a frosty wonderland [open]

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SMOKESTAR,

Coming out of the lichen covered den, Smokestar raised his head and surveyed the camp, as he did every morning. The cold earth made his paws ache and he noticed that the camp was littered with snow, small drifts of it leaned against the highrock and other dens. The white world made the male stop for a moment, his bright green eyes adjusting to the brightness. Frost still clung to the trees and bracken, making the camp look like a wonderland while it sparkled in the with the light from the rising sun.

Smokestar stretched, his mouth opening in a wide yawn and his back legs stretching out behind him, one after another. He shook his body and then continued on into the middle of camp, where he stopped and sat back, looking around again. He was the first to awake, but signs of life started to appear in the camp. A few warriors were slipping out of their own warm den to go on the morning patrol which had been organized the day before. Smokestar nodded to them as they passed by and gave him a sleepy hello.

The tom yawned again, shaking his head after and getting to his feet. The day was just beginning and he couldn't help but wonder what knew adventures awaited him and his clan today. Hopefully, the warriors would come back with something to eat, as the Thunderclan leader noticed that the fresh-kill pile was looking rather, well, non-existent. Smokestar wouldn't actually mind going out in a hunting party himself, but he wondered who would want to go with him, what with the ground being frozen solid. He decided to wait until more of the warriors and apprentices woke up.

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[BiRDZiLLA!]

Halfpaw

The branches that arched to form the Apprentice's den ceiling trembled in the cold, scattering minute traces of snow onto the sleeping bundles below. In his usual corner Halfpaw was sprawled, crippled leg pulled tight to his body, the rest of him splayed out comfortably. Somewhere beyond his den there was a crack of a twig as camp came to life, and even with his best efforts the two-toned apprentice couldn't ignore them. Yawing he sat up, shaking away snow that had accumulated on his pelt and moss bed before slowly itching out of the bracken den.

He was famished. The apprentice went to bed hungry to save some prey for his clan, in exchange for the rare plump (by Leaf-bare standards) lunch he had. Halfpaw's stomach rumbled loudly as he stumbled through the clearing, his organ twang-ing in pity as he came upon the depleted pile. "Uhmm..." he idled stupidly, not quite sure if he really should touch any of it - a pure bone mouse, something that looked sickly before dying, and only one good prospect that should be left for the elders. The Thunderclan cat swung his head around, looking for someone to consult. He gasped as he noticed his mentor, wondering how he manged to miss Smokestar before.

"Smokestar," he began softly, coming to a halt before the green eyed warrior, "Is there a patrol out hunting...?" His stomach tawnged again, and nervously he looked to the side. The small pile mocked him.Rainbow Veins - Owl City

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SMOKESTAR,

As life began to become more noticeable in the clearing, a very unique pelt slid out of the apprentice den. Smokestar watched his apprentice approach the fresh-kill pile and the look upon the smaller cat's face told him that Halfpaw was having the exact same thoughts about the pile as he was.

A half smile appeared on the warriors face as he heard the roar of his own belly match that of the sound coming from Halfpaw's. The smaller apprentice had always been one of Smokestar's favourites, not that he would tell anybody that he had favourites. His unique pelt and the fact that he managed to keep up with some of the other apprentices even though his leg was crippled made Smokestar proud to be the young cat's mentor. The apprentice was a bit of a downer on himself but the warrior refused to let his apprentice think he was not good enough.

In answer to Halfpaw's question about hunting, Smokestar's eyes lit up. "Just the dawn border patrol but I doubt they will catch enough to feed a hungry clan." He said with a twinge of sadness in his voice, but then he continued, "I was just about to organize a hunting patrol, but the prey will be on alert for any noises, so the less paw's the better, how about you and I go out?" The dark grey tom said, although his question was said as more of a statement.

The Thunderclan leader took another glance at the pathetic excuse for a fresh-kill pile. Surely there had to be some prey out? The sky was clear and soon the sun would cast a warm glow upon the forest, hopefully luring some of the small animals out of hiding. What was left on the pile looked scarce, and the mouse closest to him looked like crowfood. "Take the vole to the elders and I think I'll rid ourselves of this mouse. It'll do more bad than good around here." Smokestar ordered, his voice tinged with an air of melancholy. At least the elders would appreciate the more plump looking vole and hopefully he and Halfpaw would be able to replenish even a small amount of what used to be a nice looking fresh-kill pile. "We'll meet by the camp entrance."

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[BiRDZiLLA!]

