[Aqua]

As the sun rose over the horizon, a lanky tom sauntered out of the warrior's den with a large yawn. The tom was among the first to rise, ready to start a new day and get to work. This particular morning, he had plans to take Birchpaw out for hunting training. Up til now, she had seemingly done ok on her own but it was time to hone in on the things she was good at. Take her strengths and see how to properly put them into hunting all manner of prey. The tom gave his legs a good stretch before walking to the apprentice's den. He softly called inside. "Come now Birchpaw, to the island." She knew they would be getting up early today so he hoped she would wake up fairly easily, if she wasn't up already.

The tabby tom slowly made his way out of the camp, following the beaten path towards the Misted Lake. Out on the lake was an island standing in the waters, creating a wooded hunting area. It was the perfect place to both hunt and fish in one go. So it was the best choice of places to train for the day and with the water not being super high, it would be easy to get over there. The tom made his way from the shore and out through the water, using his long legs to reach the island with ease. He gave his fluffy pelt a quick shake before looking back across the water, awaiting the appearance of his bright colored apprentice.

Amber eyes scanned the shore around him for a moment. There was a silver flash of a fish just right off the shore giving him hope for some good fishing opportunities for the young she-cat. Fishing was a huge part of Mistclan's diet so every cat had to at least learn the basics. He too, had to learn how to go about catching these scaled critters when the clans merged. So he would relay what he learned onto her for part of her training today. Then they could go for the prey with fur and feathers at some point if they could as well. Mixing things up and giving her a variety of options to go for, made things a little more interesting. What prey would she do better at catching? What sort of skills could she show off here? He was eager to delve deeper into these questions when she arrived.

Made by Aqua || Tagged: Jos || Words: #

[Jos]

BIRCHPAW

Birchpaw was ambitious, but she wasn’t ‘wake up before dawn patrol to go hunting’ ambitious. She had fully intended on being bright eyed and bushy tailed when Hawkeye came to get her from the apprentices’ den, but her nest seemed much too comfortable to leave and so even though she had technically woken up before Hawkeye came for her, she hadn’t managed to make herself awake.



His soft call jolted her out of her nest. Mouse dung, I slept in! she cursed to herself, giving her pelt a lightning-quick wash before leaving the warmth of her den and the sound of her snoring denmates behind. She nodded to Hawkeye and stifled a yawn, though surely he could tell she was not awake yet. At least the walk to the Island was long enough, the morning air cool enough, that she was able to become alert by the time they arrived.





Birchpaw liked hunting, as most all cats did. It was thrilling, and it served an important purpose. But it was not her favourite thing. Birchpaw’s favourite thing were the politics, and the battles. She loved the puzzle of conflict, and felt that hunting simply didn’t excite her as much. Prey was stupid, and she was smart. It was hardly a fair fight anyways.



The young she-cat looked down in the water at the little fish that swam there, eating the bugs that landed on the surface of the water, their little bodies too light and fragile to break through. She watched this little dance of life for a moment, her tail tip twitching, her mind working.



“Hawkeye,” she mewed thoughtfully, “Do the fish hunt the bugs? How do they know when a bug is on the water, and not just a leaf or something?” she kept her eyes fixed on a fish as it flitted through the water, looking for prey. It was quick! “How in the name of Starclan am I supposed to be able to catch a fish, anyways? They’re so fast and covered in…water.” Birchpaw hated the thought of getting wet. Her fur took too long to dry! “Can’t we just eat mice, like normal cats?”

[Aqua]

Amber eyes watched curiously as Birchpaw joined him and became very curious about fish. She watched closely as the fish would come to the surface to scoop up bugs at the surface. "Watch when the bugs land on the surface of the water, what happens? They cause ripples and I think the fish can hear that movement from under the water. That and they can see just as you and me can. So they can probably see what they're going after." He said thoughtfully as he also watched the fish move about below them. There was a small swarm of some sort of flying insects overhead that kept landing on the surface, attracting a slew of hungry little fish around them. "You have to be patient and time your strike just right. Think of it like a game. Where you have to be faster then the fish and predict where it's going to go. A challenge more or less." The tom meowed.

“Can’t we just eat mice, like normal cats?”

