The Past Keeps Haunting Me [C]

Nightwind had taken Ashpaw out with him for the morning, just to get some time in with his daughter. It was a good feeling, as he enjoyed her company, but he still had yet to feel the same level and intensity of love that he felt with Tornshadow. It had to be that he just hadn't spent enough time with her... A parent could never have favorites... right? He was about to put that theory to the test, he supposed. "Your mother actually showed me these tunnels, but now I will show you. Maybe we can catch a rabbit or two. We'll see." He crawled underground, breathing in the fresh scent of dirt. There was also the scent of rabbit, a welcome scent. He crawled forward, expecting that she would follow. "The rules with this is that if you hear rumbling, get out. It means the tunnel might be collapsing. Use your whiskers and your sense of direction to guide you through and don't enter the tunnels for awhile after it rains. Alright?" He didn't intend to take her a long way through, but just a short distance for her to get used to it. He still wasn't comfortable with very long distances underground himself. It was very different from being in the trees... He found a source of light before long and headed for it. He popped his head out from the opening into the sunlight and crawled out o the tunnel. "And there you have it. The tunnels." He moved himself out of the way so that she could follow him up and out. His eyes scanned across the moor, noticing several rabbits and hares about. The temptation to hunt was there... maybe they could coordinate some kind of fancy hunting... He would at least wait for her to come out of the ground before trying to start a hunt, however. He sat and patiently waited for the apprentice to meet with him back on the surface.

When Ashpaw had been awakened by her father that morning, she had been so excited. Just her and her dad, going around the territory. She had always wanted to learn more from him, and maybe they'd get closer if they patrolled together. On occasion, Ashpaw looked at her father and just felt like he was just around her because he had to be. She brushed those feelings away as quickly as she could because there was no reason that her dad wouldn't want to be around her, but the mostly white apprentice had decided that she had to work as hard as she could anyway to make him proud. Then she would never get those feelings again. Eventually, they slowed down, reaching a hole in the ground. "Underground tunnels? Huh, I wonder how far they go." She quietly said this as she shimmied into the tunnels after Nightwind. Everything was dark and damp, and the deep earth just got caked in her claws. Her gray ears pointed forward as Nightwind explained the rules of the tunnels, letting out a small "Got it" as he finished speaking. Once Nightwind had hopped out, Ashpaw did the same, shaking out her, now, dirt-stained pelt. "So... what next?" Ashpaw let her blue eyes roam over the landscape, enjoying the experience of being out of camp. The moor was nice, it was home after all. Yet she sometimes had to wonder what lied beyond it, in the other territories of the clans.

What next? Nightwind crouched down and nodded for her to do the same. "I think we should bring something back for the freshkill hole. No one can accuse us of goofing off if we have prey." Not that he thought Lilacstar or Dayspring would have anything to say about him spending the morning with his daughter, but it was better safe than sorry. He wanted to assess her for himself to see what Muddyleap had taught her. His eyes locked onto a rabbit, one that freshly came up out of it's burrow. It was a fairly young rabbit too... which meant it was naive and could be easy to catch.

Nightwind looked at Ashpaw and nodded once in it's direction. "Show me what you've learned. Catch that rabbit. If it escapes you, I'll cut it off from it's burrow and dispatch it." He stalked off into the long grass so he wouldn't be seen so easily as he approached. Ashpaw would be able to see just the top of his head and the top of his shoulders and hips. It was more than enough cover from a young, naive rabbit.

Good luck, Ashpaw. His eyes traveled to a hare nearby as well. If they both missed the rabbit, that would be their next target.

As Ashpaw's blue eyes watched her father, she saw him crouch and did similarly. Flicking her ears slightly in concern as she heard the words 'goofing off', she crouched a little lower. She wasn't about to let anybody think that she was goofing off, and her dad certainly wasn't! Her white belly fur brushed the fairly loose dirt that surrounded the outside of the tunnels, staining it a light shade of brown.

