Twin Shadows (closed)

Juniperlight had been worn down quite a bit by recent events. With all of that nasty business with WindClan culminating in the deaths and maiming of several of his dearest friends by Dawnhawk, there was very little to celebrate. His pelt was dull and the usual light in his eye was gone. When Bloodstrike had announced his new apprentice, Juniperlight met his nod with a questioning stare. Was now the right time to take on a new apprentice? But Spottedfrog’s training had been completed, and he was now without an apprentice, and it was only fair that he do his fair share of work for the Clan. The black tom had learned that the world didn’t stop for grieving. So he would do his duty to SkyClan and to Beetlepaw.

“Good, your crouch is already leaps and bounds better. You’re quite well-built, and you’ll need a good sense of balance to keep your steps light. Don’t forget that you must be aware of your body at all times.” He had started with the basics: a simple hunting crouch that could be modified depending on the prey they’d found. Beetlepaw had proved to be a pleasant tom, and Juniperlight found himself enjoying his time training. Spottedfrog had been lovely, as well. Mentoring was a delight, and he was beginning to feel grateful that Bloodstrike had entrusted him with one of Sapphire’s sons. “Now, you’ve had fresh-kill, so you should be familiar with some prey scents. Lift your nose. Let the air flow over your tongue. What can you smell? Anything familiar?”

Beetlepaw was so excited to finally have a mentor. That part was even more exciting than being an apprentice and getting to train, because the relationship between mentor and apprentice was one that could (and should in his opinion) last and shape a lifetime. He couldn't wait for that! He loved his siblings dearly, but he also wanted to expand his horizons, especially when it came to building relationships with his Clanmates.

"Thanks, Juniperlight!" The fluffy black tom purred, his body feeling nice and warmed up after the practice. He was just glad that he had improved. He'd never really considered how his large size might effect his hunting abilities. He'd always kind of assumed that cats just did it.

With a little nod, he lifted his muzzle and took a deep breath, letting the air pass over his scent glands. After a second, he opened his eyes excitedly.

"It smells like birds everywhere!"

“Yes, you’re right!” The warrior meowed, tail flicking calmly. “SkyClan territory is full of tall trees, as you’ve probably noticed by now. Since we don’t have a lot of brush and bushes in our land, we do a lot of hunting in and around these trees. That means quite a bit of climbing and jumping. Any cat can jump; it’s jumping quietly and precisely that we do better than others. It all comes down to practice.” Juniperlight spoke with a gentle, quiet tone. The closer they got to actually hunting down a target, the quieter they’d need to be, and he didn’t want to ruin Beetlepaw’s chances.

He got to his paws from his seated position and dropped into his own hunting crouch. With a spark of excitement in his eye, he meowed, “Let’s find some of those birds and snag them for ourselves! Remember: birds are loud and timid. They’ll let out a warning call to other birds if they sense danger. So stay low, keep your breath controlled, and move very slowly. Stick to roots and lower branches. Don’t take risks until you feel comfortable first, alright?” Juniperlight smiled at the young tom. An apprentice’s first real hunt was always an exciting time, and he was eager to see Beetlepaw give it his best shot.

Beetlepaw beamed at the confirmation of being right. Oh good! He wanted to impress his mentor, but sometimes questions like that really tripped him up. He was glad that had been an easy one. He could sense a change as Juniperlight's voice got softer, his pelt prickled. What was about to happen?

Loud and timid, he nodded, trying to commit that to memory. Not feeling quite comfortable yet to get into the lower branches, the young tom dropped into his hunting crouch, hoping it was good enough for a real hunt. Practicing was well and good, but with the real thing staring him in the face...Well, he just hoped he didn't alert the whole forest.

He blended well with the shadows of the trees, which would work in his favor. He moved slowly over the bulky roots of the trees, until a bird landed, seemingly on the hunt for its own meal. Taking advantage of it's distraction, he leapt, grabbing it with his claws and quickly biting it to ensure it didn't let out a screech to alert the other birds in the area.

He turned back to Juniperlight with the robin in his jaws, eyes bright. He set it down before speaking.

"I did it! That was awesome!"

