Leading the Blind, Mistyeyes + Thorntail (Semi-open)

[PickeBicke]

(( From "If Only..." ))

Thorntail sighed in relief when he and Misteyes made it safely to the edge of the meadow. He had to admit, as he'd guided her up the gorge he hadn't been sure that she wouldn't trip and fall all the way down. But the tortoiseshell queen had followed his footsteps perfectly, albeit slowly, and they had found their way to the meadow without any major hitch.

"Alright, we're here!" the tabby purred. "Smell that fresh air? There aren't any trees in front of us anymore to block the wind. In green-leaf you'd be able to scent all the flowers no matter where you sit. There aren't any now, but it's still a nice place to be."

Looking around he spotted a small boulder not much bigger than them to their left and made a bee-line for it, careful to keep his tail on Mistyeye's shoulder. "Here, this looks like a good spot to lay down and soak up some sun. I have to hunt so make sure you don't get into too much trouble," Thorntail said with a chortle. "Call out if you need me, alright?"

[Whitestream]

Mistyeyes was barely preventing herself from shaking as she followed the other cat’s pawsteps. Finally they emerged into the meadow and she felt herself relax as Thorntail described it. She followed him more swiftly than when they’d left the gorge now she was sure a trip wouldn’t send her to her death and stepping onto it, lay down on the boulder, curling her tail around her paws neatly, she purred happily, pleased to know that the only sounds she’d hear for the moment would be silence, Thorntail, the forest and herself. It was refreshing after being around so many cats full time for so long!

“Alright, thank you Thorntail!”

She purred cheerfully, maybe Thorntail could bring home enough fresh kill to give the kits, their mother, and a few hungry warriors a much needed full belly. She purred again at the thought of her Clan well fed. Oh how she longed for green-leaf! An idea struck her and she flicked her ears in excitement.

“Hey, Thorntail in green-leaf, maybe you could escort me here again? I want to smell the flowers.”

She suggested enthusiastically, and while she was rolling in flowers, hunting would be easier for him so there was less of a way she could burden him. She flicked her tail at him hopefully.

[PickeBicke]

Thorntail paused halfway through the act of turning to start his hunt. He hadn't thought much about anything past this one outing with Mistyeyes. Truth be told, he'd assumed this he'd only have to escort her this one time. But seeing her curled up on the rock, a broad grin on her lips, made the warrior re-think his initial idea. She looked so happy to just sit there and drink in the sunlight.

"If you'd like," the tabby heard himself meow.

With that he finally dropped down into a crouch and made his way through the snowdrifts to the edge of the forest. He was more likely to catch something there than out in the open, anyway. It was a little while later before he noticed the small smile tugging at his own lips.

[Whitestream]

Mistyeyes purred in satisfaction as Thorntail agreed, she looked up blindly at the sky, feeling the weak warmth the sun tried to provide her and felt herself calm, completely and utterly, in the still aired meadow, with only her and Thorntail to make noise and disturb her peace, and she felt warmer than she had in moons due to the walk from camp! She purred again, dropping her head to her paws as she pricked her highly attuned ears to see if she could hear her gracious escort as he hunted.

[PickeBicke]

The tabby warrior grumbled to himself as he pushed his way through the snow. It was cold and there didn't seem to be signs of prey anywhere. Not even a footprint. Now and again he'd stop to scent the air, certain he'd caught the faintest whiff of mouse or squirrel. But if the small animals were around they were certainly doing a good job of hiding themselves.

"Wonderful," Thorntail hissed after a full twenty minutes. Maybe we should just head back to camp, he thought. There's just nothing here! Sparrowstar will have to send patrols further out if he wants to keep the Clan fed this leaf-bare. I'll make sure to tell him when we...ah!