Halfpaw

He listened carefully as his mentor informed him briefly of the situation, his ears pitching forward slightly at the prospect of them going out solo. "... Yes, Smokestar," Halfpaw meowed carefully, pausing for a moment before turning on his heels and heading in the opposite direction. The apprentice grabbed the musty vole, giving it a small shake in hopes to rid the growing moisture as he approached the enclosed elder's den. Soft snores greeted him, and as breathlessly as it was possible to manage he made a small nest for the prey, setting it inside for the sleeping cats when the awoke. Halfpaw backtracked carefully, waiting for a distance to come between him and the den before breaking out into a trot to meet up at the indicated spot with the Thunderclan leader. Silently to himself he considered the most productive way to go - opposite of the patrol, and more in the center. Once the large gray warrior approached, Halfpaw instantly jumped to his conclusions.

"... are there air pockets under the snow drifts, Smokestar?" A small ounce of fear laced his words, obviously concerned about the possibilities of falling through the lavish piles of sky discharge. The snow had only become mountainous most recently, and as it was his first year of being allowed out he couldn't be positive of the structures strength without confirmation. "Nothing to fall through?" His tail trembled behind him, as his ears flattened slightly as his imagination roared out of control, "Catching something in a bank won't cause it all to tumble in, right?"Dare You To Move - Switch foot

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SMOKESTAR,

Smokestar watched his apprentice trot away to the fresh-kill pile. After a moment, the leader followed and picked up the tiny piece of prey barely fit for a mangy rogue. He held it delicately in his teeth, careful not to tear the skin for fear of it being filled with maggots. It smelled putrid, so it probably was infested. Careful not to trip on any roots or snow, the clan leader brought the mouse outside of camp and dug a hole in the ground, which is easier said than done with the ground being so rock hard. Eventually, he had a small dip in the earth. Placing the prey in the ground he covered it back up and patted it down, covering it again with snow.

Smokestar made his way back to his appointed meeting place to find his apprentice already waiting for him. The tom refrained from chuckling at his worried apprentice. "There is no need to worry, the snow is pretty hard. It might loosen when it gets warmer out, but the drifts aren't that high and we'll stay away from the taller ones. If you do fall through, I'll be right there to help you out, but it's unlikely. Nothing to worry about." Smokestar told the quivering youngster, laying his bushy tail on the small back of the apprentice and giving him a soothing stroke.

Then, without further ado, Smokestar shook his feline body and trotted out of the camp and into the forest, which looked like some magical place with the rising sun making the snow sparkle. True to his word, the drifts were not that high that they cats should be afraid and the snow that they walked on was packed down hard and the surface was crusted over. Of course, later when the sun became hotter, the two cats would probably sink a bit in the snow, but falling completely through was very unlikely.

Smokestar figured that the prey would want to be somewhere warm, and the place he instantly thought of was Sunningrocks. The sun would have just started warming the rocks, so prey would be scuffling about. But of course, the patrol might have passed through there already. Instead of heading out in any particular direction just yet, the leader decided to consult his apprentice as to which direction he would take if he were leading this patrol.

"Alright Halfpaw, you're leading the patrol today. Which way do you think we should go?" The smokey tom asked, awaiting the apprentices response. This would be good practice for the young cat for when he became a warrior and had to lead patrols himself. Of course, if Halfpaw suggested something outrageous like going to Riverclan territory to hunt or into twoleg place then Smokestar would set him straight. However, Halfpaw was most definitely smarter than that. Earlier in the apprentices training, Smokestar had shown his apprentice many of the best places to find prey, so he was sure that Halfpaw would have a good idea.

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[BiRDZiLLA!]

Halfpaw

Halfpaw found the leader's words reassuring, so without another comment he padded after. The cold nipped at his pads, and the apprentice couldn't help but release a long sigh. 'This will be a long trip...' When Smokestar told him to the lead the way, Halfpaw stumbled in the snow. "Ah!... Uhm," he thought it over for a bit, shaking away the snow he managed to kick up with his falter. He'd been told of the Patrol before, so it made no sense to trace their paw steps. This dismissed the outer edges of the territory. Though, hiding prey wouldn't keep near camp during the winter - it was just a stupid move.

"How about the... Tall Pines?" he looked at his paws shyly, hoping to avoid any negative comments from his mentor. "The patrol would have if anything just touched the edge of it... and with all the trees and roots mice would hide in there... and any prey that they did scare would have gone into the middle... so uh, I think we should start near the center of the Tall Pines..." Halfpaw began to nod to himself, the small action reassuring. His logic made sense to him, and the trees would negative a lot of the snow, leaving no large drifts to be concerned about, even with Smokestar's prior reassurance to calm his nerves. "... and the needles smell nice?" the two-toned apprentice added quickly, hoping the little Easter egg would help sway the leader's opinion if he wasn't already taken with the idea.[/color]Oh! Gravity - Switchfoot

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SMOKESTAR,

The Thunderclan leader awaited the smaller cats response. While Halfpaw was answering, Smokestar tested the air, drawing it over his scent glands. However, all he could smell was tree's and the frozen powder beneath his paws. The prey was definitely hiding and even the stupidest mouse wouldn't be witless enough to stray so close to the camp of their enemies.

