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Bit tighter? She shuffled her paws slightly closer together, and wondered if that would even make the difference. Well- if deputy said so, then so be it.
-
Rookpaw followed the patrol towards Thunderglade and lord and behold, isn't it their border with ThunderClan. Unless there was actual history behind this piece of land, who ever came up with the name probably ran out of ideas. When they arrived at the border, she could distinctively tell the difference between ThunderClan land and theirs. Trees were crammed tightly together and it looked like a place where you could hardly see the sky.
"Friendly? I bet they won't spare a second to be friendly if they were so willing to steal land." Rookpaw's fur bristled a little. Sure. Friendly. Whatever. If her deputy wanted to be friendly, then he could go right on ahead. But friendly wasn't exactly her cup of tea. She could do civil, but not friendly.
As soon as the instructions were given, Rookpaw strayed from the group and completed her task. Well, wasn't that easy enough. It wasn't as exciting as she had initially anticipated a border patrol would be, but what's done is done. Borders marked, and now there was only a hunting lesson left.
The rest was just observed by Rookpaw with a level of concern in her eyes. Wow. Uh...stars. The dusky lilac apprentice didn't know squirrels could bite like that. Her mismatched eyes shifted between squirrel to her deputy. Judging by the way Crowtooth practically ignore the squirrel, either his fur's too thick to feel a thing or he just got used to it.
Rookpaw dropped into the same crouch as before, tighter this time, and stalked forward mimicking Crowtooth's earlier movements.
Well look at that he had a couple of pros at this already! Good good that was good, beyond a "Keep yer paws a biiiit tighter ta yer chest, it'll help ya not knock inta thin's." He had nothing to not so with a happy grin he was soon waving them to follow him to the thunderglade.
-
On the way they got some history. "So not long ago in history but before yalls birth thunderclan was unstable. Leaders changed wit' the moon an' they were at throats wit' riverclan (Still caused some trouble fer us) but bein' thrashed. Bumblestar turned that around an' now its rather the opposite, theyre aggressive when poked but stable an' can be reasoned wit'.
Stars fer a stunt their current deputy pulled they even gave us a chunk o' land their old leader Flintstar stole before my birth which is why we got a small forest on our side o' the border an' its not at the treeline but in it.
Dont piss 'em off but be friendly an' yer good basically." Crowtooth often sent border patrols with a single warrior here for that reason. He'd never do that for the other borders but Bumblestar for all her crazy was notably protective as hell of innocent apprentices.
-
Of course as if to prove his point the border was a riot when he got there, and even as he set to work getting his duties of scent marking the area out of the way he muttered an "Oh stars what is this".
It was squirrels because of course it was, fighting in the tree tops like it was a clan war. At least the noise meant the prey here didnt notice the quieter cats.
"Alright mark the border wit' yer scent an' ignore the squirrels fer now. Once yer done we'll go over stalkin' an' pouncin'. Just find where old stale windclan scent is an' refresh it by rubbin' against it."
Staring up at the squirrels he wondered if they could hunt them maybe. The rodents were in the tree tops but they were fighting over nuts(?), maybe one would fall or be tempted down by bait to be a target.
"Done? Right well the trick o' stalkin' is really just managin' the senses.
Scent. Note the wind an' always stay downwind unless ya cover yer scent wit' somethin'.
Sight. Stay low stay hidden. Hide behind rocks, trees, bushes, tall grass an' if ya 'ave ta be in the open ta git ta a better hidin' spot closer move fast. An exposed cat is a hungry cat.
Sound. Watch where ya step. Avoid standin' on sticks an' crunchy leaves, grass will rustle. Fine bare strong spots an' step on them lightly, watchin' where ya stand, steppin' where yer front paws were can help.
Touch. Now this one only applies ta certain prey but some can feel ya approachin' through the ground if yer too fast or step too hard. Step down gently an' slow an' steady an' ya should be fine.
Once yer close enough ta leap draw yer paws close ta her body an' pounce. Spring wit' yer back legs, tail out behind ya, an' land ON yer prey wit' yer front ta pin 'em before killin' them wit' a quick bite ta the neck. If ya need ta abject angle a' direction ya can kinda do that by movin' yer tail."
Jolting at the sound of a thud the toms head picked up to see a pair of squirrels now wrestling on the ground, chattering lightly. An opportunity to be an example and thank god because distracted as they were meant Crowtooth actually had a shot.
