[Deleted]

The newleaf sun cast a soft glow over the Lightningclan camp as Foxswipe emerged from the warriors den and swept her pale green eyes over her surroundings. The fox colored she-cat stretched her front legs out in front of her as her tail curled up and her jaws opened wide in a yawn as she prepared for the day ahead of her. As she began to carefully wash her face and groom her pelt, Foxswipe reflected on her short time as a Lightningclan warrior.

Sometimes it still felt odd to be called by her new name and to be considered as a full warrior of her clan. Her apprenticeship had been a constant uphill battle of learning to fight on par with warriors that were inevitably bigger than her small frame. She had also had to learn to curb her sharp tongue and vicious temper when it came to the taunting from her fellow apprentices. Even when others thought her too small to be much of a fighter she persisted. Her mentor had been a constant encouragement and over time, had taught Foxswipe the things she needed to be a formidable opponent in battle. She had also turned the young she-cat into a fine hunter.

As Foxswipe finished her grooming she pushed the thoughts of her apprenticeship to the back of her mind. Despite its’ difficulties it had turned her into the cat she was now. Glancing up at the sky, Foxswipe stood and twitched her ears. The dawn patrol was likely still out and with newleaf came better hunting, if she were lucky she could bring back a decent bit of fresh kill for the clan. With another glance around the camp, Foxswipe bounded out of the camp. It will feel good to have the wind in my fur she thought as her paws followed the familiar paths before her.

[Katara]

Brightpaw was restless. He was still in the first few days of his apprenticeship, and he'd only been out with his mentor a couple of times so far - and she kind of terrified him, a little bit. His excitement to be an apprentice had been stifled some by the she-cat, who wasn't called Thistletongue for no reason, it turned out. Even though Brightpaw was used to grouchy elders, he found he was quite a bit more intimidated by what a young she-cat with a reputation for a barbed tongue had to offer. Truthfully, she hadn't even done anything to scare him yet; he'd heard most of this from his fellow apprentices, all of them (except his siblings) older than him, and immediately his imagination raced away from him. 

In any case, she was still resting after going on the night patrol, which he hadn't yet been ready for, being such a young apprentice yet. He'd been told to keep himself busy until later in the morning when his mentor would wake and start the day with him, but he didn't really know what that meant, so he was stuck shifting his paws inside the apprentices' den, picking at the moss and heather that lined his nest anxiously until he made himself pad outside to watch the activity of the camp. Most of the other apprentices were already out training or patrolling with their mentors this morning, so there wasn't much going on besides apprentice-less warriors emerging, and the nursery coming to life with the mewling of kits. 

He had to make himself busy before he retreated back into the apprentices' den like a lazy bum. He caught sight of a warrior about to leave camp - a she-cat on the younger side, maybe she'd understand his predicament? Without giving himself another moment to think about it, he bounded across camp after her, and blurted out, "Wait!" He managed to catch up to her just outside the camp entrance, and almost immediately regretted it. What was he going to say, exactly? "Um... sorry, I..." Just spit it out! You're an apprentice now, you're allowed to be out with a warrior! "Can you take me out with you? Just for a little while? I was told to make myself busy until sunhigh when my mentor will take me out training, but I think that's uncomfortably open to interpretation and I thought getting outside camp for a little while would at least be educational."

---

TAGGED: @wolftail
NOTES: Hope you don't mind I hopped in! 

[Deleted]

Excitement was coursing through Foxswipe like a mighty river, sometimes it still felt surreal that she could go off hunting for the clan on her own, no longer under the confines of following after her mentor. Sometimes she had felt useless, like she was always waiting to be told what to do, waiting on her mentor to take her training or hunting or any other given task she was assigned. Foxswipe knew that these things were simply part of being an apprentice, learning in any manner she could so that could protect her clan from whatever may come. However, this didn’t make it any less boring at times.

A sudden mew sounding from behind her stopped the russet colored warrior in her tracks, spinning to face whomever had called out, Foxswipe nearly ran face first into a cat who was not much smaller than she was. Blinking sharply, the she-cat identified the tom before her as Brightpaw, Thistletongue’s new apprentice. As the young tom stammered out a few words, Foxswipe cocked her head slightly to the side and twitched her ears with impatience. The desire to hunt for her clan and be out of camp was still thrumming in her veins and her muscles felt tight.

"Can you take me out with you? Just for a little while? I was told to make myself busy until sunhigh when my mentor will take me out training, but I think that's uncomfortably open to interpretation and I thought getting outside camp for a little while would at least be educational."

