private welcome to the jungle [ WARRIOR ASSESSMENT ]

[Flamestar]

( ★ ) It was time, and she couldn't believe it. She had hardly slept that night, and she had waken up early that morning. If she was this excited, she couldn't imagine how Cloudypaw was feeling. All of their time training had lead up to this moment, and she was beyond confident that her apprentice would pass today, as long as she didn't get too nervous. The curly furred Molly had all the makings of a warrior, and there was little left that she had to teach her. She had spent the past couple weeks really cramming in any training that they could to prepare for this moment. Flamewhisker knew Cloudypaw would be alright today. Cloudypaw would be her first apprentice to receive their warrior name, so that was thrilling.

She rose from her nest, shaking off any materials that tried to cling to her pelt. She had been planning on saying goodbye to Flycatcher, but it seemed he had already left for the morning. He will be so proud too. she thought, before padding her way around the slowly waking figures of her clanmates. Instinctively her paws started towards the apprentice den, but she saw Cloudypaw waiting for her near the camp's exit.

The lead warrior rose her plume-like tail and trotted over. She flashed the undoubtably anxious apprentice a reassuring smile. "It is time." she said softly. "I want you to catch a total of three pieces of prey. They can be any kind, just a total of three. When you are done, I want you to meet me at the Great Sycamore. I will be watching and assessing you, but don't let that worry you, you won't even know I'm there. You have until sundown." She paused, so she could flick her tail to touch the younger she-cat's shoulder. "You've got this."

//
@Cloudypaw ​

( WHEN I FIND MYSELF ; I'MA BRING IT ON HOME )

 

[Cloudyfur]

Cloudypaw hadn't slept.

It had been a long night. She had lain in her nest, tossing and turning, every one of her anxieties going through her head. Everything she had learned, all her improvements, were susceptible to her doubts. The only thing she was as she lay there was that her siblings would pass their assessments. That was part of the problem. More than anything she wanted to be able to stand with Stormy and Pebble in front of the whole clan as they all became warriors. Her mind burned with the memory of the accusations that they would be nothing more than kittypets, and she wanted to prove that wrong, for her family's sake.

Though she was proud of her own training, she wasn't sure it would be enough. Even her own siblings seemed to improve in leaps and bounds while her own progress was made in slow, agonizing steps. It always felt like she was a little bit behind. Which was normally fine, she was content to learn at her own pace.

She just didn't want to let anyone down.

Especially not Flamewhisker, who had put her all into getting her ready for this day. They had pushed themselves with extra training day in day out, and Cloudypaw had surprised herself with how well she had taken to it. It was because of her mentor that she was this nervous, really. It would be almost reassuring if she was certain she'd fail, but Cloudypaw thought she might actually be able to do it.

By the time light broke outside the apprentice den, her fears had dulled. She had lain with them so long that they had lost their edge to her exhaustion. Still, there was no sleeping now. So, since she was awake, she pulled herself from her nest and padded slowly to wait at the camp's exit.

As Flamewhisker approached, she straightened herself. Took a breath to steady herself for the wave of nerves that she knew would hit her anew when her mentor told her it was time. Except it didn't come. Even at the mention that she would need to make three catches in order to succeed, more than she usually got. She blinked.

"Yeah, okay." Was all she could manage to tell her mentor with a nod.

Cloudypaw set out. She decided to head toward Sunningrocks first, then she could circle back around back toward camp so she could end her hunt near the Great Sycamore if all went well. Jaws parted to scent the air, she slowly stalked through the undergrowth. It still took her a few moments, but she settled well into her hunter's crouch.

It surprised her how quickly she picked up a scent. A mouse, and nearby too. She was lucky today. It didn't even take that long to track it down. Slowly, she crept closer, staying downwind of it as she watched its every move. Her prey seemed totally oblivious to her. Until, for some reason she couldn't discern, it suddenly froze. Not wanting to spook it, she froze too.

Its beady eyes locked on her. Everything stood still. It darted into the underbrush and she went thundering after it. Thorns and nettles stuck into her pelt as she crashed through the bushes it had slipped into, but she ignored the feeling. She wasn't going to let this mouse out of her sight, no matter what it took.

She watched as it zigzaged left and right, trying to find a hole to dart into, but to no avail. All the while she slowly closed in.

Two tail lengths.

One tail length.

Her jaws opened.

Cloudypaw lunged and the mouse squeaked, then went limp. She dropped it, slamming her paw down on it to make sure it was dead, but she needn't have bothered.

It hadn't been clean, but she had made her first catch. Two more to go.​