Involve Me and I Learn

Poppypaw was up bright and early, eager to get some training on fishing under her claws. She couldn't wait to get back to camp with her catch and show Nightpaw and Applepaw and, of course, Driftingpaw. The very thought brought a smile to her face, lightening her eyes as she sat on the bank and waited for Ivybrook. She was so proud of having the deputy as her mentor, and she was excited to learn from her. She flicked her tail tip, trying to be patient despite her excitement. If she became a really good fisher, she could make sure all of her friends had plenty of food to eat!

Ivybrook was trotting along the shore of the river, trying her best to find a safe place for Poppypaw to train while also choosing one that would have a plentiful amount of fish. Hopefully, that would give her enough chances to get at least one or two successful catches before they headed back to camp. She noticed a small dip in the ice where the color was a bit darker, and noticing that there was a bit of movement beneath... she carefully moved the ice, watching as the little bits sunk to the bottom. Here, Poppypaw wouldn't need to stand on the ice and risk falling in. Instead, she would be able to stand on the bank while still getting a good enough angle so that she could make her catch. Making sure not to speak too loudly, the deputy shook out her fur and beckoned her apprentice over with a quiet mew. Frankly, she wasn't quite in the mood for chatter today, so she'd make an effort not to talk too much beyond what was needed to give her proper training. "You've never fished before, if I remember correctly, Poppypaw?" She flicked her tail at the small hole she'd made, seeing several flashes of scales that made her want to swipe at them in an instance.

Watching Ivybrook take such care in selecting a location, Poppypaw felt some nerves creep up on her. What if she totally failed and looked stupid? She was a new apprentice, and she didn't have the sort of mentor-apprentice bond that would make it easy to recover from. She felt a need to impress Ivybrook, especially considering she was also her deputy.

"N-no, I haven't," she replied, moving closer and peering at the hole in the ice. She could see glimpses of fish, and her eyes widened. "Do I just...swipe them out?" She was a little concerned that they would all swim under the ice and they'd be left empty-pawed.

Nodding her head, Ivybrook moved forward slowly to demonstrate for the apprentice. "That's exactly right." Her tail lashed back and forth slightly as she waited for the perfect moment, taking the time to explain a few things to her apprentice. "Make sure not to make any slow movements that would give away your position. If you're not careful, the fish will be able to see your shadow reflecting in the water. Stand in a place where your shadow is behind you so that won't happen. Swift and strong, use your claws to your advantage, and you shouldn't have any problems." Nodding again, Ivybrook shifted her gaze to the pool below, swiping a paw in the water when she saw the familiar glint of scales jut below the surface of the water. When her swipe produced a rather plump fish, she nodded to the apprentice and quietly backed away to let her have a turn.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 6

Ivybrook made it look so easy. Hopefully after some practice, Poppypaw could also just flip a fish out of the river like it was second nature. Moving forward to take her mark by the ice, the apprentice took a moment to be sure that her shadow would not be an issue.

Fast. Swift, she reminded herself silently, before lashing out with unsheathed claws at one of the darting shapes. Her claws passed through the water, causing a bit of a splash, but her target just as quickly swam further under the ice.

The tortoiseshell apprentice backed away from the hole, feeling her pelt flush with heat. "Whoops..." She glanced at her mentor. "They were quicker than me."

Poppypaw
20/20 HP
75/80 SP (-5)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 7

”As they often do,” Ivybrook made an attempt to console the young apprentice as she fluffed up her fur against the cold. “It’s quite alright.” Shifting on her paws a bit, Ivybrook maneuvered around Poppypaw so that she could help her with her form. With a careful front paw, she pressed gently on her shoulder as she spoke. “Crouch down a bit lower so that next time, you can reach out more easily.” Shifting once again, she put her weight on the opposite side of her body as she demonstrated the proper crouch, and how it could be more comfortable to reach out with the opposite paw. “It may be easier with the other paw, if you’d like to try it out that way. I always struggled to use my right paw, until I finally figured out it was more comfortable to use my left. That may not be the case for you, but feel free to give it a shot.” Moving backwards, the silver deputy gave Poppypaw another chance to fish.

Poppypaw nodded thoughtfully, deciding it was worth a shot. She allowed Ivybrook to manipulate her into a better position, then stretched out her left paw instead of her right, poised over the water and ready to scoop out her first catch. Maybe it was chance, but this time her claws caught in the scaly flesh, hooking out a small fish that she quickly killed.

"I did it!" she crowed with delight. She would have to test out whether it had really been a matter of which paw she used later.

Poppypaw
20/20 HP
70/80 SP (-5)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 2

Offering a nod of encouragement, Ivybrook flicked her tail in a slight show of how proud she was of the young apprentice. "Excellent work, Poppypaw." She wasn't sure if the she-cat actually found it easier to reach out and catch the fish with her left paw, but if she had, the silver she-cat was glad that she was able to help out. "What do you say you give it one more shot, and after that, we can take what we've caught back to camp?" Cocking her head inquisitively, Ivybrook waited patiently for the she-cat to give it another go.

"Okay!" Poppypaw chirped, already feeling quite accomplished with herself for the day. Anything further would just be a bonus. Although, she really wasn't going to be very happy with her performance if she missed again. She tried to remember exactly where Ivybrook had positioned her, before reaching out with her left paw once more. Had it just been chance that last time?

It was still too early to tell for sure, but Poppypaw managed to hook another fish from the river. She turned to Ivybrook, eyes shining with pride. "Fishing is actually kind of fun."

Poppypaw
20/20 HP
65/80 SP (-5)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 4

Offering a small smile to the apprentice, Ivybrook nodded at her final catch. With a flick of her tail, the silver deputy motioned for her to gather her catches so that they could head back to camp. Picking up her own between her teeth, she began walking, letting the apprentice trot along at her side as they both made their way back to camp to replenish the hunting pile.