Mint Gathered with Holly [c]

The time was up, and Hollyleaf prepared herself as she walked over to the apprentices' den. The pride and excitement of being assigned another apprentice were dutiful, though she was glad Perchfall had trusted her enough to have also handed Mintpaw to her, and she'd make sure their training lessons together would go well. And so, with a deep breath, the molly gently called out for her apprentice— noticing her pelt in a crowd of others. "Mintpaw, it's time to train," She'd mew, "I'll be waiting for you outside the den. Then, we shall go." With that being said, she stepped out, standing patiently in wait for her apprentice's appearance.

Mintpaw woke up at the sound of her name, green eyes opening a crack. It’s Hollyleaf calling me. Flurry’s tail tickled her nose from where they were curled up beside each other, and Pebble was in between, half-atop her legs. She smiled fondly.

Not wanting to keep her mentor waiting, though, the young molly pulled herself from the tangle of limbs. Hers were the longest ones, by now, and she stretched them as she padded toward the exit of their still-unfamiliar den. At the height of her stretch, she almost reached the den’s ceiling, and noticed, I’m starting to look like Da.

It wasn’t the nicest thought. But we are half him, she granted with a wince. Mintpaw found herself stooping more to match her littermates, and was able to reach higher — nibble more ears. I’m definitely going to be the tallest, even with my lucky paw.

But her Grandpa would tell her not to worry. And not just that: he would say to be proud of it and any advantage it would give her — especially in a fight. Their mother’s dad seemed to stiffly act as though they appeared solely from Swanmist, Mintpaw thought. The greying white tom only seemed focused on them. ’Cause we’re his legacy. That was a nicer thought.

”I’ll make you proud, Grandpa,” she whispered to herself as she ducked out of her den to meet Hollyleaf. The warrior was waiting politely, and Mintpaw nodded respectfully. “I’m ready,” she said, her large ears lifting. “And I’ve rested a lot, as you asked. Are we going somewhere?”

"Yes, we are. A brief tour of the territory first, for you to understand, then we can begin our first lesson of hunting." Hollyleaf figured it would be more useful if she'd led her apprentice for a clear walk around their land first. Creamfrost hadn't shown her around completely, and most of her understanding of it had to be found out on her own. Not wanting to repeat the same error, this would be most useful for the young apprentice later on. Getting lost around bodies of water was risky, especially in Leaf-bare. And so, with a flick of the tail, she gestured for her apprentice to follow along. She swiftly made her way out of camp, briefly showing Mintpaw each good spot of hunting she found— dangerous places to avoid and common riverbanks alongside the land. Once pleased of the guide through the basic knowledge of their land, she stopped.

"—And that's all. We'll begin learning now, so watch me closely," A soft purr came out from her throat, and instinctively, the warrior crept down to a crouch. Right beside a flowing river, the molly made sure not to let her shadow be seen, scanning for hidden prizes lurking and hiding beneath the rocks. Then, her eyes set on certain prey. A fish, hiding behind a not-so-obvious rock. "Careful not to let your shadow be seen. Fish are intelligent creatures, they know when to flee, and when to stay. Once they spot you, it's much harder to get a grasp on them," She explained, waiting patiently for just the right time— then made her move, paws quickly reaching out to the fish. Within an instant, it was already in her grasp, and she quickly pulled it back on land. "Like that, for example," She smiled, "Now you give it a try."

Hollyleaf attempted to catch Fish, using 7 SP. It was Successful!

Hollyleaf:
30/30 HP
73/80 SP (-7)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 1

Mintpaw nodded as Hollyleaf spoke, calmly and informatively. At points she would pop up with a quiet question, but for the most part was content to listen. The warrior had much to say about the territory, and Mintpaw memorized what she could — especially the dangerous areas. Her lucky paw sometimes made it harder to grip things, and so anything treacherously icy would be very unpleasant. But overall, the walk was peaceful.

