"If you're gonna hit it, hit it until it breaks." |
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GaleClan Leader GorgeClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by Ghost the Undead Goddess on Jan 20, 2019 20:02:30 GMT -5
Owlmind
And thus grant you Wisdom, Courage, and Strategy You're a star, you really are You're the one shining bright from all the rest in the dark A champion with nerves of stone You trained for this since the day you were born
Snow was still collecting on the ground as the sun wearily made it's way up to the peak of the dreary gray sky. Without the shelter or protection from trees the wind ran ragged through the moorlands, killing off the once green grasses that lay in abundance. Prey had been scarce as it was every leafbare and the fresh-kill pile had been looking awfully low within recent days.
The senior warrior was already ready for the intense head of Full-leaf, anything would be better than this.
Her morning had started out slow, as it was nearly too cold for any cat to go on patrol before the sun gave some amount of heat. Uncurling from her warm nest next to her long furred brother, Owlmind stretched to ease those tight muscles and sore aches along her shoulders. It didn't take long for the frost from outside to penetrate her relatively short, gray pelt.
She hated it.
Ignoring the shiver that wanted to run down her spine, the senior warrior carefully picked her way around warriors who still were sleeping within the warmth of the Warrior's Den. Before raising her slumbering apprentice, the gray she-cat made her way to the elder's den with a small mouse she found in the fresh-kill pile. Owlmind could still feel the rising sorrow within her chest at the the fact that Russetfall was failing in health and this leafbare probably didn't help with anything, it was the least she could do to check in on him and the others before her day was fully started.
Owlmind would morn the day her elder mentor finally reached Starclan.
Deciding it was time to get on with some training, the senior warrior made her way to where Lightningpaw was curled up snugly with her littermates inside the Apprentice Den, briefly reminding Owlmind of when she, Redscar and Rosefire occupied the den together. With wide amber eyes running over each sleeping form, the gray she-cat finally called out to wake the younger feline before pulling herself from the apprentice den.
The wind caught Owlmind as she made her way towards the camp entrance after instructing Lightningpaw to grab something small to eat. It'd be better to train if her stomach wasn't growling like an angry bobcat every few moments, though the thought of food did cause Owlmind's own stomach to grumble in response.
She may or may not have been rationing her own food, it didn't take much to eat for her anyways. Though her ribs were noticeable as they pressed against her thin gray fur.
Attention turned to Lightningpaw when the younger she-cat finally made her way to where Owlmind sat in the snow, long tail wrapped around her paws in an attempt to keep them from freezing. Which, it wasn't working so well. Amber gaze, ever watchful, scanned over Lightningpaw as the drill instructor like feline finally opened her maw to give a voice to their adventures for the day.
"We wont be out long today, but i'm not going to let the snow hold back your training." Anymore than it already has... Owlmind had been there the day Windpaw and Sleetpaw became apprentices before Thunderpaw and Lightningpaw, due to them being held back because of sneaking out of camp. It was her job to aid Lightningpaw to warrior status after-all.
Today was a beginning lesson on Tunneling, and if the young she-cat was on her best behavior then Owlmind might even take them down into one of the tunnels.
"Tell me Lightningpaw," Owlmind started in her raspy voice and she stood up, it was something she always went through with her apprentices. She wanted to train them in the way that would aid them, she wanted to train them to be the best they could be for Lightningclan. "What kind of warrior do you want to be?"
There was no right or wrong answer, not when it came to this. It was something Russetfall had asked her all those moons ago when she had been a fresh apprentice. Her response had been quick and easy, something that flowed from her heart when she responded.
'A warrior that is remembered for her mind, not for her power.'
