[Insidious]

[atrb=cellSpacing,5,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 380px; -moz-border-radius-topleft: 75px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 75px; background: url(http://i49.tinypic.com/1h5zs4.jpg), bTable][atrb=style, background: url(http://i47.tinypic.com/15rfreu.jpg); -moz-border-radius-topleft: 75px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 75px; height:245; opacity: 1.0][STYLE=text-align:right; font-family: georgia; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing: 1.0px; margin-top: 150px; color:#000000; text-transform:uppercase; width:345px; margin-left: -2px; text-shadow: 1px 5px 5px #000000;]Foxpaw; Treeclan Apprentice of Eleven Moons.[/style]

[atrb=style, background: #FAFAFA;][STYLE=font-family: georgia; font-size: 10px; line-height: 10px; width: 380px; height: 375px; overflow: auto; text-align:justify; padding-bottom:1px; text-indent-right: 2px;]~Starting in Camp~ The orange tabby markings of Foxpaw were distinctively visible when her paws were on the ground instead of in the trees. Truthfully, it was rare to see the young she-cat on the ground when it wasn't required. Her life was currently dedicated to high observation and the sharpness of one's mind. Foxpaw wasn't trying to be modest, but she was pretty sure that goal had been reached. Now, the Treeclan apprentice stood in wait in the heart of camp. Her mentor had been increasingly busy lately; what with leafbare presenting its usual problems. Her warrior ceremony was right around the corner; this being why Lionstar had taken Foxpaw's training into his own paws for the time being. It was a great honour to be trained by the leader of Treeclan. Foxpaw's eyes momentarily flashed over with a prideful glaze, the overwhelming sensation of confidence causing her stance to straighten. Turning her head over slender shoulders designed for a stalking crouch, the apprentice skimmed the leader's den in search of Lionstar. Her neck protruded, pink nose inhaling a breath of air to locate the golden tom's fragrance. At last, there he was. Immediately, Foxpaw stood. She waited until Lionstar was near before lowering her head in a respectful dip, gray-green irises glancing up to meet Lionstar's noble gaze. “Greetings, Lionstar.” the fox-like she-cat mewed, attempting to keep the ever so small piece of excitement toward being trained by the clan leader under wraps. Foxpaw was known for being quiet; keen. She wasn't about to destroy that reputation. [/style]

[atrb=style, background: #FAFAFA;][STYLE=font-family: georiga; font-size: 10px; line-height: 13px; width: 380px;]notes blah blah blah tags mr. who, mrs. who, & cindy-lou who words #### muse music or anything that inspired your creativity[/style]

[style=font-family: Courier New; font-size: 10px;]template by BRITZ☆ (aka KETSUE) of LS and BTN[/style]

[Fawn]

"Good morning, Foxpaw."

Ah Foxpaw. What could be said about her character? Though Lionstar had not known her to the levels he would have liked, he still had a firm grasp of this cunning, attentive she-cat's personality. She would be good for the future of TreeClan, an excellent warrior with a sharp head on her shoulders - though an equally sharp tongue too - he simply needed to, at this point, test her mettle.
"We will be going over your battle tactics in various situations. Your opponent, of course, will be me, but don't let that deter you from giving your best." He purred, encouraging as a sharp flick of the tail-tip deigned that she should follow after him, their point of exit clear.

It would be a nice, brisk walk to the training grounds.

"Now, I understand that you spend a great deal of time in the trees - " An ear flicked backwards to catch the sound of her pawsteps, gilded gaze momentarily drawn over a brawny shoulder, watching Foxpaw for a second "-What have you learned from i?" It was the sort of question that required an honest answer; he was not ridiculing her desire to stay above the forest floor and watch, like some kind of phantom of the trees, ever-aware yet out of sight and out of mind of the cats below. He was more curious as to her observations, what her perceptions had brought her, both in terms of knowledge and in opinions she had formed based on what she had seen.

