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Description
IMPORTANT DETAILS (PLEASE READ):
This RP contains lots of hunting. Please don't read if you are sensitive to what that entails.
This takes place in between the end of the Stone raid and August 2017 Gathering. Stone Empire is scattered, however a large group of them are at a temporary camp near the coast.
This is Mithras's first RP encounter when she joined Stone Empire back along. (For all you people following Mithras's development, a timeline can be found here: Timeline )

Word Count: 8347
Erythros || Apothocareon
Mithras|| UnityUniverse

The wind in the trees was deceiving in the peacefulness of the sound. Leaves were shaking in the breeze, creating a rustling that hid the faraway sounds of animals, and left the cheetah who was stalking the wooded area feeling quite isolated. He raised his head and looked up from the trail he was following. The rabbit he had been tracking had been caught by a fox not long ago, as the blood stain on the ground and the two smells mingling told that story.

Erythros sighed quietly in frustration. He couldn't afford to be caught here, but they really needed more food back at their makeshift camp by the sea. Food didn't store well, gulls would raid their meager pile any chance they got along with crabs and other beach scavengers. They really needed to find someplace inland. Being in such a constantly damp place was going to start making cats sick.

Again, he scanned the trees and brush surrounding him. His reddish coat would stand out from the greens of the woods, so he'd worn his green and brown armor. the breastplate and saddle didn't break up his silhouette well, but it hid his bright color from most prey he might go for.

Rustling, this time not from above. Something was nearby, so he lowered himself and slid as silently as he could manage behind some bushes. Laying still was his best recourse. Whatever it was would have to find him by smell.

There was chill to the air, piercing through the thin pelt of a she-cat weaving her way through the undergrowth. The ground was damp to touch, a sign of the changing terrain that fed into the ocean beyond, out of limits of Mithras knowledge, but ever evident. She was encompassed by life, masked, tantalisingly out of reach – all of which seemed to be having a better time in this bog than herself.

Longing for the grassy planes around the old camp, exasperation clawed through her bones. The obtrusive cry of gulls was becoming more prevalent, ripping through the peaceful scene when they flew by. One day she would catch one, Mithras affirmed to herself, her concentration being draw away to the clear sky above.

In her lapse of focus she stumbled forward, paw caught on the gnarled roots threaded through the earth, meeting a thicket in a not so sweet embrace. So much for stealth, the golden cat mused, missing the silhouette veiled in the shrubbery due to her haste to save face. Mulling over her stupidity, she took a moment to just breath, eventually noticing a strange scent coming from nearby. Gold eyes snapping in the direction of its source, her curiosity peaked to see what was there, drawing her towards it.

The source of the sudden rustling reviled herself. A smaller feline, who, though smelling of the city, didn't seem to be dangerous to the tall cheetah. He heaved a sigh and walked out from behind the bush into the animal track ahead of her. If she decided to attack him, he knew which way to run. Away from their temporary camp.

"Ho there!" He called as deeply as his voice would allow. "Come a friend or foe?"

He stood tall as well, going for a commanding stance. No way was he going to look like some greenhorn. His ears were back, but his expression was more curious than aggressive. He didn't want to fight but was ready to.

For a moment Mithras was taken back, standing dormant amongst the trees, mute. The figure in front was of a cheetah, flame pelt, armoured, with deep eyes that considered the small feline in front of him. Under other circumstances she might have challenged him to a battle, however...

Silence remain between them as the question hung in the air - unanswered - for a moment longer. Finally, a small noise broke the peace. It was small and unintelligible, and it in turn developed into a outlandish snicker, the Asian cat's eyes glowing with amusement.

“Oh my, of course good sir; a friend” she chided, sarcasm dripping off each word in excess, “why would anyone say otherwise?”. Eyes flickered back towards the cheetah, grinning, she took the opportunity to dramatically swoon back in mock fear.

She, for a moment that lasted longer than it should have, stood shocked at the sight before her. Did he seem that ridiculous? Or was it that his question was so odd? The smaller feline laughed at him openly, and he didn't respond to it. Instead, he answered her rhetorical question, knowing the sarcasm that dripped from her voice.

"Hunters like to flaunt their status." She still didn't look like she was going to attack him, just scorn his word choices. The cheetah didn't draw any closer to her though. He displayed no fear of her save in his cautious distance. Instead he regarded her sceptically. She was behaving in a way that told the cheetah that she was, more than likely, not a hunter.

"What brings you to this place?" When he asked his next question, he nosed the air in her direction.

Noticing the tom’s significant lack of a response, the she-cat halted in her jeering, drawing a paw slowly over one ear. Were the cats around here devoid of emotion? A quiet sigh slipped out before she perked up again, determined to liven the place up somehow.

“Sorry, never heard of a cat that talks like you. Is it common to the empires?” She purred, a grin emerging once again. For a few moments, a stillness took place before Mithras remembered his what cheetah had said. “Never met a hunter, so I wouldn’t know,” she briskly asserted, before gesturing to the surrounding greenery. “And here? Looking for fellow Stonies after everyone scampered after that… interesting battle”. There was an off tone, only just detectable, that laced the final statement. If it meant anything, Mithras didn’t show as she babbled on, thrusting her mussel enthusiastically into the tom’s face.

“The name is Mithras. Judging by your reaction I’m guessing you’re from Stone?” She speculated, twitching her whiskers.

"I don't recognise you from camp." She had come close and tried to put her face in his, but the height difference presented her with a problem. She had to look up at him at an awkward angle, and he held his head just that much further away.

"Stone is my empire, and no, most don't speak like I do." Keeping his sentences short, he backed up a bit to keep her in view. His inner instincts told him not to trust her, but if she really was to be a stone cat, then she would have had to had joined within a week prior to the raid to still bare the city scent.

"I'm Erythros." He wouldn't have used such words as the female cat had used to describe their situation, but then then he wasn't a female who enjoyed sarcastic innuendos.

“Mmm, joined after the raid,” she purred, grinning. Erythros had held his head aloft, adding additional difficulty to maintaining eye contact with the height difference. A distasteful emerged air as he spoke. The she-cat reaction was masked par a slight twitch of her tail. Silence came forth.

Inside Mithras was screaming at him.

She just could not put her paw on this tom. What was his problem? Perhaps she was fated to be stuck with a bunch of miserable felines for the rest of her life as some sort of punishment. The thought was as amusing as this Erythros was frustrating. His short and repressed sentences. His aloof attitude. His apparent distrust. Just. Infuriating.

Keen to move on, the golden she-cat shuffled back few inches before turning to the tom. “So, do you happen to know somewhere less damp than here? This place is chilling me right to the bone.”

"Unfortunately, everyone's at the coast. Warmer in the sun, but still damp." He relaxed a little. She wasn't a hunter, or they would have attacked already. "Sorry for all that. There is too much to lose to not be suspicious of new faces."

His tone and demeanour switched back into his more normal. Lowering his head to the now quite miffed female, he offered his apology and explanation. "I'm actually an apprentice, so I was out of line. Have you seen anything to hunt? We need more food back at base."

For a moment, the golden she-cat considered this Erythros’ sudden change, him acting almost submissive - although it was too soon to tell if this was charade. She decided to make no comment for the time being, instead focusing on the Cheetah’s food problem.

“Well, there is loads of prey, the problem is that it all the way up there,” she snorted - motioning with her tail the mocking seagulls above. “I would love to get my claws onto one of those noisy feather-brains.” The thought was tempting to Mithras: remove an annoyance and gain prey. Her mouth salivated at the thought.

The only question was how.

Briefly turning back to the tom besides her, a smirk emerged “How about we have some fun then? One who catches the most gulls gets to claim credit for the hunt.” The golden cat paused momentarily - winking as she added “that is if you're even up to the challenge”.

"...Gulls?" He had considered it and several of the better open-air hunters had gotten a few. "It's easier to catch them when they try to rob the prey pile. Or it would be if we had any prey."

Still, her idea wasn't a bad one, and the challenge sounded like fun. He didn't know whether he'd be able to get many though with his breathing problem. The red cheetah had done well enough in the battle, but that didn't mean his problem would just go away. He wished it would, things would be much easier if he could even keep up with one of his own breed.

"Do you know anywhere to stalk them?" Gulls were also mean for prey, and vengeful if you took one out of a group. They were comparative to geese in attack mode, but their sheer numbers made it worse.

Grinning wildly, Mithras took his response as an acceptance to the proposed challenge. Although, he presented a very important factor that the she-cat had overlooked. How were they gonna catch them? Plastering her nose skywards she sniffed the air, scowling with a huff due to the even spread of gulls above. No place favoured the hunting of these birds, and even if they tried - the effort of catching just one was not worth the amount of meat they held. But amongst the biased odds, she found her eyes widening with excitement as a plan began to formulate.

They needed to catch them all at once.

“Gulls are then pretty easy to attract the attention of, yes?” she mused, turning back to her accomplice. “Well, we draw them all into a trap then! Corner them, wipe them out all in one go!” Mithras voice grew in volume, becoming more animated as her tail lashed around with energy. “The dumb things won’t know what hit them!”

"Smarter than they look." His voice was muttering and still conveyed his apprehension at the idea. Still, it was better than his idea of looking for nests in the dunes which would get them attacked. "What's going to be the bait?"

