[♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟]

Back-dated to Leaf-fall 8.
Day 17: Late-blooming plants such as goldenrod, cornflower and beautyberry still give vibrancy to the valley. Prey can still be found foraging for nuts, seeds and berries alike.

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Splash of Leaping Trout

tribe of forgotten waters

[attr="class","splash"]As the Time of Frozen Water drew closer, one would think that the mountains would look dreary and miserable, a habitat waiting anxiously for the season of death. Instead, beautiful flowers dotted the slopes, late-bloomers that unpeeled their petals at the unlikeliest times. A yellow ocean danced in the breeze, providing a beautiful backdrop for the ever-turning cycle of life. Prey foraged for food in the oasis, the instinct deep inside them warning them that harder times were coming. The air was cold, but not bitterly so. Further down the slopes of the mountains, the stony peaks formed a buffer for the coldest winds, keeping the lower areas warmer. It was here that a mountain hare took flight, alarmed by the approach of a patrol of one of his worst enemies: cats. Little did this hare know, these cats were not hunters. Their claws and fangs were reserved only to protect their Tribemates, not to slay creatures for their consumption.

Ebony Shadows on Bright Feathers, or “Ebony”, as she was known, was delighted at the prospect of teaching a to-be the ropes. Even more interesting, this to-be happened to be the daughter of her uncle, so technically speaking, they were kin! Even now that she was finally considered a full cave-guard, it felt strange to think that Splash, the bushy-furred tortoiseshell she-cat that plodded behind her, would never learn how to catch her own prey. Ebony herself had been born in the Clans, where the ranks and roles of subordinate cats were not quite so divisive. Splash seemed to embrace her role whole-heartedly, she hadn't even seemed interested in that hare.

“I think here is about good.” Ebony halted, glancing around the soft, almost level slope. “Soft ground.” She turned to look at the other adults in the patrol, Snake and Lizard. Lizard had her eyes fixed to the sky, ever-vigilent for circling eagles. “So, what are we practicing?” Splash finally asked, her golden eyes bursting with curiousity. “Lizard just said 'skills invaluable to the life of a cave-guard'.” Which, was not much of an explanation. Lizard did not elaborate further.

I got spirit I got wings
I got fire in my lungs

351 mintedstar/fur Notes

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[mintedstar/fur]

Snake Sunning on Rocks
Ships are launching from my chest, Some have names but most do not
If you find one, please let me know what piece I've lost

❖Well, while Snake had slowly been following the small collection of cats, his own eyes had been mostly focused on the sky above. He found himself concerned about the birds that would hunt them not to far off from now. They too would sense that the cold season was coming and they would grow bolder. He didn't like that. It made his pelt prickle, his eyes dart, and his claws dig into the ground just a bit more than they might have otherwise.
Luckily, he wasn't the only one with their eyes on the sky. He shot an appreciative look at Ebony, before he started counting his steps.
One, two, three, four, five.
Five would do. It help. It was just a number, he knew, but he couldn't help thinking that the little ritual made things ... easier to manage. As if this would somehow make training easier.
Speaking of which, Splash had asked a question.
The tom found himself looking first to Ebony, than to Lizard, than to Splash again.
Carefully, he concluded, "Soft ground makes it easier to fall. If you miss."
He looked up again.
"Jumping?"
It was an educated guess for what Lizard intended here.
"Either that, or sparring. A test of strength, regardless."
His words were still wary, waiting to be corrected, but he was confident that his assertion wasn't too far off the mark. It would explain why there was an even amount of cats, not just because it would be helpful should any hawks get too nosey.
"Ebony?" he asked. Lizard hadn't elaborated, but he assumed that since the she-cat had also made a statement that she was aware what this exercise would be about. He would like to be enlightened as well, rather than just taking stabs in the dark. Even with experience with different situations, he didn't like surprises very much.

He/Him ❖ Tribe of Forgotten Waters ❖ Cave-Guard

_{♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 #311 # TablebyFawn}

[♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟]

[googlefont="Roboto Condensed"][googlefont="Engagement"]

Splash of Leaping Trout

tribe of forgotten waters

[attr="class","splash"][attr="class","splash-content"]Splash had been attempting to imitate Snake, whose eyes never left the sky. Her golden orbs reflected the spattering of clouds, wondering what she would do if she saw an aerial threat for real. Would she truly have the courage to defend her Tribemates, no matter the cost? Or would she succumb to basal instinct, the desire to escape danger, losing all her teachings so far? Not that Rooster had been the most poetic of guides. She loved him, but even Splash could recognise that he was a bit bird-brained sometimes, much like the strutting pheasants for which he was named.

