TIMING IS EVERYTHING // hunting patrol

[Sunnyday]

☀ - WHILST MY HEART STILL BEATS
Leading a hunting patrol... why had he been tasked with such a thing, and so soon? In the past conducting such work wouldn't have been a problem, but now anxiety gnawed at him constantly. The golden coloured tom looked frazzled already as he stood at the camp's entrance during the morning hours to beckon a team together. "I... um... I'm heading out on a hunt, if anyone wishes to... er... join me then please assemble outside the camp, please." The uncertainty was clear in his voice as he nervously looked around himself for any potential participants, though he certainly wouldn't blame them if they chose to ignore his call.

Sunnyday turned and slipped out through the bramble tunnel, and once outside he gave himself a minute or two before daring to look back at the camp entrance again. Had anyone followed after him? "Why couldn't someone else lead this? Why was I even picked?"

//Anyone is free to join this hunting patrol. It will be heading for Sunningrocks.
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[skyclaw]

( mobile! )

What patrols Skypaw goes on are not of their choice - Scaleclaw is more often involved with that decision making. The young apprentice doesn't usually mind, however, as their mentor makes frequent attempts to balance their training. Patrols some mornings, battle training in the evenings, so on and so forth. However when Sunnyday calls out and Scaleclaw beckons Skypaw forward, the hesitance is short lived but initial. Everyone with a single thought behind their eyes would know the tom to be something short of bad news. It seems, however, that Scaleclaw is a tom of second chances, and he intends to share that philosophy with his apprentice.

"We'll tag along, Sunnyday. Skypaw's been a bit dense with their hunting lately, anyways," Scaleclaw shoots the other tom a grin, glancing over his shoulder. Skypaw, ever prideful, takes the obvious challenge with a furrowed brow. It's immediate, how they forget about Sunnyday's prior incidents in favor of proving something. "Hey!" They bark, predominantly black paws speeding up to keep in line with the warriors, "No way - I bet I can catch double what Sunnyday can," Skypaw huffs, craning their neck towards the lead, urging him to take the challenge too.
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[nightbird]

she hadn't been assigned to a patrol herself, when sunnyday announced he was leaving with his hunting patrol she had rounded up her apprentice's to leave. it was no secret that either of the two were not the golden tom's biggest fans. she had heard about the thorned words shared in berryheart's den, would have been hard not to. she knew that they would likely be unhappy to accompany him on a patrol, but this was the first thing assigned of sunnyday since his return to camp. flycatcher's decision to have the self-exiled tom lead a patrol was questionable in her mind, but it was the deputy's choice. nightbird decided she would oversee that it was not a mistake.

following behind the group, she listened to skypaw's challenging words, eyes flickering to the patrol leader for their response.

// @DUSKPAW @LIGHTPAW . ​

 

[LIGHTSTRIKE .]

❝ WE HAVE YET TO CRASH ✧°.☀ —————————————————————————————
Lightpaw had been lounging somewhat lazily when Flycatcher called out to assign patrols. While his head didn't lift nor did his eyes open, an ear swiveled to listen. Neither his nor Nightbird's names were called, so a faint grin crept onto his maw and he sighed. Cool. Relaxation time.

Yeah, right.

The dark shadow of a warrior made no hesitation in snatching him up for a patrol, and his muzzle crinkled when he realized just which patrol they would be joining. He didn't much fancy him being at the head of the patrol. Yet when he gave his mentor a sidelong glance, he didn't need her to look back to know that she wanted him to keep his trap shut. Shocker. He sighed through his nose and plodded along.

It was Scaleclaw that broke the tense silence, making a jab at Skypaw, who indignantly bit back. Lightpaw lifted his head at the uttered challenge. Picking up the pace until he was next to her, that familiar sly grin making its appearance as he looked over. "Yeah? Well, I'll catch double that."

Did he really care about competing right at that moment? Not really, but he couldn't resist the jab of his own. It was hot, and he would much rather lay in the shade and sleep. Running around for mice wasn't something he fancied just then.

