Night Of The Hunter (Open)

[Shadow Da Smiffster]

It was calm tonight. Winds were weak, barely making the tall grass of the moorland sway as they usually did at this hour. However, the night was not completely silent... a rustling in the grass proved it. But as soon as the rustling had rung out, it stopped, and everything, was once again calm.

Moonshadow had spotted some prey not too far from him. One lonesome rabbit, out much too late to be safe from his claws. Most of the fat rodents would be asleep by now, but for some reason, this one wasn't... which was all as well for the tom who had just happened to be wandering about.

Thinking about what he was going to do, Moonshadow kept still, but his muscles were tensed in case he had to make a run for it. Finally, an idea formed within his head, and he stepped forward on silent paws, creeping towards the unsuspecting rabbit. He was completely hidden by the tall grass, but since the wind was not blowing hard, he had to be more careful about masking his sound....

Now wait, he told himself as he came in range to leap out at the piece of prey. All was quiet except for the rodent munching away on vegetation and Moonshadow's quiet breathing. His heartbeat rang in his ears as he awaited the perfect moment to strike....

And then, like a blessing, a much bigger gust of wind picked up. Moonshadow didn't waste his chance. Immediately, he sprang forward from behind the rabbit, who did not hear him over the howl of the wind, and landed on it, biting down into its neck for a quick ending to its life.

All it takes is the right strategy, Moonshadow thought as he picked up his prize. Yes, this would make a good addition to the prey pile. It would be good to have something ready for the cats that got up early for patrol among other things. Surely, someone would appreciate this catch more then he could.

The wind picked up again, this time blowing the scents of other clanmates towards Moonshadow. Someone else was out on this surprisingly tranquil night, but who? Were they getting a head start on hunting too?

[Sammy]

The gray tabby she roved WindClan territory. She was not sure why she had woken up in the middle of tonight, but she had, and there was no going back the sleep now. Her good eye flickered as it took in everything the moonlight allowed her to see, and more importantly, every noise and smell. When you have a blind eye, your hearing and smell improves, making them just as useful as eye sight. She was a relaxed cat. Wandering across her territory, she was a shadow. Silent and slow. She felt no rush to get where she was going, though in fact she was just going for a stroll. With only the moonlight on her back you could not see much of her gray fur covered body.

Deftly turning to avoid a lone, medium sized rock, she opened her mouth and breathed in deeply. The scent of another WindClan cat hit her. Pausing, one paw raised in mid step, the friendly yet calm she cat took another breath. She identified the cat as Moonshadow. She finished she detour around the rock just in time to see him catch a rabbit. It was beautifully done. He was patient, and waited for just the right moment to strike. The large gust of wind came, just in time for him to leap. The gust was strong, and would have made a slightly less balanced cat like her fall, if the rock had not been in the way of the gust. Of course the second gust of wind from the same direction brought her scent spirling toward him, getting the responce of him looking aroun for her.

The she-cat padded forward, smiling lightly. Her green eyes shone in the dark, and she wove around a tight patch of grass to meet the warrior. She stepped forward and dipped her head in greeting. "Nice catch Moonshadow," Mewed Greeneye, Medicine Cat of WindClan.

[Shadow Da Smiffster]

Moonshadow dipped his head back to greet his clan's medicine cat. Rarely did he have a chance to speak with her, and he respected her greatly for the duty she provided to the clan, and so, the young tom was happy she'd arrived.

"Thank you Greeneye," he mewed politely. Another breeze picked up, and Moonshadow lifted his head towards the sky, relishing the feeling of the cool air hitting his face and bringing fresh scents to his nose. No other cat was around, not even Greeneye's apprentice, so surely she wasn't out collecting herbs, unless she was doing it by herself. If that was the case, Moonshadow may as well make himself useful. "Were you out collecting herbs? I'd be happy to help you Greeneye. Can't be too prepared, right?"

The fact was, Moonshadow knew a tiny bit about healing herbs. He had mostly learned from simple observation of Greeneye passing on her knowledge to her apprentice. Obviously, the information was useless to him most of the time, but this time, it may not be. "Hm," he spoke up suddenly as yet another gust of wind picked up. "The night was calm not too long ago. It's strange how fast the weather changes these days. We must be close to a new season."

