Post by xvinn on Dec 8, 2023 8:50:51 GMT
sparrowclaw (he/him) | galeclan
Rabbits, much like cats, are crepuscular creatures. They do not hibernate, which meant that prey did not dwindle during leaf-bare. They were the perfect prey for cats. And that meant that in most cases, GaleClan did not suffer during leaf-bare like ShoreClan, whose prey became frozen when temperatures dropped; or like OrchidClan, whose prey often hid away in trees with their foraged food that would not rot. Of course, that sometimes meant that ShoreClan or OrchidClan might be desperate enough to cross borders and try and take GaleClan prey for their own, in hopes that they might not get caught.
Of course, such an act was prohibited by the warrior code.
GaleClan was known for their loyalty and their belief in the warrior code. They were known for following the rules to the letter, as they swore upon when they were given their full fledged warrior names. Sparrowclaw was no exception, one who lawfully followed the code and would give his life before being forced to break a rule. In fact, he had staked his life upon it, and took such a thing quite seriously.
Perhaps that was why Wapatofur saw the tom as suitable for leading a patrol of his own. It certainly wasn't Sparrowclaw's first time leading a patrol by any means, though he loathed the very thought of hunting alongside other cats. He preferred working alone, not having to worry about others getting in the way and screwing up a perfectly good hunt. Though, he supposed that Cavernpelt and Fishfeather didn't make for terrible hunting mates, either.
Cavernpelt was not only close to twice Sparrowclaw's senior, but was simultaneously his uncle. He knew that the tom was often smarter than some gave him credit for. While some of his ideas were perhaps unconventional at times, what mattered was that they worked. On top of that, Cavernpelt was as loyal as any other, and such a thing was one of the things that Sparrowclaw valued most not just of him, but of any GaleClan cat.
Speaking of loyalty, Sparrowclaw had yet to see any large acts of such from Fishfeather. Of course, this did not cause Sparrowclaw to treat the tom any differently. He had no qualms with cats who changed Clans - better to leave one you were not loyal to and find a home elsewhere, as far as he was concerned. Yet, at the same time, he'd yet to spend much time with Fishfeather, though that was likely more in part due to the fact that neither Fishfeather nor Sparrowclaw were talkative cats who cared much for spending time around others if they could avoid it. It was admirable in its own way to see other cats who cared not for nonsense.
"Rabbits will be out to graze soon," Sparrowclaw noted aloud. He turned to his patrol mates. Sparrowclaw's preferred method would simply tell the other two to bugger off and just report back to him when they'd caught something, but he figured that he might as well make use for all three of them. "Fishfeather, I want you to head round towards the far side of that hill. Once the rabbits are out to eat, wait a few moments before chasing up after them. You should be more than capably fast to catch one. Cavernpelt, you head towards the burrow's entrance round the other side of the hillock. Any rabbits smart enough to think of heading to a safe underground place will run right into you. I'll stay near here to catch any stupid ones off guard who are just running away."
Clearly satisfied with the plan that he'd evidently used on many patrols before, he turned to both cats. "We should at the very least be able to catch one rabbit each this way, so long as no one's incompetent enough to mess it up." Sparrowclaw had certainly been known to have a bit of a sharp tongue, clearly not caring much what any cat thought of the blunt way he spoke. "Understood?" Therewithal, he clearly wasn't also opening the ground to suggestions. He was the patrol leader, so either it was his way, or they could report back to Wapatofur that they decided to abandon their duties, which Sparrowclaw knew neither cat was one to do.
Of course, such an act was prohibited by the warrior code.
GaleClan was known for their loyalty and their belief in the warrior code. They were known for following the rules to the letter, as they swore upon when they were given their full fledged warrior names. Sparrowclaw was no exception, one who lawfully followed the code and would give his life before being forced to break a rule. In fact, he had staked his life upon it, and took such a thing quite seriously.
Perhaps that was why Wapatofur saw the tom as suitable for leading a patrol of his own. It certainly wasn't Sparrowclaw's first time leading a patrol by any means, though he loathed the very thought of hunting alongside other cats. He preferred working alone, not having to worry about others getting in the way and screwing up a perfectly good hunt. Though, he supposed that Cavernpelt and Fishfeather didn't make for terrible hunting mates, either.
Cavernpelt was not only close to twice Sparrowclaw's senior, but was simultaneously his uncle. He knew that the tom was often smarter than some gave him credit for. While some of his ideas were perhaps unconventional at times, what mattered was that they worked. On top of that, Cavernpelt was as loyal as any other, and such a thing was one of the things that Sparrowclaw valued most not just of him, but of any GaleClan cat.
Speaking of loyalty, Sparrowclaw had yet to see any large acts of such from Fishfeather. Of course, this did not cause Sparrowclaw to treat the tom any differently. He had no qualms with cats who changed Clans - better to leave one you were not loyal to and find a home elsewhere, as far as he was concerned. Yet, at the same time, he'd yet to spend much time with Fishfeather, though that was likely more in part due to the fact that neither Fishfeather nor Sparrowclaw were talkative cats who cared much for spending time around others if they could avoid it. It was admirable in its own way to see other cats who cared not for nonsense.
"Rabbits will be out to graze soon," Sparrowclaw noted aloud. He turned to his patrol mates. Sparrowclaw's preferred method would simply tell the other two to bugger off and just report back to him when they'd caught something, but he figured that he might as well make use for all three of them. "Fishfeather, I want you to head round towards the far side of that hill. Once the rabbits are out to eat, wait a few moments before chasing up after them. You should be more than capably fast to catch one. Cavernpelt, you head towards the burrow's entrance round the other side of the hillock. Any rabbits smart enough to think of heading to a safe underground place will run right into you. I'll stay near here to catch any stupid ones off guard who are just running away."
Clearly satisfied with the plan that he'd evidently used on many patrols before, he turned to both cats. "We should at the very least be able to catch one rabbit each this way, so long as no one's incompetent enough to mess it up." Sparrowclaw had certainly been known to have a bit of a sharp tongue, clearly not caring much what any cat thought of the blunt way he spoke. "Understood?" Therewithal, he clearly wasn't also opening the ground to suggestions. He was the patrol leader, so either it was his way, or they could report back to Wapatofur that they decided to abandon their duties, which Sparrowclaw knew neither cat was one to do.
Cavernpelt followed along behind Sparrowclaw, his mind wandering. His eyes had a distant look to them, his mind clearly elsewhere as they made their way to their chosen hunting spot. The air around them was crisp, only just managing to keep Cavernpelt from fully wandering off, the coldness of the dirt beneath his paws as he walked a constant reminder of the world around him, in the grips of Leafbare.
