[PRP A Hunt...Maybe? [Bearjaw x Lostpath]

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It hadn't been that much longer after the band of cats had followed their dreams and found the cure for greencough in the paws of a lucky kittypet named Pumpkin. Weary, they had traveled back to their respective homes, administering the herbs, soothing aching paws and empty bellies while also watching their clanmates and loved ones get better. For those that had gone on the trip, some bonds had been made, however tentatively, that they'd likely never forget. Or try hard TO forget. For a certain brown and black chonky cat though, one bond was made that he never intended to forget.

The tom cat sat, smoothing over his fur where he could, trying and failing to tame the patches on his bushier tail. At his ear, he now sported a new feather trophy, one that was his favorite for a few reasons. The first being that it was from the bird that dared try and mess with his brother, falling to his claws. The second being....well....that Lostpath had given it to him. A purr came to his throat anytime he thought about that. They had grown up together, born somewhat around the same time, switched to the new clan and spent many days in that nursery together.

While he hadn't gotten to know her well during apprenticeship, their trek made him realize that it was high past time he amend that. With a brief paw to the new special feather, the brown and black tom cat rose, seeking out the silvery blessed female, hoping she hadn't gone out on a hunt or patrol just yet.

"Lostpath?" he called softly, peering into the warriors den for her.

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Upon her return home from the journey, Lostpath found that she felt more at home there than she ever had. Her father was elated to see the catmint and Foxkit ended up getting better! Everyone was on the path to recovery and Lostpath couldn't be more pleased.

Still, needing time for recovery herself, for that was no easy journey, Lostpath found that a lot of time after her return was spent in the Warriors Den, or with her mother and brother. Thus, it wasn't so surprising that she was there today, too. She'd been sleeping the day away when she woke to her name being called. Raising her head and blinking a sleepy eye, she looked towards the entrance and smiled widely upon seeing Bearjaw.

"Bearjaw!" She purred. "Good morning! Or... is it afternoon?" She shook her head and moved to get up, stretching in her nest. "Is everything alright?" She asked as she approached him.

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Bearjaw smiled seeing her there, relieved she seemed to have been doing well despite sleeping a lot more than usual. He couldn't blame her, some days he felt the same. If it weren't for his belly he'd probably sleep just as much, if not more.

Purring, he shook his head. "Yes, and actually... well... I was hoping to...talk to you." he nodded, not quite sure why words always seemed to come out jumbled around her. It wasn't like just talking to Rabbitleap. He had found that talking or just being around Lostpath really made him happy. "I was wondering if...maybe you'd like to, er, come hunt with me? Ya know like..um.. like you had said you would..." he trailed off, feeling a bit like a kit asking for something he really really really wanted.

He glanced up at her with a smile, his paws shuffling as he curled his tail around them. "I understand, of course, if you're still worn out! That was a long journey...so no need to force it." he tilted his head, sort of eyeing the ground out of nervousness.

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Lostpath's ears perked in surprise when Bearjaw said that he'd been hoping to talk to her. Blinking to help wake herself up, she listened intently, wondering if something dire had happened. Was the greencough back? Did they need to go journeying again? She hadn't dreamed of anything, but that didn't mean-

"A hunt?" She echoed and then smiled, her relief mixed with delight. "I'd love to go. Goodness knows I ought to do more than sleep my life away, anyway." She said and got to her paws. "Did you want to go now?" She asked as she headed towards the entrance. "Anywhere in mind? Not as far as the Twolegplace, I hope." She teased with a purr.

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Her saying yes about made him leap out of his paws. A huge grin spread across his face that was equaled by a loud purr. “Oh...oh, now is good!” He meowed, his tail flicking briefly from excitement as he found himself simply getting lost in her presence. Even with one eye, she was still beautiful and still capable strong she cat, as evident by her blessing.

However her mentioning the two leg place brought him back out of his daydreams. “Oh no no definitely not that far!” He chuckled a bit, his purr rumbling with it. “I was thinking at least to the river for some fish or whatever we might find along the way?” He tilted his head, hoping that was a good enough idea for her. THere might even be some good sunning spots if she wanted to stop and get a nice sun bath...or...maybe share tongues...

