I'll beat you this time! [Oakwhisker & Firefang]

[glowlynose]

Firefang let out an irritated hiss. He hadn't thought it would take this long to find a suitable hunting spot. In fact, he'd hoped that Oakwhisker would stray from one of the main trails to find a less used hunting spot. It certainly would have made more sense that way. However, he couldn't make Oakwhisker do it his way. He was following his friend this time. He made a mental note to lead the way next time.

Firefang was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he nearly missed Oakwhisker's turn. His ears flushed with heat, his own version of showing his embarrassment. Imagine how humiliating it would have been if he'd walked right past his friend, lost in his own private reverie as he was. Oakwhisker never would have let him live it down. That would have been doom upon Firefang's sanity.

"Excellent job, Oakwhisker,"

[/b] he mewed to his friend after he'd had a chance to survey their surroundings. Yes, this place he'd found was perfect for their devices. Already, the scents of various prey animals were drifting towards Firefang. His mouth began to water, but he had to wait for Oakwhisker to give the okay to hunt. It was his place since he'd found it, and he controlled what went on in it. Firefang might like control, but he had his rules and he stuck to them like they were his life force. In fact, his rules were his life force. If he broke his rules, he was worthless.
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Oakwhisker had heard the hiss of irritation. He knew it would be the first and last time he ever lead the way for anything again. "Excellent job, Oakwhisker." Oakwhisker heard the words from Firefang and became proud of himself. He had impressed his friend... Maybe it wouldn't be the last time he lead the way after all. He was aware of the shift in power as Firefang waited for Oakwhisker to give the okay to start hunting. This made Oakwhisker even more proud.

Oakwhisker, not wanting to scare off any of the unaware prey, did not speak to Firefang; he simply flicked his tail to show that the competition had started. Oakwhisker dropped into a hunter's crouch, mouth open, as he moved forward. There way prey all around him... It was wonderful. A mouse crouched just before him, searching for food probably. Oakwhisker crept closer then lept, landing right on the unsuspecting mouse. He killed it quickly then buried it, already prowling for the next piece of prey.

[glowlynose]

Firefang nodded with approval. The competition had officially begun! They had done this so many times before now that he hadn't needed to explain the rules to his dear friend, which saved them both valuable hunting time. Firefang let a pleased smile cross his face, for he had lapsed back into his standard blank expression after his embarrassment. Oakwhisker was doing quite well. He might need a promotion soon.

Firefang's ears pricked and his whiskers twitched as he let his senses take control of him. Now it was time for Oakwhisker to feel the heat! The massive warrior chuckled privately at his small pun on his name. Fire... feeling the heat... he was so clever!

He managed to capture and kill a small jay with little difficulty; it was easy for him to catch birds because of the strength in his hind legs. The length of his claws most likely helped him too. He buried the jay and peeked over at Oakwhisker, flashing a mischeivous grin. This was so nice, just two good friends out for a little friendly competition.

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While Firefang had caught his bird Oakwhisker had spotted a quite plump squirrel. He crept up on it, making no sounds. It was searching for acorns under a tree. He lept on it and killed it quickly, burying it next to his mouse.

He loved hunting, the way your stress just eased away from you when you sinked your claws into the prey's warm flesh. Oakwhisker smiled back at Firefang then moved onto a blackbird. Birds had never been his strength when it came to hunting prey, but his was determined.

He moved toward the bird keeping as quite as possible. He didn't take a chance leaping farther away this time, birds could fly away easily. He moved closer, and closer yet. Oakwhisker lept, soaring above the ground for a couple of seconds to land on... Nothing. He had missed the bird.

Embarrassment showed in his complexion clearly. He had missed a catch right in front of Firefang. He made no sound, for fear of alerting any other animals, but avoided Firefang's eye. He scented for more prey farther away from his friend this time.

[glowlynose]

Firefang turned away from his friend and let a pleased smirk cross his face. Oakwhisker had just missed a bird. He wasn't so much the high-and-might tracker anymore, was he? Firefang knew that he shouldn't feel this glee over his friend's failure, but it meant that he had a better chance of winning this thing. Winning was everything, in this instance.

Firefang's ears pricked. A shrew was scuttling around in the leaf litter over to his left. It was so oblivious to the presence of the ginger tom that Firefang nearly felt a moment of pity for it before he pounced. The shrew skittered away as fast as its paws could carry it, and Firefang nearly let out an irritated hiss. He'd missed it the first time! A swipe of his paw caught the shrew unawares, but it was a very unsatisfying kill. He buried it and started to scout for more prey.

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Oakwhisker heard the miss that Firefang made, but he pretended like he hadn't noticed at all. He was now on the trail of a finch, he was going to catch a bird if he liked it or not.

The finch was pecking at the ground, in search of a tasty worm. Oakwhisker held his breath and crept closer and closer to the bird. This time he decided he would try leaping at a farther distance, maybe it would work. He locked his eyes on the target and launched himself into the air, predicting that the bird would fly up.

He was right. The bird practically flew into his outstretched, airborne paws.