He doubted they could get more than ten before the whole flock of hundreds descended on them, but ten was better than none, and it might teach them to stop attacking the cats' food. -I'd rather stick to pheasants and ducks. But gulls are plentiful here, so might as well give it a try. If it doesn't work, I'll hunt the fields again and skip dinner.-

That idea wasn't pleasant either, but others needed to eat before he did. He might even be tempted to go for larger prey like deer if things persisted.

“Well, considering that literally everything else had the ingenious idea of getting away from this dampness, it gonna be either you or I!” The undeniable smirk was accompanied by a trademark whisker twitch - her eyes gleaming as she stared hopefully at the tom in front of her. His unenthusiastic posture displayed all the discomfort she had expected from her ludicrous idea.

However, as Mithras poured more thoughts into the plan - a depressing thought emerged. He would bail if he was bait. His comment on the dumb fowl’s intellect implied as much. A muted sigh slipped out as she realized it would be her tail on the line. Not that she feared a few birds. What’s the worse they can do?

Deciding that displaying unprecedented amounts of enthusiasm would solve any of her doubts, the Asian Gold whipped around energetically - bouncing off the soft earth below. “So, I’ll be bait and you will catch! I hope you’re up to scratch with hunting because if you don’t catch enough then I’ll use you to make up the rest of the fresh kill pile~”

-Good luck with that. - He thought sarcastically, looking upwards a bit. "I've seen where they like to rest in the rocks."

Rith took the lead and headed in the general direction of the ocean. The sounds of the waves and the gulls crying overhead would lead them where they wanted to go. "Have you ever been bait before?"

When he'd gone on an impromptu boar hunt with Narreth, they had taken turns distracting the furious creature until they could finally kill it. That had been a terrible idea, but both had gotten home more or less in one piece.

A smirk had emerged, Mithras gleefully trotting behind the tall feline as they headed towards source of the cool breeze. A strange rushing noise filled the air - one that she wasn’t acquainted with - calling her onwards. No longer grounded in reality she was swept up in her curiosity at the changing landscape around her.

The golden cat narrowly caught the potentially important question posed by the cheetah. Did she need expertise in being chased by birds? In the city, many been perched amongst the high rafters of buildings - not gulls - but birds nonetheless. Those pompous creatures always preened their feathers, too fat to get away at her approach. Gulls didn’t look quite like them, she mused, but how different can they be? Pushing her doubts aside, the feline flexed her claws - displaying her irrational confidence in the game’s stupidity.

“Bait is just another word for fake prey. If I just act like the prey, you can never catch then I’ll be fine!” A small chuckle sounded, which slipped into awkward silence before she spoke again. “So, I make sure I change directions lots, double-back, go fast and keep my eyes on the skies. Anything I missed oh wise one?”

"Might want to keep your head down. They tend to go for your face first." Or your tail and pull, peck, bite, and scratch with their beaks and great webbed feet. Their claws didn't seem to be as dangerous as some other birds, but he doubted that they were useless.

He shook his head to clear his ears. The trees had given way to grass, and the soil was getting more and more sandy underfoot. Over the next hill or so would be the beach. Rith lowered himself as much as he could in the grass, moving slower than before. This was the worst part about this. He stood out like flame against the green swaths of grass on either side of him. In contrast, the dark brown female who had joined him and initiated this hunt could hide far more easily in the long stalks.

"Maybe I should be bait. You could actually surprise them." The cheetah had learned a thing or two about hunting and it was almost always a better idea for the more camouflaged cat to do the pouncing. All he had to do was get one of them and wait for the others to attack. Simple enough, and he would be a much larger target.

"Oh? Sure sure. I'll give them something to remember me by." Mithras didn't attempt to cover up her surprise at the tom's volunteering, and if they weren't trying to remain low she might have made a bigger deal out of it. She certainly wasn't expecting him to take this seriously, considering his initial apprehension. It must be a trait of the stone empire - to be attentive and resolute. How dull. Though, she should have guessed that he would want to plan this out in the end.

Perhaps... perhaps she could incite some fun. The thought raced across Mithras mind. She stole a glance at Erythros; a deep expression was worn on his face. He probably wouldn't appreciate a simple prank. Something bigger would have to transpire. Oh, Glorious shenanigans! And, it would have to be a trick that he would never see coming.

The pair kept low down until they crossed into a strange landscape that lined the biggest body of water Mithras had ever seen. Under paw, the earth was composed of what seemed to be - loads of tiny pebbles? Either way they were quite obtrusive. The new surroundings were inviting a swarm of new thoughts and ideas. If the gulls lived here and they were also raiding the cats, does that mean this is the "coast" that Erythros mentioned? She couldn't suspend her disbelief at how any idiot could think to settle here.

The only thing that brought her mind back to the task at hand has the incessant squawking. The golden she-cat had thought it couldn't get any more annoying but oh, she was so wrong. Its growing volume was a clear indicator that they were near their destination.

"See that rocky place? That is where they nest. Your pelt blends in better with these old brown stones." He observed. Being there was the difference in their ranks, he didn't want to tell her what to do, but instead hinted at it. If she stayed there, he could easily run by her with the flock on his tail.

The red cat kept moving, passing the larger rocks and trying to weave his way through them like a seamstress's needle. It only half worked. Some of the birds started up squawking at him right off the bat. Their dive bombing told others the exact location and he had to duck between the stones further to avoid getting his ear grabbed.

-Great. Here we go. - He thought with little enthusiasm for what was about to happen. The cheetah chanced a glance upward and swung a paw at the bird going for him next. To his great surprise, his paw actually caught the gull across the top of its head, knocking it to the ground where he leaned enough pressure to break its neck and end it quickly. The other birds swarmed him when he picked it up.

Next thing he knew, Rith was bolting it down the beach with about twenty white and black avians chasing him. Running might have been his strong suit but keeping it up was not.

A noncommittal murmur was the only response to the statement - the Asian Gold was still deep in thought. But against her desires she did stop amongst the rocks, crouching down as if her prey was already in sight. “Perhaps I should lead him and the birds into the water. Or a hole! I wonder how many birds he could tolerate chasing him…” She wished she had more time to plan this out because she knew nothing about this area.

However, as she mulled over the many possibilities, Mithras noticed the advancing caw of game, much sooner than expected. He can’t have attracted that many birds already? Lying low, curiosity lead her up towards the peak of the earthy boulders. It was a sight to behold. No more than a red streak across the coast, Erythros was running like his life depended on it, tailed closely by some number of gulls. He even seemed to have already caught one, the prey hanging loosely from his jaws. How dare he leave her out from the fun! And with his speed he would come by her any moment…

And with a flash of fur- she leaped up into the air, taking a swipe at the nearest gull. Her claws met with feathers, the bird landing on the ground with a satisfying thud. Another paw struck a different gull that had been clawing her back. Mithras tail lashing. She stole a glance at the cheetah; he still had a considerable flock following but was slowing down. Taking the opportunity to try catch up, the she-cat skidded over the gritty surface, calling ahead: “What you gonna do about the ones we can’t catch? They want you REALLY bad!”

"Run." He dropped the bird in his mouth to answer her question, rounding quickly to smack another two for himself out of the air. One hit the ground squawking and pecked his shin to escape and the other hit the sand, to fly away from them. Many other gulls had joined in this sport and revenge scenario, dive bombing mostly at the pair. Rith had the knowledge to keep his eyes closed when they got close enough, ears were all you needed to know exactly where they were at close range with how loud they were.

"What were you going to do?" It hadn't escaped the cheetah that both of them were being targeted now and if they lead the birds further up the beach to the encampment there would be big trouble for both sides. Better to take a few of them out, grab what you could carry and retreat to the fields and forests where the birds couldn't fly as effectively. Songbirds might be able to weave through branches, but gulls lived over the open air ocean for a reason.

One gull tried its luck too close to the cat and got himself caught by the neck by the cheetah, who gave it a shake and dropped it again. That bird wasn't going to bother anyone anymore.

“Hmmpp, well I don’t suppose there is anything they are scared of? Cause if not I guess I would just hide until they calmed down and then collect the ones we caught...” As cowardly the sentiment was, that was all she could think of. She had definitely underestimated how many birds there were. The dark feline growled - not wanting to admit defeat and turn tail. Was there really nothing they could do about this? She couldn’t believe it. Her mind trailed back through her life - and she found herself wishing she knew more about the land beyond the city. There was nothing she recognised here as a deterrent: fire, dogs, even humans! Everything was different.

Her golden eyes flicked over Eythros. He had lived here, by this coast. He knew about these gulls. He had a plan to escape. Perhaps it was pride, perhaps embarrassment, but she found her legs harden like a rock. How did this apprentice know so much? This submissive behaviour that had emerged since he found out she was from Stone nearly had her fooled. But she could see now. Now she fully grasped how foolishly she had run into this little game. It would be fun she had thought! Let’s do a prank! HA! His apprehension, his comments, why didn’t she see sooner! She would be a laughing stock for sure, running into a mess and having to turn tail because she was dumber than an apprentice.

Blinded, a deep snarl erupted from the Asian Gold mouth. She was no longer running but standing bullheaded in her denial of defeat. The danger was everywhere; their little beady eyes goaded her. She would fight them. She would win.

"A good roar will scare them off!" He yowled after her. She rounded on the gulls like they were hunters or something and he groaned inwardly. This was only going to be harder to do if she stopped trying to escape. The flock was huge, and they had only taken about seven or so birds so far. "I'm a cheetah, chirp and yowl is it!"

