private THE WOODS ARE NOT AS DARK AS THEY SEEM ⚘ assessment

[leafhusk]

⚘ sunlight dapples through parted treetops, advancing into the early morning of camp. birdsong touches the lead warriors ears, making them twitch, and she rouses from her deep slumber. early morning pans out slowly, leafhusk taking her usual time to groom her fur. also, to admittedly, give her apprentice one last chance to sleep in. when she notices the dawn patrol stride through the gorse tunnel, leafhusk pokes her head into the apprentice den, silently beckoning the tabby to follow. he’s aware of the importance today holds, she warned him last night so he wasn’t too caught off guard. she will try to be merciful until the very end.

it is not a long walk. there is no reason to pull him into the depths of thunderclan’s territory again… leafhusk wants him to pass, after all. the answer to whenever or not she trusts him is undecided; he’s improved since her ‘exposure’ lesson. only minimally in her stern eyes, but progress is progress. what adderpaw suffered from, his own personal gripes, chest twisting selfishness, felt like it was out of leafhusk’s paws. all she could do at this point was force him to see his anxieties, and pray to the stars he gets over it— because she is no miracle worker. the boy is stubborn, extremely so, and no amount of regular training will fix that. despite the mental agonies this kid has caused her, leafhusk is oddly proud of him for sticking to his beliefs so strongly.

"you’ve come far, and i’m proud of your work," her voice breaks the silence when they stop underneath a shaded tree. "and now it is time to prove yourself to thunderclan." not just to me.

leafhusk settles into a sit, curling her tail around her paws. a relaxed position, inappropriately so when assessments are full of stress. it is partially for herself, she wants him to pass this test, wants him to succeed into a warrior thunderclan will remember. since she realized he's turned eleven moons, it's been buzzing inside her head.

"catch me three distinct pieces of prey. bring them back here by sundown." she hadn’t planned on anything too crazy, a part of her did think of giving him something out of the box, but decided against it.

when adderpaw disappears into the trees, leafhusk lays down underneath the shade, and waits.

assessment: catch three pieces of prey by sundown. they cannot be the same animal.

@Adderpaw​

 

[ADDERSNAP]

Sleep did not come to the weary that night, a brown — colored figure sprawled out on his back with eyes wide open. Adderpaw was kept awake with every possibly thought of failure plaguing his mind, cringing at each skid, missed move, and face plant that could befall him that coming morning. He was destined to fail, wasn't he? Mossywing had determined it so by retiring, claiming him to be a 'lost cause', though indirectly. Though Leafhusk had picked up his training, he felt as though he still had so much room for improvements despite his apparent increase in skills over the past few moons. His family was expecting the very best of him, his brother having been one of the best of his siblings and preparing the way for his now expected success. If he failed. . . well, he rather not think about how they would probably stop talking to him forever if such a thing occurred.

Before he knew it, the orange hues of the sunrise spilled slowly into the apprentice den with ominous intent. Its arrival meant that his assessment was just moments away, and the nerves began to now eat away at his stomach. Leafhusk's voice warning him about the upcoming test replayed in his mind up until the shadow of her head poked in to interrupt the little peace that was left. Adderpaw didn't even have to look to know it was the lead warrior — no one else would have been coming in this early on this particular day. Hesitating in his lazy position before getting to his paws, the boy's pelt was shaking ever so slightly as he walked towards her with an uneasy grin. He didn't have the energy to muster up any words. He rather save them for whatever torture she may put him through today. Despite her merciful ways, Adderpaw couldn't help but expect the worst in others.

Following the molly out into the shallows of ThunderClan territory, agile paws gracefully climb over roots that protruded through the soil, skin slightly torn from weaving between bushes in silent manner. Though the tabby was not confident in his abilities, it was obvious that he had trained hard to improve to where he was at today. Slowing to a halt next to his mentor, he feels heat burn beneath his fur at her admission of pride. It was unfamiliar, foreign in tongue and it made him feel. . . warm. It wasn't a feeling he wouldn't ever want to forget, and hoped to achieve more of as he grew. "Thank you." Adderpaw dips his head in respect, cheek fur grazing his shoulders as he blinked at the ground. She was proud of him. Someone finally saw something in him and he wasn't going to mess it up.

