TEAM TACTICS -- rabbit hunting

[Nathanos]

HELLO, MY NAME IS MR FEAR​

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There was so much to learn, so many new sights and smells and sounds, stories of things he never could have imagined. StarClan, the ranks, and all the rules, it was certainly a different environment than that which the former rogue had been used to. Slowly but surely, the dusty tabby was taking it all in, learning what needed to be learned. For now, he finds himself trotting across the windy moors, a wintry gale biting at the tip of his nose. He has already learned to recognize the scent of hare and rabbit, but catching one was an entirely different matter. They were swift, agile, and quick to leap into holes that the tall brute could never hope to fit into. Luckily, unlike the rabbits, Nathanos had a bit of cunning. He hadn't come hunting alone. No, another cat had been sent to circle around toward the front of the rabbit, hiding in the tall grass. Nathanos might not have learned to chase the large beasts down yet, but at the very least, he had figured out how to team hunt them.

Like an arrow from the taut string of a bow, Nathanos jolts into a powerful sprint. The rabbit he had been tracking lifts it's head, long ears tall before it bolts. Like lightning, the prey surges out of reach, but Nathanos holds his stride with a confident expression. He's chasing the rabbit directly toward the cat he had sent ahead to hide in the tall grass. With any luck, they'd catch the beast as it tried to sprint past.

(first kitty to post is the one waiting to ambush the rabbit.)​

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

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While Ghost was far from the social sort, he knew how to play the part of 'teammate' well enough. His upbringing in the coalition had often seen him working in a squad with other cats even if he'd always kept the personal side of things at an arms length, and so the large tabby had little issue when it came to working with others. In this case, it helped that he was at least familiar with the cat he was hunting with. Nathanos was a competant, tom and that much at least ensured that their odds of success were good.

Like his namesake, Ghost had slipped into position unseen and unheard by the world around him, sinking down into the tall grass as nothing more thana dark shadow among the billowing stalks. Rabbit was a newer prey item to him, his upbringing in the overcrowded city of twolegs, dogs, and cats meaning prey was typically found in things like rats, pigeons, squirrels, and the leftovers from twoleg bins, but the dark tabby was nothing short of cunning and adaptable. There was little that Ghost couldn't learn and typically he learned it fast, if only because that could sometimes mean the difference between life and death.

As Nathanos broke from their cover and charged the rabbit, Ghost readied himself. Dark amber eyes and pointed ears tracked the creatures movement as the muscles in his legs tensed.

Not yet. Not yet. Now.

The tomcat exploded from the grass as a near-black shadow, his bone-pale face a flash of white on a body of darkness. The rabbit barely had time to try and throw on the brakes before Ghost collided with it, the impact sweeping the prey right off its feet as the massive feline bowled it over and pinned it to the ground. His teeth found its neck and bit down hard as the creature began to uselessly kick, the cry of alarm quickly cut short as he made the kill.

"That was easy. Must not be used to the Windclanners hunting in pairs." he noted as Nathanos made their way over, straightening up to regard the other tom.

Ghost was no small feline, and so when Nathanos had asked him to join in on this pairs hunt he'd figured it was worth giving a try, as he and the other tom likely weren't going to be running rabbits down alone on their first day.

​

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rogue - male - 25 months - single - a very tall, muscular tabby with dark gray fur and white markings. heavily scarred with dark amber eyes

 

[Nathanos]

HELLO, MY NAME IS MR FEAR​

---

Soon enough, the dark frame of Ghost bursts from the grass to pin the rabbit with a killing bite. Nathanos slows to a trot, satisfaction glowing within his one hellish eye as he jogs closer to the scene. The air was dry and cold, but at least their bellies would be warm for the night.

"Nicely done." The chocolate hued tom compliments once he's close enough, looking toward the rabbit to examine it with an appraising eye. It would feed several cats, he's sure. "Let's hope the rabbits don't wise up to our tactics any time soon." He responds with a nod, taking a moment to scent the air for any other signs of potential prey nearby. After a moment, his burning vision returns to Ghost.

"We can take this back to camp, or try to hunt another." Nathanos notes with gruff vocals. He didn't mind either way, so the choice was Ghost's.​

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

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The tabby hummed in agreement at the others words. If the rabbits caught on to their tricks it would definitely make things harder, especially considering they made up the majority of the prey that lived on the moors. Sure, they had birds and mice out here to hunt, but there was no arguing that a fat hare fed more cats than a fat mouse or rock dove. "We'll get a few good hunts in before that happens." he assured the other tom. The cats here had probably been chasing the rabbits one way for as long as they'd been here, so it would probably take time for the prey to realize they had to switch things up.

"We can stash this and have another go if you want." he agreed, voice deep and accent thick. "You wanna chase or pounce? Doesn't matter to me."

Ghost didn't really care which task he was set to. Not having a choice in the past had made him flexible to doing whatever was needed of him, and while he valued the fact that he did have a choice in the here and now, it wasn't in his nature to fuss over pointless details. He and Nathanos could both run and pounce, so it didn't matter much to the brute who did what.
​

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rogue - male - 25 months - single - a very tall, muscular tabby with dark gray fur and white markings. heavily scarred, with dark amber eyes and a gruff english accent