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 Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 10:36 am
 [ Takes place after Bushfire/Fireflight ]
Today, Fireflight had forgone scouting out her sister's traps in favour of practicing her hunting skills. She was sure there was some sort of bad vibes associated with spying on her sister's traps, what with what had happened the last time she'd been caught looking at them. The young Hunter was not up for a repeat performance, and thus stayed well away from her usual spots. She did not want to run into that strange Wildtype again.
With a beat of her wings she flew a little higher, weaving through the trees as she watched the ground for signs of prey. Night time made surprise attacks much easier; however in order to surprise your prey you had to find it before it found you. But practice makes perfect, and Fireflight circled her chosen area once before settling down on a nearby branch. Mice would come out once they thought she was gone. All she had to do was wait.
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Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 11:04 am
Osprey was still picking away at her current task, Scouting in the northern territory. The mist, dyed for her namesake, moved swiftly and silently between territories and utilized every technique that Breeze had so painstakenly taught her. She was sur ethat her former teacher would of been proud and had half a mind to drop in and see her once she was done with her current assignment.
She was growing more and more familiar with the area and distinctly recognized the edges of the Trapper's territory. She felt an urdge to go and speak with her new friend, but... Well, she still felt a little embarassed by the whole "trespassing" situation. Fi lived up to her name quite well, but when it came down to it, she was nice enough. Ossie could even relate to her...
But she wasn't about to impose again.
Instead, she lighted on a lower, thick limb for a rest, just outside of the territory that Fiercefire and Basil shared. She preened her dyed feathers carefully before growing still and relaxing.
Mus, however, was itching for some action. The little, nimble companion was bored from the long flights. "Getta something to eat, yes?" She squeaked as she scrambled down Osprey's back and onto the limb.
"Yeah. Just be careful." The mist replied quietly as she closed her golden eyes. Mus had barely waited for a response and was off, zipping across the limb to find something to munch on.
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Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 11:16 am
There.
Fireflight froze, her ear tufts twitching. She'd heard something move across a branch just now. A mouse? Perhaps. She needed to get a better look before she decided to strike. When you strived to be a good Hunter, you had to be able to distinguish between Mus and mouse. Other Sentinels got upset if you accidentally grabbed their companion for dinner. Thus, the young Hunter took off silently, fiery eyes peeled for any signs of her current prey. If it was a mouse, the circling could get her seen and she would lose her lunch. If it was Mus, however, she would save herself the trouble of having to hide the body if it was dyed.
On the second pass she caught sight of it. She alighted on a nearby branch, eyes narrowing as she studied what she found. It was grey, but did being grey make it painted? It looked like it had some funny eye paint. Hrm… it was probably safer to just leave it. Chances are it belonged to a Sentinel. She was just about to take off when she thought she saw something white not too far off. Her ear tufts twitched again, before she called, "Hullo! Is someone there?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 11:24 am
The little companion had taken to gnawing at a nut that had yet to fall, completely oblivious that her life had been in any peril what so ever. She was usually an observant thing, but the silent Hunter had completely avoided catching Mus's attention...
Until she hooted.
The companiono dropped her nut and turned around at about the exact same time Osprey's eyes opened, searching for the one who called out. This time she was certain that she wasn't trespassing... And the voice sounded far from angry.
The gray and white Mist roused her feathers and peered towards where she had though she heard the calling, where she caught sight of another form. For a split second she thought it was Fiercefire, but the voice... Well, the voice didn't sound like her at all, really.
"Yes? Oh, uh. Not trespassing, am I?" The young Scout's eartufts lifted slightly as she leaned forward on her perch to get a better look. Maybe this other Mist was a relative of Fi? They looked too much alike, after all.
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Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 11:31 am
Aha! There was someone! Fireflight gave a small nod. She had been right then that the Mus belonged to someone. No doubt, this Sentinel who she could just make out between the foliage. It had been wise not to catch the Mus and ask questions later. Her sister would be proud of her. The young Hunter shook that thought away as quickly as it came. She didn't need her sister's approval. They were rivals – in their own way – after all.
