A Little Bit of Fishing [Closed]

Honeytongue stood at the entrance of the apprentice's den, her eyes unfocused with uncertainty as she tried to gather up the will to poke her head in. She had been unsure of Ivybrook's choice to give her an apprentice when Driftingpaw had been named hers and in giving time to think about it...The doubt had only grown worse. While she had stopped leaving camp so often to be on her own due to Stormbringer's requests, that only meant she was spending more time curled in her nest unless she was dragged out on a patrol or the rare bursts of the energy where she actually felt like going out with somebody. An apprentice was...A lot of responsibilities that she wasn't certain she was going to be able to uphold. She...She wasn't sure she was worth it. She would only disappoint them, she was certain. Her ears slicked back as she drew up a paw, ready to turn and leave but...

But she had seen the hopeful look in Driftingpaw's face. The nervousness as he stumbled over himself and his words as he was ready to make her proud. He had hopes that she would do great as his mentor despite her doubts. ...Could she really let him down so soon, so quickly? Make her fears a reality by not even trying? She closed her eyes, lowering her paw back to the ground as he took in a deep breath and forced herself forward. "Dr-Driftingpaw?" she called out, as she opened her eyes to scan the den for her new apprentice. "Come on, we have some training to do," she said softly, before she retreated and headed toward the entrance of the camp. She could do this, she could make him proud. She wouldn't let Ivybrook down.

Driftingpaw was snuggled happliy in his new nest in the apprentice den, happily taking a spot near Poppypaw. His kithood friend had warmly welcomed him along with the other apprentices and he was glad to be among his new denmates. He was dreaming peacefully of the sun always shining, the river full of leaping fish, and he strode along the riverbanks with confidence, something he currently lacked. As Honeytongue's voice penetrated his dreams he groggily pulled himself from sleep, slowly blinking while he processed what his mentor had said. 'Training! I start training today!' With a jolt he was out of his nest, scrambling out of the den as he tumbled out into the camp.

"C-c-coming Honeytongue!" He mewed as he took a few steps forward before his front paw landed funny and his haunches when up and over his front half in a dramatic flail of limbs. He let out a squeak as he scrambled back to his paws, his white pelt smeared with dirt and clumps of moss clung to him. He shook himself out, sending a small cloud of dust around him as he gave his shoulders a few quick licks and sheepishly scurried after Honeytongue. "Where t-t-to?" He asked sheepishly, his blue eyes bright and eager.

Honeytongue's ears twitched as she heard the sound of something falling, glancing behind her to see that Driftingpaw had tumbled over himself once again. The sight caused her whiskers to actually twitch in amusement, a smile - something so rare these days - to grace her muzzle for a few seconds as she watched her apprentice quickly scramble to his paws and try to save face. "Sunningrocks, we are going to go fishing" she said as he approached, nodding her head for him to follow as she padded from the camp and into the territory clearing.

It was a rare somewhat warm day for Leaf-Bare, warm enough that the river would hopefully be unfrozen. It always seem to freeze last - perhaps something about the fact that the river was ever-moving made it hard to actually freeze over like the many still ponds that dotted the territory. Which meant that today was a chance to fish, something she always found relaxing and...Well, having seen her apprentice seemed to easily tumble over his long legs, the fact that little moving was required would perhaps be of use to him. She didn't say much for the trek there, she wasn't sure... What to say. Words had been harder to come up with in her state, her desire to be left to her own wallowing made her uncertain on what was ever the right thing to say in a normal conversation.

Instead, her mind focused on the task ahead of her. She...She could do this. Fishing was easy, natural in fact! It was game of waiting and wouldn't take much to explain. She was certain that Driftingpaw would be able to get the hang of it, that she...That she could actually do something worthwhile. Prove herself. Her ears twitched, trying to shake off the doubt that clawed at her heart. She felt so unsure of her place in RiverClan these days, with her friends. They...They kept leaving her, either to make new families in another Clan or simply dying. She had only Ivybrook and Stormbringer left and what if they left her as well. What if she wasn't worth... She took in a deep breath, cutting off that train of thought right there. No, she had to focus on training Driftingpaw. She could wallow in her doubts later. There was always time for that.