Ebony watched Snake step forward, flicking an ear in acknowledgement, waiting for the training to begin. Splash met Snake’s gaze as his answer came, her golden eyes determined. I won’t miss. She decided firmly, refusing to accept failure. She would make her parents, her Tribe and her teachers proud. Lizard looked thoughtfully at the softened ground and nodded. “Jumping, intimidating. That sort of thing. I was thinking it’d be useful for her to be prepared to face skyward threats.” She explained. “Considering we’re coming into the harder season soon.” Splash felt a spark of uneasiness at that thought. She would rather face a hoarde of rats or any other terrible danger than face an eagle. One that could grasp a single cat in their claws and whisk them away into the sky. She swallowed hard, forcing back her doubt. She would be no use defending her Tribe if she didn’t learn to face such a threat.

The tortoiseshell cave-guard to-be squared her shoulders. “I’m ready.” She told the cave-guards, her bushy tail furling. She was eager to learn what they had to teach her, to transfer their experiences to her own so maybe one day she could pass that wisdom along to yet another cave-guard to-be. As it had always been, and always would be.

I got spirit I got wings
I got fire in my lungs

316 mintedstar/fur Notes

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[mintedstar/fur]

Snake Sunning on Rocks
Ships are launching from my chest, Some have names but most do not
If you find one, please let me know what piece I've lost

❖
It seemed like this was exactly what they would be doing. Snake nodded, spreading his weight a little more evenly. Then he carefully sheathed his claws. Against the hard rock, it was all too likely that they'd get scraped or badly pulled.
"Be aware of the terrain you are working with," he told Splash. His tail flicked, indicating where they were. "Take in as many details as you can and constantly scan for changes."
He waited after that for Splash to comply or for anyone else to give input or to ask a question. He waited also to observe what Splash might do, just in case he had to correct anything.
Then, with that thought out of the way, he said, "What is it about the area that you notice? Is there anything which might be hard to navigate if you had to make sudden movements? Whether that be jumping or dashing?"
He wondered if Splash was going to notice all the fine details that he was trained to. The ground, the wind, the way in which the weather shifted around them. Or something as small as the roots or oversized boulder. There didn't seem to be as much attention paid to such small details anymore - or so he personally thought.
"If you had to suddenly jump to land on a hawk, how would you do it?" he prompted, his paws shifting under him as if it was he who was about to jump on a hawk in this theoretical situation rather than Splash. "How would you make sure your landscape helped you - and what would you have to take note of so you weren't taken off guard by any local situations?"
He was already taking stock of these things. He had no intention of forgetting them while demonstrating.

He/Him ❖ Tribe of Forgotten Waters ❖ Cave-Guard

_{♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 #304 # TablebyFawn}

[♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟]

[googlefont="Roboto Condensed"][googlefont="Engagement"]

Splash of Leaping Trout

tribe of forgotten waters

[attr="class","splash"][attr="class","splash-content"]Splash nodded, her golden gaze sweeping the area that surrounded them. Pineneedles, scattered pine trees, smooth stone and earth blending together to form the flesh of the mountain they stood on. Rustling grasses and mosses. The sky stretching above them, smeared with clouds. Not a movement in sight except for the small group of cave-guards perched in this particular area. The other two cave-guards let Snake take the lead, nodding sagely at his points and seemingly thinking of nothing as yet to add.

Splash of Leaping Trout had to think hard to answer that question, her tufted tail sweeping the ground as the gears in her young mind turned. "It's very rocky, which can make it tough underpaw?" She suggested, nose twitching. "Very open, maybe we could be easily spotted by danger." When she hesitated a moment too long, Ebony piped up. "We'd also have very few places to run to if danger did appear." She pointed out. "If say, an eagle were to attack, where would you direct Prey-hunters towards? Where would you yourself escape to?" Splash paused, squinting harder at her surroundings. "Could we... maybe that pine tree?" She suggested, pointing the tip of her tail. She was always surprised by how much detail went into being a cave-guard. It wasn't all just about brawn and muscle.

When Snake prompted her again, she took a breath, hoping she was at least hitting some of his expectations. "That boulder could give me an advantage on height." She meowed, nodding at the collection of rocks jutting out of the ground. "I could jump on it and kick off, give myself some extra power." She looked at Snake expectantly, waiting for him to correct her or give her some form of encouragement. Or perhaps point out all the things her young eyes had skated over that his keener, more experienced perception picked up with ease.

