development i need to get better 𓋼 first catch

[edenberry ?!]

𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 〰 Bark sprayed off the trunk as pale paws clawed up towards the canopy with an eager heart hammering their chest. The branches sway ever so gently under the weight of a near-adult feline, one that picks their way across with delicate choice in mind, with an emerald sight fixated ahead. They'd seen it. It was a squirrel, it had shown itself in only the faintest of blurred shadows... had it crawled out of its hole to find another walnut maybe? Was it looking for a few drops of water to lap at from the icicles that had formed in some places, that melted as spring began its slow approach again?

Lupinepaw's voice serves as a teacher, memories of Hazelbeam's advice.. flickering visions of tabby fur that had encouraged their practice in climbing. I'll do it... the pin-stripe cat assures themself, assures the voices of friends that sing songs of warning and suggestion. Place your paws here, carefully, watch your weight when it bows, do not rustle the leaves suddenly. Crouch. Wait. Have patience. The moment will present itself.

It is a thought process that had been run through for an agonizing half year with no success. Edenpaw was not the hunter they dreamed they'd be when they'd stumbled upon the SkyClan border and demanded to join them. Every failure felt like an admission of guilt, as if their failing had somehow brought about the deaths of those they cared about. Maybe if they'd caught that vole, Tawnystripe would've been alive. Maybe if that thrush hadn't escaped, Jaggedstorm would be here. Maybe if that robin hadn't fled, Blazestar would be down below now, waiting to see this moment.

They grit their teeth to find their patience, to steel their nerves that screamed to jump now, to get it over with. That if they waited any longer, it might catch their scent on the wind. They'd be a failure. Again.

Most reliably. A failure.

A shuddered, low breath (breathe in and out), another careful step to adjust onto the next branch. The squirrel was close now... A nervous kitten-whine in their head said to just try a little bit closer but. A dark-furred friend... a pair of tortie pelts.... You've got this. Their self-assured smiles in Edenpaw's head is all they need.

A streak of dark and light through the overhead, a branch that waves wildly under the sudden momentum and a- squeal! Tender-footed pads smack into fur.... FUR?! Their claws extend in anxious excitement, feeling the muscles tense as if the poor prey has realized the grip is only getting tighter. That the window of escape is closing quickly and with a rushed lunge of teeth, there is warmth.

And there is stillness.

And....

"I caught it," they breathe in disbelief, pulling away to stare at the prey wrapped tightly in their grasp where they swing in the breeze, carefully flicking their tail this way and that to keep their balance.

"Heheh..... heh... I caught it!"

"HEY!!! HEY I CAUGHT THE SQUIRREL," the apprentice shouts in thoughtless, overwhelming joy. Hurriedly they pick the thing up between their teeth again, scrambling recklessly down the tree to get to the ground where some of their patrol might still be lingering nearby, tail twitching and waving in anticipatory celebration.​

 

[Chickbloom]

Even though the skittish scottish fold was forever on edge, Edenpaw was one of the few cats Eggshell felt somewhat comfortable around. Out of all the kittypet's encounters at the border, Edenpaw was by far the most welcoming (or perhaps he just seemed more friendly compared to Slate). The crybaby wouldn't be so selfish as to call the other a friend, but Edenpaw certainly numbered among the cats he cared about.

That was why, when anxious ears hear the apprentice's shout and assume the worst, amber eyes widen with relief as Edenpaw approaches not only alive, but with prey clamped securely around a prideful maw. "W-Wow, Edenpaw" the coward stammers out, painfully aware of his own lack of success even though he was significantly older than the other. however, self-admonishment soon turns to joy as the spineless whelp sees how happy Edenpaw is with his accomplishment. A rare smile starts to spread over yolk-stained features. "That's g-great! you must be g-good to be able to s-sneak up on that."

As a relative newcomer, Eggshell was ignorant of Edenpaw's struggle, or just how long the other had been working towards this moment. however, that meant his opinion on the catch was pure; unbiased by the knowledge of the other's difficulties. "Y-You should... should go back to camp and s-show everyone. I bet they'll be rreal p-p-proud."​

 

[TWITCHBOLT]

Oh, it was loud... and had undoubtedly scared every other squirrel in the area away. But- for one foolish enough to venture into the cold to be clamped in a Skyclanner's jaws, well- it was difficult to be upset. Especially when Edenpaw's face shone like the sun- wide, peering eyes glanced through the snow-smothered needles. Chattering teeth fashined themselves into a smile, taut-lipped but genuine. Patchwork fur drifted over, studying the catch... a squirrel, in Leafbare. It was not only a catch, but a plentiful one.

"I don't think you're going to- to find many more after that celebration..." his voice was a humoured hum, light within it- he wasn't truly upset. They'd just have to move on a little further. "Fff- fantastic work, though, Edenpaw... you should deliver it to the queens yourself." That was what he'd done- given his first catch to his mother. His first bird to his parents; a lump formed in his throat, but he forced it back into the pit that was always in his stomach when he thought of them. ​

penned by pin ✧​

 

[GREENEYES]

Greeneyes remembers his own first catch well. A bird, one that he’d caught in the height of leaf-bare himself. He remembers the thrill and disbelief over his success, the relief that he’d finally caught something.

That being said, his celebrations weren’t nearly as loud as Edenpaw’s mark of their first catch. The apprentice’s celebration catches his ears as he stalks toward a mouse, their shouts startling both him and the rodent. A haphazard leap forward in an attempt to still catch his own prey ends in the mouse escaping, and the ginger tom lets out a sigh of defeat as he watches the mouse scurry off toward a hole in the ground. Oh well.

