Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Training hollow


The Mentors train their apprentices here, beneath the towering trees. If you have a comment or would like to train your apprentice, post below.

10 comments:

  1. *Takes Emberpaw out to train. Works on hunting skills.* "Step lightly Emberpaw" *Emberpaw stalks a rabbit and with a burst of speed, chases it and swiftly kills it. She pads back the rabbit dangling from her jaws.* "Good job. Sniff the air and tell me what you smell." Rockstar says as Emberpaw covers her rabbit with dirt and leaves to that she can pick it up later. "I smell... mouse, somewhere by that tree." The signals with her head toward a small oak tree. "And I smell... water vole somewhere near the Rocky Oak Waterfall." "Very good. Now go hunt!" Rockstar climbed the nearest oak tree so she could watch Emberpaw. Soon, Emberpaw cam trotting back with a water vole and a mouse dangling from her jaws. "Good job. Now lets take this fresh kill back to camp. You can give it to the queens. I am very impressed by your hunting skills. I am just about ready to make you a warrior." Rockstar gave Emberpaw a wink, picked up the rabbit in her jaws and led Emberpaw back to camp.

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  2. Crowleaf, can I have a word with you? *Rockstar bounds over to the black tom. I would like you to assess Silverpaw today. I have seen her hunt and watched some of her training and I am very pleased at her progress. If everything goes well, she will be made a warrior. But I need to make sure that you think she's ready. *Rockstar stares into the tom's hazel eyes* I agree. I shall asses her after the noon border patrol. *He dips his head respectfully* Thank you Rockstar.

    ~~Rockstar~~

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  3. *Rockstar leads Emberpaw to a shady spot and begins her training.* Today we're going to hunt. I want you to show me your hunting position. *Emberpaw nods and shows her mentor and leader her hunting position.* Now stalk your prey *Rockstar watches intently as Emberpaw stalks around the clearing* Step lighter, I can hear you stalking from over here! That's better, now stalk back and keep yourself low to the ground. *Emberpaw follows her Rockstar's orders and stalks back to the shady spot where Rockstar is grooming a front paw.* That was good, but remember, keep yourself low to the ground so your prey doesn't see you and step lightly it doesn't hear you. Now show me your position again and remember what I told you. *Emberpaw stalks around the clearing, her front paws barely touching the ground and her stomach fur skimming across the ground.* Very nice. Now sniff the air and tell me what you smell. *Emberpaw sniffs the air* I smell mouse...starling...and...shrew. *She reports.* And I can smell the fish stirring in the water. *Rockstar nods after sniffing the air.* Good. Now go and hunt. There are no fish in the fresh kill pile. If you can, please bring some back. I shall send one of the other apprentices to the river to hunt also. I expect you back before sunset. *Emberpaw bows respectfully to Rockstar and trots off into the woods towards the river.*

    ~~Rockstar~~

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  4. Rockstar! *Crowleaf bounds across the training hollow towards his leader* Yes, Crowleaf? Is something wrong? *Rockstar asks in a concerned tone* No. I assessed Silverpaw yesterday. It didn't go well at all. She waited too long to catch a bird and it saw her and let out a warning cry to the whole forest. She came back with not even a single piece of prey. She is not ready to be made a warrior. *Rockstar frowned* Okay. Assess her again in a moon if you think she's ready. *Crowleaf nodded in agreement and bounded off towards camp.*