Ushering the two to hide a bit the tom fell into his seldom used crouch, trying to cram himself into the shadows where his pelt would actually blend in. And yes, he was doing a stupid thing and holding his breath so his constant rasping breathing did not alert the prey. Closer, closer, minding sticks and leaves (damn how did thunderclan manage such a cluttered hunting ground) and he lept trying to grab both squirrels at once.
Bad idea, he killed one fast but the other bit the hell out of his paw before he got it, chattering furiously before he died but hey! For once he was a good hunting example, even if he was wheezing now from holding his breath.
Grinning back at the apprentices he nodded. "Like that. Now yall try that on me so I can call if I spot ya in any way. That'll give ya an idea of what actions prey'll spot an' how ya keep hidden. Hop to, then ya can try out these skills in practice."
Bit tighter? She shuffled her paws slightly closer together, and wondered if that would even make the difference. Well- if deputy said so, then so be it.
-
Rookpaw followed the patrol towards Thunderglade and lord and behold, isn't it their border with ThunderClan. Unless there was actual history behind this piece of land, who ever came up with the name probably ran out of ideas. When they arrived at the border, she could distinctively tell the difference between ThunderClan land and theirs. Trees were crammed tightly together and it looked like a place where you could hardly see the sky.
"Friendly? I bet they won't spare a second to be friendly if they were so willing to steal land." Rookpaw's fur bristled a little. Sure. Friendly. Whatever. If her deputy wanted to be friendly, then he could go right on ahead. But friendly wasn't exactly her cup of tea. She could do civil, but not friendly.
As soon as the instructions were given, Rookpaw strayed from the group and completed her task. Well, wasn't that easy enough. It wasn't as exciting as she had initially anticipated a border patrol would be, but what's done is done. Borders marked, and now there was only a hunting lesson left.
The rest was just observed by Rookpaw with a level of concern in her eyes. Wow. Uh...stars. The dusky lilac apprentice didn't know squirrels could bite like that. Her mismatched eyes shifted between squirrel to her deputy. Judging by the way Crowtooth practically ignore the squirrel, either his fur's too thick to feel a thing or he just got used to it.
Rookpaw dropped into the same crouch as before, tighter this time, and stalked forward mimicking Crowtooth's earlier movements.
Post Count: 48/100 | Purrk(s): Lyrebird’s Lullaby & Don’t Mind If I Do!
Her mentor was chattering about something or the other - sure, she was listening to him, but most of her focus was taking in their surroundings as they walked. To a border. On a patrol. The matter of trees redrew her interest, though, as Crowtooth explained how they came in posession of the ThunderClan-lookalike land. Eventually what his words boiled down to in her mind was; Strawberrypaw, you're not allowed to bite any ThunderClan cats even if they show up at the border. And that was just boring. She'd have to bite him later for something he hadn't even said... a tiny nibble, he wouldn't even notice.
Absentmindedly attempting to copy Crowtooth's movements at marking the border, her thoughts drift elsewhere. Squirrels... she'd never tasted one, or seen one before, and now the tan and white apprentice was more than curious. Did they taste good? She felt like she was betraying someone by thinking this, but was it possible they tasted better than WindClan's prey? That was a whole lot of things to focus on at the same time, but she was not to be daunted. Learning how to master this meant learning how to hunt - and learning how to hunt meant maybe one day she could find fresh kill for herself and her siblings that actually tasted good... and not like wet fur. She still didn't know how others ate it, she'd do anything to avoid mealtimes if she was able to.
Narrowed blue eyes all but drill holes into her mentor's pelt in supposed singleminded focus as they're ushered off to hide as he hunts. His movements, his crouch, his paws, and then there are two pieces of fresh kill at their feet. "How come we. Don't climb? Too?" Would it be easier to hunt squirrels if she could scale trees just like them? They couldn't possibly evade her in that case, right?
Seeing Rookpaw move off to follow the patrol leader's words, Strawberrypaw squints suspiciously up at her mentor for a moment (wondering if he's going to look where they're going so he can catch them easily) and then scoots behind him, making sure his head hadn't turned around before changing directions. But wait, she remembered his instructions from earlier, playing back in her head.
'Note the wind an' always stay downwind ... low and hidden ... watch where ya step ...'
No branches or twigs or crunchy leaves were outing her today! Nope! Oh, and neither was her hindersome tail getting in the way!
Honestly the kids had good questions though Crowtooth could feel the skepticism rolling off of Rookpaw (who was starting to remind the deputy of her mother more then the other kids he'd met). "Eh that was a long time ago, years an' years, an' yeah they werent friendly then. But clans reflect the leader so thunderclan aint the clan they were way back when. Plus holdin' onta long past grudges were few o' the cats are alive an' the clans entire ethos has changed only hurts ya an' windclan more then them.