Hawkeye chuckled at this because he fully understood how she felt here. He was a former Nightclan cat and they really didn't do much fishing in his clan. In fact, he really didn't dabble much with water at all unless he needed a drink. Nightclan's diet consisted more of birds and rodents so that is what he had been accustom to catching. Now that they had combined with Rainclan, all the cats of his former clan had to adjust. And learning to fish was among their many lessons being in Mistclan now. While he was not very keen on getting wet, it was something he was willing to do for his clan if he had to. "Believe me, I wish it were that way. But with so much water in this territory, it's one of the main sources of prey. So you need to at least have some knowledge of fishing. Once you know the basics, it's totally up to you what you choose to hunt when you're a warrior. All prey is welcome while the clan has bellies to feed so no one could tell you otherwise, you know?"

The tom approached her left side and crouched down, keeping his body low so his reflection wasn't totally in the way. Amber eyes watched to little fish below them as they would come up for bugs. This was a good chance to snatch one up because you could time when they would lunge for the bug. So he carefully watched as a gnat landed on the water, causing the ripples from it's movement. Just then he saw a flash as a fish came toward the surface. The tom pushed his paw into the water and did a scooping motion, sending the fish flying up onto the shore. The little fish flopped around before Hawkeye placed a paw down on it to keep it from going anywhere. "You just have to time it and try to get them up out of the water with a paw. Because there's no way you're going to catch them with your claws or mouth alone. They're just too quick and slippery in the water."

Made by Aqua || Tagged: Jos || Words: #

[Jos]

BIRCHPAW

"Watch when the bugs land on the surface of the water, what happens? They cause ripples and I think the fish can hear that movement from under the water. That and they can see just as you and me can. So they can probably see what they're going after."

Birchpaw kept her eyes on the water. After a heartbeat or two, a bug landed on the water, its little toes making just the smallest little ripple on the surface of the water. It somehow managed to walk around the water, making little ripples as it went. How did it do that? If she tried to walk on the water she would be IN the water. Maybe it was because they were so small? Maybe it was some kind of bug magic. It was fascinating, whatever it was. She almost forgot she was waiting for the fish until one nearly leaped out of the water, mouth gaping wide to swallow the little insect. Birchpaw jumped, startled, but quicky groomed her fur back in to place as though nothing had happened.

Her mentor said,

"You have to be patient and time your strike just right. Think of it like a game. Where you have to be faster then the fish and predict where it's going to go. A challenge more or less."

The fish had been patient. It wasn’t Birchpaw’s greatest strength but every cat had to be patient enough to hunt. And if every clan cat could do it then so could she!

"Believe me, I wish it were that way. But with so much water in this territory, it's one of the main sources of prey. So you need to at least have some knowledge of fishing. Once you know the basics, it's totally up to you what you choose to hunt when you're a warrior. All prey is welcome while the clan has bellies to feed so no one could tell you otherwise, you know?"

She nodded solemnly, “I know… no prey is turned away. Unless it smells like sickness or poison or something. Obviously.” Her tail tip flicked, betraying her reluctance to hunt in the water. Her mother had never hunted in the water before—said it was too dangerous to hunt in the water. Better to hunt on land where you wouldn’t drown yourself. But Hawkeye, and the rest of Mistclan, seemed to be comfortable and successful enough doing it. So Birchpaw, too, would master fishing.

"You just have to time it and try to get them up out of the water with a paw. Because there's no way you're going to catch them with your claws or mouth alone. They're just too quick and slippery in the water."

“Okay!”

She settled down on the bank, being careful not to cast a shadow so as to scare the fish away, and waited. The gray she-cat fixed her sapphire gaze on the water’s surface, waiting for a bug to come along and entice a fish. Come on bugs, she thought, her tail tip twitching with anticipation. Come on!

As if answering her call, a bug landed on the surface of the water. Birchpaw’s ears perked up and her body tensed as she watched it flit across the surface. It was going away from her! Birchpaw couldn’t believe it! She would have to wade in. So, ever so carefully, Birchpaw lowered herself into the water. It was cold! Every hair on her pelt wanted her to get out of the water, it felt so wrong, but she needed that fish. She was not going to leave without that fish.

It all happened at once. The bug moved a little bit to the left—the water rippled. Birchpaw could see the water bulging where a fish was about to appear to eat the bug. She forgot she was in the water and pounced head first into the stream. Water filled her ears and nose and mouth as she opened her jaws in a vain attempt to catch the fish. Then something touched her muzzle and she clamped down and burst through the water, proudly brandishing her catch. She was blinded by the water so she dragged her prey to the shore where she thought Hawkeye was waiting for her and gave her pelt a shake.

