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Post by Jinx on Dec 16, 2013 11:56:37 GMT -5
. hawkstar . thunderclan . leader . male .
it had snowed this morning. a fresh layer of the powdery, white stuff covered the camp, a good tail-length of it in some places. a few flakes still drifted lazily in the air, but the blizzard had stopped. the chilly air nipped at hawkstar's cheeks, and he could see his breath. the massive brown tabby lay stretched on the highrock, one paw resting slightly to the side, the other curled around his head. he'd been extremely busy the day before, patrolling the borders and delivering the news to shadowclan that a fox had taken shelter near the border. the rest was nice, but he was starting to get restless. the tabby tom rolled onto his side, staring up at the slate-gray sky. leafbare was harsh on their clan, but they would survive. they always did. at that point, he made a decision to do something constructive. his first option was to see flamespirit, but he stopped himself. she'd been on patrol with him for most of yesterday, and he hadn't spent much tine with his kits lately. perhaps it would be good to go hunting with one of them. cherrypaw, maybe? nodding to himself as if to confirm his own decision, hawkstar pulled himself to his paws. he hopped of the highrock, landing in a snowdrift that went up to his stomach. he shivered slightly as the snow melted around his legs, then began making his way through it. he managed to find more solid ground, and walked the rest of the way to the apprentice's den. "cherrypaw?" he called, poking his large head into the den's entrance. "are you there?"
. dark brown tabby . pale green eyes .
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Mini
Apprentice
Posts: 83
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Post by Mini on Dec 16, 2013 12:20:14 GMT -5
Cherrypaw had been watching her father from the cover of the den. Her small, ginger head poked out into the brisk air, hidden from his view by a snowdrift. She had watched him through narrowed, pale green eyes. Other than those eyes, she looked nothing like the powerful leader. She was slim and agile, while he was a monstrous creature with huge paws that could sweep a cat of their feet. Cherrypaw disapproved of him, the way he lazed about while kits in the nursery mewed hungrily. He should be out hunting or patrolling the borders. He said he'd had a busy day yesterday. Cherrypaw snorted at the thought. He'd been out with his girl friend, she knew. That wasn't hunting, that was flirting. As he approached, she quickly ducked back into the den, and began raking her nest back into shape with her long, thin claws. He wouldn't know she had been watching him, if he was as trusting as usual. Cherrypaw pricked her ears and looked up, grinning when she saw his huge head filling up half the entrance. "I'm here." she chuckled. Giving the nest a final, satisfied pat, she scrambled to her feet and scurried out past her father. She took a seat, twitching uncomfortably as the snow met her fur. She didn't have a coat as thick as her father's, and therefor was much colder than he. Ignoring the thought, she put on a smile and looked up at him. "What's up? Am I late for something?"
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Post by Jinx on Dec 16, 2013 14:34:11 GMT -5
. hawkstar . thunderclan . leader . male .
ah, there she was. hawkstar took a step back, allowing his daughter to wriggle out from within the den. he sat back on his haunches, looking her over. she seemed healthy. that was good. she looked almost identical to flamespirit, although the two had no relation. that fiery orange pelt against the snow reminded hawkstar very much of his mate. if anyone didn't better, they might think flamespirit was cherrypaw's mother. "no, you're not late." he laughed, pleased that she wanted to be punctual. "how's training, cherrypaw? has your mentor been treating you well?"
. dark brown tabby . pale green eyes .
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Mini
Apprentice
Posts: 83
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Post by Mini on Dec 16, 2013 15:50:25 GMT -5
Cherrypaw raised a non-existent eyebrow, and tilted her head. Her father decided to get up from his nap, walk through a whole camp of snow, and call her to ask about training? It didn't seem right. There had to be something else, something he wanted to ask or do. Was she in trouble? Thinking quickly, Cherrypaw brushed away the idea. Hawkstar wouldn't have caught her doing anything bad. She always covered her tracks, so to speak. Actually, she couldn't remember the last time he'd punished her for something. He was far too trusting, and Brackentwist was so out of it she hardly paid attention to Cherrypaw. "Um, good." she answered quickly, realizing the silence was starting to drag out. "It's been good, yeah. I'm learning to jump out of trees onto my enemies." She paused here, and tilted her head again. "Is that really what you came here to ask me? Or have you got something else in mind?"
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Post by Jinx on Dec 16, 2013 16:52:52 GMT -5
. hawkstar . thunderclan . leader . male .
hawkstar grinned, a purr rumbling in his chest. cherrypaw always seemed to over-analyze things, thinking through every words she said, like she would die if she messed up. but that made her smart, too. in a way, she was right. he was kind of beating around the bush, but how does one tell their daughter, 'i want to get to know you better'? he had to stop, puzzling over the question. well, no time to dwell on that. he had other things think about. shrugging, he glanced over his shoulder, searching for an answer. his pale green eyes swept over the tree stump by the apprentice's den, the highrock, the nursery, and the freshkill pile. "we're running low on prey." he turned his gaze back to cherrypaw. it was true: at the moment, the fresh-kill pile contained only a mouse, a thrush, and a scrawny-looking rabbit. "why don't we get some hunting done? it'll give you a chance to practise, i'll get to see how you're improving, and we'll be feeding the clan." it seemed like they were getting a lot done when he put it that way, and maybe they were. true, he was exhausted from yesterday, but that wasn't going to stop him from spending some time with cherrypaw. he'd spent the whole of yesterday with flamespirit, now it was time to give the rest of his family some of his time.
