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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2018 18:17:30 GMT -5
 Larkpaw
Even though she had a thick feathery pelt, the chill in the air made her shiver deeply. Leaf-bare was just around the corner, it wouldn’t be long until snowflakes began to fall down from the sky above. She wasn’t too sure if she was shivering just from the cold, though. Her excitement and anticipation of her first training session with her mentor had been ramping up throughout the whole day. Larkpaw barely got a wink of sleep last night from the excitement of it all.
The calico she-cat padded softly towards the wooded cove in the RainClan territory behind her mentor, Storkleg. She had been so excited when it was announced at her naming ceremony that she would be mentored by the slender tom. Shaking her head to clear herself of thoughts, she focused back on the task at hand.
Ah. This is it. They were here! The wood was small, but it provided more than enough shelter for the little pool of water in the middle. In Newleaf and Greenleaf the pool’s edge was always rife with useful herbs, but right now most of them had dried up for the season. A few hardy herbs remained, their scent dancing on her palate playfully. She inhaled deeply.
Mossy green eyes glanced at the snow coloured pelt of Storkleg. Larkpaw was far too eager to get started, and desperately wanted to show her mentor that she would be a great apprentice. The little she-cat could barely sit still, her whole body trembling with excitement. What kind of training will we be doing today? She wondered to herself, staring expectantly at her mentor.
RainClan | Apprentice | 10 Moons | She-Cat |
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Post by Taxx on Dec 3, 2018 17:27:07 GMT -5
Four moons had passed since Storkleg had been given Larkpaw to train, and while still not entirely thrilled about the fact he was practically required to spend time with her, he was pleased that he had his first apprentice- a young cat he was responsible for training and shaping into a worthy warrior of RainClan. He would do his best- he had already lost some time both because of a cough that he hadn't wanted to spread to the apprentice, and because he had wanted to get to know Larkpaw's own goals, where she felt her strengths and weaknesses lay, and to work out a plan for her training to strengthen those weaknesses to compliment her strong points.
Battle practice was Storkleg's personal weakness, and he was more hoping he could get away with showing her the moves RainClan was known for and leaving it to other warriors and their apprentices to practice those moves on. Rather than risking himself getting scored with the same claws that scratched fleas, sunk into prey, scooped sand in the dirtplace... he shuddered at the thought and then tried to put it out of his mind as they reached the Cove; behind, Briarsong and Nightwhisker broke off to do some hunting, close enough to come help if something happened, but not hovering and wasting time while Storkleg trained Larkpaw.
"Okay," the white warrior began, turning to face Larkpaw. "This is just training so I want to remind you to keep your claws sheathed." Please, he wished in his head, his ears flicking in a moment of nervousness before going on. "I'm going to show you a few basic moves. If you have questions, don't be afraid to ask, all right?" Waiting a heartbeat for her to answer, Storkleg began, lifting a paw.
"One move is very similar to another, the only difference being that one is done with claws sheathed, usually focused on the head, and the other is done with claws extended and can be used on any part of the body. The first is the front paw blow, the second the front paw strike. Done hard enough, the front paw blow can disorient a cat and allow you a chance to follow up with another attack. It takes practice to hit that hard, and of course the stronger you are, the more power behind the blow. Questions?"
@ash
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2018 23:17:38 GMT -5
Larkpaw
Larkpaw was watching Storkleg intently, trying so hard not to act like too much of a fool. She couldn’t help herself, she desperately wanted to be an amazing RainClan warrior and the only way to do that was to be the best possible apprentice. She had to pay attention to her mentor and complete her training. The calico she-cat did her best to channel some inner calmness and stilled her trembling body. Would it be hunting today? Battle training? Maybe even border patrol?
The white tom turned towards her and reminded her that she needed to keep her claws sheathed. Battle training! Her tail lashed excitedly, missing the small flicker of nervousness that clouded his features for a mere moment. She nodded in agreement with her mentor. “Yes, Storkleg!” She exclaimed obediently. He mentioned how he would show her some basic moves and that she could ask questions if she needed to. Again, a nod. “Okay!” She agreed.
