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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2016 23:20:37 GMT -5
The fluffy white she-cat stirred as the moss near her head shifted. Her pale green eyes fluttered open just in time to see another apprentice stepping past her, likely headed for the dawn patrol. She wasn’t usually so easily disturbed in her silent world, but her sleep had been restless that night. Realising that she probably wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep, Frozenpaw carefully rose from her nest and weaved her way out of the den. Once in open air, she stretched, jaws parting in a yawn. She looked around, seeing only the dawn patrol gather, then exit. Not really knowing what to do, she lay down just outside the den, her head on her paws as she waited for the Clan to stir.
As the sun rose a little higher, warriors began to slip from the warriors’ den, many of them following a similar ritual to her: walking out, stretching, yawning and then glancing around. Frozenpaw got an idea into her head and rose to her paws, padding over to the warriors’ den. She waited until a warrior stepped out then slipped in, blinking quickly to adjust to the low light. Her eyes scanned the den, looking for a now-familiar tabby and white pelt. Spotting her mentor, she stepped between the nests, careful not to disturb any still sleeping warriors until she reached Rushwhisker’s side.
She looked down at the sleeping tom, wondering the best way to wake him. She could do as he did, paw at his shoulder, but she knew how jolting that could be. She tilted her head, thinking. Her head straightened suddenly in excitement as an idea popped into her head. Moving so she could stand beside Rushwhisker’s head, she carefully waved her tail in front of his nose, touching him ever so slightly. Her intent was to tickle him just enough to get him to stir, but not enough to startle him. She stood there, gently waving her tail back and forth, hoping her idea would work. If it did, she hoped it would be a way for Rushwhisker to wake her up, sparing her from the moment of panic that always accompanied a quick awakening.
@zen
Greenleaf 21
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2016 23:26:48 GMT -5
I look ahead to all the plans that we made and the dreams that we had.
I'm in a world that tries to take them away, but I'm taking them back.
The little tabby and white kitten crouched low in the reeds, pushing through them with what he thought of as absolute silence, though any warrior or apprentice nearby would be wondering what was making the reeds rattle so much on this windless day. As he reached the edge of the reeds, he paused, peering out through the stalks to where a fluffy white kitten sat, gazing around the camp with wide blue eyes. Rushkit wiggled his hindquarters, feeling victorious already. His brother was so easy to sneak up on. It was like he never paid attention to anything.
He wiggled again, preparing to pounce, when suddenly a feather floated down from the sky and brushed over his nose. He shook his head, his nose tickling. More feathers began to fall and he looked up wondering where they were all coming from. They whirled around him, brushing over his nose until he sneezed-
Rushwhisker woke with a sneeze, raising his head slightly and shaking it, “So many feathers....” He looked around blearily, his gaze focusing on the fluffy white she-cat in front of him after a moment. He stared at her, not fully awake, before it finally dawned on him who it was. He blinked in surprise, “Frozenpaw!” His ears flicked as his mind finally woke up and he remembered she couldn't hear him. He stood, glancing around. Had he overslept?
After another few moments of putting things together, he realized that no, he hadn't overslept, but that Frozenpaw had come looking for him and woke him up... with her tail. He stepped closer to her, resting his head over the back of her neck and purring so she could feel it, his greeting for her, before stepping away again. She must have been trying not to wake him like he woke her, trying not to startle him. He gave her a quick, affectionate lick between the ears for her thoughtfulness. He would have to try it with her, next time, and see if she didn't wake easier.
He brushed against her as he stepped past her, swishing his own tail over her nose briefly, hoping it might get across that he understood what she had done. He glanced back to give her a smile, flicked his tail for her to follow him. They may as well do some training now that they were both awake. As he stepped out of the warriors' den, he drew in a deep breath. A cool breeze blew for the first time in days, he breathed easy instead of choking on air thick with heat.
He had been focusing on fishing and swimming conditioning for the most part this greenleaf when it came to Frozenpaw's training, partly because he felt it was more important for her to learn first, partly because it was hot and those activities would help keep Frozenpaw cool while she learned, and partly because... he wanted to protect her. He had mixed emotions about Frozenpaw fighting. On the one paw, he wanted more than anything for her to live like a normal warrior, and fighting was part of warrior life, but on the other paw... he really never wanted to see any cat he cared about fighting for any reason. It wasn't just because she was deaf, or so he tried to tell himself.
