To Feed A Tribe (Fire, Cloud, and Raven.)

[skykeeper]

To Feed A Clan
An Impromptu Hunting Mission, featuring Fire In The Daylight Sky, played by Ghastjio, as well as Cloud Dancing with Distant Star, and Raven Flying Through Frozen Storm, played by SkyKeeper.

Cloud was all but frolicking through the Ashen Forest, her pale green eyes taking in every detail of the magnificent world around her. Never one to pass up the chance to see the forest this time of year, she'd gladly agreed to going on a hunting mission with Fire. Of course, Raven had quietly offered to help as well, so the three set out to feed the tribe. Cloud almost always let Fire lead, since he was both older, and much better than her at the actual hunting-- which she'd never admit-- and he almost always picked a place where the prey was running bountifully. Not to mention, she was a bit air-headed for leading a patrol, and Raven was far too quiet. 
Cloud gazed at Fire's fluffy orange pelt ahead of her, and noticed with a grin that he matched the blazing colors of Leaf-fall. She was a bit jealous of his coloration, another fact she'd never admit, because he really looked like an untamed flame in the shape of a cat. She didn't mind her own fur, it was pretty enough, but the grey and cream and off-white shades were a bit... Well, she thought they were boring. Not like Raven's unique speckled fur, or Fire's bright and intricate pelt.
She was so lost in those thoughts she almost ran in to the Tom in front of her, stumbling just in time to catch herself before she did. "Oops, sorry Fire! Got lost in thought for a second," she laughed, her whiskers twitching with amusement at her own fumble. All negative thoughts had already flown from her mind, and she felt much lighter.

Raven laughed softly at Cloud's stumbling, bringing up the rear of the patrol. "You? Lost in thought? What a rare occurrence," they murmured sarcastically, but with warmth and amusement in their tone. Out of all the cats in the tribe, Raven liked Cloud and Fire best. Both were Preyhunters like Raven, and they actually felt like they could trust both companions. Of course, Cloud was Raven's sister, so she had a bit of a boost in Raven's eyes, but Fire just seemed genuinely trustworthy. And, he wasn't violent in the least, which made Raven appreciate him quite a bit.
Raven could only hope their impression of the Tom was correct.
Their tail swayed a few times, ears swiveling. Even when every other cat was relaxed, Raven was always alert, never feeling truly safe in a world so filled with dangers and violence. Plus, she was scanning for prey, as the purpose of this endeavor was to hunt. Cloud was always a bit air-headed when it came to these things, so it was usually up to Fire and Raven to locate the prey. 

[Ghastjio]

Flame chuckles a little and shifts to the side so he’s out of Cloud’s way, then looking back at her with a kind smile, his fluffy tail gently swishing from side to side in amusement. Same as Cloud, he truly loved being out here in the fall, for many reasons. But he would probably take a whole moon cycle to list them all, so he’s not going to try that just yet. He’s on a patrol, after all! But.. it’s a good idea for later, when he’s bored and sitting in his den, so he carefully stores that thought away for later before answering Cloud. “Oh, it’s no problem! Just don’t do it in the middle of catching prey or I’d be forced to steal it from you.” Putting a little playful tone in that last but, he deems his answer perfect. After all, there’s no need for accidentally insulting a friend. No, that would be bad, and he doesn’t want to set off Raven. While he enjoys Raven’s company on patrols, Fire is honestly a little intimidated by them. He always felt uncomfortable around quiet cats, ever since- Well. It’s no use thinking about that. No, it’ll just set him off, and that’s a really bad thing to happen on a hunt! And in front of others, too! Nope, he’s only thinking about his company right now, and the admittedly calming presence of Cloud behind him. Which also means that he isn’t exactly focusing on finding prey right at the moment, but Raven is currently doing that, so that’s okay. Fire just needs to breathe, keep up a cheerful attitude for his friends, and keep talking to Cloud. That’ll surely help.

Fire in the Daylight Sky skykeeper 282 Words //'Sup :3

aeron at thq

[skykeeper]

Ghastjio

Cloud felt her smile grow, and she beamed a bit, her laugh erupting like the melody of a dozen little bells. "I'll make sure I focus. Don't want you and Raven catching all the prey... Again." She snickered after the last bit, and shook her head. "I think the real reason Ice named me Cloud was because my head is always up in them." Her grin was almost Goofy as she looked between Fire and Raven, before wiggling her rump and bounding ahead of them a few paces, spinning around to face both at the same time. "I have an idea!" She meowed gleefully, making sure not to be so loud as to scare prey, "what if we make it into a sort of... Game? Whoever catches three things first, wins! I always do better with a little friendly competition. And it will mean plenty of prey for feeding the tribe!" Her eyes were sparkling with their usual kitlike joy, her tail all but wagging behind her as gazed at her fellow Preyhunters. 
She was reminded again why she was glad she didn't become a Cave Guard. They had fellowship, sure enough, but Preyhunters almost always had a strong bond, given that they must be able to work as a team. Like a smaller tribe within the tribe, made for the all-too-important task of feeding every hungry mouth. To Cloud, it was like a family, especially since the most valid member of her family was a part of it.



