Stormpaw and Rainpaw's Assessments (For Marcel, Sailor Cat, and me)

Stormpaw padded back to the spot where she had buried the thrush with a new piece of fresh-kill in her jaws, but ashamed that she hadn't caught the two squirrels she had tried to catch. She had caught a mouse and was now burying it with the dead bird. I only have two pieces of prey?! I need to step up my game if I want to pass this assessment and most importantly, beat Rainpaw. I need a new hunting technique. The she-cat thought for a moment before smiling as she saw a vole hole near-by. The grey and cream she-cat quietly padded over and sniffed it, making sure a vole was inside. She was in luck. Now all she had to do was wait. Stormpaw sat down, eyes trained on the hole. I'll call this one Vole Fishing! 


Seeing movement inside, Stormpaw got ready. A small head popped up and she swiped, pulling the animal out and breaking it's neck. "That was awesome," she said to herself as she carried it to her buried pile of fresh kill.  It was time for her to move on again, so she ran away, a new idea for a hunting technique coming to her.

Hollyberry nodded in approval and let out a breath when the younger apprentice snagged the prey on her claws. "That could pass as a new move..." she muttered softly to herself, smiling. Turning to Stormpaw, she nodded at the apprentice's thoughtfulness. "I wonder what she'll call that one..."

Rainpaw was getting more and more panic. No matter what she tried, she didn't manage to catch anything exept from the squirrel. She ran after a sparrow, another mouse, a vole, but she didn't catch anyone of them. That's embarressing, I'm an apprentice and I still can't hunt... After a while the she-cat noticed another mouse. It was very old, so it coulnd't run away fast enough, when Rainpaw jumped after it. The mouse was veryv small but better than nothing. Okay, now I've got two pieces of prey...

This was going to be fun. Stormpaw stalked a squirrel, crouching low and staying light on her paws. She was behind the creature so that it's tail was facing her. A perfect position, she thought as she go ready. The next second, she sprang and grabbed the squirrel's tail with her mouth and held it's body down with a paw while she pulled back and ripped off the tail. I call this one tail hunting, she thought amusingly with a purr as the prey slowly died under her paws. The she-cat smiled as she buried it then moved on. It's been almost an hour and I've only got four pieces of prey? That's bad even for an apprentice! Hopefully Rainpaw has less then me!

Hollyberry glanced up at the sun, eyes widening when she realized that it was already a bit later than she had expected. Oh well, we still have time for team hunting. Stalking out from behind a bush, she let out a quiet call. "Stormpaw, Rainpaw, please stop what you are doing and bring your prey to me." she called softly. She had seen their catches and hunting techniques, and felt satisfied. Both had time to improve, and no matter how they had caught prey, a catch was a catch.

Suddenly she heard a voice. It was Hollyberry who had called them back. Nervously she digged out her prey and walked over to Hollyberry. "Er... I've only caught a mouse and a squirrel...", she mewed ashamed and showed her catches to her mentor. I wonder how many pieces of prey Stormpaw has caught... Certainly he brings a whole pile of prey...

The she-cat dug up her prey and carried it over to her mentor. "I've got a squirrel, a mouse, a thrush, and a vole. Sorry I didn't catch as much, I was trying to come up with new hunting techniques. I would've caught more if I had just stuck to one the whole time." She dropped them at Hollyberry's feet and sat down, licking the blood off her lips.

Hollyberry smiled encouragingly at Rainpaw. "Good catches!" In reply to her statement, she mewed, "It's alright. Two pieces of prey is good for an apprentice!" she mewed, purring. Dipping her head, she moved on to check how Stormpaw had done. "Very good! You didn't have to catch more than four," she mewed, smiling. "Anyway, you two, I'm leaving. It's up to you to decide where to make your one or two team catches, but I'll be watching." she mewed over her shoulder. With that, she disappeared again.

Stormpaw turned to Rainpaw, flicking her ears. "Lets go to the river, more prey is there because it's a water source." Without waiting for a response, the she-cat ran off towards the river, not caring if Rainpaw followed or not.

The disappointed expression in Rainpaws face turned into a smile and her eyes became bigger. I... I was good at the assesement? Me? This was only luck, nothing but luck... Hollyberry left the place and Stormpaw suggested the river as a good place for their team catches and chased away. "Stormpaw, wait for me!", Rainpaw shouted. She coulnd't run as fast as the apprentice. Soon she coulnd't see Stormpaw anymore, she was gone. "Stormpaw!", the grey she-cat shouted again and her eyes filled with tears. She started to go in the direction where she suspected the river to be.

Hollyberry winced as Rainpaw was left behind. Glancing up, she saw that the apprentice had decided to do something about her current situation. Hollyberry stalked after Rainpaw, smiling as she discovered that she was going toward the river.

Stormpaw heard Rainpaw's voice become fainter and fainter. When the she-cat stopped at the roaring water, she turned around to find that the other apprentice wasn't there. "Rainpaw, where are you?" she called angrily. This clan needs more cats who can keep up with a hunting patrol, she thought with a growl. The she-cat dove back into the undergrowth to find the other grey she-cat.

The gray she-cat wandered through the forest and had no idea, where the river was. Rainpaw was sure that she had got lost. Suddenly she ran into something soft. After a few heartskips she realized it was Stormpaw. "Why didn't you wait for me? You know I'm not as fast as you!", she said with a touch of anger in her voice.

Hollyberry watched the apprentices argue with an emotionless face. She was wondering how they would settle their argument.

"I didn't know you were as slow as a slug! Why couldn't you keep up with me? I'm not that fast, in fact, I'm not even close to being the fastest apprentice and I'm warrior age!" Stormpaw let out an angry snort and continued. "Now come on, I can't wait all day for you to try to run." She then whipped around and trotted off towards the river, steaming.