Moonrise Hunt

[Shatteredstar]

[bg=000000][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,350,true][atrb=background,http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y32/Arhiukahn/Shatteredstarmiddle.jpg] Two figures moved through the sparse undergrowth, their paws nearly silent as they skirted the far edge of the rocky meadow and headed farther into the forest. This place had once been a lush paradise, full of prey to feed a hungry clan of cats, but now it was dry and hot, the treetops were almost bare even though it was mid greenleaf. A hot breeze whipped through this part of the territory, stirring up dust and leaves and masking the sound of pawsteps as the two cats hurried along. Finally they came to a stop just at the edge of a small ridge, looking down into a dip in the ground where fallen leaves had collected. Shatteredstar dropped down, dragging her belly fur against the ground as she neared the drop, looking down into the leaves. She signaled with her tail, hoping that the kittypet would do the same. Her mouth parted slightly as she drew in the scents. Along with the regular forest scents, the smell of ash that clung to their paws from the meadow, and the smell of the she-cat, there was another scent here, one that made Shatteredstar's mouth water. She realized then that it had been since sunrise that she'd eaten anything at all. Her stomach protested quietly, and she shifted to try to stifle it. Her head turned and she glanced at the kittypet, nodding towards the dip in the land and motioning with her tail, signaling her to try to catch it. She knew that it would probably end up in a failure, and frowned inwardly at the thought, but her expression remained unreadable.

[Watermelon]

[bg=000000][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,350,true][atrb=background,http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/4873/watermelonmiddle.png] Watermelon slowed down and came to a stop just behind the stony gray she-cat, She watched as she dropped down, and parted to jaws to inhale, but Watermelon was confused. She'd never seen any cat do this, but she also dropped down, even if hesitantly, and inhaled through her mouth, and realized she could smell much better this way- many things smelled stronger, including the Clan scents that came from the ridge, and another scent- something delectable. It reminded her of the shrew she had had before, and she could hardly contain herself from leaping down and finding it. She moved to the edge, her paws untrained and clumsy at the movement, unused to stalking, but she tried to avoid making noise. She took the hint, smelling, and angling her ears as a small rustle sounded. Good, she thought, creeping forward, trying to make as little sound as she could, but it was unavoidable that there was some. The rustle stopped, and so did she. Her ears went down and she lowered herself. She knew she didn't blend in with the leaf litter or the dying grass. Once the rustle picked back up, she could just see a squirrel rooting around under a branch that didn't quite hide its visitor from the moonlight, chewing on a nut or something it had found. It was turned away, and she inched closer. It turned- but in the wrong direction. While it was distracted, Watermelon leaped up and out, her claws caught the squirrels tail and leg. It screamed and twisted to bite back, Watermelon flinched, as and she bit into its neck on impulse. The cry silenced, even if her own wanted to bubble up. She let go, shaking the squirrel free of her paw, her tail having fluffed up from the encounter.

[Shatteredstar]

[bg=000000][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,350,true][atrb=background,http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y32/Arhiukahn/Shatteredstarmiddle.jpg] Shatteredstar watched the kittypet intently, green eyes blazing as the young cat noisily made her way across dried leaves and sticks. It wasn't an easy task by any means to be quiet on such brittle ground, but there was absolutely no technique there, her steps were heavy and her balance was way off. The leader's face remained steady, assessing the young cat with no sign of how the assessment was going. The mouse she had scented had scuttled off into it's hole, and for a moment Shatteredstar wondered what the kittypet was after, until she saw it sitting in the leaves just a few tail lengths ahead of the light pelted she-cat. Perhaps her own hunger was making her scent-blind. Her stomach growled again, and she stifled it by shifting silently where she sat, never taking her eyes off of the fumbling kittypet. So far she was amazed that the squirrel hadn't run off, but it's jaws worked hard on the nut clenched in it's paws. It looked skinny and ragged, but it seemed to be healthy... Still, she'd have to give it a good once over if this cat managed to catch it. Shatteredstar pushed herself up, arching her neck to see as the young she-cat leapt, scrabbling with the squirrel for a few seconds. The noise created made her wince, it would scare off everything in the area. Her tail flickered behind her, but she remained silent as the final blow was dealt, and the prey fell limp in the kittypet's jaws. ~Well.... At least her belly will be full if the prey isn't tainted, and she'll be able to leave at sunrise.~ The leader's expression was still flat as she pulled herself up onto her paws and made her way quietly down into the shallow gully and coming to stand in front of the other she-cat. Her green eyes stared for a moment before she finally spoke. "I'm surprised. You made enough noise to wake a dead mouse. That squirrel must have been def, a lucky break for you. You showed no technique what-so-ever, and your balance was well off center. You'll never make it on your own, that's for sure." Her tail tip flicked back and forth, but she bent her head, lowering it to sniff the squirrel from nose to tail tip. "It seems untainted. Bring it with you, you may eat your kill when we've returned to camp."

