Age and experience [p]

[Rani]

Crowtooth
Windclan Tunneler | He/him | 49 Moons
Power Card: Cold Gust

Right, time once again had healed all wounds (this time mink related) and that meant things were back in business! In this area it was back to the tunnels with the cat Crowtooth hoped would someday train more and generally be a friend (finally) in the dark.

Because all of Crowtooths current friends did not like it down there which was boring.


"Silverrose! Ya still up ta masterin' the deep? I got a free day an' wit' just the two o' us we can run right through thin's fast.

I think ya got a basic knowledge anyways actually? I swear 've seen ya on patrols or somethin', whatdya know so we don' have ta go over that again, no issue 'f not though."
This would be fun, really!



@Estelle

[Estelle]

She was surprised. He actually remembered, calling her name as if she was a mere underling under his guide. Well, she could forgive it this day – Crowtooth had always been of a better nature than most, it seemed, his friendliness more distrusting than anything. But, he remembered, and that earned a good point in the silver molly’s book. With a new name, as he had predicted, she had to remind herself, Silverrose approached Crowtooth with a pleasant expression and a polite dip of her head.
“Most certainly,”
She answered.
“I have walked within the tunnels several times before – it is nothing new, by this point. I cannot say I know them like the back of my paw as you do, but navigation will be the least of our struggles.”
She was, after all, able to track down a correct-enough for Dustbunny to find her within the tunnels, too. It said little, but her navigation wasn’t what was most off.


[ @Rani ]

[Rani]

Crowtooth
Windclan Tunneler/Fury | He/him | 51 Moons

Power Card: Cold Gust

Ok so some experience and she probably didn’t need to get the run down on the dangers to avoid… Plus Silverrose was smarter then most he tried to teach, so the tom just straight skipped that part with a “Alrighty then, lets hop right into it.”

He offered the last visible cocked grin before he turned tail and unearthed a tunnel entrance under a thatch of heather and ducked in, talking as he padded along, following his own scent marks as he did. “So yer good on navigation an’ movin’ about so what’s next is diggin’ out new tunnels. ‘ts pretty self explanatory for the most part, ya dig into a wall an’ stomp down the dirt ya unearth into the walls an’ floor which helps make em strong.

Only thing ta really note is soil types. If the ground is wet ya don’t dig at all, underground rivers will kill you an’ everyone down here wit’ ya. Sandy ground is risky unless ya bring sticks down ta use as like a brace, an’ even then….. frankly I just tend ta avoid it.
Leafbare is a pain as the ground both freezes near the surface (still diggable below) an’ rains become lethal as if one starts when yer down here an’ ya don’t notice. Water will both collapse tunnels an’ flood ‘em.”

When he’d been stuck down here devoid of memories the tom had come to fear the cold months and all that came with it. For creatures in the tunnels winter was a time of plenty as creatures came down to hibernate, but also one of danger.

“Im not gonna make ya practice digging’ yer not a kit an’ that’s basically all the base info you need buuuuuut…. Well, while Im not an expert Ive noticed each territory has its own type o’ ground? Riverclans got that sandy ground an’ Shadowclan is more rocky while thunderclans is rooty and got more clay, all got tunnels though. It aint a perfect guide but it helps if yer wanderin’ around….

Especially given the dangers tend ta change wit’ the area.”


@Estelle

[Estelle]

She couldn't help it - hints of a pleased smile graced her maw, relieved they were getting right to it. She wasted no time following the feline into the presumably hidden tunnel, noting Crowtooth's scent marks on the wall. His first statement rang true; with a lean and lithe built - and a rather classic WindClan height, thus, smaller than most other clan cats - Silverrose fit right inside the tunnels; even when they became narrow the now warrior had more or less grown accustomed to moving about within them.

Meaning their next area of training was... The actual tunnelling. Certainly, the one aspect of tunnelling the molly did not enjoy was how dirty it got her pristinely clean fur, groomed every morning and every night. But - and though she internally complained about it every time - she had long come to terms with this fact and readied herself for extra long grooming sessions after the fact. It was a small price to pay for something she did not mind doing one bit.

