[xvinn]

kestrelfoot (she/her) | galeclan

Kestrelfoot still didn't understand what bees must have gotten into Owlstar's brain to think that she would be a good fit as a mentor to Murkpaw. She'd never been a particularly confident cat in the first place, preferring to quietly study the stars and reminisce on back when she was an apprentice herself. She could remember training beside her best friend and sister, Dipperpaw, before the earthquake rocked the valley and her sister was lost forever. Well, not forever - Kestrelfoot knew that her sister was looking down on her from StarClan, every night, even if she never had any dreams or was spoken to.

Regardless, it had been a few moons now since training had started. Thankfully, Kestrelfoot was an incredibly patient cat, so Murkpaw's mistakes never seemed to bother her. On the other hand, she had a hard time being direct and knowing how to help correct the young tom. Some of their training sessions had been entirely disasterous - Kestrelfoot had no clue how she was supposed to react when she was working on tunnels with the mottled black apprentice and he suddenly started eating the rocks. "Usually we just ... pat the dirt down to make the tunnels a little sturdier, but I suppose that gets it out of the way too?" she could remember awkwardly saying to the young cat. Nevermind when Kestrelfoot had tried doing hunting sessions with Murkpaw, who seemed to have a much different idea of what fresh-kill included.

But if there was one thing the two of them had in common, it was how they fought. Kestrelfoot wasn't a very strong fighter, and it seemed that Murkpaw wasn't too keen on the idea either. Alas, if he wanted to become a tunneller, it meant that keeping guard of borders was going to be a common occurance after receiving his warrior name. With that, Kestrelfoot thought that maybe she could help give Murkpaw some pointers that might make fighting a little bit easier, should he ever end up in a confrontation.

Kestrelfoot had asked her brother, Sootstorm, to accompany the mentor-apprentice pair for their training session today, which he was all the more glad to do. She was grateful for her brother's good nature about joining them - after all, Kestrelfoot thought that Sootstorm would have made a far better mentor to any apprentice than Kestrelfoot. The black tom was always very light-hearted, and a little bit quirky, so she thought that he would likely get along great with Murkpaw and make the training session all the less stressful.

The trio soon arrived at their destination - a fairly dense area with lots of hiding spots, as well as many of the tunnel entrances and exits that Kestrelfoot had taken the time to show to Murkpaw. She turned to her apprentice, "I asked Sootstorm to join us for some fight training!" she said, trying to sound enthusiastic, though her voice betrayed her nervousness. "While we don't have the forests that GorgeClan and MistClan have, there are still lots of ways for us to be able to surprise our enemies and get the upperhand."

murk / murkpaw ● 521 words

[murk]

YOU IN ALL YOUR VIBRANT YOUTH, HOW COULD ANYTHING BAD EVER HAPPEN TO YOU?

❝

"Murkpaw, Murkpaw," someone muttered to himself as he padded over the moor, paws crunching noisily on newly-grown grasses. Perhaps it was supposed to be encouraging, like he was imagining his Clan chanting it at his eventual warrior ceremony. Or perhaps it was just to casually remind himself what his name was. He had no context for what 'murk' meant, really. Someone had told him once (his father?) that it was like mud floating in water, and Murkpaw liked that because he liked mud. It was easy to dig in, and when it shlooped back together again, it was easy to dig another hole to replace it. When he was finished, he could sit in it, and it would keep his paws cool. Hah. 

"Mudpaw, Mudpaw." He was getting confused already.

The mottled, black-and-brown apprentice opened his mouth to breathe in their surroundings, letting the vivid territory of GaleClan flood through his dull senses. Almost immediately, he sneezed out flakes of dry mud, wrinkling his nose. He disliked the smells of Greenleaf. The aroma of growing things and warm grass and southerly winds disguised the stink of crowfood and old rabbit dung he'd gotten used to over the course of Leafbare.

If his mentor abandoned him now, he'd never make it back to camp. As if remembering his usual strategy for retracing his steps, Murkpaw tugged a tuft of fur from his patchy hindquarters and loosed it into the breeze, watching it blow straight into Sootstorm's face. "...Like dust in the wind," he said, glassy-eyed, which didn't seem to be an apology.

