[Tiabirb]

Starlingflight
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A rumbling purr resonated in response.

"A practical approach. Well done. Now, scenario two; The apprentice has noticed you. It's a young apprentice, but not young enough to be unaware of the border. However, it did not catch the squirrel, though the apprentice is holding its ground after having heard your warning. Which do you think is the reason; Pride, or fear?"

Now this one, she felt was a bit trickier. This question was to gauge one's ability to observe and understand. Sometimes mistakes did happen, sometimes mistakes had consequences. But treating every mistake with the same severity had consequences too. She had learned that the hard way.

The river was within sight, and Starlingflight felt the same familiar and dusty old mixed feelings that she always had when she saw the river. Pain and joy. Loss and comfort. A different time when it didn't mean something else to her.

Standing at the edge of the river, Starlingflight watched the water for a moment, "Listen close, Talonpaw," She warned, "Always be sure to check the water before you stick even a claw in. We sometimes share these waters with pikes, snakes, and turtles large enough to snap a cat's paw clean off. We check for bubbles; That means something is beneath the surface, releasing air. We watch for movement; A strange ripple pattern in the water could mean something is swimming in the area. Fish do not leave ripples like that."

She checked the ground, and she nudged a small stone toward him. "Toss that into the river once you are sure there's no visual signs. It's never a horrible idea to double check." She flicked her tail, though she kept her own scan of the river going, snagging a pebble of her own and tossing it into the water a fox-length down.

@Ian