Sweet Escape [Open]

Just before she sprang at it, a sudden crack caused the rat to while around in a frenzy. Eyes wide, it caught sight of her sitting barely a tail length away, and, with a wild squeak of fear, turned to run away. Realizing it was now or never, Leopardpaw pounced, but fell just short of the rat as it dashed away nimbly. Scrambling to readjust, she chased after her prey, claws digging deep into the ground as she scrabbled at the soft dirt, searching for any purchase. Finally finding her footing, the apprentice shot after the rat like a rocket, and just barely managed to bowl it over just before it disappeared into its burrow in the base of a pine tree. It was a messy kill, with bloody, torn fur and a high, wailing cry of pain. The rat’s small body had deep scratches from where Leopardpaw had dug her claws in, trying to hold it still before she bit deeply into its neck, ultimately putting it out of its misery.

With that said and done, she got to her feet, scowling at the mud and debris stuck to her fur. She had, no doubt, picked it up during her tumble. It simply wouldn’t do for her to go back to camp like this, but, just as she settled in to give herself a quick cleaning, Leopardpaw froze as she recalled the reason for all of this in the first place. There was a crack that had alerted the rat to her presence. But, she had not made a sound, that the apprentice was sure of. So, what had? Scenting the air, Leopardpaw couldn’t pick up on anything but the rat and her own scent, so, instead, she took to scanning the area nearby. Her eyes narrowed as she searched, until she glanced up and noticed the familiar warrior sitting in the tree overhead. Spiderleap, she growled as she glared, expression dark and jaded.

“What was that for?” she yowled challengingly, the fur along her spine rising to attention as her ears laid flat against her skull. Deep down, she knew better than to anger a warrior. They had more standing than her, and, if she was reported, Froststar would have been exceedingly happy to dole out a harsh punishment. But, Leopardpaw, all action and little forethought, didn’t care. “I would have caught that rat easily if you hadn’t decided to come lumbering in here!”

The more Spiderleap spoke, the more riled up Leopardpaw became. She had left camp all on her own in order to escape from her annoying clan mates, but it appeared as though one had found her anyways. “Heh, that’s a scary look on your face there.” Leopardpaw only draw her lips back further as she was very blatantly aware that the warrior was patronizing her. “I was only helping you out, y’know.” Watching as Spiderleap dropped nimbly to the forest floor, Leopardpaw scoffed and turned away, her nose high in the air.

“I don’t need your help,” she said, voice as dry as the lizard’s corpse that had been left at the bottom of the fresh-kill pile and forgotten about for over a moon. “And I was hunting just fine!” She was quick to jump on the defensive as Spiderleap took a jab at her hunting technique. It was how her previous mentor had taught her after all, before he had been exiled in the Great March; she was to use her light paws to her advantage, creeping up on her prey until she was barely a few steps away before going in for the kill. That way, she had a better chance of catching it, and she would be close enough to react in case anything happened. So, for this she-cat to come in and start insulting her skills without any precedent was wonderfully apt at rubbing Leopardpaw’s fur the wrong way.

“I don’t see what you’re complaining about though, it was a fine kill. Even if you looked like a spastic fish. Almost as good as mine.” Glaring at Spiderleap mutinously, Leopardpaw held her tongue as she bit back a scathing retort. If you thought that was a fine catch, she thought, eyes blazing with a fire she didn’t bother to hide. Then you must not be a very good hunter.

But, it was Spiderleap’s next words that brought a startling clarity to the apprentice’s anger-muddled mind. “Hunting for necessity or boredom though, I wonder. Does anyone even know you’re out here, Leopardpaw?” As the warrior spoke her name, she finished her question with a sly lilt of her voice. Spiderleap knew she had Leopardpaw right where she wanted; the apprentice had snuck out of camp without so much as a note saying where she had gone. She was shirking her duties, and, if anyone found out, she was sure to be punished. What if they confine me to camp for a moon? She reflected upon the possible consequences with a sense of dread, blood running cold in her veins. Or, worse, what if Froststar decides to delay my warrior ceremony? Eyes widening with panic, she struggled to swallow down the lump in her throat, flexing her claws and digging them into the ground nervously. But, as she glanced up to meet Spiderleap’s conniving gaze, Leopardpaw knew that she would rather suffer any punishment than give the warrior what she wanted to see. So, forcing back the rising fear, Leopardpaw composed herself once again and spat, “What’s it to you anyways? I see you're out here, and not even hunting either.” Snatching her rat up in her jaws, she turned away swiftly and began heading back in the direction of camp, calling over her shoulder, “If anything, you're just wasting your time, interfering with another cat’s duties!”