Willowpaw's Training! [p]

[ChromeSilver_Hwaa]

Originally Posted by squidz

Stagheart nodded sympathetically, trying to keep his low, gruff voice as light and easygoing as possible. "...I know y'can, 'cause you're strong. But that's alright. If this is as far as we get today, that's no problem — it's a start in the right direction."

Then he silently gestured with his tail at the shallow water in between them, seeing tiny little silvery fish with large, round eyes darting around. Stagheart couldn't help but raise one of his paws and, in a quick and practiced lash, hooked one of them around his claw, letting it flail into the air before catching it again with a slight chuckle. He hadn't really tried to fish for minnows since he was a young 'paw... he'd almost forgotten how fun it could be.

"...Think y'can catch any of those lil guys?" He asked casually, not directly pressuring but adding a little challenge; some of them were daring to swim up near the water by her paws, though she'd have to step forward a bit towards Stagheart to get them. They were dumb and curious little creatures, often swimming towards disturbances in the water and then darting away like lightning. But like a kittypet with a string toy, they were almost irresistibly tempting in their quick, tantalizing movements through the shallow end.

Willowpaw shook gently as she slowly looked away from her mentor and took the water, she watched her mentor chuckle as he caught a fish. "I just...... scoop it up like normal?" Willowpaw asked, then seemed to answer her own question in her head, not really thinking about the water, and not being able to back down from a challange. Willowpaw took a slow step forward, and then another, pausing there as she pelt a fish under her, Willowpaw shot her paw under the water and a fish went flying upwards, water splashed on Willowpaw as she scampered to grab the fish, it flying a bit closer to Stagheart, "No no no! I wanna catch you!" Willowpaw yowled, giving an impressive leap forwards as she slammed her paws under water, as she picked up the fish she gave a triumphant fur, only to realize her shoulder was brushing Stagheart's side, with her frenzy of catching the fish. The Molly had leapt forward about two rabbit lengths, the water gently brushing her leg fur, due to her height and long fur, just gently brush her belly fur. Willowpaw noticed the water, holding onto her minnow for dear life as she stood frozen, though in her head she kept repeating. Stag is right there, he will catch you he promised. You haven't fallen yet. You can do it. Stag is right there....... Willowpaw slowly, veeeeeery slowly looked up to her mentor, her pretty blue eyes round in confusion on how she'd ended up there, and fear of being swept away.

[squidz]

 

Originally Posted by ChromeSilver_Hwaa

Willowpaw shook gently as she slowly looked away from her mentor and took the water, she watched her mentor chuckle as he caught a fish. "I just...... scoop it up like normal?" Willowpaw asked, then seemed to answer her own question in her head, not really thinking about the water, and not being able to back down from a challange. Willowpaw took a slow step forward, and then another, pausing there as she pelt a fish under her, Willowpaw shot her paw under the water and a fish went flying upwards, water splashed on Willowpaw as she scampered to grab the fish, it flying a bit closer to Stagheart, "No no no! I wanna catch you!" Willowpaw yowled, giving an impressive leap forwards as she slammed her paws under water, as she picked up the fish she gave a triumphant fur, only to realize her shoulder was brushing Stagheart's side, with her frenzy of catching the fish. The Molly had leapt forward about two rabbit lengths, the water gently brushing her leg fur, due to her height and long fur, just gently brush her belly fur. Willowpaw noticed the water, holding onto her minnow for dear life as she stood frozen, though in her head she kept repeating. Stag is right there, he will catch you he promised. You haven't fallen yet. You can do it. Stag is right there....... Willowpaw slowly, veeeeeery slowly looked up to her mentor, her pretty blue eyes round in confusion on how she'd ended up there, and fear of being swept away.

Stagheart's eyes glinted in amusement as he saw Willowpaw copy his movements, starting to rush for the springy, quick little minnows. His whiskers twitched in satisfaction as well; he was hoping the challenge would take the young apprentice's mind off her fear, and get her to move towards him in the slightly deeper water.

When she finally realized where she was after an impressively quick display (although she managed to splash Stagheart several times and get him soaked in her frenzy), he chuckled a bit as she veeeery slowly looked up at him. He tilted his head down, comically shaking out his pelt that was above water and sending droplets flying.

"Well... you certainly got 'em," he mused, nodding to the minnow in her jaws. He glanced over his broad back, seeing his light brown fur now darkened by the water, his voice dryly humored. "And managed to give me a soak in the meantime. I'd say you were doubly effective."

He tilted his head a bit, now switching to a more soothing tone, slightly adjusting his frame to be even stronger against the water. He could see the fear reentering her gaze and didn't want her to freeze up when she'd already made some good progress. "See? I told ya you could do it. And I gotchu, don't you worry. Ain't that bad right here, right?"