When Darkness Falls, We Still Rise [C]

Burningwing approached the medicine den just before the sun was due to sink below the horizon. He spotted Nightpaw easily and extended a single forepaw out to him. He nudged him a few times and retracted his paw. "It's time to go." He said simply before stepping outside of the apprentice den. His eyes went to the direction of the Pine Grove, making careful plans about what exactly he planned to do with the apprentice and what would need to be said. The dark tom sighed, a long trail of silver mist flowing through his nostrils. Tonight was bitterly cold despite the lack of snow, but his medium-length fur would protect him against the temperatures for now. Once Nightpaw emerged from the den, he'd give the other tom a nod before he began to walk out of the camp.

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"The first thing I want to teach you is how to hunt. I'll show you a proper hunting crouch, copy me or observe as you please, but you'll be catching prey first." He sank into a low crouch, lining up his head, neck, shoulders, back and tail in one straight line. His belly was only just above the ground, but still high enough to avoid dragging any leaves of pine needles and making noise. Burningwing practically got swallowed up and disappeared into another dimension whenever he entered shadows. Generations of true Shadowclan blood made him nearly an ethereal creature in true darkness.

"You need to have a target. Use your nose, your eyes and your ears to pinpoint the exact location of prey. Your ears will likely assist you the most, like owls. On the blackest, darkest of nights, even you will have a hard time seeing and you'll need to learn to use your ears efficiently." His ears swiveled this way and that way and his head only moved in small, snappy movements. He was already picking up the footsteps of many different prey and their scent was all around. He wasn't about to tell his apprentice though. He needed to give it a try and Burningwing would monitor their performance.

And copy him he did, Nightpaw slowly pulled himself into a crouch, eager to get it right the first time. Eyes flickering to Burningwings body as he adjusted himself, he couldn't help but feel a little odd in the pose he was in. Nightpaw noticed that Burningwings head and ears kept twitching, and Nightpaw knew that he must be picking up on plenty despite the Leaf-Fall temperatures telling the prey to hideaway. Nightpaw closed his eyes and did his best to focus, sounds were easiest, a soft rustle there, a shuffle here. Lifting his nose into the air, Nightpaw sniffed and he snoffed, scents he'd never smelled before crossing his nose, and Nightpaw figured he might as well just pick one and figure out what he was smelling later, though some did tickle familiar it was a more living scent.

Nightpaw was drawn for something big, and Nightpaw allowed himself to open his eyes as he narrowed in on it, a big fuzzy animal, almost the same size if not bigger than Nightpaw with big floppy ears. Nightpaws heart began to pound as he approached, the animal's big ears swivelling and Nightpaw stopped immediately in his tracks did those ears aim his way. Something this big must be fast, and so Nightpaw wanted to be as close as possible. Hiding behind a bit of brush, Nightpaw coiled, he wanted to take it by surprise. And surprise he did, Nightpaw darted out after it, and it responded by kicking up pine needles in its mad dash.

But Nightpaw wasn't going to let it go easy. Nightpaw ran the fastest he could go, using the shadows to leave its sight and gain his distance as it tried to find him again. Within moments he was on the hare, landing on top of it and fastening his teeth into the back of its neck, but all he could grab was its skin. Nightpaw desperately wrestled with it, claws trying to dig for purchase on anything he could get to, but with nothing to hold onto he was kicked off the rabbit, its sharp claws and powerful feet catching his chest and ears as he was battered off. It made its escape as soon as he lost hold of it.

Huffing and puffing, Nightpaw lay on the ground as he struggled to regain the air that was knocked out of him. Nightpaw's ear was a bloody scratched mess, his chest a bit bloodied but not too injured thanks to his long fur. Oh... Burningwing was totally going to finish the Hare's job, wasn't he?

Nightpaw tried really hard to catch that Hare! But he missed! -3 SP

Nightpaw:

HP:20/20
SP: 57/60 SP

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 9

Burningwing... could only stare as Nightpaw went after a hare of all things. He watched, not surprised that his apprentice quite literally got the crud kicked out of him. He bolted after the creature and tried to leap on it himself. This was Windclan prey for crying out loud! Shadowclan cats weren't supposed to try to catch these...  but his apprentice already had it or just a moment and Burningwing couldn't deny the amount of food a single hare could give a clan.

Burningwing attempted to catch the hare, he was Successful! -3SP

He buried his claws deep, surprised that he managed to catch such a hold on it. The hare took off with Burningwing on it's back. The dark tom literally climbed his way toward the hare's neck and buried his teeth deep into it. The hare faltered and hit the ground, sprawling itself and Burningwing with it. The dark tom kept his fangs there until he was absolutely sure that it was dead before he dragged it back to his apprentice. Once he spotted Nightpaw, he nodded one time, but his eyes didn't necessarily suggest approval. If anything, they were neutral. He spat the hare's neck out and put a paw on it's head.

