On Patrol

[Amberstar]

Amberfur kept her head high in pleasure as she kept her keen eyes ahead, ears flicking and her senses whirring to detect any nomad cats or foreign scents. Sensing none, she stopped for a second in her tracks to let the pair catch up. So far, nothing. Keep your senses up, lest you pick up something. Let me know if you get the slightest hair of Goldenblaze; he appears to be missing. Her voice was strong, if not a little headstrong. But inside, she was worried. Even then, onward she plowed.

[Blackheart]

Hn. Amberstar forgot that Blackheart had joined TreeClan after Goldenblaze had left, so he was unfamiliar with the cat’s scent. However, now that they had taken a brief rest, he turned yellow eyes on Maplepaw. Now was a good time to start the young tom’s training.

“Maplepaw, while we are out on this patrol, I want for you to see what sort of creatures you can scent, and at what locations they are.”

He didn’t go on to elaborate just why he wanted the young tom to do this, but it was actually a rather simple exercise to see if the tom could maintain his focus on the patrol, Amberstar and her orders, and Blackheart’s training.

He would be working just as hard as Maplepaw, but hard work had become like second nature to the old tom. He scented the air, filing out what scents were important, and what ones were not. When a certain reek caught his attention, the tom ignored both his apprentice and leader, following it directly to a fox trail. The scent was fresh too.

[Amberstar]

She sighed as the trails of food led her to dead ends; up trees, into burrows, and already had taken flight. She gave a grim look to the terrain around her. There was no good hunting out here; today just wasn't her best. Amberstar wended her way through the bushes and trees, her lean frame fitting through all the nooks and crannies in search of food.

Even if she was on patrol, she was in the mood to hunt. They were running low on supplies, and it never hurt to refill it. She turned and ran right into a just fresh scent of a squirrel. She darted after it, tail held high as she pursued it.

[Blackheart]

The old black tom followed the trail a little way, but then stopped. He should report to Amberstar; if a fox was this close to the main camp, look-outs would need to be posted and it chased away as soon as possible.

Blackheart turned and sedately padded back towards where he left his leader and apprentice at.

[Amberstar]

Amberstar returned just moments later, squirrel at hand, but her nose caught the scent before anyone could tell her. She looked at Blackheart, and realized that there was an urgent look on his face. She assumed this was why. I shall send a patrol on it when we return from camp. It is no threat at the moment, and the lookouts will see it before it even gets through the main tunnel. She said softly, tail flicking and she dismissed the subject.

[Mapleheart]

[Ohmygod, I WILL be sure to log on more often. I swear it. ;;]

Maplepaw followed his clanmates, stepping and tripping over his feet as he looked at the glorious canopy of trees. The river was very near, he heard. He did as he was told by Blackheart, and as he did so, he scented the fox that his mentor had obviously scented as well.

Maplepaw immediately became nervous and tense. His sister had been killed by one of the flashes of red fur as they had travelled south. He tried to regain his composure without overacting as Amberstar said to ignore the scent.

"Ah...uh...aside from the squirrel that Amberpaw is chasing, I can smell a mouse over by the river, I think..."

[Amberstar]

Amberstar looked up at Maplepaw as he spoke, and she nodded as if to welcome her to get it. It was Blackheart's job, however, to teach her how. She looked down at the soil and extracted her claws, scooping out a small hole of dirt to place her squirrel there for pickup later. She turned, still worried about the fox. She turned, her mind worried as she sniffed it out. It was indeed getting closer to the camp. Although there were no kits to protect, the food stash was her concern. Shall we all just go chase it off? She asked, not turning her head.

[Blackheart]

Blackheart watched his young apprentice with silent and unreadable yellow hues, the only movement the old and experienced tom made was a twitch on one ear. He sensed the sudden change in the young tom’s behavior, read the fear and nerviousness that flickered briefly in his innocent eyes, and he then turned to look at Amberstar.

“Young leader, I shall chase off the dog-fox. We should not risk your safety in doing so, especially if he has a mate or kits to protect.”

Muscles rippling under that dark ebon pelt, Blackheart headed towards where the scent was strongest at…

[Amberstar]

<sub>Amberstar shook her head, bounding after him. She kept her distance for the young tom-kit to keep up, but her stride was still brisk anyways. Her keen eyes searched out even the tiniest blade of grass on the pathway; she'd patrolled ever foot, every inch of this clan, seeing how she'd grown up in it.

She was young as a clan leader, but still able to defend herself. Besides, she still had nine lives; Blackheart only had one to live on. Either way, she'd doubt anybody would lose a life to a fox, but you never knew.

The fox was up ahead; she could scent him being there just moments before. It was coming at the Clan from around the back. She gave a low hiss to herself. She'd be damned before she'd let such a creature attack her Clan; not while she was in command, or even part of Treeclan.</sub>

[Blackheart]

Blackheart may have been learning his way around TreeClan territory still, but the old tom was no fool. He could see the dog-fox coming up on the camp’s flank, and suddenly knew what it was planning. He whirled on Am,berstar and his apprentice, hissing softly.

“The dog-fox has a mate, she’ll be circling from the left flank in order to distract the others and allow her mate to attack from behind unnoticed. Take care of her. The dog-fox is mine.”

