Getting Stronger [c]

The pine grove always smelled of twolegs, even when he was a small apprentice himself, but now everything smelled of twolegs. He was lucky enough to avoid their traps personally, but cats were still stumbling upon them. He was sure to tell his new apprentice to beware on their first day exploring the territory. He didn't know why twolegs cared to travel out into the marshes to capture their warriors, he figured the wet ground would be hard to navigate with how they lumbered on two paws. Regardless, hunting couldn't wait for the twolegs to be gone, they would just have to be stealthy like proper Shadowclan warriors.

"Frogs and lizards are a little difficult this time of year, but you can find them a little easier here where the undergrowth is less prevalent. There are fewer hiding spots for them, so you don't have to check as many when searching. Though, your safest bet for now is rodents like mice. They're busy looking for food. If you're careful and your paws are light, you can sneak up on them," Locustcall explained as he walked, his eyes scanning for any signs of life, prey or predator. He had been attacked by an owl on his first day out, and that was no one's fault, Locustcall speculated bringing his apprentice home injured within their first week would look bad on him

He lifted his nose to the air, his jaws parting to let the chill air rush over his pallet and taste the air. He perked up a bit when the scent of a mouse graced his nose. "Taste the air; there's prey nearby, can to smell it?" He glanced over to the younger cat, crouching down low and keeping his voice soft. "I'll catch this one as a demonstration. Watch where you step when you stalk and keep to the shadows. Keep downwind to make sure your scent doesn't carry and give yourself away."

Locustcall remained beneath the shade of the pine trees that gave the grove its name, the tall grasses ahead of them shuffling with the movement of prey. His paws were light and careful, stepping only on the soft grasses as he crept closer.

However, before he could get too close, a squeak sounded out with a woosh of wings, an owl having reached the mouse before he could.

"By Starclan, of course!" Locustcall snarl, his tail lashing in irritation. He didn't need this right now! His muscles bunched under his pelt before launching himself forward at the predatory bird, letting his claws rake into its wings and force it back. The owl shriek and thrashed in shock, a talon scratching down his side and making the tom hiss. "Impromptu battle training! The throat and belly are the softest parts. Dig your claws there!"

Locustcall attempted to catch a mouse but summoned a predator instead! -5 SP

Locustcall used Jumping Strike, costing 7 SP and dealing 8 damage! (+4 from first attack and Night Finesse)
Owl used Talon Strike, costing 10 SP and dealing 7 damage!

Locustcall:
33/40 HP (-7)
88/100 SP (-12)

Owl:
18/30 HP (-12)
80/90 SP (-10)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 10

Padding behind Locustcall, Tigerpaw took in the territory. How moist everything always seemed to be, even in leaf-bare, and the scent of twolegs in this particular outcropping he had heard called the Pine Grove. Stars, he wanted to not get captured by them ever again. The scars of whatever they had done to him had healed, though he had come out with an extra one on his lip... he had nearly escaped when they first grabbed him, but landing on your face doesn't help matters when it comes to running.

Nevertheless, Tigerpaw's ears perked up when Locustcall began to speak, explaining prey and how to properly catch it. That was something he'd have to learn, to be useful to Shadowclan. Sooner, rather than later. Scenting the air, the apprentice did everything his mentor did. A little carbon copy, although he was far clumsier in his movements. When he deemed his own imitations enough, the tom remained crouched in the undergrowth as Locustcall continued toward the mouse.

Suddenly he was startled by a screech, and Locustcall's snarl. Immediately standing, Tigerpaw narrowed his gaze. He had never seen an owl before, but it had immediately gone for his mentor, ripping a bloody streak in his side. Ears flattening against his head, Tigerpaw sprinted toward the large bird, claws digging into wings and chest feathers. He brought it down, quite possibly through sheer luck, his fairly light body weight keeping the creature pinned to the ground. His claws dug into whatever they could grab as he grappled with it, trying to let his mentor take the owl down.

Tigerpaw used Leap and Hold, dealing 7 total damage (6 + 1 Night Finesse), and using 15 stamina!
The Owl is pinned for 1 turn!

Tigerpaw
20/20 HP
45/60 SP (-15)

Locustcall
33/40 HP
88/100 SP

Owl [PIN 1 TURN]
11/30 HP (-7)
80/90 SP

The member 'Alexcentria' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Effect Dice' : 2

Tigerpaw lept into battle with the bravery he would have expected from a born clan cat, the predatory bird letting out a shrill cry underneath the apprentice's attack. Already disoriented with Locustcall's blow, the apprentice's weight was more than enough to keep the owl grounded. "Good, keep on its wings. Make sure it can't take flight again." The tom always preferred to get rid of a predator when he could. A retreated owl would return later and carry off a lone apprentice.

With the bird pinned, Locstcall lashed out with his teeth, digging his fangs deep into the bird's throat. Flesh was hard to find beneath the thick coat of feathers, but the rich taste of iron soon coated his tongue and the bird's struggles began to lessen.

He lifted his head. Even if they walked away now, the owl would most likely perish from the damage; it was no threat to kits or young apprentices anymore... "Not a customary prey item, but I suppose this works. Most prey is small enough to dispatch with a quick bite to the throat or back of the head. Their bones are brittle. For something as large as this, sink your teeth in the front of their throat and squeeze." Locustcall adjusted himself, his paws on the owl's talons so it could not retaliate, not that it had much energy to do so anyway. "Let an owl be the first prey you catch."

Locustcall used Snap, costing 7 SP and dealing 8 Damage (+1 from Night Finese)
The Owl is Pinned and Cannot Attack!