With a start, Foxswipe realize this apprentice was feeling similar to how she had as an apprentice. She held back a purr of amusement, despite only being apprenticed for a few days the young cat was quite bold. Foxswipe flicked her tail once and nodded sharply. I was just headed out for a morning hunt, you’re welcome to join. I’m Foxswipe by the way, and you’re Brightpaw? Turning back towards her original path, Foxswipe padded onward. Has Thistletongue showed you any hunting crouches yet?

NOTES: Of course not, glad to have you!
TAGGED: Katara

[Katara]

As Brightpaw rambled on, trying to make his case, he was acutely aware of the she-cat's impatience; she had clearly been ready to race along the moor only moments ago, and she'd only only paused because of him, and she didn't have to hear him out. Now that he was up closer to her, he recognized her unmistakably as Foxswipe, a younger warrior who surely remembered her days as an apprentice. He could only hope she wouldn't tell him off and tip off Thistletongue that his idea of staying busy probably wasn't what she had in mind, and he'd honestly probably just be happy if she told him he could shadow her and not do anything. To his great relief though, after she seemed to consider him for a moment, she nodded her ascent. Oh, thank StarClan! He'd gotten lucky. If he'd dogged down a senior warrior like that, he didn't think he'd have received the same response. "Thank you! I promise I won't slow you down. Yes, I'm Brightpaw," he said, beaming. 

Foxswipe turned back on the path, and Brightpaw followed after her, tail high in the air with pleasure. He was guessing this would be one of his few lucky breaks, so he was going to make the most of it. "She's taught me the basics," he confirmed. "I almost caught a mouse yesterday." He remembered the embarrassment when Thistletongue had told him he'd missed it because he'd been upwind of his prey, so it'd been able to scent him. But, she'd also told him that was a lesson everyone learned at some point or another, and he'd tried not to feel too down about it after that. "I watched her chase down a rabbit, though - that looked fun." He'd been daydreaming since he was a kit (which was such a short time ago) of racing free through the moorland with the wind streaming through his fur, in pursuit of a rabbit, or just for the fun of it. 

---

TAGGED: @wolftail
NOTES: Ahh yay!!

[Deleted]

Glancing back behind her, Foxswipe watched the young apprentice trailing after her with delight obviously made out on his face. Despite the change in plans, the excitement of being out amongst the territory was still running swiftly through the russet she-cat’s body and making her paws itch for the hunt. It wouldn’t be so bad to have one of the apprentices along, it was sure to be good practice if she ever had an apprentice of her own and Brightpaw seemed keen to learn whatever he could. Best to keep him busy to than having him wandering aimlessly around camp, or worse, finding a way to get himself into trouble.

With the basics already under his pelt Foxswipe was certain they could have a good hunt and turn it into a good learning experience for Brightpaw. Let’s head to the Flooded Grasses shall we? There’ll be good hunting their this time of day. The Flooded Grasses was a prey rich part of the territory that had been Foxswipe’s favorite hunting spot as an apprentice and she’d caught her fair share of mice there, as well as a rabbit or two. It would be a good place to have Brightpaw work on his hunting basics.

As the area they were traveling to came into view Foxswipe grew eager, but she concealed it under a cool face, the only sign of her excitement were a few ear twitches here and there. Glancing over at her companion, Foxswipe stopped just before the land grew marshy. Alright Brightpaw, show me what you’ve got. What can you scent?

TAGGED: Katara

[Katara]

Though Brightpaw had no clue what Thistletongue had planned for him when he would return to camp later, he didn't mind at all the idea of a full day of training. Learning as much as he could was something that excited him, so as Foxswipe seemed to quickly settle into a mentor-like role, the young tom eagerly responded. "Sounds good to me!" He'd been to the Flooded Grasses recently of course, when he'd been shown the expanse of LightningClan territory on one of his first days as an apprentice. "Is that the best hunting spot in the territory, in your opinion? Or are there other really good hunting spots?" He was curious what others thought in an objective way, and he'd asked questions like this a lot when he'd been a kit too - almost like he was interviewing others. 

He kept up with Foxswipe, but made sure he was just a pace or two behind her in a show of respect, since she was the one he was learning from. He stopped immediately when she did, crouching very still and pricking his ears attentively as she spoke. What can you scent? He inhaled, taking in the scents of their surroundings, and parted his jaws slightly to taste the air too. The most prominent smell was, of course, the strange marshiness that came with this area, but he mentally plodded through it to identify different smells, and then began to wrinkle his nose. "Kind of weird smells," he mewed. "Sharp and tangy... a bit like... the medicine den? Am I smelling herbs?" The medicine cats' world was completely different from his own (and most cats'), so he had no idea there might be common places they'd go to gather herbs. "Oh, and mouse!" he added, excitement raising the volume of his voice a little. He flattened his ears when he realized his mistake. "Sorry," he said quickly, in a quieter tone. 

