[Taxx]

Smokestorm

This gal right here's gonna rule the world
No, I won't sit still and look pretty

It was early, the sun not quite up yet, and the dew on the grass was thick. A bit earlier than usual to begin training, but who knew how hot it would get? Better to do training, especially battle training, during the early morning or late afternoon, when it was cooler. Cicadapaw followed close, and at her side Eagletalon padded along with Minkpaw in tow. It was better to do training where an apprentice could practice their moves on a cat closer to their size, and while Minkpaw was a little smaller than Cidadapaw, the younger apprentice made up for it with enthusiasm.

Coming to a halt as they reached the plateau, Smokestorm turned to Cicadapaw. “Okay, apprentice. I’ve taught you offensive moves, now we’re going to focus on defense. You know how to make the most of your size and speed, but there’s more to battle than throwing yourself at your opponents. Defense is just as effective sometimes. In battle, you have to make split second decisions between how to react when an opponent is lunging for you. I’m going to try to teach you how to respond in a way that will allow you to- perhaps not win, but escape with as minor an injury as possible." Sitting at the larger tom's side, Smokestorm glanced back and forth between the two she-cat apprentices.

“There are all different types of strength and weight class; LightningClan are smaller, lighter, more nimble, while TreeClan are generally heavier and rely on that strength to overpower their opponents. StoneClan tends to vary, but Eagletalon and I can each give you two an idea of how it’ll be to focus on a bigger opponent as opposed to a smaller one. Cicadapaw, why don’t you show Minkpaw a few offensive moves first, while Eagletalon and I talk?”

Deputy of StoneClan

Tags: @zen Fawn Notes:

[Fawn]

89 Moons // Tom // Senior Warrior // StoneClan

"Don't go easy on her just because of her father, Cicadapaw," Eagletalon coaxed, whiskers twitching, his eyes bright despite the earliness of the day. Addressing Minkpaw next, he fixed amber eyes on the pale-furred, troublemaking kitten. "Make sure you get your timing down. Don't be afraid to wait a heartbeat or two before striking, you might find a better opportunity that way."

He and Minkpaw were still new into this mentorship, but she was hardly Eagletalon's first apprentice. When you'd tutored so many cats throughout the moons, you started to get a sense of what needed to be done, where improvements could be made, and how to utilize each apprentice's individual strength.

Thank StarClan that part was getting easier. Getting out of my nest in the morning? Not so much. He was getting old. No point in pretending otherwise, and despite the vigor of his spirit, his body complained about the early rising, whether it was the dawn patrol - or a special joint-training session with his daughter. Eagletalon had stretched a little before their group set off, and the walk over had reduced some of the stiffness in his legs.

Still, with his white-flecked muzzle and his combat scars, he'd gotten a little slower than he'd been twenty moons ago. Eagletalon's paws pressed comfortably into the familiar loose sand covering the rocky plateau, and, quiet so as not to distract the apprentices, checked in with Smokestorm. And Mistcloud. "How is she holding up?" It had been a tense few days, following Ashpaw's death. His youngest, Meadowpaw, had been injured in the attack, and Eagletalon would never forget the horrified faces his mate and her kin made when that ragged group returned to camp. Meadowpaw unconscious, Palepaw wordless, shaking as if she had an entire earthquake trapped inside her body, and only a haunting account of Ashpaw's whereabouts.

It was clear as day why they were focusing on combat training. The world, as they had been violently reminded, was not safe.


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Word Count: 330 Words
Tags: @zen Taxx
Notes: 6 Days since Ashpaw's death.

[Deleted]

Cicadapaw listened to her mentor's instructions, nodding along grimly. Ashpaw's recent death was still fresh in her mind. What if that had been Beetlepaw? She suppressed a shudder as that familiar question reared its head once more, as it had so many times since the patrol had returned with only news of Ashpaw's death, not even a body carried back to mourn over, to share tongues with one last time as his family sat their grieving vigil. She was really starting to hate foxes. They took too much, from her family, from her Clan. She'd caught Ashpaw and Minkpaw making fun of her brother more than once, she hadn't liked the tom, but she certainly hadn't wanted him to die. Poor Palepaw....

