teach me the ways of the underworld [p]

[Neptune.]

Lichenpaw
~<>~
16 moons || she/her || WindClan apprentice || honed skill [INACTIVE]
scrawny calico with one blind eye; blue eyes

Ok, so she's assessment ready, yes, but Crowtooth had told her not to rush things, that she still had a little time before they really had to start pushing things, and Lichenpaw chose to take him up on that. Besides, though she wasn't formally a tunneler apprentice, and she had no plans to go through with the full training for that as it would likely take another six moons, there was nothing stopping her from at least learning the basics.

Spotting him around camp, the calico approaches him with ease and a wave of her tail. "Crowtooth, I was wondering if you might be open to teaching me a little about tunneling? Just the basics is fine, I want to be able to help in the event we need to use them urgently." She has no reason to think he won't agree, he's given no indication that he's against her going into the tunnels. Besides, Lichenpaw thinks she's probably about the right size to fit in them - small in stature and scrawny and all that.

[ @Rani ]

[Rani]

Crowtooth
Windclan Deputy | He/him | 50 Moons

Power Card: Cold Gust

The prey pile was honestly pitiful, now that he was deputy could Crowtooth get away with popping the heads off of cats who didnt complete them like they should? No one took it seriously when he was just a fury evident by the lack of completion but now maybe.....


Oh, hey Lichenpaw.



Head cocking at the mollys question a pleased curl appeared on his tail as the apprentice asked, always happy to teach and ramble on his special interest, though he had to ask. "Just wanna make sure ya dont feel ya need ta know this just 'cuz yer my apprentice. Tunnelin' is.... hard an' scary an' theres even really experienced strong warriors who cant hack it. I mean Wolffang had freak outs down there so knowin' it just ta know is good but a real desire fer it helps fight that fear." And that wasnt even mentioning Leechscars reaction to his mandatory lessons....


Still, passion wasnt necessary and just helped so whatever Lichenpaw deemed the tom nodded and padded away, flicking a tail in indication to follow as he begun his ramble.


"Right so theres more ta it but fer ya if ya aint interested in bein' a full tunneler yer only gonna need ta know navigation an' the diggin' part o' tunnelin'. So lets get yer senses down before we're in pitch black.


First: Yer gonna be blind as a bat so yer gonna rely on different senses then yer used ta.

Yer whiskers are a godsend, use 'em. Ya cant see roots or rocks or the turns o' the tunnels so keep yer head down an' stretched out an' whiskers brushin' the ground or wall so they'll feel thin's comin' before they hit yer paws. Get good an' ya can even trot wit'out fallin' usin' this.

Hearin'. Now sounds can be deceptive. Rushin' water (which is a death sentence down there) can sound just the same as wind an' sounds tend ta echo. However listenin' for creatures movin' can guide ya ta a warren ta hunt or warn ya if a predator is comin'. Plus if ya chirp loudly ya can tell some info by how it sounds. Muffled an' yer facin' a wall or the path dead ends, hollow or echoy an' the tunnel goes onward.


Finally yer main one, scent. Scent dont really flow or fade down there wit' no wind ta move or wipe it clean. It sticks an' stays fer awhile so if ya smell somethin' dont trust its as fresh as it seems.

However I abuse that. I an' all tunnelers I instruct mark the right wall as they go inta the tunnels, so if ya find anyone's mark an' wanna get out make sure its on yer left an' eventually it'll take ya too an exit.


Scents's still useful though, if ya smell wet/damp run as water (again, dangerous) is in the area, the moor an' an exit is nearby, rabbit an' theres likely rabbit, predator scents linger too so identifyin' aint too hard unlike above where it can be muddled."


Reaching the tunnel entrance and lifting the mat of heather that covered it Crowtooth exposed the deep to light, giving Lichenpaw a view of what she'd be going into. This would be the last chance she had to back out before going in because a panic attack down there would be far worse then a little bit of embarrassment up here.


"Whenever ya got that an' are ready head on in ta start gettin' used ta it. Ill be on yer tail."


@Neptune.

[Neptune.]