---

TAGGED: @wolftail

[Deleted]

Foxswipe’s ears pricked a little as she listened to the young apparentice at her side. Hm, was it the best in the territory? No, she supposed there were better places to catch prey. Though this spot was good for apprentices to practice the skills they were still learning and honing. Well, while this is usually a prey rich spot, there are other spots just as rich in prey. But it is a good spot for you to practice your scenting and stalking. 

Turning her gaze slightly, Foxswipe watched as Brightpaw scented the air around him and noted appreciatively that he was quite good at scenting his surroundings thoroughly. This would serve him well with sorting through different scents as he hunted for the clan. She noticed with amusement that the new apprentice was quite the excitable young cat and despite how serious she herself was, she couldn’t help the soft purr that escaped her throat as she listened to the young apprentice ramble on.

Very good, the medicine cats come here quite often to collect herbs for their stores, so many of the things you scent here you will also find in the medicine den. She watched as he continued to scent the air and smiled inwardly when he caught the scent of the mouse that floated gently on the air. Well scented Brightpaw. You have a knack for sorting out your scents.

TAGGED: Katara

[Katara]

Brightpaw hung onto Foxswipe's every word, nodding earnestly as she told him she supposed there were other prey-rich spots, this one was just the most convenient for training apprentices in hunting. He could definitely see the logic in that, especially now that he was here and it hadn't taken him longer than a few heartbeats to pick up the scent of mouse. Prey had to be abundant here! 

At least she wasn't going to scold him for his little exclamation, purring instead in reacting, though Brightpaw didn't know why he was so worried about her scolding him; the warrior had been nothing but kind and helpful to him the entire time, it was like he was waiting for the other stone to drop. His eyes brightened as she confirmed his idea about the herbs. "Yuck!" he commented, amber eyes alight with amusement. "It's a wonder that stuff does any good for us. It all smells so weird!" He'd only been around the medicine den a few times, but the sharp scent of the leaves and things within had always made him wrinkle his nose and distaste - and it obviously had made him keep his distance too.

Foxswipe offered him praise for what he was able to detect, and he swelled a little with pride. "I think I just have a sensitive nose," he purred, twitching his nose as he spoke. Maybe that's why he'd always kept away from the medicine den and the dirtplace when he could, because they were places where scents were particularly strong. "Does that mean I could be a tracker one day?" he asked eagerly, veering off focus again. The mouse! he had to remind himself, but wasn't entirely sure how to find the mouse now that he'd scented it. He'd have to start listening and stop blabbering, probably.

---

TAGGED: @wolftail

[Deleted]

Black tipped ears twitched with amusement as she watched Brightpaw listen with rapt attention to what she said. She remembered her own apprenticeship and how eager she had been to learn everything she possibly could from her mentor. An usual warm feeling spread throughout the russet colored she-cat and she realized she would love to have her own apprentice one day. Despite how serious she always was and how aloof she came off, the idea of teaching the future warriors of her clan sent a little thrill all the way from her whiskers to her tail tip. She enjoyed watching them learn and grow into warriors that everyone could be proud of.

Turning to glance at the younger cat, Foxswipe cocked her head to the side and flicked her tail across his ear, her pale green eyes gleaming with humor. Though they may seem weird to you and I, the medicine cats know each and every herb by name and how they can help us when we’re ill or injured. The warrior’s nose twitched as she scented the herbs that grew so well in this part of the territory. Although Brightpaw, you have a point, they do smell funny.

With a nose as sensitive as yours I’m sure you could be a tracker if you put you’re mind to it. You’ve done well in detecting the different scents around you even though they can often become muddled. Foxswipe herself had had to fight tooth and nail to become better at detecting prey scent from the territory around her, though she had developed a good nose now, it hadn’t come easy. Now, listen closely and see if you can detect where the mouse is.

tagged: Katara
notes: wow I’m so sorry this took so long 

[Katara]

Despite his distaste for the scent of herbs, Brightpaw did have a grudging respect for what they did and how much they knew and learned. He'd never be able to remember what each and every herb looked like and what it did. It was probably more likely he'd eat an herb that would kill him than help him, if it came down to it and he needed to find an herb himself to help. Although Brightpaw, you have a point, they do smell funny. Brightpaw let out a mrrow of laughter, pleased that Foxswipe agreed with him, and happy that she was good-humored as well. If she'd been a grumpy old warrior, things may have gone very differently out here.

