First Apprentice, Second Mentor [C]

Frostgaze had wasted no time after learning that he would be teaching Mistlepaw the ways of being a warrior in creating a lesson plan. He had everything planned out to the last detail. Today would be all the basics. Sure, it would be a lot to learn at once, but learning a little bit of everything today would make it easier to go into specifics tomorrow. Besides, he had been an apprentice, and despite his reluctance to show emotion, Frostgaze had always wanted to learn. Most apprentices did.

Gracefully weaving between slumbering apprentices, Frostgaze lowered his head to whisper to Mistlepaw. "Wake up, time for training. Meet me at the entrance to camp." With that, he left, as silently as he had come. Then with the time that he had between leaving the apprentice's den, and sitting at the entrance, he groomed his bushy tail. Mud was still everywhere... the warrior hoped that frost would soon cover the ground, leaving him relatively cleaner in the long run. That though, was still far off.

Mistlepaw stirred from her dreams at Frostgaze's voice, soon fully surfacing when she realised today she would finally be training. It was all nice to sit around camp and make friends with the elders, but she had been slowly fizzing away with bottled-up excitement. She didn't waste time in cleaning the scraps of moss caught deep in her long pelt, instead choosing to hurry after her mentor. Yellow eyes wide, she excitedly said, "What are we going to learn?" It wasn't like the apprentice to so clearly show how she felt, but there were always exceptions to things, and today was one of those days.

As soon as his new apprentice appeared, Frostgaze beckoned her to follow him through the thorn tunnel, and out of camp. After a few moments of silence, he spoke up. "We will be learning basic hunting and fighting techniques today. What to do, and what not to do. It will be a lot of information, but I am sure that you are up to the task of learning." Once they reached a suitable location to train, Frostgaze stopped, turning back to Mistlepaw.

"First, you learn to hunt. I am unsure of how much you already know, but allow me to begin with the basics. You crouch as low to the ground as possible, and you keep your paw steps as light as you can. Being light on your paws is important in the mud that covers our territory. It also allows you to be quieter, another important skill for us as Shadowclan. Imitate me." Frostgaze dropped into the hunter's crouch, belly fur scraping the mud and pine needles. His tail laid low to the ground, gently sweeping from side to side. After a few heartbeats, he raised himself up, examining Mistlepaw's form.

ooc: lemme roll for some rogues since we're out in the territory :)
edit: no rogues for us!

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 1

Mistlepaw hoped she'd be able to keep up, but as long as she didn't get distracted, she'd be fine. However, that was easier said than done. When they stopped, the young apprentice kept her eyes trained on Frostgaze, barely blinking as she listened to what the tom had to say. She tried her best to mimic the position, long pelt collecting mud where it dragged on the ground. Although she didn't at all like the way the needles and partly-dried mud scratched her belly, she carried on anyways.

With a few tentative steps forward, she tried to see how quiet she could keep her pawsteps. "Do you think the prey would hear me?" The pitter-patter of her paws was barely audible, but enough that it worried her. If being quiet was so important, why wasn't it easier?

"Your sound is quiet. At least enough for a brand new apprentice. Eventually, you will be perfect. For now, the basics will suffice. In future training, I will be tougher on you." Correcting her stance with small pushes of his paw, he eventually nodded.

"Now, I explain how to hunt. Listen. You will scent the air for prey, it will smell slightly different than how it smells in the fresh-kill pile, that is normal. You must ensure that you are downwind of the prey in order for it to not scent you. Once you have visual contact, you will use the hunter's crouch that you just practiced to sneak up on it. Once you are close enough, you will leap onto it, and kill it. Questions?" Frostgaze had paced quietly as he lectured, leaving a small ring in the mud beneath him. "If you have no questions, you may begin your hunt. Afterward, I will demonstrate, to ensure that you have the correct idea."

Mistlepaw memorised the position that all her limbs were in, but knew that she'd probably remember it better by always picturing Frostgaze's perfect stance. It was something that she had discovered now that her training had started; when something properly caught her attention, or she tried really, really, hard to focus on it, she found she could almost always remember it perfectly sunrises later, in all its detail. She listened closely, zoning in all her attention as her mentor explained. Her eyes never faltered to follow him, even when he continued to walk in a circle and she found herself getting a little dizzy.

She shook her head. Everything seemed to make sense. She had caught a mouse before with Loudnose, although that time it mostly seemed to just be luck. After scenting the air, her paws carried her towards the scent of what would hopefully be her future prey. Very carefully, she manoeuvred around different bits of debris scattered on the ground, so she would be at the correct angle for it not to scent her. She crept forward, and once close enough, she pounced. This time, she killed it much more cleanly, taking its life with a quick, well-placed nip. "Was that good?" She thought she had remembered to do everything, but it would only grow easier with practice.