Waving her tail, Owlmind followed up, "You don't have to answer now, but I do expect an answer by the end of the day." It wouldn't be the only time she asked that question either, Owlmind had found that over her moons of training future warriors that sometimes dreams and ambitions changed after events or training. "Come, we are going to go over the basics of tunneling today." And with that the senior warrior turned and made her way onto the icy moors of the Lightningclan towards the closest tunnel entrance. Full of pain, full of sweat, full of tears But never giving up or giving into the fear A quick breath for the ones you love Props to the gods as they watch from above
@zen
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2019 21:10:56 GMT -5
Lightningpaw shivered from her whiskers to her tail tip as she stepped from the relative warmth of the apprentices’ den and out into camp. Great StarClan, but it was cold. Her pelt was dense but short, and she found herself envying her longer furred Clanmates as she shook herself and looked around for her mentor. The excitement to begin training was almost enough to make her forget how cold she was. Almost. She had originally hoped maybe Firestar would mentor her, because wouldn’t that just be super amazing!? But then after she and Thunderpaw had gotten in all that trouble and gotten their ceremonies delayed, she figured the leader would hardly see fit to give her the honor of being her apprentice. And Redscar already had an apprentice. Of course the deputy would train one of Firestar’s own kits. But Lightningpaw had hardly been displeased when Owlmind was named her mentor. She was Redscar’s sister! That was almost as good. After she had picked out a scrawny mouse from the freshkill pile to wolf down quickly, she padded over to the senior warrior, tail waving as she went, eager to get started. She bounced in place, all the better to keep warm, as Owlmind told her they wouldn’t be out long. Before she could ask what they would be doing, her mentor asked her own question. What kind of warrior did she want to be? She opened her mouth to respond but then Owlmind told her she didn’t have to answer right away. And when tunneling was brought up, she honestly forgot about the question completely, her ears perking and her eyes lighting up at the prospect. “Tunneling! Wooooo!” she cried happily, bouncing around Owlmind before the older she-cat led the way out of camp, trotting quickly after her, “Oh, StarClan, I’m so excited! The tunnels seem like so much fun! I wanna know everything about them.” They were the reason her ceremony had been delayed, after all. Ghost the Undead Goddess
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"If you're gonna hit it, hit it until it breaks." |
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GaleClan Leader GorgeClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by Ghost the Undead Goddess on Feb 17, 2019 7:13:07 GMT -5
Owlmind LightningClan || 60 Moons || Senior Warrior The older feline couldn't help but pause as her apprentice pranced around her like a young deer, excitement bright within her eyes. For a moment the facade the senior warrior dropped as amusement rolled through her own, wide amber eyes.
But just as it had appeared it had disappeared, amber pools liquidizing into a more stern expression.Though the warrioress was pleased with the enthusiam brought forward at the perspective of tunneling.
Owlmind had figured that Lightningpaw would enjoy those special training sessions considering it was how her apprentice ceremony had been delayed. It was still new, a previously lost technique that the clans from the forest had used and dangerous if not prepared.
Keeping her stride short for the younger feline, Owlmind kept one ear tilted towards Lightningpaw at her side, and one ear pivoting to catch any noises aside from the blustering wind around them. It was wise to always be on alert, especially in a time of scare prey like leafbare.
"Tunneling is more than just digging around." Owlmind started, long tail waving around behind her as snow continued to softly fall against her short gray pelt. "This skill aids us with both hunting and battling."
The senior warrior's interests were strategic based when it came to the catacombs beneath Lightningclan's territory. While they held multi purposes, when it came to defense and offence situations the tunnels proved as a trump card.
If correctly organized.
"Of course, once you've master the basics of all three skills then we will start mixing them together." Flickering out her tail to bar her young apprentice's path Owlmind dropped her jaw to let the scents cross her palate for a moment, pleased to taste the faintest scent of rabbit. Wide amber eyes glanced at the tabby feline next to her, tilting her head to the smallest of indention under the nearly undisturbed snowy blanket.
"Do you smell that, ever so faintly?" The rasped voice of the older feline asked, breath clouding in front of her muzzle. Petite paws reached forwards to gently dig the snow barrier out of the way, revealing the dark and damp entrance to the underground systems. With delicate movements, it prevented the snow from crumbling down farther into the tunnel.
"As any cat, we rely heavily on our sense of sight. When you are in the tunnels it is rare that there is any light. Close your eyes." Owlmind stated, flickering her tail to reinforce the short command, her drill Sargent facade showing.
"When you are down there you must rely on your sense of scent, your sense of touch and your sense of hearing. Your whiskers will prove useful down there, trust them to guide you around curves and turns. It will also keep you safe in tunnels that grow tight around you." Owlmind padded softly around Lightningpaw, keeping an amber orb out to make sure the younger cat held her eyes closed the entire time.
The point of the exercise was to get her used to the darkness below them. As she sat there she was already improving the use of the three senses previously listen off. Completing her circle, Owlmind gave a pleased flicker of an ear before dropping her jaw to speak again.
"Are you ready to go into the tunnels?"