"Catch me three distinct pieces of prey." Relief flooded his senses as his muscles visibly relaxed, jaw slacking to release a sigh from all the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. Hunting was easier for him than a spar, and perhaps Leafhusk had chosen this to ensure his passage. The apprentice shook the thought from his mind, trying to focus on the positives of his upgrade in combat movement. But that wasn't what mattered right now. No, he was hunting, and he had to focus on that.

Finally shaking his head in acknowledgement to her assignment, Adderpaw lifted his head with faux confidence. "I'll make sure that you stay proud of me, Leafhusk." Giving her another dip of his head, he turned behind him and took a leap into the brush without another word.

rolled a 2!

Chestnut flashes could be spotted through the overgrowth, silent and light as Adderpaw carried himself through thick debris. He was tracking a vole that had hit the roof of his maw just a few moments ago, in close vicinity to his location. He looked up into the sky to track the sun, but it wasn't visible above the canopy of trees — meaning he had plenty of time to hunt before the 'curfew' of his assessment. Leafhusk would be following him, stalking his every move, wouldn't she? Downwind from him in order to avoid the boy from finding where she would be hiding, proving her abilities as a skilled lead warrior. In a few moons, he may be in that exact position with his own apprentice. Not as a lead warrior though, of course.

Suddenly he plopped his stomach onto the ground and he bunched his body into a crouch, tail outstretched and darting ever so slightly back and forth in quickened pace. The vole had stopped in a clearing, gathering itself as it made sure the area was clear before resuming its cleaning. It hadn't been there too long, evident by the lack of change in its coat appearance to indicate it had just recently came to a stop. Adderpaw's heartbeat skipped for a moment as he bit his lip, shifting on his haunches to make sure that all the weight he had was mustered in his back side to get the pounce just right. Moving his white paw forward in order to get closer to the tiny creature, he had his attention so transfixed on the prey before him that the branch below him had been left unnoticed, its crack! echoing through the muffled silence of the forest surrounding them. The rodent perked up its head, nose twitching as its big eyes seemed to connect with his own golden ones before it darted ahead of him into the bushes with haste. Letting out a hitched sigh, he decided it might be best to move locations since he had probably scared away the remaining prey in the area.

rolled a 6!

A fluffy — furred head poked its way out of a berry bush in order to avoid thorns from accidentally prodding themselves into his eyes and cheeks, scratches already littering his body as though he had been in a tussle with one come to life. Another vole ( or perhaps the same that had ran off from its previous destination, the tabby was uncertain ) had caught his attention and was currently eating the berries on the bush ahead of him, unaware of his glaring presence from slightly afar. This would be a easy catch, surely. The comment came as more of a question to the older apprentice's mind as he ducked his head back into the brush, crawling forward in elegant fashion as Adderpaw's shoulders shifted from side to side, muscles rippling under his coat with an itch to just pounce then and there. "Not yet," he thought to himself as his skinny frame exited from his hiding spot, moving his weight down in his legs to prepare to spring. He waited, playing it patiently instead of possibly ruining his chances again by rushing like he had last time.

And then, when the vole became absorbed in its feast after picking just the right strawberry, Adderpaw sprung into the air with claws outstretched, gripping the rodent as he delivered a swift killing blow to the neck. Blood dribbled into his maw with slight guilt twinging in his gut. Though it had been almost six moons since he had begun his apprenticeship, time hadn't made it any easier for the boy to get used to the act of killing the creatures that share the same territory as them for just existing. But, he understood the purpose they served them and sent a small 'thank you' to those who watched from above for his catch. Another glance at the sky and the orange had completely left the sky, deep yellow and blues now mixing together to show that sunhigh may possibly be on its way soon. So on he went.

rolled a 4!

