If the frost had crept in with such a vicious haste, then this snow had blown in with downright intent; one morning, a dusting of frost, and the next, it was as though the world itself had gone white, piles and drifts strewn about, and the blisteringly-cold flakes hadn't seen fit to let up yet, either. It's with great displeasure that Daffodilpaw pulls himself out of his nest, gives himself a quick grooming, and faces the swirling storm outside along with his fellow patrolmates, teeth practically rattling in his skull from the cold. Though he still hasn't yet managed to prove himself, there are still plenty of waiting mouths to feed in camp, and so he can't quite find it in himself to complain even as the snow clings to his pelt, ensuring that he's thoroughly chilled and certainly no more happy about this than he was when it was just frost to contend with.
Once they've trudged their way through scattered trees, Fawnwhisker signals to him to split off, and he follows easily, assured that they won't be straying too far from the central patrol. Practically blinded by the snow, Daffodilpaw's senses are working overtime just to keep up, and even as he finds himself lagging behind Fawnwhisker's steady steps, something new catches his attention - just barely there, above the snow, but there all the same. A bird of some sort, though he can't quite make out the specifics, other than that it seems fresh. Allowing Fawnwhisker to fade into the blank distance, Daffodilpaw stops entirely, trying to ignore the way the snow buffets his pelt and tries to freeze him in his tracks. His sight's still no good, but as he slinks through the snow, the scent only gets stronger and stronger, and soon he can hear it, too.
For a moment, Daffodilpaw almost feels bad for the thing - a sparrow, flitting about on the ground. It must be looking for food too, he thinks, what with the way it seems to fruitlessly peck at the snow-laden, hardened ground, and the increasingly frantic movements feel as though they've struck a chord within him. Does it have a family it's trying to provide for, he wonders? Has it come home empty-beaked one too many times? Crouching there in the snow, close enough that he can see the bird now, his paws suddenly feel more leaden than just the cold's doing, though he manages to steel himself, claws sliding out. The bird will soon become a new, limp body atop the fresh-kill pile if Daffodilpaw has any say in the matter; by then, it won't matter how many seeds the bird had found, or if it had someone to return to. It would be cold and dead, and he and SkyClan would be sated, if only for a short while.
Another moment passes with the thunderous beat of his heart, and then he strikes, slipping forwards through the snow. It's not elegant or graceful, but luckily for him, neither is the bird, both of them cold-bitten, and the sparrow's reaction time falls short of his own. One moment, he's stumbling through the snow, and the next, his claws have found purchase in flesh, in feathers. He's almost shocked enough to drop the thrashing creature entirely, but instinct kicks in, and Daffodilpaw fells it with a swift, messily-aimed bite. A splatter of blood stains the snow beneath him, a halo of feathers settling against the backdrop, and - and, he did it.
No matter how long it had taken him, how behind he's felt - this was his very first catch, all his! The cold hardly means anything in his moment, the trembling in his limbs more from the adrenaline than anything else, and as he scoops to gently heft the bird into his mouth, a triumphant purr builds in his throat. Finally, he'll be able to march back into camp, head held high for once, and he'll have a wonderful story for Florabreeze! Adderpaw will offer him congratulations, of course, sharp gaze softening, and maybe...maybe Chrysaliswing will look at him with something other than contempt, though even broaching the idea starts to dampen his own excitement.
The cold starts to snag his attention again, and Daffodilpaw pulls away, his kill swinging as he turns his head, trying to discern just where Fawnwhisker had gone. Surely she would have noticed he wasn't trailing behind her by now and started to double back... As he starts to shove his way back the piling snow, a muffled sound in the distance washes over him, and though he can hardly make any of it out, it still leaves the fur along his spine feeling ruffled. Another step, now, and then another, as Daffodilpaw pushes on, until his ears are awash with hisses and -
With little warning, a large shape comes crashing through the blinding whiteness of the snow, and though the blow it deals to him is only glancing, it's still enough to knock him off his paws, leaving the bird to fly from his grasp as his jaw is held agape in shock. Struggling to find his footing, the snowstorm certainly doesn't help his assessment of the situation, pieces coming in flashes. It was a dog that had crashed into him, slavering and growling, though it hadn't tried to tear him to pieces yet, only knocking him to the ground. More sounds swim in through his whirling mind - angry caterwauls that sound like Fawnwhisker, answering barks, all muffled - and he barely manages to catch a glimpse of his pale-furred mentor disappearing deeper into the storm, another hound on her heels, when he's forced to snap to attention at the sight of the beast that he was left with.
