Fish and Feathers [closed]

With two young cats under his wings, and hardly a clue about what to do with them, Loonwhisper considered asking Ivystar to reconsider his mentorship of little Sweetpaw. Of course, that was not possible. Not in the slightest. Every clan had its own little curse, and RiverClan's seemed to be that there were never enough warriors: not to train apprentices, not to feed the kits, not to win their wars. It was all very... worldly. Too real for Loonwhisper's liking. The stress of it made him shut down, and to hear Ivystar remind him again that he was in no position to refuse an apprentice would have sent him into a tizzy. It was not that he did not truly enjoy Sweetpaw and Swanpaw as students... it was the simple fact that he did not think himself a mentor. That was why Dewlight accompanied them, taking up the rear of the patrol. No matter how he might have tried to disguise his request as a regular patrol, it would have been quite easy for the warrior to see that Loonwhisper was horribly in over his head, and in need to help he was not capable of asking for.

Loonwhisper stepped into the river up to his knees, and then turned to the group. "The river is a gracious host today," he said. "This lazy current is a greeting. It is an invitation. Do not abuse his kindness. You are not smarter than the river... he speaks to things which we cannot see, and knows more of you than yourself."

He pointed down at his reflection, regarding the broken tuxedo markings on his face and his feathery pelt. "It sees the not-you. The Not-Swanpaw and the Not-Sweetpaw. RiverClan cats are vulnerable, in this way. We must surrender to the not-selves in the river... or drown in fighting against it." He touched his nose to his own reflected image, the Not-Loonwhisper, which only he ever seemed to understand. "Swim with me to Sunningrocks, and we will fish there."

In three large bounds, Loonwhisper's paws left the sandy riverbank and dove deeper into the cold Newleaf wake. He opened his eyes a sliver to watch the shimmering, dancing lights on the river beneath, and wondered what it would be like to be carp in this river, and live amongst the reflections. He paddled, ruddering his tail against the gentle current to make his way across, to ThunderClan's side, where their territory often lay in violent dispute.

Everything seemed to be moving so very quickly.

Sweetpaw followed after the three other cats, hurrying to keep up with them. Her paw pads were still soft from the camp's sandy ground, and she winced at every little pebble and twig that dug into them.

Sweetpaw was a small cat, she knew, smaller than even most of the other apprentices her age. She had been born too small as well. That was what her father used to tell her. He said it was a miracle that she, out of all of her siblings, was the one to survive.

He had never seemed outwardly sad about their deaths, but Sweetpaw didn't doubt that he was. In his last days of life, he had seemed farther away from her than usual, as if there was some emotional barrier block separating them. He had always been such a happy cat, always dancing through her memories with a playful purr and words infused with warmth. He had once promised her that he would accompany her on her first patrol out of camp. He was too honorable and wise of a warrior to try and pull her away prematurely, but now, Sweetpaw wished that he would have broken the rules just once.

The way he saw the world had always been so different from the way that Sweetpaw had. In his eyes, it seemed warm and exciting, every little detail worth noting. Now, when Sweetpaw followed the other cats out of the camp, heart thrumming in her chest like the beating of water against rocks, she tried to recreate that, hungry eyes searching everything she could find and drinking it in. He would have offered commentary, so she kept a steady stream of words going in her mind, words that sounded suspiciously like his.

It wasn't the same, but then again, she wouldn't have expected that.

Sweetpaw glanced up at the other three cats to see that, infuriatingly, she had fallen behind again. She pushed herself forward to keep pace just behind Loonwhisper. The fluffy black tom had a far-off look in his eyes as he strode forward, posture set into one of determination and power. Sweetpaw quickly looked away. Loonwhisper was so cool. She had always hoped that her mentor would be wise, but she had never dared to think it would be the deputy of her clan. Her stomach gave an excited flop. Even if Brackenlark wasn't here with her, she still wanted to try her very best to please this new cat.