Finally the pair came across one of the many turns in the river, seeing Sunningrocks right across the way as they reached their goal. A soft sigh of relief escaped her as she realized that, indeed to her guess, the river was currently unfrozen. That they wouldn't have to change into doing land-hunting - she wasn't sure if that would be in Driftingpaw's favor. She padded up to the bank, motioning with her tail for her apprentice to join her. "Fishing is easy once you get the hang of it, but it requires patience and skill to learn," she explained softly as she glanced at the river and her warped reflection in it. "The water warps the view beneath the wave - the fish are rarely where they seem to be and can be scared off with sudden movements if you aren't careful. You have to wait until one draws close enough to the bank, guess at where it will be and swipe at it - pulling it to the shore where you can kill it." She paused to glance at her apprentice, giving a soft, slightly forced smile. "How about you give it a shot, Driftingpaw? And its alright if you miss - everybody slips up at some point."

OOC: Two points to note - 1. As its Leaf-Bare, hunting takes 5 SP points per roll and 2. Hunting at Sunningrocks actually gives a +2 to hunting so you need a 1-8 to catch a fish instead of the normal 1-6 needed in Leaf-Bare.

As they padded through their territory Driftingpaw was in awe. His blue eyes looked around as he took in the beauty that was RiverClan's territory. The world seemed so big, much bigger than he had ever dreamed it could be. He stumbled over his paws but didn't fall this time, catching himself with a soft grunt. He decided that gazing around him while walking probably wasn't the wisest idea. His heart thrummed in his chest with excitement at the thought of fishing, though nervousness prickled at his paws. What if he slipped and fell into the river? Would he be swept away? Or would he freeze in the frigid waters? He shook his head trying to dispel the thoughts as he looked at his mentor once more. There seemed to be a sadness that hung over her, and the young tom wondered what it could have been that clouded her mind. He set his jaw in determination, puffing up a little as he tried to make his strides more confident. He wanted to make Honeytongue proud, maybe if he did a good job his mentor's spirits might be lifted. Yes, that seemed like a good idea.

As they neared Sunningrocks and the sound of the river filled his ears his gait faltered and he hesitated a heartbeat before he followed his mentor, his steps scurrying as he caught up to her. He listened to her carefully, his blue eyes wide as he gave a nervous nod, padding to the edge of the water to wait for a fish. He stilled his body, blue eyes trained on the rippling water below as his whiskers trembled. His heart beat erratically as he worried he would miss, that his paw wouldn't strike true. As he saw a flicker of silver under the water he took a sharp inhale and his paw dashed forward.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 10

Honeytongue watched as Driftingpaw settled down next to her, gaze determined as he stared into the water and waited. She sat quietly next to him, watching the faint shadows of the fish beneath the surface before a faint rustling sound caught her ear. She glanced behind her, mouth opening to taste the air as she saw a flicker of grey and black. Her heart sank as she recognized it, mind flashing back to that embarrassing fight with a raccoon she had with Stormbringer - where she hadn't even managed to land a hit while her friend took care of the beast. It looked to be stalking the pair before it suddenly charged from the reeds - in time with a splashing sound of Driftingpaw going for his catch.

"Driftingpaw, watch out!" she shirked as she whirled on her paws and threw herself at the raccoon, sending it rolling away before it could land a claw on her apprentice's pelt. She rolled head over tail with the predator, the two locked in a battle as it swung widely at her face - scoring a small scratch mark across her face as she was forced to break away from it, shifting to stand between the raccoon and her apprentice. Her fur stood on edge as a faint growl escaped her, arching her back as she tried to keep an eye on both the raccoon and the state of her apprentice, knowing that the sudden appearance of it would be rather terrifying to deal with.

