|| ℚ𝕦𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕖 ||
𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕠𝕣 𝕠𝕗 ℝ𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣ℂ𝕝𝕒𝕟
Coppercloud’s kittens had been driving the father insane, they were getting bigger and that meant they were getting more and more anxious to become apprentices and start their training. So for now he thought it would be nice if one of the other queens kit-sat the wee devils so that Coppercloud could have a break. Turning his chin for dark orange eyes to land upon the very fluffy tomcat, he couldn’t help but grumble at the sticky snow clinging to his toes. “When you mentioned going out for a hunt, I didn’t know you meant ice fishing.” He grumbled sourly, the snow was always stickier near water, turning into some sort of slush. Signing softly, he shook out his left hind paw in order to shake some of the snow off of his toes and feathery fur before he noticed that the stream was getting closer and closer.
Eyes narrowed upon sighting the stream while he lashed his tail, glancing towards the other tomcat. Coppercloud was shorter and leaner, but they were heavily covered in very fine and thick fur that made them look so much larger than they really were. Whereas he was taller and broader, covered in medium length dark red and orange striped fur, both sticking out starkly against the white. “You sure this going to hold your weight?” Quinceshade asked cheekily, carefully slipping down the slope of the stream, his eyes roaming over the layer of ice that made it look like the water was clouded in areas and clear in others. Snow dusting the ice and swirling here and there with a chilly breeze. “I fall in, and it’s your pelt I’ll be wearing.” He meowed tartly, highly doubting the strength of this ice as he tentatively placed a paw down on the ice, leaning on his paw to apply pressure. The ice creaked but it didn’t crack or give out underneath him. “Hmmm.” He grunted, whiskers twitching as he scrunched up his nose, old scar running across the bridge made him look older than he was. “You first.” Quinceshade grinned cheekily, turning to look at his companion.
|| ℚ𝕦𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕖 ||
𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕠𝕣 𝕠𝕗 ℝ𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣ℂ𝕝𝕒𝕟
Orange eyes narrowed as the tomcat threw a pointed flared towards his companion, pressing his lips together before making a smacking noise with his tongue. “I have to say that doesn’t make me feel any better. Sleetswan is just a youngster, what would he know about ice fishing?” Quinceshade snorted, nose scrunching slightly as he looked back out the frozen water, tail tip twitching with anxiety. “You’ve got to be kidding me.. you are seriously going to try this?” He arched an eyebrow, looking towards the ginger and white splotched furball leading the way. Silence hung between the two toms before he rolled his orange eyes, head tilting slightly as they both stood at the bank, moving a paw to lightly press against the frozen water, testing to see if it would hold his weight.
“That’s all well and dandy, but I’m certainly larger and heavier than you.” He grumbled, lifting his chin while retracting his paw and gazing towards the thicker patch of ice that Coppercloud seemed intent upon. “All the way out there?” He asked, frowning as his dark red and orange tabby striped pelt suddenly ruffled against the cold. “You are crazier than I thought.” He mumbled, suddenly feeling uncomfortable about this whole situation. “Should we even bother with ice fishing today?” He wondered out loud, looking towards Coppercloud to see the fluffy feline already wandering and zig zagging along the ice. “Guess we are.” He mumbled under his breath, making a less than amused expression.
“Full bellies or not, getting out there looks like a pain in the ass.” He grumbled sourly, letting his chin tilt slightly before letting out a snort as his friend was walking out upon the ice gracefully and confidently. “Maybe you can ice fish and I’ll just watch from here.” Quinceshade grumbled, looking around their surroundings. Ice and snow. And more ice. Damn dreadful. “How you talk me into these situations I’ll never understand.” He grunted, refusing to sit on the frozen stones. Instead he was gazing after his friend with an annoyed and worried expression. Ears suddenly perking up and his fur standing up around his flank when Coppercloud suddenly slipped on his paws.
Heart literally stopping as his friend went sliding on the ice, on his damn back. Paws up in the air as his tail was tucked in between his hind legs. He certainly looked funny while laying on his back and looking over at him. “You idiot.” He hissed out of concern, shaking his head and looking down at the ice. “Can you get up on your own?” Hissing again at the answer and grunting as he slowly placed two front paws on the ice and tested the strength. “Damn carp.. Hold on. I’ll get there eventually. Try and see if you can wiggle on your side.” He meowed, beginning to slowly and tentatively make his way towards Coppercloud.
"I'll be just fine, I've been doing this for quite some time, Sleetswan taught me how." Coppercloud dismissed Quineshade's concerns and badgering. "He might be young, but he is quite the fine ice fisher." Unfortunately, what Coppercloud had forgotten to account for, that even though he was quite efficient at ice-fishing himself, was the fact that he and Sleetswan had very different physiques. Though he might have done just fine ice-fishing on a narrower part of the river, the wider part is where he'd meet his downfall. Due to his larger frame, because he'd still yet to lose most of his kit-bearing chub from his pregnancy, he was in for quite a bitter surprise this time around. He approached the ice, letting his forest green gaze trail over the surface, as he tried to discern the thickest patch upon the ice, knowing that clawing out a hole would take some considerable amount of time, however it would ensure he would not plummet straight through the ice, nor would it crack underneath the pressure his weight would put upon it. A few minutes of silence stretched on between the pair of toms, before Coppercloud's eyes flickered with determination. "Over here, I've found the perfect patch of ice that will hold my weight. It's... a tad farther out than I would like, but I think I can make it. I just have to be aware of the thinner patches." He flicked his tail towards the patch of ice, it was near the middle of the river, quite a way out as he said, but he seemed confident enough that it appeared as though it would pose no issue for him. He glanced over at Quinceshade and gave him a reassuring grin and lightly shouldered the tom, "I'll be just fine, Quinceshade and by the time I'm finished, the entire clan will be sleeping with full bellies of fish tonight. It's been a while since we've all had a decent enough meal." Cautiously he placed one paw on the ice, then another, and another - until finally all four of his paws were planted upon the chilly surface. His body gave of a single shiver, he glanced over his shoulder at Quinceshade, "See, it isn't so tough. I just keep my eyes forward and focused, and place one paw forward at a time." Gradually he made his way forward, and it seemed as if he was going to make it without incident to the thicker patch of ice, as he minded where he placed his paws. However, one moment Coppercloud was gracefully moving across the ice, and then the next he let out an undignified shrill squeaky mewl of alarm as his paws flew up from under him and he went tumbling forward, sailing across the surface of the ice. He could hear it crack ever so slightly behind him.
Until he came sliding to a halt in the middle of the ice, right atop the ice patch that he'd been aiming for, however he was now upside down, his hindquarters sticking up in the air, his tail tucked between his back legs and the tip of it hitting him in the face, as he stared across the ice at Quinceshade. His entire coat warmed with embarrassment as he averted his gaze and his tail flicked with sheepishness.
"W-Well I made it to the ice patch, didn't I?"
He huffed out a breathy laugh, in a feeble attempt to play it all off.