[Deleted]

Redstar

---

After what felt like seasons of being cooped up in her nest, held under the tight grip of the tragic disease that had cost the lives of so many, it was so refreshing to at last be back to her duties. Standing atop the hill-top, soaking up dawn’s golden rays of light, the day ahead already promised to be good. The sun upon her back, she sat herself down and simply admired the dawn for a moment. Today looked to be a bright new-leaf day, not too cold that all the prey would be hiding in their burrows, warm enough to be pleasant. Perfect conditions for what she had planned today, today she was to take out Mudpaw on his first proper hunting lesson.

Giving a yawn, she at last made her move and scrambled down the hill-top, landing delicately at the bottom. Crossing LightningClan’s camp, she made her way over to the Apprentices’ Den. She’d spoken to her apprentice the day before and asked him to be ready for training for dawn today, the real question however was whether he’d remembered. When she reached the den, she settled herself by the entrance, letting her gaze drift inside, seeking out the apprentice’s pelt in the darkness. Her tail flourished from side to side expectantly.

She’d always enjoyed being a mentor and teaching the young cats of the clan, it was so rewarding to see them grow and develop into warriors. Although she hadn’t gotten to know Mudpaw properly yet, from what she’d witnessed and what other cats had told her, he would be an ideal pupil. He was dedicated to the warrior code, which was always to be praised, and he seemed eager. Today was the first test though, the first step on his path to becoming a warrior, a cat LightningClan could hopefully be proud of. Today Redstar would be able to start to assess the abilities of the new apprentice, not just his physical abilities, but how he best learned, whether he picked things up quickly or if it took time to set in. The red tabby she-cat would have to pay close attention to his style of learning today, so that she could adapt her future lessons to suit him.

Although it was impossible to see what the day would hold, Redstar couldn’t help but have a good feeling about it as she sat in the growing dawn light, a soft smile spreading across her face. Leaf-bare was over at last and new-leaf was in full flow; that had to be something to be happy about, right?

---

Tag: Fawn
Notes: Starting threads are not my speciality I'm afraid, I hope you don't mind how short this is

[Fawn]

Mudpaw
7 Moons. Tom. LightningClan.

He wasn't sleeping very well, lately. After the loss of so many family members during the outbreak -even saying this word in his head implied a certain amount of vehemence and sorrow over the tragedy - Mudpaw had become even surlier. The flowers had no appeal, the sun shone too bright, and of course, his future was not necessarily bleak but he wouldn't declare it promising. It simply was. Punctuality had always been something Mudpaw took very seriously (there were very few things he didn't take seriously as of late), and not only was it the word of his mentor that he be up at dawn, prepared to begin their training, but it was the word of their leader. It was a 'you have no other alternative but to be awake and groomed at dawn' type of situation; Redstar's word was absolute, even if she hadn't been barking these at him like orders. He would admit it, sullen as he was, that there was maybe a few glimmers of excitement about going out with Redstar in the early morning light; he'd woken up at least an hour before dawn had first spread her rosy fingers over the horizon, and it was owing to this exceptionally early start that he stepped out of the apprentices' den properly groomed. All that the stocky chocolate brown tom lacked was a meal to fill his belly, and he half wondered if she would make him catch his own breakfast. Spotting her, Mudpaw made a quick pace over to Redstar, his tail half-raised in greeting, a swift, respectful dip of the head upon arrival. "Good morning, Redstar. Am I late?" He thought not, but it was always good to be certain. Deep down, underneath all of the pressure he felt by being the student of so well respected and loftily ranked a feline, Mudpaw desired to live up to her expectations. To impress her, if he could. He didn't have the gift of battle prowess like Blazepaw and Gustpaw did, but he listened well and he obeyed even better. Surely Redstar could mold him into a warrior worthy of the Clan. Mudpaw's ear flicked, an anticipatory kind of nervousness settling into the earthy-hued belly of the kitten, his rounded, blunt features fixed upon her.

