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Post by frostpool on Dec 30, 2007 20:02:31 GMT -5
Songpaw dashed out of the apprentice's den, her deep amber eyes searching the camp for her mentor, Pantherclaw. Her fiery flame-colored fur bristled with anticipation as she waited for him. Today, she knew, she would start some serious training. She couldn't wait! Sighing, Songpaw sat down in the middle of the clearing and flicked the tip of her tail impatiently. Where was the lazy fur ball? She wanted to use some of her energy while she had it. Narrowing her eyes, Songpaw scanned the camp, hoping to sight a patch of black fur somewhere in the midst of it.[/color]
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Post by :Panther: on Dec 30, 2007 20:16:29 GMT -5
Silent paws touched the earth as he stalked her, unheard by the she-cat. He soft, ginger furred back faced him now as she scanned the terra. Positioning himself in a playful crouch, he slunk closer ... "Boo," he whispered in her ear, smiling deviously. "Ready to start training?" he said in his quiet, yet gruff and rather low, voice. He flicked his tail to her, as if to summon her to follow him. Carefully, his smooth gait lead him to near the edge of camp, nodding for her to come.
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Post by frostpool on Dec 30, 2007 20:29:40 GMT -5
Songpaw nearly jumped out of her fur when she suddenly heard a low voice boom beside her ear. Flattening her ginger autics against her crania, Songpaw whipped around and hissed softly at him, her bright emerald eyes gleaming. "Of course I'm ready, I've been waiting forever for you." When he turned around and beckoned her to follow, Songpaw rolled her eyes upward and padded obediently after her mentor, debating on whether or not she should nip at his tail...
"So, what are we going to do today?" she asked him excitedly, quickening her pace so that she now padded along beside him. She lifted her head and closed her eyes, enjoying the breeze as it ruffled her flame-colored pelt.[/color]
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Post by :Panther: on Dec 30, 2007 21:02:36 GMT -5
"The marsh," he said simply, padding forward, touching the ground lightly, as not to make a sound. This had taken many moons of practice, but it was a technique he had mastered as an apprentice. "I will teach you the art of silent stepping. It is a lot harder then it looks...," he meowed softly. They arrived at a very bracken-covered area. Stones, branches, dead leaves, small prey bones, and patches of water and soft, squishy earth scattered here and there, but as soon as one could step forward, they would make much noise. "Also, we will go over the skill of stalking. They are very useful things -- Used in both hunting and... --," he stopped suddenly, seeming ashamed, then took in a long inhale and sighed. "-- And murder, which I hope you, as a hopefully loyal cat of this clan, will never commit unless completely necessary."
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Post by frostpool on Dec 30, 2007 21:27:32 GMT -5
Songpaw pricked her ears curiously. What is there to do in the marsh? she wondered thoughtfully. She glanced down at his legs and stared in admiration as she noticed how agile and skillful he was. Her question was soon answered as he told her that they would be doing silent stepping. She purred with excitement. She had always been curious about the art of silent stepping, and now finally she'dbe able to learn! She hoped she would be just as good as he was.
She listened silently as her mentor began to speak about what they would do today. When he stopped speaking for a moment Songpaw glanced up at her mentor, puzzled. But what he said next made her understand why he had hesitated. Her sparkling emerald eyes widened. "Of course." she mewed, whiskers twitching indignantly. "I will always be loyal to ShadowClan. And I would never kill unless I had to..." she thought about adding or wanted to but decided not to say that in front of him.
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Post by :Panther: on Dec 30, 2007 21:46:57 GMT -5
"Good," he said gruffly. Images in his mind reminded him of his dead mother and siblings... Their blood spattered randomly on the scenery of where they had laid, dead. I'm lucky I killed him before he killed me..., the warrior thought, shaking his head slowly. "Now, I want you to take 20 steps into that area. The one with all the fragile things in it? Take twenty paces into it, and twenty paces back, and make sure to do it normally, as if you were stepping on normal grass. Oh, and watch out for the mud. You don't want to get stuck in it..." he meowed, his expression weary and unexcited, making him seem like a much older cat than he was. The tom had never really had anyone to talk to, let alone an apprentice, before in his life. Perhaps Starclan was giving him another chance at life. Gradually, he managed a smile as he watched his apprentice guide herself over the field.
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Post by frostpool on Dec 30, 2007 22:27:19 GMT -5
Songpaw nodded in understanding. I can do this... she wanted to impress him on her first try. But she wasn't so sure if she could be able to do that when she hadn't even tried it before. Sucking in a deep breath, Songpaw began to pad normally across the fragile path, wincing when she heard a small crack beneath her pads. Tensing her muscles slightly, Songpaw continued to walk the rest of the way, watching very closely to where she stepped. When she finished with the twenty paces she carefully turned around and began to tread softly back, keeping her eyes solidly fixed on the ground in front of her. When she was done, she glanced back up expectantly at Pantherclaw, waiting for his remark.[/color]
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Post by :Panther: on Dec 30, 2007 22:53:57 GMT -5
"That was... Okay, for the first try. Now, try it again, only with a faster gait...," he murmured to her. She was so young... So uncorrupted by the world. If only he could feel what she felt... "After we practice the stepping, we'll move on the stalking. You don't have to perfect either of the today... This is just the day I introduce it to you, it hopes you'll practice..." Stretching, he let his muscles relax, tucking his feet under him as he laid down. Gentle gaze continued to watch the young femme, as she tried her best to get things perfect. Why does she try so hard?, he wondered.
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Post by xo. ||A Gypsy's Heart|| ox. on Dec 31, 2007 13:13:24 GMT -5
"Okay." Songpaw mewed. Turning around once again Songpaw began to tread faster across the fragile path, wincing everytime she heard a crack beneath her pads. But surprisingly, there weren't as many as last time. She concentrated hard on her gait, but not so that she didn't know where she was stepping. She thought to herself, Easy now, easy...go with the flow. If Pantherclaw can do it perfectly so can I... But she knew it was going to take a lot of practice. When she came back she looked up at Pantherclaw and meowed, "How was that?"[/color]
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Post by :Panther: on Jan 1, 2008 17:24:32 GMT -5
A small smile grew on his face. "Better. It's just something you have to work at. Now... Shall we work on stalking?" he asked her. Stepping gently to end of the field, he turned around, facing the opposite direction. "Now... I want you to try and sneak up on me, without catching my attention. You most likely won't do perfectly on the first try. Oh, and one more thing... Tap my tail with your paw when you reach the other side of the field to 'sneak up on' me," he told the apprentice, closing his eyes, and waiting for her attempt at sneaking.
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Post by xo. ||A Gypsy's Heart|| ox. on Jan 3, 2008 16:03:42 GMT -5
When he suggested they work on stalking Songpaw purred eagerly. Now for the stalking...this should be a little easier. she thought, watching as her mentor padded over to the other side of the field and gave her instructions on how to sneak up on him. She grinned and once he had turned around, sunk low into a crouch, stepping lightly onto the earth with each paw step she took. Light steps...light steps... she thought continuously to herself. When she was close enough to him, she stopped and tapped his tail with her paw, her whiskers twitching eagerly to see how she did.[/color]
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