WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[crumbl]

Originally Posted by Larkstripe

@Snow Carrot

Sparkfrost’s pelt was beginning to smooth out again, his bobtail twitching warily, “I...I’m not sure. I don’t think so? It seems far more interested in doing...whatever that is...than attacking. It doesn’t really look as if it’s a predator. I can’t imagine it chasing something down.” He remarked.

Sagebrook snorted in appreciation. "That's for sure. It might be some other kind of twoleg pet, like a dog or sheep. It has that smell about it." She turned away in disgust. "But I don't understand why animals would ever submit to that. Unless, of course, this-- thing-- isn't. Maybe it's escaping."

Itching to move away from the snuffling creature, Sagebrook began to back up. "Well, I don't see any more signs of the dog," she said by way of conclusion. "We should be fine on that front. This creature, however..." She shrugged. "Not a threat, not our business." She twitched her ear. "Do you want to hunt on the way back?"

[kittyyah]

"Well I know how to hunt but I didn't today." She said, "I can teach you if you don't know how!" She chirped. Getting up she waved her tail over to a clearer spot. @feather lily

[Jade13]

Originally Posted by kittyyah

"Well I know how to hunt but I didn't today." She said, "I can teach you if you don't know how!" She chirped. Getting up she waved her tail over to a clearer spot. @feather lily

" really? i would love to learn my mentor in in the medicine cat den" leafpaw was exited maybe he would learn how to hunt and impress his mentor

[Jesse]

Originally Posted by Arie

There was only one thing that could be done here and that was to let out a sigh of frustration and annoyance in order to clear his head. Burningpaw it seemed was too smartass for his own good and this attitude was not going to last him in the long run nor bring him much luck... or at least that was Breezefeather's view on it. Following the apprentice's lead and ears flickering in acknowledgement of his apprentice's observations, the deputy had one thing that it seemed Burningpaw had forgotten both of the times.

The kid might be showing great tracking potential but he'd only shown Breezefeather were the rabbits had been... not where they were right at that moment and showing up by the young cat he sat down and noticed the track with a careful eye himself. They were fresh, but there were still no clear sign of a rabbit and he couldn't help himself as he took up a paw and rubbed his silver spotted face. This was an exhausting thing having to repeat himself over and over again, but he could not teach Burningpaw how to hunt with just tracks, he needed an actual living and breathing example to demonstrate, or at least have Burningpaw try on his own.

"Your tracking skills are on par Burningpaw, however this is the second time already you've not done what I instructed. You found where a rabbit had been, quite recently even, but you did not find the rabbit itself. This burrow may house a lot but it doesn't right now. There is no rabbits near us right now or we would be clearly aware of it. Do what I tell you so you'll actually learn something, because that is my job as your mentor, to correct you where you are wrong and guide you onto the right tracks." And that was exactly what he was going to do.

"Follow me." And with that Breezefeather took off, silver legs stretching far out in front of him as he raced across the moors. They would have been able to find a rabbit nearby surely, but he also needed this to clear his head. Otherwise he was going to get more and more frustrated so this did its own work on his mind. Pausing and stopping abrutly though, he gestured to Burningpaw to hopefully listen and do the sam. His ears were perked, green eyes focused as he spotted the creature nibbling on some of the last remaining strands of grass through the snow.

Burningpaw had done exactly what he'd asked. He did find a rabbit. It wasn't his fault Breezefeather failed to specify whether or not it needed to be within pouncing distance. Then came the lecture.. Burningpaw might as well have been covering his ears. Or maybe your senses are dull and you cant feel the rabbits digging around only a whisker-length beneath your paws, he thought bitterly as his mentor finished. He'd have repeated it aloud if Breezefeather hadn't dashed off before he even had the chance to open his mouth. Where was he going in such a hurry? The rabbits weren't going anywhere. He followed with some reluctance, sprinting a ways behind.

When Breezefeather stopped however, Burningpaw did not. In fact, he sped up, grazing his mentor as he rushed onward at a breakneck speed. Nothing would stand between him and his prey- or so he thought. The rabbit heard him coming far before it saw him coming and bolted off through a crop of dead brush. Burningpaw didn't end his pursuit however, and he dived headfirst into the brush after it. There was a loud struggle- the alarmed bleats of a frightened rabbit, the scraping of branches. Then, suddenly, Burningpaw's head broke to the surface, a ring of blood staining his maw and something furry wedged between his teeth. It wasn't a rabbit though. It was a piece of fur, with flesh attached. The rabbit had broken free and it could be seen flying away over the snowy landscape. But Burningpaw didn't look discouraged- in fact he looked the opposite. He was gleaming.

