[Fawn]

Granitepaw

"You don't get it, Granitepaw. I'm not the one being taken advantage of - I'm the one who's been spying on the Clan for 3 moons. Don't give me that pathetic look, Granitepaw. Maybe if you hadn't been so weak, you would've realized all this was happening right under your nose. But then again, if you'd realized it before I wanted you to, then I would've had to kill you."

Granitepaw awoke with a strangled cry, his chest rising and falling as though he'd just run for miles, the skin under his short gray pelt chilled, eyes stretched wide in panic. He was fortunate to have not woken anyone else up; heart still hammering a heavy rainfall rhythm, the gray apprentice slid out of his nest and out into the moonlight, breath coming out in faint clouds, throat rough and sore, as though he'd spent the night yelling in terror. That was unlikely, Granitepaw was usually the type to suffer in silence, but this dream had seemed so real...

It still pained him after 2 and a half moons that he could hear Shadeclaw's voice echoing in his head, haunting him, drilling it into his skull that he'd been a failure to his Clan and even worse, an unknown accomplice to a crime he would've rather died than commit.
Curse you, Shadeclaw. I hope you're suffering, wherever you are. Alright, that wasn't very pious of him, to curse his enemies, but the gray warrior-to-be was feeling haggard, his nerves frayed, his breathing slowly calming down, exhausted from yet another night-terror.

Determined to clear his mind, Granitepaw slipped out of StoneClan's camp, his leg a little stiff from sleeping, but increasing his slow gait into a reasonable cantor soon shook the pins-and-needles feeling from his leg and he was slipping off into the night, determined to outrun Shadeclaw and his past failures.

[Later That Morning]

Two mice.

That was the best he could do with what he'd been recently taught and with what little sleep he'd actually gotten. Intending to carry them back to the camp, Granitepaw paused for breath, weary and pawsore, beside the Sky Spring. Having never actually been here before, it was a wonder the apprentice had even found it, but something had nevertheless drawn him to the (supposedly) healing waters, the springs reflecting the early dawn sky with such accuracy it was like looking at a parallel world.
I'll just close my eyes for a second. Hailstrike was probably getting up now, and she would probably hunt first before dragging him out into the forest to go head-butt more foxes, or smack rocks pretending to be mice...and yet he wasn't in a rush to get back to camp, he didn't want to leave such a peaceful place... Granitepaw felt his eyelids drooping, having laid down over the spot where his two mice were buried, the waters still, the birds quieting their calls, as though to give one weary apprentice a brief bit of solace.

[Phoenix]

As was her custom, Hailstrike woke just before the sun rose above the horizon, her internal clock as punctual as ever. Rousing as few of the other warriors as possible, she picked her way out of the den with careful pawsteps, taking great care to avoid tails and other limbs in the darkness. The chill of the early morning hit her and eyes glanced up at the sky just in time to see streaks of pink stretching across the fading night sky. There was the promise of a good day, and Hailstrike expected a lot of it.

Eyes glanced at the prey pile in camp, judging the size of it. The pile was fairly well-stocked from previous days' hunting, but she would go hunting anyway. Like always. She had a morning routine that she stuck to whenever she could. Tried and true. Light paws carried the warrior out of camp and into the rocky terrain that was StoneClan's territory.

[time passes]

Part of the early morning feeling lingered in the crisp, coolness of the air. It signaled the approaching leaf-bare, and the thin layer of mist that hung over the territory only emphasized the sensation. Pleased with her morning hunt, Hailstrike carried her two squirrels back into camp by their tails. They were rather plump critters, both of them, and were good catches. Now that it was later in the day, she figured that it was time to start training Granitepaw again. After his encounter with the fox, she had decided to let him sleep in a little.

However, the best laid plans always seem to go astray, and when she poked her head into the apprentice's den, Hailstrike did not see her apprentice. Frowning slightly, the warrior then checked Crowfang's den. Both the medicine cat and her missing apprentice were absent. Perhaps he had gone to make dirt? Or get a drink? Quelling the worry that was starting to rise at his disappearance, she exited camp, paws following the worn and familiar trail to the Sky Springs. If he wasn't here, then... But he would be. She had nothing to worry about.

And it turned out that she was correct, for there was Granitepaw, sleep by one of the pools. Hailstrike slowed her brisk pace, approaching him quietly. He looked rather peaceful, completely untroubled by reality. The warrior almost felt bad about having to rouse him. Almost. Standing about a tail length away, she called, "Wake up, Granitepaw. We have important things to do today."

