First Outing [Cloudii, Sea, and Lilly]

[</cloudii>]

[[Only Shadowfire, Lambpaw, Arrowpaw, and Cloudmist]]

Cloudmist padded alongside her apprentice, Lambpaw, pointing out a landmark every so often or waiting for Shadowfire to do so. She glanced at her friend and his new apprentice, Arrowpaw, Lambpaw's brother. The tortoiseshell she-cat scented the air; there was lots of prey running around at this time of year, but the two apprentices weren't ready for their hunting lessons today ...perhaps tomorrow.

"Lambpaw," she meowed, "What can you scent that is different from most around here?" The warrior had scented dogs quite close, but as long as their patrol didn't go too close, they would be fairly safe.
She turned her green eyes to Arrowpaw, slightly prompting him to try and answer with a small nod, although she wasn't sure what Shadowfire would think of it.
Arrowpaw was his first apprentice, unlike her, who Lambpaw was her third, so she didn't really mind if any cat took over a bit, but Shadowfire would probably want to 'prove' himself, especially after the whole Ripplestream thing.

ooc - Pretty cheesy post, but I can't think of anything -_-

[Lily]

Arrowpaw looked at Cloudmist and looked away a little worried. Cloudmist is a wise and great warrior and he is just a small appertince, to scared to talk. Um...I think I sent a twolegged thing He said alowed looking at Shadowfire hoping it was okay that he talk.

Lambpaw looked at her brother and nodded. Well it not just a Twolegged thing it a dog She moewed looking at her mentor with a twinkle in her eye. Dogs are know to live with Twolegges and are mean to kill any cat She also added appering like a know it all

[+[{S.E.A.M.I.S.T.}]+]

Shadowfire nodded calmly, showing that it was okay for Arrowpaw to answer. He felt a tiny stab of irritation at Cloudmist for telling his apprentice what to do, but it had been the sensible course of action. After all, if he asked it own apprentice what he smelled after Lambpaw replied, it would have no meaning whatsoever.
"Um...I think I scent a twolegged thing."
Shadowfire felt a slight twinge of disappointment, but grinned as he remembered his own apprentice days. He had mistaken a badger scent for a fox once, and Arrowpaw had never been exposed to a dog's scent before. It's okay, he thought. Obviously, Lambpaw had inherited the brains in the family, but Shadowfire was hoping Arrowpaw had inherited the hunting skills. After all, he had sensed that Arrowpaw was special since his apprentice ceremony.
He turned his amber gaze towards both apprentices. "All right, so now we know it's a dog. Is it fresh?" he mewed. "And what kind of prey can you scent in the area?"

[</cloudii>]

Cloudmist smiled and looked down at Lambpaw; this little cat had a lot going on inside her head. She looked up again, just as Shadowfire asked the brother and sister what kind of prey they could scent. She opened her mouth slightly and scented the air around them. Mouse, vole, squirrel, and...is that a blackbird...? Mmm...
Her pale emerald green eyes sought out the gray body of a squirrel and she quickly glanced at Shadowfire. 'Can I?' she mouthed silently.

[Lily]

Lambpaw looked at her mentor and smiled again before hearing Shadowfire's question. Um..... I sent a mouse and maybe a few voles. Arrowpaw said alowed looking at his sister. He knew alot about prey but not a ton on twolegged junk. Feeling himself glow with pride he flicked his tail at Lambpaw. Lambpaw gave a soft hiss her brother was more of a hunter she knew alot of Twoleggeds but not alot of forest stuff. Why was I always at the twlegged nests? She scowled herself.

[+[{S.E.A.M.I.S.T.}]+]

Shadowfire slightly inclined his head to Cloudmist, before turning back to the two apprentices. "Well done," he mewed warmly, nodding to his own apprentice. "There are also a few squirrels here, including that one over there - " he jerked his tail towards the one Cloudmist was trying to hunt - "and a blackbird, I think. Now, I know this is a border patrol, but prey is prey, and StormClan isn't so overstocked that we can just let perfectly good prey go."
His amber gaze flickered, lingering on Lambpaw. He had just barely caught her quiet hiss.
"Don't worry - each cat has their own individual qualities and knowledge of certain things," he mewed, trying not to sound too preachy. "By the end of your apprenticeship, you'll be able to recognize the difference between each creature's scent, and many things beside - both of you. So, chin up, Lambpaw."

[</cloudii>]

-StormClan- xP

"Shu---", Oh, right, apprentices around.
Cloudmist quietly placed one paw in front of the other, slowly advancing on the unsuspecting squirrel. She quickly pounced as soon as it looked up and started racing for the tree. "Gotcha!" she muttered, trapping the still-moving prey between her sharp claws. One bite to the throat and it was gone.
The tortoiseshell dug a shallow hole in the ground and covered up the fresh-kill with some leaves and debris.
"First thing about hunting," she meowed as Shadowfire finished talking with Lambpaw, "You must keep quiet or the prey will hear you coming." She cast a glance at her fellow mentor pointedly. "i know this isn't a hunting patrol, but it's a good thing to know anyhow."