Larkpaw listened to her mentor explain the two moves that they were learning toward. The front paw blow, and the front paw strike. She wondered if she would ever have enough power to hit hard enough to disorient another cat. She wasn’t small, but she wasn’t big either. The apprentice shook her head at Storkleg, thinking she had been following alright so far. “I think I understand!” She mewed, eager to get to practising.
RainClan | Apprentice | 10 Moons | She-Cat |
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Post by Taxx on Dec 5, 2018 15:47:04 GMT -5
No questions, good. He hadn't really expected any; those two were the most basic moves an apprentice could learn and there wasn't some secret behind how to execute them. "Okay, then, moving on." Rising to his paws, Stork turned broadside to Larkpaw, his eyes on her as he continued. "This is a more advanced move, but it's good for you to learn it early so you can practice it as often as you can. It's called the back kick. Say a cat's trying to sneak up on you and you spot them, but you don't have the time to turn to meet them. That's when you use this move. It requires precision- too soon and you miss them, too late and it won't matter, they'll be on top of you."
Demonstrating, Storkleg lashed out with both hind legs, kicking up a shower of leaves and grass. His tail spun, helping him keep his balance before his hind paws touched ground again, and he nodded at Larkpaw. "You try it. Something I've found that helps, if you spread your toes and dig them in, you give yourself a bit more... hm. More of you? to balance on. Careful with the force, too, I've seen apprentices give it too much and do a flip onto their backs or land on their faces. Let's see how you do it. And don't worry about not getting it right on the first time; like I said, it's a hard move." With a nod, Storkleg retreated just a step to ensure he was out of her way before her attempt, sitting with his tail curling around his front paws, eyes focused on Larkpaw.
@ash
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2018 21:11:40 GMT -5
Larkpaw
The calico she-cat watched her mentor closely and was happy to see he seemed pleased she didn’t have any questions yet. She fluffed her tail out proudly and held her head high. Her eyes followed him as he moved to her side, making eye contact. She listened carefully as Storkleg explained the back kick. She found herself nodding subconsciously along with his words.
Larkpaw watched with awe as the white tom threw himself up, hind legs flying out behind him kicking up debris from the ground. As he touched the ground again she felt herself bouncing with excitement. “Oh wow!” She mewed, gazing at him with a sparkle of wonder in her mossy green eyes. She listened to him explain some more pointers on how to execute the back kick properly, and nodded.
She hoped she wouldn’t be the mousebrain who gave it too much and flipped right over, but it would be hard not to with the enthusiasm she had built up. Shaking her head of all her thoughts, she cleared her mind and concentrated. With a firm kick of her back legs, she lashed in the air—her claws on her front paws digging into the soft ground. She landed the kick, albeit awkwardly, and stumbled a bit forward managing to catch herself.
It wasn’t very graceful, and probably wouldn’t have been the most useful in battles due to her stumbling; but it was a start. She was determined to perfect the move. She wrapped her tail subconsciously around herself as she looked at Storkleg. “How can I make my landings better?” She asked, eager to learn all she could from her mentor.
RainClan | Apprentice | 10 Moons | She-Cat |
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Post by Taxx on Dec 6, 2018 21:03:03 GMT -5
"Oh wow!" exclaimed the apprentice, and Storkleg flushed in a moment of embarrassment as he realized how impressed she was; it wasn't often anyone looked at him like that; he pushed it aside for now, nodded to her to practice the move herself, and watched. "Not bad for your first attempt," he purred, standing and approaching again. "You have the basic idea of what to do, that's good. As for how to get better- practice!" His whiskers twitched in amusement. "Keep doing it and you'll start to fall into a certain rhythm. Every cat will do it a little differently; they compensate for their form. If you duck down a little, lower your chest to the ground, you may be less likely to stumble like you did because you're more steady."
