawsteps, the scents and sounds of his work had only brought comfort to the younger apprentice. It was where he had first spoken up about the feeling plaguing him so few moons ago. Otherness and strangeness, accepted and understood. He had given Duskpaw the courage to be himself– himself more importantly. It was good to be in there. But it was not good to be there all of the time. When they mention Sunningrocks, Duskpaw only thinks of his brother. Scaleclaw had been a good tom. There was no saving him. Would he see the same of Nightbird? Would it happen to him? But they head that way, and the dutiful apprentice follows faithfully behind.

It's only once they're closer to the rocks that he finds himself wheedling into the conversation– not to distract from the deputy's stories, or to add anything of his own. Instead, Duskpaw slips astride Nightbird and noses her shoulder to get her attention. "There are adders here. Scaleclaw–" His throat clicks as he swallows against swelling nausea. Watching his mother split from the group ramps it higher until it is a veritable knot he's certain his mentor can see. Throughout it all, he refuses to meet her gaze. "I don't want– what if–?"

˗ˏˋ〚  OOC NOTES 05.20.2023 〛´ˎ˗

• ooc: —
• ──── duskpaw. apprentice of thunderclan. he / they.
  ──── blazestar x little wolf, older littermate of skykit.
  ──── does not know of his father / skyclan heritage.
  
  ──── an undefined kitten with long, dark brown fur that fades just slightly near the chest, throat, and ears, while the tip of their tail burns with the bright orange tabby flame. eyes are a deep, rich amber-brown, seeming red.
• "speech"

​

 

[nightbird]

nightbird huffs knowingly to the deputy's strained sentiments of berryheart's den. hot and stifling indeed. after the battle with riverclan she had felt herself feeling the same, paws itching to work. to do anything besides sit and rot away behind the stony entrance. any longer and she was convinced she would have gone mad.

a prod to her shoulder draws her from her thoughts. there duskpaw stands, frightened as a mouse trapped under her claws. there is a brief moment of confusion before he speaks. scaleclaw, his littermate's former mentor. suffered a venomous fate here not long ago. fear was admittedly not something that the lead warrior combatted often for herself, even rarer was it that she found herself dealing with it for others. but there the apprentice stood, and it was her job to at least try.

"there are adders everywhere." the fact was not stated with the intent of making him scared of every slithering shadow, but she couldn't deny him of the truth. although they tended to hang around the rockier areas, they lived in this territory just as the thunderclanners. it would be no shock to run into them gliding through undergrowth. "just stay close, keep your eyes open and pay attention." level as she spoke, hopefully duskpaw would find a lick of comfort in her calmness. a feathery tail moved to tap him on the shoulder before she moved on, senses keen in search of a scent.​