OOC: I'm assuming he fell asleep and that this is a day or two after the previous thread..?

[Fawn]

Granitepaw

This dream was nothing in particular. Honestly Granitepaw was just grateful he wasn't dreaming about Shadeclaw again. Instead, he pictured himself stalking through the forest, a sleek and powerful warrior - the annoyance of his recovering leg completely gone -- his gray ticked fur blending in with the robust stones of his territory. Creeping up on a squirrel, the warrior crept along, powerful muscles bunching like a coil, ready to spring, the bushy-tailed rodent none-the-wiser to it's imminent demise. The squirrel's tantalizing scent wafted into his mouth, tickling the scent glands, his ears filled with the blood-beat of the little creature's heart as it worked busily to crack open an acorn that had fallen down from one of the sparse arbors spread unevenly along the StoneClan hunting grounds.
I see you.
Granitepaw's haunches wriggled, and he sprang forward, able to practically taste the squirrel's tender, savory meat, when all of a sudden, the squirrel turned and look at him. And then it spoke, beady eyes staring right into his soul, teeth flashing as it said just two lines;
"Wake up, Granitepaw. We have important things to do today."

[/b]

What? Granitepaw let out a disgruntled noise of surprise, his leg snagging onto a rock that hadn't been there before, and he hit the ground like a giant furry stone, bolting upright and out of his dream at an instant.
"Huh? What? Who--" The apprentice blinked stupidly at Hailstrike standing a small distance away, her expression telling him he'd been dreaming, and probably mewling like an idiotic kit in his dreams, no less. Granitepaw's fur fluffed up with mortification.
"I was...uh..." Granitepaw had no real explanation. "Nevermind," he said hastily, and quickly dug up the two mice he'd caught very early this morning, not wanting her to think him lazy on top of being a squirrel-brained doofus.
[/blockquote]

[Phoenix]

A less than dignified noise left her apprentice as he was jolted back to the real world, blinking at her with a less than intelligent look in his eyes. Hailstrike merely waited, telling herself that she was not amused by this sight, she would not laugh at his appearance. Granitepaw stammered out a few words before giving up. Interested, she watched as he dug up the spot he had been laying on, revealing two mice.

Nodding, Hailstrike finally meowed in a warning, "Be careful where you let your guard down. You're lucky I wasn't a predator." Her tail flicked as she continued, "I see that you were out hunting earlier. Those are two fine mice. But I do not intend to review hunting today; instead, I believe that we should address your leg." Moving closer, she nodded at the offending limb. "While it proved helpful in defeating that fox, tripping and headbutting your opponent is a rather unconventional way of fighting and will not always be successful. Of course, I will show you how to fight, but that will come later." She paused, then continued, "You fell because your leg tripped you; if you had not hit that fox, you would have been in a very nasty situation. I think it important that there is no unintentional repeat of that. To ensure that, we will focus on regaining some strength and coordination in your leg today."

It was a rather important area to cover, and Hailstrike wondered why she had not thought of it the other day. She thought that she had just been concentrated on getting him out of camp and putting his youthful energy to work. It was just as well, anyway, because now she knew what they had to work on and had had some time to brainstorm some ideas for said strength training. One particular activity was at the top of her list.

The warrior glanced around the area. Really, it was very convenient that Granitepaw had chosen Sky Springs to take a nap. They would not have to travel at all. How considerate of him. Ice blue eyes finding the young tom again, Hailstrike meowed calmly, "The best way to build muscle and coordination is by swimming."

[Fawn]

Granitepaw

Granitepaw had been in the process of smoothing down his fur when Hailstrike broke the news to him, rounding off her explanation of today's plans with the thing he'd been subtly dreading since his incident with Shadeclaw.
"Swimming?" Granitepaw repeated, his whiskers twitching, the fur he'd been smoothing already lifting up once again, unable to settle back into his normal appearance when he was so emotionally unsettled.

