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Post by Crewe on Apr 12, 2012 0:24:02 GMT
Mottledfrost leads Foxpelt along the border. As she goes, she scents for both DarkClan cats and prey.
Running patrols as both border patrols and hunting patrols was efficient--especially with FernClan's lack of warriors--but it was also mentally wearying. And patrols had to be made regularly; while smaller numbers meant less prey was needed, they also meant the Clan was vulnerable, despite the other Clans' similar depletion of ranks. Border patrols had to be made often, she told herself, to ensure FernClan territory was secure. If that meant she had to get up earlier than the rest of the Clan and go to sleep much later, so be it; Mottledfrost would give all she had for her Clan. She only hoped it would be enough.
For the moment, though, she could relax, if only slightly. There was no sign of recent DarkClan activity, besides the usual day-old markers. And with newleaf came more prey; the FernClan deputy was sure that her Clan would flourish with the new season. And with the recent peace, there had been much less to worry about.
Pausing as the smell of a nearby mouse caught her nose, Mottledfrost motions for Foxpelt to wait and sinks into a long-practiced hunting crouch. Pinpointing the small rodent's position, she prowls forward and, as soon as her target came into view, sprang onto it, snapping its neck before it could make a sound. Satisfied, she picks it up and pads back to the other warrior.
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Post by memyselfandi on Apr 12, 2012 0:28:30 GMT
"Nice catch."
Foxpelt looked around, sniffing the air quietly.
"Okay, so that's what I'll do when I find a mouse. Just crouch, get in close, and pounce. Easy as that."
Not altogether reassured, he continued along the border, eyes peeled, ears pricked, and nose to the ground.
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Post by Crewe on Apr 12, 2012 0:36:22 GMT
"Thank you," Mottledfrost says shortly, around the mouse. Slightly irritated by the scent of the mouse obscuring the scent of the border and other prey, she pads along behind Foxpelt, resigned to trusting the ginger tom to notice anything unusual.
Downwind from the two FernClan warriors, a small silver tabby she-cat rests in a tree, giggling slightly to herself.
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Post by memyselfandi on Apr 12, 2012 0:46:01 GMT
Foxpelt, unaware of the trust now placed in him, is paying far less attention than is most likely necessary. He's still more focused on daydreams, involving catching mice or even better prey.
He utterly fails to notice the silver cat or her giggles as a result of this.
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Post by Crewe on Apr 12, 2012 0:52:57 GMT
Mottledfrost looks from side to side, sneezing slightly as mouse fur gets in her nose. She pads along slowly behind Foxpelt, keeping her eyes mostly on the border.
The silver she-cat lifts her face to the wind, making a face as the scent of the two warriors hits her, but looking pleased with herself regardless. She is about to get to her feet and go when the wind shifts, carrying the FernClan scent away from her, and drawing her own scent towards Foxpelt, as he nears the tree.
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Post by memyselfandi on Apr 12, 2012 0:56:26 GMT
Daydreaming or no, a scent in the face is hard to ignore. Foxpelt snaps his head in the direction of the she-cat, tensing.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
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Post by Crewe on Apr 12, 2012 0:59:40 GMT
The she-cat's ears flatten against her head and she hisses to herself, then shakes it off and pads out along the branch into the open, a playful look on her face.
"Hello, FernClan!" she calls, a mocking tone in her voice.
Mottledfrost, startled from her scan of the border by Foxpelt's voice, drops the mouse as her eyes shoot to the silver she-cat. She bristles, baring her teeth.
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Post by memyselfandi on Apr 12, 2012 1:05:14 GMT
"Hello, random cat!"
Despite the friendly tone of his Voice, Foxpelt has definitely settled into a reasonably battle-ready position.
"May I ask who you are, and what you're doing here?"
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Post by Crewe on Apr 12, 2012 1:20:41 GMT
The she-cat sits down on the precariously-bobbing end of the branch, her tail hanging down and flicking around lazily.
"You may ask, but you won't get an answer," she calls down to Foxpelt, purring slightly. "I'll direct the question back to you, FernClan!"
Mottledfrost pads over to stand beside Foxpelt, claws extending into the ground.
"Leave our land!" she snarls, hackles rising.
"Oh, but you have such a fun place to live..." the silver she-cat says, yawning. "Besides, my own home is a bit of a dump."
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Post by memyselfandi on Apr 12, 2012 1:24:11 GMT
Foxpelt starts to pace around the bottom of the tree, tail lashing in irritation.
"Will you at least get down from there?"
He stops to paw at the tree for a moment, as if considering attempting to climb it, but then stops.
