ShadowClan Territory

[nocturnal]

// @Larkstripe

The kitten... great stars, it was so small. How had it evaded other patrols for so long? Fallenheart could almost make out the bones under its scrawny pelt. Obviously, it needed food. A good bit of food.

"Yes, I am a clan cat," the ghost tabby murmured in a hopefully soothing voice, the same he used for his siblings many moons ago, and he ignored his own urge to escape and think this through first. "I won't hurt you," he repeated certainly. After a moment of silence, Fallenheart crouched down, just slightly higher than eye-level with the kit and meowed quietly, "My name is Fallenheart. Do you have one?"

[Mia]

@Snow Carrot
Blackforest led Quailpaw deeper into ShadowClan territory. He turned around when he got as far as he liked. "Since I'm going to show you to hunt, I'll show you the hunters crouch first," he meowed. "This is how you do it," he meowed while showing Quailpaw how to do the hunters crouch. Blackforest got up. "Now you do it, if you need me to show you again then I will." (I didn't know how to explain the hunters crouch.)

[crumbl]

Originally Posted by Mia

@Snow Carrot
Blackforest led Quailpaw deeper into ShadowClan territory. He turned around when he got as far as he liked. "Since I'm going to show you to hunt, I'll show you the hunters crouch first," he meowed. "This is how you do it," he meowed while showing Quailpaw how to do the hunters crouch. Blackforest got up. "Now you do it, if you need me to show you again then I will." (I didn't know how to explain the hunters crouch.)

(Lol yeah )

"Ok," Quailpaw said, optimistic about the move. Even as a kit he had copied his littermates and later, older apprentices in this classic hunting form. He sank low on his haunches, keeping his tail limp and still, and flattened his ears, muscles tensed and ready to stalk small prey. "Like this?"

[Mia]

@Snow Carrot
"Yes, very good, you got it on the first try." Blackforest watched Quailpaw do it perfectly. "I want you to try to catch a lizard or toad with that crouch," he meowed. "All you have to do is jump far, but not really high as they could see your shadow before they actually see you. I'll show you then you can do it on a lizard or toad." Blackforest crouched down then leaped forward farther then higher. He looked back at Quailpaw. "You do it then you can catch that toad over there," he meowed and flicked his tail toward a big toad.

[crumbl]

Originally Posted by Mia

@Snow Carrot
"Yes, very good, you got it on the first try." Blackforest watched Quailpaw do it perfectly. "I want you to try to catch a lizard or toad with that crouch," he meowed. "All you have to do is jump far, but not really high as they could see your shadow before they actually see you. I'll show you then you can do it on a lizard or toad." Blackforest crouched down then leaped forward farther then higher. He looked back at Quailpaw. "You do it then you can catch that toad over there," he meowed and flicked his tail toward a big toad.

Quailpaw's heart trilled. His first hunt! Quickly, he steadied himself. Better make it count.

Quailpaw circled around the toad and a little closer to get in prime position. Sinking into the novel hunting crouch, he resisted the urge to wriggle his haunches and slowly stalked forward until he was only two or three fox-lengths away from the croaking amphibian. Then, he sprang-- deliberating his momentum off of his powerful hind legs and springing forward and far in a direct trajectory towards the toad. He slammed his paws down, claws unsheathed but was dismayed to realize he had lept too far and overshot the prey, which quickly hopped off into the undergrowth. "Mouse dung!" he hissed.

[Mia]

@Snow Carrot
Blackforest watched his apprentice. He took a pace forward after Quailpaw missed the toad. "Your crouch was good but you used to much power in your back legs to leap forwards," he meowed. "Do you want to watch me catch a toad? So you can see what I look like doing it?"

[crumbl]

Originally Posted by Mia

@Snow Carrot
Blackforest watched his apprentice. He took a pace forward after Quailpaw missed the toad. "Your crouch was good but you used to much power in your back legs to leap forwards," he meowed. "Do you want to watch me catch a toad? So you can see what I look like doing it?"

"Sure," mewed Quailpaw, giving his chest fur a couple of embarrassed licks. He growled under his breath. You can do better than that, Quailpaw! He fixed his eyes on his mentor, ready to glean every scrap of knowledge he could.

[Mia]

@Snow Carrot
Blackforest spotted a toad hopping out of a bush. He crouched down, fixing his legs in the right position and locking his eyes on the toad, ready to leap. Once the toad got two tail-lengths from him he sprang at it. He unsheathed his claws and landed on the toad, killing it with a swift bite to the neck. The black and white tom padded over to a pine tree, with his catch in his jaws, dropping it at the base of the tree. He turned to Quailpaw. "Did you see what I did and how much strength I used to leap?" he questioned him.

[crumbl]

Originally Posted by Mia

@Snow Carrot
Blackforest spotted a toad hopping out of a bush. He crouched down, fixing his legs in the right position and locking his eyes on the toad, ready to leap. Once the toad got two tail-lengths from him he sprang at it. He unsheathed his claws and landed on the toad, killing it with a swift bite to the neck. The black and white tom padded over to a pine tree, with his catch in his jaws, dropping it at the base of the tree. He turned to Quailpaw. "Did you see what I did and how much strength I used to leap?" he questioned him.

"Yeah," the apprentice mewed in his gravelly voice. He felt more confident about his grasp of the move now and he was ready to try again. He paced a little closer to the edge of the clearing, peering through the bracken. Peaty earth sucked at his paws, and he had to step carefully in order to stay quiet.

A flash of movement caught his eye. A lizard slithered between a bramble bush and a low cypress, some tiny creature in its mouth. Quailpaw was instantly ready, and in only a few seconds he had crouched, sprung, and pinned the wily lizard under one paw. "I did it!" He was so elated he nearly forgot to kill his prey until it wriggled. He leaned over and deftly administered the final bite, shaking it for good measure. "Thank you StarClan for this prey," he muttered. It would make good eating; the flesh beneath his nose was already making his mouth water.

[Mia]

@Snow Carrot
"Very good," Blackforest meowed. "Now that you have the hunters crouch completed, I want you to catch two more lizards or toads or a lizard and toad." He stepped back to give Quailpaw some space to scent, look, and catch prey. "You may begin," he said.