She did feel a strain, but barely; her point to walk as much as she could around camp — and play with her siblings — had been good. But is Riverclan big… bigger than I thought! She enjoyed the sun on her back, though. And the sight of the different reeds and waterways... and then Hollyleaf moved them along to hunting. But Mintpaw felt she could trace their route back, if she had to. And Mintpaw appreciated how her mentor didn’t press her too much; it felt like a very easy introduction.

She enjoys teaching, Mintpaw observed, and couldn’t help but smile shyly at her mentor’s purr. Grateful for the rest, she breathed deeply as she sat beside Hollyleaf. The warrior seemed in no rush; it was as she looked down and into the water, though, that Mintpaw realized what they were hunting.

This is Riverclan, she told herself, rebuking. Of course we’d hunt fish first… And most of the cats around her ate fish every day. It shouldn’t make me uneasy. Hollyleaf seemed focused for her demonstration, so with a deep breath, Mintpaw mastered the little flicker of panic at the idea.

The sudden strike for the fish caught her off guard. It was a quick, sudden movement — like a snake! And then Hollyleaf had a small fish in her jaws. The graceful molly gestured for Mintpaw to try, and so she hesitantly shuffled forward. I’m not going to smell like fish, she reminded herself. This is just... to be part of Riverclan. I won’t eat it.

And with that, Mintpaw sank into focus. How had Hollyleaf done it? By sitting just so. After brief consideration, she decided to strike with her left, not her lucky. It’s stronger. And so she waited, still and shadow behind her, at the running water. It shimmered, prettily — even if that was just an illusion.

And then... it was a fish!

And so for the first time in her life, Mintpaw tried to grab a fish. Quickly, claws out; and then with the realization that it was no different than snatching leaves. The water was a shock of cold, but then there was a flopping little silver thing on the bank. Leaning on her lucky paw pitched her forwards, but thankfully her jerk backward saved her from a dunk in icy water.

Gaping, the apprentice purred in delight. It was kitten’s play to catch it from there, and Mintpaw’s eyes glowed. “Like that, Hollyleaf?” She nudged it forward, beside her mentor, and promised herself she wouldn’t touch it more. But she’d done it!

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 3

"Yes! Like that. You learn quickly, Mintpaw," She'd nod approvingly before suddenly pausing. Though the younger molly purred in delight, she couldn't help but wonder why she was so hesitant at first. Of course, it was alright to doubt.. but this wasn't like that. Did she prefer other prey, maybe? Hollyleaf frowned, the image of Swanmist refusing to eat fish continuously showed up in her mind. Perhaps, she'd ask more about it sometime later... though for now, she'd try and switch onto land prey— something she wasn't very used to catching before, but it was at least worth a try. "During Leaf-bare, it is indeed dangerous to hunt fish more often.. even though it's our main source of food," She mewed, "I've noticed you're hesitant about it, too. So, why don't we try to move on to something new?" Turning around, Hollyleaf flicked her tail, sniffing the air for scents of land critters.

Then, her whiskers twitched— and she crouched down, signaling for Mintpaw to carefully watch her. Slowly, she crept towards the bird, waiting for just the right moment.. then pounced. Her teeth caught feathers, but the bird managed to escape just in time. Shaking her head slowly from the realization, she frowned, turning over to her apprentice with a slightly embarrassed expression. "Well, we can always try again."

Hollyleaf attempted to catch Bird, using 7 SP. It was Unsuccessful!

Hollyleaf:
30/30 HP
66/80 SP (-7)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 3

Mintpaw’s tail curled, pleased at the praise. She… really liked that she’d done well. Even if it was for touching fish. But… Mintpaw really liked it. It was like striking leaves (and unsuspecting, fluffy white tails). She always tried not to do it too much, to not be a nuisance… but it tingled in her brain.