Her ears flicked as she refocused on Smokestorm. Defense. Maybe if Ashpaw had a little more defense training he'd still be alive. However, before they started on defense, Smokestorm wanted her to demonstrate some offensive moves to Minkpaw. She glanced at the younger apprentice, sitting a tail length away and yawning, looking quite bored and ready to get started with the actual battling. At the deputy's suggestion that Cicadapaw show her some moves, Minkpaw rolled her eyes in a clear indication of just what she thought of that idea. Cicadapaw's tail twitched in annoyance at the other she-cat's attitude.

“Sure, Smokestorm. I'll try,” she cast a look at Minkpaw as she said it, unsure just how well her denmate would actually pay attention to her. Eagletalon added his own advice, looking a bit amused.

“Don't go easy on her just because of her father, Cicadapaw.”

“Yeah, I'll shred you if you do,” Minkpaw taunted, rising to her paws, tail flicking behind her in anticipation to finally be doing something.

Cicadapaw snorted, “I won't.” Minkpaw seemed to think it was fun to tease Beetlepaw. Maybe if she beat her in a fight she'd leave her brother alone.

Minkpaw flicked an ear at Eagletalon as he offered her advice as well, “Yeah, okay.” Timing. Waiting. Ugh. A fox wasn't gonna wait for her to find a better opportunity to strike. What a weird thing to say. Standing a few tail lengths from Cicadapaw, her icy gaze narrowed slightly, “So what ya go-”

Cicadapaw darted forward and landed a blow to the younger she-cat's shoulder, sending her stumbling in surprise midsentence. She would have liked to have landed the blow right on her muzzle to make her think twice about running it about her brother so much, but she didn't think Smokestorm would have approved. She certainly had Minkpaw's attention now.

“Hey! I didn't know we were starting!” Minkpaw glared at her.

“A real enemy isn't gonna wait until you're ready,” Cicadapaw retorted, though a flash of guilt bolted through her. Just because Minkpaw was mean didn't mean she had to be. She took a step back, “Do you know what that move was called?”

Minkpaw's fur was fluffed up indignantly, and she was surprised by the question. It took her a moment, but that was such a basic move, of course she knew what it was called, “A front paw strike.” Even if it had been without claws, she'd still felt the strike as though Cicadapaw had meant to use them, the motion of gripping, digging in to rip and tear.

Cicadapaw was surprised she'd been paying that much attention. She'd expected to say it was a front paw blow instead. “Good job,” she praised genuinely, still feeling a little bad for catching her off guard. She moved to stand beside Minkpaw then, with the other she-cat eyeing her suspiciously and taking a step away, “Don't worry, I'm just gonna show you another move.”

Taxx
Fawn

[Taxx]

Smokestorm

This gal right here's gonna rule the world
No, I won't sit still and look pretty

Settling at Eagletalon's side, Smokestorm watched the two apprentices for a moment, her tail flicking as Eagletalon spoke and flashing a glance at him. She sighed, heavily, and glanced away again. "Mistcloud's better than Palepaw. I think... she's starting to grasp that Ashpaw isn't coming back. To accept it. Like she was hopeful, somehow, that he'd escape and return, but the more time that's passed..."

A slow shake of her head. Smokestorm had been unable to do anything more. It was one thing to encounter a single fox with the old tom at her side, but another entirely to deliberately seek out the den of a fox, when the thought of what she might find haunted her.

"She's staying in the medicine den because Palepaw keeps having nightmares. She barely sleeps and when she does, she wakes up calling for Ashpaw to run. She hardly speaks otherwise." Again, a sense of helplessness washed over her- she wanted so much to protect her kin in any way possible, and she'd failed so badly. If only there was a way to just go back in time, to know that if Ashpaw and Palepaw went out, danger awaited them. To prevent them, no matter how much they might find her annoying for keeping them stuck in camp until their mentors could go out with them. Anything was preferable to this.