Notes: Not a problem at all! ^^

[Deleted]

Redstar

---

The red tabby she-cat smiled warmly when the chocolate tom appeared shortly from the Apprentices’ Den. Promptness was always something to be encouraged, but it seemed Mudpaw wasn’t going to need much encouraging on the matter. Blinking soft honey-hued eyes at the tall tom, she brushed off his words immediately, “Of course you’re not late, you’re right on time,” she mewed, her tail patiently flourishing from side to side in a ‘s’ motion.
She couldn’t help but notice how well-groomed the young tom had made himself. Another good sign, she noted.

Rising to her paws, her ears flickered towards the fresh-kill pile. She knew her apprentice would be hungry, but today’s breakfast would be slightly different to the norm for the tall chocolate brown tom.
She motioned with a flick of her tail for her apprentice to follow her, “I trust you’re hungry?” she assumed, her honey-amber gaze falling to Mudpaw expectantly, “You will eat, don’t worry. But today, things are going to be a little different.”
Redstar paused before the camp entrance, lifting her head and tasting the air. She thought she’d detected a bit of moisture in the air, it seemed she had been correct. It looked like rain might be dampening their training session, with luck though, it wouldn’t dampen spirits.

Mudpaw, just as many cats, had suffered losses from the greencough outbreak. His losses had been particularly harsh though, both his mother and father not recovering from the fatal disease. Then, on top of that, he’d also lost his sister, Galekit, the only she-kit in Dovesong’s litter. Redstar knew what it was like to lose a family member, but she couldn’t imagine losing her parents and her sister all within the short space of a couple of moons or so. She admired Mudpaw’s strength, and his ability to focus on training despite everything that had happened. He’d certainly had things tough lately, especially considering his age.

“You ready?” she asked the young apprentice, grinning widely. She didn’t wait for a reply, striding the way out of camp confidently with a distinguished flick of her tail. It was good to be back to duties as usual.
The wind ruffled her red-tabby pelt, but the LightningClan leader wasn’t at all bothered by it. It was rather refreshing actually, she thought so at least.
At last returning her focus to her apprentice, she indicated towards the sky with a flick of her tail, “Take a deep breath,” she told him, her words hushed and low, “What can you scent?”

Her luminous honey-amber orbs regarded him closely, patient, but expectant of the young tom. From what she’d seen so far, he seemed like a serious, focused tom. But the question was, did his tracking and hunting skills live up to that expectation? Redstar hoped so, but if not, she knew he was still young. He had many moons to practise and refine his skills until he became a warrior. Still, the red tabby she-cat couldn’t help but be expectant of the chocolate brown apprentice.

---

Tag: Fawn
Word Count: 504
Notes: ---

[Fawn]

Mudpaw
7 Moons. Tom. LightningClan.

“You will eat, don’t worry. But today, things are going to be a little different.” so she IS going to make me catch my own prey. Mudpaw followed in the shadow of LightningClan's leader, pawsteps carrying him out of camp and into the surrounding environs. His stomach seemed to enjoy nervously clenching up at the thought of having to impress their leader so soon; when she addressed him again, the obedient brown feline stopped in his tracks as if glued there and concentrated. What could he smell? Besides ua? It was difficult not to brainlessly blurt out that for an answer, Mudpaw mentally kicking himself to get his brain into gear - he was never normally this spaced out or nervous, but it was a big day for him. Hoping she wouldn't begrudge him for taking a little extra time before answering, the breeze stirring across the rich earthy fur along his back and ears calmed him, helped him find his center. And it also carried with it the scent of something alive and not feline. At least, he interpreted it as some type of prey. "Mouse?" Mudpaw grimaced, wishing he could be more certain, but the scent itself was faint. The stocky tom took a few steps in the direction the wind was coming from, trying to catch a stronger trail than the thin one tickling over his scent glands; a twitch of the whiskers, his face was still fixed in a heavy look of concentration, Mudpaw given the impression from the blundering, deep gray clouds overhead that it would likely rain before too long. Which will make hunting anything a serious challenge. The rain itself was good, though. The moorlands could be dry, not that Mudpaw could actually recall a greenleaf that had been spent outside; this upcoming season would be his very first one as a functioning member of Clan society. Maybe he could find a few tunnels and burrows, with a bit of digging? Would she be pleased by that? Great StarClan, being the apprentice to Redstar is nerve-wracking. Mudpaw was starting to wonder if he would be able to eat in the event that he actually managed to catch something.

