[PT] dreaming of crows

[Luna16]

She has been spending way more time with apprentices than she ever thought she would. Irisdream was busy thoroughly grooming her soft fur, pining for the days of getting a diet with consistent fish in it. It really had a positive impact on her pelt! As she finished cleaning her face, she cast a glance towards Duskleaf, asleep in his nest. Lightly, the silvery feline touched her nose to the tom’s ear, barely brushing against it. A silent “I’m heading out” gesture, though she also didn’t dare wake him now that he was sleeping so peacefully. Irisdream stepping outside of the den and stretched her limbs carefully, ensuring to be thorough but graceful. More than ever, she had a reputation to uphold.

The feline strode over to the apprentice’s den, the crisp chill morning causing little puffs of visible air to billow around her muzzle when she exhaled. How the water had thawed and it was still this freezing was beyond her. “Crowpaw, come here please.” She called into the apprentice’s den when she reached it, stepping back to allow them space to emerge. As a Lionheart, one of her new duties was ensuring the clan’s apprentices received training. And Crowpaw had requested training from her that she was particularly skilled in giving - hunting. And she was all too happy to do it. At least this apprentice will be more grateful than that Riftpaw fellow. Stars above that tom knew how to agitate. She prayed Crowpaw wouldn’t have the same attitude that he did.

Otherwise, this day will end up being most unpleasant.

@Rowan - Crowpaw!

[Rowan]

CrowPaw all but had a heart attack upon hearing her name, her head jerking up from where her paws rested and here gaze widened. Shallows? Raccs? Was Raccs okay? Her head quickly whipped around, scanning her den for her little brother to at least confirm his safety. She let out a relieved breath as she spotted him then decided to remember she had asked for training today. For the first time…Hell she was down bad. Her life….everything happened so quickly between becoming an apprentice later than usual (ripe age of 8 moons, huh?) to her first mentor being abusive and the one after that doing nothing so far. But Elks seemed nice. But now she was twelve moons. Most cats were warriors by twelve, or become one shortly after. She knew nothing. OH GREAT STARCLAN I’M A FAILURE. That’s all that raced through CrowPaws head and she stood with a panic. Would she ever be a warrior? Her brother at the gathering praised her…saying she’d be the best. Could she ever? Probably not. Did she even…want to fight and kill forever?…Also probably not.

A well of anxiety and sadness peaked in her gaze as she exited her den to look at the Lionheart and before she knew it she was anxiously rambling, “I-I’m sorry- before w-we st-st-start I- I want to let you kn-know that…I have n-no training…I-I’m sorry if th-that makes your job harder an-and I know I look older and all but I-”


@Luna16 [gave room if Iris wants to cut off her…rambles]

[Luna16]

Irisdream had mentally prepared herself for a lot of scenarios as to how this Crowpaw would be, but what she got was not one of them. Deep, dark blue eyes blinked in surprise, and then softened. Crowpaw…she reminded her so much of her darling Kitepaw… Although she blamed herself for a lot of Kitepaw’s mannerism, and therefore distanced herself from her daughter, she still loved her fiercely. Crowpaw seemed like the kind of cat who had grown through quite a bit…and she vaguely did remember hearing some whispers about the apprentice. She’d just never put a name to the rumors. For now though, Irisdream had to stop this rambling before the little dear hurt herself.

“Hush now, everything is okay young one.” Irisdream purred, her voice soft and soothing. She gently brushed her tail-tip against Crowpaw’s shoulder, assuming that the young cat would be skittish to physical touch so she didn’t get too close just in case. “You are no bother. Is it not your duty to make my job easier, it is my duty to prepare you for the world. And everycat has their own pace on that path.” Irisdream offered little Crow a smile, hoping to soothe her anxiety at least a little. If nothing else, Crowpaw will know that she won’t claw her ears off or anything. Honestly, she preferred teaching the foundations. This way her teaching didn’t clash with another’s.

“We’re going to go over hunting today. And we can also review basic fishing if you’d like, seeing as how the water is flowing again.” She would leave that up to Crowpaw though, she didn’t want to overwhelm the poor dear. She seemed about ready to fly up a tree with her anxiety as it was. Though Irisdream figured she’d make the offer, in case Crowpaw wanted to try to knock out all forms of basic hunting in one swoop.

@Rowan - Crowpaw - lol, thank you. Enter: Iris’s Momma Mode!

[Rowan]

CrowPaw’s breath hitched at the gentle brush of Irisdream’s tail-tip. She hadn’t expected…kindness. Not that she thought Irisdream would be mean, but still—it caught her off guard.

Her ears flicked back as she tried to gather herself, claws lightly kneading the ground. “I-I mean, y-yeah, I kn-know th-that, b-but…” Her gaze flickered downward. “I sh-should already kn-know this stuff. E-everyone my age is al-almost a warrior, and I’m s-still figuring out the basics.” Her voice wavered slightly at the end, frustration creeping in.

She let out a breath, forcing herself to focus. Just move forward. Don’t freeze.

