Algaetail's Assessment [P]

[kittycatburmise]

Irisfrost

After the meeting had concluded, Irisfrost found Algaetail in the crowd and led him out of camp. She headed down the mountain path, trees appearing and grass patches spreading as they went on. She observed it with mild curiosity; she hadn't been in this part of the territory before. After a little while, Irisfrost stopped. The land here was suitable.

She turned to Algaetail. "As you know, I will be assessing your skills in hunting and battle. First will be hunting. The land gets rockier further up, but we're still learning how best to hunt there, and this place resembles our old territory slightly more. We have an idea of how much a warrior of average skill should catch here."

"I will watch you hunt; pretend I'm not there. When I've seen enough I will stop you. You may start."

@Hollyheart of thunder

[Hollyheart of thunder]

Algaetail

Algaetail immediately saw prey. He crouched down into his hunters crouch, and pounced on the vole. He almost missed it, but it was still a catch. He dug a hole and put the vole in, then scraped dirt over it. As he hunted, he began to wander, catching prey when he saw it. He had mostly caught voles, and a fish or two. As he passed what is now known as Haven Springs, he sat down next to a small patch of catmint. Oh Lotus he thoughtWhere are you?
He knew she wasn't there anymore, but when he was here, he felt like she was there with him.
Don't worry, Algaetail he thought he heard.I'm still watching you. We're happy here. No more pain. River and Mint are safe. he smiled as the voice said the names of his kits. I should have saved them he then thought bitterly. If I had swam faster, if I was stronger... His thoughts trailed off as he remembered that irisfrost was watching him.

[kittycatburmise]

Irisfrost

As Algaetail started hunting, Irisfrost followed him, keeping close enough to observe his technique but far away enough not to intervene. The tom would be able to see her if he looked hard enough- she wasn't a ShadowClan cat after all- but Irisfrost thought she was doing a decent job. Most of Algaetail's catches were voles, but he caught a fish or two as well. Good, it'd be one less thing for him to have to learn.

Eventually Algaetail sat down, and Irisfrost watched him for a moment. He appeared to be distracted, thinking about StarClan knew what. It didn't seem like he was going to continue hunting, so Irisfrost walked out from behind a scraggly bush to meet him. "Well done, you've completed the hunting section of your assessment." One skill down, one to go.

"Now we will spar." She had intentionally not brought him to a clearer part of the territory; they weren't always going to fight in places as flat and uniform as camp. It would be good practice for her, too. "Claws sheathed. You make the first move. Don't go easy on me, I won't go easy on you." With that, Irisfrost dropped into a battle stance, eyes narrowing at Algaetail. When he attacked, she would be ready.

@Hollyheart of thunder

[Hollyheart of thunder]

"Can we move elsewhere?" He asked. He hoped that he wouldn't have to explain why. Not that he didn't trust irisfrost.

@kittycatburmise

[kittycatburmise]

Irisfrost

Algaetail didn't attack her, instead asking to spar somewhere else. Irisfrost straightened, brows furrowed in confusion. "Why?" she asked. A 'no' was already on the tip of her tongue, but she would hear the tom out. If he had a valid reason for wanting to move, she would change her mind.

@Hollyheart of thunder

[Hollyheart of thunder]

He sighed. "Before I joined Riverclan, I had a mate. Her name was Lotus. She was carrying our kits. It was raining. Hard. And our den was on the river bank. Right there." He pointed with his tail to what looked like it might have once been a den. "It was too early. A whole moon early. I was outside, guarding the den. In the distance, I saw a wave. It started small, but the closer it was, the bigger it got. I called to Lotus. She said to get the kits to higher ground. I said I wasn't going to leave her. I should have listened. I hoped that the water would die down. I thought it would be ok." Tears started to stream down the tom's face. "But it wasn't. There used to be a tree that had fallen across the river. When the wave came, it brought the tree with it. The water and the tree crashed through the den. The water instantly killed Mint. She was my little she-kit. She had Lotus' eyes and my pelt. I grabbed River, our tom kit, and helped Lotus up. She said to run. I didn't. The tree crashed into us. Lotus grabbed Mint's body, and climbed on the tree. I followed. The water dragged the tree back out. But Lotus wasn't done. As soon as she was on the tree, she said that there was one more. I was puzzled. One more what? I now know. A second wave came. Right before it came down, she whispered 'kit' then it took her away. It swept me off as well. I swam to the bank, still holding River. A rock was in the river. A large rock. It hit my head. We sank. River drowned. My unconscious body held on to him. The river dragged us to shore. I lay there, unconscious, for days. When I woke, I wondered where I was and where Lotus and the kits were. Then I saw River, and I remembered. I didn't eat for days. Finally, a voice that sounded like Lotus, spoke to me. It said 'Algae, eat. Go live. I looked around, confused. 'Lotus?' I had said. I did as the voice said. I picked up River, and came here. I dug a hole, and laid him in it. I went back and grabbed Mint. I placed her next to her brother. Finally I dragged Lotus and our unborn kit back. I put her next to the kits. I put the dirt back. I sat there. I hunted, but always came back. Over time, the catmint grew. I was hunting when I found Riverclan. " he finished.
@kittycatburmise


Tbh, I was crying while I wrote part of this.
Sorry this is long.