His high voice was probably hard to hear over the screeching of the birds that bombarded the pair. Rith was glad for the armor he war protecting his back and chest form the angry gulls' beaks and clawed webbed feet. He knocked another two from the sky, one at a time as he leapt upward, startling several into flying away, only to be quickly replaced as he fell back to the sandy ground. An unfortunate white bird didn't think before diving under him and he caught and killed it with his back feet of all things. That wasn't a pleasant sensation, and he gave his own squawk of surprise. Rith was quick to step off it and keep battering at the others still diving at them. He tried the loudest yowl he could manage, but that didn't get much save for another startle back.

"Make for the trees Myth!" He called to the brown female, shortening her name in his haste to get her to join him in fleeing. They just needed to get past these next two dunes and they would be within the trees again.

The tiny she-cat didn’t have the deepest of roars - but she gave it a go. If she was able to condense the gulls into a tight ball then it would be easier to attack. Only where to start? Mithras yowled at an approaching gull - and for a moment found excitement as its departure... until 3 more took its place. There were too many. In desperation, she let out a flurry of unguided swipes. She would catch them too, the feline growled.

Once again, the cheetah called for her attention, motioning towards the forest. Part of her longed to go to the familiar landscape; to hunt amongst the trees. However, the prey she so desired was out in the open. That thought struck her back to her senses. Their problem wasn't the birds - it was this exposed landscape! The forest was far more enclosed; they could easy corner their prey. With so many gulls some had to be stupid enough to follow them down into the trees. That would be the perfect opportunity to strike them down!

The she-cat finally took pace after the red male, streaking away from the flock. He had gained distance with his longer stride, eventually slowing when he met the treeline. Mithras just managed to catch her breath before she turned to the tom, grinning mischievously. “Myth? We close enough for nicknames already?” It occurred to her that Erythros has probably thought up her plan already - or something similar. The silly, smart cat.

''Faster than saying your whole name.'' He explained the shortening of the word. He'd been in such a rush to get them both to the tree line, Rith hadn't thought about it until after he'd said it. Looking back the way they had come through gaps in the trees, one could see that most of the flock had given up the chase, not all though. Some of the white birds were trying their luck with the branches.

A thought occurred to the red cheetah. If they were more focused on trying to avoid branches, that would give the cats time to hide and wait them out. That was, if he could convince this she-cat to go along with the idea. It seemed a solid enough plan. If they went through with it, they could even ambush more of them and catch them by surprise. This might work. This might actually work.

''We should hide and jump out to catch the ones we can!'' The apprentice called over the ruckus the gulls were still putting up. At least they would always have a clear mark when striking. This would be perfect for cats who had trouble learning to hunt. Rith swatted yet another of the stupid feathered creatures and knocked it dazed against a tree. He finished it by stepping on its neck the same way he had done the others. ''I think the bet is off!''

“Keep telling yourself that” she said with a goofy wink, soon after glancing in the direction he was looking. Whilst most were halted, a few gulls were trying to brave through the trees. Perfect! Erythros even seemed more optimistic now, expressing his idea which was like Mithras’s thought. Although, his was a bit more detailed - a proper plan; which was good because Mithras did tend to "improvise". “I’m game!” she yelled back, smirking at his comment on the bet. She still intended to bust some moves even if it was off.

Making sure she was well hidden, the she-cat’s ear pricked up. The crazed cries of their prey echoed from all around and eventually a few birds reached the canopy above her. However, they were too high up for the smaller feline to reach. Letting out a low growl, her golden eyes roved about the area for an idea; finally fixing on a nearby branch. Low down? Check. Sturdy? Check. She tested it with a paw. Good, it seemed to hold her weight. Now for step 2-

With reckless abandon, she vaulted off it: throwing her claws towards any nearby gulls. Her grin grew wide when they connected. Upon landing, her catch was confirmed. Success! Mithras called out in celebration, giving a hearty cheer to the sky: “IT’S WORKING!”

This was going far better than Erythros had thought it was going to. Mithras had taken to the trees to ambush those trying to attack the cats even as most of the flock dispersed and gave up. As he was the easiest target to see in the dappled light of the leaf strewn forest floor, the cheetah decided to make himself obvious again. Mithras could attack those going for him if he could get them to focus on him instead of her.

"Come and get some, ya flappers!" He gave an excited whoop of a yowl. That had the desired effect, and now half dozen or so left came at him. He kicked another of their number at a tree and fought more in one spot now. That would give the female gladiator an easier target.

A quick glance around at the Erythros’ call revealed even more birds that he was leading down. Yes! Now she could reach them better! A satisfied smirk emerged as she stalked forward towards the unsuspecting prey, briefly pausing to locate her first victim. There! She narrowly missed the gull, a spray of feathers erupting in its attempt to escape. Unfortunately for it; she didn’t miss the second time.

With its one down, her eyes focused just a little way off. More had been compacted down into one spot by the tom. If only they could pull down a tree on the flock! The thought made her claws itch as she stalked up on the opposite side to Erythros. In rapid succession the Asian Gold darted in and out of cover as she joined in the attack. Ha! She would have to remember this technique if she hunted difficult prey in the future. Either way, Mithras had more respect for the tom fighting aside her.

Mithras had taken to jumping in and out of the underbrush to assist the tom as he knocked yet one more from the air under his claws. It let out one sqwack and was done. Other fled now, so there were only a couple more still perched in the trees cawing their abuse at the cats before taking to the air again to crash out of the canopy into the open air above it.

White and grey feathers were everywhere. The small massacre that the two cats had perpetrated was evident all over and trailed back to the beach too. It would take them a good few minutes to gather all the prey and drag it back before other predators got wind of the blood and noise. Not that it would be avoidable.

"I think we're done for now..." Rith panted as he sat down and looked around that the mess they and the birds had made.

“Mmmm” was all that the small she-cat could make out. However, the wide grin spanning the width of her face spoke a thousand words. “Ughh”. With the adrenaline rush now fading, her body ached: either from the scratches or all the jumping. Perhaps she ought to wear her armor more often: would be less dangerous. But where is the fun in that?

From her position Erythros - whilst better protected with his armor - seemed exhausted. Mithras hoped that she hadn’t done something bad by letting him be the bait. She barely knew the tom and they had already managed to get mauled by birds of all things. Though, it had been a pretty good practise for if you get chased down by an enemy patrol, the feline mused. 2 cats could likely take down maybe 4 other felines with it…

Her head snapped back up. The temptation to drift off was a constant battle. The soft dirt under paw seemed so comfy right now; so, she ungracefully flopped down before glancing over at Erythros. Mithras grasped for a pun to throw in, but her mind had wandered off. He would just have to settle for a mediocre sentence. “For my first hunting patrol I would say that was a success. Do you wanna take a break now or after we gather?”

"Now's good." He shared the sentiment with her as she flopped into the soft earth of the seaside woodland and followed suit. The cheetah just let himself fall into a convenient gathering of leaves beneath the closest tree. Even if other predators had heard the ruckus, one or two of the birds they'd be able to snatch wouldn't make much difference in the haul.

While laid on his side, he considered how they were going to carry all of them back... His lungs just rose and fell, quickly, but steadily and deeply. The best plan would be to use his chest plate as a sled and stack them on that. Then they could drag it home. The rusty cheetah didn't move much or say anything as he concentrated on regaining his air.

For a moment everything stopped; the stillness only broken by the faint sound of birds off in the distance. One could almost be fooled into thinking they hadn’t almost been mauled by birds. Mithras brought her tongue over her pelt. Her attention was drawn towards Erythros; who seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.

“Soooo, you seem to know a bit about this coast place… do any cats swim in that water?”

The question was laced with curiosity. The Asian Gold saw many things when rouge in Massillia: “fishers”, “boats”, “ports”. Not “swim” though - she couldn’t make out what it was. Didn’t help that felines would use the word out of context; which just further confused her. It took asking - urgh - pets to determine that it was the thing you did in water. How embarrassing. Considering all that had happened so far however, Mithras assumed that they were passed being awkward. The tom would just have to put up with her silly questions.

"Swim?" He raised a brow but not his head. He did however, move his neck and head so he could look at her. The red cheetah's sides rose and fell in those deep heavy, but steady beats, giving a good rhythm to his thoughts. "Not me, and most others don't either. Currents are dangerous, but tidepools are safe. Just don't drink it. Salt."

They would need to get a move on soon. Too much time spent laying here and they might not bring much for their trouble home.

"Dually noted" she chuckled in reply, moving to stretch out from their brief lie down.
There was clearly much to learn about: currents, tide pools and who knows what else. Although, Mithras was saddened to hear that there weren't any big swimmers in the Empire. It strengthened her resolve to try and change that. She would have to practise by herself.
Glancing over to her companion, she noted that Erythros seemed to be stirring now that he had recovered a bit. "Should we make a move now then?" The Asian gold wasn't sure whether the cheetah wanted to rest for a bit longer or not. She doubted she could carry the prey all by herself though. Her eyes scanned the nearby area before focusing off into the distance. "Do you think those gulls could still be out there?"

"Sure as dung." Gulls wouldn't just go away, sometimes stragglers would harass a cat with prey. "S'long as we don't get near those rocks, we should be fine."

That, and they might just be able to catch any birds dumb enough to try. Erythros gave a huff and hauled himself to a sitting position. From there the rusty cat went to kick off his back plate and then slid out of the breastplate. Next, he put the back plate on top of the breastplate and pulled the breastplate's buckle tight. Looking back over to the undoubtedly surprised female he gave her a smirk and explained.

"Dinner sled."