Oakwhisker clawed at the bird as he fell back down to the forest floor. He hit the ground hard, but still landed on his paws. The bird joined him on the ground seconds after. Oakwhisker beamed with pride, he had caught a bird... in midair. He couldn't help himself, he had to turn and smile at Firefang.

He knew that his friend would probably be furious that he couldn't even catch a shrew while Oakwhisker was catching birds in mid-flight, but he didn't care. Oakwhisker was nearly running around with pride as he buried his slightly ripped up finch where the rest of his prey was.

[glowlynose]

Firefang seethed inside, to put the mess of thoughts and feelings that were rushing through his mind at the moment into the simplest terms. Oakwhsker had caught a bird in mid-flight. He never caught birds, even when they were too startled to fly away. Firefang was supposed to do all the catching of hard prey; Oakwhisker wasn't supposed to be able to trum him at his own game! Firefang let out a quiet hiss and pinned his ears against his skull.

His irritation didn't last long, not as far as you could tell from looking at him, anyway. To the plain observer, Firefang quickly composed himself and got on with his hunt. He clawed his way up a tree and told himself that surely Oakwhisker wouldn't dare try and beat him at this. Oakwhisker wasn't named Oaktail for a good reason: he didn't have the best balance. He wouldn't do too well hunting in a tree.

The scent of squirrel blasted Firefang in the face. This was a good sign. It meant that Firefang was upwind of his prey. Oh! and there it was, looking so pretty on the end of a branch a few leaps away. It flicked its bushy tail a few times and sniffed around; it had caught a sign of the warrior, so he'd have to make this quick. Firefang pounced and let out a purr of trimph as his claws sunk into his prey. He would eat this one when they got back.

There was a vole rooting in the dirt for some seeds or something that Firefang didn't particularly care about almost directly below him. If he had eyebrows, he most certainly would have waggled them upside down micheivously. Instead, a unnameble emotion sparked in his eyes. He draped the squirrel over the branch, got his balance, and pounced down from the bough. He now had two new catches to bury, and he let out a purr of satisfaction. This would show Oakwhisker!

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Oakwhisker watched as Firefang dropped from the tree onto the vole. Impressive. He thought to himself. He was aware of how much he a probably irked Firefang with his catch. He decided to leave it where it was though, and moved onto more prey.

There was a shrew not far from where Oakwhisker stood and it was going to be added to his pile of prey. Oakwhisker crouched then leapt, killing it. Too easy... I need something more like that bird... Oakwhisker then spotted it. A rabbit. Why there was a rabbit in PineClan territory he knew not, probably just scared over the border, but it was going to be his. He moved quietly towards the prey, making sure not to make a single sound.

He held his breath as he stalked closer and closer. A the last minute he leapt, knowing that he needed to catch it before it bolted. Oakwhisker felt as his legs strained to push him farther than they ever had before. The rabbit noticed Oakwhisker and started to move away. That was the point though. Oakwhisker had made sure he had over-leapt the distance so that he would land right where the rabbit would be.

His claws hit the rabbits flank and he made sure to dig them in nice and deep. Oakwhisker watched as the rabbit tried to get away, his claws being pulled at. It was an odd sort of thing to see: blood all over the rabbit's flank as it was still fighting to be free. Oakwhisker killed it quickly then picked up the shrew and buried both with the rest of his kills.

[glowlynose]

Firefang let out a small sigh and flicked his tail a few times. All this hunting was starting to get boring. They either needed to move to a different spot, spice things up, or do something else entirely. It was at times like this when the ginger tom wished that he had an apprentice to train. Instead of hunting right now, he could be involved in a debate, or battle training, or exploring the territory with an eager young cat.

A mouse practically ran across Firefang's forepaws. It was an easy catch, possibly the easiest catch he'd ever made. It frustrated him beyond belief. Hunting was supposed to be a test of skills, not something easy you did for the sport of it. This place would be a good place to bring a new apprentice to practice hunting, but it was entirely too simple for an experienced warrior to catch prey.

"Oakwhisker, I think we've caught enough prey for now. What can we do now?"

[/b] Firefang was frantically trying to come up with an idea, but for once none would come. He hissed quietly and flicked his ears a few times. Hopefully Oakwhisker would come up with a plan. He aimed a carefully calculated stare at his friend. It had just the right amount of expectation and threat mixed in that would normally spur on a cat such as Oakwhisker to please Firefang.
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Oakwhisker counted his prey: he had caught five pieces! He glanced over at Firefang's pile and counted his friend's without trying to look obvious: Firefang had caught five as well. Oakwhisker was secretly annoyed thatthey both had tied, someone had to win.

"Oakwhisker, I think we've caught enough prey for now. What can we do now?" Oakwhisker caught Firefang's stare, not one to be messed with. "Well we could...uhm..." Oakwhisker let out a thoughtful "hmph". What could they do? They could...well, what could they do?

"I don't know what we could do, Firefang. Anything you want to do in particular?" Oakwhisker smiled inwardly at how irritated Firefang would be probably, it wasn't that he liked to see his friend irked...just that Firefang needed a good "think for yourself" every once and a while.

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