We can distrust an' dislike shadowclan fer their crimes 'cuz Dawnstar still rules an' they havent changed or regretted nothin'. We can distrust riverclan as their crimes aint long ago even if we acknowledge theyre tryin' ta change. But if we hold onta anger at thunderclan wit' neither issue that leaves windclan alone in an unkind forest where allies can be yer only hope." Windclan had allied with shadowclan more recently for a mutual issue and it hadnt backfired but no one had liked it really and Crowtooth had no hope the vague alliance would last after Twilightstar died. It was, after all, built on respect for the leader Crowtooth did not have. If time came for war again.... Thunderclan might be the best option, so the deputy refused to hold a petty grudge for something rectified and long passed. Even if Bumblestar was a bit crazy.
Oooooon the topic of thunderclan "Climbin' is a good option fer squirrel an' bird huntin' yes. However, I dont know how ta climb (an' I couldnt manage even if I did know). Few windclan cats know how ta climb given how few trees we 'ave on our land, its more a thunderclan skill, why we call 'em squirrels. Its fine we git called rabbits in return an' riverclan fish an' shadowclan frogs or rats." ah he was getting off topic, time to focus on the stalking apprentices.
They were decent for their first times, really! Crowtooth could for sure hear them a couple times and see flashes of their pelt but he was also a cat, who had notable better senses then lesser prey. Their attempt wouldnt catch them a rabbit, rat, or greater bird that was smarter then the basic finches but again it was VERY good for a first try. So he sat, noting mistakes but not calling them out as they werent bad enough to call it a fail, and eventually let them pounce on him with a chuckle. "Now that wasnt half bad kids! Aint perfect, ya need a bita work but that kinda stalkin' will net ya a mouse or small bird easy, nice job.
Some notes: Strawberry in the woods like we are yer gonna struggle a bit more ta stay hidden, yer pelt is too light so shadows cant hide ya proper, stay behind stuff instead. In lighter grass an' in winter it'll be better but heads up.
Rookpaw contrary yer pelt does WONDERS 'ere BUT yer gonna struggle more in the open. Learn ta hug shadows as grass/bush cover is less effective wit yer dark pelt an' learn to look like a rock." God did Crowtooth feel that issue personally with his pelt having the worst of both worlds. Pitch black so he couldnt blend in on the grassy moor but with a bright white stripe so night hunting was also ruined, starclan had it out for him there and that was even ignoring he shared a pelt pattern with a SKUNK.
"Both o' ya mind yer paws brushin' the grass when ya walk. It was minor but fer sensitive prey like rabbits will ruin yer hunt. Step high an' light comin' down.
Movin' topics heres a final lecture on prey types before I release ya ta try huntin'! Noses up, scent the air fer fresh prey scent first, ya should recognize some o' what ya smell from the prey pile. Note scents comin' from upwind can be farther away then ya think. Also a couple tips on squirrels 'cuz they seem ta be infestin' this spot.
Now some prey has better senses then others an' ya need ta note that when huntin'.
Rabbits an' hares hear like nothin' else, sometimes they'll bolt when ya swear ya were silent an' I personally think they got better hearin' then cats. But they can also see an' smell distant so its a hard catch but worth it given a single rabbit can feed two warriors in a meal an' a hare can feed four. DO NOT hunt hares, they can maim a cat I really only recommend multiple trained warriors hunt hares an' even then....
Mice squirrels an' rats are generalists. Theyre decent at everythin' but not great, rats an' squirrels however are smart an' can bite wicked so be careful.
Voles moles an' gophers cant see well or are completely blind an' hear poor but smell decent an' are really good at feelin' yer paw steps so step real light.
Birds cant smell nothin' an' hear eh but see scary well, twitch wrong or if yer pelt is to outta place they'll fly off.
Uuuuuh the rare ones... Snakes are kinda blind but smell an' feel ya I think? Dunno dont hunt those it aint worth it. Frogs.... Ive no clue theyre disgustin' an' refuse ta hunt 'em. Groundhogs are basically giant gophers but unless yer big ya need several cats ta manage 'em fer their size, rare but good huntin'. Pheasants an' turkeys are big birds that cant fly so same deal fer 'em.
