Exploring- open-

[Kovu]

( OOC: -sings to the tune of 'Heartbreaker'- Frecks is such a jerk and a spaz; sorry y'all xD )

[Petalpaw]

OOC: XD smooth)

Petalpaw opened her mouth, exposing it to the cold air of the outside world, and breathed in. "I-i smell a faint trace of... finch." She muttered and slipped off silently in the direction of the finch. A small bush came into view where a small finch sat singing it's song into the down's last night. Crouching into a hunting position she crept forward till she was in leaping range. Her haunches bunched as she leaped forward and landed on the bird, crushing it's spine as she landed squarely on it's back, but unfortunately landed on the bush as well. "Ow!" she piped up hopping off of the bush then quickly darting back to grab the finch before sitting down and licking her scratched paws.

[dream975]

Gorsetalon followed, noticing the smell of finch. Finch, food. Finch, food. That's the only thing that went through his head. He watched as Petalpaw stalked it. Silent, silent, paw by paw. Fresh prey was sitting there, just asking to be caught. But this small morsel would go to the kits and any queens/elders. Then, Petalpaw leaped, but the finch was in a bush, and soon Petalpaw was too. Trying to be a bird too, perhaps? He shook his head silently, a bit of his cold demeanor crumbling more and more. Crumbling, as he held back laughter. "I don't think you're supposed to try to become a bird. Coulda fooled me though!" He padded over to the apprentice, tail swaying back and forth. He was actually starting the joking. Surprise, surprise, paw by paw.

The tom stopped, and watched as she licked her paws, fluffing out his smooth pelt. He was about to speak, then faltered slightly, looking away. "Good catch." He spoke, but that was not what he was originally going to say. Paw by paw. He was finally, maybe, opening up, even if it was slightly.

[Petalpaw]

"Haha. Very funny" She mewed as she licked her sore pads. "You try jumping in a bush, then I'll be the one making fun of you!" Petalpaw shook out her pelt though and mewed "Thanks" she looked to her side and put her head, well ears but they're on your head aren't they, to the ground as she dug her claws in the dirt. "It's hollow here..." she muttered thinking

The forest green eyes of the she scrunched up as she thought of why the ground could be hollow. Hollowed out ground could mean a burrow. The question is what kind of burrow? Shrew, badger, mouse, rat, fox. It could be anything!

[dream975]

"Hollow? We could be near a burrow opening." He padded over to where Petalpaw was. He sniffed the ground, then, as usual, not even thinking as he reared up and slammed his paws into the ground, trying to get the earth to crumble away. He always just leaped into things, that was just how he always was. Always trying to be independent. Crumbling. Nothing much happened when he had done that, but he knew for sure it was hollow. So what else does Gorsetalon do next? He rears up again, and again, trying to break through the earth to whatever kind of burrow, and possibly prey, may lay below.

[Petalpaw]

Petalpaw backed up as he started pounding on the ground. Realizing what he was doing she joined in as the ground got thinner and thinner. Finally the hole crumbled. She blinked not a clue what could be in there. "Why don't you check. I'm the one who caught the bird"

[dream975]

Gorsetalon rolled his eyes. "You sure you're not just scared?" He gave a tiny, sly, smile, but it was still a smile. He peered into the darkness. It was larger than what he first thought it to be, and there seemed to be some kind of path. The black darkness seemed to go on forever, and eventually he leaped in. The jump wasn't very far, and when he looked up he saw Petalpaw looking down at him. "Come down! It's not that bad!" He sniffed the air, making sure there was no scent of badger or fox. He smelled the faint smell of mouse. He could barely see anything except the darkness of the tunnel.

[Petalpaw]

"Of course I'm not scared!" she mewed jumping down with him. "It's just I already caught a finch and if an apprentice comes back with more prey it'll make the warrior look bad" the orange cat mewed as she moved the length of the tunnel, not minding the blackness. "What do you thin is down here? I can't smell a thing!" she looked back at him. "My nose doesn't exactly like underground stuff..."

[dream975]

Gorsetalon tilted his head, looking at Petalpaw. He scoffed, "I'm sure they'd just see prey as prey, no matter who caught it!" Gorsetalon padded beside her, always sniffing the air. "I smelled mouse, but it was really faint." He looked up at the ceiling, wondering how safe it was in here after the earthquake. "Do you want to go further?"

[Petalpaw]

"I guess your right..." she mewed thinking. "And of course I wanna go on! Who knows maybe the preys all hiding in the ground!" they orange cat mewed running forward into the pitch black tunnel. Her paw steps echoed around her as she ran through the empty tunnel

[dream975]

Gorsetalon closed his eyes for a second, before chasing after her. Any other warrior probably would've stopped the apprentice, saying it was too dangerous, but Gorsetalon was a reckless cat. He soon caught up to her, but she was faster than him, so he always stayed a few paces behind. His paws thundered, thundered, thundered down the tunnel, heart beating fast. He didn't know where this tunnel was leading, but they seemed to be going away from the group of cats. Not many scents were down here, and the mouse smell was fainter now. Then, a scent struck him, almost toppling him over with the surprise. He slowed down a tad. "Petalpaw... maybe we should go back." He hoped the apprentice would hear him, but he wasn't sure over the sound of them running. His voice shook slightly, the only indicator that something was wrong.

[Petalpaw]

Petalpaw's nose wrinkled as she skidded to a stop "It smells bad..." she muttered to Gorsetalon "What's that smell?" the orange she asked slightly backing into the brown tom "Sorry!" she muttered "I can't exactly see in here" The apprentice mewed flicking her tail and then wrapping it around her back legs to keep it from getting in the way. Her forest green eyes caught the little light that they had in this cave and it made them glow faintly. She turned to face the warrior "Well, are we going back or not?"

[dream975]

Gorsetalon sniffed again. "I-i think it's fox..." He nodded, his dark green eyes flashing in the low light. "We better..." He backed up, trying to turn around in the tight space. Another strong scent hit his nose, and it seemed to get stronger. He struggled to turn, then finally did. "Hurry!" Eyes flashing with worry for the apprentice, he stood perfectly still, body tense and ready to run, and possibly fight.

[Petalpaw]

The orange apprentice's neck and shoulder fur began to harden and soon bristle at the brown warrior's words. Pressing her black nose against Gorsetalon's flank and mewing "Well? What are you waiting for? Run!" she mewed pushing him forward as the smell started burning her nose. If he doesn't move were both going to be dead! "Hurry up!" Petalpaw mewed, rushed, as she heard faint paw steps coming toward her and claws clinking on the ground.

[dream975]

Gorsetalon backed up and nudged Petalpaw in front of him. "You're going first!" He heard the paw steps coming closer and shuddered. He looked at the scar in his shoulder. His leg had been hurting since the earthquake, and he couldn't run as fast without the pain. He felt a sudden soreness in it, and realized it was from their earlier run. Growling in frustration he kept his ears back, listening, hoping they would get out before the fox came. Petalpaw was faster than him though, so she'd at least get out, even if he didn't.