Ebony Bears [C]

Bearspirit was excited, probably just as much as Ebonypaw would be for training. He got out of the warrior's den a little earlier than normal, ready to train his apprentice early. Food around Riverclan had been scarce, but a true Riverclan cat ought to know their own territory. If things didn't work out here, then he would take Ebonypaw to the moor for hunting practice. He stepped quietly into the apprentice's den and spotted him. With a large paw he reached out and gently nudged Ebonypaw awake.

"Wake up, Ebonypaw! Training time!" Bearspirit said softly before retreating outside. He sat down patiently and waited for his apprentice to emerge. His tail tip twitched, happy to have something to focus on that wasn't Swiftspirit for once. The sun had barely painted the sky with pink and there was a frosty chill in the air. Bearspirit could see his breath with every exhale, flowing from his nostrils as a fine mist. He wasn't a fan of the cold, but he could still handle it for now. The day would get warmer as it went on, then the cold would be nothing but a memory.

Oh Starclan, let us be successful and safe today!

Ebonypaw could barely sleep, tossing and turning only to look out of the apprentice's den and see it was still night. Excitement was too rampant in his mind, feeling as though it had clung to every fiber of his pelt and refused to allow his eyes to close. He did manage eventually, excitement overtaking exhilaration and allowing his body to rest... but not enough.

He awoke to Bearspirit's prodding, responding with a sleepy groan to confirm he was up. He rose to his paws, his feathery fur clumped and messy from sleep. Shaking out his pelt did little to help, but it dislodged the stray moss that clung to his fur, making him a tiny bit more presentable as he exited the den and joined Bearspirit. "What are we going to do first?" he asked, sleepily grooming his chest fur.

Bearspirit didn't have to wait long before Ebonypaw emerged from the apprentice den. He looked like a mess, but it only made Bearspirit smile with amusement. He'd never say it out loud because it would be rude, but he was grateful for his short fur. It made grooming manageable even on the worst days. "We're hunting first. I'd usually take you to the river to learn to fish but unfortunately, there are too many twolegs and dogs there now. There are no fish." It was a shame, and he hoped the humans would be gone soon. They couldn't hunt on the moor forever, especially not with leaf-bare approaching.

"We'll hunt ground prey for now. When the twolegs leave and the fish return, I will teach you to fish as well. Alright?" With that, Bearspirit beckoned his apprentice to follow him to the Beech Copse with his tail. His ears stayed alert for any sign a twoleg or dog was coming. Thankfully, both creatures tended to be clumsy and loud.

"When hunting on the ground, you need crouch low, which I know most kits know how to do instinctively, but there is more to it than that. You have to learn to control your excitement, since it can cause your tail to flick, which is movement and movement like that will alert prey to your presence. Being overly excited can cause you to miss as well, or launch your attack before you should."

Bearspirit sunk low into a hunter's crouch with his head, neck, shoulders, back and tail all in one straight line. This was a demonstration for now, but he was going to use it all of the way through the Beech Copse while they looked for food.

"Watch me for now... Don't feel upset if you miss your first time. The animals left in this part of the forest are on high alert, thanks to the twolegs and the dogs. They're not as easy to catch as they normally would be."

A few toads were spotted near the roots of a tree. Bearspirit nodded at them, hoping to scare them toward his apprentice. He went around the toads in a wide arc so that when he launched his attack, he could have them flee towards Ebonypaw.

OOC: Actual coaching time! Make your post right up to right before your cat is supposed to catch it's prey. Hit "preview". You will see your post and the option for a dice roll just under where it says "Preview" "Draft" and "Send". Hit the plus sign on the right where it says Dices Roll. Select Hunting Dice from the drop down menu. Hit Send. See your result. Edit your post and finish the rest of it based on whether or not your cat caught it. I am going to do that now then finish my post. Because we are in the Beech Copse, I get a +2 hunting bonus, which means if the number I need to roll is 1 on the hunting system board (right here), it is now a 1 - 3. Let me know if you have questions!

