Earning My Keep [Eaglepaw Training Thread]

[occultation]

( @Mica )

Watching Eaglepaw try to pick out specific scents in the area, Fadingsun had to wonder what it was like to grow up in a sheltered camp, where the scents of the surrounding land weren't constantly pummeling your senses. It was a life he hadn't known; it was hard to miss what he'd never had, but with this curiosity came a sort of bittersweetness.

As Eaglepaw picked out the scent of water vole, Fadingsun nodded. "Good job. The more you practice, the easier it'll be to pick out individual prey scents." Scenting the air himself, he picked up a mouse scent trail leading towards one of the springs.

Pointing with his tail toward the scent, he said, "Let's give hunting a try, shall we? It's one of the best skills to learn first; that way, if you're ever separated from the Clan, you can at least feed yourself. You can always run from enemies, but running from prey won't fill your belly."

He dropped down into a hunter's crouch to demonstrate. "Copy me. Remember to keep your tail low; if your tail is sticking up like a reed, you might be spotted. Always stay upwind, too, so the prey doesn't scent you."

[Mica]

Eaglepaw
RiverClan
she/her | 6 moons | 75/100
[Golden and white tuxedo tabby with green eyes]
Purrks: Dreamwalker, Herbal Knowledge T2
· · ────────────── · ·
[Fadingsun - @occultation ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Hunting! Eaglepaw wiggled her haunches excitedly, eyes gleaming in the early morning light. The apprentice quickly copied Fadingsun's move, big eyes trained on his tail and legs so she could copy it. She kept her tail low, though she found the feathery fur kept brushing the grasses. She focused on getting her tail right, trying way too hard to make everything perfect instead of doing what felt natural.

[occultation]

( @Mica )

Fadingsun studied Eaglepaw's hunting crouch carefully. She was doing a good job at copying him, but it seemed like there was a lot of tension in her form. "Relax a little," he quietly advised. "If you mess up the first few times, it's not a big deal. If you're this tense, it'll affect your ability to jump."

Parting his jaws to scent the air, Fadingsun checked to see if any prey were nearby. He caught the strong scent of mouse; eyes darting around, he saw the lower part of a fern trembling a couple of tail-lengths away. "There's a mouse over there," he whispered, gesturing with his muzzle. "Let's see you give it a shot. Creep towards it slowly and carefully, one step at a time, until you're close enough to reach it by leaping. Get into your hunter's crouch, and leap when you're ready. Don't wait too long, though; prey tend to not stay in the same spot for very long."

[Mica]

Eaglepaw
RiverClan
she/her | 6 moons | 96/100
[Golden and white tuxedo tabby with green eyes]
Purrks: Dreamwalker, Herbal Knowledge T2
· · ────────────── · ·
[Fadingsun - @occultation ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Mess up the first few times?? Eaglepaw felt her heart sieze at the very idea of taking several tries to get something right. Once, sure. Twice was acceptable. But more than three failures... She wouldn't allow it.

Relax? She could do that! She was very good at relaxing. Er, sort of. Eaglepaw seemed to try a little too hard at relaxing, drooping parts of her body before huffing in frustration and straightening. It was then Fadingsun pointed out the mouse, and Eaglepaw trained her emerald eyes on the quivering fern. Her first trial.

Eaglepaw took a deep breath, letting the scents of the territory wash over her, before dropping into a crouch that felt much more natural. Sticking out her front paw, she began the slow stalk of a hunter. It took her too long to reach the mouse, and by the time she was within pouncing distance of the ferns, they had gone still. Eaglepaw frowned, looking back at Fadingsun like "what do I do?" before suddenly the mouse shot out of the ferns towards the trees.

Eaglepaw yipped in surprise, scrambling in the dirt to rush after the creature. Her size made the distance negligable, and with a powerful yet sloppy swipe of her paw, she managaed to snap the spine of the mouse.

The rush of adrenaline faded as quickly as it came, and in its place rushed in shame and embarrassment. That had been awful!! She caught the mouse, but it hadn't been perfect. Hell, she had hardly used her crouch at all in the end. She had to run after the thing regardless. She stared hatefully at the mouse's dead body.

Shaking herself out of her funk, Eaglepaw opened her jaws to scent for more prey. Catching a few trails, she looked to Fadingsun. "I want to try again. I'll be better this time."

[occultation]

( @Mica )

Fadingsun watched quietly as Eaglepaw stalked the mouse, looking much more natural on her second attempt at a crouch. It wasn't perfect by any means, but he certainly didn't expect it to be. Perfection would come with age and practice.

Eaglepaw was too slow approaching the mouse, and the creature quickly darted back into the ferns. His apprentice gave up immediately after, making a rookie mistake. She looked back at Fadingsun as if expecting further direction. He opened his mouth to give her feedback, but before he could, the mouse shot out of the ferns.

This time, Eaglepaw was ready- sort of. Her first catch was rushed and messy, as many cats' were, but she did it! Pride beamed from Fadingsun as she succeeded in snapping the mouse's spine and ending its life.

Celebrating her accomplishment didn't seem to be on Eaglepaw's agenda, however. In fact, she seemed rather... upset about the whole thing. Wanting to try again, to get it right this time.

"Slow down," Fadingsun said gently. You just caught your first prey; be happy about that. Yeah, it wasn't a great catch, but that'll come with time. Tell me what you learned from that catch."

[Mica]

Eaglepaw
RiverClan
she/her | 6 moons
[Golden and white tuxedo tabby with green eyes]
Purrks: Dreamwalker, Herbal Knowledge T2
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The Star ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
· · ────────────── · ·
[Fadingsun - @occultation ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Eaglepaw huffed, but her face lightened a bit. Fadingsun wasn't disappointed in her. That counted for something. Now... what did she learn... "don't hesitate." She meowed after a moment, lilting voice confident. "I probably moved too slow, and when the mouse moved I panicked." Eaglepaw nodded to herself. "Next time I will be more decisive about it!"