Victory is Mine!

[wolfwind]

Jasperpaw

There! Jasperpaw spotted the deputy padding off into the forest. Quickly, Jasperpaw dashed after him once out of the camp he slowed up a bit. He wanted to talk to the deputy about something important. Something Jasperpaw can't live without.
"Stumbleknot!" he quietly shouted, afraid that if there was any prey out, he would scare it away. Jasperpaw's grey and brown fur made it hard to find him because he blended in with the trees and the shadows that painted the soft snow laden forest floor. He caught up to the deputy and stopped to catch his breath, "Stumbleknot," the tom breathed in between breaths.

[it's FiSHY, scaredy-cat.]

...S tumbleknot:.

.: He broke into a run, eager for a nice hunt. A resounding thud, thud, thud of pawsteps came thundering towards him.

"Stumbleknot!" panted a voice.

Stumbleknot skidded to a halt and blinked, perking his ear. He was sure he had heard his name. You're just hearing things, he told himself mentally, and resumed walking.

"Stumbleknot!" the voice sounded again.

This time, the deputy whipped his head around, startled to see Jasperpaw dashing out of nowhere. He stared hard at the apprentice and eyed him from nose to tail-tip. Then, the tom exploded in laughter, a deep bubbling laugh rolling out from his throat in a mighty purr. He playfully patted the young cat with his paw.

"Joining us for a hunt, aye?" the brown-furred cat's eyes twinkled. He was in a good mood today. "Well, come along, then. It's no good waiting until the next moon," he meowed good-naturely, and then leaned in close to whisper in the apprentice's ear, although loud enough for the other cats to overhear, "But you see that young she-cat?" his tail flicked toward Tumblestep, "Now she is the boss around here." Then, the deputy looked high up toward where Silverpelt stands and meowed loudly, "She got four kills in one hunt today, in the middle of leaf-bare - even StarClan would be impressed!" Stumbleknot grinned teasingly, "May all cats dip heads in her honor. ThunderClan is lucky to have such good hunters." Stumblenot turned to look at Jasperpaw in face-to-face. "Now you make sure you work hard, too," he searched Jasperpaw's eyes for a reaction, "And tell your sister I'll be seeing that she lives up to my expectations as well! She is my apprentice, you know."

And with that, the deputy let out another hearty chuckle and flicked his tail, telling Tumblestep and Shrubwhisker that he was ready.

The hunt was to begin. The cats are on the prowl.

[/blockquote]

[wolfwind]

Jasperpaw purred towards Tumblestep, "You better not tease her like that Stumbleknot," he playfully said. "She could rip you to shreds, I mean, you are gamey." he joked, even though Stumbleknot was deputy, Jasperpaw saw him as a cat either way. Ribbonpaw told him not to show fear towards the deputy.
"Oh, he's just a big furball," she had told him seriously, Jasperpaw had shrugged, but believed her anyways.
"Stumbleknot," Jasperpaw shook his head, "Have you seen my sister? I don't want Ribbonpaw to be in trouble, although she can look after herself," he said hastily. He was just worried because usually his sister and him go together to hunt.

[wolfkitten]

Tumblepaw perked her ears up as she heard Stumbleknot and Shrubwhisker both say they were ready. She purred eagerly and nodded quickly. "Alright, off we go then!" She grinned happily and would bound for the entrance to the camp, tail up and eyes eager. However, she soon heard the voice of Jasperpaw yelling out for Stumbleknot. Of course Tumblepaw would pause her pawsteps to look behind them at the smaller cat as he ran over to them. She smiled warmly to him and would look away, awaiting for Stumbleknot's business with him to be done, or perhaps for the young cat to be ready to come with them.

She thought out the route to Sunningrocks, wanting so baddly to prove herself well to her Deputy and of course Shrubwhisker... Tumblepaw usually wasn't the best hunter... Even fully grown, her paws were so much bigger than they should have been and so it was a constant hindrance for her, even with her new fangled way of running. She purred slightly, but perked her ears up as she heard Stumbleknot's words, and she flushed a bit and dipped her head some. "Oh quit Stumbleknot... I was lucky is all..." She grinned at him to show his words pleased her despite her teasing tone. But she grinned a bit as she heard the business seemingly finishing up a bit between Stumbleknot and the Apprentice.

