|
Post by Jade on Jan 8, 2019 7:22:39 GMT -5
“Just...wave your tail around the side of the bush or something,” Fawnpaw replied, realizing her mistake with a self-conscious smirk. She rehearsed her hunting position as she waited for whatever signal might come, dropping into and out of her crouch to keep her legs warm.
|
|
|
Post by 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮 on Jan 8, 2019 10:14:01 GMT -5
Bumblepaw nodded and dropped into his crouch. He slunk off around the bush and watched to make sure that none of the birds inside the bush had noticed him. Once he was around to the other side, he paused for a while so that if any birds had noticed him, they would forget about it. Thank Starclan for the terrible memories of birds. He thought with a chuckle. Finally convinced that there wasn't going to be any problems with the setup, he flicked his tail around the side of the bush and hoped that Fawnpaw noticed it.
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jan 9, 2019 7:21:17 GMT -5
Fawnpaw jerked to attention as a familiar tail peeked out from behind the bush, and she narrowly avoided letting out a squeak of surprise. She gave herself one more moment to ensure that Bumblepaw was ready before launching off with her hind paws. This time, she did let a yowl escape as she bounded at the bush, angling herself onto a path that would take her as close as possible—in case any birds tried to escape in the wrong direction—without sending her face-first into the tangle of twigs. “Fly that way, birdbrains!” She called, then watched triumphantly as a few small shapes alighted from the bush, flapping in Bumblepaw’s direction.
|
|
|
Post by 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮 on Jan 9, 2019 23:52:25 GMT -5
As he heard his sister's yowl, Bumblepaw sprang foward and slammed one of the birds into the ground. Quickly clamping his jaws around it's neck, he finished the job quickly. He glanced around triumphantly, and carried the bird over to his sister. "Good job. Although, you didn't need to compliment it like that," Bumblepaw teased, flicking her with his tail.
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jan 10, 2019 7:27:02 GMT -5
Fawnpaw stuck her tongue out playfully. “I figured that the birds might need a little extra...guidance,” she teased. “But good job to you too, mousebrain.” Giving herself a moment to catch her breath, she shook a stray leaf from her pelt; though she’d managed to keep the birds moving in the right direction without running straight into a bush, her herding efforts had resulted in a fairly close encounter with a few of the branches.
“You both did well,” Firestrike called as he left the vantage point from which he had been watching a few paces away and padded calmly to the pair of apprentices. “Good job with your technique, Bumblepaw—but, next time, try to move a bit faster; you might be able to get two birds in one go. Same for you, Fawnpaw,” he added, turning to address the young she-cat. “If you can maneuver yourself around the bush quickly enough, you might be able to catch something, too. It’s all about efficiency with partner-hunting.” He stepped back. “Ready to give it another go? You can switch roles or keep the same ones.”
|
|
|
Post by 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮 on Jan 10, 2019 10:43:53 GMT -5
Bumblepaw nodded, accepting the comments about his technique and speed. "It's a lot harder than you think it would be, isn't it?" He said, thinking through how he could make himself faster next time. He glanced over at his sister, implying that it was her choice on whether they kept the same roles or swapped.
(Sorry for short reply)
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jan 11, 2019 7:10:12 GMT -5
(All good! ^-^)
“Yeah, it is,” Fawnpaw replied thoughtfully, though she was mostly just grateful not to be the sole recipient of feedback this time. “Let’s go again—same roles,” she decided, perking up. She raised her muzzle slightly and began to sift through the scents that ticked her nose, searching for any sign of another bush that might serve their cause. “I want to try getting around the bush fast enough to catch something—hopefully without smacking into it.”
|
|
|
Post by 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮 on Jan 12, 2019 12:24:17 GMT -5
Bumblepaw grinned and stalked back away from the bush to try to locate another good target. "You didn't do that on purpose? The way you were making a beeline for it seemed like you wanted to run into it," he teased, flicking his sister with his tail as he moved away. He then turned his attention back to locating more birds. He was rather unsuccessful in his attempts.
