Creekpaw training with Silentwhisper

Silentwhisper yawned and entered the area where he would be training his first apprentice. He was excited deep down but he tried not to show it. Picking up the scent of a small mouse on the way, just to amuse himself he started to chase it and later kill it. Dropping it on the forest floor he sighed and waited once more.

Creekpaw padded into the training area. His pelt was prickling with excitement. He glanced around the clearing, finding no trace of his mentor but a fresh scent. He paced around, thoughts buzzing in his head. I wonder what I'll learn! Hunting, fishing, fighting. It's all so cool! I can't wait! The large gray apprentice sat down on a root, his amber eyes darting around. He finally spotted Silentwhisper, impatiently waiting with a mouse at his paws. Creekpaw stood up, dashing eagerly over to his mentor.

Silentwhisper saw his apprentice in the distance and got to his large paws. He pushed the dead mouse body and offered it to Creekpaw. "Good morning Creekpaw. Anything you have in mind you would like to practise at today?" He asked the young apprentice. He could remember that his first lesson was hunting though he could not remember his first prey.

Creekpaw bent down over the carcass, taking quick, famished bites. He sat up, cleaning the blood off of his mussel. "That mouse just made me want to hunt!" he said, his gray pelt quivering with excitement. The large gray apprentice stood up, looking up at Silentwhisper with eager amber eyes.

Silenthwhisper nodded to Creekpaw. "The first thing i learnt was hunting too!" He told his apprentice. He then walked over to the middle of the clearing. Sitting down he asked, "What can you smell Creekpaw? Use your nose and listen with your ears!"

Nodding, the large gray apprentice raised his mussel to the air. He drew in a deep breath, examining it. Deer! "I smell a deer, a doe and a fawn," he said, signalling with his sleek gray tail to a section of the forest a little ways off. "I think they're foraging," he said, whispering now that there was prey around.

Silentwhisper sniffed the air. The apprentice was right. But he could also smell a rabbit. "Maybe we should go for a smaller option first and then work our way up to size." He told him. "Take a deep breath and sniff again."

Nodding, the large gray apprentice lifted his mussel. The chilly leaf-bare winds whipped against his face, stinging his eyes, but also bringing scents of prey. He sniffed, scenting a nearby rabbit. "Rabbit," he murmured, angling his ears at a shivering bush a few tree-lengths away.

Nodding, the large male crouched down. Creekpaw stalked through the undergrowth, his sleek gray pelt brushing past stems that reached out to snag him. The rabbit came in sight. It was a nice plump one, and it was busy nibbling at the grass poking out of the ground near an Ash tree. And it's back was turned. Tensing his mussels, the apprentice launched himself through the air. Unfortunatly, his jump didn't have enough power, and his hind paws brushed the earth, alerting his prey. But he was already on top of it. He flipped it over on it's back and slashed it's throat, killing it instantly. Swollen with pride, he crouched, sinking his fangs into the fresh-kill, and carryed it back to Silentwhisper. Blood pooled temptingly in his jaws, but he dropped it at his mentor's paws anyways.

Silentwhisper nodded at the apprentice. "I'm sure you see what you have done wrong there. Your jump was not powerful enough so therefore you alerted your prey. Its best to work on that." He sighed with another nod. He then pretended that a branch was prey. He stalked it before demonstrating a jump that the apprentice should master. He got up and faced his apprentice. "Now try and copy what i did."

Nodding, Creekpaw crouched. His tail tip twitched, anxious for him to pounce, but he made sure to bunch his muscles more this time. He leapt, soaring across the ground and landing, his front paws planted firmly on the branch. He glanced over his shoulder, his sleek gray tail thumping against the ground.

Silentwhisper nodded triumphantly. "There, you've got the hang of that now." He looked down at the apprentice. "Now try again and listen out for prey. Use your nose and i want you to do the best jump you've ever done." He could smell a water vole in the air. Afterall they were not far from the river. He could also smell a mouse.

