A Muddy Adventure

A pretty long furred tortoiseshell-tabby dashed through the grass, belly close to the ground. She crawled forward delicately placing each white paw down. A big splash of white on her chest shone brightly. Mouse wasn't a normal treat for SkyClan, but it would be appreciated. She'd followed this pesky little mouse all over SkyClan territory. Every item she'd get ready to pounce, it would run just far enough to get out of reach of a pounce, even a SkyClan warrior's pounce. But the annoying part was as soon as it was far enough away, it would stop. That was the frustrating part. Part of Breezebranch believed it was mocking her. And she did not like to be mocked.

Due to her stubborn nature, she'd left the hunting patrol to catch it, despite Honeytooth telling her it would be fine if she let it go. She'd said she'd catch a mouse; that's what she planned to do. Now the cheeky little thing scampered into Fourtrees. Breezebranch followed in close pursuit. Anytime she'd speed up, it would too. Eventually, if she were patient, it would make a mistake, and in that heartbeat, she'd pounce. The mouse paused, and Breezebranch silently filled in the gap. That was, until, a branch snapped in the distance towards the WindClan border, and the mouse squeaked in alarm, quickly scurrying away.

Breezebranch hissed in annoyance and gave chase; sadly, the mouse crawled into a narrow gap under the great rock, safe from the clutches of an annoyed she-cat. Turning, tail bristling, she faced the place where the branch snapped. "Thanks alot, you flea-brain!" She hissed.

Unlike the Skyclan she-cat, Mudmask was not exactly going on a hunting patrol. He just finished marking the borders and was now relaxing away from his clan territory, hoping to get some free time and space for himself. Sure, he was hardworking and diligent in his job as a new warrior but the tom still had the spirit of adventure of an apprentice. There was so much to do, so much to learn to become as good as his older sister, Brindleface. The snow-coated territories were a precious and rare view, only seen a couple of moons before green would come again. It would be a waste to not enjoy it.

However, his solo stroll went too far from his own territory and now, he was found in the Fourtrees... no longer alone. The sound of a mouse rushed a few paws from his side, running from someone. The gray and white warrior emerged from the bushes just to find a pretty but angry she-cat who smelled like trees, most likely the one who made the animal escape. Probably from Thunderclan or Skyclan. It was hard for him to tell. "Wow! No need to be so aggressive, I did not know you were here too. This is usually a quiet place to be." He purred, trying to play it nice with the stranger. Even if he was one to start fights, he only fought in his territory, outside would only bring him troubles, especially on the place where gatherings are held.

Mudmask took a better look at the warrior. She seemed young too... and was not like exactly like the mollies back in his clan. The annoyed calico intrigued him and the tom liked that fiery spirit, so similar to his own. Maybe, if they shared some similarities, they could be friends. "Sorry for scaring your prey. I can help you find another one if you wish. I'm one of the fastest on my clan so it shouldn't be that hard! I can even take this chance too to catch something for Windclan." He purred, showing off his skills and offering her a charming half-smile. It would be best to get on her best side to avoid conflict and maybe... start to bond. They were in neutral territory. They did not need to fight or challenge each other. Instead, it could be a new experience for both... to know a it of clan life outside their own birth-clan.

When a charming gray-and-white warrior appeared from the bushes, Breezebranch missed a step. Those eyes. His bright eyes matched the color of her dear late brother, Spottedoak. The one who had died in the battle against the dark forest, barely two sunrises since they'd become warriors. She was hit with a flood of memories so sharply and suddenly, it took every ounce of pride she had not to break down before his tom. He was not Spottedoak. Just a tom. A tom with very, very pretty eyes. Whoa, where in StarClan's name did that thought come from? Surely not from her mind! He had to be a WindClanner; he'd come from that direction, and smelled of heather and trees.

The she-cat let her fur lay flat, as they were in neutral territory. "I don't need WindClan's help catching prey!" She hissed, ears folding back. However, when she saw he was just trying to be kind, she felt bad for being so annoyed. It wasn't his fault completely that the mouse ran away, after all, he was right, there was no way for him to know she was here. If the tom was to be friendly, she should do the same. Besides, they were in Fourtrees, a place of peace. What could go wrong? The Warrior Code didn't say they couldn't have friends in other Clans. They just must be loyal to their own Clan. And Breezebranch was most definitely loyal to SkyClan.

"Yeah? I'm not so slow, myself!" A mischievous glint lay in the depths of her jade eyes. "Sorry for snapping," She mewed apologetically. "I'd been chasing that stupid mouse all morning. I was beginning to think it was mocking me!" She explained, flashing an annoyed glare towards the base of the Great Rock. That mouse had certainly ruffled her pelt!

She paused, taking in the offer. Surely, with the two of them hunting together, they'd be able to find prey for both WindClan and SkyClan?  It could be fun, learning about WindClan. She'd always wondered what life was like in other Clans, so this would be a fun experience. "Well, since you offered... I'll take you up on it!" She mewed, looking towards the tom with stubborn pride flaring in the green depths of her eyes. "Breezebranch, you?"