Mistlepaw attempted to catch a mouse. Catch was successful!
57/60

The member 'kobweb khamosa' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 1

Frostgaze followed his apprentice from afar, watching her stalk, and kill, a roaming mouse. There were imperfections, which bothered him internally, yet nothing major enough to fix this training. Once Mistlepaw had finished, the white warrior approached with his familiar icy stare. "Good. There are minor imperfections, though nothing so bad as to fix today. Well done. Bury the prey, and watch me, perhaps you are a visual learner as well." With that, he trotted away, far enough that any noises Mistlepaw could make would not interrupt his own hunt.

With the scent of a mouse hiding within the mud on the horizon, Frostgaze got to work. Low to the ground, he maneuvered through the debris and mud, wasting no time getting close to his quarry. The mouse, however, quickly scurried off as it scented something else. Frostgaze knew it couldn't be himself, he was too particular to be caught in such a...beginner way. No... his nose picked up the scent of something else. A raccoon, and it began to hiss as it approached. It must not have been too happy...

"Mistlepaw, it is time for an impromptu lesson on combat!" Frostgaze yowled out to his apprentice, backing away from the now approaching raccoon. "Only attack when there is an opening, I would rather you not be injured. Go for the belly when I distract it, or any other weak points that are open such as the throat!" There was no more time to speak as the raccoon began its assault, swiping at Frostgaze's muzzle. It caught him by surprise, and he wasn't quite able to move the full distance out of the way, and he was caught on the jaw, causing his head to whip to the side. Droplets of blood began to stain his white fur, and his own ice blue eyes narrowed in a cold fury, tactically evaluating. Perhaps Mistlepaw would be able to assault it, and then while it was momentarily distracted he could pin it down. Maybe.

Frostgaze tried to hunt, and instead found a raccoon!
Raccoon used Quick Swipe, dealing 8 damage and using 10 stamina!

Frostgaze
42/50 HP (-8)
120/120 SP

Raccoon
20/20 HP
110/120 SP (-10)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 10

Mistlepaw did as she was told and buried the prey, also glad that Frostgaze seemed to have caught on to the way she absorbed information. It seemed they were working well as apprentice and mentor duo, at least as well as you could work with someone when you didn't know them all too well. She continued to watch, albeit from a distance now. A small frown crossed her maw when his mouse scurried away, even though (as far as she knew) he'd done everything he was supposed to. And that was going off what he had told her.

It wasn't Frostgaze's error that scared the prey. Just a general hazard of living in the wild: predators. The masked creature appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and Mistlepaw tried to pay attention to what the white tom was telling her, but with a combination of stress and hurry, she didn't pick up much. Injured. Belly. Throat. That was all she needed. She had fought before, against that Thunderclanner, but this was different - she was prepared this time, and her opponent outnumbered. However, it turned out the raccoon wasn't easily frightened off, and the sight of two angry cats did nothing to lessen its confidence. Much to Mistlepaw's terror, a flash of deep red in the corner of her vision alerted her that Frostgaze had been injured. While the tom took a brief moment of recovery, the apprentice took the chance to slash out towards her opponent with unsheathed claws. "Are you alright?" She asked, worry clear in her voice.

Mistlepaw used Front Paw Strike

Mistlepaw
20/20 HP
53/60 SP [-7]

Raccoon
14/20 HP [-6]
110/120 SP

"I will be alright. It is nothing serious." Frostgaze gave a quick nod, satisfied with Mistlepaw's performance so far. This was no time to stop though! Barreling forward, the fluffy white tom was a flash of white as he made contact with the raccoon's back, knocking it to the ground and pinning it down. He clawed at its back unrelentingly, distracting it. Mistlepaw would have plenty of opportunities to attack the raccoon without risk. Excellent for training. The raccoon struggled, and began to loosen Frostgaze's grip, but it remained helpless under the warrior.

Frostgaze used Leap-and-hold, dealing 9 damage and using 15 stamina! Raccoon is pinned for 2 turns!

Frostgaze
42/50 HP
105/120 SP (-15)

Mistlepaw
20/20 HP
53/60 SP

Raccoon (pinned, 1/2)
5/20 HP (-9)
110/120 SP

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

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'Effect Dice' : 4

Mistlepaw leapt at the opportunity to attack without getting attacked herself, striking out at the raccoon again, this time with much more confidence in her blow. She left her claws sheathed, however. Despite her being terrified of the creature that had attacked her, she couldn't help but wonder why as she watched it struggle, extremely close to fleeing. One more attack from Frostgaze would send it running, but she didn't want to deliver that final blow herself.

Mistlepaw used Front Paw Blow

Frostgaze
42/50 HP
105/120 SP

Mistlepaw
20/20 HP
48/60 SP [-5]

Raccoon (pinned, 1/2)
1/20 HP [-4]
110/120 SP