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Post by Flamewhisper on Jul 2, 2016 13:51:24 GMT -6
(30 words or more for each post, you will be catching 3 types of prey to pass)
Flamewhisper smiled as she woke up, today was Thistlepaw's big day. Quickly she grabbed a nice plump vole,a nd nudged it towards her location. Quickly she lashed her tail out hitting the sleeping cat in the head. "Wake up!" she called, towards the dark den. She knew Thistle would come to the training grounds, quickly she bounded out of the camp. And stood right outside, she noted how she was going to do this. 'Oh Darkpool let him pass' she thought in her head. Once the young cat approached her she nodded, and began to explain the rules, "I will be following you, without a word. You will use your hunting skills to catch 3 types of prey. If you get sidetracked I will nudge you towards the right way, but if I do you must catch another type of prey." She nodded, again. letting what she just said sink in, "Now you may start," she purred as she sat down in the grass. |
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Post by Thistlepaw on Jul 26, 2016 12:12:52 GMT -6
(So late, I'm sorry!)
Thistlepaw inhaled as much air as he could take in in one breath, and nodded stiffly to his mentor. He scanned his surroundings briefly before leaping to his feet and clearing the grounds quickly. He slowed his paw steps as he reached a landscape of tall boulders and tall grass. The tom figured he was near the RockClan border, but he knew he wasn't crossing it. The gray tom opened his mouth to taste the air, and caught a whiff of nearby prey. A vole, as far as he could tell. Thistlepaw turned slowly, tasting the air again. He crept carefully towards the smell, keeping his body low and steps light as he went. The smell grew stronger, and he spotted a little gray shape among tall grass stems.
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Post by Flamewhisper on Jul 26, 2016 14:40:43 GMT -6
'Good job Thistle' she thought as she hid out of sight. She watched as he tracked scent she had caught a few seconds before him. She smiled before following him.
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Post by Thistlepaw on Jul 27, 2016 13:41:35 GMT -6
Thistlepaw noted his body feeling bigger and bulkier as he moved, and he brushed against stems a little harder than he thought once or twice, but the vole hadn't seemed to notice. He paused, hoping his mentor wasn't around to see his clumsiness. Thistlepaw fought back his emotions and focused in on his prey. He was a fox-length away from it now, or as far as he could tell, he had never seen a real fox before. It was risky now, he could move forward and risk scaring off the vole, or pounce from quite a distance, and quite possibly miss. The gray tom decided he would move forward, deciding his body was still slender and his paws still small and nimble despite his sudden growth spurt. A few heartbeats later he was nearly on top of the vole, with the tall grass hiding him. The wind was still blowing heavily in his face, towards the IceClan boarder, he knew, and the vole could not smell him. Thanks for the, erm, fortunate weather, CloudClan spirits. He thought hastily, eyes narrowing on the vole. Thistlepaw wanted to make his catch quick, before the elements decided to change.
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Post by Flamewhisper on Jul 27, 2016 13:50:00 GMT -6
Flamewhisper watched and smiled. She knew she had done well with this one. He would make a great warrior. He was great at hunting and scenting, she slowly walked in and out of the tall grass. Straining for the best views.
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Post by Thistlepaw on Jul 27, 2016 14:07:31 GMT -6
Thistlepaw bunched his hindquarters under him, shifting around quietly to balance his larger body. He recalled hunting for the first time, barely having the strength to rise through the air in a leap, but that was for another time. As he crouched, balanced, he realized he had grown more used to his size than he had thought. He felt strong, powerful, confident he could catch the vole and show Flamewhisper, if she was here at all. Thistlepaw cast a final glance over his shoulder, searching for his mentor briefly. He thought he saw a pale orange shape in the stalks a little ways away, but there was no time be sure it was her. With pale yellow eyes locked on the vole, he sprang off his hind end. His body folded instinctively, front end outstretching and bracing for the landing, band end tucking up to catch the air. He landed where he had planned, nearly on top of the vole. He pinned it down in an instant, digging his sharp claws into it's small body. It only took a quick nip to the back of it's neck before it was dead. Thistlepaw sat back, panting, staring down proudly at his catch. Don't get too confident. I still need to find two more types of prey, likely something bigger than a tiny vole. Hopefully I don't come across any birds. Thistlepaw had never gotten used to catching birds, he could never gather enough strength pin them down before they flew off in a flurry of feathers. He released a sigh, calming himself down. There wasn't time to sit around and worry. With a few scrapes in the soft earth, the vole was burried, safely beneath a boulder. As he walked away from the clearing, he noted where had stashed the vole. One down, two to go.
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Post by Flamewhisper on Jul 27, 2016 15:24:59 GMT -6
She smiled as he buried the Vole. She had done the same tactic, when it was her assessment. Except she had climbed a tree, she hoped Thistle Would pass. He was doing great. Just he would have to work hard.
