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Territory grow tiny seed, you are called to the trees — fawnpaw

This thread takes place outside the clan's camp in its territory.
FLICKERDANCE

FLICKERDANCE

YOU'VE REACHED NIRVANA
ThunderClan
Warrior
Ranger
TC Summer Event '25 2k ThunderClan Gold Star Poster
42
2
Freshkill
5
Pronouns
SHE/HER
Profile
TAGS
Moons
14 ☾
Played by
▸ KARMEN
The forest of ThunderClan glistens back at Flickerdance, almost as it is congratulating her on the pawsteps that follow her own—snow blankets every inch of undergrowth and the tops of trees, and it crunches underneath her with every move she makes. It's deliberate, of course; she would not make a very good hunter if she would not be able to silence herself. There is no need for stealth now, though. This task is only for @Fawnpaw's eyes, nose, and whiskers. She must become intimately familiar with the territory.

The plan is simple. Borders have been checked already, arguably the most important for new apprentices. Now, Flickerdance leads the way counter-clockwise: the dangerous Snakerocks first, the ominous Owl Tree, the ever-busy Sandy Hollow… and, finally, Sunningrocks. Even if Fawnpaw had already seen it with the other apprentices and their mentors, its significance draws further attention.

"Tread wisely,"
 Flickerdance warns, head swiveling to look at her pupil. Her apprentice. The thought still sends a spark of pride through her, even if the memory of Loonstar's odd look threatens to snuff it right out.
"This is Snakerocks, and there's a reason it is called as such. The snakes hide from the cold in the crevices, but if you disturb them, I'm sure they won't mind paying you a visit."

NOTES
Doing the speedy writing challenge with Howee :3
 




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Fawnpaw follows after her mentor, trying really hard to walk carefully and methodically instead of bouncing in excitement. Her tail twitches, wanting to shoot right up, to express her joy, but she hangs it low and instead listens to what Flickerdance is saying.

"Snakerocks.. Got it!" she meows thoughtfully. "I heard snakes are tasty! Do you think one day you will teach me to hunt them?"

It's not like the thought of gnawing on the cold scales of a snake is super intriguing to the young apprentice, but she wants to try it, at least once! To understand the appeal.

"Are snakes easily disturbed?" Fawnpaw thinks out loud. "Would I disturb them just by walking upon the rocks? Or do I need to cause tremors and stick my paws in the crevices to wake them up?"

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"You did?"
 Flickerdance is surprised by the reveal that a certain someone has been planting ideas into the youngsters' minds, though she supposes it is to be expected. Perhaps it had come from someone experienced… or a kit with a wild imagination.
"I can't say that I've tried. Eating them, I mean."
 They look slimy and gross, but that is not the kind of confession that a professional mentor would utter on day two, so she keeps it to herself.
"But yes, I will teach you. They're easier to hunt during greenleaf, since they like to sun themselves on these rocks. It also makes it more dangerous."


Flickerdance allows one of her pawsteps to dislodge a smaller pebble, cascading down the face of a bigger rock. The silence seems to be filled with its sound, but Flickerdance doesn't look the least bit bothered.
"The good thing is, snakes are generally shy. It's unlikely that it will shoot out from the shadows to attack you for no reason, but caution is important nevertheless."
 Her gaze scans the area, noting the spots where snow has covered possible entrances for the little creatures.
"Just passing by like this won't put you in immediate danger. Now sniffing around and causing unnecessary ruckus… that just might motivate one of them to investigate, especially if they're hungry."

NOTES
N/A
 




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The spotted apprentice nods thoughtfully - she had never seen a snake in the fresh-kill pile herself either, let alone tried it, so they must be rare prey after all. "I also like to sun myself on rocks when it's warm!" she jokes, trying to memorise the snake behaviour. "But I'm dangerous in leaf-bare too!" she sticks out her tongue, before remembering she is no longer a kitten, but an apprentice, and should probably behave as such.

The pebble Flickerdance lets fall through the rocks echoes as it bounces down, but no slithering creature sticks its head out of the cracks. "Do.. do snakes eat cats?" Fawnpaw wonders. She has never seen one, she doesn't know how big they get, so the possibility of one swallowing a kitten or a small apprentice whole isn't that unlikely to imagine. "Or do they just attack out of fear?" The apprentice isn't sure which option is worse - it would be best if snakes just stayed hidden and didn't bother the cats at all. But Fawnpaw knows that's wishful thinking and not reality.


