Capture >> Choose Your Story

Chapter 5

Last time, you chose option One >> "Can you teach me how to hunt?"

Flower made up her mind quickly. Looking outside, she saw the vast, clear lake, reflecting the blue sky above. Even further than the shore of the lake lay a small, grassy clearing, the long stalks swaying in the wind. Soon, the clearing met the lush forest, filled with tall, bushy, swaying trees, covered in green leaves. She looked behind the forest at the sharp mountain peaks, protruding from the horizon. Just beyond that array of mountains was Flower's home — her old one. It seemed she was stuck here now.

But it didn't have to be that way. Even if Flame now took Flower out to hunt past the lake and in the forest, she could stray off, lose Flame, and make her break over the mountains, and be back home at SmokeClan within a few days. She knew how to hunt and shelter alone, and it was Greenleaf. How hard could it be?

But the chances were already low that Flame would even take her out of the cave. Would he even be allowed if he trusted her enough?

But Flower decided that she absolutely had to try. She hadn't been with the Tribe long, but she could already guess the Tribe planned on having Flower stay. If Flame did take her out in the forest, it was likely he'd keep a close eye on her, but she had a better build for running, and she was sure that she could easily outrun him if she had to. She was healthy and strong — she realized this and was suddenly thankful that at least the Tribe hadn't been refusing to feed her and give her half-decent sleeping conditions.

"Can you teach me how to hunt?" Flower asked Flame as eagerly as she could without giving anything away. "Surely you hunt differently than where I'm from..." She smiled a bit, and widened her amber eyes hopefully. "If I'm staying, I'll need to hunt for myself, won't I?"

Flame looked thoughtful for a moment. "Sure," he said simply. Flower blinked a bit in surprise. She hadn't expected Flame to agree!

Flame smiled a bit, and turned, flicking his tail tip for Flower to follow him as he padded out of the den and into the larger cave. Flower hesitated for a second, smiled, and bounced up beside Flame's side.

Flower started to turn towards the large cave entrance, but Flame swished his tail in front of her to block her path, and almost tripped her over. "I thought you wanted to hunt, not learn to swim?" He chuckled.

"O-of course I want to hunt," Flower stammered. Where else could they go to hunt prey? Quickly thinking, she also added, "Well, would you teach me how to swim if I asked?"

"Maybe, if we can trust you won't use it to escape," Flame told Flower, continuing towards the back of the cave. "We have a special place to hunt. Not a lot of cats like to get their fur wet just to get some prey, so we have another special tunnel leading to our other hunting spot," Flame explained.

There goes my hopes for leaving, Flower thought disappointedly. But Flame said if I earn the Tribe's trust he might teach me how to swim. I'll just have to work hard, I guess, and plan my escape well enough so I don't get caught.

The pair soon reached a small, gravelly tunnel at the back of the cave, and Flame went in first. After Flame's tail had disappeared completely in a small tunnel as Flame wiggled through, Flower followed, having a somewhat easier time making her way through the tunnel due to her lithe build.

When the two emerged from the thin tunnel, Flower's eyes were squinted and she shook the dirt from her pelt. When she opened her eyes, she saw a large clearing, open to the blue sky above. Flame was making his way to the edge of the clearing. Flower bounded forward to where Flame had sat down. She almost raced past him, but Flame quickly stuck his tail in front of her, again blocking her path. Flower looked down to where her paws had slipped a tiny bit down the deep, rocky cliff leading many tree-lengths down into a thick, dark forest that surely would've been the site of Flower's death had Flame not held her back. She watched as the pebbles her slipping paws had sent pummeling down the cliff side fell further and further down, the pattering noise they were emitting fading from earshot.

Flower cautiously stepped back, her eyes wide and unmoving from focusing on the drop.

"That's a long way down," Flower nervously said, trying to chuckle the tiniest bit to lighten the situation.

"Yep," Flame said gravely. He looked stern as he sat at the edge of the cliff, his eyes suddenly dull and upset. He didn't say anything more.

"Is... something wrong, Flame?" Flower slowly asked, not wanting to anger Flame. She braced herself in case Flame did snap at her.

Flame sighed. "Yes. My last living sibling. Leaf... Burnt Leaf Falling from Tree," he murmured, his gaze unmoving. "We came here one night alone when we were to-be's... we hadn't been here before, and she ran too far ahead, and then..."

Flame paused for a moment before he continued.

"...I think you got the idea."

"Oh, Flame, I'm so sorry..." Flower sympathetically mewed. She opened her jaws to say more, but she just didn't know what to say.

"Thanks," Flame spoke, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Er, sorry to bring you down like this, we should get to hunting." With that, Flame turned away from the cliff edge and looked at the large field of grass instead.

Flower proceeded to crouch down into a hunting position, and looked through the strands of grass in hopes of finding prey. She sniffed the air a bit, but picked up no scent. She rose to her front paws and told Flame, "There's no prey here."

"Yeah, there usually isn't. But sometimes, there's a bird or two hanging out there," Flame simply told Flower, flicking his tail towards the stone wall surrounding the tunnel the two had used. Flower averted her attention towards it, and saw a few branches protruding from the rock. She realized an eagle or hawk could easily perch there, in hopes of catching the cats who came here as their prey. "When a bird does decide to land here, we're sometimes lucky enough to catch it. It can feed half the Tribe, then. I was hoping to find a bird today, with you, but I guess we'll have to come back another time.

"Want to try hunting somewhere else? I might be able to take you across the lake. But you must be pretty tired, you've had a long day, and do you even know how to swim? We could wait until another day, and you could rest now. It's getting kind of late."

Flower realized her opportunity. Flame was offering to take her across the lake to hunt! Flower didn't have very much experience swimming, but if Flame knew she needed work with her swimming, he might not teach her today, or he might even wait until Leafbare when the lake froze to take her across. Leafbare wouldn't be a good time to make a run from the Tribe.

Or Flower could just rest now, and let her energy replenish for the next day. Flame might take her out then.

"If you want, I'll take you out to hunt, Flower. ...But first, we would have to ask the Tribe leader, Mistteller, if we even can... Do you want to try?" Flame inquired.

Flower needed to make another choice. Should she...

One >> Be honest with Flame and tell him, "I'm not able to swim that well, and I think I'll need a few lessons."

Two >> Stretch the truth and say, "I'd love to go across the lake! Of course I can swim."

Three >> Yawn and say, "I think I should get some rest."