. dark brown tabby . pale green eyes .
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Mini
Apprentice
Posts: 83
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Post by Mini on Dec 17, 2013 11:19:07 GMT -5
Cherrypaw followed Hawkstar's gaze, her eyes lingering for a moment on the freshkill pile. It was low, she would admit. Those few pieces of prey might feed two or three elders, but they had a full camp to feed. She knew at least three patrols were already out hunting, but it shouldn't do them much harm to join them. Besides, it might be nice to taste fresh blood on her tongue. And she could show her father how she was improving, like he said. "Okay," she nodded, allowing herself a smile, "lead the way!"
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Post by Jinx on Dec 17, 2013 13:51:40 GMT -5
. hawkstar . thunderclan . leader . male .
hawkstar bit back a sigh of relief. he had been worried cherrypaw would say no, and possibly would question him further. he didn't want her peppering him with smart remarks at the moment, nor did he want to be denied the chance togo hunting with her. she could me intelligent at times, yes, but every now and then it was a little overwhelming. putting this all to the side, he nodded his approval. "well, i'ms sure sunningrocks would be a good place to start. i find prey still shelters their during leafbare, and we might be able to catch some fish if the river hasn't frozen over yet." without waiting for her response, he got to his pause and headed towards the camp entrance. he set off at a leisurely pace, only faltering as they left camp. he had to bent slightly to fit through the gorse tunnel, and his massive shoulders scraped against the sides. once he arrived at the top of the ravine, he checked over his shoulder to make sure cherrypaw was keeping up.
. dark brown tabby . pale green eyes .
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Mini
Apprentice
Posts: 83
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Post by Mini on Dec 18, 2013 18:46:24 GMT -5
Sunningrocks certainly sounded like a good place. As Hawkstar headed out of camp, Cherrypaw followed, keeping a respectful distance. She walked by his side, her head in line with his shoulder, about two pawsteps between them. She squinted her eyes against the cold, staring intently at the camp entrance. She allowed the massive tabby to go in ahead of her, then scurried up the ravine after him. At the top, he glanced back and she shot him a smile before continuing to walk. Snow covered the forest like a thick blanket. The tree branches creaked ominously with the weight of it, and it lay in heaps on the ground. Winter birds flew through the branches above them, causing bits of snow to drop in tiny mounds around them. Cherrypaw looked up to see a sky resembling a dull gray pelt, with no sun to speak of. she couldn't tell what time of day it was, but according to her growling stomach, it must have been nearly sunhigh. She licked her lips, longing for a taste of freshkill, but the Clan had to be fed first. A few minutes later, the trees gave way to a small clearing full of large boulders, reaching three to four tail-lengths above their heads. Cherrypaw could hear a soft gurgle from beyond the rocks, which meant the river must still be flowing. "I'll take that side." she breathed, and flicked her tail to the left. With a final nod to her father, she stalked away to the side, between the rocks and the tree line.
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Post by Jinx on Dec 20, 2013 11:25:55 GMT -5
. hawkstar . thunderclan . leader . male .
as the two felines padded through the forest, hawkstar watched his daughter with interest. she seemed extremely alert. her pale green eyes never sat still, always flicking from one place to another. her ears were perked, and her jaw hung open a crack, allowing the air to hit the scent glands at the back of her throat. the tabby tom smiled, unable to stop the feeling of pride that welled up inside him. they approached sunningrocks, and he nodded consent to cherrypaw. he would let her do what she wanted, and see how well she could conduct herself. so far, she had a fairly good plan. hawkstar parted his jaws before heading to the right. the strong scent of mouse hung in the air, and the slightly fainter smell of rabbit. a couple mice had probably taken shelter here. rather than going for the easy kill, hawkstar slipped between the rocks, in the direction of the rabbit. he crouched low, his shoulders rocking back and forth with each step he took. in a moment, he spotted the creature, cowering beneath a rock. it must have been cold. the massive brown tabby crouched low, the warm smell of prey flooding his senses. he watched the rabbit's nose twitch nervously, and eyed its large ears as the swivelled around. he would have to be silent. the rabbit sat downwind, and hawkstar saw that he could corner it if he moved the right way. in one swift motion, he leaped forward and scooped his paw beneath the rock, and his claws snagged on soft rabbit fur. he yanked it out. it started to hop away, but he scampered after it and pounced, crushing the small creature beneath his weight. he bit down on its neck until he heard a dull crack, which meant he'd broken its spine. hawkstar stood up and sheathed his claws. he forced the fur on his spine to lie flat, as it had stood on end in his excitement. he felt his mouth water as fresh preyscent flooded his senses, but he had to ignore it. he would have to being back prey before he could eat.
