Show Me What You Can Do [Echo]

[DanaBelle]

Echo

Falconwing isn't the nicest tom. ^^

but I thought that, slowly, he would grow to like Owlpaw because he's not the "typical" hyperactive apprentice he dislikes.
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Falconwing trudged through the snow, leading his apprentice forward with his nose directing the way. His gaze traveled to the birch trees looming over them, heavily burdened with snow. The wind through the branches moaned like cats, withering in pain, and it sent a chill down his spine. He despised Leafbare.

"We'll begin with hunting." the sound of his paws crushing the soft white dust beneath them ceased. "I want you to scent the air, and tell me what you smell." he turned around to face Owlpaw, his black pupils narrowing in on the brown and black tom.

Falconwing didn't know whether Owlpaw was upset that he had gotten him as a mentor or his face was just frozen into that expression because of the cold. Either way, he could care less. He just had to look like a good mentor and make sure the tom didn't die before his warrior ceremony. The orange warrior liked this quiet and headache free start. The last thing he had wanted was an apprentice that would talk his ears off.

[Echo]

OOC: Owlpaw has a lil' plot going with his family where his father doesn't like him so he became pessimistic, but maybe Falconwing can become the only person he trusts and likes X3 Owlpaw could open up to Falconwing a little bit more than he opens up to anyone else

IC:
Owlpaw followed his mentor through the snow, letting out small sighs multiple times along the way. He knew he was probably going to mess up and disappoint his new mentor and his whole clan.

Owlpaw sniffed the air and thought he caught scent of a mouse, but he was probably wrong so he just shrugged and looked down at the snow. 'Wait a second' he thought 'There are little tracks in the snow! Small mouse tracks!' A spark of excitement formed in his brain, but it died out quickly instead of lighting a fire. He pointed at the tracks in the snow. "Is that a mouse track?" He asked in a monotone tone.

[DanaBelle]

That sounds good. ^^
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Falconwing awaited for what he saw other apprentices do. Jumping up and raising their voices, scaring prey away before they could even learn to stalk. He was very well prepared. Or so he thought.

"Is that a mouse track?"

Owlpaw's reply left him momentarily speechless. His voice was monotoned. Sheer bliss to the older tom's ears. "Good,” the ginger warrior nodded approvingly. "They are, in fact, mouse tracks." His small ears moved towards the scritch-scratch of a critter a few fox-lengths from the mentor and apprentice.

His body dropped, prostrate to the ground, his belly grazing the snow. A feathered, ginger tail signaled the brown and black apprentice to watch before it mirrored the rest of his body. Rolling through the inside of his paws, he crept forward steadily. The movements that followed melted together to create an altogether fluid display of prowess in stalking. Falconwing closed in on the unsuspecting creature and in mere blink of an eye he had the mouse beneath his claws, very much dead.

A cold pair of eyes looked up from the kill in the paws of the owner. ”Now it’s your turn,” his narrowed gaze locked with Owlpaw’s eyes. ”Show me what you can do.”

[Echo]

Owlpaw was a little distraught that his new mentor hunted the prey he had found, but he shook it off and sniffed the air again. He picked up the scent of a mouse again, no longer doubting his senses.

His eyes searched carefully around the surface of the snow. He saw a slight bit of movement a few tail lengths away. Green eyes that had previously been drained of all their curiosity and excitement began to glow with elation. A flame of thrill raced around his skin, and electricity crackled in his brain. For the first time in a long while, Owlpaw felt alive. He was completely focused on catching this small, tasty creature.

Every hunting instinct he had ever picked up via watching other apprentices or playing with moss balls began to show. He stalked slowly towards the tiny, squeaking prey, then gathered himself on his haunches. He unsheathed his claws and felt them slide into the snow. A barely noticeable smile lifted at the end of his mouth.

In less than a heartbeat, the mouse was under Owlpaws paws, dead. He felt a flicker of pride before the wildfire that hunting created was smothered, and he went back to being his old, sad self.

Owlpaw turned to his mentor and waited for his reaction. He guessed that Falconwing would just shrug and give a weak "Nice job" or "Way to go".

[DanaBelle]

Falconwing watched with narrowed slits. Owlpaw crouched and stalked the mouse, advancing slowly. His eyes calculated some mistakes as he did so. In a heartbeat the young tom had caught the prey successfully. Impressive.

The warrior waited for the shrieking of excitement and the ego to flare up but he was left again with a simple look from the brown and black apprentice.

