Flashpaw silently and uncomfortably
sat down in a shady clearing within the pine
forest, which was always a sort of comfort to her-
the thick, sap-like scent of the pines helped
her relax at least a little bit, and hey- the fact
she relaxed at all was a miracle within itself sometimes.
With a quiet chirrup she curled her tail around small, cream
paws and needle-sharp white claws, deciding that if she ended
up needing to watch, she might as well be patient and comfortable.
Flashpaw was out training with her mentor.
Or, about to be training.
Either way, it was basically training. With wide jade-colored eyes,
she looked at her mentor, Silverlark. She never said it out loud, and
she felt bad about her own thoughts of it, but sometimes she was
glad for Silverlark being her mentor because they both talked a
little different from the other warriors. Silverlark was a good mentor
in every aspect in her personal opinion, and she deeply appreciated
her reassignment. She tried not to wriggle as she looked up at him,
tried to push away thoughts of him talking funny. He did NOT talk
funny, just had his own way of speaking. Perfectly normal. Yep, no
different way at all. Despite her efforts, it wasn't working. She sighed,
slightly disconcerted, and cut off her own sigh with an almost-
squeak.
Almost.
__________________
Character Site [WIP] Faithfern is the Current Leader of Darkclan. She has an open den policy.
| Silverlark |
Shadow Fiend - Inactive | Just a Scratch - Inactive | Beefed Up [Tier 3] - Inactive
Silverlark took a deep breath as he padded through the dense woods, the musky smell of pine permeating the forest despite the fact that they were still in the midst of leaf-bare. He couldn't imagine living in a place like ThunderClan, where the trees lost their leaves and color was even more drained in the cold moons. Just another reason why ShadowClan was superior, he supposed. And, speaking of super... how super was it that he had another apprentice? And he was out with her today?! Woooo, awesome, awesome! Except... well... not too awesome, because today, he was going to teach her how to hunt. And ew. He was... not a good hunter. Hopefully, however, he would be a better teacher than hunter. It wasn't his fault his muscles got in the way of prey getting, right? Right! Besides, it was his thinking muscles he had to use today... which were also not all that good. Oh boy. Today was going to be rough. Hopefully Flashies would be up for both the good and the bad.
A discontented sigh catching his attention, the muscular tom turned verdant eyes on his apprentice, a questioning look on his features. Hmmm... normally, he would have thought that maybe the apprentice wasn't looking to a full day of training. It seemed silly, considering that training sure beat sitting around camp all day, but he knew some apprentices were like that. That didn't seem to be the case with Flashpaw, though. If anything, she seemed nervous. Of what, the enforcer hadn't a clue. But! But. He wasn't about to let his apprentice be all nerves today! Today was fun fun fun! No time for shaking! Offering a big, beaming grin, the silver throated warrior halted, stretching himself, rolling his broad shoulders before sitting down. Looking excitedly at the tabby.
"Okay okay! I think this is a good spot! Good spot, mmmhmmm. What say you, Flashie? Oh... Maybe I shouldn't be talking so loud. Scare all the prey away, eh?" he purred, a booming laugh escaping him a second later in amusement, blissfully unaware that this was... not helping the situation in the slightest. "That's okay though. That's okay! Today is not about catching, nope. Not unless you feel like you can, right? Right! Today's all about that hunter's crouch. Gotta know how to catch the prey to feed the clan, right? Plus. Listen. Listen! Fluffy prey? Like voles and mice? Not as tasty as frogs and toads. Nope. But! But. Super helpful, mmmhmm. That fur? You skin up the prey before eating it? Gots yourself some nice lining for your nest. Real useful like, ya know? For when it's cold like this, yep.
Now! Now. I know yous hads another mentor 'fore me, right? So I don't wanna go making you doubt your know... know... know how. Mmmhmmm. If yous other mentor taughts ya how to hunt, let me know, yeah? Because truth be told, I'm all bout that fight, ya dig? Give em the ol' one two, heh heh. But hunting? Many other better than me. And that's okay, that's okay. Different cats? Good at different things, yeah? Yeah! So if you are already better than me at it? Well... victory! We move on to a quick assessment on that. Make sure yous got it all good. If not, just let me know whats you know! And I'll be doing my best to helps you, heh heh. So. What's it you know 'bout hunting?" Silverlark chirped, rounded ears perked as he gave his apprentice an attentive, peppy grin.