Moonshadow let out a deep breath. No other cat in his clan enjoyed the nighttime sky as much as he did, even in the worst of conditions. He had indeed gotten his name because of the strange marking on his chest, shaped like a crescent, but his warrior name was given to him because of his fascination with the darkest hours of day. This was not the only time he had decided to wander about his territory at night. He often did this, but no one had found him until now. Moonshadow supposed it didn't matter. He wasn't doing anything against the warrior code....

[Sammy]

Greeneye nodded slowly as Moonshadow talked. She also blinked slow and periodically so not to end up staring at him with her blind eye. She always did this because if she did not, even her friendly, yet unobtrusive manner "I don't know" She mewed in reply to his question. She was not sure why she was out of her nest and up and about. To his state meant she replied "Yes. I believe it is near time for a change in the seasons." As the wind ruffled her pelt and made the long grass sway. It was nice out, in a way. She had never known that Moonshadow took midnight walks. He must like them. Greeneye like them too. The night never need you to heal it, it just welcomed you into its silky embrace. Greeneye like that about the night. And, and Moonshadow had been using it, it was a good way to get a head start on hunting.

[Shadow Da Smiffster]

_{Pray to your god,
open your heart.
Whatever you do, don't be afraid of the dark...}

Moonshadow let out a purr of amusement as Greeneye revealed that she had no reason for being out so late. So, she was like him, content to enjoy herself in the peacefulness of the night, "Would you like to stroll with me then?" he offered kindly. "I may hunt some more, but it would be nice to have company this time around."

He tilted his head towards the higher part of the moor, where the grass was a bit shorter, but much more stalky. It was a ways from the WindClan camp, but Moonshadow had no ounce of fatigue in his muscles. With his training more-or-less complete, his body demanded exercise... even in his sleep. His restlessness soon turned into insomnia, and insomnia into boredom. Thankfully, one day the idea of actually leaving his den and walking around came to him, and there was barely a day since then that he hadn't been out here.

"How are things with the clan Greeneye?" Moonshadow asked casually as they trotted along the tall grass. "I've been so occupied with my own world lately that I haven't had time to think much of others..." he trailed off, realizing that that wasn't quite true. He had been thinking lately, about his mother. Not many in the Clan knew the truth of his mother's death, as it was covered up by Moonshadow saying he'd seen a fox get to her, but no... it was something much worse. He dared not say it though. The truth didn't need to be known anytime soon. There was no point in riling up the Clan with no good reason, and furthermore, upsetting his brothers.

Lost in his thoughts, Moonshadow didn't hear Greeneye's answer. Oh how he missed his mother, Ravenheart. She was a beautiful she-cat, and strong too. He was so proud to have known her in her light. There was a time where others in the clan had talked of her becoming the deputy... but it never came true. No... she was gone before that could happen. Before Moonshadow could think about what he was going to say next, he asked, "Greeneye? Have... have you seen Ravenheart in StarClan at all?"

The question sent waves of emotional pain through his body, so much so that Moonshadow wanted to wail in sorrow. He dared not to though. Chances are, he'd wake up the camp with his useless bawling, and surely Greeneye would think poorly of him for still mourning over his mother. He had this shaky feeling though... that there was no way she would rest in peace until her murderer was brought to justice...

_{Cover your eyes,
the devil's inside!}

[icey]

The night was dark and the soft moonlight casted dark shadows of grass swaying lazily in the gentle wind. Honeythorn's padded aimlessly in mast moorland and couldn't hear anything other than her steady breathing. She had been haunted with nightmares and decided that a brief stroll in the moorland will help her calm down. Her ears suddenly perked up as she picked up bits of conversation between two cats. Who will be out this late? The tabby she-cat walked up to them to find Moonshadow and Greeneye, the medicine cat exchanging some words. The she-cat dipped her head in greeting. "Hello, Moonshadow and Greeneye, why are you out this late?" She saw a plump rabbit sitting by the tom's paw's, and mewed, "Nice catch, the clan could use some prey like that."