"Don't worry, we can follow it. It left a trail of blood, see. It will tire and lead us to a burrow. Aren't you proud?"

Had he done that on purpose?

[ghostwriter]

Originally Posted by Snow Carrot

Sagebrook snorted in appreciation. "That's for sure. It might be some other kind of twoleg pet, like a dog or sheep. It has that smell about it." She turned away in disgust. "But I don't understand why animals would ever submit to that. Unless, of course, this-- thing-- isn't. Maybe it's escaping."

Itching to move away from the snuffling creature, Sagebrook began to back up. "Well, I don't see any more signs of the dog," she said by way of conclusion. "We should be fine on that front. This creature, however..." She shrugged. "Not a threat, not our business." She twitched her ear. "Do you want to hunt on the way back?"

Sparkfrost quickly nodded in agreement, “Yes, I believe this is a mystery better left unsolved. I found some gopher burrows on the other side of the moor yesterday, and if one of us flushed them out of one end of the burrow and another waits in the other side, they’re quite fun to catch.” He suggested, glancing warily at the pig, his ears flattened, “If you are escaping...best of luck to you, creature.” He remarked, before wandering back the way they came:

[Confuzzled.Lynx]

Originally Posted by Dusty bells.

He smiled and nodded. Seeing the fear in her eye he meowed

H..hey don’t be s..scared I u..understand being nervous but I..I promise I won’t h..hurt you.

he smiled and touched her shoulder with his tail

Blackpaw

The molly hesitated before giving a small nod. "L...Let's star-t-t then" Blackpaw whispered quietly. She stood there, looking at the older tom, waiting for instrictions.

[Arie]

[ @Moonraven , I know you're prob busy but just gotta get Stag out there to at least have a piece of prey to report back to the patrol with, so no worries if Deadpool can't join and if you feel for it she can join later on <3]

Ok. Deafloops hadn't showed up so like it was all up to him! Stagpaw the great, Stagpaw the strong, Stagpaw who was going to not be a disappointment for once. Maybe he shouldn't be out on the moors on his own but like, that wasn't his fault now was it? And as long as the told that angry, frustrated, not-nice deputy that well, that Deafloops had been there, then surely he would not be in trouble? And Deafloops wouldn't be either.. so, Logic!

So heading out into the territory he tried his best to slide into a crouch but the frost beneath his paws kept creaking and well, that wasn't very comfortable now was it? Nope, not at all. But he was going to make Twiggy and Deafloops proud of him by catching prey! So just ignoring the cold ground as best as he could, he kept forward, crippled paw a bit sore due to the cold but well, he could learn to put up with that too.

Spotting a tiny mouse he jumped forward, and managed to grasp it in his jaws before crunching down on it and killing it. He'd done it... to an extent he was actually surprised it had gone that well... most often it did not go that well.

[~dust~]

Originally Posted by Lynxpaw

Blackpaw

The molly hesitated before giving a small nod. "L...Let's star-t-t then" Blackpaw whispered quietly. She stood there, looking at the older tom, waiting for instrictions.

He smiled at her then meowed

F..first I want y..you to know t..that I..I will be teaching y..you h.how to hunt rabbits a..and other small prey.
First I want you to show me your best hunting crouch.

[Arie]

Originally Posted by Jesse

Although he said nothing in response, Burningpaw indeed watched with mild interest. When Breezefeather made his charge, the rush of air that swept past carried with it the sickly sweet aroma of fear. And as he rounded a corner to follow his mentor the tang of blood mingled the sweetness, creating a bouquet of flavor that he greedily sucked into his lungs. A pool of saliva swelled over his tongue and began spilling over, beading into glistening strands from the corners of his mouth while he watched Breezefeather's teeth snip the rabbit's throat. He instinctively mirrored the movements, flexing his jaw as though he were biting into an imaginary neck until he realized what he was doing and quickly licked away the saliva strung from his lips.