[penned by its_oliverr - ☀]

——————————— ☀.°✧ BUT WE STILL MAY AS WELL ENJOY IT ❞ ​

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[DUSKBIRD]

That was an understatement. Unhappy, he means. His tufted tail flicks at the very idea of following Sunnyday around, and though he doesn't (and won't) go against his mentor's instructions– like Lightpaw, Duskpaw keeps glancing back and forth between them in a silent plea. One that goes wholly unanswered, of course. He swallows and steels himself. If anything shows in dark amber eyes, it's not hatred. Maybe a mild distrust. But knowing that Skypaw was coming along made things a little easier, and the apprentice darts around his mentor to shove a playful shoulder into Skypaw. "Between the three of you? My bet's on Skypaw. Desperate as he is to prove himself, Duskpaw surprisingly does not throw his own name into the ring. If he's going to catch anything, it will be without the competition to spur him on. At least that's sort of the thinking behind it. If the thought of the competition, even one not participated in, is what spurs him to victory, is it still the reason for his success?

˗ˏˋ〚  OOC NOTES 05.20.2023 〛´ˎ˗

• ooc: —
• ──── duskpaw. apprentice of thunderclan. he / they.
  ──── blazestar x little wolf, older littermate of skykit.
  ──── does not know of his father / skyclan heritage.
  
  ──── an undefined kitten with long, dark brown fur that fades just slightly near the chest, throat, and ears, while the tip of their tail burns with the bright orange tabby flame. eyes are a deep, rich amber-brown, seeming red.
• "speech"

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[HONEYWISH]

if it's meant to be , it'll be .​

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶​

Honeywish padded up to the gathering group, lime optics veering from one to the other, head tilted. “I’ll come with you.” He called, yet again, still without an apprentice as Dove remained within the camp, recovering. The tri-colored feline offered a smile to those near, lime optics crinkling. ​

​

thought speech​

 

[Sunnyday]

☀ - WHILST MY HEART STILL BEATS
Alone he was not. Sunnyday was relieved but also overcome with a fresh wave of anxiety, especially when he saw the apprentices. They shot about some banter and spoke about the hunting challenge of the day. "They won't have to work hard to beat me...", he thought glumly for a moment, but he gave a quick shake of his head to clear his mind. Right... it was time to hunt.

"Thank you... right, um, let's head out. And you guys b-better work hard if you want to beat me." Maybe he was still allowed to have a little fun, right? Without further delay he then set off for Sunningrocks. Once there it was evident that all was clear, no boars and no RiverClanners either. Now, with luck, they would land a good haul of prey for the clan. "Spread out, but remain sharp. And... er... good hunting." The golden coloured tom decided to head for the reeds along the bank in the hope of catching some prey drinking from the river's edge, or some frogs. ​

 

[skyclaw]

Skypaw's gait stutters only slightly as Nightbird joins them, anticipating the arrival of their brother next. They don't necessarily need the comfort of having a sibling around, yet the mottled feline finds themself seeking it out for a moment. It's short lived as the first of the warrior's apprentices to arrive is, instead, Lightpaw. Not only that, but the pale furred tom ups the ante by throwing his own hat in the ring. Skypaw's expression morphs into something a bit more interested, ears twitching with anticipation.

Duskpaw finally arrives, bumping shoulders with them - of which Skypaw responds in kind, bumping their shoulder back into their brother's. Duskpaw voices his support and Skypaw grins, tilting their gaze back to Lightpaw - "You're on," they say, a little more eager for the challenge now that they're a little more evenly matched (though, Lightpaw still has several moons on them.) Regardless, Sunnyday attempts a jest with the apprentices and Skypaw puffs out their chest, keeping pace with the patrol up until Sunningrocks. Only when released by both Sunnyday and Scaleclaw does the young chimera sneak off, nostrils flaring in an attempt to gather any useful scent. And thus far, they've come up with nothing.​

 

[nightbird]

skypaw quickly gathers two opponents for their competition as the journey to sunningrocks is persued. besides the slightly stiff air that hangs around the patrol, they arrive to their destination without a hitch. sunnyday gives the direction to spread out and the patrol becomes less dense, tension dwindling.

nightbird hangs back for a moment to catch lightpaw before he parts, offering him a wry grin that would put her grey intentions on display. "lose and i'll hold you back. good hunting!" it would not be so clear whether she were joking or not. with a warrior ceremony fast approaching, the pale tom would do well to push himself now. losing a meager competition to a young apprentice and disgraced warrior would certainly not be doing that. the lead warrior doesn't hang around to gauge his reaction, instead trailing off to go find a scent of her own to follow.​

 

[LIGHTSTRIKE .]