Nodding at his first words, to stomp down the earth one unearths, she listened on to the following instructions, silently committing to mind the different soil types. A slight shudder at the mention of underground rivers killing all - a fair warning. Avoid sandy soil, if possible, but if necessary one ought to bring strong sticks as support - she imaged RiverClan must have very sandy soil. Rain may both collapse tunnels and flood them (reminder of his first words) and hard soil - in leafbare - was a pain. Meaning you'd better hope for good weather and some strong paws to break through the hardened soil during the colder times.

Ah, it seemed her thoughts were proven right. With the lack of need to practice digging, something most warriors should frankly be able to do, came the clan's specific soil types - sandy for RiverClan (as expected), rocky for ShadowClan (which must be a pain), root-y and clay-like for ThunderClan (hmm?).

"Fair warnings indeed; I wonder, if it became necessary to dig through said sandy tunnels, what would be the most efficient way to place the sticks? And if I may - does a clay-like soil pose any specific issues? I imagine a rock-type of ground must be harder to dig through, albeit a little more stable through the rocks."


[ @Rani ]

[Rani]

Crowtooth
Windclan Tunneler/Fury | He/him | 51 Moons

Power Card: Cold Gust

It was kinda nice to be able to talk about the technical side of tunneling with someone and the smile was clear in Crowtooths voice, even if he scrambled to explain the habits that'd been second nature to him. "Uh, fer sticks I kinda use roots mostly? Ive not reflected on it 'cuz Im mainly just usin' what I find but come ta think about it theyre less prone ta crackin' then just branches an' are twisted in a way that makes it east ta press em inta the walls and pack 'em in which makes it more stable ta support the roof." Which was true even if Crowtooth had never really thought deeply on it, mainly relying on what felt 'right' and only altering that once something did go wrong. Funny that.


"Yer right rocks are the most stable but difficult an' ya learn fast ta always dig above an obstacle rather then risk it goin' clunk on yer head. As fer clay really its shockin'ly stable? Aint hard ta dig through an' I aint had a cave in but stars its impossible ta get off o' fur."
The times Crowtooth had encountered a clay patch it'd resulted in a matted patch that once died had refused to come off. The tunneler did not like river soaks thank you and that it was the only way to get the clay off was a massive pain.


"Ok so next on dangers is the predetors ya can encounter down here.
Ya can avoid coyote dens cuz theyre so large an' stink pretty bad an' they can' dig deep enough ta get you 'n the tunnels (too big). Means ya can escape them by just goin' deeper.

Foxes though..... Most places ya can fit they can so be wary. They also den shallow though so 'f yer deep don' worry about suddenly diggin' inta them. An' they also don' spend a ton of time down here and only go ta solo hunt, so show yer not worth 't an' they'll leave but avoid 'f possible."

Some of the advice was obvious but it was more of a lead up.
"So ya know about mink well enough on yer own, I aint even met one o' them until this mess started but now we know then well but they aint the real trouble. Nah its badgers that are the danger.


They live breed an' hunt down here an' are built fer this place. I encountered one once an' the damn thin' took a chunk o' my ear an' clawed my face. They're aggressive, will pursue ya even alone, an' are stronger then ya every time"
Crowtooth hated and respected those things and thanked starclan they were rare.


@Estelle

[Estelle]

Roots. She would have to remember that; the older warrior nodded along, taking in the tunneller’s information with (albeit well-hidden) glee. Becoming a tunneller. She had always wanted that, it was slowly becoming true. For once she felt giddy as an apprentice, a feeling she was deprived off even in her youngest moons.

She supposed it made sense to go over rocks rather than under; though the clay was a surprise. Something she would have to remember, however, one never knew the situation one found oneself in.

But moving; predators. Coyotes were found by scent and avoided by going deeper due to their massive size, though foxes posed an issue it seemed – though not often down in the tunnels and among shallow ground, it was one not easily lost. The mink they had indeed dealt with, unlike badgers – heard of them, never seen them. The predator whom spent its life down in the tunnels; avoid at all costs. They would have to be careful, then, Silverrose nodded in understanding.


