Trying to Help [Closed]

Tornshadow let out a small hiss as she moved to the entrance of the camp. Her wounds still stung a bit from her conflict with Moonshine, but she had things to do an apprentice to train. Now she waited for Maplepaw. She was going to do her best to train her, maybe even make a good warrior out of her, though she knew deep down she wasn't the best choice. Not with her lack of loyalty to Wolfstar, or Bloodstrike. Despite her own personal issues, she was going to try.

Maplepaw groaned in annoyance as she stalked out of the apprentice den. Today was her first day of training with Tornshadow, her mentor, and she was dreading every second of it. Did she really have to go through grueling hours of training to serve a clan she had no love for? Besides, Maplepaw knew that the SkyClan warriors didn't trust her. They had no reason to; Maplepaw had given them no reason to believe she was a good fit to be an integral part of SkyClan.

No matter. It's not like she had a choice. Quickening her pace to a swift trot, Maplepaw padded her way to Tornshadow.

Believe it or not both mentor and apprentice were in the same spot unknowingly. Both didn't have any loyalty to the clan they served, but Tornshadow remained because her father had told her too. "Come on, let's get going." She wasn't going to express her concerns about being a mentor for the first time. She wanted Maplepaw to be able to defend herself, to survive on her own. That is what Tornshadow wanted, not undying loyalty to Skyclan.

She led the young apprentice out into the territory, pausing in a little clearing with shorter trees. "I'm gonna teach you how to hunt today. So with ground prey, you want to try to be as sneaky as possible and get as close as you can before pouncing. I'm sure you practice pouncing as a kit at little." The warrior scented the air, finding a squirrel nearby. "Here watch me. I will try my best to show you, so you can replicate it for yourself." Her voice was quieter as she spoke, she didn't want to scare off her target.

The gold and white warrior followed the scent, as soon as she caught sight of the squirrel she crouched, creeping closer and closer until she could pounce. Once she landed on the creature she was quick to kill it, looking to her apprentice hoping she understood what to do.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 6

Maplepaw watched Tornshadow’s demonstration in silence, amber eyes following her every move. She really didn’t want to be hunting, or fighting, or anything, really, but she was willing to put up with it, for now. She wondered about Tornshadow, what kept her tied to SkyClan, what kept her fighting for this group of cats Maplepaw felt nothing for. Was it her family? Her leader? Maplepaw hoped she never stooped to their level, made to work for this clan. It’s the last thing she wants in her life.

It’s now her turn. Crouching, Maplepaw raised her nose into the air, scenting for some prey. Catching the scent of a small sparrow, hopping in the underbrush in search of seeds, Maplepaw sets her gaze on the source of the scent and  wiggles her haunches, pouncing.

Maplepaw attempted to catch a bird, costing 3 SP. Success!

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 4

Tornshadow watched carefully as her apprentice moved with efficiency. A small purr rumbled from the warriors throat as she managed to catch her first piece of prey. "Good job! I'm impressed." The gold and white warrior moved forward with her own prey. "If you keep going like this then you will be amazing in no time! Okay now," Tornshadow pushed her fresh kill and buried it. "This is how you cover your catch, so that way you can come back for it later without it being taken. Once you bury it, try to go for another." Tornshadow said. Hoping her apprentice could catch another.

Maplepaw silently followed Tornshadow's instructions, swiftly burrowing the bird in a shallow hole before quickly re-positioning herself back into her hunting position. Hunting came almost naturally to her, needing no instruction before crawling her way towards a quiet shuffling, nearly deaf to the ears. Yet Maplepaw heard it just fine; a squirrel, she believes, positioned on the side of a tree trunk and posed to continue climbing. If Maplepaw timed this perfectly, she would catch the squirrel effortlessly.. she just needed to get it right.

So close to the ground she was practically laying down, Maplepaw crept ever closer to the tree trunk, waiting silently until the squirrel looked just ready to ascent.

Maplepaw pounced... and missed. Cursing, the apprentice moved to slink back over to her mentor.

Maplepaw failed to catch a squirrel, costing 3 SP. 24/80

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 9

Tornshadow looked a little surprised by her apprentice's miss, but it wasn't that big of a deal. Even she missed sometimes. "It's okay, even the best of us miss sometimes." The gold and white warrior said to Maplepaw. "Let's both try for one more and then we can had back to camp okay?" While she couldn't care less if Skyclan had enough food or not, she wanted to make sure Maplepaw could handle herself. That was the important part here.

Tornshadow moved away from her current spot, scenting the air for anything, before finding a bird sitting in the trees. Perfect, maybe this would be a good time to introduce tree hunting which they would work on later. Eyeing the bird carefully, she jumped up into the branches, and then moved to pounce on the bird. The bird didn't have a chance at all to fly away, becoming trapped in the warrior's paws. She killed it before jumping back down, heading to where their other prey was buried.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 3

Maplepaw, miffed from her failed catch but still determined, turned her sights onto another squirrel, this one rummaging through the fallen pine needles in search for nuts and seeds. She was determined not to miss this one, prove her worth to Tornshadow- she didn’t need her mentor finding her worthless. She knew that Tornshadow spoke comforting words, but Maplepaw wasn’t sure she believed them..

Hackles raised in preparation, Maplepaw rounded on the squirrel, this time spending no time in stalking the poor thing; rookie mistake, but Maplepaw felt like she didn’t have the time to show off.

Maplepaw attempted to catch a squirrel, costing 3 SP. Success! 21/80

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 1

Tornshadow nodded as she watched Maplepaw hunt the squirrel. She did it a little differently this time, but she had managed to catch it anyway, and the warrior assumed that is all that mattered. They had prey, and Maplepaw had proved she could take care of herself. "Before we had back, do you have any questions for me?" The gold and white warrior asked. She wanted to make sure she covered everything.

Maplepaw stopped in her tracks, thinking long and hard about her answer. Would she tell Tornshadow about her troubles? Will she open up to the older warrior about all that is ailing her, her plans, her devotion to another clan? The two weren’t close, like usual mentor and apprentice relationships should be- they’re not friends, probably never will be. Just acquaintances, brought together by sheer luck and circumstance. Maybe Maplepaw will grow to like her one day, maybe they will become good friends.

StarClan knows.

“No, Tornshadow I… I think I’m good.” Maplepaw may share her story another day, when it brings more importance. Now, they simply go back to camp, maintaining a status quo Maplepaw hated so much.