I got spirit I got wings
I got fire in my lungs

314 mintedstar/fur Notes

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[mintedstar/fur]

Snake Sunning on Rocks
Ships are launching from my chest, Some have names but most do not
If you find one, please let me know what piece I've lost

❖
"That's good," Snake said, his tail flicking. There was even a brief smile from him, even though he wasn't exactly certain how best to praise Splash of Leaping Trout.
"The rock is certainly something to watch out for. Your size might be an issue, however. Thinking about you, compared to a hawk, and you might want to consider how you are facing the hawk once you have tackled it from the rock."
He waved around with his tail.
"You're smaller - so do as much damage as you can. Drive the bird to the ground. Then you make sure that it is going to stay there."
He indicated the place below the rock.
"Shove it as close to that rock as you can. Even if it struggles free, you'll have time to be able to attack it again. The rock overhang will block its path."
With that, he once again glanced at bony. The other she-cat seemed to have a good set of suggestions as well and he wanted to make sure he could build off of them.
It was good, very good indeed.
"So yes, the boulder is a wonderful idea," he continued. "Anything else you can pick up on? Or would you like to give a demonstration of what you would do?"
He waved an ear toward the boulder.

_{♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 #221 # TablebyFawn}

[♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟]

[googlefont="Roboto Condensed"][googlefont="Engagement"]

Splash of Leaping Trout

tribe of forgotten waters

[attr="class","splash"][attr="class","splash-content"]Splash felt her heart flutter at the validation, her fur fluffing up proudly. The briefest of smiles ghosted across Snake's face, further adding to her sense of triumph. Her confidence grew, golden eyes gleaming with the determination to prove herself further. Ebony noticed Splash's reaction to the praise, and took a mental note of it. The to-be was at risk of becoming big-headed if she let her ego inflate too much, and it was important for the senior Cave-guards to ensure that she wouldn't get too big for her claws.

Splash followed Snake's gaze back to the rock, frowning slightly. "Don't hawks just use their talons to attack?" She inquired. She wasn't sure how much of a danger a tackled hawk would truly be. Ebony shook her head. "Birds of prey carry more danger beyond just their talons." She chimed in. "Their beating wings can hit you and do some damage, not to mention their hooked beaks are perfect for tearing into your fur." Splash looked disconcerted at the thought of such a heavily armed enemy. 

Splash shuffled closer to the rock, examining the place Snake was telling her she should aim to pin the bird. "So we should block its escape? Try to kill it, rather than let it fly away?" She tilted her head. The taking of life was something she associated in her own heart with the actions of Prey-hunters, who were experts at snapping the necks of rabbits and birds alike and bringing them to swift ends in order to feed the Tribe. She had never considered that killing a threat might be something a Cave-guard would have to do. She glanced down at her wide, powerful paws, wondering if she would have the ferocity and speed to shed blood with those pale white claws. Don't be silly. She thought. It's a hawk, not a cat. They have evil, violent hearts.

Splash considered his question a moment before answering. "Not really." She answered, shuffling her paws. "Yes, please demonstrate, I don't even know where to start." She admitted.

I got spirit I got wings
I got fire in my lungs

342 mintedstar/fur Notes

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[mintedstar/fur]

Snake Sunning on Rocks
Ships are launching from my chest, Some have names but most do not
If you find one, please let me know what piece I've lost

❖"How," Snake said, almost a dark tone in his voice, "do you think they kill cats if they only harm with their claws?"
That seemed a bit unfair to Splash, to potentially scare her, but Snake would rather a scared to-be than a dead to-be.
With that in mind, of course, he stood up.
"We would kill the hawk if we can. Of course, unless you are particularly skilled, or lucky, or it is a small hawk, you won't be able to do so at your current size. But pinning it - injuring it - that would scare a hawk or other large bird enough to send it off with some nice scars and fear of cats."
With that little note, he jumped forward and scrambled up the rock. From there, he had a good purchase and a way to look around.
"Hawks also don't like being on the ground. They aren't made for it," he continued.
He waved Splash over with it tail.
"Stand near the base of the rock." A brief blink then he added, "I won't jump on you, but I want you to be able to see what I do."
His muscles were bunched, ready. He picked an invisible point in the sky. Then his legs bunched under him and he leaped.
He made sure to (at least try) take the position he would if he was jumping onto the back of an actual hawk. Invisible bird driven to the ground, he pushed the same invisible beast toward the place where the rock touched the ground. After he'd pawed the air a bit, he sprang away, clear of where he'd been, and then finally looked at Splash.
"Like that."

