Lightningpaw shrank back. Okay, so Stoneymentor was kinda scary sometimes. He knew what not "being around to talk about" meant. He wasn't mousebrained. Duh. And rocks were absolutely not the worst thing in the world. If anything, Stone- nope. Lightningpaw could be mean sometimes, but he wasn't giving up on Stonenettle! And Stonenettle wasn't the worst thing in the world!
"I do, actually! Isn't it awesome?" He stood up to show Stonementor that he could stand. "See-" He was interrupted, but he could talk again! "Okay!" He actually tried to crouch correctly that time. He didn't want anything to happen to the bestest bestest bestest bestest bestest bestest bestest bestest bestest bestest bestest cats in the world! His paws still slid a bit, though. @Slushie
He felt a brief flash of satisfaction when Lightningpaw shrank away from him, followed quickly by a second, stronger flash of guilt. He wasn't here to scare the kid, just train him and be done with it. But skies, it was so frustrating, and they were hardly halfway into their first session.
He had to clench his jaw to keep himself from spitting out a biting insult. "That's not what I- okay, you know what, never mind. Look at me. Look at my paws. I'm digging my claws into the ground to keep a grip. Try it."
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On hiatus from June 9th to June 17th. Do not bump me/send me messages, they will go unresponded to.
Lightningpaw looked at his paws. They sure looked like normal paws to him. Ordinary mentor paws. He didn't know why he had to look at them. Well, now he did. He was supposed to dig his claws into the ground? "Won't that hurt the dirt?" he asked, because he knew that claws hurt! And he didn't wanna hurt the dirt! The dirt had rocks! Lots of rocks! And he was grateful for the rocks in the dirt! Because rocks were awesome! Nettlementorstoneyface's name had rock in it! Well, sorta. Now his thoughts were just rambling and going nowhere. @Slushie
"Hurt the- why would it hurt the dirt?!" The regret from seconds earlier vanished in an instant, and he didn't bother to stop a frustrated 'GRRARGH' from escaping between his teeth. If this kid was going to act this dumb, maybe what he needed was a little knocking around.
"Dirt is inanimate," Stonenettle snapped. "You can't hurt it. You can kill prey and injure other cats, and the former is what we are supposed to be working on. Shut that mouth of yours. Don't make me tell you again." He allowed his smoldering glare to linger on Lightningpaw for a moment longer before turning to face the trees again.
"Try again. And for skies' sake, try to keep your damn balance this time."
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"It would hurt the dirt because-" And Lightningpaw was interrupted again! But not by words this time. By another sound. He didn't know what the sound was, but it came from Stoneymentor. It sounded like he was angry. Had he said something wrong? He was just concerned for the dirt.
"What? I can't hurt the dirt? But I can hurt birds and mouses and cats and stuff?" That didn't make sense! "Oh yeah! We're supposed to hunt! And I'm supposed to crouch. Oh, and I'm not supposed to be talking!" He was still in the same position, so he dug his claws into the ground, relieved when the dirt didn't scream in pain. @Slushie
Stonenettle was going to lift this kid up by the throat and just throttle him. Hurt the dirt. What was wrong with him? Stonenettle had been lifting a paw to give Lightningpaw a good cuff around the ears as a reminder to focus, but it seemed that wouldn’t be necessary. Lightningpaw seemed to have gotten it down.
“Finally. That wasn’t so difficult, now was it? Hold that position and see if you can sniff out any prey.”If he hasn’t already scared the whole forest off, that is.
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It was actually kinda difficult, but Stoneymentornettlewettle seemed angry enough, so he didn't say that. Instead, he said, "Okay!" Then he scented the air for prey like he'd seen other apprentices do when they were practicing. It looked so fun, and now he was doing it! But he didn't smell any prey, like mouses or birdsies or something. Just the trees and Stonenettle and a vole and- a vole? "I found a vole!" he mewed, but it wasn't very loud. He didn't want it to get away! He wanted to catch it! And now that he could do the hunting crouch, him and Flamepaw could catch 10 mice and show Flutterkit! That would be awesome. And they wouldn't just catch 10 mice, they would kill 10 mice too, unlike what Flutterkit did! Flutterkit only caught the mouse, but Tawnypaw killed it. Which would make Lightningpaw and Flamepaw better when they caught and killed 10 mice! And he didn't even know where this was going! @Slushie
Bluetooth crashed through the bushes beside Sunkissed Creek, spinning on his paws as he turned to face his brother. "I know we're not meant for runnin', but you're clumsier than a hungry badger for sky's sake!"
"What can I say?" Redclaw huffed as he joined his brother by the bank, almost instantly sinking down to his paws as he tried to regain his breath. They'd been running around the forest half the night - of course he was tired. "I'm built for throwing a punch, Blue-- not running away from a challenge."