The young apprentice glowed with pride at the she-cats words, even though they weren't exactly praise, more of an observation and a good opinion. Still, for anyone to believe he had a chance at a goal he'd just set for himself a few heartbeats ago was enough for him. "I'm gonna put my mind to it then!" he said eagerly. He'd do scent practicing everyday, maybe try picking up a patrol's trail after they left camp to test himself. His mind already meandering through the possibilities, he started when Foxswipe spoke and redirected his attention once more. "Right, right," he mewed, nodding quickly and crouching, pricking and swiveling his ears as the pair of them fell silent for him to pick up any unnatural noises around them.

It took a minute or two, but Brightpaw heard an unmistakable rustle a little ways away, and instinctively began to prowl toward it, ears still straining. The movement was small, but he could still pick it up, and as he stalked closer he noticed movement between the greenery: the small, brown-furred form of a mouse. He nearly let out a noise of excitement, before remembering he had to stay quiet, and instead looked back at Foxswipe for tips or guidance. Should he try and catch the mouse on his own, following his instincts?

---

TAGGED: @wolftail
NOTES: Also sorry for the wait on this one haha

[Deleted]

Blinking once, Foxswipe swished her tail. Brightpaw was an amusing one, his excitement radiated out from him like a beacon of light and she could feel the determination coming off him in waves. This was what the young warrior liked to see, apprentices ready to fight for and work for what they wanted. Natural skill only carried so far before it required work ethic to go along with it. Good, keep that up and you’ll be a fine tracker one day.

Narrowing her pale green eyes, Foxswipe watched the young apprentice prowl forward as he pinpointed the location of the mouse he had scented earlier. Good nose and already a good stalking form, Brightpaw would make a fine Lightningclan warrior. His eagerness to learn boded well for him, it would do him well in his training. It would also make his mentor’s job a little easier. Foxswipe still wasn’t sure how well she would do as a mentor, she supposed this would give her a good idea.

Seeing that Brightpaw was waiting for her, Foxswipe simply nodded her head once. She wanted to see what he could do on his own and what he’d already learned before she gave her own input.

tagged: Katara

[Katara]

AND THE MEMORIES WE'VE MADE WILL NEVER BE LOST
BUT THE WIND, YES THE WIND KEEPS HOWLING

Brightpaw

lightningclan apprentice / tom / 6 moons

At Foxswipe's nod, he realized she wanted to see what he had in him first - no tips. He nodded once, returning his attention to the mouse moving through the undergrowth and concentrating. As a LightningClan cat, he felt an innate need to chase but he knew that wouldn't be the best course of action here. Mice were prey that were best stalked. Keeping that in mind, he kept each pawstep forward light, trying to make sure the mouse didn't sense him through the earth. His crouch was becoming strained though, his belly too close to the ground, and he was starting to find it difficult to move forward quietly, so he stopped.

If he pounced now, he was sure he'd get far enough to reach the mouse, but uncertainty pricked at him. Why was he doubting himself now? Probably because a trained warrior was watching him execute what was probably a poor hunting stalk. Maybe so. His ears pricked in alarm as the mouse turned the other direction, as if to move away, and Brightpaw wasn't going to let that happen. The dappled tabby wiggled his rear in preparation, and then leaped with his claws out. He landed a tail-length from the mouse, which immediately let out a squeak and bolted, but the young apprentice was quicker, even if only by a margin. Claws still unsheathed, he darted forward and snagged the mouse's tail, dragging it toward him a little unceremoniously and latching onto its fur with his other paw. With a quick bite, he finished it, his heart hammering in his chest at the thrill of the kill, even though it had probably looked as clumsy as it felt.

"I did it!" he still announced with triumph, tail high in the air as he pranced around his fresh-kill. "I know it was only a mouse but, wow! I thought I'd lost it for a heartbeat," he admitted, whiskers twitching anxiously as he turned to Foxswipe, waiting for her review.

I put in the pictures, you put in the time
You put all those memories so deep inside my mind

TAGGED: @wolftail // NOTES: --

[Deleted]

From the beginning Foxswipe could tell that the apprentice had a decent hunting crouch already, if not a little clumsy, but fluidity would come with time and practice. She watched as he struggled towards the end to keep up with the crouch, impressive that he’d already made it within pouncing distance for one who had only been training for a short time. She half expected that Brightpaw would miss as she watched him wriggle and prepare the leap forward, so the she-cat simply flicked her ears as he pounced just short of his prey. She was pleasantly surprised when he didn’t give up and used his quickness as an alternative means to getting his prey.

