Assessments in the Storm // P

[Cloudskip]

Cloudskip had been asked for another assessment, she found it funny actually. At least she got to interact with cats more, and she had something to do in her life. She smiling faintly to herself and made her way through the slow rain. Her whiskers twitched and she stood outside the apprentice's den.

"Hello... Stormsong?" Cloudskip called, fluffing out her long fur. She shook her doubts about the possible future away from her thoughts. "It's time for your assessment."

[Stormsong]

Stormpaw, having a distinct lack of training from a capable adult, had ended up training himself. Mostly through trial and error. A lot of error. Though, at this point... He was decent. His kills could be sloppy and he had no idea how to spar against an actual cat. Though, it had at least a chance of being passable at this point. 

Some cat named Cloudskip had been assigned to give him his assessment.

He lifted his head from his nest as he heard his name being called. He stretched quickly and left the den. He looked to Cloudskip. He looked expectantly to her to lead the way.

[Cloudskip]

Cloudskip stared at the younger feline, the two locking eye contact fir a split second before the warrior broke the silence. "Um... So unless you're hungry, we can just go." She meowed, turning around swiftly and starting to walk towards the territory. She glanced over her shoulder to see if Stormpaw was following her.

She thought to herself, would she do this the same way she did with Ravenpaw? Or should she try something new? She sighed and rested her thoughts aside as she hummed softly to herself.

((If cats can even hum. If not, just probably purring.

[Stormsong]

((Who cares lawl

Stormpaw nodded and walked over to the fresh-kill pile and practically inhaled a mouse near the bottom of the pile. Then he saw Cloudskip was starting to leave, he scurried after the older cat. As he caught up to her, he slowed his pace to a more reasonable speed. He looked at her expectantly as they walked.

[Cloudskip]

((Literally started laughing to myself when I imagined Stormpaw just inhaling a mouse like a vacuum.

Cloudskip chuckled to herself as Stormpaw scurried after her. Her shook the rain dew off her face and explained once they were a reasonable distance from camp. "Okay, so this is the game plan. You'll go out and catch two pieces of prey. Then we'll play a little game of hide n seek, plus tag, probably. It can test your speed and tracking skills. And if you'd like, we can spar."

[Stormsong]

((lawl he probably just eats like me

Stormpaw wasn't sure what he was expecting coming into this assessment... But he wasn't sure this was it, to be perfectly honest. Nevertheless, he accepted this with a nod. He wasn't sure about the optional spar, though. Wasn't Cloudskip just supposed to order him to do things and assess his actual level of skill...?

Regardless, he wanted to begin. Without much warning, he dashed off for a good distance. Then after a while, he began slowing his pace into a quiet walk. He raised his sniffer for prey scents. When he caught one, he quietly followed it to a rabbit. Aside from a brief hunting training session with Foxclaw, he didn't know much in the way of anything warrior-like. Though, that one session had given him a strong enough basis to figure out hunting. 

He dropped into a crouch and stalked the rabbit. He pounced and managed to catch it in his claws and snapping its neck with his jaws. He picked it up in his jaws and pushed aside some dirt and shoved the rabbit inside.

Then he shoved the dirt back on top of the rabbit. Then he ran off in a new direction. After a quick wash, rinse, repeat, he had a mouse hanging from his jaws. He returned to his burial spot for the rabbit. It was difficult, but managed to have both the rabbit and the mouse hanging from his jaws. He returned to where he remembered Cloudskip last being and dropped the prey at his feet.

[Cloudskip]

Cloudskip sat and waited for a while, flicking her tail. She blinked. "Dum... Duhdum... Duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duuuuhhhhh." She sung to herself. She stood up and shuffled around and some sort of dance pattern. She glanced over to see the apprentice carrying two pieces of prey, and she stooped and turned. "Congrats, Stormpaw. First part of the assessment complete! Now all you have to do is track me down in the territory and if I make up my mind, we might spar."

She stopped and ran like a madman in an opposite direction. "Good job, by the way!" She called over her shoulder and turning another way. Lucky enough, her tracks should be covered by the rain. But then again her white fur is a big noticing feature. Just wait til Leafbare, it'll take weeks to find her.

[Stormsong]

Stormpaw thought the whole... Fanfare of the mouth was somewhat strange. As he approached, Cloudskip was singing strangely. Huh. Then suddenly Cloudskip explained the tracking part was next and then she shot off like a rocket. In his shock, Stormpaw worked like his tail was on fire to shove his prey into the ground and then dashed hard in the direction he saw Cloudskip go. Soon enough though, he got tired. He was breathing heavily as he sniffed around. It was hard to make out tracks on the prairie, but due to the rain, the ground was somewhat muddy. Which left impressions in the ground.

Running like a madman put quite the pressure, which meant pawprints. He figured out after some thinking that Cloudskip had turned after running like a maniac on a possibly ill-intentioned mission. He took a turn and started to walk in this new direction. He wondered if Cloudskip would take off again if she saw him coming.

Come to think of it... Did she even mention what he had to do to pass this portion...?!?!

[Cloudskip]

Cloudskip sighed as she slowed down. Her breath grew heavy from running. Her ears flattened and she made her way towards some bushes. They should cover her white pelt. She then sat and waited for the apprentice to track her.

Now that she thought of it, she had made this fairly easy so far, she left her tracks and everything. She never explained it in full detail, either. Maybe they should spar, that is a sorta necessity.

[Stormsong]

Stormpaw was starting to slow down. He wasn't sure if Cloudskip would ask him to spar or not, so he figured he shouldn't expend all his energy at the moment. He followed her tracks, which seemed to gradually become less defined, but still visible. With the rain, her scent didn't stick around, so he couldn't rely on that. He followed the pawprints, but still making sure to look up for Cloudskip's white pelt. White pelts stood out brilliantly against the dull, dying grass, so he figured it couldn't be too hard. 

As followed Cloudskip's trail, something caught his eye. He spotted some bushes. He could've sworn he saw a flash of white. He walked over to the bushes and sure enough, Cloudskip had been hiding behind them. He blinked expectantly.

[Cloudskip]

Cloudskip huffed as she saw the apprentice outside the bushes. She flicked her tail and stepped out of her hiding place, twigs stuck in her long pelt. "Um... Hey. So... Fighting part of the assessment starts now. You can go first. Congrats, by the way." She murmured quickly.

The warrior then straightened herself up and braced for attack. "No claws, as usual." She reminded. Was she being to fast with this? She felt like she was rushing it.

[Stormsong]

Stormpaw was glad he wasn't poking around some empty bushes, feeling relief wash over him as Cloudskip emerged. Though, she seemed to have some sticks stuck in her fur. Then she basically wanted him to attack her. Okay, so he actually had no idea how to fight, so he'd just have to wing it. He ran at Cloudskip, leaping up to maybe crash into her face.

[Cloudskip]

Cloudskip stepped to the side as Stormpaw leapt at her, not wanting to get tackled to the face. She didn't have much skill when it came to strength, but she knew fighting tactics and used hunting into the mix as well. She stepped back and got into a quick hunting position. SHe then pounced at Stormpaw, aiming for his shoulders.

[Stormsong]

Stormpaw crashed into air, and then he was hit in the shoulders. He fell to the side. He tried as fast as he could to get back on his paws. He made a quick split second decision to pounce, trying to land on Cloudskip's back and use her as a springboard. Even if Cloudskip dodged, he'd be okay. He'd just be able to jump again.

[Cloudskip]

Cloudskip didn't have much time to react to the apprentice, which ended up in a pain in the back and she forced herself to stay standing. She slashed out at the apprentice, claws sheathed as usual.