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jan 13, 2019 11:10:42 GMT -5
Fawnpaw bared her teeth in a mock-snarl, her hazel eyes glittering. “Hey, I had a lot to think about! You had the easy job—all you had to do was jump up and flail your paws around!” Her nose twitched as she caught the scent of bird again, and she closed her eyes, letting her senses sweep out across the forest floor. “Do you see a bush this way?” She asked as she swept her tail to the left. She squinted and padded forward a few steps, muzzle lifted; her nose had always been sharper than her eyes.
|
|
|
Post by 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮 on Jan 13, 2019 15:27:33 GMT -5
Bumblepaw glanced in the direction indicated. He noticed a bush a short distance away and pointed his tail in that direction. "I see one over there. You want to try that one?" he asked, slowing down as to avoid being noticed by any prey in the area. (Sorry for short reply)
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jan 14, 2019 7:19:22 GMT -5
(All good!) “Perfect,” Fawnpaw replied, picking up on Bumblepaw’s cue and dropping her voice to a murmur. “I can go around the other side this time; it looks narrower over there.” With a twitch of her tail in farewell, the tawny she-cat slunk off through the undergrowth, cringing each time that a leaf crackled beneath her carefully-placed paws. Still, every step was quieter, and she soon glided silently into place on the opposite side, a few paces from their target. Satisfied with her position, she peeked her head around the bush, searching for a signal that her brother was ready
|
|
|
Post by 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮 on Jan 14, 2019 9:32:14 GMT -5
Bumblepaw flinched every time that he heard his sister step on a leaf. It forced him to be esspecially self concious about where he was putting his own paws, and slowed him down considerably. Still, he made good progress around the bush, and finally arrived to where he was planning on putting himself. He shifted his back paws so that he would be able to leap at a moments notice, then waited for a bit for the birds to settle down in case they had seen or heard anything from the two cats that were hunting them. When he saw that they were clear, he waved his tail like he had last time.
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jan 15, 2019 7:15:25 GMT -5
Fawnpaw felt her stomach squirm with anticipation when she caught sight of Bumblepaw's signal. She allowed herself the length of one more breath to check her position—tail down, paws in place—before she let out a yowl that she hoped would send the birds fluttering and launched herself at the bush. Careful to watch for any signs of movement this time, the tawny she-cat angled herself toward the flash of flapping wings and traced her way around the side of the bush, herding the stragglers into the open space near Bumblepaw. She broke into a grin despite the tense hunt as she ducked fairly smoothly out of the way of a low-hanging branch and scrambled onward.
|
|
|
Post by 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮 on Jan 15, 2019 10:11:34 GMT -5
As soon as his sister ywoled, Bumblepaw sprang into action. The first bird that left the bush was a goner, but a few flew over his head before he was even done killing the first one. Silently cursing his lack of speed, he noted his sister herding stragglers around and sprang up, taking one of them with him to make his total count two for this session. He knew that by the time he was done killing it, the rest of the birds would be gone, so he finished it off and then looked around to see how his sister had done.
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jan 16, 2019 7:06:34 GMT -5
Fawnpaw drudged up up one last burst of speed as she rounded the edge of the bush. She launched herself into the air, swiped out in front of her, and managed to snag her claws on the wing of one of the last birds to flee the hunting ground before gravity sent her tumbling back to the ground. "I got one!" She announced as she rolled smoothly back to her paws and shook off the leaf-litter caught in her tawny fur. Though she was panting slightly from the fast pace, her face was lit with pride. "Yes!"
|
|
|
Post by 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮 on Jan 16, 2019 20:22:17 GMT -5
Bumblepaw laughed at the sight of his sister and flicked his tail towards the injured bird. "You might want to finish that guy off before he crawls away," he reminded her. He then turned around and collected his two birds and then moved into position to carry them off to the other one. He paused long enough for his sister to claim her catch however.
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jan 17, 2019 7:10:56 GMT -5
Fawnpaw's mouth dropped open in shock, and she scrambled back to her catch, finishing the job with a swift bite. Her ears burned beneath her fur as she straightened up and collected the prey, then trotted after Bumblepaw. "Don't you dare tell Firestrike," she whispered, though her tone was light enough to show that the worst of her embarrassment was already fading. "Or I'll have your tail—and Firestrike will have mine, and we can match," she teased sweetly.
|
|
|
Post by 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮 on Jan 17, 2019 9:44:12 GMT -5
"You would only have my tail if you could catch me," Bumblepaw chuckled playfully. He had no intentions of telling Firestrike, but that doesn't mean that he can't tease his sister. "You never know, maybe I'd get away and it would just be you without a tail."
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jan 18, 2019 7:05:36 GMT -5
“Optimistic of you to think you could ever outrun me,” Fawnpaw teased back, twisting sideways to swing a paw gently at Bumblepaw’s ears. “Especially when I’m angry and tailless!” Her whiskers twitched with amusement, and she came to a halt, dropping into a loose hunting crouch. “Now that my hunting technique is perfect, you and the squirrels won’t stand a chance!”
|
|
|
Post by 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮 on Jan 18, 2019 10:26:42 GMT -5
"Hey, don't lump me in with squirrels," he laughed, flicking her ear with his tail while she was still in her hunting crouch. "Besides, my technique is way better than your's... Clearly," he teased as he continued walking.