@blxze. [Flashpaw]
| From what I understood, you preferred keeping Silver and Flash as a mentor/apprentice duo, but if I misunderstood or you change your mind, do let me know! I can have Silver ask for his apprentice to get a mentor change in character, no worries. |
__________________
Lightningstorm is WindClan's current medicine cat.
She has a semi-closed den policy.
| Silverlark |
Shadow Fiend - Inactive | Just a Scratch - Inactive | Beefed Up [Tier 3] - Inactive
Silverlark took a deep breath as he padded through the dense woods, the musky smell of pine permeating the forest despite the fact that they were still in the midst of leaf-bare. He couldn't imagine living in a place like ThunderClan, where the trees lost their leaves and color was even more drained in the cold moons. Just another reason why ShadowClan was superior, he supposed. And, speaking of super... how super was it that he had another apprentice? And he was out with her today?! Woooo, awesome, awesome! Except... well... not too awesome, because today, he was going to teach her how to hunt. And ew. He was... not a good hunter. Hopefully, however, he would be a better teacher than hunter. It wasn't his fault his muscles got in the way of prey getting, right? Right! Besides, it was his thinking muscles he had to use today... which were also not all that good. Oh boy. Today was going to be rough. Hopefully Flashies would be up for both the good and the bad.
A discontented sigh catching his attention, the muscular tom turned verdant eyes on his apprentice, a questioning look on his features. Hmmm... normally, he would have thought that maybe the apprentice wasn't looking to a full day of training. It seemed silly, considering that training sure beat sitting around camp all day, but he knew some apprentices were like that. That didn't seem to be the case with Flashpaw, though. If anything, she seemed nervous. Of what, the enforcer hadn't a clue. But! But. He wasn't about to let his apprentice be all nerves today! Today was fun fun fun! No time for shaking! Offering a big, beaming grin, the silver throated warrior halted, stretching himself, rolling his broad shoulders before sitting down. Looking excitedly at the tabby.
"Okay okay! I think this is a good spot! Good spot, mmmhmmm. What say you, Flashie? Oh... Maybe I shouldn't be talking so loud. Scare all the prey away, eh?" he purred, a booming laugh escaping him a second later in amusement, blissfully unaware that this was... not helping the situation in the slightest. "That's okay though. That's okay! Today is not about catching, nope. Not unless you feel like you can, right? Right! Today's all about that hunter's crouch. Gotta know how to catch the prey to feed the clan, right? Plus. Listen. Listen! Fluffy prey? Like voles and mice? Not as tasty as frogs and toads. Nope. But! But. Super helpful, mmmhmm. That fur? You skin up the prey before eating it? Gots yourself some nice lining for your nest. Real useful like, ya know? For when it's cold like this, yep.
Now! Now. I know yous hads another mentor 'fore me, right? So I don't wanna go making you doubt your know... know... know how. Mmmhmmm. If yous other mentor taughts ya how to hunt, let me know, yeah? Because truth be told, I'm all bout that fight, ya dig? Give em the ol' one two, heh heh. But hunting? Many other better than me. And that's okay, that's okay. Different cats? Good at different things, yeah? Yeah! So if you are already better than me at it? Well... victory! We move on to a quick assessment on that. Make sure yous got it all good. If not, just let me know whats you know! And I'll be doing my best to helps you, heh heh. So. What's it you know 'bout hunting?" Silverlark chirped, rounded ears perked as he gave his apprentice an attentive, peppy grin.
@blxze. [Flashpaw]
| From what I understood, you preferred keeping Silver and Flash as a mentor/apprentice duo, but if I misunderstood or you change your mind, do let me know! I can have Silver ask for his apprentice to get a mentor change in character, no worries. |
Flashpaw smiled awkwardly, though
she tried her best to stifle a purr of amusement.
She liked how he'd called her Flashie. Clearing
her throat and shuffling her paws in an attempt
to not start purring, she mewed, "M-M-My
o-oth-oth-oth-other m-m-men-mentor t-taught
m-me the-th-the ba-ba-bas-basic cr-crouch."
She didn't try all that hard to correct her stuttering,
Silverlark seemed pleasant, as she'd already noted
previously, and so she didn't think he'd be one to
judge. Besides, she was going to hunt! Yes, she was
going to learn how to hunt. That was wonderful! She'd
be some use to her clan, despite her recent diagnosis.
