Sprucepaw's Assessment [P] - Page 2

**Rani** · #11 March 4th, 2024, 08:19 PM

Yeaaaaaaaaaah Mudhound deserved that unimpressed look. They were trying to help here at least but yeah.... Shutting the trap now.
At least Sprucepaw didnt seem to be loosing it and didnt want to tap out (or was it that he didnt feel he could) the tripods main worry now was the new addition throwing him off his game in the assessment. Which was a valid worry, not that Sprucepaw would talk about it ever.

He expressed he wanted to go and so they would go and 'commence' the assessment. "Go on, Ill be hidden but watching and you choose what you hunt! Good luck and I believe in you!" With that and uncharacteristic sneakyness Mudhound slipped into the bushes (pausing to roll in some ferns for a disguise) and watched the tom get to work.

@dino. @Alchemist Kitsune (Sorry short reply writers block)

***Alchemist Kitsune*** · #12 March 5th, 2024, 12:46 PM

| Sprucepaw |
Kitty Softpaws - Active | Ultimate Predator - Active | Agatha Kitty - Active

Fudge blinked at his mentor's words, silent gratitude laced in the action. He was definitely feeling it. The need for luck. Yet that was not the thing the young apprentice was grateful for. He was thankful for the faith in him. To know that The Boulder placed any in him, believed that he could do this... it was perhaps overly optimistic, but a morale boost all the same. And he needed that. As much as he outwardly preferred to not display his weaknesses, he was terrified. What had begun as a question to seek knowledge on how to gain some higher levels of freedom in this place had turned into a test for his life. This was not how he thought his day would turn, and it scared him more than he cared to admit. There was some comfort as well... in knowing that it was not just Angry who would be judging his every move. Perhaps The Boulder would be able to convince rage incarnate that he was worth showing some modicum of mercy to.

Without a word, the former kittypet moved on, his pace brisk but silent, his senses more alert than he'd ever had them before. It always perplexed him, just how different the world looked whenever he bothered paying attention. How the bend of a dried branch told him the story of a recently passing squirrel. How pecked over and dug up snow let him know there had been birds feeding there. These were all traces on the ground, however, and not good enough. The chocolate point wanted to live through this. Simple, basic hunting would not do. He needed to wow them. Show them he was just at home in the trees as he was at camp. And so after testing his footing up the bark of a tree, the young tom climbed with ease.

This oak had not been chosen at random. There had been a method to Fudge's decision for this tree. It was close. Awfully close to another in which his ears had heard the chirpings of not one, but two squirrels nibbling at their stored food in the relative safety of their perches. High above the reach of any predator that tried to sneak up on them from below. Which meant only one thing. He would have to become a hawk and strike at them from above.

It was a dangerous game he was playing at. A lot could go wrong here if he wasn't paying attention. If he wasn't focused. He could fall to his doom. Miss both squirrels entirely if he wasn't quiet enough. Had gone through all this with nothing to show for it. True, it displayed his climbing skills, but what good were those if he had nothing to offer for them? The long haired tom assumed not very, at least as far as Angry would be concerned. He couldn't see the thunder's head being overly impressed with climbing prowess alone that was not able to be adapted to day to day circumstances, no matter how enjoyable said climbing could be. She simply didn't strike him as a cat who cared much about the likes and dislikes of her clanmates, simply how useful they would be to her in the grand scheme of things.

With this in mind, Fudge remained quiet as he kept his attention divided. One eye on the chittering squirrels and another on his landings, jumping from branch to branch as he gained the required height to put his plan into action. It was through this observation he noticed there was a reasoning for the squirrels positioning as they ate, the bottom one occasionally glancing to the ground underneath them, the top sniffing as it stared skyward. The actions were repeated at intervals, with nibbling on the seeds and nuts they had acquired during seasons past taking most of their time. It took him some studying, but the pattern was quickly discerned, and with whiskers twitching, the dark brown tom almost slithered down a branch, waiting for the opportune moment to- Now!

The bottommost squirrel's eyes cast downward, dark limbs jumped, the Havana Brown mix little more than a blur as he flew from one oak to the next, his maw on the upper squirrel's neck so quickly it died in an instant, unable to cry out towards its companion. Without much preamble the apprentice let it go, allowing gravity to do half his job for him as the squirrel fell to the snow below, the small thud only serving to further distract the squirrel below until it was too late. A squeak of terror escaped the creature when it realized what had happened. Who had fallen. But it was too late. Silent paws had landed on it, fangs silencing the half formed cry of surprise before it could scare away the rest of the forest's prey.

