[Taxx]

TREECLAN WARRIOR

FINCHCLOUD

Got that sunshine in my heart

The temperature had dropped from the day before, and Finchcloud was making the most of it. He had done what he could, but his thick pelt had driven him into the warriors' den by sunhigh and he had been miserable until night had come. But now, though still warm, it wasn't the stifling heat of the day prior and he relished it. And it was a good day for hunting, so he'd called Robinpaw to join him and happily left the camp with the intent to teach, or at the least to hone Robinpaw's skill in squirrel catching.

Finchcloud paused beside a bush and glanced down at the she-cat at his side. "We're going to hunt squirrels today. You know how tricky they can be to catch, so we'll work together: one to chase, one to catch. Which do you want to do?" For all that she was an apprentice, Finchcloud had watched Robinpaw mature and learn, and he trusted her to know her strengths and limits when it came to hunting for the Clan; she was strong-willed but not stubborn or prideful, shaping up to be a good warrior. "Let me know, and then we'll find a squirrel and have a go. If we can't find any- which we ought to, it's such a nice day, then we'll see about finding rabbits."

Notes | ♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟

Got that good soul in my feet

[♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟]

T

oday had been a peaceful, uneventful day, and so far Robinpaw expected no change. It had gotten slightly colder since yesterday, but still the air was full of warmth. The short-coated Robinpaw was hardly bothered by it as she sat in the clearing, making the most of her morning break. Her ears perked at the approach of a familiar ginger form, and she turned her eyes to her mentor with a delighted smile. He looked like he had a plan, a goal, which probably meant they were going to do something interesting today. She waved her tail in greeting and trotted up to join him. She was hungry, but there would be time to eat later, after all. The forest was a beautiful array of greens, with a lovely blue sky peeking down through the branches. Robinpaw could imagine that Greenleaf was an oppressive season for a tom with a pelt as thick as Finchcloud’s. When he stopped, she sat down, eyes focused and tail tucked around her paws, waiting to see what they would be up to.

“We’re going to hunt squirrels today.” He meowed. Robinpaw frowned. Squirrels could be tricky, and they were nearly impossible to pursue once they had reached the safety of their trees. “You know how tricky they can be to catch, so we'll work together: one to chase, one to catch. Which do you want to do?" He asked. Robinpaw thought for a moment. She was small and lithe, able to race quickly across the forest floor. But would she be able to drive a squirrel on a calculated course into her mentor’s paws? Would Finchcloud be a better chaser, with his experience and quick paws? Or would Robinpaw’s multi-coloured coat make her stand out rather than blend in with the foliage in a Greenleaf forest? She hesitated a moment later before her green eyes flashed with determination. “Chaser.” She decided. It would be a challenge, but if she shied away from challenges, then what sort of TreeClan warrior would that make her? “Will we be working as a team for the rabbits too, if we don’t find any squirrels?” She mewed casually, her whiskers twitching. She hadn’t done much practice on team-hunting, and she was excited to learn and apply those skills to living, breathing prey.

 Wordcount: 383 // Tags: Taxx

[Taxx]

TREECLAN WARRIOR

FINCHCLOUD

Got that sunshine in my heart

Chaser, Robinpaw replied, and Finchcloud gave his nod of assent. She was smaller than he, quick and light on her paws; she'd be a good chaser. "Then your job will be to drive the squirrel toward where I'll be waiting, and I'll make the catch." He turned, his fluffy tail flicking her across the shoulder, and started off.

"That's right. Speedy prey is often best hunted as a pair, or even with three: some to chase and one to make the catch. It takes skill to read the prey's body language too, to know how to anticipate their movements and make them go the way you want. You'll get it, though. It takes time. And don't be too hard on yourself if you mess up: we'll just try again."

He grinned back at his apprentice and then quieted, his next words barely above a whisper as he bent his head toward Robinpaw. "Let me know if you scent any, and I'll pick a tree to set the ambush; the chase itself will be on you. Good luck, Robinpaw!" He stood back, his gaze moving away as he stretched to his full height, breathing in to sort through the breeze for the scent of any squirrels, his whole body stone-still to keep from alerting any wary prey to him.

Notes | ♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟

Got that good soul in my feet

[♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟]

<sub>Robinpaw's whiskers trembled in anticipation as her mentor drew away to hide beneath the shelter of the trees. She waited a moment for him to melt into the earthy tones of the undergrowth before opening her mouth to taste the fresh, humid Greenleaf air. She could detect the sharp scent of a magpie, who must have been foraging down among the leaves near the base of the tree where she stood. It was rather fresh, but the calico she-cat wasn't tasked with tracking a mischievous magpie. Still, she knew that those pesky black and white birds had a habit of harassing cats for their own amusement, diving down to peck unprotected ears and swoop away with a cackle. She would have to be careful to avoid letting the bird give away her position. Hopefully, he's found something else to pester. She thought.

A scuffling noise caught her attention, and she dropped down low in the undergrowth, careful to avoid threading on discarded twigs that she worried would snap treacherously under her paws. To her disappointment, she picked out the squeaking of a wood mouse as it rustled through the ferns at the foot of the trunk near where Finchcloud hid. Had the squirrels decided to hibernate mid-Greenleaf? She drew away slowly from the little copse, green eyes keen for a glimpse of grey or reddish brown fur, her nose straining for the slightest trace of scent. Suddenly, she spied the movement of a fluffy tail through the grass tufts, and her heart quickened. The squirrel edged into view, beady eyes fixated on the small brown nut it clutched in its tiny paws. The calico crept stealthily though the undergrowth, attempting to circle around the creature so she could chase it towards Finchcloud.

