[ti]Private[/ti]Falling Leaves, Falling Hearts

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Thunderbird - - >

    The forest was quiet this evening, with the sun beginning to dip just behind the now orange-yellow leaves, matching her own pelt. Nothing could be heard except for the two she-cats paw steps and the slight gurgle of water ahead of them. Thunderbird's ears were angled forward, trying to catch the sound of any potential prey she could sink her claws into. Padding casually alongside her was Suncatcher, her newfound and only friend so far in MistClan. Friend? Could she call her that? Yeah, she figured she could. She never really had a whole lot of friends back in her old Clan either, aside from her siblings, but she was a bit brash and no one had really wanted to mess with the now former-leaders daughter. She missed Lionstorm, and Hailstrike...it seemed like anyone she got close to either died or left her. She hoped that MistClan would be different for her. So far, Suncatcher seemed nice, if a bit..interesting at times. She couldn't lie to herself, though, she found the she-cat quite attractive, though she'd never say it out loud. The red-orange she-cat seemed to have a big enough ego for herself that she had discovered during their first encounter. 

    The snap of a twig under her paws broke her from her train of thought, noting that they had reached part of the small stretch of stream that she had fallen in a few days ago. A lot had happened since then. After relaying her tale of MothClan's state to Sablestar, he decided that she was allowed to stay, Suncatcher also helping vouch for her. She'd noticed a few other of her Clanmates had also decided to make MistClan home for the time being. The warriors den had been kind of cramped, honestly, but lucky for her she was able to add some moss to Suncatcher's nest and pile in with her. Which, neither seemed to be complaining about. The idea of sleeping next to the she-cat each night made her pelt hot. She'd started to follow her companion around camp like a lost kit, learning the ins and outs of MistClan culture. So when today Suncatcher suggested learning to hunt frogs, she wasn't too hesitant on the idea. It was best to go right before the sun set, because the frogs would start coming out at night to sing. And sing they did.

    As soon as the moon began to take over the sun's position in the sky, soft buzzing came from the stream, her golden eyes fixing on each slimy, hopping creature as they moved in and out of the water. She prayed to StarClan that she didn't slip into the water again, she didn't need anymore embarrassment on her part. The leaves crunched under her paws as she made her way to the bank of the stream, dipping her head into the crisp, cool water to take a quick drink, watching more leaves break off the branches of the trees above and landing into the moving water. She had to admit, the water her tasted much better than MothClan's, which sometimes tasted like the rot from the twoleg trash place. She padded back to sit next to Suncatcher, awaiting the she-cat's instructions as if she was an apprentice again.

[noctemq]

The marbled warrior had done her best to make sure the Mothclanner had felt welcome during her stay, even if it may be temporary. Suncatcher wasn't actually sure how long Thunderbird planned on staying, and she didn't want to seem too blunt by asking, as if to say that she didn't enjoy the company. It was quite the opposite, actually. She found herself unconsciously going out of the way to do things she normally didn't, such as making her bedding and not skipping her morning meal. Thunderbird seemed to put the customarily absent-minded Suncatcher on a schedule. She wouldn't easily admit that anyone had the power to immediately tether her down to earth the way Thunderbird did, especially since she herself didn't quite understand it yet.

Suncatcher was usually late to rise, so going for a hunt so late in the evening perfectly coincided with her internal clock. And now here they were, hunting frogs. The Mistclan warrior had caught a few during Greenleaf then quickly stopped when the apprentices started to complain. It had been a good moon or two since she had last caught a frog, though the knowledge of how to do so didn't elude her. Her footsteps were much lighter in the marshy riverside due to knowing where to step as she made her way to the best frog-catching spot she could recall. The soft grass that once grew at the shore was now browning and parting their blades to mud. She glanced down at her paws to see a goopy layer of dirt start to form. At least it was still wet enough where it wouldn't stain her fur. She came to a stop where the frog croaks were the loudest and lowered her head to look closely at the water. There were no fish present in this area, meaning it was perfect for tadpole growth. The various leaf debris scattered around was also a plus.

