First Steps From the Nest [Closed]

"Henpaw, its time to go out," Hayglow hummed as she gently stirred her apprentice awake, giving the young she-cat a soft smile before she turned to wait at the entrance of the camp. There was some excitement to finally getting an apprentice of her own - she had helped with Ashfall's training but she had let Muddyleap take care of most of that as it was his apprentice after all. Besides, Hayglow knew that Henpaw's parents weren't the best...Role models. With Tawnyflare having attacked a Clanmate before she suddenly left the Clan and Fawnstep being... Well, Fawnstep. Maybe she could use this to instill some good morals to Henpaw at least, she was technically family after all, if only because she was a half-sister to her son.

Henpaw had meant to wake at the crack of dawn and be waiting for her mentor…but… She started awake at Hayglow’s words, furiously blinking sleep from her eyes. Wait-wha- she had just closed her eyes! Training might be harder than she had expected.

Wake up wake up wake up wake up. She shook herself like a dog, eliciting sleepy murmurs from some of the cats she shared the den with. Sinking her claws into her nest, she arched her back until her muscles started to faintly protest. Now she was ready. With a few long leaps she skidded to a stop in front of Hayglow, and gave her chest fur a few licks to make sure she looked presentable.

“I’m ready. What are we doing today? Fighting?” There was a large part of her that desperately wanted to sink her fangs into a SkyClan cat’s fur- preferably that mangled wildcat of a deputy that broke Dayspring’s leg. She might want to get some more training in before that, however. That was Hayglow’s job, in Henpaw’s eyes- to make sure Henpaw could beat any SkyClan cat into the ground.

Hayglow smiled as Henpaw approached, giving her apprentice a nod of acknowledgement before she froze as the apprentice questioned what they would be doing - with a clear interest in fighting. It took a lot for the warrior not to grimace due to her own hatred of fighting, but she knew it would be something they would have to cover. Even if she didn't approve - Henpaw would have to be able to defend herself but...At least that wasn't the focus of today. "No, today we are going to be focusing on hunting," she meowed as she pushed herself to her paws, trying to hide her moment of discomfort as she spun and led her apprentice out of the camp. "We will cover the basics of fighting soon but hunting should always come first - its the lifeblood of our Clan. Fighting is used to defend one self when needed, hunting is used to support the Clan every day.

"Our territory is vast and open - prey can spot you as easily as you can see it, which is why our Clan prides ourselves on our speed, to be able to catch even the quickest of prey when it tries to escape into its burrows. But you also need to be aware of your surroundings - know where those holes are so you can avoid them but also cut off your prey's approach. Hunting can take just as much skills as fighting, and is used far more often even if most warriors choose to pride themselves on their fighting skills."

“‘Kay, got it.” Henpaw walked on in silence for a moment, thinking. Hunting techniques… fighting techniques… there might not be too much difference. Exploding out of a tunnel onto an enemy warrior? Awesome. Hunting? Not quite so awesome, but she knew it had to be done. But fighting had to be done too, or they wouldn’t have any territory to hunt on. Something Hayglow had said came back to her suddenly. “Not just defend yourself, right? I mean, there’s sparring, and border skirmishes, and battles!” She let the glory of the battlefield leak into her voice as she spoke, eyes wide with awe. Hayglow didn’t seem like the sort of cat to really fight fight. Maybe she was wrong, though.

“I know, I know, it’s all fun an’ games until somecat loses an eye.” She didn’t want her mentor to think she was a mouse-brain. She’d seen battle. She saw Dayspring’s leg get broken and SkyClan’s deputy threaten her siblings. She wanted to be a part of it. “No disrespect to Ashfall, of course,” she hurriedly added. She almost asked if Hayglow knew how the she-cat was doing, but refrained. Fawnstep didn’t like off-topic rambling. “What we huntin’?” Get back to the topic. Sooner she learned how to hunt the sooner she could show her father. Maybe she’d better let Hayglow get a word in, anyhow.

