Perhaps an anomaly in the accepting air of Nestclan, the ill-tempered Hedgefur could hardly understand how his clanmates dealt with the two-leg ilk. The previous loner was accustomed to sprawling forests with little to no activity from the two-legs, so his new home was a large leap. However, the black smoke had learned at an early age how to be adaptable, so he never complained, but his favor was clear from how much time he spent away from the city and in the sparse woodlands nearby.
Massive paws padding from the stone monolith, his green eyes cast across the camp, looking to the ones he had called his clan-mates. They chatted away to each other to no end, but Hedgefur hardly had the patience for their antics, easily crossing the camp in a few long strides. Conversations droned idly in his ears, but the tom hardly seemed to care, slipping away from camp without a word to his peers.
Pudgepaw her way around Patchpelt, pacing around her house mate as he explained to her what exactly that giant animal was. The chubby apprentice was awed, and...a little more than usually hungry. But there was still part of a crow to nibble on. The Groundhog was fresher - and there was plenty of food to go around now.
She took a few careful bites of the bird, before leaving the rest, of course, for Cloverstem. She caught the hint of a dark shadow out of the corner of her eye, and just barely recognized it as a familiar cat.
"Where's Hedgefur going?" The naive apprentice asked as the tom slipped away and out of camp, on his own. "He didn't even say hello!"
Tigerblaze couldn't help but roll his eyes at Patchpelt, and chuckled. "Last time the pile was that big, twolegs just acted amazed, and started taking out their 'Eye Foons' for a few seconds. I don't think we really have to worry too much." Or, at least, he was hoping they didn't.
However, he frowned as he watched Hedgefur leave, and sighed and shook his head, before looking at Pudgepaw. "Hedgefur isn't really the social type, Pudgepaw. Infact, sometimes, I wonder why he's even in a clan at all." He shrugged. "Oh, well, at least he'll probably bring back something."
Unfortunately, Hedgefur did not come back with anything; in fact, he had eaten whatever he had caught without a thought pertaining to the clan he resided in. Pushing forwards and into Nestclan camp, the feline cast only a brief side glance to his clanmates before seclude get himself in a corner of the camp, a sour look on his face. The absence of life in the sparse forest he had been in had soiled his relatively okay mood, and at that moment, he didn't feel like dealing with the nagging comments of his clanmates. If they wanted to know of why he didn't bring anything back, they might have to pay for it, for Hedgefur was feeling particularly violent.
Mintstar sits in the center of camp, she exhales as the warm newleaf air rustles her gray pelt. The green eyed she-cat looked up at the sky, not a cloud to be seen. "I'm going hunting, Tigerblaze, watch the camp while I'm gone." She told the Nestclan deputy as she padded to the camp entrance. She scans her surroundings, "Huntings going to be great today, I'm sure of it." She purrs. Mintstar liked having a break from doing all her duties as leader, it was nice for her to get out and hunt every once and a while. She begins to pad towards the camp entrance.
Green eyes flickering towards Mintstar as she approached the exit of camp, Hedgefur's ear picked up the conversation she seemed to had had with the Nestclan deputy. At her comment on the hunting, the black smoke gave a bitter roll of his eyes, puffing out his long, dark fur as he mumbled out sullenly. "Hardly. I couldn't even find a mouse today..." It was perfectly reasonable to assume that Hedgefur wasn't even trying to find anything else after his meal, but he found that acting like he cared for the clan was a better way to keep in than outright telling them he went on his own agenda.
Well, looked like he had been a bit too optimistic about Hedgefur. He really did wonder sometimes why the cat was even in a clan to begin.
As Mintstar told him to guard the camp, he nodded at her, and watched as she left. Although, it looked like Hedgefur had something to say regarding the hunting. Which was kind of funny, considering he could smell the cat's sparrow breath from there.