The tom's thoughts stopped as he spotted a plump robin swoop down and land at the base of a tree. Yellow eyes narrowing to slits he slowly crept forward as the bird began to scrape at the snow, probably hoping for a meal of it's own. The frozen powder muffled his footsteps and, with one mighty lunge, Thorntail managed to land on top of the bird and snap it's neck.

"YES!" he crowed. Turning to Mistyeyes he couldn't help but purr at his accomplishment and share it with his companion. "I caught a robin! It's small but fat; I'm sure Goldenfur and her kits will love it!"

[Whitestream]

Mistyeyes heard the shuffle of paws through the snow and then a loud, “YES!” her whiskers twitched as he informed her about his catch.

“That’s brilliant!"

She purred, feeling slightly reassured by the prospect of a plump robin for Goldenfur and her litter. Now there was marginally less pressure that the queen had been fed.

“Leave it with me. I won’t eat it and it saves burying it.”

She meowed whiskers twitching as she imagined herself eating prey intended for the Clan. Such a mousebrained idea! She let out a good humoured purr and sat up, stretching out before settling back on her rock. Her tail brushed a small pile of snow and she shivered.

“My respect goes out to you, rummaging about in this snow.”

She mewed, her long fur did well to keep the cold out but still, it occasionally seeped through, she just hoped that the rest of his coat was as bushy as his tail! She licked her white forepaw and began to clean her ears, enjoying the atmosphere of the meadow for as long as she could. Already she was excited about their trip in Greenleaf, it would be so warm then!

[PickeBicke]

Thorntail grinned and lifted a forepaw of his own to shake the snow off of it. "It's not that bad until it starts to melt," he replied. "Then you end up wet and cold!" Padding up to where the queen stood cleaning herself he deposited the thrush and turned back towards the forest.

"I suppose the only things I'll be able to catch today will be birds. Everything is staying warm underground in their own dens."

With another shake of his paw, the warrior gave Mistyeyes' shoulder a brush with the tip of his tail before moving off again. "And don't worry I trust you to keep that thrush safe for me," he meowed with a chuckle.

At that same time his ears caught the sound of small feet flitting about through the snow. "Squirrel..." he muttered as he slithered off to try and find it.

[Whitestream]

Mistyeyes purred in amusement as she heard the snow fling off his paw and felt a small bit brush across her muzzle, she washed it off with another purr before sighing inwardly at his mew. All the prey underground? She listened intently, maybe she could hear some prey for Thorntail, she picked up on the faint scratching and was about to inform her more able companion when he muttered it himself. She relaxed and listened, hoping for him to be able to make his catch. The little bird brushed her paw and the scent of freshly killed prey made her pause, she almost considered stealing it for a moment before shoving the thought away, and placing the bird safely curled in her tail, they couldn’t afford to let it get spoiled. She hoped all the foxes were in their dens, so they wouldn’t come after it! She moved her paws nervously, Thorntail could handle a hungry fox right? She shook it away, this was no time for unnecessary panic. She focused on the weak warmth from the sun and the sound of Thorntail’s careful pawsteps.

[PickeBicke]

Having just managed to bring down a scrawny squirrel, Thorntail had to admit that the prey simply wasn't running well today. With a sight he snatched up the small morsel and padded back to where he'd left Mistyeyes. "I fink we shud ged going now," he grunted around the mountful of squirrel. "Therfs nuffing else here."

Eying the bird he'd caught earlier tabby continued, "Vould you mind taking duh trush for be?"

[Whitestream]

((I totally didn’t notice you’d posted XD))

Mistyeyes raised her head as she heard Thorntail’s pawsteps approaching again. As she listened to his comment she had the image of a cat – after al lshe couldn’t recall what he looked like – with a squirrel stuffed in his jaws, she purred with amusement. She could tell it was a squirrel due to the scent, and she stood gracefully and cautiously, picking up the thrush. She shook herself briefly before leaping down the rock to where Thorntail was waiting.

“Lead own. Leasht juu caught someting.”

She mumbled cheerfully around the thrush stepping close to him once more.