[Watermelon]

[bg=000000][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,350,true][atrb=background,http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/4873/watermelonmiddle.png] For a moment, Watermelon had been undeniably proud of the catch. It was her largest and most flawless so far- though that wasn't saying very much, she still felt cheered by the kill she'd made, even with her paw bleeding and sore. She brought the bleeding appendage up to lick, trying to ease the ache away as the she-cat critiqued her. She watched as the she-cat took a sniff of the squirrel, before proclaiming it safe. Watermelon met the she-cats gaze and felt her ears go back a bit at the harsh truth. It was true she'd had no practice and no technique, but that was something that stung right after feeling like she'd done well. “For a cat with not teaching in this area, deaf squirrel or not, I think I did alright. I've been out of the world of the two-legs for only so long. There really is no way to tell if I'd have ever gotten better or not on my own.” Watermelons head went down to pick up the squirrel around the middle of its spine so its tail wouldn't trip her up as they traveled.

[Shatteredstar]

[bg=000000][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,350,true][atrb=background,http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y32/Arhiukahn/Shatteredstarmiddle.jpg] Shatteredstar looked a little puzzled for a moment, then twitched an ear dismissively. "I didn't say that it wasn't bad for a kittypet. I would have told any of my warriors the same" Her didn't give away her amusement at how proud the young cat had been. She turned away, flicking the young cat on the tip of her nose with her tail tip and climbed back up onto the ridge. "We'll have to get that paw looked at when you get back to camp. That looks like a pretty decent bite, wouldn't want it get infected." She noted, then paused to wait for the other cat to join her. "You have enough problem hunting without infection." Shatteredstar added with a hint of sarcasm. Muzzle parting and lungs drawing in a heavy dose of air, she took in the remaining scents. Blood and cat of coarse, slightly stale mouse, squirrel and ash... Nothing fresh. She frowned. ~I'll have to find something before I go back... I can't show up with NOTHING for the freshkill pile. We heed it more than ever. Besides.. I'm hungry.~ Her thoughts trailed off. "So, what was it that the twolegs called you?"

[Watermelon]

[bg=000000][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,350,true][atrb=background,http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/4873/watermelonmiddle.png] Watermelon nodded. This made sense to her, and yet, she wasn't sure if she detected anything but sarcasm, however much dulled as she followed the she-cat, prey in her mouth, she tried to speak around it, careful to make as little sound as she could in the dark, the fluff of the squirrel tickled her nose as she went, trying not to bumble around too badly from her bitten paw. “They called me Watermelon,” she said around the squirrel, looking out across the land. The trees shifted a little with a breeze, bringing fresh scents in to the two of them, and opening the view to the sky some. “What about you?” Watermelon asked, avoiding a branch that had dry, prickly moss all over it. If she wasn't careful she'd end up hurting her paw even worse, and that wasn't anything she wanted to experience. It already stung enough.

[Shatteredstar]

[bg=000000][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,350,true][atrb=background,http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y32/Arhiukahn/Shatteredstarmiddle.jpg] The large cat nodded, padding on towards an area closer to the camp where there might still be prey scuffling around at this late hour. The moon was already rising above the treetops, the sparse leaves swaying in the hot breeze overhead. Her pelt ruffled, and she nodded towards Watermelon. The name was odd, but at least it wasn't like some of the other strange names that kittpets often received from their twolegs. "Well.. I can't say it's a pleasure, but its nice to know you're no threat. You'll be safe here till morning. My name is Shatteredstar. I am leader of ThunderClan." Once they'd traveled a bit farther towards camp, Shatteredstar paused once more to scent the air, raising her head high above the dry grass and inhaling the breeze. Along with the welcome smell of camp came another, much more satisfying smell. Immediately she signaled for silence, and dropped into a hunter's crouch, skirting a large oak tree with her belly fur dragging the ground. Her ears stood alert, and eyes wide, shining with moonlight as she crept along. Pretty soon she had the creature in view. Her fur prickled, but she kept low. Her light muscular frame carried her easily through the dried grass, paws silent and steady. The tiny creature ahead raised itself from it's nibbling, and Shatteredstar pressed herself closer to the ground, resting her chin just above her paws as she watched. It dropped back down and took a few steps away, but didn't seem to have caught sight or sound of the well trained predator who was now within leaping distance. Her muscles bunched, rump barely moving as her hind legs shifted apart. Her eyes were locked on the tiny creature's movements. A second later she launched herself. In a flash she had landed on it and delivered a killing bite. She turned to glance back at Watermelon, a mouse hanging limply from her jaws.