While the dog hadn't left him with anything more than bruises at this point, that could surely change in an instant, even with how preoccupied it was with his very own catch. Part of him feels indignant, the part that's still trying to catch up from his tumble - that was his sparrow it was making a meal of! That was - it was meant for SkyClan, not to be snatched away and devoured by some hound! Daffodilpaw lets out an ugly hiss, claws sliding out once more in some sort of attempt to scare it off, though it only seems to grab the creature's attention. Dark eyes rake over his shivering form, and any misplaced bravado quickly melts away before he has any chance to do anything with it. Distantly, he hopes that Fawnwhisker will swoop back in, drive the hound off, and as the sound of distant voices catches his ears, Daffodilpaw knows that any help is good help right about now.
"DOG!" he yells out, trying to pitch his voice as loud as he can so that one of his patrolmates might hear, or that it might scare the dog off. "THERE'S - THERE'S DOGS!" Luckily enough, despite his trembling frame and clear fear, the dog seems similarly rattled, pausing in its wanton desecration of his first catch to stare him down, eyes equally as wide as his own mismatched pair. The two of them must look quite a sight, both looking ready to bolt but neither willing to make the first move, and Daffodilpaw lets out another warning hiss, tempered by the terror gripping his very being - it must do something, though, as the hound is the first to break their deadly stillness, shifting back a step even as Daffodilpaw holds his ground, claws digging into the icy ground for purchase.
Once they've trudged their way through scattered trees, Fawnwhisker signals to him to split off, and he follows easily, assured that they won't be straying too far from the central patrol. Practically blinded by the snow, Daffodilpaw's senses are working overtime just to keep up, and even as he finds himself lagging behind Fawnwhisker's steady steps, something new catches his attention - just barely there, above the snow, but there all the same. A bird of some sort, though he can't quite make out the specifics, other than that it seems fresh. Allowing Fawnwhisker to fade into the blank distance, Daffodilpaw stops entirely, trying to ignore the way the snow buffets his pelt and tries to freeze him in his tracks. His sight's still no good, but as he slinks through the snow, the scent only gets stronger and stronger, and soon he can hear it, too.
For a moment, Daffodilpaw almost feels bad for the thing - a sparrow, flitting about on the ground. It must be looking for food too, he thinks, what with the way it seems to fruitlessly peck at the snow-laden, hardened ground, and the increasingly frantic movements feel as though they've struck a chord within him. Does it have a family it's trying to provide for, he wonders? Has it come home empty-beaked one too many times? Crouching there in the snow, close enough that he can see the bird now, his paws suddenly feel more leaden than just the cold's doing, though he manages to steel himself, claws sliding out. The bird will soon become a new, limp body atop the fresh-kill pile if Daffodilpaw has any say in the matter; by then, it won't matter how many seeds the bird had found, or if it had someone to return to. It would be cold and dead, and he and SkyClan would be sated, if only for a short while.
Another moment passes with the thunderous beat of his heart, and then he strikes, slipping forwards through the snow. It's not elegant or graceful, but luckily for him, neither is the bird, both of them cold-bitten, and the sparrow's reaction time falls short of his own. One moment, he's stumbling through the snow, and the next, his claws have found purchase in flesh, in feathers. He's almost shocked enough to drop the thrashing creature entirely, but instinct kicks in, and Daffodilpaw fells it with a swift, messily-aimed bite. A splatter of blood stains the snow beneath him, a halo of feathers settling against the backdrop, and - and, he did it.
