Hide and Don't Seek [Waffles// Open]

[sammonroll]

A tom much too skinny to be a RiverClanner was splayed out on the sand of this little island. His fur was slightly darkened and damp from wading through the watery reeds to get here, but it was a cool reprieve from the intense greenleaf sun. A narrow, silver head lifted, dull green orbs contentedly taking in the sight of emptiness before him. Camp activity had lulled once discussion of the gathering had quieted, and RiverClan was back to its usual business. Not like Frozenpaw would really know. Honestly, the apprentice was surprised cats around there still remembered his name with how frequently he managed to slink out unnoticed from camp. The slightest smirk turned up a corner of his mouth at how easily he managed to slip through his clanmates paws, but an inner guilt soon chased it away.

What, you enjoy being a useless excuse for a Clan cat? Might as well be a kittypet... Frozenpaw rolled his eyes at himself and he dropped his head back down. Guilt-tripping yourself all the time was exhausting, but work looked more exhausting. Besides, this was who he was now. If he changed, everyone would make a big fuss over it, and Frozenpaw didn't need a big fuss. That moon spent in the medicine cat's den when he was just a kit had him late for his apprentice ceremony, and then he was just left to play catchup behind all his nursery denmates. At this point, it hardly seemed worth the extra effort. You're just a vacuum for RiverClan's food.

A sudden, never before seen determination lit up the tom's normally inanimate eyes. Frozenpaw got up on his paws and took a low stance, imagining himself in a battle. He lashed out at the sand, his only possible enemy in this currently abandoned area, imagining some wicked ShadowClan warrior being caught off guard by his quick movements. But alas, it was worthless to imagine such things. You think you're amount to anything one day? Please... The dream burned away like hot acid in his mind. It was only Frozenpaw, still a lazy, good-for-nothing apprentice.

On one hand, he wished someone would come save him from this void.
On the other hand, it would be better if he were left alone for the whole day.

Yes, being alone sounded much better...

[.THEPREDATOR&&]

Attack of the Pheasant... Enjoy

It had been strutting about all day awaiting his perfect one to come along. The pheasent was all too keen on showing off and finally winning over his miss wonderful. She was proving rather foul lately though, so he hadn't standed a chance last time he tried to talk with her. Now he was trying to catch something nice for her to eat. All the best worms were around here afterall.

Then he noticed something, a cat was near where he intended to hunt. It had lashed out at thin air it seemed, striking the sand, but that was not what this now horrified bird had witnessed. Several paces away near a growth of bushes, his beloved was asleep. No doubt the cat was practicing moves of leathal nature to claim her very life out from under her pretty feathers. This he could not as her intended or hopfully intended allow to happen. Bracing himself with mad courage, he squawked as loudly as he could fluffing up himsefl and looking several feathers while dashing towards the lanky tom cat. He flew a foot off the ground intending to land on its back and peck at him.

[sammonroll]

After making his imaginary battle move, the tom tired out. His motivation was only good for one strike, it seemed. Frozenpaw sighed at his useless mentality and sat back down, licking his right paw. The poor paw was in a sorry state, mangled from moons of... well...

Ahhh, it was peaceful here. Once the pessimistic apprentice gave up with all the self-loathing, he could appreciate his surroundings. There were no cats currently training here and everything was quiet and calm, unlike how it always was at camp. Apprentices need to do this, apprentices need to hunt, blah blah. But that was only the warriors! His fellow apprentices were much worse. I got to battle train today! Frozenpaw, have you done battle training? Guess what I caught today!! Yeah, I got that scar after fighting a badger off our territory, ha! Frozenpaw rolled his eyes for the millionth time today, before the serene waters had taken his attention away.

Screening the surroundings, Frozenpaw figured he should come here more often, as long as no one was training here. The cattails were swaying in the light breeze, ripples were daintily stepping on the water, and that large pheasant was-

The large pheasant? The silver tom's head snapped to attention. He certainly wasn't mistaken. There was indeed a very large bird rushing towards him. Frozenpaw wasn't particularly large, but this bird would have been eye to eye with any of the older apprentices. The lanky tom hissed, and watched in terror as the bird flew above him, batting its wings furiously. It's maddening squawks screeched against Frozenpaw's ears.

Frozenpaw was slow from constant laziness, and the fact that a bird was coming in to attack a Clan cat left him shocked. His attention snapped back to his training and he jumped backwards, hoping it was timed quickly enough for him to avoid those sharp talons aiming for his pelt.

[.THEPREDATOR&&]

This ruffled fowl was trying to prove his love, and ability to protect to what he envisioned as his intended in the bushes. In that respect, he had flung himself at the apprentice, screeching like a demon. The tom, turned and hissed at him, in its snake like way. That always creeped him out, and in doing so sent shivers down his spine. He hated cats, and clan cats were the worst of them, mean fangs and claws, with trained moves. Well the hissed worked, and had him thinking of terrifying adders, there snagging abilities far more danerous then a cat, and more silent.

