Make sure to congratulate Versailles on their promotion from c-mod in training to fully fledged chat moderator! They've worked very hard, and we can't wait to see where they go from here!
It seemed super early, but Hornetpaw found herself awake already. The apprentice den was still pretty densely populated. It was nice in here. Not cushy, like the nursery. Though, as she looked at her denmates, she couldn't help but notice how they still looked like a bunch of little kits. Was she also that small?! Ugh. She began cleaning her fur up - better make use of the morning. She'd began to notice how unruly her fur was when she woke up. Not ideal at all.
----------------------------------
Minkvenom || She/Her || Reliable, Prideful, Boastful || Header made by the awesome newo!
Minkvenom found herself padding around the clearing, despite most of the clan still being asleep. She was probably trying to ready herself before the rest of the warriors, unbeknownst to them. The molly already had one late sunrise before, she wasn't going to have another! She was the greatest warrior in Thunderclan, after all, and she couldn't prove that in her dreams.
"Already up are you? Fantastic! But, still lagging behind the best." She boasted, shooting her head to the side with a winning smile. "Ah! That's why we train after all. And, you did do well with that herb patrol last time. But how about instead of hunting plants, we hunt some animals today?" She offered, enthusiastically dropping into a hunting stance and turning her head back to Hornetpaw. Her tail would be wagging in the air if she had one! As much as she wanted to be the best hunter around she had to admit, seeing someone master that perfect catch was always a delight. So imagine if she, Minkvenom, the best mentor in Thunderclan, taught her apprentice how to do that on day one?
( @sleepyyjax - That little cat in the title is cool as!)
__________________
Yeah, that's me. Cloverspring. Nice to meet you!
----------------------------------
Minkvenom || She/Her || Reliable, Prideful, Boastful || Header made by the awesome newo!
Minkvenom found herself padding around the clearing, despite most of the clan still being asleep. She was probably trying to ready herself before the rest of the warriors, unbeknownst to them. The molly already had one late sunrise before, she wasn't going to have another! She was the greatest warrior in Thunderclan, after all, and she couldn't prove that in her dreams.
"Already up are you? Fantastic! But, still lagging behind the best." She boasted, shooting her head to the side with a winning smile. "Ah! That's why we train after all. And, you did do well with that herb patrol last time. But how about instead of hunting plants, we hunt some animals today?" She offered, enthusiastically dropping into a hunting stance and turning her head back to Hornetpaw. Her tail would be wagging in the air if she had one! As much as she wanted to be the best hunter around she had to admit, seeing someone master that perfect catch was always a delight. So imagine if she, Minkvenom, the best mentor in Thunderclan, taught her apprentice how to do that on day one?
( @sleepyyjax - That little cat in the title is cool as!)
Her ear flickered as she noticed Minkvenom approach. Great - looked like her training was going to begin! She'd only spoken to Minkvenom a little, during her ceremony, but she seemed pretty cool. Anyway, Bumblestar wouldn't choose a bad mentor for her. She was far too important, and the leader knew that. Though. Her mentor's next words ruffled her fur a little. Lagging behind?! She let out a little grumble, but soon forgot about it as Minkvenom continued. Hunting... Animals?! That was more like it! For the past six moons, she'd been pouncing on mossballs, so she was practically bursting at the seams when the idea of hunting came up. "YES!" She yelled, bouncing up in the air, before composing herself. "That sounds amazing!" The 'paw couldn't help but grin - this was finally it! She'd make her first real catch today!
----------------------------------
Minkvenom || She/Her || Reliable, Prideful, Boastful || Header made by the awesome newo!
"Great!" Minkvenom shouted enthusiastically, bouncing off of her apprentice's energy. "Then let's get going!" She turned and started the trek with a brisk pace, heading off through the clearing entrance and into the icy territory. With how energetic her apprentice was she was sure they'd be able to keep up!
'I wonder what's going to be out today? A squirrel would be fantastic!' She thought to herself, 'A big one too, I'd like it to be noticeable on the fresh-kill pile.' Minkvenom raised her head and took a whiff of the cold air as she walked (rolled a 13!). 'Aha!' The scent of a vole upwind. It wasn't incredibly close, so the scent wasn't strong, and it wasn't a squirrel either, but it was a good start.
"Brrr! It's chilly today, isn't it!" She exclaimed, slowing her pace and wondering if Hornetpaw would smell it before they walked past the scent trail. "What do you think the prey will be doing on a cold day like today?"
( @sleepyyjax - : D - Rolling a dice to see what Mink notices/does!)
__________________
Yeah, that's me. Cloverspring. Nice to meet you!
----------------------------------
Minkvenom || She/Her || Reliable, Prideful, Boastful || Header made by the awesome newo!
"Great!" Minkvenom shouted enthusiastically, bouncing off of her apprentice's energy. "Then let's get going!" She turned and started the trek with a brisk pace, heading off through the clearing entrance and into the icy territory. With how energetic her apprentice was she was sure they'd be able to keep up!
