Private Thread A Rose Within the Shade

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
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  Leopardrose padded alongside Shadefrost, her eyes flicking nervously between the trees as they moved through the undergrowth. The silence between them weighed on her, the tension palpable even though neither of them had said much since leaving camp. She couldn’t help but replay the earlier moment in her mind, still embarrassed that he’d caught her lounging instead of being productive. Shadefrost had made it clear, even without words, that he wasn’t impressed.

When Shadefrost paused, scenting the air, Leopardrose mirrored his actions, her own nose twitching as she caught the faint scent of mouse. Her heart quickened, the prospect of making a good catch filling her with hope. This was her chance to show him that she could be just as dedicated as any other warrior.

At his signal, she nodded in return, creeping silently around the side of a nearby bush. Her muscles tensed with anticipation, her paws moving lightly over the ground as she circled to flush the mouse toward Shadefrost. The cold breeze that rustled the leaves didn’t bother her now; her focus was on the task at paw.

She spotted the small creature nibbling on something near the base of a tree, and she shifted her weight, ready to strike. She glanced toward Shadefrost’s position, hoping to coordinate her move with his, her ears pinned back in concentration. The pressure to succeed pressed down on her, but Leopardrose swallowed her nerves.

Think before you leap. Find the right route. ~Shadefrost
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Lowering his body into the hunters crouch, he carefully picked his way through the undergrowth towards the mouse. His tail twitched slightly, motioning Leopardrose forward.

His body shot towards the mouse, making sure to run it towards his clan mate. As he ran his right forpaw slipped on a fallen leaf and he thumped to the ground.

Mouse-dung, he thought to himself. Had the young she-cat managed to catch the prey he had let slip from his grasp? He could only hope. If they came back empty handed he would be no better than she had been, lounging about.

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
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  Leopardrose's heart raced as she saw Shadefrost spring toward the mouse, her own muscles coiling in response. She had been poised and ready, watching his movements closely, but the sudden slip of his paw caused her to hesitate for a split second. The mouse darted in her direction, startled by Shadefrost’s fall, and Leopardrose sprang into action.

Her paws barely made a sound as she shot forward, her claws unsheathing at the last moment. She pounced, landing neatly on top of the mouse just as it tried to flee into the underbrush. She felt the small creature struggle beneath her paws for only a heartbeat before she swiftly delivered the killing bite.

Leopardrose stood still for a moment, catching her breath, her chest heaving with a mix of relief and adrenaline. She glanced back at Shadefrost, holding the mouse triumphantly between her teeth. Her nerves hadn’t disappeared, but at least she hadn’t fumbled the catch. Padding over to him, she dropped the mouse at her paws.

"Got it!" Her exclamation was laced with a purr, hiding her relief with a wink towards her clanmate. She half-expected him to criticize her technique or mention his slip, excusing his mistake, but all she could do was shift on her paws before she scooped up the mouse in her jaws. "I'll bury it if you would like to continue. The only thing better than one mouse is two." Her maw rolled with the effort of fluff between her teeth, but her smirk was certain.

Think before you leap. Find the right route. ~Shadefrost
ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

Hearing that Leopardrose had caught the mouse should have made him happy but instead he just felt disappointed. Disappointment in himself and in his hunting skills. "Why did you have to get involved? I would have caught it." He mumbled under his breath as his ears dropped, and his tail dragged along the ground.

He turned back towards the Twoleg place and started to move off, tail still dragging. How could he have been so careless? He should have noticed the leaf. Mouse brained fool, he thought to himself.

He glanced over his should to see if she was following him, but turned his head back quickly to avoid catching her gaze. For some reason this she-cat made him even more nervous and anxious than usual. He wondered why.

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
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  Leopardrose’s purr faltered as she caught Shadefrost’s mumbled words. Her ears twitched, and a wave of confusion washed over her. Was he upset that I caught the mouse? She had expected a little indifference or even some criticism, but not this... dejection. For a moment, she didn’t know how to respond, her paws shifting uncomfortably beneath her as she watched him turn away.

Her tail flicked with uncertainty, but she quickly swallowed the lump of frustration in her throat. Shadefrost's disappointment stung more than she cared to admit, but she reminded herself that she wasn’t here for praise. They were hunting for the clan, and that was what mattered most.

