[Baobabel]

Username: Baobabel
Cat Name: Softspeak
Gender: female
Rank: tbd
Clan: [ur=https://toyhou.se/Baobabel/characters/folder:4897486]SecludedGlade[/url]
Age: 5yr
Prompt:
Softspeak awoke the subtle but acrid smell of skunk. "Ughh, Olivine, I told you couldn't sleep in come in here until that stink is gone", Soft groaned. "Hey, no one else can smell it anymore! And anyways, I just came in to wake you up. Don't you remember what today is?" he replied. Soft jumped up, careful to avoid getting too close to her friend. Easy to do when she could still smell the skunk. She stepped out of the den, feeling the temperature shift as her paw hit the packed dirt outside. "Of course I know what day it is. I bet you were hoping I'd forget so you wouldn't get your tail whipped!" she taunted as she felt him exit after her. "Wow, getting an early start on the trash talking!" he responded with a smile in his voice. They joined the other cats at the base of the meeting tree as the leader went over all the rules for the day's competition. She brushed against several bodies, identifying and greeting the others by scent. A hush fell as the leader spoke in their easy-carrying voice. It was the annual scavenger hunt and the competition was fierce! The hunt is always extremely challenging, both mentally and physically. It's a set of tasks and riddles and they have one day, sunrise to sunset, to complete the list and return with all targets/proof of each stage completion. Most cats don't fully complete the list before the day is up. Any able-bodied cat was allowed to compete. Any that don't feel confident to compete alone are allowed to pair up. The first year she was eligible, Soft was nearly denied permission to compete without a guide. But she fought and proved herself safe enough to do it solo.

Despite not being able to see, she could sense the anticipation growing. Shifting feet, quickening breath, the clan was getting ready. Then a everyone's breath held until the leader's sharp shout to begin. Soft felt the rush of bodies brush past her. "Meet you back here at sunset" yelled Olivine as he bolted off. She would reciceve no pity or help from her clanmates today, nor would she want it. She set off at a quick pace as her mind unscrambled the first hint. She was able to focus most of her attention on the riddle as, at least for now, she was following the familiar main path out of camp that circled the territory. She had spent many days go over the route again and again until she knew where every twist, turn, bump, and root lay. Not to mention, she could smell and hear some of the clan ahead of her. No matter, she had come in fourth last year and was determined to at least be in the top three today.

In the later afternoon, she sensed someone following her. The birds had gone quiet and every once in a while she her a footstep that wasn't hers. Looking around would do no good and the cat was smart enough to stay downwind so that Softspeak couldn't ID them. She must've been correct thinking she was ahead of most of the others. Someone thought they could follow the little blind cat undetected and learn where the next clue was. Soft gave a silent laugh and began a set of devious tricks. False trails, false excitement, then picked up speed right before the river. As the dry dirt turned damp and the forest odors strengthen with the increased humidity she knew she was almost there. Once she felt the moisture build on her whiskers she took a deep breath. Without hesitation, she jumped in. Quickly soaked and with her hearing damped by the sound of water, she replied on her sense of touch to navigate. She could feel the water tug and twist her fur in different directions and it swept her along. She had spent many hours in the stretch of the river with her friends practicing this dangerous skill. the river could take down a sighted cat that wasn't paying attention so doing it blind was extra dangerous. But that's what all the supervised practice was for. After many many hours she learned to feel the flow of the river. The push and pull of the current as it flowed against different obstacles. A slight return ripple meant a rock up ahead. The slightest down pull meant she could be at risk of an undercurrent. Her senses alive and tingling, she flowed with the water, dodging roots and rocks like a pro. Eventually, recognizing a certain rock pattern and change of current she sunk her paws into the mud and clawed ashore, knowing whoever had followed wouldn't lost her scent completely.

((ran out of time to write out the full day so I just did bits))

[razr]

Username: dimi.
Cat Name: Dawn
Gender: Female
Rank: Prophet
Clan: Heart of Decay
Age: 5 years
Prompt:

sorry for the wait on judging this !! but congrats <3
also awarding an HM to Baobabel !

[dimi.]

WEEEEEEEEE THANK YOU OMG

Grats on the hm baobabel!!

[dimi.]

Traded to WinglessSeraph!