The squirrel caught the flash of ginger and white fur in its peripheral vision, and swerved to dart away from the cat with a shriek of alarm. "Mousedung!" Robinpaw hissed under her breath, and launched into a sprint, surprising herself with her own rapid burst of speed. She skidded left in an attempt to drive the squirrel towards where Finchcloud crouched, but the creature gave a flying leap and scrabbled up the bark of a tree. Robinpaw hurtled up after it, grabbing the trailing fluffy tail in her mouth. She wasn't technically supposed to be the catcher, but she wasn't about to let it get away just because she had been a sloppy chaser. The tail wasn't exactly a firm hold, though, and turned out to be more fluff than flesh. The creature lost its grip and fell to the forest floor, stunned for a moment as it stared dazedly about it. Robinpaw unhooked her claws from the bark and dropped down beside it, alarming the squirrel enough for it to come to its senses and attempt to bolt for the next tree. Unfortunately, or at least for the squirrel, that was where Finchcloud lay in wait.</sub>


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[Taxx]

TREECLAN WARRIOR

FINCHCLOUD

Got that sunshine in my heart

There was quiet for a moment; Finchcloud knew that right now, Robinpaw would be scenting for a squirrel, stalking it, using what she'd been taught to try to sneak up on the creature. He had confidence in her, but this was more than just a foray for fresh-kill; it was a lesson in trusting herself too. Making choices on her own, as she'd need to be able to do as a warrior.

A high-pitched squeal rang out- an alarm call, and close by where Finchcloud was crouched, the frantic beat of wings announced a bird's flight, as well as the tinier rustles of mice scurrying for shelter. Further away, the scuttle of paws that told him that Robinpaw's initial spring probably hadn't quite gone the way she'd intended. Finchcloud couldn't see the two from where he was crouched, and after a moment of consideration he decided to wait where he was. Either for Robinpaw to come to find him or for her to chase that squirrel toward him, if she could manage it.

A flash of two pelts, one small and ginger and one calico, flashed toward him. Finchcloud tensed, but the squirrel veered away toward another tree, too far away for him to leap out at it now; Robinpaw was faster and hurled herself after the prey, barely hooking her teeth into its tail; it fell back to the ground and the apprentice crashed next to it a moment later.

Quick but not as much as before, the squirrel darted away from Robinpaw- straight toward Finchcloud and the tree he was waiting by. Its front paws had just touched the tree before he was springing, both paws landing squarely on the prey and bending quickly to deal the fatal bite. It gave a last kick and then went still; Finchcloud lifted his head and padded closer to his apprentice, worry making his tail twitch. "Are you okay? That was a hard landing." He looked over her, but he didn't see anything that stuck out- no badly broken legs or bleeding injuries that would need Falconstorm's attention.

"You did great," he added, purring. "It wasn't the neatest chase, but you did well regardless, and we caught it. That's what matters. Do you want to try for something else? Maybe switch positions this time? We aren't going to catch anything around here, but there's plenty forest left for more prey."

Notes | ♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟

Got that good soul in my feet

[♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟]

<sub>The soft bracken had done nothing to cushion her fall, and Robinpaw felt quite battered. The root of the tree had jabbed her mockingly in the side of her ribs as she struggle to regain herself on the forest floor, the squirrel skidding rapidly out of reach. Her heart sagged with relief, however, when she realised the direction the squirrel had headed. Its paws hooked into the bark, ready to spring out of reach among the branches. Like the ghost of a cat, Finchcloud arose from where he hid, ginger paws flashing out to drag the squirrel back down from the trunk. It didn't even get the chance to cry out as Finchcloud bit it on the throat, the tangy scent of blood announcing a successful kill.

Abandoning the dead squirrel, Finchcloud trotted over to her side, his eyes round with concern. "Are you okay?" He murmured, giving her a tentative sniff. "That was a hard landing." Regaining her breath, Robinpaw nodded with a sheepish smile. "Just a little winded." She promised, both amused and embarrassed at her little stunt with the tree. "I didn't want to let it get away." She meowed apologetically. She knew her mentor would prefer she didn't risk injury for a squirrel, especially in Greenleaf, but she had been certain she could prevent its escape and overconfidence combined with the surge of adrenaline had made her reckless. Nothing more needed to be said. Finchcloud brushed her flank with his tail, a fatherly gesture that made her feel warm. He had become a bigger father figure in her life than Deerstorm ever had been, and she knew she would always turn to Finchcloud for advice and support, even when she eventually became a warrior. "You did great," He purred, though she caught the glint of amusement in his eyes. "It wasn't the neatest chase, but you did well regardless, and we caught it. That's what matters." His praise brought a delighted smile to her face, and she nodded, shaking the light coating of dust from her pelt.

"Do you want to try for something else? Maybe switch positions this time? We aren't going to catch anything around here, but there's plenty forest left for more prey." He asked, nodding deeper into the forest. Robinpaw chuckled lightly, waving her white-tipped tail. "Let's do it." She replied, though privately she wondered if they were switching positions because she'd proven herself a poor chaser. The rest of the day was spent chasing and ambushing squirrels, and as time dragged on, Robinpaw grew accustomed to the way the small animals moved, and how to predict where they would run. In the end, however, she and Finchcloud only carried back four squirrels to show for their efforts. They had to carry the prey back in two trips, and Robinpaw felt her heart burst with pride as she strode into camp with the red-furred rodent clutched in her jaws. Sunwind trotted over to her daughter and congratulated her with a gentle sweep of her calico tail, pale yellow eyes bright with happiness. Deerstorm was lying nearby, sharing a tattered crow with Firesong. Even he gave an approving grunt as Finchcloud and Robinpaw laid their work on the fresh-kill pile.

Though Robinpaw was determined to not need his approval, she felt vastly pleased. That day would always be ingrained in her memory as one of her fondest memories of her apprenticeship.</sub>

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