Wolfpaw's Assessment (closed)

Sitting near the camp entrance, Mudfoot waited for Wolfpaw in silence. The sun was beginning to set and the cool evening air was settling across the marshy land, sending a shiver up his spine. Tonight he would assess an apprentice and was confident that the younger cat would do great and become a warrior in no time.

The chilly early evening air served to clear Wolfpaw's head of nagging thoughts and help wash away any lingering tension that still resided within his form. Giving himself a brisk shake, the rosetted young tom slipped further away from the shelter and comfort of the Apprentice's den and towards the patiently waiting Mudfoot.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting," Wolfpaw mewed as he halted beside the older tom, "Are you ready to leave now?"

Perking his ears at the sound of someone approaching, he turned to see Wolfpaw. Giving the apprentice a nod, the warrior stood up and gave his pelt a shake. "Yep," he mewed with a smile. Turning in the direction of the camp entrance, Mudfoot began to make his way towards it and soon enough, the two of them were out of the somewhat sheltered camp and into the even colder territory.

"I'm assuming you already know this, but today I'll be assessing you," he mewed after a few moments of walking in silence.

"Yes," Wolfpaw quietly responded after a brief moment of silence, "Magpiestar spoke to me about it a few nights earlier." The rosetted tom's tail gave a soundless swish as he continued to pad after Mudfoot, the thick fur upon his shoulders rippling slightly as he grew used to the bitter chill that filled the air. He was a bit surprised that the subject of his assessment had come up so soon, but he was definitely pleased that it was already time for him to receive his Warrior Name. The cold stung Wolfpaw's nose and the tips of his ears, but it felt more akin to a brisk reminder that he needed to keep his head clear for the upcoming task.

"Do we need to go out much further before we begin?" Wolfpaw questioned, unwilling to display any outward signs of his apprehension.

Perking his ears at the apprentice's question, Mudfoot stopped in his tracks and turned to look at the younger tom. "Nope," he mewed and sat down. "I want you to catch at least three pieces of prey before you return here. I'll be nearby, assessing you, but don't worry about me," the warrior added and gave a nod of his head to signal that it was alright to start hunting now. Seeing that it was Leafbare, finding prey would be a bit more difficult for Wolfpaw, but even so, Mudfoot still had faith in the young tom's abilities.

Three pieces of prey? Wolfpaw attentively listened to Mudfoot's words with little expression upon his face, only offering an understanding nod in return to the older tom's words. He could do this, right? "Sounds good." He mewed, whiskers twitching slightly as he blinked at Mudfoot before slipping away. The frost-brittle mud creaked ever-so-slightly beneath his paws as he continued to venture further and further away from Mudfoot in an attempt to seek out a fresh scent- hopefully some creatures would still be out despite the rather late night and bitter chill.

Thankfully, after several moments of careful stalking through the sparse undergrowth, Wolfpaw was able to catch wind of a strong scent that seemed to be nearby. Frog! Despite the reassurance of how strong and fresh the frog's scent was, it only made the apprentice's belly tighten in a wave of nausea. The fear of  disappointing Foxheart and Magpiestar was strong enough to literally make him sick. Shaking his head desperately to clear the flood of anxiety that surged through his veins, the apprentice continued to stalk after the scent.

Wolfpaw's pupils dilated as he caught sight of the slimy creature that appeared to be resting on the edge of a half-frozen puddle. Whatever the reason that the frog decided to emerge from the safety of the muddy puddle, he was incredibly grateful. Neatly tucking his limbs beneath his body in a powerful crouch, Wolfpaw exploded forwards in a leap. His forepaws slammed down onto the frog before it could even process his sudden appearance- practically killing it instantly. Taking care to avoid damaging the recently killed piece of prey, Wolfpaw scooped up the creature and stashed its limp form before continuing on.

The member 'Seer' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 7

Waiting till the apprentice wasn't in sight anymore, Mudfoot followed after the younger tom, making sure to step lightly on the forest floor bellow as to not scare any potential prey away. Finding some thick brush to hide in that was downwind of Wolfpaw, he crawled into the mostly dead shrubbery and caught sight of the apprentice who was stalking a frog. Slowing his breathing down, the warrior watched as his grandson pounced and caught his first piece of prey.

Soft breaths were quietly exhaled through Wolfpaw's nose as he slipped away from the half-frozen puddle and trekked deeper into the heart of ShadowClan's territory. Confirming his earlier thoughts about the late hour and the cold being a deciding factor for most small creatures, he was hardly surprised at how little prey he was able to sniff out. Clicking his teeth anxiously, and feeling as if the entire forest had eyes upon him, the rosetted apprentice broke into a brisk trot. His quicker movements allowed the chilly night wind to seep deeper into his flesh, but at least the cold helped keep his mind clear and prevented him from overheating.

A musky scent bathed Wolfpaw's tongue during a sharp inhale and caused his paws to slither to a halt, sending pine needles spraying in every direction. He paused, forcing his breathing to slow, and began to taste the air- the scent was definitely familiar, but the cold was making it a tad bit difficult to figure out what it was. Hesitant paws took several steps forwards in the direction that the scent was strongest, but he took extra precaution to make sure to that he remained silent. A strong, frigid breeze was suddenly rattling the barren branches high above him, causing Wolfpaw to freeze for fear that the small creature he was stalking was sent racing for cover.

But, seemingly by the grace of StarClan, the sharp breeze revealed something- he was stalking a lizard! His ears swiveled forwards as he attempted to pinpoint the unfortunate lizard as he stealthily continued to slip through the sparse undergrowth. He could hear the faintest of rustling beneath a half-rotten leaf, which made his pupils dilate with excitement. As soon as Wolfpaw was able to spot the leaf that the lizard was sheltering beneath, he dropped into a crouch so low that his belly fur brushed quietly against the soft earth. However, just as soon as he was about to pounce, the soft pounding of wings high above him caught his attention. Wolfpaw looked up just in time to see massive tawny wings spreading across the night sky and sharp, cruelly hooked talons bearing down upon him.