Lichenpaw
~<>~
17 moons || she/her || WindClan apprentice || honed skill [INACTIVE]
scrawny calico with one blind eye; blue eyes

"You know, you'd think after being caught by twolegs I'd hate closed spaces, but I don't really mind them," she says as a sort of half answer to the question of her reasons for wanting to know the basics of tunneling. Lichenpaw can freely admit that part of her did feel a little obligated to learn since Crowtooth was mentoring her, but that wasn't the only reason. "Besides, maybe I'll save your life one day if I learn some of this stuff!" There's a small, teasing smile on the apprentice's maw as she jests, some of her old humor finally returning to her after moons of being more... reserved isn't quite the word she would use. Subdued, maybe, but even that isn't quite right. Regardless, she's starting to feel herself again and that's what matters.

She'd be blind down there... well, she's halfway to fully blind already, so that won't be too much of a change. Head down and out, whisker's touching the ground and the tunnel walls... got it. Okay, what's next? Hearing? Chirping can tell what's ahead of you... listen for critters moving about... wind and rushing water sound very similar, but one is far better than the other. Alright, so long as the sky that day looks clear and not cloudy she should be okay. If it looks like rain stay far away from the tunnels. Alrighty. Finally, scent. Always mark the right wall, and if she needs to get out and doesn't know where she is, follow scent markers on the left wall. Predator scent lingers, so don't trust that too much, and if it smells wet or damp get out.

"Alright, I think I've got it," the calico nods, "blindness shouldn't be too much trouble - I've already got pretty bad depth perception snrk." She snorts at her little joke. It's not that her depth perception is really bad, per se, she's lived this way all her life so she's pretty used to it, but does that mean it's good? No. Absolutely not. "I think I'm ready," with that said, the small calico approaches the tunnel, breathing in the fresh scent of heather for the last time (not really) and plunges into the deep.

At first, she simply takes a minute to get her bearings, closing her eyes because, despite it being dark down here, she doesn't need her eyes open anyway. They won't be very useful to her. Twitching her whiskers, she crouches low to the ground, almost in a hunting crouch, and stretches her head down and forward. Unfortunately she moves a bit too quickly and bangs her chin on the ground, letting out a small "oof-" as the pain lingers for only a moment before leaving. As soon as she's feeling ready, Lichenpaw starts forward slowly, her whiskers twitching periodically, and her mouth open to draw in as much scent as possible.

"I'm not hearing or smelling anything that might be water, so that's good!" She relays back to Crowtooth, starting up a narration of what she's doing because, well, he can't exactly see her to correct anything. "Right wall has strong scent markings, aaaannndddd..." with a little chirp ahead, she listens for an echo. After receiving one, she says "and the tunnel keeps going for a little bit... that echo didn't sound very loud, though, so I'm guessinnnggg.... it's not super long ahead?"

[ this is not nearly 10 days late what are you talking about ]
[ @Rani ]

[Rani]

Crowtooth
Windclan Deputy | He/him | 51 Moons

Power Card: Cold Gust

It was pretty clear, at least to Crowtooths perspective, that Lichenpaw was trying to calm some frazzled nerves by making jokes about her eye before heading down. That was understandable, some cats could never hack delving below and more still found it disturbing even if they could after a lifetime of living under open sky. Kind of ironic really, the clan who lived best in the open was the only one that had the skills of existing below.



Regardless if she really was trying to think of other things to ease her mind Crowtooth would help. "Bein' used ta not havin' full vision might be a benefit yeah. Been thinkin' o' late the tunnels are the great equalizer in a lotta ways as disabilities matter less... But thats not really relevent." It was more a thought Crowtooth had about the past tunnelers. If they became tunnelers because blindness and other things were that much harder to cope with in windclan they found somewhere where it mattered less.


"Yanno I dont think I was ever told how yer eye got like that actually. If ya dont wanna tell me feel free not ta, just curious."
For the most part however the tom didnt give any more tips or guidance, letting Lichenpaw gain her footing. Ok maaaaaaaybe he chucked quietly at the occasional bump and trip but she adapted too quickly for it to be mean and eventually she was on it like a pro.


"Correct. The right path on this route dead ends, was a cave in some moons ago though it used ta lead ta a nice warren. Lucky fer us we aint just stuck wit' natures whims an' can change that. So, onta diggin'."

Crowtooth lead Lichenpaw down the (wide, thank the stars) path, head low to spot and avoid that damn rock embedded in the floor he'd stubbed his toes on before, eventually arriving at the spot.