He paused outside the den, rethinking his plans for the day. Since it was so nice, it would be a good chance to get in some battle practice without worrying about Frozenpaw overheating. And yet.... His ears twitched uncertainly as his gaze wandered camp looking for something to convince him one way or the other. Reddish fur caught his attention and his gaze settled on Russethawk. His ears perked optimistically. Maybe his mentor could help. It would be good to get an opinion from a cat more experienced as a mentor and warrior, and one who wasn't... quite as attached to Frozenpaw.
Glancing back at his apprentice, he flicked his tail again for her to follow him and headed over to his mentor, “Russethawk! Would you mind helping me with Frozenpaw's training today? She hasn't gotten in much battle practice yet and I'm....” He shuffled his paws slightly, “I'm a bit stuck, I guess.” It was hard to admit that he had been sheltering her, that he was holding her back. But that was why he was coming to Russethawk, to a cat he was sure could help him through this so Frozenpaw could be the warrior Rushwhisker was sure she was capable of becoming, if only her mentor did what was right for her.
Cause all of this time I've just been too blind to understand what should matter to me.
My friends this life we live, it’s not what we have, it’s what we believe in. Fawn
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Post by Fawn on Aug 5, 2016 21:52:33 GMT -5
And the world's gonna know your name, His legs were still damp from the wading he'd done that morning, collecting duck and swan feathers to line the nursery nests with after he'd finished the dawn patrol. Coming back and intending to dry off in camp until Pikepaw awoke, Russethawk's ruddy ears twitched and swiveled towards the sound of somecat calling his name.
He grinned in greeting, rising from his sprawled position on the warm ground. Russethawk was a pretty friendly cat, one of the friendliest in the Clan, if anything, but there were some cats who held a special place in his life as being the ones he would always have time for. And if he didn't, he would stop and make time. His first apprentice, Rushwhisker, was one of those cats. "Morning, Rush. You look as if you just rolled out of your nest."
Spotting the snowy-white she-cat behind him, Russethawk almost called to her cheerfully, before he remembered. Instead, he raised his red plumed tail and waved it like a banner, hoping to catch Frozenpaw's eye in an inoffensive manner.
"I'll get Pikepaw and we can start right away. Let me know what you're having the most trouble with and I'll see if I can figure it out." Russethawk stretched until he heard a satisfying click in his shoulders, and then walked quickly to the apprentices' den, poking his head in for the salmon-hued kitten.
"Wake up, Pikepaw! We're battle training today."
And he was going to have a few words with the younger tom before they got started. He could tell by the awkwardness in Rushwhisker's tone that he was having difficulty teaching Frozenpaw how to fight for a couple reasons; one, it might've been difficult to communicate with her, and two, she probably reminded him of Icekit so much that... perhaps Rushwhisker couldn't bring himself to imagine that Frozenpaw might someday have to defend herself in a fight?
Russethawk wouldn't probe Rushwhisker's thoughts on the matter, he would focus on helping in any way that he could. The first step, of course, was making sure Pikepaw didn't get carried away. When the young tom stood, glowering in the early light, before him, Russethawk lowered his voice.
"We're training with Rushwhisker and Frozenpaw today. Be patient with her. I know she's Coldpaw's sister, but whatever grudge you two have, leave it at camp today, okay?"
Russethawk's emerald green eyes, normally so friendly, carried a stern light of reprimand. | | 'Cause you burn with the brightest flame | Word Count: 405 Words
Tags: Insidious , Amber , @zen
Notes: -- |
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Post by Insidious on Aug 5, 2016 22:37:56 GMT -5
Pikepaw rolled out of his nest with a groan. It was his usual response to being woken up, but he felt that the reason for it today would especially irk him. His Coldpaw senses were tingling, and while his sister was undoubtedly an improvement from the icy apprentice, he still had no interest in associating with that particular tom’s family.
