Grottopaw: Training

[Undertaker]

@dino. - Grottopaw
He's moved out of her den and now sits in front of it, like a mini-guard. It was cute in an odd way. It's not like anyone would be foolish enough to mess with her in her den at the back of camp, but she's been surprised. Still, Grottopaw was too young and small to be anything other than a pest or distraction at best. She supposed it was the thought that counted.

"You know," Dawnstar yawned and pushed aside the lichen before turning to face her son. "It's too cold to sit out here like this you're going to make yourself sick." She lowers her head to lick the apprentice's forehead and then walks past him. "Come on, we're working on your stealth and hunting."

The mother didn't wait long as her paws led her out of the entrance and past the towering sentinels that made up their territory. During leafbare, the shadows dominate their territory as dusk comes earlier than when it was greenleaf and newleaf. The downside was the snow. She padded down a path of trotted snow and it still crunched beneath her tremendous weight. The noise and the way the moonlight reflected off the snow made blending in with the night far more difficult. She supposed each season had its ups and downsides.

"Show me your crouch, stalk, and pounce." She orders, turning to face Grottopaw as they reach a small clearing. Dawnstar's fluffy tail points towards a large stick sitting underneath a conifer.

[dino.]

Grottopaw's ears twitched. He turned his head as Mother exited her den, and didn't bother drawing back when she bent down to lick his forehead, like he would have with someone else. He didn't quite care about being sick, in all honesty, but he wasn't going to turn down training, especially after the embarrassment that was his last patrol.

He trailed after her obediently, opting to stick close for now. The cold didn't bother him much aside from his paws. Once they reached an open space and he had his instructions, he did his best to follow. The crouch he dropped into was better than the last time he'd practiced, though still somewhat off-balance. He stalked forward, bunched his legs beneath him, and pounced, landing squarely on the stick he'd been directed to.

[ @Undertaker ]

[Undertaker]

@dino. - Grottopaw
Dawnstar tips her head as her son drops low. It's not a horrible crouch, lopsided, though, off balance. He had been practicing; she assumed he had been called out on some patrols by now and picked up some tips. His pounce and landing were near flawless. His crouch didn't seem to affect either.

"Acceptable, though you need to fix your paws. You're leaning to one side too much. It's making your crouch off balance. You seem to subconsciously know that since your pounce and crouch aren't sloppy." She mused with a critical glint in her sharp glare.

"Let's see how you do with real prey. Do you know the technique to hunt birds?" Even though Dawnstar made a sport out of hunting the flying prey, they were among the most difficult to catch. She could make him find her a mouse, or vole, something simple. But she wanted to see what Grottopaw could do. If he had dreams of becoming an Enforcer, he'd need that push.

[dino.]

Fix his paws. Grottopaw nodded, taking note of Mother's words and stashing them away for later reference, and shifted his weight around in place to find what felt better before he looked back up.

Birds? He shook his head. "No, I don't." But that didn't mean he wasn't willing to learn.

[ @Undertaker ]

[Undertaker]

@dino. - Grottopaw

"Patience is critical when hunting birds. Stealth would be your best advantage against birds, but if you're stuck in an open area with no long grass, trees, or bushes in sight, creeping and getting as close as you from behind it, mixed with speed at the right timing would catch you the bird," Dawnstar tells her son.

"You'll want to stay downwind and out of sight, move closer very slowly, and crouch without making a sound. Keep your muzzle low and your tail still. Don’t hesitate too much while creeping up on the prey, and stay focused. If you watch the birds closely enough, you can tell when they're getting ready to spread their wings and fly. You'll have to be ready to move quickly and charge to clear the distances between you before it can fly. Aim for the wings if you're worried you'll miss its body." She doesn't expect Grottopaw to catch a bird.

Birds were a more advanced type of prey, more difficult to get your claws on without the right amount of hunting training. Still, she wanted to see how he fared. If he caught it, catching land prey would be no trouble for him; if he failed, she'd see how he'd deal with the failure.

"If the bird takes flight before you can catch it, leap and try to knock it back down with your paws." She added and waited to see if he had any questions before giving him the okay to start hunting.