One moment, he was teaching the apprentice how to hunt. The next, they were slipping into the riverbank with blood pooling around their head.

Ferretsnap attempted to rush forward, to grip their scruff and yank them away from the edge. It was too late, however, and he watched in horror as Glisteningpaw stopped moving. Stopped breathing. He sucked in a breath, staring down at the limp apprentice. Dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit. He should have been watching them closer.

Closing his eyes, the tom shook his head and dropped down into the riverbank. He needed to take them back and report to Beansprout. Stars damn it all, this wasn't how things were suppose to go. He was meant to protect his Clan. To lead his patrol members safely. Yet here he is, about to carry back a dead apprentice.

Something in him steeled itself, a split-second decision. He would fix this. He would do better. How? How? How? There was one thing on his mind, a solution that he took a long moment to think about. He would do better.

Grabbing Glisteningpaw by the scruff and lifting them from the riverbank, he gently set them down and turned his head to try to search for Pondheart.

"Pondheart. There's been an accident. I will be returning to camp- please grab any prey that has been caught and follow," he said, loud enough for the other warrior to hear. Then, he picked up the limp apprentice and began on his way back to camp.

[ I've given us an extension to the 25th, seen as the patrol was started rather late ]


"No, it's here."
Gingerfrost replied with a light huff, hurrying to Cattail Pond; despite how late the patrol had started (because a certain someone didn't show up), he'd still prefer being back on time for patrol reports. As such, he isn't wasting any time.
"Have you hunted before?"
Gingerfrost asked, simultaneously scanning the area for fish or prey as they arrived at their destination.
"If you haven't, lift you nose and scent the area. Track the prey, then crouch likeso,"
He demonstrated a hunter's crouch,
"Then pounce to catch the prey."
And he pounced with unsheathed claws on a stray leaf, demonstrating for the apprentice. He then turned towards Silverpaw, awaiting a response.

It didn't seem as though the apprentice listened to his quick hunting explanation, instead going for an attempt to fish. Setting aside his searches with an inaudible sigh, Gingerfrost turned around to careful watch Silverpaw so he may step in if anything went wrong. Luckily, and by some surprise, his fishing attempt went well enough -- he actually caught a fish, and Gingerfrost was about to say that was good... When the fish slapped his face and jumped back in the water. Ouch.
"Next time kill it right away."
The youn deputy commented, ear flicking as he caught sound of a bird.
"Stay nearby."
And with those two words, he stalked off, quickly slinking down. His eyes locked on the little bird, it wasn't long before he pounced, slapping the bird out of the sky, and quickly killing it. There. At least that was something. He returned to Silverpaw with his catch, noting it was about time to head back -- it was late, and they'd left late since Cinnamonpetal never showed and he had to replace them. Darn. He'd just have to go out after patrol reports, at least this one was done.

it was certainly interesting. Barely had Gingerfrost finished explaining when Minnowpaw already went into the water before Gingerfrost could even give the go-head -- and befor he could retort, Minnowpaw was already back, a shivering mess, hiding behind him. Confused, Gingerfrost look over his shoulder only be met with green eyes and suddenly being told to... kitten-sit a stick?? What even was this, stick-nursery?? But alas, he hadn't much to say, for the stick was already put in his care, neatly deposited at his paws. Gingerfrost sigh, solemnly accepting this fate.

Next came, chaos. Before Gingerfrost could utter a word, Minnowpaw ran back into the water, posing a bunch of questions even her didn't know the answer to. The water was wet because... It's wet? You'd have to be some all-knowing being to know the answer to this, surely, Gingerfrost was content with just accepting that water was wet and annoying. But not Minnowpaw, clearly, who then suddenly tripped and flailed about the water. For a moment Gingerfrost panicked, getting up and rushing into the water.

"Quit flailing your paws about and try pushing the water away."
He mew as he attempted to get closet to Minnowpaw, but only getting batted away by flailing paws until the apprentice somewhat managed to paddle; which, of course, the deputy monitored closely by remaining next to Minnowpaw with a slight frown. Now he was wet too and Minnowpaw almost drowned, great. He sigh. At least the apprentice was alright and back where they can stand.

