Practicing hunting (all welcome)

[Kiri-chan]

(I'm dying to RP with Oakpaw so here he is! xD Someone please join me! Songheart, if you want to make this into a training thread let me know, I'll edit my post a little to say that. Otherwise if he'd get a lecture for having "wandered off" that's cool too. hehe)

Ever since he'd been Apprenticed, Oakpaw had woken up each morning with boundless energy. He'd needed it too as he was taught many things as the days went by. Being a warrior sure looked fun, but it was a ton of work. Still, he practically idolized his Mentor and wasn't about to complain. Afterall, she was the DEPUTY. To another, it might look like he somewhat had a crush on her the way he followed her around and watched her every move and imitated everything she did. In a way, he probably did have a crush on her, but it was in the sense he wanted to be just like her.

This morning, he'd noticed the fresh kill pile was low and was eager to show how much he'd learned. Remembering that most prey was gathering near the remaining sources of water, he'd reasoned the Marsh would be the best place to catch prey and so after eating he'd made his way here in hopes of catching lots of prey to impress Songheart.

After arriving, he sniffed the air and scented a mouse in the grass near the water's edge. Taking his time, carefully stalking, he finally got close enough and pounced on it. Extremely proud of himself, he put it down and admired it for a minute before finally digging a small hole and burying it for later. Walking on a ways, he picked up the scent of a bird scratching around for insects and slid into a stalking position and took cover behind a bush to wait for the bird to get a little bit closer before trying to catch it.

[</cloudii>]

ooc - Do you mind if his overly protective mom joins? lol If ya do, I'll delete it.

Cloudmist was out hunting by the marshes when she scented another one of her own Clan mates. Scenting more throughly, she found that it was her son, Oakpaw, recently apprenticed. She couldn't smell any other cats with him, so it meant that he must be alone. Where's Songheart? she wondered. Apprentices rarely went outside the camp on their own until it was past a moon of their training...

The tortoiseshell warrior decided to follow him and see what he was up to. Tracking him silently, her jaws clamped around a plump vole, she glimpsed the young tom stalking a bird. She watched carefully, scrutinizing his hunting techniques with a careful eye.

[Kiri-chan]

(heya Cloudii! *waves eagerly*)

Oakpaw was so wrapped up in watching the bird that he was oblivious to Cloudmist's arrival. Birds weren't his favorite prey to hunt either as they gave him a lot of trouble when it came to catching them. He couldn't leap as high as an adult nor was he as strong and heavy as an adult. Little birds weren't as hard to catch - if he was close enough and the bird didn't spot him. Truthfully he'd have rather tried to catch something else, but prey was prey and he did need practice...

The bird slowly hopped nearer, but not close enough for him to catch it without having to sprint a little bit. The longer he watched, the more doubtful he was he'd catch it. Finally, he'd waited too long and the bird flew off. Heaving a sigh, he sat up and stared at where it'd flown off too, unaware it'd escaped being lunch by a few feet.

Standing, Oakpaw was about to continue on his way when he smelled another Clan cat's scent drifting around. Fresh. And really close by. Looking around, he quickly glanced everywhere fearing it was Songheart testing him on his alertness and he wasn't about to fail with HER watching! His nose finally figured out it wasn't her, but his mom and he heaved another sigh, this time of relief. Plopping down again he looked around and spotted a few places she might be hiding, but couldn't tell without getting up and investigating. "Mom, I know you're there..." He meowed half-heartedly, knowing she'd probably seen him miss the bird and wondered if she'd think he was a bad hunter for letting it get away.

[</cloudii>]

Cloudmist stepped out from behind the tree and smiled at her son. "Out hunting I see?" she commented. "Where's Songheart?" she asked Oakpaw. Her bright green eyes darted around, trying to see where the Clan deputy was, but from the scents, it was clear she hadn't passed this way for a while. Her ears twitched at the sound of tiny pawsteps and the she-cat pointed with her tail to a mouse scuffling a few fozlengths away. Over there, she mouthed silently. She wondered if he was better at catching prey without wings.

[Kiri-chan]

Oakpaw watched as she stepped out from behind a tree with a smile and didn't seem upset that he was out hunting alone. With a happy purr, he stood up and rubbed against her flank in greeting.

"Hi mom and I don't know where she is. I think she went on the dawn patrol, but I noticed the fresh kill pile was really low so I wanted to show Song- I mean show the Clan, that I'm a good hunter." He said, catching himself just in time to keep from saying who he was really trying to impress. "I caught a mouse earlier, it's over there by the water." He said, pointing with his tail a little ways behind them.

Rustling a few foxlengths away caught his attention and he followed his mom's gaze to a patch of grass not to far away. She motioned with her tail, but he was already on it, slowly stalking towards it. Something spooked the mouse before he could get close enough, but instead of running away from him, it ran towards him. Without thinking about what could have scared the mouse, he quickly sprang after it and killed it before it could go far.

Putting it down, he saw the grass moving again and tensed only to see a harmless garter snake poke it's head out to see a cat had caught it's breakfast. Typical tom attraction to snakes and other things like frogs and such kicked in and he stood up eagerly. "Ooh hey mom, ever had snake?" He asked eagerly, eyeing the snake and wondering if he could catch it and what it'd taste like. The snake didn't look enthused at that idea and slowly started to slither off with Oakpaw slowly following it with keen interest. Now where the heck did you bite a snake at to catch it?

