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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2016 0:26:14 GMT -5
Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Trying to remember her previous training on fishing, Ashpaw sat as still as a stone beside the river, staring into its depths at the darting shadows of fish beneath the surface, waiting for one to draw near enough. So far she hadn't seemed to be getting much better at it, even though Rushwhisker had given her a few pointers. She always forgot to watch for her own shadow. Like now. As one fish drew close enough, she lifted her paws to swipe at it, the shadow giving her away and the fish darting off as her paws came down and she caught nothing but water, swiping it away in a rather impressive splash that scared all the other fish off as well.
“Foxdung!” she swore in frustration. She wasn't supposed to swat at the water like that either. Her tail lashed a few times behind her and she stood, turning and stalking along the bank, trying to be more aware of her shadow as she sought out a new place to fish. Even with the awareness of her shadow, she just couldn't seem to get the hang of just what she was supposed to do with her paw to prevent all the splashing when she went for a fish. She always ended up slapping the water and scaring everything away. This was the fourth time she had moved to a new spot this morning.
She was a RainClan cat for StarClan's sake! Why was this so hard? Her father was in the Purist camp, toting their pure RainClan blood, and here she couldn't even catch a stupid fish. She had yet to bring one back to camp since her return. Instead she had added a number of birds and a few water voles and mice throughout her time back home. But never a single fish. Birds were her specialty, actually, and she snorted, wondering if she shouldn't try to move in with StoneClan. What kind of RainClan cat couldn't catch a fish? She sat heavily, feeling moody about her constant failures, and watched the water again.
She was careful about her shadow this time, but her swipe was too slow, hindered by yet another slap on the water's surface, and though she felt a small thrill as her claws brushed smooth scales, the fish got away in the end. She gave the water another slap, out of frustration, snarling and punctuating each word with another slap on the water, as if it was the river's fault she was having no luck, “Foxdung, foxdung, foxdung!” She was never going to catch a fish! She paced on the shore, her tail lashing behind her as she tried to imagine how her paw was supposed to enter the water, but just couldn't figure it out. This was ridiculous. She wondered if she would ever be able to earn her warrior name as a RainClan cat if she couldn't catch a single stupid fish.
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life? Fawn
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Post by Fawn on Sept 7, 2016 0:48:15 GMT -5
And the world's gonna know your name, 42 Moons Warrior Tom Certain things were easy to ignore; cicadas, bullfrogs, Vultureback's snoring (though that one took effort), but not the stream of expletives that fell in time to a wet, almost comical slap of a paw hitting water with force. Russethawk's whiskers twitched, mirth briefly entering his green eyes as he waved around the skinny trees that grew close to the river, his paws loud through the dry, brittle grass still scorched from Greenleaf's heat.
Ashpaw? StarClan, who pissed in her nest this morning? He hadn't seen the she-cat looking so frustrated in... Ever. He didn't know her well enough to know if this was a regular occurrence or if he was 'fortunate' to be a witness to her... Russethawk tried his best to swallow a grin, but that wasn't happening. His eyes twinkled, the mirth leaking out of his words as he walked over, feigning a look of innocence.
"That's a good strategy, Ashpaw. If you keep splashing all that water, eventually you'll confuse the fish into coming over to see what all the fuss is about."
There had been some actual vehemence in the way she said those words, and he suspected Rushwhisker's sister—Rushwhisker, who would have discussed diplomacy with a wasp if they built a nest in the apprentices' den—had a bit of a temper. They were similar in appearance, but that seemed to be one of few actual shared traits or qualities between the littermates.
He was supposed to be a senior warrior now. Serious. He should be offering to teach her how to fish properly (if that's what was causing her to curse down the stars), but not even he could resist a bit of a tease first. Would she claw his ears off? ... Maybe. But the words had been said and he'd smiled like the cat who caught the biggest trout. Russethawk would teach her, of course. Who was her old mentor? He couldn't... remember, it had been almost twenty moons ago, and so much had happened back then.
