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Post by Fawn on Jun 4, 2017 9:44:36 GMT -5
48 Moons | RainClan | Tom | Senior Warrior "Easy does it. If you start to feel unwell, you'd better tell me right away - or else I'll push you in a mud puddle."
So this is what it feels like to have a sibling, thought Russethawk as he herded Berrypaw to the river's edge. His apprentice had recovered from greencough; a conversation with both Ottersplash and Swanfeather had confirmed as much. Though he wanted to give this day of wellness to her family - her brothers would be especially happy to have her back in the apprentices' den with them - he had a promise to keep. That they would resume training as soon as possible, to ensure she was made a warrior on time.
Greencough had set them back, but not for long.
Russethawk intended to get momentum going again even quicker than last time; first, a little review to make sure she hadn't forgotten any previous important lessons. Bringing Berrypaw to the waterside, Russethawk smiled, feeling relief in his heart that she had pulled through like he'd told himself she would.
See? And you got all worried for nothing. Even Roselight, his cousin, who was getting long in the tooth now, had pulled through.
"Alright Berrypaw, what's the smallest fish you can catch?"
It was a pretty easy question. Every now and again they caught a little fish that was bigger than expected, but it didn't happen often enough to change what Russethawk knew to be the right answer. "And the biggest?" He added, emerald eyes keen and bright as greenleaf foliage.
Word Count: 253 Words Tags: @minxxy
Notes: <3 yay all better! Fishing Guide (both answers are in there!)
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2017 14:44:40 GMT -5
She never looked nice.
She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice.
It was supposed to make you feel something. Berrypaw shook in excitement, her body humming with recovering life. Much like the new leaf had returned life to her surroundings, Berrypaw once against felt alive. The sun, bright against her fur reminded her of an earlier time, with her parents and her siblings, where she might have not appreciated the serenity around her. But now, she felt more alive than ever.
"Easy does it. If you start to feel unwell, you'd better tell me right away - or else I'll push you in a mud puddle" Berrypaw couldn't help but let out a wide grin at Russethawk's words, looking over at her mentor with a new found kindness in her eyes. Russethawk had risked himself to make her feel comfortable on her death bed, and she couldn't help but feel that Starclan had given her new wind simply to make her mentor proud.
"Maybe it's just me Russethawk, but that hardly seems like the best way to handle the situation. I almost died, I'll have you know." Berrypaw couldn't help but tease her mentor as she spoke, life sparkling in her sea green eyes, as they made it towards the river's edge. Her paws tingled with anticipation at the thought of doing anything other than staying in the apprentice den, so much so that she found herself hanging on her mentor's words, while her eyes traced over the current's rampaging under the watery surface.
Berrypaw heard Russethawk's questions and quickly turned her attention from the waters, onto her mentor. For a moment she pondered the right thing to say, her memories still a little cloudy. "Stickle--Stickle. Stickle-something right?" She shook her head a little, the full name of the small fish evading her mind; the uncertainty in her voice instantly vanishing when Russethawk turned his attention to the biggest fish in the River. This one she knew. Without skipping a beat she replied, "Salmon! Salmon! That one I remember!"
She let out a little purr, joy radiating off her body as she awaited her mentor's next question. Berrypaw found her eyes wandering towards the river, ready to jump in and catch up on her training. However, she halted, waiting on Russethawk, looking over enthusiastically, as if waiting for the go ahead to jump nose first into the waters.
Berrypaw, RainClan || Apprentice || She-cat || 12 moons 409 || Fawn || Finally! <3
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Post by Fawn on Jun 4, 2017 14:56:57 GMT -5
48 Moons | RainClan | Tom | Senior Warrior "Sticklebacks," said Russethawk, wearing a lopsided grin. "You clearly haven't been stuck by them often enough. Trust me, you'd remember the name then." They could be a literal pain in the paw if you weren't careful. They made good-sized meals for kits - but only once the sharp spines on the back had been removed.
He'd give her a point and a half-point for both answers combined, and purred. Good enough. She'd remember the names in time. More than anything, Berrypaw seemed eager to get back into the water, like a proper RainClan cat. When she looked to him for approval, Russethawk laughed, nodding at her enthusiasm. "Go on in, try not to scare all the fish. Stick close to the bank if you can, the current's a little strong today."