Bearspirit attempted to catch a toad! It was Successful! -3SP

His claws slammed down on one of the toads and he dispatched it swiftly. His eyes then went to his apprentice. The toads were fleeing in his direction, as he'd hoped. Now to see if Ebonypaw could catch one as well. Please Starclan, let him get one!

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 4

He frowned at the realization he still wouldn't be allowed to fish. He was a Riverclan cat, yet had barely done anything with rivers at all! Swimming, fishing, all of it was off-limits. They might as well be Windclan... The dogs and twolegs had been around as long as he could remember though, the feeling of loss only reached his sense of clan identity. Now that he wouldn't be fed first with the queen and kits, he would feel it physically as well soon enough.

Ebonypaw didn't voice his grievances, instead simply nodding and following his mentor. During the journey, he couldn't help but take note of the scenery. He had only seen camp, perhaps a little outside of it whenever he was lucky. No cat wanted to take a kit out of camp with the rampant intrusion of dogs and twolegs, so he was eager to take in how the territory shifted from wet, tall grasses to a small forest of trees. It was almost relaxing, if he hadn't had an eye out for predators the entire time.

He absorbed Bearspirit's words like a sponge, crouching down as he had and keeping himself composed. This was his first hunt, so fighting the excitement bubbling up within him was a struggle, but his tail remained ridged and straight as they crept through the beech trees. He was desperate to impress his mentor, to catch something to bring home to a hungry camp, and that relied solely on his ability to keep calm and copy his mentor's instructions.

The croak of a toad caught his attention, and Bearspirit's gesture allowed him to zero in on them. His tail twitched, but a deep breath stilled it once more as he watched the tom circle the amphibians, taking note of how he moved. It looked easy enough, watching a fully trained warrior, but he knew it would be more difficult in practice.

Suddenly, Bearspirit lunged forward, catching a toad underpaw and sending the rest escaping towards him. His muscles tensed, watching them hop into range before launching his own attack.

Ebonypaw attempted to catch a toad! It failed and triggered a predator! -3SP

Just as he made it into the air, a furry body collided with his own, sending him crashing back to the ground with a yelp. His eyes widened with fright, met with the snarling face of a weasel as its teeth clamped down on his right foreleg. He squealed, attempting to pull back and out of the weasel's teeth only to tear the skin more. "Bearspirit!" He cried, panic overtaking him. He wasn't trained at all for battle, having no clue what to do besides instinct. He raised his free paw, striking the other mammal across the muzzle blindly in an attempt to free himself.

Weasel used Gripping Bite for -15SP, dealing 7 damage!
Ebonypaw used Front Paw blow for -5SP, dealing 4 damage!

Weasel: Gripping Bite: clamps onto the cat's appendage and stays for 2 turns. Deals damage and loses SP each turn. Will take full attacks while gripping (1/2)
16/20HP (20-4)
120/135SP (135-15)

Ebonypaw:
13/20HP (20-7)
52/60 (60-3-5)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 10

Bearspirit watched the young tom's form. He did well for his first time. The toads should have been his, at least one... but a flash of brown had Ebonypaw in it's jaws before he could grip any toad. Bearspirit abandoned his kill and unleashed a bellow of a caterwaul. He unsheathed his claws and mercilessly brought the razor sharp hooks down on the weasel. Of course his apprentice had to be attacked on his first outing! The experienced warrior's face wrinkled with fury and his ears plastered flat against his head. His fur bristled out to it's maximum length, making the already large cat look positively massive.

"Keep striking it's nose and eyes! It will have to let go or be blinded!" He desperately hoped the young tom's leg wasn't horrendously damaged. Hopefully he would just need to rest it in the medicine den for a bit and then be out hunting again soon. One thing was sure... the hunt had to end today. He wouldn't risk the apprentice's health when he could always continue his hunting lessons later.