Ashpaw was able to catch her father's gaze with her own and nodded silently as he asked her to show him what she knew. She watched him quietly stalk into the tall grass, and she took a deep breath. 'I can do this... I can do this...' she thought quietly, trying to steel herself. So she brought her gaze upon the rabbit and began her slow approach. Her paws trod carefully, her gaze flicking down every so often to avoid anything that might bring sound, and she was able to get fairly close. Ashpaw, focused as could be, sprang from her position and bounded towards the unsuspecting rabbit. Perhaps it was her strange ability to jump so far, at least for a Windclan cat, but she was able to get a good headstart on her prey and quickly leaped onto it, unsheathing her claws and sinking them into the rabbit's hide. With a swift bite to the neck, any thrashing from the rabbit ceased, and Ashpaw brought it over in her jaws to where Nightwind had been hiding.

She meowed, "Got it", muffled by the rabbit in her jaws, her tone barely restraining the joy she felt. Nobody would think anything less of them if they brought something back as Nightwind said, and she proved herself to her dad! Everything had been going so smoothly, she never should have been afraid of not catching that rabbit.

Ashpaw caught the rabbit! -3 to SP.

Ashpaw:
HP: 20
SP: 77

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 1

Her form was perfect, though he could tell that she lacked confidence. He looked on in silence, hoping that she would indeed catch the rabbit. When he saw that she successfully caught it, he gave her an approving smile. "Excellent! I'll grab a hare, and then we can go do something fun after we bury our kills. Sound good?" His eyes then went to the hare he saw in the distance. He dropped low and stalked into the grass, his ears flat to stay hidden. Nightwind easily closed the distance between himself and the hare. Hunting these things wasn't even a challenge anymore. The hare was dead before it could even move, Nightwind's teeth buried into the back of it's neck. He dragged the overly large creature back over to his daughter to show her. Hares were massive rabbits, even able to carry an adult cat on their back sometimes. He set it down beside her and began to dig to bury it.

"Alright, go ahead and toss your rabbit in." He sat down, proud of her accomplishment. "Do you have any questions or concerns for the moment?" It was at that exact moment that the wind changed... and brought the scent of fox. Nightwind was on his feet in an instant, eyes scanning the moor for signs of the predator. He put a forepaw out in front of Ashpaw, a signal to remain silent. A fox had great hearing... The wind was carrying their prey scent away from the fox for the moment, but it could change at any time. Nightwind debated kicked the soil over the freshkill... but then thought better of it. He leaned in towards Ashpaw's ear.

"Fox... I don't want it to get comfortable here. It may have smelled our food and the blood, but the wind is on our side for the moment." His eyes scanned the moor again... but nothing. He nodded for Ashpaw to leave the rabbit and to move into the grass with him. He stalked through it silently and then crouched down, waiting for the predator to appear in search of the rabbit and hare. "We're going to surprise it and chase it off. I'll strike first, you come in when you see an opening. Can you do this?" If she refused, he could handle a fox on his own. It had to be her decision. This would be a good lesson for her, if she participated. How wonderful that they had a way to lure the fox in close with bait.

Nightwind attempted to catch a hare! He was successful! -3SP

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 3

At her father's praise, Ashpaw practically beamed with pride. She then sat with the rabbit in her jaws, watching her dad catch the fairly large hare with no issues at all. Ashpaw had always been impressed with her dad, looked up to him, so seeing him in action was truly amazing. She would have to ask him to take her out patrolling more often, try to make her form even better by observation. Also, it would be nice to have more time with him. She gently flicked her tail as she watched Nightwind dig a hole in the ground, a hole for prey.

Dropping her hare in, Ashpaw looked up at Nightwind. "No questions, you're a really good hunter though, I hope I'm as good as you someday", she remarked. Suddenly she caught a new, strong scent, as the wind changed and buffeted her fur. Her nose crinkled in disgust, at, what her father said, was a fox. Carefully, she followed Nightwind into the grass, following his example and crouching. Her ears flattened slightly at Nightwind's request, and she quickly answered, "Yeah... yeah I can do it, I'll get into whatever opening you make, I trust you Dad, and I'd be a bad apprentice if I didn't help get rid of a fox on our territory." Ashpaw crouched herself just a little lower, and inched herself just a little forward, eyes now looking out over the moor for the fox.

Ashpaw's compliments warmed his heart and a smile spread across his face. There was a slight twinge of guilt as well however, as he knew that his daughter didn't really know him at all. She would, in time... but for now they had a fox to fight. He waited patiently for the creature to come into view... and eventually a flicker of red fur through the grass became visible. The fox bent it's head to sniff at the rabbit and hare... and Nightwind attacked. He kicked off of the ground hard and sailed through the air, landing squarely on the fox's back and tearing into it mercilessly with his claws. "It's preoccupied with me! Go for it Ashpaw!" He called out instructions as the red-furred canine-like creature thrashed and snapped wildly beneath his weight.

