Tiny Fish (C)

Perchfall gently nudged her new apprentice to awaken her, and then padded carefully out of the apprentices' den so she didn't bother any other cat. She had considered taking Beetlepaw with her on this excursion as well, but she figured it would be better to get to know the new she-cat alone first before mixing her up with as loud of a personality as Beetlepaw's. They would probably get along, but even so, she needed to get a feel for Tinypaw first. The snow crunched beneath her paws, early morning still dark and lit with a few remaining stars. A chilly breeze swept past her through the camp, and the deputy shivered. She would really be a lot happier once newleaf came. Not that she hated the cold, but she was beginning to get tired of it. Hopefully Tinypaw would come out soon and they could keep a brisk pace through the territory to warm themselves up.

Tinypaw's eyes opened slowly. She blinked twice before realizing that her mentor was the one who woke her up. The deputy walked outside the apprentice den and Tinypaw quickly stretched her legs before rushing silently behind her. The apprentice looked back to the den, packed with apprentices still sleeping. She still wasn't able to make any new friends and, despite being surrounded by her clanmates, she felt alone and cold without her mother's company during the last night. However, this was not the time to sulk. This was her first day of training and discipline was mandatory if she didn't want to disappoint her mentor.

Tinypaw finally met up with Perchfall outside the camp. Unlike her mentor, cold and snow didn't bother the small she-cat. As a kit born during leaf-bare, she was used to days like this and the cold feel of snow under paws. After a second of hesitation, the she-cat looked up to meet the deputy's blue gaze "W-where are we going?" She mewed timidly, trying to be quiet to not disturb the res of the camp.

Perchfall looked down at the small apprentice, who was so small that the snow almost came up to her chest. Her quiet, timid nature was a far cry from the boisterous eagerness of Beetlepaw... an entirely different cat, an entirely different challenge. But she was up for it. "We'll walk to the river and I'll teach you how to fish," she meowed in response, shaking out her soft pelt to wake herself up. "Ask any questions you have on the way." With that answered, the deputy began to walk into the dim, frosty morning starlight, heading towards the trees and expecting Tinypaw to follow.

Though her blue eyes shone with excitement because of the news, Tinypaw simply nodded quietly. She still was unsure how to approach her mentor and deputy so, for now, she decided it was the best to be respectful and keep her head down until she could figure out Perchfall's temper.

The small apprentice trotted behind her mentor, trying to keep up with her walking. Snow wasn't a problem, but her short legs were. After just a few minutes of travelling, Tinypaw was panting but she tried to keep her breathing low to not bother the older she-cat.

However, despite her efforts to remain quiet and be as silent as possible, as they walked through the clan's territory, the black molly's curious personality started to appear. Camp was nice, sure, but it felt small in comparison to the vast plains of reeds, grass and creeks. An occasional willow or beech tree appeared in the wet landscape, completely covered in snow. Tinypaw looked up to the leaf-less trees while questions formed in her mind. After gathering the courage to speak, she gulped and mewed softly. "Ehm, Perchfall... I have a few questions. How is it like when it is not leaf-bare? I like the snow but the elders and warriors always talk about how they want leaf-bare to end. Is it as colorful as they describe? Will these trees grow leaves again?... Are you going to teach me how to climb them?" Before she could notice, the apprentice was talking more than usual thanks to curiosity gaining over her.

When Perchfall heard her apprentice begin to pant from the strenuous journey, she slowed down slightly-- not enough to make it obvious that she was going slower, but enough to ease up on the speed a little bit. She was fully aware that Tinypaw was, well, tiny. More so than most cats. However, that wouldn't stop her from being a good apprentice and a good warrior if she put her mind to it. The deputy was determined not to treat her differently from any other cat. That way she would get the same training and the same opportunities to better herself. Hopefully that would be seen as encouraging, and not ignorant.

