“Wait! The breeze is carrying a leaf!” | Leafpaw + Twilightstar Training Thread

[Moonraven]

Twilightstar
The leader's nose twitched as she scented the air, noticing the stale scent of the fox that Leafpaw pointed out. "You'll want to be very careful about foxes. Stay as far away from them as you can even after you're a warrior. Foxes are vile creatures, with a mean bite. The older the fox the more trouble you've have with it. It's safer to challenge them in patrols as it is with most predators." Twilightstar meowed thoughtfully before returning to the rabbit.

"Have you been working on your stalking, pounce, and crouching?" She expected the she-cat to show her. All kits instinctively knew to crouch or creep when play fighting with other kits, whether they could do it properly when hunting was the question.
@isla [Leafpaw]

[paedyn]

leafpaw

With a nod, Leafpaw crouched, her hind paws tucked as close to her belly as possible. The young she-cat stalked forward slowly, waiting until the perfect time to pounce.

Once she did, it carried her about two tail-lengths, her claws sinking into a nearby pile of moss.

[ @Moonraven ]

[Moonraven]

Twilightstar was pleasantly surprised to see that her stalking and crouching were not too bad. WindClan didn't usually use the crouching and stalking technique when hunting rabbits, but everything else it was more natural to pounce on it rather than chase it down.

"Good, mind your tail doesn't touch the ground or your surroundings, and make sure you're not leaning too far to one side." The leader advised. "Come on, let's find you an actual rabbit to practice on." Experience was the best teacher when it came to hunting. Twilightstar picked up the rabbit scent that Leafpaw had found and began leading her towards it.

The trail led them to a large pine tree in a field. A few rabbits lingered in the flatland full of heather. Twilightstar crouched low and signaled for Leafpaw to do the same while she observed the rabbits.

"This is the Sky Glade, a prime hunting spot for WindClan. You need to be very careful when hunting here. ShadowClan's border is just beyond the Lonely Pine. You do not want to cross into their territory. I'll show you exactly where the border is once we're done here." She promised Leafpaw.

"Now let's see if you have a knack for rabbit hunting. Pick out a rabbit and lets see if you can catch it."
@paedyn [Leafpaw]

[paedyn]

Leafpaw

Leafpaw’s heart raced with a mix of excitement and nerves as she crouched low beside Twilightstar. The Sky Glade stretched out before her, with its flatland full of heather providing perfect cover for the rabbits that dotted the landscape. She could feel the soft breeze rustling through her fur, carrying the scent of the prey she was about to hunt.

“Got it,” she whispered, making sure her tail was lifted just above the ground, careful not to brush against the heather. She adjusted her stance, balancing herself so she wasn’t leaning too far to one side. Twilightstar’s guidance echoed in her mind as she scanned the area, her blue eyes locking onto a rabbit that seemed slightly separated from the rest.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Leafpaw focused on the rabbit, her muscles tensing as she prepared to spring. She felt the weight of Twilightstar’s gaze on her, but instead of making her nervous, it filled her with determination. She wanted to make her leader proud.

Slowly, she began to creep forward, each step calculated and silent as she closed the distance between herself and the rabbit. When she was close enough, she paused, gathering all her strength and focus.

With a swift and powerful leap, Leafpaw launched herself at the rabbit, aiming to make her first real catch as a WindClan apprentice.

Leafpaw landed square on the rabbit, pinning it down beneath a snow-white forepaw as she snapped its neck with a swift, clean bite.

[ @Moonraven ]