{experiment thread} a hunting we will go

[Ten]

ooc| Continuation from this thread.

bic|

Woodstripe stretched her claws. It had been a while since her last hunt -- and she didn't mind that, as hunting was not her forte. However, she was loyal to Spiderstripe for the time being, and she relished the opportunity to bond with her peers (yes, that's how she thought of it).

She knew Patchfur well enough and wanted to demonstrate her trustworthiness to him -- for even in times when no sane cat would back out, there was a special appreciation that could grow from joint accomplishments in a hunt. Darkfur, on the other paw, was still a stranger to her, and she expected working with him to reveal some of his strengths and weaknesses, which are important for a leader to know.

With only three cats in their party, they would need to seek a less challenging rat. "Let us not be ambitions about our prey," she suggested. "We do not need to feed everyone with one rat."

[Cloud]

Darkfur nodded. He didn't really feel like getting too clawed up today. Looking around, he saw a rat pack a little ways off. There was one scrawny little one at the edge of the group...but big enough for a few mouthfuls, surely. "How about that one?" He said, gesturing with a brown paw.

[duckyaisha]

Patchfur had to admit that today, at least, he grudgingly agreed with Woodstripe. It was difficult to accept that once in a while she might have a good idea, since usually he blatantly disregarded any of her thoughts. However, what she was saying made sense. The elders had already been fed with the first rat, and he could still feel the exhaustion of that earlier hunt deep in his bones. It slowed his reaction times and muddled his mind, making hunting a large, powerful rat stupid and downright dangerous. Besides, a group this small couldn't really hope to take down anything more than a juvenile.

He didn't want to go into this hunt with a dark mood. What was positive about this hunt? Patchfur wracked his fatigued brain, and though it complained by giving him a pounding headache, the answer was easily found. Shortwhisker wasn't here. He might not be Woodstripe's closest friend, but he would much rather hunt with her than Shortwhisker, seeing as she was competent, controlled, and could make her own decisions.

Following Darkfur's paw, he noticed the tiny grey rat, seemingly exiled by its fellows to the fringes of the pack. He nodded, then took a position on the side of it that faced the wall. Despite his haggard body and mind, Patchfur's mouth was watering already.

[Cloud]

Darkfur calculated how far away he would need to be from the ginger and white tom to sufficiently capture the little creature by surrounding it and stopping it from escaping. Yes - if he went there, about four tail-lengths from Patchfur...Woodstripe could go there and they would have it from all sides from not too much space in between.

So there he quietly padded, and expectantly looked at the brown she-cat.

[Ten]

Very good, very good. Darkfur wasn't complaining, Patchfur wasn't hissing at anyone, and this rat was a perfect choice. Woodstripe crouched low, by instinct more than reason, for there was no cover, and slunk into a position opposite from the toms to form a triangle -- passing before its eyes as she did so. Her posture made her stand out from other cats, and she was staring straight at it. When the rat's eyes met hers, she averted them, in case Patchfur and Darkfur weren't quite ready, but it was alarmed now. It took off in the opposite direction.

[duckyaisha]

Concentrating as fiercely as his numbed brain would allow, he locked his eyes on the rat. Every movement that it made, no matter how slight, he noticed. Even simple, unconscious reactions such as the twitch of a whisker or the blink of an eye were spotted and scrutinized. Despite his disdain for her views, Patchfur wanted to prove to Woodstripe that he could, in fact, work together with other cats effectively and make a good impression on her for once. Arguing with Shortwhisker until the sun went down wasn't helping his case, and he wanted her to consider his ideas as intelligent ones that she herself might decide to support. After all, she was highly influential among the other cats of the enclosure, which could lead to even more supporters. If she thought he was an immature hothead, she wouldn't be as accepting as if she thought he was a responsible, hardworking young tom. The only thought in his mind right now was 'don't mess up.' In fact, it was probably the only thought his beleaguered mind could hold right now. To ensure his success, Patchfur was totally and completely focused on the rat. The rest of the world could've gone up in a ball of fire and he'd still have been staring holes in the rat's flank. Of course, he noticed the rat flick its eyes at a place opposite of his position, then instinctively flinch and dash away directly towards him. With his body on automatic, he sprinted towards it, his muscles complaining in loud, obnoxious yowls as he pushed himself forward. Terrified, the rat tried to swerve away, but it was too late. Patchfur got a good scratch on its side before his own momentum shot him past the turning rat. He skidded to a halt, kicking up a small sandstorm as he did so, and waited for Darkfur to make his move.

[Cloud]

Surprised, his body thought for him, launching himself toward the moving animal. He barely hit it, but he managed to get a good swipe at its tail as it went by. The animal squealed, and turned to bite him. He jumped - but it still managed to chomp his leg a bit as he careened through the air and a split second...had crashed down into Patchfur. He groaned and got up, shaking the sand from his fur. Now what would they do?

[Ten]

Fear took Woodstripe by the lungs -- her warriors could be seriously hurt. Bounding toward them, she shouted, "Are both of you all right?" She needed a quick answer from them, hoping there was still time to catch this rat.

[Cloud]

"I'm fine." He said through gritted teeth. "Go after the rat before it gets away!" Even saying that much sapped his willpower - the bite was small, but it stung like fury. He collapsed in the sand, hunching in a ball to conserve his strength.

[duckyaisha]

Patchfur's legs crumpled underneath him and he fell to the ground, sand spraying up into his eyes and mouth. Pain burned him from his legs up, consuming his body like a blazing fire. At first it mingled with fear- any serious injuries could have disastrous consequences. Panic set in, but as his brain ran through the mental checklist of his various body parts, he realized that no large wounds had been unintentionally inflicted. Staggering back to his feet, he noticed the dull, throbbing soreness in his legs and paws. Relieved that nothing worse had come of the accident, he looked around for the rat, and saw only footprints in the sand. Clenching his teeth in frustration, he glanced around frantically searching for the thing, when he noticed the red dots speckling the sand. Blood. Was it the rat's? A quick, painful spin showered more drops. His blood. But where was it coming from? Not his flank, or he would've seen it. Maybe his back? Yes, that would make sense. And what about the rat? First things first, he shouldn't be attacking a rat with an open wound. He walked over to where Woodstripe and Darkfur were standing and gasped, "Woodstripe, am I bleeding on my back? I think Darkfur accidentally clawed me when he fell." The taller she-cat would easily be able to see such an injury, if it even existed.