[beware the frozen heart] harebelly | Closed

Legacy Account

Be wise, be brave, be tricky

517 posts completed

[beware the frozen heart] harebelly Feb 16, 2016 19:29:57 GMT

Post by feeling kinda blue on Feb 16, 2016 19:29:57 GMT

Though he could focus when he wanted to, Batwing was a cat of fickle attentions. Currently he surveyed his brother's shallow damage and absently flicked through thoughts of revenge. If he could find a snake nest he might be able to snag a baby snake to plant in Newtclaw's nest. Maybe not osmething venomous...murder wasn't necessarily Batwing's cup of tea. just something that looked venomous, enough to give the black and white brute a spook. Or not. His thoughts went to the water viper he'd killed this morning. Newtclaw had been furious that Batwing had been able to kill a snake...it had started the whole fight. So worthless now that Batwing thought about it. It wasn't like snake killing was terribly unusual. Plenty of warriors in ShadowClan hunted snakes. All the marsh and swamp land made it easy for the little buggers to run rampant, venomous or not. The fact that Newtclaw was too heavy-footed to do more than get snapped at wasn't Batwing's problem.

'Come hunting with me.'

Large black ears twitched atop Batwing's head, amber eyes drawn away from absently grooming his semi-sore wounds. "Hmm?" Batwing hummed, mind absently wandering back to the situation as Harebelly sat up and prattled on about mice and company while hunting. Batwing curled his lip at the thought, ears twitching. Batwing seldom hunted with his clanmates, even when Rosestar sent him on pointless patrols. Especially heavy-footed brush stompers. His gaze flicked to Harebelly's big paws and muscled stature. He'd probably scare off the kinds of prey Batwing normally went for, the snakes and frogs and birds. Things sensitive to the vibrations caused by heavy steps. Still, Batwing needed to replace the frogs and snake he'd lost when he gave up his hunting ground to Newtclaw.

"Fine," Batwing said, heaving himself to his feet. "Gotta get those frogs back anyway," he grumbled. "Come on Softbelly. We're losing daylight." And Batwing didn't feel like running into any foxes tonight.

When he moved, Batwing often looked like he was walking on his tiptoes. His steps were light and whispering, nearly silent over the damp grass as he moved away from Harebelly and farther into ShadowClan's pine forest. He abandoned the path that would have led them back to camp, choosing to take a leap down a short slope into the brush. His paws slid on the grass as he made his way down the slope, dark pelt wrapped readily in the shadows of the trees overhead and low foliage around the tree trunks. Belly low to the ground, Batwing moved over the tangled roots with ease, his small paws finding purchase where bigger feet might have stumbled. He didn't bother to see if Harebelly was following, he assumed the long-furred rabbit would follow. Why Harebelly was so interested in Batwing, the black warrior had no clue. Their chemistry was strange but Batwing tried to not think of it for now as he led the way deeper into the brush.

It was the flicker of bird wings that caught Batwing's eye after several minutes of silent trekking. A pigeon hidden in the brush, fluttering its wings. Lightning quick Batwing lunged forward, claws unsheathing and hooking into soft bird flesh. The bird's wings fluttered and flashed, brushing Batwing's cheeks as the tom sank his fangs into the bird's neck. Sweet bird blood filled Batwing's mouth as the tom waited for the pigeon to stop flailing. When it finally went limp, he dropped the bird in the brush and kicked some leaves over it. Not his usual faire but someone would eat it.

Notes: Idk where this went stop my rambling misery
Word count: 589
Tagged: @twotone

Deleted

0 posts completed

[beware the frozen heart] harebelly Feb 17, 2016 20:29:13 GMT

Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2016 20:29:13 GMT

~~"Fine,"~~ Batwing said, standing. ~~"Gotta get those frogs back anyway. Come on Softbelly. We're losing daylight."~~ Harebelly chuckled under his breath at Batwing's comments, but did not say anything. He watched as the other tom got up and started walking on small delicate looking paws. Harebelly could not hear his paw steps. Trailing a little ways behind Batwing, he padded quietly across the still wet ground and into the shelter of the pine trees. Harebelly decided not to follow close to Batwing, and risk them disturbing each others hunt, so he went a small distance away near a very old tree. The ancient pine stood mostly alone, with very few other trees growing near it. Harebelly had always liked coming here to hunt, and usually found his favorite, squirrel.
As he approached the pine, Harebelly caught sight of a plump red squirrel, zipping about the base of the tree. Being careful not to be seen or heard, he crouched low to the earth, his belly fur nearly brushing the bed of pine needles that coated the ground. Being as light of his paws as a cat his size could, he stalked the squirrel, getting within a normal tail length. With the push of his powerful back legs and a flash of claws and teeth, the squirrel lay limp in Harebelly's mouth.