The other apprentice (his other apprentice) followed as well. She was pretty, Sweetpaw could admit, with a striking white coat and amber-glow eyes. Her name was Swanpaw, if she recalled correctly, and she had never met her before, having only seen her around camp every now and then, doing the menial tasks assigned to apprentices by their mentors. She had always thought the she-cat was incredibly cool, but then again, she thought most apprentices were cool. Cool and lucky.

Now she was one of them, assigned under a top-ranking warrior. Now, she was finally free of camp.

She had hoped her mother would come to see her off, but she didn't have much faith that she would. Her mother was as distant as ever, having retired to the Queens' den permanently. Sweetpaw heard others speaking about her sometimes, words of pity- "It's a shame that such a young and promising warrior would hole herself up in the Queens' den," "What a tragedy, of course, to lose so many so early on," "Can you really blame her? She's lost faith in the world." They never mentioned Sweetpaw. Sometimes, it felt like she didn't even exist to them. She certainly didn't matter to her mother.

Loonwhispers' quiet murmur drew her ear and she quickly turned her full attention on the elder tom, fur fluffing up against the new-leaf breeze. They had made it to the river, it seemed, where the tom was standing, the water pooling halfway up his legs. He looked strange and mystical in the early morning mist, his fur brushing against the water. Sweetpaw shivered in anticipation.

"The river is a gracious host today," he murmured, his eyes far away. "This lazy current is a greeting. It is an invitation. Do not abuse his kindness. You are not smarter than the river... he speaks to things which we cannot see, and knows more of you than yourself."

Sweetpaw did not quite understand his words, though they were heavy with meaning, and simply nodded, eagerly. If he was going into the river, it seemed they would be, too. Sweetpaw looked to the other for confirmation of this fact to see they were, in fact, gearing up, shaking ou their pelts, and already stepping forward. Sweetpaw did the same.

They stopped at the edge, though, where Loonwhisper spoke again, words slow and thoughtful. Sweetpaw still couldn't quite catch his meaning, but she still examined herself in the water. Ripples passed through her image, blurring it into the white mist surrounding them.

When Loonwhisper knelt to touch his nose to his mirror image, Sweetpaw could only do the same. The water was cold, shockingly so, and she had to fight the urge to flinch back. After a moment, though, the surprise subsided, leaving calm. Sweetpaw peeked up again as Loonwhisper spoke once more.

His instructions were simple, yet sent Sweetpaws' heart racing. Swim with me to Sunningrocks, and we will fish there.

Sweetkit wasn't quite sure about this. She had never learned how to fish- was she supposed to know already?- and although she had swum three or four times before with Brackenlarks' assistance, his kind words helping her as she struggled through the water, she had always ended up sinking due to her heavy coat and having to be rescued every time by the laughing tom, even if the water was not much higher than his knees.

Worry filled her, but a voice that sounded very much like Brackenlarks' sounded in her ear, something he had told her before during one of their swimming lessons. "You are of the River, like the rest of us. The river may be dangerous, but it is our home. Do now swim against the current, little warrior, and the river will carry you."

So, with a worried huff, Sweetpaw dove into the river. For a moment, everything was still and echoey as she floated, but then, she was above the water, gasping for air. She didn't know what to do, at that moment, but then everything seemed to stabilize as she got used to the cool water and her paws began to kick, carrying her after the other cats.

Despite her paws' movements, she was jerky and slow, her fur catching in the current and pulling her down. She shivered as the icy water doused her, not reaching her through the last layer of fluff on her body, though its presence chilled her all the same. Her heart hammered against her ribcage as she struggled through the water, gasping for air even though she had only begun to swim. Sunning Rocks wasn't far away, she knew, but each kick was an effort, and it was hard to keep her head over water. She remembered, suddenly, what Loonwhisper had told her at her apprentice ceremony. He had been right when he said she wasn't a swimmer, but she still didn't quite understand the rest of it.

Her body was numb and her limbs were tired, but her head stayed above the water. She lagged behind the others, four swirling around her in the powerful current. It would be easier, she thought, to let it pull her. To be pulled under into its depths.

