private you are now my home sweet home | sweetybee

[shrewflight.]

Apprenticeship wasn't necessarily hard, but the tiny child was still struggling. He feared becoming a warrior, he feared a battle where they would pull through injured and possibly defeated. He feared this sickness that was killing clanmates and costing them their health. He feared dogs with Blazestar as bad as he had been, scars laid deep in his fur.

But, he would soon admit that it made one who they were. Blazestar survived the battle of life and death. He were perseverant and determined, and he was friendly. But Pocket could tell he was worn. He had been betrayed, apparently. And it still made him strong.

Everyone had their struggles that they dealt with, and some cards were given to throw one off. And it was the ability to get through it that made one strong.

Yet Pocket didn't feel strong, he had so many fears. New wounds that stung, covered in herbs and webs over his ear and cheek and flank from the talons of a bird he had failed to catch. It felt pitiful that a newfound fear was birds. And maybe, maybe he could get over it.

The small marbled apprentice, cursed with the existence of never seeming to be able to get bigger than the day he was brought here approached Sweetybee in a hesitant manner. His mentor was strong too. And sweet, and awesome and supportive. And he was definitely happy with her as his mentor. But he still shuffled his paws as he came before her.

"C-can we go over some more hunting? I know you showed me it before, but-" His breaths caught at the thoughts kf the failure of the bird the day before. "I'm still struggling. I just, don't know why my paws don't seem to follow where they need to go." He continued, huffing a breath of frustration and he stared at them. She may not say it, but he still felt a pit as if he disappointed her.

 

[Sweetybee]

Being a mentor was less stressful than she thought it would be. Sure, there's still stress and worry to be had, but nothing like she thought. Perhaps its because she was lucky to get an apprentice like Pocket, who wasn't looking to cause trouble at any given moment. Which was good, she wasn't sure she had the nerve to scold him.

Luckily he hadn't done anything that needed scolding. Even the accident with the bird. He simply needed more training, more confidence. Birds didn't usually attack like that and it was likely a one time occurrence, but he needed to learn that the prey fears the hunter, not the other way around. She would have to break this new fear of birds... And the way her father would have done it was through exposure.

Fortunately, Pocket approaches her just as she was thinking of seeking him out. She smiles softly at him. "Of course we can!" She says. He seems nervous, she supposes she understands. "Everyone has their own rate of growth. You'll get better with practice." She explains. She learned to hunt easily, but her brother busted his nose on a rock once chasing a mouse. Good times.

"Lets go find some prey to practice on. Experience is the best teacher!" She chirps. Hopefully they find a mouse, or a bird that isn't awful.​

 

[shrewflight.]

Pocket didn't dare do anything of a troublesome manner, not intentionally. He had done one troublesome thing in a home with twolegs, but none of that was troublesome here. He could scratch what he wanted, and climb what he wanted. It was even encouraged! And that feeling was great.

Climbing was one thing he had quickly learned. But hunting was hard, he was just determined to learn. So when sweetybee said they can, and everyone learned differently, a grin spread across the anxiety ridden apprentice. "Awesome! Thank you for everything," he said, a purr forming in his chest. He would always be grateful, she was supportive, and he had to try to remember that.

"I think I could track some down," he started. "That's the easy part."

She had said birds never usually did that, but he wondered if other unfortunate souls were caught in the cross fire. He had heard of hawks stealing kittens, and it extended the fear just a bit. But the small bird was chaotic. "I'm sorry I didn't fight the bird, it just scared me." He admitted sheepishly, beginning to walk to the camp entrance with an otherwise determined nature.

 

[Sweetybee]

She wonders if having an apprentice is like having a child. Such a thing was something she was afraid of, but having an apprentice has erased that fear. She wonders if she'd be more open to the idea of having her own, now.

She smiles at him. "It's no problem!" She says. The best thing Pocket needs is support, and she will give it!

"Well, show me how it's done!" She encourages. Tracking is certainly the easy part. She just has to show him not to be afraid, and to make a quick kill.

She understands his fear. He was taken by surprise by that bird, its only natural something so sudden and surprising leave a mark. "It's alright... But now you'll be prepared in case it happens again!" She says. "Birds are small, so even if they act scary, you can easily take one down with your claws and teeth." She explains, following behind him.

"But normally, they do try to escape. You were just unlucky with that bird, it seems." She's never seen a bird so feisty before. Probably a once in a lifetime experience.​