Owl!

The member 'Seer' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 10

Hearing the screech of what sounded like an owl, Mudfoot jumped up from where he sat. Opening his jaw, he wasted no time and ran towards the scent. Sure enough, an owl had decided to try and attack the young apprentice, but Mudfoot wasn't going to let it get away without learning a lesson.

Letting out a battle cry, the warrior raced onto the scene, skidding to a halt between the apprentice and the bird. Rearing up on his hind legs, he slashed sharp claws wildly at the owl's underbelly before falling back down onto all fours. "You alright?" the tom huffed, turning his head to Wolfpaw.

Mudfoot used Rear-Up to Slash, causing 17 hp and costing 15 hp.

Mudfoot:
HP: 100/100
SP: 265/280

Owl:
HP: 33/50
SP: 120/120

ooc) we're bringing this owl down to add to the fresh-kill count. no m e r c y.


The Owl only had time to land several shallow and weak strikes upon Wolfpaw's exposed head before Mudfoot appeared. Crouching down close to the frost-coated muddy forest floor, the rosetted young tom watched as Mudfoot took advantage of the Owl's exposed belly in the form of powerful and well-aimed strikes. Flattening his ears, the apprentice felt his belly roil slightly as he felt several spidery strands of hot blood run down from the wounds atop his poorly defended head, but he gave himself a vicious shake to combat the pain, shock, and nausea. At Mudfoot's words, the young tom looked up at the Senior Warrior with wide eyes, taking a moment to properly assess himself before speaking. "I'm okay...Thanks, though." Wolfpaw finally curtly mewed, his bright green gaze lifting to where the agitated Owl circled high above the pair of ShadowClan cats.

A shrill shriek interrupted whatever words that had been moments away from streaming from Wolfpaw's mouth, the forest falling strangely silent as the Owl dove at them once more. His nape fur bristled slightly as the large bird drew closer, but thankfully the moments reprieve between attacks had enabled him to form a plan. Following Mudfoot's lead, the rosetted tom reared up on his hindlegs and struck out at the bird with quick paws, his loud yowl drowning out the Owl's squawks.

Wolfpaw used Front Paw Strike, Dealing -6 in Damage & Costing -10 in Stamina.

Wolfpaw
20/20 [hp]
70/80 [sp]

Mudfoot
100/100 [hp]
265/280 [sp]

Owl
27/50 [hp]
120/120 [sp]


The Owl let out another enraged shriek as the slightly smaller cat swiped at it once more and it quickly pulled itself out of reach in response to the explosion of pain throughout its form. This prey was smarter than it had previous anticipated- it was not often that the feathered creature often found itself encountering prey that could resist. Wings pounding in silent yet powerful strokes that lifted it farther from the two cats, the Owl took a moment to steel itself before tucking in its wings once more and diving at the cats once more. Baring down on the resisting prey with sharp talons, the Owl struck out at the older of the pair.

Owl used Talon Strike, Dealing -10 in Damage & Costing -10 in Stamina.

Wolfpaw
20/20 [hp]
70/80 [sp]

Mudfoot
90/100 [hp]
265/280 [sp]

Owl
27/50 [hp]
110/120 [sp]

OOC: lmao alrighty. And oof, sorry for the wait.

IC: Relieved that the apprentice wasn't hurt, he watched as the owl circled around them. Getting ready to attack again as the bird drew near, Mudfoot stopped in his tracks and watched as Wolfpaw lept at it, slashing with paws full of sharp claws. While he new this was a dangerous situation, he couldn't help but miss the thrill of battling.

Unfortunately, for him, it could sometimes be difficult to predict owl's movements and the warrior was taken by surprise when large talons clamped onto his back and dug into his side. Letting out a yowl of surprise and anger, Mudfoot shook the bird off and jumped back. Not wasting any time as it began to make its way upward again, he reared up on his hind legs and slashed sharp claws wildly at the owl's underbelly before backing away.

Mudfoot used Rear-Up to Slash, causing 17 hp and costing 15 hp.

Mudfoot:
HP: 90/100
SP: 250/280

Owl:
HP: 10/50
SP: 110/120

Wolfpaw:
HP: 20/20
SP: 70/80

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction that Mudfoot provided once more, Wolfpaw reared up in a manner that was similar to the ruddy colored tom, his long tail lashing wildly as he attempted to keep his balance. Pupils flaring as he gazed at the enraged owl, the rosetted tom began to swipe wildly at the massive bird's belly, doing his best to keep out of reach of the incredibly sharp and dangerous talons as he did so.

Wolfpaw used Belly Rake, Dealing -7 in Damage & Costing -10 in Stamina.

Wolfpaw
20/20 [hp]
60/80 [sp]

Mudfoot
90/100 [hp]
250/280 [sp]

Owl
3/50 [hp]
110/120 [sp]

Waiting for Wolfpaw to finish his turn of blows at the bird, Mudfoot quickly rushed in, not wanting to waste anymore time and slashed a paw full of sharp claws at the Owl's bloody underbelly. The warm, fresh scent of blood sent a shiver down his spine and he jumped back, heart racing and muscles flexing as he waited to see what would happen next.

Mudfoot used Front Paw Strike, causing 14 hp and costing 10 sp. Owl is K.O.ed

Mudfoot:
HP: 90/100
SP: 240/280

Owl:
HP: 0/50
SP: 110/120

Wolfpaw:
HP: 20/20
SP: 60/80