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Post by lilybolt on Jul 30, 2009 19:00:36 GMT -5
Lightwing padded to the middle of a small clearing. She sniffed the air, catching three different prey scents at once. The smell of mouse, shrew, and blackbird driffted in to her nose. "Rushpaw." she addressed her apprentice kindly. "I happen to know there is a shrew in this clearing. Please locate it for me. If you catch it, you get extra points!" the warrior purred. She wrapped her tail tightly around her paws, making sure she would not be in the way of her apprentice's hunt. "Use your nose Rushpaw. I know you can do it." A light breeze wafted through the clearing, bringing the scents again to Lightwing's nose, but also carrying the smells from the river. It was so inviting...perhaps she ought to take Rushpaw hunting near the river next...
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Post by | COMRADE | on Jul 31, 2009 15:49:05 GMT -5
Rushpaw scampered after his mentor, bouncing on his paws out of excitement. His first time out of camp, he couldn't wait to begin whatever task Lightwing sent him on. He slowed instantly as she spoke about the shrew, and forced his paws to stop making noise. He tasted the air, recognizing a musky odor. From what he knew about prey, musky odors were usually either mice or voles which were from ThunderClan Territory. He recognized the scent of a bird, from when he was a kit and played around with them when they tried to fly around. The other scent, a slightly sweeter, yet just a slight bit musky must have been the shrew. Once he distinguished the scent, he concentrated on it. He could smell it now, just over by the bushes, and he narrowed his eyes trying to see it. Use your nose, Lightwing's voice echoed in his ears. He tasted the air again, pricked his ears. He heard a soft scrabbling in the ground. He decided to just rush at it. Instantly he bolted forward, as fast as he could and his legs thrust him rapidly across the clearing. A creature exploded from the bushes, harking in panic, and he sprang up into the air. His claws caught hold of feathers, and the shrew was down for a heartbeat but it thrashed and squirmed on the ground, ripping free and trying to fly away again. The feather fell from his paw and he sprang again, this time managing to snap the creature's neck. He saw the black feathers on the creature, and realized, that he hadn't got the shrew, but the blackbird instead. He glanced at his mentor, feeling slightly embarrassed, but also proud of his first, clumsy kill.
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Post by lilybolt on Jul 31, 2009 16:14:37 GMT -5
Lightwing watched her apprentice focus on the different smells, trying to distinguish between them. He started in the right direction, sniffing and stalking. Then Lightwing saw Rushpaw explode after his prey, scaring it from its hiding place, and leaping into the air after it. Of coarse, the leaping part was the give away. Rushpaw had gone after the blackbird that was eating seeds off the shrub that the shrew currently cowered under. As soon as Rushpaw snapped the bird's neck, the shrew scampered off, aware that the predator was distracted. "That was an impressive catch, if I do say so myself." Lightwing laughed kindly. "However, when hunting, you never want to rely on speed. Rabbits, for example, always outrun you unless they get caught in something, and birds will almost always escape to the treetops before you can get at them. This bird was young, and its small wings could not carry him away fast enough. A good hunter relies on a silent, steady attack. He waits for his opening, and then moves in for the kill." Lightwing smiled at Rushpaw to show she was not angry. "My first catch was far more messy." she added with a sheepish smile. "I was supposed to be catching a mouse, but leaped into the air, landed right on it by chance, and squashed it flat." she giggled. "I was told by my mentor that I had somehow managed a perfect bird hunt, I was simply lacking a bird to target." Lightwing looked around. Most of the prey had left, what with the commotion of the recent kill. "How about this. In the surrounding areas, the shrew is probably hiding. It won't have gone terribly far. Why don't you go and catch me that shrew, or any kind of ground creature for that matter. Bring it back here when you are done, and remember. Slow and silent catches the prey!" Lightwing flicked her tail to send Rushpaw on his new mission.
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Post by | COMRADE | on Jul 31, 2009 16:41:56 GMT -5
Rushpaw nodded, and wondered how he was gonna contain his excitement in order to not be loud. He always made noise. Every cat in the clan probably knew that, since his time as a kit. He must have woke every cat in the clan up at least twice during the night crashing around the camp as though his tail was on fire. Shaking the thoughts away, he nodded at her request. He dragged the blackbird over to a tree root, by instinct, and looked off into the trees. "Okay," he meowed, and charged off in the trees before remembering her talk about being quiet. He stopped instantly, and prowled as quickly and quietly as he could before tasting the air. The scent of what must have been the shrew, filled his mouth. He continued to prowl forward, quietly, and quickly. His paws hardly made a noise as he moved, and he was surprised at his own quietness. He sprang, kicking off the ground, and landed squarely on the shrew. Eyes widened at the catch, he picked it up and went charging off in the direction of Lightwing as fast as he could. "Lightwing! Lightwing!" He yowled through a mouthful of shrew. "I caught it! I think it caught it!" He cried.
