RiverClan's Ugly Ducklings [ Swimming Lessons ]

[Mango]

(Crabpaw [ @Fae ], Featherpaw [ @Daylily Orchid ], Petuniapaw [ @Fuzzy ], Lightpaw [ @Queenie ], Badgerpaw [ @Mumble ], Pebblepaw [ @Dust ], and Honeypaw [ @Bluepetal ])
Salmonsong saw that most of the apprentices had made it to her spot on the other end of the pond,” Alright. I expect you to be on your best behavior, as I don’t want to have to inform your mentors that you were goofing off and didn’t learn how to swim. Understood?” she meowed pausing for them to respond,” No one go into the water until I say, alright?” she meowed before slowly wading into the water until she was barely able to stand with her head above water,” When you go in, not now, walk in slowly, don’t run or you’ll get a bunch of water in your face, and could get disoriented and drown. I’ll be going a bit deeper than you as I need to be high enough up not to drown, alright? Once you just can’t touch, you will run in water. Making long strides. Your legs won’t move as fast, but as long as you keep it up, it should keep your head above water, if you start to sink. I don’t want you trying to get up, instead force yourself to the bottom where you can touch, use your hind legs and boost yourself out of the water.” she meowed while demonstrating before heading into shallower water, where the apprentices would swim.

__________ @Beau
Eveningpaw gave a small nod as she waded in, she didn’t like how it felt on her underbelly as she waded in. She glanced slightly at Creekriver,” Uhh..I’m your size, so I think I’ll need to go a bit deeper than them.“ she meowed, after all she was 19 moons old, she was fully grown, but Creekriver was a little bit taller than her.

[Shade.]

Lotuspaw slowly padded into the pond. She needed to go deeper than most apprentices since she was quite huge. Once she couldn't feel the bottom she started waving around her legs. It seemed to keep her head dry but she was spinning in circles.
"Um...am I doing it right?"she asked

@Beau

[Mango]

Originally Posted by Mumble

Badgerpaw nodded, I'm gonna make some new friends today! At least, I hope I'm going to... she thought, looking around at the other apprentices. She quietly walked over to featherpaw, I'm k-kinda nervous... I d-don't want t-to drown! she squeaked to the apprentice.

Salmonsong gave a small reassuring smile to Badgerpaw,” I’ll be watching closely, and if you start to drown. I’ll rescue you.” she meowed,” I’m a good swimmer, besides, so long as you don’t do what Blizzardkit did, you won’t be stuck face in in the water, hind legs out.” she meowed hoping that might reassure Badgerpaw.

[Mango]

Originally Posted by Bluepetal

Honeypaw glances at Eveningpaw. Why was every cat around her in a bad mood? ”Hi,” they padded up to Eveningpaw.

Eveningpaw flicked her tail to Honeypaw. Despite being far older than Honeypaw she gave a small smile,” Are you excited about swimming?” she meowed. Hoping to sound more like a standard apprentice and less like a mentor. She hated how the apprentices saw her like a mentor figure, the warriors saw her as an apprentice, while the apprentices saw her as a mentor. She wished for friends of either age.

[Dovey]

Originally Posted by Shimm

Mossypaw's invisible eyebrows shot up in surprise as Sootflare gave him a group of cats to teach. Well this might be a tad bit difficult. Thinking to himself as a bunch of little kits surrounded him.
"I'm over here Duskkit and Silverkit!" Calling out to the kits that called his name. His amber eyes swept across the river bank as the groups dispersed. Hearing another voice the apprentice turned his head over to Blizzardkit. Should he make Blizzardkit learn how to swim or let him be? Mossypaw wasn't too sure which he would do. He wanted this to be a fun experience and it wouldn't be if he forced the tom to do something that he didn't want to do. "Uh...okay Buddy, just for now though. Make sure you pay close attention please." He called over his shoulder as he when to get the other kits to where he was. Thankfully he had three since Curlkit appeared. "Yo Peachkit, Almondkit, and Smokekit, come on you lazy bums."
When everyone showed up the calico took a deep breath, he would be teaching not one but seven kits. "Okay guys! We are going to take this slow. The first thing to know, is that you can't fight the current. Most of the time it will overpower you." Voice loud enough for the kits to hear. "Secondly you want to start on the shallow end so everyone please line up side by side and enter the water until it reaches the chest." Flickering his tail for the younger kits to follow him. The cool river welcomed the tom as he slowly stepped in and turned around for the kits to see.

@Silvershadow9 @Slushie @Zesty Mango @Socks @Chasepaw @TeamRiverRipple @wolfnight

Almondkit stepped foward.
"Alright."