She quickly shook the thought away. No, she quickly thought, I'm not doing that. She had thoughts like that sometimes, thoughts that popped up out of nowhere of things she didn't want to consider. Brackenlark had told her not to give them too much mind. "Sometimes things come into your head that aren't things you would ever really want to do, he had told her. Pay them no mind. You are an inquisitive cat, so it is understandable that you would think of them.

His words were comforting. She latched onto them as she finally struggled across the river, her paws kicking up silt and pebbles as they desperately found a foothold.

It lasted much too long, and after what seemed like only a moment, they had reached the other bank, rocks rising up from the ground. Loonwhispers' steps were steady as he walked, not even stopping to shake out his drenched coat. Sweetpaw was much less graceful, pulling herself onto the bank with a shaking gasp, shivering as she desperately shook out her coat. She wanted to slow and take time to groom herself, but she didn't have time. Instead, she hurried after the other cats until she was, once again, in step with her mentor.

Swanpaw trotted after Loonwhisper and some other cats, Sweetpaw, a small grey tabby and Dewlight, a dark grey she-cat with green eyes and a black tail tip. They all seemed quite the opposite of Swanpaw, it didn't surprise her of course, Swanpaw's mother had always called her a unique and annoyingly quiet. She had seemed to lose focus as she jumped when Loonwhisper began to give instructions to the group. He spoke in a strange way, where Swanpaw spoke not at all. She listened she looked down into the water at 'Not Swanpaw'. Not Swanpaw's face began to ripple and move in weird ways as Loonwhisper and Sweetpaw swam towards Sunningrocks.

She watched them swim Sweetpaw wasn't as graceful as Loonwhisper, but it was obvious the smaller she-cat tried her best. Swanpaw looked at the water, into Not Swanpaw's curious gaze. She looked at sunningrocks, at Sweetpaw and Loonwhisper. They didn't have time for her to hesitate.

She put her paw into the water, it rippled around her soft fur, it felt calming, welcoming even.

She put her other paw in, again, welcoming. It gave the white she-cat a bit of a confidence boost. She waded into the water, it didn't push her downstream, the water just made it's way around her. Swanpaw took in a breath. She was nearing the place where she had to swim, where her paws just couldn't reach. Hopefully the river would stay as accepting as it was then.

She had watched the others swim, mostly Loonwhisper. She had noticed he moved his paws like he was walking, a little quicker than on land. She closed her eyes, trying to think of the way Loonwhisper walked in water. She gave a little kick and moved her legs in a walking pattern, she opened her eyes, the bank was closer than it was when she kicked out, which meant... she was swimming!

She kept the motion, happy that it was easier than she thought it would've been. She felt her paw touch the bottom of the river, so she slowed and lifted herself out of the water, she kicked a bit of mud as she pulled herself out but she was too relieved to notice. She shook some droplets of water out from her fur and began to lick her fur dry. After a few licks she looked up at Loonwhisper for the next instruction.

Sweetpaw watched the other apprentice swim towards her, moving rapidly through the water with graceful ease. It was hard not to feel discouraged in her own abilities as the she-cat easily pulled herself out of the water, shaking her short pelt a bit and spattering droplets across the sandy beach.

Sweetpaw had seen other cats swim like that before. She tried to keep her head held high, but it was hard with her sopping fur weighing her down. She had her mothers' coat, but she had never seen her mother swim before? Sweetpaw felt suddenly angry. She stared down at the ground, trying to calm herself. That was no reason for the emotion. She would get better at swimming, just like all of the other cats in Riverclan. She was of the river. She would be fine.

She wasn't looking forward to the trip back across the river, but she hoped they could learn interesting things here- like hunting! She recalled seeing a few flashes of silver in the water before she had swum across. Sweetpaw had always liked fish, especially the fresh kind. Her father would always sneak her some, when she was younger.

(OOC: Dangerous, watch out for the posting order! In every topic on WCC (with some exceptions, like Gatherings and clan meetings and battles), we take turns in a circle. The order depends on the first round of posts in the topic. That means that the posting order for this topic is: Grizzly, then Dangerous, then Memories, then Moss. That means it's Moss's turn. It's alright this time, since you probably didn't realize, but please remember for your next post. Your turn is always after mine, so after I post again with Loonwhisper, you'll be allowed to post again. Thank you!)

