Riverclan oh Riverclan, never change. Owltalon padded out of the warriors den, stretching herself with a long drawn out yawn. Alrighty, today was a day unlike many others but the same all at once. Owltalon had been given apprentices before, and she adored each and every one of them. Now, this one would be the most recent of her many.

As she approached the apprentice den, she crouched down and mewed, "Fawnpaw, ya up? It's time fer her trainin' bright n' early, eh?" She walked into the smaller den, her stomach to the ground. Once she reached her possibly snoozing apprentice, she bapped them on the nose with a large forepaw, a smile pulling her maw taught. "The early bird gets the worm, don't they chap?"

The deputy watched in amusement as her apprentice stirred in her mossbed, obviously not very happy to be woken up so early. She merely smiled toothily at the younger cat. If training wasn't to be done now, then it would never be done. While it would've maybe been better for her to have began training near the afternoon, so that some hint of warmth would blanket over them, Owltalon tended to be an early riser, so this was just what would have to happen.

"It's never too early ta learn the ways of those before ya, eh?" She pointed out, giving her thick and matted fur a small shake. She honestly had a good amount of room here, despite her bulky size, but she still kept her belly low to the ground.

Hm, well that was certainly a mood change if she'd ever seen one, but she was glad that Fawnpaw was on board for training. Even if she wasn't, that wouldn't stop Owltalon from dragging the smaller cat out into territory. "Al'ight then, lets make haste!" With a slow turn, she back out from the apprentice den and stretched out into the frosty clearing before making a bee-line to the exit. "Keep up. I know yer legs are a bit smaller then mine, but ya ought ta be quick on yer feet." She called from over her shoulder, a smile tightening her features.

Suddenly, large paws fluttered to a stop on rocky terrain. She breathed in the familiar scent of her home, before letting out a heavy exhale. "Ya see, this 'ere is Riverclan territory. Nice n' grand, eh? Here, I'll be teaching ya how ta hunt." She the looked to her apprentice, amber eyes meeting bright blue hues. She licked the top of her dry muzzle and paused.

"Whatcha waitin' fer?" Owltalon called out to the smaller cat, her eyes twinkling with a hint of teasing. "C'mon, come at me! Pretend i'mma big 'ol mouse!" The large cat crouched down to the floor, her tail twitching as she scurried on her paws. Yes, Owltalon was aware that she'd skipped a lot of basics, like hunting crouches and where to aim, but Owltalon wanted to see Fawnpaw's brain at work as well, see if she had some sort of hidden smarts behind her black fluff and evaluate the situation in an impressive way. Not guaranteed, but Owltalon always checked for untapped potential.

The deputy observed with wide amber eyes, the tips of her maw quirking upwards as pride twinged her expression. Fawnpaw, despite not knowing much about hunting, seemed to have a nice grasp on strategy. How she ducked under the wind, unaware that it carried her scent away from Owltalon (the mouse in this case), making her a bit harder to detect. She noticed that Fawnpaw used her surroundings as support, seeing how she ducked under low rocks to shield herself better. But, she did need to work on her stealth, no doubt. The rustle of rocks was enough to give anycat away.

And, her aiming and body strength also needed some work. She needed to figure out how to shift her weight to aim where she wanted to go. Overall, great strategy, but obvious room for improvement.

The hit to her flank was dull and ineffective, but Owltalon liked being theatrical. It made things more fun for her. So, while the blow was clumsy and barely put a dent in her matted fur, the she-cat pretend to stumble backwards, letting out a yowl of pain. "Yowch! Ya sure got me, sport." She lifted herself into a crouch and offered Fawnpaw a cheeky smile before she sat up into a tall sit.

"First of all, ya did pretty well for 'aving no prior trainin'." She regarded Fawnpaw with a level of pride, a low purr vibrating from her throat. While it was never unlikely to train talented cats, Owltalon always felt the need to point out their strengths and what they did right. If one were to only acknowledge what went wrong, how could they feel pleasure in the process of learning how to be a warrior? How to be anything? Words her father certainly could've used.... Who was he to tell her that she was as graceful on the water as a constipated jellyfish?