However, all of Foxpaw's time spent in the trees did make him feel concerned over how she would fair in an all-out-brawl where the 'safety of the trees' was no longer an option. That being said, perhaps Foxpaw would fight as fiercely as her namesake, now that her place of shelter was no longer in reach; her fight drives might kick in if she felt truly threatened. Of course, he had no intention of pushing Foxpaw so unnecessarily far out of her comfort zone, but he would be testing her. He would still be their kind, benevolent leader, but he would also be an opponent, an obstacle to overcome.

---

Word Count: 414
Notes: None~
Character: :3 Lionstar.

[Insidious]

[atrb=cellSpacing,5,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 380px; -moz-border-radius-topleft: 75px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 75px; background: url(http://i49.tinypic.com/1h5zs4.jpg), bTable][atrb=style, background: url(http://i47.tinypic.com/15rfreu.jpg); -moz-border-radius-topleft: 75px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 75px; height:245; opacity: 1.0][STYLE=text-align:right; font-family: georgia; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing: 1.0px; margin-top: 150px; color:#000000; text-transform:uppercase; width:345px; margin-left: -2px; text-shadow: 1px 5px 5px #000000;]Foxpaw; Treeclan Apprentice of Eleven Moons.[/style]

[atrb=style, background: #FAFAFA;][STYLE=font-family: georgia; font-size: 10px; line-height: 10px; width: 380px; height: 375px; overflow: auto; text-align:justify; padding-bottom:1px; text-indent-right: 2px;]Foxpaw offered a light smile at Lionstar's good morning comment, quickly arising to her paws as his tail-tip gestured for her to follow, which she did. Her body size was much smaller in comparison to Lionstar, so upon exit from the camp, she was able to slip through the surrounding foliage like butter. However, she didn't expect to pull anything over the Treeclan leader's head. There was no doubt in Foxpaw's mind that he'd be keeping an analytical eye upon the orange, tabby feline on their journey to the training grounds. After all, this was a session of battle training. Lionstar said himself that her opponent would be none other than him, so it was likely that the golden furred tom would be interested in what kind of apprentice Foxpaw was during spar. Certainly, she'd do everything in her power to ensure Lionstar was thoroughly impressed. “Now, I understand that you spend a great deal of time in the trees -” this captured Foxpaw's attention instantaneously, her gray-green irises being drawn upward to meet Lionstar's gaze as his head twisted over his muscular shoulders. If there was one thing Foxpaw loved, it was the trees. It was only natural that the topic captured the she-cat's utmost attention. In fact, a part of her was somewhat pleased that the soon-to-be-warrior wasn't completely forgotten about due to the amount of time spent out of sight from her clan. “-What have you learned from it?” Now there was an intriguing question. In all honesty, Foxpaw had never thought much of being in the trees. To her it was, simply put, a hobby of all things. But, here was Lionstar, glancing over his shoulders still to this minute expecting an answer. Foxpaw sighed under her breath, orange ears swiveling forward as she once again locked eyes with the noble clan leader. “I've learned...” she paused briefly, eyes narrowing as her brain analyzed information she'd never had anything to do with. “let's put it this way: when I'm in a tree I'm not just out of sight, but, frequently out of mind, too. You learn things about your clan members that you probably wouldn't in a normal conversation.” Foxpaw held back a small chuckle, although, she couldn't help but allow the small smile to creep across her mouth. “I guess there's basic stuff to be learned. Like grace, since maneuvering involves jumping between branches. Stealth, and observational skills to. But, I never bothered with that stuff too much. I stay in the trees because I like the bird's eye view. I prefer being in check with my surroundings to avoid being in a situation where I'm caught off guard. That's not easily done from the ground.” Her tail flicked, satisfaction lacing across her expression. “Suppose the tree jumping hasn't been too bad with improving muscles, to.” Foxpaw kicked up her pace a notch so she was traveling by Lionstar's flank instead of directly behind him. The fox-like feline wasn't entirely impressed with her speech. Mostly, because she had no idea how to answer the question in the first place. All she could do was hope that it was satisfactory for Lionstar, even if it wasn't quite there by her standards. [/style]

[atrb=style, background: #FAFAFA;][STYLE=font-family: georiga; font-size: 10px; line-height: 13px; width: 380px;]notes blah blah blah tags mr. who, mrs. who, & cindy-lou who words #### muse music or anything that inspired your creativity[/style]

