Rat Hunt (not anymore)

[Ten]

Woodstripe was in the mood for a meal - a real meal, not those leggy crickets she was tired of. She sat and looked at her white-pelted brother, whose back leg had never recovered from the old rat bite, even though he had managed to escape with his life. After that, Woodstripe had become cautious about asking him to accompany her on hunts.

She nudged him awake. The deaf tom's blue eyes opened and he raised his head.

She tried to make her yellow-green eyes look miserable and needy. "Frozenheart... my dear brother, please..." she began, voice cracking. "I understand that you'd be reluctant, but - "

Frozenheart stood and stretched, no longer looking at her.

She cuffed his ear. "Hey! I'm talking to you, mister!"

He raised his eyes to meet hers. He knew she wanted a rat hunt. However, he'd rather listen to her speech than bother to talk.

Woodstripe reverted to her previous expression, drooping her head. "...I'm hungry, dear brother. I've been eating as many crickets as I can catch, but... It's not the same." She produced a low purr, pretending her stomach was growling. "So... I try to avoid bothering you with this... but... would you hunt a rat with me?"

He gave a slow nod.

Woodstripe grinned. "Wait here. I'll go talk to some other cats. Maybe I can convice them of my leadership qualities along the way!" Tail high, she scampered off in search of possible assistance.

Frozenheart's tail swished but the rest of him remained motionless. He couldn't hunt alone.

[jamie103]

Blackfur stretched. She had had a good sleep, and woke up hungry. A cricket would do, she thought. Flexing off the last clinging remnants of sleepiness, she rose to her feet to find a meal.

Then, she noticed Woodstripe going around and asking cats to accompany her on a hunt for rats. Blackfur knew the danger of these infectious creatures, but she was hungry. Anyways, she would be going with Woodstripe and some other cats. She didn't have to hunt alone.

So, her decision being made, Blackfur trodded over to Woodstripe. "Excuse me, Woodstripe?" she mewed. "I couldn't help overhearing you asking others to go with you on a rat hunt. Could I come?"

[neffy]

Tawnyfur awoke. A small moan reached through her slightly parted lips, as a response to the uncomfortable throb in her tightly curled limbs. She stood to all fours and shook out her pelt. A cloud of dust furled off the ground, and Tawnyfur scampered to the side to avoid breathing in the particles. After swiping a few licks over her chest, her eyes scanned the dark dome. A few cats were about, while some still slept. She observed Woodstripe and Frozenheart and felt a stab of jealousy. It must be nice to have a sibling, even if he were deaf. Her only kin was Brushface, the delusional she-cat whom few chose to acknowledge.

Her ears flapped at the mention of hunting a rat. Her mouth watered and her claws flexed on the sandy earth. She wouldn't mind a little adventure.

"Woodstripe!" Tawnyfur raced to the she-cat's side. "I'll help," she offered, eyes bright. A stick of light touched her shoulder and the she-cat trembled involuntarily. She couldn't remember the last time she'd tasted meat, but something she could recall was the taste. Her closed jaws were swimming.

[jamie103]

Good, thought Blackfur, Tawnyfur is coming; seeing as this would further protect her from the dangerous rats.

[Ten]

Woodstripe looked at both Blackfur and Tawnyfur. She raised her head to a haughty height. "I grant you my consent," she mewed, as if she were doing the she-cats a favor.

Watching from a short distance, Frozenheart snorted at his sister's behavior.

She glared at him. "I heard that." Then, as he began to move his paws, she shouted, "Not yet! We can't just go after one. We should start with a plan. That way, we can be organized and efficient about this. It will minimize energy use and the risk of injury, as well as getting food in our bellies faster."

And help them see how good I am at leading.

Her yellow-green eyes met theirs. "Agreed?"

[jamie103]

"Agreed," replied Blackfur quickly. Whatever was best in terms of protection, it was good for her. Anyway, she didn't want to start an argument.

[Ten]

"Do either of you have suggestions?" The tabby she-cat glanced at at the large rodents scurrying about their sordid buisness, calm and aloof. They knew the cats feared them.

"We could try encircling one, and trapping it. We'll all attack and Blackfur will destract it while Tawnyfur goes for the throat. Help me pick out the weakest," Woodstripe meowed.

Studying them, three of the best targets became apparent: one very young, one very old, and one very sick.

The young one was a newborn. It was tiny, frail, and clung to the side its brutish mother. The old one was alone, nibbling on some piece of who-knows-what as it stared back at them with an uncanny look of knowing. The sick one had glazed eyes, tongue hanging from its mouth as it panted.

[jamie103]

"Hmm..." pondered Blackfur. She wasn't exactly the best at making decisions; only going along with others'. "Your strategy is good," she mewed. "I think we should take the old one. The newborn has little meat, and a protector; the sick one's illness could be contageous, and infect us. But the old one—although it is fairly large and meaty—is weak, and can be easily killed."

[neffy]

Tawnyfur flicked her tail. She didn't quite like how Woodstripe worded the approval to her and Blackfur's help. She dismissed the sting, however, when the she-cat expressed tactics and of choosing the weakest prey. She nodded once to the plan and licked her dry lips eagerly.

"I agree with Blackfur." The she-cat's eyes were straining the elder rat's hunched appearance. She remembered the first time she'd killed a rat. The lust for meat, the sensation of power against its useless cries... Her eyes were bright. It would be an easy kill. She was reminded of Brushface recalling Tawnyfur's father and of how he died when a rat had bit him. The female frowned, glaring at the cluster of rats now.

She was ready.

[jamie103]

"Thanks," said Blackfur bashfully. Not only was she not very good at making decisions, most cats didn't agree with her, either. Maybe she did have a few leaderly qualities after all. Or perhaps deputy would be good.... Yes, deputy would do. Deputies, she had heard, gave out orders and organized "hunting patrols", but it was up to the leader to make the important decisions.

But no, she thought. There might not even be a civilized Clan anymore, so ambitions of becoming deputy were out of the question. Blackfur pushed the thoughts away.