Same difference (closed)

Making her way to the warrior's den, Strawpaw peeked her head into the dimly lit space and scanning the area, she quickly found Grasssnake's fluffy tabby pelt. Making sure to not step on any-cat's tail, the young she-cat made her way over to her mentor and prodded his side excitedly with a paw. "Grasssnake, wake up!" she whispered, though it came out almost as a squeal as if she was a kit. Once she was sure that she'd awoken him, Strawpaw bounded back over the other sleeping bodies and out of the warrior's den. Today her and her mentor were going to go on a hunting patrol and she couldn't wait!

Grasssnake lazily lifted his head at the prodding. What was it? Was someone trying to wake him up. But he wouldn't have to put together another patrol until dawn. His eyes slowly adjusted, as a familiar voice filled his ears. Strawpw? Oh right, I was supposed to take he rout hunting! He realized. He let out a yawn, as he stretched his paws forwards, before getting up. He softly padded his way around his clanmates, before meeting Strawpaw, by the entrance of the warriors den.

"Ok, ready to go?" He asked.

OOC: so sorry for the wait! 3

"Yep!" Strawpaw mewed with a wide smile on her partially white muzzle. She couldn't wait to go on a patrol with the deputy himself and was so excited to see what she'd learn. Hopefully she'd be able to come back with some good prey and a story to share with the other apprentices.

OOC: Its all good! ^^

"M'kay, lets head out then." Said Grasssnake, as he turned the entrance, and padded out. He padded across the marshy forest, looking back towards Strawpaw whenever he had the chance. After a bit or so of walking, he came to a stop, and turned towards Strawpaw. "Ok Strawpaw, sniff the air, and tell me what you smell." He said.

Following the deputy through the marshy territory, Strawpaw slowed to a stop, first wondering why they'd stopped already but quickly nodding along Grasssnake asked her what she smelt. "I smell..." she began, lifting her maw as instructed. "A vole? Or wait, maybe a mouse?" the molly mewed, turning her amber gaze to the older tom in slight confusion. "How do I know what I smelt, all I can tell is that something alive is around us," she pondered.

Grasssnake shrugged as he sat down. "Well there are many differences between similar types of prey, that we don't notice. A mouse smells more like... furrier, and like leaves and dirt, mixed with berries. Voles smell more like exposed fur. Like the pads on your paws! Maybe back at camp, we can smell voles and mice, or maybe I can scent one of each, and tell ya the difference!" Said Grasssnake. Did he think the sentence sounded stupid now that he said it? Absolutly. Maybe Strawpaw won't care.

Staring at the deputy with wide eyes, Strawpaw found herself in awe at the knowledge that he held. Someday, maybe she'd be just as smart as him, she just had to try hard enough. "Wow okay," she breathed as she processed all of the information she'd been told, followed by "I'd love to!" The more training the better, even if it was back at camp. She would certainly be the smartest apprentice in ShadowClan in no time.

Opening her jaw again to take another try at scenting the air, she turned her nose every which way in hopes of catching the scent that she'd smelt before. After a few moments, the fluffy molly turned her tilted head back to her mentor. "So that's a mouse... like... fur and dirt?" she questioned, hoping she'd been correct in her assessment.

Grasssnake nodded, feeling a bit of relief that Strawpaw understood what he said. At Strawpaw's question about the scent she smelled, he got up onto his paws and sniffed the air. The dark brown tabby tom, then looked back to the fluffy she-cat and nodded. "Hm, yup smells like a mouse!" He said. "You're correct! Now uh try to find where it is, and catch it!" Grasssnake instructed. He then found himself backtracking, as he realized he didn't knowif Strawpaw knew how to catch prey. "Um real quick, do you know how to catch prey? Like the whole hunting crouch and stuff?"

"Of course I do, silly!" Strawpaw giggled at his question. She may have been young, but she wasn't that young. Crouching down with her rump high in the air and tail swishing around wildly, the fluffy amber apprentice lumbered forward. To her, she felt as quiet as a mouse, though it was clear that she didn't really know exactly what she was doing... "Like this, right?" she whispered playfully, turning her gaze back up to the deputy.

Grasssnake nodded as Strawpaw demonstrated her hunting crouch. "Yup, just like that!" He meowed, feeling a twinge of pride for Strawpaw. She'd make a fine warrior one day. "Now go and catch that mouse!"

Gleaming with delight and excitement that she'd done the correct stance in front of the deputy, she gave him a firm nod at his orders. Catch the mouse, she could totally do that seeing as though she had her hunting stance down.

Crouching down and creeping through the marshy grass, she kept her maw open and soon enough was able to catch the scent of mouse again. Keeping her fluffy tail low and trying to keep it from twitching too much from excitement, she spotted the little rodent just around a clump of brush. Picking up the pace, she rushed towards the piece of prey. Catching it off-guard, she pounced onto the mouse and bit its neck, killing it instantly. While she was thrilled that she'd been successful in her first hunt, part of her stomach dropped as the crunch of its tiny bones filled the silent air around her and she suddenly felt bad for taking its life. Was it painful for the little mouse? What if it had a little mouse family and she'd just killed their father?

Trying her best to shake away the thoughts, she bounded back to her mentor. "I did it!" she mewed happily, dropping her prey at his paws, her amber eyes beaming with excitement though she shifted her glance down to the ground and shuffled her paws back and forth as the sad thoughts from before returned. "I... I felt kind of bad killing it though..." she mewed in a more solemn tone.

The member 'Ice' has done the following action : Roll Dice

---

'Hunting Dice' : 4

"Good job on catching it!" Grasssnake congraulated, bounding up to Strawpaw, the twinge of pride he felt, growing greatly. At Strawpaw's remark of feeling bad for killing the mouse, he put his tail on her shoulder. "It's understandble that you felt that way. Mice and other prey are living and breathing just like us. But in order for us to live and breath, we need to kill them. If it makes you feel any better, you can thank Starclan for blessing us with this prey. My father used to say that it grants peace for the prey." Grasssnake said, in hopes of comforting Strawpaw. It wasn't something he believed in himself, but it could bring comfort to cats that feel bad about hunting prey, such as Strawpaw.