The question startled her, and she craned her neck to get a better look at the Sentinel. "Trespassing?" She repeated, and blinked, "No, I don't think so. I think the territory ends somewhere over here but I don't remember exactly." Her sister had told her the extent of her trapping territory when she first arrived, but it was so much bigger than what she was used to that it was hard to remember where it all ended. "Either way, if I say you can come in, it's not trespassing, right?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 11:40 am
"I guess, if you live there." Osprey could see the Mist clearly now and the young Scout was making assesments. She liked like Fi, was in Fi's territory... Was about the same age as herself...
Yup, had to be related.
The Scout plastered a friendly grin on her beak edges and as soon as Mus had scampered up her back, she shot off towards the territory that she had entered once before. She was meeting so many individuals out here and now the opportunity to meet another was presenting itself. She seemed to do fine with Fiercefire, so maybe this other Mist would be friendly, too. She certainly seemed to be.
Ossie landed at a polite distance further down the limb and her eartufts flicked upwards ever so slightly.
"I'm Ossie, uh, Osprey, Scout. I've been assigned to these parts for a little while. Trying not to be rude, or anything, but are you related to Fiercefire? I think this is her territory, 'cos I accidently wandered into it a little while back. She's nice and all, anyways, you look a lot like her, but I didn't want to assume or anything."
She couldn't help but to ramble on, especially since this Mist seemed to be her own age and didn't appear to be a threat or anything. Ossie had been raised in the Enclave with many, many others. The solitude of Scouting tended to cause her to be a chatterbox when the opportunity presented itself. Thank goodness she wasn't a Ranger, otherwise she might of been this way with all strangers.
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Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 11:51 am
Fireflight bobbed her head. "I do, so then I guess it's okay." Her sister wouldn't mind her having visitors, right? Besides, it wasn't like she was courting suitors or inviting strange Sentinels in to her sister's nest. That would be weird. Inviting a female that sounded about her age into the outskirts of her sister's territory hardly seemed offence-worthy. It was a good opportunity to make friends with the neighbours. More backup if that Wildtype ever brought friends.
When Ossie came closer with the previously spotted Mus on her back, the young Hunter felt even better she had called out first. Catching this Mist's companion would not have been a good way to start a friendship. She let the Scout talk without interruption, though she had to resist clicking her beak at the mention of her relation to Fiercefire. Being related to the Great Trapper had proved to be near detrimental to her face. She had to remind herself that not every Sentinel could possibly be upset with her sister, and this one seemed to like her. She even called her nice.
"It's nice to meet you Ossie! Ever better that you know my sister." She grinned. "And it is her territory, her and her mate's, but I live here now too. She won't be mad at me for inviting anyone in though, especially if it's somebody she knows and who's called her nice. I'm Fireflight, Hunter and one day I'll be a Trapper. Just gotta practice!" The young Sentinel puffed up her feathers, and then added quickly, "But not on your Mus. That wouldn't be very nice."
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Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 12:04 pm
"Hahah, I guess not!" Ossie couldn't help but to chuckle at the mentioning of practice on Mus. She could only assume that Fireflight had intended on catching the little mus, but clearly though better of it.
"Anyways, it's nice to meet you, too, Fireflight! Trapper, huh? Yeah, I'm busy practicing, too. I bet you can do it, though. Fi's pretty skilled and I'm sure it runs in the family. I didn't even notice you flying through here." She rarely ever implied she had been at fault, but she thought it better to praise her agemate, just on the off chance that compairing her to Fi might bother her. She always hated it when anyone compared her to Songbloom, and she wasn't even blood related to her nestmate!
Her previous thoughts of resting were completely abandonned at the thought of having some fun with a sentinel her own age, because lets face it. She might be a Scout, but Ossie only just graduated. She took her job seriously... But what good was life without a bit of fun thrown into the mix?
"Huh, hey! Maybe we can practice together! Eh, that is if you wanna. Don't want to impose or anythin'!"
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Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 12:15 pm
She preened her feathers at the praise, clearly very pleased. If this Scout thought she was good then it was a start! The younger Hunter knew she had a ways to go before she reached her sister's skill level, but it was always nice to hear other Sentinel's praise her family's well-know hunting prowess. "I'm sure you're a good Scout too! You fly really well!" Talents were only as good as how you used them, her mother had told her. If you couldn't use your talents to benefit the group then you shouldn't use your talents at all.