He shot the fluffy she-cat a violent look the second his eyes found hers, but the sound of his mentor’s voice managed to cut through his spiraling thoughts, and he slowly dragged his eyes away from her to look at him instead. He could tell from the ordinarily cheerful tom’s expression that he wanted Pikepaw to take this seriously. Frozenpaw wasn’t Coldpaw by any means, and from what he’d seen of her around camp, she was tolerable. He knew he couldn’t be hypocritical and think her blood or, better yet, who it made her related to was enough of a reason for him to hate her.
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry. I’ll take it easy on her.” With that said and done with, he brushed past Russethawk; the sooner they could get this over with the better. The next time his eyes found Frozenpaw’s, he tried to make the look on his face a less hostile one, but he couldn’t say for sure whether or not it worked. He knew that her deafness was a setback, but he didn’t actually want to take it easy on her. He wanted to treat her the same way he treated any other clan-mate and, besides, this was his training, too. What did he stand to gain from this by not putting his all into every move?
Mouthing a good luck to her as he pressed ahead of the group, he began to strategize the moves he’d make. Russethawk made him promise that he’d leave his grudge against Coldpaw in camp, but this opportunity was far too good for him to pass up.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2016 15:42:40 GMT -5
Rushwhisker's head jerked, causing Frozenpaw to tilt her head in confusion. Then he looked around before his gaze settled on her, and her head straighted with an excited grin. 'It worked!' He rose, looked around again, then took a step forward, laying his head over he neck, and she took the opportunity to press her ear against his chest, matching his purr once she felt his heart. They pulled apart and he licked her head, causing her to wave her tail in glee. He brushed past her to exit the den and she followed close at his heels, eager to begin the day. She waited as he paused just outside the den, tilting her head and watching while he looked around. When he glanced back she straightened her head, following when he flicked his tail at her. He stopped in front of a red-furred warrior and she waited while they spoke, smiling and waving her tail eagerly in response to Russethawk's wave. The two warriors spoke, then Russethawk moved to the apprentices' den, coming out a short time later with Pikepaw following him. The look the other apprentice shot her caused her to recoil slightly, a look of confusion on her face. What had she done to warrant that? She glanced up to Rushwhisker, wondering if he had seen the exchange, seeking some sort of answer if he had. When she looked at Pikepaw again, his face was slightly less hostile, but still had her a little anxious. His mouth moved, but she didn't know what he meant. Keeping close to Rushwhisker's side as the group left the camp, she couldn't help the deep sense of unease that had dampened her mood. @zen , Fawn , Insidious |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2016 23:59:08 GMT -5
I look ahead to all the plans that we made and the dreams that we had.
I'm in a world that tries to take them away, but I'm taking them back.
He ducked his head a bit at Russethawk's comment about him just waking up. Was it that obvious? His ears twitched, slightly embarrassed as he cast a glance over his shoulder at his own fur, still stuck up in places, with a few bits of moss stuck here and there. He had been so surprised that Frozenpaw had been the one to wake him up that he hadn't paused to give himself a quick grooming before leaving the den. As his mentor slipped off to wake Pikepaw, Rushwhisker sat and rasped his tongue quickly over his fur, getting out the worst evidence of his night's sleep, while pondering just what to say about what he was having 'the most trouble' with.
Everything, he thought with a sigh. That wasn't a productive thought, however, so he shook it off. He had to narrow it down to something Russethawk could work with him on. He straightened as his friend returned with his apprentice, far better groomed than he had been a moment ago and looking far better prepared for the day. When Pikepaw shot Frozenpaw a nasty look, he narrowed his eyes. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He wasn't entirely sure what that was all about. Surely Frozenpaw couldn't have done anything to offend Pikepaw, not enough to warrant a look like that anyway. Sure, there might be some misunderstandings involved surrounding his apprentice due to the communication barrier, but most of the Clan was patient and understanding about such things.
He eyed Pikepaw as the younger tom took the lead out of camp before glancing back at Frozenpaw and stepping a bit closer so their fur brush, giving her an encouraging smile and brushing his tail soothingly over her spine, trying to assure her she had done nothing wrong. Hoping she understood, or at least felt a little better for his reassurance, he turned to Russethawk to figure out a place for them to start. “I guess the biggest problem is... I'm not really sure how to go about telling her what we're doing. If I just attack her, I'll just scare her and make her think she did something wrong. I could do it playfully to ease her into it, but... battle isn't fun and playful. I don't want her to get the wrong idea either.”