When Loonwhisper had come to her requesting she join him for a patrol with Sweetpaw and Swanpaw, Dewlight had been more than a little surprised and honored. The deputy was requesting her presence... As they left camp though, it seemed that he had needed her more than she had needed anything else. Content still, even after that realization, she took up her position at the back of the patrol. Sweetpaw tended to lag behind a bit, and every time she started to fall behind the others Dewlight slowed herself so as to not leave her alone. Every time though, she caught herself and sped up to walk behind Loonwhisper. As they reached the river, she listened to Loonwhisper's explanation. It was certainly an.... Interesting one, but not terrible. Sliding into the chilly water behind the apprentices, she made sure that they didn't get swept away or swallowed by the waves. They both did very well though, and as Dewlight stepped onto the bank behind them she purred. "Well done you two." The water streamed out of her pelt as she looked to Loonwhisper, nodding for him to continue leading the way to Sunningrocks. She quickly opened her maw slightly to scent the area around them. She didn't scent any nearby ThunderClan patrols, and hopefully it would stay that way. The last thing she wanted was to have the two young apprentices come across a predator or other clan patrol on one of their first excursions from camp.

Loonwhisper stood pensive, knee-deep in the tempid water as the light fractured across it, illuminating his white paws underneath. He smiled, though it looked more like a grimace, and tip-tapped his paws in the sand. An excellent day. Simply lovely.

He turned over his shoulder to watch the rest of the patrol follow him up, water dripping steadily from the tendrils around his face. With his wild fur now clinging tightly to his frame, his musculature was on display—his pedigree became quite clear in his strong legs, thick tail, and long body. He was lean, but not skinny, and his paws were wide. It was all distinctly RiverClan. Perhaps it was what made him so adept at fishing. The tom would disagree, knowing that he would not be half the fishercat he was if not for the ability to stare so patiently into the abyss until a glimmering fish was right beneath him. Though, to translate that into a lesson? He wasn't sure it was possible. Loonwhisper trusted Dewlight with this task completely. She was quite the capable teacher.

"I will demonstrate. You will watch," he purred to his apprentices. "Then, you will try. Dewlight, if she would like, will correct you. And help you."

Loonwhisper stepped deeper into the water, and lowered himself down until he was resting on his haunches. Lifting one paw above the water, he sat in silent wait. He spoke nothing. He did nothing. He thought nothing. Every inch of his body was devoted to the current... then, he saw the flickering shape of a fish. It was just a shiny line, darting across the rocks below. When he had a spare moment, he swung out, and the fish flew out in a wide arc before falling to the shoreline, flipping enthusiastically. Loonwhisper blinked at the apprentices. "Complete dedication," he crooned.

Loonwhisper attempted to catch a fish. Success!
277/280 SP

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ooc: Here is a tutorial for the hunting system!

how to hunt:

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 4

Sweetpaw watched as her mentor leaned over the water, eyes far away. Hunting? Already? She watched with fascination as the older cat padded carefully into the water, lowering himself into it. She suppressed a shiver- she didn't like the water very much, she decided. Hopefully, she'd get used to it.

Loonwhisper stared into the water, so focused that Sweetpaw was sure that nothing, not even the cry of a fox, would startle him out of his reverie. She felt herself leaning forward, a bit, trying to take in his form and copying it as best as she could on the shore.

It might have been only a moment later, or an hour, but suddenly, there was a change. Sweetpaw caught it in his eyes, flashing before he swiped a paw forward, so sudden that Sweetpaw almost flinched back. A glimmer of silver signified that he had caught a fish, sending it into an arching spiral out of the water and onto the bank where it smacked into the ground, momentarily stunned. Sweetpaw's muzzle opened in awe. That had been so graceful! Excitement renewed, she made her way to the river, only a bit away from where the others were standing, and stared into the water. It was cold, terribly so, but she found that she didn't mind too much.

