The Farm WE DON'T KNOW A THING + intro and theft

[gorsepaw]

☼ . ° ✦

Frosted sun crept over the horizon and shone its milky light over the stiff corn stalks in the field. A mouse held a small leftover corn, dropped when the harvester came through, and nibbled on the hard exterior. Food was hard for everyone to find. There was no exception for the predator or the prey. Some lucky rodents had the ability to sleep through the winter and wake up to a land full of plumping nuts and grain. This mouse was not as lucky. It crawled through depleted stalks finding whatever scraps it could.

Nip was not unlike the mouse. She was cold and hungry, and di not have the pleasure of being lulled to sleep until the sun turned warm and golden. She had been born at the end of greenleaf, and had only experienced the warmth on her fur for a short time before leaves turned ochre and the sun found comfort behind clouds.

The kit prowled through the forgotten corn stalks with her mouth open, ready to catch whatever prey scent she could. She was getting better at hunting day by day, but still found it hard to get her claws into prey reliably. She had wrangled an old squirrel to death a week ago. It was not a clean kill and the squirrel was almost as big as her. The child had received several sharp bites from her opponent and now renounced squirrel as a meal altogether.

The mouse raised its small head at the sound of her pawsteps and Nip curse silently to herself. The way this was supposed to work (according to the other barn cats) was that you scent before you see. She had watched the rodent spot her before she had even truly noticed it. With a frantic leap, Nip stretched out her tin claws to snag the mouse. All she grabbed was air. She cried in frustration and clawed at the earth. Stupid mouse. Stupid season. Stupid Nip.

Dejected, she gave the earth one final swipe before she made her way back to the barn. She weaved through stalks of corn trampled and picked through. They scraped and grabbed at her thin pelt and threatened to rip it clean off. Bah, let them. She deserved it for being such a poor hunter at 4 moons. She would never get better at this.

The kit pushed her way into the barn and was greeted with the mingling scents of the cats that also lived here. Prey scent also crawled within, but she tended to leave those to the older cats. She didn't want to embarrass herself in front of them. Especially Alder, Ice and Pebble. She would never hear the end of it.

Eyes colored like murky ponds eyed the scattering of cats and huffed. One day, she'd be like them. One day, she'd be big enough to sit amongst them and gossip about prey or whatever it is they usually talk about. Maybe the things they talked about would also be interesting one day. One character stood out to her. Well, the fresh caught mouse at his paws was what drew her attention. She could care less about the tom himself. Nip took a breath and crouched low, weaving between the hay bales stacked against the wall. Swift was talking to another cat, seemingly oblivious to Nip's plan. From behind the hay bale, a tiny paw reached out, scrambling to stick a claw into the mouse and drag it to her. She cursed quietly as her claw missed, but she was determined to try again.

✧ ° . ✶ . ° ✧

ooc information

• ooc: @Swiftwatcher but no need to wait <3
  
  guardian tag @Alder
• 

  NIP GORSEPAW — SHE/HER ･ 4 MOONS ･ KIT & WINDCLAN ･ PENNED BY MUDDLY!

  silver tabby with high white and yellow-green eyes. a grumpy, independent she-cat that prefers to bite before she speaks. raised by alder. adopted sibling to ice and pebble.

 

[Swiftwatcher]

SWIFT OF THE BARN

Swift's laughter filled the barn like the sun warming a cool morning, his whiskers twitching in delight as he exchanged banter with one of the other cats. A plump mouse lay at his paws, a trophy of his earlier hunt, though it had since become more of a prop for his easy chatter.

Unbeknownst to him, or so it would seem, a pint-sized 'predator' had locked eyes on his prize. From the corner of his eye, he saw the kit creeping closer with eyes fixated on the mouse that laid before Swift. Such stealth, such grace! Swift's ears twitched in amusement as he caught the faintest sound of little paw steps. Still, he feigned ignorance, continuing his conversation while sneaking the occasional side glance.

When the kit made a first swipe for the mouse and failing success on the first try, he tried his best to stifle a chuckle, letting his tail flick nonchalantly. But when a second attempt came and he found that tiny claws managed to get into the mouse to yank it away, he couldn't help the pride that filled his heart.

"Oh no! Whatever shall I do?!" Swift gasped, stepping back with mock astonishment. His golden eyes widened, twinkling with humor. "This fierce warrior has claimed my fresh kill!" he exclaimed, watching the kit with a smile to his face as he carefully crouched before them, his grin widening. "I suppose this is the end for ol' Swift, eh? Bested by the fiercest hunter in the barn!"

I'll be your light, your match, your burning sun ——･ﾟ✦​

･ﾟ✦ —— I'll be the bright, in black that's making you run

 

[Alder]

machiavelli

love me, love me, love me

Nip was getting to that age of kithood where spending time alone was more important than the coddling of a mother. It did not bother faer much as it used to, now seeing her hours of absence a usual trend. Sometimes, on lucky afternoons when Pebble and Ice still slept, Alder would be lucky enough to be allowed to accompany her on these trips.

The old barncat was a mouser through and through, faer pawsteps etched into the rows of cornfields and grain for moons upon moons. Fae did not find the need to try faer skill against another creature like squirrels or crows, faer muscles unable to learn new tricks these days. It frustrated Nip, fae had come to realize, how faer guidance was only so minimal compared to faer daughter's need for more range in taste.

But what's so wrong with mice? Fae had asked, frustration not hidden in faer voice. And that must have been the last time they hunted together.

But it was no matter, not when Alder had two other children to feed. Two that enjoyed following after faer every step to learn and grow from. Ah, but it did sadden the old queen. The more they learned and better they became the sooner they would have to part from faer barn and find their home, just as the many kin before them had. It was only natural of course, the barn couldn't possibly feed every kit that fell into faer paws.

Alder was in the midst of observing Pebble and Ice's play when Swift's shout drew her attention. A mouse fit between her paws, Alder would have been filled with pride if it weren't for the obvious tell that Nip had not put in the work to kill her prey. Someone else had.

"Hmm, very funny." Alder's tone is quite dry, in fact, lacking any humor Swift may share.

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