Into the Underground

[kailie]

Honeypaw grinned and looked at Fleetpaw. "So? Where do we start?"
@Moonraven // @Star // @Luna16 // @SuspiciousMindz

[Luna16]

Fleetpaw noticed Littlepaw's blink and ducked his head bashfully, casting a small smile in her direction. She was a nice cat, he was glad to be able to train beside her. He was glad that Windpaw didn't appear to be scared off by his answer to her question, but he hoped her confidence wasn't...over confidence. It wasn't quite that simple. But it was time to shift gears. He swallowed hard when Dustbunny said he'd be in charge of teaching Honeypaw, praying he didn't mess up and let Dustbunny down. She was putting her faith in him to give Honeypaw the starting foundations of a tunneler, and he couldn't let her down.

Still, his exterior did not exactly match his internal motivation. He waited for Dustbunny to head down, padding over to Honeypaw in the meantime. Okay, Honeypaw was asking what was next...deep breaths Fleet. You can do this. "Th-The tunnels...l-like I s-s-said before...a-are v-very dark." He mewed to Honeypaw, nodding before looking at Littlepaw and Windpaw. He figured he'd let them go first, and once they followed Dustbunny down he followed with Honeypaw.

As the familiar darkness wrapped around him, the cool dirt underpaw, Fleetpaw felt himself feel more capable of breathing deeply. He paused, giving Honeypaw a moment to adjust while there was still some light. "Y-You...must use y-your...other senses." He meowed, his voice a little more confidence than it usually was. "Your nose...to follow sc-scents along th-the walls. Y-Your whiskers, to t-tell you wh-where the walls are. Your e-ears, to l-listen for pawsteps." As he spoke, Fleetpaw pressed his flank against the wall of the tunnel as Dustbunny had done when she first brought him here.

"T-Tunnelers will...leave scent trails..." He explained, taking advantage of the fact that they were still near the entrance to demonstrate, walking forward a little with his flank against the wall of the tunnel. "Th-This is how...w-we keep track...o-of each other...in the d-darkness..." He hoped that would be enough. Dustbunny said they didn't have to explain everything, but he wanted to ensure Honeypaw had the basic tools and knowledge for tracking.

He waited to give Honeypaw the opportunity to ask any questions, angling one of his extra sensitive ears to check on the voices ahead of them of Windpaw and Littlepaw. He wanted to keep tabs on them, ensure they were okay as well. And prevent him and Honeypaw from falling too far behind the rest. He wasn't too worried though. Fleetpaw hadn't spent nearly as much time down here as Dustbunny, but he already wore the darkness of the tunnels as a second pelt. He was more comfortable in this environment than he was above ground in the sun. Though it may not look it on the outside, and he'd never say it outloud out of fear of sounding arrogant, he was confident in being able to navigate the tunnels.

@Moonraven - Dustbunny // @SuspiciousMindz - Littlepaw // @kira - Honeypaw // @Star - Windpaw

[Star]

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Windpaw
Fluffy patched tortoiseshell she-cat with blue and green heterochromia
She/They | 9 Moons | + every 17th | WindClan Apprentice | Optimistic and calm
[58/100]

Purrks:
Dreamwalker [INACTIVE] • Bewitched (Can feel the pain of those around her) [Permanently Active] • Silver Tongue T1 [Permanently Active]

. 。・゜✭・.・✫゜・。.

. 。・゜✭・.・✫゜・。.

Windpaw perked up when she heard a familiar voice, turning around and beaming at the apprentice who'd just arrived. She lightly tapped the top of her sister's head with her paw affectionately.

"LIL'PAW! HI!" The apprentice chirped. "Yeah I'm going, too! I've never been down in the tunnels before. I dunno what to feel about it." She paused, listening to Dustbunny speak before quickly following the older feline. She was nervous, yes, but the excitement outweighed the anxiety. This was a great opportunity, it will be just fine. She also took the time to listen to Fleetpaw's explaining, though her eyes struggled to find the dark-pelted tom in the darkness. Another cat she couldn't find was Littlepaw. Uhm.

"Lil'paw where are you?" She whisper-yelled, eyes narrowing. Her nose and ears worked extra to pinpoint the apprentice's location, but she wasn't great at it. This may be harder than she'd thought.