[Sammy]

Greeneye listened to Moonshadow carefully, countuining to do her blinking and slowly nodding her head. He seemed to get lost in the middle of talking, lost enough that her would not hear her if she talked, soWhen he finshed talking, she regared his expresstion, and chose to start and when he first started talking. "Yes, I would like that," She mewed calmly, answering his first question. Then she countuinuted. "The clan is fine, other then...." She trailed off, still calm, though she was slightly unsettled. "Cinderfeather is in the Medicine Cat Den........for 'getting caputered by rouges' I belive the term is......this time" Greeneye swallowed. She hated those cases. They were not true, but the clan would panick if they knew the truth. "Ravenheart..." Greeneye though for a moment. "I did ask about...Cinderfeather, and she was there then" Greeneye told him. The calm she-cat nearly jumped out of her pelt when Honeytorn apeared bahind her. She recovered quickly and became calm agian. She hoped Honeytorn and not heard any off the conversation.

[Shadow Da Smiffster]

_{It's a beautiful lie...}

"The Clan is fine, other then...." She trailed off. Moonshadow already knew what was coming. "Cinderfeather is in the Medicine Cat Den........for 'getting captured by rouges' I believe the term is......this time," Greeneye swallowed. Moonshadow let out a sigh of discontempt, turning his sky colored gaze towards the contrasting raven sky. Only the slightest of winter light shone in his face, but Moonshadow relished it, hoping that it would bring him some solace. Now, Moonshadow wasn't dumb; he knew from the moment that Cinderfeather came back that she was not merely 'captured by rogues'. A shudder went down his spine, all the way through the tip of his tail as he recalled the scent he'd smelled on her. The same scent his mother carried when he'd found him all those moons ago....

"Ravenheart.... I did ask about...Cinderfeather, and she was there then," Greeneye told him. Moonshadow let out a sigh of relief at that, closing his eyes and coming to a halt. Good. At least his mother was resting in peace, something even he was unsure of after her experience.

"Greeneye," Moonshadow started. "Ravenheart... my mother... you know she wasn't killed by a fo-" but the young tom was cut off by another mew: Honeythorn.

"Hello, Moonshadow and Greeneye, why are you out this late?" Moonshadow hissed in his mind at the rotten timing, but dismissed his thoughts quickly, instead nodding towards Greeneye that he would speak to her later. "Nice catch," Honeythorn continued, "the clan could use some prey like that."

Moonshadow returned the greeting politely, all negative emotions vanishing under his strong willed mind, "Hey there Honeythorn. We both just happened to be strolling. Would you like to join us?" The offer was genuine, but Moonshadow secretly hoped Honeythorn would say no. He needed to tell Greeneye the truth, if she didn't know it already. He knew exactly what had happened to Cinderfeather, because the same thing had happened to his mother.... only she was less fortunate, and didn't quite make it out alive.

Without waiting for a direct answer, Moonshadow started padding forward, his tail swishing behind him rhythmically. He'd already scented more prey on the moor. Creatures were starting to stir as the night grew old, and the new day begin to rise.

_{It's a perfect denial...}

[icey]

Honeythorn regarded the offer that MoonShadow made, but then she felt a wave of drowsiness flow over her. "Well, I would have loved to, except it's time for me to rest." The tabby she-cat regretted it, because it was the first time someone had offer to take a walk with her. "Maybe next time." She sighed, and mewed a swift "goodbye" to the two cats.

Before she went back to camp, Honeythorn decided that it would be a good idea to hunt for the clan. Besides, there were a rich prey scent around here. Her honey gaze glanced around for a moment, finally pinpointing the location of a mouse that was scurrying around in the tall grass. It's front paws were firmly clasped around a small seed that the creature is nibbling on at the moment. The tabby she-cat pondered for a moment to see whether she should leave this mouse and find a bigger, plumper prey, or to just hunt this. Finally she decided to just take this mouse, and find more prey tomorrow. Honeythorn checked the direction that the brief wind was blowing and stalked closer to the mouse. She remembered to keep her pawsteps light and the she-cat moved swiftly through the moor, closing up on the creature. Her back muscles tensed as she prepared for a jump, and suddenly she sprang. The mouse had heard the sound of the grass rustling, and made a dash for it. Honeythorn's claws unsheathed and she felt the satisfying feeling between her paws. The she-cat briefly bit down in it's throat to end the creature's life, and carried her catch back to camp.

ooc// Sorry! I'll try to remember next time ^^;