[Lily]

Lambpaw grined at Shadowfire turning her gaze to Cloudmist. Why did you cover it? She asked looking at the small prey covered in leaves. Looking behind herself to see Arrowpaw she smiled sweetly. Um......Arrowpaw show use how you hunt Lambpaw said a little anger hidden in her voice.
(Lambs going to be a little brat)

Arrowpaw narrowed his eye at Lambpaw, then nodded. Lifitng his head high in the air he sented a small mouse. I sent a mouse or two just over that bush He said softly fallowing his nose waiting for his mentor to help

[+[{S.E.A.M.I.S.T.}]+]

OOC: My bad. xDD
Shadowfire glanced at Lambpaw. He had caught the anger and resentment in her voice, which surprised him. Lambpaw usually had a gentle nature. Like a lamb, indeed, he thought dryly.
Turning back to Arrowpaw, he meowed, "Good. Step one is locating the prey. Now then, you have to drop into the hunter's crouch, like this." The jet-black warrior sank smoothly into a crouch, his body so low that it was almost flat. "Then, you creep forwards as quietly as you can - mice can also sense the vibrations your paws make on the ground, so set them lightly - and then you pounce. Make sure to finish off with a quick killing blow, like a bit to the neck."

Shadowfire glanced pointedly at Cloudmist before continuing, "And please, don't make any noise after you've caught the prey as well. Saying something like, "Gotcha!" will scare off any prey that didn't sense your presence before." He couldn't resist sliding that in, but he had no doubt he had just ignited a firestorm of subtle insults and jibes.
He winked at Arrowpaw. "Now then, are you ready to try it out for real?"

[</cloudii>]

Cloudmist ignored Lambpaw's resentment and jealousy and answered quietly, whispering in her apprentice's ear, "It's so foxes and badgers won't steal the prey while we're doing the rest of the patrol."
She then glared at Shadowfire as he spoke to her, though not without the tiniest spark of humour in her eye. She coughed, "And I see someone has forgotten this is not a hunting patrol?" The tip of her tail twitched; she could be as sharp tongued as the next cat, but with new apprentices around, she had to keep herself under control.

[+[{S.E.A.M.I.S.T.}]+]

Shadowfire shrugged. "I think it's best to teach them early, so that they can do even better when we're on an actual hunting patrol. Then we won't have to waste time teaching them the basics, since they'll have learned them already here." Sighing, he added, "And it'll only take a little while. We have plenty of time. But, hey - you do what you want for Lambpaw. She's your apprentice, after all."

Cloudmist isn't one for insults, he thought. Hers are too blunt. They lack...finesse.
Yes, finesse, he snorted silently.
He turned his back on the tortoiseshell warrior, indicating that he felt little desire to continue their little spat. "Go on, Arrowpaw," he mewed. "No pressure."

[Lily]

Arrowpaw nodded to his mentor and did as he was told. Sinking into the hunter's coruch licking his chops. The poor appertince was starving he hadn't eaten since earlier that day.

Hidding his tail next to his body the appertince tasted the air again, the mouse was right behind the bush he hoped. Softly pressing his paws on the ground just like Shadowfire told him he grined. Cranning his neck into the bush he saw the mouse, luckly it was eating something. Going a little closer he was about a short tail length away from the prey. Steading his legs for the small hop the mouse looked up. ''Mouse-dung'' He hissed to himself sliently watching the mouse his eyes locked on the prey. ''Don't Move'' He said to himself knowing his mentor was watching, his mistakes.

Hopping in the air he landed on the mouse, begging StarClan he killed it with the impact he was mistaken. The mouse squealed by but the appertice was faster he smacked the mouse down with a swift paw. Doing as Shadowfire told him, Arrowpaw bit the mouse's neck killing it.

Taking back the prey he looked at Shadowfire. '' Um... I kinda made a few loud noiese and might have scared away the prey. Arrowpaw said sadly dropping the mouse at his mentor's paws.

[+[{S.E.A.M.I.S.T.}]+]

Shadowfire blinked warmly at his young charge. "Don't worry - it wasn't a very messy kill, and besides, it's your first time. You should be proud."
Gesturing to the mouse, he added, "Now, bury that so that we can get going, before Cloudmist starts sniping at us to get a move on." He flicked his black tail amiably, and waited for Arrowpaw to bury his prey.
Once he decided that the younger tom had had enough time to cache his catch, he began to pad off in the general direction of the border. "This way," he called, glancing back once to see if Cloudmist was going to argue and offer her own shortcut.

OOC: Short. My bad. Dx

[</cloudii>]

Cloudmist shot her Clan mate a glare, but refrained from saying something she would regret soon enough. She gestured with her tail for her own apprentice to follow and meowed, "We'll work on hunting tomorrow so you won't be so rushed today, alright?"
The tortoiseshell picked up her pace and bounded after Shadowfire and Arrowpaw, whiskers twitching with slight annoyance.

ooc - REALLY short. Sorry.

[+[{S.E.A.M.I.S.T.}]+]

Shadowfire opened his mouth to taste the air, passing it past his scent glands. He actually didn't know which border they were heading to, since he hadn't been paying attention. EmberClan, he thought in relief, as the scent of water and age-old trees wafted by. The only thing that made EmberClan's scent different from ShoreClan's was the lack of fish, which had a sort of salty tang. He nodded to Arrowpaw. "Smell that? This is EmberClan scent. Remember it well."
As the warrior neared the clearing that separated the two Clans, he stopped to put down fresh scent markers, then motioned for the others to do so as well. "We have to do this so that the other Clans know that this is our border," he explained to his young charge. Actually, he could have put the markers himself, but his scent was not quite pure StormClan yet. There was still a hint of wide-open fields and who knew what else. from his 'time away'. He figured that an array of strong StormClan scents would be much better than his own...tainted one.