But before it ended, she would sidle up to Shrubwhisker, nudging him gently and licking his ears briefly. "You doing alright my friend?" She tilted her head a little as she pressed her flank caringly against him and nuzzling his neck a little. Indeed she was feeling oddly friendly, but if Shrubwhisker showed uncomfortable behavior she would stop imediately.

[it's FiSHY, scaredy-cat.]

OOC; Muse meter: ||||||||||||||||
Gumption meter: ||||||||||||||||

...S tumbleknot:.

.: Stumbleknot blinked a couple times. "No, I haven't seen your sister, lately," he glanced down at the tom, "But I'm sure she'll be fine." To emphasize this, he gave the apprentice a reassuring lick before turning his attention to Tumblestep.

Tumblestep dipped her head with a flushed expression. "Oh quit, Stumbleknot...I was lucky is all..." The she-cat grinned.

Stumbleknot replied with a nod and grunted. "We better be off, then." The sun was already starting to lower in the bright leaf-bare sky. They shouldn't leave camp for too long, and the deputy was well aware that hunting takes time to get a fair catch of fresh-kill. So, he slowly padded forward, not remarking upon Tumblestep's subsequent mews, for they were meant for Shrubwhisker, not him.

[/blockquote]

[Silver]

Shrubwhisker silently followed Tumblestep and Stumbleknot out of the camp. Odd, he thought. I never noticed it before... Tumblestep and Stumbleknot... Shrubwhisker chuckled quietly to himself, secretly pleased his own mother had not named him something like Clumsykit or Fumblekit. What an odd trio they would be then!
Shrubwhisker's private joking was interrupted by Jasperpaw thundering after the patrol. Truthfully, Shrubwhisker did not care for the apprentice too much. Last night, when the moon had been at its peak, Duskstar had announced that Rosethorn was to mentor Jasperpaw. The young tom felt like something special had been taken from him, now that he was no longer Rosethorn's only apprentice. Though Rosethorn had assured him that Jasperpaw would never replace her motherly affections for him, he still couldn't help but be jealous of the apprentice.
Stumbleknot laughed uproariously at Jasperpaw, before lightly inquiring if he would like to join them. Shrubwhisker nudged Tumblestep lightly as Stumbleknot rained praise down upon her. She grinned, knowing that the teasing was all in good fun. Suddenly, Tumblestep turned to him, giving him an affectionate lick between the ears, softly inquiring is he was alright. He blinked, unsure which startled him more, the fact that Tumblestep was nuzzling him in such a friendly manner, or that he was relishing her touch. "I'm... fine. Right behind you, as always," he murmured.

[wolfwind]

Jasperpaw swallowed hard, he felt akward around the three great warriors. He flicked his tail at Stumbleknot and the rest of the patrol.
"May I please come with you? It might be good for me to hunt since I'm not doing anything," Jasperpaw murmured softly. He wanted to make sure Ribbonpaw was okay and maybe on the hunting patrol he would find her. He also was feeling oddly towards Tumblestep and Shrubwhisker, but mostly Shrubwhisker. He feared the warrior a little, Ribbonpaw had always said that Shrubwhisker looked at Jasperpaw wierd, but she only said things like that to make him play fight with her. He wasn't sure what to do about the warrior, but for now he would just let it be. He liked Tumblestep though. There was something funny about the she-cat that Jasperpaw liked. He knew he didn't like her that way though. That would be wierd.

Anyways, to relax his nerves, he would want to be hunting instead of sitting inside the camp worrying.

[it's FiSHY, scaredy-cat.]

OOC;
Muse meter: ||||||||||||||||
Gumption meter: ||||||||||||||||

...S tumbleknot:.

.: Stumbleknot nodded, listening to Jasperpaw's soft meows. He purred, amused, "Didn't I just ask whether you're joining us for a hunt?" the cat flicked an ear, "Well, anyway, to answer your questio -- "

He stopped. A subtle rustling can be heard from around the edge of an emerald-leafed bush. Stumbleknot froze, eyeing all of the hunting patrol with a sharp gaze, his tail automatically perking up as a signal to be quiet. The tom was usually playful and good-hearted, but when it comes to a battle or hunting, he is dead serious, and seriously, I am serious about that fact.

The deputy dropped to a crouch, his muzzle barely a hair-length from the undergrowth. He can feel all of nature around him. The gentle calling of starlings far, far away...the earthy smell of the ground beneath him...and the undeniable scent of a mouse. Stumbleknot slowed his breathing, careful not to give himself away. The outside air filtered into his nose, bringing in more of the live prey. A flea perched on his nose, but the tom dismissed it as if it weren't there. That was how concentrated he was.