He sighed again, looking over at his mentor, “I was sort of hoping, maybe she could watch you and Pikepaw spar a little first, and then she could try with Pikepaw, possibly.” He cast a glance toward Russethawk's apprentice ahead of them, still a bit unsure after that look he had given Frozenpaw, “If she sees her Clanmates sparring, and they come out fine afterward and don't seem angry at each other, maybe it will help her understand?”
Cause all of this time I've just been too blind to understand what should matter to me.
My friends this life we live, it’s not what we have, it’s what we believe in.
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Post by Fawn on Sept 1, 2016 20:22:42 GMT -5
And the world's gonna know your name, Russethawk nodded immediately. Not about to unleash a fully-rested, fully-fed Pikepaw on a deaf kitten who didn't understand battle practice, he was quick to agree. "Good idea. I'll wear Pikepaw down a little to start with; he can be moody and aggressive otherwise. But don't worry, if he tries anything, he'll have a very hard day ahead of him." The younger tom was temperamental, but Russethawk didn't believe he was terrible at heart.
Just moody, frustrated with the way the Clan was, along with the loss of his father and the fact that Quietstream had become a warrior already. There was that issue with Coldpaw earlier... I need to spend more time with him. Russethawk vowed to be more active with the young tom during leaf-fall, intending to take advantage of the cool weather to have longer battle training sessions after this one.
"If the fight gets too heated, Rushwhisker, try your best to convince Frozenpaw it's not so bad." Russethawk grimaced, not sure how his former apprentice was going to explain to her that some cats just fought like rabid squirrels; especially cats who were easily riled.
He wasn't going to ask Pikepaw to hold back against him. Instead, he was going to tire out the dark-and-salmon-hued tom until whatever vindictive thoughts he had against Coldpaw that he might channel into this battle with Frozenpaw were no longer worth the effort.
Catching up with Pikepaw, he relayed the first part of his plan on the way to the sand bar, the water cold on his belly as he waded across. "You and I are going to fight first, Pikepaw. Then after Frozenpaw understands what's going on and you've shown her a few moves, you two can practice a little." With Rushwhisker's help and his own dedication to keeping both apprentices properly trained, Russethawk was confident that despite any shaky starts, they could make some decent progress.
Glancing over his shoulder to see to it that Rushwhisker and Frozenpaw had crossed to the sand bar without issue, Russethawk went to the opposite end of the sand bar, taking a battle stance. He held up one paw for the deaf kitten to see; then he unsheathed his claws and immediately shook his head. No claws. No bloodshed. Sheathing them, he smiled warmly at her, watching closely to see if she understood.
Pikepaw was just going to have to tolerate his charades. As much as he was sure his apprentice wanted a proper one-on-one training session, Russethawk felt it was his job as the senior-most warrior here to also help Frozenpaw and Rushwhisker too. Besides, Rushwhisker had asked, and Russethawk wasn't about to turn down the opportunity to assist.
| | 'Cause you burn with the brightest flame! | Word Count: 447 Words
Tags: Amber , Insidious
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Post by Insidious on Sept 5, 2016 0:05:03 GMT -5
Pikepaw sat across from his mentor with an expression of impatience as he demonstrated to Frozenpaw that there would be no claws used in their battle. He had learned the rules of sparring a long time ago, and it bothered him that Frozenpaw still needed to have everything explained to her. It felt like the lesson was built around her needs, and if that was the case, they had chosen the wrong cat to help out. Pikepaw had never been a particularly generous cat to begin with, and given RainClan’s recent descent into disorder, his mood had only proved to lessen with each passing day.
He followed Russethawk’s eyes to where Rushwhisker stood with his apprentice, and even though he managed to avoid tossing another glare her way, it was painfully clear that this was the last place he wanted to be, and with eyes back on his mentor, the second last cat he wanted to be fighting. When it seemed like he was finished explaining the rules to Frozenpaw, he wasted no time in making the first move.
