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Pine trees stretch out their branches to the cold sky above, long shadows draping over the white snow. A silver warrior stalks through the undergrowth, staying low to the ground lest he be spotted. Dark green eyes pinning their gaze on a tiny mouse, nibbling on some seeds. The critter completely unaware of the cat creeping closer and closer, whiskers twitching and claws unsheated. The snow crunches beneath Silverstride's paws, yet the mouse doesn't hear, too focused on its tasty snack.
It's with a quick leap and sharp teeth digging into fluffy fur that Silverstride cuts off the prey's startled squeak, raising his head with the limp body clamped in his jaws. It's his first catch of today's hunt and he buries it in the snow to collect later, heading deeper into the forest in the hopes of finding more than a meager mouse.
While he doesn't mind going on hunting patrols, he's found that taking some time to be alone is good for him, growing tired quicker when around other cats. And the thrill of chasing prey until he finally catches it is a good feeling too, often bringing back a good haul for the fresh-kill pile.
He likes the wind ruffling his fur when he runs, the pure focus when he pounces. They way he can fully appreciate nature around him when not in a conversation with a Clanmate. He likes them too, of course, but hunting alone has always been something he craved.
He narrowly misses a quirrel, chattering at the red animal as it scurries up into a tree, vanishing among the green needle-like leaves. But manages to catch a rather large bird, the forest too dense for it to fly away with its usual speed.
And as he chases after another mouse, he suddenly skids to a halt, mouse forgotten. There's clawmarks on the trees. Huge ones. Definitely not from a cat or even a dog. And there are a lot of them, so many that Silverstride is sure this wasn't done by one animal.
He opens his mouth to taste the air better, immediately hit with the stench of rotting flesh. He doesn't know why he didn't notice it before. Cautiously, the warrior follows the smell, keeping himself hidden among the brambles.
It takes a while but he finally finds what has been stinking up the forest. It's a deer carcass. Bones stripped of most of their meat and antlers laying broken a few steps from the body. It would take the whole of IceClan to take down a beast this big and Silverstride fears that whatever did this might still be in or near the territory.
The tom races back to camp, only stopping to collect his mouse and bird, he needs to speak with Froststar, now.