[Rani]

Crowtooth
Windclan Tunneler/Fury | He/him | 51 Moons

Power Card: Cold Gust

Was Hawkfur panicking? Yes. Did Crowtooth notice at all? No, the dense tunnel obsessed idiot did not he was too busy chattering away about his favorite thing.


Rabbitpaws questions earned a grin and a quick "Good deducing there kid! Those are just the kinda connections ta make that'll help ya learn fast!" before he reflected on the questions further for a proper answer.

"Honestly? Not really. Rain an' snowmelt might be enough ta make thin's unstable but frost aint enough water ta do the same. It mainly just makes tunnelin' in early mornin' a pain an' delays the day a mite, nothin' big." A later start was not a problem for Crowtooth given what a lazy butt he could be when he wasnt working himself to death, ever prone to sleeping in.


"Ya are correct kiddo! Ya can learn ta predict if a tunnel is 'bad' so lemme go over that. If a tunnel is unstable then ya'll feel it goin' in, debris will fall like dirt raining down, the ground will feel squishy an' non compacted an' tappin' the wall will result in a mini landslide. A good tunnel is a firm one.


But once thin's really go bad it'll feel.... vibrate(?) no better word really. Ground shift beneath yer paws, yer whiskers feel thin's movin' when ya aint touched nothin' an' ya'll hear crackin' or rumblin' dependin' on the soil type.


I'll explain more on that once were down, fer now follow the noises I make an' take yer time learnin' ta feel yer way around! Once yer feelin' confident Ill go over the diggin' side."


With one final grin in the sun Crowtooth ducked into the tunnel, padding slowly with loud paws so the two could follow him and calling out which one he took when he passed side tunnels. There'd be some bumping and banging behind him for sure as the two toms figured things out, but he expected things to eventually calm as footing was found with trial and error.




Still the tom waited for quiet to move on to another section.




"Alright so while a lotta tunnels are already made by rabbits, other creatures, or nature itself part o' tunnelin' is diggin' the tunnels yerself.



The diggin' itself is easy. Ya find a spot where the ground is firm (so not crumbly) but soft enough ta dig an' driver yer paws in. Use yer claws an' make scoopin' motions before packin' the dirt in ta the walls an' dirt around ya, this helps strengthen the passage ya dig.



However, soil matters.
On the moors we mainly got dirt. Its good fer diggin' an' rarely needs support but there are patches o' other types (more common on other territories) that ya need ta mind.


Clay is mostly in thunderclan, it supports its weight well but doesnt compact fer some reason? Also downright impossible ta get outta fur once dried I hate it.
Rocks are stable too an' usually near the pines but ya wanna tunnel above them 'cuz if they do fall yer deader then normal.
Riverclan has tons o' sandy ground an' it falls if ya sneeze wrong around it I swear. Dont trust paths through sandy spots unless ya supported the roof an' walls wit' sticks an' I dont recommend tunneling there."


Honestly this was making it seem a lot more dangerous then it was (at least to a tom who spent all his time down there) but it was good for the two to learn the safety stuff lest they learn it by experience.


@Dolomedes @Mica