At first, the tom flinched at the snappy answer of the she-cat, worrying that she would be too stubborn to even accept his kind offer. But then, the situation shifted. It was clear that the pretty molly was tired and frustrated from all that time trying to catch a single mouse. It wasn't that odd to be grumpy for that reason. Mudmask relaxed his body and sat down, moving his tail to one side in a friendly manner. "He, you bet I know how that feels! Back in Windclan, rabbits and hares are little bastards. We keep getting ourselves exhausted just by chasing them." He showed her a bright smile, finally realizing that he did not need more precautions around the calico feline.

The warrior's tail flicked just by the excitement of her agreeing to his first question. It would be a first time for him too, to team up with another clan cat. Hopefully, it would be... an interesting experience. "Breezebranch, huh? Breeze is a usual name back in my clan but branch... mmm... Let me guess, you're either from Thunderclan or Skyclan. I would bet for the second, though." Skyclan cats were usually shorter and more muscular... and Breezebranch seemed to fit more than description. However, he never expected they could be so... pretty. Windclan mostly have thin, sleek she-cats and their fur wasn't particularly soft or clean considering how they spent most of their hunting running and not grooming their fur. "Name is Mudmask, basically because of the fur of my face." He lifted a paw to point at the darkish grey mask of hair that grew around his eyes and cheeks, contrasting with his mostly white body.

"And regarding that hunting... we should try to mix up our abilities, don't you think? This type of territory isn't usually my type of hunting ground, but I'm good chasing prey. Not that good tracking it in a forest, though. What about you? What makes Skyclan special?" His question hold no malice or venom. The warrior was honestly curious about what made each clan different from his own. Of course, he still believed Windclan was the best and no one would change his mind, but there was no harm in knowing more.

Breezebranch was surprised that the tom had used her name as a means to guess where she was from. To most cats, her name most likely symbolized the rustling of branches in the wind. However, her name had a much deeper meaning. "I'm proud of my name," She started, smiling at him, "My brother's mentor, Oakbranch, saved us both from a fox. It would have killed us both if he hadn't intercepted it. Spottedoak, my brother, and I were named in honor of his courage and bravery. If it weren't for him, we'd have been crowfood a long time ago!" The molly explained, reminiscing the memories of her brother and their mentors. When Mudmask explained his name, she nodded, seeing where he got it from.

What made SkyClan special? Well, a lot of things! "Well, for starters, we have tough pawpads, so climbing highstones is as easy as running the moor for a WindClanner. Our coolest ability, though, is our jumping. We can jump higher than any other Clan, which makes us excellent tree hunters. Squirrels don't stand a chance!" The she-cat explained, chest fur fluffing up. She decided it wouldn't sound all that cool, so she demonstrated. Picking a branch high up on one of the four huge trees in Fourtrees, she crouched. After a moment, she gave a powerful leap, landing neatly on the branch, well above the Great Rock where the leaders sat. From up here, she looked down at Mudmask, whom looked more like an old apprentice than a warrior.

She sprang down from the tree easily, delicately landing onto the ground as if it were as easy as breathing. Which, for a SkyClan cat, it probably was. "So, speedy, what do you think?SkyClan's pretty cool, huh?" Whiskers quivering, her eyes glinted with mischief. She'd always thought cats from other Clans to be boring. But Mudmask proved to be different. His fur was glossy, and his sleek pelt was much different from that of any SkyClan cat. But it wasn't a bad different. Not in the slightest. "If you could chase some prey out, I could pounce on it from above, before it even knew I was there." She suggested, tilting her pretty, long-furred face to the side, glancing at him with bright green eyes.

Mudmask heard with respect and, to be honest, a bit of admiration to the story of Beezebranch's naming. His name was simple. It was clear his leader didn't break his head thinking of a name for him and he didn't care. But having a name that honours a brave warrior (even if they were from another clan) who fought with their lives against a badger to defend their clanmates from death... it was deserving of admiration. The proud tom would have never imagined a cat from another clan could be as brave as Windclan was. "Who wouldn't be proud! He is truly deserving of admiration and I bet he must be happy too that you can carry his memory." Mudmask stood up straighter, puffing up his chest as well as he remembered that he also had an important cat that deserved the same admiration. "On my case, I'm prouder of my family! My older sister is a great warrior. So great that she is actually the deputy! I have no doubt she will soon be leader after Wildstar and, if I become as great as she is, I will be there as her second-in-command. But, to be honest, there's no doubt I will." A cocky yet charismatic smile showed up in his face when saying those last words, in an attempt too to impress this she-cat.

The grey and white tom quickly changed his flirty stance and listened with honest interest, letting his young imagination the life of a SkyClanner, so different from the one in the moors which lacked any tree. His eyes got wider when Breezebranch suddenly gave him a demonstration of her skills and his mouth opened slightly drawing a faint smile of amusement in his face. From top and under the light of the day... her fur seemed to be even more beautiful. Prettier than any she-cat's he had met before. Why couldn't she be part of Windclan? When the molly jumped off, the tom approached her and looked down at her a bit, due to the height difference. "I think you're cool." He mewed, not really thinking before saying it in a soft, gentle whisper.

