The ground was hard and cold, icy, underneath the film of powdery snow that coated everything. While it was much more difficult to pick up the scent of any prey around, tiny steps and jumps peppered the white expanse, mouse tracks clear to see. Berrywhisker looked at the young apprentice he'd been tasked with taking hunting, sat, large fluffy tail curled around him, and gestured to the tracks with a cream colored paw. "Want to take it from here?" he asked, voice low as to not disturb any prey that may be nearby.
He wanted to see this cat in action, what skills and tricks he'd use to hunt, and more importantly how he'd conserve heat and energy while doing so. Berrywhisker had known colder than this, knew it was important to prepare for the worst. In fact, that was a strategy he often employed- 'preparing for the worst'; though it was more like stressing himself out about the worst things that could happen. Even now, with the clan clearing and warm dens so close, he was worried about freezing to death.
S T O R M Y P A W
Going out in the cold weather didn’t bother Stormypaw. He was granted a thick pelt from his parents and the brisk chill couldn’t phase him much. What bothered him more was his company. His icy blue eyes glanced over to Berrywhisker- a warrior he had never really paid much mind to before. After all, if they weren’t within the circle of his parents’ friends, he likely didn’t know much about them and ever since Snowstar disappeared, Edgefrost hadn’t been the most social.
It seemed as though Berrywhisker understood the moody apprentice, since he skipped the small talk part of social interaction and Stormypaw didn’t bother to create conversation either. The two of them remained silent as they hunted, until they came upon the tiny tracks of rodents. His breath billowed in a small huff at the tom’s inquiry. The dark-pelted tom didn’t fancy sinking his teeth into something with fur but with the river icing over, they had to make do.
Parting from the cream tom’s side without a word, he slunk forward, careful with his heavy paws as he placed them down onto snow covered ground. With the frosty ground crunching against enough weight, he knew he needed to be slow and cautious with his steps, more so than usual. Plus, with temperatures as cold as this, he had to pace himself stamina-wise as well, lest he wanted his lungs to burn later.
So far, the little mouse didn’t seem to register the presence of predators nearby. It was too focused on scavenging for food on its own underneath the snow. In little to no time, Stormypaw deemed himself close enough and he pounced forward, clearing the space between himself and his target. His large paws landed almost perfectly onto the rodent, his weight alone enough to break the spine and render his prey helpless before him. Satisfied with himself, he picked up the mouse and trotted his way back over to Berrywhisker.
“Does that please you?” He smirked around the mouse tail in his mouth, clearly as conceited as ever.