[Watermelon]

[bg=000000][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,350,true][atrb=background,http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/4873/watermelonmiddle.png] Watermelons eyes went wide as she nearly dropped her squirrel. The news flashed across her mind like she'd stepped unexpectedly into icy water. The she-cat was a leader? ShatteredStar of Thunderclan had a nice ring to it, she had to admit. Of all the dumb luck, to stumble upon a leader of a group... that had to be fortune, there. Especially when she thought back, about how ShatteredStar had mentioned that this was her land. Now Watermelon understood. Before she'd dismissed it. It hadn't made sense to her. Letting her ind fall silent, she watched as the ThunderClan leader demonstrated her own hunting prowess, how she kept just over the dried undergrowth of the forest, and kept her paws light. With a pang of regret Watermelon knew she wouldn't be able to catch on to this without some kind of help. If she asked, maybe she'd offer Watermelon a few pointers. Mentally, she made it a point to ask in the morning, when she was being escorted out. Maybe then she could at least hunt without her food trying to eat her, too. The prey that dangled from ShatteredStars maw was skinny, but not overly so. She found herself moving towards ShatteredStar, ready to be moving, now that the ThunderClan leader had caught something of her own.

[Shatteredstar]

[bg=000000][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,350,true][atrb=background,http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y32/Arhiukahn/Shatteredstarmiddle.jpg] Before Watermelon could move very far Shatteredstar caught sight of something else moving in the bushes not far from where she sat now, holding her mouse. She immediately dropped it and pushed it into a large clump of dried grass, glancing back and lifting a paw to stop the cat from coming any farther. :Stay here!: She mouthed, though she didn't actually speak. Again she crouched and stalked toward the bush, leaving the young cat's sight while she crept along a thick tangle of gorse. The leaves rustled ahead, and Shatteredstar ducked down onto the ground, eying the movement. Inside she could just see the fluttering of feathers and wriggling of a very young creature. The leader's eyes lit up with delight, this would feed two or three cats! She crept farther, keeping downwind and making sure not to step on any fallen branches. Soon she was almost in range. Inching forward she slid under the edge of the bush. Feathers ruffled and the creature turned to look in her direction, but it was already to late. She sprang, landing heavily on the young owl and sinking her fangs into it's neck, almost missing the spine because of the thick fluff, but fang collided with bone, and she felt the satisfying crunch. It was an effort to lift, but she managed to haul it back through the grass to where the kittypet would be waiting. Her tail was held high, it wasn't every day that StarClan gave them so much luck. She dropped the owl, panting from combined heat and heavy haul. "Watermelon, can you manage carrying this mouse as well as your squirrel?" She asked, nodding towards the grass where she'd hidden her other prey. Her mood had obviously changed after such luck, and the large tabby she-cat beamed at the thought of how many bellies could be filled tonight.

[Watermelon]

[bg=000000][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,350,true][atrb=background,http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/4873/watermelonmiddle.png] Watermelon had sat down, putting the squirrel at her feet so she could lap at her paw, trying to ease the blood flow and keep things out of the bite. The softest rustles sounded, and Watermelon found herself stopping, her paw now on the ground and her ears and whiskers thrust forward attentively.. What was ShatteredStar up to? She'd buried her prey, and left Watermelon behind. Was it possible that she was hunting again? She sat still until there was a sound in the brush, Her tail twitched, here eyes trying to pick up on any hints, when ShatteredStar emerged with the large bird. She stared at it, a little shocked, until she realized she was being asked a question. “I can, sure. What is that thing? Its huge!” Watermelon went to the hidden mouse and picked it up. Once it was free of the grass, she shook it to free it of any dead grass. Just as she'd seen her mother do with their toy mice on the rug at two-leg place, and went back to retrieve her squirrel, turning to follow ShatteredStar.

[Shatteredstar]

[bg=000000][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,350,true][atrb=background,http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y32/Arhiukahn/Shatteredstarmiddle.jpg] The shock on the young cat's face was apparent, and Shatteredstar let a ragged trill of laughter escape her throat before she answered. "An owl... and a baby one at that. You don't want to meet the adult.... They'd probably eat a nice plump little kittypet like you." She grinned, showing blood-smeared white fangs, obviously trying to make a joke. Now it was very noticeable that her mood had been uplifted. She bent and picked up the owl, fumbling in the thick fluff for a moment before she finally got a good grip, then picked it up and wobbled off toward the camp entrance. Speaking of adults, they wouldn't be to happy when they found their missing chick. Perhaps she should warn the others to keep a lookout if they ventured out at night time. Night DID seem to be a better time to hunt... Maybe she'd set some hunting patrols for night. It made sense after all, the prey wouldn't be as likely to be hiding in there dens from the heat of the sun after it set. Shatteredstar nodded to her own thought, carefully waddling around dragging talons. It was time they were getting back to camp.

[Watermelon]

[bg=000000][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,350,true][atrb=background,http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/4873/watermelonmiddle.png] Watermelon nodded, and grinned back at the amused leader, accepting the joke for what it was, though she had a strange sensation at the thought of that monstrous bird being just a baby. The parents would have had to taken two cats to carry them each, she imagined. With the prey in her mouth, she couldn't say anything. Even if she could have, she wasn't sure she would have been able to. Maybe ShatteredStar was teasing her about how bit the owls could really get, and hoped they wouldn't really go after any cat. She tried to watch her step. She didn't want to trip over the squirrels tail when all the new cats saw her. That would be a terrible introduction...