Still, she couldn’t ignore the heaviness in his steps, the way his tail dragged through the dirt as he moved ahead. Leopardrose bit back her initial retort, her smirk fading as she buried the mouse. "I just wanted to help." She muttered softly to herself, though the sharp edge in her voice betrayed her feelings.

Catching up to him, she padded alongside him quietly for a moment before finally speaking up. "Look, we’re a team out here, right? Doesn’t matter who catches what, as long as we bring something back for the clan." Her tone was lighter, trying to bridge the tension that had thickened between them. "No need to get caught up in one slip."

She glanced at Shadefrost, trying to gauge his reaction, though she wasn’t sure if he would even meet her eyes.

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
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  Leopardrose blinked at Shadefrost’s glare, her heart sinking a little. But as he lowered his head and mumbled an apology, some of the tension eased from her shoulders. She hadn’t expected him to apologize. His words were quiet, almost reluctant, but they held a sincerity that surprised her.

When Shadefrost forced a smile and suggested they keep hunting, Leopardrose gave a small nod, watching him dash off into the undergrowth. His sudden shift in mood left her a bit puzzled, but she didn’t dwell on it for long. She was just relieved that the awkwardness between them seemed to be fading.

Quick on her paws, Leopardrose bounded after him, weaving through the undergrowth as the familiar scents of the forest filled her nose. Despite her earlier frustration, she found herself enjoying the hunt again, the cool breeze brushing her fur as they moved closer to Twoleg place.

She noticed Shadefrost glance back at her, and she met his gaze with a small smirk, her flirtatious spirit sparking. "Don’t worry, I’m right behind you." She called softly, her voice light and teasing. There was no need to dwell on what had happened earlier - they both knew they had a job to do.

As Shadefrost stopped to scent the air, Leopardrose slowed to a halt beside him, her own nose twitching as she caught the faint scent of prey nearby. Her ears perked up, and her eyes scanned the surroundings. "Look - robin!" Murmuring, her voice low and focused, as she stalked forward towards the pair of robin foraging near a fenceline.

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
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Leopardrose watched as Shadefrost moved into position, his precision and focus impressing her. As he successfully caught one of the robins, her attention shifted back to the second bird, still foraging obliviously nearby. With a flick of her tail, she began to creep forward, her muscles tensed for the chase.

As she neared, her excitement got the better of her. She misjudged a step, her paw landing awkwardly on a small twig. The snap sent the robin into a panic, flapping wildly into the air. Leopardrose cursed under her breath, launching herself after it. She leapt just in time to swipe at the bird, knocking it back to the ground, feathers flying in every direction.

For a moment, she thought she might have lost it, but with a swift recovery, she pounced again and managed to pin the bird down, delivering the final bite. It wasn’t her most graceful catch, but at least she had it.

Breathing heavily, Leopardrose padded back over to Shadefrost with the somewhat ruffled robin dangling from her jaws. She dropped it at her paws, giving a sheepish grin. "Well, that wasn’t exactly my finest work." She admitted with a soft laugh, flicking her tail.

She glanced over at Shadefrost’s pristine catch, raising an amused brow. "Looks like you had a bit more luck this time."

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
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Leopardrose felt a flicker of warmth at Shadefrost’s encouraging words. Despite her stumble, his praise settled the lingering frustration in her chest. His tail brushing over her shoulders caused a faint shiver to run down her spine though she masked it quickly with another smile.

As Shadefrost turned to lead the way, Leopardrose fell into step beside him her pace casual. She cast a glance toward his sharp silhouette, a soft flutter of unease still beating against her chest with the softness of butterfly wings.

"Guess we didn’t do too bad for a shaky start, huh?" She teased, though there was warmth behind her words. There seemed to be an unspoken understanding between them - sometimes things didn’t need to be perfect to count as a success.

As they padded back toward where her mouse lay, Leopardrose found herself thinking about the events that had caused them both to be on this outing together. A part of her believed that he had just as much trouble making friends in the clan as she believed she did. Together they would head back to camp to deposit their catches to the fresh kill pile. 

Maybe this wouldn’t be the last time they hunted together after all.