Tigerpaw:
20/20 HP
45/60 SP

Locustcall:
33/40 HP
81/100 SP (-7)

Owl: Pinned (1/1)
2/30 HP (-9)
80/90 SP

Tigerpaw felt his struggle against the owl begin to lessen as Locustcall dug sharp teeth into the owl's throat, having stayed on the wings of the large bird like he was instructed. Words reached his ears, despite the pounding sound of his heart within them. The first prey he would catch... Golden eyes trailed down to the owl's bleeding throat. Sink the teeth in and squeeze...

That was exactly what the young apprentice did, imitating what Locustcall did, he widened the wound in the owl's throat. The tom held on until the movement had stopped, and when he did finally lift his head, his chin dripped with blood. "Like that, Locustcall?" Tigerpaw asked before he began dragging the owl closer. He would only be half listening though, his mentor's words still ringing through his head. The first prey he would catch...

Tigerpaw used Snap, dealing 7 (6 + 1 Night finesse) damage, and using 7 stamina!

The Owl is dead!

Locustcall watched wordlessly as blood bubbled up between feathers, staining white and brown plumage red between the young tom's teeth. The owl was basically dead already, lingering by a thread, but Tigerpaw finished it off. Satisfaction flourished in his chest. Most apprentices would claim a lizard or mouse as their first kill, perhaps a bird if they were particularly stealthy. However, Tigerpaw, his apprentice, had killed a bird of prey. With assistance, but that didn't matter to Locustcall.

"Yes, just like that, you did perfectly." His gaze quickly flicked over the apprentice to ensure they weren't hurt during the scuffle. His own scratch stung, but it could wait. "Imagine dragging that back to camp while the others are clutching mouse tails. Perhaps I should be teaching you to hunt weasels instead." His words came as jest, but the idea of his apprentice turning into a predator hunter was admittedly thrilling.

"Do you wanna try and catch something else or do you wanna show off to the other apprentices?" In Locustcall's professional opinion, if the young tom could kill an owl, he could catch a mouse, but it would still be best to have some tangible evidence of that. However, that could be now or later. What was really important was fostering a sense of pride in combat. Too many of the clan's apprentices are soft and vain for his liking.

"Could you? Teach me to hunt weasels? I don't mean now, maybe when I'm bigger and you've trained me more... but I think I'd like that." Tigerpaw had already begun his task of burying the owl... his first prey. "I need to do more. I want to catch something else." Golden eyes flicked to Locustcall's wound, concern quickly showing on the young tom's face. "I'll make it quick, I promise." Trotting away, Tigerpaw put his nose to the air, attempting to sniff out something that had hidden when the owl attacked... maybe in a vulnerable place.

After a few minutes of scenting the air periodically, taking care to not step on anything that would scare off his prey, Tigerpaw caught wind of a mouse. It would do for now. With haste, he crouched into the still awkward hunting stance. His legs splayed out more than he would like, but he knew Locustcall would teach him. Of course he would. Creeping forward, inwardly catching himself looking forward to the taste of blood once more, he found the mouse's hiding place. Pine needles and leaf litter, it would be a good place for hiding from an owl. But not from him.

With a small shake of his rear, his paws got close together, the apprentice leapt onto the leaf litter before him. A small squeak sounded from the pile as Tigerpaw's head dove in after his paws, claws having already caught onto delicate flesh. It only took one bite to silence the mouse. It was all he needed. A part of him wished it had been more of a fight... That feeling in itself confused the tom, but what mattered was that it was over, and proudly, he brought his catch back to his mentor. "I promised I would make it quick," he mumbled, mouth still filled with mouse. Then he got back to work, paws clawing at the loose dirt he had scraped over the owl until he could fit a part of it in his mouth too. It was probably too much for the young tom to carry, but Tigerpaw didn't care. His mentor was wounded, he would carry it. It would be good training too, in a way.

The member 'Alexcentria' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 5

Locustcall chuckled. "I like your enthusiasm, but let's wait until you're a little bigger before we start really searching for predators to hunt. Leopardsun would have my pelt if I brought back an injured apprentice this early. Though, once we have some battle training down, we'll see about finding a few weasels," the calico tom promised. It was nice to have an apprentice just as exhilarated by battle as he. Locustcall would have fun training this one.

The flash of worry made the warrior flick his tail dismissively. "Don't rush because of me, it's just a scratch." He twisted to lick away some of the blood that was clotting in his long dark fur. It looked bad and stung like hot rocks, but it should scar over fine as long as he doesn't roll in the mud on the way back. "Take your time and focus. I want to see what you can do."

Amber eyes followed the young tabby as they tracked, staying behind and letting the apprentice do most of the work. It was day one of hunting, Locustcall didn't expect perfection, so nothing was said about the splayed paws or the kittenish wriggling of his hindquarters as the younger cat neared his prey. Locustcall kept quiet and still, letting Tigerpaws skills be the only determinant of the hunt.

The tabby lept, and Locustcall purred loudly when he lifted his head to reveal his small catch. "Ah, you must be a natural, catching something first try. All you need is keep your paws tucked in a little tighter and keep your haunches still and you'd be perfect" He praised, enthusiastically attempting to bolster the apprentice's confidence. Tigerpaw struggled to try and carry both "prey" at once, but Locustcall let him. He deserved to lay claim to both kills in a tangible manner... though he'd offer help if dragging the bird through the marsh became too difficult. "Let's see how everyone else reacts to your catches." The larger tom gestured toward camp with a grin. It would be a good chance for Locustcall to brag too, but he wouldn't say that aloud.