Her mentor seemed thoughtful a moment, and then Mintpaw stiffened. I noticed you’re a little hesitant, too. Cats… didn’t understand her mom, and thought it was wrong, what she did — and Mintpaw knew it. Like she was hurting the three of them. And she would never do that.

Their Mom loved them! And if it was because they were frail — and Mintpaw knew they were — it… was fine. It was only leaf-bare. And we get enough, she thought sturdily.

But Hollyleaf didn’t say any more. And instead moved on smoothly. But not just that: she moved on to demonstrate land hunting. Birds!

Mintpaw perked up, and even though she felt a little dizzy, getting up suddenly, she was eager to follow her mentor’s trail. She breathed in deeply, bounding behind Hollyleaf. She’d missed, but — “That was really close, though.”

The young apprentice breathed in, then. She had to focus on this! Some days, there... wasn’t much to eat at all, in the Clan. But now Mintpaw could do something about it! I’ve got to get something for Mom. “So I listen, and walk like you did?” Mintpaw asked, trying to arrange her paws like Hollyleaf...

It was kinda difficult. She scrunched her nose. But she remembered! It was some kind of hunting stalk. Did you just balance and walk quietly? She tried to remember how it felt to pounce on leaves. Breathing in, scanning the area around them, Mintpaw tried to sense something to practice on... But the air was still; only the sound of bubbling water.

Her tail fell. “Do we just keep looking until we see something?” The thought of food made her mind narrow.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 6

Hollyleaf held her breath, waiting as the molly scanned the area for food. With her apprentice's.. special paw, hunting would surely prove to be more difficult— though Mintpaw managed to catch a fish on the first try nonetheless. And for that, the molly held hope for her. No matter the difference, she'd still be able to hunt and battle; though she just had to be more cautious. "I'm surely not the best at hunting land prey, though I do know it's surely much more.. difficult than how it usually would around Leaf-bare. Land critters hide often underneath the snow," She frowned, "My apologies for not demonstrating clearly earlier. Here, let me show you properly." Hollyleaf sniffed the air, quickly managing to pin-point a prey luckily not so far by. The she-cat crouched, demonstrating for the younger molly. "Try to keep yourself low, though not completely so that you're touching the ground. You'd probably want them to not be able to spot, nor sense you before you make a move, too. They're fast to flee."

"Let me try again, that'll be better demonstrating for you," She mewed, carefully creeping up to a rodent, ready to leap— before suddenly being interrupted by an all-too-familiar predator: weasel. Cautiously, the warrior took a step back, tail stiffly flicking for Mintpaw to stay alert. Then, it lunged, making its first move. It bit into her leg, and she gritted her teeth before rearing back to defend herself. Sharp claws slashed the weasel's face, though it was stubborn, and didn't let go. "Careful, Mintpaw! That's a weasel. It has oddly stubborn bites, despite its small size." She gave the creature a small hiss.

Weasel appeared! Weasel used Gripping Bite for 15 SP, dealing 7 damage.
Hollyleaf used Front Paw Strike for 7 SP, dealing 7 damage.

Hollyleaf:
23/30 HP (-7)
59/80 SP (-7)

Mintpaw:
20/20 HP
53/60 SP

Weasel:
13/20 HP (-7)
120/135 SP (-15)

What Mintpaw realized, as her mentor paused to demonstrate and Mintpaw practiced, was that she walked with a limp. A slight one, maybe; Mintpaw didn’t have a hard time getting around, and played easily. But the fact was, one of her legs was shorter than the other — and that made stalking entirely smoothly challenging.

Maybe I’m being too particular, she considered, with a twist of a frown. But mimicking Hollyleaf’s balance was hard, when she fell a bit on her right side. “Do all apprentices struggle with this?” she griped in a whisper. Perhaps it was also her gangly limbs, and how they shook a bit when she held herself low. She had to give it up, though, to keep her mentor in sight, as she was in pursuit of something. It was impressive to watch.