Pikepaw sprung forward with an unanticipated burst of speed, an unannounced battle cry rising in his throat as he flashed his teeth and aimed to swipe at Russethawk’s shoulder. His intention wasn’t to hurt him—and if the hit landed he wouldn’t actually put the effort into leaving a memorable bruise—but he wanted to put on a show for Frozenpaw. If he could rattle her up a little, and simultaneously play it off like it wasn’t his intention, then this afternoon wouldn’t end up being a total waste of his time.
Pretty soon, this will be you. It was an unexpected, hateful thought, but it stayed with him as he drew closer and closer to his target.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2016 23:22:14 GMT -5
Her brow was furrowed in worry as she followed Pikepaw and Russethawk. The brush of Rushwhisker's fur against hers and the stroke of his tail along her spine helped to ease her, and the smile he gave her brought about one from her own face, albeit not quite as vibrant as usual. It did relax her face, however, and a faint echo remained on her face until they reached the river. Crossing to the sandbar wasn't as difficult as it used to be, and she made it safely, shaking some of the water out of her fur. She looked up, seeing that Pikepaw and Russethawk had already set themselves up at opposite ends. A small strike of alarm raised the fur on her spine slightly, and she glanced at Rushwhisker momentarily before noticing Russethawk's eyes on her. She focused on him, tilting her head. He showed his claws and shook his head. She knew the head shake meant 'No', and she looked down at her own paw, raising it and flipping the pawpad up. She mimicked the motion, flexing her claws, tilting her head the opposite direction. She looked up at Russethawk again, watching him retract his claws and smile. She glanced back to her paw, sheathing her claws. She flexed and withdrew her claws several times, trying to make sense. Flex, 'no'; retract, smile. Thinking she had figured it out, she looked up to see Russethawk's eyes still on her. She raised her paw, extending her claws. She shook her head 'no', then sheathed her claws, nodding her head 'yes'. Her head tilted slightly afterwards, seeking confirmation of what she thought she figured out. Moments later, Pikepaw burst forward, causing Frozenpaw's eyes to jerk to him. He was heading toward Russethawk, and a moment of panic caused her fluffy tail to spike up. Why was Pikepaw trying to hurt him? Russethawk had said no claws! It was going to take some time before she could realize that this wasn't an unprovoked attack but a coordinated spar. Until then, though, her eyes remained fixed on the two cats in front of her, her fur halfway raised in fear and confusion. @zen, Fawn, Insidious |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2016 12:36:16 GMT -5
I look ahead to all the plans that we made and the dreams that we had.
I'm in a world that tries to take them away, but I'm taking them back.
Rushwhisker stayed closer to Frozenpaw as they crossed the river to the sand bar, confident in her own swimming abilities to get her across, but wanting to be near just in case. She was doing quite well in all the areas he had covered with her so far. And besides, one didn't really need to be able to hear to be able to swim well. Hearing wasn't important for fishing either. Rushwhisker wasn't sure Frozenpaw would ever be able to catch land prey, but in RainClan that hardly mattered. He would try to teach her anyway, but it wasn't a priority currently. That would be another challenge, for if she couldn't hear the sounds SHE was making, she could not stop them from scaring prey away.
But that was a challenge for another day. As the two of them stepped out of the river behind Russethawk and Pikepaw, he gave his own pelt a quick shake before following a bit farther onto land. He watched the silent interaction between Frozenpaw and Russethawk closely, watching her mimic the ruddy tom and seem to come to an understanding. Without much warning, Pikepaw threw himself at Russethawk and Rushwhisker stepped closer to Frozenpaw as she looked incredibly alarmed. He stood pressed against her purred so she could feel the vibration, a feeling he knew she understood as comforting, trying to assure her that everything was okay.
He stepped away, sitting and whisking his tail over the ground beside him in the sign they had worked out for her to sit with him. Hopefully his own calm would do much to reassure her. He mimicked what Russethawk had done earlier, reminding her that they weren't using their claws. Then he nodded toward them, trying to ensure that she paid attention to what they were doing. Once they had finished and they were unhurt, he was sure she would feel much better about what was going on, but in the mean time he hoped he could keep her calm enough to watch and learn something from them. And he knew Russethawk was going to be a big help and was very glad he had asked for the older tom's assistance. He just hoped Pikepaw wouldn't end up scaring her too much when it came time for her practice with him.
