it's only a crime if i get caught [wulfpack]

[attr="class","mpcontent"]      Morningpaw'd had a hard time finding a training partner, that morning. Her morning training with Asterstripe had went well; hunting, today. The apprentice was getting a little older, now--while it wasn't particularly frequent, her mentor would occasionally send her to do her own hunting, after a lesson.
    That was her assignment today, but since her usual apprentice friends were busy with their own assignments and training, it looked like Morningpaw was on her own for the post-sunhigh hunt. She couldn't lie, as she leaped expertly through the marshes, she was a little disappointed. While she wouldn't be charged with feeding the entire clan for her little assignment, it would have been more fun to go hunting with the other apprentices, and it probably would have guaranteed her a pick of the prey they brought back. As it was, one 9-moon-old apprentice wasn't likely to bring back enough prey to feed all the elders and herself; she'd be lucky if she could carry a maximum of three pieces of prey back to camp in her little jaws. But perhaps by the time she'd returned, some of the other apprentices would have returned from hunting, as well.
    The idea gave her a little hope, but it didn't show on her face as she jumped from spot-to-spot of dry marsh land, physically focused on her task.
    It was then Morningpaw noticed the wonder of her surroundings. Sprawling greens and reds filled her environment, and even the ground below her paws was surrounded by deep green marshy foliage, the big leaves fanning out and, probably, acting as wonderful cover for her rust-gray tail. The apprentice--suddenly feeling giant and very, very small all at once--took a deep, soft breath--
    Morningpaw's tail stiffened, her body shot with adrenaline. Immediately, she caught the fear-scent of another Shadowclan cat, and a horrible stench she really, really regretted ever tasting filled her brain, searching for a name but coming up with nothing.
    The Shadowclan scent, however, she quickly identified, a scowl appearing on her face. Laurelpaw.
    He was an apprentice 2 moons her elder, and one she considered a friend, but Starclan, was he always getting (and getting her, because she's a good clan cat who cares for her clan members, and definitely not because she can't resist the rush of his shenanigans) into trouble.
    And if she wasn't going to make good on that tradition, then, well.
    Laurelpaw had apparently made it to the border; Starclan, had he left the territory? She was almost worried, that mousebrain, had he really gotten himself in trouble this time? The tabby point she-cat sped up her pace, almost forgetting to stay stealthy. She wasn't the most lithe apprentice in Shadowclan, after all, and if her steps were a little heavy then that's just how it was.
    The unknown stench grew overpowering, and Morningpaw knew she must have reached the spot. but Laurelpaw's scent was nowhere to be found. A wave of panic rushed through her, and just then she heard the telltale Laurelpaw Shriek, and if that didn't make her feel any better.
    What if the creature had eaten him???? No. That wasn't the case. She forced herself to steady creeped up behind the shrubs, body low to the ground and alert on all fronts for a sign of whatever creature Laurelpaw had gotten into trouble with this time. She peered between the serrated leaves of a fern, eyes and ears alert as she scanned the wavy waters of the marshes.
    Morningpaw's fur stood on end almost comically--her!--as she spotted the, from her point of view, massive dog bounding into the bogs. Oh Starclan, oh Starclan, oh Starclan, she can't fight that! She was big, but not that big! The little cat recoiled back, ears flat against her head, whiskers jetting forward to take in the situation.
    That mouse-brain! Of course he would've sought out a dog, Starclan knew why, but the important thing was here he was, in danger of being mauled again! Ohh, boy. Of course, she was going, to involve herself, and maybe once the anger wore off she'd end up having a good time. Unfortunately, that's how it usually went.
    Suddenly, Laurelpaw's drenched head popped out of the bog. There he was. She tried to avoid snorting her laughter, for fear of alerting the dog to her presence--Starclan, Morningpaw, stay focused!--but Laurelpaw But Soaking Wet was always a treasure to see.
    She wasn't sure what to start with, though. The dog would pick up her scent soon; one Shadowclan apprentice smelled pretty similar to the other, generally. Though the scent that Laurelpaw carried wouldn't be like any of them for a while, with that dip in the bog he just took. Starclan, she hoped wouldn't end up having to do the same.
    Morningpaw chirped to get his attention, fear and adrenaline dilating her eyes. Dogs don't hunt birds, right? No way. They aren't stealthy enough. Maybe that'd alert Laurelpaw without getting the dog's attention on another cat. Or maybe it'd do the opposite. "Get out of there, what are you doing!" she thought hard at Laurelpaw, as if thinking it hard enough while she stared would make him hear her. "Here! Come here!"
    Evidently, that probably wasn't going to work. She wasn't a telepath. Realizing this, Morningpaw whipped her head around frantically. Uh. Uh. Wasn't there a secret Shadowclan signal she could use to get his attention? Really a waste, if there wasn't, and regardless she really didn't know one.
    Maybe she could do something to distract the dog, progress with the situation. Potential ideas raced through her head; she wasn't fast enough to simply run out and distract it, she'd just get eaten, and if she were to dash into the puddle she'd draw attention to both of them. And as much as she wanted to, she couldn't just flat out attack the big animal. She would also get eaten. 
    Oh, foxdung, she didn't have any ideas! Usually "hit it really hard" worked well enough and she didn't have to think it through any further! Well... that was that, then. Morningpaw rounded the fern, to at least hide herself opposite of the dog's immediate vision, and poked the tip of her muzzle out at her clanmate.
   "Laurelpaw!"
   It was a last resort but, hey. Maybe if they were lucky they could sneak past (she held onto that dream tight even if she knew, if Laurelpaw was involved, there was no way it'd work) without getting detected by the dog again. 
   "Here! Come here!"

[attr="class","mpnotes"]wordcount: 1089 notes: I GOT A LITTLE CARRIED AWAY crescendo