good in the end — hunting patrol

[Orangestar]

ORANGEBLOSSOM — tags​

OOC: @eveningpaw app tag, but no need to wait to post :]

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The wind has picked up by the time they get to Rockpile. The leaves rustle overhead, sending leaves scattering, and Orangeblossom feels a couple catch in her long fur as white-and-ginger strands are pulled sideways by the breeze. It's been a while since she's hunted, longer still since she's visited Rockpile to do so, and the deputy is wholly unimpressed by this weather rising to meet her on the one day she does.

"Hunting will be harder in this wind, but it'll be a good challenge!" She calls over the breeze to her patrol. She's expecting the mice to be hiding in crevices, and expects that tracking them will be a pain in the ears. She's no master tracker, but right now Orangeblossom can't even catch a scent from Rockpile with the way the wind keeps changing. "Don't go up the trees unless there's a threat, you'll probably fall out of them."

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[DOEBLAZE]

✿—— bobbie squints pale eyes against the greenleaf wind, rising high and blowing feathery lilac fur into her face. she's usually had decent luck hunting near the rockpile, but never in this type of weather—her already-lackluster skills don't need the addition of the rising breeze, she thinks with a sigh, trailing after the rest of the hunting patrol. still, she's hopeful; not only does she want to catch something to feed the clan, she's also hoping she can make at least a bit of a good impression on orangeblossom. the tabby has a sneaking suspicion the dark-eyed deputy finds her to be generally disappointing, which she couldn't exactly fault orangeblossom for; not only does she lack the assertive sharpness the ginger-and-white she-cat possesses, her own abilities in warriorhood have been ... less than incredible, so far.

she reminds herself to keep her expectations low as they arrive at the rockpile, despite the fact that the irritating wind is blowing scents every which way. "gotcha," she mews in reply to orangeblossom's call, raising her voice to be heard over the breeze and adding with some amusement, "at this rate, the wind is going to catch the m-mice before we do." still, she splits off from the patrol and moves towards the pile of rocks, hoping to locate a mouse burrowed away in some distant corner of the stones.

as her luck would have it, she manages to catch the scent of one of the mice, dropping low to the ground in a crouch that still feels awkward to hunt it down. she's moving closer to the source of the scent, fighting the wind, when she spots it—a small grey-brown form scurrying towards a crack in the rock. if i don't hurry, i'll lose it, she realizes with a jolt, pushing off earlier than she'd been hoping in a leap for it. perhaps it's the extra training, but her leap covers the distance and she pins it beneath her paws, delivering a killing bite once she's snared the fresh-kill. bobbie allows herself a quiet purr of satisfaction as she lifts its small body from the earth.

NO LOVE, HOWEVER BRIEF (✿) 𝑰𝑺 𝑾𝑨𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑫

• ooc: rolled a nat 20 on a best out of 2 dice, so she caught it easily :-)
  
• nothing here, have a nice day :-)
• 
  — bobbie
  — she/her ; warrior of skyclan ; 40 ☾s
  — "speech" ; thoughts ; attacks
  — chibi by its_oliverr
  — penned by dejavu
  

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[MALLOWLARK]

For once, Mallowlark was met in the pine forest by something ancestrally familiar- wind. For all the wrong Sootstar had done, for the grisly end she would surely meed for wrecking his family home, she at least did something right- naming it WindClan. It was fitting for that place, always whipped by a gale- and having grown up around it, Mallowlark was very used to hunting in these conditions. He nodded enthusiastically at Orangeblossom's advice- unlike Bobbie, he had no sneaking suspicion that the deputy held some distaste for him, however true it might be. Not in the trees- right.

Pointing his nose to the sky, Mallowlark began a creeping walk. The wind whispered, if you listened close enough- it lead you to the right place. In WindClan it had been a task, hearing the wind above all the scrabbling and biting and flesh-ripping and escaping medicine cats... Dawnglare had been right. It was a lot easier to listen to the earth here.