Mithras let out an undignified snort before giggling, “You're mad.” She went along with the idea anyway; it would be easier than carrying them. Quickly dashing off to the nearest bird, she scooped it up; wrinkling her nose at a strange smell in the air. It made her fur prickle. Brushing it aside, she took the gull back to the tom, grinning, but wary. “First!” she purred, before glancing over her shoulder.

“By the way, I think there’s something hiding in the trees. I doubt it will go out onto the open beach but if we aren’t fast we will lose whatever is prey is in the forest.” She had never seen any predators other than the occasional bird of prey in Massilia, however had heard that there were many more in the wild - some even bigger than her. Let’s just hope it’s a scavenger.

At the female's words, Rith gave a silent nod of agreement. He took hold of the leather part of his breastplate, the part that went over his neck usually, and dragged the makeshift sled along beside him. When they reached the dead gulls, the rusted apprentice would drop the leather, grab the bird, add it to the pile, and then take up the leather again.

Whatever it was in the trees was following them, and it made his fur prickle. "Let's leave one in the trees for it."

There was a warning type growl to his voice, but that was due to nerves. He didn't enjoy the feeling of being watched by something he couldn't see. Rith had paused to look in the direction of where he felt the gaze boring into him with narrowed stormy eyes and stiff legs. The cheetah was standing at his full height for once, tail flicking aggravatedly.

Mithras's golden eyes flickered around once again as she gave a small nod to the tom. Tail twitching, she skirted around one of dead gulls. Sad to waste prey, however after that exhausting hunt I don't think we would be up for fighting anything too dangerous. If only we knew what it was! Either way, hopefully it would be stupid enough to stop instead of following them...

As they made their way towards the treeline, Mithras still found herself peering back into the dense undergrowth to see if she could sight this predator. However, there were also dangers in front; and as they approach the dark feline found herself circling back to the armour frequently. What if they were caught out? What if the gulls came back and they were also attacked from the other side? Her mind reeled with thoughts, making her fur bristle. At least on the coast they can see the danger coming. Sighing, Mithras eventually turned back to Eyrthros, adding another gull to the pile. "Honestly I am so paranoid. If we weren't hauling prey right now I would have charged on. Having to search around in this undergrowth... let just say I'm actually glad to be facing gulls on the coast instead of what's in there."

"Sixteen. Minus one. Fifteen." He was counting the gulls currently on the makeshift sled. Erythros paused every few moments to check back in the direction of this intimidating presence, then moving on. They could no longer see the gull they'd left behind, but a certain sound confirmed what he'd been suspecting.

"Let's hurry then." A creature that size was very dangerous. If they stuck back out in the open, it likely wouldn't follow them. Still, the gulls' rocks were far enough away from where they had begun their attack to not be much of a problem. "Bear I suspect."

With the snow season getting closer, those huge beasts would be out stuffing themselves fat for hibernation. It was no wonder there was no prey about in the trees. If it was a bear, all other animals would have fled from it.

"Haven't met one of those," she murmured back quietly, "And if what I have heard is right, I don't want to." The female briefly shook her pelt - tales and scars from battles flickering through her head. Mithras had always assumed that those cats had just been weak; however, from what she could make out, this creature was a lot bigger than her. Yep, avoiding that if possible.

Mithras swiftly pick up the last bird in her path; only briefly stopping by the armour once again. Then she sprang up ahead, breaching the treeline with a leap and landing in the open landscape beyond. Finally. The sun shone lightly; warm on her deep pelt. All she wanted to do now was run out to the hills, pick some flowers, take a nap -yeah, nap sounds about good right about now. And some food too... although her next meal was no doubt going to come from the birds in Erythros's armour. They still had to lug that pile to camp.

Sighing, she skipped back into the forest; head swivelling around to locate the tom. The smell of the gulls drifted through the undergrowth, a tantalising trail to the food pile. The apprentice was bound to be close by. "Yo, I think we should just ditch what left here - if anything - and move on now." Mithras's voice was a barely a whisper to her surrounding as she hoped that the shifting shadows were the tom, finishing off a search.

With the smell of Gull absolutely everywhere, finding all of their kills would take longer than that creature would take to eat what it had been given. "Yeah. Let's head back to the beach."

He was still following the trail they had made into the trees and luckily, he could see the rising few hills of grass between the trees and the beach from where he was. Mithras had wandered a little and separated from him.

"Mithras?" He called. Erythros could still smell her, but then, they'd both been all over the place in this stretch of trees by now. Taking up the leather in his teeth again, he kept pulling the load over and then out of the trees. He called her name again, just a little louder, giving her a direction to follow.

"Mithras?"

Mithras slowly backed up upon hearing Erythros voice back at the forest’s edge. That didn’t come from that thing in front of her…

Oh no.

She have a weak grin at the shadowed being. “Uhh, I’ll be going now?”. Her voice cracked, and before long she was turning tail back to the coast. The Asian Gold could only hope that the being wasn’t following her... although, the repeating *thud* emanating from behind suggested otherwise. Just in case, she let out a cry up ahead to her hunting buddy - half screaming, half cackling:
“DON’T STAND AROUND, WE HAVE AN UNWANTED DINNER GUEST COMING!”

-I am NOT about to lose my catch to a bear. - The red cheetah thought sourly as he heard Mithras' cry. He wasn't about to stand around and wait for the bear to show up either, but with any luck, it would stop at the treeline and go snuffling about for what they'd left behind. He'd left a few where they'd been felled in the more open spaces between the trees and brush. He sighted the brown pelt of his hunting partner and, with a haul, upped his pace further out to the beach. The sand was looser here, and there were still plenty of dead gulls about. A few lonesome cries from far overhead told him that most of the flock was still nearby. He wondered.

"Hey! Mithras! I've got an idea!" They really shouldn't have been yelling like that. If the bear thought they were going to take what it had in its claws or teeth, it would charge them. Most bear were lazy creatures, taken to take the easier meal when one was available. They wouldn't be challenged if they gave it what it wanted. It wasn't after a stick of an apprentice or the puff of brown fur that was the gladiator, it was after the gulls.

Well, if it was after gulls, he'd give it gulls. He just hoped that Mithras had heard him and followed him to the sandy dunes again.

The moment Mithras picked up Erythros’s scent trail, she sprinted a few tail lengths off to the side of it, in his direction. After all, she didn’t want to run into the apprentice with this creature close by. It was their prey that they caught after all! That thing didn't deserve any of it! Perhaps it was the activity at the new camp, and hence the increased hunting in this area, that had disturbed the animals around here. Well, that and their gull herding stunt. It would explain why lots of the land dwelling prey had run off though…

At the loud call, her judgement was that she wasn't far off the tom. Sure enough, she soon caught flicks of his orange pelt through the undergrowth. Mithras adjust her course, so her chaser would be less likely to wind the gull heap in his armour. The female only briefly considered her options before calling out in response. Hopefully this plan of his was on par with his previous one.

“Don’t tell me, just say where to go! I’m getting close!” The light of the beach ahead was just within a few strides...

The bear came out of the woods behind Mithras, not quite as quickly as the gladiator had done, but he could see it from the dune he'd stopped on. His yowl had also attracted the attention of the other creatures he's been hoping would hear him.

That hapless heap of dark brown fur. Its face was coated in blood and blood reddened white feathers. The sheer smell of him would be enough to set the sea birds off. Sure enough, as the few came up to him, they noticed the huge creature. A cry of outrage from one, then another and another, and soon the whole flock was crying about their fellows' blood upon the bear's face in anger. They began swooping after it, and it reared up with a roar of his own.

Erythros gave the 'sled' a nudge so it would slide down the hill of sand, he'd even had a moment to use the smaller breast plate as a 'lid'. The rusted cheetah had taken that smaller part of his armor and set it atop the dead birds, doing the loops so it wouldn't fall off and, consequently, hold the birds in place too. He used his long legs as skis and slid down after his armor laden with prey.

"This way!" He called again, just starting his sledding and skiing down as the female caught up. They'd both be out of breath for a while, but they'd succeeding in not only keeping their food, but distracting and getting the bear off their trail completely.

Upon the cheetah's next call, Mithras hared in that direction not taking any time to glance around at her surroundings. The sound of gulls had grown more prominent again, no surprise there, and she mentally braced herself to be clawed in her escape... however nothing happened. A sharp glance back nearly stopped her in her tracks; a laugh lodged in her throat. The birds were... attacking the bear?

Reaching the bow of the hill, she finally stopped to look back and catch her breath. Nature was... messed up! A quiet wheeze in amazement followed at its ability to turn on members of said nature.
How strange.

Mithras weaved down the sandy hillside, grinning as she approached the bottom. There stood Erythros and his "Dinner Sled", and if she didn't know better, she would say he ought to be smug about how this whole fiasco panned out. Either way, they would both be sleeping soundly tonight.
As if to prove the point, her legs decided that enough was enough; causing her to belly slide those last few tail lengths down. She didn't immediately rise upon reach the bottom either. The crisp now seemed very comfy...
"So, I don't know about you, but I'm ready to take a nice long *yawn* nap. Where is this camp they got going from here? Won't they be surprised!" The she-cat chuckled, then pausing. "You did great out there. I think it’s fair to say I lost that one through and through."

Ahh yes, back when Mithras didn't realise that you can't fight your way out of every problem. I'm glad she had matured since this; I don't think I could take her blasé views on violence for long. Haha either way, it was a blast RPing with you Apothocareon! Sorry you had to put up with her, but hopefully in any following RPs she ought to be better behaved XD.

