Hunting (Open)

[owlishdragon11]

The willow branches rustled as a small brown squirrel darted in between them. It stopped on a lone branch over the water, alert for momevent. The small white and brown she-cat froze beneath it, trying not to let it know she wqa there. After a moment the squirrel waved it's thin tail and, turning with ease on the thin branch, it scampered back to the tree.

Eagleclaw cursed silently, her prey was just out of her reach. It didn't know she was there but it seemed to be taunting her as it hung on the trunk of the willow. Before she could think about what she was doing, she placed her paws against the tree. Her mud-brown socks stood out against the light bark like a shadow on a wall. Suddenly she dug her short claws into the bark of the willow and vanished into the tree after the squirrel.

She caught the squirrel fairly easily, pouncing on it from behind. She earned herself a painful bite on her leg for the trouble. Then she realised where she was, high up in a tree, with a dead squirrel and no one around.
"Calm down." She muttered to herself, "You can climb down, it's not too far down." Eagleclaw's short fur ruffled when she looked down, it seemed like a very long way for a cat afraid of heights. She turned her head around to listen with her good ear for any signs of another WindClan cat nearby, but she couldn't tell with the breeze shaking he tree and throwing leaves around. She perched on the branch uncomfortably, terrified to climb down, but embarrassed that a WindClan cat was stuck in a tree, afraid of heights.

[Mama Oak]

frosttalon, the sleaze
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A RiverClan warrior padded lazily alongside the creek, his slender white body swaying leisurely as he hummed to himself; a deep, low noise that gave no indication that the tom felt any shame to being in WindClan territory. Even though Lionstar would — with indubitable certainty — flay him, if he was told. But that wouldn’t happen, of course. That never happened. Even if it did, Frosttalon could weasel out some charming and entirely-convincing half-truths. He already had half a dozen formed and practiced, kept just upon his tongue, should he happen across an inquisitive WindClanner.

No, the tom had no worries.

So when he spotted the WindClan feline hunting a long ways up the bank, Frosttlalon did not hang back and wait for her or him — he was too far away to distinguish gender — to finish. Nor did he proceed with more stealth. His pace didn’t so much as slow and he watched the other cat with particular interest as he continued on his small journey. His interest only grew, along with the volume of his humming, as the other feline sprinted up a tree and never came back down. By the time the white warrior reached the large willow, he was all but itching to know where to and how the other cat had simply... disappeared.

Pausing beneath the long, overhanging branches, Frosttalon came to an untroubled stop and glanced up, his eyes growing bright with mischief as he found the terrified eyes of a she-cat. ”A WindClanner, stuck in a tree?” Frosttalon’s cheeky grin was broad, joking but not crude. He was poking fun at her misfortune, but with a manner that was too warm — a poise too delicate — to be unkind or ill-meant. Benevolent humor tucked itself in his tone and wrapped the incredulous inquiry in an airy vibrato of friendly mirth. Beaming up at the she-cat where she was perched, he chuckled to himself. ”This will eventually end up in a nursery rhyme, I hope ya’know,” he gave a nonchalant shrug, ”Someday. To give the RiverClan young ones a lovely giggle.”

After allowing himself another moment to laugh quietly, the RiverClan tom settled upon his haunches (with far too much ease for a cat out of their territory) and blinked up at the humorous scene above; blue eyes glittering with pleasant amusement. Tipping his head to the side, he kneaded the ground with his forepaws as curiosity washed over his sharp, aesthetic features. “Seriously, though, can’t you birdies just glide on down from heights like it was nothin’? Or was my Mama just an imaginative liar when she told me so?”

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Words: 440
Tagged: Owlish/Eagleclaw
Post Scriptum: Sorry, I'm a bit rusty! And Frosty has never been my strong suit.

[owlishdragon11]

Eagleclaw glared down at the white tom below, some part of her knew he was just teasing but she was frustrated that someone had seen her stuck.
"Shut up, RiverClanner," She growled, noticing his distinct RiverClan appearance, "Don't you have anything better to do than harass me in MY territory?" She carefully picked her way out of the tree, trying to hude her fear. At least the tom had given her motivation to get down. She faced the tom, a little bit less angry now that she was in a less embarrasing situation. "What are you doing here?"