He said with a hiss and, not allowing his leader time to respond, he bounded directly for the male. In this action he was placing the two in less danger then if they faced the male fox – females were generally smaller and the two should easily be able to ‘persuade’ her to leave.

The male was a different story. It was an older fox, wise in its years like Blackheart himself. Scenting the large black tom, the dog-fox turned with a snarl, diving forward with all intent to sink its fangs into Blackheart’s throat. Blackheart moved with easy movements his age suggested at otherwise, one clawed paw darting out like lightning and opening a long set of wounds along the dog-fox’s side.

“Get, canine! This is not yer terf!”

[Amberstar]

<sub>Amberstar sighed, watching after Blackheart. She hated being told what to do, but seeing how she couldn't respond anyways, she looked backwards at Maplepaw, nodded, and flew off after the fox.

She easily cleared the fox, jumping widely over its back and landing in it's pathway, hissing mad, eyes furious. The she-fox growled, lowering it's head. They launched at eachother, each digging and plowing through the fur to find the jugular. But Amberstar's fur was thick, and therefore had the advantage of the short-haired fox. In a battle of red, white, and amber, they clashed; fur whirling and teeth clanking against flesh and fur.</sub>

[Blackheart]

[Should we wait for Maplepaw?]

[Amberstar]

((We'll give a few more posts before we wait))

[Blackheart]

[Sounds like a plan.]

While he and the old dog-fox slashed and dodged each other’s attacks, Blackheart realized the he had given his leader a, gasp, order. Well, he knew he would probably hear from it later, however, it had been the right decision. The tom didn’t want to risk his young leader and new apprentice up against such an adversary.

The dog-fox lifted his head, sensing his mate was under assault as well, and prepared to lunge to her aid. Blackheart was like black lightning, he ran right in the fox’s way with a rumbling growl of his own, ears flattened. He didn’t need to fluff up his fur to make himself look any bigger; already he was almost the size of the fox.

“Where do you think yer goin’ friend?”

Darting forward, Blackheart swiped twice at the fox’s eyes, driving him back. If he let the fox get to his mate, they would face a double adversary…not a prospect he relished having to fight.

[Amberstar]

<sub>She snarled and whirrled around the side of the she-fox, spit flying as she charged right into her side. It knocked the fox to her side, but the she-fox had jumped at her underbelly as she jumped over. It knocked Amberstar to the ground, but she was not yet broken nor beaten. She lowered her head, ears flat, and charged.

She gave the opposing red animal a slash across the eye, and it yowled with rage. With one eye, it turned back to sought solace with her mate. Amberstar drove forward, grabbed it's bushy tail in her maw, and swung her around to topple her right into the ground. Jumping up, she ran at her once more.</sub>

[Mapleheart]

Maplepaw watched as the two foxes appeared from the undergrowth. 'This will definitely be a good experience', he thought to himself. Already he was feeling a slight happiness at seeing not one fox, but two getting beaten about by two of his own species. His mentor had gone after the larger of the two and seemed to be faring well. An interesting thought occured to Maplepaw as he watched Amberstar and the she-fox circling and biting: if not for the situation, the two red furred animals would look rather beautiful next to each other.

He shook off that thought and stood a short way back from the centerpoint of the two fights, prepared to lend a paw if either member needed it. The dog-fox appeared to be nearing the female. Maplepaw became tense, waiting for any order to attack.

((I leave for a few hours and both of you happen to be on at the same time! lol :3 ))

[Amberstar]

<sub>Amberstar crashed into the side of the she-fox, sending them both hurdling through the underbrush, farther from the dog-fox. She grabbed her by the scruff, sending Amberstar through the air. She landed on her feet, as cats always do, and dashed at the fox as she tried to make a quick dash to her mate's side.

Amberstar grabbed hold of her flanks and dragged her down, pinning her down. Maplepaw, get it's neck! The neck! She yolwed with a mouthful of fox fur, shaking the fox violently as the she-fox tried to rise.</sub>

yeah.. Well.. s'what happens when a couple people like us have no life. At least I don't!

Mainly all my friend are on vacation, so i'm stuck at home. -growls-

[Mapleheart]

Maplepaw hesitated at the order, as his deep internal fear had risen again, but the hesitation lasted only for a moment. He dashed forward and, being large for his age, hit the fox with strong momentum. His mouth was closed around the heavily furred neck, and he shook his head back and forth to attempt to sink his teeth deeper. He could feel the fox's head swinging back and forth, it's teeth bared in attempt to brush him off, but he would not give up. Call it cruel, but Maplepaw thought of this as revenge for his dead sister.

Amberstar, since you're "controlling" the female fox, I'll let you decide what happens. :3

[Amberstar]

_{Amberstar buried her head into the stomach, digging with unsheathed claws. It was when his teeth hit it's jugular that the she-fox fell limp, and Amberstar looked up proudly at her. She smiled, and bounded after Blackheart, now up for attacking the dog-fox. It was outnumbered..}

[Mapleheart]

Maplepaw blinked in disbelief, his black, brown, and grey pelt unruffling slightly. He'd killed a fox. He had really done it. He watched Amberstar run to help Blackheart with the dog-fox, but he remained next to the female for a moment, taking in the feeling of his first non-prey kill. The poor thing still looked very much alive, save for the bloodied neck, and Maplepaw half expected it to flinch back to life. He stood and, taking one short look back, loped over to the dogfox and his two clanmates.