Bearspirit used Jumping Strike, dealing 11 damage (8+3 due to the opponent not being focused on Bearspirit) and -7SP

Weasel
5HP / 120SP (-11HP)

Bearspirit
60HP / 133SP (-7SP)

Ebonypaw
13HP / 52SP

Ebonypaw could barely hear Bearspirit's directions over the weasel's hissing and the sound of his own blood roaring in his ears. However, what was important managed to make it past his panic. Eyes and nose. He nodded frantically, only to cry out in agony as the weasel shook its head to and fro. He could see his own blood starting to seep from beneath the mustelid's lips, its teeth continuing to rip and tear at his leg.

This was nothing like the scrapes he got as a kitten, where the wound would sting and when he would be fine an hour later. He swore he could feel this pain in his bones, shooting like lightning up his foreleg. Adrenaline kept him going though, fighting against the instinct to freeze up as he raised his paw once more.

He felt something squish beneath his claws, then a shrill shriek as the weasel released his leg. He had scratched its eye, and now it was shaking its head and backing away from the two cats. It paused, reassessing its choice of prey before reconsidering and scampering off into the thicket, leaving the two cats alone.

Ebonypaw remained fixated on where the weasel had fled, convinced it would return at any moment to spring another ambush. Heavy breaths caused his chest to heave, but the rest of him remained completely still, tense and ready for another attack that wouldn't come. This wasn't how he expected his first hunt to go, being the prey instead of the hunter. Perhaps he should have stayed inside camp. Maybe the outside was too dangerous for him.

Weasel used Gripping Bite for -15SP, dealing 7 Damage!
Ebonypaw used Front Paw Strike for -7SP, dealing 6 Damage!

Weasel: Gripping Bite: clamps onto the cat's appendage and stays for 2 turns. Deals damage and loses SP each turn. Will take full attacks while gripping (2/2)
-1HP/20 (-6) KO!
105/135SP (-15)

Ebonypaw:
6/20HP (-7)
45/60SP (-7)

The weasel released his apprentice's paw and Bearspirit immediately moved to be between the two. He gave the weasel a mock charge and a spit in warning. Bite me, and I'll crush your head in my jaws... He thought to it, hoping the threat was clear in his eyes and his body language. The weasel retreated and Bearspirit's attention was brought to Ebonypaw. He eyed the wound. It certainly could have been much worse, but he didn't want to risk his apprentice getting an infection and, stars forbid, lose his leg at such a young age.

"Good strike placement." He complimented the tom, hoping it would give him a boost of confidence. "We'll get that looked at by Cloverheart. I'll let you rest it for a few days and we'll see how you feel. We can go hunting again when Cloverheart is confident there will be no infection." Bearspirit grabbed up the toad he'd caught. Perhaps he would take the apprentice to the moor after all. It pained him to not be able to teach Ebonypaw to be a true Riverclan cat, but these were tough times to be an apprentice.

"Don't feel discouraged. These are tough times, Ebonypaw. Tough times create strong toms. I have no doubt you will be one of them." He gave him an encouraging smile, the toad held carefully between his teeth by the leg. He would walk slowly back towards camp so his apprentice could take his time keeping pace with him. They would try again another day, and today would fade into memory.

OOC: I can totally start a separate hunting thread if you'd like. Or you can have him try his luck with another toad despite his leg. I don't mind either way!

Ebonypaw's ears flicked as Bearspirit drew his attention back to him. He did good? He felt like a foundering fish! The strike must have been more of a lucky hit than skill... but Bearspirit seemed genuine as far as he could tell. He was a warrior, he should trust his judgment. Maybe Ebonypaw did do well, even if he was too panicked to see it.

"Thank you," he purred in appreciation, though now the adrenaline was starting to wear off, seeing Cloverheart was becoming more and more inviting. He gave the wound a few tentative licks, seeing the damage more closely. It didn't look too bad, even if it felt terrible. He was sure he would be fine... probably... He stopped thinking about it. Instead, he walked in step with his mentor, keeping his weight off his injured leg.

"I'll catch a toad next time," he assured, trying to keep the optimistic air Bearspirit had put in place. "If that weasel is smart enough not to bother us again."

OOC: I'm cool with starting another thread, Ebony probably wouldn't want to risk testing his leg