Fish are fast [Open Patrol for RC]

Ivypaw lingered in the reeds, keen green eyes watching the waters of the small pond that was fed by the river. At times, smaller fish would enter for a short break from the strong currents. And this was when the silver tabby would strike, sinking her claws into the water and batting up a fish. Or that's what she was trying, but it wasn't quite so easy. The webbed paws that made it easier for her to swim was actually slowing down her strike speed, making it difficult to catch the slippery, fast fish.

"Grah!" She snarled when another escaped her clutches by a millisecond.

Dewpaw noticed her apprentice clan mate attempting to catch fish and decided to join her. "Having trouble? I know how you feel." She asked then crouching down beside the pond and managed to catch a fish by its tail using her claws. "Wow that was a slow one, especially if I managed to catch it!" Dewpaw chuckled setting the flailing fish aside.

"Nice one." Ivypaw replied quite flatly. She didn't mind the company of her denmate, but her repeated failures fishing were getting to her quite a bit. The silver tabby didn't mean to sound so dejected. Realising it could be taken the wrong way, the she-cat tried to inject some enthusiasm into her voice. "Really, that was a good catch. I'm just annoyed that I'm not very good at this." As she spoke, she tried swiping at another fish, it was a miss. She was keeping her toes too spread apart and her webbing kept slowing her down. Ivypaw, however, was failing to notice this little mistake.

Dewpaw noticed the tone of which Ivypaw replied but didn't take it personally as she could relate to the struggle. "Trust me this is a really lucky catch for me and you know what they say, practice makes perfect!" She smiled. Dewpaw knew how irritating it was constantly being told to just keep trying and that she would eventually be as strong as a warrior but the process was filled with mistakes, failure and was very painful but she tried to keep her clanmates hopes up.

Reedfang was walking by when he noticed the two apprentices trying to fish. One of those apprentices being one of his siblings. One of the ones that went missing, and that he didn't have a much of a connection too. The brown tabby tom felt a little weirder now that he was a warrior, and the rest of his littermates were apprentices still. He approached the two, taking a seat next to the two of them making sure his shadow wasn't cast over the water. "If you are having some trouble maybe I can give you some tips." He offered the two of them.

Ivypaw couldn't help feel a little better after Dewpaw's pep talk, she was so earnest, how could she stay dejected? "I'll keep trying, Dewpaw." She meowed, green eyes focusing on the fishes swimming within the shallow pond again. That was when her brother, Reedfang, a littermate, approached them. He was a warrior, odd considering Mistfeather said that they'd been born at the same time. Would she already be a warrior if she was with ThunderClan, she couldn't help think darkly. But the she-cat nipped that thought in the bud before it blossomed, it was a pointless train of thought to follow. Instead she accepted her brother's offer, a little curtly, but still in the realm of politeness. "I'd be grateful if you did."

Dewpaw gave Ivypaw a smile and looked over to Reedfang. "Thank you, I could always use some extra training and tips!" The grey she-cat exclaimed and noticed the tension between the two but didn't think much of it and shook it off.

Reedfang felt slightly relieved when the both accepted his help. In his mind it felt like a small step forward with his sister. The next time he spoke, his tone seemed to be slightly better. "Alright then. Let me see what you two have, and we can work from there." He said. He would be able to help better if he could see what they were doing. The both of them had managed to catch one fish. Hopefully with his help they would be able to catch some more.

Troutstep needed a break, something to get his mind off of Whitefoot's daughters. The tom gave a sigh as he walked towards the pond. Maybe some easy fishing will distract me. He hoped no one else was there as well. Unfortunately, his wish didn't come true. He looked to his left and saw Reedfang and some apprentices. Great. Hope I don't have to be social. He sat down at the water's edge, staring at his reflection, praying to StarClan they wouldn't ask him a question.

Dewpaw waited for Ivypaw show off her skills first, while she waited she noticed Troutstep and went to greet him. He seemed like a much more refined cat and that made Dewpaw slightly nervous going up to talk to her. "H- Hi Troutstep, sorry am I bothering you? I guess I better leave a tough warrior like you to relax huh." She nervously laughed with her eyes darting from side to side.

Ivypaw ignored the antisocial warrior who'd joined them, she wanted to catch a fish and hunt. If he wanted to roam the river and do whatever, that was his prerogative, she had no interested in engaging him like Dewpaw. While Dewpaw spoke to him, the silver tabby focused, her webbed paw spread out for maximum coverage to swoop up the fish before she struck the water.

Her webbing slowing down her strike by milliseconds which was enough for the fish to slip away. "Grah!" She snarled, slamming her paw down onto the sand. "Every. Time. Mice aren't as difficult to catch as these fish... See enough Reedfang?"

Reedfang nodded. "I see the issue. Instead of spreading your paw out keep it close together. The webbing will slow you down if you keep it splayed." He spied a fish in the water. "Watch." His paw shot down into the water and scooped up the fish with ease, the whole time keeping his paw close together. "See? It's much faster." He stated killing the fish before it could flop back into the river.

The silver she-cat dipped her head to the warrior and returned to where Reedfang and Ivypaw were. As Reedfang swept up the fish with ease Dewpaw was eager to try catch a fish using the advice she was given. Dewpaw looked firmly into the water and spotted movement and immediately striked, although her paws were close she cast a shadow onto the pond and let the fish get away just in time. "Drats, my bad." She groaned but was pleased with how much faster her paw glided through the water unlike her last strategy to use her claws and hopefully hook onto a fish with a bit of luck.