The brown tabby had found the scent of a blue jay, but hesitant paws ended up leading him in the direction of a squirrel in the trees above. Running through the growth with tiring limbs, the squirrel's scent was so overwhelming near the Great Sycamore that it stung Adderpaw's nose with a twitch. He knew he couldn't climb to the top, nor did he care to try or have the time to even accomplish such a feat. But it was up there, somewhere, among the branches and it was just waiting to be caught between his jaw. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as the tomcat sank his claws into bark, using his strength to carry him up into the thick branches and leaves that now engulfed him.

Where was it? He craned his neck above him, to the right, and every which way to spot some glimpse of orangey — red against green. Half — lidded eyes were narrowed in deep concentration as the boy crawled silently on the long branch he found himself upon, daring a look down at the ground beneath him. Oof, he was high, wasn't he? Snapping his head to look forward in order to stop himself from beginning to spin, it was then when his eyes caught sight of a squirrel staring directly at him. A hungry grin crept onto his face — not one of starvation, but of the overwhelming desire to prove himself — as he stared into its fear — filled eyes. "It looks like it's a challenge."

The squirrel turned tail and darted into the canopy, but Adderpaw was quick on his paws, jumping branch to branch to try and catch up with the small critter that barely kept its distance from him. Suddenly, it skid downward onto the trunk of the sycamore, slithering downwards to avoid the capture of Adderpaw's grabbing mittens. Letting out a hiss, the tabby scrambled back and onto the trunk and pushed himself to climb, faster than he had ever before to race in front of the squirrel, finally gathering himself close enough to the squirrel to jump right onto its back just as it reached the base of the tree. Lifting its scrambling body into the air, he chomped down on its neck so it could go limp in his jaws with what he hoped was a pain — free death, though he doubted it with the weight he had put onto the poor thing's back. Though he had been aggressive in his approach, the guilt still remained on his conscious as he mumbled a silent "two" before slinking back to the spot where he had hid his other prized catch.

rolled a 1! decided it would be a moment for him to rest and contemplate instead of a missed catch

Adderpaw knew that the sun was now slowly beginning its descent towards sundown, but the apprentice couldn't help but stop for a moment to sit and chew on the vole he had managed to catch while looking for more prey. It wasn't easy to find critters in the blazing heat, all hidden below the soil or in places he couldn't see or sniff out. ThunderClan was already struggling to find prey enough as it is, and now the tom assumed that's why Leafhusk had put him up to this task. Or was it for him to finally catch a bird, to pull off an accomplishment in his very last moments like some kind of hero? It didn't feel like such a thing would occur to him, but in the subconsciousness of his mind the lanky feline knew that it was becoming time for him to stop with his nonsense, his passion for the life that thrived around him. He had to in order to succeed and make something out of himself.

Tugging at flesh, tufted ears perked towards a familiar call. "The blue jay." The words came out breathless, shock filling his bones as he got to his paws. He had to do it. He had to catch one in order to become a real warrior. Not for Leafhusk, not for ThunderClan, but for himself. He would always feel as though he had never improved throughout his apprenticeship if he didn't snatch but just one bird. Lowering his neck to gently grasp the remainders of the vole in his maw, he plopped it next to his two catches to save for later and began the silent tracking of the winged figure.

rolled a 3!

There it was. Blue contrasted against the gray color of Sunningrocks, hopping along its hard exterior with no knowledge of the creeping feline off the shore — line. The sun could be seen reflected along the river, its sparkling light bouncing off soft lapping waves into rapidly blinking eyes in order to try and stop the glare from hurting. Adderpaw's heart was beating out of its chest, the prickly feeling of anxiousness weaving its way into his skin as he stay crouched in the overgrowth of the forest. How was he going to catch it? He knew he could jump high, he knew all the movements needed to catch a bird. . . but could he actually do it? The tomcat always used to only be able to recite what he had learned, not be able to replicate it. Would such a thing happen again? Would he fail, staying an apprentice for a moon longer than he needed to?

