✦Savor the night✦【Closed】

❒ As he had promised during her apprentice ceremony, the new mentor-apprentice duo were going to begin training at dusk. The dark was a Shadowclanner's best friend, after all. It would benefit Batpaw greatly if she learned to hunt in the dark early on. It'll make everything else much easier.

❒ Forestbreeze had sought out his apprentice sometime during the early part of the day to remind her to get some rest so she could be energized enough for their training. It was now time and the warrior had just returned from alerting the young molly and then had instructed her to meet him at the camp's entrance. It was where he was now. Forest sat and waited patiently for the dark-furred apprentice's arrival. He allowed his mind to wander for the time being. He was hoping to make their training fun. He prayed his awkwardness didn't rear its ugly head.

❒ Forest shook his head to clear his thoughts at the sight of his apprentice coming his way. He smiled brightly and stood up with a bit of a stretch. "Batpaw! Ready?" When she confirmed he nodded and began to step into the territory. "Let's go, then," he purred with an excited tone.

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❒ The warrior decided to explain what they'd be doing while they walked. He moved a bit slower than normal so Batpaw could observe their territory under the serene light of the rising moon. He might take her on a tour of the territory during the day eventually. "For your first lesson, I'll teach you how to hunt. Specifically, how to hunt at night," he began, "It's a staple of our clan and is important for you to learn early on. It's not just to get you started on the basics of catching prey but to prepare you for harsher situations such as unexpected attacks by helping you get accustomed to using and sharpening your senses during a time when things are harder to spot. The darkness of the night can hide dangers much more effectively but can also aid in hiding you from said dangers if you utilize the stillness of the night and the plethora of shadows well. It can also help when we're the ones launching an attack. Ambushes are the most effective from the shadows, after all."

❒ He sighed as he paused his explanations. It had been a lot to speak about in such a short amount of time and he wasn't even done. He smiled down at his apprentice. "I hope you don't have to fight anything or anyone so soon but one could never be too careful. I just want you to be safe and happy." He turned his head to look back forward. "We're currently on our way to the Pine Grove. It's an area in the territory that seems to bring better luck during hunting trips than most other places. However, we must be careful because the scent of twolegs and their monsters never leaves," he paused and thought for a moment before speaking up again, "In case you didn't know before, twolegs are large, furless creatures that walk on two legs instead of four. They look very strange with their disfigured, clawless paws that are long and spindly and their lack of tails. They do have fur on top of their heads and sometimes on their face. Some strange, loose pelts seem to wrap around them in most places. They've been known to cause problems for us clan cats so I urge you to stay as far away as you can from them." He narrowed his eyes before continuing, "Monsters are huge beasts that are strong enough to kill anything instantly. They have strange, shiny skin that lacks any fur and no noticeable limbs. Their huge eyes glow a blinding yellow or even orange. They smell terrible—their smell has been known to blind kits. They make this awful rumbling sound that shakes the ground and scares away all the prey. They can come in all different shapes, colors, and sizes but they all have two things in common; they're merciless and they seem to be friends with the twolegs. Some even claim to have seen twolegs getting inside the monsters to travel with them. The only good thing is that they usually stay within the Thunderpath and rarely deviate from their paths. However, some do move away and go into the forests, like the ones that have been scented around the Pine Grove. Anyway, it should be assumed that both the twolegs and the monsters occasionally roam around there but I never see them. So far, it's been relatively safe but if we see, hear, or even smell something suspicious, we'll have to make a swift exit, just in case." With that, the warrior hurried his pace so they could arrive faster at their destination.

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❒ The mentor-apprentice duo finally arrived at the Pine Grove and the tom stopped them near the edge of the clearing. "We're here and there doesn't seem to be any signs of danger so it's fine to stay here." He turned to look at Batpaw. "Alright, first things first, I'm going to teach you the hunting crouch." He stepped back so his apprentice could get a good look at his movements. "Watch me carefully while I explain," he said as he bent down into a normal crouch. "As the name implies, you need to start off with a crouch. Next, separate your paws like this." He proceeded to shuffle his paws to where he was able to get closer to the ground. "Distribute your weight evenly to all your paws so you don't go lopsided. Also, make sure your belly is not touching the ground since that creates a rustle that could alert your prey and enemies. Hover and don't press." He allowed the young molly to get close up to see his positioning. "Your tail should mimic your belly—keep it just slightly above the ground and don't drag it. Parallel to the ground is how it should be." He lowered his tail to mimic his instructions. He turned to face Batpaw and began to creep forward, staying in the hunting crouch. "See how stealthily I'm moving? Once you start sneaking forward, you can put a little more weight on your front paws than your back ones if you need to regain balance. Your senses should always be open, even when you're focused on stalking your prey. Also, once you've spotted your prey, sneak over and stop only until you're a two tail-lengths away so you don't undershoot or overshoot. If you manage to snag the prey, kill it with a bite and you can officially call it a success."

❒ Forest stood up and nodded at the younger cat. "Now, watch as I put it all into action. Then, it'll be your turn to try." The grey-and-white warrior proceeded to scent the area and once he smelled a mouse nearby, he dropped into the hunting crouch. He stalked the small, furry creature until he was at a leap's distance and quickly sprung at it, claws out.

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❒ He managed to swiftly catch and kill the rodent. The warrior lifted the mouse by its tail and showed it to Batpaw once he walked over to her. He placed it down and smiled. "Now, try to do the hunting crouch. Don't worry if you struggle. Just keep trying and don't give up. I'll be here if you need some aid. Once you've got it down, I'll have you try your paw at hunting prey. I'll be close by then as well as to help you if you need any."