Out and About (OPEN)

[Miu]

A strong wind buffeted the large, white tom’s glossy coat. He ducked his head and hissed under his breath. It was the end of new-leaf, so Goldenstar wondered why the winds were so strong. Usually it was in leaf fall or leaf bare that the winds were presently powerful. The Thunderclan leader was no Windclan cat. He didn’t like the wind or any open ground. He felt as if he could be attacked by all angles and he didn’t like being surprised. Despite his large size and rippling muscles he did in fact have weaknesses.

Goldenstar padded back, away from the rivers edge and towards the safety of the forest. He enjoyed the safety of the branches. The ancient oaks and bramble bushes gave him a security no open moor could provide or any river or any skinny pines. The tom pressed himself against a bush and sighed. He was here to hunt. That was his goal, but as his eyes met some sharp-smelling leaves he figured some herbs wouldn’t be bad either. Although the tom was leader of the clan he had no shame in doing other duties other than leading the clan to victory. He enjoyed watching kits, keeping elders company, picking herbs, and just helping in general. It wasn’t uncommon for him to bring back fresh moss for nests or soaked moss for the heavy queens and sick elders to drink from. He prided himself in helping Thunderclan thrive.

He bit off a large stem of the coltsfoot herb then paused as he heard a scuffle of prey. He angled his ears until he located the sound. As he set the herbs on a low sapling’s branch he opened his maw. Rabbit?! In Thunderclan? He had to stop himself from purring too loudly. The golden-eyed tom had only ever had rabbit once. When he was a kit his father came back to camp and gave him some. It was so tender and the juices practically spilled out of it. His jaw watered as he saw the rabbit appear. A large, fat, gray one. He silently thanked Windclan for not stopping it from crossing the borders.

Goldenstar carefully placed one paw in front of the other. He kept his body low, but made sure his fur didn’t brush against debri. He held his tail low, his ears erect, and his eyes focused. The large tom was only a tail-length away now so he leaped, claws unsheathed. The rabbit was fast and dashed. Goldenstar hissed and raced after it, through bramble bushes and over rocks, until he was a couple of tail-lengths from Shadowclan territory. He pushed off with his back legs and managed to trip up the rabbit with an outstretched paw. The rabbit fumbled enough that Goldenstar had the chanced to pounced on it then bite into it’s plush fur. He shook it long and hard until it lay still. Panting hard he carried the prey back to the tree to retreive the herbs he laid down.

[4icestar]

Iceheart could only hear her heartbeat and the swishing of leaves being buffeted by the wind. Climbing out on a limb, Iceheart looks down below her. I should not have done that. Looking down made her a bit queasy. Ugh. She had to hop down from this tree. Bunching up her muscles, Iceheart prepares for a leap to a lower limb. Taking a deep breath, she calms herself and commands her body to aim for one section along a branch below her. One..... Her tail swished from side to side. Two.... Iceheart bunched her muscles preparing to spring. Three....! Iceheart leaped from the branch and flew through the air. Her fur was flying and the air was rushing into her ears and eyes. After an eternity of flying, she landed, a bit clumsily, on the branch. Ok time to go back to camp. She was only a couple of fox-lengths away from ShadowClan territory.

Just as Iceheart was about to leap down, something crashed through the bushes below her. Goldenstar was chasing a rabbit! He leapt on the rabbit and grabbed its neck with his teeth. he shook the rabbit vigirously until it stopped moving. Glad he caugh that rabbit, I love rabbits!

Smiling, Iceheart called, Great catch! Hopping down from the tree, Iceheart landed, a bit more gracefully, in front of Goldenstar. "Didn't think I would see you out here. I was just practicing some climbing. It has an amazing view up on top of this maple." Climbing was Iceheart's favorite pass time. She loved the feeling of being up above everything else and looking out into the world. Is that what StarClan was like?

[Miu]

OOC: could you use a text other than the blue? It hurts my eyes

Goldenstar pricked his ears just before an advance of wind came about him. Then there was Iceheart. The black and white she-cat seemed to be in an upbeat mood if she was bouncing across trees like a flitty-footed squirrel. He nodded in greeting, not able to talk with the prey in his muzzle. He set the rabbit down and purred.

“Don’t be rude, Iceheart. You know you can’t eat it just because you seen it first.” He joked with his deputy and good friend. “Were you going back to camp? If you wasn’t could you do a little battle practice with me? I’ve been doing so many patrols that I fear my claws have rusted.” He mewed. Then started digging at the earth to make a spot for the large rabbit. “I just exercised my legs out with this rabbit, but you know how a good practice always settles me at ease.” He dropped the rabbit in then covered it with the loose dirt. Because the prey was so large he had to cover it with a giant fern branch to just so some stray loner wouldn’t unearth it. He left the coltsfoot there on the branch and then turned back to his green-eyed deputy. His golden-green eyes flicked with challenge and he flicked his thick tail, ready for a well-earned practice. Hopefully the smaller she-cat would agree to the sparring session. Even older warriors needed to exercise their claws and fangs once in a while.