    ~~Crowleaf~~~

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  5. *Emberpaw and Rockstar bound across the empty training hollow and settle down in the middle of the clearing* Today I'm going to assess you. You are not ready to be made a warrior just yet, but I want to put all you have learned to the test. I will follow you but you won't know I'm there. Find as much prey as possible and bring it back to camp. You can give it to the elders. If your catch is large enough, you can give the rest to the Queens and kits in the nursery. I want you to hunt near the river, catch some fish if you can. Now off you go! *Rockstar gave her chest fur a few rapid licks and watched her excited apprentice bound off into the woods towards the river. After a few minutes, she tracked her apprentice down and sat under some brambles a few fox lengths away from her apprentice. Emberpaw was hovering over the river as it rushed downstream. She stuck an unsheathed paw into the river, but missed the fish. She tried again and caught a small fish, big enough to feed an apprentice. She swiftly killed it and kicked some dirt over it to catch later. She lifted her head into the air and drank in the scent. She immediately drooped into a hunters crouch and stalked a water vole scuffling in the leaves just outside its den. She pounced on the vole and killed it with a swift bite to the neck. Rockstar nodded her head in approval and smiled in admiration. After kicking sand over the vole, Emberpaw moved on up the river. Rockstar waited and then quietly followed her scent until she spotted the white apprentice kicking leaves over a squirrel. Her head immediately shot in the air at the scent and sound of a sparrow. She crouched low into the ground and watched as the little bird hopped around on the ground, scuffling among the leaves for food. Emberpaw leaped and landed on the bird before it could get away. She killed it with a bite to the neck and covered dirt over it. Rockstar watched as she attempted to catch a rabbit, but it got away. She soon caught a mouse and another fish. When Rockstar saw her apprentice scoop up the fish and mouse in her mouth and start back to camp, she took a quicker route back to the training hollow and beat her apprentice there.* Good job Emberpaw. You caught a very nice amount of prey. *Rockstar greeted her apprentice.* Thank you. I wasn't quick enough for that rabbit though. *She looked disappointed.* That's okay. We'll work on it. Now take that to the elders, I'll go back and fetch the rest of your prey. Come back and lend me a paw when you've given that to the elders.


    ~~Rockstar~~

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  6. *Rockstar and Emberpaw lope across the snow-covered clearing and settle down at the farthest end of the training hollow. Hawkthorn and brindlepaw were int he middle of the clearing practicing fighting skills and Crowleaf and Silverpaw were on at the other end of the training hollow, closest to camp, practicing hunting skills.* Okay, today were going to practice catching rabbits. When I assessed you, you almost caught that rabbit, but you were quick enough and you weren't patient, you charged for it too soon. Now, I shall be the rabbit and you stand over there and stalk. I will tell you when to chase after me. *Emberpaw nodded and trotted several fox lengths away from where Rockstar was sitting. She got into her hunters crouch and, stepping lightly, stalked towards Rockstar. When she was about two or three tail lengths away from Rockstar, Rockstar said,* Now. *Emberpaw took off towards Rockstar and Rockstar stood up and sped away. Emberpaw was hard on her heels. Rockstar was suddenly bowled over by the eight-moon-old apprentice. she stood up and shook herself off, giving herself a quick wash.* Good job, *Rockstar said in between rasping licks on her side.* Rabbits will be faster than that, but they won't know you're coming like I did. Now, go and hunt for rabbits, I will follow you and watch from the bushes. Before we return to camp, I want you to catch at least two rabbits. Now, off you go. *Rockstar watched Emberpaw bow and bound off into the woods, after giving her chest fur a few rapid licks, Rockstar sped off into the brambles after her apprentice. When she saw Emberpaw stalking a small rabbit that was sniffing in the bushes near an oak tree, Rockstar immediately got low to the ground and watched. Emberpaw stalked the rabbit until she was about two tail lengths away from it and then she charged. When the rabbit heard her, it shot off but it wasn't fast enough, Emberpaw killed it with a quick bite to the neck and covered dirt and leaves over it to pick up later. She smiled triumphantly. Rockstar emerged from the brambles and congratulated her apprentice.* Very good. Now go and catch some more, I will meet you back at camp. *Rockstar trotted off in the direction of camp. She waited at the entrance to camp for Emberpaw. The young apprentice came trotting out of the bramble, two small rabbits and a large rabbit dangling from her jaws. Rockstar nodded approvingly and Emberpaw smiled victoriously.* You can put that on the fresh kill pile. Take some fresh kill for yourself and get some rest. You will guard the camp from moonhigh tonight until dawn. *Emberpaw nodded and trotted towards the fresh kill pile.*

