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You'll bring honor to us all [Lionpaw]
foxtail
ShadowClan
these small hours, these little wonders
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Post by foxtail on Jun 30, 2015 17:24:17 GMT -5
The wind was fierce. Foxtail dug his claws into the earth a few times, afraid he might leave the ground if he didn't. He wanted to take Lionpaw hunting today but what prey wasn't sequestered would be hard for such a young apprentice to sneak up on without a stray gale giving his scent away. It would be a good challenge in a few moons, but Lionpaw still smelled faintly of the nursery. So, for today, they'd do some battle work.
The soft ground here made it an ideal place to train. Unlike some, Foxtail believed in leaving the bruising of apprentices to the other Clans. Okay, maybe he was a little soft-pawed. He'd just have to get over it. If he didn't turn Lionpaw into a decent warrior he wouldn't be doing him any favors. The tabby tom stopped in a clearing loosely encircled by conifers. A large rock sat on the edge of the clearing, one his old mentor had used to show him how to fight on uneven ground. Foxtail had curled up in his den sore more than once, but always ready to go again the next day. Of course back then he’d favored patrols, particularly near the RiverClan border.
The trees helped shield them from the worst of the wind, but it still flittered between the branches. Luckily the sun was high overhead and its warmth helped balance the bite of the wind. Foxtail turned to face his apprentice. The young cat had suffered much loss already, with his brother running off and his father's untimely passing. It made him feel all the more responsibility to be an attentive mentor, to make up for any lack of encouragement or pride. Be a mentor first, he warned himself as he objectively evaluated his charge. Lionpaw was already a sturdy tom and was likely to dwarf his mentor before his training was finished. Foxtail had noted the way he walked and thought to himself that when it was time to hunt they would have to spend time on learning to move quietly.
“Alright Lionpaw, ready?”
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lionpaw
ShadowClan
Posts: 4
Rank: apprentice
Age: 7
Gender: tom
Crush: tba
Mentor: Foxtail
Played By: crescendo
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Post by lionpaw on Jun 30, 2015 21:36:30 GMT -5
lionpaw
i've never felt so alive, like i feel right now in this moment !
Lionpaw was so excited that it was all he could do not to go tearing past his mentor into the forest. To him, leaving camp was still shiny and new--the young apprentice kept finding himself smothering the temptation to challenge his mentor to a race. He was excited but he didn't want to be annoying, and he was lucky to have a mentor that was happy to take him out to do something on a day like this. The wind tugged at the cream tabby's pelt, but he didn't seem to mind and walked with an obvious spring in his step. Or a stomp in his step, to more aptly describe it.
A lot of bad things had happened recently--but he had to do his best for the Clan. Be his best for the Clan, Lionpaw felt his whiskers tremble with excitement. He'd show Foxtail that he was going to be a good apprentice, despite what had happened with his family. Not that Lionpaw felt like Foxtail would judge him for something like that.
That being said, he still wanted to impress his mentor. Foxtail was a warrior after all. Warriorhood still seemed eons away to the young tabby, though--he realized with a thrill of excitement--it got closer and closer every single day. It was exciting to just be an apprentice though, and to do his best for ShadowClan as it was was enough for him. At least, for now.
"Am I ever!" Lionpaw meowed, maybe a little too loudly for his own good. It was probably a good thing they weren't doing hunting, wind or not the cat's bellowing was bound to startle anything that hadn't caught their scent off. There was clear enthusiasm shining in his pale blue eyes, and he was kneading the ground with both paws as he faced his mentor. It seemed like it was all the young cat could do just to stay in place, even his whiskers were trembling. "What're we going to do first? I'll fight a whole badger-den if I have to! Well, okay maybe not that'd be hard to do with no training."
