Sharpened Claws and Sound Mind [Closed for King Falcon]

The chill of the early morning ruffled his normally messy coat. It felt like he was a young tom once again, inspired to race through the territories and bound through the treetops. Even if those treetops were mostly charred sticks, stretching into the skies, the warrior was determined to let this feeling wash over him once more.

After so many moons without having an apprentice to train, given his various injuries and the many events that had befallen the clan, Wrenspring was now teaching Ravenpaw. Smokefeather and Bloodstrike's kit was eager to learn. He was excited to show her the basics of warriorhood. For this reason, he'd rose at the start of dawn and padded through camp. Morning light already painted the horizon as the early patrols began to stir.

"Wake up, Ravenpaw. We're off to see the world today. Or at least the rest of the territory beyond the camp walls." A grin was plastered across his features as she prodded the she-cat awake with his scarred forepaw. After, he turned with a flick of his crooked tail. Perhaps hunting first, then maybe some fighting. They would certainly work on tree skills, as much as they could under the current circumstances. He stood near the entrance, green eyes shining bright. Between the birth of his only kit and the appointment of mentorhood one again, for a moment he could almost forget the russet warrior nestled in the warrior's den; the burdens of what felt like a previous life.

Ravenpaw was deep in sleep, having a dream about the clan having their camp in the sky. There was no way any other clans would be able to reach them! If only she could find a big-enough bird to fly up there... "Huh? What?" She jumped out of her nest, jostled awake by what turned out to be her mentor, Wrenspring. "Oh, it's... it's morning." She felt a surge of embarrassment at having been caught so off guard. What if that had been an enemy cat waking her up to murder her? 'Huh? What?' wasn't going to cut it then.

Of course, her worries were instantly washed away along with her exhaustion as she followed Wrenspring out of camp. "I can't wait! We've gotta see everything today! This is gonna be great!" It was as if she hadn't been tired at all. Instead she was wired, bouncing with an energy no apprentice should have so early in the morning.

"You're as bright eyed and bushy tailed as a determined squirrel." He purred in amusement as he looked down at the apprentice. With that, the warrior turned tail to lead the way out of  camp. Wrenspring felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him as they padded through the assortment of loose stones that were scattered about the ring of rock they made their home. It was still disheartening to see the way most of the foliage had been reduced to ash. But each passing day seemed to further coax weak buds from the earth. Leaf bare would prevent anything from fully sprouting, yet it still allowed faint rays of hope to blossom within his chest. That coupled with the regular border and hunting patrols, plus training, things had formed some shape of normalcy.

He found a sturdy looking tree whose shape was mostly maintained, despite the charcoal charring along it's bark. Sinking his claws in, the warrior motioned for his apprentice to do the same. Green eyes gazed across the treeline as he waited on the lowest branch. Cold air scalded his lungs as he drank in the scents and the moment. Although there were far less leaves, meaning they were not as concealed among the branches, being up here made him feel like a true Skyclan cat again. The kits who had been born in Riverclan territory had missed out on this opportunity until now, and all of them were lucky to be afforded such freedom once again. A contented smile crossed his features before he turned to Ravenpaw.

"There's nothing quite like soaring through the trees. I don't know how other clans exist with their paws planted so firmly on the ground." His bent tail drifted lazily back and forth through the air and he twisted his head, encouraging Ravenpaw to take in the sights as well. He studied her features, curiously wondering if the awe that he felt coming back to such a place reflected in the much younger she-cat. After a moment, Wrenspring considered perhaps it would be best if he provided more direction on their first outing today; it seemed like the proper thing to do as a mentor after all, "We're going to practice scouting from the treetops. As a Skyclan cat, it's important to know every whisker of the territory, both from the trees and below. Along the way we can try out some hunting skills as well, alright? Watch me."

With ease, the gray and white warrior bunched his muscles, eyeing the hanging branch of the next tree. And then he sprang. As he landed, the tom's claws dug into the wood and steadied his landing. It looked effortless, the way he did it. Low branches bore weight well. Soon, they would ascend to the less stable sticks above. But practice came first. His gaze met Ravenpaw's and silently encouraged her to follow suit.

How could she not be excited? This was her first time exploring the territory, something she had been waiting for her whole life. It had felt like forever! Unlike her older clanmates, she was not familiar with the old days of the clan, nor the ravages that had happened just before her time. To her, this was SkyClan, and it couldn’t be better.

Ravenpaw followed her mentor onto the low branch of the deadened tree, sinking her claws in. It felt... right, natural. There was barely any distance between her and the ground, but she liked not having her paws down on it.

She wondered how the view of the territory looked from the sky. She could barely keep a hold of herself, wiggling on the branch as she watched Wrenspring jump to the next branch. It was almost like watching a bird take off, and her eyes widened in surprise and immediate admiration. “Wow...” she whispered to herself, feeling a new burst of energy welling inside her. She was going to do that too! Following the steps Wrenspring had just showed her, she squatted down, bunched up her muscles, and jumped from the branch. For a moment, she was flying through the air, feeling a rush of wind through her fur like she truly was flying, like the birds of her namesake. Then she hit the branch, and she barely remembered to sink her claws in to avoid plummeting like a stone. Hopefully Wrenspring hadn’t noticed that...

