Lakeclan Patrol- 3/24

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Darkstar raised her head imperiously. Ever since her meeting with Starclan, Darkstar's body seemed to act seperately from her mind. Her soul was still grieving over Skystar, but any cat that look at her would have seen a confident, brave leader. She felt oddly detached from both aspects of her whole, hovering between the two, not sure how to feel.

For now, at least, it worked. Whipping her upturned nose behind her, she watched for the rest of her patrol.

[(§)Silvey(§)]

Glacierpaw followed his leader wordlessly, his gray and white pelt blown back slightly by the wind, his icy hues scanning the area. He glanced quietly at his leader, it still felt slightly odd to call her Darkstar rather than Darkfeather, but in due time, he would get used to it. He opened his maw slightly, drinking in the scents of the forest, his eyes closing as he did so. Rabbit, he thought as a scent drifted towards him. He was slightly startled that the rodents would be out of their burrows so early, winter had barely ended and it was not so long gone that a frost would not come. His ears flicked slightly as he heard a faint rustle in the bushes at the opposite end of the log and once again, he glanced at Darkstar, asking for her consent to stalk the rabbit.

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Darkstar was medative, but not ignorant. "Go ahead," she said to the apprentice. "But don't eat it, the elders haven't had food all yesterday." She felt a pang of guilt, and turned away from Glacierpaw.

[stormy]

Crimsonpaw brought up the rear, smelling every bush and twig. Nose to the ground he started moving faster until all he could smell was his Leader and Glacierpaw. Sighing he walked faster and fell into step beside his leader but he wasn't paying attention to Darkstar. He was looking at the ground sourly. Shaking his head, he raised it and opened his mouth to smell for any scents. Only those of Lakeclan and prey filled his scent glands.

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Darkstar sniffed the air. Crimsonpaw. These damn apprentices, like disease on a rat. Everywhere. "Quiet." She tried to inject venom into a high whisper. "Speak in high tones, so that rabbit can't hear you. And for Starclan's sake, make yourself useful. See if there's any prey about." She sniffed the air again. Nothing. Good. Lakeclan had had enough adventures so far.

[stormy]

Cringing under her harsh tone, he let out a small hiss and then turned and walked away from her with his mouth open. The scent of a vole filled his mouth and he sighed at the sweet smell. Dropping into a hunters crouch, he stepped lightly over the ground. His whole body was shaken with excitment, and he had to bite his mouth shut so he didn't let out a meow and scare off the prey. Creeping up closer and closer, he tried to calm himself down by taking deep breaths. Bad idea. The vole looked up and darted. Spitting at himself angrily, he shot off after the vole and only barely managed to catch it. Pleased he walked back to Darkstar with the vole and dropped it on the ground, hoping she would be somewhat pleased at his catch.

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Darkstar twitched her tail irritantly. "If you had just barely missed that vole, you would run to me with excuses that you knew I wouldn't take. You just barely caught that vole. That-" she gestured with her tail, "is an excuse. If you can honest-to-Starclan catch something for me, maybe I'll let you get anything but last pick for freshkill."

She wondered if she was too tough of a mentor, but her mentor hadn't been any nicer on her. Then again, that screwed you up pretty bad... She fought to supress a laugh. But look where she was now. For the first time in weeks, she felt her sudden rush of confidence was not faked.

[stormy]

Crimsonpaw looked up at Darkstar with shock. Yeah she could be pretty mean, but putting down an apprentice, an almost warrior, for that matter, ripped a whole in his heart. "I'm sorry, I've never been good at hunting. I'll try to be better." He said in a small and pitiful voice. Turning tail, he padded away from her shamefully.

Anger flooded through him now. He was angry at himself for not being able to catch good enough prey. Anger turned into determination and he opened his mouth to smell the air. The scent of vole and something else...a thrush! If he could catch a thrush, maybe Darkstar would be pleased enough to congradulate him. Dropping into a crouch, he stalked forward until he caught sight of it. Haunches wiggling, he clamped his jaws shut and then, leaped. Crimsonpaw's paws hit the thrush on the back and instinctively, he grabbed the bird in his mouth and cracked his neck. Yowling with joy, he bounded over to Darkstar and said in a very proud and loud voice. "Does that meet your expectations Darkstar?" he asked with a very faint note of hate in his voice.

[(§)Silvey(§)]

The gray tabby cat allowed himself a small smirk at the other apprentice. He rolled his eyes, Mousebrain, are you trying to scare off all the prey? he asked scathingly, his ice-colored eyes flashing. The tom cat crouched down, his tail sticking straight out behind him so that it would not betray his position. He stepped lightly his paws moving noiselessly over the ground. There it was, not a tail-length away, crouched behind a bush. The rabbit was surprisingly large considering that leaf-bare had only recently come to an end. Oh well, if it fed the Clan, who cared? He sprang, wincing slightly as a twig cracked beneath one of his back paws. The rabbit looked up and saw the gray and white apprentice barreling towards him. It turned to run, but Glacierpaw landed right on top of the rabbit and with a swift bite to its spinal chord, it lay still. He got off it and picked it up between his jaws. Shooting Crimsonpaw a smug look, he brought it back to Darkstar.