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Despite herself, Flickerdance snorts in amusement.
"Suppose cats and snakes aren't so different from each other, after all,"
 she muses. She raises one eyebrow at Fawnpaw's display of "threat".
"I think your teeth might be more dangerous than your tongue."
 It's an odd little moment for Flickerdance; she scarcely gives herself moments to joke around, but perhaps the lack of an older figure that she wants to impress gives her enough of a push to just be. Or maybe Fawnpaw is a bad influence. That thought alone forces Flickerdance to stifle yet another snort.

"No,"
 comes Flickerdance's easy reply. Best put an end to any fantasy that Fawnpaw might have heard.
"At least, we haven't seen a big enough snake for that yet."
 She knows that these scaly things can swallow their prey no problem, but the ones she had seen darting around here are way too small for felines.
"Out of fear, yes. Defending themselves, their young, or their territory—any of those three. Some of them are venomous, and those are the ones that pose the most threat. You don't need to worry too much; it's rare that we are desperate enough to hunt snakes. Some apprentices do it for the achievement."

NOTES
N/A
 




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For a moment, Fawnpaw flashes her teeth before closing her mouth again, not wanting to get too distracted from their lesson. But it certainly feels good to joke around without the worry of her peers making fun of her or butting in - it's good to be alone with Flickerdance and be herself. And have her mentor not scold her for it (though she supposes she shouldn't try her luck).

"I see, I see." she nods again. "Then maybe, when I'm older, I can catch one too! But… not yet." Even one such as Fawnpaw, one who knows she's going to be the best warrior in all the clans, knows her limits - and snakes are certainly above her skill level. For now.

She watches the cracks for a moment more, before turning to Flickerdance. "Suppose we shouldn't linger longer then? Don't want to 'sniff around and cause unnecessary ruckus', right?" she repeats the words spoken by her mentor earlier. Already applying her lessons! Like the good apprentice that she is.


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Flickerdance nods, glad that Fawnpaw realizes her limitations without having to be told that they exist. She makes a turn with an elegant swish of her tail, already facing towards their next destination; the one that lingers in the horizon already.
"That's right,"
 she says, amusement barely contained in the corner of her mouth.

The trek from Snakerocks to the Owl Tree is not terribly long. Idly, she does wonder if Fawnpaw has any trouble with the coldness seeping into her skin, but Flickerdance opts not to ask. She supposes Fawnpaw will either voice her complaints in due time—or become too noticeable for Flickerdance to ignore. Soft paws that had only been in the camp so far need time to become tough and resistant to all terrain.

"This is the Owl Tree,"
 she supplies once they stop before the towering wood.
"Now, as opposed to the snakes we visited earlier… owls are active during leaf-bare. You might see some feathers around if you're perceptive. I advise you not to come here by yourself."
 A pause.
"Have you seen an owl before? They can easily carry a cat away."

NOTES
N/A
 




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Fawnpaw follows her mentor once more, away from the snakerocks. This isn't her first time in the territory, but the vastness of it still amazes her. The tall trees and bushes littered over the forest floor, burrows and vines everywhere. All the unfamiliar sounds and smells. The cold breeze ruffling her fur. But Fawnpaw isn't one to show weakness, not to some breeze at least.

"Owl Tree…" she breathes out. The massive tree looming above them, reaching towards the sky high, high, higher than Fawnpaw would ever want to reach. "Not by myself, got it!" But maybe with my friend Webfrost? she thinks, but doesn't voice out loud.

At Flickerdance's question, the spotted apprentice freezes a little. "N..not an owl. But hawk. Are they similar?" Fawnpaw recalls the time she was playing in camp, unaware of the hawk's presence, circling closer and closer towards her unsuspecting form. Were it not for the apprentices, the bird could have easily taken her away. Okay, maybe not with only Webfrost then.

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Flickerdance doesn't miss the way Fawnpaw reacts, but she doesn't try to soothe the apprentice. The faster she understands the dangers of the world, the easier she will survive—to downplay the threat would be the wrong lesson to give here.

She remembers that unfortunate day, too, now that Fawnpaw brings it up. Flickerdance supposes the 'paw has more reasons to keep that memory close to her heart. There had been no doubt in Flickerdance's mind that she and her Clanmates would defeat the bird before it could take someone as its prey; Fawnkit back then likely did not possess such confidence in the matter.