At the mention of hunting, CrowPaw gave a quick nod. “Y-yeah. H-hunting sounds good. …fishing too.” She hesitated, then added, “I d-don’t w-wanna be completely useless.” She forced a small, breathy chuckle, though it didn’t quite land. Her tail flicked anxiously, but she lifted her head, determination sparking behind her nervous gaze. “I-I’ll do my best. Promise.”


@Luna16

[Luna16]

Irisdream noticed that her touch seemed to startle the young thing. Poor dear. She gave Crowpaw what she hoped was a comforting smile and soft purr. "You will get there my dear. Just focus on your own paws and your own path." She purred, brushing her tail along Crowpaw's side and flank gently in a soothing gesture. She smiled and nodded as Crowpaw seemed to rebound. "I know you will." She mewed nodding as she turned. "Come then. Let us begin."

She led Crowpaw to an area where they could practice. The warmer weather was allowing prey to thrive again, this was a good time to learn. She turned to face the apprentice with a warm smile, hoping to encourage her. "Now, you may not have any hunting experience. But what do you know about hunting? Even if it's just your crouch or anything regarding knowledge on the concept. Show me, or tell me, what you know." She mewed with a smile. She didn't want to treat Crowpaw like a completely fresh apprentice, because she wasn't. Even if she didn't know hunting yet fully, she may have some knowledge on the topic. She wanted to know what Crowpaw knew and build off of that.

@Rowan - Crowpaw

[Rowan]

• she/her • 15 moons • riverclan/apprentice •
the collector

CrowPaw's shoulders flinched slightly at the tail along her side—still not used to gentle things—but she didn’t pull away. The purr in Irisdream’s voice settled something inside her, even if it didn’t quite melt the anxious knots she carried. She nodded once, almost shyly, and followed the warrior without another word.

The clearing was open and quiet, with a few trees dotting the edges and the scent of prey faint on the breeze. CrowPaw took it in with a flick of her ear. Her paws twitched with restless energy, like she was trying to brace herself for failure before even starting. But Irisdream's warm smile helped. Just a little.

When she was asked what she knew, she hesitated, glancing down at her own paws.

“I-I’ve seen others do it… I-I know the crouch is supposed to be low to the ground, and—and your weight st-stays even so you don’t make noise,” she mumbled, trying to recall what she’d observed. “Y-you keep your tail low but n-not dragging… and y-you step soft…I-uhm…briefly…learned stealth with my…m-my first-first…m-men…tor…” She trailed off and glanced up, unsure. She never…ever spoke of LavenderLeopard. She thought of the cat often, but never spoke…perhaps IrisDream didn’t even know what happened…but the exile was quite public.

“I haven’t really done it, but I watched a lot. I wanted to learn, even if no one really… was showing me.”

Her voice caught a bit near the end, and she looked away quickly, ears tilted back. But she forced herself to focus again. She dropped into a crouch, trying to mimic what she’d seen her denmates do countless times. It was a little stiff, a little too tense, but not terrible.

“I—I know it’s not perfect, but… is this close?” she asked, glancing up at Irisdream for reassurance, her blue eyes full of cautious hope.

└> . . . @Luna16

[Luna16]

Oh dear, she hadn't meant to startle the poor thing! Thankfully, Crowpaw seemed to settle shortly after. And Irisdream flashed the young cat a soft, encouraging smile. Onward to the crouch! Irisdream was a firm believer in mastering the basics and foundations, and the foundation for a good hunter is proper form. Which she was an expert in, if she was nothing else she was poised and nimble. It lent well to her when hunting. Irisdream nodded as Crowpaw described what she knew, her gaze glazing slightly at the mention of Crowpaw's previous mentor. Not in rage you see, at least not directed at Crowpaw. The silvery feline knew well of the exile, but she hid her unadulterated rage from Crowpaw, quickly silencing it to return her gaze to normal. Surely, having an adult hide their emotions was more unnerving for the young she-cat than anything else.

"Even just knowing the basics is a step in the right direction, and gives you an edge over those who lack the knowledge." Irisdream mewed with a soft smile, her voice gently but not fluffy soft. She didn't want Crowpaw to think she was just saying these things to make her feel better, because she wasn't She meant every word. When Crowpaw attempted the crouch, Irisdream's gaze became thoughtful. She rose to her paws, humming thoughtfully as she walked around the apprentice. If it were any other cat, she'd gently dab at their shoulder with her paw to make sure they were steady. But she didn't want to completely freak the feline out. Instead, she decided to simply voice her concerns. "Take a deep breath, dear." She instructed, lowering herself into her own crouch.

"You have the position basically correct. However, you're muscles are far too tense. If you are unable to relax into this position, not only will you be easily toppled but you'll burn through your energy much faster." Irisdream offering Crowpaw an encouraging smile and nod. "Close your eyes, take some deep breaths. Feel your muscles, where they are tightened. Then slowly, as you exhale, let the tension flow out of them. Let that energy flow down, out of your paws, and into the ground." The Lionheart waited patiently, letting out a soothing purr to hopefully aid Crowpaw in this meditative trick. Something she picked up when dealing with...well...her own challenges. Her mother may not have laid claws on her, but the damage was all too real and still haunted her.

@Rowan - Crowpaw