**Note: This is a general guide, you don't have to follow this specifically to a T.
─── ・ 。゚☆: *.☽ .* :☆゚. ───
Basic Rules
* Know that apprentices are expected to learn and abide by the warrior code. Failure to do so will reflect poorly on both the apprentice and their mentor.
*An apprentice works from early dawn to dusk unless otherwise specified
1. Apprentices may not leave camp without permission from their mentor, leader or deputy.
2. Apprentices may not eat until they have brought back one piece of prey for the elders or queens, unless given permission.
3. Apprentices must accompany their mentor when asked to.
4. It is discouraged for leaders to assign kin to train kin(ie, older siblings training younger, parents training children, etc.). This is to avoid favoritism and remove personal bias.
5. Apprentices must go through training for at least 6 moons before becoming a warrior.
6. After receiving their warrior name, former apprentices will hold a one-night vigil in silence.
─── ・ 。゚☆: *.☽ .* :☆゚. ───
The Basics: 6-8 moons old
** Apprentices this young may be low on stamina as their bodies adjust to having a rigorous schedule- there's a difference between training and overworking! Take care of your apprentice and don't stretch them too thin if you can help it.
1. Get to know your apprentice; chat with them, ask them about their aspirations or what they like. Gain their trust, and build their confidence in you. This will make training much smoother.
2. Border patrol. Take your apprentice out around the outskirts of the territory, pause by well-known landmarks, and show them the scent-markers.
3. Teach them how to care for the elders and queens(Or ask the current Medicine Cat to help, too).
4. Teach your apprentice emergency procedures- what to do if there's a disaster at camp, how to alert a patrol about a dangerous animal or event, and pass on important information to the leader or deputy. A warrior must know how to share important news swiftly and accurately!
5. Get help from the medicine cat or their apprentice to learn a few basic herbs. Warriors only really need to know to recognize a select few of the following - catmint, cobwebs, honey, horsetail, juniper, marigold, mouse bile, poppy seeds, and wild garlic. There's no need to memorize them all, but knowing a few can be very helpful.
─── ・ 。゚☆: *.☽ .* :☆゚. ───
Hunting: 7-10 moons
Hunting for prey is the most basic aspect of life as a warrior; combat is situational. The hunt is daily. Apprentices must do their best to feed the clan before they may be allowed to feed themselves. Prey will vary by clan location; check the Local Fauna thread!).
1. Basic technique; show your apprentice how to properly crouch, how to stalk their prey silently while still moving quickly. Don't worry about teaching them specific styles for certain animals. Only focus on the most essential basics.
2. Focus on specifics for each prey:
- Mice and voles: Drop into a crouch and take all your weight into your haunches so that your paws have no impact on the forest floor. Pounce and when you are close enough kill it with one swift bite to the neck.
- Rabbits: A rabbit will smell you before it sees you so approach it with the wind blowing in your direction. Pounce as soon as your close enough and kill it with one swift bite to the neck.
- Birds: Pad up to the tree and leap up. Snag your claw in the birds feathers and bring it down. Quickly bite the neck. Try to, if you can't get a killing strike in, disable its wings.
- Fish: Sit beside the river but make sure your reflection and shadow does not fall on the water. As soon as you spot a fish at the surface, dart out your paw and swoop it out of the water. Then quickly bite it to the neck. Make sure to keep it away from the water's shore.
3.4. Knowing when to give up. Some prey animals can retreat into burrows, cause harm, or otherwise eventually prove they're more trouble than they're worth. It's important to teach your apprentice when to keep trying and when to give up and search for different prey.
─── ・ 。゚☆: *.☽ .* :☆゚. ───
Battle Training: 8-12 moons old
** Apprentices at 8 moons finally have enough stamina and strength to start learning how to fight.
1. Teach your apprentice where they're vulnerable; the throat, belly, stomach, eyes, and spine are common targets for an opponent. Show them how to best strike these spots without getting hit back themselves.
2. Teach your apprentice how to "rabbit kick" with their hind legs, pin an opponent, pounce, and make basic swiping and clawing attacks.
3. Real-world experience. Is there a battle coming up? A patrol skirmish on the horizon? Bring your apprentice along. Sometimes the best way to learn is by doing.
4. Recuperating. Recovering after battle is just as important as the battle itself. Work with the medicine cat to learn a few basic field medicine practices(Putting cobwebs over a wound, fashioning a simple splint, using a stick to bite down on for pain management). Show them how to carry a cat who is too wounded to carry themselves.
─── ・ 。゚☆: *.☽ .* :☆゚. ───
Final Assessment
The mentor must watch their apprentice in secret as they hunt and judge how well they did overall. If their mentor deems the assessment a success, they will become a warrior.
─── ・ 。゚☆: *.☽ .* :☆゚. ───
Credit to these sites