'I wonder what's going to be out today? A squirrel would be fantastic!' She thought to herself, 'A big one too, I'd like it to be noticeable on the fresh-kill pile.' Minkvenom raised her head and took a whiff of the cold air as she walked (rolled a 13!). 'Aha!' The scent of a vole upwind. It wasn't incredibly close, so the scent wasn't strong, and it wasn't a squirrel either, but it was a good start.
"Brrr! It's chilly today, isn't it!" She exclaimed, slowing her pace and wondering if Hornetpaw would smell it before they walked past the scent trail. "What do you think the prey will be doing on a cold day like today?"
( @sleepyyjax - : D - Rolling a dice to see what Mink notices/does!)
Finally, she was headed out into the territory again! She took off after Minkvenom, snuffling the air as she went. There were so many smells. During her herb patrol, she hadn't even thought about it. She'd been too busy moping about the fact she wasn't on borders or hunting. But now, she was finally realising just how much stuff was out here. Her nose was filled with all these incomprehensible smells - different ones than in camp. It smelt a little like the scent warriors brought into camp with them, all jumbled up - how was she ever meant to tell things apart? As Minkvenom's pace slowed, she found herself running ahead - why would she slow down? Hm? Oh - Oh! To catch prey, duh!
Now, what would prey be doing on a day like today? She'd never even considered what prey would do aside from be chased. "Uhhh..." Did they do the same things at cats? Sleep? Eat? Did they have camps?? "Maybee they're in their... Camp?" She asked with a clueless head tilt.
----------------------------------
Minkvenom || She/Her || Reliable, Prideful, Boastful || Header made by the awesome newo!
Minkvenom chuckled at the word Hornetpaw used. She hadn't expected that! Not at all! The warrior certainly forgot that apprentices don't know about everything outside the camp yet, but come to think of it... "'Camp' is one way to put it, but you are right! They will usually be curled up in their dens, trying to hold out during the cold until their food comes back." Minkvenom nodded her head over to a very small patch of plants, which were almost invisible among base of something so big as a tree. Each plant had barely anything more than a few leaves, but if you bent down close enough you could see that some had been carefully trimmed down to the base!
"But, they can't last in their dens forever. They need food like us, and that's why we left some herbs untouched on that last patrol!" The mentor bent down to the herbs, "Come over and take a sniff so you can see what a vole really smells like!"
----------------------------------
Minkvenom || She/Her || Reliable, Prideful, Boastful || Header made by the awesome newo!
Minkvenom chuckled at the word Hornetpaw used. She hadn't expected that! Not at all! The warrior certainly forgot that apprentices don't know about everything outside the camp yet, but come to think of it... "'Camp' is one way to put it, but you are right! They will usually be curled up in their dens, trying to hold out during the cold until their food comes back." Minkvenom nodded her head over to a very small patch of plants, which were almost invisible among base of something so big as a tree. Each plant had barely anything more than a few leaves, but if you bent down close enough you could see that some had been carefully trimmed down to the base!
"But, they can't last in their dens forever. They need food like us, and that's why we left some herbs untouched on that last patrol!" The mentor bent down to the herbs, "Come over and take a sniff so you can see what a vole really smells like!"
Hmmmm so not really a camp, but also kind of camp. She was pretty sure she got it. So, prey eats herbs, cat eat prey. Ew - she couldn't think of anything worse than eating herbs, good job she's a cat. The apprentice made her way over, giving the patch a good sniff. There were still lots of smells around, but there was definitely one stronger one here. Kind of grassy? Woody? Kind of muddy smelling too, in a way. But it smelt good. "Oh! I smell it!" She went back to sniffing the spot again - stars, it was making her hungry! "How do we find it?!" She asked, jumping back up to face Minkvenom.
----------------------------------
Minkvenom || She/Her || Reliable, Prideful, Boastful || Header made by the awesome newo!
"Smells good, doesn't it?" The molly responded, her face lighting up with a big smile. She watched as the apprentice become laser focused on the smell, her energy picking up as she jumped around eagerly.
"We follow the scent, we listen for sounds, and we spot it with our eyes!" Minkvenom answered, "But we can't just walk up to it like normal. It's an animal before it's our prey, so we have to be a bit sneakier..." her black fur hit the ground as she dropped into a hunter's crouch. The molly's crouch was different to a normal warrior, her back end seemed more curled over, perhaps due to the lack of a tail. Regardless, it seemed to work for her.
"Keep your paws light, and try not to step on anything loud. You need to get within jumping distance without it noticing," Minkvenom felt the wind on her cheek fur and another thought came to her mind. "Oh! And remember to stay downwind. If you feel your scent is going to be carried towards the prey, move to somewhere it won't."