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Post by lilybolt on Jul 31, 2009 19:13:35 GMT -5
Lightwing watched her apprentice go crashing off into the trees, and was about to call after him to quiet himself, when he slowed to a silent prowl. The young tom disappeared, and Lightwing looped around the trees, trailing after him. She was completely quiet, undetectable as she slithered between reeds, shrubs, and tree trunks. She crouched low as she watched Rushpaw smell the shrew, stalk after it, and catch it with ease. She smiled, and couldn't help but be very impressed. After all, she had not expected rushpaw to get the knack of a hunter's noiselessness so quickly. As the tom ran off calling for her to see his catch, Lightwing sneaked up behind him and calmly meowed, "Very good job Rushpaw. That was wonderful!" She smiled at her apprentice, sure that if he kept working so well, he might one day end up the finest hunter in Riverclan! "That shrew is huge! Much larger than the one I found earlier. I bet it would make a great meal for Shadestar, if you want to bring it to her...you could run and give it to her, and meet me back at the wide part of the river for a fishing lesson..." Lightwing purred, wanting to reward her apprentice for a job so well done.
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Post by | COMRADE | on Aug 3, 2009 15:03:36 GMT -5
Rushpaw's eyes widened with astonishment. He got to bring prey to his clan leader! His tail flicked back and forth and he nodded rapidly. "Yes" He cried from around the shrew, and without waiting for a reply he turned and darted off into the bushes towards the camp. He paws led him more than his nose did, as it was full of the smell of prey. He raced into the center of the camp and darted into Shadestar's den. "Shadestar!" He announced his arrival by nearly tripping over the tom's nest. "I caught you a shrew!" His voice was shrill with excitement, and his tail curled up high over his back. He dropped the shrew on the ground before his leader's nest.
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Post by lilybolt on Aug 3, 2009 17:11:45 GMT -5
Shadestar lifted her head, slightly caught off guard by the massive swirling energy ball that had just entered her den..."Greetings Rushpaw."she purred, always pleased to see a lively apprentice. "That shrew looks delicious. I was just about to go and select my lunch. Thank you!" the leader meowed, taking a bite from the shrew hungrily. It was delicious. "This would be your first catch, wouldn't it?" Shadestar added, looking kindly at Rushpaw. She was rather impressed. Not only by how large the shrew was, but also because Shadestar knew Lightwing must have been very proud of her apprentice's catch if she were to send it to the leader.
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Post by | COMRADE | on Aug 3, 2009 17:32:10 GMT -5
Rushpaw stared up at Shadestar for a heartbeat then meowed in reply, his tail curled up and waving in the air. "No, I caught a black bird before that," he launched into the whole story. "She told me to catch this, but I caught the scent of the black bird instead, and caught that. So she sent me off to catch this, and then told me to bring it to you. It was great! Hunting comes naturally, I always thought it'd be so difficult!" He exclaimed. He would have carried on speaking but he remembered he was talking to the clan leader and he shut his mouth in order to still be respectful to her.
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Post by lilybolt on Aug 3, 2009 18:47:25 GMT -5
Shadestar stayed quiet, listening intently to the apprentice's story. It sounded to her like the tom had been very busy since leaving camp that morning. "Hunting comes naturally to most forest cats, as the skill is in our blood..." the leader began, when Rushpaw finally quieted himself. She smiled. "You will find though, that some unearth their instinct slower than others, which is, as I take it, not the case with you. You Rushpaw, seem to have a knack for hunting. I will be pleased to see your progress." Shadestar purred, her eyes both calm, and amused. This apprentice was a ball of energy, that was certain. However, he possessed many of the qualities that make a top warrior. She truly was looking forward to seeing him grow and mature. He would surely make a great warrior of Riverclan one day! "You should probably not keep Lightwing waiting too long though. Thank you again for the shrew Rushpaw! And for the entertaining story as well." Shadestar laughed, flicking her tail in a good bye to the apprentice, and sending him back to his mentor.