{ @Moonraven - Dustbunny | @SuspiciousMindz - Lil'paw | @Luna16 - Fleetpaw | @kira - Honeypaw }

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[SuspiciousMindz]

[Littlepaw]
​WindClan Apprentice Tunneler
​52/100
Lucky Duck T1 | The Collector

She'd note the way Fleetpaw ducked his head away, raising a brow and little a small smile curl up her lips. How cute! Wait- Littlepaw felt her ears grow hot for a moment, letting her gaze dart away to the tunnel entrance to hide whatever it was she was feeling from everyone. Then, their mentor gave the instructions and everything went right out the door. She'd be back to feeling normal.

Littlepaw wasted no time in following Dustbunny into the tunnels. She was more confident this time than the first time she'd been down here. Now, she had others to show off to! Windpaw was the most important one of the group, of course, so she'd be mindful of her sister and make sure to put on her bravest face. Fleetpaw's explanation was nice, it saved her some talking and thinking, less to tell Windpaw, who seemed to have halted behind her to listen. Although, Littlepaw didn't realize she had taken a few paces further, enough so that her sister no longer knew where she was.

"I'm not that far from ya! Just use ya ears a lil and follow ma voice!" Littlepaw began, staying halted where she was until she could feel Windpaw's face near her tail. "Also use yer whiskers and make sure ya don't bump yer nose into the walls or nothin', just keep on followin' my voice!" At this point, it was assumed that Windpaw had made contact with her tail -- at the minimum.

"Since it's yer first time down 'ere, we just gonna adjust 'n take our time. Ta ground is uneven, trust me, I learned that'ta first time when I tripped," Littlepaw half giggled, hoping Dustbunny would remember that moment. "But don'let the darkness scare ya either," Littlepaw tried to talk calmly to ease any anxiety her sister might be feeling. If Windpaw was anything like Littlepaw, she wasn't used to the confined places and darkness. Littlepaw had to learn to focus on her breathing and now she had mastered that. Deep, slow, breaths to soothe her worries. She only hoped Windpaw picked up just as quickly, if not quicker than her.

@Star - Windpaw | @Moonraven - Dustbunny | @Luna16 - Fleetpaw | @kailie - Honeypaw

[Moonraven]

As the darkness enveloped her, Dustbunny felt a warm sense of comfort surge through her body. The dampness in the air, the smooth, cold floor under her paws, the walls that brushed her whiskers as she walked. This felt like home. It wasn't that she had anything against WindClan and the open territory, but Dustbunny sometimes felt like she could settle underground and feel truly happy... at least until she got lonely.

She wasn't lonely today. She keeps trudging through the dense darkness while her ears twist as far back as possible, to listen to the voice of her apprentices and their "apprentices". Dustbunny had to restrain herself from purring too loudly not wanting to interrupt their lesson. They were doing aboustely wonderful. She was so proud of them, look at how they've grown!

A chuckle briefly fills the narrow space as the mentor recalls Littlepaw's first time in the tunnels. She had her doubts with Littlepaw at first, but she's exceeded all of them since then. "When your whiskers brush the walls you're going to feel a tingle in them, try not to lurch or jerk your head around, you'll crash straight into the other wall. I did that a lot when I was training." Her mother just laughed at her and let her learn how to move her head correctly.

"The tunnel is going to open up down here." She meows, leading them straight into a small cavern filled with dusty light thanks to the thin roots of the trees that had poked holes through the mud. It gave her enough room to properly check on Windpaw and Honeypaw without Dustbunny needing to push past Littlepaw and Fleetpaw in the narrow tunnel.

"You two explained that perfectly, you must have had an excellent mentor." The she-cat's blue eyes gleamed in the faint light as she teased Fleetpaw and Littlepaw.

"Honeypaw and Windpaw, how are we feeling? No itchy paws, dizziness, shortness of breath?" Dustbunny hadn't been listening as well as she would had it been her and the two newbies. Fleetpaw had adjusted perfectly well to the tunnels, Littlepaw had needed a little extra time, but you'd never know that seeing her now. If all was well they'd move on to the hunting portion of this patrol.
@kira [Honeypaw] @Star [Windpaw] @Luna16 [Fleetpaw] @SuspiciousMindz [Littlepaw]

[Luna16]

CW: this character often experiences symptoms of PTSD and anxiety.

