Fallenpaw's Border and Hunting Training

Nightwing watched Fallenpaw stalk forward, she nodded and mewed "Now, try it on real prey." Getting to her paws, the through over her shoulder, "Meet back here after you have caught a few." Without waiting for a reply, she trotted off looking for food first, then to watch her apprentice. Nightwing tasted the air, a scrawny crow sat on the ground digging through a clump of snow for some seeds. Stalking forward, her paws executed a graceful pattern as she slowly approached the bird, who fluttered its wings as it got what it wanted, a seed, then flew off. Nightwing got up and growled at the bird. Leafbare is getting better...The birds can find seeds in the snow drifts. Perhaps the thaw is coming soon!

The member 'Splotchu' has done the following action : Dices roll

'Chance Dice' : 4

Fallenpaw raised her head to reply, but by the time her eyes traveled across the clearing, her mentor had vanished. With an irritated shake and another glance to her surroundings, she found no black she-cat in sight, and once again sat on the ground, furiously scratching an itching patch on her ear.

"I need to learn how to do that." She mewed to herself, returning to her feet. She felt the weariness sink into her, her paws feeling heavy as she became drowsy. She whacked herself with her paw, slightly clearing her head and leaving an echoing sound in her mind. She had an assignment! Nightwing told her to hunt, and she couldn't fathom why she wasn't already in action! But the rush of anticipating energy did not come to her call as it usually had done, instead feeling her muscles burn as she slid around the clearing, ears perked for sounds of prey. Why was she so tired? They had work to do!

It made her frustrated, but she endured. Nightwing wouldn't have her fall asleep on the job, and it would shame her name if the black warrior caught her even thinking of slumbering while the clan was hungry. She needed to show her mentor that she had learned what she taught her!

After patrolling the immediate area once over, about to begin a new cycle, she heard a faint splash. Her first intention was to dart toward the sound, before she halted mid-movement to think things over. Whatever it was, it would probably be scared away if she ran over there like a noisy badger. She still felt sleepy, the drowsiness sinking into her stance, but she never allowed it to make herself lazy, and so she sled towards the sound. After a little while, she once again appeared in a more damp area - with a tiny puddle residing in the middle, inhabiting a small green bulge inside of it. For a second she wondered if the frog - that was what she assumed it was - happened to be cold in the chilled water, but snapped out of it. Who cares what the frog was feeling? This was an opportunity! If she missed this chance it might be all night till she found another one!

She kept in her hunting crouch just as her mentor instructed, her movements in a slightly more lanky imitation of Nightwing's demonstration. She approached cautiously, her tail straitened so not to disrupt the foliage surrounding her. She remembered her previous failure at the pounce, and, determined to try again, she leaped, aiming for the frog.


She landed with a thump, and Fallenpaw excitedly searched through her paws, only to find the slippery being no where to be found. Once she raised her head, though, she spotted it in the distance, frantically hopping away. Disappointment bombarded her thoughts. She had failed.

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'Chance Dice' : 3

Nightwing watched the bird fly way and turned her back to the snow drift. She walked for what seemed like hours,tasting the air, until her mouth was cold. Nightwing finally got a faint scent another crow, who she quickly noticed in the white landscape. Watching it for a while, it dug for worms. Placing her paws carefully in of her, she came closer to the crow, her eyes locked on the piece of prey that may or may not keep her clan from starving on this rather harsh winter. Tencing her hind muscles, she leaped at the bird, her paws out stretched. The deputy landed on the Crow, her paw pinning it's out streached wings down, thin giving it a swift blow to the neck. Lifting her head up she looked to the night sky. Thank you StarClan for this piece of food that will feed my clan. With a light hearted sigh, she walked back to the clearing and buried her food to pick up later. Tracing Fallenpaw's scent, she watched her hunt, here eyes critiquing everything that went wrong, Staying in the shadows so the apprentice doesn't know she is being watched.

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'Chance Dice' : 5

Fallenpaw couldn't believe she had missed the frog, and grumbled to herself as she felt the residue of slime clinging to the surface of her paw. She had certainly skimmed it, but the slippery thing evaded her grasp, much to her disappointment. With a flick of her tail, she grudgingly returned to her feet. Her paws felt like stones, dragging her down as she struggled to keep her eyes open. She felt exhausted, and the failed catch made her spirits dampen further.

