Love is just a cloudy sky as far as I can see
⤝ ⥈ ⥈ ☁ ⥈ ⥈ ⤞
Cloudflare kept close to his apprentice as they left camp and made their way towards the gorge. Prime hunting opertunities now that it wasn't so hot out - and Brightpaw needed to learn how to hunt in all conditions, after all. Still, it was nice to know they'd probably find something to practice with.
"What kind of prey do you think we'll find today, and how might you hunt them?" He inquired lightly, not intending for the question to be weighed. Cloudflare was merely curious to hear Brightpaw's insights, and it would be easier to gauge his thoughts once unfurled.
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettlepaw, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat's Apprentice
Merrykit, ♀ Contented Kit
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlepaw, ♀ Selfish Apprentice
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Murkkit, ♂ Opportunistic Kit
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Disturbed Rogue
Brightpaw followed his half brother, trotting along as his tail flutters with pent up energy asking to be put to use. When Cloudflare speaks, he scans the visable horizon before turning to his mentor. "Well, you did say rabbits earlier." He flicks an ear. "But now I'm a little nervous that I'll mess it up. I know the point of learning is to get better and mistakes help you learn but with hunting, you can't really accept a loss because then you might starve." He huffs out a sigh and turns away to look at the surrounding area, silently hoping some sort of prey would fall out of the sky and land in front of them.
Love is just a cloudy sky as far as I can see
⤝ ⥈ ⥈ ☁ ⥈ ⥈ ⤞
Cloudflare looked fondly at Brightpaw even as he whithered away from his uncertainties. He couldn't help but see a bit of himself in the smaller tom, from his goofy exterior to just how sensitive he seemed to be inside. At least Skyeyes was a motherly and supportive she-cat who no doubt was a better dam than his own.
He aimed to give his young brother a bump on his shoulder, an affectionate gesture that he hoped would encourage. "In Green-Leaf? No way." His tail straightened slightly above his back. Chuffing thoughtfully, Cloudflare continued. "I did say rabbits before, huh? You could also find chipmunks, vole. Maybe you can even catch a bird unaware. You learn just as much from failure as you do from success."
Lowering himself, Cloudflare poised his body in a nearly perfect hunter's crouch, his stocky frame a bit bulky, but broken up by the long grass. "Tell me if you can see anything we can try and hunt."
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettlepaw, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat's Apprentice
Merrykit, ♀ Contented Kit
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlepaw, ♀ Selfish Apprentice
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Murkkit, ♂ Opportunistic Kit
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Disturbed Rogue
"Don't say that! You might jinx it, make it backfire or something!" Brightpaw whined but nonetheless reciprocated the larger toms supportive bump. He sighed dramatically, straightened up and resumed looking out across Windclan territory. "There's not going to be any prey out in the open. Just like how we want camp to be secluded, prey is probably going to be hidden. Maybe down near rocks or burrows or even in the grass."
He lowered himself down into the grass, copying Cloudflare. He closed his eyes, ears swiveling around trying to catch any sounds. The rushing river in the gorge could easily bury the smaller sounds that prey would make so he opened his eyes again, trying to rely on all of his senses. There! Directly in front of the two cats by a couple fox-steps was some shuffling of foliage accompanied by an earthy, meaty scent. "I think there is something ahead, near the rocks. Maybe a shrew or a mouse? Do you want me to go in for it on my own right now or are you thinking of something else?"
Love is just a cloudy sky as far as I can see
⤝ ⥈ ⥈ ☁ ⥈ ⥈ ⤞
Cloudflare wore an exaugurated face of intensity, nodding with intent as Brightpaw mentioned prey not being just out in the open. It required a little more than just willing the prey into existence, but the apprentice was on the right track. Cloudflare kept to his hunter's crouch, and planned to stalk the underbrush in that same pose. Good muscle training to only move in a crawling position.