He/Him ❖ Tribe of Forgotten Waters ❖ Cave-Guard

_{♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 #283 # TablebyFawn}

[♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟]

[googlefont="Roboto Condensed"][googlefont="Engagement"]

Splash of Leaping Trout

tribe of forgotten waters

[attr="class","splash"][attr="class","splash-content"]And just like that, her cockiness vanished like a breath on the wind. "I-I..." She bristled, her pale eyes flashing with a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. She had been doing so well! She raised a white chin, her whiskers trembling with nervousness as an insolent thought rose to her mind that she fought to hold back. But it was too late, the words burst out of her in a momentary flash of temper that she instantly regretted. "I don't know, because you're supposed to be teaching me." The moment she said it, she could feel herself shrinking back into her thick fur.

"Splash", Lizard's warning tone was dark. "You're to speak to Snake and your other seniors with respect." The tabby she-cat made a mental note to report the to-be's cheek to Rooster. For now, she glanced at Snake, letting him decide as the patrol leader how to respond.

Splash dipped her head, tufted ears flattening to her head. Bird-dung! She'd made a complete mess of this training session. A flicker of fear lit in her heart. Skyteller wouldn't exile her for this, would he...? Of course not. Don't be silly. But the barest thought of potentially losing her place in the Tribe was enough to send a prickling sensation over her pelt. Desperate to regain the favour of the patrol, she payed close attention to Snake's demonstration, her eyes locked onto every subtle movement the tom made.

She stood near the base of the rock, her gaze following him as he leapt into the air and brought down the invisible bird. She could imagine the furious creature being wedged in against the boulder, shrieking its displeasure. She nodded, then climbed up the boulder as he did, her white paws gripping the stone. She looked up at the blue expanse of sky, imagining a hawk were bearing down on... Dawn. She imagined her sister, too focused on hunting to even notice the imminent danger swooping in from the skies. Her expression hardened with determination as she bunched her muscles to spring.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Diceroll (Jumping check)}L_8z1fTQ14-14 -2 = 12

She lashed out with her back paws to kick off the stone wall behind her in an attempt to gain height, but her bulky fur hindered her far more than she expected and she found herself falling short of where she was aiming. Unsheathed claws swiped at nothing, too far from where the imaginary hawk would have been. Landing with frustration, Splash flicked her tail back and forth. She knew even before either of her teachers said it. Had she been defending a real prey-hunter from an attack... she would have been too slow. Lizard opened her mouth to speak, but whatever criticism the molly was about to deliver, Splash didn't want to hear it. Before a word could be uttered, Splash lined herself up against the rock with golden eyes sparking like fire. This time, her attempt would blow the last one right into the sky.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Diceroll (Jumping check)}1-20 -2 = 17

This time, she kicked off with more force, managing to propel herself upwards with far greater thrust. She landed neatly, claws still unsheathed, panting from the effort. But there was no mistaking the gleam in her eyes as she faced Lizard, ears perked. "How was that?" She grinned. If only Dusk or Snow had been there to see that jump!

I got spirit I got wings
I got fire in my lungs

549 mintedstar/fur Notes

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[mintedstar/fur]

(Welp. All the coding decided to break for unknown reasons.)

This was the point where Snake's tail twitched in mild amusement. It was almost a delayed reaction from the lip that Splash had given him before.
"It's difficult to teach jumping without practical application," he admitted. "You did well to recover from your original attempt."
He moved to stand by her, positioning himself in such a way that he suddenly looked threatening and perfectly willing to attack her.
"Now me," he said, an expression on his face in a very good mock up of defiance and fury. "I'm the hawk. What would you do against me?"
It was likely to be better if she actually had something to aim for. This was the basics and she would do a lot better to have a chance to attack a target rather than the air.
"Claws sheathed," he reminded her. Just because he wanted to train her didn't mean he wanted to come out of it with scars.
His paws were placed carefully on the ground, splayed to best allow him to jump higher and to keep himself from sliding across the uneven ground. Splash would do well to mimic the movement, but Snake didn't prompt that. He wanted to test her. He wanted to see if she could observe his actions and he wanted to see if that would frustrate her too, if he didn't tell her how best to stay on her feet against a physically present danger. It was best that he learned how she needed to be taught now, rather than later.
Either way, his fur was puffed up, his back arched, looking bigger. There weren't a lot of ways to look like a large bird other than by looking larger.

♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 #283