a dilemma, to be sure [OPEN]
Nov 11, 2015 17:54:11 GMT -6
Post by summer's end ✿ on Nov 11, 2015 17:54:11 GMT -6
it was nearing sunhigh by the time summer's end had found something to bring home for a meal. not that sleetstorm couldn't feed herself - but summer liked the gesture, if anything. she wanted to show that she cared, and - not much more outwardly expressive of her feelings than her mate was - she often showed it through actions instead. the squirrel she'd spotted certainly seemed plump - and summer knew squirrel was one of sleet's favorites. she was determined to bring it back to share with the former clan cat, and without much deliberation at all, she'd slipped into the familiar crouch and begun to stalk it.
her movements were silent as she all-but glided across the dense forest floor, eyes narrowed and muscles slightly tensing already out of anticipation. the thing certainly looked tasty. she bunched her muscles as she grew closer to where it was rooting around for something - a seed or a nut? - at the base of a thick tree; the woodland cat prepared to spring, and --
the squirrel darted up the tree. summer cursed inwardly, though she made no audible noise; it hadn't seemed to have noticed her so much as it had just decided to climb up for whatever squirrel reasons it had. well - no matter. she'd have the creature still, no problem. waiting patiently for it to move, listening for the sounds of the rustling leaves as it hopped from branch to branch two trees over, she eventually launched herself up the bark after it, leaping easily onto the tall, jutting branches once she'd reached them and racing along to follow it. she'd caught up to it before much time at all had passed, and by the time it had noticed her, she had already flung herself towards it, catching the fleeing animal in her jaws and clamping down hard enough to taste its warm blood.
pleased with herself, the gray-and-white she-cat dropped down carefully from her perch up in the tall tree, making sure to climb down as low as possible before she did - a fall from too high up was not what she needed right now, certainly. she did still stumble a bit at her final leap, but she'd righted herself in another heartbeat, shaking out her pelt and glancing around her.
... uh oh.
this... wasn't woodland territory, she was fairly certain. she hadn't noticed the scent markers from where she'd been up in the branches, but she was pretty sure she'd crossed over into treeclan territory. and ... that meant this was technically stolen prey. that ... wasn't good.
summer's end had no clue entirely what to do about it, either. sure, treeclanners were generally welcoming enough to non-hostile woodland visitors, and they tended to be understanding more often than not of the sometimes confusing border markers - but ... for one thing, she was the cat who'd taken one of their warriors away from them not too long ago, when sleetstorm had left the clan to be with her. she wasn't sure how much of that they'd even known about - but ... still. she felt uneasy regardless.
and another thing ... she didn't know how accepting they'd be of a prey stealer. she didn't want to offend anyone... if she just left the squirrel here, would they think it an insult? and yet if she were to take it, she'd be a thief, no matter if she'd been spotted or not. feeling uncertainty wash over her, she hesitated for far too long, looking around her - before finally setting the squirrel on the ground and backing away from it a step or two.
she stared at the thing, expression confused. should she... just leave it here? she hadn't meant to steal anything... i wish sleetstorm were here. she'd know what to do about this.
@onyx
her movements were silent as she all-but glided across the dense forest floor, eyes narrowed and muscles slightly tensing already out of anticipation. the thing certainly looked tasty. she bunched her muscles as she grew closer to where it was rooting around for something - a seed or a nut? - at the base of a thick tree; the woodland cat prepared to spring, and --
the squirrel darted up the tree. summer cursed inwardly, though she made no audible noise; it hadn't seemed to have noticed her so much as it had just decided to climb up for whatever squirrel reasons it had. well - no matter. she'd have the creature still, no problem. waiting patiently for it to move, listening for the sounds of the rustling leaves as it hopped from branch to branch two trees over, she eventually launched herself up the bark after it, leaping easily onto the tall, jutting branches once she'd reached them and racing along to follow it. she'd caught up to it before much time at all had passed, and by the time it had noticed her, she had already flung herself towards it, catching the fleeing animal in her jaws and clamping down hard enough to taste its warm blood.
pleased with herself, the gray-and-white she-cat dropped down carefully from her perch up in the tall tree, making sure to climb down as low as possible before she did - a fall from too high up was not what she needed right now, certainly. she did still stumble a bit at her final leap, but she'd righted herself in another heartbeat, shaking out her pelt and glancing around her.
... uh oh.
this... wasn't woodland territory, she was fairly certain. she hadn't noticed the scent markers from where she'd been up in the branches, but she was pretty sure she'd crossed over into treeclan territory. and ... that meant this was technically stolen prey. that ... wasn't good.
summer's end had no clue entirely what to do about it, either. sure, treeclanners were generally welcoming enough to non-hostile woodland visitors, and they tended to be understanding more often than not of the sometimes confusing border markers - but ... for one thing, she was the cat who'd taken one of their warriors away from them not too long ago, when sleetstorm had left the clan to be with her. she wasn't sure how much of that they'd even known about - but ... still. she felt uneasy regardless.
and another thing ... she didn't know how accepting they'd be of a prey stealer. she didn't want to offend anyone... if she just left the squirrel here, would they think it an insult? and yet if she were to take it, she'd be a thief, no matter if she'd been spotted or not. feeling uncertainty wash over her, she hesitated for far too long, looking around her - before finally setting the squirrel on the ground and backing away from it a step or two.
she stared at the thing, expression confused. should she... just leave it here? she hadn't meant to steal anything... i wish sleetstorm were here. she'd know what to do about this.
@onyx