Solemnly Gingerfrost climbed back onto land too, shaking out his pelt the moment he could then eyes turning to Minnowpaw who... Didn't look as frightened as he expected? On the contrary, the apprentice looked rather excited to try this again, and that... Never mind. Just don't question it.
"This time go about it calmer. Step in the water and try moving your paws how I instructed you to - like you're running... Sort off. Try it, in the shallows."
He made sure to iterate 'shallows' very well, so a same scenario as just now wouldn't happen again.

Up quite early, was he now; but only to train a certain apprentice. One, quite frankly, he would've thought to almost be ready for their assessment -- only a vital part of her training was still missing: swimming. That's where he jumped in, ready to teach the cat how to not drown and die in the water like other misfortunate souls had. It is certainly something to be avoided, and why he never turned down an apprentice looking for a swimming lesson. Seriously. Even some warriors fall in the river and get lost for moons on end, and Gingerfrost wasn't particularly fond of that.

His tail waved lightly as he took Kestrelpaw with him across the territory to the familiar spot of Cattail Pond, where their lesson would be taking place. As usual, the water was decently calm today, offering the perfect chances for a successful swimming lesson. And, admittedly, it was a nice break from all the kittens too.
"You can go in the water, but stay where you can stand -- get used to the feeling. If anything goes wrong, you get out and call me, okay?"
Turning towards the apprentice he gestured over a shallow area where she could safely get in and stand.


[ @sol. - kes' swimming lesson ]

Gingerfrost remained silent as Kestrelpaw went into the water; the twitching, to him, was a fairly natural reaction and precisely why he always asked apprentices (or whomever he was teaching) to get used to the water first. It could be an almost scary situation for some, or the cold was simply surprising. It depended on the cat. With Kestrelpaw, it seemed that it was simply the cold.

He sat down, waiting a few heartbeats to give the apprentice the time and get used to cold feeling of water seeping into one's fur -- a feeling he found particularly uncomfortable, strange as it may be for a RiverClan cat. He looked to the side a little, then back at the apprentice who was moving further and further into the water until her neck. Perhaps that was just a little far, though the tabby didn't say anything; surely she'd manage.

For a moment, he thought back to Bluebellpaw. The niece he had long realised disappeared from the clan for whatever reason. He'd lying if he said he wasn't worried; Kestrelpaw must be too. Even he could tell the cousins had been close. But this was a swimming lesson, and he had to ban the thought to the back of his mind. Focusing again the apprentice and the lesson, Gingerfrost continued.

"To swim, you'll use your front paws to pull the water towards and below you; with your back legs, you kick the water away. Keep in mind that you'll have to kick hard: while your chest has air to help it float, your back is nothing but dead weight. You use your tail to steer like so."
He stood up and turned to his side, giving the apprentice an example of how to move one's tail to steer. He still vividly recalled what his mentor had told him back when he was learning how tot swim... And his own embarrassing struggle to stay afloat.
"You can also use your body weight to steer a little, by slightly leaning towards the side you want to turn to. Try it."
with that, the tabby wanted to sit back down. But given that this was Kestrelpaw's first swimming lesson, and the accidents that he had come to realise could happen, Gingerfrost decided to keep standing. That way he could jump in quicker should anything go terribly wrong. Speaking of which;
"If ever anything goes wrong, try to stay calm and paddle to shore. Panicking will do you no good."


[ @sol. ]

Gingerfrost followed closely behind Kestrelpaw, letting the apprentice go ahead as long as she remained in his line of sight. It was such a bother, warriors disappearing right when they were called for patrol. Sometimes he wished he could drag them back by their paws, shame that wasn't an option because he hasn't got the foggiest clue where they are. It must be a bother for the apprentices left behind as well. That's why Gingerfrost wasn't disappointed with kestrelpaw; it inconvenienced her as much as it inconvenienced him, and she doesn't control another's actions.

Once arrived at Cattail Pond, Gingerfrost let a light huff.
"Let's get this over with quick."
He nodded to the apprentice, a subtle sign that she could go and hunt as long as she stayed where he could see her. Kestrelpaw was close to her assessment and, from what he'd seen, responsible enough. Certainly, she knew how to hunt while staying out of trouble. With a last look towards Kestrelpaw, Gingerfrost turned towards the river, laying down so his shadow wouldn't scare away the fish, paws poised to catch one.


[ @sol. ]