Smokestar nodded to Halfpaw, a small chuckle escaping at the mention of the good-smelling needles. They did smell good, though, so the apprentice did have a point. "good thinking. Let's head that way and see what we can find." Pride shone in the warrior's eyes. His apprentice was definitely coming along nicely. Hopefully, within the next few moons, Halfpaw would be ready to be made into a warrior. Of course, his crippled leg slowed him down a bit, but not enough to keep him from becoming a warrior. Smokestar had decided this long ago, when he first made Halfpaw his own apprentice. Blinking his thoughts of warrior ceremonies away, Smokestar concentrated on the present. "Lead the way." Smokestar said, gesturing to the young cat to go ahead of him.

The only notion that Smokestar was putting Halfpaw under another test was a flick of the tail, much like that of a mischievous kit's. The leader wanted to know if his apprentice knew the layout of the land well enough to guide them into the center of tall pines. Luckily, the two-leg monsters had not yet encroached that particular area of the pines just yet, though the hideous growling beasts had been slowly digging away at the trees for quite some time now, and it was starting to make the leader a little nervous.

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[BiRDZiLLA!]

Halfpaw

A small smile flickered across the apprentice's face at the light praise, and embarrassed the Mluti-colored apprentice flexed his lame leg. "Okay," he responded when told to lead, trying to contain the butterflies swelling in his stomach. Smokestar was never one to over criticize him, but it was one of the first times he'd been completely in charge. It was uplifting to have been given authority(!?) over the leader.

Trying to remember the best routes to the designated spot was another task though. The whole forest was littered with various pine trees, so it wasn't just a task of following the scent. 'Oh yeah, by the twolegs....' Halfpaw took small, unhurried bounds through the snow in the direction of South East, as he attempted to check each and every spot before putting weight on it. Quick analysis brought that anything pure, pitch white hadn't settled properly and was best to avoid, and Halfpaw was prepared to bring his finding up in hopes of praise when a stray thought blind sided him.

"... The twolegs wouldn't be out there right now would they, with all this snow?" He hadn't considered that until now, and with a whimper he realized how naive he was being for thinking it was such a nice spot. He'd caught the amusement flowing through his mentor's tail before... 'Was he mocking me?' He slowed to a halt, pulling his injured limb tight to his body to show he wasn't going to move before receiving a satisfying answer. It would be too dangerous of a situation just for Smokestar to bring him out there to prove his mistake! The apprentice's thoughts were getting muddled now, and with a shaky sigh he gave the leader pitiful dark eyes.[/color]Oh! Gravity (still) - Switchfoot

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SMOKESTAR,

Smokestar followed his apprentice through the snow-covered forest. He was happy to note that Halfpaw was heading him in the correct direction. Obviously, some of his teachings must have sunk into the young felines head. He knew that you couldn't just tell Halfpaw something and expect him to remember it. You had to show it to him, but when you did he caught on quickly, which made Smokestar's life easier.

When his apprentice stopped, Smokestar glanced at him curiously, wondering why he did so. His answer was apparent a second later, when Halfpaw voiced his concern. Smelling the air around them, Smokestar shook his head. "The two-legs don't like the cold. They rarely come outside of their nests and when they do it's not for long." Smokestar soothed the young cat.

If there were two-legs out here, Smokestar would definitely not stray near them. The creatures were unpredictable and did strange things for no apparent reason, such as tearing up their beloved forest with their foul smelling monsters. "If there are any two-legs or their monsters, we will stay far away from them." The leader decided, his voice held an air of authority and ephasized the word "far". The two-legs, with their odd habits, were horrid creatures and Smokestar often wondered how kitty-pets lived so peacefully with them.

Again having to shake his head to clear his thoughts, Smokestar started up with a smart jog. "Now let's be quiet before we scare all the prey around here all the way to highstones." He instructed, keeping his pawsteps light. He let the morning air swirl into his mouth, tasting the air. Nothing but nothing. The prey was keeping well hidden this morning. Smokestar, however, was not going to go home with nothing.

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[BiRDZiLLA!]

