Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There [c]

What a day hunting already.

Owlshriek arrived back in camp at the break of dawn, two large trout hung from his mouth. The cool spring morning mist slowly faded by the minute, and the warm sun began to heat up the no longer shaded camp. Letting out a sigh, he placed the fish onto the pile and turned towards the remaining shadows of camp. One of which being by the nursery. Not giving it much thought, he settled into the dappled shade of the trees. Satisfied with the start of his day, a content sigh escaped the warrior and his yellow eyes flickered shut.

Stormkit was sitting outside the nursery. He was bored of playing and too awake to take a nap and besides that the nursery was too warm. Being outside let the slight breeze ruffle his fur, and the warming sun didn’t hold the same heavy heat as the more crowded nursery. He had been watching the comings and goings of the warriors and apprentices, curiosity bursting in his chest. He gets really nervous bothering any of them, but he was just so curious!

Eventually Stormkit couldn’t contain himself any longer. After another moment of hesitation, he approached one of the latest warriors to return back from hunting. Almost immediately when he was within earshot, one of his questions bursted out of him. “How do you catch fish?”

Then his ears twitch with embarrassment. “I mean, um. Sorry. Hi. I’m Stormkit.”

Oh?

Owlshriek opened a singular eye to look at the small kit in front of him. How odd it was that not too long ago he had been the same size. Despite being tired, an amused purr escaped him. With a big toothy yawn, the warrior spread out a bit farther, arching his back. Once satisfied, he settled back down and rested his head on his paw. "Well, Stormkit. My name is Owlshriek." He mewed, both eyes opening to hold a conversation politely. "You think you are old enough to learn how to fish?" He mewed, challengingly.

Stormkit stopped. His ears twitched again. “I- um. No? I don’t know. M-Maybe? I’d like to learn! Bu-but I know I’m not old enough to be an apprentice or anything and y’know I-I just want to learn as much as I can so I’m actually a good apprentice when I get there, and… um…”

He trailed off and gave his shoulder an embarrassed lick, fur slightly puffed now.

Surprisingly, the kit drew a chuckle from Owlshriek. "If that's the case. RiverClan needs more cats like you." With another long stretch, the tom stood and shook his long pelt. "I'll tell you what, Stormkit," The warrior began, glancing towards the nursery. "get me a mossball, and I'll teach you how to catch a fish. Deal?" With a mossball, he would be able to use it as a sort of fish, and then show the kit a proper hunting method.

That, and mossball catch was a great way to get kit's energy out. Stormkit's mother might thank him for that.

Stormkit was still recovering from the warmth he felt at that little bit of praise, when he registered Owlshriek’s words. His eyes widened, a little excited gasp escaping him. “O-Okay!” He mewed, popping right back to his feet. He scrambled off as fast as his little legs could carry him to the nursery.

He returned promptly with a mossball in his mouth, purring faintly. He trotted up to Owlshriek and laid it down before looking up at Owlshriek with bright, excited blue eyes.

The tom gave the moss ball an appraising eye, batting it to the side to see it all. "Alright." He began, moving off to the side so Stormkit could see all of Owlshriek's form. "The most major part of hunting fish, is making sure your shadow doesn't scare them off." The warrior explained, rotating around the ball in an example to show the kit what would work better. "While hunting land prey, you worry about your scent. But for fish--your shadow."

Satisfied with the first step, the tom batted the ball towards the kit. "Show me where you would stand to keep your shadow off the fish." A small step, of course. But with one as young as this, they might need a few extra steps.

Stormkit watched Owlshriek with rapt attention. He nodded along, watching how Owlshriek demonstrated with the ball.

“Okay,” He said, slightly nervously. He got to his feet, watching the mossball and his shadow carefully. He approached the mossball slowly, keeping an eye on his shadow before he sat down close enough to the mossball to easily touch it, but diagonal to it so that his shadow was  positioned away from it. He looked up at Owlshriek hopefully. “Like that?”

Impressed with Stormkit's quick learning, Owlshriek nodded and let out a short purr in approval. "You are quite smart, Stormkit." He mewed, approaching the ball with a few slow steps. But, it wasn't a try mastery, Owlshriek knew to make sure he understood the concept repeatedly. Hooking the ball with a claw, Owlshriek launched it into the air, taking a step back to watch it land. "How about now?" He mused, sitting once more.

Stormkit got it faster than Owlshriek did as a kit. Though, Owlshriek was more concerned with using his sister's tail as prey rather than the positioning of his shadow. RiverClan's future looked bright.

Stormkit beamed at the praise, visibly brightening. Eager to try again, Stormkit watched the ball fall and paid attention to where it landed. He moved once more, carefully arranging himself. He spent a few more moments trying to find a way to approach the ball, hesitating and restarting a few times before he finally rearranged himself and looked back at Owlshriek.  Although he managed to find a good place to sit, his tail was swishing excitedly, and it disturbed the reeds around them which cast shadows over the ball of moss. “Is this okay?” He checked.

Twitching whiskers gave him away, and Owlshriek let out a rare chuckle of amusement. "Mind your tail, make sure you are silent, and you nailed it, Stormkit." Still, surely this kit would be the best hunter of the clan. "From there, when you are ready, you dart your paw out, and scoop the fish out." In a quick movement, Owlshriek batted the ball into the air and onto the ground beside him. "From there you either let it run out of air, or you kill it." Owlshriek tended to want to put it out of its misery.

Satisfied with his explanation, he batted the ball a few tail lengths to let Stormkit try. "The clan is hungry, leaf-bare is upon us, catch the fish!" The warrior narrated, tail swishing with amusement.

Stormkit is quick to still his tail at Owlshriek’s instruction, putting a paw on it just to make sure it’s still before looking back at the mossball.

His bright blue eyes sparkled in excitement at Owlshriek’s narration, and he wiggled a bit into a pouncing position. His face grows intense in his concentration as he prepares, and then he lashes out and scoops up the mossball. He tosses it up into the air and then leaps forward, pouncing on it and holding it for a few seconds, giggling with delight.

"The clan lives to see another day!" Owlshriek called, feeding into the kit's daydreams. He too was like that when he was young. Perhaps it was those dreams of being the best warrior around that kept him going, that motivated him every day. He hoped Stormkit would feel it too. "You take your catch home, and the entire clan cheers your name! Stormkit, Stormkit Stormkit--" He finished, giving the kit a boop with his nose. "Stars, you might have a thing or two to teach me." Owlshriek joked, sitting down next to the kit. "Tell me, what have you learned today?"