Something a little different...(Aspen)

[Fallenmist]

Aspenfang . Can you pm me a link to your den cleaning thread. And don't forget to put a name in your siggy if you have one you want )

I never really expected to get an apprentice. I guess it's because the clan want to make sure I'm biding my time with something useful. What they don't know, is that they're giving me a charity. I wanted an apprentice so as to distract myself from everything on my mind. I don't mine that the younger feline just needs an assessment, I'm just glad they gave me one at all. Yawning, I look around the den once, surveying the few cats still remaining. Seeing as most get up at dawn, and it's a little later than that at the moment, it's not surprising there isn't many. Most have early rising apprentices that need a lot of training. I get to my paws, and exit the den, shaking out my pelt slightly before trotting off across the clearing toward the apprentice's den.

I get a few odd looks. Or maybe that's my imagination? I ignore them, and poke my head inside. "Aspenpaw. Time for your assessment." I'm not loud enough to wake the other apprentice's, but enough so as to rouse the apprentice I'm to train. I back up, and head over to the entrance to wait, assuming she already knows the routine of wake and eat then meet the mentor. I curl my tail of my paws, and lean over to pass a few licks over a rumpled patch of fur on my shoulder.

[Aspenfang]

(alright, i'll get to that right after i reply!)

Aspenpaw's honey-golden eyes snapped open when she heard her name called, which was uncharacteristic of the she-cat seeing as how she adored having her self. Today was special though. Today was her final assessment! Well, her third final assessment, to be exact. You know what they say, the tabby thought to herself as she got onto her paws, third times the charm!

She greeted Fallenmist with a grin as she exited the apprentice's den, still blinking some sleep from her eyes. "G'morning!" the she-cat chirped cheerfully, hoping her long pelt didn't look too chaotic. It tended to fluffy up a bit and stick out at strange angles right after she woke up, although it would usually smooth out once she had the wind running through her fur.

[Fallenmist]

I can't help but laugh. Her fur is sticking up on odd angles and she looks as fluffy as a kit. My chuckle ends in a purr, and I offer her a warm smile. "Let's get going then, shall we?" Flicking my tail slightly in a gesture to follow, I duck away from the apprentice den and trot across the camp. It's still unsettling for me. The looks, the way they eye the scratched up collar around my neck like it marks me as broken. I've been trying in vain to get it off. Too many memories. I don't want to remember. I flick my head to clear it, regain my smile, and breath a sigh of relief as my paws make contact with the prairie grass outside our camp. It's like the muscles beneath my coat relax all at once. I hadn't even known they were so coiled. I guess I should have.

The second I find a good spot where I can't see the camp, I turn to face my new apprentice. "You have until just after sunhigh to hunt as much as you can. Then meet me back here." I twitch my ears forward and offer her a gentle smile. "Catch two rabbits, and whatever else you decide to get. I'll follow and keep an eye on your progress." I sit down and wave my paw in a gesture for her to go, then blink and tilt my head slightly. "Oh, and you are not to interact with me until you've finished. Like you're hunting alone." I curl my tail over my paws and wait for her to start.

[Aspenfang]

Aspenpaw grins at the older she-cat's laugh, liking that she can make her smile. The russet tabby nods, indicating that she's ready to get the day started, and pads after Fallenmist eagerly. She momentarily got lost in thoughts about what today's events would entail. She had already failed her final assessment twice, and she knew that there was a possibility that she could fail again. Especially with her bad luck. Dear CloudClan, please let me pass this time, she thought, feeling her spine tingle hopefully.

She snapped back into reality one the two exited the camp, her attention turning to Fallenmist as she spoke. Aspenpaw feels herself relax at her mentor's warm smile, and nods her head excitedly after the older she-cat gives her instructions. "Okay," she flashes her signature dorky grin. She had been very nervous during her last assessment, which led to her foot in a rabbit hole and tumbling down a hill, so she promised herself that today she would try to be as optimistic as possible and calm her nerves. I can do this, she thought, taking a deep breath before nodding to Fallenmist and trotting deeper into the territory. There's a warren near the RockClan border, right? she thought to herself, stopping a second before switching directions so she was heading towards that border, I'll check their first.