For EmpiresBeforeClans

Description
IMPORTANT DETAILS (PLEASE READ):
This RP contains lots of hunting. Please don't read if you are sensitive to what that entails.
This takes place in between the end of the Stone raid and August 2017 Gathering. Stone Empire is scattered, however a large group of them are at a temporary camp near the coast.
This is Mithras's first RP encounter when she joined Stone Empire back along. (For all you people following Mithras's development, a timeline can be found here: Timeline )

Word Count: 8347
Erythros || Apothocareon
Mithras|| UnityUniverse

The wind in the trees was deceiving in the peacefulness of the sound. Leaves were shaking in the breeze, creating a rustling that hid the faraway sounds of animals, and left the cheetah who was stalking the wooded area feeling quite isolated. He raised his head and looked up from the trail he was following. The rabbit he had been tracking had been caught by a fox not long ago, as the blood stain on the ground and the two smells mingling told that story.

Erythros sighed quietly in frustration. He couldn't afford to be caught here, but they really needed more food back at their makeshift camp by the sea. Food didn't store well, gulls would raid their meager pile any chance they got along with crabs and other beach scavengers. They really needed to find someplace inland. Being in such a constantly damp place was going to start making cats sick.

Again, he scanned the trees and brush surrounding him. His reddish coat would stand out from the greens of the woods, so he'd worn his green and brown armor. the breastplate and saddle didn't break up his silhouette well, but it hid his bright color from most prey he might go for.

Rustling, this time not from above. Something was nearby, so he lowered himself and slid as silently as he could manage behind some bushes. Laying still was his best recourse. Whatever it was would have to find him by smell.

There was chill to the air, piercing through the thin pelt of a she-cat weaving her way through the undergrowth. The ground was damp to touch, a sign of the changing terrain that fed into the ocean beyond, out of limits of Mithras knowledge, but ever evident. She was encompassed by life, masked, tantalisingly out of reach – all of which seemed to be having a better time in this bog than herself.

Longing for the grassy planes around the old camp, exasperation clawed through her bones. The obtrusive cry of gulls was becoming more prevalent, ripping through the peaceful scene when they flew by. One day she would catch one, Mithras affirmed to herself, her concentration being draw away to the clear sky above.

In her lapse of focus she stumbled forward, paw caught on the gnarled roots threaded through the earth, meeting a thicket in a not so sweet embrace. So much for stealth, the golden cat mused, missing the silhouette veiled in the shrubbery due to her haste to save face. Mulling over her stupidity, she took a moment to just breath, eventually noticing a strange scent coming from nearby. Gold eyes snapping in the direction of its source, her curiosity peaked to see what was there, drawing her towards it.

The source of the sudden rustling reviled herself. A smaller feline, who, though smelling of the city, didn't seem to be dangerous to the tall cheetah. He heaved a sigh and walked out from behind the bush into the animal track ahead of her. If she decided to attack him, he knew which way to run. Away from their temporary camp.

"Ho there!" He called as deeply as his voice would allow. "Come a friend or foe?"

He stood tall as well, going for a commanding stance. No way was he going to look like some greenhorn. His ears were back, but his expression was more curious than aggressive. He didn't want to fight but was ready to.

For a moment Mithras was taken back, standing dormant amongst the trees, mute. The figure in front was of a cheetah, flame pelt, armoured, with deep eyes that considered the small feline in front of him. Under other circumstances she might have challenged him to a battle, however...

Silence remain between them as the question hung in the air - unanswered - for a moment longer. Finally, a small noise broke the peace. It was small and unintelligible, and it in turn developed into a outlandish snicker, the Asian cat's eyes glowing with amusement.

“Oh my, of course good sir; a friend” she chided, sarcasm dripping off each word in excess, “why would anyone say otherwise?”. Eyes flickered back towards the cheetah, grinning, she took the opportunity to dramatically swoon back in mock fear.

She, for a moment that lasted longer than it should have, stood shocked at the sight before her. Did he seem that ridiculous? Or was it that his question was so odd? The smaller feline laughed at him openly, and he didn't respond to it. Instead, he answered her rhetorical question, knowing the sarcasm that dripped from her voice.

"Hunters like to flaunt their status." She still didn't look like she was going to attack him, just scorn his word choices. The cheetah didn't draw any closer to her though. He displayed no fear of her save in his cautious distance. Instead he regarded her sceptically. She was behaving in a way that told the cheetah that she was, more than likely, not a hunter.

"What brings you to this place?" When he asked his next question, he nosed the air in her direction.

Noticing the tom’s significant lack of a response, the she-cat halted in her jeering, drawing a paw slowly over one ear. Were the cats around here devoid of emotion? A quiet sigh slipped out before she perked up again, determined to liven the place up somehow.

“Sorry, never heard of a cat that talks like you. Is it common to the empires?” She purred, a grin emerging once again. For a few moments, a stillness took place before Mithras remembered his what cheetah had said. “Never met a hunter, so I wouldn’t know,” she briskly asserted, before gesturing to the surrounding greenery. “And here? Looking for fellow Stonies after everyone scampered after that… interesting battle”. There was an off tone, only just detectable, that laced the final statement. If it meant anything, Mithras didn’t show as she babbled on, thrusting her mussel enthusiastically into the tom’s face.

“The name is Mithras. Judging by your reaction I’m guessing you’re from Stone?” She speculated, twitching her whiskers.

"I don't recognise you from camp." She had come close and tried to put her face in his, but the height difference presented her with a problem. She had to look up at him at an awkward angle, and he held his head just that much further away.

"Stone is my empire, and no, most don't speak like I do." Keeping his sentences short, he backed up a bit to keep her in view. His inner instincts told him not to trust her, but if she really was to be a stone cat, then she would have had to had joined within a week prior to the raid to still bare the city scent.

"I'm Erythros." He wouldn't have used such words as the female cat had used to describe their situation, but then then he wasn't a female who enjoyed sarcastic innuendos.

“Mmm, joined after the raid,” she purred, grinning. Erythros had held his head aloft, adding additional difficulty to maintaining eye contact with the height difference. A distasteful emerged air as he spoke. The she-cat reaction was masked par a slight twitch of her tail. Silence came forth.

Inside Mithras was screaming at him.

She just could not put her paw on this tom. What was his problem? Perhaps she was fated to be stuck with a bunch of miserable felines for the rest of her life as some sort of punishment. The thought was as amusing as this Erythros was frustrating. His short and repressed sentences. His aloof attitude. His apparent distrust. Just. Infuriating.

Keen to move on, the golden she-cat shuffled back few inches before turning to the tom. “So, do you happen to know somewhere less damp than here? This place is chilling me right to the bone.”

"Unfortunately, everyone's at the coast. Warmer in the sun, but still damp." He relaxed a little. She wasn't a hunter, or they would have attacked already. "Sorry for all that. There is too much to lose to not be suspicious of new faces."

His tone and demeanour switched back into his more normal. Lowering his head to the now quite miffed female, he offered his apology and explanation. "I'm actually an apprentice, so I was out of line. Have you seen anything to hunt? We need more food back at base."

For a moment, the golden she-cat considered this Erythros’ sudden change, him acting almost submissive - although it was too soon to tell if this was charade. She decided to make no comment for the time being, instead focusing on the Cheetah’s food problem.

“Well, there is loads of prey, the problem is that it all the way up there,” she snorted - motioning with her tail the mocking seagulls above. “I would love to get my claws onto one of those noisy feather-brains.” The thought was tempting to Mithras: remove an annoyance and gain prey. Her mouth salivated at the thought.

The only question was how.

Briefly turning back to the tom besides her, a smirk emerged “How about we have some fun then? One who catches the most gulls gets to claim credit for the hunt.” The golden cat paused momentarily - winking as she added “that is if you're even up to the challenge”.

"...Gulls?" He had considered it and several of the better open-air hunters had gotten a few. "It's easier to catch them when they try to rob the prey pile. Or it would be if we had any prey."

Still, her idea wasn't a bad one, and the challenge sounded like fun. He didn't know whether he'd be able to get many though with his breathing problem. The red cheetah had done well enough in the battle, but that didn't mean his problem would just go away. He wished it would, things would be much easier if he could even keep up with one of his own breed.

"Do you know anywhere to stalk them?" Gulls were also mean for prey, and vengeful if you took one out of a group. They were comparative to geese in attack mode, but their sheer numbers made it worse.

Grinning wildly, Mithras took his response as an acceptance to the proposed challenge. Although, he presented a very important factor that the she-cat had overlooked. How were they gonna catch them? Plastering her nose skywards she sniffed the air, scowling with a huff due to the even spread of gulls above. No place favoured the hunting of these birds, and even if they tried - the effort of catching just one was not worth the amount of meat they held. But amongst the biased odds, she found her eyes widening with excitement as a plan began to formulate.

They needed to catch them all at once.

“Gulls are then pretty easy to attract the attention of, yes?” she mused, turning back to her accomplice. “Well, we draw them all into a trap then! Corner them, wipe them out all in one go!” Mithras voice grew in volume, becoming more animated as her tail lashed around with energy. “The dumb things won’t know what hit them!”

"Smarter than they look." His voice was muttering and still conveyed his apprehension at the idea. Still, it was better than his idea of looking for nests in the dunes which would get them attacked. "What's going to be the bait?"

