pawstep by pawstep [closed-training topic]

One moment she'd been an apprentice, the next, both her and Acornpetal had been named warriors. Then, the newly appointed tortoiseshell warrior had been named deputy. Summer was a season of change. The bi-colored she-cat found herself strapped with the responsibility of training the next generation of protectors for the clan; it was a duty she took very seriously. Robintail shook her coat as she padded towards the apprentice's den to seek out to the two toms. Today they would train together in a more practical way than before. A hunting challenge between the pair. Cypresspaw would perform well, no doubt, given his Skyclan heritage. It was Tigerpaw that she intended to watch closely and gauge his skills. There was the strength of a Skyclanner behind his haunches but the blood was tainted. He was young, loyalty was to be tested as well too. At least he seemed to be more honorable than his father and mother but only time would tell.

She padded into the den, not caring about what noise she made or whether her paws grazed another pelt. These sleeping lumps would all be up soon regardless. Dawn was just beginning. In turn, she found both of her apprentices, prodding them and then beckoning them towards the entrance. Robintail hardly said a word as they headed for the tall pines. When she stopped, the motion felt sudden. For a brief moment, the warrior considered how nice it would have been to conduct this training alongside Acornpetal. Perhaps she could make an excuse about needing the deputy to assess their skills. With a flick of the tail, the thought was dismissed as kittishly selfish. Narrow eyes looked over the pair before her and she finally spoke, "Today I will be watching the both of you hunt. The coverage here is sparse, making it harder than other parts. Start on the ground, catch one piece of prey. You may move to the trees after. Whoever catches three creatures first will see their ceremony sooner. Impress me." With that, she dismissed them and stalked away to the shadows where she could watch without interrupting. The whole while, Robintail battled her own shifting thoughts and concerns. This was the focus now. The clan needed warriors. Churning feelings could be addressed later.

Cypresspaw had grumbled quietly as he was prodded awake, a murp escaping him as he lifted his head only to see Robintail stepping over to where Tigerpaw was curled up. ...Ah, right, he was an apprentice now which meant training. It was still so weird being awoken at a certain time - he hadn't realized how much he had enjoyed that luxury until it was gone. He pushed himself to his paws, quickly following after his mentor - silently falling in step with Tigerpaw. He...Wasn't sure how he felt about his fellow apprentice - he knew they had little choice in them joining SkyClan but he could still remember their cries about their missing...Sibling, he believed it was? Their loyalty was torn - he couldn't imagine what it was like for them but that only made them dangerous. He couldn't trust Tigerpaw to have his back - not if they were to ever run into a ShadowClan patrol.

As they walked, he kept a loose eye on the apprentice until Robintail finally stopped and turned to speak to the two of them. He listened with perked ears, nodding his head as she gave them their directions - hunt. With a flicker of his tail, he turned and padded off without sharing a word to his fellow apprentice - determined to focus on the hunt before him. Hunting on the ground was...A tad difficult - it wasn't his strong suit, that was for certain...But was it for any SkyClan cat? Perhaps Tigerpaw would have ease there but once they were in the trees, Cypresspaw would have greater faith in his abilities. But for now... He opened his mouth, tasting the air as he tried to see what prey was about...

Finally he caught the scent of a mouse, ears perking as he spotted it scurrying across the ground. Dropping into a crouch, he carefully stalked after it the best he could - trying to shift downwind of it. It wasn't enough - even with his brown pelt to blend in with the trunks of the nearby trees, he couldn't help but flinch a little as the mouse's beady eyes turned to stare at him before it disappeared into a nearby hole. He didn't even bother to make a leap at it - he knew he was to far away to make it not even worth the effort. He huffed, whiskers twitching as he glanced around hoping that he could make up ground rather quickly.

Cypresspaw failed to catch a mouse. 0/3 caught.

