Quietpaw Stealth Training [p]

[Mica]

Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Deputy
she/her | 44 moons
[Large black cat with a half white muzzle and a pale green eye]
Purrks: Killer Aptitude T3, Shadow Fiend [ACTIVE], Mind Reader
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The Chariot ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
· · ────────────── · ·
[Quietpaw - @Morrigan ]
· · ────────────── · ·
It seemed the Ark kits were approaching warriorhood. Mistlewhisker knew that the fishing training she had given Birdpaw was the apprentice's last training instance--she just needed her assessment. And, if she wasn't mistaken, the stealth training she was currently leading Quietpaw into the territory for was her last training instance as well. It was good to see the apprentices taking control of their own training and becoming ready for their names so soon. She recalled that Sleepysunrise had become a warrior very young--it must run in the family.

"Stealth with cats is similar with prey. You want to stalk quietly and be down wind. But a large part of stealth is using your surroundings to blend in." Mistlewhisker looked to Quietpaw, the dark feline matching her father. It wouldn't be difficult for Quietpaw to blend into anything, unless it started snowing of course. "It requires constant vigilance, but can become almost second-nature the longer you practice." To demonstrate, Mistlewhisker slipped into the shadows of a bush, becoming completely invisible for several heartbeats before reappearing behind Quietpaw from a different bush. She had just stalked in a half circle around her, but the effect was still cool.

"You must become the shadows, use them as a second pelt. We are ShadowClan for a reason--they bend to our will." The Deputy's eye glinted harshly in the sunlight. "Try sneaking from that bush--" she gestured to the one she had originally disappeared into, "--to that one." And then pointed to the one she came out of. "You may not succeed the first time, but I will give you more advice as you practice." She couldn't very well list it all out here; they'd just begun!

[Morrigan]

Quietpaw
Shadowclan apprentice
Purrks: Mind reader(permantly active) and Shadow fiend(active)

Lady luck had decided to bless Quietpaw today. The closer she crept to her warrior ceremony the more impatient she become. Fortunately, instead of the noisy Hillstrider, Mistlewhisker had come to teach her the last mandatory skill she required. Why the deputy had come instead of her mentor was unknown to her, yet she wouldn't question. This was a rare opportunity.

Unlike her previous training session, the paw was all ears for the deputy. Consuming the knowledge that was being fed her and thirsting for more. The information was clear and straight to the point, no nonesense. How refreshing. Head held and cold hues alight with attentiveness; she noted down every word. Stealth was a her main skill, Dawnstar herself had praised her for it. There was no doubt she could impress Mistlewhisker.

Interest piqued as the black mollie disappear for a few seconds before revealing herself. A sense of respect was already starting to grow...not too significant, though. It took a lot for Quietpaw to regard others with anything but disdain and ignorance. The task itself was simple, it was almost insulting. Hopefully she'd skip over these amateur steps quickly. Obdiently, the dark apprentice faded into the shade of the foliage with ease. Moving swiftly yet silently until she reached the the other bush and emerged, expectanting some kind of feedback.

@Mica

[Mica]

Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Deputy
she/her | 44 moons
[Large black cat with a half white muzzle and a pale green eye]
Purrks: Killer Aptitude T3, Shadow Fiend, Mind Reader
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The Chariot ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
· · ────────────── · ·
[Quietpaw - @Morrigan ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Mistlewhisker watched with a bored gaze as Quietpaw disappeared and reappeared, silent as a wraith and just as invisible. Frankly, Mistlewhisker felt as though she didn't have much to teach. The Deputy nodded in approval, tail flicking behind her. "Good. Our next step is stalking someone. I'm going to act as though I am a guard by this tree--" she settled by a large pine, "and you are going to sneak up on me as though you are an intruder." The space around the tree was more barren than the rest of the forest, with many of the small shrubs having died without the sunlight that the tree blocked. It would be significantly harder to remain unseen. "If I catch you, you lose. And we will try again until you get it right. Then we will move on to stalking someone while they are moving."

[Morrigan]

Quietpaw
Shadowclan apprentice
Purrks: Mind reader(permanently active) and Shadow fiend(active)

Mildly pleased with herself, Quietpaw sat back as Mistlewhisker explained her next task. She blinked quizzically up at the tall pine the deputy had chosen as her post. Ah, so her mission would be an reenactment of a very possible scenario. That actually seemed quite genius. This time she could learn for real. Raking her sharp gaze over the environment, she noted down the crucial features. The land surronding the tree was barren with hardly any cover. This would be difficult, just how she liked it. Nodding slowly, she began to back into the shadows once again, eager to prove just how capable she was.

@Mica

[Mica]

Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Deputy
she/her | 44 moons
[Large black cat with a half white muzzle and a pale green eye]
Purrks: Killer Aptitude T3, Shadow Fiend [ACTIVE], Mind Reader
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The Chariot ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
· · ────────────── · ·
[Quietpaw - @Morrigan ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Mistlewhisker sat with her back to the tree, scanning the bare clearing before her. Quietpaw was good, but this would determine whether or not she had truly mastered the way of the shadows.

[I think it makes more sense if you do the dice roll for each attempt to get closer to Mistle..? I am SO, SO sorry that this has taken so long--school and events have been taking all my attention. It shouldn't happen again <3]

[Morrigan]

Quietpaw
Shadowclan apprentice
Purrks: Mind reader(permanently active) and Shadow fiend(active)

Crouching in the thick undergrowth, Quietpaw began to gingerly circle the pine, scanning for any opening that might present itself. Every motion had to be planned and excuted to perfection. This task was taken very seriously; she couldn't risk tarnishing her blossoming reputation by making a fool of herself in front of Mistlewhisker...even the thought of it made her cringe deeply.