Alas he could not avoid this conflict, for his mind had been made up since he took the leap. The hiss had caught him off guard enough for him to close his eyes while he struck out. This caused him to miss his victim, and Frozenpaw moved harmlessly out of the way. He landed on his claws, his feet actting like stakes in the ground, not quite sinking in, yet firmly rooted to the ground. This opponent was quick, and sly in his thoughts to freak him out with the hissing. He would have to try another tactic, and with that in mind the pheasent reared on one leg before charging right for him, letting out a shrill whistle. He intended to sweep low and scratch his legs once he got there. It might have worked, but he shut his eyes again in focus.

[Waffles]

.S.h.a.d.o.w.p.a.w.

Why did he have to be out here? Seriously, why? Stupid Hailstorm and her stupid punishments he thought sourly. This is what he got for trying skip on one, just one, measly early morning patrol to spend a beautiful day like it should be spent. He just didn't understand why their leader got so mad at him for just wanting to waste that glorious day away underneath the warm sun. She'd assigned him to several weeks of hunting or patrolling with no downtime for himself. It was supposed to teach him about putting the clan first or some other nonsense like it. He didn't really understand the whole thing, but if Hailstorm caught him ditching his duties again, well, he was sure it wouldn't be pretty.

So here he was out hunting. Or well he was supposed to be. He hadn't found anything so far in his venture from camp. Shadowpaw paused mid-step when a familiar scent caught his attention. Frozenpaw? One of his fellow apprentices was nearby and one he wasn't that close too. The tom's closet experience with Frozenpaw had been on the day Hailstorm caught him sneaking out of camp. And that hadn't ended well.

He changed his direction and followed his clan mate's scent. Maybe he'll join me. Or better yet, maybe I can claim something he's caught as mine, Shadowpaw thought as the scent grew stronger. He opened his mouth to greet the other apprentice, but stopped before the words could form. The sight in front of him was...interesting.

Frozenpaw was there and he was under attack...by a pheasant? Wait, a pheasant? The gray tom stood in shock for a moment as his mind processed the scene happening in front of him. A pheasant was attacking a Clan cat.

The shrill whistle that bird made brought him back to the present. His training kicked in and Shadowpaw ran full speed at Frozenpaw's attacker. "Move!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, preparing to launch himself at the pheasant once he was close enough.

[sammonroll]

The apprentice's normally slow-paced heart beat rapidly as sharp claws narrowly missed his fur. He took a deep breath and gulped his relief, which only lasted for a short time before this wild bird was on the attack again. It was blindly reaching out for his limbs, and Frozenpaw's eyes quickly scanned for an opening, but not before a new player had entered the scene.

From the corner of his eye, he saw the dark shape of a Clanmate rush towards him. His heart relaxed. There was support coming to help him face off this demon of a bird. The other cat shouted towards him, "Move!" and Frozenpaw recognized the voice of his fellow apprentice, Shadowpaw. He tensed again, a little disappointed that his help was coming in the form of another apprentice rather than a warrior but really, It shouldn't take more than a couple apprentices to beat a bird. You needed a warrior to come save you? What are you, a kit? Frozenpaw's mouth twitched at his self-directed insults.

That's not it... However lazy Frozenpaw was, it still hurt some sense of pride somewhere deep in his Clan cat's heart to have another apprentice save him from a ridiculous situation.

However, now was no time for thinking about his pride. In the next second, he noticed Shadowpaw's tensed stride, preparing for a well-aimed pounce. Tch, you might as well do something too, he scolded himself, and in a hasty decision, launched his skinny body towards the courageous bird. Unfortunately, days upon days of missing training had left Frozenpaw...well, unpracticed, and he wasn't quite sure whether or not he might end up crashing into his ally, never mind targeting the bird accurately.

[.THEPREDATOR&&]

Courageous and flamboyant, that is the praise he hoped his fine feathered beauty would remember him as for this defying deed. The odds had been favorable, for at first he had not intended to really beat the tom cat, just scare him and flee from his clan cat fury. Rushing at the grey cat was not his first choice, but he figured, throw him off balance and high tail it out of there with his female in tow. That was not going to happen it seemed, for another cat yowled and jumped for him seemingly from no where.

This slippery fowl was not really reacting when he leapt into the air, no his movements were guided by shear panic. While the first cat hadn't seemed as fierce alone, two were trouble. He was certain he could take them, but getting caught off guard like that had his feathers all puffed out in fear. Fluttering his wings, he used them to hover slightly for a little bit before landing a few feet away to regroup. In that time he didn't see what happened to the two, they would have been on a collision course, but being clan cats they could be pretty tricky.

He was not happy to have this other feline interfere to say the least. Two cats meant that they might spot his beloved for sure. They were really close to where he had last seen her hiding. Thinking quickly he knew he needed the focus to remain on him, as much as he hated that idea. Squawking and fluffing himself up again, he got into a more aggressive stance, and yelled at the cats as menacingly as he could manage.