“I did it! I caught a—” she looked down at the stick she had pulled out of the water. It was no fish! “Mouse dung.”



Aqua

[Aqua]

Hawkeye watched curiously as his apprentice was so fascinated by this little water dance the bugs and fish had going with one another. One had to wonder if the fish had thoughts like they did. Obviously the fish knew it had to eat but did it rationalize the best move to catch a bug or was it just a mad rush for food? It was an interesting thought for sure, especially when the fish could catch onto the shadow of a cat near the water so quick. The little buggers were a clever bunch, in some sense of the word.

"I know… no prey is turned away. Unless it smells like sickness or poison or something. Obviously."

The tom shook his head with an amused smirk on his face. The she-cat demonstrated her understanding of keeping the clan fed but just had to add her little sass at the end of the sentence. She really was quite full of herself but he felt proud of what she clearly had learned at this point in her training. It was a simple thing that all future warriors needed to know. The clan always could use more food, even when the prey pile was big. It was apart of their duties to provide for the clan and to make sure what they brought in wouldn't cause any sort of sickness, for sure.

Amber eyes continue to watch the she-cat as she crouches down to take her shot. He knew she wasn't too keen on the water but hopefully she'd manage to scoop out a fish quick enough to only wet her paws here. He could see all of her muscles stiffen as she watched the little bugs flittering around above the water. He thought he spotted one land on the surface so he watches intently to see her next move. Without warning the she-cat begins to wade into the water, following after something. Was she following after a fish or a bug here? And how did she plan to snag a catch while in the water? Her movements in the water would likely alert nearby fish to her presence but he was almost certain that there was at least one fish that would be curious about what she was. He watches closely, seeing the slight flash of scales near the apprentice. That's when she goes head first into the water, making the tom jump to his paws. Just as quickly as she took a dive, she brought herself back out of the water with something in her jaws. The tabby tom let out a sigh of relief, so sure that he might have to dive in to help her if she inhaled too much water.

“I did it! I caught a—---Mouse dung."

The young she-cat had managed to grab a stick from under the surface of the water during her dip in the lake. While it was no fish, it was still a start! "Hey, it is no fish but you still managed to catch something." The tom said encouragingly. "Most cats wouldn't have caught anything at all in your position." He was trying to cheer her up and egg on that ego of hers. He didn't want this to effect her desire to at least learn fishing, afterall.

"Do you want to go for other prey and dry off? Or would you like to try again? I'll let you choose." Hawkeye meowed, seeing just how wet she had gotten. If it were him, he'd be done with fishing for the day. Just for the sole fact that all his fur would just be clinging to his sides weighing him down. The feeling of being drenched like that just didn't feel right when your fur was longer.

Made by Aqua || Tagged: Jos || Words: #624

[Jos]

BIRCHPAW

"Hey, it is no fish but you still managed to catch something."

Yeah, if only the clan ate sticks, then I'd be a hero.
Birchpaw plunked herself down on the shore and began grooming her chest fur. She was soaked through with nothing to show for it except a bruised ego. She had been learning a lot about her own ego throughout her lessons with Hawkeye, and through this time it became clear to Birchpaw that she could be kind of insufferable. Not that she did it on purpose, she just had a lot of confidence in herself and not a lot of confidence in her clanmates. The first three moons of her life were spent as part of a longer family and she was taught early on that no cat could be trusted except one's self. But now she was a clan cat and as such she needed to learn not to be so stubbornly independent. 

But today was not that day. 


"Do you want to go for other prey and dry off? Or would you like to try again? I'll let you choose."

The gray she-cat scowled at the water. Look at them, swimming around all smugly. She bet they were just laughing it up! 'Did you see that cat, she thought she caught me, but instead it was a stick!' they were probably saying. 'What a horrible hunter she is!' 

Birchpaw shook her head, "No thanks, Hawkeye. Today I am catching a fish!" she stood, gave her pelt a determined shake, and paced around the shoreline.