Were they still alive? Perhaps not, if Ashpaw hadn't approached them about finishing her training. Oh well. I've trained two apprentices now. I can step in and show her how this is done. Would she be annoyed with him if he did, though? Wouldn't hurt to offer, at least. Words: 387 Words || Tags: @zen || Notes: |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2016 23:30:49 GMT -5
Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Ashpaw jumped slightly, the fur rising along her spine as another cat's words startled her from her pacing, her eyes going wide as she turned her gaze to Russethawk as he approached. “R-Russethawk!” It took a moment for his words to sink in, and she fought to regain her composure in that time, forcing her fur to lie flat once more and giving her chest fur a few self-conscious licks. His teasing words tickled her ears, making them twitch briefly as she raised her head, back to her normal self now that some other cat was around. It was embarrassing enough he had seen her frustrated display, she would allow him nothing further.
“I'm so glad you saw the genius in my plan!” she purred good-naturedly. Now that she had battered her frustration back down where it belonged, she could actually appreciate his teasing. “It's really too bad you came along when you did, I was just about to catch a BIG one!” They both knew that was a bold faced lie, and when she laughed it held only a hint of bitterness. She turned back to the river, staring out at the water as she released a small sigh she hoped she would be able to sneak by him.
Glancing back at him, she tilted her head, “So, are your paws as quick as your tongue, Russethawk? I think they heard me splashing around all the way in LightningClan. I could use some pointers from a cat that actually knows what they're doing.” She began walking along the shore at a leisurely pace, giving him another glance to see if he was following, “I don't remember it being this difficult. When I left, I hadn't thought I was a half bad fisher for my age. Maybe I was just arrogant.” She knew well enough all that her arrogance had cost her and her family.
“I thought it would be more like plucking a bird from the sky, just waiting for the right moment and leaping for it,” her whiskers twitched with some amusement, “Turns out I was very wrong and water is not air.” When she thought about it, fish and birds could often move rather similarly in their very opposite environments. They could both turn suddenly and dart off in the blink of an eye. But it was their environment that made all the difference. She had spent far too long away from the river, away from any significant water sources. And she never had to watch where her shadow landed when hunting birds. Whether her prey was above or below her made quite a large difference as well, but again that simply came down to environment.
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life? Fawn
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Post by Fawn on Sept 8, 2016 20:17:29 GMT -5
And the world's gonna know your name,42 Moons Warrior Tom She didn't bite my ears off. Russethawk grinned, relieved she was taking his teasing in stride. Like catching birds, huh? He honestly hadn't thought of it like that. The ruddy tom followed, trying to picture what would be running through the mind of a mountain cat attempting to fish for what felt like the first time. He was sure she probably remembered at least a little of her training, it was probably just a matter of refreshing her memory.
Russethawk didn't want to frustrate her further by treating her like an apprentice, (even if she technically was) so he opted to treat her like a friend instead. "Well, are you unsheathing your claws before or after your paw is in the water? Even a little thing like that can slow you down. And shadows are more important with fish than it probably was with birds."
Plucking a bird from the sky, she'd said? StarClan, he didn't know how to do that! Russethawk tried to imagine the tabby-and-white she-cat leaping powerfully into the air to yank a bird right out of thin air, her claws like hooks in their soft, feathery bodies. She's definitely not an apprentice. Definitely not.
"Here's a good spot," Russethawk gestured for her to step closer with a flick of his tail, glancing to the slow-churning surface of the water, having found a pocket where the current was a little slower than usual. It was deeper here, which meant there would be plentiful fish and they were less likely to smack their paws off of rocks at the bottom. Already he saw a few thin bodies dart through the ripples.
Checking their position in the sun, Russethawk spoke again. "When you fish, always pick the bank that's facing the sun, that way your shadow falls behind you and not so much over the water."