The water numbed her paws, but she ignored it, sinking onto her haunches and trying to match Loonwhispers' form. It felt natural, besides the water around her paws, and she was gratified to see that there was a flash of silver. She didn't go for it, not yet, instead, choosing to wait for a second, trying to focus all of her attention onto the river.

She couldn't tell how long she waited until another flash of scales caught her eye. Excitement burst in her body, making her heart hammer loudly in her chest, and she thought back to the way that Loonwhisper had skillfully whisked the fish from the water. Hoping desperately that she was doing it right, Sweetpaw swung a paw forward towards the fish.

For a moment, she was sure she had failed and had caught nothing but water. Yet, after a second, a tiny fish flew from the water, wriggling, and silver. Sweetpaw watched as it hit the bank, stunning it for a moment, but not long. Carefully, she leapt from the water and went to finish it off, wu=ishing she had been as graceful as Loonwhisper.

Still, it had worked!

She stared down at her quarry. It was small, yes, but it was hers. She couldn't help but feel a bit of pride at that, and she puffed out her fur, turning to face the others.

Sweetpaw attempted to catch a fish! Success!
[77/80 SP]

The member 'Dangerous Advantage' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 2

Swanpaw watched with curious eyes as the two cats fished, and successfully, caught a fish each. She looked into the river, down at Not Swanpaw and tried to copy what the other cats did before her. She looked back at the others for their approval, then back into the water. There were only a few now, the rest seemed to be scared away. So, she took a deep breath and focused on the fish, waiting for the perfect time to strike.

She waded into the water and continued to wait, to her excitement, the fish had swam dangerously close to the white she-cat, she had to be quick. With one swift movement she grabbed the fish with her jaws, it wriggled uncomfortably in her mouth so she quickly threw it to dry land. She jumped out of the water, watching it writher and struggle on the land for a few seconds before finishing it with a quick bite. She held in proudly in the air before calmly placing it down at her paws and waiting for Dewlight.

Swanpaw attempted to catch a fish and... Succeeded! She lost -3 SP for the attempt.
Swanpaw-
77/80 SP

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 5

Loonwhisper stated that he would demonstrate, and she would help correct and help. Nodding in agreement, she waited quietly as Loonwhisper waded into the water and paused, waiting for his chance. Finally it came, and he swiftly pulled a gleaming fish from the water. The apprentices followed suit, one pulling a fish from the water with a paw before quickly finishing it off on the bank, and the other using her teeth. "Well done, both of you!" She purred, stepping forward. "Sweetpaw, when you use your paw, just be sure you put enough strength behind it to get the fish to the bank. You did a great job this time, but I can't tell you how many fish I've lost that way. You did a great job, and with time you'll get better and better!" Turning her gaze to Swanpaw next, she smiled. "I haven't seen a cat use their teeth to catch a fish yet. That was really quite impressive! With the way you threw it to shore, I would guess that it felt weird, right? Perhaps, if you want to continue using your teeth, you can aim for right below the head. That should kill it immediately, along with preventing your teeth from damaging the rest of the fish. Here, I'll try it and hopefully show you." Calmly, Dewlight padded into the water, enjoying the feeling of the chilly current washing around and over her paws, crouching low, she waited for an opportunity. She was aware of the eyes on her. Suddenly, her chance came, and she leaned forward, trying to clamp down on the head of the fish that was passing, and she felt the fish go limp as she pulled it from the water. Blinking the droplets out of her eyes, she turned to wade back towards the group. Once she set the fish down among the others, she turned back to Swanpaw. "Alright, now that I've done it myself, I have a couple things. One, definitely aim for the head. The fish immediately fell limp, which made it much easier to get to shore. Two, be careful of your eyes. The river is fairly calm here, but you want to be careful that nothing gets in them. It may cut your eye, in that case we'll have to get you to Dennis as quickly as possible. If you want to keep fishing this way, I'll keep practicing so I can help you the best I can." She mewed, glancing to Loonwhisper. Did he have anything to add?

Dewlight attempted to catch a Fish, catch was succesful. -3 SP. (197/200)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 6