Honeytongue used Jumping Strike on wild raccoon, dealing 14 damage and costing 20 stamina.
Wild raccoon used Quick Swipe on Honeytongue, dealing 20 damage and costing 10 stamina.

Honeytongue:
60/80 HP (-20)
220/240 SP (-20)

Driftingpaw:
20/20 HP
75/80 SP

Wild Raccoon:
16/30 HP (-14)
290/300 SP (-10)

OOC: Much like for hunting, we have our own battle system here on WCC and it can certainly seem like a lot before you get used to it. There are two important 'rules sets' to keep in mind when battling using the system the Rank system (Link here), which elects how much health/stamina your character has depending on their rank, and then the Battle System (Link here) of course.

Every character has a rank - of course you are already aware of your health and stamina from the stamina depletion from hunting. While kit, apprentice, deputy, leader have a single rank under their 'title'...Warriors and medicine cats have their own tiers - which you have to fill out requirements to go up on. You can use the Ranking System to figure out how much health/stamina you are suppose to have and also see what you have to do to climb the next rank.

Then we have the Battle System. Each rank has a list of moves that are open to them - as you climb up the ranks, the more moves are unlocked to be used by your character, with the damage of each move climbing as well as your skill in battle increases. There are three different types of moves - normal, Special Effect and Clan Moves. Normal are your standard moves and can be used as much as you want in battle. Special Effect moves, those with a special use in battle can only be used once in battle and cannot be done in succession (You must break them up with a normal attack.) And then there are the Clan Moves, a list of two special moves/abilities that each Clan have, often being only able to be used in territories that they are familiar with or have an advantage in. Thus, they are rarely used but very helpful.

There is a dice roll that is used for the battle system - the Effect dice. Certain moves require it to be rolled to decide your luck on how long your opponent is pinned/stunned for or if you managed to get an attack off if you dodge. Using the battle system is not that hard - you simply have to be mindful of your health and stamina. When using the battle system, you want to clearly state what move you are using and keep track of the stamina lost of those 'engaged' with you - allies and enemies....Well, tracking your allies isn't required but it deemed polite as a clear reminder that you are battle alongside them.

You can see an example of how people tend to 'track' this with my post. I hope this is helpful. We do also have a tutorial (Link here) that you can look at if any part of this was confusing - it can be a bit hard to figure out exactly is needed to explain the battle system in full...Mostly when I've been on WCC so long that its just become second nature to understand how it works and thus fails to know where people can get lost/stuck on.

The fist slipped through Driftingpaw's claws and he felt his shoulders sag in disappointment. The feeling didn't last long and was quickly overshadowed by shock and fear as Honeytongue's warning cut through his thoughts. He whipped around just in time to see his mentor launching herself as a strange creature with a dusky gray and black pelt barreled out of the undergrowth towards them. The young tom realized it must be a raccoon, a creature his mother had warned him about as a kit. Not as dangerous as a badger or a fox might be, but threatening all the same. Driftingpaw felt terror grip his heart and chill his blood as he stared wide eyed at the battle before him, his mentor jumping and lashing out at and landing a decent blow to the creature but it struck out right back. He looked at his mentor in horror, blue eyes wide. He crouched down and trembled, his teeth almost rattling in his head with how badly his body shook. He looked up at Honeytongue, seeing how she was trying to put herself between Driftingpaw and the raccoon, keeping an eye on both of them. That wasn't good, with her attention divided she left herself open for an attack.

