Learning Curve

Sunnyskip waited at the entrance of camp for her apprentice, watching for Timberpaw's form to approach. She had decided that they would learn about the tunnels to start the day, and then maybe do some hunting in and around them for practice. She didn't want him to be out with any other warriors and not know what to do in regards to the tunnels that coursed under the moors. She was looking forward to the training session, and she hoped that it would go well. Her heart twisted as she recalled the last cat she had taught about the tunnels, Nightwind as she had known him then, Dawnhawk as she knew him now. Pushing the thought aside, she sat patiently to wait for her apprentice. If she didn't think about him, it wouldn't hurt so bad.

Yet again, Timberpaw had woken up expecting to see his mother's face, but his disappointment grew only larger day by day. It's impossible for his mother to not return, right? Despite the possibility being right in front of the tabby, he ignored it, he couldn't possibly just give up.

Timberpaw lifted himself from his nest. He was confused for a few moments about his surroundings before realising that he was an apprentice now and he was in the apprentice den... Sunnyskip was probably waiting for him, did he sleep in?

He stretched, walking outside. It was early, so he probably wasn't late. He looked around, Timberpaw was rapidly growing, it looked like he had another growth spurt, he wasn't used to being much bigger than the rocks I'm the ground. He suddenly remembered that his mentor was waiting for him... but where? Probably out of camp.

He walked out of camp before spotting Sunnyskip. "Hi Sunnyskip!" He waved his tail in greeting. "I'm so excited for training! Was your first training session exciting too? What are we doing today?" He had so many questions to ask his mentor but he just had to slow down and wait for a response.

As she saw Timberpaw approaching, Sunnyskip smiled and waved her tail in greeting. She laughed as he asked his plethora of questions before answering each one in a similar manner. "Hi, Timberpaw! I'm excited as well. Yes, my first training session was also exciting! There's a lot to learn, so today I'll show you some hunting techniques and then we'll walk around the borders so you get familiar with them. We'll hunt along the way, if you're comfortable." She explained, getting to her paws and shaking out her fur before setting off into the moor.

Once they were a sufficient distance from camp, she turned to face Timberpaw. "So when you're hunting, you need to be mindful about what it is you're hunting. Mice have poor eyesight, but are very sensitive to even the slightest sound. You have to be very careful when you stalk them to avoid bringing attention to yourself. Rabbits have good eyesight, and hearing. The best way to catch them is to use the speed you were born with. Get as close as you can without it noticing you, then give chase. Make sure it's not too close to it's den, or you'll have a difficult time getting it out. Try to hunt in pairs if necessary. You'll also want to make sure you have good aim...." Lifting a paw, she shuffled the grass a bit until a big shiny beetle appeared. She grinned and nodded to it. "Here, try pouncing on this beetle. It's small, so you have to be sure you aim well or you'll miss it. If you can get pouncing on a small bug, you'll be great at pouncing on larger targets too."

OOC: Please use the hunting dice, and follow the table for Bugs in Greenleaf! We'll continue on to real prey soon

Timberpaw followed his mentor, tail raised and head high. They were already moving, Timberpaw had no time to ask any more questions. Once they were further away from camp, his mentor told him about how fo catch certain kinds of prey. He was listening wide eyed, curious and his ears were pricked with interest. Timberpaw was ready to learn, anything to be even the slightest bit of a better warrior than his littermates.

Once the warrior had finished talking she showed him a bug I the grass. He stared at it curiously, then backed up a bit, getting ready to try and pounce on it. "I'm ready..." he watched the bug closely before pouncing on it.

Timberpaw kept the bug cupped between his paws before trying to pick it up in his jaws, it took a couple of attempts but eventually he managed to pick it up in his mouth. He showed it off proudly to Sunnyskip. "I chid it!" Timberpaw announced proudly with the bugs still in his mouth.

Timberpaw attempted to catch a bug, and succeeded! -3 SP (Timberpaw)
Timberpaw -
- 57/60 SP (-3)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 3

"Well done!" Sunnyskip exclaimed, purring as her apprentice showed off the beetle to her. "Very well done. Whenever you see a bug in camp, it's a good opportunity to practice your pounce." She explained, smiling at the young tom. Nearby rustling caught her attention, and her ears swiveled towards it. A rabbit... "Alright, there's a rabbit just over there. Watch what I do, and then you can try the next one, okay?" She crept forward, letting the wind blow into her face as she approached the creature. When she was close enough, she darted forward, giving chase as the rabbit took off in front of her. She caught up quickly, and as she pounced onto the rabbit and bit it's neck as a hind leg of the prey caught her in the ear. She winced as she stood up, ears ringing as she padded back to her apprentice. Dropping it in front of him, she smiled breathlessly. "Make sure you watch out for their paws - they're very strong and hurt if you get hit." She chuckled, catching her breath. "If you see anything, go ahead and give it a try. Even if you fail in catching the prey, you will still gain knowledge to help you for the next time."

Sunnyskip attempted to catch Rabbit, catch was successful. -3 SP.

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 6

Timberpaw watched his mentor pull off an impressive catch, eyes wide with interest. "Wow.. Are you the best hunter in this clan?" Not giving Sunnyskip a chance to answer, he started looking for some prey. Hearing a noise, Timberpaw spun around and spotted another rabbit, hopping around aimlessly. He bent down, not letting himself get distracted. He crept as close as he could before pouncing, it darted away and Timberpaw chased after it. The rabbit was slowing down, which he found pretty strange but it was slow enough for him to catch it. He snapped it's neck and brought it over to Sunnyskip. "I aught uhn!" Timberpaw looked at it after placing it down. "It was easy, though, it started slowing down." The rabbit looked kind of old, no wonder it got tired, Timberpaw was proud anyway, at least it had meat on it's bones.

Timberpaw attempted to catch a rabbit, and succeeded! -3 SP (Timberpaw)
Timberpaw -
- 54/60 (-3)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 2

Sunnyskip smiled at Timberpaw's exclamation, purring as he walked away before she got a chance to respond. The praise had lifted her spirits some, and she found herself really looking forward to training with the young tom. She watched as he approached an older looking rabbit, patiently waiting as he gave chase before bringing it to the ground. Trotting over, she grinned and flicked her tail to his shoulder. "You did it! Very well done, Timberpaw. Hey, a catch is a catch, even if it's an easier one. It still takes careful effort and planning, and I'm proud of you for getting it! Just keep in mind that if you do miss, it's good to think about what might have gone better for you to have succeeded, and learn from it rather than letting it bring you down, okay?" She mewed, looking over the rabbit a little more closely before taking a step back. "For now, go ahead and bury it with mine, and then we can continue hunting until you get tired. Sound good?"