Patrol for Rainpaw (Closed)

OOC: Just an fyi, Viperfang will probably be a very strict mentor to Rainpaw.

IC: Viperfang peered her head into the apprentice's den and yowled, "Rainpaw! We're going on patrol! I will be waiting by the entrance to camp! Be punctual!".

(( No worries! He'll get used to it :P ))

Rainpaw sprang up from his nest, fur on end, when Viperfang's voice reached his ears. "S-Sorry!" He mewed quickly, "I'm coming!" He started from the den, trying not to wake the apprentices who were still sleeping-- at least, those who hadn't already been woken by Viperfang's voice. He rushed over to the camp entrance, heart pounding as he sat in front of his mentor, eager to please but shaken from the rude awakening. "Ready." He mewed, his fur slowly beginning to lie flat.

"Hmph!" Viperfang puffed as she started walking out of the camp, at her natural quick pace. "Today were going to be hunting." she mewed as she walked into an open clearing. She turned back to face Rainpaw and ordered, "Show me your hunting crouch".

Rainpaw was feeling a bit startled by his mentor's briskness, but he quickly complied. He wasn't at his best performance due to nervousness and shyness, but he did his best to demonstrate the crouch that he had seen apprentices occasionally practicing outside the apprentice's den.

Viperfang watched her apprentice's attempt at a hunter's crouch. Pathetic... she thought. She mewed, "Keep low" as she placed her tail on her apprentice's back pushing him downwards. "But don't let your stomach touch the ground. Keep your tail straight and off of the ground. Move forward silently yet quickly making sure that each pawstep is placed lightly and not on a twig or leaf that will cause noise. Always keep your eyes and ears focused on your target. That's the basic hunter's crouch." she summarized very quickly and briskly.

"Now that you know the basic form of the hunter's crouch, let's see if you can find any prey. You always find prey firstly with scent, then sound, then sight. Try to find something and catch it. If you don't catch anything, then you're not having breakfast today!" she mewed sternly as she sat in front of her apprentice. "I'll be waiting here. And again, please be punctual!" she yowled.

Rainpaw nodded quickly, trying to picture that perfect crouch in his head as Viperfang explained it. "Okay!" He mewed, his voice coming out much squeakier than he intended. Embarrassed, he avoided Viperfang's eyes and then ran off into the undergrowth, his mouth open for the scent of prey.
It wasn't too long before he caught the scent of a mouse nearby; for a moment, he worried that he had scared it by running so loudly, but s he froze and listened, the sound of its scuffling went on, uninterrupted. So, he dropped into the crouch; he tried to move quietly through the undergrowth, but just when he was getting close enough to spring, the mouse paused, its nose twitching as it scented the air. He leapt, but it was too late-- the mouse had detected him, and scurried to freedom. Frustrated, he sat up, hot with embarrassment and hoping Viperfang wasn't close by enough to have noticed that.
He did manage it properly on the next try-- he found a small blackbird, rustling in the marshy grasses. He concentrated even harder on moving silently, and that time, when he pounced, he caught the bird between his paws and quickly ended its life with a bite to the neck. He let out a pleased mew around the feathers, and returned to where Viperfang was waiting for him.

Viperfang flicked her tail as Rainpaw emerged back into the clearing with a small black bird in his jaws."Its small, but it will have to do. I expect you to do better next time. When we go back to camp, you will give that bird to the elders or the queens. That's a very important lesson in Shadowclan loyalty. Elders, kits, queens, and injured cats come first!" she mewed sternly to make sure that Rainpaw understood its importance. "Let's go" she mewed quickly before leaping off and pelting quickly back to camp, not checking to see if Rainpaw was keeping up.

OOC: End here?

(( Sure :) ))

Rainpaw hoped that, even though his catch was small, the elder's would appreciate it. He was mentally and emotionally exhausted already, after spending the morning with his stern mentor, so he didn't want them scolding or teasing him. He followed Viperfang back to camp, heading straight for the elders' den with his black bird.