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jan 19, 2019 10:54:08 GMT -5
"Yeah, right," Fawnpaw snickered. "Keep dreaming." She opened her mouth to offer another teasing remark—almost dropping her bird in the process—then paused abruptly when she caught sight of a ginger shape approaching through the undergrowth.
"It looks like you both had some success this time," Firestrike called as he stalked over to the pair of apprentices. His eyes glittered with silent pride as he surveyed the results of their efforts; they'd done much better than he'd expected, given that it was only their second attempt. Still, he wasn't the type to shower anyone with praise. "How did the faster pace feel?" He quizzed. From his vantage point, he'd had a fairly good view of the hunt, but he'd been a warrior long enough to know that outward appearances couldn't give the whole picture. "Did you feel any new issues come up?"
|
|
|
Post by 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮 on Jan 19, 2019 18:41:13 GMT -5
Bumblepaw shook his head. "Not really. It definetly took more energy, but there wasn't any real issues with it," he said. He glanced over at Fawnpaw and chuckled. "And this time she didn't run into the bush. That was definetly a bonus."
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jan 20, 2019 8:28:52 GMT -5
Fawnpaw opened her mouth to offer a scathing retort, but she soon found herself cut off by her own laughter. "The key point being," she whined, "that I didn't smash into it this time. It makes it a whole lot easier to catch the birds," she added, half to herself, then straightened up to address Firestrike again. "But, no, there weren't many issues. I think we did well!"
Firestrike's blue eyes glimmered at Fawnpaw's bold remark, but he let the issue slide. The pair had worked impressively well together—especially considering their constant chaff. "I'll take it," he replied. "And I'd say that you two have plenty to bring back to the clan. Are you ready to go?"
|
|
|
Post by 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮 on Jan 20, 2019 22:22:17 GMT -5
Bumblepaw nodded. "I'm ready... Although I might need a bit of help carrying it all back," he said, eyeing the thrid bird. He knew that he was going to have trouble carrying even two of them back, and he knew for a fact that he couldn't carry three back.
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jan 21, 2019 8:40:05 GMT -5
"I'll get it—if you insist," Fawnpaw declared, rolling her eyes with playful reluctance as she eagerly snatched up the second bird and dropped it beside her own. With a bit of careful angling, she managed to gather both in her jaws, though the mouthful of feathers muffled any attempts to speak—perhaps a gift to her companions. "Mblet's bhet going," she mumbled before giving up, grinning around her collection of prey.
|
|
|
Post by 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮 on Jan 21, 2019 19:02:25 GMT -5
Bumblepaw silently thanked Starclan that his sister wasn't able to talk around the birds, and collected his other two. He nodded to Sootstripe to let him know that he was ready to leave, and then waited for his mentor's instructions.
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jan 23, 2019 7:19:06 GMT -5
(Thanks for the patience! Busy day yesterday!)
Firestrike swept one last glance around the surrounding area, then—deeming everything in order—strode off in the direction of camp. "You have a lot of daylight left," he remarked as he paused a few steps ahead, waiting for the apprentices to follow. Indeed, despite the hard work that they had done, the sun had hardly reached its peak in the sky. "Do what you will with it. I'm sure Bramblepath can find a way to keep you busy—or the afternoon patrols will let you tag along if you get tired of lounging around the camp."
|
|
|
Post by 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮 on Jan 23, 2019 19:24:12 GMT -5
(We all have them.)
Bumblepaw nodded, gauging his options. Finally, he decided that helping the medicine cat wouldn't be such a bad idea. He flicked his sister with his tail and nodded towards the medicine cat's den. "Should we help him out for a bit? it wouldn't hurt," he meowed calmly.
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jan 23, 2019 21:17:51 GMT -5
Fawnpaw dropped her prey and stretched her newly-freed mouth wide, silently thanking Starclan that her short-lived bout of silence had finally ended. "Sorting herbs? Are you—No, let's do it," she amended, twisting to brush a feather from her nose with the tip of her tail. Still brimming with energy from their hunt, she honstly wasn't too inclined to spend the next few hours sorting herbs in a stuffy den; still, enough time spent with Bramblepath would surely result in her picking up something useful, wouldn't it? "Maybe he'll send us out to track down rare herbs!" She purred. "Or he could show us all of the best places to find them in case we ever need to do some quick healing during a battle! You have to admit, that would be pretty heroic."
|
|
|
Post by 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮 on Jan 24, 2019 22:30:00 GMT -5
"I don't think that 'quick' healing is a thing. But I don't think that he'll keep us sorting herbs the whole time, that would be a waste of his reasources wouldn't it? I mean, two young apprentices with pleanty of energy to spare sorting herbs for him when they could be out gathering them and running errands for him? do you really think that he would do that?" Bumblepaw said.
|
|