Murkpaw had no idea what he, Kestrelfoot and Sootstorm were doing out training. He barely understood the concept of training at all, and he was confident he'd be a warrior soon (or was he already?). "Huh?" he asked, already on his belly and wiggling into one of the tunnels like an earthworm after a rainstorm. His voice echoed back, muffled. "Waah, but Murkpaw doesn't need fight training because it is too—he is too—smart. For the fight training." He kicked his back feet, squeezing further into the tunnel and rotating like a screw on its hinges in an attempt to fit his cat-hips through the entrance. "Unf! This tunnel is too small for Murkpaw..." He felt cheated. He'd been small enough to fit into it just four moons ago.

It seemed there was no escape.

The little beetlebrain wiggled back out, curling his oily tail around his forepaws as if this had been his plan all along. "Hooh... clever Kestrelfoot... it is becoming of you." He narrowed his eyes smugly. "Murkpaw is ready. Murkpaw will... surprise!" 

All par for the course, Kestrelfoot should be used to this behavior at this point. Whether eating things a cat had no business putting in their mouth or showing off his inability to put a coherent sentence together, Murkpaw's sheer confidence had always greased his way through life. Now, could he grease his way out of a real battle?

KESTRELFOOT (@xvinn)  ● 495 words

MADE BY MIZO

[xvinn]

kestrelfoot (she/her) | galeclan

Kestrelfoot didn't seem too frustrated watching Murkpaw, though she could feel Sootstorm shifting almost uncomfortably next to her. She flicked her tail towards her brother, keeping her gaze on her apprentice in front of her as he finally managed to wiggle his way out of his predicament. "No one is ever ready for everything or anything that could come at them. You might be smart - " she heard Sootstorm purr with amusement beside her, as though doubting her words, but she continued regardless, "But there are others who are smarter. Even the smartest cat in the valley still has something to learn. StarClan are the only ones who have all the knowledge a cat could possibly possess."

The tortishell knew she had much to learn - after all, while she had always been a cat known for her patience and kindness, it often seemed as though Murkpaw was testing each and every ounce of it. Maybe that was why Owlstar had paired them together, she knew that other cats might end up leaving or leading the mottled apprentice to his death. And yet, despite all his flaws, there was a charm to the young tom ... maybe ... hopefully?

Looking to Sootstorm first, Kestrelfoot turned back to Murkpaw, "The best thing you can learn is to never fight alone." she noted. It was something she had learned for herself - she wasn't the strongest cat in GaleClan by any means, and certainly not the greatest fighter. But she thought about when she was a kit, playing alongside her littermates: she and her sister, Dipperpaw, would always team up against Sootstorm. Even though he was stronger than both of them, outnumbering meant they would nearly always win. "If you learn to fight alongside your Clanmates, you can even take down larger enemies - foxes, badgers, dogs, and other predators that would destroy a cat on their own." She shuttered at the mere thought, but pushed on.

"Let's say you came across me - your Clanmate - in a brawl with a cat from MistClan - as played by Sootstorm here. What are some ways you could assist?" Kestrelfoot asked. But before Murkpaw could even have the chance to answer in words, Sootstorm barreled into his sister, knocking her off her paws and onto her back. Claws sheathed, the pair rolled until the black tom took over, standing over Kestrelfoot, as though he were an enemy ready to bite down onto her shoulder.

murk / murkpaw ● 417 words

[murk]

YOU IN ALL YOUR VIBRANT YOUTH, HOW COULD ANYTHING BAD EVER HAPPEN TO YOU?

❝

"Hrggh??" Murkpaw made a sound of shock and protest as his mentor attempted to explain basic life concepts. A different cat—one with more to prove—might have interrupted her, might have insisted they knew better. Argued that adaptability was more important than preparation.

But Murkpaw didn't. His weird noise seemed to be his full contribution.

If Kestrelfoot was making a tacit reference to her becoming his mentor by mentioning 'unexpected things', it flew over Murkpaw's head like a clod of mud. He was still watching Kestrelfoot, glassy-eyed. He found himself hung up on the beginning of her speech, mind wandering almost immediately as she began to talk about relying on his Clanmates (who?).

Two things clunked around in the apprentice's head like two walnuts rolling around.

Other cats, smarter than Murkpaw. StarClan with their infinite knowledge.