[Deleted]

Redstar

---

Redstar could tell Mudpaw was a little nervous, but the red tabby she-cat didn’t blame him. She knew she’d have been exactly the same, had she been in his pawsteps. As he scented the air, she flicked her tail lightly to his side in a sort of reassuring gesture, trying to somehow let him know he didn’t need to be so nervous. She didn’t want her apprentice to feel pressurised in her company, to let him know that he didn’t have to get everything right every time. No cat was perfect and she didn’t expect him to get everything right first time. Mistakes were the stepping stone to learning, that’s what Redstar had always thought.

"Mouse?"
The red tabby she-cat blinked warmly, praising him lightly, “Well done, there’s definitely mouse scent,” she inhaled a deep breath, tasting the air, “It’s quite faint, I’m surprised you picked it up. It probably left quite a while ago though, so trying to find it might be a bit hopeless,” she cast a brief gaze up at the sky, the dark grey clouds shifting ominously, “Especially with it looking like there might be some rain on the way.”

Scenting the air once more, nose wrinkling slightly and whiskers twitching, it seemed that there wasn’t much prey in this area. It would be a better idea to head somewhere more abundant, where the chance of making a catch was greater. Her gaze falling to the chocolate brown tom, she meowed, “There doesn’t seem to be much prey around here, we can head to the Wildflower Meadow, if it starts to rain, the prey is more likely to shelter in the long grasses than here,” she motioned to their surroundings, windswept and open to the sky, “It’s much more open to the wind here.”

She began to pad forwards in the direction of the Wildflower Meadow and motioning with a tip of the head for her apprentice to follow. The wind ruffling her red tabby pelt, the LightningClan leader lifted her head to the sky, relishing the wild touch of the wind. Had this not been a training session, she would’ve allowed herself a little longer to simply escape and envelope herself in the wild world around her, but she had to remind herself that today was not about her, but the little chocolate brown apprentice.

Eyes soft with curiosity, she let her gaze whisk over her apprentice, simply contemplating the training session and moons that lay ahead of them. She hadn’t seen anywhere near enough of Mudpaw to make a fair judgement on his ability, but from what she’d seen so far he seemed promising. Time would tell, she supposed.

The LightningClan leader didn’t utter any further words until the rich grasses of the Wildflower Meadow were under-paw and the deliciously refreshing of flowers in bud greeted her senses. Drawing in a deep breath, she motioned with a sharp flick of her tabby striped tail for her apprentice to come to a halt. They didn’t want to tread any further and risk frightening any prey.
Letting a small smile brighten her otherwise serious, focused features, she spoke in hushed tones, “Okay, I’ve got a little something different planned this morning,” she told him, her gaze flickering over him, “I don’t usually ask this of apprentices on their first training session, but I think in these circumstances it might be an interesting way of seeing how you hunt with just your instincts guiding you rather than me.”

She searched his features for a reaction, her tail curling quietly around neat paws. Whiskers twitching, she drew in a deep breath, allowing the wild and wonderful scents of the world around them to find their way to her. Hm… Rabbit, mouse… The red tabby she-cat inhaled softly, allowing her soft amber orbs to pick over him, “I’m going to ask you to try and catch me a mouse,” she instructed, “I’m not going to offer you any tips or advice, you have to rely solely on instinct,” she tipped her head to one side slightly, “There’s absolutely no pressure to catch anything, this is just to allow me to see what skills you have already and what we need to focus on straight away,” she flashed him a white-fanged grin, “Are you up for that?”