'Let's see whether the deputy is really as sharp as she appears' The apprentice shot a cunning glance at the large she cat before dipping down and scooping up a paw sized stone. A bit of a basic trick but Quietpaw wanted to test Mistlewhisker herself, it would be a tad more riveting. But the results would depend on how well she could throw.


[Quietpaw rolled a 9!]

Narrowed eyes watched with extreme focus as the rock she catapulted flew through the air and landed just a few inches from the border of the greenery. Dammit, not exactly the most clean shot. No time to waste, though! Not bothering to spend any longer dawdling, the splotched molly swiftly moved herself away from the spot where she had thrown from so Mistlewhisker wouldn't be able to find her immediately and found herself an opening while the guard was(hopefully) distracted. Without another though she tried her luck


[Quietpaw rolled a 19!]

Her agility proved much better than her aim. Quietpaw impressed herself by the speed in which she cleared the bare ground between the foliage and the tree. But a dark blur darting across the clearing a a short space of time. Wind whipped her fur and she dived forward and slid to a stop, placing a single paw on it's smooth bark. 'Well wasn't that simply impossible?' she thought smugly, corners of her lips turning up in the beginning of a smirk. Her satisfaction was one thing yet her judge's was the only that mattered. Expectantly, Quietpaw gazed at Mistlewhisker, searching her face for any trace of approval.

(No worries at all! Also sorry this ended up being so short, the dice roller went "Quietpaw's gonna do badly at this" then just went "Nevermind, jk" lmao :'] Don't know why I rolled for throwing a rock but at least I discovered Quiet has terrible aim!)

@Mica

[Mica]

Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Deputy
she/her | 44 moons
[Large black cat with a half white muzzle and a pale green eye]
Purrks: Killer Aptitude T3, Shadow Fiend, Mind Reader
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The Chariot ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
· · ────────────── · ·
[Quietpaw - @Morrigan ]
· · ────────────── · ·
The sounds of the forest settled on Mistlewhisker's tufted ears, shifts in bracken and fluttering wings making her ears swivel this way and that, listening for the apprentice she had challenged. A heavy thump nearby earned a glance, a small stone rolling once before coming to a stop. She raised a brow, shifting her gaze to where she thought the stone might have come from. But the glance had cost her too much time. A whoosh of air to her left signaled Quietpaw's approach, and the Deputy turned her head just in time to see Quietpaw place her paw on the tree bark. Mistlewhisker hummed in approval, studying the apprentice. "Interesting trick. Well done. Now," Mistlewhisker pushed herself to her paws, jerking her chin for Quietpaw to follow her deeper into the bracken. "I am going to walk back to camp, and I want you to follow me without me noticing. If you can make it back to camp without me catching you, we can count this training as complete." With flying colors, she might add.

Once Quietpaw communicated that she agreed to the terms, Mistlewhisker gave her a nod and slipped off into the bracken. She wasn't going to try hard to hide herself since she wasn't the one being tested here. But she kept her ears on a swivel, her eye studying the bracken around her.

[Morrigan]

Quietpaw
Shadowclan apprentice
Purrks: Mind reader(permanently active) and Shadow fiend(active)

Stepping back from the pine tree, Quietpaw compliantly followed at Mistlewhisker's signal. Tufted ears titlted forward as her last task was explained to her: Follow the deputy back to camp without being noticed. She blinked for a moment before giving a subtle nod of acknowledgement. Sounded...reasonable. Actual stalking this time? A flutter of apprehension was buzzing in her chest yet determination over powered the former. All she head to do was keep up and stay out of sight, it was a simple task really.

'Time to finish this once and for all.' Watching the deputy disappear into the bracken, Quietpaw allowed a few moments to pass before finally entering a swift pursuit. As her form was engulfed by the shadows, the paws followed Mistlewhisker's scent, makeing sure to stay low. The watchfulness was clear in the way the large she cat moved despite her somewhat casual appearance. It was unlikely that the stone trick would be successful if she tried it again, all she could rely on now was her own stealth...at least until she thought something else.

[Quietpaw rolled an 8!]

Snap! An unseen stick cracked under her pawpad just about a meter away from Mistlewhisker. The apprentice grimanced at this slight and anxiety was quick to make her dart to the side in an attempt to escape detection. Sliding down amongst the undergrowth, she layed there silently for a few prolonged heartbeats until she was sure Mistlewhisker's attention had been diverted once more. Hopefully this didn't mean failure...no way she'd be shamed.

[Quietpaw rolled a 20!]

Unbelievable...it seemed like everytime Quietpaw was cursed with a mediocrity she was blessed with a miracle just a second after. The splotched molly had suddenly gained ground, moving as rapidly and soundlessly as the shadows that shrouded her. Before she knew it, she had managed to pass Mistlewhisker in an instance, and seemingly avoided her constant vigilance. Now she was ahead, checkmate.

Despite trying to not stray too far from her teacher, Quietpaw had reached the mouth of camp first and was left glancing back in mild shock. How..? Nevermind. She'd succeeded and that was that. Any word that signified she failed would be met with a fierce protest. Quietpaw doubted Mistlewhisker would be that stupid though.

Upon the sound of footsteps that alerted Mistlewhisker's approach, Quietpaw waited until she was just a few centimetres away and gracefully emerged from the shadows. Canting her head she gave the deputy a look that said "What took you so long?" A glimmer of amusement in her gaze as she awaited a response. Not everyday she won a stealth race with the deputy.

(I swear that dice roller is trolling me )

@Mica