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Post by | COMRADE | on Jun 19, 2009 13:38:31 GMT -5
Featherpaw bounced up on her paws with excitement as she watched her mentor pounce on the leaf, using perfect skill and distributing his weight in a beautiful alignment. He must be one of the best rabbit hunters in the clan. While she watched, she noticed how he rested his weight on his haunches. Like he had said, that put him in perfect position to race after the rabbit without having to prepare yourself, for he was already prepared. He pounced and landed squarely on the leaf with practiced ease. Her eyes widened with awe. It will take me moons to be that good! She thought, astonished. She was proud to have such a great hunter for her mentor. Now it was her turn. She swallowed, self-consciously, feeling suddenly nervous. Padding forward, she crouched down, almost forgetting to put her weight to her haunches. She began to prowl forwards, as quiet as she could, and realized only when the grass rustled beside her that she was flicking her tail, and she curled it by her side as she continued to stalk the leaf. Her eyes were narrowed and gleamed with curious concentration as she focused on the task at hand, picturing a huge white rabbit instead of a leaf. She came up right behind it, and at the last moment she sprang, and came soaring through the air, claws jetting out of her paws, stiff and sharp, and she pounced on top of the leaf, pinning the plant into the soil. Her eyes cleared. She glanced up at her mentor, suddenly anxious. "Did I do it right?" She mewed, tipping her head to one side.
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Barketh
Queen
Ahehe... I just like the dog =)
Posts: 359
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Post by Barketh on Jun 19, 2009 14:09:05 GMT -5
[maroon]Watching the she-cat, his ears flicked as her tail brushed against the grass. However, she corrected herself, and he continued observing. Her form was good, and he could tell that she was determined to complete the form. However, there was something about her attitude that shifted his praise. "Good, good. That was excellent. But Featherpaw, don't worry about impressing me when you're doing the form. If you focus on anything besides the task at hand, you'll get thrown off course. Imagine that you're a warrior and you're out hunting on your own. You won't be thinking about who's watching and whether or not your form is right. Your survival instincts will correct you, so don't worry about praise and what not. It's just you and the rabbit, no one else." He meowed, cuffing her eartip with his tail. Focus in on the kill, and only the kill. Ignore all around you, and you will accomplish. His eyes narrowed. His one goal in life was to destroy his own cousin. It was rather ironic that he was trying to kill a family member because he had lost his own kin.[/maroon]
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Post by | COMRADE | on Jun 19, 2009 14:19:32 GMT -5
Featherpaw nodded once, realizing he was right. She was focusing on making sure she got it right rather than actually focusing on getting the rabbit. Surely that will come later though, right? She asked herself, but shook the thought away. Her mentor was training her, and she wasn't training herself. She would follow his way of training. "Yes Thornstrike," she meowed in agreement, thinking about his words. Survival instincts! The words sent a thrill of alarm through her. It wasn't that long ago when she was in the nursery by her mother's side, worrying only about when the next playtime could be and begging to stay up instead of having to go to bed on time. It seemed like only yesterday. It was the day before yesterday. She glanced at her mentor, wondering what to do next. "Should I try again?" She asked?
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Barketh
Queen
Ahehe... I just like the dog =)
Posts: 359
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Post by Barketh on Jun 19, 2009 14:27:54 GMT -5
[maroon]Blinking in surprise at her suggestion, he nodded distractedly. "Sure, if you really want to." Memories of his own kit-hood filled his mind. A dark forest with damp, uncomfortable ground. Pebbles that buried themselves in his side. The only comfort coming from the sleeping, russet form beside him; his brother. I never really was taught how to hunt. Jack and I learned from passerbys, and even than it was difficult. Not until we formed the rebellion did we truly gain experience. His green eyes narrowed and he looked over at the she-cat. He felt a loathing inside him, angry that she had been able to enjoy her youth while he had spent every night of his life tossing and turning, his ears filled with his mother's furious screeches. It's because of you, Night, that she lost her mind. Because you were born, she grew infuriated, and what little sanity she had left slipped away. Because of your father... He gritted his teeth and shook his head. Featherpaw wasn't Night. She was just a Windclan cat, his apprentice. No, none of these cats are Night. So I should stop comparing them. He growled under his breath before sitting down to watch the she-cat's second attempt.[/maroon]
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Post by | COMRADE | on Jun 19, 2009 14:38:04 GMT -5
Featherpaw nodded again, and turned, pale blue eyes narrowed with concentration of the hunt. Not the cat watching, but to catch the prey in order to bring it back to camp, she told herself. Her eyes clouded as she pictured the rabbit again, nibbling on the willow grasses of the moorland. The huge creature's back was turned to her, unaware of death just behind it. She gray-brown and white apprentice began to stalk forward again, her tail right by her side and her weight at her haunches. She crept stealthily and quietly, making sure not to make a sound when she moved and put her paws down. She would do this right! As she came closer, her muscles bunches an she sprang again, her claws instinctively unleashed as she appeared like thorns in the sunlight and she landed on the life, dirt sprawling over the ground where she landed. She stepped off the now badly deformed leaf. Bits of it clung to her claws, and she wrenched them lose by scraping her claws over a stone. Her tail flicked with excitement. Hunting was going to be great.