She lifted back up with an expression of confidence, "It sounds like a lot, and that's because it is! But I think you can do this." The molly stood up and padded further back, looking around for somewhere to stalk nearby while the apprentice tried their first hunt. As much as Minkvenom wanted Hornetpaw to get it first try she knew she wouldn't, but that's why the warrior was making her hunt before even training her. She wanted to see what Hornetpaw didn't know, and what Minkvenom herself often took for granted, so she could actually teach her.
"Good luck Hornetpaw!" She called out before darting somewhere the apprentice couldn't see. The mentor knew she was going to fail this hunt, and that was the point!
( @sleepyyjax - Hornetpaw doesn't have to fail this, that's just what Minkvenom thinks would happen)
__________________
Yeah, that's me. Cloverspring. Nice to meet you!
----------------------------------
Minkvenom || She/Her || Reliable, Prideful, Boastful || Header made by the awesome newo!
"Smells good, doesn't it?" The molly responded, her face lighting up with a big smile. She watched as the apprentice become laser focused on the smell, her energy picking up as she jumped around eagerly.
"We follow the scent, we listen for sounds, and we spot it with our eyes!" Minkvenom answered, "But we can't just walk up to it like normal. It's an animal before it's our prey, so we have to be a bit sneakier..." her black fur hit the ground as she dropped into a hunter's crouch. The molly's crouch was different to a normal warrior, her back end seemed more curled over, perhaps due to the lack of a tail. Regardless, it seemed to work for her.
"Keep your paws light, and try not to step on anything loud. You need to get within jumping distance without it noticing," Minkvenom felt the wind on her cheek fur and another thought came to her mind. "Oh! And remember to stay downwind. If you feel your scent is going to be carried towards the prey, move to somewhere it won't."
She lifted back up with an expression of confidence, "It sounds like a lot, and that's because it is! But I think you can do this." The molly stood up and padded further back, looking around for somewhere to stalk nearby while the apprentice tried their first hunt. As much as Minkvenom wanted Hornetpaw to get it first try she knew she wouldn't, but that's why the warrior was making her hunt before even training her. She wanted to see what Hornetpaw didn't know, and what Minkvenom herself often took for granted, so she could actually teach her.
"Good luck Hornetpaw!" She called out before darting somewhere the apprentice couldn't see. The mentor knew she was going to fail this hunt, and that was the point!
( @sleepyyjax - Hornetpaw doesn't have to fail this, that's just what Minkvenom thinks would happen)
Hmmmm, sneaky... She wasn't sure sneaky was her thing, but she'd certainly try - she could become sneaky, right? That was what learning was about. She'd spent plenty of time perfecting her pounce with mossballs and pebbles and the like, so she wasn't too worried about that part. Just, this time, it would be a moving target. Hehe - just like her siblings. Then there was the downwind stuff - she wasn't really sure what that meant. Downward? Of the wind? So... Jump down it, or something, right? That sounded right to her.
Before she knew it, Minkvenom was scurrying away, leaving the hunt to her - as she should!! Time to show her what she's made of!
[making it so she only succeeds if she gets a nat 20 lol! - Hornetpaw rolled: 9]
Sniff sniff - she crouched down, snuffling the ground. Okay, so that vole smell: she needed to follow it. First, she started bounding along - then, she remembered Minkvenom's advice about being quiet - oops! She shrunk back down, creeping along the floor - eek! There goes a big twig, snapping underpaw, then crunchy leaves, then - urgh! How was she meat to avoid all this stuff?!?! The 'paw froze up getting frustrated - then, she saw it. The little brown rodent, running ahead. She'd have it in seconds! She sprung forwards, claws outstretched, ready to dig them into a tasty vole - only to land on an empty spot. It was already gone?! "Huh?!" She yelled jumping up, "no way! Was that, just like, a super fast vole, or something?" She pouted, turning around, hoping Minkvenom was there to hear her.
----------------------------------
Minkvenom || She/Her || Reliable, Prideful, Boastful || Header made by the awesome newo!
"Voles are fast, Hornetpaw." Minkvenom's head popped out from underneath a frosty fern, her muzzle stretched with a confident smile. "They're our prey, they have to be!" She padded out, careful not to disturb her cover and leave trace of where she had been.
"But that's all part of the challenge. And while we can't change how fast the vole runs, we can change how well we hunt." Minkvenom nodded back to the big paw prints, the broken twig, and the disturbed leaves. "You've made a start, and now you've got a base idea of what to expect you can became better! -Just not the best, considering I'm still out here." The mentor just had to add that in at the end, gazing off to the side as she relished in thoughts of her own successes.
"Alright, before we find anymore prey I want you to sneak up to that fern I came from, but-" Minkvenom turned around and plucked a stray blade of grass from the ground. She would have preferred to pick a leaf from a plant, but Leaf-Bare only provided so much. "-you have to balance this piece off grass on your nose the whole way!"
( @sleepyyjax - I am so sorry!!! I thought I replied to this ages ago and was waiting for a response, but I must have imagined it!!)
__________________
Yeah, that's me. Cloverspring. Nice to meet you!
Hornet Training Thread !! /ᐠ - ˕ -マ
