Family bonding time, but sad (closed for Stormy)

Her nest. If anyone asked what her favorite place was, it was her nest. Why? Because Amberpaw's nest, was the only thing she could rely on. Her spot in the apprentices den, was the only thing she could rely on. Because only everything else, if something happened to it, she could get it back. Back to its normal, mossy state.

Life on the other paw, couldn't be relied on. Why? Because it keeps stripping away her family members from her.

Well not all of her family members.

Amberpaw lifted her head as she noticed Breezebranch and Mudpaw. Two of her kin. Two cats, she never really talked to.

Sure, Breezebranch had helped her out as a kit, and Mudpaw was her denmate and Aunt, but she couldn't really bring herself to talk to them. Maybe she should change that.

Amberpaw stretched her paws forwards, as she got up. She hadn't really done any training lately, with Acornpetal dead, so she needed a hunting patrol. She padded towards the two she-cats, looking down at her paws. "Um hey, do you guys wanna go hunting with me?" She asked, her tail swishing around nervously. What if they didn't want to go hunting with her? What if they didn't want to be her kin? Worried thoughts swarmed in Amberpaw's brain. What if.....?

Breezebranch sighed, huffing and she desperately fought to get the moss away from Mudpaw. "I love you but you make my job twice as hard!" Mudpaw whined, stubbornly clinging to the moss. "But Momma-...!! I wanna clean your nest!" Mudpaw wailed, digging her claws into the moss. Breezebranch irritably blinked. Mudpaw meant well, but her scatterbrain couldn't do moss changing. Unless you didn't mind twigs and pinecones in your nest, that is.

"I know and I appreciate it, but darling I can do--" Breezebranch paused as Amberpaw walked up to her. Delight lit up her green eyes, but before she could do anything, Mudpaw squeaked in excitement. Oh no you don't! Mudpaw's pelt flashed by her and Breezebranch hooked a sheathed claw around her neck, pulling her back. "No tackling your Clanmates! Last you did poor Smallpaw fell into the mud!"

"That was an accident, Momma! I didn't know there was a puddle behind him! I got coated in mud too!" she squeaked, pouting. "It also didn't bother you! If you could you'd sleep in the mud! I didn't name you Mudkit so that you'd love to get filthy, you know!" Breezebranch scolded, shaking her head. Sometimes Mudpaw was a bit much.

Turning back to Amberpaw, she approached her and licked her fondly on the head. "Of course we'll go hunting with you! I'd love nothing less, I haven't spent half as much time with you as I'd like, darling. I think Mudpaw feels the same, hmm?"

Realizing her mistake a moment to late, Breezebranch internally yelled at herself. Never, ever, give Mudpaw an open opportunity to ramble.

Mudpaw's orange eyes lit up, all traces of her former argument (if you could call it that) with her mother evaporating. "Oh, oh! Yes, yes, yes! I definitely want to spend more time with you and Apple and Earth! We'll have so much super duper fun together! We can hunt squirrels -- Lion loved squirrels!-- and pick daffodils and have snowball fights! Have you ever had a dust bath? It's real fun! You roll in some sandy dust area and it helps itches! Momma's never to happy with me afterwards though..! Have you met Small? He's my absolute bestest friend in the whole Clans. Well, maybe except my sister Brindle. She likes talking to me. I haven't seen her since the twolegs took her away in the fancy monster though..." After a moment, Mudpaw's face brightened back up and she didn't miss a beat, "What about you? Who's your bestest friend in all the Clans? Momma's really good friends with Briar, Small's momma! I like blackbirds, but not crows! I mean crows are okay but blackbirds are much better. What kind of prey do like? Do you like squirrels? Lion loved squirrels!-- Wait I think I said that already.. Oh well! Hehe," Mudpaw's earnest laugh and bright smile made it near impossible not to find her endearing and Breezebranch sighed, fondly shaking her head.

"Don't overwhelm Amberpaw, Mudpaw," Turning to face her grandkit, she lovingly murmured, "Don't mind Mudpaw; she means well but gets overly excited about talking to other cats. She just wants to be friends with you and get to know you, that's all." The tortoiseshell molly explained, purring.