It seemed that Honeypaw didn't have any questions at this time, not that he really could blame her. Dustbunny's additional instructions were brilliant. As always. Or...wait. Fleetpaw didn't hear her pawsteps. The older apprentice paused in his approach down the tunnels, stepping out into the cavern and making room for Littlepaw and Windpaw as he turned, trying to catch Honeypaw's scent in the tunnels. He suddenly felt his blood run cold as he realized...she wasn't there. Fleetpaw turned his panicked gaze to Dustbunny, tail lashing fearfully. "H-Honeypaw...h-her scent isn't...h-here." He could feel the disappointment swarm him like bees. Obviously he was less competent that his mentor thought...he completely failed her.

"S-She...m-must have...g-gone back..." And he should have noticed. Fleetpaw felt his claws dig into the ground beneath him, trying to shake the feeling off. For Littlepaw and Windpaw if nothing else. He may have let down Dustbunny and Honeypaw already, but he didn't want to let the other two down as well. Not when Littlepaw was doing so well at this already! His gaze flickered up occasionally to his mentor, trying to put on a brave face despite the crushing weight of his own failure.

@Moonraven - Dustbunny // @SuspiciousMindz - Littlepaw // @Star - Windpaw

[Star]

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Windpaw
Fluffy patched tortoiseshell she-cat with blue and green heterochromia
She/They | 9 Moons | + every 17th | WindClan Apprentice | Optimistic and calm
[68/100]

Purrks:
Dreamwalker [INACTIVE] • Bewitched (Can feel the pain of those around her) [Permanently Active] • Silver Tongue T1 [Permanently Active]

. 。・゜✭・.・✫゜・。.

. 。・゜✭・.・✫゜・。.

"Alright, alright... Gotcha. Don't flail, move carefully, feel around me with my whiskers. Follow Lil'paw's voice. Okay. Got it." Windpaw murmured to herself, slowly turning her head to feel around her with her whiskers, all the while following Littlepaw, Dustbunny, and Fleetpaw's voice. And... Honeypaw, too, she supposed... But the she-cat was nowhere to be seen. Felt? Sensed? Either way, there was no sign of Honeypaw anymore. Boo. She must have gotten bored or something. Which meant now, she was the only newbie here! Welp. More opportunity to have stuff be explained to just her, then, she supposed.

"Nope, nothing of the sort! I feel fine!" She chirped, answering Dustbunny's question. "You know, it really is quite nice down there. I can see why you all love it so much." She could spend hours more! It was a lot tighter and darker, but it was cozier and quieter than the bright and loud camp she always spent her time at.

{ @Moonraven - Dustbunny | @SuspiciousMindz - Lil'paw | @Luna16 - Fleetpaw }

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[SuspiciousMindz]

[Littlepaw]
​WindClan Apprentice Tunneler
​67/100
Lucky Duck T1 | The Collector

Oh no! One of their apprentices turned and went back?! What a shame! She could hear it in Fleetpaw's voice and her heart ached for the tom. She'd take a quick, sharp, inhale and pause in her steps, letting Windpaw sneak past her with a boop to the shoulder. "You sound like a pro tunneler already! I wasn't that calm with my first time down here!" she spoke towards Windpaw, giggling a little. She was sure Dustbunny would remember. It wasn't... too long ago now.

She'd come up on Fleetpaw, at least, close enough from the scent. Her eyesight still wasn't the best down here, especially when it really got dark... but duh. "Fleets, maybe she was too nervous. It's not fer 'veryone, y'know," She did her best to sound comforting, already sensing the distraught feeling radiating from him. If she was close enough, her tail would tap his shoulder, maybe rest on it briefly if he allowed such a gesture. Then, Littlepaw would focus on Dustbunny and Windpaw, again.

"So! Hunting?!" She chimed towards Dustbunny, trying to recite the whole reason for them being down here.

@Moonraven - Dustbunny | @Star - Windpaw | @Luna16 - Fleetpaw

[Moonraven]

A flicker of worry danced within the lead tunneler's eyes as she heard about Honeypaw's departure. Her eyes travel toward Fleetpaw concerningly, knowing the tom would take Honeypaw's leave as some personal failure. Windpaw's voice brought a small smile to her mouth. At least someone was having fun.

"That's alright, Fleetpaw, perhaps Honeypaw wasn't as interested in tunneling as she thought she was. I've had cats in the past who show interest in tunneling, but the dark and enclosed space proves to be too much for them. I wouldn't take it personally, you and Littlepaw have been doing a wonderful job." She reassured the apprentice as best as she could.

"Oh, yes, hunting." She perks up at Littlepaw's reminder. No time to worry too much about Honeypaw, Dustbunny would have to check in and see if she got back to camp alright later.