Whiskers twitching, pleased with his catch, Fudge climbed down, jumping from branch to branch towards his first squirrel. He was unsure how much more he would have to catch before The Boulder would be satisfied with his performance, but he wasn't foolish enough to leave his prey out in the open until that time came. Landing just as silently upon the snow as he had been up in tree's many limbs, emeralds hues studied the ground, realizing he would have to dig through snow and dirt alike. The white substance did not seem to be as light and fluffy as most days. He had no idea if it would melt or not, but he wasn't willing to take the chance. Not today, in any case.

[+2 Squirrels]
@dino. [Bumblestar] | @Rani [Mudhound]
| I am happy to have Spruce continue hunting, but I didn't want him to just have an even bigger post of him hunting a ton of critters without any chance at anyone having any say in between each hunt, so broke it down here before continuing. Hope that's alright!

|

**Rani** · #13 March 12th, 2024, 11:26 PM

In the absolute excitement of watching Sprucepaw in his element so soundly and absolutely nailing it Mudhound had resorted to standing on their own tail, so that the ecstatic wagging would not disturb him. They were just SO HAPPY! LOOK AT THEIR LITTLE HUNTER!!! THAT WAS MUDDY'S BOY, THEY TAUGHT HIM THAT!!!

Well not the climbing, the tripod would be lavishing Redhawk in praise for teaching him those expert skills later but the foundation of hunting was their fault. In a good way for once!

Watching the tom fly thought the trees like he was born to them Mudhound couldnt help but think of that first 'kitnapping', how he'd been so little and so scared (oops) but had soaked up the knowledge like a sponge and flourished. That'd been the start of the two's bond but now the apprentice had long surpassed his mentor in hunting skills.

Honestly he'd only need to prove he could hunt one more different type of prey and Mudhound was keen to pass with flying colors, given the skill he'd dispatched the first two creatures.

So, in an act that was probably not normal for a mentor to do in an assessment, a brown head poked out of a nearby bush and beamed at the apprentice throwing up a cat thumbs up before pulling back and disappearing again.

@Alchemist Kitsune @dino.

***Alchemist Kitsune*** · #14 March 14th, 2024, 06:18 PM

| Sprucepaw |
Kitty Softpaws - Active | Ultimate Predator - Active | Agatha Kitty - Active

His task done, the squirrels well hidden from the prying eyes of any potential thieves in the area, the young apprentice looked up, emerald hues opening only slightly in surprise as he saw his mentor's head popping out from the foliage, a rather ridiculous gesture being made that he understood full and well meant he was doing a good job at the very least. Despite himself, the chocolate point felt his whiskers twitch in mild amusement. Alright... as silly as The Boulder had just been, it was a boost in confidence. He knew he was going about this the right way, in any case. Now to keep at it until it was enough, he supposed.

Fudge knew he could take to the trees once more and hunt there. He had always been more comfortable up in the trees than down on the ground for some reason. Less likely to fumble. There was a very real possibility that his keener senses up on the canopy had more to do with his survival instincts kicking in than anything else, the fear of death upon impact if he fell to the ground all too real. However, he had already hunted on the trees, and he was aiming to impress. To showcase just how useful he could be. So that maybe, when his less than stellar spar came to fruition - seriously, neither of his two battling options were a cat an apprentice could realistically do any notable damage to - Angry would take a rare - impossible, the word was impossible - moment of mercy upon him and decide his climbing and hunting prowess was amenable enough to merit keeping him around.

With this thought in mind, the Birman mix kept to the ground, more focused on his every step than he'd ever been before, his deadpanned glare taking in every bent twig, every track in the snow. Nothing caught his eye for some time when he remembered... the seeds! Dark ears perking up, he retraced his steps, digging around the base of the tree, in the areas that looked most recently disturbed until he found them. A small stash of various seeds and nuts. There was no way this was all the squirrels had stored up for winter, but it would do for now. With an odd, satisficed smirk in his maw that didn't quite reach his eyes, the tom dipped his head, grabbing as many of the seeds as he could into his mouth before heading off again.

