Training for Leafpaw (closed)

Leafpaw nodded to signal her understanding and dropped into a crouch as Tinystar did. It put a heavy strain on her legs to hold her body that low...but it was worth it. She flattened her ears to her head and tried to keep her tail still. "Like this?" Leafpaw mewed, watching Tinystar from the corner of her eye, desperately wanting his approval. Slowly, the she-cat began to stalk forward, attempting to watch both the ground and the area in front of her at once. It was difficult to keep her tail from moving, the excitement of it all made Leafpaw want to jump out of her own fur. But she had to focus. I have to impress Tinystar!

Watching as the apprentice mimicked his example, a purr erupted from deep within his throat. "Looking pretty good so far," the little tom mewed with a smile. "Why don't you try using it on an actual piece of prey now?" he asked, having faith in her ability to pick up on hunting skills quickly. "When scenting out prey, keep your chin up and jaws open so that you can take in everything," he noted and showed her what he meant.

Leafpaw purred at the sound of Tinystar's approval, her tail flicking contentedly. She practiced the crouch a few more times, wanting to have it perfect for when it really counted. The apprentice began to pad away from her mentor, deeper into the forest, nose lifted to the air. Leaf bare birds fluttered between the trees, too high to reach. That won't work... The brown tabby told herself, scenting the air. She focused her nose on the ground next, hoping maybe a vole or squirrel would appear. A scuttiling in the leaves confirmed the she-cat's suspicions. Something's there!

Dropping into a crouch, Leafpaw slinked forward, wincing as her bushy tail brushed against some leaf clutter. The rustling creature paused for a moment, revealing itself to be a mouse, then continued. Here I go! Leafpaw thought, launching herself from the ground with long hind-legs, landing squarely on mulch, with nothing under her paws. Oh no!! "Tinystar…?" Leafpaw winced, ashamed. "I missed..."

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 8

Following a little ways behind the apprentice as to not get in her way, Tinystar watched as she attempted to hunt. While her form looked pretty good for her very first time, the young she-cat wasn't successful in catching the mouse in which she'd set her sights on.

"It's alright," he mewed with a smile, making his way over to Leafpaw. "Mice are very fast and small, which makes them a challenge to catch. Why don't you try again?" the little white and grey tom added, tilting his head in the direction in which he thought he'd smelt something.

Discouraged, Leafpaw woefully followed Tinystar's gaze to a scuttling in the undergrowth not far off. Hopefully I can find something over there... if not, Tinystar might hate me! The thought put Leafpaw's fur on end. She needed to be a good warrior for SkyClan. What kind of cat can't hunt? Hoping for a chance at redemption, the lithe brown tabby padded off in the direction of new prey, this time keeping her tail still. The apprentice noticed a sparrow, tugging at a worm through the frosty ground.

With eyes on her prey, Leafpaw bunched her hind quarters and prepared to leap, flying from her position in the grass. The she-cat landed squarely on the bird, biting it swiftly on the neck. Excitement swirled through Leafpaw, and she shot up, sprinting towards Tinystar to show the leader her first catch. "Look Tinystar! I did it! I caught a sparrow!" She deposited the bird at his paws, babbling wildly about the catch, a wide smile on her face.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 1

Padding up to Leafpaw who'd managed to catch a piece of prey this time, Tinystar's muzzle held a smile and a purr erupted from his maw. "Good job! How about you try and catch one more thing, just to make sure this wasn't a fluke and then we can head back to camp," the little leader mewed, looking up to his apprentice.

"Alright!" Leafpaw mewed, purring at Tinystar's praise. It certainly was the best feeling in the world, having her mentor and leader be proud of her. Still bubbly, the apprentice followed Tinystar's instructions and padded off into the forest again, determined to bring down another piece of prey. One is good, but two would be even better... She lifted her nose to the air, and let the scents of the forest wash over her. Nettles, snow, peat soil... and then something hearty. Something warm. Determined to lay her paws on whatever the mystery creature could be, Leafpaw dropped into a crouch, this time feeling much more comfortable. Scuttling on the ground was a tawny squirrel. It must've abandoned the safety of its nest for a snack. Leafpaw stifled a giggle and padded forward slowly, trying to focus as best she could. Taking a deep breath, the apprentice launched herself off the ground, landing swiftly on the squirrel's neck, and breaking it with a single bite. "Tinystar!!" Leafpaw yelped, grinning wildly through her catch. She pelted back to his position and laid the animal at his paws, feeling good.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 1

Following Leafpaw once more, Tinystar was glad to see that she'd managed to catch something this time. Purring as she made her way over to him, he gave the young she-cat a nod of approval. "Good job! You'll be a great hunter!" he chuckled, having known that with a little more practice, she would be able to succeed. "Let's head back to camp so you can show Foxpaw and the others your catch," he mewed with a smile and began making his way back towards camp, knowing that Leafpaw would easily catch up.