Cloudypaw's training (Hunting)

Eaglefly could still remember quite vividly the first time his mentor Flutterpetal had taken him out for hunting lessons back when he was an apprentice. Back then of course, the clan was home-home not stranded on some star forsaken lake huddled around fighting off sickness and despair. The soft winds blowing the long tall grasses of the moorlands now seemed like a distant memory that was all but out of reach for even the longest of outstretched paws.


Blinking away his daydream of the past he sat up at the task seemingly at paw... The cheers of Cloudypaw's ceremony still rung in his ears. He promised himself he would not joke around while he was training her even though the jester was truly his nature. He was the clanmate that would do anything for even the slightest of grins from a fellow clanmate, the one who would pull the silliest (and always harmless) of pranks.

Perhaps today was good to lay off the stunts however, Cloudypaw was his main focus and he would not allow another apprentice of his to go missing like the last time. The news that she had gotten a bit sick had reached his ears and that troubled him a great deal. He hadn't even gotten to begin their training yet and already the poor apprentice was hit by the sickness everyone else seemed to be getting. For him, he had managed to remain almost completly unscratched by it. Sure, a little sniffle here or there but that was the extent of it all.

Licking at a front paw and running it over his ears while he thought about what could be done. Perhaps... what if- she could train just at a slower pace? He could show her the basics right here in camp! They could take it easy as she needed and so on so that Daisypaw the new med cat would not be upset with him and he would still be keeping the promise to himself of being a better mentor this time and not let Soot down.

It made sense in his mind at least. Trotting over to where the sick cats were he went around till he found his apprentice. "Cloudypaw? I know you do not feel the greatest... would you still want to train just a little bit? Right here in camp even so you dont have to spend much energy at all" he offered in a low meow.

He put a front paw out wanting to demonstrate what he had in mind.

"Even if you can just sit up a little and watch me as I explain" he purred and went over to where he was sure the apprentice could view him from the comfort of her nest.

"Today is all about how to hunt. Ill sorta give you a demo and you can stay right where ya are and dont gotta move a muscle for now. And- once you are feeling much bettr' we can try for real later." he purred "does that sound like a good idea?" he asked tilting his head. He wanted to give her the option if she wanted to continue this at all or not... He would understand if maybe she felt so sick that even this sounded too much.

Cloudypaw had done nothing but pout in between naps in the makeshift medicine den since she got sick. Daisypaw had given her herbs that eased her symptoms, but she insisted on her being in the medicine den so she could keep watch. Thankfully, she had great company with Daisypaw, but her paws longed to be an apprentice. She wanted to learn how to hunt. How to fight. How to do all of these things she longed to be a part of as a kit. It felt like StarClan hated her, and that she was destined to be in this weird position forever. A few days ago, she made the decision she wasn't going to let her symptoms beat her, no matter how severe. She had just left the medicine den for the first time since getting sick. It was the perfect timing.

"Eaglefly!" She croaked out in surprise and excitement as he entered the medicine den, her voice being scratchy from her uncountable coughing sessions. She listened to his plan, her eyes sparkling with determination. She shakily rose to her paws in her nest, taking a few wobbly steps forward. "I want to do it! I can do it!" She insisted, desperate to get out of the medicine den. "Please?" She sounded pitiful and desperate, almost like she was still just a kit.

Her heart swelled with love for her mentor - it was almost like he knew exactly what she needed. Even if she couldn't train like the other apprentices, she could still feel like she was making some progress.

Eaglefly blinked a couple times startled by her enthusiasm. The goofy tom gave a toothy grin and gave a short nod. "okay... well Daisypaw will have my pelt mounted on the wall if I take you out in the cold cold while you still got your cough but I got an idea dont worry!"

The joker-tom scurried about turning around and around as if looking for something.  He spotted a leaf that was in the corner of their make-shift den at their new home.

He nearly squealed with delight even at the finding of something that most would consider quite trivial and practically dove onto it with both his front paws trapping it.


"so I will show ya the basics right here and that way when you feel all better we can go hunt some rabbits he explained with a purr,

Eaglefly is very optomistic as well, notice his wording of beliving 100% his apprentice would heal with time, with him it would always be 'when you get better'  not 'if you get better'  

He believed so much that everyone would get better soon... they had to right??


He scratched at his ear with his hind leg because his ear itched and he was very easily distracted.

hmm what was I doing again?

He shook his head sending his puffy-ish coat all puffy-out

"Right then!!" he meowed matching his apprentices eager excitment.

"okay okay I got the perfect plan this is gonna be so cool!" he said bounding a little ways away and setting down the leaf from her as he explained:

"So what you will do is just for now pretend the leaf is a rabbit.  This way you can stay in the med den and Daisypaw will not come hunting us both down.  I'll show you the basic ideas then you can practice catching the leaf"

He purred and demonstrated a hunters stealth crouch, "you keep your tail real low to the ground and belly hovering just over the surface of the earth... back home we have longer grass than here so you will have to keep that in mind when we go back home too he purred thinking about the moorlands back home and how he and his old mentor Flutterpetal used to race around the grassy hills.