"Good instinct. There are some vole burrows near the rocks there. Let's check them out." He voiced softly. The sound of the gorge would indeed blanket the sounds the two cats would make, but it would be harder to detect sounds associated with prey. A bit of give and take, but there were other senses to rely on. It paid not to rely too havily on just one sense.
Cloudflare nodded with encouragement, giving the air a cautious sniff in case there were any unexpected guests, namely predators, but when his worries were put aside he nodded again. The only way to gain experience was to try! "You can do it, Brightpaw."
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettlepaw, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat's Apprentice
Merrykit, ♀ Contented Kit
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlepaw, ♀ Selfish Apprentice
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Murkkit, ♂ Opportunistic Kit
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Disturbed Rogue
Brightpaw's tail was stilled, at least for the most part. He couldn't quite prevent the tip from twitching. Cloudflare's approval should have boosted his confidence and it did, at least partially. There was still that lurking storm of anxiety in the back of his mind. He tried to push it out and away from his mind and focused instead on the what he was doing. He took careful steps forward, trying to be mindful of where he was stepping as to not prematurely alert the prey. He stalked through the underbrush towards the creature, his head first to part the grass around the rest of his body. He was as low to the ground as he could get while still keeping the ability to move.
He had now found himself at the edge of the grassline. There! A small and mouse-like vole nibbling on something. Brightpaw wracked his mind for what he knew about this food. Was it just a mole but said different? Looking at it again he could see eyes, something moles lacked altogether yet smaller than an actual mouse. He settled on treating it like a mole, focusing on not creating sound or at least sounds that rose above the sound of the rushing water.
Exiting the protection of the grass, the apprentice continued to quietly stalk forward, tail thrashing behind him. Paws in front of paw, he managed to get fairly close. Maybe another him's length away. He didn't want to try to get any closer in case the vole would startle so he crouched down, muscles tensing as he readied to pounce. And after a few tense moments, he did.
He landed close to it, paws partially on top of the rodent but not fully enclosing it. It squirmed and squealed under him, desperately trying to wriggle out from under his paws. He let out his claws in an attempt to hook it but the vole, not wanting to die, didn't care. It writhed and managed to escape his grasp, fleeing into the rock cracks.
"Foxdung! You mousebrain! Agh!" He spat, trying to chase after it and sticking a paw into the crevice. As much of his forearm into it as possible and feeling around to try to get it again but to no luck.
Love is just a cloudy sky as far as I can see
⤝ ⥈ ⥈ ☁ ⥈ ⥈ ⤞
A flicker of hope surged like a flame within him. Brightpaw could do it - would do it! He had every expectation, and at the same time, he understood that failure was part of learning. With the sharpness of a mentor measured with the softness of a sibling, Cloudflare watched in earnest as his pupil made his way towards the burrows with a determined scowl on his face.
Cloudflare wouldn't be idle in his teaching. This was a demonstration of more than just skill. This would be an assessment of teamwork more than anything. When all else fails you'd have to rely on your partners and clanmates. At Brightpaws approach, the older sibling slinked in the tall grass, angling his trajectory so that he'd flank the burrows on the side, each paw fall bringing him closer to the rocks and farther from the prey that Brightpaw had set his sights on.
He waited for the signal; a clear indication, a pounce, from the apprentice at the vole. While success was still in his paws, Brightpaw fumbled causing the creature to dart into the delative safety of its burrows. Cloudflare was ready to act, ears flicking to catch the scuffling of tiny pads against the earth as he roughly followed its path. It was no guarentee, but as soon as brightpaw's arm penetrated the burrow, Cloudflare jumped and landed on the vole who had escaped through a back entrance. It was the perfect set up, a fail safe measure that woudln't have been possible if Brightpaw had been out hunting alone.
With a smile, he lifted the lifeless vole in his jaws, swinging with with a purr. "An' juss like 'dat! D'eemwork! G'd job, Br'ghtpah!"
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettlepaw, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat's Apprentice
Merrykit, ♀ Contented Kit
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlepaw, ♀ Selfish Apprentice
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Murkkit, ♂ Opportunistic Kit
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Disturbed Rogue