"Ya used the wind ta yer advantage, smart. Perhaps ya didn't know it, but ya effectively blew yer scent away from me. Mice have big 'ol ears and pointed snouts fer a reason, they rely on scent and hearin' most. So, it's good ta take those factors of identification away from 'em. It insures more success inna hunt, eh?" She then took a dry leaf, her shoulders tensing as she reached for the course and brown figure. What once was alive with green and fluidity, was now sick with the nip of leaf-fall.

The deputy unsheathed her long claws, spots of dark blood staining their yellowish tint, and raked at the dreary leaf, it's wilting form crumbling under her claws with a satisfying crunch. She looked back to her apprentice, raising her paw to allow Fawnpaw to see where her claws had punctured the leaf.

"Though, the mouse woulda 'eard ya by now, cause ya fumbled on them rocks o'er there," she gestured to the frosted stones with a flick of her plumy tail. "That mouse woulda been runnin' fer the hills, eh?"

She shook the leaf from her claws before sinking into a hunting crouch, her frame low against the frosted ground. "When huntin' it's important ta keep yer body as low as possible. Keep yer tail low, ya ears pinned. Know what it's like to be an apex predator among prey." Well, that is if the cougars and owls and hawks didn't exist, and they did, though Owltalon wouldn't mention that, not for now at least. "Shift all yer weight ta yer hackles," she flexed the muscles in her flank. "Ya'll spring with 'em. Ah, and don't forget ta smell. It's all fine and dandy ta use yer nose, but openin' up yer mouth and tastin' the air is much more affective, eh?"

Owltalon gave her apprentice a small smile. "Now, ya hunt." After Owltalon showed her what to do, it was time to test her listening skills. "Mice smell faintly of dirt n' have small brown er silver pelts. The noise they make is what mostly gives 'em away. I'll lead ya to one, but ya gotta try ta track it down wit' me. Ya ready?"

The bulky she-cat didn't wait for an answer, she was already getting up and leaving for the camp exit, her long tail trailing behind her. She lead her apprentice out to Riverclan territory, which was infested with fallen leaves as of late.

She looked back to the smaller cat with a keen eye. "Al'ight chap, follow me. And don't forget ta use yer nose, yer still supposed to be learning somethin' 'ere." Owltalon reminded as she perked up slightly, her ears pointed upwards and her nostrils flaring as she opened her maw to sniff the air.

Haha, bingo!

"Can ya small that, chap? Go on, head fer it." The mouse was located near some stray trees, it's rounded ears a slight giveaway. Hopefully, Fawnpaw would prove competent in her first hunt. Even if she didn't catch the mouse, finding it was all Owltalon really needed.

"Not bad!" the deputy smiled widely. "Ya got 'er tail, even if they scurried away from ya." she padded up to Fawnpaw lightly, a crunch sounding from her paws after every step. She looked to the general direction that the mouse ran off to. Given their speed, they'd be at the other side of the forest by now.

"Ya know somethin'? Them jokers are fast, real fast. Butcha oughta be faster, eh?" she gave the younger cat a tap on her shoulder with her tail. "Despite the leaves, ya were pretty good at keepin' still. But, when yer huntin' somethin', or killin' anythin' in general, ya gotta aim fer what's most vulnerable or quick ta stun er kill em." she unsheathed her claws once more and tapped blood stained talons to her head, claws catching on matted fur.

"Ta stun a rodent, aim fer their heads or their sides. It'll either kill em on impact or not the wind outta 'em. And what cha may not 'ave in speed ya can make up with in force." she paused for a moment. "Recalled that ya caught it's tail, eh? Break it. Or, break it's hind legs. Cain't move if it's bones er shattered. Now tell me, Fawnpaw, what did that mouse smell like?"

Owltalon found it easy to memorize prey by not only color and sound but also scent. It was probably the easiest way to detect a smaller animal since they're harder to see and too jumpy for their own good.

Owltalon took note of how her apprentice winced, saving the reaction into her mental library. Not all cats liked the heat of battle or the force that came with intentional harm. That was okay. Fawnpaw had her own strengths, Owltalon would just have to build on them.

The tabby gave a chuckle. "Wet rain, eh? Now tell me chap, what do I smell like?" she prompted. Likely like fish, maybe earth. Whatever clung to her matted pelt usually stayed their for a long time, so even the metallic undertone of blood was likely to be noticed.