---

Tag: Fawn
Word Count: 717
Notes: ---

[Fawn]

Mudpaw
7 Moons. Tom. LightningClan.

Everything the warrioress said had sounded correct, not that Mudpaw would be in any position to contradict her even if it wasn't, though he believed strongly in the part of the code (which he'd memorized) that directly stated the leader's word was the code, so, all in all, Redstar couldn't exactly be... wrong. Mudpaw found that he was okay with absolutes; there was a certain comfort in what others might find overly constricting or something that gave too much power to one individual cat. Of course, those very same rules that built a proverbial safe-den for him to stay in throughout this journey called life could very well be the rat-pit they all fell into. It would've been very easy to manipulate the system for one's own gain, if anycat were able to climb the short social ladder to such a highly coveted and respected position. Just the thought of someone abusing their leadership rights was enough to make his empty, already tense stomach muscles clench even tighter. It's a good thing Redstar's so noble, then. Otherwise we'd all be up a tree with no way down. If Redstar had asked him to provide a sound, logical explanation of why she was a good match for the Clan, he could have collected himself and talked at length about the subject in such a way that would have made providing a counterargument a difficult endeavor. But instead, she had asked that he go hunting in less-than-desirable weather and with low chances of success; the stocky brown tom's whiskers twitched, blown back around the rounded contours of his face by a strong sweep of the wind. The grin she sported did not bode well, but he made the effort to mimic her expression to show he was trying to rouse some enthusiasm for the task, but it just made him look like a constipated squirrel. "“I’m going to ask you to try and catch me a mouse,” she instructed, “I’m not going to offer you any tips or advice, you have to rely solely on instinct,” she tipped her head to one side slightly, “There’s absolutely no pressure to catch anything, this is just to allow me to see what skills you have already and what we need to focus on straight away,” she flashed him a white-fanged grin, “Are you up for that?" For the sake of proving that he was neither slow nor devoid of talent, Mudpaw's response was surly but not lacking determination. "Yes." StarClan, don't let me mess this up. There was a split second's hesitation where he awaited her permission to hunt, but upon realizing she was already expecting him to start moving, Mudpaw set off into the wildflower meadow, at once feeling as if he were a bird trying to behave like a cat. He was over thinking his own muscle coordination, over thinking with his senses, not certain he could trust them, but not wanting to miss anything either. It took a few frazzled heartbeats, but the clear solidness of his personality finally took over; he wasn't one to just panic so easily. He wasn't one who looked at things and thought of all the potential horrible scenarios. He was prepared for them, but he wouldn't act as if the worst had already happened. Mouse mouse mouse mouse... It was as the first few drops of rain fell that Mudpaw had settled into a proper hunter's crouch, trying to clear his mind and focus on sensations, both abstract and particular - like the feel of the earth under his paws, and the dampened smell of wild flowers surrounding him on all sides. He chose not to rely on his hearing, for this task; the rain would make it difficult to distinguish a mouse's footfalls from the pattering of rain. He thought he picked up a few whiffs, and stalked forward, a little lower than he'd like to be, but it was all an effort to use his very earthy coat to blend in with the muddied ground. The poor sunlight was his friend, not his enemy right now.

Word Count: 688 Words
Tags: @littleflower

[Deleted]

Redstar

---

The moment that Mudpaw gave a quiet response of, "Yes,", the red-tabby leader gave a nod of the head, the grin not straying from her features. There was a moment's hesitation from the chocolate brown tom, but when Mudpaw began, Redstar collected herself, easing into tracking mode and allowing her apprentice some space to hunt. She didn't dare stray too close for risk of disturbing his hunt and so instead she dropped low against the ground, her pale amber eyes fixated upon her apprentice.

When the little tom suddenly slipped into a Hunter's Crouch, Redstar let her grin grow even warmer. He's scented it, she realised with a warm purr. The first droplet of rain made contact with her lithe body a mere heartbeat later and the LightningClan leader had to force herself to remain still, fighting the urge to shake the water from her pelt. For now, it was only light rain, a gentle patter. It didn't seem to have deterred Mudpaw at all, a good sign surely.