Oh, yes, she had to inform Silverlark sometime during
this training. Well, now was as good of a time as any,
she believed. It had turned her heart numb, previously,
but she knew it was no good to cause any more problems
than she already may with her annoying stutter. Gosh,
she hated her stutter. "A-Al-Also, I-I don't k-kn-know
i-i-i-if-if th-thi-this w-wou-would e-effect a-an-anyth-thing,
but I-I'm a l-littl-a little dea-deaf on-on this side."Alright,
a fine finish to her sentence, without a stutter. She motioned
with one forepaw to her left ear, and then, as to break her
solemn mood, dropped into a hunting crouch, trying very
hard not to totter or let her tail swish. Her muscles ached
from it, but she knew the crouch would only make her
stronger. Well, if that was possible. She wasn't very
strong. She was fluffy, yes, but a fine climber and could
run a distance. Speed? No. But length? Pretty good. "I-I l-like th-th-this sp-spot, Sil-Silverlark. I-Is m-my
cr-crou-crouch g-good?" she piped up.
__________________
Character Site [WIP] Faithfern is the Current Leader of Darkclan. She has an open den policy.
| Silverlark |
Shadow Fiend - Inactive | Just a Scratch - Inactive | Beefed Up [Tier 3] - Inactive
A few nods met the apprentice's response. Silverlark was pleased! With so many mentors doing absolutely nothing for their apprentices - he had two useless mentors he could thank for his own lack of training as a paw - it was good to note that at least the basic hunting crouch had been taught. Really, as far as he was aware, every crouch was the basic hunting crouch. The only changes came down the individual cat. With how comfortable they were catching different prey. Of course, he was also terrible at hunting, so what did the know? Probably not much, but he wasn't about to let that put him down, nope!
His cheery attitude changed mildly as she voiced her concern. The one where she had been going deaf on one ear. Hmmm... he would have to ask her to go to the medicine cat later on, just to make sure it wasn't an illness. A sick apprentice was a sad apprentice, and he didn't want his apprentice to be sad, nope. And if it wasn't a sickness? If it was permanent? Well... they'd figure something out, yep. He was sure Flashie would be able to adapt in time. It might make training take a little longer while she adjusted, but he had every confidence she would see it through. She was a dedicated apprentice! Look look! Already showing off her hunting crouch and everything!
"Right right! That's a good start! Good start! Better than my first one, heh heh. Took me forever, right? Was too loud and clunky, yep. But you know what you need? Bit of confidence, mmmhmmm. Sure steps. You overthink your step, your prey goes away! Not gonna teach you how to ambush, nope. Not today. But... but... Hmmm. Think of hunting like... like sort of smaller ambushing, yeah? Except not on cats. Not for fighting. But you still want to be sneaky sneaky. Not make a peep. I find using my tail, keeping it low to the ground - like this, see - it helps. Don't drag it. Little up. Little twitches to keep you alright. Use your whiskers, too. Good to sense the wind. Don't let it catch you off guard. Go BOO and make you tumble," the tom chortled, little snorts of giddiness escaping him for a moment before his gaze softened, his smile kinder as he turned his attention on the apprentice.
"Looks... Looks. I don't know what it's like, right? To go deaf like that. We can go to the medicine cat if you want. Go together, yeah? Don't have to be alone. And if they tell you that it's permanent? That you won't hear from that ear? Well you know what? I don't think that matters none. My mum? Good hunter, yeah? Even Elmshadow - the former medicine cat, yeah, but used to be a warrior first - respected her. In his own weird, uncaring way. And you know what? You know what? Didn't have an eye. Still fierce in battle and no prey could escape her, didn't matter none. Now... I'm not saying ya have to be like her, ya dig? Nobody should be like nobody else, yeah? Alls I'm saying is that hearing in that there ear or not, you're always you, and that is the best Flashie to be, mmmhmmm. So, what say you? Let's fix up that crouch! Show me what ya gots!"
@blxze. [Flashpaw]
| I do know that Flashpaw already went to Lostlark for the ear thing, but since Silver doesn't know, felt it would be a little power gamey to have him assume she had already gone because she's such a shy, good apprentice that probably doesn't want to worry anyone in his eyes. |
__________________
Lightningstorm is WindClan's current medicine cat.
She has a semi-closed den policy.
| Silverlark |
Shadow Fiend - Inactive | Just a Scratch - Inactive | Beefed Up [Tier 3] - Inactive
A few nods met the apprentice's response. Silverlark was pleased! With so many mentors doing absolutely nothing for their apprentices - he had two useless mentors he could thank for his own lack of training as a paw - it was good to note that at least the basic hunting crouch had been taught. Really, as far as he was aware, every crouch was the basic hunting crouch. The only changes came down the individual cat. With how comfortable they were catching different prey. Of course, he was also terrible at hunting, so what did the know? Probably not much, but he wasn't about to let that put him down, nope!