[4icestar]

OOC: Very sorry! I'll use a different color.


Blinking, Iceheart pondered for a second and then purred. A little bit of battle practice with her leader actually sounded like a lot of fun. It would be an interesting fight. She would be fighting against a cat that was much larger than her and quite a bit stronger, but Iceheart was more quick and agile. Purring, Iceheart mewed, "Sure! I would love a little practice fight. I thought my claws would fall off from mis-use!"

Iceheart loved to practice fighting with a good friend. it gave her a chance to improve her skill. When becoming deputy, Iceheart believes she hasn't reached her full potential as a warrior. Any chance to improve her hunting or battle skill is greatly accepted.

Turning, Iceheart padded a couple of steps away from Goldenstar and turned to face him. Just remember, she reminded herself, he's a lot stronger with me, so I shouldn't face him directly. Any good warrior should know how to face opponents and use their skills to their advantage. Speed and agility. Speed and agility. Iceheart narrowed her eyes and bunched her muscles and smiled to herself. Goldenstar is strong and a lot older than her, he had the advantage of knowledge and strength. Maybe she'll win, if she plays her cards right and thinks quick. What to do first? Suddenly, a perfect idea came to her. She knew just how to start this.

She gasped, "Look! Quick, behind you!" After shouting that, she leaped through the air and landed squarely on his back. Let the fight begin.

[Miu]

Goldenstar felt the wind on his thick fur and felt earth under his hard pawpads. Seasons of running through the forest did that to you. He was keen to nearly everything; the change of rain to heat, from the night to day; and from icy leaf bare to the living new leaf. He wasn’t new to being a fighter with tooth and claw. In fact he was probably one of the more seasoned. The large, white tom was by far no means an elder or even a senior warrior, but he was old enough to know when to pick his fights. He knew Iceheart well. He had known her when she was a kit, an apprentice, and a new warrior. He knew her strategy; tactical, analyzing, and speed. Goldenstar wasn’t a fast tom. He was good on his feet as well as his claws, but he preferred using his thickset build to his advantage. Headbutting was his forte, anyone could tell you. But when a determined she-cat ran at him full speed and he was wrapped in his thoughts he couldn’t really head butt her. He tried and hit air.

Then he felt claws on his shoulder blades. He hissed and rolled around., trying to free himself from her sleek figure.

“Sheathed, Iceheart!” He hissed, immediately angry now. Was she still a kit? She should know that you can’t use unsheathed claws in clan training. He faced her now and ran around her, aiming his head low and ready to head butt her skull or chest. Whichever he hit it would hurt he knew.

[4icestar]

Iceheart realized the horror of her mistake as soon as Goldenstar yowled, "Sheathed, Iceheart!". Ugh! What am I, am kit?! I need to- Interrupting her thought, she was thrown off Goldenstar's back as he rolled over on top of her. She knew her leader well and had seen him in action in a real battle. Iceheart knew what was coming - a headbutt. As soon as he tucked his head in and Iceheart quickly stood up, she was slammed hard in the chest by his powerful frame. "Oof!" It knocked the wind right out of her body and she had to take a second to breathe again. Thinking quickly about her next attempt to attack Goldenstar, she leaped over his head using her powerful hind legs. Climbing trees all the time comes in handy. It took a long time to gain all of her muscles as she had lost it all from being in the medicine cat's den after she was hit by a monster on the Thunderpath.

After leaping over Goldenstar's head, she landed on the other side of him, and turned around quickly to make another jump. I can't jump around forev - Oh! Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. Instead of continuing the jump she was about to make, she changed direction at the last second. Rather, she turned and jumped toward the tree trunk. Her forepaws hit the tree, but instead of climbing, she used the tree trunk to propel herself and give her tackle a little more strength. It was fast: Iceheart didn't even realize what she did until she landed on Goldenstar's shoulders once again. She knew it would hurt, but this time, she had her claws sheathed. That was amazing. Once I get an apprentice, I need to teach them that move

[Miu]

OOC: I've already messaged you but you did it twice already so i'll say it here. Please make sure you don't powerplay. By saying you jumped on Goldenstar's back you never gave him an option to dodge or get hit. Taking control of another person's character is called power-playing and is against the rules.

Once again Goldenstar rolled around then leaped backwards he hunched his broad shoulder and circled around the smaller she-cat. He could easily hurt her but this was only practice and he wouldn’t hurt a fellow clanmate. Ever. The white leader pricked his ears and flicked his tail; thinking mode. He couldn’t use the trees. He was much to heavy for any climbing, one think he didn’t like about Thunderclan. He was fast, but certainly not as fast as Iceheart. He realized he’d just have to wing it and tackled her, head down and paws forward. He was planning on hitting her hard, so hard her legs buckled and she fell over, but he wasn’t sure if it would work. Although he had more experience than the deputy, Iceheart was fast on her feet and quick with her thoughts. He had the advantage of bulky muscle and a huge head, thanks to his noncommittal father. He cringed as he thought of him. He didn’t want anything to do with that to-timing badger-face. The leader made the mistake of not focusing and instead of hitting the warrior his leap fell short and he landed right in front of her. How embarrassing! Goldenstar tried to hide his kitten-ess by quickly throwing a paw out to hit his opponent’s face.

