Get ready...set [go!] [ginger x storm]

[{amberrr}]

<sup>Gingerstripe sat down quietly while she waited for Stormclaw to come back. She prayed to her ancestors that they would be kind and let him catch the pesky squirrel. She silently turned her ears toward the bush where Stormclaw had disappeared into. Gingerstripe heard a faint swish of a small animal move, a branch be pulled back, then pawsteps.

She widened her eyes, she had pictured the move in her head, and it was brilliant. Her eyelids closed as she pictured him stealthily moving toward it, making a slip, then quickly deciding to use the tree branch to catch the squirrel. As Stormclaw padded back over to the main clearing, Gingerstripe started to dig up the whole they had dug for the prey. "That catch was amazing!" she meowed to him, pulling out a mouse, then a rabbit. All that was left was Stormclaw's prey, and then they could go back to the camp.

Gingerstripe picked up her prey, both cold and lifeless now. She thought about how much prey this was for the middle of leaf-bare and silently sent a prayer up to her ancestors. Thank you, StarClan for letting us fine enough prey to feed the Clan, she silently told them. Gingerstripe doubted there would be another hunt this successful again until then next thaw, when the animals would come out of their dens to look around and find something to eat.</sup>

[Cloud of Diamonds]

Stormclaw was pleasantly surprised when Gingerstripe congratulated him. Not that she was a mean cat, but there were some cynical downers in MeadowClan that tested even his patience sometimes...but never mind that. There were better things to think about.

With elegant strides he drew closer to the place where his Clanmate had originally brought him until he stood no more than a tail-length or so away from her. Now that he wasn't moving, he shivered a bit, the movement shaking the squirrel's tail slightly.

Putting it down for a moment, he blinked and mewed, "Thank you. But your own are surely more splendid, m'lady, as you managed to get two." He was not trying to over-compliment her, but honor and modesty were important when one was hunting with a lady, especially one he did not know particularly well.

As the tabby managed to pick up her small catches, he took it as a signal they were returning to camp now, which was probably wise. No prey was likely to show its muzzle in this weather - they had been blessed enough as it was, praise StarClan.

So homeward it was. With brisk but slightly reluctant strides, the gray tom began to pad in the direction of camp.