Caɾղaցe Ɱօօղ ~𝙰 𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝙵𝚊𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚌

25🌙

It was later that same day that Crescentpaw got asked to practice hunting with Cheetah. Lagoonstripe led them out of camp, and the two apprentices followed behind with their tails lifted obediently.

Crescentpaw was initially timid. She almost sighed aloud with relief when her acting mentor asked them to demonstrate a hunting crouch. Cheetah's was horrible and off-balance, with one of her paws reaching forward too far and wobbling.

"No, do like Crescentpaw is. Tuck your paw in with your claws unsheathed. Visualize and prepare the blow, but don't overthink it. Act like you're about to swipe at a butterfly."

Cheetah instinctively curled her paw into her chest for recoil, then stiffened and held herself there.

"Now flatten your spine and lift your tail. Bring your legs closer together. Lower. Yep, even lower than that though."

Crescentpaw held her crouch with a quivering tail-tip, relieved that the silver tabby was training Cheetah more than paying attention to her.

"Still that tail, Crescentpaw. Not a vibration of movement from it or it may cause a blade of grass to twitch. And you too, Cheetah. It's waving all over the place!" She scolded, but her tone was light as she sat and looked over them. Thin sedge fronds quivered in the breeze behind her. Knotty bare tree trunks towered above the cats, spacious with unfurling, far-reaching branches.

When Lagoonstripe was satisfied with the hunting crouches she moved on to pouncing with Cheetah. Crescentpaw was used as more of a demonstration, although she could feel Lagoonstripe's gaze flick over her back every now and then. She tried to move naturally, without making it obvious that she was avoiding drawing attention to her paws. It wasn't much longer that Lagoonstripe nodded at Cheetah's progress and moved onto the next.

They were guided to the shallowest riverbed, which branched off from the one that flowed out of the lake. Over here the river channel's shore turned from rocky pebbles to sandy grit, sticking to their paw-pads as they walked. All three cats sat down close together beneath the shade of a small elm tree, where the main throngs of fish preferred to hang out.

"This is a hot-spot in sunhigh Greenleaf. See that branch just underneath the surface? Fish gather in swarms under there. They feel safe underneath things, like it's one of their dens."

Crescentpaw felt a tingle of pride at how much her acting mentor was teaching. She's oversharing for Cheetah's sake. Already Cheetah has had a lot of tips that weren't actually necessary to grasp the training. In the tabby-and-white apprentices eyes, Lagoonstrip had always been stern and mature. She never acted out or showed an ounce of true repulsion. And yet now Crescentpaw was seeing an even wiser side of her.

"I think Cheetah would make a great warrior. Don't you, Lagoonstripe?" She asked the lithe she-cat, who paused in her instructions.

"Well, uh- not to be wry," she admitted with pricked ears. "But I have only known her for one day."

Cheetah laughed. "Two, if you count yesterday!"

"Oh, come on!" Crescentpaw leaned closer, her thick tail twisting into a curl and flipping around beside her. "You know she's at least great apprentice material."

Laggonstripe chuckled and flicked her own tail cheerily. "I can't argue with that! You listen well," Laggonstripe looked over at Cheetah while she gave the compliment.

The spotted she-cat nodded, her whole face lighting up as her eyes stretched wide and her mouth gaped with joy.

"Oh wow thank you!!! It's because I want to! I truly want to learn everything about this place it's so awesome! Just look at the sun glinting off the water. I've never seen anything like that," Cheetah mewed with awe. "So you can really teach me how to catch a fish? And become a whole warrior?"