Foxswipe let out a purr of a delight, he’d done it, he’d made the kill. The young tabby continued to surprise her. His delight was evident as he pranced about full of excitement and she was reminded of herself as a young apprentice. It wasn’t often that she got excited, in fact she priced herself on her usually calm and serious demeanor, but when she made her first kill she had been much the same as Brightpaw. Congratulations Brightpaw, that was impressive. Cocking her head to the side the russet she-cat noted how nervous he seemed to be now that the rush of the hunt had died away.

You’ll need to work on being more fluid as you move towards your prey. Your paws were quiet, but you tired quickly of the position. Stamina will of course come with more training and practice, over all you did well. You’re still young, and we are built more for chasing than we are crouching for long periods of time. The fact that you were still able to catch the mouse even though he became alerted to your presence shows quick thinking and reaction in your part. This will serve you well as a hunter and in battle.

tagged: Katara

[Katara]

AND THE MEMORIES WE'VE MADE WILL NEVER BE LOST
BUT THE WIND, YES THE WIND KEEPS HOWLING

Brightpaw

lightningclan apprentice / tom / 6 moons

He felt a flicker of relief and pride at Foxswipe's praise. He still couldn't believe that he'd done it; what a lucky way to start the day! Maybe he'd be able to impress his mentor when he brought back his fresh-kill, though he wasn't sure how impressed she'd be that he'd begged another warrior to let him accompany her. But it wasn't like he'd been breaking the rules, and he'd learned something from it!

Brightpaw sat and listened, staying still and nodding as the warrior began to critique his performance. This was what he was nervous about, and he had to remind himself not to take anything personally; it was his first time hunting, after all, and the fact he'd been able to catch anything with as little experience as he had was a feat in itself. More fluid, work on stamina... Those should be his takeaways from today. "I'll have to practice crouching and stalking more," he decided. Even doing something in camp everyday to make himself get used to the movement and the strain of the position would probably help. And he was still growing, so it made sense he wasn't capable of holding it very long. He puffed out his chest with pride as Foxswipe finished, stating his skills would aide him both in hunting and in battle. "I never thought of it that way!" He blinked, for a moment all kinds of exciting thoughts rushing through his head and the new things he'd be able to learn. Before he could get properly distracted though, he knew owed Foxswipe big-time.

"Thank you, Foxswipe!" he mewed. "You didn't have to take me out this morning, but you did, and I'm really grateful. I never would've caught this mouse without you!" He purred. "Should I take it back to camp? It's not long till sunhigh, so I should probably meet my mentor before she finds out I'm outside of camp," he said sheepishly. "I can make my way back myself if you'd rather stay out here and continue hunting." Since that was probably what she'd meant to do in the first place.

I put in the pictures, you put in the time
You put all those memories so deep inside my mind

TAGGED: @wolftail // NOTES: --

[Deleted]

FOXSWIPE
LIGHTNINGCLAN WARRIOR

IF I HAVE TO I CAN DO ANYTHING I AM STRONG

[attr="class","firstletter"]S

lowly, but surely Foxswipe was beginning to feel a small amount of affection for the vibrant young apprentice in front of her. He didn’t seem too cocky like many young apprentices could be and seemed to want to soak up everything someone told him. His mentor must be quite proud of him, after being out hunting with Brightpaw she could definitely say she was proud of the young cat. Her young clanmate would make an excellent warrior after a few moons of training. Whenever I would get bored around camp, after training and chores was when I did a lot of my practicing. It’s one of the things you learn as an apprentice that can be practiced in a group or alone. Foxswipe noted to the eager apprentice.

Foxswipe could see the excitement as it flashed across the young apprentice’s face and she twitched her ears in amusement. I’m glad you joined me today Brightpaw. Anytime you and your mentor need an extra cat for hunting feel free to find me. the russet colored warrior mewed with a flick of her tail. I suppose we should go ahead and get you and your catch back to camp. I’d hate for your mentor to think I’m keeping you from training.

Glancing up at the sky, Foxswipe debated for a moment, she would probably get a little better hunting when it cooled off some. I’ll probably see better hunting after the air has cooled off a little. I’ll come with you back to camp, I’m sure there’s a patrol I can join in on. Foxswipe stood and glanced back in the direction of camp, waiting patiently for the apprentice to follow.

TAGGED: Katara // NOTES: --