"Similar in the sense that they're equally as dangerous. Different in their hunting styles, though. You will probably see or hear a hawk coming… an owl likes to be stealthy, like ShadowClan."
 Flickerdance raises her eyes to the opening of the tree before them. A family might be growing there now, for all she knows… ideally, it would be nice to hunt down the young before they get the chance to grow into competitors, but logically, she knows it's not as easy as climbing up there and plucking out the defenseless chicks.
"With teamwork, they are both defeatable though."

NOTES
N/A
 




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Flickerdance's words only serve to scare the apprentice more, though she tries not to show it - she had not seen the hawk coming and now she learns owls are even stealthier? How is one meant to avoid them then?

But her breaths quickly turn back to regular as she reasons that she's bigger now, more experienced and aware of everything going on. An owl would most likely prey on someone smaller than her, or so she hopes.

"Right. Shouldn't go out without a warrior or an experienced apprentice then… or at least not often." Fawnpaw says, more to herself than Flickerdance. Then, as quickly as she had staggered, she's back to her normal, cheerful self. "But once I'm bigger, owls and hawks better beware of me! They will know better than to mess with me," she winks at her mentor. "and my friends!"

After all, Fawnpaw is on the path to being the strongest, fastest, bravest warrior there is. No hawk nor owl can scare her!


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Not often sounds about right. Flickerdance doesn't think any of them need to go out their way to meet trouble; it seems to catch them more often than not, especially with tensions continuously brewing on the horizon… her mind is pulled towards inter-Clan issues and battle and fear of what might go wrong next. She shakes those thoughts away—they do not serve her right now, not when she's supposed to focus on Fawnpaw. Perhaps, once she is a few moons older and has shown further skill, Flickerdance could invite her into the group that is keen on bettering ThunderClan from the inside…

"For certain,"
 Flickerdance agrees.
"I'll do my best to teach you how to defend yourself from them."
 There is nothing worse than being at the mercy of a predator. Fawnpaw had been through that already; history doesn't always need to repeat itself.
"Are you ready to continue?"

NOTES
N/A
 




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Fawnpaw doesn't want to linger on thoughts of hawks and owls anymore, not until she can learn to fight against them. Until then, all she can do is be cautious and she knows to look out for the predators swooping from the sky now. Therefore, there is no point in lingering on them anymore.

"Always ready!" she replies, turning around towards her mentor once more. She still can't believe her wishes have all come true, with Flickerdance being her mentor out of all cats. Perhaps someone had heard her and suggested such to Loonstar or maybe luck was just on Fawnpaw's side. "Where to next?"

With a teacher as thorough as her, Fawnpaw is sure to learn everything there is about the territory, in record time nonetheless. She just needs to make sure to listen to Flickerdance properly and remember all her lessons.

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"Sandy Hollow next," Flickerdance supplies, and on their way to their next destination, she details all Fawnpaw needs to know about it. It's a location she will see often, rivaling only the camp: it's the perfect spot for apprentices to hone their skills, after all. It's a bit bizarre, how Flickerdance herself had come here day after day to train with Magnoliapeak… and then meet up with the rest of her like-minded companions during the night. When the pair make it to the hollow, Flickerdance gazes a moment too long over the sand that sees countless pawsteps with each sunrise.

She muses for a moment.
"So, like I said, this is where you will learn a lot of basic things first—and then you will improve upon them here, too. Not today though. We've covered a lot of ground already."
 The sun has already crossed its middle point in the sky, and Flickerdance is sure that it will be closer to the trees and mountains in the distance after their Sunningrocks visit.

NOTES
N/A
 




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The apprentice listens to the description of the Sandy Hollow - it's not a place unfamiliar to Fawnpaw, every to-be apprentice knows of the Sandy Hollow, but Fawnpaw has never seen it with her own eyes before and she cannot wait to see.

"Is there ever prey in the Sandy Hollow? Or is it too scared of us to ever appear?" Fawnpaw wonders out loud. "Do we get to train our hunting skills in there, or is it just for battling?"

The spotted cat has a lot of questions, but she refrains from asking all of them at once. What she's asked is already a lot and she needs to give time to her mentor to answer first. Honestly, if left to ramble, Fawnpaw could probably ask questions way beyond the sunset, perhaps even until the sunrise. So much to learn and she only has so much time in a day.

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