Just another daydream ||OPEN||

[mehl]

Willowpaw walked across the small stretch of pebbly beach with mild curiousity. He looked over at where the border between his clan and Thunderclan’s stood prominently; whisking a scent of all sorts of trees and prey into his nose. He sniffed and shook her long head, turning around to observe a sort of white bird that roosted on a beam the half-bridge owned. Willowpaw squinted awkwardly, trying to get a better view at the thing which was only a few bounds away. His eye rolled once in exasperation and he started a slow trot towards the half-bridge with his tail raised high above him. Silvery pelt glistened in the beating sun, his eyes still squinting until they focused unto the unsuspecting bird. He noticed it was quite big; usually the birds shadowclan hunted were smaller. Willowpaw yawned carelessly, it was boring, roaming about with no real motive.

When he reached the half-bridge he noticed there was not one, but two big birds. He sighed; it’d be easier for them to escape now. Well, Willowpaw put a light smile on his face anyways. His trot slowed as he came nearer; the eye’s of the big birds still closed with their head crowned like a swans. Finally, he was at the half-bridge with his body still crouched and his eye gleaming with mischief.

Willowpaw pounced with suprising distance, his body thudding near the base of the beam. The big birds squawked loudly and beat their wings in a confused manner. Willowpaw jumped up and snatched at one’s tail feathers, dislodging a few that drifted to the ground harmlessly. The other was already skimming the surface of the great lake, mimicking the one that had lost some of its tail feathers. Willowpaw hissed and watched as his catch flew away without any real harm. He was especially upset that he could’ve caught the big white bird in which he had never seen and showed it off to his fellow clan mates. He stopped in his thoughts and shook his head in disagreement with himself. Willowpaw wouldn’t even show his non-existent prize off; he’d just dump in the fresh-kill pile with hope that no one else had noticed his arrival with the strange catch.

He started to walk once more along the rough beach in a skulking manner. His thoughts were clouded with ways to sneak the “catch” in with no attention. Willowpaw started to ascend into the thick hold of the pine trees; tail drooping. “Ugh, why bother? I’m empty handed and there’s hardly a meal in sight nowadays,” He said to himself with the hints of a whine under toning his voice. He started to turn back and scour the beach miserably, his usual happy-go-lucky mood vanishing from sight and replaced with the sudden odd appearance of sadness. Willowpaw tried a smile but it strained his lips and so he left it at a sloppy and plain line. Although, he did notice the pebbles around him could be of use… Willowpaw started to kick and shove at them with a feeling of happiness. He liked how his paws slipped through them with ease. Willowpaw laughed and jumped around, pressing his paws into the pebbles with childish joy. Forget hunting, he wanted to play for a little while!

OOC`` Anyone is welcome!

[eccentricbirdie]

Having wandered off to do some extra hunting, Frostheart was getting rather frusturated with the lack of prey. Leaf-bare was always hard for his clan, it seemed almost unfair. Hoping that the hunting might be better towards the Thunderclan border, he had headed towards the lake, near the strong scented border.

Among the mingled cat scents, though, he scented a fresher one; of his own clan. After emerging from the thick shadows the trees provided them with, he spotted a young Tom on the half bridge. As he watched quietly, the younger cat had snuck up on a rather large bird, pouncing and failing to capture them. Feeling a tug at his heart for the young apprentice, he stepped out of the shadows just as the cat had begun to play with the pebbles.

Despite his overall dislike of other Toms, Frostheart wasn't bothered by young apprentices, regardless. They were all innocent at that point, and weren't the ones to start a fight. The bright sun did little to warm his chilled pelt, only serving to make him seem brighter than he already did.

"Don't ya think those big birds were a bit out of your range; or mine, for that matter?" He asked casually, stepping out of the underbrush and onto the pebbly area in front of the half bridge. He had seen the large white birds before, though not all that often. They came and went, staying near the twoleg place and the half bridge. They would be a good meal, but were a bit large for a single cat to take down on their own.

Stepping carefully into the pebbles, he delighted in the feeling of them give way under his heavy paws, forming little dents were he stood.