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Post by Thistlepaw on Jul 27, 2016 15:45:35 GMT -6
The grass grew shorter and sparser under-paw as Thistlepaw headed deeper into FireClan territory. He crested a low slope with a few stout trees growing on it as the breeze began to pick up, buffeting at his ears. The noise blocked out the sound of wing beats a few cat lengths away from him. Thistlepaw scowled, dropping into a crouch with his ears and tail low. Thank CloudClan birds don't have a sense of smell, but luck would also have it there is no cover. He frowned thoughtfully. Surely birds can't have the best ears, either? He wished during his assessment wasn't the time he would get to find out, but it was now or never to become a warrior. Thistlepaw had expected things to get tough, now it had come, simple. All he had to do was watch out for the birds eyes. He took a few tentative steps forwards, keeping his paws light and silent. From this view, he could see that the bird was fair sized gray finch, pecking away at seeds on the ground. It's back was turned to Thistlepaw, which gave him an advantage. If he crept a few paw steps closer, he would have a clear shot at catching the bird.
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Post by Flamewhisper on Aug 1, 2016 19:46:42 GMT -6
Flamewhisper watched as Thistlepaw went deeper and deeper into Fireclan territory. She hoped that he didn't go near treeclan. She watched as he seemed to divert his attention to a bird. She sighed... thistlepaw was never good with birds. She watched as he got closer and she prayed to Darkpool to let him get the prey.
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Post by Thistlepaw on Aug 2, 2016 20:23:39 GMT -6
I can't pass up the chance to show Flamewhisper I've improved, especially by catching a bird. CloudClan help me. Thistlepaw prayed silently. His eyes focused on the bird, pinpointing it's location. It would take him at least three paw steps forward to be able to pounce on it, if he was careful and precise, and he wasn't sure he was. The finch fluttered backwards, pecking at a few remaining seeds. It would lose interest soon and fly away, it was now or never, yet again. Thistlepaw crouched lower than he thought his back could bend, stepping forward hesitantly. The finch didn't budge, pecking away at it's last bits of food. He took another step, relieved the finch still hadn't heard him. He was almost within pouncing range of his prey. His paw lifted, gently off the ground, while he nearly held his breath. The finch flapped out it's wings preparing to take off. Thistlepaw took a deep breath, launching himself off his hind legs too quickly to prepare. His front legs shot out, reaching for the bird in the split second it tried to take off. They connected, hitting the bird's wings and holding it down. He hastily rebalanced on the ground and made quick work of the finch. Pride glowed in his eyes as he gaxed down at the bird. Never had he thought he would get this far, to conquer his weakness. It was lucky, he knew, sloppy pouncing like that hardly ever payed off. But I did it... Should I have left it? Will it cost me my assessment, for poor technique?
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Post by Flamewhisper on Aug 18, 2016 10:27:13 GMT -6
Flamewhisper watched as Thistle used sloppy pouncing. she frowned but smiled as he she realized he had caught the bird. only one more idem of prey, and he would be done. 'He can do it' she said in her mind. hoping that her little Thistle would make it through
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Post by Thistlepaw on Aug 28, 2016 12:27:41 GMT -6
(Sorry this is really late)
Thistlepaw felt the nagging dread weighing down his stomach as he walked away from the bird, secured beneath a mound of dirt nearby where he had caught it. The nerves were getting to him, he knew it, but he always knew he couldn't let that distract him right now. He tilted his chin upwards and padded on, letting all his senses focus on searching for the final piece of prey. He could smell vole in the trees ahead, nearby the TreeClan border, but he could not catch another vole, however easy it would be. Thistlepaw steered himself towards the heart of FireClan territory, watching the trees grow sparser as he went. Luck would have it, he caught the scent of squirrel just before he had exited the trees. The gray tom paused, sniffing the air. All his senses trained on the squirrel. He walked lightly, nearly on his tiptoes, scanning for the squirrel. It's scent flooded his nostrils so strongly he knew it was very close. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a ginger shape scurry towards the base of a spindly tree. If it went up the tree, he would have no hope of getting it, the branches were much too tiny to hold a cat, even the lowest ones. Thistlepaw had to cut off it's escape, quickly. He felt a rush of confidence, despite his former anxiety. If he could make it up with this catch, surely he'd be forgiven for his lack of technique before? He had it all planned out now. Thistlepaw dropped lower, crouching with his belly fur just off the ground, and his ears and tail low. His white patches stuck out against the scenery, but the squirrel was turned away, conveniently. The apprentice was nearly only a few tail lengths away from the squirrel, a long stretch to jump to the tree trunk, but he could make it work. He had luckily grown lately, even filled out a bit, but he was still nimble. Without becoming anxious about the task, he swept off his paws and stretched out midair. The trunk came up quickly and he landed in front of it, smacking his paw against a root. Regardless of the pain, he whirled as fast as he could and reached for the squirrel. It had nowhere to go, and barely moved in it's daze before Thistlepaw pinned it down and finished it off.
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