Hayglow winced at Henpaw spoke highly of battles, giving the apprentice a sad look. "Its not fun and games for some people at any point," she muttered softly, whiskers twitching. She...She wasn't surprised by Henpaw's attitude, not with who her parents were plus the fact that the Clans had a rather...Lax idea on violence. Fighting was part of their lives - but she couldn't shake the fact that before she had been left at the Thunderpath, she hadn't even thought of spilling blood, not even when it came to hunting. Her life had been sheltered, and it had only led to a rude awakening when she was put out into the moors. She gave her head a shake, clearing her throat as she raised her voice to properly speak to her apprentice. "We will be hunting really whatever we can find - mostly birds and rabbits, but sometimes other types of prey can be found in the moor."

She took in a deep breath, tasting the air as she glanced around. Her eyes settled on a rabbit nibbling on the grass, unaware of the two hunters. She dropped into a crouch, motioning for Henpaw to do the same. "First, you want to crouch - keep your weight even on all of your paws and keep your tail still, any rustling of the grass can give you away," she explained in a whisper - only making it loud enough or Henpaw to hear her words. "You want to make light pawsteps and try to stay downwind of your prey. Get as close as you can before you make your leap - but always be ready to spring into action if it sees you first. Here, I'll go first so you have an example."

With that, she carefully started to stalk across the grass, keeping in mind everything she had shared with Henpaw as she started to circle the rabbit to get into position. Once she had the wind gently blowing against her face, she started to move forward - keeping her pawsteps light as the rabbit remained unaware... Until she was a few tail-lengths away. Its head shot up to stare at her, before it took off running but Hayglow was quicker - springing forward into a run and closing that distant before it could get far, pinning and killing it. She bowed her head, thanking StarClan before she picked it up and headed back to her apprentice. "The animals out here have a quick reaction time - so you need to be quicker," she explained as she dropped as she reached Henpaw, giving the apprentice a smile.

"Rabbits and hares are the easiest, even if they can nearly match our speed. Birds however...They will fly away and we don't have that great of jumping abilities. You need to be quick to catch them while they are still on the ground or at least still within reach of us." There was a pause, a moment of hesitation crossing her face before she let out a soft sigh. "This...Will help with fighting - mastering your quick reaction time, increasing your speed. We might not have the strength of the other Clans, but we can dish our more blows quicker - hunting will be a good basis for your fighting training later," she explained. She couldn't deny that it was true - everything that was learned in hunting would help with fighting.

"...How about you give it a shot? See what you can find and show me what you can do, Henpaw."

Her first impression had been correct. Hayglow… was not Fawnstep, at all. Well, at least she’d teach her to hunt. She knew that was important, hunting, but maybe Henpaw could handle the fighting and Hayglow the hunting? Besides, you never knew what you could find out upon the moor. Henpaw settled into a crouch beside Hayglow, balancing her weight evenly on her paws. It seemed her fighting practice as a kit had some benefit. She watched as Hayglow speedily killed a rabbit. Good. She could learn something from this molly. Step lightly, stalk closer, explode out onto the moor, running faster than lightning. It would help with fighting, wouldn’t it? Henpaw flicked her tail eagerly, already replacing a rabbit not far off with a SkyClan warrior. “‘Kay.”

She settled into her crouch- not quite as elegant as Hayglow’s, but full of force waiting to be unleashed. She crept closer through the tall grass, green eyes locking onto her target. In her mind, it wasn’t a rabbit- it was a SkyClan cat. Perhaps even the SkyClan cat. Yes, it was him. Henpaw crept closer… and closer… and closer… until the rabbit’s head shot up. As soon as she saw the movement she sprang, sinking her teeth into its neck and snapping its spine. A good catch. One she could be proud of. More importantly, one Fawnstep could be proud of, if he had been there. Henpaw trotted back to her mentor, tail held high. She laid the rabbit down on the grass. “If rabbits are the easiest to catch, what’s the hardest prey to catch?”

