one step forward, two steps back [closed]

Time is ruthless, and waits for no one. While Otterdance was swept up in taking care of his two new kittens, something he still could not quite comprehend, and the loss of his mate, the rest of the Clan marched on. This fact never bothered Otterdance much- not until it impacted him, at least. Dwelling in his own sense of self-pity, it had never crossed his mind that he might receive an apprentice to train. Perchfall, and fate, in a way, seemed to have other plans. It was why he was now dragging his paws through the slowly melting snow, pushing a path through it for the young cat lingering behind him. So far he hadn’t said much, simply showed little Kitepaw around the territory. As they neared the river, though, he supposed he finally had to break the silence.

”Alright, Kitepaw. Listen closely, and you’ll hear the gentle murmur of the river. We’ll begin your official training today with fishing.” A few more moments led them to the river, where patches of ice had begun to melt away. With a sigh, Otterdance found the nearest hole and crouched low to the sandy bank. ”Fishing is a game of patience. Watch me closely. I’m going to position myself so I can use both paws if necessary, and keep a careful eye on the water. Since the water is more shallow here, you can keep an eye out for shadows to indicate approaching fish. Once a fish swims by, I’ll use my whole paw and claws to snag it and pull it out of the water. Once I’ve done that, I’ll bring it up and quickly end it’s suffering, the move onto the next fish. Got it?” Otterdance asked, not truly expecting an answer. He shifted his focus to the water and waited. A few moments passed before a flash of scales caught his eye, and he reflexively darted a paw into the water and pulled out a fish, nipping the base of its head and looking to Kitepaw. ”Your turn, now.” Otterdance stepped away from the hole in the ice, allowing Kitepaw the chance to give it a shot.

Kitepaw excitedly followed her mentor out of camp. She was so excited to finally be an apprentice, though it seemed like Otterdance wasn't that excited to have her. She couldn't exactly blame him. The Dark Forest invasion made everyone upset and frustrated. It was frustrating to be watched continuously, but she had to make the most of it. It's not permanent, Kitepaw, she told herself. The clans beat the Dark Forest before, and they'll do it again. That's what she told herself, and it allowed her to enjoy life even through the Dark Forest takeover.

Once the two cats reached the river, Otterdance began teaching her how to fish. He showed how to hunt, which Kitepaw watched with great interest. Everything that Otterdance taught her seemed to sink in almost immediately, causing her to step forward to try to catch a fish herself. Positioning herself to be able to use both of her paws, she waited for a fish to swim past. It was all about p-

Hey, was that a fish over there?

The russet she-cat immediately pounced at the fish, not even thinking that she had no idea on how to catch it until midway through her leap. Splashing in the water, Kitepaw tried to find the fish she was pouncing at, before realizing that it was gone. "I... think I messed up," she said, swimming back onto land. "Y'see, there was this fish that was, like, really far away, and I wanted to try and catch it. But it was too far for my paw, so I pounced at it, and it got away." Maybe she was being too impulsive. Fishing was about patience, so she needed to wait until a fish was close enough for her to catch. Still... she felt that she could have caught that fish. Maybe there was another way to catch fish that were further away?

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

---

'Hunting Dice' : 7

Otterdance had backed far enough away to give the apprentice enough room to move around and function without him being overbearing, while also keeping close enough that he could watch the she-cat as she attempted to fish. His head tilted with confusion when she... pounced? at a nearby fish. With a slight sigh, he nodded to the apprentice. "Messing up is fine, it happens, but... Be quieter, alright? You'll attract a predator with all the splashing around, and that could get dangerous." Otterdance's fluffy tail flicked back and forth, sending bits of sand and snow in whichever direction.

"Fishing is a game of patience, Kitepaw. There's fish all in the river, but if we jumped around and tried to catch them all, we'd never eat. You have to wait for them to come to you, close enough that you know you'll be able to catch it. Otherwise, you're wasting your time and energy." As the words left Otterdance's mouth, he thought about the potential metaphor behind them. Having patience was a virtue, and while the tom was able to do it during fishing patrols, he lacked patience in other aspects of his life. Thus far, it had come to bite him in the tail. Thoughts of Mallowmist, of their dead kittens, flashed through his head for a moment. He quickly shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thoughts. "Anyway, give it another try. This time, you need to wait long enough for one to come close to you."

Kitepaw nodded, listening to Otterdance's words. Patience, her mind echoed, gazing at her reflection in the river. You can do this, Kitepaw. Waiting for a fish to get close to her, the she-cat waited... and waited... and waited. It didn't seem like there were any fish nearby to catch. "Should I wait a little more, Otterdance?" she asked quietly, trying to not scare any fish in the water. It was frustrating that there weren't any fish to be seen anywhere, though.

The member 'Mamenchisaurus' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Hunting Dice' : 6

Otterdance had begun to get lost in his thoughts as Kitepaw waited for a fish to swim by, gazing into the water and getting lost in his own reflection. When she asked if she should just keep looking, he simply nodded and mumbled, ”Yes, keep waiting. It’s leafbare, so all prey are a little more scarce. If you feel it necessary, you can also move to a new spot. Up to you.” He sat and watched her blankly for a moment, searching for any indication of what she was going to do.

Kitepaw nodded. She just had to wait a little longer, and eventually she'd find some fish to catch. No problem at all. Waiting for some fish to pass by, the russet she-cat made sure that she could stand still for long enough. As she waited longer for any fish to get close, she sighed. Nothing. Taking her mentor's advice, she decided to move to another portion of the stream to wait there. Maybe she could reach a fish there or something.

The member 'Mamenchisaurus' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Hunting Dice' : 6

When, once again, no fish passed by the she-cat, Otterdance sighed and looked around quietly. ”It’s fine. You can continue to try and fish, and wait it out here along the river, if you’d like. Or if you’d like to try again another day, we can try to hunt some land prey, or simply patrol the land. It’s up to you, I don’t care either way. Whatever you feel is best.” He sat and looked at the russet she-cat as she decided what they’d do. He honestly couldn’t be bothered to care, as long as they did something.