[style=font-family: Courier New; font-size: 10px;]template by BRITZ☆ (aka KETSUE) of LS and BTN[/style]

[Fawn]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true] Lionstar - 36 Moons - Tom - TreeClan[style=border-top: solid 4px #000000; border-left: solid 4px #000000; border-right: solid 4px #000000; background-color: #FEDD87; overflow: auto; Width: 450px; Height: 450px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; text-align: left] “I guess there's basic stuff to be learned. Like grace, since maneuvering involves jumping between branches. Stealth, and observational skills to. But, I never bothered with that stuff too much. I stay in the trees because I like the bird's eye view. I prefer being in check with my surroundings to avoid being in a situation where I'm caught off guard." "Maneuverability. Stealth. Awareness of your surroundings, and yes, strength too." The leader of TreeClan was quick to separate the key strengths Foxpaw should have picked up whilst climbing from the rest of the apprentice's words, though he did make note of her personality, a subconscious tab placed upon the she-cat whose middle name should've been "Observer". The hidden thicket they were approaching was not quite so hidden this time of year; the dense brambles - much of their mass due to the leaves - and tangling thorns looked a lot less sheltering after leafbare had stripped them of their liveliness. The thorn bushes appeared somewhat shriveled, weighed down by snow, and the brambles weren't fairing much better, a broken nest having toppled down onto one of the protruding limbs, looking just as bedraggled as half of TreeClan probably felt. Gone was the soft grasses in the center, and in place was a thin layer of snow, several accumulated inches having been flattened down thanks to a dozen or so paws coming here to train these past few sunrises. Unusually large front paws pancaked it further, however, as Lionstar entered the training area, voice rising above the crow-calls in the distance and the whooshing howl of the wind, the well-developed warrior turning to face his opponent. "I hope you can use your observation skills in battle from this point on, Foxpaw." Departing this final piece of advice - though more was likely to come in the course of this battle assessment - Lionstar's stance shifted ever so slightly, and the faint sway of his voluminous tail conveyed the lion-tom's readiness. Though he was standing, he was not in a warrior's crouching and stalking position, but rather was holding his ground, wanting first to give her a few moments' breathing room to devise a strategy. Foxpaw was an extremely intelligent, focused young she-cat. He fully intended to stretch the edges of her mind just a little bit further, if he could, let her employ that 'Bird's Eye' perspective in battle rather than to spy on her Clanmates and whoever so happens to be passing by. Though he was certain she'd gleaned quite a few juicy things in her past couple of moons from that climbing hobby, that was at the back of his mind, now. Adaption was what he was looking for, adaption, strategy and quick reflexes. If she employed all three, Foxpaw may just have a very good shot at toppling him over. "Whenever you're ready." Notes: Word Count: 494 Pictures: All Rights Reserved to Lisa Beattie.

[Insidious]

[atrb=cellSpacing,5,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 380px; -moz-border-radius-topleft: 75px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 75px; background: url(http://i49.tinypic.com/1h5zs4.jpg), bTable][atrb=style, background: url(http://i47.tinypic.com/15rfreu.jpg); -moz-border-radius-topleft: 75px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 75px; height:245; opacity: 1.0][STYLE=text-align:right; font-family: georgia; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing: 1.0px; margin-top: 150px; color:#000000; text-transform:uppercase; width:345px; margin-left: -2px; text-shadow: 1px 5px 5px #000000;]Foxpaw; Treeclan Apprentice of Eleven Moons.[/style]