That would not be a good start to their training session if his newly-recovered apprentice was swept downriver like a piece of deadwood. Losing a fight with the water was one of the quickest ways to sap one's energy. Russethawk wasn't one to risk anyone's life for anything (except his own), but he couldn't really tell her to stay out of the water.
It seemed pointlessly mean. RainClan cats had to swim. It must have felt like bliss, after so many days in the stuff, sick-smelling medicine cat's den. Russethawk chose to lay down on the bank, his front paws over the edge, to watch her. "Do you remember what kind of fish you can find here?" Russethawk quizzed her again, watching with an almost lazy smile as a dragonfly hovered a mere mouselength from his face - and sped away.
It was hot, today. Greenleaf was practically here. You know what? Maybe I should get in too. No point in sitting on the riverbank and only getting his paws wet.
Word Count: 300 Words Tags: @minxxy
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2017 15:25:38 GMT -5
She never looked nice.
She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice.
It was supposed to make you feel something. "Go on in, try not to scare all the fish. Stick close to the bank if you can, the current's a little strong today." Russethawk didn't have to even finish his sentence before the apprentice darted forward towards the water. Berrypaw kicked off the banks, diving into the river.
The water was cold, sending a shock through Berrypaw, and yet she couldn't have been grinning wider, practically beaming as she softly made her way to the edge of the water, weary of the currents tugging at her fur. As she adjusted momentarily, Berrypaw couldn't help but feel as if the river was welcoming her back into its clutches, the waters holding her steady and wrapping around her intimately, like a queen cradling her kit.
The apprentice couldn't help but close her eyes, the feeling almost overwhelming her as she held herself still in the moving waters. Her eyes welled up with tears of sheer joy, turning her attention back to Russethawk. There was a devout stillness in her body, a rigidity, as she focused on her mentors words, completely determined.
She let out a shrill laugh, her tail flicking the surface of the river as she looked at Russethawk, her eyes alight. "I think the better question, is what can't you catch in our ever bountiful River? Trout, Pike, Dace, Minnows.." Berrypaw felt as if she could have got on, but also that it might have been in vain, stopping herself after four types of fish.
Berrypaw was so intent on watching Russethawk, that she swore she caught a small glimmer in his eyes, whilst looking at the river. "You know," she started, a small bend in her words as they trailed off, "It would be a lot easier to teach me how to fish from the waters themselves. I need to be the best, remember?"
Berrypaw couldnt help but shudder, the realization that she on the path to become a warrior once again, overwhelming her. Berrypaw, RainClan || Apprentice || She-cat || 12 moons 357 || Fawn || <3
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Post by Fawn on Jun 5, 2017 9:38:14 GMT -5
48 Moons | RainClan | Tom | Senior Warrior "You youngsters these days," replied Russethawk, stretching languidly on the bank. "Back in my day, our mentors just pushed us in the water and told us not to drown. Rickety elder, coming in." With exaggeratedly slow movements, the ruddy warrior eased into the water, at once enjoying the rush of coolness sweeping over him and around his paws.
Yes, there was nothing better than being a RainClan cat. It was way better than being a fish; he could enjoy the water as much as he liked, and generally not worry about getting eaten.
Partner fishing wasn't really common practice in RainClan, so Russethawk didn't even bother to mention it. Instead, he turned a bright gaze upon Berrypaw, intending to brush up on the basics. "I know this is a bunch of newbie stuff, but bear with me. Let me see your technique. And your footing." It was pretty straight forward. Russethawk prepared to duck under the water, however, to keep an eye on the placement of her paws as she took up a new stance.
She was thicker of bone structure than most cats, being large in size and densely fluffy like both her parents. Still, weight didn't really provide a good enough excuse for poor posture. She'd get sore paws if she stood funny - and achy joints at worse. At least that's what the elders always said. Russethawk preferred to fish from the bank, but every cat was different. If she wanted to be right in there with the fish, and that was what worked for her, then great!
"Let's see what you can catch." Russethawk waved the end of a wet tail, giving her the signal to start practicing. He backed up a foxlength to give her room.
Word Count: 290 Words Tags: @minxxy
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2017 18:32:13 GMT -5
She never looked nice.