After a few minutes, however, her mostly quiet and shy apprentice began to speak, drawing Perchfall out of her thoughts. A few questions in, Tinypaw began to show that she was not always as quiet as she seemed. I guess it was too much for me to hope that we would be so similar. However, her energy level was still under Beetlepaw's, thankfully. And her queries were all manageable. Without stopping, the deputy glanced down and began answering her queries. "When it isn't leaf-bare, there is no snow on the ground, only grass and dirt. It rains sometimes, and it is warm sometimes. Leaf-bare is difficult because of the constant cold and the lack of prey." They were almost to the river, but she kept the reduced pace as she continued answering the influx of questions. Her voice was still without inflection, but hopefully that didn't seem like she didn't care about the apprentice. "Yes, all these trees will grow leaves again. However, RiverClan cats do not normally climb trees. That is more of a SkyClan thing. I do not know how to teach you, but if you want to try, then take a warrior with you so you will be supervised if you fall."

Tinypaw listened carefully, her tail perked up with curiosity. No snow at all... that must be weird to look at. The apprentice wondered how the Riverclan territory will look like as the deputy continue answering her questions. She nodded when Perchfall indicated to her that climbing wasn't really a Riverclan thing. Though the idea of climbing intrigued her, falling from such a distance didn't sound too good. "I don't think I will try climbing. I don't want to end in the Medicine Den and stop my training with you." She commented.

The apprentice wanted to ask more questions. However, she could feel by Perchfall's tone that she wasn't really interested in her inquiries. For now, she decided to remain silent until the ice between her and her mentor start to melt a little.

Perchfall nodded at the apprentice's next words, but noted with some interest that she then fell quiet. The unrestrained curiosity seemed to be gone. Was her demeanor coming off as too unwelcoming? She supposed that had always been an issue with her blank face... it was often hard to tell that she liked a cat. So far, Tinypaw seemed like a nice cat. However, the deputy just was not good at expressing emotions outwardly, so it remained to be seen if they would get along. As long as she could teach what was necessary, it would be okay... though the deputy felt a slight pang of forlorn guilt at the way the little cat walked in stifled silence. Is it something I said?

The time for her inward turmoil was over once they reached the river. Now it was time for her to be a mentor. Signaling with her tail to Tinypaw, Perchfall left the snowy forest depths and stepped over to the rushing fountain of water that was life for RiverClan. The excess of snow had made it rage, filled far more than usual, and flowing faster than would be convenient to catch anything. Carefully, she made sure to stay downstream of her apprentice, in case a catastrophe where she might fall in. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that. "This is where we get the majority of our food," she told the apprentice, her voice low but audible. Blue eyes found the she-cat's greenish gaze as she talked. "It is not usually this deep, but you should always be careful. Even the best swimmers can drown. For now, don't worry. I'll make sure you're safe. We won't be swimming in this, though... not very safe. Any questions before I show you how to fish?"

Tinypaw followed the deputy closely and quietly, taking in every new plant she had never seen before. A single bird flew over as the apprentice lifted her head to see the clear sky. Normally, a clan cat would see it as food, as a possible prey for the clan. Sure, that was an option. However, the dark she-cat's thoughts drifted from that possibility and instead wondered how such a small creature was capable of something as amazing as soaring through the sky, safe of almost any danger. If a small bird was able to do something that seemed impossible to any other living being, why wouldn't she be able to be a warrior someday? Sure, she was small and easily excitable when it came to her curious mind but maybe... Perchfall could help her take advantage of her size.

The molly looked at the flowing river, keeping a safe distance from it. She listened quietly to Perchfall's word until she met her gaze. Tinypaw looked down, shifting her paws a bit nervously. "Do you think... I will be able to hunt and swim even though I am smaller than most of the other apprentices? Can you teach me... how to take advantage of my size? Or at least not be a burden in hunting patrols?"

Perchfall was mentally cataloguing in her head how exactly she would go about teaching the she-cat to fish, but her thoughts were temporarily interrupted by words. Oh, of course she feels self-conscious about her size. I should have thought of that. Rude of her to assume that the topic wasn't an important one. After a quiet moment of deciding how to respond, the deputy nodded. "You will be just as effective an apprentice and warrior regardless of your size, Tinypaw," she said. "It will make a few things harder, but it will also make some things easier, so it will balance out. Your quickness will make you hard to catch in battle, and harder for prey to notice. Anyone would have difficulty swimming in this much water, but when the river is normal again, your size will make it easier for you to float. If you want, we can focus on specific techniques after I teach you the basics." With some effort, she tried to put a little more warmth in her voice than normal. She really didn't want to come off as angry or uncaring to the small apprentice. Still, no smile nor frown appeared on her gray and white face. "Now, are you ready to learn?"