So thats the deal! Tips fer squirrels: they aint dumb but are bold, they'll taunt ya from the trees knowin' ya cant git at 'em an' if ya annoy 'em back sometimes they'll come down ta the ground thinkin' they can bolt back up 'fore ya can grab 'em. They can also be baited by nuts or can be distracted by eachother ta git the drop on em.
Any questions?" He wasnt waiting for questions "Be released kids! Best o' luck an' dont feel too bad if ya cant catch nothin' its yer first tries just dont give up. Ill be around findin' some more prey an' makin' sure ya dont stumble over the border." Also doing a bit of coughing because damn was the chatting hurting his throat.
Rookpaw stared at Crowtooth with narrowed eyes. Really? One clan's leadership is too old, the other is too new, ThunderClan is just perfect for some alliance~ was all she could hear out of the deputy's mouth. If he wanted to play buddy buddy with what he called squirrels, then let him be. It didn't seem like he minded getting bitten, so let him play with the fire. Though she didn't see what he said in a favorable manner, she trusts her Mother. If this is who she picked, then she can't really complain. But if he pulls a quick one then- no, why would he...he's just their deputy, right?
ThunderClan or not, Crowtooth was providing good information that Rookpaw took mental note of. Hunting tips and tricks that could be useful in the future, some of these prey, the dusky apprentice had never tasted. Though she doubted the rest of them would taste half as good as a rabbit. Rookpaw just nodded, indicating her leave. and wandered off on her own.
Squirrels. That's right.
Her mismatched eyes narrowed as her slender frame took her away from the rest, trying to find prey without disturbance. She was definitely going to catch one of them before she leaves today. Whether the damn squirrels like it or not, one of them's going down.
Once she spotted her target, the dusky apprentice moved into position. Downwind, and as closely as she could manage to be in shadow. Silently, she dropped into a hunting crouch and waited for the squirrel to continue being oblivious. Slowly, but surely, she made her way closer ... waiting for the right moment.
[ Rolled a 7 ]
She launched herself at the damn thing, but it scampered away and up into a tree. Tsk. Rookpaw retreated backwards and waited for it to descend the tree again. This time, she swears she'll pull that thing off the tree if she had to. When the squirrel made its way down and returned to foraging, Rookpaw stuck again.
[ Rolled a 13 ]
The dusky lilac apprentice cut between its path towards the tree, and pounced onto it hard, making sure one paw slammed onto the squirrel's head because ain't no way is she getting bit by that thing. A little hesitant, Rookpaw bite into the squirrel awkwardly, hopefully killing it. She wasn't too sure what to do with it, so she carried it back to the place they parted.
Post Count: 50/100 | Purrk(s): Lyrebird’s Lullaby & Don’t Mind If I Do!
Crowtooth said climbing didn’t really matter much for WindClan. He was right, but now that she was aware that it was something cats could do, she wanted to also know if there was a prerequisite like being born in a specific Clan. Did RiverClanners only know how to swim because they’d been born there?
Her pelt being so bright being the reason some-cat or something could spot her hadn’t even occurred to her until just now. Crowtooth was right again, she stood out too much next to the dirt and the grass and the trees. So… she would be literally hiding in the summers to sneak up on something?
What wouldn’t see her if she tried to sneak up on it until it was too late? Snake is the first answer to enter her mind — it’d just been said that they were blind. But… apparently they were either not worth hunting or Strawberrypaw wasn’t yet allowed to. Casting a brief glance towards Rookpaw, the tan and white apprentice figured after a moment that it wouldn’t help. Their builds were different, their pelt colors were stark contrasts as well. She’d set out on her own, how hard could it be?
[ D20 Roll: 3 ]
Not easy, it turned out. The first thing she’d scented out had seen her and made a dash for it before she’d even come close, and Strawberrypaw… she couldn’t explain why she felt the sudden need to check over her shoulder if Crowtooth had seen. She couldn’t put a claw on the emotion that made her fur feel all itchy and burning. Shame, or embarrassment, someone more well versed with the feeling would call it. Strawberrypaw would refer to it as unsettled instead.
[ D20 Roll: 20 ]
This time hiding behind things is a more conscious effort. Alongside every other line of instruction Crowtooth had given her. And because her roleplayer is too tired and all but falling asleep and cannot fill in the blanks properly here, it isn’t long before the undead apprentice is trotting back in her mentor’s direction, something gift bursting in her chest akin to pride… with a dead crow dangling from her jaws. Pure coincidence, truly.