"Sleep is for the weak." She muttered under her breath, hoping to motivate herself. "Real warriors don't give up." She blinked. Even if she didn't catch anything all night, at least she could say that she tried. With a slow step, she again raised her ears, listening for any sound to indicate the location of prey. She couldn't believe how difficult it was to hunt. It could be forever until a mouse made enough sound for any cat to hear. She sighed, reluctantly sliding into the hunting crouch, forcing herself to smooth the lazy lags in her posture.

One pawstep after another, she slunk across the ground, tail strait and position smooth and sore. It took much conscious effort to remain alert while her eyes continued to sag, and when her paws stubbornly refused to proceed. Once Fallenpaw did find prey, she would probably not even have the strength to give chase.

In what seemed like forever, she heard a slight echo, a tiny scuff against the ground. She slowly turned toward the direction where it originated, hardening her stance and blinking her eyes to clear her head. She licked her lips, suddenly feeling hunger pile onto her drowsiness. She bit her lip, scolding herself. This prey would not be for her! The elders and kits needed to be fed first!

She continued around the foliage, careful not to make a sound as her paws silently landed softly on the ground. Once in range of the continuing scuffles, she paused, spotting a glimpse of a furry brown ball. Excitement flared inside of her as she crouched, preparing to spring. The tiny prey seemed to be oblivious to its predator, munching something between its claw shaped fore-paws. This was it, she reminded herself. Don't screw it up!

In a flash she leaped, aiming for its head.

Fallenpaw detected a small squeak from her paws, and she nearly let it go in surprise. Out of sheer instinct, she unsheathed her claws on the animal, and the frantic calls of distressed echoed. Fallenpaw was so mentally prepared for failure that she was surprised at her own success. She felt her insides churn as the creature wailed, and the apprentice struggled to kill it quickly. Fallenpaw had been so intent on catching anything to wonder what to do after that. It was a few minutes before she decided to make an educated guess, and she slammed her paw onto its neck, hearing a slight crack as the squeaks dispersed. The light gray she-cat sheathed her claws in relief, but she felt herself becoming nauseous as she thought of her messy kill. It was supposed to be a quick, painless death, with an honoring to thank the prey's sacrifice.

She had practically tortured it. With a guilty, gruesome expression she wiped the traces of red on the dampened earth, retrieving the mouse and clutching between her teeth. Thank you for your sacrifice anyway, mouse. May StarClan honor it.

Now she had to find her mentor.

The member 'Minty' has done the following action : Dices roll

'Chance Dice' : 5

Nightwing smiled with joy, bounding out of the dense shadows. "Congratulations on your catch!" She purred loudly, proud of her apprentice. "Would you like to bring that back to camp?" Nightwing motioned with her tail to the direction of camp. "I am sure the others will be proud." Quickly thinking back to her catch, she turned to the clearing bounding to the bile of dirt where she buried it. Then dug out her Crow, the warmth of the crow made her mouth water. Catching back up to her apprentice, she gave a nod to go back to camp.

Fallenpaw stared at Nightwing with her jaws slightly open, a befuddled expression on her face. Her mentor had been watching this whole time? She would have been embarrassed at her own ignorance if she wasn't distracted by her deputy's praise. Her exhaustion seemed momentary as she swelled with pride, even as she felt the nag at the back of her mind, urging her to get off her paws. But she was no longer hindered by her own darker, self-conscious thoughts - she felt lighter somehow, and she felt able to shake off her messy kill in order to give a brisk nod to her mentor. Her clan would be proud of her - Nightwing had said so! Fallenpaw relaxed her tense grip on the mouse as the black warrior turned to retrieve her own catch, absently tasting the sweet lingering flavor on her tongue as she heard her stomache growl its displeasure. The pull was strong, but in her mentor's presence her will to ressist and efforts to please were stronger. Maybe when she got back to camp Nightwing would let her rest - and eat. With this prediction keeping her going, she took off into a soft pace, padding up to her mentor with a slight grin on her face.

ooc:End o'Topic~