She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice.
It was supposed to make you feel something. Berrypaw found herself radiating with excitement as her mentor made his way loftily for the river. She couldnt help but admire his control as he stepped in the water, effortlessly overwhelming the power of the currents.
For a moment, as her mentor made his way into the waters, Berrypaw couldn't help but look up into the sky, and admire the warmth as it radiated down on her and the river, reflecting small shards of light like broken ice. She vaguely caught a glimpse of the shattered reflections dancing across the riverbed, wistful and free to the currents. For the first time since she had been trapped by the greencough outbreak, she felt once again free.
"I know this is a bunch of newbie stuff, but bear with me. Let me see your technique. And your footing." Berrypaw nodded at her mentor's words vigorously, not getting caught up on the fact that they had indeed at some point already revised the content matter of their current discussion. Right now, all that mattered to Berrypaw was improvement, after what seems like moons of stalemate.
Berrypaw held herself at ready, pushing one of her back legs behind the other, to take most of the brunt of the current as it tried, without success, to overturn her. She let out a fierce smile over in Russethawk's direction as she lowered her shoulders slightly, becoming one solid form against the water, waiting for a sign of strange movement in front of her.
As she focused, she couldn't help but let her mentor's words fill her entire field of attention, becoming super even more determined to pull something, anything from the water. Seconds passed as she watched the water, standing completely still against the river's will, she saw a shadow across the surface of the river upstream. Her haunches stiffened against the water as the she-cat adjusted her weight slightly, as if ready to pounce. And she waited.
The fish took a turn to her left, towards the deepest part of the river but Berrypaw had anticipated it, pushing herself off the rocky riverbed, like a torpedo disrupting the water. Claws outstretched and dug into the small bony fish, and in a flash of movement Berrypaw's head dipped under the water, snapping the fish's life with her powerful jaws.
As she broke the surface of the water, Berrypaw let out a triumphant howl, and began to speak, paying no mind to the fish in her jaw mumbling all the words. "I 'id it, I 'eally 'id it!" The apprentice quickly made her way to the bank of the river, depositing what he could only identity as a small unsuspecting minnow. None the less, she beamed as she returned to Russethawk's side. "Did you see that? I did it! That minnow stood no chance! None at all!"
The she-cat could hardly contain her joy over her catch, so much so that her footing landed slightly awkwardly, pushing her off guard. As quickly as she lost herself, Berypaw emerged from the water, shock in her eyes as she readjusted against the current. "But we can pretend that didn't happen." she mewed, slightly embarassed.
Berrypaw, RainClan || Apprentice || She-cat || 12 moons #556 || Fawn || <3
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Post by Fawn on Jun 6, 2017 17:53:21 GMT -5
48 Moons | RainClan | Tom | Senior Warrior Russethawk laughed, his eyes narrowed against the slight spray of water as Berrypaw lost her footing. It wasn't a cruel, mocking laugh - just the laugh of a mentor who enjoyed a little physical humor, whether it was intentional or not. Besides, her good mood was infectious. He hadn't exactly been in a bad one earlier, but he found it easy to let his own spirits get pulled into her joy, strong as an undertow.
"Good job! You were quick, and your footing was good up until that last moment." Russethawk reenacted her little slip-up (with exaggerated movements, of course), his whiskers twitching with mirth. "Good thing you'd already set the minnow down. Piketooth, my last apprentice, actually lost his balance and lost his fish because he wasn't watching where he put his paws."
StarClan, that had been an annoying training session. Piketooth had already been irritable and short-tempered. Add frustration and embarrassment to the mix, and Razorstar's son had become a nightmare in wet tabby fur. Berrypaw, thank the stars, had a much more reasonable temperament. He'd made the mistake of laughing at Piketooth's misfortune, and the tom had all but spit at him.
He was convinced Piketooth had been born grumpy. There wasn't a time Russethawk couldn't recall his second-cousin smiling for anything. Kinda sad if he thought about it...
But, he had to focus on Berrypaw. Showing he meant no harm in his brotherly teasing, Russethawk smiled, nudging her shoulder gently with his as he waded closer. "You're off to a great start. The queens will be happy to see that minnow. Let's try to catch something bigger. The bigger the fish, the more careful you gotta be. Trout and salmon can really knock you off balance."
