..Hunting..

[SilverSTAR and SoulWIND!]

**Braveshadow, the senior, muscular white tom watches Goldenheart from a distance. He smiles as he then silently walks over to the she-cat, purring.** Hello Goldenheart. How is everything? **He asks with a calm voice, yet still having some respect in it because he was talking to the deputy.**

[Goldenstar]

*She is partially roused from her keen watching of fish by the purr, but not enough. She snags another, smaller fish, a perch, and kills it while it flops beside the other before she notices him.*
Oh, I'm sorry, Braveshadow, what?

[SilverSTAR and SoulWIND!]

~~~~~~~Later~~~~~~~


**Silvertail rushes into the hunting ground, her apprentice Breezepaw following, with her eyes glowing with joy she has a little companion to train. Then she stops at the river, and observes the flow of it. The current was not strong by the shore, but it surely was strong in the middle.** Come on Breezepaw! There is a lot to learn!

[Breezepaw & Inkpaw]

*Breezepaw stumbles to Silvertail, surveying around her cautiously, because she has never been outside the RiverClan camp. She hears the gentle murmur of the flowing river nearby and prickles her ears slightly. The female cat looks at her mentor, tilting her head.*

Well, here I am, can we start, please?

[SilverSTAR and SoulWIND!]

*Taking in all the smells, Silvertail grins at her apprentice, looking out towards the massive river.** My apprentice, /this/ is the great river of RC. It has been here for many generations, and is the main sourse for our food. In this river there are dozens of fish, and one might think that's that eh? Well guess again my friend. There are many other greater things too. Like... **she jestures her tail to have Breezepaw look beyong the River.** Breezepaw, beyond this river are cats. Another group of cats. They are known as, ThunderClan. But back to our main lesson; not only is this river good for us, it also can be very dangerous. Many a cat has died in these exact waters, and others badly wounded. But one should not be afraid, one must be bold, brave, and always awhare of what is going about you. Because when you become a warrior, and when you go to battle, *she walks around in a rather silly way* you must not be like a kittypet, just being clueless and not cognicent. Because if you do..... **she pretends to faint like a kittypet, landing with a thump, hoping breezepaw will see the humor in what she is saying** this will happen! **She gets up chuckling, then returns to her orrigional state and grins** Again, if you just be strong in what you do, be silent on your paws, quick to thinking and not be a little kittypet, you'll be just fine and on the right track! Again, surely you must be thinking 'why is Silvertail telling me all about this?' here's why: I am preparing you for... **She looks at her apprentice in the eyes.** For your first hunting lesson!

[SilverSTAR and SoulWIND!]

*Taking in all the smells, Silvertail grins at her apprentice, looking out towards the massive river.** My apprentice, /this/ is the great river of RC. It has been here for many generations, and is the main sourse for our food. In this river there are dozens of fish, and one might think that's that eh? Well guess again my friend. There are many other greater things too. Like... **she jestures her tail to have Breezepaw look beyong the River.** Breezepaw, beyond this river are cats. Another group of cats. They are known as, ThunderClan. But back to our main lesson; not only is this river good for us, it also can be very dangerous. Many a cat has died in these exact waters, and others badly wounded. But one should not be afraid, one must be bold, brave, and always awhare of what is going about you. Because when you become a warrior, and when you go to battle, *she walks around in a rather silly way* you must not be like a kittypet, just being clueless and not cognicent. Because if you do..... **she pretends to faint like a kittypet, landing with a thump, hoping breezepaw will see the humor in what she is saying** this will happen! **She gets up chuckling, then returns to her orrigional state and grins** Again, if you just be strong in what you do, be silent on your paws, quick to thinking and not be a little kittypet, you'll be just fine and on the right track! Again, surely you must be thinking 'why is Silvertail telling me all about this?' here's why: I am preparing you for... **She looks at her apprentice in the eyes.** For your first hunting lesson!

[Breezepaw & Inkpaw]

*Breezepaw's golden-greenish eyes go wide from excitement and surprise. She had listened to her mentor carefully, though she couldn't help her thoughts wander and imagine the cats, who have serious-looking wounds all over their bodies after battles and crossing the treachery river. The apprentice glances at the river, which is like the axe with two edges: the source of food, it holds ThuderClan away from RiverClan territory, but it's the enemy at the same time... She shakes her head and her hackles has raised slightly, but she relaxes and let them fall down. She sucks every word from Silvertail, though Breezepaw lets her thought wander. But the last words of her mentor invade her mind faintly.Again, surely you must be thinking 'why is Silvertail telling me all about this?'. She gives her the warrior a puzzled look, showing she had guessed right.*

Wow! My first hunting lesson!

*The apprentice swells from pride and puffs her white chest forward, showing she is worth training.*

[SilverSTAR and SoulWIND!]

**The warrior smiles as her tail points to the forest of RC's hunting territory. purring the she-cat grins** Breezepaw, since this is your first lesson, we will have to start in the forest. Perchance in a moon we can start the river, but first you must know the basics. Come! Lets start! **She stands up and starts walking towards the trees**

[Breezepaw & Inkpaw]

*Breezepaw bounces after her mentor, her tail is hold high, the young cat is totally excited. She takes care she doesn't bump into Silvertail, who walks ahead of her calmly. She glances at the group of the trees, the place where they are travelling at the moment. Breezepaw lets her thought to slip and she imagines herself stalking a too-careless mouse and or a shrew... She sees herself in her mind, watching at her prey, preapring to jump onto it and pin it against the hard ground... Breezepaw imagines the proud on the face of Silvertail as the warrior notices her apprentice's first prey. The grey and white cat purrs at the picture of herself standing in front of her mentor with a huge pile of mice, shrews and voles...*

[Saltpaw and Co.]

*Saltpaw slows down when she gets out the exit of the RC camp.* Hey Breezepaw! Where should we start?* Just as she says this a scrawny mouse scurries past. Saltpaw leaps, claws outstretched but completely misses and lands on her nose.* OWCH! Hmm, maybe you can give me a few tips on how to catch these mice. I sure hope so. I'm really bad at this. * Saltpaw looks down at her paws and sighs wistfully.* I wish I had someone to tech me how to do these sort of things.

[Breezepaw & Inkpaw]