❝ WE HAVE YET TO CRASH ✧°.☀ —————————————————————————————
Duskpaw isn't long to toss his own bet into the ring, but rather than raising the stakes, or even wishing him luck, he stands against him. Lightpaw nearly gives him a slack-jawed look, which soon switches to (half-joking) offense. "Hey! Where's the faith? I'm a great hunter, I'll have you know!"

Sunnyday meekly pipes up, then, a half-hearted something-or-other along the lines of beating him, and the golden apprentice only offers him an unamused look before switching back to Skypaw. His grin returns. "Yeah? Alright, then. Good luck catching up!"

The patrol had made it to its destination, cats beginning to fan out and silence falling in preparation. Before he can split off from his own mentor, she waves him over with a grin he could only describe as dangerous. Lose and I'll hold you back. With that bombshell dropped, she hurried off, leaving him to gawk after her. "What!?" he snapped. "You wouldn't dare!"

She doesn't stop, and with a lash of his tail, he stalks off for his own hunt. He makes sure he's a good distance away from the others before he scents the air.

// rolled an 11.

He's just beginning to regret his outburst (and he briefly wonders if the others are cursing him for it as well) when finally, finally, a scent reaches his nose. Vole. To the ground he drops, eyes narrowed and searching, paws pulling him forward one careful step at a time. It was lingering, little nose twitching,
watching for a threat it couldn't quite sense.

One more step. He wanted to get closer, to ensure it had no time to escape. A step. It reared its head, stared into the distance, and bolted. Spitting a curse under his breath, he leapt out after it. With a rather clumsy swing he slapped it to the ground and finished it off, puffing a breath and glowering at it. Stupid vole.

Stashing it away to collect on the way back, he continued his search, and was fortunate when this one went better. He was over his distraction, now in the hunting mood. A starling. Far quicker this time, he brought it down. That made two. How many would the others catch, he wondered? Didn't matter. He would show them up no matter what it took. Now he was feeling competitive.

// rolled a 20!

Lightpaw's ears twitched this way and that as he aimed to pick up even the slightest sound, mouth parted to pick up even the faintest scent. His wandering gaze took him up to the trees. SkyClan wasn't so special. He enjoyed climbing from time to time. Lots of forest critters did, too.

Up he went, claws sinking into the bark as he pulled himself up one bound at a time. The tom crept along branches, carefully winding and leaping (and stumbling only once), until the rustling of a branch further up prompted him to pause. Head jerking upward, he stared, waiting for movement. There. Was it a squirrel? Most definitely. Lightpaw began his careful pursuit.

Up one branch, two. It was preoccupied, turning something over in its grubby little paws. Better for him. With a leap that went surprisingly well, the battle was over before it started, its squeal cut off and body limp. Now he just had to get down.

He had been about to begin his descent when something swooped at him from above. Lightpaw yelped, the squirrel falling from his jaws and to the forest floor below. His squirrel! Heat sparked in his chest, and he looked up, searching for the stupid thing that made him drop his catch. There it was again. An angry bluejay. He must be near its nest.

Claws digging into the branch he reared up as it dove again, swatting it off course and right into the trunk. Off balance, he nearly plummeted, if not for his quick twist and grip on the trunk, heart pounding. Stars, his life had flashed before his eyes. He dragged himself back onto the branch. Safe ground. The bird was stunned, and with a glare at it, he finished it off.

With a far more controlled descent this time, he lowered himself to the ground, crammed the squirrel in his jaws with the bird, and began to make his way back. Pride wormed its way into his heart, and he lifted his head. Four! Surely that would be double a double? Luck or not, he would play it off as skill. After all, he caught them, didn't he? He would never catch this many again, that was for sure.

Returning to the spot the group had split off, he deposited his catches, ran off to collect the others, and dropped those two. Then, planting himself next to them, he beamed at any who looked his way.

[penned by its_oliverr - ☀]

——————————— ☀.°✧ BUT WE STILL MAY AS WELL ENJOY IT ❞ ​

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