Russethawk, one paw raised, lifted his muzzle to the wind, feeling its strength as it rippled over wet ruddy fur. "Let's move further up. Deeper water, bigger fish. Go slow." No use disturbing their prey before they even got there. Russethawk for that reason preferred to hunt from the bank - snagging fish with his claws if he could - but Berrypaw favored an up-close-and-personal hunting style, so he'd compensate.
Probably get slapped in the face a few times by flailing fish fins, but nobody's perfect!
Word Count: 372 Words Tags: @minxxy
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2017 11:07:21 GMT -5
She never looked nice.
She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice.
It was supposed to make you feel something. Berrypaw couldn't help but laugh, just as her mentor did, as she recalled her slip that had left her fur all matted and wet, but that she didn't mind in the slightest. Her attention focused in on Russethawk commenting about her last apprentice, invigorating her into thinking she might have a chance of one day being a warrior. She imagined her warrior ceremony, standing tall and proud next to her mentor, and she couldn't help but purr, despite the fact that she was from ear tips to paws.
The apprentice had to will herself back into the present, daydreaming would have to wait, and returned her attention to the task at hand. "Let's try to catch something bigger. The bigger the fish, the more careful you gotta be. Trout and salmon can really knock you off balance."
Her mentor spoke, a small tone of warning in his voice. Berrypaw focused on his words, but couldn't help but feel the immense rush that flooded her body at the thought of carrying home a fish the length of her body. Her seagreen eyes narrowed on the deeper part of the river and ever so slowly she began to walk against the current, keeping the picture of a huge prize, the center of her attention. She would catch it. She would.
The currents got stronger and the water got deeper, Berrypaw found herself having to readjust her paws as they slid across the smooth, slimy rocks under her. Berrypaw found herself up to her neck in the water, feet planted firmly and yet unsure in the riverbed. She felt the water, rush around her whole body, a feeling only a Rainclan cat would enjoy, and that Berrypaw did indeed.
For a moment she shut her eyes, taking in the feeling of being one with the river. She held herself back from purring as best as she could, attempting to stay perfectly still, despite the current wanting to push her out of the way and down into the shallower waters. She remained steadfast.
With a quiet, shallow breath, Berrypaw began to look around her, the river seemingly adjusting to her still presence. She saw a small fish swim by her paws, but held still waiting for the bigger prize, holding out for something to truly make Russethawk proud of her. She waited for what could have been minutes or hours, completely lost to the River's spell and to her determination. There. Berrypaw caught a flash of pink against the waters surface. A hulking mass made its way through the currents, riding along them as was the fish's nature. Ever closer it drew, allowing for Berrypaw to get a better view.
The fish was undeniably a rainbow trout, a while it was clearly slightly small, it still sent a jolt of elecricity up Berrypaw's spine. This would be a find catch for her to bring back to camp, she thought, continuing to wait until it was a little closer. It drew near her, seeking out the depths of the water Berrypaw was standing in, and when it was only a length of its body away, the apprentice sprang, giving herself the best push possible. Much like the minnow, but with a lot more vigor, Berrypaw sank her claws into the trout, feeling it write under her.
The apprentice gave up her footing in the deep waters, pulling herself up close to the struggling fish as it tries to uproot her claws, deep in it flesh. Berrypaw persisted, biting furiously at the fish and trying to get at its head, in an attempt to snap the fish's spine. The trout's tail began flailing against the surface of the water, sending a ripple of water across the surface of the water and in Berrypaw's eyes, not that apprentice noticed.
She was wet and cold, and yet in that moment Berrypaw's only focus was the trout she was battling with. The current carried her a slightly shallower part, and quickly the apprentice took advantage, her hind paws finding their footings. She let out a victorious howl and quickly pressed the trout, fighting back less and less, into the riverbed, diving down to snap its spine with her jaw.
Pride overwhelmed the apprentice as she made her way to the surface of the water, hanging onto the salmon firmly. Second had passed by so slowly in her struggle with the fish, that Berrypaw had been half surprised that the sun hadn't moved from its position in the sky.