If a cat could blush, that last thought sent his cheeks flushing.

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Lostpath was delighted to see that her answer had made the tomcat so happy. When he agreed to go right at that moment, she purred and nodded towards the exit.

"Let's be on our way then." She mewed with a smile as she listened to his suggestion on where to go. The river? She nodded. "That's an excellent idea." She agreed and brushed against his pelt as she passed him. "Lead the way." She told him with a eager grin. Ah, to be out with such a dear friend as Bearjaw, although... The flower present in her ear... She wondered if she could really call him a friend, or if she was shyly hiding away something more. Maybe... today that would begin to change. "I'll be with you every pawstep of the way."

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Her last words had him very much like a deer in headlights, caught in the glow of her face. He didn't care if there was one less eye because to him everything was exactly as it should be. "Y-y-ou will?" he asked before shaking his head. "Of course you will, because I wont leave you alone. If anything bad happens, you can count on me!" he nodded, puffing out his chest with pride, tail swishing as he led her towards the entrance and out. "Course, nothing will. Besides us just getting some super juicy prey..." he added with a nervous after smile, hoping he hadn't just scared her off.

As he led her towards the river, his senses were alert and keen, trying to keep sight and sound out for anything nearby, however....it was hard.

Any time he tried to take in a scent, he scented Lostpath and it sent a warm tingle down his spine, causing him to purr nosily, probably unintentionally scaring everything away.

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Lostpath smiled shyly at Bearjaw, her whiskers twitching.
"Of course I will." She echoed and nudged his shoulder with her own. "It would be hard to hunt as a pair if one of us went on without the other." She added, glancing away. Was this how flirting worked? She'd never had time to ask her mother about it, but as she recalled her mother and father hadn't really flirted, so much as eaten a lot of catmint... Was she supposed to eat a lot of catmint first? Was she doing this all wrong?

Bearjaw's loud purring reassured her. Purring, at least, she knew was a good sign. She allowed herself to breathe, to relax and to take in his company. Regardless of whether they got any hunting down, she was more than happy to be out here with him.

"I think fishing might be our best option." She told him. "There doesn't seem to be much out here today." She wasn't about to remark on the noise. She'd rather have him purring, than to have it fall into any sort of awkward silence. "Let's go all the way to the river, shall we?" She proposed.

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He seemed to bound playfully at her nudge, almost like if he were a kitten again, having a romp around the nursery. Smiling, he nodded at her plan. It was getting colder and things did seem either sleeping or the scent was so faint it was almost not even there. "Yeah, the fish should still be swimming at least, probably a bit lazy cause of the cold too." he grinned, bouncing a head a little bit, his bushy tail flicking excitedly a moment.

He paused, turning around to let her catch up, his paws furiously kneading the ground as he continued to purr away. "Wanna race there?" he asked with a wide grin. He might eat a lot and he might have some extra padding to help stay warm but he loved nothing more than sprinting full on, feeling the wind in his fur. It would probably be ten times more amazing to have her leaping along side him. "First one there gets to sneak the first bite." he smiled, looking slightly sheepish. He knew it was usually frowned upon to eat before the clan but sometimes he couldn't help but sneak a whole mouse or a tiny fish.

Hopefully Lostpath wouldn't snitch on him...

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Lostpath smiled at Bearjaw, smiling up at the larger tomcat.
"I heard a rumor from one of the original RockClan warriors, that fish hibernate like skunks and bears do, in the winter." She informed him. "Maybe we'll get lucky and be able to scoop up plenty of sleeping fish." She purred her amusement at the thought, but there was hope in her mew too. The Clan needed to get fed. It would be such a help if they were able to bring back any of the foolish fish who dare sleep while there were cats about.

When he proposed a race, Lostpath's ears perked up with interest.
"Yes, that sounds like fun!" When he went on to mention the first one there being able to sneak the first bite, she shrugged. "Well, the Code says that warriors eat first, and we are warriors now, so..." She grinned at him and then bolted off. "So I'm going to win to take that first bite!" She called back to him with a laugh.

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"I'm gonna catch so many fish!" he laughed before realizing she was off like lightning. "Hey wait!" he called as he raced off after her.