"Fer sharp turns n' fast movements, use yer tail. It helps ya balance, just like any animal, which is why ya aim fer that when ya wanna slow anythin' down. Either that 'er give 'em a good smack." she gave a flick of her ear. "But, ya did pretty well chap. If ya can at least catch two pieces a prey, we can move onta battle." Maybe she was rushing things, perhaps, but battle and hunting went paw and paw, bouncing off one another in a twined art of killing.

The deputy nodded with a small smile. "Al'ight. C'mon, oughta go deeper inta territory. When ya hunt, ya should keep movin'," Owltalon began as she trotted on, stopping every step or so to shake leaves from her paws. "That way, ya shouldn't be able to scare off prey. Once yer presence is known, those critters run fer the hills I tell ya." she chuckled to herself, stopping at a large tree.

The deputy looked up and blinked her amber eye at it before turning her head to look at Fawnpaw. She sat at the base of the tree and looked on expectingly, her bulky body suddenly deathly still. If she wanted to observe and not disrupt, she had to be as unmovable as a rock. That wasn't to say she wouldn't snatch up any unfortunate prey that scrambled near her paws, but she'd be as still as needed.

The tabby watched curiously as Fawnpaw raced through multicoloured leaves. Her good eye narrowed, but it wasn't hard to keep track of her black pelt when it was surrounded by bursts of orange and dreary greens. Her two catches were impressive, and Owltalon was rather pleased with the quick progress. Of course, there was always more learning to do, but speed and agility wasn't something a cat could learn in one day.

As her apprentice approached with her kill, the deputy grinned, white teeth flashing as she pulled back her torn lips. "Ah, good catch chap." she purred softly, not really wanting to alert anything that might be sticking around in the undergrowth.

"As fer them birds," her eye glanced up to a tree not far from them, watching as colors spilled from leaves like a kaleidoscope in the shade. "The important thing is ta sneak up on 'em. Not only are they loud, but they're fast. At first, killin' a bird is gonna be messy. Lots a feathers, a startling amount a blood, but it'll be worth it."

Suddenly, the bulky tabby stood, shaking leaves off her hind legs and rear, however a few bits of debris clung to her pelt stubbornly. She made no attempt to groom it out, it didn't bother her all that much. "Got some advice though. For birds, aim fer the tail n' wings. If those are severed, they cain't fly away. Take that prey 'wit cha, eh?" her hulking frame suddenly weaved past Fawnpaw, lifting her nose to the air. The deputy didn't say anything, just pushed through a sea of crunchy leaves.

"If ya wanna know where we're goin', ya can always smell." there was always something distinct and sharp about bodies of water, like the feeling anycat would get once rain was about to hit. As the deputy walked, the trees became fewer and fewer as the air, while still crisp, held a faint moisture. Then the crash of water against the bank became audible fox lengths before she even reached the river.

The deputy sat down at the bank, one eye glaring at the waters. She looked over her shoulder, hoping Fawnpaw caught up. "Hope ya like water, we're swimming." Owltalon had assessed it on her walk here. She knew if Fawnpaw fell in, Owltalon would have no complications getting her back to the bank, but she wanted her apprentice to be confident in her ability to swim before they hunted any fish.

"Paws in the water, c'mon." Owltalon instructed, her voice carrying a level of discomfort. Owltalon didn't exactly like swimming. She could do it, but it often made her feel tremendously heavy afterwards. She placed her own paws at the edge of the bank, allowing water to rush past matted fur. A few fishes paused to observe, small silver minnows, but for the most part, they completely ignored her presence, like she was just another big rock. "Slowly inch yerself inta the water, ya don't get nothin' rushin'."

After she spoke, Owltalon slipped into the river, pumping her paws rhythmically to keep herself upright. She could feel her tail grace the rocky bottom, expected given how shallow the water was here. She had no intention of going farther down stream until Fawnpaw could keep her eyes open beneath waves.

"Once ya get in, I'll grab ya by the scruff. Ya ain't gonna drown. Make sure ya keep yerself moving, but don't exhaust yerself. Ya don't need ta flair around ta keep yerself swimmin', but move yer paws accordingly." What a wonderful explanation... Well, hopefully it made sense when she actually got in.