With a flick of a hooked tail, Greeneyes heads toward Edenpaw’s voice instead. “ Nice one! “ he praises her with chirping tones, a smile pulling at his maw. Even if they did scare off the rest of the prey in the forest, the dorsal-striped cat’s catch will provide someone back in camp a filling meal. “ You did a good job, Edenpaw! Though, next time, let’s remember to keep our celebrations on the quieter side. “ His critique is light-hearted — he knows how important of a moment one’s first catch can be!​

✦ ABOUT

• // APPRENTICE TAG: @falconpaw!
• 

  GREENKIT ‣ GREENPAW ‣ GREENEYES
  ── Lead Warrior of SkyClan
  
  ── Daisyflight x Raven Ramble
  ── AMAB; He/Him
  ── A red tabby and white tom with bright green eyes.
  ── Mentored by Sheepcurl; Currently mentoring Falconpaw
  ── "Speech"; Attack​

​

 

[Hazelbeam]

————————————————————⊰★★★⊱———————————————————

"LET'S GO, EDENPAW! YEAH!" She had witnessed the event from a distance, distracted by tracking her own prey but quickly lost the trail in favor of observing the young black and white molly. Hazelbeam trotted over with an eager smile, dipping her head to bump her forehead into her apprentice in an affectionate manner, "You're a natural! You'll be climbing trees to rip them down from the branches themselves in no time!"
Hunting had come naturally to her when she'd joined the clan, Hazel was not exactly a normal kittypet by any means and her owner often didn't check doors or windows so she had plenty of previous experience stalking sparrows in backyards and fighting strays that wandered too close to her nest. Clan life only tempered her, sharpened her claws more and built upon what she'd self taught and she was pleased to be able to pass that down to another. Her little apprentice was a point of pride and adoration, practically a little sibling at his point and she beamed as her namesake so pointedly denoted.
"Watch out, Mister Deputy." She said with a playful shoulder bump into the chocolate tom's scruffy side, "She might very well replace you if you aren't careful." Greeneyes was offered a sheepish smile as she realized she too had been just a little too excited in her good cheer and added to the noise. "Oops~"

★ such a wonder to be under her spell ———— ★ she's a woman in total control of herself

•  
• 
  
  
  Hazelbeam
  —⊰⋅ Daylight Warrior of SkyClan
  —⊰⋅ She/Her
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  —⊰⋅ SH Black/Blue Chimera w/blue eyes
  - Does NOT wear her witch hat while hunting or on patrol.
  

​

 

[falcongaze]

❝ STATUES AND EMPIRES✧°.☀ ————————————
Edenpaw wasn't originally one of his peers he had paid close attention to- Falconpaw had been too worried about himself, and his siblings. He had been told to look after them by his father, and that's what he had been doing. Keeping his head down in his studies, becoming stronger, older. He was nearing the end of his apprenticeship, if Greeneyes' trust in his solo-trips were any indication. He had been on one now, linger close to the patrol due to the threat of rogues still lingering.

Rogues, Windclan. Same thing.

His ears twitched as Edenpaw's cheer- then Hazelbeam's cheer- went up in the air. He picked up a mouse he had deposited a few feet back in interest of a winter bird chirping on the ground ahead that had taken off at the shouts. Falconpaw drew close to the commotion, stepping up alongside his mentor with a small smile on his face.

That all being said, Edenpaw had been another cat he had begun to keep his eye out for. Ever since Slate was attacked... the fear in their eyes had been something he had unfortunately committed to memory. His head dipped towards Greeneyes in agreement. "Congratulations, Edenpaw." He meowed around his own catch.

"SPEECH"

[penned by dallas - ☀]

———————————— ☀.°✧ ALL AT YOUR PAWS ❞ ​

​

 

[edenberry ?!]

𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 〰 Whirling to stare at Eggshell, the leggy kittypet gave a small purr of delight- They were so kind! And Edenpaw was glad they'd been around a couple of times to ease their fears enough to step further into SkyClan's circles. "Awww, Eggie! Thank you, thank you... I'm still learning though and Miss Hazel-" An equally loud cheer comes from nearby, signaling the watchful gaze of a warrior plenty grown enough to recognize the accomplishment and hard work for what it is. Sheepishly, as shyly as anyone would when confronted with the role model of their dreams, the apprentice turns to their doting mentor with ears drawn back in flustered embarrassment to receive so much praise. "You saw?! I've been practicing! Lupinepaw was helping me a couple sunrises ago too and I talked to Glimmerpaw about climbing stuff because they were having a hard time too and-"

Twitchbolt appears in hulking, shivering mass (that was usual though, he was fine) to suggest the moment might have been a little reckless... a little bit lacking in forethought. Oh... right... It brings their yammering to a soft halt. "Aheh.... heheh.... Sorry Twitchbolt," reaching to rub the side of their face against his chest in apology.

But the celebration, even if it is a little selfishly indulgent, had brought enough of a crowd to bring their elation sky-high. Greeneyes and Falconpaw come alike an attached pair, cooing congratulations and suggestions for quieter announcements next time. Well... the good news was that next time wouldn't be the first ever so... they could commit to that much.

"Right! Right! Promise I'll remember..." Glancing to the squirrel then back at the gathered patrol, the pinstripe cat gives another cheesy smile, "We probably... have to move somewhere else to hunt now... huh?"​