[Mama Oak]

frosty~

Frosttalon was a little taken back by the she-cat’s immediate hostility, and he had to exert an extreme effort not to feel offended or insulted. But then the RiverClan tom shrugged the brief struggle away — he supposed it was expected from some; he was an other-clanner on her territory, after all. Perhaps this pretty little femme was one of those lunatic felines who defended borders like they were all that mattered, and believed that cats from other clans were the most vile beings. Lionstar was like that, and many RiverClanners infact, so Frosttalon was not unaccustomed to the type. But he, himself, thought of borders as mere guidelines. Invitations to adventure and fun. Cats from other clans were interesting, and more than one had been willing to accept his company.

When the WindClanner succeeded in getting herself unstuck, and faced him with a firm inquiry, Frosttalon flicked an ear and gazed down into her face with the same, broad smile. Not daunted by her unfriendliness or fearful at her obvious disdain to his displacement in her territory as he searched her pretty features. ”Well, as you eloquently said yourself, it seems I must be ’harassing’ you.” The tom tipped his head as he emphasized the word. ”But, as that’s not the explanation I believe you’re going for: I’m picking my way on to the border after taking a tumble in the creek. If you’d like to escort me, I’d simply love you for it. A pleasant stroll isn’t a pleasant stroll without some pretty she-cat to keep one company, now is it?”

[owlishdragon11]

He's one of those toms. Eagleclaw sighed to herself.
"I don't know what you are really doing here but I'll escort you back to your clan so that Miststar doesn't have to worry about intruders."

[Mama Oak]

frosttalon~

Frosttalon cocked an eyebrow, and his long, feathery tail curled in a slight, twitching curve. ”You don’t believe me?” He asked, pretending to be hurt that the she-cat wasn’t entirely convinced by his explanation. ”Well, I’m a little wounded... but... I suppose you can make it up to me by accompanying me.” With a small wink, he began padding along the creek’s bank, assuming the she-cat would follow. ”You’ll must tell me your name, too, little bird,” he continued quietly, his words as smooth and light as his untroubled gait. ”For the nursery rhyme, you know.” He was being playful again, and the tom nudged his she-cat counterpart gently, hoping she would eventually warm up to him.

[owlishdragon11]

She glanced at the tom, padding along easily, without a care in the qorld it seemed. She caught up with him and matched his pace beside him. Without meaning to, a purr crept into her throat.
"Eagleclaw. What's yours?"

[Mama Oak]

frosttalon~

Frosttalon glanced at the she-cat as she unexpectedly began to purr; a low and pleasant sound that sent prickles of warmth throughout his long, slender body. With a slow, quiet chuckle, the RiverClan warrior added his own deep, rumbling tones to hers and offered the WindClan she-cat an appreciative grin before parting his maw. "Eagleclaw, that's a nice name," he complimented, toying with the new syllables on his tongue, "Cats call me plenty of things," he continued, with a flick of a large, white ear, "Some of them nice, some a little less." The white tom paused to chuckle again, as a few of his adopted nicknames flitted through his mind. There were those quiet endearments whispered in his ear by enamored she-cats, and he quite liked those. But then there were also those spiteful names that he knew were being prodded at him behind his back, by the majority of the clan who thought ill of him and his disreputable behavior. Frosttalon was not particularly partial to those names, but he shouldered them indifferently, not entirely concerned about the warriors and toms who treated him sorely. "But my name's Frosttalon," he smiled in Eagleclaw's direction once more, as they leisurely padded along. "Though you can call whatever you like, little bird."

[owlishdragon11]

She chuckles. "Interesting, the minute you hear a purr you're all smiles and sunshine." But really, she didn't care. She was tired of being laughed at for her fear of heights. "I'm a little bird now? And to think, all this time I've been mistaken. I thought I was a cat!" She meows jokingly

[Frosttalon]

Frosttalon glanced at the WindClan she-cat with an unfurling smile as she purred, his tail lashing with pleasure at the soft, rumbling noise. He knew she'd warm up eventually, and so soon meant the remainder of their walk together could only be increasingly pleasant. At her words, the white warrior flicked an ear and chuckled quietly; the corners of his muzzle pulling in an amused half-smirk. "Oh, I've been smiles and sunshine from the beginning." He nudged her shoulder with his own, using just enough strength to jokingly off-balance her. "You're the one whose coming around, little-bird-who-thinks-she's-a-cat... and that's nice." With a tremulous rumble from his own chest, Frosttalon's grin broadened and he shot the she-cat a sidelong wink. "Just like your purr."

[owlishdragon11]

Her mood changed suddenly, more guarded. "If you're trying to flirt, it's not going to work you know." Or at least not completely, she added to herself, but I'm not about to tell him that.
"Have you been coming to our territory in the past? We don't like trespassers. " She kept her purr in check because she didn't want to seem too friendly to a RiverClanner, especially not this one with how comfortable he already seemed in her territory.