While he didn't usually pay attention to what other cats spoke about, not really caring much to get to know cats that would either leave or die before long, Fudge was always attentive when it was time to learn. And he still remembered his first catch. A bird. Busy eating seeds on the ground. With all the snow about, he was certain there wouldn't be all that much in terms of food for birds like those in the area, so his little cache would no doubt be enticing as all hell to whatever bird spotted it. It was a simple matter of hiding well while he waited.

It didn't take the paw long to find an ideal spot, and spitting the seeds back out of his mouth, he took to the base of a tree and made himself as small as possible among the exposed roots, his eyes narrowed as to not be too overly visible. The long furred tom had no idea how long he waited. He was a patient cat, spending many a day quietly doing nothing but observing. This was nothing to him, and he was soon well rewarded, two red birds - one's plumage much more vibrant than its smaller companion's feathers - landed on the seeds, inspecting the area with little hops as beady black eyes stared at their surroundings before they began feasting upon the seeds he'd left there. With them distracted, the chocolate point opened his eyes, blank half moons gazing at the two birds as he gave one careful step forward, ready to pounce.

He had miscalculated. Unlike the squirrels, there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to how these two checked their surroundings. Not to mention they certainly seemed to be eating much quicker than the two furry critters from before. Perhaps it was the idea of staying on the ground for longer than needed that coaxed that need to ingest their food as quickly as possible, but as the lighter of the two finished and raised its head, it spotted the crouched apprentice, giving a warning cry before taking flight. Gratefully for the tom, the brighter, bigger cardinal was slower to react. Not having seen him, it took to the air, but the feline's reactions were quicker, and before it had taken too far to the sky, the paw jumped to the air, catching the red feathered bird in midair, claws unsheathed as he gripped its wing tightly, bringing it down to the ground with force before he dipped his head, delivering the final blow.

Disappointment furrowing his brow, he stared up at the sky. At the bird he had lost. Wishing he'd been able to catch both. This might count against him... and he couldn't afford to make mistakes like these. Fluffy tail giving a small, annoyed twitch, he grabbed his prey, ready to bury the bird as he had the squirrels. He would probably have to make up for having allowed that second bird to get away, but he wouldn't be able to do anything about it without hiding this one first. With feathers as bright as these, any thief would be able to see it against the white snow, and he would not lose this cardinal as well.

@dino. [Bumblestar] | @Rani [Mudhound]

**Rani** · #15 March 27th, 2024, 07:04 AM

Honestly Mudhound didnt know how he did it. Which was stupid because they'd taught the kid how to do this and yet they were outstripped and outskilled in spades. Maybe it was because Mudhound was a 'know the theory and dont do that' type of cat? Like they were aware that thought they taught proper hunting like grandma Houndspirit taught them the tripod did not hunt like they knew how to, instead just kinda.... bumbling up and grabbing the prey that didnt seem to realize that this was a cat and not a very loud mud clod.

That sounded right, Sprucepaw was naturally skilled and actually listened to lessons and so was this good! Even if he's missed one bird he'd caught the other and yanno what, if Bumble-sis thought she needed more evidence he was a top hunter even as an apprentice then she could say so, Mudhound was moving on!

Emerging from the bushes only kind of leafy (lies, they were a bush-cat now) the tripod let out a loud cheer that promptly scared off the prey that lingered in the area, downright bathing Sprucepaw via overly affectionate/happy licks to the head. That was their little guy being a total rockstar! He was lucky Mudhound didnt literally squash him in excitement.

"EEeeeeee! Sprucey! That was so good! Dont worry about that mean old bird, I swear theyre the worst to catch and you got the other one and thats more then good enough! Even I loose prey frequently, dont stress it and you did AMAZING with the squirrels and snagging this before it flew off, I think we can move on to fighting! After all, I hardly need to test your climbing when you bounce up there like youre born to it!"
He did much better then Mudhound did with no thunderclan blood so hah blood purists, you were always morons and this was just more proof! Off topic thought though.

"Ok so lets run combat, you and me, lets do it! No claws, a loss doesnt mean failure, and I believe in you!"
Was that enough warning? Hopefully because Mudhound gave the smaller tom just a bit to drop into his own combat stance after they'd pulled out their before they struck.