The lengthy she-cat stretched out her paws, exposing her claws for just a moment before standing up straight again, or as straight as she could be. "Well..." she started to trail off, looking around for whatever critters she could spot. There was a fat looking one blending into the rocky substrate of the riverside and another one swimming around in the shallower area. Good, they had choices. "The best way to catch a frog is to grab it by the hind legs. You'll wanna get low and place most of your weight on your hind legs." Suncatcher slowly slipped into the ever-so-familiar position of a pounce. It was a little different; her back legs were tucked underneath her body a bit more usual that the traditional stance that apprentices were taught on day one. She got up and motioned Thunderbird to do the same with a flick of her chin. "Lemme see your form. I'll make sure it's all good before you go splashing around."

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Thunderbird - - >

    The soft mixture of mud and moss began to sink through the warriors toes as she followed Suncatcher to the other end of the water, trying to pick up what her Clanmate was seeing. She noticed a few of the frogs bounce away once they had moved towards them. Now that the sun had gone away and her night vision had kicked in, it felt easier for her to discern where she should and shouldn't be stepping. She blamed the sunlight for the last time that she had fallen into the water, noting the thought with embarrassment. She wouldn't make a fool of herself this time, however. She waited and watched, wondering when the MistClan cat was going to catch a frog. She didn't seem to be moving towards one any time soon, however. Shouldn't she at least get a demonstration?

    Suncatcher began laying out instructions for her to follow, showcasing the exact form to take. I guess that's better than nothing, the she-cat thought to herself.  "Lemme see your form. I'll make sure it's all good before you go splashing around." The pressure from that statement began to weigh on her, but she quickly shook it off, trying to look as confident as she could. "Alright." She said, trying to imitate her companion's form. Thunderbird tucked her legs in like she had seen the she-cat do, but found it harder to keep her balance. Her paws continued to place and replace themselves until she got to where she felt was a perfect position. Her legs still felt a bit unstable but she let her tail straight out behind her to help keep her stance in check. "Like this?" She mewed, offering Suncatcher a chance to review her posture.

[noctemq]

Thunderbird looked so focus, so eager to hunt a frog. It wasn’t too likely that they’d be able to get one today; they were slippery rascals and fast on their feet. At least frogs were pretty dumb. Sometimes, Suncatcher would just be able to gently step on a frog and trap it, while other days she found herself unwillingly playing slip n’ side.

“Hmmmmmm...” Suncatcher continued to hum as she circled Thunderbird, backing up to allow the other she-cat to have adequate space every time she corrected her paw placement. Suncatcher easily hovered close by, thanks to her long legs. She peered up and down, not really paying too close attention to Thunderbird’s position, but taking this chance to notice her features instead. A small smile crept onto her face for feeling successfully sneaky about it too. Though to an outsider, it would’ve been obvious to what was going on, especially since Suncatcher wasn’t really looking at Thunderbird’s posture. With her purposely poor review, she was only able to point out one error. She leaned over Thunderbird and lightly pressed down on the warrior’s shoulder-blades with her paw to correct it. “Relax right here, and you’ll be allll set.” Her apricot-colored chest fur brushes against Thunderbird’s back inadvertently. She peeled away upwards once Thunderbird had received the message, not even a slight tinge of heat rising to her cheeks. Suncatcher never was visibly fazed, even if she was so plainly smitten. No, instead she’d play it as cool as a cucumber, then probably crack in ten different ways if her feelings were actually requited for once.

”Ready for some frogs?” She meowed enthusiastically, actually pumped to be hanging out with Thunderbird. A few frogs seemed to move away at the volume of her voice. Oops.

