Training (For Firehaze)

Oakpaw ran out of camp into the forest. It was time for her first training session. Oakpaw wondered what they would be doing today. "Hey Nightstalker! What will we be doing first?" Asked Oakpaw. She could hardly contain her excitment. Were they going to go hunting? Explore the territory? Spar. There was so much to do!

Nightstalker sighed as she padded unenthusiastically after her newly appointed apprentice. What was she doing to have her do? With it being leaf-bare, there was little for her to have her hunt. But, it would be a good lesson to quiet the young she-cat and have her learn patience. Was she ready for that, or was that too harsh of a lesson to teach someone so young? With an exasperated sigh she trudged on, ember eyes scanning the forest around her as she pressed her ears forward, listening for anything being carried on the wind. "Alright then," She mewed as she looked down at the brown tabby she-cat beaming up at her. "I want you to sit very still, listen to the forest very carefully and scent the air. It's leaf-bare, so the scents can be a little different than in the other seasons. They'll be a little dampened by the crisp air, but you'll still find them. And listen closely, tell me if you can hear anything nearby." Nightstalker dipped her chin to her apprentice and sat back on her haunches, her silver and black tail curing around her paws as she observed.

Oakpaw nodded. She sat down and perked up her ears, sniffing her nose. A sound hit Oakpaw's ear. It sounded like tiny paws. It could be kit but it wasn't very likely. "I hear tiny paws crunching the snow." Oakpaw whispered. "It sounds very close."

Nightstalker dipped her chin in a small nod of approval. "It's a mouse, over under those dried fern fronds," She said quietly, motioning with her muzzle to a clump of dead and dried fern fronts tangled together a few fox-lengths away. They were downwind of the mouse, so they could hear and scent it but it couldn't hear or scent them. At least not yet. "Now, drop into a low crouch. Not so low your belly drags on the ground, but also not so high that you stand out of the shadows. You want to evenly distribute your weight onto your paws so when you move you're less likely to trip or make any sounds." She rose to her paws and demonstrated, her shoulders and haunches bunching as she lowered herself into the shadows of the undergrowth. Her fur was long and the feathery wisps barely touched the ground. She rolled her shoulders and shifted, evenly distributing her weight and lifting her tail straight behind her so her long fur didn't drag. She glanced over at Oakpaw and nodded, signaling for the young she-cat to copy her.

Oakpaw copied the crouch Nightstalker was doing. She moved around and couldn't believe how good she was.

Nightstalker nodded, impressed with the ease the young she-cat took to the form. "Raise your tail slightly, don't let it drag too close to the ground," She mewed flatly as she bumped her tail up with her own tail, holding it out leveled behind her. "Keep your weight distributed between your shoulders and haunches, and when you're ready to leap carefully shift back. Now, let me see you try and get that mouse." Nightstalker flicked her ears and dipped her chin in a small nod, giving the young she-cat permission to move forward.

Oakpaw nodded. She crouched down remembering all of Nightstalker's instructions. She padded forward carefully before she was a squrriel tail away from the mouse. Oakpaw got down really low and pounced.

The mouse scurried off as Oakpaw landed with a thump."Oof." Oakpaw said out of breath.

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

---

'Hunting Dice' : 9

Nightstalker flicked her tail, having expected this. It was rare for an apprentice to get their catch the first time, but she was impressed with Oakpaw's form and dedication. "That was a good attempt," She mewed as she padded over, looking after where the mouse had scurried off to. It was a pity, the Clan could have used the prey even if it was scrawny and nothing more than a few mouthfuls. She looked back down at Oakpaw and gave her a light flick on the ear with her tail tip. "Next time when you pounce, shift your weight just a little bit more to your haunches and you'll have a much more powerful pounce when you're that close."

Oakpaw nodded. "Yes Nightstalker." Said Oakpaw. She got up from her paws and dusted herself off. Oakpaw sat down to hear Nightstalker's next insturctions. Oakpaw wanted to know what she must do next.

Nightstalker scented the air and flicked her tail as she glanced around, ember eyes scanning the forest as she tried to see if there was anything else to hunt. She began to wonder if it was wise to try and teach her apprentice to hunt in leaf-bare, but then shook her head and stuck by her decision. If she was able to learn young to hunt in these harsh conditions she would excel as a hunter in the other seasons, and that was something the Clan needed. "Here, I can scent a squirrel just through there. Squirrels are a little more finicky than mice, but try one more time for today."

Oakpaw nodded. She crouched down and walked towards where the squrriel was. Once the squirrel was only a mouse length away Oakpaw got down real low. She then pounced.

The bit down onto the squrriels neck at it went limp. Oakpaw proudly picked the prey up. "Look Nightstalker! I caught a squrriel!" Oakpaw meowed through the furry prey.