[mehl]

He was wearing out quite quickly with his chest heaving and his paws lazily scrabbling at the falling pebbles. Willowpaw stopped when he was swapping at mid-air and sat up, licking his coat free from the dust that covered it and looked around curiously as he caught a whiff of another clan mate. He hoped that no-one had seen his very "apprentice-like" display even though he was an apprentice. The thick, coarse fur around his neck rippled upwards as he spotted another tom; Frostheart was his name. He quickly relaxed, seeing that Frostheart was pretty relaxed himself. When Frostheart arrived, he spoke of the white bird… so he had seen? Willowpaw quickly drew back his ears in embarrassment and his golden eye looked downwards. “Um, well… I suppose,” Willowpaw murmured with a slight question hanging on his tongue. His ears slowly came back up and he looked curiously at his fellow peer and smiled that angelic smile that nearly all apprentices have. Willowpaw felt comfortable now, knowing all harm was away and the warrior didn’t seem too amused by his play or too scornful on his failed catch. He abruptly rolled his one eye around to look around and saw the slight rustling of a bush. He smirked a small smirk and tossed his head that way, glancing at Frostheart in invitation to join in on a hunt.

His paws carried him to the tree line and he laughed at how his paws practically sunk into the cold pebbles. It made quite a raucous though and so he halted and began to stalk clumsily, his hindquarters leaning to the left perilously. He jumped mockingly unto a large boulder and stood with an air of glee as he examined his “catch”. He looked upon Froststar and did a little jig before hoping into the undergrowth, his tail streaming behind him like a flag snapping in a gale. Willowpaw felt his heart thud against his rib cage and yowled with happiness. This is what he did when others weren’t around. Yet, he had forgotten Frostheart was there and he was loud enough for the whole four clans to hear! He stopped abruptly and turned back; determined to catch a big white bird again.

[streampaw]

<sub>She mewed happily, walking along the path to the Half Bridge. It felt nice to be out of camp in these hours. She danced when she walked, making her way gracefully to the pebbled beach. She inhaled deeply, catching the sweet scent of prey. It was some kind of bird, she decided, and she crouched low, looking around. She caught sight of a small bird feeding nearby, picking around for more seed. She smirked, creeping to it. It had been some time since she had last eaten, and a bird was just what she needed.

She moved slowly into springing range, the bird not too far out of the underbrush. Suddenly, she caught scent of Shadowclan warriors, and turned her gaze to them. It was only Frostheart and Willowpaw, though. Without another thought, she returned to the bird, who seemed to notice the cats as well. It's wings flinched, preparing to take flight. Dawnwind noticed this, and quickly leaped out after it. Feather were scattered to the ground as the she-cat propelled herself into the air, grasping the bird with black claws. She pulled it to the pebbled earth, killing it with a bite. She smiled proudly and held it, walking over to the others of her clan.

Dropping the bird near her paws, she asked kindly, "Is anyone hungry? I can go catch a few more birds like this one, possibly." She pushed the bird forward slightly, offering it to the apprentice and the warrior. She turned her head toward the wooden structure protruding over the water, seeing two large white birds perched contently. One was missing a few tail feathers, and judging by those scattered on the ground, one of these two toms had leaped at the bird. "Those birds would be great to bring back to the clan....." She muttered to herself, looking at the miniscule stones on the ground.

She crept out, having a feeling in her gut that the hunt would end in failure. Her paws hit the hard surface with no sound, her tail flickered behind her, almost showing off how confident she was in the hunt. Of course, it was a lie. She drew closer to the birds, not knowing what she should do next. Suddenly, the signature wing flinch, and she dashed forward. Dawnwind leaped proudly into the air, grasping the bird enough to pull it down. But the second her dainty paws struck the cold surface of the Half Bridge, the frantic flapping of its wings forced her paws from their hold and cause her to retreat. But, there was a sign of hope for the three felines. Four gashes were fresh in the creature's side.

Dawnwind hung her head low, walking past the two toms. She sighed, far too embarrassed to say anything. Depression hit her like a wave. She could always catch birds. Always. But these.... She sighed again, lifting her eyes to Frostheart before turning to pad back to the shadows.

'I'm so stupid! And in front of other cats, too! Ugh.... Why did I think that I could catch those things?!'