"I don't have to tell you how potentially deadly that could have been. Shadowclan cats have the advantage in the dark, and I daresay that is how you're not in much worse shape." He looked down at the dead hare and considered it for a moment. "Still, the fact that you held onto it long enough for me to get to you is impressive. Your father catches these all of the time... the wierdo. Perhaps with practice, you can be just as successful. Now... do you want to try catching something reasonable this time?" Burningwing at least smiled a little. The apprentice hadn't performed poorly necessarily, but a miss was still a miss.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 3

Nightpaw managed to get to his paws, a bit shakily, but the searing pain in his ear was more or less distracting him from how unstable he felt. Thankfully, it didn't seem too deep, but ear scratches tended to bleed a lot it seemed. Nightpaw felt a little tugged around feeling-wise, it was quite a bit dizzying. But Nightpaw decided it'd just be easier if he took it as scolding and left it at that. "Yeah, I'll go for something more my size this time. Something that big was just too tempting to pass up." Opening his mouth, Nightpaw did his best to ignore the tasty smell of a fresh-killed Hare, and he found himself getting a little giddy thinking about how excited his clan would be to see that Burningwing (with Nightpaws help) caught such a big hare in this cold weather.

Closing his eyes, just the same as last time, he pinpointed something smaller and more manageable amongst some pine needles. Far enough away that it didn't scurry away when the two Shadowclan cats had given chase, which meant that it wasn't worried if it had heard them at all. Going back into a crouch, Nightpaw did his best to ignore his painful ear, which once the scent of a rodent crossed his scent glands it was rather easy. It took some time with his stalking, not willing to ruin his hunt this time, that the tom got close enough to pounce on what looks like a rather fat mouse. With a wiggle of his hips, he was blasting forwards once more!

Nightpaw landed flat and square on the mouse, quickly taking the chance to snap its neck. He stayed like that for a moment before lifting his catch with little sparkles in his eyes! He did it! Holding his head high he trotted back over to Burningwing and brandished his prey proudly.

Nightpaw caught a mouse! Hurrah! -3 SP

Nightpaw:

HP: 20/20
SP: 54/60 SP

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 8

Burningwing said nothing, but gave a small smile to Nightpaw when he brought back the mouse. Good... He gave him one satisfactory nod... just about the highest compliment anyone could get from Burningwing. The older tom sat down beside the hare. "That's much better. Now... I want you to fight that owl making it's way over here. It's moving from branch to branch, getting closer. I'm sure it's not happy that you took a mouse from it." As he spoke, the owl hopped from one branch to another before gliding down to another one on a separate tree. It must have been a young one, given it's less than ideal flight pattern.

"Owls don't normally tangle with adult cats... but you... well you're a different story. Here it comes." He smirked... and the owl finally got the angle it was looking for in the trees. It dropped from the branch and closed in on the apprentice. Burningwing would assist... but not yet. He wanted to give Nightpaw a chance to impress him with more than just a mouse catch tonight.


Owl used Talon Strike on Nightpaw, dealing 7 damage and -10SP

Owl
30HP / 80SP (-10SP)

Nightpaw
13HP / 64SP (-7HP)

'I want you to fight that owl making it's way over here.'

The

WHAT?

Nightpaw's head turned so fast he almost got whiplash. Dropping the mouse Nightpaw struggled to look for the owl that was heading his way, by the time he realized where it was though it was already upon him. Nightpaw felt deadly talons dig into his face as he was flung back by the force of the strike. Nightpaw screeched, his lips peeling back into a snarl as he struggled back onto his paws, his eyes squinted as blood clotted his fur. What in Starclans name was going on?! Nightpaw turned his now steely glare upon his mentor with his teeth bared, the fleshy pink of his gums fully visible in his anger. Burningwing was just... sitting there! No matter. If he wanted to just... sit there while Nightpaw had to deal with an owl... Fine! He'll show his mentor that he wasn't a coward, and he'd do this himself.

Nightpaw's throat rumbled in a growl as he turned his attention back to the Owl, his claws unsheathing and digging into the dirt. Going back into his crouch, he moved away from his mentor. If this owl wanted to fight just Nightpaw, he'd let it. Anger, rage, and fear were affecting the young tom, and he wasn't thinking clearly, not that he had any experience to think clearly in the way of a fight. He didn't know how to fight! He barely knew how to hunt! And what Burningwing was doing, just letting this owl attack him? What was he thinking? He'd give the owl the perfect opening to get him, surely that'd be the best way to get it to get to him.

