[ti]Open[/ti]The Birds and the Thorns

[Mama]

The large she-cat at the head of the patrol flickered for the rest of her group to follow, deciding to try and test the woods today. Though there was usually less prey here, there was the chance that the clan hadn't been looking in the right spots. Maybe the trees were the answer to their food shortage. 

Loonspark gave a growl to Briarfrost as she tripped once again over roots, and narrowed her eyes. "Maybe if your tail wasn't always between your legs, you would walk like a normal cat." She snorted, before turning her head back towards the trees. "Let's try to get something from the trees, since the ground ;prey is all gone. We can all split up and go off into smaller groups." The warrior suggested, considering the amount of cats was a bit larger then normal patrols.

//

Briarfrost had been so cold, and when she was pointed out for her bad balance in attempt to keep warm, the frail she-cat felt embarrassed and fell to the back of the group, keeping up the rear. Her pelt was shivering so much that even snow didn't get to touch it for long, and quickly was shredded off of her thin and velvety fur. Pinning her ears up as she kept her head low, she glanced over the ground to try and hide her slightly red face from the others.

After being told to split up, the warrior took a step back and glanced around towards the trees, feeling a bit better as her ears spiked back up. Trees were her specialty!  Being small, it was easy to fit in the tighter spots and go without being detected. 

[Dofferz!]

Burningbranch followed close behind Loonspark keeping a well trained nose out for the slightest scent of prey lingering in the Ivyclan undergrowth. She was not the most particularly skilled hunter in Ivyclan, but the ginger and white she cat had a sharp nose that could easily pick up the slightest scent, even if was half buried in the powdery white snow. She glanced over towards the head of the patrol, biting back a retort as she snapped at Briarfrost, causing the other warrior to fall back and trail at the tail of the group.

After a minute or two, she decided to do so as well and walk in sync with her. "Don't worry about it." he hummed, offering a light smile. "Loonspark's attitude always seems to get up in my fur." she wasn't too fond of the older warrior in the least. "Perhaps you would like to group up with me, though? I'm not the best at catching prey, but between you and me, i can smell a mouse over there-" she pointed to a small drift a few fox lengths away. "Maybe the first catch can help get the foxface off your tail for a couple heartbeats." she suggested.

[M'Lady]

Firechaser didn't particularly like other cats. Especially some of the ones on the patrol. There was Briarfrost, who was practically a disgrace to the clan. Burningbranch, who lost more mice than she could catch. And oh there was Loonspark, the warrior that managed to get under his fur just by breathing. What a wonderful day. Well, it didn't quite matter to him that much. The clan needed prey, and prey he would catch. When Loon suggested they split into groups, Firechaser decided to go with her. She was the less insufferable choice. If he went with the other two, he'd just be dragging them behind him the entire time.

"Let's go then," The tom spoke in his low, indifferent tone as he lashed his tail. Though he didn't blend in with the snow in the slightest, it didn't stop him from his speed. He could catch a bird without it even knowing what hit it. "There should be crows by the thicker trees, they search for food even in this weather." He told her absentmindedly, heading in that direction and just assuming she was following behind. He was the senior warrior, anyway. She should just listen to him.

[silverfang218]

Barkfur had tagged along on Loonspark’s patrol; he likes hunting, and he’s pretty good at it, even with his dark fur. All the more reason to hunt as often as possible, right? Bark is simply following, a bit off to one side with his ears perked up to catch the faintest sound outside of the cats’ pawsteps. Barkfur’s ears twitch as they catch the sound of a clanmate nearly fall, but the young warrior doesn’t turn to see who it was. It isn’t until Loonspark grouches at their stumbling clanmate that Bark speaks up. “Easy Loonspark. That’s no way to speak to a fellow warrior.” Sure, Barkfur has been known to lash out at lazy warriors and even start fights, especially back when he was an apprentice. Even so, Bark wouldn’t grump at someone just for stumbling, particularly after a brush with illness and in this deep cold.

As Briarfrost falls back to the rear, Barkfur’s steps slow so that he too falls to the back. It’s just now that he realizes Briar’s problem; if Bark was shivering that hard, he wouldn’t be able to walk either. The young warrior just kinda falls in with Briar and Burningbranch. “Mind if I join you?” He asks softly in his deep, growl of a voice. He'd also be able to hunt better in the trees; his dark fur would look right at home among the bark of the bare trees.

[Mama]

Briarfrost gave a sigh, her tail flickering as she gave a light smile towards Burningbranch. "That's a g-good idea." She softly murmured, before turning her head towards the direction of the mouse. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to stop shaking as the frail warrior quickly crouched down. Hunting was her favorite thing, and even with the snow she was quite good at remaining silent. Her paws left tiny dents in the surface as she slowly shifted forwards, the critter growing closer in plain sight as she figured out where it was: under some roots. Peering carefully towards the main scent, Briarfrost froze for a moment before... "G-got it!" Her voice called out, muffled by the warm body in her jaws. Lifting her head, she pressed her tail against her side once again before giving a bit of a larger smile.

//

Loonspark wouldn't disagree with him, he was more skilled then her. "Alright." The warrior simply mewed, following behind with a twitch of her ear. She could respect this cat, even if the tom was rather annoying and even grumpy. However, he caught more prey due to being older, and it only meant he deserved to be in front. Perking her ears up as she separated from the rest of the group, the large warrior crunched the snow under her paws unintentionally, trying to stay as quiet as she could. Sometimes, it was a skill, however at the moment it was a flaw.

[Dofferz!]

She smiled as the warrior seemed to do as she had suggested, and within heartbeats, she had grasped the small piece of prey tight in her jaws. She wasn't surprised, for the warrior had always seemed to have a specialty for hunting among the trees. The ginger sent a flick of her tail back as her own personal words of congratulations, rather keeping her voice low throughout the hunt. However, as focused as she was on Briarfost, she jumped slightly as the newer warrior, Barkfur, approached the lot of them as well. Seemed they weren't the only two to find Loonspark's attitude awfully unenjoyable o be around, and the she-cat stifled a mrowl of laughter as she saw the senior warrior, Firechaser, pick up the lead. "Quite the good riddance," she hummed, focusing attention back on the other two felines.