She hissed mentally to herself as she sat down beside a tree, sulking. Her shoulders were hunched slightly as she clawed at the frozen earth. She glanced over to the bird, still laying on the ground. They could keep the thing as far as she was concerned.

"Why did I think that I, out of all these cats, could catch that stupid thing..... I....."

She sighed once more, lowering her ears flat with slef hatred. She meekly dragged a paw across the ground, leaving shallow grooves in the earth. She listened to the bird mock her, laughing as it settled on the beam. Her tail flicked in anger as she snapped her head to the side, glaring off into the distance. But then, she saw another bird. With a powerful leap, she pinned it to the ground by a single wing, killing it with another strong bite. She grasped it in her jowls, carrying it back to where she sat, only to drop it at her feet and stare.</sub>

[eccentricbirdie]

Frostheart had watched with a curious expression as Dawnwing had attacked the large white bird, and his own ears lay flat with her embarrassment at failing to catch the large bird. It was to be expected, though. It was too large for any one cat to bring down on its own, and what with them near the water; it was rather dangerous.

Looking at the bird she had offered to the two of them, he sniffed it and nudged it towards Willowpaw, standing and stretching momentarily. "You can have it if you'd like." He said, in a very even and non-condescending tone, careful not to insult the Apprentice.

Padding forward to Dawnwing he sat carefully about a tail length away from her, keeping his distance. He was very aware of her suddenly sour mood, and didn't want to provoke any aggression. Having overheard what she said to herself, he tilted his head to the side and took a deep breath.

"You have a better chance than any of the clan cats at catching one of those giant things, honestly." he said, his voice showing that he truly meant what he said. He was trying to be friendly, after all. "I'd fall short; probably land in that water and drown myself." He said, a slight chuckle in his voice.

"Besides, you killed two birds within moments of each other. The only time I've caught something that can fly is after its already been hurt." Everything he said was the truth, too. Frostheart was notoriously bad at catching birds.

[streampaw]

<sub>She sighed, wanting nothing more than the ability to disappear. To be invisible would be like a blessing from Starclan, she decided. But she was not, and she would never be. At the moment, one of the two toms that she could clearly be seen by walked her way, sitting not too far from her. She looked up at him, her eyes flooded with her embarrassment. His voice was as sincere as his words, and it calmed her slightly. Straightening her back a little, she looked at Frostheart.

"You have a better chance than any of the clan cats at catching one of those giant things, honestly. I'd fall short; probably land in that water and drown myself."

He chuckled, and Dawnwind couldn't help but utter a tiny laugh herself. "You.... You really think so?" She asked, looking away timidly. Compliments were not her strong point. Constantly the she-cat could be found double guessing others from paranoia. She looked back to him, flicking her tail slowly. "And I wouldn't let you drown. I'd jump in after you and drag you back, just like I would for any other Shadowclan cat." She laughed softly, a gentle, melodic sound it turned out to be.

But as soon as she felt her spirits rise, they fell. She sighed, laying her ears flat. She still couldn't catch those huge birds.

'Maybe..... Maybe if Frostheart and Willowpaw helped, we could get them!'

She thought, her head snapping up. But, then, of course, Frostheart had to say it.

"Besides, you killed two birds within moments of each other. The only time I've caught something that can fly is after its already been hurt."

'Already been hurt...?'

That was what she had been waiting for. If she and Willowpaw could take a wing, the Frostheart could kill it. "Frostheart! I know how we can get those birds!" She cried, leaping to her feet joyfully. She danced around him once, sitting down less than a tail length in front of him.

"You know how I almost caught that bird? Well, I can leap high enough to grab it and pull it down, but the wings push me away. So I was thinking that if I pulled the beast to the ground, then you and Willowpaw, if he wants to help, can kill it! Then we'll take it to the clan! And besides, I don't think you could be that bad at bird hunting."

Her voice was sincere, soft, even a little light. She sighed contently, looking at his golden eyes. They stood out against his soft white pelt.</sub>

[eccentricbirdie]

Looking rather surprised as she jumped with joy, Frostheart couldn't help but smile and laugh at the lively she-cat, listening intently to her plan, his ears flicking in the soft wind.

