[PATROL] Aspenswirl/Salmonstripe/Sequoia

[belloblossom]

LostClan, Opponent: Badger 1. Loner 2. Stealth Training (all apprentices roll 1d10, if they land on an odd number, they're able to sneak up on their mentors successfully. If they land on an even number, they make too much noise and alert anything nearby to the patrol's location.) 3. Battle 4. Battle 5. Battle 6. Hunting Training (apprentices roll 1d20 to determine if they are able to catch the prey or not, any number over a 13+ indicates a successful catch!) 7. Scent Identification (all apprentices roll 1d10, if they land on an even number, they're able to correctly identify the scent as a vole, mouse or squirrel. If they roll an odd number, they cannot identify any specific prey nearby.) 8. Battle 9. Oops! Encounter (Oh my, with spring has come many beautiful flowers - it's impossible not to feel like frolicking upon them in such fine weather! The members of your patrol get distracted practicing their playfighting with one another. By the time they're ready to move on, it's time to return home. Oops.... don't tell Lostsun!) 10. Battle

 

[PeterPan_da144]

It was one of her first real patrols without Lostsun, who had become her mentor. Sequoia was eager to prove her worth to the rest of the clan. Just because she was down a leg didn't mean she was any less of a cat! A little huff would leave her if she had to haul herself over particularly high stumps, but otherwise she kept up with the others readily. However, she was the only apprentice in the group, so she wasn't allowed to just run off on her own. Much to her chagrin.

Tail quivered as she drew to a halt, crouching down. "Wait," she murmured, tail tip twitching just above the ground as she angled her ears and drew in a deep breath. "I can smell a squirrel." The excitement in her voice was clear, but she hesitated. Was she allowed to go off and chase it on her own?

 

[belloblossom]

Salmonstripe had been happy to stretch her paws and get out of camp; her mind had been bogged down with worry after facing off against the badger with her son, Burnetdew, and she made an effort to go on patrols with at least two other cats on all the patrols with her. Admittedly, she hadn't spent much time socializing with her Clanmates outside of Aspenswirl and her kits. Even now, while she had Sky, her beloved partner, to chat with, she thought it might be good to try and stretch her limits to other cats within the Clan. When she saw that Aspenswirl had been organizing a hunting patrol, she volunteered - and was happy to see that Sequoia joined with them.

Salmonstripe had been walking through the tall pines, stepping in and out of the shadows, as they approached the twoleg-made lake. She had been trying to come up with some manner of conversation, and was internally scolding herself for being so boring, when Sequoia perked up her ears and announced that she scented a squirrel nearby. Pausing to taste the air, Salmonstripe picked up the scent that the young apprentice had - and nodded encouragingly at the tan she-cat. If Sequoia was trained enough to accompany warriors on patrols without her mentor, then Salmonstripe trusted her to be able to hunt on her own at this point too.

 

[belloblossom]

Aspenswirl hadn't spoken much with Salmonstripe since their litter had been made into warriors. They were still cordial to one another, of course, but it was harder for Aspenswirl to connect with Salmonstripe, and by extension, to his own kits. They weren't kits anymore, nor apprentices and Aspenswirl was shy around adults - especially those he had a paw in making.

Still, when Salmonstripe joined the hunting patrol he'd nodded along, but hadn't managed to come up with much conversation. Luckily, Salmonstripe seemed to connect well with Sequoia and with the two she-cats conversing in their own way, he scented the air - he could smell the squirrel that Sequoia had, but without being mentally present, he didn't hear her declaration of it. Instead, he streaked forward on lower, stronger branches, running parallel to the scent of the squirrel. If it caught notice of the patrol, he had to predict where it was going to try and bolt. If it ran to the ground, it would be lost, but Aspenswirl was confident that he could track it so long as it stayed in the trees.

 

[PeterPan_da144]

The encouraging nod from Salmonstripe was all she needed. Sequoia grinned, before turning forward again. Very obviously into the hunt, she leaned forward slightly, back leg ready to kick off and spring into action.

A few heartbeats... it was closer... and she sprang! Her form was flawless, aside from being a few hairs short. She'd pounced on the tail, allowing the squirrel to whip around and get a quick bite in. Sequoia hissed as it yanked itself from under her claws, tearing it's tail fur. Immediately, she pushed off after it, launching at the tree it scrambled up.

She was surprisingly agile at climbing the tree, but unfortunately, the squirrel was faster. It was far out of her grasp by the time she hauled herself onto the first branch she could with a huff.

"Mouse dung!"

 

[belloblossom]

Salmonstripe was happy to see that her encouragement seemed to aid in Sequoia's mood. She watched as the she-cat darted off and by all accounts, Salmonstripe had been certain that the younger she-cat would catch the squirrel! Alas, the tan and brown cat let the squirrel go upon its retaliation. She couldn't blame the she-cat, though Salmonstripe felt like she would've mauled the squirrel if it had the nerve to attack her. Squirrels had a purpose to be eaten, not to fight back. Still, a part of her supposed every creature was trying to make the most of their lives. Squirrels didn't have a SunClan to go to, either, after all, so it would make sense that they'd fight to survive.