Grinning wide at both cats, though slightly narrowing his eyes at Strawberrypaw's catch and muttering a "Very funny kiddo." Crowtooth nodded and congratulated the both with a "Good work yall! First catches down an' yer well on yer way ta showin' yer stuff durin' an assessment now! Not bad catches too, those are good meals." Usually first catches were piddly mice or small finches but this would satisfy even a warrior for a proper meal.
"Now Imma give some final tips in a moment but theres one last task in huntin'. Ya gotta give thanks ta starclan an' yer prey for the meal that'd sustain ya an' yer clan. Thank it fer its life an' respect it fer that.
Food is life or death, always, so treat it wit' the reverence it deserves an' NEVER be wasteful wit' it. An' as always queens elders an' kits first, I want ya ta choose someone, anyone, outta that group an' gift yer first catch ta them. They'll prolly share it wit' ya so ya can git a taste o' accomplishment but its the act that counts."
Crowtooth was the religious sort that said internal prayers after every catch and even spoke quiet ones before meals, and though he wouldnt force the starclan aspect on anyone he'd be damned if a windclan cat wasted the fuel that gave the clan life. He'd only survived the starvation of his kithood that'd nearly taken windclan because of these rules. Windclan only managed the last harsh winter by these rules. They were ever key.
"Ok, notes. As ya both encountered theres a fine balance between gittin' close enough ta pounce an' gittin' too close an' gittin' detected. Strawberrypaw even wit' the wind on yer side were in the trees so it didnt take it far, so ya sittin' in one spot too long got ya caught. Rookpaw an' Strawberry, plan ta pounce on the prey where it is but expect ta pounce where ya think it'll bolt once startled, that gives ya a kinda second chance.
Like this."
Crowtooth scented the air, detecting a nearby pigeon and stalked (once more holding his breath) focusing more on hiding then scent and sound. Lunging from the bushes he proved his point by aiming not at where it was pecking at the ground, but a tail length above where the pigeon ended up, having burst into flight in a bid to escape.
"See? Ok last chance fer one more attempt if ya want an' were headin' home. As a congrats yall get badger rides! Just gather yer prey an' hop up, good work again ya both."
Gathering his prey the tom waited for any last attempts before leaning down for any apprentices to climb up and heading home, pleased.
Prey totals:
Crow: 2 squirrels, 1 pigeon
Rookpaw: 1 squirrel
Strawberrypaw: 1 crow
(1 last post and we're done!)
@Rose @goodacacia
__________________
Crowtooth is Deputy of Windclan, If he's needed mention me at any time~
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It took a small compliment for Rookpaw to feel a tad bit of pride in her catch. She wasn't beaming, but her eyes were a little brighter than usual. Thank StarClan? The dusky apprentice didn't know what to feel about StarClan yet. Cats talk about them as if they were real, but she'd never seen them or catch any glimpses of this mysterious heavenly clan. Though not oppose, Rookpaw can't find herself believing something she doesn't have concrete proof of. But, sharing their first freshkill was something she could fathom. Regardless of Crowtooth's words, the apprentice would've given her first kill to the nursery queen. But...all the better, more reasons to pay the queen a visit.
"No, thanks. I'll pass on that..." Rookpaw replied, shaking her head, a little embarrassed at the idea of a badger ride. The deputy probably saw them as itty bitty kittens, but come on, she's almost 8 moons old- an apprentice now, not some kit. She could walk back just fine.
Post Count: 51/100 | Purrk(s): Lyrebird’s Lullaby & Don’t Mind If I Do!
Huh. Crowtooth had his eyes narrowed at her piece of prey, oddly enough. Maybe he didn't like birds. (Yes, Strawberrypaw was sometimes really that dense.) Promptly stealing a few of the bird's feathers to tuck into her fur as she'd seen some elder cats do - Father already made a habit of putting flowers on her whenever he could, so she'd picked up on that too - the tan and white apprentice sits back to watch her mentor, head tilted. "Thank... StarClan." It was probably the best she was managing right now, sounding out the words on her tongue.
Queens... elders, and kits. 'You're an elder, right - Can't I gift it to you? ' nearly escaped her maw, but then she remembered! Obviously! Crowtooth didn't like birds, she couldn't gift him this. She'd have to think... of someone else. Eventually.
Initially she'd perked up again at another shot at hunting - she could ace it this time! - but ultimately got distracted and scrambled over to the black and white patterned deputy, scrambling up onto his broad shoulders eagerly. She loved being tall. "Go." After a moment, the apprentice peeks down at her mentor apologetically, blue eyes round. "Sorry. Meant please."
Re: Thunderglade
