A Distraction [Closed]

Though it had not been planned, Ivybrook found herself padding through the forest with two apprentices. Honeypaw and Pebblepaw, Hailsong's apprentice and her own. It had been a mere suggestion to the two apprentices, that she take them out and teach them how to hunt, and since they'd both been in agreement to it, they were at Beech Copse. She figured that Hailsong had already taught Honeypaw to hunt fish, if Scorchclaw hadn't when she was a kit, so she would be teaching them how to hunt other prey. Squirrels, lizards, and possibly birds were what she was hoping for- each of them were more difficult to catch than fish, so it would make an interesting trip. With the recent death of Jaystar and the disappearance of Hailsong, she was sure both of the apprentices could go for a nice distraction. She was sure that she could, at least.

As the trio of RiverClanners padded into the clearing, she turned to face them both. "Well, this is the Beech Copse. We'll be hunting here today, as I'm sure you could both use the challenge of catching something other than fish." A smirk crept it's way onto her face as she gestured towards the trees with her forepaw. Her voice remained hushed, so that any nearby prey wouldn't be scared off. "Don't worry, though, it shouldn't be too difficult. We'll focus on catching squirrels, first, as that's a bit easier than catching a bird." Dropping into a hunting crouch, she gestured with her tail for Honeypaw and Pebblepaw to do the same. Sniffing the air, she followed the scent of a squirrel that was down-wind of herself and the apprentices. "Now, when hunting prey as swift and nimble as a squirrel, you've got to be fast. Just like with rabbits or hares, you don't have much of a chance to catch them if you've got to chase them down. You may be fast, but the prey is usually faster." Nodding at the oblivious squirrel that was several fox-lengths away, Ivybrook continued. "That's why you'll have a much better advantage if you're able to creep up on it. Stay in your crouch, make sure that the wind is blowing towards you, and you should be good. If the prey can smell you, then it'll run. I want one of you to try and catch this one, and after that, I'll let both of you track your own squirrels and try to catch them. Sound good?" She would let them decide who would go after the squirrel- Both of them would get a chance to hunt today, anyway.

Honeypaw trotted after Ivybrook, her whiskers twitching as she took in the sights of the territory. She had exploded a bit of it, but she hadn't gone in this direction yet - she couldn't wait until she got the chance to explore every whisker-length of the RiverClan territory until she knew it like the pads on her paws. Her eyes shifted over to Pebblepaw, hoping that the she-cat didn't mind that she was tagging along. She knew she had been open to Ivybrook both taking them out on a patrol but sharing a hunting lesson was a tad different... She blinked as Ivybrook started to talk, swinging her gaze back to her new mentor (she supposed), ears perking to listen to the explanation.

She found herself a tad nervous at the reveal that they would be hunting on land, only knowing how to fish from what Salmonpaw had showed her but...Well, she supposed that was the point of training, to learn what you don't know. As the deputy dropped into a crouch, Honeypaw's eyes widen with curiosity as she mimicked her, carefully shifting on her paws to try to find the right balance as Ivybrook went on. Her eyes shifted toward the squirrel as Ivybrook motioned toward it, pausing for a second before she glanced back at Pebblepaw. "You can go for it," she meowed softly, taking a few quiet steps back to give Pebblepaw some room. It was technically Pebblepaw's training after all, she was just tagging along.

Pebblepaw barely heard what Ivybrook was saying as they entered the Beech Copse. All her senses were focused on one thing: looking for signs of her missing mother, Hailsong. This was the first time Pebblepaw had been allowed out of camp since her disappearance, and even though she knew that the clan's greatest trackers had been searching for almost a moon, she still clung to a small scrap of hope, that maybe she could catch something they had missed...

It took a minute before Honeypaw's words reached her, asking her to demonstrate her hunting skills. Pebblepaw swallowed anxiously and dropped into a crouch, staring at the squirrel, but her soft blue eyes were unfocused, her senses wavering as she detected other scents on the air, hoping to find the familiar scent of Hailsong...

She leaped into the air and landed softly, claws plunging into... the soft leafy floor a tailength away from where the squirrel had been. Ears burning with shame, she turned to Ivybrook, eyes downcast. "I'm sorry..."