Anyway, he had intended to stay there and guard the camp, but, then he remembered they needed territory for the south, in order to make sure they got to the Gathering that was coming soon quick, and for a little extra hunting. Looking over at the others, he nodded. "Patchpelt, you're in charge until Mintstar or I get back. I'm going to do some marking." Then, he left the camp once again.
The white and gray tom just stood in silence as she watched the series of event's unfold. Cats came and went in a matter of moments. Their fearless leader had appeared and expressed her joy and desire of a good hunt. With that, the she-cat then left the camp and Tigerblaze was in charge. Once, she was gone Tigerblaze then placed the responsibility of the camp upon Patchpelt's shoulder.
WIth a chuckle, the tom nodded his head towards the deputy. "Very well," the tom said in his deep calming voice. He watched Tigerblaze leave and then he turned his attention back to Pudgepaw. "Say Kiddo, have you eaten yet? I'm sure TIgerblaze has feed you, but this big old tom hasn't had anything. Interested in sharing me with?"
Arriving back at camp, he noticed Mintstar hadn't arrived back yet. Well, it was just as well. Who knew how she would react, but, it would be good to have territory they could use to reach Brightrock for the Gathering that was coming up soon. Laying down, Tigerblaze looked around. "So, how were things while I was away?"
Patchpelt now lay near Pudgepaw with his share of the groundhog. Upon Tigerblaze's return, the tom raised his soft yellow gaze to greet the other tom. With his calm and deep voice he replied, "Just as calm and peaceful as when you left." The white and gray patched tom gave a purr and went to take a bite of his meal. Savoring his food, he chewed and swallowed. Returning his attention to the deputy he questioned, "So hows the territory looking?"
Mintstar reenters camp, carrying a plump vole in her jaws. She gently places the rodent atop the various other pieces of fresh kill. She calmly scans her surroundings, remaining silent. She gives Tigerblaze and Patchpelt a nod of thanks as she padded by.
Tigerblaze was about to reply to Patchpelt, when Mintstar herself arrived back, probably thinking he had been there the whole time. But, he wasn't. Although, he had to do what he did. They were the northernmost clan in the area. It barely took Glenclan and Creekclan that long to get there. They deserved their own path, right? And, probably noone else in his clan had thought of that, so he had had to take the initiative. Anyway, he nodded back at Mintstar, wondering if he should tell her. But, she probably wouldn't care either way, as long as they had a safe passage to the Gathering that was coming soon.
Before Tigerblaze could reply, Patchpelt's attention changed course. They now came to rest on the gray furred she-cat who had returned to camp. It seemed that Mintstar had been successful in her hunt. The tom came to notice he really hadn't done anything for the Clan. Everyone seemed to be hunting and marking territory while he just sat in camp chatting and eating his fill of the kills. He came to the conclusion he would go later to re-fresh to marked territory to help and pull his weight in the clan. For now, he didn't see the problem in conversing little more.
"Mintstar," the tom called out to his leader as she gave her nod. "What are your plans now that your hunt as gone well?"
Pudgepaw felt a little disheartened when her mentor got up and left yet again. The young apprentice hung her head and seemed infinitely interested in her own paws, but was shaken a bit from her stupor by Patchpelt, of course.
She didn't want to voice to her housemate the fact that she felt she had let her mentor down for some reason, and having a mouthful of prey seemed as goon an excuse as any to keep that topic from eating away at her. Pudgepaw joined him - because besides, she really wanted to see if that groundhog really did taste like a bigger, coarser-furred mouse.
She had taken a few hearty bites of it before her head shot up - Mintstar was back, as was Tigerblaze. Surely this boaded well for them.
"Yeah - what are we gonna do now?" She asked eagerly.
Owlmask wasn't known for sleeping too late into the afternoon, but today had been a rather lazy day. He slept in, therefore, a little more than he thought, and wandered out to a camp that was already bustling with activity.
The white tom sat stock still, spotting his leader and already everyone gathered around. He hunkered down, feeling a little ashamed, upon spotting an already full fresh kill pile.