"Is Meadowpaw doing okay?" she asked, ears flicking as she watched Cicadapaw turn to stand side by side with Minkpaw to set up for another move. "I've tried to stay away from the medicine den... I thought Mistcloud might want space while she cares for Palepaw."

Deputy of StoneClan

Tags: @zen Fawn Notes: another round and then training?

[Fawn]

89 Moons // Tom // Senior Warrior // StoneClan

"It's likely going to scar, but she's recovered." Eagletalon gave a calm, solemn report of his youngest's condition, but his thoughts were not on the little calico. They were on Smokestorm's grieving sister, and he saw the weight of loss in both their eyes when their paths crossed back in camp. It was a wretched, grotesque thing for a parent to lose as a child.

Dawnblossom's experiences with both medicine and loss would be what helped Mistcloud now. It was Palepaw he was the most concerned for; would this ongoing nightmare leave lasting, internal damage? "Maybe I can speak with her." Eagletalon started slowly, considering it. "I don't have Hawkstar's gift of words, but I have understanding. It was well before your time, but Fallingstar was my sister."

And, as evidenced by Hawkstar's place within the Clan, that she was long gone. His parents too. It had been a long time since he'd given any thought to those names and faces from his past. Eagletalon wasn't forgetful. Rather, he had learned to keep on living in spite of the many tragedies that got in the way. If he did not think of them often, it was because he was too busy honoring their memory by serving StoneClan and taking care of the family he felt so blessed to have.

Minkpaw's indignant cry caught Eagletalon's attention, and his muzzle slanted into a sidelong smile. "Your Cicadapaw knows what she's doing. Sounds like she caught Minkpaw by surprise." Cicadapaw had a nurturing vibe about her that Eagletalon believed existed long before her own family troubles started. He sometimes saw the two siblings interacting; wry, solemn Beetlepaw, and his companionable sister who patiently endured her brother's occasional crankiness and physical setbacks.

Could Minkpaw have done the same, in her position?

Eagletalon would think on that in the days to come. For now, the amber-eyed old warrior would concentrate on pushing Minkpaw to her fullest potential.
---
Word Count: 321 Words
Tags: @zen Taxx
Notes:

[Deleted]

“You don’t wanna turn your back on your opponent of course, but if they ever get behind you a strong back kick can help you gain a better position,” Cicadapaw explained, much as Smokestorm had explained to her when the deputy first showed her the move, “It can be kinda hard to get right, so it definitely takes a lot of practice.”

The black and white she-cat shifted her weight, explaining as she went, and lashed out with a decently powerful back kick, “When I first started practicing I found that-”

“Yeah, yeah, let me try,” Minkpaw interrupted her, pale blue gaze flashing eagerly. She was tired of listening to Cicadapaw talk. She came here to fight, not listen to lectures. She ignored the annoyed expression that passed over her companion’s face as she shifted her weight to her forepaws like Cicadapaw had said and kicked out behind her awkwardly, stumbling as her paws came back down. She shook out her fur indignantly and narrowed her gaze at Cicadapaw, “Did you leave something out?”

Cicadapaw’s tail tip twitched as Minkpaw was clearly blaming her for the fact that her first try hadn’t been perfect. “I told you it takes a lot of practice. You’re not gonna get it down the first time.”

“Says you.”

Cicadapaw squared her shoulders and huffed, “You just proved it!”

“That’s just cuz you didn’t tell me how to do it right!”

“Ugh!” Cicadapaw huffed and marched back over to Smokestorm and Eagletalon, Minkpaw bounding after her, “She’s impossible!”

“It’s not my fault you’re a terrible teacher,” Minkpaw tossed back.