The feeble little thing didn't seem to have noticed him. It was brown, as brown as Stumbleknot himself, except it had an even darker tone of bark-colored walnut shaped eyes. What a pity it was to have to hunt such an innocent thing down. Stumbleknot pushed the thought out of his head. It is a mouse, for StarClan's sake! he snapped silently at himself. The clan needs more food, after all. But the poor animal had no idea. All it thought was 'Food, food, food' and 'Survive, survive, survive' although it was well obvious that it was no match for the deputy of ThunderClan. Scrambling frantically to gather as much as it could, the mouse darted from here to there and back here again in constant circles, well knowing that time was not on its side and if it were to eat well this season, he better nibble as much seeds as he can.

Poor little thing. What a poor, poor little thing.

But Stumbleknot hesitated no more. He counted to three with the beat of his heart, and flew through the air, swiftly pouncing on the mouse at just the right spot. The animal didn't know what hit him. It was a matter of heartbeats, his fleeting life was no more and the body went limp. Dead as crowfood. Stumbleknot sighed, for the devastating fate of the mouse and for his ancestors, watching from above.

His eyes took on a worldly look as he meowed, "Thank you, StarClan, for this good catch." It wasn't much, the little mouse, the deputy knew, but it was something. The elders would appreciate it. Leaf-bare is a hard time for all.

Smiling in his feline way, the tom turned around and purred, "Well, let's continue now, shall we?"

[/blockquote]

[wolfwind]

Jasperpaw watched the deputy preform his clever hunting skills. It was amazing how well he caught it.
Ribbonpaw's going to end up just like her mentor, Jasperpaw thought in his head. He nodded at Stumbleknot and padded on after him silently, letting the frosty air blow through his grey fur and bite at his small nose. He flicked away snowflakes that fell onto his muzzle. He wasn't in the mood to be covered in an icy chill.
"Which way are we going?" he asked quietly. "Can we pheraps head towards Sunningrocks?" he asked out of curiosity. "After all," Jasperpaw continued boldly but quietly, "The warmth of the rocks may bring out prey so that we could possibly catch something."
And maybe that's where Ribbonpaw's at, his desolate thoughts overcame him.

[Silver]

Shrubwhisker watched Stumbleknot, silently awed by the deputy's quick kill. He nodded respectfully, impressed that Stumbleknot had made a kill so quickly. Raising his maw to the sky, he breathed deep, searching for scents of prey, but there were none to be found. The tom paused, mildly irritated. Stumbleknot and Tumblestep had found so much prey so fast, and Shrubwhisker had not caught anything himself in days. The birds had long since flown away to where ever they went in the leaf-bare, and the smaller prey was still in their hideouts, resisting the weak sunshine that beckoned them. With a sigh, Shrubwhisker trotted after Tumblestep, idly searching the green forest around him with his matching eyes. His tail flicked to the beat of his pawsteps, as brown as the wet mud that sank beneath his paws with every step.

[it's FiSHY, scaredy-cat.]

OOC;
Muse meter: ||||||||||||||||
Gumption meter: ||||||||||||||||
Please excuse me. My computer has been having problems and I kept on forgetting. So sorry for neglecting the thread ^^' Also, as you can tell, I'm feeling very lazy...heh, heh...

...S tumbleknot:.

.: Stumbleknot peered around as Jasperpaw mewed. He perked an ear and meowed thoughtfully, "Well, I think that the Sunningrocks would be a great idea, but I believe that the area around it would be better because the rocks are such an open space," he flicked his tail, "But that doesn't mean we can't stop by it anyway." Eyes scrolled over the apprentices as the deputy spoke again, wondering, "You aren't thinking about where Ribbonpaw is, are you?" he purred inquisitively, but gently. Then, in a stricter manner, the tom mewed, "Not that you shouldn't worry about your sister's safety, but things like this will divert your attention from your task. If you want to have a successful hunt, make sure the things on your mind aren't bothering you, otherwise you'll make things worse by scaring off prey that could potentionally feed a queen. I know that you're concerned about where your littermate might be, but I'm quite sure she'd be fine," and he added brisky, "You never know if you'll ever have to take seperate paths, you know," remembering of his little sister's expressions at the time of the greencough outbreak. She had survived - only by narrowly escaping the source of the crisis, barely surviving on her own. Her family - including Stumbleknot - worried for days.