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Post by | COMRADE | on Aug 4, 2009 8:27:08 GMT -5
The words of his leader made him nod. "Thank you, Shadestar!" He meowed, and turned to pad off. "Yes, she's probably waiting," he dipped his head once more in respect, and pelted off out of the den and raced back to where Lightwing had been. Only then did he remember that she told him to meet her by the big part of the stream. He tasted the air, and decided to follow her scent as he didn't really know where the stream was yet. He followed her trail over to where he could hear rushing water gurgling gently between tough riverbanks of stones and boulders. His paws itched to race towards the noise and jump into the warm water, but he knew he didn't know how to swim yet. He padded out of the reeds, and gazed at the river in mingled awe and admiration.
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Post by lilybolt on Aug 4, 2009 13:38:23 GMT -5
"Shadestar liked the shrew I assume?" Lightwing purred as she stepped up behind her apprentice. "I don't know any leader who wouldn't have been pleased with a catch as good as that..." the mentor smiled, and then turned her attention to the water. "You must be wondering if I will show you how to fish, but first, I am going to get you used to swimming. Fishing can be a clumsy practice when you first learn it. You will want to be prepared the first time you slip and land in the river." Lightwing stood next to Rushpaw for a moment, and then gracefully slid into the water. The slightly warm current felt wonderful, but now was not the time for a leisurely paddle about. The warrior looked up at Rushpaw and meowed, "Just ease yourself in. Don't worry. You will know how to swim. It's in your nature. But it will also feel strange at first, which is why we are getting you used to it, before you fall right in." Lightwing waited calmly for Rushpaw to join her.
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Post by | COMRADE | on Aug 5, 2009 8:16:31 GMT -5
Rushpaw nodded enthusiastically. "She loved it!" He interrupted before she had finished speaking, before he snapped his mouth shut and waited for her to finish her speech. Swimming! Fishing! He thought in excitement. He couldn't wait. He jumped right in, without listening to the rest of her words, and found himself floundering for a heartbeat as soon as he landed in the deep water. He opened his mouth to speak but a wave of water splashed against his muzzle and he coughed instinctively until it felt as though all water had left his lungs. He continued to paddle with all fore paws until he felt safe at the top of the water, and finally it seemed to settle. The warm water washed around his fur, and it held him up with gentle caresses between the pebbles. He loved it! "I'm swimming!" He shouted, turning around in his swim so he faced Lightwing. He churned the water with his two forepaws while he let his hind ones bump along with the river.
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Post by lilybolt on Aug 5, 2009 13:39:35 GMT -5
Lightwing laughed as she watched Rushpaw jump into the river, full steam ahead style. She stopped her laughter as he briefly struggled to gain control of his body in the current, but then was able to smile when her apprentice succeeded. "Congratulations Rushpaw!" she purred. "Most panic more their first time..." she meowed, remembering her own fears of drowning the first time she hit the water. Lightwing dove under the water, swam under Rushpaw, and came up again behind him. She sprayed a light stream of water behind his ear, playfully. Laughing, the warrior remembered her job, and quickly back peddled. "Are you ready to hunt?"
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Post by | COMRADE | on Aug 7, 2009 17:47:36 GMT -5
Rushpaw continued paddling carefully with his paws as he churned water in order to keep his head above the waves. His eyes widened at Lightwing's words. "Yes, of course I'm ready!" He meowed. He climbed back out of the river, shaking his fur to spin off the clinging droplets of water. "How do I fish?" He meowed, staring into the water. Almost at once he spotted a flash of silver. He lurched forward, and the ground crumbled beneath his paws. His splashed into the river, feeling the slimy feeling of a fish sliding by his paw. He coughed out the water that surged up his nose as he broke through the surface. Swimming out again, he cast a glance at Lightwing before sitting down. "Ok, I'll listen," he meowed, twitching one ear to rid the water from it, then twitching the other.
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Post by lilybolt on Aug 7, 2009 18:40:01 GMT -5
Lightwing had just opened her mouth and taken a breath, when she heard the tell tale splash of her apprentice hitting the river a second time. This time, it appeared as though he had seen a fish and gone in after it. Once he was back on land, and ready to listen, the warrior meowed, "First, you position yourself above the river. Make sure that your shadow isn't too obvious, or the fish might avoid your area. Next, you wait for a fish to swim toward you. When you see one coming, you..." Lightwing had been doing everything as she said it, and had just spotted a fish. With the speed of a lightning flash, Lightwing's paw was in the water and out again. A fish lay flopping on the bank of the river. She quickly ended its life and looked at Rushpaw. "Well you saw what I did..." she meowed, realizing how hard that last part would be to put into words. "Be quick, but also light. You aren't aiming to kill it in the water, so the blow you deliver must be low powered. Your goal is to get it on the land, and then kill it before it can find the water again. Speed is key." Lightwing nodded her head to her apprentice, indicating that it was his turn to fish.
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