He doubted they could get more than ten before the whole flock of hundreds descended on them, but ten was better than none, and it might teach them to stop attacking the cats' food. -I'd rather stick to pheasants and ducks. But gulls are plentiful here, so might as well give it a try. If it doesn't work, I'll hunt the fields again and skip dinner.-

That idea wasn't pleasant either, but others needed to eat before he did. He might even be tempted to go for larger prey like deer if things persisted.

“Well, considering that literally everything else had the ingenious idea of getting away from this dampness, it gonna be either you or I!” The undeniable smirk was accompanied by a trademark whisker twitch - her eyes gleaming as she stared hopefully at the tom in front of her. His unenthusiastic posture displayed all the discomfort she had expected from her ludicrous idea.

However, as Mithras poured more thoughts into the plan - a depressing thought emerged. He would bail if he was bait. His comment on the dumb fowl’s intellect implied as much. A muted sigh slipped out as she realized it would be her tail on the line. Not that she feared a few birds. What’s the worse they can do?

Deciding that displaying unprecedented amounts of enthusiasm would solve any of her doubts, the Asian Gold whipped around energetically - bouncing off the soft earth below. “So, I’ll be bait and you will catch! I hope you’re up to scratch with hunting because if you don’t catch enough then I’ll use you to make up the rest of the fresh kill pile~”

-Good luck with that. - He thought sarcastically, looking upwards a bit. "I've seen where they like to rest in the rocks."

Rith took the lead and headed in the general direction of the ocean. The sounds of the waves and the gulls crying overhead would lead them where they wanted to go. "Have you ever been bait before?"

When he'd gone on an impromptu boar hunt with Narreth, they had taken turns distracting the furious creature until they could finally kill it. That had been a terrible idea, but both had gotten home more or less in one piece.

A smirk had emerged, Mithras gleefully trotting behind the tall feline as they headed towards source of the cool breeze. A strange rushing noise filled the air - one that she wasn’t acquainted with - calling her onwards. No longer grounded in reality she was swept up in her curiosity at the changing landscape around her.

The golden cat narrowly caught the potentially important question posed by the cheetah. Did she need expertise in being chased by birds? In the city, many been perched amongst the high rafters of buildings - not gulls - but birds nonetheless. Those pompous creatures always preened their feathers, too fat to get away at her approach. Gulls didn’t look quite like them, she mused, but how different can they be? Pushing her doubts aside, the feline flexed her claws - displaying her irrational confidence in the game’s stupidity.

“Bait is just another word for fake prey. If I just act like the prey, you can never catch then I’ll be fine!” A small chuckle sounded, which slipped into awkward silence before she spoke again. “So, I make sure I change directions lots, double-back, go fast and keep my eyes on the skies. Anything I missed oh wise one?”

"Might want to keep your head down. They tend to go for your face first." Or your tail and pull, peck, bite, and scratch with their beaks and great webbed feet. Their claws didn't seem to be as dangerous as some other birds, but he doubted that they were useless.

He shook his head to clear his ears. The trees had given way to grass, and the soil was getting more and more sandy underfoot. Over the next hill or so would be the beach. Rith lowered himself as much as he could in the grass, moving slower than before. This was the worst part about this. He stood out like flame against the green swaths of grass on either side of him. In contrast, the dark brown female who had joined him and initiated this hunt could hide far more easily in the long stalks.

"Maybe I should be bait. You could actually surprise them." The cheetah had learned a thing or two about hunting and it was almost always a better idea for the more camouflaged cat to do the pouncing. All he had to do was get one of them and wait for the others to attack. Simple enough, and he would be a much larger target.

"Oh? Sure sure. I'll give them something to remember me by." Mithras didn't attempt to cover up her surprise at the tom's volunteering, and if they weren't trying to remain low she might have made a bigger deal out of it. She certainly wasn't expecting him to take this seriously, considering his initial apprehension. It must be a trait of the stone empire - to be attentive and resolute. How dull. Though, she should have guessed that he would want to plan this out in the end.

Perhaps... perhaps she could incite some fun. The thought raced across Mithras mind. She stole a glance at Erythros; a deep expression was worn on his face. He probably wouldn't appreciate a simple prank. Something bigger would have to transpire. Oh, Glorious shenanigans! And, it would have to be a trick that he would never see coming.

The pair kept low down until they crossed into a strange landscape that lined the biggest body of water Mithras had ever seen. Under paw, the earth was composed of what seemed to be - loads of tiny pebbles? Either way they were quite obtrusive. The new surroundings were inviting a swarm of new thoughts and ideas. If the gulls lived here and they were also raiding the cats, does that mean this is the "coast" that Erythros mentioned? She couldn't suspend her disbelief at how any idiot could think to settle here.

The only thing that brought her mind back to the task at hand has the incessant squawking. The golden she-cat had thought it couldn't get any more annoying but oh, she was so wrong. Its growing volume was a clear indicator that they were near their destination.

"See that rocky place? That is where they nest. Your pelt blends in better with these old brown stones." He observed. Being there was the difference in their ranks, he didn't want to tell her what to do, but instead hinted at it. If she stayed there, he could easily run by her with the flock on his tail.

The red cat kept moving, passing the larger rocks and trying to weave his way through them like a seamstress's needle. It only half worked. Some of the birds started up squawking at him right off the bat. Their dive bombing told others the exact location and he had to duck between the stones further to avoid getting his ear grabbed.

-Great. Here we go. - He thought with little enthusiasm for what was about to happen. The cheetah chanced a glance upward and swung a paw at the bird going for him next. To his great surprise, his paw actually caught the gull across the top of its head, knocking it to the ground where he leaned enough pressure to break its neck and end it quickly. The other birds swarmed him when he picked it up.

Next thing he knew, Rith was bolting it down the beach with about twenty white and black avians chasing him. Running might have been his strong suit but keeping it up was not.

A noncommittal murmur was the only response to the statement - the Asian Gold was still deep in thought. But against her desires she did stop amongst the rocks, crouching down as if her prey was already in sight. “Perhaps I should lead him and the birds into the water. Or a hole! I wonder how many birds he could tolerate chasing him…” She wished she had more time to plan this out because she knew nothing about this area.

However, as she mulled over the many possibilities, Mithras noticed the advancing caw of game, much sooner than expected. He can’t have attracted that many birds already? Lying low, curiosity lead her up towards the peak of the earthy boulders. It was a sight to behold. No more than a red streak across the coast, Erythros was running like his life depended on it, tailed closely by some number of gulls. He even seemed to have already caught one, the prey hanging loosely from his jaws. How dare he leave her out from the fun! And with his speed he would come by her any moment…

And with a flash of fur- she leaped up into the air, taking a swipe at the nearest gull. Her claws met with feathers, the bird landing on the ground with a satisfying thud. Another paw struck a different gull that had been clawing her back. Mithras tail lashing. She stole a glance at the cheetah; he still had a considerable flock following but was slowing down. Taking the opportunity to try catch up, the she-cat skidded over the gritty surface, calling ahead: “What you gonna do about the ones we can’t catch? They want you REALLY bad!”

"Run." He dropped the bird in his mouth to answer her question, rounding quickly to smack another two for himself out of the air. One hit the ground squawking and pecked his shin to escape and the other hit the sand, to fly away from them. Many other gulls had joined in this sport and revenge scenario, dive bombing mostly at the pair. Rith had the knowledge to keep his eyes closed when they got close enough, ears were all you needed to know exactly where they were at close range with how loud they were.

"What were you going to do?" It hadn't escaped the cheetah that both of them were being targeted now and if they lead the birds further up the beach to the encampment there would be big trouble for both sides. Better to take a few of them out, grab what you could carry and retreat to the fields and forests where the birds couldn't fly as effectively. Songbirds might be able to weave through branches, but gulls lived over the open air ocean for a reason.

One gull tried its luck too close to the cat and got himself caught by the neck by the cheetah, who gave it a shake and dropped it again. That bird wasn't going to bother anyone anymore.

“Hmmpp, well I don’t suppose there is anything they are scared of? Cause if not I guess I would just hide until they calmed down and then collect the ones we caught...” As cowardly the sentiment was, that was all she could think of. She had definitely underestimated how many birds there were. The dark feline growled - not wanting to admit defeat and turn tail. Was there really nothing they could do about this? She couldn’t believe it. Her mind trailed back through her life - and she found herself wishing she knew more about the land beyond the city. There was nothing she recognised here as a deterrent: fire, dogs, even humans! Everything was different.

Her golden eyes flicked over Eythros. He had lived here, by this coast. He knew about these gulls. He had a plan to escape. Perhaps it was pride, perhaps embarrassment, but she found her legs harden like a rock. How did this apprentice know so much? This submissive behaviour that had emerged since he found out she was from Stone nearly had her fooled. But she could see now. Now she fully grasped how foolishly she had run into this little game. It would be fun she had thought! Let’s do a prank! HA! His apprehension, his comments, why didn’t she see sooner! She would be a laughing stock for sure, running into a mess and having to turn tail because she was dumber than an apprentice.

Blinded, a deep snarl erupted from the Asian Gold mouth. She was no longer running but standing bullheaded in her denial of defeat. The danger was everywhere; their little beady eyes goaded her. She would fight them. She would win.

"A good roar will scare them off!" He yowled after her. She rounded on the gulls like they were hunters or something and he groaned inwardly. This was only going to be harder to do if she stopped trying to escape. The flock was huge, and they had only taken about seven or so birds so far. "I'm a cheetah, chirp and yowl is it!"