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 3

Hayglow watched as Henpaw went after a rabbit, making small notes on how to fix her hunting crouch but that would be work for later - for now, it was just learning the basics, sorting out the finer details would work out later. Even if the hunting crouch was a bit sloppy, it didn't stop Henpaw from performing wonderfully - soon trotting back with a rabbit in her jaws. "Good catch, Henpaw!" As she dropped it and posed her question, Hayglow sat back to think it over. "Well...Anything small, I suppose. Rodents or lizards, really. We may be able to out speed them but their small size means pinning them can be hard and they can easily disappear in the tall grass of the moor - or down any smaller tunnels that we may not think about. It takes quick paws, keen eyes and precise claws to catch one."

Henpaw listened intently to Hayglow’s words. Rodents or lizards, huh? Well, lizards tasted like fox-dung (and no true WindClan cat liked lizards,) but mice? Seemed close enough to hares. Furry, anyhow. Not as much meat as a hare, though. Henpaw thought for a moment, considering her options. She could go for a mouse, which would be a hard but impressive catch. The problem? Mice were kinda small-like. Hares were more WindClan’s thing, and had more meat on their bones. Henpaw flicked her tail and made up her mind. She wasn’t hunting for the Clan right now, at least she wasn’t on a patrol literally called a hunting patrol. She could indulge herself and try to catch a mouse, right? Maybe. Maybe not. Anyways, she’d go for the first prey she saw, and try to keep Hayglow’s words in mind. With a murmur to her mentor, she slipped into the tall grass. Nose to the ground, she picked up a scent of prey. Not a hare or a rabbit, but still furry. A mouse. Henpaw grinned. She’d catch this thing on her first day of training!

As she stalked closer, the furry brown thing’s ear pricked. Henpaw froze. It looked around and gave the air a sniff. Henpaw readied her hind legs and shot forwards, just missing the mouse. She turned and charged after it. She was almost there when it dove down a hole in the ground. Henpaw gave a yowl of frustration and dug furiously at the hole, more out of anger than any hope of catching the dratted thing. With a hiss, she turned and walked back to her mentor. “There’s a reason we have more hares on the fresh-kill pile than mice, I gather.” Maybe she needed another demonstration.

Henpaw attempted to catch a mouse, costing 3 stamina. Catch was unsuccessful.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 9

Hayglow blinked as she spotted Henpaw tasting the air, suddenly realizing what the question was about. She opened her mouth, ready to object going from hunting rabbits to mice but Henpaw had already turned to stalk off after the mouse. Her words died on her throat as she sat back with a soft frown, a gentle huff escaping her. She understood that Henpaw just wanted to show off but putting on expectations was a terrible idea - one day of perfecting hunting could be following with the worst luck the next day, sometimes it seemed like it was all luck and no skill.

She winced as Henpaw failed to catch the mouse and resorted to angrily clawing at the hole and yowling before finally she seemed to calm just enough to relent and retreat back to her mentor. Hayglow could only manage a weak smile in return to Henpaw's grumble. "Of course. Not only are the hard to catch, there is rarely ever a point. A mouse can perhaps happily feed a kit, but a rabbit can be a meal for two or three cats easily," she pointed out. "But further more, do you get so hard on yourself if you fail to catch something. Hunting may take skill but even the best hunting can mar up a hunt every once in a while. Skills can mean much, but you must never underestimate your target," she meowed, before there was a moment of hesitation as she scrunched up her nose.

"...Even in battle. Thinking yourself as powerful and your opponent as weaker can cause you to lower your guard and..." she glanced down at her paw, flexing her claws as her face grew dark. "...Well, it might not turn out well for either cat."

Henpaw listened wearily to Hayglow’s words. She knew a mouse wasn’t much meat, she wasn’t a mouse-brain. She just wanted to try her skills at a challenge. Rabbit hunting seemed to come naturally to the young apprentice. She tilted her head at Hayglow, a bit confused. Getting mad at herself for failing only stoked the fire, pushing her to greater lengths and more awesome… things. Don’t underestimate your target, huh? “I know that. I playfight with my siblings a lot. Usually I win, but every now and then, one of them will do something to surprise me.” Not anymore, though. Henpaw knew every trick her siblings could ever come up with. She could kick their tails any time she wanted to. Not that she wanted to, of course, but it was nice to know she could. She wouldn’t lower her guard. She’d be fine.