[Sneakyfox55]

Originally Posted by Beau

[FONT="Garamond"][SIZE="2"]

Stonepaw [ @The Shadow Flower ], Lotuspaw [ @Shadeleaf ], Eveningpaw [ @Zesty Mango ], Tinypaw [ @S-oft ], Ivypaw [ @FuzzyRatto ], Sparrowpaw [ @:Grimm: ], Darkpaw [ @Sneakyfox55 ]
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“Alright, I believe we are all here. I’ll start with a demonstration and then one at a time, you each can give it a go. I’ll be staying in the water to assist, so don’t worry.” Creekrunner slid into the water and walked until it was just touching his belly fur. “Remember to walk calmly into the water, don’t go splashing in. It’s a good way to disorient yourself as a new swimmer and before you know it your feet aren’t on the ground anymore and you can’t breathe. Now, I’m going to have to go farther in to actually swim since I’m taller. None of you, I repeat, none of you are to go this far into the pond. You are to stop where your feet just barely touch the floor and I will help you out into the slightly deeper water.” The silver tom kicked off into the deep part of the pond and paddled around a few times for the watching cats. Speaking without a hint of struggle, Creekrunner continued, “when you reach water you must swim in, don’t try to touch the ground. It wastes time and energy. Instead, you must move your legs like you are running. The movement will be slowed due to the water, but you want the wide movements of running legs as opposed to the tiny ones of walking. You push your leg out far in front of you and then pull it back, doing this in twos at opposite times. Keep your head above water for now, you aren’t going to need to go under just yet. One more thing for now. If you find yourself going under and no one is around to help and you are sinking, don’t go for the surface. Swim as quickly as possible to the floor of the pond and kick off of the ground with all of your strength. It will propel you to the surface. This tactic doesn’t work as well in rivers, however, due to the current. There, you must work to break the surface without the assistance from the ground.” With the demonstration over, Creekrunner easily returned to the shallow water and asked, “any questions?”

Fascinated, Darkpaw padded to the edge of the water. She gazed at it for a moment before asking, "What do we do if we see somebody else struggling?"

[Quasar]

Originally Posted by Zesty Mango

Salmonsong gave a small reassuring smile to Badgerpaw,” I’ll be watching closely, and if you start to drown. I’ll rescue you.” she meowed,” I’m a good swimmer, besides, so long as you don’t do what Blizzardkit did, you won’t be stuck face in in the water, hind legs out.” she meowed hoping that might reassure Badgerpaw.

Badgerpaw gulped, O-okay... she squeaked, her eyes wide. she hesitantly waded into the shallows of the pond, making sure not to go in too deep.

[Star child]

Originally Posted by Zesty Mango

Eveningpaw flicked her tail to Honeypaw. Despite being far older than Honeypaw she gave a small smile,” Are you excited about swimming?” she meowed. Hoping to sound more like a standard apprentice and less like a mentor. She hated how the apprentices saw her like a mentor figure, the warriors saw her as an apprentice, while the apprentices saw her as a mentor. She wished for friends of either age.

Honeypaw shyly nodded. "Have you not trained to swim either?"

[dionysus]

Stonepaw [ @The Shadow Flower ], Lotuspaw [ @Shadeleaf ], Eveningpaw [ @Zesty Mango ], Tinypaw [ @S-oft ], Ivypaw [ @FuzzyRatto ], Sparrowpaw [ @:Grimm: ], Darkpaw [ @Sneakyfox55 ]
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Creekrunner frowned and waxed forward, “I believe I requested that we do this one at a time. I suppose standing in the water is just as good as standing on the bank, but please refrain from jumping in until I call your name. Once everyone has had a preliminary lesson, then you can all get in at the same time and I will oversee.”
To Eveningpaw, the silver warrior said, “yes, you can go in as far as you need. I just don’t want the younger apprentices going too far.” Then, he turned to Darkpaw and answered, “If you see someone struggling, alert me or another nearby warrior if it is serious and I’m too far or helping another. Don’t try to save them yourself. Drowning cats tend to cling to their rescuers due to the adrenaline and fear and push off of them to reach air without thinking about it. They could very easily push you under if you aren’t experienced.” He made sure to speak so everyone could hear, knowing it was an important tidbit for everyone to hear. To Stonepaw and Ivypaw, Creekrunner offered a nod and requested them to stay put for the moment while he turned to Lotuspaw.
“Since you are already swimming, we’ll start with you. As far as your head is above water, yes you have the right idea. If you fell into some water, you would likely survive long enough for someone to rescue you, however you wouldn’t be able to rescue yourself by swimming to shore. You need to steer using your front- lean like you would to turn while running.” He slipped deeper into the water to demonstrate, turning in circles as she was and then leaning his chest away to break the circle and swim toward where he was pointed. Returning to Lotuspaw, he instructed, “for now it will help to keep your eyes on where you want to go. The ability to swim without looking will come with practice.” Standing in the water beside the apprentice, he used a sodden paw to nudge her chin to look forward and moved her shoulder to lean away from her circle.

[FuzzyRatto]

@Beau

Ivypaw blurbled a "Sorry!" and waited.