[training] BrindlexSpotted

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Brindlepelt sat near the entrance of StreamClan's camp. And where was Spottedpaw? She had told her apprentice to meet her here at sunhigh. Brindlepelt would be teaching Spottedpaw the ways of catching birds today.

Brindlepelt flicked her tail impatiently as she waited, she liked being on time and she liked other cats being on time for that matter.

Brindlepelt muttered greetings to a couple of warriors that had returned from a boarder patrol. Oh how she did love being a mentor, the only thing she disliked was that young cats just didn't seem to understand the essence of time.

[thistle.]

Small snores rose from a certain she-cat's muzzle as she slept in a mossy nest, scraps of the green bedding flecking her calico pelt. Her paws twitched as if she were running in her dreams... too bad she didn't know that if the sun didn't wake her up quickly, she would do some real running from an impatient mentor.

Plop.

"Wha- what?"
Spottedpaw sat up bolt right, blinking with confusion as a drop of water dampened her nose. At first, the apprentice's mind was dizzy and she swayed slightly, but she regained her bearings soon enough. Training. "Brindlepelt!" she exclaimed, and dashed out of the den with her fur still messy and unkempt from sleeping. It took a couple minutes to locate the tabby she-cat, but the young'un's yellow eyes discovered her at the edge of the clearing. All her remaining drowsiness forgotten, she pranced toward her mentor and chirruped, "Spottedpaw here, at your service!"

Then she rolled on the dusty earth, continuous giggles escaping from her mouth like she could never stop.

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Brindlepelt watched as her apprentice emerged from the Apprentices' Den in a fluster. She sighed and stood up, hoping to get going as soon as they could. Spottedpaw finally reached her, but it didn't seem as if she was ready for training. Brindlepelt eyed her apprentice, wondering if they would be able to leave camp ever.

"Spottedpaw here, at your service!" Brindlepelt watched as Spottedpaw erupted in a giggling fit, rolling on the ground. Brindlepelt lashed her tail and narrowed her eyes, letting out an annoyed hiss. "Get. Up. We don't have time to act like kits, you've already wasted enough of it!" Her tone was not friendly, in fact it was the complete opposite. Normally Brindlepelt would have let a grin slide onto her face at her apprentices behavior, but Spottedpaw was already late and was causing them to waste more time.

Today was not going to be a good day for Spottedpaw if she didn't shape up. Brindlepelt turned and stalked out of camp, not waiting for her apprentice to follow. Spottedpaw would realize soon enough that she was now alone then track her mentor's scent until she found her. Brindlepelt did not stop all through the forest until she reached the river. She had originally planned to teach bird hunting to Spottedpaw, but you had to have complete peace of mind when you did that. Brindlepelt also knew that the river would calm her. So fish hunting it was.

[thistle.]

Spottedpaw continued to laugh as if she'd never even heard her mentor's angry words, squirming on the dusty earth until her long, calico fur was matted with dirt. Unlike most cats, her coat wasn't short and quite easily picked up grime and dust. She could always clean it out with water, of course, but her pelt just soaked in all of the moisture like a fat sponge.
Hopefully, this lesson wouldn't require any swimming... right?

Just then, she remembered Brindlepelt.
"Hey! Wait wait! I'm coming! Don't gooo!" Spottedpaw flung herself onto all four paws and started running, hurrying to catch up with her mentor. Pink tongue lolling and yellow eyes bright, the youngster raced up to her mentor's side and panted, "What's our lesson today, huh?"

ooc: -zero muse-

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Brindlepelt lashed her tail as Spottedpaw finally reached the river. "What's our lesson today, huh?" Brindlepelt sighed and released her scowl then meowed, "We are fishing." Brindlepelt stood then jumped skillfully onto a rock that rose slightly above the water. The river was calm here and fish flitted about. Brindlepelt reached her paw out and then became as still as a statue. The fish had scattered when she had jumped on the rock but now they returned, thinking that it was safe because there was no more movement.

One fish wandered to close to Brindlepelt and the cat shot her paw into the water, flinging the fish into the air and catching it in her opened jaws. She jumped back onto the shore and killed the fish, leaving it by where she had been sitting before. "After you get skilled at fishing you can catch fish without even getting wet. At your age I was falling into the river, chasing after the fish, all the time, so don't be discouraged if you don't catch one the first time. It took me moons to get that skilled at fishing." Brindlepelt sat down next to the fish and waited for Spottedpaw to try and catch a fish.

[thistle.]

Spottedpaw looked doubtfully at the gurgling river at her place at the edge of the bank.
Should she have a try or not? The answer was pretty clear in the end, but she couldn't help but stall for time. She flicked her gaze back and forth, following the movements of some fish that were brave enough to venture out of their hiding places. Wherever their 'hiding places' were.

Now the steady current almost seemed as if it was laughing at her cowardice, daring the young apprentice closer with the soft splashing of water against earth. The sound was mingled with Brindlepelt's voice falling and rising as she explained about fishing. "At your age I was falling into the river, chasing after the fish, all the time, so don't be discouraged if you don't catch one the first time. It took me moons to get that skilled at fishing."

Some way to reassure a worried, multi-colored she-cat student.

Spottedpaw inhaled deeply and let out a noisy breath, ruffling the surface of the water. Well, it was now or never, though she would've preferred the 'never'.
Raising a white fore paw, she dabbed it experimentally on the top of the stream before she let it completely break through the surface, trying to snag a small, grayish-white blur with her claws.
Nothing.
Spottedpaw withdrew her foot and wrinkled her nose with disappointment. Why was catching fish so hard? Why was catching fish so boring? Why was catching fish so, so wet? For once, the little calico's face held a subdued expression and she mumbled, "Hmmrh. Maybe if they swim a lil closer... an' like a mouse I'll..."

Splash!
Spottedpaw jumped onto a fish that had swam close to the shore and slid her claws out, trying to prick the slimy skin of her intended prey.
It didn't work.
"What?! How come that didn't work, huh? It's supposed to work. A lil, at least, maybe. But still! If the hunting move works with mouses, why not fish?" Spottedpaw whined unhappily, barely noticing that her thick fur was sopping wet and that she was still wading around grumpily in the water.