gonna be somebody someday - that day is today. somehow, someway [c]

Acknowledging the unconventional timing, Yewshade turned to Ridgepaw as he led his apprentice and a few other warriors into the forest. "I know we typically train at sunrise," He began, his voice low. "I know it's a little scary, but you'll be just fine as long as you're with the rest of the patrol. You'll learn a lot from hunting at night." He encouraged, flicking his tail against his apprentice's shoulders.

He led them to the moonlit creek, his paws walking this same path many times before. It's absolutely beautiful - almost like StarClan themselves claim it as their territory at night. Suddenly, he dropped into a crouch.

"Listen," He whispered to his apprentice. "Do you hear that?" The song of the Nightingale, although a faint trill, was noticeable over the crickets chirping. He pointed with his tail at the small bird, perched on a tree next to the creek. "I bet you could catch it if you tried. Do you want to?" He encouraged.  

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Ridgepaw

Apprentice | SkyClan | he/him

This was the part of being an apprentice that Ridgepaw had been dreading. Yewshade had shaken him awake from his sleep with no warning, drug him out of the comfort of the apprentice den to tag along on a late-night hunting patrol... Ridgepaw trudged at Yewshade's curtails in an attempt to hide his irritated scowl. He had been hoping (in vain, of course, he thought with a grunt) that maybe his mentor would be easy on him for at least the first moon or so. Instead, he was introducing him to the haunting ambient noises of the forest after nightfall. One of the other warriors alongside of them stepped on a thin twig-- Ridgepaw jumped nearly tailength into the air and tried to play it off with an eyeroll and an awkward cough. "I'm not scared at all.." he retorted under his breath. "I'm not some little kit, it's just the forest..."

This was the first time that Ridgepaw had ever been to the Moonlit Creek, sparkling in the moonlight as he gazed into the water-- he had heard of it plenty of times, mentioned in passing by his mother and other warriors he had interacted with in his kithood, but truly nothing they had said about it's serene beauty did it any justice. Ridgepaw was so transfixed he nearly missed Yewshade dropping into a hunting crouch by his side. "Hear what?"

It took him a moment to hear it again, but hear it he did; the shrill cry of a little grey bird, it's spindly legs perched onto a nearby treebranch as it searched for insects to catch along the creek's edge. It sat just over a foxlength away from where Ridgepaw and Yewshade stood, seemingly unaware of the three bright blue eyes blinking at it. I bet you could catch it if you tried.

"Just watch me." Ridgepaw responded with a cocky grin.

He had been practicing for this exact moment for over six moons now, bugging his poor tired mother to critique his wobbly kitten form over and over.. but there was nothing wobbly about his hunting stance now as he sized the nightingale up, wiggled his hindquarters in preparation for the leap-- he eyed Yewshade for just a fleeting second, just to make sure he was watching.

In a flash Ridgepaw was gone, pounced across the edge of the creek and descended upon the bird; it hardly had time to even chirp, caught swiftly between Ridgepaw's sharp teeth and made prey in an instant. Those little spindly legs daggled uselessly from Ridgepaw's jaws as he stood motionlessly in shock and awe of his own achievement. He did it. He didn't even think about it, just did it.

Ridgepaw caught a bird and spent 5 SP!
20 HP / 55 SP(-5)

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