Wisdom. Courage. Strategy. @zen || 555 Words
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2019 3:17:45 GMT -5
Lightningpaw nodded along with her mentor’s words. She really had no idea at all about all the details that went into tunneling knowledge, but she was at least aware that there was a lot more depth to it than a cat might think. And she wanted to learn all about it. She quivered in excitement, wondering just what special techniques she might learn in the future to aid her Clan in battle through use of the tunnels, or special ways to hunt that might just help them all get through leaf-bare a little bit easier. She came to an abrupt stop as Owlmind’s tail barred her path, glancing around briefly in confusion about why they had stopped. Her mentor lowered her muzzle to the snow, asking if she smelled… something. Parting her jaws, Lightningpaw lowered her head and drew in the scents around them. Mostly just the cold, wet scent of snow. She tilted her head slightly as she thought she caught something else as well, but couldn’t quite be sure. “Um, I think so?” She watched as the older she-cat dug neatly into the snow, revealing the entrance to a tunnel. Ears angling forward, she crouched down to peer into it, eyes bright with curiosity, just as Owlmind started telling her how her sight would be all but useless in the tunnels. With an impatient wriggle, Lightningpaw closed her eyes, and immediately recalled her and Thunderpaw’s venture into the tunnels. It had gotten dark quick down there, and if she was honest, they might not have even made their way back out at all if someone hadn’t come after them. Her ears twitched at the familiar flicked of guilt that tended to accompany the memory. Blazefang had been so upset with them. She’d never seen her uncle so serious and angry, and when he hadn’t come to visit them in their confinement to the nursery, she knew they’d really messed up. Her tail flicked as though to brush away the memory so she could focus on what Owlmind was saying instead. She could hear her mentor’s light pawsteps in the snow as the older she-cat circled around her, her ears swiveling to follow her mentor’s voice. And then the words she had been waiting for. Her eyes opened instantly, though narrowed a moment later at the sudden brightness of the snow, “Yes, I’m ready!” She shifted from paw to paw, barely able to stop herself from rushing into the tunnel without her mentor. But she didn’t want to get in trouble again and somehow managed to wait, “I wanna try to use my other senses down there for real.” The sooner she started practicing, the sooner she would be a real tunneler! Ghost the Undead Goddess
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"If you're gonna hit it, hit it until it breaks." |
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GaleClan Leader GorgeClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by Ghost the Undead Goddess on Mar 4, 2019 5:38:24 GMT -5
Owlmind LightningClan || 60 Moons || Senior Warrior The gray feline had studied her apprentice's body language while her eyes had been closed. The diluted tabby seemed more restless and impatient more than anything, but the older she-cat wondered if Lightningpaw's first tunnel experience lurked within the corners of the apprentice's mind.
If it did, the young feline didn't seem to let if phase her enthusiasm for going underground.
Turning her own attention back into her training session, Owlmind flickered that long tail of hers before making her way towards the dark entrance that poked, almost ominously, out of the white snow around it. The tunnels could be quite dangerous. A cat could loose their sense of direction, or get trapped should a cave in occur or even a rare flood from newleaf snow melts and rain. It took a brave feline, a smart feline to keep their wits and direction about them while being down underneath the wide open moorlands of Lightningclan's territory.
"Follow me." Owlmind said after a moment, the tone serious within her rasped voice as her wide amber pools caught Lightningpaw's gaze before dipping down below the earth, the shadows swallowing up her lanky gray form before her tail disappeared within.
At first the tunnel wasn't too bad, the lanky gray warrioress was able to comfortably get her stature through the long abandoned burrow, the tips of her ears just barely brushing the ground above her head. Though after a moment the walls seemed to close in, causing her whiskers to brush against the sides as it curved and moved about the earth. Eye sight useless at this point, the seasoned Lightningclanner used her other senses to guide her without fear.
With her sharp memory, Owlmind already knew which tunnel she was taking Lightningpaw down into, and she knew the twists and turns to get them there and back without running into any trouble. Just when the air was staling around them within the tightness of the tunnel, a small brush of freshness reached the gray feline's nose signalling the opening up ahead.
"Do you feel the fresher air?" Owlmind asked, unable to look over her shoulder but raising her voice slightly so that it would carry behind her to the younger she-cat. Within a moments more of pawsteps, the tunnel opened up into a small, round opening. Two more entrances jaggedly made their entrances on other sides of the circled area, giving access to a bit of cool air, one even had the faintest glow as if the sun was trying it's best to weakly penetrate through the thick earth.
Even with the tiniest flicker of light it was nearly impossible to see without straining eyes, though it gave enough of shadowed image of their surroundings. Later on in their training Owlmind planned to bring her ward back her for battle training, using the jagged surrounding to her advantage.
Circling the perimeter of the small opening, the shadows hid Owlmind's gray form very well, only the slightly glow of those amber pools was noticeable within the dimness. "Throughout your training you will go through a number of tunnels and dens such as these. It's up to you to remember where you have been and where you haven't, and over time it will get easier to explore and retain information without needing a more experienced cat by your side."