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Thunderbird - - > 

    Not a word came from the she-cat as she felt the MistClan warrior walk around her, supposedly observing her posture.She was so focused on actually catching a frog today that she didn't realize that Suncatcher had other intentions. She willingly let the she-cat adjust her paws, trying not to slip forward as she did so. Thunderbird remained focused, cool and collected, not minding the close quarters of her companion. That was, until she felt her fur brush up against her. She could feel her focus come crashing down as her mind became hazy, her pelt starting to feel hot even in the cool brisk evening air. But the moment was gone, and she'd moved away. Regaining herself, she side-eyed Suncatcher to see if the she-cat had noticed. But she just stood there, casual as ever. Honestly, Thunderbird had a hard time distinguishing her new Clanmates emotions, so she guessed she'd never really be able to tell anyways.

    ”Ready for some frogs?” Her voice broke Thunderbird's questioning thoughts. She gulped, trying to stay in the exact place that she had been instructed to be. This almost felt like some MistClan rite of passage for her. Well, besides actually getting in the water and swimming. She'd have to save that for another day. The she-cat noticed that as Suncatcher spoke a few frogs were aroused from their hiding places, either scurrying off or jumping into the water. She'd always considered herself a decent hunter, but this was a whole new level in itself. She wondered how good Suncatcher was at catching squirrels and birds. Maybe she could return the favor and give her some tips. Slowly crouching forward, she spotted one of the frogs, croaking along the bank. Alright, you've got this.She took a deep breath.

    Leaping forward, she extended her paws, claws unsheathed, slamming it onto the frog. "Ha! I got o-" But she didn't get to rejoice in her victory long, because soon she felt her back legs begin to slide against the mud on the bank. Everything was happening in slow motion. She tried to move her back paws but the impact of her leap had left one planted deep into the wet sludge. Whilst this was happening, Thunderbird distracted, the frog easily wiggled it's way out from underneath her, disappearing into the water. "Mousedung!" She spat, before toppling sideways into the shallows. Though the water wasn't deep, she still managed to get her entire left side coated in soupy mud and drenched with the water. Honestly, it was quite a sight to behold.

    Ears pinned back, defeated, she trogged through the thick sludge, melting onto the bank. "I hate frogs." She mewed under her breath, trying desperately to clean the mud from her coat. "This is never going to come out." Not only did she lose the frog, fall into the mud, and make herself look like an idiot, but she was pretty sure Suncatcher wouldn't ever be interested in her, ever. She wrapped her thick tail around her paws, the dampness of the water and the cool breeze finally beginning to make her shiver. "I guess I'm a half-baked MistClan cat, huh?" She chuckled lightly. The whole situation was finally becoming humorous to her, everything had been falling into shambles in her life, and this was just bound to happen. There are worse things than getting stuck in the mud, she supposed.
  

[noctemq]

Suncatcher sat there with one paw up against her face, trying to hide her expression. A smile lit up her muzzle as Thunderbird very slowly slid away. Previous mentors have told her that making fun of their apprentices only made want to avoid learning out of embarrassment, and she didn't want that to happen. Hunting frogs was fun! Messy, but fun. No one liked to eat frogs, so even if Thunderbird caught a few, they'd end up sitting in a sad pile until they were crow-food. As part of her new clan hazing, Suncatcher would have probably had her eat one, if she didn't already. Her chest erratically rose and fell to do her best to contain a laugh. She took a deep breath to successfully calm herself down. "Your aim is top catch! Those dry paws will get used to our squishy riverbeds eventually, so don't even worry about it." Now that she thought about it, having to step on constantly moist ground must have been an awful feeling for those that grew up elsewhere. Suncatcher found that her paws would cut easily on jagged boulders, so there was a clear trade off for her aquatic skills.

"Good thing I know a soft field you could rub on. I always go there after gettin' messy." Suncatcher sometimes wouldn't groom herself out of sheer laziness and chose to toss and turn in grass instead. Maybe that's why she always smelled so foliage-y. It kept her brightly colored pelt in check, so she couldn't complain. "If you'd prefer, we can try the frogs again tomorrow and clean off. I could use a rubbin' as well." She looked down at her legs. The duo hadn't been in this location for long, but the mud was already crawling up past her dew claws. Suncatcher didn't want to force Thunderbird to do any hunting she disliked, especially since this experience was supposed to be stress-relieving.