“Now that we’re talking about fighting, can we try it out? Maybe a spar between us, or we could check the moor for predators! Better for me to learn to fight with an experienced warrior than on my own, right?” She gave Hayglow a cheeky smile. She was going to learn to fight, one way or another, but there was a small chance this molly could teach her something she didn’t already know. Hopefully she’d say yes. It had been far too long since Henpaw had tussled with her siblings, and hunting didn’t quite satisfy her.

Hayglow gave Henpaw a long stare as the apprentice requested to try out sparring, before a sigh escaped her as she gave the apprentice a nod. "Of course, we can spar. But...I suppose I should be truthful - stop weaving around the subject. You deserve to know my dislike for fighting and why it exists," she meowed, gaze shifting away as she shifted on her paws. "I'm your mentor and you are my apprentice - we must find common ground and respect for our way of thinking if we want this to work. And simply put...I was not born into WindClan. Before I was brought into this Clan as a kit, the idea of fighting, killing...It had never crossed my mind and I was horrified by it. I grew used to it, to kill to eat and fight to protect...I could make sense of that, but fighting and hurting another cat seemed..." she drifted off, ears slicking down. "I never liked it. And when the night came that I killed a cat to save my own life, I never wanted to fight again - because I know what its like to be the terrified cat who didn't want to be attacked in the first place but has to fight - and kill - to save themselves. This is why I might be...Uneasy by how much you wish to fight, but I will do my best to respect your choice - you have grown up from birth that fighting is the Clan's way of life, I...I cannot hold you on that." She pushed herself to her paws, ears slicked back as she stared at her apprentice. "But I hope we can at least work to find a middle ground of understand on us both - and with that...I will let you have the first blow on this spar."

Henpaw withheld a sigh and settled onto her haunches as her mentor began to speak. She could tell that this had the makings of a long lecture, and hoped to StarClan it wasn't. She wasn't born into WindClan, was she? Oddly enough, this reassured Henpaw- WindClan hadn't produced Hayglow. WindClan hadn't produced this lack of fighting. She respected her mentor, of course, and in many situations, Hayglow would be an asset- hunting, for example- the molly seemed to excel in it. But hesitant about killing prey? Well, simply put, Henpaw thought that was a load of fox-dung, but restrained from saying so. Hayglow killed to save her own life? Well, if the other cat was trying to kill her, they were automatically outside the Warrior Code and therefore the action was excusable. Henpaw flicked her tail. She had made her mind up- quickly, as usual. Hayglow was alright. Even though Henpaw disagreed with her, she wasn't trying to change her mind. That was nice. IT was Hayglow's last sentence that caught her attention. Oh yeah. Even though Hayglow was an experienced warrior, Henpaw was certain she'd be able to leave a mark... at least, she would have if they hadn't been sparring.

The calico stood up, grinning. This was going to be fun- her first fight, er, spar, as an apprentice. She knew a lot more than she had as a kit, and even hunting had sharpened her skills. She kept her tail from twitching with an effort, and focused on Hayglow. Something she'd seen at the battle when she was a kit leapt into her head, and she started circling the older molly, rapidly searching her memories. She didn't remember ever seeing Hayglow fight, but she remembered SkyClan's deputy, and Ashfall, and Dayspring. She obviously wasn't going to go to the extremes he did, but she'd practiced some of the moves she'd seen them use. She could do this. With an excited battle yowl (quiet enough so no one would think she was getting murdered), she sprang at her mentor, pushing her to the ground. She wouldn't be able to keep it up for long, but the excitement and adrenaline coursing through her veins ought to help.

Henpaw used Leap and Hold, dealing 5 (moor runner) damage and costing 15 stamina. Hayglow is pinned for 2 turns.

Henpaw
20 HP/ 45 (-15) SP

Hayglow
55 (-5) HP/ 140 SP

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

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'Effect Dice' : 6