[atrb=style, background: #FAFAFA;][STYLE=font-family: georgia; font-size: 10px; line-height: 10px; width: 380px; height: 375px; overflow: auto; text-align:justify; padding-bottom:1px; text-indent-right: 2px;]Foxpaw's gray-green eyes flickered upward toward the Treeclan leader as he repeated the key points from her words. As he listed them off, a light grin danced across her orange furred jaw. They all seemed like efficient qualities that could help Foxpaw one day achieve her goal to becoming a warrior Treeclan could be proud of. And now, as she traveled alongside her clan's leader, she was finding herself one giant paw step closer to that wondrous dream. She could hardly cage the excitement bursting in her stomach like loose butterflies, her mind occupied by the idea of receiving advice in any way, shape or form from Lionstar himself. Briefly, she thought of Nobleheart. It must have been an honour to receive the clan's, at the time, deputy as his mentor. Surely, all of the apprentices had a reason to be mildly jealous. However, Foxpaw didn't doubt her own capabilities. Lionstar was a feline, just like the rest of them. Although, the rest of them certainly weren't clan leaders. “I hope you can use your observation skills in battle from this point on, Foxpaw.” Shaken back to reality by the steady tone of Lionstar, she fixated a curious gaze upon the golden tom. He wanted observation skills? Not a problem at all. Immediately, she took to analyzing his body structure. No cat could overlook the fact that Lionstar was muscular: his shoulders broad and his limbs powerful. Whereas in comparison, Foxpaw was far smaller. She had muscle, but not in high quantities. Her body was built for speed and calculated stealth. And though neither of those were the strength she'd probably require in order to wipe Lionstar off his paws... it meant she had one thing over him. Quickness, and the sharpest of mind for reaction time. Foxpaw's limbs buckled closer to the snow-caked terrain, gray-green pigmentation confining beneath orange eyelids as she examined the rippling of the golden tom-cat's muscles as he shifted into a battle-ready stance of his own. “Whenever you're ready.” Foxpaw inhaled deeply, her shoulder blades rising and falling with the notion. She lowered her ears against her skull, angled her paws in the general direction of Lionstar, and with a final backwards bend of her body: unleashed the built up energy from her hind legs and sprung forward like a puma on the hunt. Immediately, her quickness was tested. The she-cat's aim appeared to be for Lionstar's frontal region, precisely as she wanted it to appear. However, the closer she got to the Treeclan leader, the more intimidating it grew to attack from the front. Backup plan. Once Foxpaw was within a tail-length of space from Lionstar, her limbs swiftly skidded, doubling backward with a hasty precision she had mastered from her hours in the canopies. Allowing herself no time to catch a breather, along with a small hope that she had caught Lionstar by surprise: she curved her lithe frame outward and instead, made a path to the large tom's flank. Now, if she was successful: her plan was to reach Lionstar's side and forcefully ram into him. However, the briefest spark of worry was about how she was maybe underestimating the leader's reaction time. Though, she wasn't about to double backwards a second time and devise another backup plan for her backup plan. Not while she was in the midst of her first backup plan. [/style]

[atrb=style, background: #FAFAFA;][STYLE=font-family: georiga; font-size: 10px; line-height: 13px; width: 380px;]notes blah blah blah tags mr. who, mrs. who, & cindy-lou who words #### muse music or anything that inspired your creativity[/style]

[style=font-family: Courier New; font-size: 10px;]template by BRITZ☆ (aka KETSUE) of LS and BTN[/style]

