Hunting Patrol (open for every cat)

[Yoko]

The patrol had left Rainstorm pretty stressed; Rabbitheart could tell. Every bit of him was twitching in irritation. He was angry and silent. If any cat had tried to speak with him, he would have clawed their ears off.

Although Rabbitheart did not understand his father's frustration, he knew how to help him. When he mentioned that they should go hunting together, Rainstorm's expression immediately lightened and he trotted out of camp telling old battle stories with pride.

Now, as Rabbitheart padded towards the Sunning Rocks with two mice and a thrush in his mouth, he saw his father laying on the warm stones and watching the river flow before him. He had been quiet for a while now. And beside him lay a small pile of fresh kill as well. Before Rabbitheart could speak, his father mewed, "Come rest here, son. The freshkill will be fine for a moment."

Confused, Rabbitheart dropped his prey onto his father's prey pile. He lay beside the wise warrior and watched the river flow as well. It was unlike Rainstorm to be so, at peace. But they stayed there, father and son, watching the river.

[Amber]

It had been a long trip, trying to find everything he needed for the nursery wall. Ashstar had sent him to gather whatever he could find instead of going herself. With the deputy, medicine cat, medicine cat apprentice, and a couple warriors gone, she felt like she should stay in camp just in case. He had not, of course, said otherwise. He had agreed. It was the first idea Ashstar had had that wasn't mousebrained, in his opinion.

The finding of items soon brought him to Sunningrocks. Oh how he would love just to sit and bask in the sunlight, but no he had to get these back so the nursery wall could be finished. The white tom spotted two of his clanmates on the rocks and trotted toward them, first setting down his load.

"How's the river flowing today?" he asked the two, a slight smile on his face.

[Yoko]

Rabbitheart was startled by a voice behind him. He was surprised that he hadn't heard pawsteps, but perhaps the river's crooning had hidden the sounds from his ears. He turned to see Frostwind, a fairly good friend of his.

"The river runs full of fat fish with legs!" Rabbitheart mewed, an old joke he'd shared with his little brother about the river "running".

"Oh, Frostwind how are you? Ashstar put you to work I see?" Rainstorm mewed, noticing the white warrior at last. "We were just out hunting, see?"

He gestured to the freshkill pile.

"Rabbitheart caught a squirrel that's as big as a rabbit," he bragged, looking proudly at his son.

Rabbitheart smiled and glanced sideways at his father, silently begging him not to go into the "My Son's So Great" speech.

[Amber]

Frostwind stared at Rabbitheart curiously. That tom was more confusing than his own sister. Then again, Ashstar probably confused him as a joke. That sounded like something she would do for fun.

The white warrior turned his attention to the older warrior. "Yes, she has me getting things to fix that nursery wall. She was going to come herself, but with the patrol in ShadowClan she decided it would be best for her to stay in camp until they return." he replied.

His green eyes widened at the sight of the squirrel. "That should feed half the Clan. All of the apprentice, at least." the tom smiled. "Looks like with what you two caught, there won't need to be another hunting patrol for a while." he added.

[:c a i:]

Twirling his tail distractedly, a faint frown was creasing the stripes on Tigerheart's forehead as he padded briskly out onto the warm stones, a vole dangling from his jaws. After a faintly surprised expression caught his features, his eyes glimmered in recognition when he saw Frostwind, Rabbitheart and Rainstorm gathered about the a little pile of fresh-kill. He nodded briefly in greeting, never one for talking excessively. Dropping his vole a short way from the others' catches with a faint air of carelessness, his eyes flicked unblinkingly over the other cats, his expression unchanging.

"Ah, getting ready to fix the nursery then, Frostwind?" He meowed in his confident voice as he gestured towards the large pile of assorted bits and pieces which he assumed were intended to patch up the nursery wall. Tigerheart tipped his head onto one side musingly. He could afford to have a short break out here on the warm rocks. He'd been busy since sunrise. He stretched his long, lean limbs luxuriously, the stripes rippling as he moved.