Great.
Wait...was this punishment for looking like an idiot a few minutes ago? If that was the case, wasn't she being a bit hars-- Granitepaw's train of thought sputtered to a stop as he gazed into her distinctively-marked face, realizing that she would never be so petty. At least he hoped so. Granitepaw grimaced.
"I don't swim," mewed Granitepaw, trying to be as nonchalant about it as he could, but it was unfortunately just a bit on the obvious side that he was unsettled. For starters, end of his tail wouldn't stop twitching, and his claws kept sheathing and unsheathing, as though he was having difficulty being comfortable. Granitepaw almost faked a yawn, but figured she wouldn't appreciate that sort of gesture, and instead busied himself filling in the little hole he'd dug the mice out of. If a cat stepped in it and sprained their paw, it would definitely be his fault, and they can't have that...

Of course he stalling for time, Granitepaw not daring to meet her eye as he stole a brief glance at the Sky Springs.
The fact that the blue-gray autumn sky was reflected into it perfectly made it feel as though if he were to step so much as one fluffy paw-tip into it, he'd end up falling forever, lost in a world of blue and gray and the occasional white cloud - not a single paw hold to be found. That and he just couldn't tell how deep it was.
Granitepaw shuddered.
I'm not going in there. She can't make me. Even his mutinous thoughts sounded cowardly, but there was nothing he could do about it now.
Not when the prospect of drowning was still so prominent in his mind.

[Phoenix]

Granitepaw needed more work in the art of lying, that much was obvious, but she would not be the one to teach him. Not now, at least. The slight shake in his voice, which denoted insecurity, and his now constant action, as he fidgeted with his claws and filling in the small hole, all undermined his words. He must know that, too; Granitepaw was a bright, intelligent cat, she had come to realize. But if the prospect of swimming created a reaction that he could do nothing to control, then it would take a lot to get him in the water.

Even if it was for his own good, Hailstrike was reluctant to use force to get Granitepaw into one of the pools. It would shatter the fragile trust that she could feel forming between them, stretching across like a spider web, and just as delicate too. Every fiber of her being told her that it would cause more harm than good to break it, and Hailstrike worried about how far Granitepaw would fall if another cat betrayed him, especially at the scale his previous mentor did. And if he would be able to pull himself back up again. So if she was not going to shove him into one of the pools, then how to accomplish her goal?

He was afriad of something, the she-cat reasoned almost immediately. Had anything trau-- Of course, he had almost drowned after slipping slicing open his leg on the stone in the river. Almost drowned. It made sense now; Granitepaw was afraid of drowning. Armed with this new revelation, Hailstrike's eyes, which had been focused on the smooth surface of the nearby pool, flicked back to her apprentice. "You don't swim? There's another reason for us to work on it today. Swimming is a very important skill to have, even if you're not a RainClan cat." He would not meet her eyes, and Hailstrike paused, working on keeping her voice steady and calm while she meowed, "Do you trust me, Granitepaw? Be honest, please. I will not be angry if you say that you don't." A little disappointed, perhaps, but not angry. Never angry about things like this.

[Fawn]

Granitepaw

Oh StarClan, of all the questions she had to ask, why did it have to be that one? Granitepaw's skin burned beneath his pelt, his light eyes closing for an instant, as though he had heard her question but hadn't understood it, and was giving his brain time to decode it. How am I supposed to answer when I don't HAVE an answer? Granitepaw was torn. On one hand, she had given him no reason to not trust her, and yet...and yet... When it all comes down to it, the only person I can rely on is myself, is that it?

Had that been Shadeclaw's last piece of advice? If you're drowning, swim to shore. Don't rely on other cats for help, don't show weakness in front of others, don't trust anyone that isn't your own flesh and blood...
Yeah well look where that got Shadeclaw? StoneClan had at one time been Shadeclaw's flesh and blood, he likely had ancestors here at one point, but he'd chosen NightClan over StoneClan, the cold wind that chilled NightClan having obviously made it's way to the dark-furred tom's heart as well.
But while the winds had frozen Shadeclaw's heart, the betrayal from the cat he'd trusted most had hardened Granitepaw's into rock so solid not even StarClan themselves could've possibly cracked it.
But perhaps it didn't need cracking, so much as it needed a steady, constant wind to erode away the tough outer shell? This was never going to be a simple process, Granitepaw knew that, Hailstrike knew that, the whole Clan knew that. This time, the young warrior-to-be was faced with an unbearable choice.

Say yes, and go into the water, even though every hair on his body was screaming at him NO, DON'T DO IT, or say no, and add another layer of rock between himself and Hailstrike, not allowing himself to open up even just by the smallest of margins, intent upon drowning in his own pool of suspicion and anxiety...