His cheery attitude changed mildly as she voiced her concern. The one where she had been going deaf on one ear. Hmmm... he would have to ask her to go to the medicine cat later on, just to make sure it wasn't an illness. A sick apprentice was a sad apprentice, and he didn't want his apprentice to be sad, nope. And if it wasn't a sickness? If it was permanent? Well... they'd figure something out, yep. He was sure Flashie would be able to adapt in time. It might make training take a little longer while she adjusted, but he had every confidence she would see it through. She was a dedicated apprentice! Look look! Already showing off her hunting crouch and everything!
"Right right! That's a good start! Good start! Better than my first one, heh heh. Took me forever, right? Was too loud and clunky, yep. But you know what you need? Bit of confidence, mmmhmmm. Sure steps. You overthink your step, your prey goes away! Not gonna teach you how to ambush, nope. Not today. But... but... Hmmm. Think of hunting like... like sort of smaller ambushing, yeah? Except not on cats. Not for fighting. But you still want to be sneaky sneaky. Not make a peep. I find using my tail, keeping it low to the ground - like this, see - it helps. Don't drag it. Little up. Little twitches to keep you alright. Use your whiskers, too. Good to sense the wind. Don't let it catch you off guard. Go BOO and make you tumble," the tom chortled, little snorts of giddiness escaping him for a moment before his gaze softened, his smile kinder as he turned his attention on the apprentice.
"Looks... Looks. I don't know what it's like, right? To go deaf like that. We can go to the medicine cat if you want. Go together, yeah? Don't have to be alone. And if they tell you that it's permanent? That you won't hear from that ear? Well you know what? I don't think that matters none. My mum? Good hunter, yeah? Even Elmshadow - the former medicine cat, yeah, but used to be a warrior first - respected her. In his own weird, uncaring way. And you know what? You know what? Didn't have an eye. Still fierce in battle and no prey could escape her, didn't matter none. Now... I'm not saying ya have to be like her, ya dig? Nobody should be like nobody else, yeah? Alls I'm saying is that hearing in that there ear or not, you're always you, and that is the best Flashie to be, mmmhmmm. So, what say you? Let's fix up that crouch! Show me what ya gots!"
@blxze. [Flashpaw]
| I do know that Flashpaw already went to Lostlark for the ear thing, but since Silver doesn't know, felt it would be a little power gamey to have him assume she had already gone because she's such a shy, good apprentice that probably doesn't want to worry anyone in his eyes. |
Flashpaw felt affection for her mentor bubble within her
paws. Silverlark was too good to be true. And yet, here they were,
mentor and apprentice. True as all get-out. She felt so touched by
him she couldn't bear to tell Silverlark she'd already been. She kept
quiet, but felt a blaze of happiness at his words. The cat he spoke
of, with only one eye (Flashpaw wondered what it felt like to always
see weirdly), was respected. She would be, too-- hopefully. "Th-
Th-Tha-Thank-Thank you." she said softly, but dropped into the
crouch as he'd so eagerly instructed. Her haunches felt awkwardly
off-balance- she was putting too much weight on one side, and too
focused on fixing that to see how she was digging so deep in the
ground she'd dig up dirt if she wasn't careful. She sucked in air rather
sharply, and pressed herself as even as she could. But, no matter
what, she seemed to accidentally put more weight on one paw than
the others. No matter. Flashpaw unsheathed her claws, and began
creeping across the earth. Her legs seemed to have a mind of their
own, her weight still awkwardly off-balance. Sigh. She'd get
it eventually. Flashpaw continued to creep along, and felt genuinely
embarrassed by the fact she kept almost-stumbling from her lack
of balance. Like you're ambushing. Like you're ambushing. I am-bush.
Ing. I am-bush-ing. Ha! Flashpaw smiled at her own stupidity- and
ignored the fact half of the world sounded underwater, and she had to
strain uncomfortably. She was going deaf. So what? So her whole
future as a warrior could be at stake. So she was stupid. No. No, she
was doing it again. But it was true- she was off-balanced, couldn't
talk like a normal cat, and was half-deaf-- or would be. This was great.
So wonderful. Grinding her teeth, Flashpaw tried to stay balanced
and attempted to press her weight on her haunches. Not too bad-
the haunches seemed like a safe bet. She focused on keeping her
hind paws light and her forepaws from being too loud. Well, at
least she wasn't too loud. But she wasn't silent. Yet.