As quick as she could, remembering stories of Piketooth, the she-cat made her way to the shore, throwing the fish onto dry land with a heavy movement of her head. As soon as it landed on the shore, Berrypaw let out a triumphant purr and looked over at Russethawk, not aware of the fish blood across her forehead and the general mess that was her matted fur, none the less she grinned from ear to ear and meowed,: "Goldpaw and Frogpaw are going to be so jealous." Berrypaw, RainClan || Apprentice || She-cat || 12 moons 867 || Fawn || @_@ Holy, I got carried away.
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Post by Fawn on Jun 8, 2017 14:15:07 GMT -5
48 Moons | RainClan | Tom | Senior Warrior Russethawk grinned, wiping at the smear of blood on her forehead with a wet paw. "You kidding? They're going to be out till dusk trying to catch one for themselves!" They were going to be very jealous. Thoroughly impressed with Berrypaw's ability to persevere, Russethawk looked at the minnow already on the bank, and the trout she had just tossed there. She was a strong young cat, no trace of sickness at all - still, he didn't want to push her too hard.
With a brotherly nudge to the shoulder, Russethawk gestured for her to reach the bank. "You did great, today! Your mother will rip out my fur and use it for bedding if I let you over-exert yourself, though. So go on, get out, dry off. I'll catch something, then we can head back." The ruddy tom purred. "Show everyone what you've caught. You know? I think you're almost ready for your assessment."
They just needed to perfect her fishing, and make sure her battle training was up to Stormstar's standards. And her understanding of the territory. Having grown up in the cove might've been a credible excuse when she'd just started out her apprenticeship - but not anymore. Berrypaw was expected to know this place like the back of her paw, just as all RainClan cats did.
Leaving Berrypaw to her own devices, Russethawk waded a few foxlengths from her, and waited for the wildlife to feel its false sense of security again. A red ear was flicked towards the tortoiseshell she-cat, as if expecting to hear something. She's going to crash any second, he suppressed a soft snicker, picturing her slumping comically to the ground like a dead fish. That had been some fight. She was gonna be exhausted.
The visuals amused him while he waited for his prey, and soon enough, his eyes snapped back to focus on the flowing waters as a dace came foolishly close. Russethawk flicked the fish out of the water, and caught it in his mouth, already climbing out of the water near Berrypaw in spite of the fish's protests. He put it down, delivered a quick nip, and brushed a loosened fish scale from his whiskers. "Ready? Let's give these to the queens and elders." If they gave that trout to the elders, they'd just start bragging about their biggest catch - and then the bragging would turn into an argument.
And then Stormstar might not thank them for causing a bit of ruckus in the elders' den.
Word Count: 415 Words Tags: @minxxy
Notes: Feel free to wrap up the thread. <3
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2017 17:27:54 GMT -5
She never looked nice.
She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice.
It was supposed to make you feel something. Berrypaw almost bounced out of the words as she listened to her mentor's praise. The thought of her brothers out, wading the river at night, brought she she-cat to laughter. Her sea green eyes drifted towards the bank as her mentor spoke, her paws taking their own initiative and making their way back onto dry land.
The warm land welcomed Berrypaw as she slowly climbed out of the water, her body heaving with heavy breaths, and without any capability of complaint she quickly found herself anchored to the ground, exhausted. The apprentice attempted to give her soaked, matted fur a lick, however she quickly found her body unwilling to move, focusing only on Russethawk's shape in the water.
The she-cat wouldn't help but admire the way her mentor hunted with such control, recalling her water rivalries with the trout, now promptly dead beside her. In a quick movement the powerful warrior caught the helpless fish, going so far as to carry it to shore before snapping its life with one swift movement.
Her eyes were trained on Russethawk as he spoke, barely understanding his words as fatigue came over her. And yet, somehow the she-cat managed to get up onto her paws, her fur heavy with the water she hadn't yet shaken off. She nodded her agreements, and slowly went to follow her mentor back to camp, every step becoming a harder and harder journey back towards Rainclan's camp.
Nonetheless, despite the overwhelming exhaustion the she-cat couldn't help but smile fiercely as she padded slowly beside her teacher, She had missed feeling alive, and right now, in her physical exhaustion, she felt the most alive.
Berrypaw, RainClan || Apprentice || She-cat || 15 moons 306 || Fawn || End <3
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