LionPaw’s eyes lit up at the challenge. He crouched lower as the enforcers words sunk in, tail twitching as he readied himself. His muscles tensed, and his claws flexed against the earth, his focus narrowing. He didn’t need to say much—he had already proved he could catch a squirrel, but this would test his ability to keep up with the pace.
The mice were fast, darting from the shadows in a panic, and LionPaw was ready. His haunches coiled, and as soon as they were in range, he pounced. The first one was easy, caught in mid-flight with a swift swipe of his paw. The second one was trickier, but he managed to lunge again, batting it into a corner. The third one, however, took off with a burst of speed, and LionPaw hesitated, his claws skimming the ground just short of it.
LionPaw let out a frustrated huff, but at least two out of three wasn’t bad. He straightened up, looking over at NewtBelly. “Got two…”he said, voice rough but still showing that competitive spark. "Guess I still need to work on the fast ones, huh?"
He wasn’t about to let one mouse beat him. Not for long.
LionPaw’s eyes lit up at the challenge. He crouched lower as the enforcers words sunk in, tail twitching as he readied himself. His muscles tensed, and his claws flexed against the earth, his focus narrowing. He didn’t need to say much—he had already proved he could catch a squirrel, but this would test his ability to keep up with the pace.
The mice were fast, darting from the shadows in a panic, and LionPaw was ready. His haunches coiled, and as soon as they were in range, he pounced. The first one was easy, caught in mid-flight with a swift swipe of his paw. The second one was trickier, but he managed to lunge again, batting it into a corner. The third one, however, took off with a burst of speed, and LionPaw hesitated, his claws skimming the ground just short of it.
LionPaw let out a frustrated huff, but at least two out of three wasn’t bad. He straightened up, looking over at NewtBelly. “Got two…”he said, voice rough but still showing that competitive spark. "Guess I still need to work on the fast ones, huh?"
He wasn’t about to let one mouse beat him. Not for long.
He was fast. It would take an exceptionally talented warrior to catch all three, he knew that, but he supposed that's what advanced lessons were all about. "Good job. It'll come with practice." He explained.
[yo !! short post so I can check in lol - is there any other hunting stuff you want him to go over? Or d'ya want him to go over predator fighting // wrap up here?]
LionPaw gave a small nod, exhaling through his nose as his heartbeat slowed. The praise wasn’t over-the-top, but it was enough—it meant something coming from NewtBelly. His ears twitched, and the edge of his mouth tugged upward.
“I’ll get the third next time,” he said simply, the fire in his tone subtle but sure. He meant it. He wasn’t satisfied with ‘almost’…ever.
He glanced at the two mice he’d managed to corner. “So… what’s next?” he asked, already anticipating the next challenge. His legs ached a bit from the sudden bursts of motion, but he didn’t care. He was ready to keep pushing. LionPaw wasn’t just here to get stronger—he wanted to prove he could be one of the best. And who was a better cat to prove that with then an enforcer himself?
└> . . . @sleepyyjax [im fine with just moving onto predator combat!]
__________________
my characters opinions are not my own!
_____________________________________
Aresis the Crown of the Atari [an official outsider faction]. If He is Needed, PM/VM or Mention Me. Atari Resources || Bone Crest Throne
LionPaw gave a small nod, exhaling through his nose as his heartbeat slowed. The praise wasn’t over-the-top, but it was enough—it meant something coming from NewtBelly. His ears twitched, and the edge of his mouth tugged upward.
“I’ll get the third next time,” he said simply, the fire in his tone subtle but sure. He meant it. He wasn’t satisfied with ‘almost’…ever.
He glanced at the two mice he’d managed to corner. “So… what’s next?” he asked, already anticipating the next challenge. His legs ached a bit from the sudden bursts of motion, but he didn’t care. He was ready to keep pushing. LionPaw wasn’t just here to get stronger—he wanted to prove he could be one of the best. And who was a better cat to prove that with then an enforcer himself?
└> . . . @sleepyyjax [im fine with just moving onto predator combat!]
He was determined, that was always good. "A'ight, let's do some predator combat - I take it you've already been trained in the general cat vs. cat stuff." Hm, he couldn't remember if Lionpaw had been part of the rat/ snake raid now... "Predators, of course, are very different to cats. I can tell you a decent bit about foxes, rats and snakes. The others, I've yet to encounter." He paused for a moment, stretching his back. "Foxes, are strong, fast creatures. I fought one with Owlthroat once." He glanced at his own scarred shoulder. He should probably be upset about the thing biting him, but the tortoiseshell was quite over the moon with his first proper scar. It looked cool. "They're snappy, with powerful jaws. And far larger than us. So you need to be able to dodge about around them, but still deal as much damage as possible. If you end up a more burly fighter - like Owlthroat, or Dawnstar, you'll find it easier to deal damage - but perhaps find it harder to dodge. If you're on the smaller side, like me, it'll be easier to avoid them, but it will quickly become a game of stamina. You've probably heard that whole spiel before, when it comes to fighting other cats - but it's espeicially important with foxes. You can't defeat one purely relying on brawn or agility, no matter how good you are. So you need to focus on swift dodging and stong hits. Of course, it's far easier when there's two of you, but a fighting partner is never guarenteed." Stars, he wasn't a fan of talking for quite so long, but it wasn't as though he could give a practical example very easily.
"I'll do my best to mimic a fox's movements, and I want you to try and dodge, and deliver some blows, okay?" He got back up on his feat, and attempted to mimic the fox's erratic yet powerful movements. He supposed his own gait was almost similar to a fox. Though, he lacked any kind of brute strength - Newtbelly was far more likely to pummel someone to the ground than deal one hard hit. Anyway, he continued to move: fast and skulky, with snapping jaws. Then, lunged at Lionpaw, jaws reaching for his shoulder.
It was a different kind of challenge, one that felt a lot more real to him than the usual cat vs. cat sparring. He was used to practicing with other apprentices, but predators? Those were the things that could really kill you if you weren't careful. "Yeah, I've done the basic stuff with cats," LionPaw said, his tail flicking with excitement. "But I’ve never fought a fox, or a snake. So, I’m all ears."
He was already imagining what it would feel like to face down a fox. He already had a personal vendetta against them for what they did to his mother, so yeah, he wanted to kill a fox…desperately. Snappy jaws, fast, strong. It made his heart thump a little harder in his chest, but he liked the idea of proving himself (and digging his claws into those bee-brains).
He nodded, his eyes narrowing in focus as NewtBelly demonstrated the fox’s movements. LionPaw watched carefully, noting the way the older tom’s body shifted—fast, erratic, but still with purpose. When the enforcer lunged, LionPaw was ready. He darted to the side just as the jaws snapped toward him, feeling the air buzz with the sudden movement. He’d have to be quicker than that.
He spun around, finding his balance in a crouch. He knew he wasn’t as fast as the enforcer, but his strength was what made him confident. He was definitely growing to be more of a brute. Even if he had to tire out a predator, he’d do it. Agility or stamina? He was ready for both.
LionPaw darted forward next, aiming for a low strike aimed at the other tom’s legs. He wasn’t aiming to land a hit just yet, but more to test the rhythm, to see how the movements flowed.
└> . . . @sleepyyjax [time travel, trust, he’s still a lil kid]
__________________
my characters opinions are not my own!
_____________________________________
Aresis the Crown of the Atari [an official outsider faction]. If He is Needed, PM/VM or Mention Me. Atari Resources || Bone Crest Throne
Re: Hunting and … Beasts and Stuff [P]