[Fallenmist]

She seems a little distracted. Nerves. I'd been told this was her third assessment, so I'm sort of surprised she's even excited. I frown. She should have been held back for so long. Heck, she's almost as old as I am. I twitch my ears slightly and calm myself. I know this isn't what's getting me worked up. No. It's what going on right now. Whatever that may be. I count my breaths in an effort to calm myself and give the apprentice a head start. Feeling I've given her long enough, I glide forward so quietly it's like a whisper. I keep my tail from disturbing the underbrush. My paws away from sticks and leaves. Not only is it that I don't want to scare the prey or distract her. It takes concentration, and that's exactly what I need to do right now.

I catch her scent, and a red pelt out the conrner of my eye. I taste the scent and follow it, wondering where she's going. I catch up just enough to watch her, but not so that she can see or hear me. I keep myself downwind so that I don't disturb her or the prey, and once we near the Rockclan border, I settle to watch. I remember briefly from my training that there was a warren here, and I'd assume it still is as it was after I became a warrior too. I twitch my ears and curl my tail over my paws, sending her my good will in hopes that she might succeed here.

[Aspenfang]

Aspenpaw steadies her breaths and slows her movements as she approaches the warren she was heading towards. She's defiantly more bulky and muscular than most she-cats, so it's hard for her to make her paw-steps completely silent, but she does her best to keep her best to move forward silently. She tilts her head up, sniffing to make sure the wind is blowing in her favor, before continuing out into more open land.

The tabby sticks to the patches of tall grass as she closes in on the warren, spotting two gray does grazing in the clearing. She kneads the ground with her claws, inching closer and closer to the edge of the tall grass. Once she's a few fox-lengths away from the rabbits she takes off, thick muscles rippling under her tabby pelt as she dashes forward. The rabbits dart off in separate directions as soon as Aspenpaw emerges from the bushes. The apprentice makes a clumsy turn to follow the fatter, but slower, doe. She quickly closes in on it, reaching out with one unsheathed paw and batting the gray rodent to the side.The prey lands on it's side, stunned from the blow. Not wasting any time, the russet-colored she-cat pounces onto the gray rabbit and sinks her thick fangs into it's neck before it has time to escape her grasp.

[Fallenmist]

I watch intently as the younger feline picks up the scent I did just moments before. To rather plump looking does feed of the prairie grasses. I smile. I feel the surge of the blood in my veins, begging me to partake in the chase. My ears twitch forward and I watch the Crimson apprentice intently. She's not the most graceful of felines, but she's better than many. She gets quite close, which is impressive, before she makes chase because one can't merely pounce on a rabbit like they would a mouse. I nod, because I don't want to make a sound. She runs after them quite fast, and makes a slightly sloppy turn after the plumper and slower one. I nod again. 'Good choice.' I praise her in my mind as I watch her strike a blow and bring it down in quick succession. Good. I can tell she's had a lot of practice. I watch as the other rabbit runs off and ducks into a hole. It's faster than its companion anyway. I cast a glance up at the sun. She hunts fast.

[Aspenfang]

Aspenpaw's chest fur pricks proudly as she stares down at her catch. I did it! she thought excitedly. She didn't trip and she actually managed to catch the rabbit in a decent amount of time! She used to be quite chubby back in her early apprentice days, but many, many, moons of training had burned the weight off her body and replaced it with muscle. Sometimes the she-cat even forgot how she was strong now, and not a little chubster anymore. Not wanting to waste the day away, Aspenpaw picked up her catch and traveled over to the nearest bush. She sets the rabbit down before sniffing around the bush, to make sure there was no predator scent near it, then returned back to her prey and tucked it under the sharp branches, kicking some dirt over it to hide the scent for good measure.

Alright, now to the IceClan border! she thought excitedly, hyped up from her good catch. She knew the all the rabbits here would be too scared to come back out while the thought of freshly spilled blood was still on their minds, and the IceClan border was close enough that she wouldn't tire herself while traveling there. Although she wasn't sure if there were many rabbits in that part of the territory, since she admittedly only went there to splash around in the shallows of the river or hunt for smaller prey like voles. Oh well, the tabby thought, happily trotting towards that border, won't know until I get there, I guess.

[Fallenmist]

She seems pretty proud over her catch, but doesn't waste too much time admiring it. So she should be. I don't think I'd ever been able to hunt that well as an apprentice. 'She should be a warrior...' I remind myself with a flick of my tail tip. I watch as she drags the prey to a bush and sniffs around it. Good. One would hate for any predators to get at it. 'Most cats don't think that far ahead' I note with a smile. Once she's tucked her prey under the branches and scraped some dirt over it for good measure, she sets about hunting again. I wait a moment, before getting to my paws and trotting silently over to her rabbit. I sniff around the area, making sure there was nothing she missed. I can hardly even smell the rabbit other than the fact I know it's there. If I didn't, I would have overlooked it. I smile proudly. I may not know the feline, but she's certainly a good hunter.