Pushing away the thought, the brown tom set his eyes down at the muddy ground and lashed at the dirt, creating a deep ditch the perfect size for burying the prey and then quickly turning around to face the fresh-kill. Grabbing the mouse clapsed tight in his jaws, he whipped his head around and plopped the kill in and without hesitating, refilled the gap in a way that the only way to know there was something buried there was his own scentmark. A paw patted the spot. It was just like burying his little siblings all over again. Poor mouse.

[/blockquote]

[wolfkitten]

Tumblestep's sensative ears perked up as she gazed over Shrubwhisker. Indeed... It was odd, but Tumblestep felt quite the strong feelings toward her Clan mate... They had been through much together, and looked forward to many many more moons in the same Clan... But that's it Tumblestep... He doesn't like you that way, so quit your silly thoughts and focus... She sighed inwardly at that mere thought, and yet would shake her head a bit as she moved fluidly through the forest with the others.

She grinned as her attention was diverted to young Jasperpaw and as she heard Stumbleknot's words, she nodded in encouragement. "Of course Jasperpaw, you can come with us." She grinned and nodded, though felt a sudden pang. She was young yet of course, but she didn't yet have an Apprentice of her own... That frusterated her to no end, and yet she wouldn't say a thing to Duskstar... Duskstar... That was another thing heavy on her mind... He was such an... Well an un-ThunderClan like Leader... It terrified her to be honest, but she wasn't afraid to speak up to him, and yet when it came to getting an Apprentice... She kept silent.

Well the words from Shrubwhisker caught her off guard... She smiled warmly to him and nudged him lightly with her shoulder before trotting off. For the moment she outwardly dismissed his words playfully with a flick of her tail, and yet one could bet that they would be playing and replaying through her mind for quite a while. It wasn't possible... Was it? Well she heard Jasperpaw's question and she grinned broadly. "I was thinking just the same thing Jasperpaw... The area near Sunningrocks would be a prime place for prey to be I'm sure." She smiled as she heard Stumbleknot's words on this subject as well, nodding again as she would change her course to head toward Sunningrocks now.

[wolfwind]

Jasperpaw grinned slightly at the praise and his ears flattened back when Stumbleknot mentioned his sister and himself having seperate paths.
I know I'll have a seperate path than her. he growled in his mind. He looked at Tumblestep and smiled gently at the she-cat. He liked her. She was funny at times when she was with Stumbleknot and she was quite the warrior. He looked up to her and she reminded him of his mother at some points.
"I understand, Stumbleknot," he muttered darkly. "I have a wierd feeling in the pit of my stomach is all. And I know it isn't hunger. I never feel hunger when I'm thinking of Ribbonpaw," he didn't rarely. He always had his heart heavy, his eyes and ears watchful, and his stomach set on finding his littermate. The little grey calico trodded after his deputy and the patrol with light paws walking gently over the dead ground. His paws felt murky and dirty under the heavy weight of winter. He sighed deeply.

[it's FiSHY, scaredy-cat.]

OOC; I'm sorry, everyone Dx I haven't had much time recently, and my muse for Stumbleknot is totally failing (note the short post >>)

...S tumbleknot:.

.: Stumbleknot nodded. He understand how Jasperpaw felt. Often when he and Harejump were apprentices, Harejump would bounce off and Stumbleknot was left worrying if he was going to come back alright.

"That's good, then, Jasperpaw. We better be one our way!" the deputy announced. He flicked his tail to indicate to follow, and trotted off after the sunningrocks. Quietly, he mewed, "Be on the lookout for prey. You never know where they may wander," sniffing the air as he jogged.

[/blockquote]

[Silver]

Shrubwhisker nodded sympathetically at Jasperpaw. He, too, knew what it was like to worry for a littermate. Thunderpaw had been his best friend before the accident. He still remembered that tingling in his tail he got as the patrol came into camp, before they had even shared the grievous news. Gently, he tapped Jasperpaw's shoulder with his tail tip. "If it'll help, we can search for her after we hunt," he offered. The small dark tom increased his pace to keep up with Stumbleknot, who was leading the patrol towards the sunning rocks. The deputy muttered something about being alert, and Shrubwhisker would have noticed the irony of the situation had he been paying attention. Though he lifted his maw to taste the air, he had a feeling that they would not find much prey on this trip. Instead, he allowed himself a few moments to enjoy the weak sunlight and cooling breeze, content.