At her proposal, Musmask took a few steps back and jumped into a pre-running crouch, smiling at her with the same mischief and waving his tail excited. "You will now see then how fast we can truly be! You will have to keep your eyes open if you don't want to miss me and our prey." With a short wink and no further words, his grey and white fur disappeared in flash among the bushes that surround the fourtrees. Despite his speed, he did not make much of a sound, knowing already how to calm down his breath even when running so he could avoid scaring the prey in the area.

The deputy's brother? Now that she looked, Brindleface and Mudmask shared similarities for sure, more than just the basic WindClan build. It must be nerve-wracking to have such an important cat as your littermate, and also must be an honor. Breezebranch remembered that Wildstar's mate was Brindleface, which meant Mudmask was also related to the leader of WindClan. She nearly laughed at the tom's expression when she demonstrated her jumping abilities. He approached her and whispered to her something she'd later wish he hadn't. He thought she was cool. Apprentices told her this all the time, but something about this moorland cat made her heart flutter and skip a beat, for reasons she didn't know herself. The gray-and-white warrior got into a crouch to take off for a run, and playfully warned her not to blink; else she might miss him.

Breezebranch leaped onto a branch, not so high to have a chance to miss the prey, but no so low to be spotted by the prey. She crouched watching the tom closely. He was fast. The tom appeared almost a blur, but despite moving quickly, he also moved silently. She was impressed. Never had she thought to consider any other Clan could be impressive, especially not a Clan like WindClan, whom were often called cowardly for their ability to run away fast.

As she crouched precariously on the branch, she watched in waited for charming tom to send the prey running her way.With their abilities combined, they'd be sure to catch tons of prey for both of their clans. She noticed that the sun seemed to shine on the tom's white-and-gray pelt, and she thought with a shock that Mudmask was much more attractive, and fun, than any of her other clanmates.

The tom moved quietly through the bushes, but his mind wondered... He couldn't stop thinking about Breezebranch, how her body gracefully landed in front of him. It was something he could have never witness in Windclan and now, it was haunting his thoughts. Mudmask shook his head, trying to remain the focus. If he truly thought she was that amazing, he had to show his worth too. But what could be impressive for a Skyclan she-cat who was a master in catching squirrels from the trees? His question was quickly answered when his nose recognized a quite familiar scent. Far from its usual home, two hares have wandered just as far as him to reach these lands so different from the moors. One looked plump and quite healthy, usually harder to catch. The other, however, was shivering with the cold and seemed a little lost. Perfect...

Quickly and hiding, the tom surrounded them checking on the breeze to not let his scent get discovered. He jumped behind a rock and looked over them, calculating how he should guide them to Breezebranch. Don't mess this up... no one in Windclan seems to see you like she does... you have to impress her too and show how great a Windclan cat can be... or maybe... I want her to see how great I can be? The tom crouched and in a blink, he started the chase. When he was a meter away, the prey finally noticed his presence and they rushed to the fourtrees, the place which they thought they would be safer considering the number of trees and bushes. Little did they know the surprise that was waiting for them.

Mudmask's eyes were fixed on the tails of the hares and he noticed that he was getting closer to the sicker one. Alone, he would have caught just that one and let the other one go. However, when looking a bit up to the top of the trees, he glanced his partner in crime ready to give the jump. With a joyful yowl, he called for her. "NOW!" With a final leap, Mudmask jumped over the slower hare and after rolling a bit, he sunk his fangs into the neck and did not let go until its life slipped away. The orange-eyed feline stood up with the fresh-kill and checked over Breezebranch.

Breezebranch crouched in the tree, waiting for Mudmask. A flash of feathers caught her attention as a magpie realized she was there and tried to escape. Mudmask would be a moment of two, and it wouldn't hurt to catch the magpie. She managed to grasp a wing in her claws and she quickly silenced the bird before it could cry out an alarm. It was young, probably just matured, but it would be excellent prey. She'd just turned her attention back to the gray and white tom when she heard him call. Without a moment's hesitation, she leaped, judging the space between her and the rabbit. She landed less than a pawprint away from it, and the rabbit, caught up in shock for a heartbeat, faltered. In that heartbeat, Breezebranch jumped on it and swiftly delivered a killing bite. Eyes shining, she turned around to face Mudmask, "We make a good team, don't we?" She chirped happily, before remembering her magpie.

She jumped back up into the tree and picked the bird up. Barely two heartbeats had passed before she jumped back down, magpie in her jaws. This had been the most successful hunting trip she'd had in a while, and they'd barely been hunting for long! "WindClan and SkyClan will eat well tonight!" She mewed. Mudmask was impressive, chasing both rabbits like that. She'd hoped he'd been impressed with her.