Flicking my tail, I head off to follow her. I soon pick up that she's heading toward the Iceclan border, and I stall, tilting my head. Are there even rabbits there? I guess there are snow hares, but they'd be further up the mountain where the snow is. I frown slightly, before shrugging. 'Maybe she's going after some voles? Or perhaps there's a new warren since I...left.' I twitch my ears back momentarily at the lapse in thought, before flicking my head and clearing my mind. I need to focus. I trot off after my apprentice and find her nearing the border. I cut a little ways to a less interrupting position, and settle down to watch once more. I like to pay as much attention to my assessments as possible. Especially now, when it gives me something better to think about.

[Aspenfang]

Aspenpaw's brow furrow when she doesn't pick up any rabbit scent, but doesn't let that put her off her game. There were plenty of other types of prey she could catch here! The she-cat eyes the river, wondering if she had time to fish. She had taught herself to do it awhile back, seeing as she loves relaxing and enjoying the sun and fishing let a cat do that as well as get some easy prey in reward. I probably don't have enough time, she concluded, but headed towards the river anyway, keeping her paw-steps light as she reached the muddy bank. She knew that there were a few water vole dens just beyond the lowest part of the bank. She wadded slowly through the water, going along with the current so that she didn't create too many ripples. She stopped when she was nearing the dens, watching the entrances intently, waiting to see if there were any ripples near the entrance, indicating that a vole was exiting. After a few moments of waiting, Aspenpaw lowered herself deeper into the water and crawled out of the river.

The murky river-water hid her scent well as the tabby crawled towards a patch of bushes nearby . If the voles were in their dens, then it was very likely that they were gathering food there, since they wouldn't travel too far from their nest. The apprentice grinned when she was right, spotting a mousy brown vole sniffing around the base of one of the bushes. She slowly closed in on the bush, doing her best to move as quietly as possible. As soon as she felt comfortably close, the apprentice relaxed her muscles and let her paws hit the ground with more weight, letting her presents be known to the vole. As she predicted, the vole scurried out from under the bush the second it knew she was there. She waited until she had a clear shot at her prey before bunching her muscles and pouncing on to the vole. Her unsheathed front paws landed cleanly on her prey, although her back paws slipped a bit on the wet soil. The tabby sunk her claws into the back of the small creature, waiting for it to stop moving before fixing her position.

[Fallenmist]

Just as I suspected, there are no rabbits around here. At least no scent of them. There are no grasses for them to nibble on the pebbly shore, and a rushing river blocking them from escaping predators, as well as less bushes to hide under. Some prey doesn't seem the smartest at times, but rabbits certainly aren't one of those. Oh well, there's bound to be a Cole or two for the apprentice to catch if she's quick and lucky. I shift into a slightly more comfortable position and eye her as she slinks along the bank of the river separating us from the other clan. I'm a little surprised when she actually goes into the river. Yes, they make their dens along the bank, but most fireclanners' hate water. Not really me to be honest, but I won't just wander in. Curious, I twitch my ears forward and watch her as she waits for any rippling movement. Or at least, from this distance I must sort of assume that's what she's doing. I let my thoughts wander a little while we both wait for something to happen.

I tug my thoughts back to focus, tucking whatever I was mulling over back into the crevice in my mind. I watch as she submerges herself slightly in the water, allowing the flowing currents to seep into her red fur, before slinking out of the depths and crawling back onto the bank. Her scent is weaker now, well disguised, especially if you don't already know she's there. 'Very smart.' She certainly is a great hunter, which leads me to wonder what exactly led to her having a third assessment? Maybe this is just her third scheduled assessment, and the other two didn't end up getting round to it. Oh well. I'm glad of the privilege because to be honest, her hunting tactics make even me a little jealous. I suppose I was born a kittypet, so there is that...I flick my head to clear it because I notice she's now running down a vole she'd announced her presence to. She slips a little in the mud along the bank, I note, but it's a successful catch. And from my distanced perspective, seemingly a clean on too. I smile.