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 2

Beetlepaw had the robin in his paws quicker than a flash. Juniperlight beamed brightly and gave his apprentice a nod in approval. “Excellent! Good job on being patient. Letting the bird think it was safe for a few moments was a good move. Go ahead and bury that robin. I’m sure your mother would love to see your first catch when we get back to camp.” He meowed happily. He loved to see his apprentice learning and growing excited about his successes. SkyClan needed fewer angry cats.

While Beetlepaw buried his catch, Juniperlight stalked carefully and quietly further up the creek. A skittish chaffinch landed on the bank, pecking at the rocks for glittering bugs. The warrior moved slowly, settled deep into his crouch, and then pounced in almost total silence. The bird was squashed against the ground, unable to let out a warning call. He nipped it quickly in the neck and returned to Beetlepaw at a trot, then dropped it with his apprentice’s robin. “Such pretty feathers. They’ll make for great nesting.”

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 6

The tom's eyes brightened even further if that were possible. He couldn't wait to show his mother the robin he had caught! She would be so excited, and it would be a good meal for her, as well. He purred at the thought, watching carefully as Juniperlight made quick work of a chaffinch.

"Nice catch!" He purred as Juniperlight joined him. He felt grown up seeing their catches next to each other. He was certainly not just a kit anymore.

“Thank you, Beetlepaw,” Juniperlight meowed warmly. What a polite young tom! He’d have his paws full trying to help him stay that way. Life in SkyClan rarely allowed for manners and kindness, but it was his goal to help SkyClan release some of their bitterness. He didn’t blame his Clanmates; there was a shared trauma in the Clan that would take time to heal. A gentle and thoughtful warrior would be a rare gift. Sapphire herself had already helped a bit, giving new life through the relationships she was building and the fine kits she birthed.

Juniperlight glanced up at the tree branches above, determining the time of day by the angle of the light between the leaves. “How about we hunt for a little while longer? At sunhigh we can take a rest by the creek and then bring our catch home.” He nodded firmly, feeling the day’s heat soaking into his black fur. It would be much less comfortable for Beetlepaw with his long, silky pelt. Juniperlight made a note to keep an extra close eye on him. He wanted to avoid overheating or heatstroke.

They separated a short distance to continue hunting, and the warrior set his eye on a pigeon that pecked at loose rocks and gnarled roots. He dropped into his crouch and… a fluttering shadow interrupted the leaf-patterned sunlight. another bird? He turned just in time to see a large hawk swooping at him, talons outstretched, and instead of shrinking away, Juniperlight launched himself towards it. He counted on his greater weight to pull the bird down, and his claws dug deep into its feathered wings. They met the ground. The cat landed triumphant, forepaws pinning the hawk’s wings against the rocky earth. “Beetlepaw!”

He’d clashed with dangerous birds before and more often than not was victorious. However, this would be a good introduction into battling for his apprentice; of course they would go over the basics and advance from there, but the reality of battle—the adrenaline, the awareness of danger, the sensation of bleeding—was not something that could be taught.

Juniperlight used Leap-and-Hold on the hawk, dealing 9 damage and using 15 stamina. The hawk is stunned for one turn.

Juniperlight
45/45 HP
72/90 SP

Hawk
31/40
125/125

OOC: I forgot to subtract 3 sp for the hunting roll lol

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

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'Effect Dice' : 3

Beetlepaw was still a bit distracted by the thought of showing off his hunting skills to his mother. He gave a quick nod at the suggestion they keep hunting. The mention of a rest by the creek also sounded lovely, and he wanted to earn that rest. He had just spotted a mouse when Juniperlight's yowl frightened the tiny creature away. The apprentice whipped around, prey forgotten, and took off at a sprint back towards his mentor. He was thankful that they were not further apart that they were.

His heart pounded faster upon seeing the scene, but he felt a little better than the warrior had pinned the hawk. Beetlepaw had never even seen a hawk before, but the raptor was intimidating despite it's size.

He slowed a bit but didn't stop his forward momentum, lashing out with unsheathed front claws as he got close enough.

Beetlepaw used Front Paw Strike, dealing 6 damage and using 7 stamina.

Juniperlight
45/45 HP
72/90 SP

Hawk
25/40 (-6)
125/125

Beetlepaw
20/20
50/60 (-7)