And then Mintpaw saw her tail stiffen, like her mother’s when something was wrong. She lifted her nose from the ground immediately. Hollyleaf reared back sharply then as if stung, and then batted with a paw — as if trying to dislodge something.

It was long but small, and ruddy-colored — not much like a mouse but for the face — and also vicious, sinking its teeth into the warrior’s leg! Mintpaw startled. A weasel?!

Hollyleaf was obviously having trouble, though. And so Mintpaw steeled herself — she wouldn’t flinch at it! It took a moment to get to the pale molly’s side, but when she did, she snapped at the creature, trying to get it off.

Mintpaw used Snap on the weasel, dealing 6 damage and costing 7 stamina.

Mintpaw
15/15 | 26/40

Hollyleaf
23/30 | 59/80

Weasel
7/20 | 120/135

With Mintpaw's brave attempt of an attack, she smiled, though quickly made sure to continue the fight to the weasel. Yet despite the younger molly's bite, it continued to hold on. Though its bite may be vicious, it was still much smaller than a warrior, and she defeated it relatively easy with another swift bite. Hollyleaf felt it slowly loosen its grip, and glanced at it, then back to her apprentice with a worried frown. "Don't worry about it, I'll be fine. I faced this creature before, and I could always ask Clo—" She paused. Cloverheart.. was on the journey with Ebonyhaze, wasn't she? Shaking her head, she continued. "Erm.. Cloverheart has taught me a few basics of herbs before, I could treat myself. It didn't bite you, did it?" She scanned over her apprentice. With no wounds in sight, she smiled, then sniffed the air.

There didn't seem to be any more weasels nearby, though it'd always be the best to keep a lookout for them. After all, predators aren't so.. friendly for a reason. Grabbing the two fish by its tails, she gestured for them to return. Their catches would be helpful in an specially harsh season of Leaf-bare, and after all, was better than returning with none.

Hollyleaf used Snap for 7 SP, dealing 7 damage.

Hollyleaf
16/30 HP (-7)
52/80 SP (-7)

Mintpaw
15/15 HP
26/40 SP

Weasel
0/20 HP (-7) KO!
105/135 (-15)

Mintpaw shook her head, surprisingly steady. “It didn’t bite me,” she mewed, eyes looking at the bloody bite it left behind on her mentor. For something so small, it was vicious! And she was thankful, too, when Hollyleaf mentioned she’d know how to care for it; could Hollyleaf teach her?

The mention of Cloverheart made her fur fluff a bit, against the cold. She remembered their medicine cat well, and fondly, even if with a tinge of bitterness. The molly had tried to help. But she didn’t understand, Mintpaw felt. A little hollow. But aside from eating fish, Mintpaw listened to what she’d said: to play gently, and lots, in the sun. She felt stronger for it. ’You’ll grow strong,’, Cloverheart had said, ’As long as you eat.’

At the reminder of that, though, her eyes lingered to the twin fish they’d caught. That... and nothing else. It was then she considered the body of the weasel, swiftly killed by her mentor: longer than a mouse or a vole, with brighter fur, but... “Can we bring the weasel back, too?” she asked, biting her lip. If not... Mintpaw could come back for it, maybe? “Do we eat them?”[/i]

"Can we bring the weasel back, too?"

For once, Hollyleaf paused— abruptly. She'd nearly loosened her grip on the two fishes she's been holding on to just now, frozen in place. Could they? Well.. from her own experiences, Hollyleaf wasn't very sure how to reply to her apprentice's question. Never has she ever had the thought of it, as strange as that was. No one she knew had ever eaten weasel before, either. Could they, though?

"I'm.. unsure. I don't think I've ever seen any cat eat them before, though." She blinked, facing Mintpaw again. "It's not as if it's forbidden, though if you do want to, I suppose you could bring it back." Hollyleaf offered the young she-cat an awkward smile and a somewhat light brush to the shoulder. "I'd try to stay with fish more. Though, I won't judge you if you do want it."