Trade secrets [p]

[Rani]

Crowtooth
Windclan Tunneler/Fury | He/him | 50 Moons

Power Card: Cold Gust

Dear starclan Rabbitpaw was going to be a warrior soon. Like Crowtooth knew it was going to happen eventually but how fast it had gone was almost startling. Rabbitpaw had raced through battle training then a battle and had nailed hunting with skill few managed. That was saying nothing on his tunneling skills either and, even though the tom didnt really need it at this point, Crowtooth felt now was the time to offer one last optional training session as like a capstone to the apprenticeship.


"Rabbitpaw? Ya up fer a short session today? I wanted ta give ya a chance ta practice the tunnelin' skills ya wanted an' ta polish up anythin' ya still want clarified before yer (eventual) assessment.
Plus theres.... One special skill I aint passed down ta no one I think ya'd be good at."


It was a brutal skill though so it remained to be seen if the apprentice really liked it.


@Dolomedes

[Dolomedes]

Rabbitpaw
He/him | WC Apprentice Tunneler | Moons: 9 | Purrks: Dreamwalker | Part Manx cat

Rabbitpaw looked up from his paws as his mentor approached him in the clearing. The apprentice had been looking over his wounds from the attack and before and while he was no medicine cat he was getting better. His paws were completely healed over with some callous and his ear seemed to have mostly scabbed over and started to heal skin of his tears. His nose was set and his legs were still a bit sore but nothing like it was after his adrenaline crash under Miss Lightningstorm’s care. Oh training! Of course! Especially tunneling! The apprentice got to his paws and shook out his fur. “Of course, Crowtooth, do you even have to ask? The apprentice teased.

Though he didn’t think he was that close to an assessment. Surely he wasn’t. Cats get their warrior name around 12 moons right? He was 9 moons. Maybe Crowtooth wasn’t kidding when he said that Rabbitpaw was speeding through his apprenticeship. Oops. Well the older tom didn’t seem to actually be that upset with him so that was good at least. Anyways, tunneling. “Well there’s all sorts I want to learn still and practice, you can never have too much practice, can you? Well anyways isn’t there fighting moves for underground stuff? I haven’t been taught that? Also like general upkeep for the tunnels and building more tunnels. Do you do that? Make new tunnels?” The apprentice rambled through his thoughts as he turned to his mentor. Maybe that was a lot for one outing but Rabbitpaw would mind staying in the tunnels all day if he could. He liked it down there as much as he liked running on the moor! Different loves but love all the same!

Green eyes blinked at Crowtooth’s final words. A special skill passed to no one? He thinks Rabbitpaw is special enough to learn it? That he’d be good at it?! The blonde smiled wide and wagged his tail as he barely contained hopping around in delight at this new information. “I would be honored to be taught this special skill! Thank you Crowtooth!” Really. Thank you. Rabbitpaw doesn’t say that enough.

[ @Rani - Crowtooth ]


Rabbitpaw gif made by ramen!

[Rani]

Crowtooth
Windclan Tunneler/Fury | He/him | 50 Moons

Power Card: Cold Gust

Drat he'd never taught Rabbitpaw underground fighting? He knew he'd forgotten something. "Right well that all sounds doable today! I got just the area ya can work on makin' yer first tunnel, it'll also serve as a spot test o' some o' the stuff Ive taught ya, then we can do a spar in there before the final trick so build it well little one~" Not that Rabbitpaw was really little anymore. Little compared to Crowtooth at least, though most were, but larger then he used to be. Still young though.


"Come on, Ill give ya a ramble about tunnel fightin' while we walk. As wit' most thin's lack o' sight an' space is the main difference, aint no dodgin' down there or seein' where yer blows gonna land. So really tunnel fightin' aint much o' a fight an' more of a test ta see who can hit harder faster before the damage becomes not worth it fer the other. Ambushin' from the tunnels is another matter but internal tunnel fightin' aint much."


Crowtooth had really only got into one fight in the tunnels with a fox he'd run across while memoriless and alone and it was.... interesting in hindsight and he was glad he didnt get into it with the badger he stumbled into and proceeded to spend an unknown amount of time playing cat and mouse with. He just ran instead, a smart play.


Guiding Rabbitpaw through the dark tunnels, both toms moving with an ease that belayed their tunneler status and eventually Crowtooth stopped in a section he'd noted as..... Odd in his travels. The ground here was mostly the nice soil that allowed for windclans clean tunnels but somehow there were odd little pockets of thunderclans more clay-y soil, riverclans sandy earth, and shadowclans rocky ground. There were pros to these, as Crowtooth had already talked about using mud or clay to strengthen walls when it dried or the rock and roots often found in these pockets to brace but unless Rabbitpaw recalled his lessons keenly they were simply obstacles to worry about.


This was a test and a lesson, as he'd said and Crowtooth would educate as the apprentice worked, giving tips on what he might wish to do with them.