~~~LATER~~~
*Breezepaw pads calmly to Saltpaw, who looks quite miserable, because her prey had escaped from her deadly grip. Or maybe not so deadly, they killed prey rather by biting than clawing it apart. The young apprentice purrs encouragingly and bestows an awkward glance to her fellow RiverClan apprentice. She glances ahead of them, the landscape to see where the mouse got to, but gives up, because it is well away by now.*

Well, I am not good at this, either, but I could try... Look, you have to be very careful that the prey doesn't sense you before you attack it, so... You have to move carefully and silently.

*She smiles at Saltpaw shyly and nods at another apprentice, giving a sign that she should follow Breezepaw, though Breezepaw hasn't got an idea where they would go, so the result is probably aimless wandering in the territory of RiverClan, but maybe they could catch something, they had to because Fresh-Kill was badly needed in the camp for food of the hungry mouths, for elders, kits and queens. Walking peaceful forward and listening to the sounds of the territory, Breezepaw fits her pace to the light jog, glancing over her shoulder to make sure that Saltpaw can keep up her pace. Her every muscle is tense, she is ready for a chase, ready for react a single, measly movement or sound from some kind of prey, is it a mouse, a vole, a rabbit... Breezepaw can sense the silence, which is present. It is almost pressing. Two apprentices don't speak to each other as they try to track a smell or a sound of small creature. How proud Clan would be of them if they carried lot of prey to home, they would be welcomed warmly and a chorus of purring and praises would be their reward. Breezepaw remembers the most important rule of the Clan, it had been said to her for countless times. Feed the Clan first. None of them could eat after the hunting trip if the other members of the Clan didn't have their part at first.

Pausing to listen to the song of the faint breeze, Breezepaw twitches her tail as a signal to Saltpaw that she should stop too. The apprentice concentrates to the news of the wind, which blows through the bare and abandoned landscape. It contains some faint scents, which is not good, the prey is far away. Turning to Saltpaw, she sighs.*

I am sorry, but I think we have to roam deeper, the prey is scarce in this area.

[Saltpaw and Co.]

