Dark Rivers [c]

(Set four days before Ebonyhaze leaves)

Ebonyhaze had spent the last two nights attempting to formulate the best training schedule for his new apprentice. He had just a few days to teach her the essentials, and then he had to go on a journey for Starclan knows how long. He was pretty secure in his plans, it was just enough time that she would know how to hunt and defend herself when he left, though in only the most basic ways. She would have to tag along with other mentor-apprentice pairs while he was gone, but perhaps that was good for her. Multiple prospectives would give her enough information to form her own style, or perhaps someone may know a technique better than he did. She would be alright, even if he fretted...

The first day was all about safety and borders. How to find her way back to camp, how to identify dangerous water and predators, where the borders were. He wanted Darkpaw to be safe if she ever got lost... Chances of her being on her own on the second day of training was unlikely, but he wasn't taking chances with a cat under his protection. Today would be more fun though.

He silently crept into the apprentice den, careful not the wake the others as he gently nudged his apprentice awake. "Darkpaw? It's morning, time to wake up. We'll be hunting today." He spoke before backing out, giving her time to wake up fully.


The jaunt to the river was quick, though Ebonyhaze frequently looked over his shoulder to make sure Darkpaw was following. The snow was deep and could hide holes and roots that could easily trip a cat up especially if they were smaller. But once at the shore, Ebonyhaze crouched, his gaze flitting over one of the few spots where the river hadn't frozen over. "Usually I like to wade in with the fish to catch them, but it's much too fold for that in winter so I'll teach you how to catch them from shore."

"Fish are skittish things, but are also quite lazy. They like to hide where the current isn't that strong and where the shade can hide them. They are usually found near large rocks, fallen logs, foam, and where the foliage is thick enough to offer cover. My mentor had a fun rhyme for it to remember, something like "Rocks, rock", "Wood is good", "Foam is home", and, "Made in the shade"". He chuckled softly at the memory. It sounded kittish coming out of his mouth, but it was memorable and useful.

He shuffled a little closer to the water's edge where half-frozen cattails and long grasses. There, he could see the shiny body of a fish not far off. "Don't let yourself touch the water until you are ready to strike, and if you are in a sunny place, don't let your shadow fall over the water. The fish will get startled. Just be patient and let it come to you... and then..."

Just as the fish came within reach, his paw darted out and made a scooping motion in the water. However, he had misjudged the distance and just barely missed his target. The fish startled and scrambled to a new location, leaving him empty pawed. "Ah, bad example, but when fishing from the shore you should try and scoop the fish out of the water, or at least high enough for you to sink your teeth into and drag to dry land. You must make sure to kill it and hide it nearby, you don't want it to slide back into the water or get snatched by a predator while you aren't looking. Why don't you give it a try?" He turned his soft gaze onto Darkpaw, gesturing lightly to the water.

Ebonyhaze attempted to catch a fish. He was unsuccessful! -7 SP

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 6

It had taken some time for Darkpaw to fall asleep in the apprentices den. There were few cats she knew or that were expecting her, and while she wanted to introduce herself to all her denmates, it had seemed a wholly overwhelming feat. And so she had curled into the cold reed nest and tucked herself as closely to the wall as possible. Time had stretched on as she willed sleep to come, burying herself solidly underneath her feathery tail and praying to Starclan that they would provide her some brief moments of rest before training. Although it had been arduous, eventually her wish had been granted.

Until Ebonyhaze's words caused her lids to snap open, Darkpaw had been overtaken by welcoming and blissful dreams. She felt more rested than ever before, somehow, despite feeling so tiny and lost in this new den. It didn't take long for her to rise to her paws and follow quickly at her mentor's heels. From the minute she stepped from the apprentice's den, the little she-cat was at his heels. Their pelts brushed on several occasions with how quickly she followed him. Already, this tom seemed like the greatest warrior she had ever met and her eyes widened with a deep interest anytime that he spoke.

The world around them became far more than the bustling camp that had previously been everything to her. Now, it seemed to be endless and a tad overwhelming. Each moment that Darkpaw thought her pads would be frozen to the cold earth, she glanced at her mentor and let out a determined sigh. She would press on to learn everything from him, to try to be like him. Although their trip had been rather short, to Darkpaw it seemed to stretch on endlessly and she was grateful for the moment of rest when they finally came to a stop. And then it was time to soak up his teachings.