[Fawn]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true] Lionstar - 36 Moons - Tom - TreeClan[style=border-top: solid 4px #000000; border-left: solid 4px #000000; border-right: solid 4px #000000; background-color: #FEDD87; overflow: auto; Width: 450px; Height: 450px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; text-align: left] It was forever an unusual moment, when somecat literally thought they might try their luck by attacking his front. One would think that the overly large front paws, the rippling mane and the sharp white teeth he sported on his fierce battle-visage would be enough to deter anyone from attacking. And usually, it was. Foxpaw did not strike Lionstar as the type of she-cat who sought out glory or bravado in battle; she was neither so reckless as to charge in without a plan, either. Ready for anything, the golden tom had lowered his head just slightly so as not to leave his chest completely open, his paws clenching the ground should her point attack be to hammer him in the chest hard enough to dislodge his footing. Following her with sharp golden eyes, that flicker of reluctance passing through the she-cat's gaze signaled her switch of plans, and he recognized her next attack almost exactly as it happened. She's going to ram right into my flank. A thousand sparring sessions, he had had, both between himself and his mentor, and the many many apprentices that had come before Foxpaw; a situation like this had happened before, and while a part of him knew he would have to allow himself to get hit to show the she-cat that she was actually making progress, now wasn't quite the time for that yet. Like when Noblepaw had all but tried to shred him, Lionstar stepped wildly to the side, placing his flank at a skewed angle that would have her grazing past - she might even trip over his oversized back paw if she wasn't careful - Foxpaw likely to overshoot her target thanks to a quick reactionary shift. "It is good that you have a back-up plan, Foxpaw. You are an intelligent apprentice - no cat can doubt that. Let's throw away back up plans for the time being, they're only good for situations in which you have time to pick and choose how to attack and defend." Voice rising up above the sudden howling pitch of the wind, Lionstar shook out his mane, opting to change up this battle session in favor of one that would be a little more productive. "In a real battle, there isn't time to execute a back-up plan - only to process and retaliate. So now I am going to attack you. Show me your best defense skills." It would perhaps be better to test her battle abilities on a smaller, more evenly matched warrior, Lionstar noted, but appropriately sizing up opponents also wasn't a realistic training session. She was likely to face all sorts of bodytypes and battle-tacticians when it all came down to the gritty, bloody side of battle - he didn't want to plant the idea in her head that she could choose her opponent in the heat of the moment. Unless Foxpaw attacked first every time (which he personally wouldn't recommend unless she was built like an oak tree), it was likely she could spend an entire battle just reacting to whatever some foolish opponent threw at her. And boy would they be surprised by the clever orange she-cat with the sharpest reaction skills he'd seen in a while. Notes: Word Count: 532 Pictures: All Rights Reserved to Lisa Beattie.

[Insidious]

So it would seem that she had underestimated the reaction time of their noble clan leader. The orange tabby skidded, Lionstar's movements completely causing the target to no longer be in striking range. Her tail flicked, indicating a mild frustration before she pivoted to face the long-haired, golden tom, gray-green eyes peering intently into his own to assure his words weren't only processed, but noted.

"In a real battle, there isn't time to execute a back-up plan - only to process and retaliate. So now I am going to attack you. Show me your best defense skills."

The apprentice's ears flickered, swiveling forwardly alongside the widening of her eyes. She'd never been attacked before, especially not by a tom that towered in size comparison. However, he was gifting her some time to prepare, which she wasn't about to waste with her child-like worry. Her front paws shuffled, the she-cat testing various angles to accustom to what felt most proper to her. She viewed spar from a technical perspective: often taking into consideration what was not just best for her, but best in general. Inhaling deeply to clear any nerves clogging her chest, the she-cat blinked before her gaze traveled upward to meet Lionstar's gaze.

She hadn't noticed herself do so: but, her limbs, almost instinctively, lowered closer to the terrain to take on a crouched-like position. For a moment, she found her mind contemplating a comparison between hunting and battle. Perhaps, she could try seeing the prey as a predator; using the same stealth and agility she brought to the hunt, to the battle field. Her orange lips curved upward into a mischievous grin, the very thought of picturing the soon-to-attack Lionstar as a mouse instead, quite humorous. Though, it'd just maybe prove to be a strategy that could mix well with her drive to puncture everything she did with the sharpness of her mind.

Before signaling with her 'I'm ready' nod, the apprentice allowed herself a few short seconds to examine the movements of Lionstar's body: the direction of his ears, the location his eyes were upon, the angling of his paws... they could all help indicate where he desired to be aiming. With this final thought introduced to the vast, unknown territories of Foxpaw's mind; she nodded.