"In our future trainings I will use the other tunnels to reach this den and I will expect you to remember each way." While she wouldn't give away everything yet, Owlmind did plan on using these tunnels as future assessments to study her wards ability to retain information.
Wisdom. Courage. Strategy. @zen || 612 Words || I just made up a random tunnel thing xD
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2019 13:53:15 GMT -5
An excited squeak emitted from Lightningpaw's jaws as her mentor bid her to follow her down into the tunnel. Quivering with the desire to just race in, she waited until Owlmind had disappeared inside and darted into the gaping hole herself, skidding to slow herself down a heartbeat a later when Owlmind's scent nearly overwhelmed her from a near collision. She followed her mentors scent and the sound of her soft paw steps as the light faded quickly and darkness took over her sight. Her tail waved behind her as she padded along, heartbeat quickening from the thrill of being back in the tunnels. Was this how Shadepaw went through life? Relying completely on her other senses…. As the tunnel narrowed, her whiskers brushed one side and she overcorrected in surprise, running into the opposite wall. A cough and a shake of her head, and she was glad it was so dark down here so no cat could see what had just happened. She paid more attention to what her other senses were telling her after that, stepping more carefully so she didn't run into another wall. Her ears pricked as Owlmind spoke and she parted her jaws, testing the air. Sure enough there was a slight hint of fresh air being carried toward them. It seemed incredibly noticeable in the stagnant, earthy air that pervaded in the tunnels. She nodded, realized after a moment Owlmind couldn't see her, and spoke up, just as excited as she was when they had started, “I do!” She continued to follow until the tunnel opened up into more of a small dirt cavern. She was surprised to find that there was even the hint of light coming from somewhere. She just barely made out two more tunnel entrances as she stepped into the more open area. Owlmind's voice drew her attention once more, ears swiveling toward her mentor as her eyes attempted to make her form in the shadows. She nodded enthusiastically, eyes shining in the darkness. Sometimes she wasn't the best at remembering things, but repetition had always helped in the past… and that meant spending more time in the tunnels so she could start to remember all the paths! “I can't wait! I'll do my best, I promise,” she purred happily. Ghost the Undead Goddess
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"If you're gonna hit it, hit it until it breaks." |
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GaleClan Leader GorgeClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by Ghost the Undead Goddess on Apr 10, 2019 3:35:42 GMT -5
Owlmind LightningClan || 63 Moons || Senior Warrior Good.
Lightningpaw was already showing promise as she showed enthusiasm for learning and working herself. Owlmind wasn't an easy mentor, previous apprentices could testify to that, but life wasn't easy and she devoted herself to preparing future warriors for whatever may be thrown in their direction. Being a warrior was a difficult but proud task, and being a from Lightningclan gifted cats with strong wills and sturdy souls.
Nothing would hold them down.
"We have a lot of time to chase down due to you being delayed." Not one to soften reality, Owlmind flickered her tail within the dimness of the cavern, her voice strict as that drill Sargent facade remained within play. While it was an obstacle, it was one easy to over come and the senior warrioress was not phased by it whatsoever. "Since we are down here, I might as well teach you some basic battle techniques."
Ever the opportunist, the strategic she-cat padded silently forwards to stand in front of Lightningpaw, amber pools slightly glowing as she captured her young ward's attention. "Once you are used to the darkness it will become like a second pelt. And extension of yourself, there to hide you and conceal you from those unawares." Her rasp was quiet but loud enough for her apprentice to hear, "For example, now you see me." With only a few silent movements later, the inky darkness at the edges of the cavern completely swallowed what little outline of Owlmind could be seen.
"Perception is different down here." Her voice echoed as she spoke louder, bouncing off the walls to elude the senior warrior was in multiple different directions. "To master such skills you have to learn to be as unpredictable as the wind, or in this case... the shadows." With her last few words, the gray feline crept up behind her apprentice, effortlessly putting a point upon her lesson. Amber pools were emotionless as she stared down at Lightningpaw, tail flickering softly behind her.
"The tunnels are yours to control once you master them, and being undetectable is just one of the things they offer. Just wait until you learn to leap off the cavern walls for both offensive and defensive maneuvers." Was she stoking the fire, probably, but Owlmind formed her training techniques to intrigue and fit each apprentice as they learned under hear intuitive wing. Lightningpaw's interests happened to be the tunnels, something she herself was interested in, which would make their lessons together smooth and profitable.
Wisdom. Courage. Strategy. 422 Words || @zen
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