Padding back to the scent trail that marked where he had departed with Batwing, Harebelly dropped the squirrel not to a pigeon half covered in leaves. Sniffing the air to see where the smaller tom had gone, Harebelly followed his trail, stopping once to catch a mouse creeping through some roots as he stayed far enough away from his hunting partner not to disturb him. After he felt he had caught enough, a thrush, frog, and one more mouse, he carried his load of prey back to where the squirrel and pigeon had been buried. The large tom crouched in a small patch of sunlight that had leaked its way down through the treetops, warming his already thick fur and making his quite drowsy. Despite the warmth attempting to lull him into sleep, Harebelly remained wide awake, attempting to listen for the sound of small paws on the forest floor that would mean Batwing was returning with his own stock of prey.

Notes: Save the fix attack for a not so weird day XD
Word count:383
Tagged: feeling kinda blue

feeling kinda blue

Legacy Account

Be wise, be brave, be tricky

517 posts completed

[beware the frozen heart] harebelly Feb 18, 2016 17:03:06 GMT

Post by feeling kinda blue on Feb 18, 2016 17:03:06 GMT

Hunting wasn't necessarily Batwing's favorite way to pass the time. It kept him out of camp and away from his annoying family members but it could be quite monotonous at times, especially when he ended up doing twice the amount of hunting because Newtclaw ruined his morning. So maybe the skinny tomcat was a bit sour as he left his pigeon to scour the pines for more scent trails but who could blame him? Twice the amount of effort was required for this and who needed that in their lives. Still, the small tom slunk through the shady foliage, dutifully tracking scent trails. Unlike most of his clanmates he didn't waste his time chasing down mice and was even known to leave occupied rabbit burrows untouched. His old mentor, Hawkclaw, used to scold him for hours about passing up viable prey trails but since the old badger wasn't even bothering to train Batwing properly the smaller tom had never listened to it.

Instead, Batwing went after trickier prey. He would lay in muddy ponds to hunt frogs, chase snakes through the reeds, wrestle crows out of the sky. Essentially anything that had a passable chance of fighting back was what Batwing preferred. Easy prey bored him and the bigger prey that he went after filled more bellies than the piddly mice or rats that scurried through the gullies and marshes that spanned ShadowClan's territory. There was even one time Batwing had tried to catch a hawk when he was an apprentice and even smaller than he was now. The damn bird had lifted off with Batwing on its back. Batwing had been able to rip into the back of its neck but when the bird dropped out of the sky it had thrown Batwing and the bird down a ravine. By the time he'd come back to his senses the bird's carcass had been inedible, the head snapped around the wrong way and wings crumpled. Batwing had left it for the foxes to eat.

Now the small warrior had no such grand schemes of hunting a hawk. Instead Batwing stuck to the shadows, letting his mottled black-brown pelt blend into the gloom. Walking on silent paws, Batwing was able to snatch a starling from it's pecking place near some tree roots. If he imagined it was his father's neck he was snapping in his jaws that was no one's business but Batwing's. A while later an easy to grab squirrel wandered too close to his hiding place under the raised roots of a gnarled cedar allowing Batwing to snap its neck before it knew what hit it. It was a small black snake that caught Batwing's eye when he was on his way back to where he'd left the pigeon. It was sunning itself across a low boulder off the path, it's body about as long as Batwing's from nose to tail tip. It wasn't particularly fat but the sight of it got Batwing's mind whirling. A wicked smile curled his lips and a quick leap and bite later, the lashing snake stopped wriggling and hung dead in Batwing's jaws. Newtclaw would find it later, curled up in his nest.

Snickering to himself, Batwing struggled with his load of prey back to where he had left Harebelly. By the time he made his way back, occasionally tripping on the draped tail of the snake, Harebelly was already there and dozing. Walking on light paws, Batwing dropped the starling and squirrel but kept hold of the snake. He spied a few other bits of prey, no doubt Harebelly's haul. Go figure the big tom went for the easy prey. Batwing tried not to curl his lip in distaste but couldn't quite help the twitch in his lip.

"Wake up Softbelly," Batwing meowed, though he was very certain the bigger tom was at least not all the way asleep. His voice was a bit muffled by the snake draped in his jaws but Batwing simply accompanied the words with a swat at Harebelly's flank. Sheathed claws. "Gotta go leave a present for my brother before he comes back to camp. Move your tail."

Notes: Idk
Word count: 685
Tagged: @twotone

Deleted

0 posts completed

[beware the frozen heart] harebelly Feb 18, 2016 18:33:22 GMT

Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2016 18:33:22 GMT

Harebelly had gotten quite comfortable in his sunny spot, and was just of the verge of sleep when very light pawsteps brought him back to conscientiousness. He did not more, nor did he open his large golden eyes, he listened, hearing Batwing stumble slightly as he got nearer, then the sound of his dropping prey. He absentminded wondered his they could manage to carry all the freshkill back in one trip.

~~"Wake up Softbelly,"~~ Batwing's meow was muffled. Harebelly opened one eye to look at him and eyed the black snake in his jaws. Before he could ask why the other tom had caught a snake, a soft swat against his flank made him yawn and stand. Batwing obviously was in a hurry, though Harebelly could not see why.