It wasnt a bad cave in all told, definitely not one of the dangerous kinds that risked the entire tunnel system, but a wall slump where some unsupported stones had tumbled over and taken a load of dirt with it. It wasnt large, and the roof was secure however, and that in the end was the important part. Plus Crowtooth had pre dragged some sticks down to use earlier.


"So while a lotta tunnels are already made by rabbits, other creatures, or nature itself part o' tunnelin' is diggin' the tunnels yerself.

The diggin' itself is easy. Ya find a spot where the ground is firm (so not crumbly) but soft enough ta dig an' driver yer paws in. Use yer claws an' make scoopin' motions before packin' the dirt in ta the walls an' dirt around ya, this helps strengthen the passage ya dig.


However, soil matters.
On the moors we mainly got dirt. Its good fer diggin' an' rarely needs support but there are patches o' other types (more common on other territories) that ya need ta mind.

Clay is mostly in thunderclan, it supports its weight well but doesnt compact fer some reason? Also downright impossible ta get outta fur once dried I hate it.
Rocks are stable too an' usually near the pines but ya wanna tunnel above them 'cuz if they do fall yer deader then normal.
Riverclan has tons o' sandy ground an' it falls if ya sneeze wrong around it I swear. Dont trust paths through sandy spots unless ya supported the roof an' walls wit' sticks an' I dont recommend tunneling there. Honestly though the differences also help in navigation when yer strikin' out but dont trust them alone ta determine location."
Lest you risk that one terrifying incident of his youth of popping up INSIDE shadowclans borders on accident before collapsing that unfortunate exit and hightailing it in a panic.



"If ya need more support then the packed dirt provides sticks, roots, an' large flat stones are good as ya can embed 'em inta the walls an' it'll hold thin's up. Give it a try, Ill be here ta help if thin's go wrong but the block is narrow so it shouldn't."


@Neptune.

[Neptune.]

Lichenpaw
~<>~
17 moons || she/her || WindClan apprentice || honed skill [INACTIVE]
scrawny calico with one blind eye; blue eyes

"My eye?" Lichenpaw echos, the instinct to stand up straight with her head tilted was only curbed by the fact that she would've hit her head on the tunnel ceiling. "It's not an exciting story or anything, something about the way I was born. Used to be able to see fine out of it, but it's gotten a lot worse as I've gotten older. 'Salright, though, doesn't bother me." That said, Crowtooth has further instructions, so the calico listens, feeling the deputy's pelt brush against hers as he takes the lead to explain.

Digging was the next lesson. Lichenpaw did remember a bit about this from a small event held by WindClan when she was younger, but it wasn't exactly fresh in her mind, so the reminder was welcome. The stuff about different types of soil, however, was new to her, so she listens. Clay in ThunderClan, rocks in Shadow, and sand in River. All in all, seemed an easy enough concept to grasp. Rocks or sticks - like the ones Crowtooth had dragged down here already, could also be used to reinforce the walls.

"I've done some tunnel digging on the dens before, this shouldn't be too dissimilar, right?" That said, she begins to start carving out the packed dirt. It's not a particularly fast process, likely slower than someone like Crowtooth or Rabbitpaw would've done, but she isn't as skilled as them so sue her (whatever that means).

[ @Rani ]

[Rani]

Crowtooth
Windclan Deputy | He/him | 51 Moons

Power Card: Cold Gust

Huh. Well Crowtooth of course knew some disabilities were from birth but in the clans it was far more common then occurred later in life. Like his own asthma for example, born of an untreated lung infection that turned into a lifelong disability. High rates of injury and illness kinda did that to a lotta cats. Not Lichenpaw it seemed and there really wasnt much the tom could say about that so he just nodded and moved on.


"Eh, similar but different, though I know that aint helpful. Theory is the same but ya need more reinforcement 'cuz of the weight o' more dirt on top o' it.


Dens dont need ta take more then a single cat on top o' them max. Any sort o' tunnel has the entire moor so while it holds its side better 'cuz the dirt packin' it in rather then air or limited stuff but holds it roof poorer."
If things went catastrophically wrong with her digging he'd step in but otherwise Lichenpaw would. best get a sense of where to firmly pack in soil and where more could be excavated without risking crumbling.


@Neptune.