A mouse, nearby- he scented it, dropping low to the ground in a hunting crouch, and it was not long until inky paws carried him within sight. Preemptively, a his grin grew triumphant. Though he was not the best stalker, he had surprising speed for his size- so when the mouse heard him coming, it was already done for. He leapt, maw agape, crushing brittle bones between grinning jaws. And- oh! No blood! Surprising, but... it had been a clean kill, with the breeze spurring him forward.

\ rolled a nat 20! mallowlark's used to these conditions B)​

☺PENNED BY PIN​

 

[Johnnyflame]

HE SAID, "WELL MY NAME'S JOHNNY, AND IT MIGHT BE A SIN
BUT I'LL TAKE YOUR BET, AND YOU'RE GONNA REGRET, CUZ IM THE BEST THERE'S EVER BEEN."​

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OOC- Johnny over here, breaking the streak with his 6 lmao

Hunting was something Johnny always jumped at the chance to do- not because he was good at it, but because it was arguably once of his poorest skills. He'd come a long way since he'd first joined back in the spring, but there was still some difficulty that came with making a clean kill a lot of the time, and he was eager to correct that.

"Aye, no trees- got it." he confirmed with nod and smile before turning to split off from the group.

The wind definitely made it more difficult to pick up a scent, and he ended up circling the rocks he was near longer than usual before he caught scent of a mouse. After a bit of investigation he eventually spotted the furry little morsel scuffling about, and he silently fell into crouch and began creeping forward.

He wasn't sure if it was the wind changing direction or if the mouse just caught sight of him, but a moment before he was poised to spring the critter suddenly spooked. He pounced after it, claw extended in hopes of catching it before it ducked between the rocks, but it's tail slipped through his paws and a moment later, Johnny was left standing empty handed.

"Slippery little.."

---

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[GREENEYES]

The wind rustling through Greeneyes’ fur leaves the warrior feeling uneasy as he walks with the rest of the hunting patrol. A shift in weather rather unwelcomed by the tom, it couldn’t have arrived at a worse time, he thinks.

They’re under a canopy of pine trees - ones that Orangeblossom warns not to climb in this weather, something that Greeneyes doesn’t have to be told twice, as dread twists at his chest. Though he’d rather be catching birds today, he doesn’t think his favorite prey will want to be out in this weather either. The mice that tend to scurry around the Rockpile will have to suffice, he supposes.

In an attempt to keep his mind off of the growing breeze, he turns to look at his apprentice, a small, nerve-filled smile pulling at his maw. “Try your best, amigo,” he encourages his apprentice, “Remember what we’ve been working on, okay?”

Though it would be great for Falconpaw to catch something, he doesn’t hold too high of expectations for his still-learning apprentice. After all, he was a couple of moons older than Falconpaw when he’d made his own first catch.

“Don’t go too far,” he tells him, a moment of worry over having to part ways from the kid, “I’ll be around here, still, if you need me.” Judging from the lack of prey scent in the air, Greeneyes doubts he’ll catch much from sticking around here, but if something happens and Falconpaw needs to find him, he’d rather his apprentice be able to retrieve him.

However, as he splits off from the rest of the patrol, from Falconpaw, Greeneyes is surprised by another breeze hitting his fur, the faintest scent of mouse carried within it.

Blinking, the warrior crouches down, creeping toward where he thinks the scent came from. Sure enough, a mouse soon appears from between the rocks, and the tom is quick to leap forward. White paws clasp the rodent between them with piercing claws. A final, killing blow is given soon after by biting fangs before the wounded mouse can try to make its escape to its rocky refuge.

A successful catch made, Greeneyes stands up with the mouse between his teeth. He scans the area once more, in search of his apprentice instead this time, as he hopes Falconpaw is able to catch something. Or, at the very least, able to get some practice in.

// rolled a 19! apprentice tag: @falconpaw!​

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