Her ear tufts twitched at the suggestion. Why not? There was no harm in practicing with her new friend. "You want to practice with me? We gotta watch for traps if we're gonna practice here, but otherwise it's a good territory for hunting! Lots of places to sit and wait for the good stuff to come along." Having patience was one of the hardest parts of being a Hunter. If she hadn't been born without natural hunter's patience she would have had a very hard time with the profession. But as it stood, she was doing fairly well. Hopefully Ossie would enjoy a practice round with her.
"Is there anything particular you like to hunt?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 12:34 pm
"Oh, can't forget about the traps! I certainly wouldn't want to land in one!" Ossie hooted with amusement at the thought, but quickly moved on. She didn't really like the idea of just sitting in silence and waiting. She was a sentinel of action...
Buuuut some things had to be done and she certainly wouldn't get anywhere if every bit of prey in the area was aware that she was on the prowl.
"Ah, I ain't got anything in particular. Your sister gave me a right tasty hare a while back, when we met. It was really, really good. Anything is better than nothing, though. Not picky at all." She told her new friend with a rather bold grin.
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Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:32 pm
Fireflight gave a soft chuckle. Indeed, landing in a trap designed for catching food did not sound like a good idea. Though a Sentinel could probably get free if they really wanted to, it would have definitely been painful. It was lucky that she had grown up in a family of hunters. It made spotting the traps much easier when you knew what to look for. Fiercefire camouflaged hers well, which was why Fira had encouraged cautiousness.
"You like hares then? They'll be a little harder to catch, but we could give it a shot. They're easier to trap." She could always try to get one with one of her sister's traps, but she didn't think Fi would be too impressed with her. Besides, it was more fun to catch it yourself. "Shall we scout around a bit?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 6:08 pm
"Definitely." The Scout replied with a grin and flexed her gray, dyed wings with an eagerness that always showed during what she thought was a challenge. Nothing quite beat friendly (and on occasions, not so friendly) competitions and she was completely game for it.
She didn't lingure; instead, she placed a few feathers, then shot off of her perch in a rather playful fashion. Once she was airborn, however, her demeanor seemed to be a little more serious. Fi certainly did have a nice territory...
And large. She couldn't help but wonder if she would of been able to keep something in comparison to this size. She and Holly could, for sure, but could she alone?
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Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 6:56 pm
The young Hunter grinned back and shot after her new friend. It had been many moons since she hunted alongside another Sentinel. Back home, she had learned all she needed to know from her parents. Once she was old enough she had been allowed to fly with them on their hunts, listening as they explained the finer points of surprise attacks. One had to be swift, precise, and deadly if one wanted to be a successful hunter. Her mother had also encouraged her to be quick when she ended her prey's life. No use making it suffer, after all.
Fireflight made a pleased noise as she banked left, fiery eyes scanning the ground below. Her sister had acquired a nice territory, that much was for certain. When she was a Trapper she would have a territory like this. Or maybe she would even have a bigger one. The thought made Fira grin wider. Movement in the distance caught her attention and she alighted on a nearby tree. She waited for Ossie to join her, before she pointed in the direction with a single toe. "Did you see that? I think we've got our prey!" She whispered.
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Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 9:46 pm
Osprey's fierce golden eyes had caught a slight movement just as Fireflight had spoken softly... It looked like food would be an easy find tonight, hopefully. She thought it might take a little while longer, given the change in weather, but this was just as well.
She felt a little rise in her stomach as she lit nearby to her new friend, oh, this was probably the most excitement she had had in a while, the run in with Fi not included. That was exciting, but pretty embarrassing at the same time.
"Saw it... Hmm, I think you're right."
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Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 11:24 am
Fira resisted the urge to give a happy hoot. It would do them no good if she scared off their prey. Besides, she was supposed to be a Hunter, and Hunters were dignified. Even so, she rustled her feathers excitedly, eager to begin the hunt. There was something incredibly thrilling about the whole process, which was part of the reason she had chosen the profession. That, and she was good at it, but what good was a job if you couldn't enjoy it?
"Okay, here's the plan," Bossiness won over courtesy, and the young Sentinel began explaining her idea to her new friend. "I'll fly around it and chase it back towards you. Then you can pounce on it and get it! Stay sharp!" With a grin, the Mist leapt over her perch and flew silently towards the prey she had located. When she was in position, she hooted, and flew at their prey, hoping to scare it towards Osprey.
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