Rainpaw's Assessment [solo]

Mistfeather led the rather large tom out into RiverClan's recently returned territory. She could finally travel the long winding paths that were carved through the reeds again without fear of meeting a WindClan patrol. It felt nice, and although she missed the soft squelching of water under her paws, and resented the cold that nipped at her pads, she was still glad to explore the territory once again. Glancing back, she gave a slight nod to her son and pushed further into the territory.

Once at a reasonable spot far enough away from camp, she paused and turned to face Rainpaw. "You must catch three pieces of prey. I will be watching from afar, but I will be sure not to disturb your hunt. Normally, you would be required to catch a fish, but with the river frozen over you can catch something else instead. If you're feeling brave, be my guest. Feel free to start whenever you want." she meowed to the light brown apprentice. She wasn't surprised to see a gleam in his yellow-green eyes. Of course you're feeling brave. The tom darted off in a flash, leaving the old deputy to slowly walk along, only his scent to guide her.

Rainpaw knew he would ace his assessment. He had practiced his hunting technique for moons, feeling as though he's perfected the motions and his control over the situation. His mouth opened slightly, almost immediately catching the scent of a small mouse searching through the snow for a meal. Rainpaw silently licked his lips and bared his fangs. Crouching low, he ignored the sharp cool of the snow against his underbelly and pressed on towards the prey. Within seconds of spotting the creature, he leapt forward, grabbing the mouse in his maw and snapping the neck like a twig. Not a drop of blood spilled and he quickly buried it before searching for his next catch. His mother watched closely, surprised at how quickly and efficiently the brown apprentice moved. He was a skilled hunter, but she knew his pride would get in the way eventually.

The next catch was a vole. As quickly as the first one, and without even alerting the creature, he pounced and killed it with one swift movement. He smirked and buried it as well before heading towards the river. Thankfully he wasn't far, and he would soon be done his assessment and earning his warrior name within the next few days. Mistfeather shook her head at the tom's smirk, and stuck more closely than before once he reached the ice covered river. It was the most dangerous during Leafbare, and knowing the tom hated water almost as much as his father, she worried. Rainpaw was almost too prideful for his own good. He could easily slip up.

Rainpaw took a tentative step onto the river, putting most of his weight on his front paw to test the strength of the ice. It would hold him but he needed to find a weak enough spot to break through. He carefully stepped across the river, testing each step. It took him longer than he wished, but once he heard a small snap and creaking, he stopped and sat on his hind legs. His front paws slammed down hard on the ice, cracking it, but not breaking it. He tried once more, only cracking it more, not fully breaking it. Frustrated, he took most of his weight and crashed down on the patch of ice. It broke under the pressure, but slowly enough that Rainpaw could pull his paws back onto solid ice. Good. It would take some time for the fish to return to the spot after the loud splashing of ice sheets crashing into the rivers. The tom lay down and peered into the water, thankful that the sun was hidden by clouds on this particular day. No fish would see him coming.

After what felt like a lifetime, a dark shadow slowly swam upstream, fighting the current that pushed it back. It was close enough to the surface that Rainpaw could easily swipe his paw into the water and pull it out without difficulty. And with the speed is swam at, it was almost too easy. The light brown tom glanced back at his mother, gave her a quick smile, and dove his unsheathed paw into the frozen water. His claws stuck into the fleshy body of the fish and he quickly pulled up, surprised by the weight on his paws. He struggled for a moment, but managed to pull the large fish onto the ice where he chomped down on its spine, snapping it in two. Rainpaw raised his head, the fish still in mouth, and looked at Mistfeather. Her green eyes were wide and her mouth slightly agape. He had almost no issues with his hunt, fulfilling the requirements way before anyone expected him to. He padded up to her, completely forgetting about the ice, but thankfully his path was well chosen. Mistfeather looked him over, still shocked by how quickly he completed the three tasks. She looked over the fish, checking the weight and the size. It seemed she would have to carry his other two catches.

"Congratulations Rainpaw. You've done well," the silver tabby meowed proudly, with a bit of surprise in her tone. Though she hated enabling his ego, he did deserve praise. She couldn't deny that he was a skilled hunter. "Time to go back. You'll get your name soon, I promise."

ooc: sorry mentor-chan, i decided it'd be easier if i did this by myself so you didn't have to wait on me :D