Driftingpaw felt his jaw clench, and despite the fear clenching his gut he stood. His pelt was fluffed up and his tail quivered while it lashed but he set his stance in determination. "D-don't y-y-you dare hurt H-honeytongue anymore!" He stuttered over his words and his confidence wavered slightly but he shook it off and with a yowl, lunged forward at the raccoon. The creature chittered as Driftingpaw swiped out with his paws, claws unsheathed as he tore into fur. Driftingpaw felt exhilarated as he felt his claws meet flesh, and he quickly danced away, struggling not to trip over his own legs as the raccoon whipped around, snapping the air where the young tom had been a heartbeat before. He scrambled back to stand beside his mentor, his flanks heaving as his legs trembled as adrenaline pumped in his veins. Dismay raked at his belly when he realized his claws had only snagged fur, breaking through no flesh nor drawing any blood. He gave Honeytongue an apologetic look, feeling as if he failed her.

Driftingpaw used Dodge-and-Fight on Wild Raccoon, dealing 0 damage and costing 15 stamina.

Honeytongue:
60/80 HP
220/240 SP

Driftingpaw:
20/20 HP
60/80 SP (-15)

Wild Raccoon:
16/30 HP
290/300 SP

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

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'Effect Dice' : 2

Honeytongue's heart leapt with fear at the sound and sight of her apprentice barreling past her to try to fight the raccoon - a cry of defense leaving his lips as he swiped at the raccoon before awkwardly scrambling away from an attempted bite. Her gaze met Driftingpaw's for a second, slight relief at the fact that he hadn't been hurt but saw the sad look in his eyes and a glance at his paws showed no sign of crimson - that he hadn't managed to land his hit. She didn't blame him - this was the first time fighting and she hadn't taught him any lessons on how to defend himself yet. When she had her encounter with a raccoon and failed to damage it, she had been a seasoned warrior by then. It...He would be fine.

Her gaze quickly focused once more on the raccoon that seemed torn between with of the two to attack...So Honeytongue decided to answer that question for it by charging at it. She rammed into it with her shoulder, sending it rolling as she gave a quick swipe at it as it left. Blood scattered to the icy ground from it as the raccoon stumbled to a stop, a hissing sound escaping it before it suddenly turned and fled into the reeds. The warrior watched it disappear, not willing to chase after it and leave her apprentice alone. She waited for the sound of its scampering to fade away, to be certain that it was gone before she turned and padded toward Driftingpaw with a look of worry.

"A-Are you okay?" she questioned, giving him a soft sniff as she checked him over. He looked fine, shaken but...Well, he couldn't blame him in the slightest. "...You were brave, Driftingpaw. Are you up for trying to fish again?" she asked, not wanting to stick around if he wanted to go back to the camp. There was a slight pause as a flicker of pain hit her, raising her paw to her bloody cheek as she suddenly remembered that she had been injured in the fight. Right...She drew her paw away, staring at the fresh blood before she gave a slight shake of her head. She would be fine, the wound wasn't deep and it wasn't a huge bother to her. If Driftingpaw was up for more training, then that would be enough to wait to see Mistleshine and Spiderpaw...And to be fair, she didn't want either of the two fretting over her. She had enough of that with Stormbringer and Ivybrook.

Honeytongue used Front Paw Strike on wild raccoon, dealing 12 damage and costing 10 stamina.
Wild raccoon fled due to low health. Battle is over.

Honeytongue:
60/80 HP
210/240 SP (-10)

Driftingpaw:
20/20 HP
60/80 SP

Wild Raccoon:
4/30 HP (-12)
290/300 SP

Driftingpaw watched with wide eyes as the raccoon sized the both of them up. His confidence was shaken after having not landed a blow, coming away with only tufts of rough gray fur between his claws. At least he wasn't injured, he was grateful for that as the foolishness of his actions washed over him. He wasn't a warrior, he was just a newly named apprentice and as much as he wanted to help his mentor, he could have put himself and her in more peril with his lack of knowledge and skill. He realized now, though a little belated, the seriousness of his actions and what they could have brought. His pelt heated and he his tail drooped as Honeytongue leapt forward, bowling into the raccoon and raking her claws through its pelt. It hissed and when they parted, lumbered back into the reeds and disappeared. Driftingpaw felt the breath whoosh out of his lungs as he sighed, watching as Honeytongue approached him aver she confirmed the creature wouldn't be coming back.


