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Post by scarlett on Mar 2, 2009 0:10:24 GMT -5
xx.Pinepaw&Shadowflame&Dewflower.xx
Silence filled his ears before giving way to a loud crackling noise. Crouching lower to the ground, his large paws carefully avoided the decaying leaves on the earthen floor as he crept forward ever so slowly. Emerald eyes flashed brightly as he prepared for his leap.
Keeping his ears forward and his tail low, he tensed his back muscles before springing quickly and landing on the back of a small mammal. Grasping its spine with his razor-sharp teeth, he bit down roughly, ending the creature's life painlessly.
Slowly, he raised his head and looked behind himself, proudly holding the creature in his mouth. It had been his first demonstration for his apprentice, Pinepaw, and he hoped that Pinepaw had learned. Glancing toward Dewflower, he wondered what she thought of his hunting moves.
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Post by Hazel on Mar 3, 2009 20:04:56 GMT -5
Pinepaw was already crouching, in an attempt to copy what his mentor had shown him. He wasn't doing too badly, with his tail staying just above the ground, which was more than some apprentices. But then, e forgot to glance down and the harsh, short-lived crackle of a few leaves below his paw made him wince slightly. His ears flattened a bit, but he was far from discouraged. His mother always said mistakes were part of learning, and she'd been right before, even though she was very strict.
He glanced up at Shadowflame, straightening his legs, his pale green eyes wide and hopeful. Perhaps he had gotten it right before that? The only way to know was to wait...Or ask. He opted for the later.
Was that almost right?
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Post by scarlett on Mar 6, 2009 0:53:06 GMT -5
Nodding, Shadowflame smiled at the young apprentice. It was, actually, a very good try for his first time. For every first try, it was almost inevitable that an apprentice would forget to watch his paws and not step on something that would crack. He knew it would just take practice to help this young tom learn how to hunt.
It was very close to being right, Pinepaw. Just remember to watch your paws when you're stalking. I noticed you kept your tail low, which is good, and it means you're paying attention. I'm proud of you. Your first try turned out to be almost successful.
Shadowflame's emerald eyes sparkled lightly as he praised his apprentice, hoping Pinepaw would continue to be observant when they began battle training. There was no doubt in Shadowflame's mind, that Pinepaw would work as hard as he could to become a fantastic, and dedicated warrior, and that would always be great for StormClan.
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Post by Hazel on Mar 7, 2009 22:39:40 GMT -5
He seemed to stand a little straighter, so to speak, at the response, and his whiskers twitched with happiness. He glanced down at his paws a moment, and then back up at Shadowflame and nodded.
I'll try to keep an eye on my paws next time. I promise.
He was entirely sincere, though it wasn't long before he was distracted by the noises of the forest. They seemed louder out here, than at camp, and he was still getting used to the fact that he could just wake up one day and, if he had no duties to attend to, walked out here and practise whatever he wanted. Or simply explore. It was still fairly obvious that he had quite a few kit tendencies, despite being eager to learn, but he tried to come back to focusing on his mentor, even as his mind wandered to the amazement at how big the world was.
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Post by scarlett on Mar 14, 2009 3:42:50 GMT -5
Nodding, Shadowflame signaled for him to try again, his mind was busy focusing as well at the moment. Soft rustling noises reached his ears and he glanced over, flicking his tail for Pinepaw to stand still and looked down toward the roots of a tall oak tree. He smiled softly, his canines appearing at the corners of his mouth. This was perfect, he thought. This is Pinepaw's chance.
Twitching his tail once more, he silently signaled Pinepaw to stand by him quietly and nodded toward the rustling mouse. Under his breath, too quiet to alert the mouse, he whispered. "Try it now, Pinepaw. Watch your feet, and you'll get it. Don't hesitate too long, though, you might lose it."
[OOC: I'm SOOOOOOO sorry this is so late. x.x]
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Post by Hazel on Mar 14, 2009 15:39:30 GMT -5
An excited shiver ran down the apprentices spine as he nodded. He began creeping forward again, letting his eyes jump up and down, between his paws and the mouse, so as to see where he was stepping now. He almost hesitated though, as he got closer. Was he still too far? He blinked, and tried to push that nagging, questioning thought away, paused, and leaped. It certainly was the most graceful arch anyone had ever seen, but he kept control of his front paws, and had managed to push off just right(though that, alone, had been pure guess work), and in seconds he was standing proudly, though a bit surprised, over his first piece of prey. He was panting, though not because it had been excessively hard. He had simply forgot to breath, and hadn't realized until after.
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Post by scarlett on Mar 14, 2009 16:06:10 GMT -5
Surprise flashed in Shadowflame's eyes and he nodded slowly. "That was...extremely well executed for your second attempt, Pinepaw. Just remember to spring like that when hunting for mice, and you're sure to get it."
Proudly, he walked over to the apprentice and nudged his shoulder softly. He was tall compared to Pinepaw, who was half his height almost. It seemed the young apprentice would be easy to teach, as he learned rather quickly. "So, since you've learned hunting so well today, why don't we try a few battle moves?" Shadowflame's eyes darted to the mouse Pinepaw held in his mouth. "You could take the mouse back to camp with you and show it off to your friends, and you'll probably be able to be the one to eat it, too. It's getting close to our time to return."
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Post by Hazel on Mar 14, 2009 16:20:45 GMT -5
He dropped the mouse, but was still speechless for a few moments. That, alone, was a bit of a miracle, really. Of course, by the time he got back to camp, he would definitely be set on bragging, but for now he was....actually being modest.
I-it was luck. I....think.
He always thought that he would jump at the chance to learn some battle moves, but having it on the first day... Well, he actually felt nervous about the whole thing. Overwhelmed, even, would appropriately described the look on his face. Yes, he knew that there was a chance Iceclan would attack tomorrow and he'd know nothing if he turned this opportunity down, but it was really just sinking in that battle moves now meant actually hurting someone. Not in practice, but otherwise. With Arrowpaw, it's had been playful tousles in dirt and grass and leaves. The most that ever happened was that one of them accidentally rubbed against a thorn in the nursery barrier.
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Post by scarlett on Mar 15, 2009 0:24:45 GMT -5
Murring softly, the tom stared at his apprentice as he claimed it was luck. It was obvious to Shadowflame that Pinepaw had a natural warrior talent, and he would be a fantastic addition to StormClan when his training was up.
Seeing the look on Pinepaw's face, Shadowflame smiled softly. "Let's go back to camp for now, actually. Tomorrow, we can start battle training." Glancing up at the sky, he could tell the sun was beginning to fall close to the horizon line, and he knew the dusk patrol would be leaving soon. "It's about time we got back anyway." Shadowflame stood, stretched his legs, and began to walk in the direction of camp, before turning around and waiting for Pinepaw to accompany him.
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Post by Hazel on Mar 15, 2009 8:51:58 GMT -5
He tried not to let his relief show, but, really, it didn't do much good. It showed anyway. He quickly picked up his mouse, and began following Shadowflame back. Best for him to follow, really. He was almost sure he knew the way back, but he'd prefer to avoid the embarrassment of going the wrong way if he dashed ahead. Not to mention, those short spurts of running would definitely prove a bit more difficult now that he had to carry the mouse as well. That very mouse rendered him silent, too, so it would be a very quiet walk back to camp for the mentor and apprentice.
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