__________________
Character Site [WIP] Faithfern is the Current Leader of Darkclan. She has an open den policy.
| Silverlark |
Shadow Fiend - Inactive | Just a Scratch - Inactive | Beefed Up [Tier 3] - Inactive
The muscular tom kept an eye on his apprentice's form, focused without judgement. It was clear she was struggling, and he wondered if it was the whole going deaf on one ear thing. He couldn't relate. Both of his rounded ears picked up sounds well enough. It worried him that Flashpaw would be having a rotten time learning how to hunt because of it. Not once did it occur to him that she might never learn. The enforcer believed in his apprentice. The medicine cat was blind, and yet she could still heal the clan and tend to a whole clan full of kits and an apprentice, despite having been born with eyesight. His mum had been able to hunt and fight with the best of them. Whisk had an eye missing, and even she could take down a fox! Flashie would learn! She just had to get used to it. Stop worrying so much. Stop... thinking?
It was as if a cloud of fireflies had lit up over Silverlark's head, verdant hues glinting with excitement as he thought of a way to help. Or maybe... not help? But hey, if it didn't help, they knew it wouldn't work already, and he could keep thinking thinking about ways that might might actually help! See? He could use his thinking muscles from time to time too, heh heh! Or... not? How would one go about describing the thought of not thinking? Was it a thoughtful thought, or was it more of a blank mind thing? No wait... focus! Focus! Existential crisis over semantics later.
"Mmmmhmm. Mmmhmmm. Yous not bad, you know? For first time? Real good, real good! Buts! But. I think? You might be overthinking, yeah? Worrying too much. Trying to overcompensate. I don't know, you know? Can't tell. Sorry sorry, no good there. But! I think we first need for you to relax! Deeeeep breaths. Biiiig breaths. Like this, like this!" the silver throated warrior chirped, taking a deep breath before letting go, his broad chest puffing up yet unexerted, his posture loose and at ease.
"Now, now! Yous? I wants yous to take those big breaths too! Close your eyes. Close all senses. Forget hearing. Forget seeing! Thoughts?" Silverlark asked, tapping his head with a white tipped paw before shaking it away. "Poof. Gone. Empty head, yeah? I know it's not whats I be telling yous. Not the first day, yeah? But that's for day to day, yeah? For today? We trying something different. Forget all except your paws. Your tail. Forget the woods and prey. Not me though. Don't forgets me. I'm here to make sure nothing hurts you while you focus on not focusing, heh heh. And then, once you more relaxed? Boom. We try out that crouch again. But no rush, no rush. We gots all day. All moon, even. I'm not goings anywhere. As long as we works on it, we'll get through, yeah? Hard work? Victory every time, heh heh."
| Silverlark |
Shadow Fiend - Inactive | Just a Scratch - Inactive | Beefed Up [Tier 3] - Inactive
The muscular tom kept an eye on his apprentice's form, focused without judgement. It was clear she was struggling, and he wondered if it was the whole going deaf on one ear thing. He couldn't relate. Both of his rounded ears picked up sounds well enough. It worried him that Flashpaw would be having a rotten time learning how to hunt because of it. Not once did it occur to him that she might never learn. The enforcer believed in his apprentice. The medicine cat was blind, and yet she could still heal the clan and tend to a whole clan full of kits and an apprentice, despite having been born with eyesight. His mum had been able to hunt and fight with the best of them. Whisk had an eye missing, and even she could take down a fox! Flashie would learn! She just had to get used to it. Stop worrying so much. Stop... thinking?
It was as if a cloud of fireflies had lit up over Silverlark's head, verdant hues glinting with excitement as he thought of a way to help. Or maybe... not help? But hey, if it didn't help, they knew it wouldn't work already, and he could keep thinking thinking about ways that might might actually help! See? He could use his thinking muscles from time to time too, heh heh! Or... not? How would one go about describing the thought of not thinking? Was it a thoughtful thought, or was it more of a blank mind thing? No wait... focus! Focus! Existential crisis over semantics later.
"Mmmmhmm. Mmmhmmm. Yous not bad, you know? For first time? Real good, real good! Buts! But. I think? You might be overthinking, yeah? Worrying too much. Trying to overcompensate. I don't know, you know? Can't tell. Sorry sorry, no good there. But! I think we first need for you to relax! Deeeeep breaths. Biiiig breaths. Like this, like this!" the silver throated warrior chirped, taking a deep breath before letting go, his broad chest puffing up yet unexerted, his posture loose and at ease.
