Bouncing out of the blue{Training thread}

[Badwolf]

Originally Posted by Crown_Sage

 

Bluestrike purred. If you keep low, you won't lose your balance. He mewed. Training an apprentice took patience. Most cats didn't have that, but he was determined to make Bouncepaw's apprenticeship the best one he could ask for. Now, tell me. He flicked his tail. What do you smell?

[Bouncepaw]
Apprentice|7 moons|Windclan

· · ─────── ·· ─────── · ·

"Trees? Cat?" Bouncepaw offers, lowering his posture even more, and breathing in the air. He just didn't understand the question. The strongest scent he could currently detect around them belonged to Bluestrike, and the rest of the scents were familiar trees, dirt, grass, and flowers. Even those scents were weaker thanks to the wind. Was Bluestrike talking about prey? Bouncepaw concentrates, and his pupils dilate.

[Bouncepaw rolls a 13]

A faint, delicious smell vaguely floats in the air, and pass by his nostrils. It's faint but fresh, and mixed in with the scent of grass and woodland. Once he's knows what to look for, the scent only grows more noticeable. A mouse? No, it smelled different from mice in the prey pile.

"A shrew?" Bouncepaw meows uncertainly.

[Crown_Sage]

Bluestrike parted his jaws, sniffing the air himself. To his surprise, he found a shrew. You're right! He mewed happily. Then, he reminded himself quietly to keep down noise, so that Bouncepaw could have a succsessful hunt and first catch. Try catching it. He murmured, nodding at his apprentice.

[Badwolf]

Originally Posted by Crown_Sage

Bluestrike parted his jaws, sniffing the air himself. To his surprise, he found a shrew. You're right! He mewed happily. Then, he reminded himself quietly to keep down noise, so that Bouncepaw could have a succsessful hunt and first catch. Try catching it. He murmured, nodding at his apprentice.

[Bouncepaw]
Apprentice|7 moons|Windclan

· · ─────── ·· ─────── · ·

He was right! The fact fills Bouncepaw with pride and joy, and he is no longer uncertain. Taking in his mentor's advice, he crouches low on the ground. Before, on his first attempt, he didn't bother to try stalking since he felt it would do more harm than good- this time, he attempts to creep closer to the shrew. Good thing his fur was short- it rustled less.

Now that he's closer, he can feel the shrew's tiny heartbeat and smell fresh blood. A small tail sticks out throughout the dirt and leaves. Bouncepaw pounces.

[Bouncepaw rolls a 6]

And he misses. The shrew desperately runs on the ground to avoid Bouncepaw, who chases after it with some frustration. But the small creature is very fast, searching for a place to hide, and Bouncepaw is not having much luck.

@Crown_Sage /Bluestrike

[Crown_Sage]

Bluestrike sighed, but didn't want to give up yet. Don't worry. He mewed encouragly, giving his apprentice a small head butt. He parted his jaws, tasting the air. He wiggled his tail, smelling a mouse. Bluestrike dropped into a hunter's crouch, readying for the pounce.

Rolls 18

Bluestrike pounced, barely snagging the mouse by his claw. He thrashed it against the ground, weakening it. He then waddled over to the mouse, killing it with a sharp bite. He nodded to Bouncepaw. Do you want to try again? He murmured through a mouthful of mouse.
@Badwolf

[Badwolf]

Originally Posted by Crown_Sage

Bluestrike sighed, but didn't want to give up yet. Don't worry. He mewed encouragly, giving his apprentice a small head butt. He parted his jaws, tasting the air. He wiggled his tail, smelling a mouse. Bluestrike dropped into a hunter's crouch, readying for the pounce.

Rolls 18

Bluestrike pounced, barely snagging the mouse by his claw. He thrashed it against the ground, weakening it. He then waddled over to the mouse, killing it with a sharp bite. He nodded to Bouncepaw. Do you want to try again? He murmured through a mouthful of mouse.
@Badwolf

[Bouncepaw]
Apprentice|7 moons|Windclan

· · ─────── ·· ─────── · ·

The shrew is out of sight, and Bouncepaw has already given up on it to watch his mentor hunt instead. Unlike Bouncepaw, Bluestrike is obviously experienced. Bouncepaw tries to notice and memorize his form completely.

"Yes," Bouncepaw meows to Bluestrike's question. He didn't believe that he couldn't succeed.

Bouncepaw hears desperate scrabbling, and an extremely fast heartbeat. The air is filled with the scent of blood and fear from his prey. Bouncepaw glances at the spot that his mentor just hunted in- turns out that mouse wasn't alone. Another mouse, alert and frozen in fear, peeked out next to the rocks.

[Bouncepaw rolls an 11]

He stalks much more slowly this time, taking his time through things to make sure he doesn't mess it up. And then Bouncepaw pounces on his prey. Unlike his fumbling stalking, his pounce is quick and decisive. His claws vaguely miss the mouse's side and Bouncepaw is once again chasing the mouse using his claws, desperate not to lose again this time. The good news is that his form is a lot better than before. The bad news is that again, like before, his attempt ends in failure.