The red-yellow tabby she-cat skulked forwards a few steps before pressing herself low against the ground, focusing on the apprentice rather than the moisture that had begun to cling to her pelt. The rain would make the task more difficult, that was a given, but Redstar had faith in the chocolate brown apprentice. Even if he didn't catch the prey, he'd so far displayed focus and determination, two characteristics that would certainly work in his favour.

Through the grasses, Redstar could just about keep her eyes upon the apprentice. These conditions allowed him to blend in well with the golden-brown grasses of the Wildflower Meadow. The LightningClan leader, admittedly, was beginning to struggle herself with locating the mouse which her apprentice now stalked. The light fall of rain interfered with attempting to hear Mudpaw's prey, nor could she see the small creature through the grasses. If he catches it in these conditions...

Blinking off the raindrops, Redstar allowed herself a little closer, inwardly egging on her apprentice. His crouch certainly wasn't perfect, but for today, the red tabby she-cat wasn't at all concerned, they could work on it more in the future if need be. Redstar simply wanted to observe how he fared when he simply trusted in himself and not the words of others.

The wind suddenly picked up and she got a snatch of scent. Mouse.
The smile worked it's way back onto her face. Keep going, Mudpaw. Stay focused, trust in your instinct, never let your attention stray from your prey. She inhaled deeply, her luminous amber gaze picking over the tom. By her judgement, the mouse still seemed to be unaware of it's stalker. The chocolate brown tom was already showing great promise, within a few moons, he could be quite the cat, if he put in the hard work that was. Just a little more...

---

Tag: Fawn
Word Count: 486
Notes: ---

[Fawn]

Mudpaw
7 Moons. Tom. LightningClan.

Just as the clouds began to unburden themselves of moisture, the raindrops gathering speed and purpose as they hurtled towards the earth like startled mice, Mudpaw noticed his target. It looked small and almost pathetic, with the heavy wetness of its coat plastered to a frame that was both scrawny in places and plump in others, the normally rounded, wide-set ears pressed flat to its skull as it hurried through the long stalks, eager to return to its nest. Mudpaw shared its sentiments, but not completely; his desire to feed his Clan and make a good impression on his leader overrode any small kinship he felt towards a fellow creature caught in the intensifying drizzle. He tried not to think about Redstar watching. He tried not to think about anything at all, nor did he concentrate on his breathing; the mouse's sense of hearing was likely as thrown-off as his was; being new at this, it wasn't a surprise that he had forgotten what his Clanmates had taught him about mice being able to feel vibrations through the ground. Eagerness had brought him closer, and in doing so, he had not focused on how heavy his pawsteps actually were - until the mouse darted, sensing that its life could very well come to an end if it didn't act fast. Mudpaw's one chance for success was also about to come to an end. Haredung! The stocky tom-kitten's sturdy limbs bunched and then released, the tom bounding forward, gaining traction on the rain-swept grasses and sedge as he descended upon the mouse before it could get too far. Mudpaw's weight did much of the work for him, the mouse crushed beneath the wet vegetation as he all but fell on it, delivering a swift, graceless killing bite. Haredung, that was awful. But at least I caught it, right? Surely Redstar would make allowances for his... less than attractive pouncing and crouching he'd displayed just a heartbeat ago; in the tom's eyes, the Clan having one more piece of fresh kill to eat outweighed his embarrassment over being a clumsy, mouse-crushing oaf on their first outing together. Resisting the urge to sigh aloud, the chocolate tom turning with the wet limp body clutched carefully between his teeth, tiny clumps of rain-disturbed soil on his tongue when he'd gone to retrieve it; where was Redstar? Saturated yellow-orange eyes sought out the distinct ginger pelt of his mentor, giving a respectful nod in what he thought was her general direction, setting the mouse back down. "I... succeeded." Half-succeeded. Mudpaw was a stickler not only for the Code, but for a properly executed technique, and nothing about that had been proper or even resembled a technique.