No matter how long it had taken him, how behind he's felt - this was his very first catch, all his! The cold hardly means anything in his moment, the trembling in his limbs more from the adrenaline than anything else, and as he scoops to gently heft the bird into his mouth, a triumphant purr builds in his throat. Finally, he'll be able to march back into camp, head held high for once, and he'll have a wonderful story for Florabreeze! Adderpaw will offer him congratulations, of course, sharp gaze softening, and maybe...maybe Chrysaliswing will look at him with something other than contempt, though even broaching the idea starts to dampen his own excitement.
The cold starts to snag his attention again, and Daffodilpaw pulls away, his kill swinging as he turns his head, trying to discern just where Fawnwhisker had gone. Surely she would have noticed he wasn't trailing behind her by now and started to double back... As he starts to shove his way back the piling snow, a muffled sound in the distance washes over him, and though he can hardly make any of it out, it still leaves the fur along his spine feeling ruffled. Another step, now, and then another, as Daffodilpaw pushes on, until his ears are awash with hisses and -
With little warning, a large shape comes crashing through the blinding whiteness of the snow, and though the blow it deals to him is only glancing, it's still enough to knock him off his paws, leaving the bird to fly from his grasp as his jaw is held agape in shock. Struggling to find his footing, the snowstorm certainly doesn't help his assessment of the situation, pieces coming in flashes. It was a dog that had crashed into him, slavering and growling, though it hadn't tried to tear him to pieces yet, only knocking him to the ground. More sounds swim in through his whirling mind - angry caterwauls that sound like Fawnwhisker, answering barks, all muffled - and he barely manages to catch a glimpse of his pale-furred mentor disappearing deeper into the storm, another hound on her heels, when he's forced to snap to attention at the sight of the beast that he was left with.
While the dog hadn't left him with anything more than bruises at this point, that could surely change in an instant, even with how preoccupied it was with his very own catch. Part of him feels indignant, the part that's still trying to catch up from his tumble - that was his sparrow it was making a meal of! That was - it was meant for SkyClan, not to be snatched away and devoured by some hound! Daffodilpaw lets out an ugly hiss, claws sliding out once more in some sort of attempt to scare it off, though it only seems to grab the creature's attention. Dark eyes rake over his shivering form, and any misplaced bravado quickly melts away before he has any chance to do anything with it. Distantly, he hopes that Fawnwhisker will swoop back in, drive the hound off, and as the sound of distant voices catches his ears, Daffodilpaw knows that any help is good help right about now.
"DOG!" he yells out, trying to pitch his voice as loud as he can so that one of his patrolmates might hear, or that it might scare the dog off. "THERE'S - THERE'S DOGS!" Luckily enough, despite his trembling frame and clear fear, the dog seems similarly rattled, pausing in its wanton desecration of his first catch to stare him down, eyes equally as wide as his own mismatched pair. The two of them must look quite a sight, both looking ready to bolt but neither willing to make the first move, and Daffodilpaw lets out another warning hiss, tempered by the terror gripping his very being - it must do something, though, as the hound is the first to break their deadly stillness, shifting back a step even as Daffodilpaw holds his ground, claws digging into the icy ground for purchase.
BUT GOD I'M STILL CIRCLING THROUGH
❀
THE DIALOGUES I COULD'VE HAD WITH YOU
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OOC: Intentionally rolled an encounter (predator/dogs) & rolled a 14, so his catch was stolen </3 There were two dogs, one of which was lead off by Fawnwhisker - feel free to powerplay the remaining dog, as it won't take too much to drive it off! Feel free to chase after the other dog/Fawnwhisker, too, but neither of them will be found, lost somewhere in the blizzard forever </3
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REF PENDING, TEEHEE <3
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DAFFODILKIT/ DAFFODILPAW —. He/him, apprentice of SkyClan
— .Chyrsaliswing x Honeysplash, littermate to Weaselpaw & Adderpaw
— . 8 moons old, ages on the 6th
— .An average, well-muscled orange-and-white dipped cream tom with mismatched eyes.
— .People-pleaser with a desire to do good - dedicated, but still fun-loving
— .Peaceful & healing powerplay permitted - brushing up against him, shoulder bumps, etc.
— .Penned by Hijinks - feel free to DM me on Discord to plot! ^^