[4icestar]

(OOC: I'm really sorry. I've been working on it a bit more - I'm rusty on Role Playing. I'll be more aware of it when I'm writing replies. Would saying that she aimed for his back be better?)

Once again being rolled off of Goldenstar's back, Iceheart quickly leaped to her feet once again. As soon as she was on her feet, she turned to face Goldenstar just to see him jumping at her. He seemed to be distracted right before he preformed his famous tackling move. As she was preparing for the hit, she closed her eyes and braced herself. Waiting to be hit with the brunt of his tackle, Iceheart heard a thump on the ground. She opened her eyes just to see Goldenstar land clumsily on the ground. Before Iceheart could compose herself, she burst out with a meow of laughter. All of a sudden, a paw flew at her face. Acting quickly, she backed up a few steps - still laughing. "Ok, I think we're done! Don't feel bad, I'm just about as clumsy as you are." Still laughing quietly, Iceheart sat down a few tail-lengths in front of Goldenstar. She quietly licked a paw and brought it over her ear.

[Miu]

OOC: Sorry Ice, I forgot about this thread after not being on the site due to internet issues.

Goldenstar purred in amusement. The large, white tom had to admit his attack had been horrible. The young leader was usually more observant so his attacks usually worked. He flicked his tail as his deputy began to groom herself. Her black and white pelt glossed in the afternoon sunlight. He flexed his claws deep in the earth, trying to think of his next move. The Thunderclan leader wouldn’t let her win. He had always been a tad bit competitive, especially with a cat he’d known since his apprentice days. He knew the wind was coming towards him, which meant his speed wouldn’t be as fast. Only one thing to do. The tom ran towards the she-cat at full speed but at the last second skidded to the side and raced up a tree trunk. He wasn’t a fan of climbing but this was a must. He crawled through the thick limbs full of leaves. It was nearly leaf-fall so, but the leaves still seemed full to him. He made sure he made as little noise as possible as he made his way to a thick branch that hovered over his deputy’s head. He waggled his haunches before leaping down. His front paws were outstretched, though his claws were sheathed. He hoped his air tackle hit.

[4icestar]

All of a sudden, Goldenstar leaped to her feet in front of Iceheart and ran full speed toward her. Iceheart panicked, and quickly jumped to her feet and backed up in a couple of hurried steps. Nearly a whisker-length from Iceheart's body, Goldenstar turned at the last possible moment. What? Puzzled, Iceheart watched Goldenstar clamber up the tree trunk of the large oak Iceheart climbed moments ago. Iceheart knew Goldenstar was not a fan of climbing, so this act must be his last attack during this practice brawl. Still, iceheart didn't understand what the tom was doing climbing up the tree. Wondering aloud, Iceheart mewed, "What are you doing?"

Before Iceheart could mutter another word, Goldenstar plummeted out of the tree directly over her head. Letting out a squeak of surprise, Ice heart dove to get out of the way - but it was too late. Goldenstar landed square on top of Iceheart's back and Iceheart plopped to the ground under his weight. "OOF!" Iceheart struggled to breath, having the wind knocked out of her: Goldenstar was a bulky cat. "Alright...you big...hair ball. Get...off!!" With one final statement, Iceheart threw herself up in attempt to rid Goldenstar off her back.

[Miu]

OOC: Sorry this took so long :/

Goldenstar fell onto his deputy's back. His paws wrapped around her, but he quickly jumped off and skidded to a halt in front of her.

"You're as talented as ever, Iceheart." He gave a throaty mrow and flicked his plumy, white tail across the tabby's back. "How about we call that a tie?" Goldenstar hated losing, but he had known the she-cat quite a long time and didn't mind losing to someone whom seemed like family. "Let's head back to camp and see how all the cats are doing. The next patrol should be started soon." He meowed and padded away. He flicked his tail to signal for her to follow him.

Really, Goldenstar was worried, though he tried not to show it. The morning was melting into noon-high and the sun seemed soft. Leaf-fall was coming upon them and he wanted them to be ready for Leaf Bare. He hated the cold and the lack of prey. Instantly his ears pricked as a scuttling sounded a tail-length away from him. He crouched and pounced, easily killing the vole. He crouched again as he saw a plump pigeon sitting in a sapling. The white tom padded forward, keeping his tail low. The bird saw him and began to flap it's wings, but Goldenstar leaped. Although he wasn't the fastest cat in the clan, he was one of the strongest. His large paws hit hard against the gray bird. It fell to the ground and staggered. Goldenstar gave it a bite to the neck then gathered it and his vole up.

"If you want to hunt now's the time. We need to get back."