Or at all, but at least he seemed energized.
notes: he's a little excited lmao
wc: 358
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foxtail
ShadowClan
these small hours, these little wonders
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Post by foxtail on Jul 1, 2015 12:57:26 GMT -5
Foxtail barely stifled a smile at his apprentice’s enthusiasm. Almost every cat was excited for their first few times training. Foxtail wondered if he’d still be so amped up when he was gathering moss for the elders or going on dawn patrol or when he was constantly being told off for scaring away prey. For a second he harbored the malicious thought of practicing stealth attacks, but he gave in to his softer side. They would start with basics and let the excitement reign for at least one more day.
“Badgers might be a place to start, but they’re not the biggest threat ShadowClan is facing right now.” Lionpaw was too young to properly remember when the forest belonged to four Clans, not five, but Foxtail wouldn’t be surprised if he knew the tension between ShadowClan and the others, especially ThunderClan, since the change. Living in the camp gave inquisitive kits a prime opportunity to hear all kinds of talk amongst warriors. “They’re dangerous,” he added, “and you will learn to deal with them. But with things being how they are between the Clans, I want you to have some idea of how to fight other cats.
" Foxtail felt an echo of his apprentice's excitement inside himself. This would be his first apprentice. He'd been watching sleepily from the other side of the nursery when Lionpaw was born and he would be the one to stand before all of ShadowClan one moon and announce that the young cat was fit to be a warrior. The enormity of his responsibility produced in him a quiet moment of awe.
“Now,” he paused as a particularly loud whistle of wind shrieked through the clearing. Foxtail’s voice, unlike Lionpaw’s, didn’t carry well. Once it quieted he continued, “I want you to pretend I’m an enemy warrior. You’ve just spotted me in your territory and you don't know of any reason I should be here. What do you do?” The question had been asked by generations of mentors and had received generations of different answers in that time depending on the cat, the Clan, and the politics of the season.
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lionpaw
ShadowClan
Posts: 4
Rank: apprentice
Age: 7
Gender: tom
Crush: tba
Mentor: Foxtail
Played By: crescendo
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Post by lionpaw on Jul 1, 2015 19:04:10 GMT -5
lionpaw
i've never felt so alive, like i feel right now in this moment !
Badger's weren't the biggest threat? Lionpaw's eyes stretched wide in surprise, and he stilled for a moment--as if anticipating that something was going to leap out of the forest at them. The large cat didn't seemed frightened, just as though he were preparing to battle something at the side of his mentor, training or not. Even so, he twitched his ears, trying to focus on his mentor's words. If there was something so dangerous they had to worry about it right now then Foxtail would probably be on guard right? The cat let his shoulders relax after a moment and nodded eagerly. Badger training later.
"The Clans?" Lionpaw echoed, briefly confused. Were they the danger? But... you could always reason with a cat couldn't you? The apprentice kneaded the ground with his paws, trying to think of a way to pose the question. The time seemed gone entirely though, and Foxtail was moving on--the apprentice appreciated his mentor waiting for the wind to stop blowing. He was briefly worried that he wouldn't hear the other cat.
Oh, so this was like a test right? Or pop quiz, he twitched his ears uncomfortably, trying to imagine Foxtail as... er well, not Foxtail.
"An enemy warrior," Lionpaw muttered, before getting to his paws and rolling his shoulders. If he met an enemy cat now? If Foxtail weren't here, and he was only just beginning his training? The cat twitched his ears, before pulling himself to his full height and... smiling. "Hey! Uh, enemy warrior! I'm Lionpaw, it's nice to meet you but--er you must be lost. Or probably lost, unless you have business with Boarstar I guess. But you should really wait at the border for a patrol if that's the case. I can take you back if you want, but you really should probably leave."