"Alrighty, yer workin' on this wall an' choice is yers on if yer makin' a den or a passage but as ya work I want ya to think on somethin'. Most every tunnel, natural or not has what I like ta call a 'stress point'. Some are more strong then others but there tends ta be a root, or a stick, or a rock or just a very central wall that when hit can brin' the section down. As ya dig bear in mind where ya might be creatin' one an' try an' keep it strong.


Signs may be a section that takes extra effort ta stop from bein' crumbly or is a different unstable type o' soil but dont have ta be. Can be other stuff though so yer gonna learn an notice by experience.



Get ta work kiddo!"
While Crowtooth did the best part of being a mentor, getting to sit on his ass and 'supervise'.



@Dolomedes

[Dolomedes]

Rabbitpaw

Rabbitpaw trailed after his mentor happily! He loved the tunnels truly, it was fun and he knew it can get a bit dangerous but he was happy to be taught the skills of a tunneler! Especially under such a great one like Crowtooth. Maybe Crowtooth is the tunneler from the story he told when Rabbitpaw was still a kit. Twilightstar’s Flutterbug, for as silly as that name is according to most. Rabbitpaw thought it was a pretty name! Though that was all unimportant now and he waved the thoughts away mentally as he instead chose to go over what his mentor said about underground fighting while following instead, much more productive!

When they arrived and halted, Rabbitpaw looked to the dirt wall that Crowtooth pointed him to start building something. Just like that! Okay! Rabbitpaw tilted his head a bit as though he was peering at the wall and imagining something that he would create rather than a blank wall. Also he couldn’t really see anything physically too well, it was dark and his eyes were starting to adjust still and he wouldn’t be able to see much better despite that. Strange, he wonders if there’s cats with such good night vision that they can see clearly underground! Imagine that! They would probably make for great tunnelers if they wanted.

He reached a blond paw out and pressed it against the wall. A stress point? Maybe he should’ve grabbed some sticks to carry down. He flicked an ear and then unsheathed his paws and scooped out a bit of dirt and it plopped down at his feet. He took note of some of the weirder patches of soil. Namely some of the weird smooth sticky texture along one of the walls and under foot once or twice and he was sure that must be the clay that Crowtooth had talked about before. Maybe he could reinforce the stress point with the clay? Could he dig up some rocks and support it with that as well? A mix of both. He wasn’t sure how useful sand would be here.

“So about stress points and all, could you use like a mixture of rocks and clay to strengthen it? What are some ways that you’ve stabilized them?” Rabbitpaw spoke, half focused on digging out a space. He would go for a den for now, mostly because he doesn’t really have a destination in mind for a traveling tunnel or whatever the proper term is. Though could he leave like…. A wall in the middle of the den and dig around it? So that the middle can be supported while having a bigger space? Or would that be unnecessary and not space efficient? Rabbitpaw wasn’t actually sure. “Also! How big can a space be without needing a middle wall or something? Do all spaces, regardless of space, need one? Or can I support a whole open den with just using clay and stuff along the outer walls?” Then after a thought, and a few more pawfuls of dirt getting scooped, Rabbitpaw added on, “If that makes sense…”

[ @Rani - Crowtooth ]
[ I TOTALLY DIDNT FORGET THIS WAS A THING, IM SO SORRY T^T ]

[Rani]

Crowtooth
Windclan Deputy | He/him | 51 Moons

Power Card: Cold Gust

Settled down and watching (well more like listening) to Rabbitpaw work it was rather interesting to observe how his lessons were taken into practice. Rabbitpaws thoughts as he pawed around were almost audible really, the apprentice coming across patches and noting them as concerns or potential assets to his goal.


"Yes ya could use the clay an' rocks ya found here! Mixin' the claw wit' some dirt will make it more dry but still sticky so it dont slump when ya use it ta stabilize crumbly places. Rocks on the other paw are better for not crumbly dirt but more unstable dirt an' fer yer question I have used both. A good flat rock is as good as prey in tunnelin'."
As for other things to use..... Crowtooth was pretty sure Rabbitpaw hadnt quite cracked thinking outside the box and the tom chuckled, trying to spark inspiration.

"Now fer other things Ive used sticks, roots, bones, bark, basically anythin' at paw. Ya aint restricted ta whats here kiddo, ya know the route out an' I trust ya ta go fetch what ya need." Crowtooth would just wait here and go seek out Rabbitpaw if he was gone for too long if needed.



The central wall idea was another matter.
"The word yer lookin' for is a column an' it depends on the area. Good dirt, a lower roof, size o' the chamber, letting walls 'settle' an' clay dry in stages as ya dig all change if ya need one an' ya mostly have ta decide on yer instincts, knowledge an' experience wit' the tunnels." Lessons could only go so far in life but Crowtooth knew Rabbitpaw had what it took to determine if he needed one. "If ya do want one just tunnel in a tight circle an' complete the loop with the column in the middle (being sure to reinforce that a ton) an' it should hold."


@oliver