[Frosttalon]

Eagleclaw, rather abruptly, withdrew from him, not taking particularly well to his compliments. They all come around in time, he thought to himself bemusedly. The warrior's careless beam remained fixed upon his muzzle, unable to be abashed, and he only flicked an ear as the WindClan she-cat inquired about his trespassing. Turning his white-furred face from her, he gazed out over the creek they walked beside and for a moment only reflected. "No, this isn't the first time I've been to WindClan territory. But, Eagleclaw," Frosttalon's voice was changed. No longer flirtatious or teasing, but the nearest to contemplative that the RiverClan warrior was capable of. His pace slowed until he finally stopped walking altogether. He looked from where he was studying the creek, to Eagleclaw, and his eyes searched her carefully. Wondering if he could make himself understood. Or if she was capable of empathizing with him.

"I mean, just... bear with me for a moment here. I like to break the rules, yes." He inserted a small, quiet laugh, a bit teasing again. "But that's not why I cross your borders." Looking back over the creek, he shook his head. "Everything is just so pretty, you know? Different. And borders are such a shame." Frosttalon bit his lip, before shaking his head and turning his gaze back to Eagleclaw. "How come a RiverClan cat can't come run the moors? Who had to go and say that I was denied the feel of grass beneath my paws and the smell of heather in my nose? Sometimes I just get tired of pebbles and swimming!" Tilting his head to the side, he gazed at his WindClan companion, imploring her to understand. "Haven't you... ever thought about what it must feel like in the heart of ThunderClan's jungle? Ever? The shade and the heat? It must be so thrillingly bizarre! But it's forbidden. How stupid is that?"

Frosttalon was suddenly loud again, his icy-colored eyes dancing. Long, feathery tail twitching to-and-fro, he leaned forward eagerly, a wide smile upon his face. "Just once, at least once, I want to go into the ShadowClan tunnels. To feel the earth all around me. Just to try it! Have you ever wondered? Eagleclaw, you wouldn't believe how beautiful the underwater garden is in RiverClan territory. Or how magical it feels behind the waterfall. But if you were a RiverClan cat, or if stupid... boundaries didn't exist, you would be able to see it." Shaking his head, Frosttalon fell back a bit. "I just don't think it's fair, that we are bound to only see a little bit of the world." He glanced once more at the sparkling waters of the creek, before running his absorbing gaze over the willow trees that draped beautiful across. "I think it's just plain dumb... to be condemned for wanting to see how pretty everything else is."

With a heavy blink, after a moment, he returned his bright-blue eyes — with some small bit of hesitance — back to Eagleclaw. "You have to know what I mean... just a little bit?"

[owlishdragon11]

(Haha, we're pair of the month!)
She turned away, staring towards SkyClan wistfully.
"I might know about that. I have a friend in SkyClan, I'd give anytging to be able to see her and her home. I get the purpose of the boundaries but w should at least have a chance. Not every cat wants to wreak havoc in the other clan's camps."

[Frosttalon]

Eagleclaw shifted her attention and Frosttalon — his ears flickering — let his own dutifully follow; turning his body toward SkyClan as well and settling upon his haunches beside the WindClan she-cat. Gaze darting sidelong, he let his pale blue eyes wander the wistfulness that twisted so lightly across her pretty features. "It would be nice, wouldn't it? To have friends and not be spurned or scorned for it. To not have our loyalties so forcefully divided, just because the other was born in a different camp." Frosttalon shrugged his thin shoulders and lifted his chin. "We were all born under the same sky... and the same stars." Briefly, the white tom wondered if StarClan had territories, too.

Not every cat wants to wreak havoc in the other clan's camp. Her words echoed in Frosttalon's mind, and the sleek tom's shoulders shook with silent laughter. The quiet thought rang with a dark sort of irony for the RiverClan tom, as he thought of his clanmates, who were all — more or less — baying for ThunderClan blood. He wondered if, and admittedly suspected, that it was a similar story in the forest as well.

After a long, deep sigh, the RiverClan tom blinked his eyes lazily before returning them to his companion. "I just wish it could be different."

[Eagleclaw]

"Maybe it could, just not now. So if that's your only reason to cross our borders, why do it? Why would you think there was someone over here who would sympathize with you? Anyways, even it was different, you know why the rules are how they are. Not every cat will attack another clan but some will, and if some can cross borders, you can't stop the evil cats from crossing."