There was no hostility in his meow, but he tried to be firm. After all, it wasn't like he could fight a full-grown warrior on his own. Wouldn't it be better to try and get them to leave without getting his ears ripped off?
notes: roflmao "what do you do with an enemy warrior?" "introduce yourself and offer to take them home  ?"
wc: 347
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foxtail
ShadowClan
these small hours, these little wonders
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Post by foxtail on Jul 5, 2015 14:39:07 GMT -5
Oh boy. Lionpaw was starting to remind him of another young cat, smaller in size but similar in spirit. Not that spirit would mean much to a ThunderClan fleapelt looking for prey because Foxstar gave away too much territory. Foxtail gave a sigh that was heavier than he actually felt. At least Lionpaw hadn’t run headfirst into his claws. “Good. I shouldn’t be in ShadowClan territory without an escort, but I could have business with Boarstar or Firedream. Without any battle training it would be mouse-brained for you to charge into battle. But try to sound more firm, alright? Even without any training I might see you, a big cat who’s not intimidated by me, a think twice before attacking. That might be long enough for a patrol to hear what’s going on and come back you up.
“If it came to a fight, you have a few choices. Running might be the smartest depending on how fast your opponent is, but that would be a boring lesson. f you stay and fight, it’ll be just as important to dodge attacks as it will be to land one of your own. I’m going to come at you. I want you to try and land a good blow on my head, something that would stun an enemy cat and give you time to land another blow or escape. Just remember to keep your claws sheathed, since we’re only training. Ready?”
He didn’t wait for a reply. The tabby and white warrior lunged forward against the wind and came at the younger cat from the side, aiming to hook one of his hind legs and put him off balance.
OOC: (Oh gosh that's a lot of dialogue but I want to get this up before I get busy.)
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lionpaw
ShadowClan
Posts: 4
Rank: apprentice
Age: 7
Gender: tom
Crush: tba
Mentor: Foxtail
Played By: crescendo
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Post by lionpaw on Jul 5, 2015 21:24:12 GMT -5
lionpaw
i've never felt so alive, like i feel right now in this moment !
The apprentice's blue eyes were focused intently on his mentor and he nodded eagerly at Foxtail's feedback. Lionpaw--in all honesty--would rather not hurt a cat (big or not). But if he was supposed to protect ShadowClan then he would do his best with that! The tabby cast a glance down at his own paws for a brief moment, whiskers twitching with something like amusement. Was he so big that another cat would find him intimidating? Lionpaw felt like he was the least intimidating cat to exist. There were lots that were scarier, and some weren't even that big, "More firm, got it!"
Lionpaw's ears pricked forward, and he listened intently. Despite himself, he felt some excitement at the idea of a battle. Not because he wanted to hurt another cat, but because he could compete that way. He wished there was a way to just wrestle with the other Clans to try and prove who was stronger without claws, like training like Foxtail had just--wait what did he mean by "ready"?
The young apprentice jerked to attention, trying to get out of the way of the warrior. It would have, of course, been a miracle if he'd have gotten something exactly right the first time. Foxtail managed to sweep his hindlegs out from under him and he found himself staggering in an attempt to keep balanced. "Attempt" here being the keyword, Lionpaw ended up tussled over and scrambled to his feet with an excited yowl, "Nice one!"
Despite having just been knocked down, Lionpaw didn't seem embarrassed or frustrated. If anything the apprentice was somehow even more excited, "I didn't even see that coming! I'm ready this time though!" Or he thought he was, the apprentice was certainly more focused on his mentor's movement, and readied himself to dart away at the slightest twitch of a whisker.
notes: get knocked down, even more excite
wc: 310
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foxtail
ShadowClan
these small hours, these little wonders
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Post by foxtail on Jul 18, 2015 17:36:31 GMT -5
Foxtail knew what would happen as he hooked a paw around the tabby's leg and pulled. The ensuing thud of apprentice meeting ground was confirmation and when he turned he watched Lionpaw climb back to his paws again, unfazed by his stumble. Foxtail nodded his approval. He felt a little embarrassed to remember his own apprenticeship. Whenever he didn't pick up a lesson immediately he would become frustrated, often taking it out on his mentor. It didn't help that the old fleapelt had always been scornful of his choices, insisting that he was turning his back on StarClan for choosing to be a tom. She always thought that settling down and having kits would set him straight. Too bad she hadn’t lived to see how wrong she was.