“That was amazing! Look how high we are!” They weren’t even that high: it just seemed like it to her. “We could dive and strike any enemy who walks into our territory. When do we get to do that?!”

Watching the joy light his apprentice's face, coupled with the relief of being back in his natural born territory, send a prickle of anticipation along the course of his spine. It brought about a wave of normalcy that hadn't washed over him for moons. The warrior watched with eager eyes as the young cat leaped through the trees for the first time. An ever dutiful mentor, the tom quickly noticed as she faltered on the landing. He darted out the short distance and flickered his crooked tail forward in an attempt to gently steady her, "Careful there. The landing is the most important. Beechpaw and Smokefeather would both have my pelt if I let you fall out of a tree on the first day."

While his tone was light and cautionary, Wrenspring's gaze spoke of genuine concerns for her wellbeing. Regardless, it wasn't long before she was excitedly piping up about the idea of taking down any enemy cat. He made a mental not not to stray to close to the Shadowclan border - they didn't need to be stirring up old tensions with the rival clan. Instead, he simply purred in amusement as a response, a light chuckle to his rasping tone as he sought to redirect her, "I'm going to teach you all about the borders first. It's hard to chase a cat off territory if you don't even know where the borders are. Besides, learning hunting first is the best way to prepare yourself for a fight. Prey and enemies are alike in a lot of ways and both require both patience and tact." As if on cue, a robin landed a couple branches away. After tasting the air, he realized it was downwind. A perfect opportunity.

With a nod of his head and flick of his tail, the tom motioned for his young companion to stay quiet. Light pawsteps hardly stirred the branches as he navigated them with expert skill. A few more steps and... it was time to pounce. Feathers caught in his claws and Wrenspring finished it off with a swift snap of his teeth. He turned back to Ravenpaw with a pleasant smile, "Not too bad at all. Ready to give it a shot?"

Wrenspring tried to catch a Robin... it was successful! -3 SP

Wrenspring
HP: 80/80
SP: 237/240

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 4

Knowing that her tiny mistake had been noticed by her mentor made her feel hot beneath her fur, but it didn’t end up being the worst thing. In a way, she actually liked that he cared that much. Not that he wouldn’t, of course: he was her mentor, after all. Still... She shook it off and listened intently, nodding along at Wrenspring’s comparison between prey and the other clan cats. She wondered what kind of reaction she’d get if she dragged another cat back to camp by her teeth. That was food for thought...

Ravenpaw kept quiet, watching as her mentor moved silently along the tree branches. She could see him, yet for the bird it was as if nothing was there. Swiftly dispatched, it would never know that something had been there. She was thoroughly impressed at his silent tactics, wondering if such silence could be found in her own paws. She had to try, though, and soon she was scanning the branches looking for prey. Soon enough, she found her target: a squirrel another couple of branches away from Wrenspring. She started to head down the tree, being as silent as she could. As bad as she wanted to just zoom across the branches, she forced herself to remain stealthy, until she was able to pounce on the squirrel.

She pounced, annnd she was too loud. In the middle of her jump, she watched the squirrel swipe its head to stare at her. Then it scurried away, letting her land down on an empty branch. Her surprise at the squirrel getting away betrayed her paws, and she started to slip off the branch. With a surprised yowl, she grabbed onto the branch with her front paws, but her back paws were now kicking at air. She held on for dear life, her eyes bugging out of her head. She couldn’t die now, not after just getting apprenticeship!

The member 'King Falcon I' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 9

ooc; even if your hunt fails, you lose -3 SP points! it's something that changed in recent years just so you know

The warrior followed her gaze, tracing it to a plump squirrel not far off. Her technique mirrored his own and she was able to quickly close the gap between herself and the target. As a mentor, he was proud, nodding encouragingly. His eyes drank in each twitch of muscle and pawstep in search of suggestions for after the catch. So far, there had been nothing. But as Ravenpaw bunched her hindlegs and pounced, the branch shook and so did the scattered leaves long it. The squirrel darted off before she could land and he watched in horror as her footing slipped once again. Immediately, the tom rushed forward, paws hardly touching each branch as he sought to close the distance.

Wrenspring knew better than to disturb the slender stick she desperately clung to and instead leaped to one just above. After securing his claws deep into the wood, the warrior leaded forward and embedded his teeth into her scruff. It took only a moment of surging upwards to pull her frame level with the branch. Once he was certain that her pads and claws were now secure on the branch, only then did he release his grasp. The gray and white-pelted tom sucked in a low breath in an attempt to slow his heaving sides. Caring for more than just the step of his own paws was admittedly a stressful feat. There were a few moments where he allowed the pair of them to simply breath as he sought to find the right words to say.

