Open Border pull you in like the waves of the sea — shadowclan hunting patrol

[MIREPURR]

Mirepurr is glad for the cold weather; they can use it as an excuse as to why their fur is fluffed up, as if they had just been frightened by something. In reality, their nerves feel frayed at the edges, and that fact is not helped by the fact that they have to take the lead. Experience is good, they tell themself—though isn't it also logical to leave some duties up to those who actually know how to handle them?

It is a blessing, then, that ShadowClan isn't a direct neighbor of RiverClan. The patrol gets the opportunity to traverse wholly neutral land. Fourtrees is an ominous backdrop; slowly but surely, those giant trees are starting to shed their canopy. In just a pawful of moons, frigid breeze will whistle through the stark, naked branches.

But not today. Today, there is no frost yet, and thus no ice over the stream that trickles on before the ShadowClan trio. It is not an optimal place for them to hunt, by any means; rivers may be natural to find in the wild, but a feisty RiverClanner might easily accuse them of trying to steal. None of them know how to fish, not efficiently... but in a way, fish tastes similar to frog. Mirepurr isn't about to turn down the chance to fatten the dwindling fresh-kill pile, even if they are terrified of an incoming enemy patrol.

"Look!"

they gasp, astonished, tail startling to resemble a giant squirrel at this point.

"The fish... what are they doing? Why are they-"

They don't get to finish their sentence. Those scaled creatures dance away like they are celebrating something, occasionally jumping out of the water, their tails wiggling in the air before plunging straight back into the no-doubt cold depths. A wrongly timed blink later, Mirepurr startles, caught entirely off-guard by a fish coming straight to their face. Without having any further time to think, Mirepurr opens their mouth- and just in time, too. The fish literally jumps into their open jaws.

@Marbleshine @Snowbriar but no need to wait!
The fish are extra active today. Some of them are even jumping out of the water and onto the shore! Is it stealing if they end up on the side closer to Fourtrees? Also, be mindful to not get hit by one!

 

[Marbleshine]

In the morning when I wake and the sun is coming through
Oh, you fill my lungs with sweetness and you fill my head with you

.

Marbleshine knew that with her injury, she was starting to feel like a liability. She tried her best to hunt the way she used to, but the fox had struck her shoulder in just the right [ or wrong ] way, and learning to hunt on three legs proved far harder than she had imagined. Still, she tried. Her clan depended on her. There were eyes that glanced her way, quietly counting on her, and she couldn't let them down. Even bringing back a single meal for others would make the day a success.

Her gentle eyes fell on the hunting patrol leader, and a small, encouraging smile touched her maw. She brushed softly against her friend. " Mirepurr… you'll do amazing. " she whispered. " I know it. " Her gaze shifted to the riverbank, hopeful that they might find some good prey. She was no fisher by any means, RiverClan cats had that skill far more naturally, but… what was happening? Blue eyes blinked as a fish leapt from the water… then plunged back in.

" They're… jumping? " she murmured, tilting her head in surprise. A squeaky little chirp escaped her as one flew straight for Mirepurr. " Watch out! " Her eyes widened, though a giggle slipped through her nerves as Mirepurr, entirely by accident it seemed, caught the fish out of midair. Marbleshine limped forward cautiously, waiting a long moment before striking herself. She weaved carefully past the leaping fish, managing not to get hit, and landed a paw on one that slid toward shore. She ended its life with a quick, practiced bite.

" If… if they keep jumping like this, we could catch enough to feed a lot of the camp today! " she exclaimed, relief and excitement flooding her as she glanced at Mirepurr.

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

6 MOONS

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SHADOWCLANNER

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SONG

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bio

 

[CHITTERHUSK]

You notice them before they notice you—three shapes moving with that uneven, land-born rhythm that never quite fits beside running water. They're clumsy on the river's edge, stepping too close, paws sinking into the mud where reeds bend low. From where you crouch among the drooping rushes, you can see the reflection of the darker one's fur puffed wide, like a kit trying to seem twice its size. ShadowClan, by the scent. The air around them smells like wet bark and stagnant pools. You stay still long enough to watch them fumble. The cat—Mirepurr, you hear another murmur the name—jerks at the water like they've seen a ghost beneath it. Then the river breaks. Silver flashes churn and scatter, the sound soft and hollow like rain tapping reeds. It's not unusual, but to them it might as well be witchcraft. You almost laugh, quiet under your breath. The way their fur bristles at the leaping fish—as if the river itself has teeth.

Then one of the fish arcs higher than the rest and, absurdly, lands straight in Mirepurr's open jaws. For a heartbeat, the world holds still. You blink once, twice. Then their companion—the pale one, walking with a limp that makes each step look cautious—gives a small cry of delight. She scrambles forward, manages to pin one of the sliding bodies with surprising precision. For cats who don't belong to the river, they aren't half bad. You let the silence stretch a while, watching the trio gather themselves, excitement stirring like minnows beneath their skins.

You keep your tail low, not hostile, but not friendly either. "Strange place for ShadowClan to be hunting," you say. Your voice comes out calm, the drawl of a cat used to being near the current. The water runs just a whisker from your paws. "Are you planning on taking all of the fish?" You've seen what the cold does to prey this time of season; hunger makes everyone a little desperate. You wouldn't be very surprised. You step closer to the bank, gaze flicking to the fish still shattering the surface. You meet Mirepurr's wide eyes, your own naturally wide eyes meeting theirs sharply. "If you're going to hunt here, though, you'll want to be sure to stay on your side, and not take too much. We need to feed ourselves, as well." The tension in the air hums like a taut line, but you keep your posture easy. You're not looking for a fight. You just like seeing how cats who don't belong to the river behave around it. There's something endearing in the way they gawk at the water, like they've never seen it alive before.

 

[SARDINEPAW SARDINEPAW]

" Woah! Neat! "

Though tensions run thick from one edge of the river to the other, Sardinepaw's gaze is bright with amusement at the shadow warrior's easily made catch. The fish had practically leaped into their mouth! He wishes that would happen to him — it would make everything so much easier, wouldn't it? He would be a warrior by now, or, at the very least, wouldn't have to worry about his assessment more than he's already trying not to. And then another ShadowClanner makes a catch out of the leaping fish, and — he can't help but frown a little.

" Hey! Save some for us! " the tom calls across the way, his voice light, free from any qualms that might set the patrol off. He is supposed to be helping out, and, well, if the ShadowClan cats get to all the fish first, then he's going to have nothing to bring back home! Besides, if they can make such easy kills out of RiverClan's fish, then Sardinepaw is bound to catch one too, should the stars align in his favor. " At least make them jump over here, will you? "