He laughed at her point of them being warriors and felt a wave of emotions crash inside him, causing him to just bubble up with excitement just like a kitten. "Not if i get the bite first!" he called, busting into high gear, aiming to catch up to her. He was hard on her paws, grinning the entire time, reaching out to playfully bap at her as he ran, almost losing his balance a few times.

The river was drawing closer, he could smell it and hear it long before he saw it. "Almost theeerre. What are you going to do when I beat ya huh?!" he laughed, pulling out all the stops now and going full speed.

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"I'm sure you will." Lostpath laughed, pressing onward, though she was beginning to tire. While the she-cat could walk for days, admiring the scenery, full out sprinting for long distances was not her strongest suit.

But she wanted to win. She'd been marked by Direstar and Honeystar for her potential and she wanted to live up to that potential! As she heard the sounds of the river up ahead, she perked her ears at Bearjaw's last comment.

"Oh, I have a few ideas..." She replied, before she turned towards him and leaped at him. Her claws were sheathed, of course, but it was a playful pounce, hoping to push him over. He was bigger than her, but she was pretty sure that most of his "bigness" was just fluff at that point anyway. "Gotcha!" She cried as she barreled into him. If she couldn't win, a draw was the next best thing, right?

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He had been expecting her to suddenly sprint ahead and beat him. Almost so much so that he even debated slowing down a hair to let her win...except that meant she'd get the first fish bite and not himself though he was certain she'd be the one cat he didn't mind missing a meal for.

Instead, he got bowled over and about flattened to the ground as she came pouncing into him. He tumbled a bit, head over tail, still clinging to her. When he finally acme to a stop he took a moment to keep his vision from spinning then busted into laughter, loud enough to startle some lazy birds in the trees as they screeched down at him before flying away.

"The mighty huntress strikes!" he laughed dramatically, flailing his limbs as if he had just been delivered a final blow. Slowly he let them deflate to the ground, his tongue lolling out of his mouth with a rather loud and drawn out 'final moments death sound' "Eat...some mice...for me... Lostpath....aaarrrrrhhhhhhgggggggggggggllllffffshhhhhhhhhh...." he finished before lying completely still.

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Lostpath looked up at the birds that took flight, her eye full of amusement. Hopefully they would return later, so that she might be able to come back and bring them home to the Clan. For the moment, however, she was far too caught up with her company to think much about her stomach or those of her Clan mates. That was new.

She watched with great amusement, whiskers twitching as he fell still with a delightfully dramatic display. She lowered her head to sniff him, as though checking that he was indeed dead, before she smiled.

"Oh ForestClan, however shall I break the news to his family?" She asked the sky, before carrying on. "As the daughter of a Medicine Cat, I must think of some manner in which to revive my fallen friend. Hmmmm..." She stepped off of him, careful not to poke any paws into his stomach or onto his tail. She leaned over him, peering closely at him. "Hmmm." She continued and in a burst of courage, she leaned down and licked him down from the side of one of his cheeks to one of his ears. She pulled away and purred, her embarrassment burning within her. She'd never been so outwardly affectionate with another cat. Her mother would bathe her when she was a kitten or before her apprentice and warrior ceremonies (despite her protests both times.)

"Was this the cure? Or will I have to lick you again?" She purred down at Bearjaw.

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It took Bearjaw a lot not to laugh at her and stay still. A few times he almost lost but he managed to hold it all in and remain.....mostly still. But of all the things, he had not quite been expecting THAT and his eyes went wide, his breath caught in his throat, the heat rose to his face he was sure he was bright red and his heart pounded so loud even she should have be able to hear it.

Slowly his eyes slid to lock into hers. A purr faintly rumbled in his throat and he couldn't stop it. "Uh......nope." he said, wanting to grin but it came out more like an awkward excited kit trying to flash his fangs and be scary. "Totally...." he seemed to breath heavily, her action having taken all the wind out of his lungs. "Nope..." he said again before sitting himself straight up and pressing his forehead into hers. He managed enough courage to brave a return lick of his own, soft and affectionate before collapsing back to the ground, eyes shut but a stupid grin plastered all over his face.

"Definitely need....more reviving."

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