"Hmm, you know.. That would probably work." He said, his eyes growing bright. Even just one of the large birds would be a huge meal for the clan, feeding many of them. His bright amber eyes turned to look at the two birds; one of them was preening itself, some feathers on the side of it dyed pink from the wounds that Dawnwind had given it. Standing, he moved towards the half-bridge, though stopping short of it.

Turning to Willowpaw, he couldn't help but be excited about the idea. "Well, what do you say? Want to help us take down that one?" He said, his tail flicking to indicate the large bird. With how much attention it was paying to its ruffled feathers, it was less likely to notice the cats third approach.

He looked back at Dawnwind, her own excitement and joy infecting him like wildfire. This was exactly what he loved about life; the pure adrenaline and happiness.

--//--

ooc|| Does Dawnwind have a bio? I can't seem to find it, if there is one. I'm curious.

[mehl]

All he did was glance and put on a small, distracted smile when he saw Dawnwind coming their way. Willowpaw had just arrived back in an embarrassing flutter from his burst into the tree-line and now stood close to Frostheart in an almost praising way. His pelt nearly brushed his and he looked up at him as if asking permission to agree to Dawnwind’s plan of taking down the white birds. Willowpaw realized what he was doing; usually only preformed to fellow apprentices, and puffed his chest out and said in smooth mew, “Sure, sounds fun and I think we can get one,” His gaze hardly met Dawnwind’s and Willowpaw seemed to try his best to ignore her. He was talking to Frostheart first but Dawnwind had to come in an ruin it. His chest came back again and he wore an almost sour look; smile still playing on his lips but it faltered ever so slightly, “You are a good hunter after all,” It was tinted with jealousy but only a little for he could catch birds to... if he tried hard enough.

Willowpaw went as far as to ignore the offering Dawnwind presented them like Frostheart had and flicked aside his offering to him. He just looked around in a huff and finally calmed down after a moment. He looked up and met eye to eyes with Dawnwind now and nodded with a fierce determination, “I can catch birds too so I think we can do it,” He said with defiance smothering his voice. How unlike Willowpaw… usually he was a humble cat who didn’t mind the need to prove himself to others but he just wanted to show the warriors he could do as much as they could; or at least near that point. Willowpaw scooted closer to Frostheart and had a protective air about him as if he didn’t want anyone near Frostheart. Willowpaw had taken a liking to him when he came to the beach; even if he hadn’t talked much to him it just seemed like the right thing to feel. Willowpaw now turned his attention from the two warriors to the white bird and felt sadness fill him. All his buddies in the sky would laugh and cry when they saw one of their own finally taken down by the very ones they teased. Willowpaw stuck his tongue out at the flying ones and stood up, ready to hunt.

[streampaw]

<sub>She smiled at Frostheart's enthusiasm, bouncing around him once more. Willowpaw on the other hand, didn't seem to like her being there. She smiled at him, trying to stay docile, but that was one of her various weak points as well. The young tom tried to act less like himself on more like an adult, but she laughed gently at the act. She walked smoothly past the young cat, brushing her tail on his shoulder. She faced both cats, and with a sly smirk, began to speak.

"Okay. This is how we'll have to do it. It'll start, you two flank me on both sides and try to stay about.... Eh, two tail lengths behind me. Once I run at the bird, do to same, just be ready to leap to kill. I'll jump up and catch the bird, then you two will have to kill it before it gets away. Got it?" She asked, ending her speech.

Suddenly, she dropped her ears back and curled her tail around her paws nervously. "Do you think we'll be able to do it?" She asked, looking up at Frostheart. She doubted herself like she did ever so constantly. All she could think about was the previous embarrassment from missing the catch before. She pawed at the dead bird not far from her position, lowering her head to look at it. Willowpaw's young, soft voice drifted to her, claiming that he could catch birds too. She lifted her head and smiled. "That's great. Once we bring down one of those white birds, make sure we don't forget these smaller two, kay?" She reminded them happily.

She circled around them, glaring contently at the bird with the pink dyed side. "We'll get you, my conceited friend. Just keep fretting about your feathers of snow. I'll fix them in no time..." She said in a cool tone, flicking her tail softly. "Ready?"

OOC: Okay, I feel the need for some total drama around this point. Anyone in?</sub>