She waited on the ground for Sequoia to join her and turned to look for Aspenswirl to see if he wanted to continue forward, but she didn't see him. She flicked her ears and heard rustling in the branches above. Where was he darting off to in such a hurry?

 

[belloblossom]

Aspenswirl had been vaguely aware of Sequoia going after the squirrel - but where she failed to catch it, rather than his eyes moving to his Clan mate, they stayed fixed on the prey. Dancing across the branches with as much ease as a TreeClan cat - Aspenswirl raised a front leg off the branch and somehow, miraculously, managed to snag the tail of the squirrel in his claws. Dragging it from the branch above and swaying precariously on his branch below, Aspenswirl ended up unceremoniously hitting the squirrel against the branch as he stood upon. It's spine broke and Aspenswirl awkwardly had to lower his mouth to the squirrel and bite into its neck to ensure that it would cease twitching.

With his claws firmly pinning the prey against a tree, Aspenswirl turned his head to the others.
"Shall we continue on ground? I think I'm worn out from this tree-prey." He admitted sheepishly to the others. @PeterPan_da144

 

[PeterPan_da144]

A mrrow of laughter was all Sequoia could reply with at first. Amused head bobbing and tail twitching, before she would dip her head respectfully and apologetically. "I think I'd be fine with that," she laughed, before eyeballing the tree trunk she had climbed. "You... Can go on ahead without me if you want. It... Might take me a moment to get down..." She hated admitting when she did have a handicap... It was always a bit harder for her to go down a tree than up. But she would start on it, clutching to the bark with her front claws rather hard until she was certain her back leg had a good purchase.

Slowly, she would inch her way backwards down the tree, until she was finally able to drop the last few tail lengths with a huff and puff. Tail flicked as she crouched slightly, blinking at her surroundings to gather herself.

@belloblossom

 

[belloblossom]

Salmonstripe watched as Aspenswirl made himself known - and managed to crush, rather than catch, the squirrel that Sequoia had been catching. Oh sure, she thought, he just had to rub it in, didn't he? She couldn't discern Sequoia's expression from where Salmonstripe stood on the ground, but hhoped the she-cat wasn't feeling bad for losing her catch.

As Aspenswirl suggested they continue on the ground, Salmonstripe called back up at him - though she wasn't entirely certain he heard her.
"Sounds fine to me. I'll go-" She mewed, before pausing to hear Sequoia's mew. Nodding, she continued. "I'll scout on ahead. Watch for my tail signals, in case I find anything more."

With that said, she wondered if all of their yowling would lead them to any prey at this point, or if any potential meals had scurried off at their shouting. Well, no matter, Salmonstripe thought, they'd end up going somewhere, whether it be home tucked away in LostClan camp, or out until dusk, skirting the edges of the twoleg-made lake. As she proceeded forward, she reflected on what prey her mate might prefer the best. Would she have to barter with Aspenswirl for his squirrel, or would any prey be acceptable, so long as Salmonstripe caught it.

Please don't have her favorite meal be fish. She thought with a shudder. Anything, but fish.

 

[belloblossom]

Aspenswirl glanced down at Salmonstripe, who had started off on her own, based on Sequoia's suggestion, but found himself then looking across to the brown and tan she-cat.
"Bold of you, Sequoia, to assume it doesn't take a half-moon for me to get out of any tree I come across." He mewed. "I'm flattered that you think so highly of me, though, so I thank you for the compliment." He offered the she-cat a smile, before leaning over the branch and swallowing a lump in his throat. He could feel his heartbeat begin to pick up - wow, he quite high up, wasn't he?

"Wh-What're the chances I'd survive the fall if I just jumped down from here?" He asked Sequoia, only to glance over and see that she was already making her way down. He marveled at her coordination and with a deep breath, picked the squirrel up in his mouth and started back towards the tree's trunk.

Spreading his legs at awkward angles, he hugged the tree. Nope, nope, he couldn't do this. He closed his eyes tight, his confidence at hunting replaced by a fear of falling and breaking all the bones in his pretty, handsome body. As his heart began to sink, so did his body weight and he felt his claws dragging slowly down the trunk of the tree. He let out a sharp hiss as one of his claws wrenched out midway down the trunk and the squirrel dropped from his mouth to the ground beneath him. Still, he managed to keep his hold on the tree until he felt his tail touch the ground. Dropping to the forest floor, he looked at his twisted claw with a pitiful expression.

"It's bleeeeeding!" He wailed, holding it out pathetically. "Forget this, I want to go home! I need to see Bone before my paw falls off." He looked to Sequoia, sheepishly. "I'm going to head back to camp, would you go fetch Salmonstripe and let her know?" He asked the remaining she-cat. @PeterPan_da144

 

[PeterPan_da144]

Sequoia was thoroughly amused by the other. The fact that Salmonstripe felt confident enough to move along without her, and Aspenswirl was even worse than she was at getting out of the tree... She suddenly felt much better about her own blunders. Another mrrow of laughter, eyes narrowing and teeth flashing in an amused expression, ears flattening slightly. Her tail twitched against the ground as she stood, brushing her tail against his side as she sauntered on.

"By all means," she teased. "Between the two of us, I'm sure we can bring more than enough back to cover your loss." Another soft mrrow as she padded off into the undergrowth, inhaling deeply to search for Salmonstripe's scent.

@belloblossom