[Aspenfang]

Aspenpaw trots, vole hanging in her mouth, towards a place she semi-dreaded going to. It was the warren she had hunted at during her last assessment. She was almost finished collecting all her prey, when one of her paws caught in a rabbit hole while she was chasing after a rabbit, and she ended up fracturing her back paw as well as gaining a few bruises from the fall. Needless to say, she was unable to complete her assessment after the fall, which was how she failed that assessment. The one before was failed because, truthfully, she had been a rather lazy apprentice when she was younger, and her hunting and battling skills weren't nearly as advanced as they should've been at her age. She stopped when she was half-way to the warren, hiding her vole under a bush so that the rabbits wouldn't catch scent of it while she approached. The tabby was determined not to mess up this last catch! Not when she was close.

It didn't take much longer to get to the warren, which was located on a small hill. The red tabby stuck close to the prairie grass as she approached, trying to figure out where the rabbits were as she circled the warren. She grinned when she noticed that five or six of them weren't too close to the majority of the den entrances, which were clustered together in the shallower slope of the hill, where it must've been easier for the rabbits to dig out dens. Knowing this, Aspenpaw positioned herself so that when she bolted out of the tall grass she would run right over the dens, so that if the rabbits wanted to get underground they would have to go around her. If they didn't, they would have to use one of the back entrances, and there weren't enough of those for every rabbit. The she-cat took a second to psyche herself up before she started hunting. She had gone out hunting nearly everyday since her last assessment, and she was more then ready for this one, but her confidence was still chipped and cracked from her past failures. Come on, she mewed to herself, wondering what her best friend, Thrushfang, would say if she was were, you can do this, Aspen!

Finally ready to begin her final catch, Aspenpaw went running out of the tall grass. She arched her back slightly, going from a fast trot to a steady lope as she ran up the hill. Some of the resting rabbits begun to scurry away while a few others had their large ears perked up, not yet aware of her quickly approached. The tabby leaped over the den entrances, making sure to keep her honey-colored gaze flicking between the ground and prey, so that she wouldn't make the mistake of tripping on another rabbit hole this time. Like she had predicted, the rabbits spent a second confused as she approached, wanting to run to their warren entrance but unable too since that was the direction she was approaching from. After a few seconds of confusion, most of the rabbits begun heading to one of the bigger back exits. Aspenpaw singled out a young brown rabbit as her prey, he had spent the most time staring at her in shock before running away, meaning that he was the closest to her. She pushed herself to go even faster, knowing that she was so close to the catch. Still, the rabbit she was chasing was young and kept pulling a head of her. Aspenpaw growled in frustration, knowing that she wasn't exactly built for speed and that her breaths were beginning to quicken, meaning she would have to slow down soon to catch her breath. Not wanting the rabbit to get away, the she-cat pulled all of her remaining energy into pushing herself off the ground and pouncing on the rabbit. She landed hard on the ground, but managed to snag the back of the rabbit in her claws. Avoiding getting kicked in the face by the rabbits bucking back feet, Aspenpaw leaned down and bit into it's neck, chest heaving as she waited for the prey to stop moving. I did it, she thought breathlessly as she stared down at her final piece of prey.

[Fallenmist]

Aspenpaw seems slightly reluctant to go on to the next warren. It's the most populated by my count, and I narrow my eyes slightly in confusion. And then my brain catches up with my eyes as realisation hits. Perhaps this was one of the points of failure during her previous assessments? Or maybe she's merely had some other bad experience here. Whatever the problem is, it doesn't seem to trouble her long as she seems to psyche herself up and head toward the small hill. I follow after her, keeping to the longer patches of prairie grasses and heather as I manoeuvre my way ever closer until I can practically taste the prey. It's tempting, but I know better than to disrupt my apprentice. And so, I settle down to watch, in line with the back entrance but just far enough from it in order to watch her progress.

The younger feline chances upon multiple rabbits. Not just one or two, but six, far enough from the main dens to catch successfully. I smile, hopeful for her chances, and lean forward slightly in my crouch as I watch. My muscles are coiled like a spring, and I almost want to make a mad dash for the closest one. Instead I watch her as she creeps ever closer before running toward them. They scatter, most heading for the dens and one or two running elsewhere in a confused panic. One freezes longer than is safe, before shying away from the apprentice and herding after the others. She's young and fast, but as is Aspenpaw. I watch, intruiged, as she dives after the young doe. The creature is fast, and the feline seems to be struggling. She's not quite as well built for speed as most Fireclanners, and I feel a little hint of pity at the chance she may not get it. I cast a glance at the sun, before returning to the scene before me. In one last burst of speed, Aspen throws herself at the rabbit, just avoids its hind claws, and bites into it. I can't resist anymore.