His high voice was probably hard to hear over the screeching of the birds that bombarded the pair. Rith was glad for the armor he war protecting his back and chest form the angry gulls' beaks and clawed webbed feet. He knocked another two from the sky, one at a time as he leapt upward, startling several into flying away, only to be quickly replaced as he fell back to the sandy ground. An unfortunate white bird didn't think before diving under him and he caught and killed it with his back feet of all things. That wasn't a pleasant sensation, and he gave his own squawk of surprise. Rith was quick to step off it and keep battering at the others still diving at them. He tried the loudest yowl he could manage, but that didn't get much save for another startle back.

"Make for the trees Myth!" He called to the brown female, shortening her name in his haste to get her to join him in fleeing. They just needed to get past these next two dunes and they would be within the trees again.

The tiny she-cat didn’t have the deepest of roars - but she gave it a go. If she was able to condense the gulls into a tight ball then it would be easier to attack. Only where to start? Mithras yowled at an approaching gull - and for a moment found excitement as its departure... until 3 more took its place. There were too many. In desperation, she let out a flurry of unguided swipes. She would catch them too, the feline growled.

Once again, the cheetah called for her attention, motioning towards the forest. Part of her longed to go to the familiar landscape; to hunt amongst the trees. However, the prey she so desired was out in the open. That thought struck her back to her senses. Their problem wasn't the birds - it was this exposed landscape! The forest was far more enclosed; they could easy corner their prey. With so many gulls some had to be stupid enough to follow them down into the trees. That would be the perfect opportunity to strike them down!

The she-cat finally took pace after the red male, streaking away from the flock. He had gained distance with his longer stride, eventually slowing when he met the treeline. Mithras just managed to catch her breath before she turned to the tom, grinning mischievously. “Myth? We close enough for nicknames already?” It occurred to her that Erythros has probably thought up her plan already - or something similar. The silly, smart cat.

''Faster than saying your whole name.'' He explained the shortening of the word. He'd been in such a rush to get them both to the tree line, Rith hadn't thought about it until after he'd said it. Looking back the way they had come through gaps in the trees, one could see that most of the flock had given up the chase, not all though. Some of the white birds were trying their luck with the branches.

A thought occurred to the red cheetah. If they were more focused on trying to avoid branches, that would give the cats time to hide and wait them out. That was, if he could convince this she-cat to go along with the idea. It seemed a solid enough plan. If they went through with it, they could even ambush more of them and catch them by surprise. This might work. This might actually work.

''We should hide and jump out to catch the ones we can!'' The apprentice called over the ruckus the gulls were still putting up. At least they would always have a clear mark when striking. This would be perfect for cats who had trouble learning to hunt. Rith swatted yet another of the stupid feathered creatures and knocked it dazed against a tree. He finished it by stepping on its neck the same way he had done the others. ''I think the bet is off!''

“Keep telling yourself that” she said with a goofy wink, soon after glancing in the direction he was looking. Whilst most were halted, a few gulls were trying to brave through the trees. Perfect! Erythros even seemed more optimistic now, expressing his idea which was like Mithras’s thought. Although, his was a bit more detailed - a proper plan; which was good because Mithras did tend to "improvise". “I’m game!” she yelled back, smirking at his comment on the bet. She still intended to bust some moves even if it was off.

Making sure she was well hidden, the she-cat’s ear pricked up. The crazed cries of their prey echoed from all around and eventually a few birds reached the canopy above her. However, they were too high up for the smaller feline to reach. Letting out a low growl, her golden eyes roved about the area for an idea; finally fixing on a nearby branch. Low down? Check. Sturdy? Check. She tested it with a paw. Good, it seemed to hold her weight. Now for step 2-

With reckless abandon, she vaulted off it: throwing her claws towards any nearby gulls. Her grin grew wide when they connected. Upon landing, her catch was confirmed. Success! Mithras called out in celebration, giving a hearty cheer to the sky: “IT’S WORKING!”

This was going far better than Erythros had thought it was going to. Mithras had taken to the trees to ambush those trying to attack the cats even as most of the flock dispersed and gave up. As he was the easiest target to see in the dappled light of the leaf strewn forest floor, the cheetah decided to make himself obvious again. Mithras could attack those going for him if he could get them to focus on him instead of her.

"Come and get some, ya flappers!" He gave an excited whoop of a yowl. That had the desired effect, and now half dozen or so left came at him. He kicked another of their number at a tree and fought more in one spot now. That would give the female gladiator an easier target.

A quick glance around at the Erythros’ call revealed even more birds that he was leading down. Yes! Now she could reach them better! A satisfied smirk emerged as she stalked forward towards the unsuspecting prey, briefly pausing to locate her first victim. There! She narrowly missed the gull, a spray of feathers erupting in its attempt to escape. Unfortunately for it; she didn’t miss the second time.

With its one down, her eyes focused just a little way off. More had been compacted down into one spot by the tom. If only they could pull down a tree on the flock! The thought made her claws itch as she stalked up on the opposite side to Erythros. In rapid succession the Asian Gold darted in and out of cover as she joined in the attack. Ha! She would have to remember this technique if she hunted difficult prey in the future. Either way, Mithras had more respect for the tom fighting aside her.

Mithras had taken to jumping in and out of the underbrush to assist the tom as he knocked yet one more from the air under his claws. It let out one sqwack and was done. Other fled now, so there were only a couple more still perched in the trees cawing their abuse at the cats before taking to the air again to crash out of the canopy into the open air above it.

White and grey feathers were everywhere. The small massacre that the two cats had perpetrated was evident all over and trailed back to the beach too. It would take them a good few minutes to gather all the prey and drag it back before other predators got wind of the blood and noise. Not that it would be avoidable.

"I think we're done for now..." Rith panted as he sat down and looked around that the mess they and the birds had made.

“Mmmm” was all that the small she-cat could make out. However, the wide grin spanning the width of her face spoke a thousand words. “Ughh”. With the adrenaline rush now fading, her body ached: either from the scratches or all the jumping. Perhaps she ought to wear her armor more often: would be less dangerous. But where is the fun in that?

From her position Erythros - whilst better protected with his armor - seemed exhausted. Mithras hoped that she hadn’t done something bad by letting him be the bait. She barely knew the tom and they had already managed to get mauled by birds of all things. Though, it had been a pretty good practise for if you get chased down by an enemy patrol, the feline mused. 2 cats could likely take down maybe 4 other felines with it…

Her head snapped back up. The temptation to drift off was a constant battle. The soft dirt under paw seemed so comfy right now; so, she ungracefully flopped down before glancing over at Erythros. Mithras grasped for a pun to throw in, but her mind had wandered off. He would just have to settle for a mediocre sentence. “For my first hunting patrol I would say that was a success. Do you wanna take a break now or after we gather?”

"Now's good." He shared the sentiment with her as she flopped into the soft earth of the seaside woodland and followed suit. The cheetah just let himself fall into a convenient gathering of leaves beneath the closest tree. Even if other predators had heard the ruckus, one or two of the birds they'd be able to snatch wouldn't make much difference in the haul.

While laid on his side, he considered how they were going to carry all of them back... His lungs just rose and fell, quickly, but steadily and deeply. The best plan would be to use his chest plate as a sled and stack them on that. Then they could drag it home. The rusty cheetah didn't move much or say anything as he concentrated on regaining his air.

For a moment everything stopped; the stillness only broken by the faint sound of birds off in the distance. One could almost be fooled into thinking they hadn’t almost been mauled by birds. Mithras brought her tongue over her pelt. Her attention was drawn towards Erythros; who seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.

“Soooo, you seem to know a bit about this coast place… do any cats swim in that water?”

The question was laced with curiosity. The Asian Gold saw many things when rouge in Massillia: “fishers”, “boats”, “ports”. Not “swim” though - she couldn’t make out what it was. Didn’t help that felines would use the word out of context; which just further confused her. It took asking - urgh - pets to determine that it was the thing you did in water. How embarrassing. Considering all that had happened so far however, Mithras assumed that they were passed being awkward. The tom would just have to put up with her silly questions.

"Swim?" He raised a brow but not his head. He did however, move his neck and head so he could look at her. The red cheetah's sides rose and fell in those deep heavy, but steady beats, giving a good rhythm to his thoughts. "Not me, and most others don't either. Currents are dangerous, but tidepools are safe. Just don't drink it. Salt."

They would need to get a move on soon. Too much time spent laying here and they might not bring much for their trouble home.

"Dually noted" she chuckled in reply, moving to stretch out from their brief lie down.
There was clearly much to learn about: currents, tide pools and who knows what else. Although, Mithras was saddened to hear that there weren't any big swimmers in the Empire. It strengthened her resolve to try and change that. She would have to practise by herself.
Glancing over to her companion, she noted that Erythros seemed to be stirring now that he had recovered a bit. "Should we make a move now then?" The Asian gold wasn't sure whether the cheetah wanted to rest for a bit longer or not. She doubted she could carry the prey all by herself though. Her eyes scanned the nearby area before focusing off into the distance. "Do you think those gulls could still be out there?"

"Sure as dung." Gulls wouldn't just go away, sometimes stragglers would harass a cat with prey. "S'long as we don't get near those rocks, we should be fine."

That, and they might just be able to catch any birds dumb enough to try. Erythros gave a huff and hauled himself to a sitting position. From there the rusty cat went to kick off his back plate and then slid out of the breastplate. Next, he put the back plate on top of the breastplate and pulled the breastplate's buckle tight. Looking back over to the undoubtedly surprised female he gave her a smirk and explained.

"Dinner sled."