Halfpaw

Halfpaw watched his mentor walk away, with a skeptical look on his face. He knew two legs to be always a foot and up to something, and winter seemed like no exception. 'Maybe their fur isn't that warm then...' he thought grumpily, padding after Smokestar with his jaw clenched. Either way, he figured the Thunderclan leader would warn him of any danger, as Halfpaw was not quite sure how to read the antics of the two legged creatures. The Two-toned apprentice listened to the command, and kept his nagging questions about two-legs to himself as he trudged through the tickling snow. The scent of Pine trees and sap was increasing rapidly, as well as the fowl stench of said puzzling creatures, while also the snow was decreasing to smaller amounts.

The way to the pine trees was so undisturbed, Halfpaw couldn't help himself but admire it with awe. Snow sat untouched on branches above his head, unscathed by anything but a trickle of life now and again. The sun became dazzling, filtering through the topiary above, onto the shining water crystals. He noticed the way the created soft circles of light on Smokestar's pelt, and light up the area between his own eyes. It was rather distracting.

Pine needles began to out number snow flakes on the ground, the freshly fallen tree spawn poking at Halfpaw's fleshy pads as they trudged on. He was aware now his surroundings, no longer lost in the light show as hunger and instinct kicked in. Silently he dropped into a crouch, mobility of all four paws increasing his pace now. His whiskers twitched in anticipation, imagination soaring at the idea of a bright eyed mouse popping out at the perfect time. This was a slim chance, but mouth watering none the less. Halfpaw slowed to crawl, belly barely dragging in the tree-snow mixture. He swallowed his breath for a moment to listen to the world around him without distraction, trying to negate any familiar non-prey sounds. The furry inverse sound of Smokestar's paws, the negative sound of snow, the thump of his own lungs as they began to burn. Finding nothing to indicate prey, he gulped for air shaking his head as he gaped. ".... I-I don't think this was a good spot after all...[/color]"One Week - Bare Naked Ladies

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SMOKESTAR,

As the two entered Tall Pines, the morning light began to filter through the canopy of branches, reflecting off the snow and creating an amazing light show. However, the Thunderclan leader was not about to be distracted from his hunt. He needed to find food to feed his clan. Without it, they were prone to sickness and starvation, neither of which Smokestar was going to let into his camp.

The tom stopped as he heard his apprentice behind him talking. Facing him, Smokestar nodded. "It may seem like that." He said, then drew in a deep breath, testing the air around them. Aha! With perfect timing, he smelled the oh-so-faint smell of a mouse scuffling a few fox-lengths away from where they stood. Smokestar swung his head to see if he could spot the moving creature who was probably just as hungry as they were. Nothing was to be seen. "Do you smell that?" He asked Halfpaw, smelling deeply once again. It was definitely a rodent.

The leader stood incredibly still as he listened to his surroundings. He could hear the breath of himself and Halfpaw going in and out. He could hear in the distance snow falling from a branch and crashing through the trees, and he could hear the minuscule squeaks of the mouse. Smokestar's eyes lit up, but he remained statue-like. This mouse had perfect timing to show up. He didn't want to have Halfpaw have his hopes completely demolished. Smokestar knew that if you spent enough time searching, eventually you would get results, even if it was something that was barely able to feed one tiny kit.

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[BiRDZiLLA!]

Halfpaw

The apprentice clamped his jaw shut as Smokestar corrected him, flattening his ears to his head as the mouse scuttled out from the trees, mocking him with it's beady eyes. Stray snow flakes pelted the ground around him as he tried not to fidget, waiting to be shown up by his mentor. The gray wood mouse was probably on his own hunt to feed it's own family, and with a little pang of sorrow, Halfpaw made a mental note to knock down any out-of-reach berries in the future to compensate. The clan came first in these situations though, and he dropped down lower into the snow, as silent as possible. His belly has been already slicked with slush prior, and he couldn't help but wither inside as he waited for his mentor to make the kill.

Somewhere behind him, Halfpaw registered another prey like scuttle and as subtle as possible he turned on his heels to scan the area behind him. The mouse was smaller then the other prospect, it's paws obviously as cold as the apprentice's, based on it's ragged hops and leaps. He extended his lame leg as far as possible as he scooted closer, all interest in his mentor's hunt suddenly lost. Mousie turned this way and that, before freezing like the ice on the tress. Halfpaw tensed, holding his breath. ( He Also made a mental note to stop doing that, his lungs would shrivel and die like that one day. ) Mousie squeaked and ran.

Halfpaw quickly prayed that Smokestar had already made his catch before bounding through the snow, spraying the white fluff and pine needles behind him in a messy shower. The mouse gave one quick pulse in his mouth before life slipped away from it, but Halfpaw held on to it for a moment as he awaited his mentor's comment. He looked more innocent with prey his mouth, in case scolding was apparent with his stupid move that may have startled Smokestar's own hunt.