[Fawn]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true] Lionstar - 36 Moons - Tom - TreeClan[style=border-top: solid 4px #000000; border-left: solid 4px #000000; border-right: solid 4px #000000; background-color: #FEDD87; overflow: auto; Width: 450px; Height: 450px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; text-align: left] Lionstar made a swipe straight for her legs in one strong sweep of an extra large front paw, clumps of snow clinging to the thick tufts between his paw-pads, the air severed with the quickness of his strike. It shouldn't actually harm her, should it connect, but it would serve to sweep her right off her paws, no matter how strong her back legs had gotten from all the climbing - the size difference what made it possible. He would give special attention to her footwork, forcing her to pivot and make space as well as defend from someone much bigger than she, mentally boxing Foxpaw in so that each placement of the foot was suddenly a hundred times more important than before - and any missteps would prove disastrous. A cat with clumsy footwork was a cat with a lot of injuries, and there would come a day when they got one injury too many. As he had taken the swipe, Lionstar had also advanced forward, his shadow stretching out to his left as the sun bore down on them from the right, his face settling into a look of practiced stoicism, wanting her to concentration on her reaction speed first before Foxpaw attempted to guess what his next attack was going to be. He'd begin to show subtle signs that would tip her off once he was satisfied with her current progress. Lionstar regrettably could not recall the last time he had sparred with Eaglewing, and as such has no real knowledge of Eaglewing's fighting style of even level of fighting ability - though he suspected that the father of Nobleheart would at least be above satisfactory. Unless that prowess had come from Nobleheart's mother or was strictly his own. Regardless, Lionstar was vowing to not measure Foxpaw by what Eaglewing had shared or neglected to share with her, but rather how well she could adapt and whether or not she was willing to try techniques that were foreign and previously untried. A warrior with flexibility (and not in the physical sense, though that helped too) was much better off than a warrior who fell on old tactics countless times. Old tactics could be ousted by new tactics. Such was the nature of things. Notes: Word Count: 381 Pictures: All Rights Reserved to Lisa Beattie.

[Insidious]

The orange tabby she-cat was somewhat unprepared for the quickness in which Lionstar executed a flawless swipe for her paws. In a snappy attempt of avoiding his menacing power, she leaped upward and sprung backward all in the same movement. The tom-cat's large, golden paw just barely missed. So close, that a flash of cold air was momentarily felt directly beneath the apprentice's much smaller-sized paws.

A shiver of both relief and minor terror was sent rippling down the feline's spinal chord, at last, having her limbs upon the ground once again. Gray-green eyes flickered upward toward Lionstar, hastily implanting themselves within the depths of the tom-cat's own bright, focused gaze.
It was a long-shot, but she desired to share his confidence and instead, put it into her own abilities. With the time gifted, she inhaled a swift breather, offering enough of an opportunity to successfully calm a few of the tied nerves in her legs.

This time, when drawing her gaze toward the golden furred leader of TreeClan, she was able to do so with a calculative sharpness within the narrowing slits of her eyes. For his first attempt at testing Foxpaw's defensive tactics, she had been too caught off-guard and therefore, unable to react as smoothly as she would have been able to if properly prepared. If she wanted to impress her leader, she would have to be more cautious of his movements, focusing her gaze more intently upon where his eyes trailed and where his fluent swipes were angled to collide.

With this newly discovered 'inner confidence', the average-sized feline grinned eagerly, anticipating his next move with the swishing of her thinly furred tail and the forwardly pin of her small, orange ears.
She wasn't necessarily trying to taunt Lionstar forwardly, however, it wouldn't be false if one was to believe it appeared as if she was. What, with that almost egotistical glaze held in her cunning eyes.

Foxpaw was increasingly becoming more and more intrigued by this battle. Lionstar, even though these attacks were fake, were clearly able to be backed up by a serious powerhouse of a feline if called necessary. It was refreshing to know the safety of her clan was upon the shoulders of such a capable feline. However, it was no time to allow her thoughts to be engulfed by such concepts when a greater deal of her focus was required.