[ @Rani ]

[Rani]

Crowtooth
Windclan Deputy | He/him | 51 Moons

Power Card: Cold Gust

Normally Crowtooth expected some follow up questions about the predators but in a rare change there was none. Thinking on it that was probably because Silverrose was actually a skilled and experienced warrior who knew what these critters were (for the most part) and didnt need extra info besides how they acted down in the tunnels.


Fair nuff, Crowtooth just moved on.
"As fer tunnel fightin'...... Dont wanna get inta that today unless ya got the energy still after we've gone over huntin' but Ill summarize.


Ya cant exactly move or dodge due ta bein' restricted fer space so bunch yer legs up under ya ta sway back as much as possible (its the only 'dodge' ya can do really) an' mostly just try an' hit faster first an' withstand. Punchy blows an' snaps but really dont count on it bein' any long drawn out thin'."
Tunnel battles tended to be brutal, short, and a burst of bloodshed until whoever thought this was worth it less fled with both sides rather beaten for their trouble. The point wasnt to win really. It was to make yourself not worth the trouble.


There was actually one method Crowtooth knew to devastate a foe down here however...... It was one he tended not to use for obvious reasons.


"Movin' on ta huntin'! Now I love huntin' down here, especially durin' the winter. Most prey shelters down here ta sleep fer the leafbare an' only rarely comes up ta forage which is why its so hard ta bring home anythin' in winter. I hunt less down here in newleaf as that same prey is havin' babies (good meal but aint smart long term) but still can always find somethin'.


As fer the somethin' ya can find? Rabbits an' hares of course, but also mice, voles, moles, gophers, ground chipmunks, groundhogs, prarie dogs, an' even these odd small snakes that bite but dont hurt really. Buuuuuuut huntin' 'em dont look like the huntin' ya know, any idea o' the major differences?"
This was partially a thought experiment, to see if Silverrose could follow Crowtooths old pawsteps and teach herself what she needed to do to succeed down here. He knew she could, Silverrose was smart after all.


@Estelle

[Estelle]

It sounded like tunnel fighting, despite – or rather because – of her lithe frame would be rather complicated. Silverrose thrived in battle because of the evasive manoeuvres for the obvious reason that she not among the bulky who could take hit after hit, and a slight grimce graced her features at the thought of how messy a tunnel fight might be. She wondered if, in battle, it were possible to collapse part of the tunnel upon your opponent, though… Well, she imagined it would pose quite the issue when one could no longer traverse the tunnel, or worse, if the tunnel collapsed upon yourself too.
“I would ask if one could collapse part of the tunnel on your opponent, but… I do believe it would cause more trouble than good.In any case, I should like to challenge you to a tunnel fight, someday, then. Or after our current lessons, if you still have the energy. I do think it is best practised prior to finding yourself facing one with an actual intent to kill, no?”

It was interesting to hear about the nesting habits of the animals down here; perhaps an unconscious part of her knew this, it was common knowledge some animals (such as rabbits) spent leafbare sleeping and that their homes were often found within the ground – or, well, known to be within the ground. Crowtooth was far more likely to find them, so Silverrose nodded along, taking the information to mind. And in a similar vein, hearing as much, it was an easy guess why one might not hunt as much in newleaf if those were the times these animals reproduced; it was a horrid thought but babies were hardly a meal compared to their adult counterparts, and if they killed all the young there would be no more adults to eat or set forth their lineage.

Huh, she’d never seen some of the animals he mentioned, and hardly herd their name. She pulled a funny expression thinking that ‘gophers’ was a particularly silly name, but set the thought aside to focus on his question.
“I know your movement is rather restricted; speed and scent must be of most importance, the critters down here must know these tunnels far better and… Well, you cannot see much. If at all. Your sight will be of little use. If I may guess, your crouch will be more compact, and leaping is hardly possible lest the tunnel be particularly large, another reason for the need of speed. You’ll have to outsmart your prey, won’t you? Chase them to a dead end if they’re specifically fast (although some rabbits are hares can have a mean kick, I would be careful in that regard), or match their speed and hold them down? I reckon, though, that hunting may differ per creature, as well.”
Silverrose felt a bit silly at the prospect of having this entirely wrong when Crowtooth seemed to have such good faith she could figure it out. Especially at her age, goodness, and this wasn’t the first time they were hunting in tunnels either, were they?


[ @Rani ]