Ravenpaw had done her best, she was merely inexperienced; a fall from this height wouldn't be deadly, but it wouldn't be pleasant even if a cat landed on all four feet. Wrenspring sought to catch her gaze as he breathed out, "Your approach wasn't bad. Don't worry about the miss just, uh, try not to fall out of trees anymore. I think it'll be better for the both of us." His crooked tail flickered to tap her on the nose ever so gently and he offered her a weak smile. Yet he didn't intend to stay their for long. The only way his apprentice would learn to improve her climbing was through practice but he'd be making sure to stick a tad closer, at least while she was still getting the hang of hit. He rose back onto his paws and made his way closer to the trunk. Straying near the sturdier branches would make their tasks that much easier.

Nearly ‘dying’ was terrifying. However, that was nothing compared to the burning embarrassment she felt upon being saved by Wrenspring. In that moment, she would rather be dead than having the knowledge that her mentor had witnessed her failure at hunting. While they were catching their breath, she couldn’t even look him in the eye. Her fur burned with shame, and she wanted to go higher in the tree to hide in the branches. However, her entire mood changed when he tried to reassure her. When he flicked her nose with his tail, she felt a different sort of warmth bubbling up inside her. When she actually looked at him again, he looked so much more... handsome. She shook off her failure, knowing that she had to catch a piece of prey now for him. And SkyClan, of course. Them too. There was a bird on a nearby branch, and she was determined to get it this time.

She just made it. Ravenpaw nearly jumped straight over the bird, but she landed on it, quickly biting it to death. Grabbing it in her mouth, she turned back to Wrenspring with excitement shining in her eyes.

SP: 74/80

The member 'King Falcon I' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 8

Admittedly, the warrior was a bit on edge now, eyes drinking in every twitch of his apprentice's muscles. His own body was tensed and prepared for any more unfortunate circumstance. Wrenspring flexed his claws into the branch he was on as he watched Ravenpaw pick up on a bird nearby. He nodded encouragingly but maintained caution, just in case. But this time it seemed she had learned from her mistakes. A broad grin crossed his maw as she dispatched the creature. It went limp quickly, before being able to let out a warning cry to the rest of the prey in the area. The tom straightened up and immediately began to praise her for the effort.

"Well done, Ravenpaw! You're a quick learner it seems." A purr crept into his words as he called her over with the flick of a tail, "We will have to hide it away for now. This might not be a hunting patrol but it's still leaf bare after all. One of the elders might like it." Annoyance crept into his pelt as he remembered Tinylegs was no longer among their elders but he pushed away the thought. There were more important things to think on than the abandonment of previous clan leaders. Training had to continue and there was territory to be seen.

Wrenspring turned to help her find a nook in a tree, where it would be sheltered from the prying eyes of predatory birds or other scavenging creatures. With the hardness of their territory floor, it was far easier to use the trees for hiding away their catches. After that was taken care of he lead the way to continue on. Finally, he stopped just where the territory ended. Riverclan territory was close enough to hear the rushing river. It was just beyond the path of Thunderclan territory ahead, "What do you smell, Ravenpaw? We're not far from the territory of neighboring clans. It will do you well to learn the scents and memorize them for patrols."

Ravenpaw hid her prey from prying eyes, beaming with pride for having caught it. Getting that praise from Wrenspring made her feel like she could catch every piece of prey in the forest. “Thank you, Wrenspring!” She couldn’t stop smiling as she followed Wrenspring towards the edge of the territory. As they reached that edge, her smile faded as her nostrils were invaded by the scent of RiverClan. “Yuck!” she exclaimed, not even trying to hide her disgust. “It smells like...” she scrunched up her nose, trying to think of what the smell was like. “Is this what fish smells like? It’s disgusting!”

Once again, the warrior found his whiskers twitching slightly in amusement. It was refreshing to see the way that younger cats saw things, a perspective he'd long-since shed overtime. Although, Wrenspring had managed to keep some of his youth about him, in spite of the many challenges he had faced. This was what made mentorship easy. Some of the other warriors he was sure went through vigorous battle training and stringent reminders of the warrior code. They would get there, and certainly practice all the many skills needed but it was far more enjoyable to take each moment and make it enjoyable. For now, the pair would simply take a moment to appreciate how horrible fish smelled.

"That is exactly how fish smell, and Riverclan cats the same. Their only advantage is trying to creep up on a cat downwind, otherwise enemy warriors can no doubt smell them from many tree-lengths away." Wrenspring let out a low laugh. He had little against Riverclan, having had few spats with them in his life time. The most he knew about them was their willingness to house Skyclan in their time of need, and the life-long battle for territory between them and Thunderclan. There was something about that scent now that seemed less threatening than before and the thought made his pelt prickle. With leafbare coming, any sense of allies would quickly disappear underneath a blanket of snow. As an added after thought, the warrior found himself meowing, "Your greatest advantage is always being downwind of another cat. They'll have less of a chance of scenting you that way."

Ravenpaw nodded, trying to suppress a gag at the continued scent. Wrenspring had obviously been around the forest enough to stay strong while being at the edge of the territory. That was really awesome of him... Err, anyway, she thought about staying downwind from other cats, keeping her scent from their noses. That was the best way to use the element of surprise, should she need to attack some creeping cats from the other clans. "What about the other clans?" she asked, stepping a bit closer to her mentor. "What are they like?" It could be that someday she would come to blows with those clans, and it was important for her to know how to fight them.