Words: 307 Words || Tags: @zen || Notes: |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2016 11:07:30 GMT -5
Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
She turned her gaze to him curiously as he asked about her claws and glanced back at the water as she thought about it. What WAS she doing? She thought back to her last failure, which had been little different from all the rest. She always unsheathed her claws first. She had had it in her mind that it was like before she leaped for a bird. She always had her claws out before she leaped. Was that right or wrong? Her ears twitched at the uncertainty, “Before. Always before. Should I not do that?” She tilted her head questioningly. Such a small detail... she couldn't remember anything from her apprenticeship about how to use her claws during fishing. She was SURE she had once known, but it was gone now.
She stopped walking as Russethawk announced that they had reached a good spot for fishing and took a moment to scan the sky for signs of eagles. Seeing no dark wings overhead, she padded closer to him as he beckoned her over and watched him closely. She had been avoiding trying to fish around her Clanmates, not wanting to make a complete fool of herself and have THAT floating around camp on the newest wave of gossip. But one on one like this, she didn't feel quite so self-conscious. She didn't know Russethawk very well, but Rushwhisker seemed incredibly close with him, and she trusted her brother's judgment in friends, especially after meeting Bitternwing. After all, Rushwhisker had been his apprentice, they had spent a LOT of time together. He had to know Russethawk pretty well, and he wouldn't have kept hanging around him after he became a warrior if he didn't LIKE him.
Her ears perked at the red warrior's suggestion. Well that only makes loads of sense, why didn't you figure that out on your own, Ashpaw? she chided herself. She liked to think she was intelligent, but relearning fishing was serving to make her question that. She shook her head slightly and laughed, “It's like I never learned at all. I feel like I should remember stuff like this... or at least be able to figure it out faster than I am.” She looked over at him again. “Thanks for this. What can I help you with when we're done?” she asked expectantly. She was used to making transactions, trading knowledge and skill with other cats. The fact that he was helping her simply because that's the way he was and she was his Clanmate, and not because he wanted something from her in return, honestly hadn't even occurred to her yet.
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life? Fawn
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Post by Fawn on Sept 14, 2016 12:30:09 GMT -5
42 Moons | RainClan | Tom | Senior Warrior "You'll want to keep them sheathed, otherwise it churns up the water too much and affects your speed." He'd learned that one the hard way—as most RainClan cats did. There were a lucky few who figured out to unsheathe their claws in the second after their paws entered water, but otherwise it was something that had to be learned either through observation of parents or mentors, or trial-and-error on your own.
Russethawk grinned, the expression relaxed on his ruddy-furred face, head cocking to one side. Was she suggesting a trade? With his second apprentice slowly progressing towards warriorhood, Russethawk was all-too-used to teaching someone how to fish or fight or where to bury their bones; whatever needed learning about, he was happy to offer up that information completely for free. He almost refused, thinking it kinder to say she didn't owe him anything—but then a spark of curiosity cancelled out that charitable intention.
"Actually, there is something. I can't catch a bird to save my life," it was Russethawk's turn to chuckle. "Leafbare is coming up, so I want to get better at hunting land prey. If you help me with that, I'll help you with fishing. Together, we'll make sure RainClan does alright this season. Deal?"
She doesn't have a mentor anymore. Russethawk felt a small stab of guilt at the thought, but he... enjoyed her company a bit more than Pikepaw's. This felt like talking to a friend; Pikepaw tended to behave like a belligerent little brother. He was his cousin, he was family, but they weren't as close as he'd like to be. I need to fix that. Pikepaw seemed to be drifting in the river, lost and irritable.
Russethawk had been like that once. He understood that sensation far too well.
Word Count: 300 Words Tags: @zen
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2016 22:28:43 GMT -5
Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Ashpaw nodded at Russethawk's explanation and repeated them to herself, Claws sheathed until after my paw is in the water. That should be easy enough to remember, after all her failed attempts so far. She looked out at the water, picturing it in her head to further remind herself of the advice. She wanted to try it, but she would rather see Russethawk in action first, in case watching him gave her any other ideas of how she was going about it wrong and what she could do to fix it.