And by stuck they meant a boot paw to the face. It wasnt full force of course, the hornet could concuss with a full blow, but it wasnt a 'Im training a baby' blow and would sting for a second if it hit. Dodge or die, tripod version and it rapidly continued as the maine coon alternated between swiping for his head in a move that with claws would tear at soft spots and trying to sweep Sprucepaws paws from under him to knock him over.

Overwhelming? Perhaps a bit with Mudhound's size but the next steps were one the tripod had confidence the apprentice could manage. Get your wits about you, dodge, and strike back.

@Alchemist Kitsune @dino.

***Alchemist Kitsune*** · #16 March 27th, 2024, 09:28 PM

| Sprucepaw |
Kitty Softpaws - Active | Ultimate Predator - Active | Agatha Kitty - Active

The young tom barely had the time to turn around and return to the spot he had hidden the two squirrels in when a very fuzzy, leafy hill suddenly materialized before him, covering him in merry licks. Truthfully, the apprentice didn't mind the brushing of the giant's tongue anymore. He had grown fond of their affections - and there was really very little doubt as to who this was - although he did hope this wouldn't make for a bad impression as far as Angry was concerned. He had never witnessed the tiny fury showing a range of emotions that did not involve anger, rage, ire, or violence. If he were to be honest, he wasn't even certain the ThunderClan leader cared much for what even he deemed to be the weaker emotions. Perhaps the turbulent tabby had simply outgrown her weaknesses by now. That outraged output of energy must have gone somewhere if not her size, after all.

The impromptu bath seemingly done, Fudge looked up at the beaming feline, a mixture of pride and frustration hinted in his half lidded gaze, the small, singular tap of his tail a much better metric of his current mental state. He knew The Boulder was proud, and frankly, that did make the eight moon old tom pleased... but he still couldn't help feel the sting of the one that got away. He would have to improve his technique in time... And what if the leader decided that bird was enough to keep him back? His mentor was very adamant this was not the case but... the chocolate point couldn't help but worry.

Turned out the former kittypet didn't have much time to concern himself over the hunting portion of his assessment. Gratefully, it seemed his hunting prowess with the squirrels had at the very least validated his climbing capabilities as a whole, which left only... combat. The part he dreaded most. How was he supposed to fight off such a colossal cat? Once more, the younger feline found himself giving a dubious glance at the larger one's encouragement, finding it difficult to believe that the leader would accept a loss as a worthy finish to his assessment. He was grateful, of course, for the fact that he'd been given The Boulder as a mentor. He couldn't have asked for a better cat to learn from. Fighting them, however, was a whole other beast to tackle... or mountain. A whole massive, furry mountain that was aiming a paw to his face- Wait... what?!

Fudge could admit that he had let his guard down. He trusted The Boulder explicitly, so when the mountain of a cat decided to tell him that they were entering the combat portion of the assessment, the Birman mix had assumed it was a recommendation. A small heads up waiting for confirmation from the apprentice. With his mentor's usual air of relaxation, it was hard to imagine anything would come out of nowhere with them... unless it was a hug. Seemed it was less a hug centric thing and more a physical thing however, as that paw came at him faster than he could react, and even as his eyes opened wide in slow realization he felt the first strike land squarely on his nose in what he could only consider an act of utmost betrayal.

Gratefully, all it took was that single strike to make the dark limbed paw react. He had gotten used to it at one point. It had been a short moment in his life despite it seeming a lifetime of misery even in retrospect. Those days he had wandered the city starving and getting beat up the moment he found any morsel to eat, another, larger cat always making sure to remind him that these strikes were a kindness. They were letting him know that life was tough as they laughed at his cries of pain and misery. He had learned how to defends against those cats before, and by instinct, he had begun to let himself drop. To fall to the ground and just let the beating finish. He knew the less he reacted the less fun they had. The sooner it ended. Except... he wasn't in the city anymore... and he doubted The Boulder or Angry would stop beating him until he was dead.

This thought striking into him more than The Boulder's own blows ever could, Fudge narrowed his eyes, rolling away from the feline's next hits and into the protruding roots of the nearby tree. The place he had hidden in to hunt the cardinals could provide some cover while he found a weakness, he hoped... Although frankly, looking at the giant, the young tom was once again reminded of how much smaller and younger he was. Of how lanky he looked in comparison to them. He was good at climbing... and hunting... and nothing else... But then... what was it they had said before? That hunting wasn't too different to an ambush attack. Well... maybe he couldn't surprise them anymore... It would be too late for an ambush, but if he could apply hunting skills to battles, perhaps there was a chance that he could apply climbing into fighting too? He would be unable to bring down the giant, but what was a mountain for if not climbing?