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

---

'Hunting Dice' : 6

A little bump to the tom's pudgy flank jolted him awake, blinking a few times until he found the impossible to read stare of his new mentor. He looked around for a moment, his instincts telling him to seek out the near-motionless pelts of his siblings. He tore away, biting his molars tightly together as he lowered his head and followed her out of the den. Cypresspaw followed, russet fur burning in the low dawn light. The way the other apprentice regarded Tigerpaw was nothing less than painful. When their eyes met, for only a second, Tigerpaw was the first to timidly look away.

Walking through the tall and endless treeline of SkyClan's territory, Tigerpaw rolled over many boulders that peeked out from the ground. This was common of the territory, he had learned. It felt unfamiliar when compared to the marshy, spongy soil from... the other place. Lost in his own thoughts, the tom gasped and quickly shuffled up to stay in-line with the others. Tigerpaw felt the strange and cold aura that filled the space between Cypresspaw, Robintail, and himself. Had he already done something wrong?

On Robintail's instruction, Tigerpaw broke off from Cypresspaw, tail dragging low to the ground. He already felt defeated, but there was nothing he could do but try his best. His only experience with hunting was insects and mossballs. Tigerpaw shuffled his paws, lowering into a hunting crouch. Is this right?

Tigerpaw's luck was incredible. A squirrel was gingerly picking at a nut at the base of a tree. He could hear it to his left, beyond a boulder that was about eye-level with him. A little smile peeled the corners of his mouth as he placed his paws halfway up the rock and prepared to leap. His muscular legs were the most "SkyClan" thing about him. He would put them to great use. He leaped into the clearing, springing out at his prey. He had miscalculated. He soared over the squirrel, landing a whisker length in front of it as it ducked and ran away. His ears flipped down, aghast. "No!" he whined under his breath.

Tigerpaw attempted to catch a squirrel. Failure. 0/3

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

---

'Hunting Dice' : 7

The itch to sink his claws into a tree and climb up into the branches was...Tempting. He huffed as he kicked at a loose leaf, knowing he would most likely have a better chance hunting in the canopy. But Robintail had said they were to remain on the ground until they caught something - it just had to be a single catch. His ears twitched as he caught the sound of small claws scratch at bark, eyes studying the nearby trees until he made out the shape of a squirrel heading toward the forest floor. Perfect. He dropped into a crouch, being far more careful to stay out of its line of sight - which proved a little difficult as there wasn't much cover in this area. But still he managed to weave his way forward as the squirrel jumped onto the ground, sniffing and clawing at dirt. All to unaware of the young tom before he made his leap at it. Its ears twitched as it raised its head, but by then his paws had rammed into its side and knocked it to the ground and he ended its life with a swift swipe. "Yes!" he huffed, raising his head in pride before he swooped up the squirrel and found a safe place to hide it. Then, he happily jumped onto a nearby tree and scrambled into the branches, excited to hunt where SkyClan truly thrived.

Cypresspaw succeeded to catch a squirrel. 1/3 caught.

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

---

'Hunting Dice' : 2

Robintail had quickly climbed up among the pine needles, picking particularly dense patches in an attempt to hide her glaring white coat. It was a hindrance in terms of stealth, but with her growing skills, that hardly matter other than in this specific moment. Eyes peered down from her place among the foliage and shadows. Flickering between the two toms, the warrior actually found herself to be decently impressed with their form. However, execution was lacking. Both found the prey slipping through their paws as quickly as it had appeared. Her tail lashed in anticipation, willing them to find something more. Claws dug into the bark where she watched. They had trained hard so far, it couldn't all be for nothing.

Finally, Cypresspaw chased down a squirrel, killing it. Her teeth ground together but more in excitement than anything. Ground hunting was difficult and she knew it; this was a challenge of skill and meant for them to learn as much as catch prey for the clans. As she expected, Cypresspaw had made the first catch. Tigerpaw needed to show what he could do in order to catch up. Her eyes became narrow slits as she willed the pair onwards, hoping for more prey to be caught soon.