It was all adding up. 

...He just had to become a warrior of StarClan, and then he would be the smartest cat in the valley and wouldn't have to do battle training at all.

"Yes... yes..." he muttered eagerly, connecting all the dots in his horrible little cat head. "Heh... Murkpaw is so clever."

Feeling bursting with energy now that he had the world's most original life goal of dying young, Murkpaw frisked to his feet, tail held high. He wasn't worried that he had missed most of the conversation and instructions until Sootstorm pounced on Kestrelfoot, wrestling her to the ground.

"Nyeeeeh?" Murkpaw managed, shocked. Who could have expected this betrayal?

"Betrayal!" Murkpaw spat next, moving into the 'anger' stage of grief. "Avenge Kestrelfoot! Murkpaw will bite!"

But he did not bite. He just sat there, copper eyes growing very, very round.

A moment passed, then Murkpaw relaxed.

"Heh. It was a clever ruse. Foolish Sootstorm..." He wrinkled his muzzle smugly, licking down the fur on his shoulder as if to pat himself on the back for a cunning deception well played. Was it possible any cat could be more clever than him? Maybe he didn't have to join StarClan to gain ultimate power.

KESTRELFOOT (@xvinn)  ● 340 words

MADE BY MIZO

[xvinn]

kestrelfoot (she/her) | galeclan

Kestrelfoot looked up from her position underneath her brother - though she had been enjoying the somewhat playful fight, meant to show Murkpaw about various ways two cats could work together to take down an enemy, the joy faded when all she saw was Murkpaw grooming himself and not paying attention whatsoever. She gave a sigh, almost of defeat, and got prepared to roll back over and push her brother off, but Sootstorm seemed more frustrated.

While the she-cat was a relatively passive cat, worried about stirring up trouble, her brother had always been a much more action-forward cat. After all, if it hadn't been for him, Kestrelfoot would have definitely perished during the earthquake. He had dragged her away from the dangerous crack in the world below when she was busy mourning the death of her sister, insisting that she keep going to safety. She began to struggle a little bit under the weight of Sootstorm's grip, and felt his claws extend around her throat, even beginning to make breathing a little more difficult.

Murkpaw! Pay attention! he called out to the apprentice, looking more aggrivated as he held his sister down. Kestrelfoot knew deep down that Sootstorm would never go far enough to actually injure her, but she knew that her brother had far less patience than her. "Your mentor gave you instructions and you're sitting there grooming yourself?" the tom growled menacingly towards Murkpaw, as though he were ready to tear the apprentice apart himself.

Kestrelfoot began to struggle a little underneath, swiping up towards her brother to try and push him off, but the black tom had always been bigger and stronger than her. It's certain that it was this behaviour that made Kestrelfoot continue to question even more if Owlstar made the right call - maybe Sootstorm would have been the better mentor. Well, it would depend on if Murkpaw actually listened in this moment. But the tortishell could feel her brother's claws pulling at the ground beside her, holding her down and challenging the apprentice to pay attention. She was used to this behaviour - not listening or paying attention, acting as though Murkpaw knew everything there was to know, and maybe she should have been more strict. Thoughts flashed in her head thinking forward, about if Murkpaw would ever improve, or if she would simply become a failure of a mentor who needed other cats to push her own apprentice to work.

murk / murkpaw ● 411 words

[murk]

YOU IN ALL YOUR VIBRANT YOUTH, HOW COULD ANYTHING BAD EVER HAPPEN TO YOU?

❝

Were they role-playing a mid-battle situation, or was Sootstorm really angry? Murkpaw only had a tenuous grasp on reality—he was still phasing back and forth on whether Sootstorm was actually a MistClan warrior who'd attacked Kestrelfoot or not. The dark-colored apprentice stared open-mouthed as he crunched the numbers, copper eyes glassy.

...Assessment complete.

He immediately groveled, pressing his muzzle to the ground. His back legs splayed awkwardly as he flattened himself like a giant centipede, offering his full surrender. "Don't hurt Murkpaw!" he said, "It—he can't focus because Kestrelfoot is dead!"

She hadn't spoken for awhile, so she must be. 

"Poor Kestrelfoot..." Murkpaw mumbled. If only there was someone brave enough to avenge her. He should go look for a warrior to help. Kestrelfoot had said many cats together could take down even large predators, like foxes and MistClan cats.

