Old Memories, New Lessons [c]

Scorchtalon was up before the sun, his overwhelming excitement rendering him unable to sleep. Humming a little tune to himself as he trotted happily over to the apprentice den, he gently prodded Lavenderpaw on the shoulder. To think that he'd slept in this den not that long ago, and now he was a warrior with an apprentice of his own!

"Wake up, sleepyhead. We're going out for our first day of training today, how exciting!" He couldn't hide his enthusiasm, he felt like an apprentice again, preparing to explore the world beyond the camp walls for the very first time.

"Make sure you grab a bite to eat first, and then we'll head out." He sat near the entrance, his tail twitching as he waited. Though he was eager to get started, he was also slightly nervous. What if he wasn't cut out to be a mentor?
Shaking his head as if clearing the thoughts away, he dismissed them. Surely it wasn't that hard, he'd be fine.

His first night in the apprentice's den was cold. Not because of the weather, which had finally begun to rise above the freezing temperatures that the young tom had been born into, but rather due to the lack of familiarity. Lavenderpaw missed the nursery. He missed snuggling into the soft underbelly of Ashfall and worrying about little more than what he might entertain himself during the times he wasn't taking refuge in the nest. When Scorchtalon came to wake him, Lavenderpaw jumped slightly. His long, feathery tail had covered his face but was whisked away in an instant.

Once he realized that it was his mentor standing before him, the erratic thudding in his chest stilled ever so slightly. But not entirely. They were going to train today; he was beginning the path to warriorhood. Uncertainty plagued the pale-furred apprentice. It took everything in him to shove away the apprehension and nod. At least his mentor seemed cheerful and exciting. Too nervous to even stretch, he rose stiffly to his pads and followed after. The first instruction was to eat, and it was the last thing he wanted to do.

Padding over to the freshkill pile, he felt his shoulders tense. Walking through the middle of the camp alone made him feel like eyes burned into his pelt and the young tom felt impossibly small. It was all he could do to choke down a meager mouse before turning to follow after Scorchtalon. Admittedly, seeing the world beyond camp did not seem all too exciting to him. In fact, he felt like he might be sick after the mouse. Ignoring the writhing in his stomach, he meowed softly, "Okay, I'm ready."

Scorchtalon nodded as Lavenderpaw approached, turning and leading the way out of camp. The fresh scent of newleaf greeted them on the moor's wind, filling Scorchtalon with optimism. He was sure this rough patch the clans were going through was just temporary, and that they'd find a way to get through it and come out stronger than ever.

"Today we'll be hunting. I'll demonstrate for you, and then you can try it out for yourself. Don't get too frustrated if you mess up, you'll get better with time. Watch me."

He fell silent, ears perked up, listening for even a mere rustling in the heather. He didn't have to wait long before a hare poked its head out of cleverly concealed rabbit-hole, sniffing around the area. He crept forward, not wanting to startle the creature before he got close enough to make the catch. As soon as he was close enough, he dashed forward, racing towards the hare. He was on it before it could move, killing it swiftly. He turned back to his apprentice, thankful his attempt to demonstrate hadn't ended in disaster/

"Your turn now, good luck!


Scorchtalon has attempted to catch a hare... Success

30/30 HP
75/80 SP (-5)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 3

Eyes darted nervously over the many slopes of the territory. Not only was it much larger than the camp, but it seemed to be endlessly vast as well. Lavenderpaw felt impossibly small underneath the sky that stretched above, somehow more than ever before. As he padded after his mentor, he'd subconsciously shrunk into himself, feeling what little reassurance was there waning. Scorchtalon's voice brought him back up in an instant. The apprentice straightened up to quickly and felt it jar his neck slightly.

Embarrassed, he sniffed softly, and focused on what the warrior was saying instead. There was a quick nod and he set to work on engrossing himself in the scene ahead. Scorchtalon proved what a talented warrior he was by swiftly dispatching a hare. The speed at which he darted off was astounding. Glancing back at his own haunches, Lavenderpaw wondered if he could do the same. It seemed it was time to find out. He looked at Scorchtalon, blinking slowly, uncertain of himself. But there was no use waiting around. The apprentice sucked in the air. Even if it was mild, it still seared his lungs, "Alright, here goes."

With quivering pawsteps, the pale-pelted tom set off in search of prey. Finally, there was a stirring over the horizon... a rabbit. This was his chance. There was no way that he could race as swiftly as the elder cat but he had to try to do something, anything. Taking a few deep breaths, and creeping over like his mentor had just shown him, he waited until it was time. And then he raced after the rabbit. It was far from the most beautiful catch but he managed to leap into the rabbit and pin it to the ground. The creature wriggled for a few moments as he stared. The squeaks eventually caused him to dip his head and gingerly nip the throat.

"I did it. I really did it."

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 5

"Great job!" He said, beaming with pride. So far the training session had gone better than he could've possible hoped. Maybe having an apprentice wouldn't be so bad after all... Picking up his own catch, he moved the two to a safe area so that they could come back for them later.

"You just hesitated a bit too much at the end there, but that's okay! Just remember, while you have the advantage over your prey in terms of speed, any hesitation could give them the chance to run away, robbing your clan of what could've been a decent meal. We can continue if you want, or we can head back to camp and drop these off, and then come back later."

He could honestly go for some more hunting, but he didn't want to overwork the young cat. Sometimes he forgot that not every cat had his level of enthusiasm at all times of the day. Besides, he could always come back by himself if he wanted to stretch his legs some more.

Lavenderpaw felt his ears heat up at the praise. His head ducked slightly as he heard the words. Having been so enamored in the moment, he'd nearly forgotten that his mentor was there, watching his every move to help teach him. The reminder helped him refocus. Ashfall really wanted him to be a great warrior. He couldn't understand the she-cat's drive and desire, especially when somehow his own seemed to be so contrasting. Regardless, he loved his mother and in the pursuit of pleasing both her and now his mentor, the tom straightened up to drink in the pointers.

"I won't forget for next time." Lavenderpaw nodded, growing into himself slightly at the success. One sheathed paw pulled the rabbit closer to inspect it briefly for another moment. The fur felt soft underneath his pad. Once the creature had been full of life and the next he had rendered it to this stillness. It was such a strange thing to behold but necessary for life. Scorchtalon was asking if he wanted to hunt more. Funny enough, he did, "I'm fine to keep going. That sounds good. Or go back if you want." Even though Scorchtalon gave him options, the young apprentice didn't want to seem too forward.