. dark brown tabby . pale green eyes .
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Mini
Apprentice
Posts: 83
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Post by Mini on Dec 31, 2013 11:20:44 GMT -5
By this time, Cherrypaw was on the opposite side of Sunningrocks, eyeing a jet black mouse a few tail-lengths away. Her belly fur brushed the cold stone beneath her, and her claws made small scraping noises as she moved forward. The sounds were too quiet for the mouse to hear, thankfully. She just had to step lightly, and the mouse was easily hers. The orange tabby took a few more steps, careful not to make too much sound. The mouse stopped, and stood on its hind legs, glancing back and forth. Cherrypaw froze. She licked her lips, lust for blood filling inside of her. No way was she letting that mouse escape. It resumed eating, and she took two more steps. And now, for the final blow. In one swift movement, she pounced. She didn't have far to go, since the mouse had only been a step away. Her teeth caught on its plump body, and she bit down hard, closing her eyes as warm blood flowed through her mouth. She allowed herself a moment of pleasure, then headed to the edge of the rock plateau. She would bury her catch, and continue hunting. The lithe feline hopped down to the ground, and began digging through the snow. It was loose, coming up easily between her claws. When she hit the frozen ground a good two tail-lengths down, she dropped her catch, and kicked the snow back over it.
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Post by Jinx on Jan 8, 2014 14:30:18 GMT -5
. hawkstar . thunderclan . leader . male .
by now, hawkstar had reached the edge of sunningrocks, and was burying his catch deep in the snow. at that moment, he made up his mind to hunt once more, and then to go watch his daughter. he was very interested in how she was progressing without a mentor. speaking of which, he would have to give her a ceremony soon. the massive brown tabby patted down the snow above his catch, then stalked back between the boulders. he parted his jaws, and recoiled when he the stench of a fox hit his mouth. a young one, starving. why had he not sensed it before? perhaps it had just arrived. his pale green eyes caught a glimpse of a white-tipped tail, bobbing between the rocks, and he immediately turned, searching for his daughter. "cherrypaw!" he hissed, hoping she was close enough to here him. it wasn't that he couldn't handle a fox alone, he just didn't want cherrypaw getting hurt. besides, she hadn't had much training yet. "cherrypaw!"
. dark brown tabby . pale green eyes .
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Mini
Apprentice
Posts: 83
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Post by Mini on Jan 23, 2014 21:54:39 GMT -5
Cherrypaw perked her ears, and looked up from where she'd buried her catch. Her bright green eyes flicked around, searching for her father. She knew instantly it was him who called her, but she couldn't pick out exactly where he was. A moment later, she spotted a flash of tabby brown fur darting between the rocks, and hurried to join him. Her thin body slipped easily between two boulders, and she was by his side in an instant. "What?" she hissed, keeping close to him. Whatever it was he sensed, she couldn't. She couldn't smell or see anything, but something obviously had him worried. Anything that had her father worried had to be serious.
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Post by Jinx on Jan 29, 2014 13:14:47 GMT -5
. hawkstar . thunderclan . leader . male .
hawkstar closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief as cherrypaw appeared at his side. she was okay. he'd gotten to her before the fox. he glanced at her, then nodded his head in the direction the creature had gone. "fox." he explained. "let's get our kills and head back to camp. we need to warn everyone." without waiting for a reply, he turned on his heel and headed back the way he had come, to the place where he'd buried his catch. it didn't take long to dig down to the frozen earth, pull up the rabbit, and toss the snow back into the whole. he then sat back, waiting anxiously for cherrypaw to return with what she'd caught.
. dark brown tabby . pale green eyes .
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Mini
Apprentice
Posts: 83
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Post by Mini on Feb 1, 2014 14:36:21 GMT -5
Cherrypaw watched her father leave, glaring at the back of his head. So, he didn't think she could handle a fox. She'd already received a bit of training, she could fight just fine! Besides, he was practically the best fighter in the Clan. What made him think the two of them couldn't handle it? The tabby growled in frustration and scuffed the ground with a paw. Her father could be so agrivating sometimes. Cherrypaw stalked theough the boulders and returned to where she'd buried her mouse. Its tiny body had frozen already, and felt stiff and cold between her jaws. She glanced around, and spitted her father, not that far off. She head towards him and brushed by without a word, making her way back home.
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Post by Jinx on Feb 9, 2014 14:14:32 GMT -5
. hawkstar . thunderclan . leader . male .
hawkstar breathed a sigh of relief when cherrypaw returned. he frowned, however, when she brushed past him. she seemed annoyed at him, and he wasn't sure why. he tilted his head, then shrugged and followed after the ginger tabby.
. dark brown tabby . pale green eyes .
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