[Yoko]

Rabbitheart could tell that Frostwind didn't get the joke, but he didn't mind. It made him think of his poor little brother, stuck in camp with nothing to do except remember the jokes they shared. Suddenly wanting to go see the black and white kit, Rabbitheart rose and stretched.

"Thank you, Frostwind," he mewed. "Believe it or not, that was the easiest prey I've caught all moon."

Rainstorm turned to Tigerheart as he approached the sunny stone shore. "Ah, Tigerheart. Apparently we weren't the only ones out hunting. Nice Vole."

Rabbitheart's ear twitched as a dragonfly brushed by it. "So, Frostwind," he mewed casually, "Do you need any help finding brambles? Or maybe patching up the nursery?"

[Amber]

Frostwind's attention was once again distracted by the sound of pawsteps. He turned to see Tigerheart and nodded to the other tom.

"I'm just gathering the necessities while Ashstar is starting the process. It also is a way to get out of camp for a few moments." he said with slight muse in his voice.

"I'm glad you were able to catch something. We always need everyone at top strength, and with most of us pulling double duties.." he didn't finish his sentence before hearing Rainstorm.

He looked at his small pile of brambles and thorns. That wouldn't do too much good with the side of the wall. He would need all the help he could get gathering more brambles or whatever.

"Some help would be greatly appreciated. I know Ashstar is working with Ravenkit patching up what I gathered earlier, so I think they have it covered back at camp. But I definately need help gathering up anything and everything." Frostwind meowed.

[:c a i:]

Tigerheart studied the pile of fresh-kill in front of them and glanced up at Frostwind. "I can go with you and help." He offered. "I'm sure one of these two can manage to bring my vole back to camp with the other prey." He stood up tall, rearranging his exquisitely striped limbs. "I suppose we will need more brambles?"

To tell the truth, Tigerheart was rather bored. Though patching up the nursery wasn't going to be the most exciting way to pass his time, it was probably better than hunting alone all day. He was sorry he had not been in camp when the ShadowClan cats had arrived, for he would have volunteered to ensure they tried nothing dishonest with Earthfoot. He wondered whether it was really wise to allow the medicine cat - and his apprentice - to go and help a rival Clan. But then again, he did not wish another cat to be left untreated either, whether they were from ShadowClan or not.

[Yoko]

"Well, we should get to work then," Rabbitheart mewed happily and padded towards the trees. He didn't hear any cat following him. He glanced over his shoulder. "Father? Are you coming?"

Rainstorm was still for a moment, his back turned to his son. Rabbitheart was begining to worry when, the blackish-grey warrior finally stood and stretched. The golden warrior's whiskers twitched as he heard a slight creaking. Were those coming from his father's bones?

"Son?" Rainstorm mewed sternly, then broke into his usual proud grin"Quit loligaging. We have brambles to collect."

His father wrapped his tail around Rabbitheart's shoulders and they padded into the forest, smiling.

Then they split up and checked bushes individually.

[Amber]

"Yes, thanks." Frostwind mewed nodding to Tigerheart. He was glad to have the cats help him out, it meant less trips he would have to take to get everything he needed.

Seeing the older warrior and Rabbitheart head off to find brambles, Frostwind turned back to Tigerheart. "Would you mind taking all the prey back to camp? I'm going to go ahead and take my pile of branches and twigs back, while they are looking for brambles. Whatever they bring back should be plenty, and I bet my sister is anxious to get this fixed." he said, looking toward his pile.

[:c a i:]

"Certainly." Tigerherat replied pleasantly enough, bending to scoop all the pieces of prey up, including the large squirrel. He managed without too much struggle and with a half-nod to Frostwind, he began to head back into camp. He'd find something else to do when he arrived, he supposed. And Frostwind was right, Ashstar would probably be very keen to have the damage fixed as soon as possible. He padded briskly away from Sunningrocks until the familiar sight of the camp came into view.