"Now, now! Yous? I wants yous to take those big breaths too! Close your eyes. Close all senses. Forget hearing. Forget seeing! Thoughts?" Silverlark asked, tapping his head with a white tipped paw before shaking it away. "Poof. Gone. Empty head, yeah? I know it's not whats I be telling yous. Not the first day, yeah? But that's for day to day, yeah? For today? We trying something different. Forget all except your paws. Your tail. Forget the woods and prey. Not me though. Don't forgets me. I'm here to make sure nothing hurts you while you focus on not focusing, heh heh. And then, once you more relaxed? Boom. We try out that crouch again. But no rush, no rush. We gots all day. All moon, even. I'm not goings anywhere. As long as we works on it, we'll get through, yeah? Hard work? Victory every time, heh heh."
Flashpaw listened intently as he spoke. Thinking too much. Well,
it was better than not thinking at all. If Flashpaw was honest with herself,
She was afraid of failure. A common flaw that she tried to avoid showing,
but alas, she wasn't very good at it. Alright, so... forget thinking. Hmm.
Focus on not focusing. Well then, if she wasn't so focused, maybe she'd do
better. Maybe. Well, it was all very different than what she was used to,
if she was being honest. She was used to absolute rigid concentration,
not concentrating on not concentrating. Following instructions, Flashpaw
took a few deep, focusing breaths. There we go. She closed her eyes and
sucked in a deep intake of air. In her mind she pictured the sky, with its
soft and fluffy clouds, the way it seemed so nonchalant and pleasant, as
though the sky had no care whatsoever. Unlike her. No, no, bad Flashpaw.
She really needed to stop thinking. how in the world? Okay, okay, she needed
to stop worrying. A thick exhale, as though she was forming more clouds
in the beautiful cerulean sky. There, a tactic. A beautiful tactic, like a
dandelion, bloomed. In, the sky, out, the clouds. She thought briefly about
her thick ginger tail. She flicked it, as though motioning to herself. She
felt a bit more settled, collected. At attention. She settled her thoughts
around Silverlark's voice, and shifted her paws on the earth, as though
sheepish. But her head wasn't stooped. It was upward-tilted to the sky.
She opened her eyes all too soon, her spell of open freedom ended. Her
spell of being in the sky, of being... she wasn't sure how to describe it.
And instead of focusing on her stutter, her words drew out naturally,
without fear of being disregarded. "I-I-I'm r-read-dy." and despite
how awkward it sounded against her monotone-like confident mew, she
felt like it was right. She pressed back all her thoughts, which was very
difficult, but her jade-green eyes were bright and relaxed as she faced
her mentor.
__________________
Character Site [WIP] Faithfern is the Current Leader of Darkclan. She has an open den policy.
| Silverlark |
Shadow Fiend - Inactive | Just a Scratch - Inactive | Beefed Up [Tier 3] - Inactive
It took her a while. To center herself. Not that Silverlark minded. This was practice, mmhmm. The tom had never been the type to be impatient when it came to things like these. Everyone learned at their own pace, yep yep. It just took some cats a little bit longer. Sometimes because they were so smart, they couldn't stop thinking. The enforcer was willing to bet that was what was going on here, heh heh. Flashie? She was a good paw. A smart paw. Much smarterer than him, he was sure. If she could only relax a little. Stop thinking about failing? About every possible bad scenario? About the things that she was uncertain of? He was sure she would do much, much better, oh yes.
It didn't happen in an instant. It was gradual. The tension leaving her shoulders. Her face skyward as she just... seemed to feel more comfortable in her own skin. The gray tom felt a grin spreading on his maw, happy that his apprentice had taken his words seriously. He knew how silly they sounded. Nobody really ever thought about not thinking. You had to think think to do most things, after all. Which is why he normally preferred to be ordered around before showing a lot of... um... what did they call that? Incentive? Imperative? Woah... no, big word. Um... Initiative? Initiative! Yeah yeah yeah, that was the one. He didn't have loads of that. That required smarter heads than he had. But he could tell. Let Flashie find herself? She'd have all the initiative in the world to be the best ever, mmmhmmm. And if she didn't? That was alright, that was alright! He would just stand by her and support her, whatever path she chose to take.