A moment of debate with himself, a nod as he decided, and he pushed on. "One more move, and then you'll try them out. The belly rake- a more defensive move, used if you're pinned and can't wiggle free." Rolling to his back, Storkleg tucked his front paws close to his chest, drew his hind legs in and then, claws unsheathed, kicked downward hard. "It may help at least distract the cat so you can have a chance to counter. It's not a hard move to learn, but you're as vulnerable as the other cat when you're on your back. So- if you can, try not to get pinned."
A rather tall suggestion, since it was sometimes unavoidable. But if it did happen, at least she'd have some way of fighting back. "Try it," he urged, before lifting his voice. "Nightwhisker! Can you come here please?"
The black-and-white she-cat slid into the Cove a moment later, gaze on Larkpaw before flicking to Storkleg. "Would you mind- letting Larkpaw try some of the moves I've taught her on you? You'd be better at it- I think..."
"You just don't want to get scratched," came the taunt as Briarsong followed, a roll of her eyes as she settled to watch. "Make him do it himself, Nightwhisker."
The younger shook her head and turned to Storkleg, head tipped in question. The white warrior glanced at Larkpaw. "Try the back kick, first. That's the hardest one. Remember what I told you. Don't get frustrated if it takes time to get the move and timing right, okay? Just keep at it." Nightwhisker backed away, giving Larkpaw a moment to get into position before darting forward, ears pinned back and a snarl rasping in her throat, playing the part of enemy warrior to perfection.
@ash
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2018 22:58:37 GMT -5
Larkpaw
She lit up with pride when Storkleg told her that her first attempt had been pretty good. Purring, she grinned at her mentor who was approaching her. Of course, mousebrain, you need to practise! She thought to herself with a bit of a chuckle. She thought it was really interesting that each cat could adapt the moves to themselves. She listened intently, nodding. That made a lot of sense. Not every cat was the same size or shape so it would be important to compensate for each cat’s own form.
He paused for a moment and Larkpaw wondered what he was thinking. He decided to show her the belly rake! The apprentice watched as he rolled over, tucking himself in. She saw the glint of unsheathed claws kicking downwards. “How would you distract the other cat, Storkleg?” She inquired, wanting to keep some tips in her mind if she ever needed to use them. She nodded solemnly. Try not to get pinned. She hoped that she was fast enough to avoid it in the future.
Her ears flicked forward as he called over Nightwhisker. The black-and-white she-cat slid over to them, looking between both cats. Larkpaw figured Storkleg wanted to watch and critique as she practised her battle techniques on the other warrior. That made sense! She paused at his next words though. She’d be better than Storkleg? She tried to put that comment aside and concentrate again.
The white tom gave her the go ahead to try the back kick first. Remembering to keep her claws sheathed, she kicked her back legs towards the other she-cat; limbs lashing in the air. This time though, she lowered her chest to the ground to stabilize herself so as not to stumble like last time. Her front claws dug into the soft earth. She made firm contact with the other cat, and then landed back on the ground. She straightened up and looked to her mentor with a questioning look to see how she did.
RainClan | Apprentice | 10 Moons | She-Cat |
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Post by Taxx on Dec 11, 2018 14:55:24 GMT -5
How would he distract the other cat? Storkleg considered the question as his apprentice got herself into position to do the back kick. Nightwhisker darted forward and Larkpaw lashed out; Storkleg was pleased to see her take his advice and widen her stance a bit, and as a result she kept her balance this time. Her hind legs struck the black-and-white she-cat on the cheek as she turned her head. But as Larkpaw straightened and turned to Storkleg, Nightwhisker swept out a paw and knocked the apprentice over on her side, leaning over her with gentle amusement and concern in her gaze.
"Well done! But, another lesson to learn." Storkleg nodded to Nightwhisker and she backed up a step. "Keep an eye on your opponent. Nightwhisker's friendly, but an enemy will always take advantage of any weakness. Never forget that. As for how to distract a cat," he answered the earlier question, "Go for the face. A cat, even if they have their teeth in you, is most vulnerable there."