Word Count: 450 Words
Tags: @littleflower

[Deleted]

Redstar

---

It didn't matter that Mudpaw's technique wasn't perfect. Nor did it matter that he lost focus for a moment and forgot to tread lightly, alerting his prey of his presence. Relying upon his instincts, the chocolate brown tom had managed to make his first catch. Redstar hadn't offered him any tips or advice, he'd been totally on his own, yet he'd done it. Maybe I should try this with my apprentices in the future?

A broad grin forming upon her features, the red tabby she-cat rose from her crouched position to congratulate her apprentice.
"I... succeeded."
Mudpaw, surprisingly, didn't seem at all proud of himself. He looked rather ashamed in fact, which Redstar found rather queer. Never had she seen an apprentice looking so dismayed after making his first catch.

Shaking it off, Redstar blinked kindly at him, "Well done, Mudpaw," she purred, "I can't say I was expecting you to catch it, given the conditions," she gave a flourish of her tail, indicating to the falling rain which was gradually painting the LightningClan leader a darker shade of tabby. Her honey-coloured orbs drifting to the mouse, she spoke again, "Would you like to bury that? With luck, we'll catch something else to bring back to camp with us."

Although normally she might have cut the training session short due to the weather, Redstar had decided against it on this occasion. It would be good experience for the young apprentice, even if it did make hunting more difficult and besides, they could hardly control the weather. There would be times he'd have to hunt in the rain in order to feed his clan.

After a pause, the LightningClan leader continued to speak, "You did well. It might not have been the most neat of catches but considering this is your first time, it's hardly expected for you to be perfect, that's what training is for; improving and sharpening your skills," she smiled down at her apprentice before giving a brisk shake of the head, sending rain droplets flying from her whiskers, "But now that we know what your skills are like, we know what we need to work on."

Releasing an exhale, the red tabby she-cat turned her eyes to the world around her for a moment before letting her amber eyes drift back to the chocolate brown tom before her, "We can try and work on position and technique now, then we can see if we can find some more prey and you can try again?" she meowed, ears flattened against the back of her head to stop any stray water droplets getting into her ears, "Would you be able to show me your Hunter's Crouch?"

---

Tag: Fawn
Word Count: 455
Notes: ---

[Fawn]

Mudpaw
7 Moons. Tom. LightningClan.

Mudpaw was pleasantly startled by the grin his mentor wore, as she was telling him, quite literally, that in spite of however he felt about the way that first-catch had gone and his lack of finesse on the execution, he had done well. The chocolate tom felt a surge of kittenish delight at her praise, feeling as though he had impressed a parent rather than just a mentor; he wanted to make Dovesong and Windstrike proud of him, he knew they were watching him from StarClan - it's one of the reasons why he adhered to the code so unerringly. For personal pride, and for the sake of his parents. It was important to the somber young tom that they were able to hold their heads high in Silverpelt, knowing that their sons were keeping calm and carrying on without them. "Thank you, Redstar." He accepted her praise with a humble dip of his head, heartened. At Redstar's question, and with his spirits less dampened than before, Mudpaw opted to bury his catch, an unfamiliar, energetic sensation in his paws as he scoured the earth, digging a shallow hole to put the mouse in, carefully covering it afterwards. He wasn't the sort of cat to do things hastily, or without his full attention and dedication - which was probably the root of his distress over what he perceived to be a poor performance. Rain plopped onto a mud-dark nose, the kitten quickly rubbing the moisture off his muzzle before it could make him sneeze, or anything ended up splashing into his eyes. Shouldn't we go back to camp? He wanted to ask, but his respect for her had him respond only with silence, invigorated despite the worsening weather conditions. "Yes, I can show you." It was a little daunting, to try to hunt again after this, but even if he turned up nothing, Mudpaw was willing to try it at her suggestion, and the simple truth that the Clan did need feeding. Recalling the exact positioning of his limbs and torso to replicate a proper hunter's crouch, Mudpaw pictured himself performing it perfectly, following the example in his mind's eye as he lowered to the ground, the scent of wet earth clinging to his matching pelt. Again, Mudpaw felt the first few tentative dregs of pride manage to edge their way around his strong sense of humility; he'd tried very hard to master this while Redstar was busy, realizing that all of his training didn't have to be conducted in the presence of his mentor. He would wisely leave any real lessons to her, but, when his siblings didn't have eyes on him, he would practice his stalking and crouching, he would practice the proper way to pounce and the proper way to chase after a hare that had sighted him at the last minute. Hoping his efforts were paying off, Mudpaw tried not to look too eagerly at Redstar's face, like some young kit who wanted to know if they were ready to be a warrior now - after managing to pounce upon a butterfly. This was serious stuff, and she wasn't going to just hand out praise over nothing; he would still appreciate her feedback, intending to take it to heart and put it into actions should she have anything to critique. I'll do better next time.