The warrior gave himself a quick stretch and flicked his ears as if pushing away the unhappy. It felt good to have a little friendly spar, even one that was very simple, and he deserved to enjoy it. The wind through his fur felt good now that he had a little adrenaline in his veins and he closed his eyes for a moment to let it ruffle through his fur. When it died down again, Foxtail lowered himself and prepared to launch forward again. “Keep on your paws this time, alright?” With that warning his coiled legs released and he sprang forward, faster than before. He again aimed for the hind leg, trying to upend the apprentice once more. He hoped the apprentice would at least dodge him. He wanted Lionpaw to come away with a victory and keep up his enthusiasm. It would break Foxtail’s heart to rob him of his excitement.
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lionpaw
ShadowClan
Posts: 4
Rank: apprentice
Age: 7
Gender: tom
Crush: tba
Mentor: Foxtail
Played By: crescendo
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Post by lionpaw on Jul 18, 2015 23:33:21 GMT -5
lionpaw
i've never felt so alive, like i feel right now in this moment !
Lionpaw was determined to prove he could get this and get it quickly! He wanted to make Foxtail proud to be his mentor. The cat balanced on his toes, narrowing his eyes in deep concentration. He may have been young, but he was an athletic cat at heart. He loved to spar and wrestle with his father and his older brother--oof. A small twinge of sorrow rocketed through the cat's heart. Not at the thought of his father (which seemed odd to him, since Beartail was dead) but more at the thought of his older brother. Where was he now? Did he miss him?
Focus Lionpaw! he scolded himself, twitching his tail and narrowing his pale blue eyes on his mentor. Every muscle under his pelt stiffened at the words, because Foxtail was springing at him once again. Stay on his paws! All right! Time to prove himself.
Foxtail was moving even faster than before but this time Lionpaw bunched his muscles and sprang past the cat's shoulder. He landed with a heavy thump behind the cat, spinning and letting his ears flick straight up with excitement. He did it! "You missed me that time!"
The apprentice purred with utter delight, flexing his paws and flicking his tail back and forth behind him. "What next? C'mon bring it! I could do this all day, it's kinda fun!" He meant that genuinely of course, he was having the time of his life. Actually burning his energy instead of bouncing around camp.
notes: epic dodge by lionpaw
d10: 10 (rolled d20 for critical confirmation, got 19!!) holy cow good job lionpaw.................
wc: 250
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foxtail
ShadowClan
these small hours, these little wonders
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Post by foxtail on Jul 21, 2015 15:28:48 GMT -5
Seeing his apprentice spring upwards past him had Foxtail reflexively lowering himself to the point of brushing his belly fur against the ground so the tom wouldn’t hit him. He needn’t have worried; it looked like the tom easily cleared his leap. Foxtail noted happily that he was quick to face him again, though it looked to be more out of excitement than preparation for a counterattack. He stopped easily and looked to his apprentice, pride lighting up his face. Would he have been this excited to mentor before he had kits? It was hard to say.
“Didn’t know you had rabbit blood in you, Lionpaw.” It might have been insulting in a different tone, but Foxtail’s purr was congratulatory. “That was an impressive leap and you did a good job dodging me, but you need to learn to attack too, remember?” It seemed hard to picture, this energetic young tom attacking another cat and looking for blood. Unbidden in his head came the image of Owleye fighting, not one of his kits this time, but little Lionpaw. It was a nightmare that fit like a pelt, well-worn by seasons of worry and broken sleep, but with a new sickening aftertaste. It darkened his expression, making it more serious. No, this wasn’t the time to spoil his good mood. Foxtail would leave his nightmares for sleep.
“Why don’t we switch places? This time I want you to try and knock me over. Any cat who doesn’t have their balance is vulnerable, no matter their size or experience. Any way you do it is fine, but throw me off balance. Come at me when you’re ready.” His claws barely unsheathed, just enough to give him some traction.
OOC: (Rolls like that Lionpaw needs to start gambling.)
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