private GUIDING SHIPS THAT HAVE GONE ASTRAY - hunting lesson

[Bluepool]

"As you probably already know, as WindClanners, we are usually able to outrun most of our prey." And the prey they couldn't outrun usually had a surprise waiting for them in their tunnels. She is of course, speaking to her smoky furred apprentice. It is a crisp morning, a cold breeze blows across the moors that Bluepool has to fluff her fur against to protect herself from catching a chill. The last thing she wanted was to end up in Vulturemasks den. Still, her fluffy silver fur is not enough to hide the fresh wound on her chest given to her the night prior as a symbol of her new position in the clan.

Her yellow eyes find her apprentice as she continues her lesson "But it is important you learn how to stalk prey as well, you can outrun a rabbit but you cannot outfly a bird you just have to draw close enough to it that you can get it before it flies away. Here let me show you" she drops into a hunters crouch, stalking forward on sure feet. Though hunting birds is not her strong suit, she was still decently average at it and her apprentice still needed to learn such things if he had any hope in making it. She finishes her demonstration and stands, looking at the tom expectantly "Okay now your turn" she says, expecting him to replicate the crouch she had shown him.

// please wait for @Periwinklebreeze.

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[Periwinklebreeze.]

STEADY THE RIGHTS AND THE WRONGS
periwinklepaw | 09 months | demi-boy | he/they | physically easy (pacifist) | mentally easy | attack in bold #ccccff

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Periwinklepaw has never had any doubt in his hunting skills. The thrill of the chance, and even stalking when required of him, has always been something he takes pride and pleasure in. But today he feels as though his mind is foggy, clouded - he can't seem to focus on anything but the scars on his mentors pelt. All to familiar wounds - ones which his mother had once worn so proudly, before he'd watched sootstar strike it off. He can still smell the blood as the memory flashes before his mindseye. It's startling, to see them present on his mentor, leaves him feeling dizzying and strange. Because, really, bluepool is not the one he wants at his side right now. He misses the days of his perfect family, back when sootstar had been proud of the next generation, had expected big things of him and his siblings. What a disappointment his life turned out to be. He knows he should be focusing on her words, but he can't help it - his jaws are opening before he can think better of it, the question spilling out past his lips unbidden. "d-d-does it still hurt?" he says quietly, concern and fear waring in his gaze as his ears draw back anxiously. He doesn't know what to expect from the molly - doesn't know how she'll take his words. Perhaps he'd have been better off saying nothing at all.

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[Bluepool]

At first, she is puzzled by her apprentices words. Did what still hurt? To her knowledge she wasn't so gravely injured that she couldn't run or stalk, but then as she is looking at him through puzzled golden colored eyes she notices where his gaze falls. She follows it down to the new wound on her chest, barely visible through her thick blue pelt. She pauses for a moment, thinking about what the best answer would be, for once. "No" she says finally "I have suffered far worse wounds, this was nothing" her half-tail flicks behind her, as if it has a mind of it's own, knows she is speaking about it. Her tail being severed from her body made almost anything else bearable. She had loved her tail, too. Had taken great pride in grooming it, keeping it silky and soft. To have it ripped away from her had been a blow both to her body and her pride. This wound was the opposite, it was a symbol of pride and honor.

"It does sting a little bit but its nothing more than a minor annoyance" she admits finally with a shrug of her shoulders. Her eyes study his charcoal masked features, "Why? Are you hoping to earn one of your own one day?" He could, she thinks. If he worked hard, proved himself different from his mother. She doubts he'll ever be a good fighter, but maybe, one day, a decent enough hunter could be made out of him.

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[Periwinklebreeze.]

STEADY THE RIGHTS AND THE WRONGS
periwinklepaw | 09 months | demi-boy | he/they | physically easy (pacifist) | mentally easy | attack in bold #ccccff

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Embarrassment colors his features and sends his ears burning when blue[pool turns to him in confusion - ah, he'd certainly came out of nowhere with that, hadn't he? Worse wounds she says - and he winces in acknowledgement, thinks of his own battle scars a the events that led to them. Sootstar, though she certainly terrifies them, cannot compare to a fox more than three times his size bearing down upon him - he'd seen his life flash before his eyes, known that had vulturemask not shown up when he had he'd have been on his way to starclan. He gives a non-commital hum at her questioning, tired eyes blinking slowly as he tries to think - tries to find an honest answer.

"...I d-don't... know," he offers. He's tried enough of being compared to hya, being held responsible for her mistakes and her sins. Does he want to share yet another perceived similarity with her? Honor and respect, but at what cost? Would he ever truly escape her shadow? He doesn't know - perhaps he never will. He gives a shake of his head as though the motion will forcibly clear his thoughts, and the moment he picks up the scent of prey he's off in a flash - as though he can outrun his problems. As paws come crashing down upon the mouse, bending down to kill it, neck snapping cleanly and bloodlessly, he wonders if he just might. One pawstep at a time.

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