Mithras let out an undignified snort before giggling, “You're mad.” She went along with the idea anyway; it would be easier than carrying them. Quickly dashing off to the nearest bird, she scooped it up; wrinkling her nose at a strange smell in the air. It made her fur prickle. Brushing it aside, she took the gull back to the tom, grinning, but wary. “First!” she purred, before glancing over her shoulder.

“By the way, I think there’s something hiding in the trees. I doubt it will go out onto the open beach but if we aren’t fast we will lose whatever is prey is in the forest.” She had never seen any predators other than the occasional bird of prey in Massilia, however had heard that there were many more in the wild - some even bigger than her. Let’s just hope it’s a scavenger.

At the female's words, Rith gave a silent nod of agreement. He took hold of the leather part of his breastplate, the part that went over his neck usually, and dragged the makeshift sled along beside him. When they reached the dead gulls, the rusted apprentice would drop the leather, grab the bird, add it to the pile, and then take up the leather again.

Whatever it was in the trees was following them, and it made his fur prickle. "Let's leave one in the trees for it."

There was a warning type growl to his voice, but that was due to nerves. He didn't enjoy the feeling of being watched by something he couldn't see. Rith had paused to look in the direction of where he felt the gaze boring into him with narrowed stormy eyes and stiff legs. The cheetah was standing at his full height for once, tail flicking aggravatedly.

Mithras's golden eyes flickered around once again as she gave a small nod to the tom. Tail twitching, she skirted around one of dead gulls. Sad to waste prey, however after that exhausting hunt I don't think we would be up for fighting anything too dangerous. If only we knew what it was! Either way, hopefully it would be stupid enough to stop instead of following them...

As they made their way towards the treeline, Mithras still found herself peering back into the dense undergrowth to see if she could sight this predator. However, there were also dangers in front; and as they approach the dark feline found herself circling back to the armour frequently. What if they were caught out? What if the gulls came back and they were also attacked from the other side? Her mind reeled with thoughts, making her fur bristle. At least on the coast they can see the danger coming. Sighing, Mithras eventually turned back to Eyrthros, adding another gull to the pile. "Honestly I am so paranoid. If we weren't hauling prey right now I would have charged on. Having to search around in this undergrowth... let just say I'm actually glad to be facing gulls on the coast instead of what's in there."

"Sixteen. Minus one. Fifteen." He was counting the gulls currently on the makeshift sled. Erythros paused every few moments to check back in the direction of this intimidating presence, then moving on. They could no longer see the gull they'd left behind, but a certain sound confirmed what he'd been suspecting.

"Let's hurry then." A creature that size was very dangerous. If they stuck back out in the open, it likely wouldn't follow them. Still, the gulls' rocks were far enough away from where they had begun their attack to not be much of a problem. "Bear I suspect."

With the snow season getting closer, those huge beasts would be out stuffing themselves fat for hibernation. It was no wonder there was no prey about in the trees. If it was a bear, all other animals would have fled from it.

"Haven't met one of those," she murmured back quietly, "And if what I have heard is right, I don't want to." The female briefly shook her pelt - tales and scars from battles flickering through her head. Mithras had always assumed that those cats had just been weak; however, from what she could make out, this creature was a lot bigger than her. Yep, avoiding that if possible.

Mithras swiftly pick up the last bird in her path; only briefly stopping by the armour once again. Then she sprang up ahead, breaching the treeline with a leap and landing in the open landscape beyond. Finally. The sun shone lightly; warm on her deep pelt. All she wanted to do now was run out to the hills, pick some flowers, take a nap -yeah, nap sounds about good right about now. And some food too... although her next meal was no doubt going to come from the birds in Erythros's armour. They still had to lug that pile to camp.

Sighing, she skipped back into the forest; head swivelling around to locate the tom. The smell of the gulls drifted through the undergrowth, a tantalising trail to the food pile. The apprentice was bound to be close by. "Yo, I think we should just ditch what left here - if anything - and move on now." Mithras's voice was a barely a whisper to her surrounding as she hoped that the shifting shadows were the tom, finishing off a search.

With the smell of Gull absolutely everywhere, finding all of their kills would take longer than that creature would take to eat what it had been given. "Yeah. Let's head back to the beach."

He was still following the trail they had made into the trees and luckily, he could see the rising few hills of grass between the trees and the beach from where he was. Mithras had wandered a little and separated from him.

"Mithras?" He called. Erythros could still smell her, but then, they'd both been all over the place in this stretch of trees by now. Taking up the leather in his teeth again, he kept pulling the load over and then out of the trees. He called her name again, just a little louder, giving her a direction to follow.

"Mithras?"

Mithras slowly backed up upon hearing Erythros voice back at the forest’s edge. That didn’t come from that thing in front of her…

Oh no.

She have a weak grin at the shadowed being. “Uhh, I’ll be going now?”. Her voice cracked, and before long she was turning tail back to the coast. The Asian Gold could only hope that the being wasn’t following her... although, the repeating *thud* emanating from behind suggested otherwise. Just in case, she let out a cry up ahead to her hunting buddy - half screaming, half cackling:
“DON’T STAND AROUND, WE HAVE AN UNWANTED DINNER GUEST COMING!”

-I am NOT about to lose my catch to a bear. - The red cheetah thought sourly as he heard Mithras' cry. He wasn't about to stand around and wait for the bear to show up either, but with any luck, it would stop at the treeline and go snuffling about for what they'd left behind. He'd left a few where they'd been felled in the more open spaces between the trees and brush. He sighted the brown pelt of his hunting partner and, with a haul, upped his pace further out to the beach. The sand was looser here, and there were still plenty of dead gulls about. A few lonesome cries from far overhead told him that most of the flock was still nearby. He wondered.

"Hey! Mithras! I've got an idea!" They really shouldn't have been yelling like that. If the bear thought they were going to take what it had in its claws or teeth, it would charge them. Most bear were lazy creatures, taken to take the easier meal when one was available. They wouldn't be challenged if they gave it what it wanted. It wasn't after a stick of an apprentice or the puff of brown fur that was the gladiator, it was after the gulls.

Well, if it was after gulls, he'd give it gulls. He just hoped that Mithras had heard him and followed him to the sandy dunes again.

The moment Mithras picked up Erythros’s scent trail, she sprinted a few tail lengths off to the side of it, in his direction. After all, she didn’t want to run into the apprentice with this creature close by. It was their prey that they caught after all! That thing didn't deserve any of it! Perhaps it was the activity at the new camp, and hence the increased hunting in this area, that had disturbed the animals around here. Well, that and their gull herding stunt. It would explain why lots of the land dwelling prey had run off though…

At the loud call, her judgement was that she wasn't far off the tom. Sure enough, she soon caught flicks of his orange pelt through the undergrowth. Mithras adjust her course, so her chaser would be less likely to wind the gull heap in his armour. The female only briefly considered her options before calling out in response. Hopefully this plan of his was on par with his previous one.

“Don’t tell me, just say where to go! I’m getting close!” The light of the beach ahead was just within a few strides...

The bear came out of the woods behind Mithras, not quite as quickly as the gladiator had done, but he could see it from the dune he'd stopped on. His yowl had also attracted the attention of the other creatures he's been hoping would hear him.

That hapless heap of dark brown fur. Its face was coated in blood and blood reddened white feathers. The sheer smell of him would be enough to set the sea birds off. Sure enough, as the few came up to him, they noticed the huge creature. A cry of outrage from one, then another and another, and soon the whole flock was crying about their fellows' blood upon the bear's face in anger. They began swooping after it, and it reared up with a roar of his own.

Erythros gave the 'sled' a nudge so it would slide down the hill of sand, he'd even had a moment to use the smaller breast plate as a 'lid'. The rusted cheetah had taken that smaller part of his armor and set it atop the dead birds, doing the loops so it wouldn't fall off and, consequently, hold the birds in place too. He used his long legs as skis and slid down after his armor laden with prey.

"This way!" He called again, just starting his sledding and skiing down as the female caught up. They'd both be out of breath for a while, but they'd succeeding in not only keeping their food, but distracting and getting the bear off their trail completely.

Upon the cheetah's next call, Mithras hared in that direction not taking any time to glance around at her surroundings. The sound of gulls had grown more prominent again, no surprise there, and she mentally braced herself to be clawed in her escape... however nothing happened. A sharp glance back nearly stopped her in her tracks; a laugh lodged in her throat. The birds were... attacking the bear?

Reaching the bow of the hill, she finally stopped to look back and catch her breath. Nature was... messed up! A quiet wheeze in amazement followed at its ability to turn on members of said nature.
How strange.

Mithras weaved down the sandy hillside, grinning as she approached the bottom. There stood Erythros and his "Dinner Sled", and if she didn't know better, she would say he ought to be smug about how this whole fiasco panned out. Either way, they would both be sleeping soundly tonight.
As if to prove the point, her legs decided that enough was enough; causing her to belly slide those last few tail lengths down. She didn't immediately rise upon reach the bottom either. The crisp now seemed very comfy...
"So, I don't know about you, but I'm ready to take a nice long *yawn* nap. Where is this camp they got going from here? Won't they be surprised!" The she-cat chuckled, then pausing. "You did great out there. I think it’s fair to say I lost that one through and through."

Ahh yes, back when Mithras didn't realise that you can't fight your way out of every problem. I'm glad she had matured since this; I don't think I could take her blasé views on violence for long. Haha either way, it was a blast RPing with you Apothocareon! Sorry you had to put up with her, but hopefully in any following RPs she ought to be better behaved XD.

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