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

---

'Hunting Dice' : 4

Nightstalkers ears swiveled forward and she almost smiled as her ember gaze became soft and slight with something close to pride. "That's very good Oakpaw, don't forget to give thanks to StarClan for your catch, as every catch is important and precious during leaf-bare." She mewed, her voice softer now as she flicked an ear and glanced around. She couldn't scent anymore pray nearby and she scowled slightly in disappointment. She wanted to stay relatively close to one area, not have to move too much. "Go ahead and scrape a small hole in the ground for it ad bury it, we'll come and retrieve it later. Now that you've caught something, let's see how you track. Go off that way towards the ShadowClan border, see if you can scent anything. I will be right beside you the whole time, but I want you to tell me what you smell."

Oakpaw nodded. She silently gave thanks to Starclan before burying her prey. The padded towards the Shadowclan border. A scent reached her nose. It smelled like a cat but different. Like pinetrees and wetness. "I think I smell Shadowclan." Said Oakpaw.

As they neared the border the silver tabby she-cat couldn't help but wrinkle her nose as they got close. She always thought ShadowClan reeked, and it didn't help with the Thunderpath also being part of the border, it just made their stench that much more unbearable. "Remember, the ShadowClan border is the Thunderpath. You never want to get too close to it, Twolegs and their monsters travel on that often and it is very dangerous." Nightstalker made sure her voice was stern as she looked down at her apprentice, making sure she got the message. "As far as I know, we currently have no quarrel with ShadowClan. That doesn't mean they are our allies, but it also doesn't mean we should seek any form of violence with them." Nightstalker flicked her tail and looked out towards the border, their scent leaving a sour taste on her tongue.

Oakpaw nodded. "Of coursee Nightstalker!" Said Oakpaw. She remembered that scent. Oakpaw looked towards Nightstalker. "What do we do now?" Asked Oakpaw. "Are we going to hunt more?"

With a wrinkle of her nose she looked back down at her apprentice, she had already shown promise as a hunter but Nightstalker was curious how she would do as a fighter. In that moment, an idea sparked in her head. "Let's say things were to get hostile, pretend I am an intruder from ShadowClan. Show me your best fighting stance," She said as she turned towards her apprentice, squaring her shoulders and slightly lowering her body, her shoulders and haunches tense to dodge or counter whatever Oakpaw would send her way.

Oakpaw nodded. She crouched down and leapt. She extended her paws so she could at least get a small hit on Nightstalker.

Nightstalker sidestepped Oakpaw's lunge, her small paws grazing past her shoulder and she felt a flicker of pride swell in her chest as she noted her apprentice's swiftness. "That was good," She mewed as she twitched her whiskers. "You are swift, which is a valuable asset to have when fighting, especially if you are battling someone much bigger than you. You can easily dart in and dart out of range while landing your own blows. Make sure when you do that, pay attention to your opponent's weaknesses. It will tell you the best places to land your blow." She motioned her her back left hip with her muzzle. "For example, I have a weak back hip from something that happened long ago. You'd never notice it on a day to day basis but after a lot of exertion, like during a battle, it can get weak and I have a hard time moving to the left. If you were my opponent in battle, that would be valuable information and something you could use to your advantage to possibly take me down."

(OOC: I am still learning the battle system, so bear with me while I figure it out for battle training)

Oakpaw nodded. She didn't know Nightstalker had an injured area of her body.

OOC: Wait theres a battle system? Now i'm confused

Nightstalker gave a nod as she continued on with her lesson. "You must use any information you find out about your opponent to your advantage," She mewed as she crouched into a fighting stance. "I know you are quick, so I know to keep an eye on your movements and track your gaze while trying to anticipate what you will do next so I can defend. But now that you know my weakness, I want you to take a moment and think what you best move would be to strike. Remember, it's my left hip and back leg that will weaken over time." She dipped her chin in a nod to her apprentice, encouraging Oakpaw to try again.

(OOC: At least I thought there was? There is the battle die option)

Oakpaw crouched down and tensed up. She then shot forward and went under Nightstlaker in a quick duck. She then leapt up onto her injured side and laid on top of it. Oakpaw put in all her weight hoping to get Nightstalker down.

Nightstalker went to dodge her apprentice again, but as she ducked she was caught slightly by surprise as her weight pressed into her side. With an amused chuckle she toppled over, her apprentice on top on her. "Well done, Oakpaw," She mewed as she laid under her. "Now, most cats this will work on for you will be in ShadowClan and RiverClan, though RiverClan tends to be as slippery as the fish they eat. Do you know who the current leader of RiverClan is?" Nightstalker was beginning to think she was getting the hang of this mentor thing, battle training as well as teaching her apprentice the hierarchy of the other Clans.

"Uhhhh Licenstar?" Said Oakpaw. She heard their names only two times before once by her father and the other by an apprentice.