Granitepaw drew in a cold breath, the kind that chilled his throat and his chest, making his head feel clearer and his eyes grow brighter. It may not have been apparent to the brave she-cat warrior in front of him, but Hailstrike had just asked Granitepaw the most difficult question he'd ever had to face in his entire life.
Do you trust me? She had asked.

Granitepaw finally looked up, his voice sliding into a robotic mew as he did his best to answer without any sort of feeling - not ready to show her his heart just yet. "I don't distrust you. But what you're asking me to do is..."

[/color] Granitepaw stole a glance at the sky springs. Though they were nothing like the churning waters of a river, intent upon drowning anything unfortunate enough to drop into it, but that eerie stillness with which they sat, undisturbed, was enough to send a chill up his spine.
"Has any cat ever drowned here before?" mewed Granitepaw, not taking his eyes off the water.

If he was correct in his analysis of Hailstrike's character, she wouldn't lie to him. She seemingly had too much integrity for that. Unlike Shadeclaw, he couldn't help but think, with a bitter taste on his tongue.
[/blockquote]

[Phoenix]

The long silence that followed her question did not surprise Hailstrike in the least. In fact, she would have been suspicious if her apprentice had been abe to toss out an answer almost instantly, particularly this early in her mentorship. An immediate yes, she would have questioned; the truthfulness of the statement would have been very strongly doubted. A no, however, she would have been able to accept more readily, though still have her doubts about the truthfulness. It was good that the silence was long and continuing to grow; it meant that Granitepaw was seriously considering her words. That, in turn, meant that he would be forced to consider some things about himself. Was he willing to trust again?

As the silence drew on, however, slight anxiety started to creep into Hailstrike's thoughts. Masterfully, she kept this hidden from her apprentice, instead keeping her face a mask of infinite patience. But she had to wonder whether it had been too early to ask the question. They had really only met a few days ago, their interactions before that time few and far in between if existent at all. They did not know each other very well. Everything Hailstrike knew about her apprentice thus far based on what she had seen was little; the rest of it was speculation and intuition. The warrior had no doubt that it was the same for him. What if she had pushed him too far? What if--

But then he spoke, cutting through her increasingly anxious thoughts and soothing her nerves some. What he gave was a non-answer; he did not actually say he trusted her, but he did not say that he did not either. But it would do for now. Stop doubting yourself, She berated harshly. Granitepaw's voice trailed off, the end of his sentence lingering in the air and leaving it up to her interpretation. Hailstrike had the feeling that numerous adjectives could apply. Crazy? Insane? Completely unreasonable?

He asked the water if any cat had drowned. She did not know how to respond to that. Truthfully, obviously, but she did not have the complete facts. No one that she knew of had drowned. Ice blue eyes left her apprentice and peered down into the watery depths of the pool. She could see the bottom, and Hailstrike was willing to bet that she could stand and keep her head above water. Granitepaw, being shorter than herself, was another story. He would have to swim, which was the point of this exercise. Her own gaze not leaving the smooth surface, Hailstrike answered quietly, "As far as I know, no cat has drowned in these pools. I cannot tell you what happened before my birth, but I can assure you that you have nothing to fear in there." Her tail flicked and she paused, eyes finding Granitepaw again. "I'm going to be right next to you. You will not be alone. I will not let you drown. I would never let you drown, I give you my word." It was up to him whether or not he chose to believe it.

[Fawn]

Granitepaw

"I'm going to be right next to you. You will not be alone. I will not let you drown. I would never let you drown, I give you my word."

Granitepaw's tail stopped twitching furiously. Looking away from the pools and into his mentor's bright blue eyes and tabby-marked face, the warrior-to-be searched for any sort of falsehood in her statement, worried for the briefest of instants that she'd been telling him this just to get him into the pools quicker.
They're probably not that deep. Don't panic. Don't panic. You'd better not make a fool of yourself.

Granitepaw got up from his sitting position, proceeding to pad anxiously near the edge of the Sky Springs, watching them, as though afraid some kind of horrible beastie were going to spring out and swallow him whole if he went any closer. It's just a little water, you idiot. It's not even that deep! Er, hopefully. Granitepaw, wanting to test the water's depth, went and found a stone that was small enough to carry in his mouth, the gray apprentice careful not to swallow the cold, round thing as he walked towards the smaller springs, not wanting to brave the bigger ones just yet.
Here we go.