Creekpaw listed his mussel into the air. He could still smell the faint sniff of deer, but by the look on Silentwhisper's face, he wanted his apprentice to go for something smaller. He caught the strong whiff of vole and mouse. Sniffing low to the ground, he followed the scent trail of his prey, until she caught sight of the plump brown water vole, sniffling at the roots of a Pine tree. Crouching down, he stalked his prey, until he was so close he could see its chest rising in falling as it breathed. Bunching his muscles, he sprang, landing squarely on the vole's back. He snapped his head forward, fastening his teeth in its neck. He stood up, holding the limp vole in his jaws.

Silentwhisper smiled triumphantly as his apprentice made a perfect kill. "Congratulations," He smiled. "On your first successful kill. Now I can tell you would like to try something bigger in size? Well I'm allowing you to go for medium sized prey which is at least a little fawn." He could indeed smell a fawn and he could just hear the clatter of hooves in the distant.

Creekpaw nodded. His sleek gray tail wagged in excitement. Picking up the scent of the doe and fawn he had picked up earlier, he stalked through the brush. He paused, pricking his ears for the sounds of hooves stamping against the earth. Sure enough, there they were, just a few tree lengths away. The large apprentice creeped closer to the fawn, whish had strayed from the doe's side in search of its own meal. He paused, waiting in the undergrowth, until it had wandered closer to him. It was only a tail length away now. Holding his breath, he bunched his muscles. He flew towards his prey, flying clear of the grass. He slammed into its side, barreling the fawn over. It thrashed and kicked, trying to squirm free, but its attempts were futile. He slashed a hole in its neck, blood spattering his claws. Grabbing the lifeless body, he hauled it back to Silentwhisper, setting it down.

Silentwhisper chuckled with surprise as Creekpaw brought to him he lifeless body of a fawn. But before he could answer he pricked his ears up in alert. The fawns mother was storming along with the rest of her herd. She took one glance at her child and cried out. "Quick... Run!" He yelled to Creekpaw as a male deer with sharp antlers ran towards them. He took the body of the fawn and dragged it along turning around corners and looking back at his apprentice.

Creekpaw yelped with alarm as the herd stampeded towards Silentwhisper and he. The large buck at the front, leading the deer, pointed its antlers at the two wolves. Before he could react, his mentor had scooped up the fawn and had sped away. Grasping the vole and rabbit in his jaws, the large gray apprentice dashed after Silentwhisper.

Silentwhisper panted heavily as he hid with the fawn in a Bush. He watched as his apprentice reached him and sighed with relief. "Next time make sure they really can't see you." He coughed.

(do you think we could train with Fangclaw and Sparrowpaw?)

Creekpaw dashed around in the forest, spotting a quivering bush where Silentwhisper had dived in. Swerving to the side, he slipped under its branches and skidded to a stop inside of it. He left the rabbit and vole drop from his jaws. He pricked his ears. The pounding of hooves was getting fainter and fainter. "They're gone," he breathes, his sides heaving.

(Sure)

Silentwhisper smiled at his apprentice. He was sure he could scent Fangclaw not so far away and had a thought. "I've got an idea," He announced. "Fangclaw starts training with Sparrowpaw today right? Why don't we carry on our next training activity with him?" And without waiting for the apprentice's reply he followed the scent, still dragging the fawn.

Creekpaw's tail thumped the ground. I'll get to train with Sparrowpaw! he almost yipped aloud. He watched as Silentwhisper padded out of the bush, dragging the fawn with him. He grabbed the rabbit in his jaws, not before snapping up the vole as a quick snack first. He trailed after his mentor, excitement bubbling in his large body.

~Fangclaw and Sparrowpaw's training thread~

Silentwhisper padded into the clearing. He sat down and scratched his ear with his back paw. He was going to teach Creekpaw offensive fighting now. He had planned it all out in his head.

Creekpaw padded back into the training clearing. He saw Silentwhisper, his back turned. Crouching down, he stalked forward, until he leaped. He aimed for his mentor's tail, reaching downward at his paws to give it a quick nip. "So what's next?" he asked.

Silentwhisper thought for a moment. "Whatever you desire." He shrugged. "Your hunting is great so maybe me should focus on fish now? I've only tried it once or twice so we could both learn something." He moved over to the river and dipped his head in the cold, icy waters. He saw a fish peacefully swimming by and lunged at it. He caught it in his jaws and sunk his teeth in to stop the fish from struggling. "Your shot." He shivered, shaking the water off his dark head and laying the fish carefully down.