[Deleted]

Waspwing was still unbelievably uncomfortable, but he had spent time practicing his adapted walking style before having Sootpaw go and collect Beetlepaw. It was just as well Sootpaw couldn't see him, he reflected sadly, how he was walking and looking would probably cause her pain.

Still, he thought to himself, it was quite amusing how he was looking right now. But, if it helped him better understand Beetlepaw, all the better. So what he had to cope with slightly impacted walking ability. Beetlepaw had to cope with it every day. 

Besides, who knew what the future held? He could well end up missing a foot, like Beetlepaw. 

So he had walked, and walked, and walked. He'd even tried fighting with one foot 'missing'. He'd fallen over a lot until he'd gotten even remotely used to it. He still wasn't. Still. It should be... interesting.

**
Sootpaw padded sedately back into camp, straight into the den she called her own.

"Beetlepaw? Waspwing was asking for you. He's waiting for you in the Barren Scrublands. I could tell by the smell."

180 / Fawn

[Fawn]

BeetlepaW

Will you be my breath through the deep, deep water

Beetlepaw had dozed lightly, his tail held over his nose to block out some of the chill. Most apprentices were off training, so the den had had time to cool down - except for a few forgotten souls such as himself, and one of the new apprentices he'd already forgotten the name of. They looked small and unimposing, just a fluffy little kit that wandered out of the nursery. He'd tried for a solid minute to figure out what he was supposed to call them, but the name just never came to him. A good Clanmate would know the names of every cat in his Clan, but Beetlepaw hadn't cared much about the kits in the nursery.

Neglectful on his part, sure, but he was sick and tired of kit-questions and stares. Where's your other foot? Did you lose it? What happened to it? Does it hurt? You walk funny! They'd screeched their inquiries at him like hungry chicks, and he couldn't have dropped the fresh kill and gotten out of their fast enough.

Even without their questions, the nursery didn't hold any good memories for him anyway.

Beetlepaw's sleep had been dreamless, simply a way to pass the time and gather his strength before he had to drag himself out on patrol or follow Waspwing all over their StarClan forsaken territory as if he could actually catch something. Sootpaw's voice broke through the haze, and Beetlepaw's head swiveled to meet her unseeing stare.

"Thanks," said Beetlepaw, his tone uncharacteristically gentle. Sootpaw had been blinded in the attack that had cost him his foot - and it was her heroics that had probably saved him from being fox food completely. Rising from his nest, he touched her flank with his tail, respectful. "I'll... see you around."

The charcoal marked tom left the apprentices' den, his thoughts somber and tightly packed inside his skull. When he arrived at the barren scrublands, the sight of Waspwing looking...like that startled him right out of his dreariness.

"What in StarClan's name are you doing?" Beetlepaw half frowned, half snorted. "You look mousebrained."

Can't stay in the shallows, please tell me I won't wash away

@calico || 15 Moons || StoneClan || 346 Words

[Deleted]

"What in StarClan's name are you doing? You look mousebrained."

Did Waspwing detect a sense of exasperated humor in Beetlepaw's mew? Good. It would help.

Wobbling around all over the place but somehow managing to keep sturdy on his 3 'remaining' legs, Waspwing smirked to himself. If all it took to help Beetlepaw fight as well as or better than any 4-legged cat, then this is what he would do. Mousebrained or not. 

Pausing for a minute, Waspwing allowed his thoughts to assemble in some sort of coherent order. It was important to impress upon Beetlepaw the importance of his leg in combat.

"Beetlepaw, now I have your...attention. Opponents you face in battle will look to favour your weaker leg. They will think that the fact you are missing part of it will make you weak. This is exactly what we want them to think. You see, they will favour your weaker leg, but what they won't be expecting is for you to follow up with a cleverly placed side swipe."

Waspwing nodded.

"What you need to learn, and what I aim to teach you, is to roll with what they try and dish out. Then, you take it, and give it back twice as hard."