~~"Gotta go leave a present for my brother before he comes back to camp. Move your tail."~~ Harebelly wagged his short tail in response. Fighting another grin he took a moment to stretch, and then turned to the pile of prey the two had caught.

"You are going to scare him out of his fur," Harebelly mewed gathering the prey to pick up, "I hope I am around to hear his screaming." Any more conversation from his had ceased, as the large tom picked up all he could carry, and glanced toward Batwing, wondering how the tom would carry what was left without tripping on the black snake he griped firmly in his jaws.

The walk to camp was a silent one, neither tom being able to talk through their mouthfuls of prey. Harebelly wondered what the clan would say when they returned together, or if they would even assume the two had been hunting together. After all both where known for wondering and hunting alone, so who could tell what the fresh gossip among their fellow clan mates would be. Harebelly felt his pelt twitch at the thought of Newtclaw finding out they had been together the entire afternoon, the black and white tom would not let something like that go without causing a big scene for his younger brother. He had to swallow down the bile that had rose in his throat at the thought. Not that he would be ashamed to admit there was something between Batwing and himself, if there was something. Harebelly just did not want things to go the wrong way and end whatever it is they had before anything could truly happen. Sneaking a glance over at Batwing, padding next to him and trying not to trip on the snake he held in his jaws, Harebelly wondered if he was thinking anything similar, or if his thoughts where still on scaring his brother with the dead snake. It was hard to tell. Batwing never seemed to wear his emotions like Harebelly did, and the large tom had not figured out this odd tom yet, though he was determined to.

When they reached the camp entrance, Harebelly motioned for Batwing to enter first so he could hide the snake as soon as possible. Harebelly followed and made his way over to the freshkill pile to deposit the prey. Taking the squirrel he had caught earlier, Harebelly went to lay in front of the warrior's den to eat his meal and see if Batwing had positioned the snake yet.

Notes: sorry my tag didnt work ._.
Word count:546
Tagged: feeling kinda blue

Last Edit: Feb 23, 2016 20:41:31 GMT by Deleted

feeling kinda blue

Legacy Account

Be wise, be brave, be tricky

517 posts completed

[beware the frozen heart] harebelly Feb 28, 2016 21:50:31 GMT

Post by feeling kinda blue on Feb 28, 2016 21:50:31 GMT

As the duo moved closer to camp, Batwing tried to ignore Harebelly to the best of his ability. The day had been strange and as the sun crept toward the Western horizon the murky black tom couldn't help but feel his skin itch uncomfortably. Going back to camp with anyone at all was unusual for Batwing and something his impossible family would notice. It would stir things up and though Batwing did love a bit of chaos this wasn't the right kind of chaos. This would be invasive. Clanmates would cast glances, murmur and whisper until Talonstroke's big ears caught wind of Batwing causing trouble. Outright fallout wouldn't be too bad to manage since most of ShadowClan didn't want to call Batwing out on anything. It was everything after that would become a problem. If Batwing allowed Harebelly to get close and stay close when they got to camp...the brown tabby might make things difficult. He would begin worming his way into Batwing's routine of solitude and that simply was not acceptable. For now, the yellow-eyed warrior kept his mouth shut around the snake and squirrel he carried, forcing himself to focus on not tripping. This snake would save his hide.

Camp was fairly busy when they made it back, Batwing sliding into the space not far behind Harebelly. He kept his gaze away from the bigger cat, grunting when Harebelly nodded at him to go hide the snake. Pretending it was merely a coincidence they had come into camp at the same time, Batwing made his way across camp to the warriors den. A quick glance inside showed it was quite empty. Everyone was out and about, hunting and training and all the other things "good" warriors did. Picking through the nests was easy and sniffing out Newtclaw's insufferable stink was even easier. First things first: Batwing rolled in a randomly selected nest to mask his scent before approaching Newtclaw's sleeping space. Digging through the dried moss, feathers and rushes that made up his brother's nest, Batwing carefully laid the black snake under the nest. Using his nose and the occasional tug, the skinny tom arranged the snake to look as though it was happily coiled up asleep. Pleased with the arrangement, Batwing replaced the moss, feathers and other materials of the nest until merely the hint of black was poking through. When Newtclaw laid down tonight he would be in for the fright of his life.

Snickering quietly, Batwing sidestepped to another randomly chosen nest and rolled in it again. The devil was in the details with these things. Finally content that his scent was at least partially masked, Batwing slid to the back of the warriors den instead of back to the camp clearing where Harebelly was probably waiting. A quick dig allowed Batwing to make an opening in the den wall, just big enough for a scrawny little water snake to slide through. Batwing slid out of the den and kicked the debris back into place for some pathetic apprentice to clean up later. Keeping low, Batwing made a hasty retreat out of camp by way of the medicine cat's den, using the herb scents to mask his own. He kept out of sight and was soon wriggling out of the camp wall hole that apprentices used to sneak out at night. Once he was free the black tom set off back into the forest.

Notes: Batty is a stinker and afraid of relationships but I think that's a wrap for their first thread after hare discovers he's been dumped
Word count: 554
Tagged: @twotone