no one hears a word .. hunting training!

[lilacfur]

The endless days of rain had made the marshes mucky underfoot, not even careful steps could keep from kicking up mud. The frogs croaked as they became obnoxiously present now, burrowing in the mud and hiding beneath the greens. Another step further and Lilacfur reeled back as the earth gave away- a frog! It squirmed from underneath her paw and hopped away, only for a trained pounce to take it down quickly.

"Not every day prey jumps into your paws." She laughed to her apprentices before turning to look around at the band of youngsters she and Ferndacne would be leading. "Alright, the swamps are plenty bountiful this season! Let's take advantage of this blessing and try to perfect everyone's hunting, now show me your frog hunting crouch!" A simple start to correct if needed. Though the ground was muddy and not as stable due to the rain, the clearing would have to do for their charges.

// relevant tags @SHADEPAW @CATERPILLARPAW. @FERNDANCE - ALL apprentices that weren't assigned on a patrol from lilacfur are welcome to hop in!​

[ i need the clouds to cover me ]​

 

[FERNDANCE]

Despite her days as a Lead Warrior, Ferndance could not recall when she was involved in a mass training session. Her methods were not so unorthodox as to put the whole clan off of them, but with so much death and destruction, she supposed she'd just never found the time to tell others how to hunt good and kill better. Lilacfur provided an opportunity to change that, adjacent to the she-cat, the cinnamon tabby's emerald eyes watched over the gaggle of apprentices with mischief and glee. Already, she could see bubbles in the mud close to them where frogs likely lurked beneath, even the thought of the juicy morsels underneath was enough to make her pupils drown out her irises. Temptation caused her paws to twitch, so uncomfortable that Ferndance began pacing back and forth the moment Lilacfur's seminar began, forming a semi-circle with her paws in the moist earth below. "That means tail low... all legs bent... and stomach barely touching the ground..." she added on in a near-whisper as the Lead Warrior finished, her gaze mirthfully finding Shadepaw's. "When prey gets harder to find, you'll want to talk to each other using your tails. I'd show it off now, but I don't know what 'please crouch properly' is in tail-signs."


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[SHADEPAW]

The marsh was a wonder to Shadepaw. The songs of the frogs, the way the ground clung to their paws, the smell of the damp earth. Camp, in hindsight, seemed so small- it had felt cramped, really, after their faux-apprentice status had been implemented. That time learning to hunt but not getting to practice had made Shadepaw appreciate the real deal all the more. Her head whipped around as Lilacfur made her skilled catch. "Whoa!" She chirped, heeding Lilacfur's advice but still checking under her paws all the same in case there was a frog just lurking beneath the muddy surface. No luck. But maybe if she got her hunting crouch right, she could follow in her mentor's footsteps and get something. Her ears twitched at Ferndance's words as she crouched, a hint of a smile tilting the corners of her eyes up. She shifted. Gangly limbs were bent and spaced carefully, her cinnamon-furred belly almost brushing the ground. A hunting crouch felt like second nature to Shadepaw- practiced as a three-month-old inside and outside of the nursery, practiced later on with Ferndance and then Lilacfur. "Is this good?" Her voice was low with concentration, gaze flickering to the warriors and then to the mud around her, searching for some lump that would reveal itself to be prey.​

 

[CATERPILLARFUZZ.]

CURIOUS TO SEE US STRUGGLE​

---

caterpillarpaw is not good at hunting right now. usually she's fine. she can do it with ease. with a nose like hers, it's just about remembering what to do. and she can't. remember what to do that is. lilacfur is probably so disappointed to have her as an apprentice. siltcloud spoke once of being proud of her but she doesn't know why. there's no real reason for anyone to be proud of her. she can't do anything. she can't hunt. she isn't really even paying attention. her hearing is focusing elsewhere. she's listening to thr frog songs and ways the crows caw. she is not listening to her mentor, fellow apprentice or ferndance. not really. she heard them, but she is not listening. it isn't until she steps on a stick, cracking it under her paw that she jolts and pushes her attention back towards the small hunting patrol. right. hunting. she's supposed to be hunting. why? why does she need to hunt right now, if prey is so bountiful? everyone else could hunt. she shouldn't have left the apprentice den. she should have just stayed behind.

"wh...what?"

shadepaw asks if her crouch is good. she is sure it's fine. but catty doesn't say that. no. instead she turns her attention away again. it doesn't matter if she catches nothing. she'd probably fail all over again and once again catty would question why she's even here.

"I'm gonna go hunt over there."


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