Lilypaw's Assessment [Hunting Assessment]

Leopardstar seemed to slip seamlessly into the shadows of the marsh, vanishing out of sight at will between her dark markings and the cover of night. Her voice, however, carried on the evening breeze; clear and concise. "You were a warrior once. With time, you will be again. But for the moment I want to assess your skills: do you remember how to hunt the creatures that walk the marsh? Do you recall the stepping-stone paths?"

A blur of shadow, movement that might have been pawsteps.

"You will hunt for your Clan, and I will observe. If it becomes necessary, I will step in to assist; but not until and unless you ask me to or you are in immediate danger. With that said, you may begin."

"If we did what was easy, then there wouldn't be anything to live for."

Lilypaw remained silent as she stalked through the marshes. There was a reason her paws drew her here for Swiftheart to find. She knew these marshes. This was where she grew up, learned how to survive in the territories. She hunted and fought alongside, and sometimes against, the cats of these Clans. She experienced trials these younger cats never would have known.

And she planned to show Leopardstar that her paws never forgot her home, no matter how they had strayed. (Even if the Clan would never know the extent that they had strayed.)

With it being leafbare, this would be a much more difficult challenge. But a keen ear could still catch the faint rustling of mice within the undergrowth. The snow had long since melted, with newleaf just around the corner, so her quarry was probably foraging for any seeds it could find. With luck, it would be distracted just enough....

Except the tail she had spotted was not the rodent she had expected. The creature she had leapt on top of, now digging her claws into, had ended up being a rat, which was now squirming under her paws.

The rat reeled back, screeching before it whirled around to cling onto the paw that had attacked it.

Lilypaw bit back a hiss of pain, looking towards the trees where she thought her leader would be watching. "Can you help me get this thing off so I can keep hunting? It's more stubborn than me!" It was a bit embarrassing to need help with such a tiny creature, but every ShadowClan cat knew the damage a rat could cause. She wasn't dumb enough to risk it. Before her time in the city, she might have been able to handle it, but even now, she was still regaining her strength. She may have grown in muscle, but she was still not where a healthy cat should be. It did not help any that, even though new leaf was close, prey was still to come out of hiding. There was only so much ShadowClan could offer when the weather was still cold.

Hopefully Leopardstar wouldn't hold this one against her.

Lilypaw is attempting to catch a mouse. But a rat has appeared! -5 SP

25/30 SP

Lilypaw has used jumping strike, dealing 10 (6+3+1) damage and costing 7 stamina

Lilypaw
15/15 HP
18/30 SP

Rat
15/25 HP
120/120 SP

Rat used Gripping Bite, dealing 7 damage and costing 15 stamina.

Lilypaw
8/15 HP
18/30 SP

Rat
16/25 HP
105/120 SP

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Leopardstar leapt forward, giving a precise slash to the rat. "Knowing that you can ask for help is an important skill," she acknowledged. "Forgetting that is dangerous--to yourself, and those around you."

She eyed the creature warily.

"...Perhaps it's time for another investigation of the Carrionplace. I don't like when they wander too far."

Leopardstar used Front Paw Strike, dealing 10+1+2 damage and costing 7 SP!

Lilypaw
8/15 HP
18/30 SP

Rat
3/25 HP (-13)
105/120 SP

Leopardstar
80/80 HP
163/170 SP (-7)