The daffodil starts to bloom (P)

[HerbalTea]

Originally Posted by Luna16

Daffodilpaw beamed, tail waving and twisting in the air in excitement. "Okay!" She chirped. She looked back at the two mice she caught, then back at Elkjump. "I'm going to try again!" She mewed, determination blazing in her eyes. She turned and crouched again, trying her best to hide her pelt among the moorland grass.

-rolled 16-

It didn't take long for Daffodilpaw to catch the scent of prey and the slight tremor in the grass. Her eyes narrowed with the focus of a hunter, her head immediately turning to look towards the scent and movement. A little ways away, there was a stray tree. Among its roots was an animal with a long fluffy tail that twitched almost anxiously. The creature was clawing in the ground among the roots, apparently looking for food. It was currently unaware that it was locked in the sights of a predator. Daffodilpaw carefully considered the distance, she didn't want the animal to spot her before she crept closer. She shifted her weight as Elkjump showed her, intending to clear the distance in one big leap.

-rolled 19-

Daffodilpaw launched at her target, clearing most of the ground and landing just a mouse-tail's length away from the target. Before she could think, she instinctively slammed a paw down on the long tail of her prey, silencing it's cries with a switch bite to the neck. She took a moment to send a prayer to StarClan in thanks for this prey, then picked it up by the neck and prancing back to Elkjump. The animal's tail dragging on the ground at her paws, so she carefully had to step around it.

[+1 squirrel]

When she reached Elkjump, she set the prey down at his paws, eyes shining with triumph. "I caught it!" She purred, tail held high. She felt shivers of excitement, realizing how much she loved hunting."What is it?" She asked, realizing she was unfamiliar with its scent, she just knew it was prey. She knew she'd smelled it in the prey pile before...but couldn't place it's name.

Elkjump waited patient for Daffodilpaw to try again, the leap was wide and her posture was good. Seeing the apprentice return with squirrel in tow made Elkjump smile. “That's a squirrel! You barely see them here due to the flat moorlands, mostly eaten by Thunderclanners."

[Luna16]

Originally Posted by HerbalTea

Elkjump waited patient for Daffodilpaw to try again, the leap was wide and her posture was good. Seeing the apprentice return with squirrel in tow made Elkjump smile. “That's a squirrel! You barely see them here due to the flat moorlands, mostly eaten by Thunderclanners."

Daffodilpaw beamed at Elkjump's words, that sounded like a really neat catch then! "Really? That's so cool!" She purred, looking back at the tree. "It maybe came here for the tree then?" She mused. Then remembered what Elkjump promised earlier. "Rabbits now right? Right?" She mewed, bouncing in place.

[HerbalTea]

Originally Posted by Luna16

Daffodilpaw beamed at Elkjump's words, that sounded like a really neat catch then! "Really? That's so cool!" She purred, looking back at the tree. "It maybe came here for the tree then?" She mused. Then remembered what Elkjump promised earlier. "Rabbits now right? Right?" She mewed, bouncing in place.

Elkjump let out a sigh. “Yes, now we can do rabbits. Watch close." He dropped into a crouch, raised his head and tail before smelling the air. A quick flick of the tail for Daffodilpaw to follow.

[Luna16]

Originally Posted by HerbalTea

Elkjump let out a sigh. “Yes, now we can do rabbits. Watch close." He dropped into a crouch, raised his head and tail before smelling the air. A quick flick of the tail for Daffodilpaw to follow.

Daffodilpaw purred with excitement. "Okay!" She chirped, following in her mentor's pawsteps. She copied him, crouching down carefully.

[HerbalTea]

Originally Posted by Luna16

Daffodilpaw purred with excitement. "Okay!" She chirped, following in her mentor's pawsteps. She copied him, crouching down carefully.

“Stop." Elkjump whispered, scenting a rabbit

[Luna16]

Originally Posted by HerbalTea

“Stop." Elkjump whispered, scenting a rabbit

Daffodilpaw froze mid-step, then slowly and carefully lowered the paw to the ground. Silent as she looked to her mentor. Her light pink nose twitched as she picked up a new scent, but it immediately sent signals to her body that caused her mouth to fill with saliva. Her eyes lit up excitedly but she didn't move, glancing to Elkjump.