"I-I-I'm f-f-fine," He mewed shakily as he watched his mentor come closer. He noticed her paw come away from her cheek with a touch of scarlet and his pelt prickled as he realized she had been hurt. "Y-y-y-you're hurt!" He stammered, his blue eyes wide and guilt ridden as his heart sank, his shoulders sagging. He should have done better, protected her the way she had protected him. Maybe he was too clumsy to be a good warrior? The young tom shook his head and clenched his jaw. No, it was just his first day and he had to remember that. He couldn't keep expecting immediate perfection from himself.


"I-I'll catch t-t-the biggest fish i-i-in the river!" He mewed determinedly as he turned and trotted back to the riverside, his eyes narrowing as he sat down and focused on keeping his body still as he gazed at the water below him. He kept Honeytongue's words in the back of his head, remembering that things weren't as they seemed under the water. He waited for that telltale flash of silver scales and his paw darted forward, dipping under the water. His claws hooked into flesh and he gasped as he quickly pulled back, watching in awe as the fish arced out of the water and landed on the shore, flopping pitifully as it tried to get back to the water. Driftingpaw watched for a heartbeat, shocked he had actually caught something before he pounced on the fish. He dug his claws into its flesh to keep it from slipping away and bit down on the back of its head, causing the fish to go limp and lie still under him. He looked at his mentor, eyes gleaming with delight.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 8

"I'll be fine, I've had worst," she murmured as Driftingpaw took notice of her injury, brushing him off as she padded past to take a spot at the river's edge as he joined her. Her cheek ached but she had been in worst scrapes, chances are it wouldn't be a lasting scar even if the duo took some time to return to the camp. She settled comfortable at the bank, careful to keep her head from sticking over the water lest any dripping blood scared the fish away. "You'll do fine, Driftingpaw," she said as she watched him crouch, focused on the water ahead of them. "Just breathe and wait for the right moment."

Her attention however remained split, glancing behind her lest the raccoon attempt to sneak up on the pair again when her attention was brought back by the sound of splashing water...And a fish landing on the bank next to them. Her whiskers twitched as she smiled softly as Driftingpaw waited no time in killing it and looking up at her. "Very good!" she praised, a purr rising from her as she glanced at the river's edge and slowly poked her head forward. It didn't seem fair to let Driftingpaw do all the fishing himself, she ought to give it a shot as well...

She watched as the shadows shifted closer, waiting until the perfect moment to strike out. She bit back a shiver as her paw sliced into the chilly waves, having not been prepared for how...Cold it was on her pelt. But she felt the familiar brush of scales against her pawpads as she quickly swiped and brought the fish onto land, ending its life much like how Driftingpaw had. She smiled softly as she drew away from it as it grew still, before she paused. She wasn't sure why the thought suddenly came to her but she found herself thinking back onto the battle and glanced up at Driftingpaw. "...You did do well in that fight, Driftingpaw," she said softly, as if it had suddenly hit her that her apprentice had to be feeling the same way she did that sunrise those moons ago. "I know it can be frustrating to not feel like were of any help but..."

She paused, gently reaching out with a paw as she placed it on top of one of her apprentices, meeting his gaze. "You are a new apprentice. You haven't even learned how to fight yet - it was sudden and you weren't prepared. My first fight with a predator was part of a patrol that we knew what to expect. Don't feel bad about it. Why...I had the same thing happened to me once," she revealed, a soft sad laugh escaping her. "I was hunting with my friend and we got attacked by a raccoon. I didn't land a single blow before she had managed to knock in into the river. I was already a warrior when that happened. I should have been of help but I was terrified in the moment and..." she drifted off, gaze lowering toward the ground. She was lucky that she was of use this time - that she had managed to actually fight. She was lucky that she hadn't screwed it up, that Driftingpaw hadn't gotten injured and... She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath as she tried to chase away the dark thoughts before she looked up at Driftingpaw. "Don't feel bad about that, Driftingpaw. You did your best with no training. I-I'll teach you how to fight soon enough."