She turned back to him, after a short pause in which she assumed he had been thinking of what he might want from her in return for this lesson, when he gave his answer. She tilted her head slightly, then purred with amusement and her tone took on a teasing note, “What? Russethawk can't catch birds?” Birds and mice were the most plentiful prey in the mountains, and frankly, eating mouse every day got old, fast. There was more variety in birds, and Ashpaw could admit to herself that there was a small sense of satisfaction whenever she brought one down, as though she was somehow getting back at the eagle that had stolen Icepaw from her by killing its feathered friends.
It was a stupid thing to think. Eagles didn't care about the lesser birds she hunted, after all Eagles hunted them too, but she didn't care. It was therapeutic either way. And so she had focused on perfecting her bird catching skills above catching any other prey in the mountains, taking what she could from any loners she met who had anything to teach, any pointers to give. She had even watched a small group bring down a hawk once, using one of their own as bait, pretending to be injured to draw it down while the others lay in wait to pounce. She had always wanted to try that, but she had never had a group to do it with, no cats in her life she would ever trust that much.
Now back in RainClan, she was sure it was something that could be done, but whether any other cat would want to risk it was another question in entirely. She might be shot down on principle because it was risky. But a hawk could feed numerous cats. Perhaps during leafbare, when some of their streams froze over and fishing became more difficult, she could find some Clanmates willing to attempt it. She eyed Russethawk, wondering if he would be up for such a venture, when the time came, “I would be happy to teach you to catch birds. Maybe one day I'll even teach you to catch a hawk, if you're brave enough.” Her tone still held a teasing note as she playfully questioned his courage. Then she flicked her tail dismissively, nodding toward the river, “But first, you gotta teach me to fish.”
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life? Fawn
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Post by Fawn on Sept 29, 2016 20:32:03 GMT -5
42 Moons | RainClan | Tom | Senior Warrior The ruddy warrior was grinning, his eyes flashing with delight at her challenge. "You have to admit, Russethawk sounds more fearsome than Russetfeather." His mother had once told him that his pelt reminded her of a red-tailed hawk's feather; enchanted by the color, she had nearly named him Hawk-kit, but felt that name was too common. 'Russet' sounded better to her than simply 'red'; he couldn't imagine his name being anything else (except for maybe Russetstar).
"Watch carefully, 'paw," Russethawk mewed, putting on the tone of a wise old elder as he beckoned her closer. "Back when I was an apprentice, you had to dive into the water, chase the fish down, and defeat it in battle before you could catch it." He added an elderly croak to his voice for effect, turning stern green eyes upon Ashpaw; he shook a paw at her. "You younglings have it too easy!"
With a low mrrow of laughter, the ruddy warrior dropped into a crouch, his musculature rippling beneath his pelt as he slunk forward, taking a careful peek at the water. There were definitely fish, he could see them lurking in the shallows; it was a shady spot on the bank, so they did not need to worry about their shadows quite so much. "If you're fast, you can snatch the fish out of the water just with your teeth," he spoke out of the side of his mouth, concentration fixed. "But that's pretty advanced. We'll try just using our claws this time around." Though he would've preferred to slow down his movements so she could see what he was doing, Russethawk knew he just didn't have the time; with a precise jab into the water, Russethawk unsheathed his claws and caught the fish by the gills, dragging a wriggling perch onto the dry grass, dispatching it quickly. His whiskers and chest had been sprayed with water in the process, and a few scales came loose when he shook his claws free. "It's not as hard as it's looks. Oh--I don't know if you remember these, but do you see those little guys with the spines?" Russethawk touched her shoulder with the end of his tail, and then pointed into the water where a collection of three sicklebacks were nosing around the bottom of the shallow end.
"Spines everywhere. I wouldn't recommend going for those, besides, the kits can't eat them unless the spines are removed first. Try for a minnow or a dace, or even a perch like I caught." The perch were easier to notice, with their distinctive red stripes on their flanks. Russethawk took a few steps back to give her some room. "Your turn!"
Word Count: 460 Words Tags: @zen
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