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Barketh
Queen
Ahehe... I just like the dog =)
Posts: 359
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Post by Barketh on Jun 19, 2009 14:44:03 GMT -5
[maroon]This time, the tom gave a genuine smile of approval. "Excellent. Just like that. See? You'll be a warrior in no time." He purred, raising his head to scan the moors. Green eyes fell on a distant figure bounding across the field. From far away, it looked as if it were the slowest creature on Earth, but Thornstrike knew better. "Featherpaw, what do you think about testing that crouch? Do you have enough energy left?" He meowed in a softer voice, motioning with his tail towards the rabbit while signaling for her not to speak loudly.[/maroon]
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Post by | COMRADE | on Jun 19, 2009 16:03:06 GMT -5
Featherpaw's ears flicked up with excitement and surprise. She almost yowled 'of course' but she saw his sign to be quiet. She turned her head and her eyes focused on the shape of a rabbit bounding across the moor. She almost raced after it the moment she saw it's tail bobbing along, but common sense kept her still. She glanced back at Thornstrike, and nodded her head to keep quiet before she dropped into the crouch she had practiced on the leaf. By now the rabbit had stopped, and was sniffing at the air and nibbling on grasses and seeds. She stalked up behind it, remembering to keep her tail still as she prowled closer to the rabbit, her fur blending almost completely with the ground. Her muscles tensed; she was close enough for the leap. The moment she sprang, the rabbit took off. She landed where it's paws had been a heartbeat before, but she kicked off, using the remaining momentum from the jump and rammed into it, teeth sinking into it's throat. The rabbit fell dead at her paws. Her eyes widened in surprise as she stepped off her kill. It had been a lucky catch; her leap had been too loud. How do you jump silently? She wondered. Forgetting the problem she knew the only thing that really meant anything was that the prey was caught. She grabbed the rabbit in her teeth, and leaned her head back to realize that it was bigger than she was; not that that was too difficult to manage; her being as small as she was. Her neck had trouble dragging the dead weight of the rabbit but she was too excited to care. She'd caught her first prey!
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Barketh
Queen
Ahehe... I just like the dog =)
Posts: 359
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Post by Barketh on Jun 19, 2009 16:10:51 GMT -5
[maroon]Watching closely as the cat crept towards the rabbit, his eyes followed the small form until it brought down the rabbit. Standing up, he trotted towards her so that she wouldn't have to pull the prey so far. "Excellent. There is nothing better than the satisfaction you feel after taking down your first prey." He purred, admiring the size of the animal she had taken down. Compared to Featherpaw, it would've been difficult to catch. "You did well. Just make sure to tense your body right before landing. That way, your weight will be evenly distributed between both sets of paws, and when you land on the ground, you won't lose your balance." He meowed, though his voice was filled with praise rather than contradictory.[/maroon]
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Post by | COMRADE | on Jun 19, 2009 17:04:22 GMT -5
Featherpaw's eyes widened with surprise at the unexpected praise. She dropped the rabbit, her neck muscles happy to release the strain of the weight of the animal, and padded over to her mentor. "Yes. I should also anticipate where the rabbit might be if it tries to run off before you land on it, shouldn't I?" She meowed, thinking about how she almost lost her prey. That might be why we're supposed to be ready to chase after them, mouse-brain, she thought.
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Barketh
Queen
Ahehe... I just like the dog =)
Posts: 359
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Post by Barketh on Jun 19, 2009 17:10:52 GMT -5
[maroon]"Exactly." He meowed, nodding in approval. Glancing up at the sky, he tasted the air before detecting the faint scent of another hare. "Hold on a sec. I can't let you get all the credit." He purred before slipping off into the taller grass, dark tabby fur vanishing in the heather. For a minute, nothing stirred on the hillside. Then, a wheat stalk wavered. The rabbit's head and forepaws poked out in the begginings of a mad dash. However, it was cut off as a large paw slammed down on its back, snapping the spine and killing it instantly. Stepping out of the tall grass, Thornstrike picked up the rabbit and trotted back to his apprentice. Dropping it at his paws, he looked back and forth between the hares. "Yeah, your's is bigger." He meowed, sitting down and pulling bits of brown fur from his claws.[/maroon]
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Post by | COMRADE | on Jun 21, 2009 7:33:40 GMT -5
Featherpaw watched with a mixture of admiration and intense focus as her mentor went off to hunt the rabbit that he had sensed. She didn't see it until it was over. Her eyes gleamed with excitement. Being a Windclan apprentice was the best thing ever! She couldn't imagine wanting to live anywhere else. Here, the strong breeze ruffled and cooled your fur, making you seem all fluffy and fur-clumped. The sky was so close you felt as though you could just rear back and touch it with your forepaws. The air was so clean and fresh; with no taint of trees or river, or anything to disrupt the peaceful quietness of the moor. She couldn't imagine ever living in trees with the endless rustle and blocking out the sun; or by the river where it gurgled and lapped angrily at your fur. This was where she belonged. When Thornstrike compared the two rabbits she purred with amusement. "But it was slow," she snorted, poking the rabbit with one fore-paw. Truly, it had been slow compared with Thornstrike's, although it was still fast enough for her size.