Even before she spoke he knew it. She truly was ready. Her eyes said as much, and Silverlark could feel his grin growing all the more playful. Good good, she was feeling more confident. Her stance was better, too. Without a word, the tom raised his head, mouth open as he tasted the air. They had been loud before, mmmhmmm. Very loud. Mostly him, heh heh. But! But. Now was the time! If he could scent some prey of some sort, then maybe they could boost Flashie's confidence even further. And if they couldn't catch nothing? Well... Then they could see what needed to be worked on to further help her. Kit steps, kit steps, mmmhmmm.
For now the tom was satisfied, though, feeling the scent lizard in the air. Hmmm. Not as good as frog or toad, but it would do. Quick to run, but only if they saw you or smelled you. Hearing you though? Not a problem, nope. It would be a decent challenge, but if Flashie could catch this, she was a pro hunter in the making, heh heh. But first! Had to check her tracking. Maybe she could scent something else? His own ability to follow trail scents had always been lacking, after all.
"Ooh, yeah yeah. You look much more balanced. Much better, mmmhmm. It's all about, listen, listen. It's all about muscle memory, yeah? When hunting? Fighting? You gotta trust yous instincts sometimes, yeah? Sometimes they know better than your brain does for these things. That's why, you know? Practice practice makes perfect. Get your muscles good and used to it. Then you can tune out. Not think about what you are doing, yeah? Makes it even easier later later. You can think ahead even while your body acts! Smart smart, right? Even this tom can think sometimes, heh heh.
Now! Now! Quiet time, yeah? Let's try out your crouch and stalk! Focus on something else. Smell the air, yeah? What can yous find there?" the muscular tom chirped peppily at his apprentice, following suit and going down into a crouch of his own alongside her, ready to join in on the hunt.
@blxze. [Flashpaw]
| Sorry this took so long! Currently sick, but honestly I was going to eat my hat if I had to leave this waiting any longer. |
__________________
Lightningstorm is WindClan's current medicine cat.
She has a semi-closed den policy.
| Silverlark |
Shadow Fiend - Inactive | Just a Scratch - Inactive | Beefed Up [Tier 3] - Inactive
It took her a while. To center herself. Not that Silverlark minded. This was practice, mmhmm. The tom had never been the type to be impatient when it came to things like these. Everyone learned at their own pace, yep yep. It just took some cats a little bit longer. Sometimes because they were so smart, they couldn't stop thinking. The enforcer was willing to bet that was what was going on here, heh heh. Flashie? She was a good paw. A smart paw. Much smarterer than him, he was sure. If she could only relax a little. Stop thinking about failing? About every possible bad scenario? About the things that she was uncertain of? He was sure she would do much, much better, oh yes.
It didn't happen in an instant. It was gradual. The tension leaving her shoulders. Her face skyward as she just... seemed to feel more comfortable in her own skin. The gray tom felt a grin spreading on his maw, happy that his apprentice had taken his words seriously. He knew how silly they sounded. Nobody really ever thought about not thinking. You had to think think to do most things, after all. Which is why he normally preferred to be ordered around before showing a lot of... um... what did they call that? Incentive? Imperative? Woah... no, big word. Um... Initiative? Initiative! Yeah yeah yeah, that was the one. He didn't have loads of that. That required smarter heads than he had. But he could tell. Let Flashie find herself? She'd have all the initiative in the world to be the best ever, mmmhmmm. And if she didn't? That was alright, that was alright! He would just stand by her and support her, whatever path she chose to take.
Even before she spoke he knew it. She truly was ready. Her eyes said as much, and Silverlark could feel his grin growing all the more playful. Good good, she was feeling more confident. Her stance was better, too. Without a word, the tom raised his head, mouth open as he tasted the air. They had been loud before, mmmhmmm. Very loud. Mostly him, heh heh. But! But. Now was the time! If he could scent some prey of some sort, then maybe they could boost Flashie's confidence even further. And if they couldn't catch nothing? Well... Then they could see what needed to be worked on to further help her. Kit steps, kit steps, mmmhmmm.
For now the tom was satisfied, though, feeling the scent lizard in the air. Hmmm. Not as good as frog or toad, but it would do. Quick to run, but only if they saw you or smelled you. Hearing you though? Not a problem, nope. It would be a decent challenge, but if Flashie could catch this, she was a pro hunter in the making, heh heh. But first! Had to check her tracking. Maybe she could scent something else? His own ability to follow trail scents had always been lacking, after all.