Nightwind used Leap and Hold, dealing 14 damage and -10SP

Nightwind
100HP / 267SP (-10SP for Leap and Hold; -3SP for the hunt)

Fox
Stunned for One Turn
76HP / 280SP (-14HP)

Ashpaw
20HP / 77SP (-3SP from the previous hunt)

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

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'Effect Dice' : 2

Ashpaw watched and waited for the fox to come into view. Bait was a good idea, and it would be too preoccupied to realize that the two of them would be lying in wait. Soon enough, there was a flash of red, and Nightwind kicked off out of the grass and at the fox. She sunk even lower, watching him leap onto the creature's back, clawing wildly. Once she heard him call to her, she kicked off as well, moving full speed towards the side of the fox. It had no idea she was there, which worked to the young apprentice's advantage. Just before she reached her quarry, she yelled out, "Hold on!", as she tackled the side of the fox, sinking her claws into its red pelt, looking to bring it down. Ashpaw just hoped her dad could hold on!

Ashpaw used Run and Tackle, dealing 6 damage + 3, and -10 SP.
Note: The +3 comes from the Fox not seeing Ashpaw, and Ashpaw not being in combat.

Nightwind
100 HP / 267 SP

Fox
Stunned for One Turn
67 HP / 280SP (-9 HP)

Ashpaw
20HP / 67 SP (-10 SP)

Alas, Nightwind's grip was not as strong as it could have been. The fox yipped as it was hit from the side and really began to panic. It's flesh tore away from Nightwind's claws after one good buck, and the black cat flipped smoothly onto his feet. He wasted no time throwing himself back into the fight, especially with Ashpaw so close to it. "Ashpaw leap onto it! Keep it busy!" He barked an order at her before bringing a furious rain of sharp claws down onto the fox's face. It could attack him all it wanted, but one bite on his apprentice-aged daughter and she'd be in serious trouble.

Fox is no longer stunned after this turn!

Nightwind used Rending Front Paws, dealing 17 damage and -25SP

Nightwind
100HP / 242SP (-25SP)

Fox
50HP / 280SP (-17HP)

Ashpaw
20HP / 67SP

Ashpaw growled at the beast as she kicked off at it, hearing her father's order. Unfortunately, she was not enough to really stun the creature, but she still held, and raked her front claws across the back and neck of the fox, seeing a brighter red bloom in its coat. "I can't really hold on!" She barked this back as she felt her claws slip away, throwing her to the side. Ashpaw saw that her father had run right towards the fox, right up in its face, and worried that her dad might get bitten. He was tough, she just hoped he could take it.

Fox is no longer stunned!

Ashpaw used Front Paw Strike, dealing 6 damage, and -10 SP.

Nightwind
100 HP / 242 SP

Fox
44 HP / 280 SP (-6 HP)

Ashpaw
20 HP / 57 SP (-10 SP)

The fox whirled on the larger cat, it's jaws clamping down onto a leg. Maybe that would be enough to get the cat to stop attacking it. If not, then it would go for the throat next.

Fox used Iron Bite on Nightwind, dealing 30 damage and -20SP

Nightwind
70HP / 242SP (-30HP)

Fox
44HP / 260SP (-20SP)

Ashpaw
20HP / 57SP

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Nightwind got distracted for only a moment and that was all it took. "Jump onto it's back and-" CRUNCH! Nightwind unleashed a noise that no domestic feline should probably make. His eyes flashed dangerously and his face contorted into one of fury and agony. His handsome symmetrical face suddenly ugly, aged him endlessly as a wrath akin to that of a soul from the Dark Forest overtook the normally mild-mannered tom.

His fangs darted toward the back of the fox's neck and buried deep into it's flesh, piercing an ear flattened back against it's head with it. Nightwind bit down on his opponent so hard that it hurt his own jaw.

Nightwind used Teeth Grip on the fox, dealing 13 damage and -20SP

Nightwind
70HP / 222SP (-20SP)

Fox
Stunned for Three Turns!
31HP / 260SP (-13HP)

Ashpaw
20HP / 57SP

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

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'Effect Dice' : 6