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Barketh
Queen
Ahehe... I just like the dog =)
Posts: 359
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Post by Barketh on Jun 21, 2009 18:26:28 GMT -5
[maroon]Holding back a smile as he noticed how she seemed to be lost in a daydream, he wrapped his tail around him. If the she-cat was admiring the weather, he might as well do the same. Windclan are luckiest on sunny days... But during storms... Shaking off the feel of thick storm clouds, he managed a crooked grin at her comment. "Are you sure you weren't just faster than the rabbit?" He meowed, flicking a tail at the plump creature. It was hard to imagine the bulky warriors from the other clans chasing down a hare, and he knew that any other cat would probably feel extremely proud having taken down such swift prey. But hunting rabbits has become a daily routine for us, so what may seem like flying for the other clans is like learning how to clean your pelt to us.[/maroon]
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Post by | COMRADE | on Jun 21, 2009 19:38:28 GMT -5
Featherpaw's tail curled up with enthusiasm. "I'm not really sure what I was, or how quick I was. I just wanted to catch the rabbit," she admitted lightly, glancing down at the rabbit by her paws. For a few heartbeats her mind traveled to what the rabbit must have felt in the last moments of it's life. Just enjoying a morning out along it's home, eating and preparing what it would be doing for the day. It's babies? Brothers, sisters, parents? She didn't know of it's personal life. The rabbit didn't expect it. The shadow flew out of nowhere, and panic slammed into it as it turned, hoping it could outrun it's hunter, live just one more day. For a heartbeat it felt free, and hope filled it's heart. Then pain slammed into it. It failed. In those moments while her mind drifted she felt a feeling of horror and great sadness for what she'd done. She'd erased a life. Murdered. No, no it's not murder, her mind reassured her. It's survival. She still felt sad though. Survival meant destroying other animals. But then, she knew it was for the best of her clan. She imagined kits growing hungry because the warriors and apprentices stopped hunting, and she knew she could only do what was best for the clan. She blinked up at Thornstrike, suddenly wondering what to do. "What should we do now?" She meowed, not sure what his answer would be.
OOC: Awww. Featherpaw is a sweetheart, xD.
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Barketh
Queen
Ahehe... I just like the dog =)
Posts: 359
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Post by Barketh on Jun 21, 2009 20:13:21 GMT -5
OOC: She is. ^^ Such an empathetic cat.
[maroon]Blinking, he looked at her in disbelief. "You've still got energy?" Glancing up at the sky, he noted that, though it had grown to the point where the sun had just begun its descent, they still had plenty of time before it grew dark. Really. These young cats have so much energy. He grunted, flicking his tail at his apprentice. In truth, Thornstrike himself was quite young too, no where near his time to become an elder. Yet sometimes it felt as if the weight on his shoulders made him frail and old; unable to bear the burden of protecting and feeding his clan. Eh, whatever. Might as well make the most of the sun's 'blessing'. Reluctantly, he looked over at Featherpaw. "Alright than. Since you seem so eager, I'll give you a task. It won't be easy, but it'll test what you've learned today." Glancing over at the moors, he scanned their surroundings swiftly before looking back at the she-cat. "You see the sun? If you can bring back at least 2 rabbits before it falls below the mountain over there, then I'll teach you how to fight tomorrow." He meowed, flicking his tail at the looming shadow of the icy slopes where the tribes lived. It was far and distant, but it still seemed huge in proportion, even from where they were standing. Casting the she-cat a glance from the corner of his eye, he meowed, "What do you say? You up for it?"[/maroon]
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Post by | COMRADE | on Jun 22, 2009 11:35:53 GMT -5
Featherpaws eyes filled with excitement. "Of course I can!" She yipped, feeling another blast of energy run through her paws at the thought of hunting during a little mission. She turned her head towards the hill where her first rabbit had raced over. She hoped she could catch two, and complete the assignment. But even one piece of prey was a job well done. She glanced up at the sky, noticing that the sun was shining at it's fullest in the center of the sky. It was only mid-day. There would be plenty of time to catch at least two rabbits! She might even be able to catch more. She hoped she could bring some to the elders den and listen to some of their stories. She enjoyed the stories about the history of the clans. They were so strange, different compared to the way clans were today although the Warrior Code and the clans hadn't changed much; only the cats. Featherpaw especially enjoyed hearing about TigerClan, LionClan, and LeopardClan, the three clans of great cats that prowled the territories long before the clans ever came to join them. She looked at Thornstrike, her paws itching with excitement. "Can I start now?" She meowed, shuffling from paw to paw.
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