"Mouse bile." Boucnepaw grumbles, sighing as the mouse disappears into a small nook in the roots of a tree. Is there any more prey?

[Bouncepaw rolls a 12]

He can't smell anything anymore- the scent of blood from his mentor's catch is too strong. But he can see several flashes of color on the lower end of the bushes and trees. Birds, likely. Bouncepaw glances at his mentor and the birds with uncertainty. Mice were one thing, birds were another. Didn't they fly? Should he even attempt this?

[Crown_Sage]

Bluestrike's eyes twinkle as he sees his apprentice's dedication to getting this right. He gives an approving nod, and he crouches to the ground as well, ready to pounce if something goes wrong.
@Badwolf

[Badwolf]

Originally Posted by Crown_Sage

Bluestrike's eyes twinkle as he sees his apprentice's dedication to getting this right. He gives an approving nod, and he crouches to the ground as well, ready to pounce if something goes wrong.
@Badwolf

[Bouncepaw]
Apprentice|7 moons|Windclan

· · ─────── ·· ─────── · ·

That reassures him- even if he messed up this catch again, he was sure his mentor would back him up.

Bouncepaw crouches and creeps closer to a sparrow.

[Bouncepaw rolls a 6]

(What is up with my roll luck today? Lol, the universe hates Bouncepaw.)

His steps are more better now, copying Bluestrike's. Though his stalking still looks unnatural and inexperienced, at least he's not bumbling around nosily. His tail is tucked in and his crouch is low enough not to be heard, but high enough that his fur doesn't touch the ground. His breath is loud and harsh, and maybe that's what tips the bird off.

The bird notices Bouncepaw and prepares to jump into the air and fly away from him. Things were just not going his way today, were they? Bouncepaw doesn't even attempt a pounce, he wasn't close enough to try, Instead he waits for his mentor.

[Crown_Sage]

Bluestrike sighed again, but prepared to jump for the sparrow. He gave a silent flick of his tail for his apprentice to stay back, then crouched low.

Rolls a 12
(its so unfair how come Bluestrike gets good luck? Poor bouncepaw lol)

Bluestrike shot up into the air, just as the sparrow took flight. He raked his claws in its wings, bringing it to the ground. He then gave it a neat bite, finishing it off and dropping it to the ground.
@Badwolf

[Badwolf]

Originally Posted by Crown_Sage

Bluestrike sighed again, but prepared to jump for the sparrow. He gave a silent flick of his tail for his apprentice to stay back, then crouched low.

Rolls a 12
(its so unfair how come Bluestrike gets good luck? Poor bouncepaw lol)

Bluestrike shot up into the air, just as the sparrow took flight. He raked his claws in its wings, bringing it to the ground. He then gave it a neat bite, finishing it off and dropping it to the ground.
@Badwolf

[Bouncepaw]
Apprentice|7 moons|Windclan

· · ─────── ·· ─────── · ·

"You caught it!" Bouncepaw meows. His voice is in between sad and joyful, glad that they wouldn't have to be empty handed, and that his mentor caught something for their clan, but sad that it wasn't him who had succeeded in the hunt. "That jump was really cool."

[Bouncepaw rolls a 13]

Maybe he should try something similar next time? The birds all flew up and scattered from the bush as Bluestrike jumped, and some landed on the ground. Two chittered and rested their feathers not far from Bouncepaw. They're easy to pinpoint. If he didn't succeed here, they would likely have to go back to the camp for the day. Bouncepaw works on his crouch again, feeling tired, but wanting to try one more time.

[Bouncepaw rolls a 7]

Another miss. The bird It's not his fault, birds are much more difficult to catch compared to mice, and these particular birds are also already aware and alert of a cat's presence. It's just a pity that his first hunting lesson may end this way. The bird lands on a branch in the trees, and Bouncepaw can't climb, but there's plenty of birds in the forest. Instead of fixating on the bird in the trees, he attempts again on a blackbird resting by a tree trunk.

[Bouncepaw rolls a 7]

No need to even pounce- Bouncepaw makes a mistake, forgetting his tail, which makes a sound against the grass. The blackbird flies away into the sky.

"This is a lot, lot more hard than I thought." Bouncepaw meows, panting with exhaustion. He falls to the ground on all four paws, "I thought mice and birds were supposed to be dumb."

(Think it'll be nice for the hunting lesson to end, and we can try again after a few days when my dice roll luck gets better, lol. This is... bad. Very bad, lmao.)

[Crown_Sage]

Bluestrike stifled a laugh. Anything that feeds the clan helps. He mewed, nodding to a mouse that scurried past them.

Rolls 6

He brought his paw down, but the mouse was faster. He kept talking. I'm sure you're tired, so how about you go rest? Bluestrike gave his apprentice a quick lick behind the ears, before flicking his tail and retreating back to camp.
@Badwolf