"Scratch their eyes out if you can," Briarsong advised with a lash of her tail at some thought in her head. Storkleg blinked at her, a bit wary, before turning to Larkpaw again with a slight clearing of his throat.
"Remember the warrior code tells us to show mercy too. If a warrior is beaten, let them go. We don't hurt cats for our own amusement. Try the belly rake, okay? Claws sheathed." Again Nightwhisker padded forward, waiting for Larkpaw to get herself into position before standing over her and waiting for the apprentice to preform the move.
@ash
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2018 18:21:03 GMT -5
Larkpaw
As Larkpaw looked over at her mentor, she took her eyes off the black-and-white she-cat. Big mistake! She learned that lesson quickly as Nightwhisker knocked Larkpaw over with a paw. She looked up into the she-cat’s amused eyes and closed her own in embarrassment. She stood up hastily, shaking the debris that clung to her pelt out as she listened to Storkleg. She nodded, heeding his words. Now she would be sure to not take her eye off of an enemy. It made sense that the face was the most vulnerable place to go for in a fight. “Ok, Storkleg! I understand!” She agreed obediently.
Sitting down on her haunches with her tail wrapped neatly around her paws, Larkpaw waited for the next commands. Her mentor cleared his throat and reminded her about the warrior code. “An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win their battles, unless they are outside the warrior code or if it is necessary for self-defense!” She recited the warrior code with a proud lash of her tail. Even if she couldn’t master moves on the first try, she did have a good memory!
Now it was time to do the belly rake! Larkpaw padded closer to Nightwhisker and rolled quickly to her back. She tucked her front paws into her chest; her hind legs drawing in as well. With her claws sheathed—she took care to remember that part—the apprentice kicked hard downwards towards the warrior hoping to make contact with her.
RainClan | Apprentice | 10 Moons | She-Cat |
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Post by Taxx on Dec 29, 2018 18:15:02 GMT -5
For her first time, Larkpaw was doing very well; Storkleg was pleased. He purred at the recitation of the warrior code and gave a nod of his approval before flicking his tail toward Nightwhisker, who was waiting. Watching as the young she-cat flipped to her back and the black warrior sprang to loom over her, as the tabby drew her legs in and then kicked out strongly and Nightwhisker pretended to stumble away as though the strike had been done with claws.
"Well done, Larkpaw!" Storkleg called. "If the move is successful and forces the cat away, it gives you a chance to get back to your paws and attack them while they're still distracted. You can use the moves I've taught you, or others that I will teach you at a later time. For now, we've done enough. You should practice those moves with your denmates; they are more your size and it will be easier for you to get used to them without being outmatched by a warrior's skill."
A glance upward at the gray clouds and the slightly darker sky made up his mind. "Yes, we should head back. It will be night soon and I'm on the dusk patrol. Take something to eat and then rest up; we'll be doing hunting practice tomorrow and I want you sharp. Come on!" Breaking into a trot with his tail up, Briarsong and Nightwhisker loping ahead, Storkleg made his way back toward the camp.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2019 22:03:21 GMT -5
Larkpaw
Larkpaw all but glowed at the purr and nod of approval from her mentor. She bounched on the spot, her enthusiasm bubbling out of her in a burst of energy. After executing the belly rake, the black warrior pretended to stumble away as she kicked out strongly. She fluffed her pelt up in excitement that she was able to execute the belly rake.
Pale green eyes fell to Storkleg who was explaining the move in further detail. She nodded, trying to remember every detail that the white warrior was telling her. She was a bit disappointed that their first ever lesson was over, but she felt the ache in her limbs that spoke to a job well done.
The gray clouds above threatened to break. At the mention of food, her stomach rumbled hungrily. She nodded obediently, excitement pulsing through her at the thought of their hunting lesson tomorrow. “Yes Storkleg!” She mewed as she bounced behind her mentor and the black warrior.
| Tags: Taxx - Words: 162 - Notes: Ending this one then? |
RainClan | Apprentice | 10 Moons | She-Cat |
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