let's see what we got (c)

Perchstar arose early this morning-- something that, honestly, she hadn't done since becoming leader. As a deputy, she was consistently the first one to wake up, and the last one to go to sleep. But since finally getting her lives from StarClan, and receiving a deputy to help with her duties, and... sharing a den with the tom she loved... there was no reason to force herself up so early. Except, now there was. She once again had an apprentice. Hickorypaw-- one of Maplespring's kits. Half WindClan, half RiverClan. Not that it would make him any less capable, of course. It was just something to keep in mind. The morning was quite chilly, since the sun had yet to finish rising, and the only heat left was the baking sun from yesterday's afternoon. Still, it was a pleasant coolness, compared to the usual greenleaf warmth. The skies were painted a rosy pink, dotted with soft orange clouds. A beautiful morning for training.

Trying her best to shake thoughts of Tinypool and Beetlepaw from her head, the gray and white she-cat emerged from her soft nest and padded purposefully into camp. She would let Ashflight sleep a while longer. Instead, her paws moved quietly towards the apprentices' den. It had been recently patched with moss, due to Owlshriek's duties, so it looked nice and insulated. Wordlessly, she entered. The den was much fuller now than it had been. Stepping carefully over Stormpaw and Grebepaw, the leader reached out and gently nudged her own apprentice. Hickorypaw. Wordlessly, she gestured with her head that it was time to begin training. Then she exited, and waited near the entrance to camp. She had done this four times now... but it never got any easier. The life of a young cat was now in her paws. Would they make it to warriorhood and become successful, like Poppyshine? Live well for a while and then disappear, like Tinypool? Or die young, like Beetlepaw? Well. Only time would tell. Hopefully, the knowledge that the tom was safe-- for now, at least-- would quell the familiar anxiety beginning to stir in her stomach.

The evening he moved into his new den, Hickorypaw didn't sleep. He had laid in his nest all night, his eyes closed, but he was in no way asleep. Anyway, it was probably an understatement to say that Hickorypaw had been super excited to start training, so when Perchstar finally nudged him, the brown ghost tabby almost jumped up onto his paws to start his training.

The bright-eyed young tom trotted towards his mentor with a bright smile on his face. "I can't wait Perchstar!" He purred. "How are we gonna start? Hunting? Fighting? Both? At the same time?" The tom's mouth was moving quicker than he could think, he was super excited to get out of the camp for the first time ever and finally see the territory.

Stars... why do I always get the enthusiastic ones? Still, despite herself, Perchstar had to stifle a chuckle. It seemed like almost every apprentice these days was full of energy. She had never been like that-- but then again, she was hardly a normal cat. She'd always been quiet, stoic, bad at showing emotions. It was better to be like these cats, like Tinypool and Poppyshine and Beetlepaw. It was better to wear your heart on your face, with a beaming smile everywhere you went. The leader shook her head in gentle exasperation. "We'll start with a patrol to the river, and I'll teach you how to fish," she responded. "Fishing is the most important thing for RiverClan cats. Fighting will come a little later, because hopefully it won't be necessary too soon." The reminder of the narrowly avoided war with SkyClan made her ear twitch. "If the fishing lesson goes well, maybe I'll have time for teaching you to swim. The river is nice this time of year." With that said, she swished her tail, beckoning Hickorypaw to follow as they walked out of the camp.

Maybe, just maybe, Hickorypaw hadn't been fully paying attention to what his mentor was talking about. Perchstar was speaking in a sort-of tone that sounded like she was tired or something, and Hickorypaw just couldn't bring himself to stay focused on her voice. All he could hear was the mention of fishing and the noises of birds in the forest around them. Blinking a few times to bring himself back to the present, Hickorypaw trotted after Perchstar, still not quite knowing what they were doing or where they were going.

As the sun rose further in the sky, warm sunbeams began to break over the distant hills, bathing the two cats' pelts in a gentle golden light. The territory was peaceful at this early hour, with only the soft rushing water and distantly calling birds breaking through what would otherwise be a calm silence. Yet, as beautiful as their surroundings were, Perchstar's calculating blue gaze never quite left the apprentice by her side. Hickorypaw seemed a little more scatterbrained than Tinypool and Poppyshine had been; she wasn't sure whether or not a single word she said had been understood. Well, she'd get through to him somehow. An inaudible sigh made her shoulders slump for a moment, but she continued walking the familiar path towards the best fishing spot on the river. When they reached it, she halted, contemplating it for a moment. This was where Poppypaw had fallen in, and nearly drowned. One wouldn't know just by glancing at it. During greenleaf, the river was smooth and quiet, the current more forgiving, the waters more clear. The bank was solid rather than slippery. No RiverClan cat could fail to swim in such a gentle flow. Still... just to be sure, she positioned herself downstream of her apprentice. "What do you know about fish, Hickorypaw?" the leader inquired, hoping to bring his mind back from wherever it had wandered off to.

Finally, they reached the river, and Hickorypaw was ecstatic. He really wanted to just jump into the river, full force with not a care in the world. But.. He knew that Perchstar probably wouldn't like that. So, he just stayed at the side of the river, blinking at his own reflection with gleaming orange eyes. He was so caught up in not-listening, so when Perchstar finally spoke again, he almost fell on his face into the river, catching himself just as his whiskers slightly touched the surface. "Fish are tasty and covered in scales." He mewed, puffing his chest out. He knew basically everything about fish! Training would be too easy.

Well, this apprentice was certainly more... accident-prone than Tinypool had been. Even Poppyshine, while getting into trouble occasionally, tended to pay attention during their patrols. Perchstar felt herself tense up as Hickorypaw nearly fell into the river, but thankfully caught himself. Stars... this is not a good start, is it? She sighed inaudibly, letting out a breath and trying to relax. This would be fine. Even if the tom seemed too proud to see beyond his own whiskers. Unamused, the leader simply continued speaking in her normal tone. "Fish are our main prey. They live in this river. Unlike other Clans, we don't have to chase our prey; in the water, such a chase would be futile. We are good swimmers, but we don't have gills." She turned her face toward the water, making sure she was still aware of Hickorypaw in her peripheral vision. "In order to catch a fish, you don't need speed or strength. What you need is patience... and to pay attention. Watch."

The easiest way to learn was through demonstration, then practice. Perchstar grew silent, completely focused on the river (with a constant awareness of the apprentice by her side), eyes trained on the shallow current. She had to wait for the right time, and-- there! A flash of silver. Almost instinctually, a paw she had half-raised splashed down into the water, so quickly it was almost invisible. A tiny spot of white breaking through the clear surface of the water, and drawing out a large minnow. Her jaws opened, and she caught the fish in her jaws, biting down quickly and ending its life. Thank you for not humiliating me, StarClan. The leader turned around and carefully placed her catch to the side, then focused on Hickorypaw fully. "Do you understand? You watch and wait, and then use a paw to grab a fish from the river. Need more explanation, or would you like to try?"

Perchstar attempted to catch a fish. Success! -3 SP

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 5