An Icy Walk -- Brackenfeather; Windchill -- OPEN

It didn't take much longer for the two warriors to reach Pebble Lake. Stepping out of the trees, Windchill opened her mouth and breathed in the familiar scents of the area, letting them flow across her tongue and letting out a happy sigh when she smelled nothing out of the ordinary. It was just as it should be in her favourite hunting grounds, and the grey she-cat's yellow gaze was already bright and determined. She was ready to show Brackenfeather just how good a hunter she was.

"Follow me," She said, flicking her tail and bounding across the snow, reaching the edge of the water quickly. In the shallow areas, the frozen water was thin, and it was dangerous to pad out onto the ice without knowing where to go. Luckily, Windchill knew the Lake like a Queen knew her kits; she trotted forward to where a log lay across the bank, reaching out onto the ice and providing a safe bridge for any cat to cross. "Watch your step here," She warned, leaping nimbly up onto the fallen tree before turning back to Brackenfeather. "The branches can get slippery. We wouldn't want you falling it, right?" She flashed her pointy teeth at him, smirking. "Otherwise I'd have to jump in after you." Now that was a thought Windchill did not welcome. Fish she liked. Water she did not.

Stepping up carefully onto the trunk, Windchill made her way across the log to where the ice was thick enough to stand on. She landed on the ice with no problem at all, her sharp claws already holding her steady on the slippery surface. In front of her lay the rest of Pebble Lake, and dotted all across it were small fishing holes which she'd kept up through most of Leaf-bare. It was hard work, but the reward was definitely worth it.

Windchill turned her back on them however, in order to keep an eye on Brackenfeather. He was a competent warrior, older than her even, but he wasn't as familiar with these methods as she was. So while she knew he could handle himself, she watched him all the same, ready to jump in and help if needed.

Windchill let out a laugh as the tabby warrior slowly (but safely) made his way across the bridge. "Yes, let's do that." She called, "I think we'd both prefer to stay dry!"

She stepped to the side as he made to jump off the log, eyes widening when his paws hit the slippery surface of the frozen lake, and flew out from underneath him. It was too late to do anything to help him and Windchill winced sympathetically as Brackenfeather fell. He was splayed out beside her, legs all over the place and chin flat on the ice. "Oh, ouch," she mewed, crouching down. "Are you OK? I probably should have warned you about that jump."

"You know, I totally meant to do that..."

Windchill pressed her side against Brackfeather's, letting him lean on her slightly as he found his footing. When he'd righted himself, Windchill backed up, rolling her eyes at his comment and smirking. "I'll take your word for it," she replied, a hint of sarcasm in her tone. "So, shall we get to fishing then?" Without waiting for his reply, Windchill twisted around and padded over to the closest fishing hole, crouching on the edge of the ice and dabbing at the water with her paw. She then turned to look at Brackenfeather, smiling. "Fishing is all about patience. You've got to wait for the fish to come to you." She leaned back. "Wanna give it a shot?"

Windchill was still as a stone, leaning away from the water so that Brackenfeather could have a go at fishing. She watched the tom crouch by the hole, adjusting his position slightly when his form casted a shadow on the surface of the frozen lake. He's got that part right, she thought with a smile, now intent on his movements, and that of the water.

A flash of silver caught her eye, and Windchill watched as a fish neared the surface, almost close enough to snag. But as she'd suggested, Brackenfeather stayed completely still until it was almost underneath him. Then, without warning, the tom's paw shot out from under him, swiping through the water but coming up empty. Windchill saw his error immediately, and straightened a bit to regard her companion sympathetically.

"What did I do wrong?

"I wouldn't say you did anything wrong," she meowed kindly, surprising herself. "Just that your aim was a bit off. See, the water plays tricks on your eyes. Lemme show you." Windchill leaned over the edge of the fishing hole and dipped a paw in, demonstrating what she was talking about. "See? Look at my paw." She waved it slightly so he would watch. "When I take it out of the water, it looks normal, but when it's in the water, my paw looks like it's been cut and moved to the side." Windchill placed her paw back in the water, continuing. "So, when you're fishing, you have to aim just to the side of the fish. It may seem like your paw will come up empty but really, that's the best spot to make sure you hook one." Windchill finished her little lesson and then crouched low, eyeing the water. "Here, let me see if i can't show you..."

The light grey she-cat froze up, barely breathing as she gazed at the water. A few minutes went by, and then a flash of silver. The fish from earlier had returned to the surface, looking for particles of food that might've landed in the hole. Windchill didn't react at all, staying completely still and letting the fish come closer. Then suddenly, her paw was in the water, snagging the fish on her claws. She hauled the flopping animal out onto the ice and lowered her head to bite it's spine, ceasing it's struggles. Then, she picked it up in her mouth and placed it at Brackenfeather's paws. "See?" She said, grinning. "Now you try."

Windchill took a step back, giving her tabby companion some room to move about. She was surprised to find herself wanting him to do well. Normally, this sort of thing would have sparked the competitive flame within her, but this time around, that was not the case. She genuinely wanted Brackenfeather to succeed, and she watched eagerly as the tom once again took the spot at the edge of the fishing hole, his bright green eyes intent and focused on the task at hand. Windchill's yellow gaze followed his subtle movements down to his large paws and then to the surface of the water, which was rippling slightly.

Another fish had ventured close to the hole, and it seemed as though Brackenfeather was absolutely determined to catch this one. He was as still as a stone, and was waiting longer than even she might've dared to. She was about to signal him somehow when suddenly, he was dragging the slippery animal out of the water and onto the ice. It was flopping and wriggling about quite a bit, and Windchill couldn't stop the laughter that bubbled up out of her chest as Bracknfeather ran after the slick creature.

Eventually, Brackenfeather was able to get a hold of the fish long enough to bite down and kill it. He trotted back over to her with the prey clamped between his jaws, looking quite pleased with himself. Windchill laughed again, and when he put the fish down at her paws, she couldn't help the amused purr from rumbling out.

"Easy,"

Windchill nodded enthusiastically at Brackenfeather's suggestion. Sparring (and battling in general) was definitely something she excelled at. Her large stature and broad shoulders didn't allow much room for improvement as far as hunting was concerned.

Fishing was about the only type of stalking she was proficient at, and it was the only reason her assessment as an apprentice had been successful. But battle tactics, fighting moves, offense, defence; THEY were her strong suit, no question. But Windchill knew that Brackenfeather was a strong warrior, well known for his unique tactics and strength in RaggedClan. She'd never sparred with the tabby tom before, and she was excited to see if what her Clanmates had said about him was true, and whther or not he had some moves to share.

"But...maybe not out here on the ice. Wouldn't want us falling in, now would we?"

Windchill smirked. "I already told you, I don't wanna have to jump in there after you." Her tone was light, clearly not condescending. And when Brackenfeather suggested a spot to practice, Windchill was quite agreeable. "Sounds good to me. Let's go!"

With that, Windchill lowered her head to pick up one of the fish, gripping it between her teeth before straightening, and padding past Brackenfeather and back over to the fallen log. She leapt up onto the slippery bark, gripping it carefully before padding across, reaching the other side quickly and landing on the snow covered shore.

Windchill padded along the water's edge, keeping her pace slow so that Brackenfeather could catch up. While she waited for the brown tom, Windchill let her gaze wander towards the grove of Aspens where she and her companion would be sparring. It was a good area, open, but with enough trees around to use as cover, or perhaps spots to jump from. Windchill's mind was racing, thinking of strategies she could use and moves that would help her against Brackenfeather.