"Rocks, rock, wood is good, foam is home, made in the shade..." Darkpaw muttered softly, repeating the words to remember them and then giggling to herself at the way it sounded all blended together, "I won't forget, Ebonyhaze." And then there came more instruction and a demonstration. It did not matter to her in the slightest that his efforts were not fruitful, she was impressed by his vast knowledge and spent a brief moment wrestling with the idea that one day she too might be able to know just as much. Before the apprentice knew it, he was inviting her forward to try.

Darkpaw shot him a quizzical look, as if to ask if he was really sure. Despite the brief hesitation in her step, she crept closer to the water's edge. The shadows flickered just under the surface. They were sparse and quick. She swallowed, trying to focus on just one took more effort than she had thought. When the calico she-cat thought she had finally found a target, she swiped, breaking the surface in a crude motion. Her paw came up empty and water droplets coated her maw. She ducked and pulled into herself at the unexpected sensation. One forepaw rose to swipe at the water on her face and she shook her coat out slightly.

"They're very fast today. Are they always like this?"

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 7

He watched Darkpaw take her place near the water, not allowing his lips to twitch into a frown when she missed. This season was hard and it was her first attempt. He was proud of her for getting as close as she was, she just needed a little more coaching.

However, his smile did dwindle at her question. "No, not usually. The fish have been sparse and agitated lately. I assume it's the weather, older warriors say that previous leaf-bares weren't this difficult." He paused, looking over the water for a new target and trying to find the words to turn this into a positive. He didn't want to dampen the mood. "But I wouldn't be frightened. If we can learn to fish when the rivers are empty, then we will only be better fishers when they are full and the weather is warm again."

He took a few steps to the right as he eyed an approaching fish, getting just a bit closer before waiting for his prey to close the remaining paw-lengths. "Another tip, try and be confident when you strike. Hesitation causes your paws to slow, giving the fish a moment extra to escape. It's easier said than done, but trust in your abilities makes your paws more fluid and quick."

He let the fish wander closer before dunking his paws in once more, feeling satisfaction as his claws hooked scales this time. He brought it up to the surface, digging his teeth behind its skull for a better hold to drag it further onto shore. "See? Like that."

Ebonyhaze attempted to catch a fish. He was successful! -7SP

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 3

His answer was rather reassuring, and she felt the slight quickening to her heartbeat slow with the comforting notion. It wasn't just her, nor was this always the circumstance. Wide eyes glanced over the river with it's icy banks and frosted surface. Everything was cold - it had been her whole life. She wondered what the world looked like when it wasn't frozen but that seemed so far away. Someday she'd know but for now it was scattered fish and snow-speckled coats. With a blink, her attention turned back to Ebonyhaze.

She tuned in just in time to hear what he said about the river being plentiful. That brought a soft smile to Darkpaw's maw and her whiskers twitched, "I can't wait." The she-cat seemed to be brimming with happiness at the idea. Nodding along to his advice, she watched eagerly for his next attempt. And it was a success too! Darkpaw was practically beaming and she chimed in with a quick praise for her mentor, "That was great! I can't wait to catch fish just like you, Ebonyhaze."

With that, the apprentice supposed it was her turn. She gazed over the water, locking eyes on a passing fish and tensed her muscles for another attempt. As she lashed out, her paw sliced the surface and threw a little silvery fish from its home in the waters. Her eyes had squeezed shut but they popped open as soon as she felt the slippery sensation against her pads. It flopped against the bank a few times before she managed to gather herself enough to nab it. Unsheathing her claws into its skin was much harder than she expected but she forced herself to do it, piercing through scales and slowing the creature's movements.

"I did it! I really did it! Do you think I can bring it back to Cloverheart?" The broad smile creased itself into the edges of her maw and she shook excitedly from nose to tail tip. She glanced up at her mentor with the question, her eyes were innocent and expectant. Even when the zeal build in her words, her voice was still soft and light.

Darkpaw tried to catch a fish, it was successful! [-14sp because i forgot last time]

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 3