OK, I'm determined to get at least two pieces of prey. If I don't I'll um, I'll... I don't know what I'll do. I'll probably end up staying out here for hours because I have to catch at least two pieces. Oh well.

* Saltpaw chatters until she realizes that she might scare away what little prey that there might be. She follows Breezepaw and tries not to crunch on dry leaves. She glances to the right as she thinks there might be something there she creeps up and pounces on the spot she thought she heard something. She rummages around until she decides nothing was there. Discouraged, she walks away.*

[Breezepaw & Inkpaw]

*Breezepaw looks at the fruitless efforts of Saltpaw to get some prey and at the same moment, her heart sinks with a heavy, sad feeling. They are only apprentices, whose hunting knowledge is practically none, so how could they end up to catch something? Following Saltpaw's example, Breezepaw listens to the sounds of her surroundings keenly, trying to pick up the faintest sound. Turning her head, her nose drinks different smells of the environment.*

Well, if you don't mind, I will check further. OK?

*Noticing her voice is mere a whisper, Breezepaw stalks peacefully onwards, moving silently and being aware of any kind of signs, which would tell her, where the prey was: dirt, the disturbed undergrowth. Imagine what they will say if you come back with empty paws. They won't be happy, no, they won't. Then she becomes aware of a small squeak and the sound brings her back to reality. Edging nearer as tip-pawed as possible, Breezepaw catches a glimpse of a mouse. Though it is mere a savory for a big warrior cat, it's better than nothing. The apprentice prepares for the attack and crouches. One... two... three... four...FIVE! Jumping forward and pinning the innocent creature with her lethal claws, she bites it quickly and finishes it. Now she has a piece of prey for elders. Purring contentedly, Breezepaw hides her prey and starts looking for another.*

[Saltpaw and Co.]

*Saltpaw follows Breezepaw further and soon heres a small scuffling noise. Listening intently she crouches, creeping closer. She sees the mouse and pounces and caches it. She nips it and kills it instantly. Pulling her head back she looks at the scrawny mouse with disgust.* Isn't there any good prey these days? I'm begining to wonder. *Saltpaw hurries to catch up with Breezepaw after burying the mouse. She catches up with Breezepaw and slows down to her pace.* Did you catch anything yet? I only caught a tiny mouse. At least it's still food.

[Breezepaw & Inkpaw]

Did you catch anything yet? I only caught a tiny mouse. At least it's still food.

*Breezepaw looks over her shoulder and sees Saltpaw has been following her. The apprentice glances at the spot, where she hid her piece of mouse. Of course, she knows that anybody else can't notice the spot than her, but still she wonders if the mouse would still be there, where she buried it, when she would come back. Shaking her head, Breezepaw meows dismissively.*

Erm, I caught a mouse, nothing else, it's really hard to find some proper prey nowadays.

*Twitching her whiskers fitfully, the young cat tries to sense another mouse or vole, but nothing. Then a small wave of fear spills inside her chest. If finding some prey is so hard at this time, when it isn't leaf-bare yet, what itwould be like in leaf-bare? Even harder and more tiring? Breezepaw couldn't imagine it, she is only an apprentice. This is her first winter as apprentice and before she had been a kit and everyone else had made sure that she and other kits as well as queens and elders had got their piece of prey in leaf-bare. Now it is her task to make sure that kits, elders and queens would get some nourishment. But it is a different matter would Breezepaw get enough prey to fill her stomach. Probably not. They have to save it, because catching prey is hard. Then another question occurs to her mind, when they would get out of there? If they caught prey at this pace, the trip would take for hours. The sun would set before they returned to the camp, so Breezepaw estimated.

Stifling a wistful sigh, when she thinks about her kittenhood, which had been lot easier, the apprentice sharpens her mind and scolds herself for such an ungrateful thinking, reminding herself that this life is much better than a life as a stupid kittypet, who don't care much about anything, eating some foul-tasting kittypet food. But soon Breezepaw learns another drawback of thinking when she should concentrate to hunting. She steps onto the dead twig and it snaps loudly. Though the sound is faint, the apprentice feels the silence magnifies the sound louder. It echoes around the landscape (in reality Breezepaw only imagines so) and frightens all the scarce prey. The cat flushes and whispers silently to Saltpaw, who comes behind her.*

Sorry, I didn't mean it.