[</cloudii>]

Cloudmist nodded at her son's enthusiasm to help the Clan with catching prey, but she sensed that he was actually trying to impress the Clan deputy. The tortoiseshell she-cat had not missed his mistake.

She glanced at the mouse that Oakpaw had caught and killed and praised him, "Well done, Oakpaw!" her eyes glowed with pride and she gave him a soft lick around the ears. When he started to follow the snake, she called out softly in her normal quiet tone, "Snakes aren't tasty and they don't have much meat on their skinny bodies!"

She wrinkled her pink nose in disgust as she remember her first time tasting a snake. She had only been an apprentice so she didn't know what a snake tasted like. One of her denmates had caught it and he brought it back to the apprentices' den for the three apprentices in the den to share. It had been horrible and the taste had lingered in her mouth for days.

"If you ever want to try eating one," she warned her son, "Don't say I didn't warn you because they taste horrible!" Sighing with exasperation, she padded after Oakpaw without saying anything more.

[Kiri-chan]

(eepies, sorry for the wait!)

Oakpaw beamed as Cloudmist praised his work and this time her giving him a lick didn't bother him at all. He was proving he was a great Apprentice! As he toyed with the snake, batting at its tail with his paw, he heard Cloudmist call after him that snakes didn't taste good and had very little meat. Well, the little meat part he kinda guessed that one, but not taste good? Hmm. He wondered if she meant that in a 'it doesn't taste good froggy kind of way' or 'it doesn't taste good cause mom didn't like the taste.'

"If you ever want to try eating one, don't say I didn't warn you because they taste horrible!"

Oakpaw heard her following after him and bounded a bit faster after the snake as it heard her coming too and was trying to get away. Oakpaw pounced on it and bit it's tail and almost at once he regretted it as it did taste bad. However he didn't let go fast enough and the snake spun around and bit his left paw. It had a little mouth and little fangs so his fur took most of the hit, but the snake still managed to give him two small puncture wounds.

"OUCH!" Oakpaw mewed and jumped back as he dropped the garter snake. Grateful to be released, the snake took off and Oakpaw watched it go rather miffed. "Yuck." He said, making a face and spitting at the aftertaste. Okay, so that was a 'it tastes bad in a frog way.' Lifting up his left paw, he saw two little bite marks with a little bit of blood coming out. It hurt a little and he sat down to lick his paw. "Stupid snake." He grumbled to himself.

[</cloudii>]

Cloudmist shook her head with an exasperated sigh. At least the snake wasn't poisonous. "Now will you listen to me?" she questioned her son with an edge to her voice. She trotted over to a tree and found some cobwebs. Soon, her paw was swathed with cobwebs and she took Oakpaw's paw and wrapped the paw in the sticky cobweb. "No," she meowed, when he said 'stupid snake', "It was your own fault." She smiled warmly at her adventurous son and gave him a few quick licks on the top of his head. "Well, live and learn, huh?"

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

Shadowfire padded along the marsh at a leisurely pace, taking care not to overexert his paw. Sighing with boredom, he stretched his tired muscles and let loose a massive yawn.
"Ouch!"
Shadowfire scrambled to his paws. He had heard the voice of a young cat, possibly an apprentice in pain. Quickly, he hurried over to the source.
His fur flattened as he realized that the situation was completely under control, and scolded himself for overreacting. "Sorry for interrupting," he mewed to Cloudmist and Oakpaw. With a lurch, he realized that he didn't even know the young cat's name. "And...what was your name again?"

[Owl]

OOC: Mind if Featherpaw joins, i mean, now that we're having a small reunion?

Featherpaw bounded into the clearing and screeched to a halt when she saw Oakpaw's paw swathed in cobwebs, "that's a good look for you" she meowed to her brother, she looked at Shadowfire, not recognizing the warrior, "who are you?" she asked...

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

"Shadowfire," he stated simply. Curiously, he swiveled an ear. "And who're you?"
Shadowfire studied the two kits closely. There was something about them that made them seem a though they were both extremely close to Cloudmist; something that made her seem protective of them. "Are these yours?" he asked, and gestured towards Featherpaw and Oakpaw.

[Owl]

"I'm Featherpaw, Cloudmist is our adoptive mother..." Featherpaw mewed, "so yes, in a way, we are her kits..." Featherpaw was reluctant to name their heritage, although it would be clear that Oak was definately not Cloudmist's because of his size and pelt.

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

OOC: Okay, that was a stupid observation. Changing my post now...>.>
Shadowfire glanced at Cloudmist. Adoptive? he mewed silently, and turned back towards the two apprentices. Seeking to steer the conversation away from the two kits' heritage, he hastily mewed, "So who are your mentors, then?"

[Owl]

OOC: Nah, Feather looks like Cloudmist more, so does Oak at this stage...
Feathertail stood in for her brother. "Mine is Swifttail and Oak's is Songheart", Good, she thought, no questions about their heritage, the cat might turn hostile if he knew they were kitty-pet born...

[</cloudii>]

Cloudmist's ears twitched in surprise - hadn't he known already that they were her kits?? She smiled slightly and touched her tail to Featherpaw's shoulder, as if she noticed that her daughter was feeling uncomfortable at mentioning her kittypet heritage. The tortoiseshell didn't even recognize them as her foster kits anymore...they were just her kits now.