Saltmeadow Marsh

[teddy.]

Originally Posted by Acantha

Frostpaw yelped and playfully glared at her mentor, flicking her tail. She pawed at her face, trying to get the mud off, and once she did, she scooped some up and lobbed it at her mentor.
@teddy.

haretuft ﹕ he / him
Skinny, unkempt, brown tomcat.

Haretuft laughed out but the noise was lost in uis throat as the pie of muck landed directly on his already-brown snout. He blinked, shaking his head. The fast frizzle of action sent mus splattering everywhere, like a dog when wet shaking off water.

Haretuft strolled over and without a second of hesitation, rolled his skinny body into the dirt. It caked his fur, soaking him only on the top layer of his matts and knots. "Mud is a great way to mask your scent," he rumbled out, even the bottom of his tail was soaked in the dirty mess. "If youre being hunted by badgers, foxes, cats, it can be a life or death situation if they catch a whiff of your scent... you can hide but your smell will give you away in a heartbeat." His words were heavy with seriousness as he glanced down at the white feline.

"Can you smell my scent?"

[bells_n_whistles]

Frostpaw sniffed the air, trying to identify the brown tom's scent. She caught it, but it smelled a bit old, as if he wasn't truly there anymore. The only strong scent she could smell was mud.
She wrinkled her nose and paced around him, frustrated that she couldn't smell past the mud. "No. It's all mud."
@teddy.

[teddy.]

Originally Posted by Acantha

Frostpaw sniffed the air, trying to identify the brown tom's scent. She caught it, but it smelled a bit old, as if he wasn't truly there anymore. The only strong scent she could smell was mud.
She wrinkled her nose and paced around him, frustrated that she couldn't smell past the mud. "No. It's all mud."
@teddy.

haretuft ﹕ he / him
Skinny, unkempt, brown tomcat.

Point proven! The toms ears perked up, little white tufts of his ears (now stained brown) fluttering in the winter breeze. "Exactly "

Haretuft stood, coming to stand besides Frostpaw. "Lets see if we can catch some prey... You should get into the habit of not returning to clan empty handed," He hummed his words, dropping into a crouch. "For now, you can watch me."

[bells_n_whistles]

Frostpaw watched diligently as her mentor crouched down and began to stalk through the mud. As his back was turned, she tried to copy that crouch and walking forward but she tripped and face planted in the mud. She quickly wiped the mud off of her face and chose to watch Haretuft instead.
@teddy.

[teddy.]

Originally Posted by Acantha

Frostpaw watched diligently as her mentor crouched down and began to stalk through the mud. As his back was turned, she tried to copy that crouch and walking forward but she tripped and face planted in the mud. She quickly wiped the mud off of her face and chose to watch Haretuft instead.
@teddy.

haretuft ﹕ he / him
Skinny, unkempt, brown tomcat.

Haretuft didn't look back at Frostpaw but the independent turn of his left ear was enough of acknowledgement that he'd heard her movement.

The musky, murky scent of a toad caught Haretufts noise. His whiskers twitched as he honed in on the rather unpleasant scent.

He was careful with each step, watching where his paw landed. He avoided protruding twigs and extra squelchy looking pockets of muck. The scent of toad grew stronger and stronger before—

Haretuft pounced! High into the air before landing down hard onto the toads back. His claws sunk into stretchy moist skin before cracking its spine wuth his entire weight. Haretuft looked up, tail raised behund him. He left the toad where it was. "Now, hunt the toad like i did,"

[bells_n_whistles]

Frostpaw gave her mentor a long look, before crouching down, copying his movements. She slowly padded forward, before leaping at the toad. She overshot by quite a bit, and frustrated, she wheeled around to try again. She crouched down, managing to pounce on the toad but she overbalanced and fell on her side. She stood up, shaking her fur.

@teddy.

[teddy.]

Originally Posted by Acantha

Frostpaw gave her mentor a long look, before crouching down, copying his movements. She slowly padded forward, before leaping at the toad. She overshot by quite a bit, and frustrated, she wheeled around to try again. She crouched down, managing to pounce on the toad but she overbalanced and fell on her side. She stood up, shaking her fur.

@teddy.

haretuft ﹕ he / him
Skinny, unkempt, brown tomcat.

Well... she was trying!

He watched with those slim amber eyes, patiently sitting in silence. The mud on his fur was still wet, barely going to dry in the moisture-clogged air of winter. He'd deal with it later, though.

Frostpaws first attempt was over and then her second begun. The jump landed! And then... she was in the mud again. Anyone would think she was a brown cat from fhe dirt clogging fur that was pristeen white only that morning. No doubt the apprentices mother would chew his ear off, whoever that mightve been.

"Exellcent work for today." He meowed, standing up with a squelch in the marshy mud. "Perhaps it is best we make our way back to camp, yes?" He suggested, tail tup flicking automatically in the direction of their home. "You could carry the toad back; afterall, you did catch it."

[bells_n_whistles]

“More like I landed on it and flopped.” Frostpaw grumbled. “And it was ALREADY dead.”
@teddy.

[teddy.]

Originally Posted by Acantha

“More like I landed on it and flopped.” Frostpaw grumbled. “And it was ALREADY dead.”
@teddy.

haretuft ﹕ he / him
Skinny, unkempt, brown tomcat.

Haretuft let out a little tsk noise. He shook his head, going to use his bodyweight to encourge Frostpaw up. A little nudge of his shoulder. "Progress is progress, regardless of the size. Come along, Frostpaw."

[bells_n_whistles]

Originally Posted by teddy.

haretuft ﹕ he / him
Skinny, unkempt, brown tomcat.

Haretuft let out a little tsk noise. He shook his head, going to use his bodyweight to encourge Frostpaw up. A little nudge of his shoulder. "Progress is progress, regardless of the size. Come along, Frostpaw."

Frostpaw finally got to her feet, shaking her fur out. She passed after her mentor as they headed back in the direction of the camp. She took great care to avoid all mud puddles, but eventually ignored them as she could wash herself in the river.

“When will we next have training?” Frostpaw asked eagerly. She didn’t care if she was exhausted or sad, she just wanted to learn.