thats what i really want! | first successful catch

[Howlfire]

Cold and as snowy as it was, the clan still needed to be fed. Howlpaw didn't really like tagging along after Redstorm in this weather but she was happy to help feed the clan. As they walk, pawsteps crunching in the snow, Howlpaw turns to the cat nearest to her and wrinkles her nose. "Still hurts a little," She mewed softly, referring to the still healing cut across her nose. A relatively minor injury in the scheme of things, but one she wasn't really letting heal when she kept wrinkling her nose. As the small patrol padded on ahead, they picked up the scent of what they determined to be a mouse. Desperate to show off the hunting skills she had learnt from Redstorm - and her mother - Howlpaw practically begged the other cats to let her catch the mouse, insistent she could do it.

Given consent, Howlpaw hurried off to hunt her prey, slowing her pace when she drew near to the mouse. Keeping low, Howlpaw inched forward carefully, using the bushes to conceal herself until the last moment. With all the snow on the ground, she stuck out quite a bit with her chocolate torbie markings. The mouse sits a little way ahead of her, cleaning itself, but occasionally pausing to look around as though aware it is being watched. Howlpaw times her leap carefully, leaning back on her hind paws slightly in a poor copy of the way ThunderClan cats hunted, before leaping through the bushes. It's not a clean catch by any means, and Howlpaw really has to put her weight down to stop the mouse from darting away. A quick bite to the neck finishes it off before Howlpaw gently picks it up and returns to the rest of the patrol, her prey proudly hanging between her maw. "I did it!" She purrs with pride, words muffled from where she is holding the mouse.​

 

[BLAZESTAR]

Hunting in this weather is nearly impossible even for the finest of hunters, which Blazestar is not. Even if he were in fighting form, his wound threatens to reopen with too much exercise, and the Ragdoll has no intentions of losing a fourth life so quickly. Orangeblossom is a fine deputy so far, but he'd be a fool to think she's ready to take on the burden of leading SkyClan so soon.

Besides, the light is returning to his eyes, and the clarity to his mind. He watches Howlpaw, her first battle scar marring an adorable tortie face, reopening with each scrunch of her nose. She's swift, despite only training with Redstorm for a moon, and the way she pins the mouse brings water to his dark blue eyes.

She looks just like Little Wolf, and he remembers -- the she-cat's mother had mentored her, before the split. Her first catch, her first solid contribution to SkyClan's fresh-kill pile. Her mother should be here to see it, to rejoice that her youngest daughter is about to become a fierce warrior -- and that will never be.

But her father is, and he says, shaking the tears away, "Howlpaw! Congrats! That was excellent." He can't help it -- the sinew in her body, the crouch, it brings it all back to him. "You're just like your mother. You'll be a fine hunter, just like her." His purr is thunderous, and that, combined with pride, drowns out the tearing of his broken heart.

// yes i realize blaze shouldn't be out of camp but idc he needed to see this !!!​

 

[SLATE]

If this was a memorable, tear-jerking moment between a father and daughter then Slate was simply present to interrupt it, as he was with most heartwarming moments.

Slate hadn't sustained any debilitating injuries from the battle, so therefore he had decided to make himself useful and go out on a hunting patrol in order to fulfill the dwindling fresh-kill pile. He had lifted his nose to the crisp air, hoping to catch onto a nearby scent when his concentration was effectively barged in on by Howlpaw.

Was an apprentice's first catch a big deal in the clans? It was just part of being a cat, after all. The dark-furred tom comments, not taking into account how blunt he may come off, "Gonna need to do that a lot more times to keep the clan fed." What, was he supposed to utter his own congratulation to the she-cat? It wasn't his daughter, not even his apprentice, either. His words were simply a reminder of the harsh reality of leaf-bare; one was not enough, and would never be enough. Perhaps it could sustain a tom like Slate for a couple of days back on the streets, but in a large group like this, there couldn't be enough prey caught.​

— * ✰. ooc information recent events * ✰. —

• 
  
• 
  ✰ SLATE
  —— amab, uses he/him pronouns. twenty-nine moons old. warrior of skyclan; former rogue.
  —— unrefined, rough and tumble rogue who is not accustomed to clan life. only trustful of his littermate, duskmane.
  —— link to tags. @ on discord for plots.
  