Amberpaw's negative thoughts were interuppted by Mudpaw trying to tackle her. She stepped back, lowering her ears. She forgot how excitable Mudpaw could get. Her eyes slightly lit up at Breezebranch agreeing to go hunting. Thank goodness. She thought her grandmother didn't like her. And also thankfully, Mudpaw didn't hate her either. Though Amberpaw wasn't sure if there was much to thank, with Mudpaw's rambling. Talking about her, with what Amberpaw assumed, dead sister, how Amberpaw's dad (though she hadn't interacted with him much before he died, which she deeply regretted) loved squirrels, and how Breezebranch is good friends with a cat named Brair, whom is Small's mother... There was certainly a lot of information that could be found through Mudpaw's rambling. Oh and also how Mudpaw's loved blackbirds.

"Um well, I personally frogs. Not a big fan of all the fur and stuff." Amberpaw said, a bit overwelmed. She turned her gaze towards Breezebranch, giving a soft, small, smile at her grandmother's explanation. "Ok." She softly meowed. "Now uh shall we go? I'm sure we can catch tons of Blackbirds." Amberpaw let out a nervous cough, her small smile turning into a neutral expression. She hadn't expected, to say the least, to be given so much love and joy, from her kin, but she welcomed it. She just prayed nothing bad would happen to them.

While most cats would've wrinkled their nose at the mention of frogs, Mudpaw's eyes swam with curiosity. "What do frogs taste like? I've never had one before!" Mudpaw chirped, her splotched face wrinkled in delight. As Amberpaw mentioned blackbirds, her eyes lit up even more than before-- if that was possible-- and her maw twisted into a wide grin. "Mudpaw don't forget; no tackling and no rambling once we start hunting." Breezebranch mewed sternly. Looking at her flame point grandkit, she playfully rolled her eyes; as if Mudpaw would be able to be quiet.

Mudpaw straightened up and nodded, trying to look serious. "Right! Yes! No.. uh, tackling. And, um, no.. uh... What was the other word again, Momma? Sorry, I kinda zoned out and forgot.. There was a pretty cloud I was lookin' at while you were talking and I got a bit distracted.." Mudpaw mumbled, sheepishly shifting her paws. Breezebranch lovingly sighed. "No rambling." The tortoiseshell-tabby meowed, licking both apprentices on the head.

"Now, we should get to hunting before all the prey go to hiding in their burrows."

Mudpaw instantly knew she was going to find a nice plump squirrel. Looking up at the trees, she spotted a bushy red tail and slowly began to ascend the tree across from it. With delicately placed paws, she began to cross from one tree to the other, until she was above the squirrel. Then, quick as a flash, she jumped down-- nearly falling off the tree-- and killed the squirrel. "Woofk Mwofma, Famfer! Fwi fwaufht fit!*"

Breezebranch exhaled, having held her breath as Mudpaw scaled the trees. Looking around, she spotted a shrew, and silently crept up on it. It looked up a second to late, and Breezebranch saw the alarm in its eyes as it dropped the hazelnut it was holding. Without hesitation, the molly leapt on the shrew and killed it swiftly, granting it a merciful death.

* "Look, Momma, Amber! I caught it!"

The member 'Stormy' has done the following action : Roll Dice

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'Hunting Dice' : 4, 3

"Oh well um, frogs taste kinda slimy..." Amberpaw murmerred softly. She took a step back as Mudpaw tried to tackle her again. Letting out a sigh, she followed after her grandmother and aunt, (after Mudpaw was held back of course) and padded behind them. She watched as they both caught prey flawlessly, as Amberpaw sat down.

Her ears then perked up as she heard rustiling behind her. She turned around and saw a thrush, harmlessly preening its wings. She crouched down, and slowly started padding towards it, ignoring Mudpaw's delight at catching a squrriel. She creapt up on it, and leapt, pinning it down, and biting its neck, killing it swiftly. She picked up the thrush's limp body, and padded back towards Mudpaw and Breezebranch. She set the bird down, before coughing up feathers, that came into her mouth. She stuck her tounge out, staring at the few feathers she coughed up. "I'm not sure how you manage to catch prey with so much feathers and fur." She said, her voice turning up a bit.

The member 'Hitsjolly' has done the following action : Roll Dice

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'Hunting Dice' : 5