[OOC - sorry! Totally missed this!]

[HerbalTea]

Originally Posted by Luna16

Daffodilpaw froze mid-step, then slowly and carefully lowered the paw to the ground. Silent as she looked to her mentor. Her light pink nose twitched as she picked up a new scent, but it immediately sent signals to her body that caused her mouth to fill with saliva. Her eyes lit up excitedly but she didn't move, glancing to Elkjump.

[OOC - sorry! Totally missed this!]

(Nws!) Slowly creeping towards it before picking up the pace to kill the rabbit, Elkjump turned to Daffodilpaw. “Anddd that's how you do it, you need speed for the rabbits."

[Luna16]

Originally Posted by HerbalTea

(Nws!) Slowly creeping towards it before picking up the pace to kill the rabbit, Elkjump turned to Daffodilpaw. “Anddd that's how you do it, you need speed for the rabbits."

Daffodilpaw's eyes lit up with excitement. "That was awesome, Elkjump!" She chirped happily. Oh, this was going to be fun. The pale yellow cat's paws kneaded the ground in expectation. My turn! Daffodilpaw relaxed her tail, opening her mouth to drink in the scents around them. She stepped forward a couple pawsteps, trying to distinguish a scent trail like the animal Elkjump had at his paws.

Gotcha! There was a trail in the breeze. It smelled like it was far enough off that it didn't know a rabbit fell here. She lowered her body in the increasingly familiar hunter's crouch. Creeping forward swiftly but carefully. It didn't take too long for her to zero in on her target...a rabbit that was out of it's burrow. It was minding its own business, sniffing the grass.

- rolled 17-

Instinctively, Daffodilpaw launched herself forward. Part of her was hoping for a chase, but it was not meant to be. It appears she was too quick this time for the rabbit to be able to get away. Daffodilpaw grasped the rabbit's neck in her jaws and bit down, feeling the snap of the neckbone before she heard it. She lifted her catch, but it was far heavier than she anticipated. She half-dragged her catch back to Elkjump, eyes sparkling with pride. "I got it!" She purred.

[HerbalTea]

Originally Posted by Luna16

Daffodilpaw's eyes lit up with excitement. "That was awesome, Elkjump!" She chirped happily. Oh, this was going to be fun. The pale yellow cat's paws kneaded the ground in expectation. My turn! Daffodilpaw relaxed her tail, opening her mouth to drink in the scents around them. She stepped forward a couple pawsteps, trying to distinguish a scent trail like the animal Elkjump had at his paws.

Gotcha! There was a trail in the breeze. It smelled like it was far enough off that it didn't know a rabbit fell here. She lowered her body in the increasingly familiar hunter's crouch. Creeping forward swiftly but carefully. It didn't take too long for her to zero in on her target...a rabbit that was out of it's burrow. It was minding its own business, sniffing the grass.

- rolled 17-

Instinctively, Daffodilpaw launched herself forward. Part of her was hoping for a chase, but it was not meant to be. It appears she was too quick this time for the rabbit to be able to get away. Daffodilpaw grasped the rabbit's neck in her jaws and bit down, feeling the snap of the neckbone before she heard it. She lifted her catch, but it was far heavier than she anticipated. She half-dragged her catch back to Elkjump, eyes sparkling with pride. "I got it!" She purred.

Elkjump shot a nod of approval, holding in a chuckle as he watched Daffodilpaw struggle to drag the prey back, “Next time you can just bury i5."

[Luna16]

Originally Posted by HerbalTea

Elkjump shot a nod of approval, holding in a chuckle as he watched Daffodilpaw struggle to drag the prey back, “Next time you can just bury it."

Daffodilpaw’s eyes lit up in an “ah-hah” moment. She completely forgot she could bury it! She brought the rabbit the rest of the way, because she’d brought it that far, then set it down. “I forgot!” She admitted with a laugh, setting to work digging out a spot for the rabbit. She placed it in the shallow hole she carved out, covering it with dirt and then placing leaves on top to mark it so she wouldn’t forget. “Like that?” She meowed, turning to Elkjump.