"Good," he paused. "but not good enough." the orange tom padded over, looking down his nose at the apprentice. "Your tail wasn't leveled and that caused your lower back to rise. You weren't soundless and there were numerous posture flaws. We'll work on it until you're perfect." He didn't want his teaching methods to be questioned by others.

Raising his head he saw the darkening sky and the daylight ours fleeting swiftly. It would be dark by the time they reached camp. but he wouldn't budge until he taught Owlpaw to hunt properly. "Again." He demanded, lowering his head.

[Echo]

Owlpaw cringed as he was told all the things he did wrong. His face contorted as the harsh words of his mentor seemed to gain life and swarm around the new apprentice like bees. They closed in on him, laughing, growling, filling him with pain. They told him he would never be good enough. They told him he would never gain his fathers respect. They told him no one cared. Owlpaw thought he had done good - he caught the prey! Isn't that all that mattered?

"Again." He heard the command. Owlpaw looked up at Falconwing to see he was looking down his nose at the brown and black apprentice. The few sentences his mentor had thrown at him several heartbeats before began to possess Owlpaw's body. They crawled into his skin, floated up to his head. They made things become even more real; Owlpaw now knew there was no hope for him and his father. They would never develop a bond, just as his mentor would never approve of him and he would never become a noble warrior. Just as he would never bring anyone happiness, only immense amounts of sorrow. If Owlpaw couldn't catch a simple mouse correctly, he would never walk the path of life correctly.

Owlpaw didn't want to reassure himself with stupid things like "Every apprentice messes up in the beginning" or "You'll get there, keep your head up". He didn't want to fill himself with lies. He was born a nothing, and he will die a nothing.

He slumped sadly through the snow, sniffing the air. He caught sent of yet another mouse. Maybe mice would be the only he would ever be able to catch. A clan couldn't survive off mice. They needed squirrel, thrush, rabbits - tastier things with more sustenance.

Slumping down into a hunters crouch, Owlpaw locked his eyes on the skinny rodent. He tried to work out his posture, leveling his tail as best he could so his lower back stayed down. He attempted to be as soundless as possible as he crept forward. He hoped his posture was okay as he leapt at the mouse. Tiny black eyes flashed a horrified look at the apprentice as his paws came crashing down upon its weak bones. It died instantly, frozen in a terrified stance. Owlpaw sighed sadly. 'I'm so sorry' he thought, but he knew it was only natural for predator to hunt prey.

This time he just sat in front of the prey and looked down. He couldn't bring himself to look into Falconwing's eyes, not if the gaze would be returned with disappointment.

OOC: I had a lot of muse so I decided to make Owlpaw become dramatic xD

[DanaBelle]

Forgive the delay. ^^

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The warrior watched with a vacant gaze as his apprentice attempted once more to perfect himself. He was expecting the same results as prior but was surprised at the precision and poise that was evident in the young cat as he stalked the mouse. Soundless, flawless, and frightening. There was a fire in Owlpaw. That, Falconwing now understood. The younger tom may be placid and indifferent -outwardly, but there was...something. A thirst -almost. Whatever it was, he was glad it was present.

“Excellent.” the cold facade broke and he held a sly, half-smile. “You take direction well. Keep it up and you’ll be a warrior sooner than you think.” The last bit of confirmation that the ginger tom needed had fallen in place and he knew now that he could push Owlpaw to great
lengths. I’ll make a warrior out of you. One that would raise his head in pride.

“I was going to wait until tomorrow, after the dawn patrol, but seeing as you’re warmed up let’s take it up a notch.” he raised his head to the sky and used his muzzle to point towards the web of tree branches intertwined. “The squirrels will soon be asleep,” There might only be one out. If we’re lucky. he nodded at the slithering darkness creeping across overhead, “we’ll need to move fast; before they return to their nests.” He shot off his feet at the sound of scratching claws, and up the nearest tree. Branch after branch, like a spider in it’s web, he weaved his way through. Silently, body low, tail moving to match his strides, paws rolling through the back, and in a flash he had the rodent by it’s head. His fangs tore the veins and tissue, the blood flow completely cut off. The squirrel dangled from his jaws. Lifeless, dead.

Apprentices usually did not hunt in the trees in their first sessions. Hunting and climbing combined was most difficult, even for LeafClan cats. but Falconwing wasn’t a typical mentor, and he knew Owlpaw wouldn’t complain.

“Let’s see you give it a try.” the older tom called down, the squirrel lodged between his tail and a branch. He hoped there would be another one nearby, if the apprentice couldn’t detect anything they would have to go back and try tomorrow.