Thornpaw's Day Off

Thornpaw sighed "What did you expect? You were missing for four days. Did you think Copper and I would just say 'Oh well,' Mercury's gone. Let's move one." His voice was a tad sarcastic, a small sprinkle of bitter and had a pinch of anger.

"I never meant to be gone so long but these cats needed me... I'm sorry I didn't send word.. I didn't mean to make either you or Copper worry, or anyone else for that matter. I was just doing what I thought was right." She sighed. She had the same sad tone in her meow that she'd had when they first met.

Thornpaw snorted in amusement, quickly getting over his bitterness. He flicked his tail at her "You should be glad you have a decent excuse." he said, switching over to a more playful tone. His ears twitched "So are there any good places to hunt around here?" he asked, glancing around.

"You should know by now. If you know where to look there are plenty of places." She meowed smiling. "Show me You've picked up at least a little of what we've taught you." She purred.

(9 yeah..Thornpaw isnt very romantic and im not going to force it so........))

Thornpaw flicked his tail in mock annoyance but had a grin plastered on his face. "Don't act like my mentor." he said in fake anger. Although he obediently raised his snout up and drew in a sharp cold breath. He breathed in the cold air, inhaling the scent of the alley's. "I can smell some Rat and Vole, a possum maybe."

"A possum would be good. You try and track it down I'll go for the rats." She meowed. She kept her paws light as they were taught and jumped onto the small brick wall next to them. She used the higher ground to her advantage and started tracking the rats. A footprint in the snow a rustling box..

(She's grown up in a country full of war, I don't think she'd know what romance is even if it bit her XD)

(( lol xD ))

Thornpaw nodded and split away from her, traveling down a small lane. The scent of the possum got closer, fresher.

Trinity nodded to Copper.

Ivypaw sat, alone. Thornpaw went off and she didn't know any of these other cats. "Thornpaw!!! What do I do!?!?!", she called. She could smell death and decay in the air. She scruched up her nose. Eww....yucchh, what is that?

"You can help check the cats for ticks" Dante suggested softly. "They are too weak to do it themselves."

Ivypaw's voice drifted off into the breeze as Mercury got closer to the rats, she might be able to catch two of them if she played it right. She settled down to wait... One of the rats came a little to close and Mercury's paw darted out snagging it behind the ear and she quickly bit it's neck. The rest of the rats scattered but she was able to pounce on a second and crush it's spine before it went too far.

The cat leaped down and crept after Mercury. The stench of decay floatee around him as he walked up. "Well hello there, young madam! What briths you to this parth of the altheys? I have yet to sthee you here." He spoke with an awful lisp and when he yawned, his tongue was discolored and stitched in many places, surrounded by cramped, rotted fangs. His fur was ratty and filled with fleas and scars. He was a mottled grey and brown tabby. The only solid color on him was his jet black belly and yellowish green eyes.

Thornpaw stopped, the opossum was coming towards him. He slid behind a large green metallic box, a dumpster and setled down to lie in wait. The opossum came about 30 seconds later. Thornpaw sat, watching it, form the shadows of the dumpster. It hadn't seen him. The opossums slowly stalked down the alley, its large jaws flashing. It was as large as a cat, with a thin sinewy tail trailing behind it. Suddenly the opossum froze, and rose its muzzle to the air sniffing. had it scented him? Thornpaw had no time to wonder as he sprang, using the muscles of his hind legs like a spring. He landed on the opossums back and delivered a swift bite to the back of the neck. the opossum struggled for a moment, before going limp. Thornpaw's claws were unsheathed from where he stood on top of it. Once it went still, he slowly hopped off of it onto a solid concrete floor. That was his mistake.

Mercury spun around her fur bristling. "Who are you?" She asked trying not to cringe from the scent of the tom. She needed to get back to Thornpaw, needed to get this prey to the Pelt family.

The tom chuckled and mewed," I was onth known asth Blackbelly back when I lived with the Northern Mounthain Clanths. But after I gained my reputhaion, my name was chanthed tho Rancidtooth. Pleathed to meeth you."

The dead opossum came alive. It sprang up, snarling with it's teeth flashing. Thornpaw was so shocked, he didn't have to time to react as the opossum slashed a large gash on his chest. It leaped up, its teeth bared for Thornpaw's neck but the tabby tom was ready for it now. He ducked down and to the side, the opossum turned with him to face him. But Thornpaw had slipped under it. He forepaw's claws came together, barley touching each other but forming a brutal spear. He drove them upwards, his leg twisting into the opossums's ribs. It was a violent, lethal move that tore the flesh of the opossum, leaving a large gaping hole in its underbelly. Thornpaw ripped his paw out of the opossum's flesh and it fell on it's side, spluttering, blood sprinkling out of its ribs.

Mercury took a step back. "Pleased to meet you too.. I'm afraid I can't stay to chat. I have very important business to attend to." She meowed. She didn't take her eyes off the tom and she walked back over the rats.

Ivypaw finished picking out all of the ticks on the Pelt family. Hmmmm......what to do? And what the hell was that reched smell? She looked in the direction of the stink and began to walk. The smell of blood hit her nostrils so she turned in that direction.

Rancidtooth's expression saddened as he mewed," Oh of courth. Well, feel free to vithit! It geths a lithle lonely here. For many moonths, I've only had the dead tho talk tho."

Thornpaw picked up the opossum by the back of it's neck once it lays till and started dragging it back. When he reached the spot where he had split up with Mercury, a bad odor hit his nostrils. Dropping the Opossum Thornpaw jumped up onto a small brick wall, following Mercury's scent where it smelled like the bad odor was coming from.

Mercury picked up the rats and carefully went around them tom. She couldn't help but have a small spark of sympathy for him, but she squashed it. There was no room for such feelings in her heart. She quickly jumped onto the wall and followed her own scent back.

(( g2g)

Ice wrinkled his nose. A horrid smell was wafting through the air, but... Forcing himself not to retch, he took a deep gulp of the air. Yep, he'd been right. There was also the tinge of blood in the air. Cat blood. He quickly got to his paws and followed the scent, doing his best to ignore the other stench. Now that he actually followed it, he could pick up the distinctive scent of the Clan cat. Thornpaw, wasn't it? The white and gray tom picked up his pace.

Ivypaw stopped when she saw the uglyest cat she had ever seen. The odor of death and decay filled her nose, making her gag. She felt sick, and she began to retch. Yuuucchhh.....what the hell?!?!?!

Ice paused for a moment when he saw the apprentice's tabby fur. "Thornpaw?" His voice was quiet, but still loud enough for the other tom to hear.

Thornpaw was limping towards mercury's scent. her scent was getting closer, she was moving towards him. He almost jumped at the sound of his name, and carefully turned to face Ice.

Ice's reddish orange eyes widened slightly. "What happened?" He padded forward to examine Thornpaw's wound. "You shouldn't be walking around like this. You'll lose too much blood, and there's a greater risk of it getting infected!" He seemed genuinely worried about the Frostclan cat, despite barely even knowing him.