Perhaps he would take her aside first for some basic things, just to get her used to the idea of sparring with another cat. He was just certain he would never be able to fight her in earnest, whereas Pikepaw clearly didn't have a problem with it. It was a weakness. He shouldn't be thinking like that. If Frozenpaw wasn't deaf and could better understand what was happening, he would sparred with her as he would with any of his Clanmates. His ears flicked, wishing he knew how to push past these feelings. He had never felt quite so overprotective of Icepaw. He had play fought with his brother all the time, and during apprenticeship he had sparred with him on a few occasions, though he was sure Icepaw had only thought it more playfighting. But he wasn't Frozenpaw littermate, she hadn't grown up playfighting with him. He wasn't sure it would feel quite as natural as it had with Icepaw, for either of them.
Cause all of this time I've just been too blind to understand what should matter to me.
My friends this life we live, it’s not what we have, it’s what we believe in. Fawn
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Post by Fawn on Sept 9, 2016 19:02:56 GMT -5
 42 Moons | RainClan | Tom | Senior Warrior Good, she understands. He trusted Rushwhisker to do his best to clarify the situation further if he could—Pikepaw was making sure he didn’t get the chance to do it himself. With a well-aimed frontal strike from the dark tabby, Russethawk allowed contact to happen, wanting Pikepaw to know that he hadn’t spooked him or caught him by surprise.
Emerald eyes ablaze, Russethawk wore a winsome smile, not just for Frozenpaw’s sake—but for Pikepaw’s. A smile that said I don’t have to concentrate too hard to defeat you. Not only would it likely infuriate the younger tom, but it was the truth. He would give Razorstar’s son his full attention, but only for the purpose of mentoring him. In a real fight, he could’ve finished Pikepaw quickly enough. The tom had gotten bigger, and he understood hesitation about as well as a fish knew how to fly; there were still a few things Pikepaw needed to learn before he could defeat a full grown RainClan warrior.
Fighting on land was all well-and-fine, but they’d need to cover water-battles as well.
Russethawk responded with a hard strike to Pikepaw’s shoulder and his jaw, the blow to his jaw softer than the one to his shoulder as he didn’t want to stun the young tom. (Though StarClan knew Pikepaw deserved to have his branches rattled a little; maybe it would shake him out of his permanently sour mood).
Expecting a full retaliation, Russethawk’s smile widened into a grin, teeth shining like pearls as he easily made a few short hops backwards, clearing Pikepaw’s striking range. The tom was going to have to charge forward or find a way to circle around if he wanted to reach him. Keep him moving. That’ll wear him out.
He didn’t attempt to steal a glance over at Frozenpaw; more experienced as he was, it was important to keep your eyes on your opponent, whether it was a cranky apprentice or a battle-scarred NightClan warrior.
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Post by Insidious on Sept 12, 2016 12:17:08 GMT -5
He decided in the same amount of time it took to blink the initial hostility out of his eyes that he wanted to wipe that smug, unconquerable look right off of his mentor's face. He was too caught up in the adrenaline of battle to think about how uncharacteristic it was of Russethawk. Later, he'd probably beat himself up for not taking a minute to figure out he was doing all of this for Frozenpaw's sake, but in the moment he was exactly where Russethawk wanted him. With a ferocious snarl—it was probably a good thing Frozenpaw couldn't hear him—he turned his head to the side when Russethawk's paw collided with his mouth, snapping at nothing but air as the older, more experienced tom wisely drew his paw out of reach and smacked Pikepaw's shoulder.
Russethawk bounced a couple mouselengths away with the same toothy, satisfied grin on his face. Pikepaw sharply faced him, a dark, unhappy look in his eye; Russethawk's blow to his jaw had stung a little, but on the contrary he wasn't upset with him for fighting like a real warrior. Resolved not to show him that he was even a little impressed, he dove forward and aimed a meaningful swipe for the side of his mentor's neck. He was going to feel a soreness in his jaw the following morning, and he wanted to return the favour.