With a slightly awkward toss of his head, Granitepaw let the stone go, where it landed in the middle of the spring, plummeting down into waters he could almost see the bottom of, the cat's fur finally lying flat when he heard a muffled 'thud' of it hitting the bottom.
Okay. Not so bad. I can do this. I can do this.
Forcing the images of the horrible churning waters out of his head, and continuously concentrating on the sound of the pebble that had reached the bottom, Granitepaw eased his front paws into the spring. Carefully, ever so carefully the apprentice edged in further, the fur along his belly soon wet as he stepped out into the middle, Granitepaw having chosen one of the smaller springs to start with.
Oh look, you're not drowning! What a surprise.

Feeling a little better than before, Granitepaw mewed to Hailstrike, hoping this was as much as she planned to ask of him.
"Okay. Now what?"

[Phoenix]

Not that she had known him long, but Hailstrike had never before seen Granitepaw acting so nervous. The quiet way the young tom had adapted to the trip outside of camp and her different style of mentoring had given her the impression he was not a very anxious cat. Or he at least had better control over himself than he displayed now. She did not comment as Granitepaw peered into the water before picking up a stone and tossing it in with an awkward flick of the head. Ears flicked at the solid plunk the pebble made as it broke the surface of the water, and ice blue eyes followed its path to the bottom of the pool. She glanced at her apprentice, watching as he drew on his courage and waded in.

Tail flicking, Hailstrike considered how to go about this. As far as she knew, Granitepaw could not swim, and his previous experience with the action had obviously traumatized him. Something told her that she was lucky he had even gotten into the water, especially when it reached up to the area around his neck. "Do you remember why I wanted you to get into the pool, Granitepaw?" The she-cat asked steadily, hoping to remind him of the purpose of her actions. "Today we're going to focus on strengthening your leg. Swimming is the best way to do this because it allows you to work your leg, but it will not face the strain that running or jumping on land will put on it. The water will help hold you up." Now, how to explain swimming?

She cast a critical eye at the pool that Granitepaw had chosen. It was decent in size; any laps would be small, but they would be possible. That was the important part. It was deep enough that her apprentice could swim in, but shallow enough that he could stand if necessary. Hailstrike hoped that it would not be necessary, just as she hoped that she would not have to jump in to rescue a panicking apprentice. The she-cat was not particularly fond of getting her fur wet; she was a StoneClan warrior, after all, not a RainClan one.

"Swimming," Hailstrike started decisively, trying to remember what Owlclaw had told her. They had covered the subject briefly, as her late mentor had been a very efficient tom who wanted to pass on everything he knew to his eager apprentice. But she had never shown any real talent in swimming. "is a lot like walking. The motion is generally the same; you have to kick your legs steadily. Flailing does not help. Remember to keep your head above the surface, but if you're swimming correctly, then that should not be too much of a challenge. Are you ready to try it?"

[Fawn]

Granitepaw

Granitepaw listened to Hailstrike's instructions as though he were trying to hammer them into his skull. Don't flail. Don't panic. It's just a little pool, you can't honestly drown in something this small. Logic was a great comfort to him ever since the incident, being able to deduct the probable outcome or come to a reasonable conclusion made it that much easier to roll out of his nest in the morning, that much easier to face the day.

Granitepaw gave a dip of his head when she asked if he was ready; truth be told he wasn't all that keen on the idea, but she was right. He needed to strengthen his leg, and swimming would be less taxing on it then just running and jumping off of stuff. Though it might be a bit taxing on his psyche, but Hailstrike probably wasn't worried about that. Granitepaw felt himself unconsciously holding his breath, and he let it out in a ragged exhale, before gingerly, ever so gingerly, Granitepaw lifted all four paws off the peaty bottom. All at once his senses came alive, just as his weight pulled him down, and he hastily scrambled back to a standing position, the feel of the water at his throat enough to make the young tom shudder with fear and revulsion. I hate this! Mood steadily declining, Granitepaw tried a different approach.

Rather than try it with all four feet off the bottom, he'd try it with the front two, then the back two, then one back leg and one front leg - no reason to kill himself just yet.

Rearing up a little so that he sat mostly on his haunches, Granitepaw lifted his front limbs off the spring bottom and began to mimic a walking motion, the water parting and churning just slightly around his paws as he did so. The apprentice frowned. This isn't very productive. Am I doing this right? Stealing a sideways glance at Hailstrike, Granitepaw suddenly shifted to the edge of the spring, this time with another idea. Making as though to lift himself out of the spring, Granitepaw put his concentration into his back limbs, this time churning and kicking under water as though to propel himself forward, but his front paws kept him at the edge of the spring where he was safe.
There! This way he didn't have to worry about the water touching his throat, and didn't have to focus on sinking when he lifted his paws up.