She’d been trying to be nice, she really had, trying to be helpful, but Minkpaw was just so… so…! With a furious hiss, she turned and leapt for the younger she-cat, bowling her over, and the two went tumbling as Cicadapaw battered at Minkpaw until she had the less experienced apprentice pinned, "It's not MY fault you don't LISTEN! Maybe if you did I wouldn't have pinned you!"

Minkpaw snarled and struggled beneath her, and after a moment Cicadapaw gasped lightly and stepped away, letting the younger she-cat up, "I... I'm sorry." She hadn't meant to lose her temper like that. It didn't matter how Minkpaw was, she shouldn't have done that. At least she'd had the sense to keep her claws sheathed, but that didn't change the fact that she'd attacked a Clanmate in anger.

"Yeah, you're gonna be," Minkpaw hissed, fur fluffed up as her claws unsheathed.

Taxx Fawn

[Taxx]

Smokestorm

This gal right here's gonna rule the world
No, I won't sit still and look pretty

Emotional scars- yeah, she knew about those. She'd never thought she'd have to deal with them where Ashpaw had been concerned. Cats died, of course, but he'd been so young- just the same age as her own apprentice. And he was gone, and she'd never watch him trot from camp on his mentor's paws, never listen to him joke or laugh or share tongues with her, or Mistcloud, or Palepaw... Even the attempts at consoling herself felt forced. He'd never get sick, or have to fight or risk injury- because there was so much more he would never get the chance to do that would have made him happy.

It wasn't fair, and Smokestorm hated that there was nothing she could do to change it. Hated seeing her sister come to terms with the fact that she'd lost one of the two kits she'd birthed, when he had barely begun his life.

"You can try," she replied, flicking her tail at Eagletalon's shoulder. "I don't really know what to say- I couldn't help before, and I don't know how to help now... Duskflower's staying with her most of the time, so she's not alone..."

Cicadapaw's voice broke in and Smokestorm glanced over, a bit ashamed that she hadn't been paying attention to the apprentices. Her green eyes flicked between Cicadapaw and Minkpaw, frowning a bit as the younger accused her apprentice of being a bad teacher. She rose as Cicadapaw jumped at Minkpaw and pinned the smaller; as Minkpaw rose, let back to her paws as Cicadapaw backed away, Smokestorm fixed the younger with a steady gaze, padding between the two. "That's enough," she warned. "Sheathe your claws, Minkpaw. We do not threaten our own Clanmates."

Her head turned to Cicadapaw then. She knew she'd done wrong too, since she'd tried to apologize- not that it changed the fact that she'd started the tussle. It didn't matter how annoying Minkpaw was being. "Maybe we should try this again later. What do you say, Eagletalon?"

Deputy of StoneClan

Tags: @zen Fawn Notes: 

[Fawn]

89 Moons // Tom // Senior Warrior // StoneClan

"If we want to keep both apprentices in one piece, yes." Eagletalon's eyes glinted with humor, having followed along with the battle while still keeping most of his attention on the conversation with Smokestorm. It amused him to see Cicadapaw's frustrations get the best of her - too often, cats tried to sweep their emotions under the proverbial rug. It was better to let it all out - and what better place for releasing pent-up feelings than during battle training?

Better during a simple sparring session than an actual battle.

The paternal part of him understood that he should probably give them both a lecture on proper behavior between Clanmates, but all that came out was a low chuckle. "You heard Smokestorm. We'll get out of their fur and go train over by those rocks." It would be a challenge recapturing Minkpaw's focus when all she'd want to do was shred Cicadapaw, but Eagletalon was nothing if not resilient. "Come on." He flicked his apprentice's shoulder with his tail. "I'll teach you some moves that'll really give Cicadapaw a surprise."

Eagletalon glanced back to Smokestorm, nodding his goodbyes with a softening of the eyes. These were tough times, but they were coping. That's all anyone in their paws could do.
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Word Count: 208 Words
Tags: @zen Taxx
Notes: Finished!