The Owl came down for him, and he took the chance. Launching forwards, Nightpaw put all the strength he could into a leap, his paws outstretched as he ripped his claws through feathers. He just hoped he hit something that hurt. He wanted it to bleed so he could rip every feather he could from this Starclan forsaken thing.

Nightpaw used Front Paw Strike, Dealing 7 damage and 8 SP

Owl:

HP: 23/30
SP: 70/80

Nightpaw:

HP: 13/20
SP: 56/64

Burningwing had to hold back an amused smirk when Nightpaw whirled on him. Oh he thought his mentor was just going to let him get eaten by an owl? If he wasn't a pure Shadowclanner, that would absolutely be the case. He liked the reaction that he got from the apprentice. The determination to win no matter the odds. A true Shadowclan warrior in the making. His strike was... fine... for someone untrained in the art of battle.

"Alright... that was okay... but when fighting it's sometimes better to prevent damage than just try to dish it out every time." Burningwing was now moving, pivoting on his heel to be facing the owl at all times. He side-stepped and pivoted in turn with the owl's location. His voice had been as calm as ever as the owl looped back around to come in for another strike.

The truth was, the owl probably hadn't even seen Burningwing until this very moment, as the older tom had kept still and to the shadows on purpose. Burningwing leaped from the darkness, seemingly materializing into existence, and landed his claws on the owl without mercy.

"Jumping on top of moving targets take practice, but it is far more effective than just slashing at it wildly." He instructed, still calm despite the owl thrashed to get free beneath him. "I have it restrained for now. What do you think you should do next?"

Burningwing used Leap and Hold, dealing 11 (+1 Night Finesse) damage and -15SP

Burningwing
60HP / 122 (-15SP from LaH; -3SP from hunting)

Owl
Pinned for 1 turn
12HP / 80SP (-10SP)

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

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'Effect Dice' : 1

"What do I think?" Nightpaw growled, his voice shaking with the sudden onslaught of emotions and adrenaline. As far as he was concerned, Nightpaw could only seem to see red. He nodded absently as Nightpaw marveled at the screeching thing, pinned under Burningwing's weight. Blood dripped from Nightpaw's chin as he approached on shaking legs, claws digging into the dirt as every single hair along his back was standing on edge. "I think I'm thinking an awful lot of killing it right now." Nightpaw quivered, stopping right next to the thrashing owl. Nightpaw bent down and fastened his teeth around its throat, feathers so thick it felt like he was going to choke. But he could feel the rush and pounding of blood increase in his jaws before it slowed and came to a crawling stop. Nightpaw gave it a heartbeat and a few before he removed his jaws from the Owl's neck with a huff and puff, his own pulse coming down from its high.

Nightpaw used Killing Blow, ending the Owls life and costing 10 SP

Owl:

HP: DEAD
SP: 70/80

Nightpaw:

HP: 13/20
SP: 46/64

Nightpaw's reaction to the situation was... well... exactly what Burningwing wanted. He held the bird down and watched with cold eyes when his apprentice bit into the owl's neck. It died quickly. Burningwing slowly gave Nightpaw a smile and a nod of approval. "You are exactly everything Shadowclan should be." The highest form of compliment coming from Burningwing. "You are ruthless and terrifying. I think you and Cicadapaw should train together, although he is nearly a warrior now." Burningwing grabbed the owl by the head and stepped off of it. He dropped it right in front of his apprentice and nodded at it.

"Now, drag the owl back to camp. Your mouse too. Once you drop them off in the fresh-kill pile, get your scratches looked at. An infection on the face would be problematic, to say the least." He left no room for argument. Burningwing then stepped away from his apprentice and back to the hare. He sunk his teeth into the animal's flesh and began to drag it in the direction of camp. It was by far the heaviest thing they caught, and if he had been anything but pleased with Nightpaw right now, his apprentice would be getting a workout from the dark forest carrying everything back to camp.

Nightpaws eyes seemed to sparkle, every emotion that had been writhing under his skin like worms moments ago, gone, in lieu of the warm pride that Burningwings compliments had elicited. He couldn't help but stand a little taller, his chest puffing out as he nodded as if his mentor was giving him some grand mission. "Thank you, Burningwing." Nightpaw dipped his head, giving a curt nod as he listened to his orders. At least he wasn't dealing with the hare. And with that, Nightpaw reluctantly got to work, while not a hare, an owl was still a mighty feast. Shadowclan would eat better than they have in moons.