In seconds flat, he had forgotten about Frozenpaw and Rushwhisker entirely. He was throwing everything he had into his fight with Russethawk, unknowingly playing directly into his mentor's plan for him all along.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2016 1:51:14 GMT -5
Rushwhisker was against her side within moments of Pikepaw's attack. She could feel the vibrations of his purr, but it wasn't quite enough to settle her. He shifted away from her and her eyes immediately sought him, wanting him to come back and help her and help them and-- oh. He made a signal for her to sit next to him and she complied, wrapping her fluffed tail tightly around herself in an effort to combat her unease. Rushwhisker showed her his paw, flexing and retracting his claws in the same way Russethawk had earlier, and she looked up at him. They were fighting without claws? She glanced over at Pikepaw and Russethawk. Even if they weren't using claws, they weren't being exactly gentle. She glanced at Rushwhisker again with worry apparent in her features, but he nodded back at the sparring pair, and she figured he wanted her to watch. But why? They were trying to hurt each other, what good would come from sitting back and staring? The difference in the two toms was striking. Russethawk has a solid, confident smile stuck to his face, while Pikepaw had an unhappy scowl deeper than his typical one. As they exchanged blows yet came back unbloodied, Frozenpaw began to believe that they actually had carefully put their claws away for the fight. The fur along her spine lowered slightly, though she still shifted uneasily. Why did they have to fight each other? Having never known battle or violence of any kind, she didn't understand the importance of training to defend oneself, and as she watched Russethawk and Pikepaw, all she really wanted was for the pair to come to their senses and stop hurting each other. @zen, Fawn, Insidious |
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Post by Fawn on Sept 23, 2016 19:08:08 GMT -5
42 Moons | RainClan | Tom | Senior Warrior Pikepaw fought like a warrior. Despite how occupied he was with keeping the younger tom moving around the sand bar, he felt a ferocious surge of pride, accepting Pikepaw's incredibly aggressive fighting style for what it was. He was Razorfang's son, after all; with maturity would come that characteristic coldness his father had always displayed. Right now, he was all anger and bad manners. Russethawk laughed, feeling exhilarated as he dodged a particularly nasty strike to the face from Pikepaw, the apprentice growing bolder as Russethawk ran through nearly half his repertoire of battle moves. They didn't name him Pike for nothing! Three times, Pikepaw had nearly bitten him, and each time Russethawk was reminded with disturbing clarity of Razorfang's teeth, the former leader's namesake being pointed, sharkish teeth that Russethawk had never had the courage to ask him about.
He doubted Razorfang would've told him the truth, anyway.
Though Russethawk would consider himself good at focusing, he also got lost in the heat of the moment, his focus narrowing onto his own apprentice until he was driving the young warrior back into the water, wanting to test Pikepaw's footwork with the ground a little less unforgiving, his fur's natural buoyancy bound to force him to adjust his stance. There would be moments, particularly along the NightClan border, where they would not always be fighting in water—and there would be fights where their enemies would try to block them into their river or stream. It was also a handy technique for a RainClan cat to pull on an unsuspecting enemy Clan cat. Nothing made a StoneClan cat more nervous than a stream or brook behind them and a RainClan patrol in front.
I'll have to teach him how to dive, and hold his breath. Russethawk smirked, picturing some poor warrior trying to swim across the river, only to have Pikepaw glide through the water and sink his teeth right into their leg. Well... maybe not. That was a move for when Pikepaw was older, and less likely to drown his opponents in the sheer heat of the moment.
Sides heaving, Russethawk finally called a halt to their sparring session, shaking the wet sand out of his claws, and feeling the bruises on his shoulders and flank speak up from where Pikepaw had managed to land a blow. Proud of the young tom, he smiled and flicked the sand off of Pikepaw's dark tabby ear. "Good job, you fight well. Let's give the other two a chance to practice." It was probably too much to hope that Pikepaw would smile or at least radiate any kind of happiness over his mentor's acknowledgment, but Russethawk was satisfied that he'd worn Pikepaw out. He would more than likely be an aching, crappy monstrosity in the morning—but maybe the battle had done him some good after all.
They would practice again, soon.
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