Open to Join Rime or Reason

Frost-kissed fur hides a fiery spirit
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Rimekit’s ears flicked at the voice, but she didn’t lift her head from her crouch. Her eyes were glued to the branches above, pupils round as she tracked the flicker of wings. The warrior’s paws were heavy compared to the tiny scrabble of talons. How could she possibly look away now?

"Mmhm." She hummed, her whiskers twitching with concentration. "Mama's been teachin' me chipmunk smells, and squirrel smells... And birds smells." Her tail tip quivered as though to underline her point, though she never glanced his way.

"But it’s their sounds I like most." She whispered, half to him, half to herself, mismatched eyes shining. "They’re all different, if you listen." Her body wriggled closer to the base of the tree, belly brushing the grass. "I like their songs...but I like how they taste too."

Only then did she risk the briefest sideways glance toward Wrentalon, her grin sharp and eager, before snapping her gaze back to the canopy. "You like eatin' birds?"

Frost-kissed fur hides a fiery spirit
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Rimekit’s ears pricked forward, her little jaws parting just a bit as she lifted her nose to the wind. The scent was faint under the leafy green, but she was determined. Wrentalon had asked, and this was her chance to show him she wasn’t just playing at being a hunter. She could be one.

Her mismatched eyes narrowed, tail flicking behind her in short, quick bursts. "Not a song bird." She muttered with a certainty that wavered only a heartbeat. "Not pretty sounds. It’s a - " Her maw pursed together in concentration before the cry echoed above again. To Wrentalon it would be obvious, and frankly, it was perhaps the easiest sound to decipher.

" - Crow! Craw craw! " She cast Wrentalon a sidelong look, grinning ear to ear. "Scratchy sound." She giggled softly. "Mama hates crows."

Frost-kissed fur hides a fiery spirit
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Rimekit’s nose wrinkled, her whiskers bunching as she stared up at the glossy black bird. "Ew…" She mewed, though there was still a sparkle of mischief in her eyes.

Her ears perked, her whole body buzzing with excitement after Wrentalon dismissed the crow. "Oh! Oh oh, mama told me a story about crows!" She blurted, her tail lashing behind her like it couldn’t keep still.

"She said when she was my age she snuck out of camp all by herself and found a pair of ‘em peckin’ at a dead deer. A big, dead deer. She scared ‘em right off and almost caught one too!" Rimekit’s eyes were wide with awe, paws kneading at the grass like she could barely stand still under the thrill of retelling it.

"If I was her littermate, I wouldn’t’ve tried to hold her back." She puffed her chest proudly, her grin toothy and sure. "I’d’ve gone with her! Bet we would’ve caught one together."

Frost-kissed fur hides a fiery spirit
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Rimekit’s ears shot up, her mismatched eyes glittering at the challenge. "Scare it off? Ohhh, yeah!" She chirped, bouncing on her paws as her mind spun with possibilities.

She squinted up at the crow, then turned a sly look toward Wrentalon. "What if… you played dead?" Her tail lashed in excitement, paws kneading the ground as she pitched her grand idea. "If you lay real still, like a dead deer, maybe it’ll come down to peck at you! Then I’ll leap out and RAH!" She puffed herself up, arching her back and flaring her tiny claws for emphasis. "Scare its tail feathers right off!"

She grinned wide, practically vibrating. "That’d work, right?"

Frost-kissed fur hides a fiery spirit
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Rimekit’s ears drooped at first, her whiskers twitching in a tiny pout. "Aw… but the playing dead plan was good..." She muttered, shuffling her paws against the roots. For a heartbeat her tail gave a sulky flick, but then Wrentalon’s words clicked in her head.

Her eyes widened, her disappointment melting into sudden excitement. "Wait… climbing?" Her claws scraped eagerly at the bark, mismatched eyes gleaming. "That’s like training! Apprentices get to climb all the time!"

She scrambled up onto her tiptoes, stretching her little forepaws as high as they would go against the trunk, her tiny claws digging for purchase. "Bet I can scare it this way too! I’ll be the fastest crow chaser ever!" She shot Wrentalon a sharp-toothed grin over her shoulder. "Watch me!" Sharp, eager claws shot her up at her initial pounce, practically vibrating with excitement as she begun to scale.

Frost-kissed fur hides a fiery spirit
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Rimekit’s ears twitched at Wrentalon’s voice, but she didn’t dare look down. Her whole body was buzzing, every claw dug tight into the bark as she heaved herself up another pawstep. The crow gave a harsh caw from above and her mismatched eyes lit up like sparks.

Her tail lashed behind her, stiff and awkward at first until she remembered his words. She stuck it out like a counterweight, wobbling, then finding her balance again with a triumphant little snort.

"There! See?" She whispered up at the branches, half to herself, half to Wrentalon. She was actually doing it! Maybe if she was lucky she could bring a dead crow back for mama. Line their nests with feathers!

She crouched low on a sturdy limb, belly pressed flat as her gaze locked on the crow a few branches higher. Its glossy feathers gleamed between the leaves, and her claws flexed eagerly while trying her hardest to make each pawstep silent, just like she’d seen the warriors do. Only time would tell if she'd startle the crow or not!