"Then, you sneak as close as you can to it and pounce on it" he demonstrated walking forwards stealty in his low stance to her and eyed her so she could try too.


"ok, you try now and when you are ready, pounce on the leaf"


(OOC: just remember to attatch the dice to your post.  This way I can also get my T5 req of getting an apprentice to use the dice roll for a hunting practice :D Thank you for being an awesome apprentice I cant wait to train with them more.  Once they are all healed up I will get us a spar practice one too so we can both get that req next )

Cloudypaw watched with wide, eager eyes as Eaglefly went about his antics. Her heart raced with anticipation - grateful to be included and engage in some form of training, even if she was just trying to catch a leaf.

As he explained the basics, she nodded curtly every time he looked at her to reassure him that she was listening. She was determined to absorb every piece of information, even if she wasn't feeling the best. She took as many mental notes as possible while watching him demonstrate what she was going to soon try. Oh... That's how you do that! She thought, reflecting on her previous crouch attempts. Amusement flickered in her eyes as she recalled her and Galepaw trying their best as kits.

"I can do that!" She declared immediately, her voice raspy and she released a small wheeze. His optimism and excitement filled her with energy and confidence. She thrived under his guidance. She felt appreciative that he didn't mention her eye in his lesson - she felt like an actual, genuine apprentice without any sort of shortcuts.

Taking a few steps out of her nest, she wobbly dropped down in a crouch a few tail-lengths away from the leaf. She kept her bushy tail low and tried to account for the high grasses at home as she lowered her belly. Home.. Such a weird thought, this was the only home she had ever known. She imagined the leaf as the mouse she had attempted to catch on her first night out as an apprentice, though the moment was soured by the fight with Galepaw that had followed.

As she approached the leaf, she wiggled her haunches and launched forward - her claws unsheathed.

Cloudypaw attempted to catch a leaf... Failure!
55 / 60 SP

She overshot it. She landed behind the leaf, on the other side, tumbling and collapsing into a mess of fur much like she did as a kit. It gave her a pang of guilt - that made Galepaw and Daisypaw worry so much about her back then... She looked up, with a concerned smile, at Eagefly. She was hoping he wouldn't react negatively. It's not her fault she had no depth perception, right?

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

---

'Hunting Dice' : 5

Eaglefly watched with held breath as she got the crouch down almost right away.

Moments later she went for it!

He blinked and gritted his teeth a little as she tumbled over.  But, not because he was upset with her he just wanted her to get it and was also hoping she hadn't strained anything with the tumble.


He sat down besides her and nodded slowly.  "do not worry, that happens to everyone.
Even experienced warriors."

he gave a little classic goofy smile of his, "one time I was hunting on the moorlands hills and I rolled a paw on the steep angle of the slope and tumbled all the way down past the rabbit and ruined the hunt for everyone alerting all the rabbits in the area" he purred recalling the silly blunder of his that he could now look back at and laugh at.

"Cloudypaw? I can train you how to crouch low, how to leap how to spar and how to be a warrior in general.  But one of the most important things in life is something I can not train you but you have to learn in time is this.  You will mess up from time to time and how to get back up to your paws afterwards.  It is something that you will have to find yourself, its not something you can learn from me or anyone else. But, it is the definition of true inner strength, how you act after you make mistakes."

He gave her a soft smile and reached out a paw offering to help her back up to her paws.

"perhaps the best thing I can warn you of is not of badgers or of foxes but that life will throw you curve-mossballs from time to time.  It is not about always staying on your paws when life hits you but how you get back up afterwards"

Cloudypaw looked up at Eaglefly, embarrassment and gratitude dancing in her eyes. The genuine concern and advice provided after her failed attempt were beyond valuable. As he spoke, she felt a warmth blossoming in her heart. It resonated on a deeper level than just apprentice training - deeper than Eaglefly probably realized. It was more than that - it was the encouragement she needed to continue stepping up when she fell later on in life too. Every other cat worried about her and her capabilities, but Eaglefly was different. He approached her with a tumble of his own and advice. Nothing about her personally: her capabilities, her strengths, her weaknesses - nothing. He didn't worry about her. She nodded as he spoke, absorbing what he said.

"Thank you, Eaglefly. That means a lot more than you'll ever know." She croaked, admitting the impact of his words. He deserved to know how much she needed to hear words like these. The last time she had a significant tumble, she had been told she was different than every other cat. Newfound determination laced her words.

She accepted his paw with a grateful grin, slowly raising to her own wobbly paws with a wheeze. Excitement sparkled in her eyes and she was ready to face the curve-mossballs that training may throw at her.

"What's next?!"