"I can't exactly have a conversation while you're up in that tree, you know."
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Post by Crewe on Apr 12, 2012 1:29:14 GMT
The she-cat giggles.
"Silly FernClan. You expect me to climb right into your clutches? We can hear each other just fine from here!" she purrs.
She leaps up into a higher branch. "Can you still hear me?" she asks, a mocking tone once again entering her voice.
Mottledfrost snarls, narrowing her eyes and joining Foxpelt at the base of the tree.
"How well can you climb?" she hisses, just barely audibly. She herself was okay at climbing, but would send up the ginger tom if he was better.
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Post by memyselfandi on Apr 12, 2012 1:35:05 GMT
"I can climb decently," Foxpelt whispered. "I'm not so fast though."
He paused for a moment.
"What's so bad about this cat anyways?"
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Post by Crewe on Apr 12, 2012 1:38:19 GMT
"She's either a loner or rogue, trespassing on FernClan territory. We have few enough warriors; we can't afford other Clans to know we've allowed a strange cat to stay. They'll think we're weak," Mottledfrost hisses, placing a paw on the side of the tree.
"I'll climb up and herd her down to you. She's not big; pin her down, and then we can make her leave."
With that, the FernClan deputy starts climbing the tree as quickly as she can.
The silver she-cat looks amused, and starts purring again.
"Are you trying to catch me, FernClan? Do you expect it to be easy?"
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Post by memyselfandi on Apr 12, 2012 1:46:53 GMT
"As a matter of fact, yes, we do."
Foxpelt waits at the bottom of the tree, the picture of relaxation.
"I don't even need to come up there and help get you."
He purrs and flicks his tail smugly.
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Post by Crewe on Apr 12, 2012 1:55:08 GMT
The silver she-cat giggles, high and clear. She starts climbing again, easily staying ahead of Mottledfrost.
"Of course you don't, FernClan!" she calls down to Foxpelt. Her voice turns harshly mocking. "You're far too fat to come up and get me! Privileged dung-brain, call yourself a warrior but don't follow through! I and my kind am a warrior! Not you and yours!"
Mottledfrost reaches the branch below her and swipes with one paw, claws unsheathed. The she-cat easily dodges, and purrs.
"Little deputy, believing you have power. You don't have the power to catch even me!"
With that, the she-cat turns and gives a huge leap. Mottledfrost chokes on a breath as it appears as if the she-cat has jumped to her death. However, she lands on the edge of a branch, which bends dangerously, and claws her way towards the trunk. The silver she-cat continues leaping from tree to tree. Her voice floats back to the two cats as Mottledfrost reluctantly climbs down.
"Good-bye, FernClan! I'll be leaving now! Think on me, warriors!"
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Post by memyselfandi on Apr 12, 2012 2:05:04 GMT
Foxpelt growled in frustration. "She got away..."
"I should've gone up after her as well..."
"Not like she could've have gotten to the ground and escaped anyway."
He calls up to Mottledfrost. "What now?"
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Post by Crewe on Apr 12, 2012 2:11:19 GMT
Mottledfrost scrambles to the ground, looking severely annoyed. She forces herself to lower her hackles.
If I had more warriors, I-- she stops herself. But I don't. What is best for the Clan?
Taking a deep breath, she faces Foxpelt.
"Let her go for now. We don't have the numbers to waste time and energy chasing her down. If you see her, get rid of her. But for now, we continue the patrol."
Doing her best to keep her fuming from being visible to Foxpelt, Mottledfrost heads back towards the border, picking up her mouse again.
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Post by memyselfandi on Apr 12, 2012 2:29:44 GMT
"Right, yes." Foxpelt trotted along behind Mottledfrost, continuing to sniff for prey. Or trying to, anyway. It was so hard to focus on mice after just running into what was presumably a rogue cat.
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Post by Crewe on Apr 12, 2012 2:38:34 GMT
Mottledfrost stalwartly pads along the border, keeping an eye out for DarkClan cats. In a lucky break, she catches sight of a vole downwind that the mouse's scent had concealed from her. Dropping her mouse, she quickly kills the vole and picks it up, carrying both pieces of prey.
Food for a hungry warrior and perhaps some elders, she thinks, a little sourly.
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Post by memyselfandi on Apr 12, 2012 2:47:32 GMT
Foxpelt frowned slightly at seeing the vole. That made two catches on Mottledfrost's part, and he'd yet to catch anything more than a scent. He hoped this was just a one-day thing (maybe caused by all the excitement) and not a pattern...
He brushed the thoughts aside and darted after Mottledfrost, whom he realized had moved on while he was thinking.
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