"That's a nice catch." The tabby approached with his ears erect, the splinter of blue in his copper eyes twinkling with zeal. "But I'm going to do better." Confidence oozed from his voice and body-language like bittersweet sap and his tail tapped Breezefeather on the cheek and he brushed past to take point. He walked for a while, paying a close eye to the traces and scents strewn over the floor and walls of the tunnels. From his observations he noticed there must have been another rabbit that had witnessed or heard the struggle and made a mad dash deeper into the belly of the labyrinth. Unfortunately for this rabbit, these dark pits would be it's tomb.

Burningpaw suddenly exploded into a sprint, weaving through intersections and sharp corners. He didn't see the rabbit.. but he could feel the drumming of its heart, the raggedness of its breath, it's paws slipping on loose sand as it tried to loose him through the maze. But Burningpaw was smarter than a rabbit. He became an animal, driven exclusively by his instincts. Every concern or thought was pushed to the back of his mind. There was clarity. He could practically see the rabbit in front of him, not daring to look over its shoulder. And then.. there it was. It raced against death.. and it lost, as all things one day do.

Burningpaw flew forward, his claws curled out towards his prey. He hit it with all of his weight, sending the two into a violent tumble, the apprentice clutching the rabbit's body against his chest, his claws sloughing away curtains of flesh. Their scuffle was broken as Burningpaw slammed into a wall with enough force to shake loose a shower of dirt from the ceiling. Although the impact sounded enough to leave a sizeable bruise, he seemed entirely unfazed. The rabbit's ear-splitting squeals filled the cavern as Burningpaw licked his lips in anticipation. Then there was abrupt silence, only broken by the crunching of ligaments, which seemed deafening at the time.

It felt like an eternity before Burningpaw pulled away to breathe, gulping like he'd nearly drowned. Ribbons of blood danced through the air and wrapped around his teeth- but this time the taste was bitter. He dove in for more, desperate for the sweetness he'd experienced before, but the sourness caused his tongue to retreat to the back of his throat. Frustration, confusion, anger. His chest swam and swelled like a stormy ocean. In his rage, he flung the rabbit around like a doll, beating it against the wall over and over and over until he tired.

[sorry its shorter than your reply <3]

The snort that left the deputy's nose at his apprentice's claim that he could do better was unmistakable. Of course Breezefeather believed in Burningpaw's capabilities but a young apprentices versus a deputy who got seasons of experience? Not to sound arrogant but Breezefeather would pick the experience over the impulsiveness and raw talent of a youngster. Raw talent had to be honed and formed into something useful.

"Keep believing that. You might eventually be a better hunter but you're not now." That was the honest truth. Burningpaw might end up being better, most certainly as for the deputy now age was going to just slow him down and not help him out, but Burningpaw would have to know how to learn and how to listen for that to even become close to the reality, and if he didn't? He would just be filled with raw talent but no skills. And talent was only useful if could be honed, or at least he believed that.

As he watched Burningpaw race towards the prey in an unceremonious run, he made a mental note that he would need to take some time out of his busy schedule to teach the kid how to run properly. If he couldn't run properly on the moor how was Breezefeather to expect him to run properly under the ground? The deputy faulted himself for that but it was an honest mistake like all mistakes were.

However, the throwing of the prey against the wall continuously lit a rage inside the deputy as he quickly ran over and took the prey out of Burningpaw's reach letting out a loud rumble from inside his chest before looking at the apprentice, green eyes narrowed and burning before he hissed out, "Treat your prey with RESPECT. You won't be eating of this, I know that, but that does not mean the queens and kits and the elders want to eat a rabbit that's soaked with stones and sand. Show some respect for them and what they'll eat even if you show none for the prey. Its NOT your toy, its granted to us through hard work and if you cannot learn that you won't be going out to hunt anytime soon again." His voice was ice cold, and he felt the rage leave his veins but instead be flowing with freezing and steady steel. He was not bugling on this point.

[Puddle~]

@TheNyanCatMinecart @Zero

Puddlesplash trotted quickly over, mood faltering slightly as he realized he was a tad bit late. They still had plenty of time to get going with this patrol, though Rosebriar seemed as though she’d already been waiting there for a little while. With a simple head dip in greeting, the russet and black tom waited for Quiverpaw to show up as well.