Narrowing his eyes, he skittered through the shadows of the roots, paws silent as he hoped his fur would provide ample camouflage within this shelter. It would be better, of course... if it wasn't for all this worthless sno- The snow... A rare, mirthless grin spread the tom's lips across his maw for a moment as an idea formed, grabbing at the snow while keeping a focused, attentive eye on his mentor. He'd felled the beast once before, hadn't he? With a snowball aimed at random? The paw knew fully that there would be no chance of this snowball procuring the same effect once more, for starters The Boulder did not have their own massive snowball with them. But if he could provide a distraction? Just enough to leap and land on the mountain's back... or at least help in clamber on him and aim a small nip at his neck? The chances of blinding the giant were zero, but... maybe... just maybe... Yes. A distraction. That was all he'd ask for as he tossed the snowball, aiming right at the feline's face. And if it failed and instead gained a massive paw down the roots attempting to grab at him? Well... those toe beans hurt when bitten, no matter how big you were.

@dino. [Bumblestar] | @Rani [Mudhound]

**Rani** · #17 March 28th, 2024, 07:39 PM

Whoops! Got your nose Sprucey but this was dodge or die! Well not die die, Mudhound loved Sprucepaw too much to ever actually hurt him beyond a bap for his own good (though they still felt bad at the wide green eyes at the blow).

Though they were rapidly rethinking even that as he.... ran? A bolt of panic as the tripod bounded after him, unsure of what to do now. Were they too harsh and now had to call this off and make sure he was ok, reassure him that victory wasnt required and he wouldnt be hurt no matter what. Or... Or was this a tactic thing and Mudhound would only upset Sprucepaw assuming he needed that extra care and he in fact saw it as coddling and thinking he was a child?

The tripod had no clue and, deciding to make a decision when they could actually see their apprentice, and ducked down to peer into the roots hoping to spot them. Something which backfired as Sprucepaw would get a clear view of the worry in wide golden eyes before the shock set in.

Snowball to the face, bullseye on the eyes.

Mudhound yelped sharply not expecting the cold and reeled back away from the roots, blinded and flailing as they tried to both clear their face and wildly lash out in case an attack came when they were vision-less. Both done poorly given the circumstances of course. Betrayal! The tom had weaponized his mentors worry and then snowballed them!!!!! To think Mudhound was sorry, he deserved the bap, there was snow in the hornets eyes!!!

Ggggggh they needed to get their face clear quickly before he seized the moment, paw rubbing at a now powdered muzzle.

@Alchemist Kitsune @dino.

***Alchemist Kitsune*** · #18 March 31st, 2024, 09:50 PM

| Sprucepaw |
Kitty Softpaws - Active | Ultimate Predator - Active | Agatha Kitty - Active

It was only through the power of adrenaline and hyperawareness that Fudge did not stand gaping at the fact that his snowball plan had, as a matter of fact, worked! It... it worked! Square in the eyes, too! But that only gave him a moment to act. The time for thinking was in the past now. As speedily as he could, the long furred apprentice wriggled through the roots' openings, using the very speed and strength he'd needed to claw his way out as further momentum, taking a mighty leap as he reached the root's top. Twisting in midair as he angled himself in the fashion his mentor had taught him. Aiming to land squarely on the colossal feline's back.

The young tom's plan was simple. Latch on to the giant's back, shimmy his way up to their neck, and chomp his way to victory! That was of course assuming that he had a shot at this... which he didn't want to pat his own back with, but after that shot of a snowball, he was starting to get pretty pumped up for this. Not that his bored expression allowed any of these feelings to shine through. He'd learned better than that. Fights were no place to let your sentiments be so easily read by the enemy. Despite his admittedly small confidence that he maybe... just maybe had this... the former kittypet didn't let himself get careless. The longer this went on, the less chances he had against The Boulder. All it took was one mistake and he was done.