Apparently he had passively retained some information. Unfortunately, Murkpaw did not say so. Instead, he said:

"YAOOOOOOOUUUGUHHHHH! MISTCLAN IS ATTACKING!"

—This was his yowl for reinforcements from the GaleClan camp. It was bloodcurdling. No cat ever had screamed like that just for backup unless they were on the brink of death. Sootstorm might as well have been tearing Murkpaw limb from limb rather than just saying 'pay attention to your mentor.' 

Quick as a snake, Murkpaw was on his feet again and bolting for the tunnels, determined to make his getaway having summoned Real Warriors to his aid. Unfortunately, he dove straight into the tunnel that he'd already determined was too small for him. His muffled voice echoed back.

"GaleClan! GaleClan!"

At least he was patriotic.

KESTRELFOOT (@xvinn)  ● 266 words

MADE BY MIZO

[xvinn]

kestrelfoot (she/her) | galeclan

Sootstorm have given a little weight off of Kestrelfoot as he watched Murkpaw dive into the tunnel, giving the she-cat the opportunity to roll out from underneath him. For a moment, it started the warrior and buckled him just lightly, but not so much as to not be able to catch his weight and readjust his stance as the two of them watched Murkpaw's oily tail whip back and forth in the air, unable to squeeze his way into the tunnel. Kestrelfoot looked at the apprentice sadly a moment - her heart broke, feeling like she'd been a failure of a mentor. This was just supposed to be a simple training session of showing Murkpaw some techniques for cats to use together on a large opponent, but it seemed as though everything was falling apart. She knew that she couldn't expect any training session to be a normal one, but with each growing day it was harder and harder. She'd always felt like she was the wrong choice to mentor Murkpaw, and watching his back paws flail through the air, it just made it feel like she was correct to think so.

Kestrelfoot felt Sootstorm lean over and give his sister a comforting lick on her ear, serving as a bit of an apology perhaps for scaring Murkpaw. But when her gaze settled on the black tom, she wondered if maybe his approach was right. After all, only moments earlier, it seemed like the apprentice had no intention of doing anything. At least this was proving to do something, right? Still, she hung her head a moment, flattening her ears and watching the apprentice continue to struggle, not sure what she was supposed to do next.

Sootstorm walked over to the tunnel and placed his foot on Murkpaw's tail, holding it down to the ground, "Murkpaw's going to be dead soon." he growled. Kestrelfoot watched him nervously, not sure what angle he was going for, but sat back a moment and watched her brother, wondering if maybe the more passive, quiet mentor could learn something from this good-cop-bad-cop rountine. "Murkpaw has made a fatal error. His mentor told him to help her, and instead he sat back on his haunches and thought he was too smart for games. Then instead of fighting back and avenging his mentor, he fled. Now, MistClan has won."

Kestrelfoot oddly purred a moment watching her brother - the tone of his voice was one that she was quite familiar with, a tone of victory that they shared as kits when they played in the nursery. He wasn't actually threatening Murkpaw, though she wasn't sure the mottled apprentice would take it that way, but was pretending to show his dominance in his victory over this fight. She walked up beside the warrior and nudged him, releasing his foot from Murkpaw's tail. She looked down towards the stuck apprentice, "Murkpaw..." she said, her voice trailing a little bit, even an edge of sadness in it, "It's important you listen to training. I know you want to be a great warrior for GaleClan, but you need to be able to take orders, otherwise Owlstar will never grant you your warrior name."

One of Kestrelfoot's biggest fears though was that it didn't matter. She knew how much Owlstar cared for the youngest cats of GaleClan, especially all of the apprentices and kits. Heck, the leader almost always had an apprentice of her own, wanting to constantly help raise the next generation of warriors. Maybe she would look at Murkpaw with pity and grant him his warrior name, regardless of whether it was deserved or not. "I know this was just a roleplay situation, but you left me vulnerable to die instead of saving me, and got yourself stuck, which could have easily lead to your own death." She looked up towards Sootstorm, her eyes clouded with worry as she leaned down towards Murkpaw, looking for a way to help pull the apprentice back out onto his feet.

murk / murkpaw ● 670 words