Word Count: 558 Words
Tags: @littleflower

[Deleted]

Redstar

---

It warmed Redstar when the chocolate brown tom's spirits picked up somewhat and he accepted her congratulations. Offering him a smile, she let her eyes pick over him as he obligated and formed a Hunter's Crouch. It was clear that the apprentice was somewhat put off by the weather, but he didn't voice his displeasure and so Redstar didn't bring up the matter, instead taking a moment to concentrate upon the muddy-coloured tom's form.

Although far from perfect, the foundations for an admirable Hunter's Crouch were already present. His balance seemed reasonable and would no doubt help Redstar in instructing him today. Taking a step towards him, the LightningClan leader inclined her head slightly to study him.
"Your balance is good," she commented, tone warm, "Although, it'll be even better if you just move your paws closer together a touch more," she advised lightly.

After a further moment of observation, she offered up another tip, "Make sure you keep your tail up off the ground," she paused before quickly adding, "But not up in the air like a dandelion."
Without hesitating, she dropped into a Hunter's Crouch of her own, demonstrating, "Like this?"

Smiling upon her apprentice, she quickly rose to her feet again, "If your tail is dragging along the ground, you'll quickly be noticed by your prey."
Redstar gave a shake of her forepaw, trying to rid herself of the moisture. Mudpaw's position, other than the point she'd touched upon, was reasonable. He carried himself well, albeit little awkwardly, but Redstar had always been a firm believer that you learnt not by sitting and practising your crouch for hours upon end, but by actually putting that crouch into action. There were elements of Mudpaw's crouch that would only improve with actual experience of the hunt itself.

Another of Redstar's beliefs was that there was no real correct Hunter's Crouch. Each cat was built in a different way, their bodies all moving individually. Mudpaw would come to find his own version of the Hunter's Crouch with time, a crouch that worked and suited him.

Deciding to give the chocolate-coloured tom more of a free rein, she turned to him wearing a smile, "You know what, it's up to you what we do next," she told him, a spark of humour in her amber gaze, "We can practise your technique by using leaves as prey, much like I'm sure you've done as a kit," she grinned, her eyes flickering over the little tom, "Or we can go straight onto hunting real prey."

Redstar knew what she'd prefer. The question was, what would Mudpaw pick?

---

Tag: Fawn
Word Count: 440
Notes: ---

[Fawn]

Mudpaw
7 Moons. Tom. LightningClan.