You've got to hold on, ready or not...
you live for the fight when that's all that you've got

45 Moons Senior Warrior StoneClan

Waspwing

Fawn || Made by Fawn || 235

[Fawn]

BeetlepaW

Will you be my breath through the deep, deep water

For a heartbeat, Beetlepaw looked taken aback. He hadn't expected Waspwing to actually know what he was doing. But the older tom made sense, even if his ridiculous get-up didn't. "Cleverly placed swipe," repeated the apprentice, sarcasm and self-doubt clear in the lash of his tail. "Sure. Easy. No problem."

Beetlepaw wanted to learn how to fight. As a kit, before the fox fiasco had robbed him of everything, Beetlepaw had looked at his father and the other warriors with admiring eyes, wanting to be near half-as-strong or half-as-brave as they were. He wanted to follow in Valiantstride's noble footsteps, and earn a warrior's place within the Clan.

But that dream had been devoured by a fox, ripped to bloody shreds until there was nothing left but the sense of something missing.

And yet...

Beetlepaw's tail hung down, but the end of it moved faster as if to churn through the worrying thoughts inside his head. Could Waspwing really make him into a warrior? He'd never be the next Valiantstride, that much was clear. But if he could manage to fight without being a burden to anyone or an easy piece of fresh kill to every cat that challenged him...

Hunger filled the young tom's eyes. Hunger and a desperation to be more than just the apprentice who couldn't keep up.

"Tell me what I need to do." said Beetlepaw.

Can't stay in the shallows, please tell me I won't wash away

@calico || 15 Moons || StoneClan || 230 Words

[Deleted]

Waspwing was watching the conflcting emotions crossing his apprentice's face. It was also evident in the restless twitching of his tail. Waspwing may not have been able to do things other cats could, but he could read basic body language - something he'd learned from his mentor. 

As a look of determination flitted across Beetlepaw's maw, Waspwing couldn't help but feel a burst of pride for him. He had worked so hard to get to where he was, and yet there was still so much to learn, so much for him to prove - to himself, mainly.

Those mangy foxes. So much damage...

"Form a stance as if you were hunting. I'll come up on your bad leg's side, try and knock you over. You have to remain light enough on your haunches that you have two options when I come for you: You can either move out of the way, and as I lumber past, push me further away with your paws. Or, you can let me push you over, then go for my underbelly as I think I have you pinned.


There is just one thing for you to bear in mind. I outweigh you, by quite a lot. But, the choice is yours."

Mentally, Waspwing tried to guess which of the two he'd choose first. They'd practice both before the session was over.

You've got to hold on, ready or not...
you live for the fight when that's all that you've got

45 Moons Senior Warrior StoneClan

Waspwing

Fawn || Made by Fawn || 255

[Fawn]

BeetlepaW

Will you be my breath through the deep, deep water

Beetlepaw imagined the moves Waspwing was advising; he'd seen enough practice fights to know that an underbelly rake was effective. But did he have the strength for that? The possibilities for failure were numerous; all Waspwing had to do was land on what was left of his leg and Beetlepaw would crumpled, defeated, like his namesake.

But if he did not try, he would never know his limitations. Not beyond what he'd already pieced together.

"Alright," he mewed, feeling his pulse start to pound as the warrior squared up against him. It was harder to brush Waspwing off as an average warrior at best and a shameless flirt at worst, when he at least looked the part of a real StoneClan fighter.

The bellyrake was too hard for him, he knew that. So he focused all his energy on trying to stay light on his paws. When Waspwing charged him, Beetlepaw flinched at the sudden closeness - but his eyes were narrowed and he scooted to the left as quickly as three legs allowed. It was a clumsy maneuver, trying to move aside and then push Waspwing past him so soon afterward. But Beetlepaw accepted this difficulty with grim conviction.

"Again," he demanded, anxious to get at least one move right. "I can be faster this time."

Can't stay in the shallows, please tell me I won't wash away

@calico || 15 Moons || StoneClan || 216 Words

Feel free to wrap it up in your post! Since it's just gonna be a lot of repetition until Beetlepaw gets it right. <3 Yay we finished a training thread! Just hunting left!