Bravely sliding back, his forearms were now touching the grass around the pool about halfway, his elbows touching the water as he continued kicking and pedaling with his back legs, posture a little more even and with less strain on his upper body. It was hard work! Granitepaw flattened his ears to keep from splashing water into them, his whiskers twitching as he felt his back legs already getting a bit tired.
"Just like walking?" mewed Granitepaw, careful not to break his own concentration and keep pedaling no matter what. "This is even harder than walking and running combined! Granitepaw let out a heavy laugh under his breath, as that was all he could spare while he was trying so hard to 'swim', even if it was only his back legs that were actually 'swimming'.

[Phoenix]

Granitepaw sounded so indignant as he spoke that Hailstrike had a hard time hiding her amusement. Perhaps 'just like walking' had been a little of an understatement. After all, she had certainly not taken to swimming like a fish or one of those RainClan cats. And walking on land was considerably more pleasant that trying to force her way through water that dragged on her paws and fur. Easier too. In any case, it was Granitepaw who had to suffer through that now, not Hailstrike. Besides, would he have gotten into the water if he knew how hard swimming really was? She wouldn't have, if Owlclaw had told her the truth. "I'll admit," Hailstrike responded, good-natured, voice light. "That's a bit of an understatement, but the motion somewhat resembles that of walking. In any case, I'm sure you can fully appreciate why this is a good exercise for you leg?"

The warrior took a moment to admire the ingenuity that Granitepaw had displayed by propping himself up on the side. While she wanted him to eventually learn how to swim independently, this would do for now. She was satisfied that he been willing enough to beat back his fear of drowning and get into the pool itself. The task had also required a certain amount of trust in her, Hailstrike noted as well, and was equally pleased by the fact that he was reaching out to other cats, even if the action was subconscious. But Granitepaw had figured out a way to curb his fear enough to let him stay in the water to work his leg. Hailstrike thought it commendable, so she did so, "By the way, Granitepaw, you were very creative in figuring out a way to stay above the water like this." With a flick of the tail, she gestured to the way he braced himself on the land.

"That is another sign of a good warrior. A valuable asset to the clan shows an ability to improvise and adapt to different situations, like you did here," She continued, deciding that she might as well give him some advice while he worked out. Since Granitepaw appeared to be concentrating on his half-swimming, Hailstrike could not be sure as to how much of this he would remember, but that did not deter her. The warrior planned on repeating this information throughout the first half of her mentor-ship, at least, to drill it into his head. "Learning the proper techniques help considerably, but creativity is another basic quality that every warrior should have. This ability is useful in almost everything a warrior can do: hunt, patrol and fight. When hunting, as I'm sure you realize, your prey can be anywhere; there is no set position where you can always find a mouse." The she-cat paused, thinking back to the mouse-stone.

"Likewise, we run the risk of meeting up with a group from another clan whenever we patrol the border. Not all of of the cats in the other clans are willing to carry on a polite conversation; some of them are bloodthirsty, eager for a fight. I should think that your first priority will be to avoid that fight," Hailstrike gave him a pointed look, daring him to contradict her, "And that may require some quick-thinking diplomacy. We can get into that later, but my point is that pulling it off well requires the ability to improvise." She paused, then added in a quieter but stern voice, "This applies to him as well. I don't want to see you hurt because you started a fight that you cannot yet win."

"Which brings us to the last point: fighting. Set battle moves are important to learn as well, but some creativity is required to ensure a victory. If you are caught in a situation that you do not know how to escape using moves you already know, improvisation is necessary and very important." Hailstrike paused again, letting her point sink in before continuing, "This allows you to avoid freezing up and panicking." She sat back on her haunches, watching her apprentice as he kicked in the water. "However, I'd say you have a good start in the area of creativity, Granitepaw. I don't think that you will have to worry about it."