Before her catch even stills, I dart forward. The sun had almost peaked, so her hunting session is over, and so I can't help but seize the opportunity of a good rush. My eyes target a large Buck that's running a little astray of the warren in his attempt to get away. I growl slightly in my throat and flatten myself to the ground, striding out at full speed as I dash after the furry brown creature and it's tantalising scent. It's a little difficult, and not to mention draining, to catch up with him, but I manage. Once I feel I'm close enough, I shove off with my hing legs in a powerful leap, could muscles stretching and unsheathed claws aiming for the rabbit. I tackle him down successfully and clamp my jaws around his throat till his body stills and his tiny heart flutters. Getting to my paws, I give myself a shake and lick the blood from my teeth, eyeing the buck. I don't murmur thanks, for I do not follow their belief so closely as they. No deceased spirit offered this rabbit to neither me nor my clan. Flicking my tail, I scoop up my prey and trot back to my apprentice. I don't really care about where I set to meet her. The sun has risen to its point, and we're in the same area. In which case, I might as well deem this assessment successful. Pulling up at her side, I place the rabbit upon the ground, swipe my jaws once more, and eye her catch before giving her a smile. "I think you're a great hunter, by my opinion." I offer with a grin, pricking my ears. "You about ready to become a warrior yet?"

(I see hunting is your forte, )

[Aspenfang]

(thank you! i'm such a nerd when it comes to writing hunting c:)

Aspenpaw's chest is still heaving from all the energy she had exerted when Fallenmist dashing into the clearing. The she-cat watches as her mentor hunts, he mind already focused on the older she-cats form and using this knowledge to adapt her own. She had learned a lot about hunting from watching others hunt. "Good catch!" Aspenpaw shouted out once her mentor successfully caught the large buck, feeling her mouth water a bit as she looked at it. All the hunting she had done had made her rather hungry.

The russet tabby flushed red under her coat as her mentor complimented her, "ah, thank you," the she-cat mewed with a wide grin, "you look like you're pretty good yourself." Her ears fluttered a bit. She wasn't all that used to getting complements, since her clumsy nature usually led to her messing up at things. Aspenpaw eyes widened when Fallenmist asked her if she was ready to become a warrior. "Wha- really?" she sputtered incredulously, the dorky grin on her face widening even more, "whoohoo! Am I ever!"

[Fallenmist]

(Ah! So this is the real reason Aspen likes Fallen )

As she calls out across the clearing to me, I eye the last rabbit disappearing into the burrow before casting her a grin, regaining my breath with a few more pants before looking around in curiosity. I don't tend to come out here much, but I note to show my next apprentice this burrow so that they might be able to hunt here too. Tough to be honest, it's not exactly the hardest place to scent with all these dens huddle up under one small hill. The scent of fresh-killed rabbit is making my mouth water slightly, and I have to swallow before trilling a purr at her compliment. She does seem a little unsure how to take my own, and my ears twitch toward her in curiosity. "Well you are. You'd think you'd get told that more often." I grin, not caring as she flushes slightly because honestly, she should get told that by so many more cats then just me. I dip my head in thanks as she, albeit a little awkwardly, returns the compliment. To be honest, last time I hunted a rabbit, it was pair hunting with Birdheart, and I descreetly remember her snickering like an apprentice. I smirk slightly at the thought because in actual fact, she's about as mature as one.

Clearly she's ready to become an apprentice. Heck, she's more than ready if ever anyone was. To be honest, she ought to be an apprentice already as it is. Her smile turns to a grin, which in essence is a little dorky. I chuckle softly in amusement, but do not deny her the excitement because honestly, even I'm a little excited for her. I've always loved seeing kits become apprentices, and apprentices later become Warriors. Even more so my own. I may not have trained her from her first trip into the territory. I may have only given her an assessment. But hey, I'm still proud as any other mentor should be. I grin along with her, my tail twitching slightly in amusement. "Well then. Shall we gather your prey and see what Darkstar has to say?" I chuckle once more, scoop up my rabbit, and gesture her to follow as I head toward where she buried her closest kill. I certainly can't wait till the ceremony.

(We can finish here, or when they reach camp. Up to you. )