He drank in Redstar's words, a single curt nod of his chin, expression solemn (a permanent thing after so many tragedies in his young life), conveyed that he had understood and would do his best to remember everything she was impressing upon his still-malleable mind. Having been content to follow her lead, the rain-slicked apprentice regarded her question with slight surprise; she's letting ME choose what we do next? He was not so reckless or easily-roused that he thought of her words as a challenge to be met head on. Instead, he took a more thoughtful approach as was his nature; they could pounce on leaves, instead, which, while boring and a little bit.... kittenish, would be good practice for when the weather cleared up. On the other paw, Mudpaw could try to glean something more out of hunting in the rain; it really was uncharted territory (he was still getting used to their moorlands, and could not name all of its components quite yet, but that would change soon enough), though he wasn't confident he could catch very much. Which would be the better learning experience? We can always practice on leaves back at camp, since we are out here, we should take advantage of the weather. The stocky tom-kitten made his decision, thoughtful; he didn't ask 'well what if we catch a chill?', he had the good sense to trust her judgment in all things, including the weather and if Redstar deemed it safe for a cat to hunt in, then he would hardly raise complaint. Just to make sure he had come to the most beneficial reason, Mudpaw glanced around, taking in the watery world on all sides, realizing it would be difficult to maintain a sense of location. If Redstar had sent him out into the moors beyond and told him to catch something, he would've surely gotten lost, especially if the rain was making it difficult to scent anything. Mudpaw's brow scrunched. Well, now he wasn't so sure. Though he wanted badly to impress his mentor, his preference for exercising caution was what won out the day. "We can use leaves. It looks difficult - hunting in the rain." Seriousness was his usual speaking tone, but this one had a faint edge of sheepishness to it; she wouldn't think him cowardly, would she? Mudpaw wouldn't know what to do with himself if that was her burgeoning opinion of him. What steps could he take to fix it? Could he fix it? If he adhered more strongly to the Code, would she notice his dedication? He resisted the urge to knead the ground with his paws, having long since outgrown such signs of anxiousness (or so he told himself).

Word Count: 449 Words
Tags: @littleflower

[Deleted]

477 words

Fawn

notes:

Redstar

House on fire, Leave it all behind you,
Dark as night, let the lightning guide you.

The red tabby she-cat managed to somewhat mask the disappointment when the chocolate brown tom selected the first option. It wasn't disappointment in Mudpaw, to be perfectly fair, she didn't blame his choice. Hunting in the rain wasn't the most pleasant of activities, but it was still exhilarating. Brushing it off and sporting an optimistic grin, she gave a nod to the apprentice, "Leaves it is," she managed to muster a convincing amount of enthusiasm. Come on, Redstar, let's make the best of things.

Giving a flourish of her tail, the LightningClan leader gave a flick of her head, trying to shake off the moisture that clung to her ivory white whiskers. Redstar turned her thoughts from the falling rain and the extra weight of water that clung to her pelt, she lifted her head and surveyed their surroundings. Leaves...
With a dip of the head, she indicated for her apprentice to stay put before pelting off towards a nearby cluster of trees. Blinking tastefully when a particularly plump droplet of moisture landed upon her nose, she skidded to a halt beneath the sheltering branches and let her honey-amber gaze scout the ground before her.

It only took a mere few moments to find a small collection of leaves and she promptly picked them up, carrying them in her jaws. Once secured, she was quick to return back to where her apprentice had been waiting, letting the leaves flutter down to her paws when she reached him. Her vision was becoming even more tested by the poor weather conditions, her pelt slick against her lithe frame.
No, I won't let the weather disrupt Mudpaw's training/

Drinking in a deep breath and then releasing it, the red tabby she-cat forced a smile, despite the fact that she was now somewhat disconcerted by the falling rain. Her luminous orbs flickered over the chocolate brown tom. Mouse-dung, he's almost as sodden as I am.
She sighed, the traces of a frown appearing upon her features. She didn't want her apprentice to catch a chill after their training session. Okay, I give in.

Breaking the silence, Redstar at last addressed Mudpaw, "You know what, it doesn't look like this rain is going to stop any time soon," her ear gave a twitch as another large droplet splashed upon the top of her head, as if to prove her words, "There'll be plenty of other opportunities to hunt leaves," a glimmer of humour entered her gaze and then she offered the chocolate tom a nudge, "Come on then, you fetch that mouse of yours and we can head back to camp."

Living life, feeding appetites
Stayed through every hard stop, every go,
Being bland, Breathing half the time.

Made by Riley at THQ!