Flying Through the Trees [Closed]

It hadn't been long since Robinpaw had an apprentice name bestowed upon her. There was an eagerness and drive that fueled her paws. No matter how much she had left camp, there was an insatiable desire to learn and train. Having heard that she was to be on the evening patrol and get a break from elder duties sent a fire through the driven she-cat. Most of the clan, her mentor included, were already burdened with their own responsibilities. It seemed that this midday patrol was to be left to her and Iceheart. She didn't know the tom well but he too had recently received a new role. If their leader had seen fit to make him a warrior, then there was no doubt he had to be capable. Robinpaw would do the best that she could to learn from him.

Seeking out the tom, the mostly white apprentice scanned the mostly empty clearing before finding his pelt. As she padded over, the warmth along her coat became evident. If she was a less devoted trainee, perhaps she might have taken a moment to enjoy that fact, but to Robinpaw, the weather was irrelevant. What mattered to her was the task at paw, "Iceheart." She dipped her head in greeting, "It seems like we're supposed to patrol together. We should get going. I'm sure there is a lot that you can teach me."

Iceheartwas basking in the warm sunlight, his eyes closed deep in thought. He hadn't spoken to Breezebranch on a couple days. He suspected that she had known all along about his mysterious past and kept it to herself. Her betrayal made his heart ache, but he pushed the pain away as he heard a familiar voice call his still unfamiliar name.

"Oh, hey Robinpaw," the young tom said as he looked up to see his former denmate. Iceheart stood and gave his fluffy coat a quick shake and smiled down at her. "You know what? I think this is the first time we've gone on patrol with just the two of us. There was always a warrior with us. Anyway, where did you want to patrol? I'm perfectly happy following you," he said casually.

Robinpaw maintained a neutral expression at the greeting but offered the warrior a slight nod of her head in response. She appreciated the warm and casual welcome since they had been denmates. However, their time in the apprentice den had been short and he was a warrior now so it was only right she treat him as such. The elder tom meowed a question she had not expected and she blinked once. Twin pools over amber reflected his coat as she stared at him, pondering for a moment. Her apprenticeship had hardly stretched a moon. Elder care times were sparse with patrolling. After a moment, there came a curt nod, "If you insist, Iceheart, you are the warrior after all. I say we head for tall pines. Plenty there to climb and hunt." With that, the bicolored she-cat turned and strode in the direction of their determined location. She would catch something and prove to this warrior that she was worthy of leading their patrol. At least, she hoped she would.

Iceheart smiled at Robinpaw's stiff response, making him chuckle. "You can relax. I'm not gonna scold you like a mentor or anything," he teased. He followed behind the bright red plume of her tail, silently admiring its color. His own coat was as white and pure as freshly fallen snow. "I haven't been to Tall Pines in a long time. The prey should be nice and fat, don't you think?"

Her shoulders lowered only slightly, as if he had commanded her to rest them. Robinpaw found herself dependent on the regulations of clan life as she moved from the nursery and into the greater world. Those were simple and made sense. Being proper and respectful to the warrior on the patrol she was with seemed like what she was supposed to do. Iceheart challenged that and it made her unsure of herself. However, as she padded on, her pawsteps were unwavering, masking whatever confusion threatened to churn relentlessly inside. To his question, her whiskers twitched, "I would hope so. I would hate to take us all this way only to find some scrawny bird." The words were mild but spoke the concerns budding in her head. If she couldn't trust herself, how was this tom supposed to?

It seemed they were nearing their destination. Up ahead she caught sight of the pines. There was a faint rustling sound that caught her attention. Robinpaw's gaze flickered to where a squirrel was rooting around the base of a nearby tree. Her tail flicked to Iceheart as she crouched, ready to pursue her prey. Having done so little hunting in her short time as an apprentice, there was an internal sigh of relief as how instinctively she managed to find the proper hunting position. When she was close enough, the apprentice shot forward and sprang. However, the creature must have her her paw brush one of the leaves and managed to skitter away up the tree as her paws crashed to the earth with nothing pinned beneath them. Robinpaw cursed under her breath as she looked crossly down the bridge of her nose, "What's the used in well-fed prey if I can't catch it." Her ears were hot with embarrassment as she spat and turned away. This patrol was off to a great start.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 7

Iceheart wasn't worried. He was now a fully fledged warrior and Robinpaw wasn't too far behind. He had no doubt that the two of them would be able go find prey. He watched for a moment as Robinpaw lowered into a crouch, her eyes fixed on a squirrel. He couldn't help but chuckle as the squirrel scampered up the tree and out of her reach. "That was good. You just need to remember to pick up your paws a little more so they don't catch any leaves," he said to her before spotting a sparrow a short distance away. With a flick of his tail, Iceheart crouched low and stalked the bird, inching forward painfully slowly. When he felt close enough, Iceheart launched himself forward, aiming his claws at where the bird was sure to fly straight up in an attempt to flee. He dropped back to the earth with the bird snagged in his claws and killed it swiftly. The snowy white tom turned his bright gaze back to Robinpaw and smiled. Only a couple more and they could return to camp.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 7

Although the words were meant to be encouraging, they grated across Robinpaw's insecurities like claws against stone. And the soft bought of laughter that had passed his maw only made it that much worse. Her fears had come true only moments into the hunt. Already a warrior had been able to see how inept she was. The apprentice name was still fresh but that was no excuse. A stiff nod was the only response that Iceheart got. She turned quickly, to attempt to pursue something out of sight of her patrolmate. Before he red and white-furred cat could turn, she caught a flurry of motion. Great; he had already snagged something between his claws as if it were easy as a breath. Gritting her teeth, Robinpaw let out a low meow of acknowledgement, "Good catch."

Her tail flicked in agitation as she slid through a tangled mess of leaves and bracken. Thankfully, as she broke into a tiny clearing, there was a tiny bird pecking around and looking for its own prey. Without thinking, she slipped into the hunting crouch once more and crept forward. Once close enough, there was a quick spring and and easy catch. The bird fell between her paws without so much as a sound. Pride blossomed in her chest. It didn't change the fact she had missed the first catch but at least Robinpaw would not return empty-pawed. She picked it up gingerly between her teeth and turned back to where Iceheart had last been to bury her prey before seeking out more.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 3