[mousepaw] Good Night, Sweet Mousepaw

[DKT]

“No true warrior need fear the dark.”

Her own mentor taught her that and tonight she would pass it on. The lesson had been an important one for her last apprentice, helping the she-cat learn to conquer her fears. Mousepaw was far less timid, but night hunting was still an important skill. It taught apprentices to turn their weakness into strengths and to use the environment to their advantage. Some took to the lesson quickly, while less confident young ones could be thrown off.

Normally she would have escorted her apprentice to the woods and explained the lesson on the way, but Owlstorm had been unsettled all day. Instead she told them to grab a piece of fresh-kill and meet her here, just inside the woods, where she was standing atop a log and listening for any sign of her charge. Another warrior might have questioned letting such a tiny cat move across the territory on their own at night, but that was weak thinking. On the way here she hadn’t sensed any horrible dangers and, small or not, Mousepaw would need to be able to cope on their own. She was here to turn Mousepaw into a real warrior, not mother them.

And in the time alone Owlstorm could think. No cat knew what happened to Beetlepaw. She’d escaped in a storm, using the weather to wash away her scent. By the time she’d been declared missing, her trail was gone. It was too convenient, too clean. Long claws worked into the bark of the log as though she might reach deep enough to draw blood. She couldn’t let the mystery of her last apprentice worry her, but at the same time…

No. If Beetlepaw did say anything, the she-cat was still a cowardly traitor. Owlstorm, on the other hand, was a capable warrior who served her Clan well. It was time to stop wasting her energy on worrying and concentrate on the apprentice she had here and now. Speaking of, they should be here soon. Much longer and they would have to make a spectacular kill to earn her approval.

[jay]

MOUSEPAW,  they/them/theirs

the small apprentice bounced around fresh-kill pile in excitement. a training session at night with owlstorm! mousepaw was giddy- not many of the other apprentices trained at night. how lucky were they! while mousepaw had some worries about venturing off into the forest at night, they pushed them away- picking up a small finch from the pile. eating mice just didn't seem right. they could do this. mousepaw bit into the small creature with rapid bites, eager to get out of camp. mousepaw, as they were exiting camp, started to feel the adrenaline fading from their body. being alone at night in the forest, when they were first told by their mentor to meet them at the time, seemed fun. but now as mousepaw was tracking their mentors scent, senses high alert and full attention on finding their mentor, mousepaw was having second thoughts. noticing every sound no matter how small, being on edge. but as mousepaw trecked deeper into nightclan territory, their worries faded away and confidence filled their place. they made it this far, right? mousepaw dropped into a crouch, treading carefully now as their mentors scent became stronger- closer. a smirk lifted the corners of their mouth. they could definitely do this. they’d show owlstorm how great of an apprentice they could be! mousepaw paused a few pawsteps away from where they could sense owlstorm was waiting. they pounced ontop of the log- stumbling slightly but quickly regaining balance. “i made it!” mousepaw excitedly meowed- almost shouting. “ha, this was easy!”

[DKT]

Though her night sight was keen, Owlstorm heard her apprentice before she saw them. It was a quiet noise, but the pattern of movement was cat-like and too deliberate to belong to prey. Just to be certain, she turned her head slightly and was relieved: yes, it was just Mousepaw.

She nodded with approval when the apprentice scaled the log, but it quickly soured when they spoke. Somewhere in a nearby tree wings stirred at the noise and an unhappy bird took to the air, though luckily they sounded no warning as they fled. Owlstorm’s ears flattened in dismay and she hissed, “You’ll think it’s easy when you have to hunt prey that’s been scared all the way to the borders!” Still, she didn’t want to extinguish the apprentice’s enthusiasm completely. Sighing to let go of some of her tension, she moved closer to her apprentice and motioned with her tail towards the woods.

“Tonight we will improve your ability to hunt in the dark. For a NightClan warrior, it should be as natural as hunting in the day. Other cats may fear what lurks in the shadows, but NightClan warriors become what lurks here. The dark is a second pelt for us, Mousepaw. In the early moons of the Clans, it is said that NightClan often attacked under the cover of darkness to gain the advantage over our enemies. Even during times of peace, some of us with thicker pelts prefer to hunt this way during greenleaf to avoid the heat of the day, as does some of our prey.”

Though your hunting skills are needed, this takes courage too. The sounds of the day are usually more sinister in the night. And we aren’t the only predators out, so you must be extra alert for badgers or foxes. It takes practice for some, but it comes naturally to many apprentices.” She remembered her own mentor’s pride when she turned out to be a better hunter in the dark than in the day. For Owlstorm, practicing this way helped her markedly improve her abilities on regular hunting patrols.

“So, ready to give it a try? If you make at least two good catches, then I won’t ask for us to be put on the dawn patrol.”