  quite the hulk of a cat, slate stands above the average clanmate with an arrogant gait. he has a dark gray ( bordering on black ) colored pelt with a pale-brown-tinged underbelly and whisps of tan at the tips of his chest hairs. amber-colored eyes contrast against his dark palette. notable features include a jagged scar across his right eye and two small scratches across the bridge of his nose.
• —— decided to officially remain in skyclan as a warrior
  —— participated in battle with windclan, currently recovering from belly scratches and a bite mark on hind leg
  

​

 

[TWITCHBOLT]

Hunting was... hit or miss, for him. Always. Tracking was fine- a breeze, even. Fitting, in that it was easier when there was a strong wind. Listening for the flurry of a feathered wing, the scrabble of tiny paws of the snuffling of a seeking nose, Twitchpaw's bones almost leapt out of his mouth when he heard Howlpaw's celebration. Even this quiet, muffled kind of sudden happiness was enough to sent him scrambling backwards, kicking up a slush of snow and leaves in his wake. When the blur of his panic had subsided, he was faced with the sight through the undergrowth.

Choosing to close the distance, the shaky tom took uncertain steps over, closing the distance. Wide eyes flickered up to Blazestar and then to his daughter, and he could not help the arrow-strike of envy that pierced entirely through his heart. Howlpaw's first catch, first contribution- she wasn't even giving it to Blazestar as a gift and he was happy, purring as if he'd been granted nine more lives. It was a cold, stark contrast from the look upon his own father's face when he had brought his first catch to him. A squirrel. It'd been nothing but nonsense, poetry about how he wished it was something else. Not a purr had left him- not even a glint of gratitude had sparked in his eye.

His tone was taut when he finally chose to speak, attempting to dredge his spirit up from the gutter it had just been thrown down. "Great- great work, Howlpaw." Quiet murmur, though thick with the wrench of discontent, still held sincerity within it. He twitched a little more than normal with the abyssal hole of envy in his stomach, stress a slight bristle upon his spine- all of it snowballed into an underwhelming look of spiny annoyance cast Slate's way. Howlpaw was lucky to receive this praise, and here Slate stood, discouraging it? ​

penned by pin ✧​

 

[Fireflyglow]

WE'VE BEEN DOIN' ALL THIS LATE NIGHT TALKIN' ✧​

He's trudging through the snow when he hears the victorious shouts of his sister in the distance, knows that he shouldn't be too far from the high priest- but just this once, he would leave his side to follow after his family. His eyes burn as he opens them against the shining ground, tears bubbling in corners. Once he's caught sight, he shuts them with a wince and bounces towards Twitchpaw to land beside him. Sharp-toothed grin and wide leaps, there was no chance he'd miss this!

"Congrats, Howie! You gotta tell me your technique, I bet it looked amazing!" He shouts, rushing over to join the apprentice's side. A gift for their father, who should be in camp right now.. But he'd let Dawnglare scold his dad later. What? Snitches get scratches, and he didn't want none of that from the high priest. ​

 

[Howlfire]

Although her father should have been back at camp, she is pleased to see him there celebrating her first catch. She practically bursts into tears herself when he mentions her taking after her mother. "I wish she could see this," Howlpaw confessed, wondering if Little Wolf would be proud. "If I see her at the gathering I'll tell her all about it."

Blazestar is not the only one to congratulate her, as Twitchpaw and Fireflypaw offer words of congratulations, to which she dips her head appreciatively towards the two. Slate is also present but his words are less supportive, not that Howlpaw seems to mind. In fact, she sees it as a bit of a challenge. "I'm happy to do it," Howlpaw tells him, lifting her head as she speaks. "I'll go out as often as needed to ensure we all stay fed."​

 

[REDSTORM !]

This is a proud moment for Redstorm, as much as it is for Howlpaw. His apprentice was a quick study, there was absolutely no doubt in his mind that she would be a warrior that was not to be trifled with when she was older and he was glad that he was the one who would get to shape her into the role. He lets out a loud purr when he turns and sees what she has done. "Sky Clan is lucky to have you, Howlpaw you're shaping up to be a fine future warrior indeed" he says, adding his own congratulations to the throng of voices that rise up to the occasion and shooting Slate a pointed look when the tom decides to point out that she would have to do it many more times. His words were true but Howlpaw was only an apprentice and right now her focus was on learning, and this was a huge milestone.

He would hold his tongue though, on her behalf. His heart warms when she mentions her mother. Redstorm could relate to missing a parent, or a sibling and he nods his head along to Blazestar's words, he did not know Little Wolf well but hearing the praise makes him smile, though Blazestar should be in his den resting, Redstorm is glad he had been here to see his daughters first catch. Perhaps it would help lift him out of the funk he had been in these past couple of days.
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