and away we go [brightpaw training]

Mother Tongue
Forest Tongue

This was a place his father had frequented before he had disappeared: the stone tunnel that seemed to stretch on forever, the low rumbling of monsters being heard from within as they passed overhead. "We start with hunting today. Watch what I do, but don't lose heart if you can't copy it exactly. Our bodies are very different from each other: what works for me may not work well for you. I encourage you to experiment and find your own technique" He remembered his training with Thrushnose and how he had tried to copy his movements exactly, only to fall off balance from the difference of body weight.

Vinecrawler made it a point to scent the air around them, not expecting to find much of anything.... Unfortunately, that was true. Not a single scent wafted his way. "...That's very unfortunate. How about you give it a try? Scent the air like I have done. Once you have found a scent, follow it quietly and stay down wind. Stay crouched as low as you can and watch your step: any sudden sounds may scare your prey." He gave a slight nod to Brightpaw.

Natural Instict is active: +1 to all hunting rolls for feral born cats only

Vinecrawler attempted to scent a bird... Unsuccessful! -5SP

Vinecrawler:
75 / 80 SP

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 3

He felt the blood coursing through his veins. His first catch, and he thought it would be easy too. He found a squirrel scrambling its way through the grass, munching on an acorn clamped in its jaws. Brightpaw was ecstatic! He had smelled the squirrel while he was just a few fox lengths away. He pawed his way quite fast; the squirrel perked its ears up. It heard rustling. The squirrel dropped the acorn. Brightpaw was surprised. "Dumb squirrel!" he squealed, pushing his forelegs on the ground. His heart was pacing, thinking he had scared it off. The squirrel scrambled from its position and Brightpaw was already mid-pounce. He showed determination in his eyes, just to thud on the ground and roll backwards. "Did I kill it?!" he mewed. He still felt his kit blood run through him, just like the energetic little fur ball he was. He found the brown pelt of a squirrel rushing towards it, hoping it was dead. He came to no avail; the squirrel escaped his grasp and he rushed towards it. "Stupid... little..." Brightpaw grunted, wrapping his tail around his body and sitting down. He moped, definitely still acting like a tiny kit goofing around. "Maybe if Bluepaw was here..." he added, but staring at his mentor across the clearing, he trotted towards him. "I didn't catch it," he mumbled disappointedly. Moping was no use after all; he felt like a flop, thinking hunting was easy, thinking everything was easy. His tail pricked up as he tried to change the subject. "Did you catch something?" he asked.

brightpaw attempted to catch a squirrel. -5 SP

Brightpaw SP: 55/60

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 7

Mother Tongue
Forest Tongue

Vinecrawler could feel the frustration from tail-lengths away as he watched his apprentice try and ultimately fail to capture a squirrel. A heavy sigh left him. Not because he thought Brightpaw was a failure, but because the forest itself had set him up to fail. Already he held distain for how small ThunderClan borders were, but now that the forest seemed lifeless and uninhabitable...? His father had been right to leave.

He shook his head at Brightpaw's question. "Not a single feather, unfortunately." His lip curled in annoyance as he replayed his apprentices form in his head. "Open your ears when I speak to you, Brightpaw. Your form was fine, but you need to be patient - and quiet! If your prey reacts as though it [i]might have heard you, you stay as still as stone until you are certain it really did notice you. Otherwise you waste time and energy. Go again. I understand that you're excited for your first hunt, but keep it contained until your claws are beneath its flesh."[/b] He flicked his tail in a manner that ordered the apprentice to try again. In the mean time, Vinecrawler scented the air once more, determined to bring something to camp for his siblings to eat. His ears perked as a scent finally came his way, only recognizable as some sort of rodent until that long, skinny tail peeked through some fallen leaves: a rat. Using his back legs to spring off the ground, the sandy warrior landed with grace and claws on top of his prey.

Vinecrawler attempted to catch a rat... Success! -5 SP

Vinecrawler:
70 / 80 SP

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 1

Brightpaw felt the anger in him rise. He felt his fur prickle up in dismay at Vinecrawler's words, but instead of lashing out, he nodded, turned his tail, and walked back to the spot where he had scented the squirrel. A thrush! He'd be sure to catch it!

He slowly tiptoed in a low hunting crouch, trying to stay downwind. He understood that Vinecrawler just wanted the best for him, but the thrush was minding its own business, tweeting and chirping. Brightpaw hid in the ferns, unsheathed his claws, and sprung his legs into the air. He was just a golden blur rushing through the sunlight. The thrush looked up. Brightpaw felt determination in his fur. The thrush flew away, and he grunted. He heard something hissing and growling like a dog. He turned around. "Hm?" A badger. He remembered one from his kithood; many warriors had helped him, but now it was just him and Vinecrawler. He stared up at it, a look of shock on his face. The badger sent its paw crashing on the ground. Brightpaw blinked, unsheathing his claw and trying to attack back, but it was too late. He was tossed across the hollow with ease, wincing in pain as he felt something crush in his body: his foreleg. It was limp and stiff. The badger had broken it! His head was spinning; everything was dizzy. An image of Bluepaw being sprawled across the clearing flashed in his mind.

Brightpaw attempted to hunt a thrush. -5 SP

Brightpaw
HP: 3/20
SP: 50/60

Badger
HP: 90/90
SP: 122/150

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 9

Mother Tongue
Forest Tongue

Before Vinecrawler could open his mouth to demand the young tom flee, it was too late. It felt like it all happened in slow motion: Brightpaw was standing, and then suddenly he was sprawled out on the ground, a leg bent where it shouldn't be. This scene felt all too similar to the one at Owl Tree during his own apprenticeship. A sigh escaped him, worried how the Mother of ThunderClan would react if he came home with a dead apprentice he was given just moments ago. He could still get this tom to the medicine den, all other limbs seemed fine to untrained eye, at least. While blood tinged the air, the warrior did not sense the God of Death skulking the brush... His apprentice would make it back alive. Weak as he was from lack of a proper meal, Vinecrawler forced himself forward, pinning the badger to ground and digging his feral claws in deep. "Neither of us will be dying here today, Brightpaw. That's the only thing I can promise."

Vinecrawler used Leap and Hold, dealing 7 damage and using 15 stamina.  

Vinecrawler
HP: 30 / 30
SP: 55 / 80 (-15)

Brightpaw
HP: 3/20
SP: 50/60

Badger pinned for 1 turn
HP: 90/90 (-7)
SP: 122/150

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

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'Effect Dice' : 2

Brightpaw got up in his fear and the flashback. He turned around and ran, his paws outstretched, one of the front ones bleeding. He closed his eyes, two options flashing before him: run or flee. He was no scaredy-cat. He faced his Mentor and bravely nodded, rushing towards the Badger, flinging his unsheathed claws, lashing out at it. He may have been a coward, but would he let something that harmed him do so without consequences? No, of course he wouldn't. The Badger was stunned; it couldn't move. It was his chance to get away before it could move. He leaped over the Badger, whirling behind it, getting to his paws. His side seemed to be badly damaged and was bleeding heavily. "I-I'm okay. I can still fight!" he meowed to Vinecrawler.


Brightpaw used front paw strike, dealing 6 HP and using 7 SP  


Brightpaw
HP: 3/20
SP: 43/60

Badger
HP: 84/90 (-6)
SP:122/150