She went to the sunny side of the bank first, thinking it would be easier for her to see the fish with the sun on them. But the water blinded her and she realized that the sun was her enemy here. Then she tried wading in to the water, like before, and standing still. The fish would eventually swim around her legs but as soon as she dunked her head in to snap at one, or moved her paw to swipe at one, they were gone. Birchpaw stomped on to the shore once more to regain her composure.

The apprentice dared not look to her mentor in case he was impatient or disappointed. She wanted him to see that she could do this! Now, what did he say about the fish? She asked herself. Think, Birchpaw! 

The fish would only come to the bank if they thought they could get a bug, but they wouldn't come around if they could see her. So she found a patch of water under the shadow of a tree and crouched down low. Patience, her mentor had said. So she would have to be patient-- she could be patient. She didn't like it, but she could do it, and by Starclan she was going to prove it to Hawkeye. 

After a while it was hard to tell how much time was passing. Birchpaw had become a cat shaped stone on the edge of the water, her sapphire blue eyes scouring the water for signs of movement. Then, suddenly, there was a flash of scales. A bug landed on the water right in front of her. She lashed out into the water and felt something on her paw, which she slapped up and out on to the ground. It was a minnow! 

The tiniest little minnow she had ever seen, but it was her minnow. The little fish was flopping about on the shore, trying to get back in to the water. Birchpaw slapped her paw down on it, hard, killing it. Then she brought the tiny fish back to Hawkeye, eyes sparkling with pride. It was smaller than a mouse tail, but she didn't care. She had done it! Birchpaw dropped the minnow at her mentor's paws. 

"There. A fish." 

[Aqua]

Hawkeye had hoped that his little bit of encouragement would stroke the young cat's ego enough to keep her from feeling bad about missing a fish. But if anything, the experience made the she-cat even more determined to catch herself something. The tom smirked as the she-cat stated that she planned to catch a fish today. He was glad to see that she wanted to land this hunt. She had been so indifferent to learning how to fish for the clan when they first got here. So this sudden tenacity from Birchpaw was impressive.

The tom moved a little further up onto land where he could have a good overall view of the shoreline to watch how she handled this next approach. He sits down, wrapping his tail over his paws to keep an eye on her. The young she-cat had already proven how stubborn and full of herself she was in other training sessions. So the fact that she didn't let her vanity overshadow this lesson was something he had hoped to see from her. If she would let all that cockiness get in the way of her learning, what else would it effect once she was a warrior? While he knew it was unlikely to break her of having a big ego, he had hoped to teach her that she can't let that effect her during a fight or an intense hunt. Foolishness like that would only lead to someone getting hurt or worse. Something the clan itself really couldn't risk being that they were technically "new" to the land.

Amber eyes watched curiously as the she-cat moved to the opposite shore facing the sun. She tried to study the fish in the water but the reflection of the sun off the water obviously proved a problem as she changed course, wading into the water. How would she pull this off this time? The tom watches as she tries to go for the fish that gathered around her legs. She alternates between snapping at them with her mouth and using her paws, each attempt not fast enough to snag anything. The she-cat stomps her way back to shore, clearly frustrated. Hawkeye thought about giving her some advice here but he felt it best not to. She probably already had enough of a bruised ego that his words would mean nothing.

Shortly after her frustrated return to shore, Birchpaw moves off again. She finds a part of the shoreline that runs under the branches of a nearby tree. The tree causing a shadow on the water and blocking out the reflection of the bright sun. The tom smirks at her clever choice for a fishing spot this try. She demonstrated that she had been listening when he told her that the fish could see just as well as they could as she uses the shade as a sort of camouflage. The tom felt a growing feeling of proudness the more he watched the she-cat. While she acted like she knew everything during an average day, her moves to catch a fish revealed just how much she actually listened to his words.

A good deal of time passed as the she-cat patiently waited along the shoreline, studying her prey in the waters below. Then without warning she lashed out, sending something flying onto the shore. The she-cat had landed a tiny fish, scooping it onto the shore like he had shown her just earlier. He smiles as she crunches the fish under her paw to keep it from going anywhere. She then brings it over to him, dropping it in front of him. "That was amazing Birchpaw. Using the shade of the tree was very, very clever." He meowed. "I'm proud of you and I think you're fully capable of landing another fish if you put your mind to it." This training lesson had gone much better than he expected, even if she caught a tiny fish. A fish was a fish.

Made by Aqua || Tagged: Jos || Words: #662