[Fawn]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true] Lionstar - 36 Moons - Tom - TreeClan[style=border-top: solid 4px #000000; border-left: solid 4px #000000; border-right: solid 4px #000000; background-color: #FEDD87; overflow: auto; Width: 450px; Height: 450px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; text-align: left] It was an excellent thing, to see Foxpaw seriously getting into the moment as well as enjoying herself, the latter being the key term here. A smile ghosted over his fiercely golden features as he advanced further, this time making a few jabs with each of his overly large front paws, the movements containing less power in favor of quicker speed, forcing Foxpaw to swerve or risk getting her ears swatted. "If you see an opening - " He meowed as he aimed a blow for her right shoulder "- You have permission to take it!" Come on then Foxpaw. Let's see if you can dodge and strike in the same instance. Golden gaze analytical, there was still that undeniable flame of battle that flashed and flickered in his stare, lending a brief smile to his muzzle and a twitch to his thick whiskers. This was one of his favorite aspects of training an apprentice; he loved seeing them come into their own on the battlefield, to practically see them engaging their minds and their bodies, sharpening their instincts and shaping their muscle memory at the same time. It was a beautiful thing, really, a young cat learning the proper, honorable way to fight. Before the barrage of strikes got too much for the average-sized she-cat, Lionstar sprang away from her, tail lashing in great sweeps of the darkly ticked plume, the sunlight that struck across his back seeming to make him glow. As he had been advancing, Lionstar was aware of her observing him, conscious of the equally as analytical stare with which she had been looking to him, searching for any early indications of his next attack. Very good. The warrior tom's stance shifted. Now that she had been so focused on trying to look for his subtle shifts and signs of upcoming actions, it was time to change the game a little. Could she mask her own movements and attack at the same time? Lionstar this time wore a smirk, teeth showing as he tilted his chin up, a single flick of the tail delivering his message pretty clearly. Show me what you've got, Foxpaw. Switching from offensive to defensive, he would allow her to get her bearings, and then she would have the chance to impress him. Notes: Word Count: 429 Pictures: All Rights Reserved to Lisa Beattie.

[Insidious]

As swats from his large, golden paws were aimed for the she-cat's ears, she immediately buckled her limbs closer to the terrain and swerved from left to right in her best attempt at dodging these attacks. "If you see an opening - " He meowed as he aimed a blow for her right shoulder "- You have permission to take it!" Her ears perked up to detect these words, lacing a smile across her small jaw as she doubled backward to curve her body around this shoulder-aimed attack, quickly skidding and swiping her paws forward a moment before the TreeClan leader sprang away to imply some distance between the duo.

Giving herself a moment to catch her breath, she tilted her chin upward and observed the emotion clouding his expression. It seemed as if it was now her turn to attempt a few strikes, which she was gladly prepared to do.

Releasing a surge of energy from kneeling hind limbs, she jolted forward in a swift motion, paws aimed to strike at the tom's lower front legs. It was similar to the move Lionstar had used on her, in favour of testing her ability to leap upward and avoid attacks aimed at her paws. It was quite easy to adapt her own lithe figure to leaping, due to her small stature and tree-ascending limbs. However, Lionstar was far larger in size. She figured that dodging lowly aimed attacks would prove to be more difficult than dodging, or countering, attacks aimed higher up where he could simply use his strength to overpower Foxpaw.

[Fawn]

Yes! That's using her head!

Lionstar wasn't as lightning fast as Foxpaw; he was frighteningly quick for a tom his size and muscular, but he was certainly no quickstep, and as such he could not backpedal fast enough to completely avoid the hefty strike to his front paws. The attack grazed his golden-ticked legs, and Lionstar's tail thrashed with excitement, head and neck lowering like a lion on the Serengeti that had spotted an injured zebra. Sporting a handsome grin that flashed with bright white teeth, the leader of TreeClan eyed his smaller, faster opponent.
"What's the one thing a smaller, faster cat has over a larger, slower opponent?" He quizzed, haunches wriggling as he made it all too obvious he was going to pounce on her next.

Smaller blind-spots. Lionstar had found over the moons that cats who were smaller and quicker were more aware of their own bodies, and as such were often-times harder to sneak up on, the slightest unusual whisper of air enough to alert them to their surroundings. That wasn't to say that larger cats weren't capable of that extreme alertness and fine-tuned sensory capabilities, it was more to say that cats who were smaller, who could technically be preyed upon by larger cats seemed to pick it up much more naturally.

"If I were you, Foxpaw, I'd use the trees to my advantage."
If he were as small and as light as she, and a brawny lion of a tom was charging towards him, he would have scrabbled up the tree at the very last possible minute and landed square on his opponent's back. Obviously the opponent's move would be to roll over, but he would hypothetically be able to stop any rolling from happening by grabbing onto the back of his enemy's scruff and hold on tight.

If she could do that - Lionstar sprang on large silent paws in a ripple of solid muscle beneath dark golden pelt - then he would consider himself impressed. Foxpaw was lucky she was such a skilled climber; being in the trees provided her with a world of advantages - the most important being the Sky-Drop.