"There are two different ways I like to hunt down here, digging and chasing. Unlike above ground, your ears are your best bet when locating prey. Using your nose can be a little difficult since scents don't travel well down here, and you're eyes can only help so much. Listening for the nervous thump from a rabbit's paw, or the squeaks of mice, or the scratching of vole claws, is the best way to hunt down here, in my opinion." She told the three paws.

"Follow me and be very quiet, let's see what we can hear." She told the three and led them down the winding path. Dustbunny didn't have to wander too far, there was always an abundance of prey in the underground. It wasn't long before she heard the squeaks of mice in the tunnel walls. She turned her head left and then right, and then left again, honed in on where the noise was coming from. There it was!

"Fleetpaw," She called the eldest to the front. He already had some experience with mice hunting in the tunnels with the patrol with Vinesmoke. She hadn't taught him anything, though, but experience was a lesson in itself. " Use your ears to pinpoint exactly where the noise is coming from and then start digging." She told him in an enthusiastic tone.

"Windpaw and Littlepaw settle around him, but don't get in his way. The mice will fall to the ground and run as soon as they hit the dirt. So you're going to want to be fast. Get into your hunting crouch. Considering how dark and hard it is to see, you'll want to focus on your whiskers when hunting smaller prey in the tunnels. You can do a kill bite, but I prefer squishing the small prey; it's easier than nipping each one." She advised, while stepping back a few tail lengths to give them some space to do their hunting.
@Star [Windpaw] @Luna16 [Fleetpaw] @SuspiciousMindz [Littlepaw]

[Luna16]

CW: this character often experiences symptoms of PTSD and anxiety.

Oh stars, he hadn't expected to receive so much empathy! He certainly didn't want his friends to worry about him. But at the same time...he was so grateful to them. He couldn't help a small smile and a low purr, they knew him so well. It truly warmed his heart. He hadn't been expecting the touch from Littlepaw, so it caused him to tense and flinch for a moment, expecting a threat in the darkness. But he relaxed when he realized it was her, purring in response since he knew she couldn't see him smiling very well. "Th-Thank you both." He murmured, though he kept to himself how he didn't feel worthy of their kindness.

When Dustbunny said the key here was hearing, he perked up a bit. He hadn't expected that, something he was good at was going to come in handy in the tunnels and make things easier for his clan! How exciting! He followed Dustbunny stealthy, the skinny tom wore shadows like a second pelt and the tunnels were basically bathed in shadow. He felt at home in this environment. His ears pricked forward when Dustbunny summoned him, and he quietly crept up to her side. Listen to pinpoint the mice, then dig them out. He nodded, then realized she couldn't see that gesture. "R-Right." He murmured quietly, moving forward to take the lead on the hunt.

Hearing the mice was kitten's play, his ears swiveled to check the sound before pin-pointing the source location. Quietly, cautiously, he put a paw up carefully to see if he could measure the depth of the wall between them and their quarry, he'd need to be extra careful that the mice didn't pick up on any vibrations of his trying to dig them out. It was decently thick, but not too bad. This shouldn't take but a moment. Fleetpaw used his long tail to reach around to lightly touch Windpaw and Littlepaw's shoulders, listening to their breathing to determine their location. He wanted to make sure they were in position before he started, they'd need to be quick about this.

Then, having analyzed that everything was in place, Fleetpaw set to doing the work he loved so much. With calculated precision, Fleetpaw worked quickly and smoothly. Making sure the bring the dirt around to his other side before patting it down, to minimize on any vibrations and keep it out of the other hunter's way. Then he could feel it, this would be the final scoop. Fleetpaw tapped his tail gently against Windpaw and Littlepaw's forepaw, as a silent signal. He prayed they'd know what he meant, he didn't want to use his words and risk spooking the mice at this point. They were too close.

With that signal given, Fleetpaw took out the last scoop of dirt and quickly moved it aside. Leaping backwards quickly to give Littlepaw and Windpaw space to do their part of the assignment as the mice came tumbling out from their tunnel into the waiting claws of the WindClan cats. There were plenty of the little squeaking creatures, at least one for each -paw. As one tried to escape past him, Fleetpaw brought a claw down on it swiftly, squishing the terrified creature as Dustbunny had suggested. He could hear the mice beginning to move in a panic, and listening closely to ensure no others tried to escape past him.

@Moonraven - Dustbunny // @SuspiciousMindz - Littlepaw // @Star - Windpaw