    ~~Rockstar~~

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  7. Crowleaf and Pebblesong *Rockstar bounds across the Training Hollow to greet the warriors.* I would like you to assess your apprentices. They have reached their tenth moon and are ready to be assessed. If all goes well and you agree that they are ready to be made warriors, I shall give them their warrior names today. *Crowleaf and Pebblesong bow in agreement and trot over to their apprentices.*

    ~~Rockstar~~

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  8. Okay Emberpaw, I'm going to assess you. Go hunt near the river and find as much prey as possible and bring it back to camp. I'll be waiting for you in camp. I'm going to follow you but you won't know I'm there. Off you go! *Rockstar waited until her apprentice had trotted off into the woods towards the river before she followed her. When Rockstar finally caught up with Emberpaw, she was just about to leap for bird. She rocksed back on her haunches and leaped for a sparrow that was perched on a low branch in a tree. She reached out with her her paw, claws unsheathed, and grabbed the bird. She swiftly bit its neck before it could let out an alarm call. She smiled triumphantly, dug a hole, placed the bird in the hole and kicked dirt over it. She sniffed the air again and then immediately got into a hunter's crouch. She pinpointed a vole, stalked, leaped and killed it. After she kicked dirt over it, she sniffed the air and stalked off out of sight. Rockstar followed her being as quiet as a mouse. Emberpaw was stalking a small rabbit when Rockstar caught up with her. She was ducking under grambles as quiet as possible. The rabbit hopped forward a few paces, not knowing she was about to become a meal. When Emberpaw was close enough, she shot off, kicking leaves up as she shed off after the rabbit. She was shortening the distance between them and then she leaped, landed on the rabbit and bit its throat. The body went limp and Emberpaw smiled. She picked it up in her jaws and trotted toward the river to get the rest of her prey. Rockstar trotted back to camp.*


    ~~Rockstar~~

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  9. *Watches Shadowpool and Gorsepaw train. Gorsepaw launches himself at his mentor. Shadowpool dodges and Gorsepaw lands in the dirt with a thud. He stands up, shakes himself off and growls* I can't do it! *Shadowpool glances at Rockstar* yes you can. Just keep trying. Now, don't give away where your target is with your eyes. You need to be quicker! Now, try again. *Gorsepaw pads a few fox-lengths away from his mentor, hesitates for a moment and then charges towards Shadowpool. Gorsepaw lunges for his mentor's front paws. Shadowpool rears up on her hind legs to avoid the razor-sharp teeth. Gorsepaw slides under his mentor's belly while she's on her hind legs and kicks her hind legs out. He gets out of the way just in time as she falls to the ground, landing on her stomach with a *thump* Gorsepaw laughs. Rockstar laughs with him. Shadowpool stands up and shakes the dirt and leaves from her pelt and then licks her stomach fur to hide her embarrassement.* Way to go Gorsepaw. *Rockstar congratulates the apprentice.* Yes, good job. But next time don't hesitate. You planned it well but you hesitated that could have effected everything if you had been fighting a real enemy. Now, try again, but this time don't hesitate. *Rockstar got up and walked towards the running stream.*

    ~~Rockstar~~

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  10. *ROckstar and Stormpaw pad out to the training hollow* Okay Stormpaw, yesterday you learned how to clean out the elder's bedding. Today, we're going to hunt. Later, you're gonna go on a border patrol and learn the territory. Are you ready? *Stormpaw nods* Now, watch carefully at my hunting crouch. *Rockstar crouches down, her tail sticking straight out behind her.* Now you try. *Stormpaw copies Rockstar* Put your tail down and keep it still. It should sit just above the ground. Now stalk. Lighter paws. Good! *Rockstar and Stormpaw go out to hunt. Stormpaw catches a mouse and Rockstar catches a wren and two mice.*

    ~~Rockstar~~

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