Raven smiled softly at Cloud, their features showing emotions that they seldom ever revealed. They knew it would be highly unlikely that Cloud would even come close to competing with both themselves and Fire, and knew that Cloud was probably aware of that fact. Raven had always respected their younger littermate for her bright and shining attitude, and what seemed to be a complete inability to be discouraged. Of course, Raven couldn't actually see into Cloud's mind to make sure that was the case, but Cloud was usually very open with her feelings. 
Regardless, Raven didn't like the idea of a competition that could potentially discourage Cloud, so they spoke up.
"How about this; You and Fire hunt as a team, but you have to catch five pieces of prey total, versus my three. It'll speed things up a bit, and we won't have too heavy a burden to carry back up to the tribe." They suggested, a slightly competitive  flame sparking in their eyes. This would make a real challenge, especially if Fire and Cloud could work well together. And this way, Cloud would have no chance of being left in the dust.

[Ghastjio]

Fire tilts his head a little in interest, looking between Cloud and Raven. He’s pretty sure he knows what Raven’s doing, and appreciates it, he doesn’t want to have to be the one to leave Cloud in the dust! So he smiles, ears perked and tail swishing more in interest and excitement. This could be good - a friendly challenge and a good friend to hunt with, what more could he ask for? But first, he directs his gaze towards Raven so they know he’s speaking to them, putting on a little playful tone at the end. “Yes, that sounds perfect! I’ll find you when we finish first~” He smirks a little before turning to Cloud, smiling as warmly as the fire he was named after. “Which direction would you like to go in, first?” Even though he knew she wasn’t the best at tracking prey and knowing where it would be, it was only polite to give her the choice. If she wanted help, he’d provide it after she asked him.

Fire in the Daylight Sky skykeeper 171 Words N/A

aeron at thq

[skykeeper]

Ghastjio

Raven merely smirked at Fire, glad he both understood what they were getting at, and was willing to genuinely participate. Raven's paws were already moving as they dashed away into the forest, their nose pinpointing the distinct scent of squirrel. A good catch, if they could nab it before it got to high into the thin branches. Raven wasn't the heaviest of cats, but a squirrel could very easily climb out of their reach, and it would be valuable time wasted if they failed. 
An, but a big, Leaf-fall-fat squirrel would be worth that risk. It would easily feed two whole cats.
Dropping low into a Hunter's crouch, they carefully made their way forward, sneaking up on the little creature. It was munching on an acorn, too preoccupied to notice the skilled predator approaching. With a grin of triumph, Raven leaped, and pinned the squirrel to the cold ground. It squealed, but she finished it off quickly, claiming her first prey. 
One step closer!

Cloud grinned at Raven as they padded away, seeing the competitive flare in her sibling's gaze. As Fire asked her where she thought they should go first, she turned to him with a thoughtful expression. "Well, wouldn't there probably be some prey by the stream that runs through just east of here? We could start there!" She suggested, bouncing a bit on her paws, excited to get started. That was going to be great! She and Fire could hunt down five pieces of prey easily, though that was more due to Fire's skill than her own. She was rather proud of her suggestion though, as it was something she'd recalled from hunting with Fire and Raven before. Her whiskers, ears, and nose twitched, and her green gaze bounced around the forest almost radically as she tried to detect signs of prey. She looked almost funny doing it all at once, seeming far too hyperactive for a cat her age.

[Ghastjio]

Fire couldn’t help but snicker at Cloud. He didn’t mind if he wasted a bit of time watching her, surely they would catch up in no time. She was so interesting - he’s never been as purely active as she is, and he’s never really seen anyone else like her. However, he only spared a few moments watching her try to sense everything at else before widening his smile and nodding. “That sounds good. Surely there’d be some prey wanting one final drink before bed.” And, with a gentle flick of his tail, he started wandering over there. He knew Cloud would follow - she usually did - so he didn’t look back. He just kept walking, looking up towards the leaves of the trees as his paws worked on their own to trace a familiar route. Like so many times before, he was struck by a small thought. The leaves truly looked like fire, painted on a backdrop of blue, a daylight sky. He then quickly looked down again as a small warmth grew through him. He always got this way when he was reminded about how he was named - he wasn’t embarrassed by it, he was just.. overwhelmed, by a feeling of comforting warmth. Yes, that’s surely it. He almost doesn’t notice it when his paws hit the roots of a bush. He yelps softly in surprise, flailing for a few seconds before tumbling forward into the branches. Well.. so much for catching prey early. He doesn’t even know what happened - he’s not used to zoning out like Cloud. He’s supposed to be passionate about supporting the clan, especially by hunting! He’s supposed to stay on task to feed everyone! Well, maybe he should stop thinking about the burning leaves above him. Yes, that’s reasonable. Oh, darn it all, he’s supposed to be good at hunting, and now he’s just stuck laying in a bush! No. Wait. No, that’s bad, he can’t get angry, he can’t even get close to feeling that way. So he takes a deep breath, clears his mind away, and gets to the task to wriggling to try to get out of the bush. He should just focus on whatever task he has from now on. And right now, It's hunting.

Fire in the Daylight Sky skykeeper 374 Words Notes: I got carried away..

aeron at thq