PUSHING DAISES【★】Tunnel discovery

[WINDCLAN]

Another day, another hunting patrol. The bellies of WindClanners were never eternally full!​

Prey was plentiful in the hills. The offspring the bunnies had in new-leaf were now nearing maturity, most were plump on foliage and grass. Ripe for the picking! Aside from the occasionally ghastly scarred or sickly one, there never was anything to bat an eye at when it came to rabbits.

Until today.

A magnificent rabbit sat at the entrance of a tunnel, watching its herd graze with pride. The large bunny was riddled in scars, likely from previous victorious battles fighting off males who dared to challenge him. Yet shockingly, his marks were not the most unique thing about him.

It was his snow-white pelt and intimidating red eyes… a cat who didn't know better may assume his vision had some sort of infection. Yet, he was merely albino. Perhaps it's part of the reason why he remained in the shadows of his tunnel while the others ate.

The creature is intriguing enough for the nearby hunting patrol to be interested in it. Not only was he plump, but he was unique and would make for a once-in-a-lifetime catch!

Only someone in the group accidentally steps on a twig.

Snap!

The ears of bunnies perk up, including the leader of the group. Unlike his companions his eyes do not swell up with fear, he remains cool and collected.

In fact- he was… staring right back at them! A bold and daring look in his eyes, "try me, you can't possibly catch me" his gaze says.

The hunting patrol springs forward for a hunt, the group of bunnies scatters and the leader turns to race into his warren. Many cats would stop in their tracks and not dare follow him into the tunnels, but not this group.

The hunt was on.

---

(Does the patrol successfully catch the rabbit? Do they fail? Regardless, they are the first cats who dare to step paw into the tunnels! What tricks or secrets will they learn?)
Leaders note: It would be cool if the rabbit wasn't caught and became WindClan's "Moby-Dick" if you will (a rabbit sought after by tunnelers), but its ultimately up to y'all what happens!

@hyacinthbreath
@Inkylotus
@POLLEN
@any others who sign-up

 

[Blacklotus]

It was a wild time, running among the moors and skimming after rabbits like it was butter. The black cat had followed a patrol out of camp and off into the moors, before straying away to follow the scent of a little furry creature. Large ears flicked back and forth as he picked up the little squeaks of a rabbit, aiming for something delicious. Yet as the black figure moved along the pale moor, body low to the ground, the sightless cat soon felt his paw catch. The ground underpaw slipped away like ice on a snowy day, and the tomcat hit his jaw off of the ground as he collapsed.

A loud groan came from the black cat and a sightless face lifted up slightly with a small shake. Tasting blood on his tongue from biting his own after his jaw hit the edge of what felt like a hole. What was that? The scent of rabbit came from this hole, but hesitation pricked at his paws. Was it a good idea to wonder into something so unknown? Food was needed, but was it worth risking? It seemed, however, that the world had a different plan as Inky moved back from the hole and the ground shook under his weight.

The blind cat then fell through the ground as it gave out under his weight. The scent of rabbit became overwhelming as he landed hard on the ground below, and gave a small sneeze as dust clustered up around him. What was happening? Where was he?​

 

[POLLENFUR]

Structure is Pollen's enemy. Having a leader whose eyes scrape over her fur like she's a plump rabbit is uncomfortable and, at times, unsettling. She's used to being able to nap when she wants, hunt when and where she pleases, wander wherever her paws take her. Now she feels restrained, and her brain is buzzing under Sootstar's claustrophobic reign.

Regardless, Sunshine seems happy to have been acclimated into WindClan. Mallow and Echo, too, seem happy to be around peers and having new opportunities. It's hard to tell what Marble's really thinking. It seems Pollen, Ember and Heavy Snow are the only ones with lingering reservations.

Pollen isn't sure how much longer she can take it, but she will make an effort. For them.

She trails after a petite lynx point and a sightless black tom, half-lidded golden eyes cloudy with her overwhelming thoughts. Should she just keep running, straight back to the badger set her mother had left them at? Further, towards another Clan? Another life? Should she make do?

The tempting scent of rabbit catches her attention, and it seems it's caught the black tom's, too. Sleepy honey-colored eyes find a grazing herd of rabbits, and sitting proudly amidst them is a large, scarred buck with blinding white fur and blood-colored eyes.

"Whoa," she murmurs, forgetting herself. She's never seen such a creature in her life, in all her time on these moors. She loathes to chase after it--killing such a creature might be sacrilege, right? Surely those stars Sootstar reveres would strike them dead for slaughtering such a unique creature?

But Inky doesn't seem to think so. He drops into a crouch and prepares to dart after the creature he scents when he seems to sink beneath the earth. Pollen watches, half in horror, as the earth collapses where he stands and gives way to the tunnels beneath.

She clears the gap between them. The bunnies have scattered, the white one straight into the entrance of the tunnel Inky has fallen into. Pollen's paws grip the soft, sinking earth as she calls below: "Inky! Are you still alive?" She peers through the dust, squinting. She can see him, and he's not buried beneath the top half of the moor, so she exhales her panic and leaps down beside him.

The tunnels. They're familiar to her, though only vaguely. She remembers being small beneath the earth, before her father had died in a collapse quite like this one. Her fur stands on end remembering her mother's grief. Such a terrible death, one she would like to avoid.

And yet, once she's padding through the dark, eyes lit with fire, she's remembering things she thought she'd forgotten. The musky, stale scent of the earth and the darkness. The pungent, tantalizing taste of rabbit on the air.

She lashes her tail, excitement bubbling in her throat. "Inky, do you smell that? He's down here, and I bet he's got more rabbits in his harem than he knows what to do with." Perhaps the mystical white creature has led them down here for a reason? She glances back at the black cat. "Shall we try to find it?"
​

PENNED BY MARQUETTE​

 

[hyacinthbreath]

Hyacinth's childhood was spent being told to avoid tunnels like the ones that formed in front of her gaze. Watching the black tom run right into danger seemed foolish to her; why would one risk it all in the face of curiosity and hunger? Approaching slowly from behind after having lost sight of a rabbit she had previously locked eyes on, Hya gave a soft chirrup of questioning tp the two cats currently squished into the tunnels. Hya frowns at Pollen's excited tone; this was stupid, and dangerous.

But oh, was she curious.

The petite molly shoved her head into the hole, tail flicking out behind her as she softly called out to the two cats.

"Anything cool in there? Find the rabbit, yet?"​

 

[Blacklotus]

"Yeah I am still alive!" He called back to the rest of his patrol, Pollen and Hyacinth. The black cat stood up on a shaky legs for a moment and shook out his ghostly tabby pelt for a moment. Then was joined shortly there after with Pollen and Hya, one asking if they should go after the rabbit and if there was more. While the she-cat asked if there was anything cool down here, "No rabbit, but there is an echo down here," It also smelled wet and cold, the tunnel around them getting smaller as Inky moved forward and away from Pollens' side. Thankfully they where small enough to squeeze through the tunnel, ears brushing the top, and they swished their tail back and forth, "I don't think this is a normal rabbits burrow," calling back to the other two.​