Despite her serious tone, Tinypaw could feel that Perchfall truly meant every word she said. Somehow, that made her feel relieved and more eager to start training. There was no time to keep moping and worrying about something she couldn't control. Now, it was time to overcome her own limitations and start being of service to the clan that has taken care of her. With a more confident look, she raised her green gaze to the deputy and nodded. "Yes, I am. How do we start?"

It worked. She likes me! I think! A slight swell of warmth rose in Perchfall's chest at the new glimmer of confidence in her apprentice's eyes. But there was no time to dwell on it. Still, with a gentle nod, she responded to Tinypaw's answer. "All right then... let me show you how to fish." If she wanted to set a good example, she had better focus. Blue eyes peered down into the raging depths, searching through clumps of half-melted snow and overflowing water for any sign of prey. Don't ruin it, Perchfall. "Fish often swim through this river. They are more common in other seasons, but when you fish, you want to sit close to the river. Keep as still as possible so that your prey does not notice you. Then, when you think you see a fish, you want to dip your paw in quickly. Keep your claws outstretched so you can pull a fish out, even if you just brush against it." She took a deep breath, willing her nervousness to vanish and hoping that she could succeed in teaching, and then quickly swiped her white paw through the water when she thought she saw a fish.

Unfortunately, in her haste, she missed it entirely, and had to sit watching helplessly as it continued down the river. Fox-dung. However, no trace of expression crossed her face, only a mild exhalation of disappointment left her lungs. She kept a tinge of frustration out of her voice, choosing to try and sound as encouraging as possible. "Well... that's how it works when you do it right. Sometimes, even deputies mess up. But do you want to give it a go anyway? You lose nothing by trying."

Perchfall tried to catch a fish and was unsuccessful. -7 SP

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 6

Tinypaw heared carefully to her mentor, ears perked up with attention. She watched quietly at her technique, trying to memorize every paw and body movement the grey she-cat made. When she got closer to the river, the apprentice got a little nervous. What if she fell by accident? What would the apprentice do? Of course, that was a silly worry to have considering the expertise of the deputy but the dark molly couldn't help her anxious thoughts.

In a matter of seconds, Perchfall's paw crossed the water as Tinypaw watched her with expectation. However, only water came out from the catch. The apprentice was able to sense her mentor's frustration but chose not to say anything about it. When the she-cat finally addressed her, the black apprentice gulped a bit nervously. If the deputy couldn't catch a fish, why would she? She was smaller and with less practice. But... that's why she was here. To gain experience and learn. "I'll try." She mewed trying to show confidence she lacked.

The small she-cat approached the river carefully and looked at its surface carefully, taking her time until she was sure she saw something fishy. When something unusual appeared in the water, Tinypaw mimicked Perchfall's movements, but slower. Unsuccessfully, she hit the water and just like Perchfall's, no fish came out from her hunting attempt. The apprentice looked back at her mentor a little disappointed. "I suppose
I still need some practice."

Tinypaw attempted to catch a fish and failed, losing 7 stamina
Tinypaw
20/20 HP
53/60 SP

The member 'Jay Bird' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 7

Well, Perchfall supposed that with her poor example, combined with lack of practice and the awful circumstances, it would have been a miracle if Tinypaw had in fact managed to catch a fish. As it was, though, there was another chance for her to try and be a successful mentor. And deputy. And role model. And member of RiverClan. She wouldn't be a failure, and she wouldn't let her anxiety manifest. "No worries, Tinypaw, that's why we're here. We're going to keep trying until we catch something to bring to camp." That said, the deputy's eyes were already scanning the river again, searching intently for a fish. There... that lump under the water. Was that fish? A rock? A clump of ice? Well, only one way to find out. Her paw darted in again, claws unsheathed to hook a potential catch.

Unfortunately... it was nothing. Just a wad of slush, partially melted snow drifting down the raging river. Could I make any more of a fool of myself? "Well, let's just take turns. One of us will catch something eventually, and then it will taste all the better." Her expression neutral and guarded, Perchfall hoped that she wasn't too bad of a mentor for this promising young apprentice.