@dino. [Bumblestar] | @Rani [Mudhound]
| Sorry for the shorter than regular post... Am admittedly exhausted at this point, but I didn't want to leave the post waiting any longer. Will do a better response next time.

|

**Rani** · #19 April 1st, 2024, 02:16 PM

Get it off, get it off, get the damned snow off! Mudhound had a single moment of relief when they finally got the blinding snow off, latent sting in their eyes fading as they could see again. Until all relief was ruined by a hard force colliding with the tripods back.

The hornet let out another yelp, twisting around to try and spot what the hell it was and very suddenly realized the situation. Sprucepaw! The little sneak had taken their advice it seemed and was fighting smarter, not harder and the snow was only the first stage of his attack! The tripod took an internal moment to feel proud of him before stepping into action.

After all, no other enemy would go easy because they were somehow proud of how crafty Sprucepaw was.
The apprentice had landed solidly on the hornets lower back, and from his wiggling they would tell he'd be trying to crawl his way up to get to Mudhounds throat, so the goal was to get him off before he could. Easy enough.

A large paw reached over to try and grab at the tom, the hornet twisting and swiping and increasingly growling in frustration as they just couldnt reach! The little squirrel had landed himself squarely where he couldnt be hit and was clinging hard so baping him about the head until he let go was increasingly not an option. So not easy enough, turns out.

Alrighty then, plan B.
Goodbye Mudhound, hello Mudbronco. The hornet burst into motion, trashing wiggling and bucking like a panicked horse trying to toss their apprentice off. They jumped, leapt, shook themself and spun in circles wildly with no predictability to their motion, ignoring the blows the apprentice leveled at their while on their back in a whirling dervish of motion all in a bid to be freed.

Off damn apprentice! Off I say! Shoo!

@Alchemist Kitsune @dino.

***Alchemist Kitsune*** · #20 April 6th, 2024, 11:15 AM

| Sprucepaw |
Kitty Softpaws - Active | Ultimate Predator - Active | Agatha Kitty - Active

Fudge saw the paws aiming at him. It was rather hard to not see them, even as he clung for dear life to the giant's back and shimmied his way up towards their neck area. Unfortunately, while the paw failed at grabbing on to him, it did excellent work stopping him on his tracks, earning a small hiss of frustration as the young apprentice attempted to bat the paw away with his own, deciding the potential to keep moving forward was worth the risk of having a less secure grip on the feline's back. For a moment, it was all he could do to try and spot an opening, one that would not make him easier bait for his mentor and then... stillness. It seemed The Boulder had finally given up on trying to grab him... or had run out of stamina. Whichever the case, the former kittypet understood it was best to not dawdle. The situation could change at any given moment, and he would not waste this prime opportunity to win this fight!

That had been the plan, in any case. Right up until the moment when the feline beneath him turned less boulder more avalanche. It was all the eight moon old could do to keep himself clinging on to the beast he'd unleashed, and in a bid of desperation, he unsheathed his claws, attempting to grab on to whatever fur and flesh he could find to further secure himself while his mentor leaped like and flew about the snow covered terrain. All he had to do was outlast them, right? There was no way The Boulder could keep this pace up forever! And once they stopped, victory would be his! But maybe... just maybe... he could try his fangs at a preliminary bite attack. Maybe that would catch them so off guard they might trip in this wild bucking about they were doing? It would certainly provide the opening he needed to win this, wouldn't it?

Emerald hues flashing with conviction, Fudge gripped tighter, allowing himself to take a view of just how far up he had managed to get. Still nowhere near close enough to the neck. The mock killing blow would not be his yet. Assuming he somehow got to it. Still... even in his understanding of how few his chances were, he refused to give up. He had made it this far... he would be damned if he didn't give it his best shot.

As the giant beneath him kept tossing about like a leaf strewn by a tornado, the Birman mix saw it. Right before him, rippling underneath the brown fur. The Boulder's shoulder blade. Narrowing his eyes, the chocolate point lunged forward as much as he dared, not willing to release his claws from the perch they had nestled in, mouth open and ready for an attack. There was a lot of fur, so the potential to miss and get nothing more than a hairball courtesy of his failure was very much there, but it didn't stop the gangly paw from chomping down, attempting to strike at muscle or bone. To inflict just enough damage to become a nuisance and shock the warrior out of this maddened prance... preferably to his benefit.

@dino. [Bumblestar] | @Rani [Mudhound]