[Fawn]

Granitepaw

Kick, pull, kick, pull, kick, pull, steadily memorizing the sensation of kicking and pulling in the rhythm required of 'swimming', Granitepaw almost missed the compliment Hailstrike had given him in the beginnings of another long explanation - the she-cat's even, authoritative tone filling the space between them with ease.
Creative? She thinks I'm creative? Now that was something no one had ever said to him before, then again it wasn't often that he had to work his mind and his body simultaneously. Still, Hailstrike had subtly presented him with a trait he hadn't realized he'd had. Ingenuity. Granitepaw almost smiled, but it would've been a bit...unattractive, considering his mouth was open as he lightly panted, still swimming even though the muscles in his legs were starting to protest from the vigor and length required of this exercise.
Just a bit longer, then a break! If Hailstrike allowed breaks, that is.

Granitepaw's head swiveled when Hailstrike's voice was suddenly stern, the warrior-to-be half-worried she'd realized what he was thinking, but her next words were quite a bit heavier than he'd imagined.
"This applies to him as well. I don't want to see you hurt because you started a fight that you cannot yet win."

That burned as badly as having to walk on hot coals, only it singed the edges of his heart and roasted his pride rather than his paw-pads. She doesn't think I can win, let alone keep my cool in front of Shadeclaw. He thought, confidence sinking down into the sky pool. Actually, she wasn't being mean or unrealistic. Granitepaw probably couldn't keep his cool around Shadeclaw, let alone win against the older more experienced tom in a battle of brute strength, but to hear someone else say he couldn't do it, hurt worse than him realizing it himself.
"I could take him," he murmured beneath his labored breathing, ears folding back against his skull harder than they already were, not that anyone could even tell. Or maybe if you taught me how to win, we wouldn't be having conversations like this. For the briefest of instants, Granitepaw completely blamed Hailstrike for his unpreparedness as both a fighter and a hunter, blaming her pointlessly because for half a second, it made him feel better.
But then the guilt set in.

She didn't deserve his bratty attitude and his bratty thoughts, not when she was training and building him up without pity and without any sort of mistrust, not thinking of him as an accomplice to Shadeclaw's treachery, but not as a victim either. It was more than he expected, and maybe more than he deserved. Granitepaw couldn't really apologize for his own ebbing and flowing emotions, but he vowed to give her a little more respect, and to not get quite so frustrated the moment she mentioned Shadeclaw or told him he couldn't do something. Overdue for a break, the gray apprentice climbed out of the sky pool, breathing hard.
"How many days of this?" he mewed, flopping onto his side. Granitepaw was pleased to say that his leg wasn't twinging painfully, instead it felt just as tired as the other leg, the muscles not strained as heavily unlike when he was jumping, running and hunting for the Clan.

There was one thing he was a bit worried about. If he was tired from swimming, how was he supposed to learn hunting and fighting techniques? That might be pushing his muscles a little too hard a little too soon.

[Phoenix]

"Take a break now." Keen eyes had picked up on the slowed pace and failing control of straining muscles that indicated Granitepaw's growing exhaustion, and Hailstrike had given those four words in response. It seemed, however, that her apprentice was one step ahead of her; he was already climbing from the pool, evidently deciding that he had done enough. She did not comment on that, but stored the observation away in the back of her mind. Granitepaw knew his body's limits and would stop himself if the training was becoming too hard for him. He had listened to the expectations she had set a few days ago, about knowing when he needed to stop, and Hailstrike was very pleased. As she had said before, she did not know what his body could take. Only he did.

However, she refrained from commenting on it just as she had her other observation: the tom's reaction to her allusion about the traitor. She had seen the hurt her words had caused in his eyes as he swung his head around to look at her, but she would not take them back. Hailstrike meant what she had said - otherwhise she would not have said it - and would stick to it until the situation changed. Of course, the warrior could understand Granitepaw's desire for revenge, but they both knew, he had seemed to accept it, that he stood no chance against the fully trained warrior. Not yet. It wasn't as though she encouraged using revenge as a motivation - speaking of which, I'll have to see if I can show him that there are more things to live for - but Hailstrike believed that it would be only fitting if Granitepaw were to defeat the traitor. If only to prove that his betrayal had not set him back so far that he could not improve. If only to prove to the traitor what a valuable cat he had left behind and betrayed.