Honeytongue caught a fish, costing 5 stamina.

Honeytongue:
60/80 HP
205/240 SP (-5)

The member 'Honey Badger' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 3

Driftingpaw looked at his catch proudly, his chest feeling light and fluttery as he thought about taking this fish back to camp and showing the other apprentices and watching someone in the Clan enjoy a good meal because he was able to provide. He looked up in time to see Honeytongue catch another fish and he watched in awe as she dispatched of it seamlessly. Her catch was smooth and seemed so effortless, where as he could feel the train of the fight and fishing on his young body and could feel fatigue poking at his muscles. The adrenaline had left his body and he shook off the cloudyness in his head with a shake of his pelt, his fur fluffing up slightly. His mind drifted back to the battle and he heaved a sigh, plopping down as he looked back down at the water and looked at his reflection rippling in the water. He wondered if this was a sign he wouldn't be any good as a warrior, that he was too clumsy and didn't have what it took.

Honeytongue's words cut through his thoughts and he looked up at her in surprise. He did good? He didn't do anything, just got a clawfull of fur. He listened to he talk and was grateful for the feeling of her paw on top of his. The weight was reassuring and he looked up to meet her gaze, listening to her tell her story of how the same thing had happened to her. He pressed his ears forward and his eyes grew wide in astonishment. Had she really experienced something similar to what had just occurred to him? A newfound respect blossomed in his chest for his mentor and warmed him from nose to tail tip."I j-just want to p-p-prove that I'll be a-a-a good w-warrior," He stammered, his whiskers twitching. "I-I-I want t-t-to provide and p-protect everyo-o-one, without t-t-tripping over my p-p-paws." He mewed sheepishly, shifting slightly as he averted his gaze and looked back down at his reflection in the water. "I don't w-want to b-b-be a disappointment."

Honeytongue titled her head a little as Driftingpaw expressed his fears, his worries. A soft laugh escaped her at that, nothing malicious about it but perhaps a little surprised by how much she understood that. Ever since Mudfrost had died, ever since her father's 'mistake' had been revealed...She hadn't been sure of her spot in RiverClan, doubting that she was enough for her Clan. That she was a bother, a waste of space. That she wasn't enough for her Clanmates for one reason or another, that they would all leave her at some point. It was...Different but similar to what her apprentice was going through, and perhaps she had to give Ivybrook credit where it was due...Perhaps...Perhaps this would be good for the both of them.

"...I understand that," she said softly, giving him a soft smile as a sigh escaped her. "Things...Things haven't been easy for me recently. I haven't been...Myself as of late and its painful to realize that but not be sure how to fix that. Not know how to be...Myself. I feel...Like a burden, to some. Find it hard to get out of my nest some days and to do my duties - leaving others to pick up my slack when we just...Don't have the paws for it," she said bitterly. With all the deaths, RiverClan was a shell of its former self. The warrior den felt scare and the new apprentices were helpful but... They didn't have room for her to shrink on her duties but yet they all seemed understanding on those days. It...It hurt in a strange way, a good way. "...I'm sorry, I shouldn't burden you with my worries. But...I think...We...We aren't as bad, as...Useless as we may tell ourselves. That even at our lowest, that others won't see us as a...Disappointment. Despite everything I've been going through, at my daily struggles, Ivybrook saw that I was still fit enough to be a mentor to you, even with all my doubts. And...I don't think she was wrong. I'm not sure how good I'll be at on some days, those days where its hard to do anything but...You won't be a disappointment to me, Driftingpaw. Not ever. And I can only hope that I won't be one to you as well."