No.

Adderpaw puffed out his chest with a newfound confidence and pride. He had to believe in himself, because Leafhusk did. If she saw something in him, something he didn't see, then maybe he just had to believe that she was right. That he was better than he had set himself up for.

Wiggling his haunches in the air, tail sticking straight up and swaying back and forth fluidly as he thought about his situation, what move could be done here. He could either run full sprint towards the blue jay and try to leap on it before it noticed him, but even the long — furred tabby knew the bird was too far for such a catch. He would have to inch closer in silence, trying to stay camouflaged in with the colors of the forest as soil melts slightly into sand. Pressing himself against the ground, he slithered towards the bird with quiet intentions, each paw — step taken so lightly that you could barely hear the grass rustle beneath his paw — pad.

He was only a few fox — lengths away from Sunningrocks now. Adderpaw's heartbeat rang in his ears, his breath muffled any other sounds he might be able to pick up as he honed in on the blurry blue figure in front of him, out of focus from overconcentration. It was right there. In just a few seconds, he'd be able to use all of the weight in his hind legs to tackle the fowl to its demise. But, as his vision began to clear, he noticed it had began to chirp an alarm and stretch its wings in a flutter. It had seen him.

Getting to his paws and running full force, it had just extended its wings to begin fluttering around in the air, stress making its movements slow and uncoordinated. Adderpaw skid to a halt below it as it recuperated itself, flapping its wings up towards the sun before a hit to the side made it drop for a moment. The boy had used all his might to leap up in the air, batting it as much as possible to try and stop it from escaping his claws. Skin snagged onto his claw and the bird let out a screech, hitting his ears and immediately responding with flattening them to his skull. He didn't want to hear its cries, acknowledge the existence that it may be suffering by his paws.

It was dragged down with him, claw embedded into its flesh as it struggled to get to freedom once again. He shut his eyes, the tears that had been welling up releasing like the river that slightly drizzled his pelt as he bent down his head to nip its neck, the bird going limp in his grasp. Tears dripped onto its body as he stay like that for a moment, sides heaving from the exhaustion that now fully tangled itself into his limbs. Opening his maw to gently place the blue jay back onto the boulder beneath him, Adderpaw stared at its beautiful feathers, different hues of blue and white reflected off the droplets that collected on its wings before cascading downward. The boy curled himself into a seating position, tail wrapped into place before him as he snapped off a few feathers from its left wing, holding them in his jaw in silence. He then dipped down to prod them into place embedded into the thick, fluffy fur of his tail. A memory, so that he could always hold onto the moment that he had made his first successful bird catch of his apprenticeship.

Adderpaw sat there for a moment longer, watching as the sun slowly began to influence the color of the sky. He took a deep breath, inhaling the crisp air through his nose as he shut his eyes for a moment, relishing in the feeling of what was now beginning to be his last moments as an apprentice. Finally grasping onto the blue jay, he got to his paws and darted back into the forest to grab his other caught prey. He had to meet with Leafhusk before sundown.

Arriving to the place where he had parted ways with her, the tabby stood with a sense of achievement, glee lacing the sound of his voice as he called out to her somewhere in the undergrowth. "I finished."​

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A D D E R P A W ( he/him )​

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( ooc ) used a 6 sided dice to determine how he would catch his prey: 1-2 missing his catch, 3-4 almost failing his catch in some way but still successfully capturing the prey OR catching it just sloppily, and 5-6 catching his prey with ease :D

also tldr: adder catches a vole, squirrel, and blue jay . . . marking it his first official catch of a bird. he takes a few feathers from it and places them within the fluff of his tail fur and decides he will do this with birds that he admires for being a difficult catch or likes the look of

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