How much longer of this? Hailstrike echoed the question in her mind, considering. In order for this modified swimming to have any effect, he would need to do it frequently. However at this point, daily and even every other day, seemed too much. Every third day, perhaps? For how long, then? She wanted to have a set time for this excercise, at least in the beginning, for the warrior did not want to overwork him. Though she acknowledged his actions today, Hailstrike did not completely trust him to be completely honest; he was an apprentice, after all, even if he was more mature than the rest. She did not completely trust any of them, and she had gone through that stage. Egos were quick to inflate as new subject matter was covered, and as their pride was wounded, fights sparked among the apprentices. That was all and well, but some also aquired an appreciation for the lazy life of a kit, moping around camp the whole time like Granitepaw had been doing for a while, completely satisfied with letting others do their work for them. Hailstrike did not think that Granitepaw was this kind of cat, because everything she had seen during his training proved otherwise, but apprentices could be lazy creatures. He could figure out how to lie to get out of the exercising if she trusted him completely, though she sincerely hoped that he had more of a conscience than that.

"Every third day, I think," Hailstrike decided, setting it in stone by speaking the words aloud. She glanced around for some way to mark the changing time and found the shadow of a nearby rock. It had changed, but very slightly. The warrior remembered where it had been when they started the exercise and picked up a rock, marking the area. Then she chose another stone and marked where the shadow rested now. "When the stone's shadow touches that rock like it's doing now, you can stop."

[Fawn]

[atrb=width,350][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style,background-color: #464646; border-bottom: 40px #191126 solid; border-left: 8px #191126 solid; border-right: 8px #191126 solid; border-top: 70px #191126 solid; border-radius: 20px; moz-border-radius: 20px;][STYLE=float: left; width: 350px; padding: 10px; font-family: arial narrow; font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold; color: #B6B6B6; margin-top: -68px; text-transform: uppercase; text-align: center; margin-left: 4px;] Granitepaw 9 Moons[/style] [STYLE=padding: 10px; width: 380px; text-transform: lowercase; font-size: 10px; text-align: center; color: #B6D6D6; margin-top: -66px; margin-left: -8px;] I'm just a crack in this castle of glass.[/style] [STYLE=float: left; width: 90px; height: 90; margin: 10px; font-family: times new roman; font-size: 10px; text-align: center; border: 5px #191126 solid; padding: 5px; color: #442A37; opacity: 0.9; background: url('http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k258/nuttybuddy5/Warriors/Granitepaw-iconforpostingtable.jpg'); border-radius: 10px; moz-border-radius: 10px;] [/style][STYLE=font-size: 10px; text-align: justify; padding: 10px; color: #B6B6B6; border-radius: 20px; moz-border-radius: 20px;] The heavy panting carried on for a few minutes more, Granitepaw recovering as he listened attentively to Hailstrike's training plan, grateful it wouldn't be something he had to do everyday. It was like sharpening your claws every day on huge boulders. Keep it up for a long time, and you were bound to break or chip them, not strengthen them. That's...actually kind of clever, noted the tom with some surprise, watching Hailstrike use the positions of the stones and their shadows to determine the passage of time. That was great! That meant that she shouldn't just let him loose in the skysprings to figure out when he'd exercised long enough or too little. That reminded him... Cautious and mentally berating himself for what he perceived as weakness, Granitepaw mewed out his concern posed as a question, his eyes locked on the stones. "Will you be there for all the strength training sessions? I can understand if you won't be. Watching your apprentice swim can't be very entertaining - not when you could be hunting or..." Or teaching an apprentice who doesn't [i/]need strength training. Granitepaw wouldn't have blamed her if that's what she planned on doing while he was out here paddling, however, the idea of being alone during his swimming lessons put him on edge. What if he slipped, bashed his head in and drowned? What if his leg cramped up and he couldn't get out of the water and was left calling for hours and hours? A thousand worst case scenarios flitted across his conscious like flies to a pile of horse dung, Granitepaw swallowing dryly, daring himself to look at Hailstrike's face - even if only to see a condescending gleam in her eyes as though she thought him behaving like a kit. Even if she didn't think he needed the supervision, Granitepaw could earnestly say he was not comfortable enough yet with water to want to be alone, submerged in a pool with no one in the immediate vicinity to help if needed. [STYLE=padding: 10px; width: 250px; text-transform: lowercase; font-size: 12px; text-align: center; color: #B6D6D6; margin-left: -40px; margin-bottom: -72px;]WORDS: ### // TAGS: Names[/style] [STYLE=padding: 10px; text-transform: lowercase; font-size: 10px; text-align: center; color: #B6D6D6; margin-bottom: -68px; margin-left: 230px; width: 70px;]Table by Yori of BTN[/style]