"Ooh, yeah yeah. You look much more balanced. Much better, mmmhmm. It's all about, listen, listen. It's all about muscle memory, yeah? When hunting? Fighting? You gotta trust yous instincts sometimes, yeah? Sometimes they know better than your brain does for these things. That's why, you know? Practice practice makes perfect. Get your muscles good and used to it. Then you can tune out. Not think about what you are doing, yeah? Makes it even easier later later. You can think ahead even while your body acts! Smart smart, right? Even this tom can think sometimes, heh heh.
Now! Now! Quiet time, yeah? Let's try out your crouch and stalk! Focus on something else. Smell the air, yeah? What can yous find there?" the muscular tom chirped peppily at his apprentice, following suit and going down into a crouch of his own alongside her, ready to join in on the hunt.
@blxze. [Flashpaw]
| Sorry this took so long! Currently sick, but honestly I was going to eat my hat if I had to leave this waiting any longer. |
[It's all good! ]
Flashpaw Felt jolted out of her float as he spoke, but a more relaxed feeling swept over her, keeping her focused as she listened. She liked how confident and cheery he sounded, as though there was no problem at all with her struggles. Oh, well. She knew her crouch wasn't all that good in the beginning, but with a bit of practice she managed to even herself out and focus more on her breathing and crouch. He slunk down beside her in a way she imagined his crouch may look like. She felt a pinch of pride in her heart when she realized she'd been correct. His appeared natural and easy. She took that to heart and attempted to ease her way into the same position. But there was something different about him and the way he crouched. She noticed it pretty easily after a moment of thorough inspection. He was here to have fun. He seemed to be enjoying himself, while she was so focused on doing well she had forgotten that part about training. Practice made perfect, but enjoyment made all the difference. She could tell just by looking at Silverlark.
Thoughtfully, she sniffed the air, moving her head from side to side slightly, taking in the sights and scents. She opened her maw, and was surprised by the rainbow of smells that flooded her. The twinge of strong-scented herbs, the familiar smell of pine trees, and the delicious scent of prey. But she knew he wanted to know a type of prey. Flashpaw breathed in deeply as she attempted to see what species. It smelled... rough. Not like a smooth, blood scent that mice gave off after warriors brought them back from patrol. It was almost a muddy scent, similar to puddles of dirty water. She narrowed her eyes in thought. What in the name of Starclan smelled so strange? She found it relatively difficult to put a paw on it. Okay, so if mice gave off a smooth blood scent, did squirrels and rabbits also? Hmm. Maybe it was a frog! No, no, a frog smelled more distinct. This smelled distinct, but the frog scent rolled into your nose relatively easily. This scent was ragged. A lizard? Maybe. She couldn't smell anything that told her otherwise. She liked lizards, anyway. I-I-I th-think i-it's a-a l-li-liz-lizard. O-O-over th-there. She spoke quietly, and flicked her tail in the direction where the scent was strongest.
| Silverlark |
Shadow Fiend - Active | Just a Scratch - Inactive | Beefed Up [Tier 3] - Inactive
A chortle of glee escaped the stocky tom as his apprentice scented the air, finding the very same, mouth watering scent that he had found mere moments before. This was good! Silverlark had been a late bloomer when it came to hunting. It was difficult for him to tell some things apart at first. Lizards? They be tricky, yeah? Oh yes. But Flashies? She got the scent down in a flash, heh heh! Now for the important part. Hunting!
The enforcer supposed there were multiple ways of going about this. One, he could try and hunt the lizard for her. Have her keep an eye on him and imitate his movements afterwards. But! But. They weren't the same. No one was, obviously. The silver throated warrior in particular should probably not be imitated in his hunting technique. He was certain mimicking just about anyone else would be smarter in the long run. But no, that wasn't what concerned him. It was her hearing. He depended on his hearing for hunting. More so than his smelling, mmmhmm. Flashies needed to find something that worked for her. Not that he doubted her. It might take her a bit, it might not, but he was sure she had a good knack for this, especially after having distin- disgus- found out that the scent was lizard so fast. That was a big victory, oh yes!
"Yep yep. I smell the same thing, mmmhmm. Now, now! For lizards? Speedy buggers, mmmhmm. Run fast. If they see you, they out like lightning! But! But. Can't hear yous very well. Can smell yous, but not as much as mice and rabbits, yeah? So, stay out of sight, and you might just have a new, tasty meal, heh heh. Let's try out your stalk! Best learn by doing, yeah? Remember, stick close to the shadows and downwind. Yous gots this, Flashies!" the tom mewed, offering her a grin before stepping back, sinking into the shadows before her eyes. Had to make sure he didn't get in the way of her hunt!
Flashpaw: Hunting Lesson 1
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