new dawn, new day [c]

A peculiar secondary shadow graced the well-traversed steps of Larkspring; sharp undercurrent of enthusiasm immediately tangible in the way little Jaypaw leapt from snowdrift to snowdrift just several paces behind, darkened coat softened and made further unkempt with the continuous showers of snowfall incurred. An idling observer would probably sooner assume that Larkspring was being chased by an especially finicky lemming, rather than accompanied by his latest apprentice. To many, there was little worth excitement when it came to the frigid teeth of the mountains, the world awashed with somber hues of snow and stone and so little life to be etched out of the fathomless cold. To Jaypaw, it was home nonetheless, life only beginning in the fraught moons in exile from the forest.

Besides, freedom was a terribly exciting concept, was it not? Even if it was only freedom to get blown into a chasm by a particularly fierce gust of wind.

Skuttling to a halt a pace or two behind Larkspring, Jaypaw nodded with enough voracity to send a secondary shower of snow in the direction of his rather dry and bleak mentor. "Right!" The dark-mottled tabby nodded, the delicate lines of untried musculature puffing out in an attempt to feign age and competence in pursuit of further approval. Though there was relief in the prospect that Larkspring would correct his missteps, he had very little intent to do little other than find imminent success with his first hunting outing. There was simply no other choice to be given- he had to show up Minnowpaw!

Though, as the universe tended to delight in, there was little worldly luck and graces offered to Jaypaw- even his first clumsily coy attempts to pursue after an absently idling sparrow on ground level was met with little other than immediate failure. Evidently a bit too heavy-pawed in his preliminary steps, untried and unpracticed in the necessary stealth truly required to master the hunting of such flighty, delicate creatures. Dark ears slipping back in a forlorn expression of partially obscured embarrassment, Jaypaw's features grew hot as he watched the sparrow rocket to the air with a shrill shriek of alarm. "Hmm," he grumbled, not fully willing to meet Larkspring's awaiting gaze, "it looked sick anyways."

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Jaypaw
20/20 [HP]
55/60 [SP] [-5 in SP due to hunting roll!]

[hunting dice roll for bird - FAILED]

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 9

Huh.

The delicate risings of the flighting bird was taunting in all the medium it was not; the the rhythmic beating of fine, magnanimous wings drifting faintly in abject rhythm to the hollow resonance of Jaypaw's newly-sullen heart. Though Larkspring's evident lack of care in such immediate failures helped lessen the disappointed sting of loss, it clouded the reach of careful guided instruction given in leeway of the secondary attempt meant to be shaping up.

If birds were truly meant to pitiful prey by comparison to the acquired palette of RiverClan, Jaypaw was wholly uncultured by virtue of spending his youth stranded in the rocky lands of faraway mountains and lakes.

"Of course," Jaypaw mewed dutifully, forcing the voracious thump of his blood to settle- his eager desperation to conform to the rigid ideals of training with Larkspring had already left him floundering once, doing such things twice would serve little benefit other than continued embarrassment. The ensuing heartbeats of careful silence felt, at once, magnanimous and wounding in the long-winded lapsing; the careful drag of his own blood fading into a wired focus on the sparse force winding all along the cliff-sides between the two toms. To focus so intensely upon his surroundings was wholly unfamiliar to Jaypaw, despite the quick reward that manifested in the shape of a faint squeaking arising to his attentions.

Though, Jaypaw hardly even had time to act upon the careful instruction delegated by Larkspring as the little mouse, more whisker than beast, was quick to immediately retreat into the safety of its burrow within mere heartbeats of first making an appearance.

"I do not find myself enjoying a lesson in patience," Jaypaw tried to throttle the building complaint from his mew, disappointed that his first hunting session was merely shaping up to a virtuous teaching in how hunting was often just as shared with the relevance of failures as well as rewards.  

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Jaypaw
20/20 [HP]
50/60 [SP] [-5 in SP due to hunting roll!]

[hunting dice roll for rodent - FAILED]

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 5

At least starvation was more merciful than incurring another failed catch.

Jaypaw did not move to voice such petulant thoughts, the fine musculature of his jaw flexing hard in a lackluster attempt to reign in the brewing temper shaping the most finite of his inner workings and mechanisms. The agitated click-click-click of grating and grinding teeth accompanied further sullen thoughts about his littermate learning of a day spent achieving nothing but an absolutely humbling lesson in the workings of outright failure.

"Yes," Jaypaw echoed after a moment of intention inhalation, futile attempts to shave off the razor-sharp edge of disappointment cresting poignant and high in the risings of his throat, "perhaps fishing." It would do little good to luxuriate and fixate upon the skill so abstract and begone to the little tabby, as unknowable and unfamiliar as the forest his kin originally hailed from. It would do little good to soften Larkspring's mounting temper to allude to Jaypaw's proficient skills kicking rocks.

This secondary attempt to pursue a bird, reflecting a newfound skill in confidence that had arisen solely from repeated failure, bared little other positive results. Though it was much close to a near success than the initial attempt where he could hardly stand a chance at venturing close, Jaypaw's claws still could hardly reached the outstretched wings of the cagey little dove before flight granted the little creature a merciful escape. Though, unlike before, this time Jaypaw's head did not rise from its defeated perching among the snow.

"I believe that I am ready to accept my fate in starvation."

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Jaypaw
20/20 [HP]
45/60 [SP] [-5 in SP due to hunting roll!]

[hunting dice roll for bird - FAILED lol]

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 7