the sky is falling! open - hunting patrol

[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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It was a beautiful day for hunting, and Johnnyflame had eagerly led his patrol out into the pine forest to see what they could scrounge up. The prey would be insane to not be out on a day like this, and the stocky tomcat was eager to put his skills to the test and see what he could come away with.

As the patrol broke off to begin their individual hunts, Johnny quietly made his way through the trees, jaws parting to occasionally taste the air around him and pausing when the delicious scent of a squirrel caught his attention. He carefully followed after the smell, creeping low and keeping close to the trees for cover as he made his way along.

He found the critter digging near the base of a pine tree, looking to store whatever goodies it was carrying in it's mouth, and Johnnyflame took the opportunity to stalk ever nearer, pawsteps falling silently as his patched body deliberately kept itself in the squirrels blind spot.

And then, he made his move.

As he charged toward the prey it instinctively launched itself up the trunk of the tree to escape the danger below, but the bobtail was more than familiar with the patterns of squirrels by now. His momentum didn't falter for a second as he launched himself up the tree after it, form near perfect as his strong back legs propelled him upwards with such speed that his prey didn't get far at all. A paw struck out to pin it's tail and wrench it downward, and a moment later Johnnys teeth were buried in the back of it's neck making the kill.

He quickly dropped down from the tree with his catch, pride radiating off the tabby tomcat for such an impressive catch- only for that look to be replaced with utter confusion when a bird suddenly dropped out of the sky to land in front of him, dead as a doornail. Instinctively he glanced upwards, expecting to find clanmate settled in the branches above, but... no. Nothing was there. Another glance toward the bird revealed it was a common starling, no blood or sign of injury, just... laying there.

What in the stars?

OOC- A bird has randomly fallen out of the sky during a hunting patrol!

---

​

 

[Chickbloom]

At this point, Eggshell being out on patrol was practically a formality. The cowardly kittypet still hadn’t caught anything despite both his best efforts and considerable time in Skyclan, and a glass-half-empty mind made it difficult to hold out hope. A head topped with folded ears glumly swiveled as the Scottish Fold surveyed his surroundings, trying to find something to catch.

A yolk-splattered pelt was already stained brown with earth, temporary reminders of countless failed leaps, slides, and pounces. It was at a point where the boy had deliberately distanced himself from the other members of his patrol, worried about messing up their hard work. However, it seemed he wasn’t far enough.

As Eggshell was (attempting) to stalk through the undergrowth, amber eyes caught sight of Johnnyflame in their corner. The coward couldn’t help but stop as he witnessed the other’s impeccable technique. The smooth confidence with which the other moved, like they already knew what was going to happen, was awe-inspiring. Unfortunately, whatever the opposite of awe was what the boy felt seconds later as the wet thump of a corpse on the ground echoed through the forest.

Eggshell let out a small yelp of surprise, padding forwards with a puzzled (and disgusted) look in wide eyes as he looked from the bird, to Johnnyflame, and back again. Had the other done this? Was this some advanced hunting technique the whelp wasn’t aware of? The gap Eggshell perceived between he and his clanmates was so high that he wouldn’t be surprised if telekinesis was common. Or perhaps the bird had seen how aptly Johnnyflame had dispatched the squirrel, and simply dropped dead from fear (that would certainly work on the scaredy-cat, at least).

Whatever the reason, Eggshell assumed that Johnnyflame knew the answer. “H-How…How’d you d-do that?” The coward called up, poking the carcass with a quivering claw to make sure it really was dead.​

 

[FIGFEATHER]

Prowling through the forest, Figfeather manages to wrap her claws around around a plump mouse. The rodent had been obliviously nibbling on seeds when the red tabby pounced, its life ended before it had known what hit it.

Making her way back to the rest of the patrol she slips under a fallen pine tree just in time to spot the bird falling from the sky. It lands with a thump against the dirt as shocked murmurs ripple throughout the patrol. Naive Eggshell seems to think Johnnyflame is blessed with a gift to make birds fall from the sky.

”He didn’t do anything.” She informs matter-of-factly, dropping her prey next to a white mushroom patch where she knows she’ll remember it. Cautiously she approaches the fallen bird, leaning into it her pink nose twitches as she takes in its scent, searching for a sign of sickness. What else could’ve possibly taken the bird down?

♡ INFO BATTLE

• 
  » Figfeather
  » SkyClan Warrior
  » She/her . AMAB
  » Mentoring Wolfpaw
  » Mate to Fantastream
  » Sire to Sangriakit & Coffeekit
  » A red tabby she-cat with a mangled leg.
  » ”Speech”․ thoughts ․ attack
  
• 
  » A foe in battle whose ability to strategize can shift tides.
  » Excels in strategizing and pre-planning her battles.
  » Fights defensively and aid to her clan to victory.
  » May powerplay minor harm. Can powerplay healing

​

 

[MALLOWLARK]

Resident observer of dead things was on the case, it seemed... wide grey eyes trained upon the little thing, the noise of its tiny body striking the ground having grabbed his attention rather suddenly. Fascination glimmered like starlight in his owlish gaze, his grin hardly faltering at the sight of something just dead. Oh, nature worked in mysterious ways, didn't it? Stopping hearts and tumbling trees, striking stones with lightning, rubling the earth whenever it felt like it... and wasn't it a humbling reminder that they were not at the top of it all?

Black paws tottered over. Oh, it smelled like death alright... hung around the little thing like a horrible little aura. As he looked to the sky, gapped by pine needles, awe gleamed across his eyes. There was no sign of a bird of prey, no trace of blood on the bird-body. Mallowlark snickered, his interest bubbling over into laughter.

"Do birds go grey when they get old?" It was asked to no one in particular. Uncanny eyes stared down at the body, head cocked to an unnatural angle. "Hmm... maybe it died of fright when it saw us, hah!"​

☺PENNED BY PIN​