Bluetooth chuckled, shaking his head as he looked up at the moonlit sky. "Is that what you told Yellowbite when you failed your hunting assessment? You're not made for chasin' down prey, you're made for sittin' on your tail and lettin' it come to you."
Redclaw's hackles raised, teeth bared back lightly. "It's not my fault that squirrel got away - some of them can fly, you know!"
"I'll believe that when I see fish fly!" Bluetooth bounced over to a nearby tree, beckoning Redclaw to join him. Begrudgingly, he did so. "Why don't you prove your squirrel-hunting finesse then, if it wasn't your fault?" Judging by the scent in the air, a squirrel had made its home in the tree above them.. and with it being night-time, there was a good chance of taking it by surprise. "Go on, then. I'll be down here so I don't scare it off."
Redclaw heaved a sigh and bunched his legs, preparing himself to leap up at the tree. His paws had just made it off the ground when a SNARL ripped through the air and Bluetooth yowled in alarm.
He didn't have time to react as a searing pain ripped through his side. Warm jaws had closed around him, tearing him from mid-jump only to throw him to the ground. He was stunned and wheezing, struggling to regain himself when teeth shredded into his side.
The last thing he remembered was the sticky heat of his blood coating his pelt, and the distant silhouette of two canines as they surrounded his brother.
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Bluetooth wasn't having a good time. With the coyote going for his brother, he had froze on the spot - in shock and uncertain of where to begin.
Even worse, another coyote had joined the fray - drool dripping from its muzzle as it snarled at him and lunged.
In his panic, he tried to flee - but teeth caught his tail and pain blasted through his body as he was dragged back, a screech torn from his own maw. He didn't want to die, he didn't want to die - he twisted back to swipe at the coyote's muzzle, anything to break the grip around him so he could get away. He wanted to go back to camp, he wanted Redclaw back, he wished they'd never left to begin with - StarClan, please let this just be a bad dream.
It wasn't. He could see his brother's mangled remains and a choked cry escaped him as the second coyote joined in, snapping down on his back. He was going to die. His brother was dead.
All for a stupid midnight excursion.
Bluetooth wasn't sure how he survived so long - struggling in their teeth, trying to wiggle out of being pinned, lashing at any chance he got. He knew he hurt at least one - he heard the yelp, but by the time it was over with, the coyotes left him in a pool of his own blood.
His vision was blurred, a combination of blood running through his eyes and pain, and he could hardly move. He had been severely maimed - pieces of skin torn entirely from his body, his bone and innards exposed. He wasn't going to make it... but he had to warn the Clan... it couldn't .. he couldn't let this happen to them too..
Through the snow, Bluetooth slowly dragged himself back in the direction of camp. Please, StarClan.. don't.. don't let him go until ThunderClan knew of the danger in the woods.
[ @Phoenix Fall ;; sorry to rush this! realizing we're on our last day aha ]
"Then go catch it," Stonenettle grunted. "Treat it like a mouse. Step quietly, take it slow, and only pounce when you're sure you can make it. Got it? Great. I'll be right back."
Without waiting for a response, he trotted off into the underbrush. Lightningpaw could handle himself, but Stonenettle had some prey to catch.
He stopped when he was a good distance away, eventually managing to scent a scrawny-looking mouse near a tree. He dropped into a crouch, crept forward a couple of pawsteps, and then sprang. He squashed the rodent beneath both front paws, killing it silently.
As he sat up again, the mouse hanging by its tail in his jaws, a sudden chill ran down his spine. He glanced over his shoulder at the undergrowth behind him, eyes narrowed, body still save for his rising hackles - and something huge began to crash through the bracken.
Panic spiking in his chest, Stonenettle turned and ran back to Lightningpaw. Regardless of whether or not the apprentice had managed to catch the vole, he paused only briefly to snap, "Time to go!" as he passed.
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Lightningpaw listened. "Okay! I'm gonna catch it!" But Stoneymentor was gone, just like that. Okay. So he was on his own. But that was fine! He'd catch that vole, it couldn't possibly be that hard! He just had to catch and kill it. Simple. Not a problem, not at all.
He started to creep forward, and everything was fine! His paws totally weren't crooked, and he totally didn't have a tail that was doing... something in excitement, and totally wasn't breathing heavily in anticipation. But the vole sill somehow knew he was there, and it ran! It was almost like it heard and saw him! Giving up on the stupid crouch, he took off after the vole. He didn't get far, though, because he nearly went face first into a bramble bush. It just appeared! Out of nowhere! A single thorn snagged at his face, and he let out a small yelp of pain as a tiny drop of blood formed below his eye. He was about to get Stonenettle, but he came just in time! But he seemed in a rush.
"Okay, why?" the gray and white tom asked as he ran after his mentor. But he didn't get an answer. So he tried to ignore the sting on his cheek as he raced back towards the camp. @Slushie
Re: Sunkissed Creek
