kittypet struggles //p

[Panda]

(Autumndust )

It had been a couple moons since Panda had arrived in TreeClan. Even though she'd been in TreeClan for a couple of months, she still hadn't been trained, leaving her only with the knowledge she'd received from other rogues, loners and clan cats. Basic herb knowledge, some hunting tactics and literally zero knowledge when it came to combat. So, aside from being practically defenseless, she enjoyed the clan and it's ways. It was better than being starved by her twolegs, though.

Spotting the newer queen, Autumndust, she trotted over in her direction. "Hello," she mewed, before glancing again at the queen with a curious expression. She'd never gone hunting with anyone before, but maybe she would've liked to try it. "Um, I'm Panda. I'm a bit newer to TreeClan, but I was wondering if you'd like to hunt with me?"

[Autumndust]

[ rip sorry for the late response! ]

Autumndust blinked in surprise when she was addressed. She wasn't completely accustomed to being noticed, though with her rank, it seemed to be happening more and more. She managed a shy smile at her clan-mate, aware of how hard adjusting to clan life could be. "I'd be happy to," Autumndust replied, brightening up at the thought of a hunt with another cat. It was never as fun to do it alone.

She got to her paws and turned so she was facing Panda properly. She seemed young- Autumndust wondered if she needed permission to go out, or if she was allowed to go out alone. She decided not to ask- Panda wouldn't have asked if she knew she wasn't allowed. Autumndust was just worrying too much, as usual. "I'm Autumndust, by the way-" she mentioned, then added, "-in case you didn't know. I think some cats know my name better than I do, at this point. Where do you want to head first?"

[Panda]

(np, it's all good ^^)

She offered a somewhat sheepish smile in return. "Great, yay -- I mean, yeah, thank you," she finished a bit breathlessly. Great job, you're already awkward about something simple. Great going, Panda. Maybe she was afraid of rejection because, during her time here, she'd grown quite fond of the "higher-ups". It wasn't that they were, as a cat, any better, but she was always intimadated by authority and wanted any chance she could get to prove herself to her clanmates.

She smiled at that. "Nice to meet you, Autumndust." She preferred addressing all cats the same, kit or elder, queen or warrior, apprentice or deputy, leader or medicine cat....

Where did she want to go first? She wasn't entirely familiar with the landmarks, much less more than half of the land. Though, she did remember passing a relatively large stream on her way into the territory for her first time. "The stream?" she asked, even though she was supposed to be picking the place. "My first mentor told me in the forest next to the stream, there's a good amount of prey and that it's a fun spot to hunt." Assuming the queen didn't want to keep waiting, she got to her paws and waited for departure. 

[Autumndust]

Autumndust raised an eyebrow at Panda's initial awkwardness, still maintaining a friendly smile, though it took a little effort not to giggle. Usually she considered herself the awkward one, and she was able to relax a bit knowing that she wasn't the only one who thought too hard about what to say. "Nice to meet you, too," she purred.

"Seems like a plan," Autumndust agreed, nodding her approval. The stream was an excellent place to hunt, indeed. Besides that, it was a nice little place to hang out. At this point it would be teeming with prey. The queen stood up as well, starting to head towards the entrance. As they made their way onto the territory, she tried to start a conversation. "So, Panda, how long have you been in TreeClan?" she asked. "Are you adjusting well?"

[Panda]

(late, sorry!)

Great! She did a tiny, unnoticeable dance, mostly in her mind. She hadn't gone hunting with anyone, but she had talked to a warrior or two. She liked meeting new cats; the clan cats were especially interesting to talk to when compared to the kittypets. That and there weren't many neighboring kittypets where she'd lived.

As they were padding through the territory, her ears perked. "Oh, about two moons or so now, not too long," the black and white she-cat mewed, lifting her muzzle to quickly scent the air before speaking again. "Yeah, I'm adjusting well," she added.

[Autumndust]

"That's good," Autumndust nodded. "I know how hard it can be at first, with all the new customs and strange names." Sometimes she still felt like a newcomer to the Clan, yet she had been there for quite a while, now. She was starting to lose track of the months- or was it years, now?

Autumndust left her thoughts behind when she heard the sound of movement nearby. She paused mid-step, pricking her ears and turning to the direction the noise had come from. "Would you like the first catch?" she whispered, quietly, glancing towards Panda. They hadn't quite reached the stream yet, but they were close, and since they were passing prey, Autumndust thought they might as well catch it.

[Panda]

"Yeah," Panda murmured, thinking for a moment. Maybe she'd change her name when she was ready to become a warrior. Then again, her name was the only thing that made her feel different.

Her mouth fell open the slightest bit to scent the air and soon enough a scent blew in their direction. There was nearby movement and she paused once Autumndust did. She wasn't entirely finished memorizing the scents of prey, but it smelled like a squirrel. Her ears flicked forward as the warrior spoke next to her. "Oh, sure -- I mean, yes, thank you. I haven't hunted too much, but I'll give it a shot," she replied with a whisper. 

Dropping into a crouch, the black and white she-cat crept forward with her tail hovering above the ground. She spotted the squirrel's tail and continued to creep forward in its direction. The squirrel was only a paw-length away now and bunching her muscles together, she shot forward with her claws unsheathed and paws outstretched. The small creature shot forward and Panda chased after it until she caught it in between her claws. Giving it a quick nip on the neck, she picked it up and held the squirrel gingerly between her jaws. That went better than expected.