Lionstar didn't dare attempt that sort of attack himself; he was much too heavy, and while he could climb just fine (a little slower than others), he felt it was a bit unfair to just drop his full weight, large paws downward, claws unsheathed, upon his enemies. It was not the move of a Clan leader, it was the move of a stealth-warrior, light and fast who could drop down, attack, and then scramble into the safety of the trees before their victims could even know what hit him.
A warrior like Foxpaw.

---

Word Count: 498
Notes: :] Lionstar's gonna have fun teaching her how to attack from the trees! It's really not his forte, but it could be Foxpaw's, and that has him excited.

[Insidious]

As her front paws skimmed the golden fur of Lionstar's legs, a sense of thrill toward succeeding in her attack forced a grin across her orange hued jaw. "What's the one thing a smaller, faster cat has over a larger, slower opponent?" Taking a few steps backward upon recognition of the larger tom-cat's soon-to-be-pounce, she averted an attentive gaze upward to meet Lionstar's bright, amber eyes; thoughts toward battle momentarily clouded by a jumble of knowledge being sent to the tip of her tongue.
Lionstar had listed speed. And if he hadn't, this would have been her first guess. Her gray-green irises narrowed into a pair of focused slits, brain scrambling for the correct answer until the moment it was located. “Oh, blind-spots! Smaller, faster cats have a tendency to be more capable of achieving utmost alertness to their surroundings. Sneaking up on us is a challenge.”

“If I were you, Foxpaw, I'd use the trees to my advantage.”
A part of her was relieved that Lionstar didn't expect her to remain on the ground and defend herself from his lethal pounce. She had been waiting all afternoon for her escape into the canopies to be permitted. She appreciated learning how to correctly spar while on the ground, but, it was seemingly more Foxpaw to assemble herself in a treetop and deliver cunning battle moves from above.
Quickly, the she-cat pivoted on her heels, thin claws puncturing into the base of bark as her ascending trip began. With the moons of experience on her side, she was able to climb her way onto a suitable branch with ease. And upon locating the desired branch for this particular battle with Lionstar, she swiftly angled her paws in the branch's direction and cautiously, yet rapidly, maneuvered herself toward it.
Once Foxpaw had all fours implanted on the security of the branch, she buckled closer to the branch's surface to make reaching the ending point easier.

At the moment, she wasn't entirely certain what Lionstar expected her to do up here. Sure, she preferred being in the trees. However, she had only ever descended a tree by climbing her way to the bottom. Little to her knowledge, Lionstar was expecting she would jump upon calculating the golden tom's positioning.
Tilting her head to the side, her gray-green eyes zeroed in on her spar partner. “Am I supposed to jump?” It seemed like a silly question, and upon asking it, she was almost embarrassed. However, it wasn't false if one was to believe she was somewhat nervous by the idea of leaping off a branch instead of taking the simpler route down the side. What if she missed Lionstar? Or in a real battle, missed the opponent that was more intent on causing her pain? There would certainly be nothing fun about a harsh impact with the ground after a cat's leaping from a tree.

[Fawn]

It struck the golden tom by surprise that Foxpaw had grown slightly timid in the face of something that seemed obvious. "That's the idea," he intoned, slowing his charge with a digging of all four paws into the snowy terrain, broad chest and shoulders lurching forward with the built up momentum.
"Were you never trained how to fight in the trees?"
Lionstar felt that he already knew the answer to his question; Foxpaw hadn't been trained to fight in the trees, nor had she any real practice jumping onto the backs of enemy cats from her elevated position.

Ears swiveling to the sound of icicles melting somewhere in the distance, Lionstar backed up so that their eyes could lock, amber pools pouring into her own gray-green gaze. "Have you ever hunted anything downhill from you? It's roughly the same concept. Considering your small size, Foxpaw, I would jump from some of the lower branches to avoid the risk of injuring yourself."

Lionstar repositioned himself at the base of the tree, allowing a foxlength of space between the front of his muzzle and wide expanse of bark. "I want you to land on my back and grab hold of my scruff." He instructed, bracing himself for impact with a slight spreading of his sturdy paws and a deep inhale. Lionstar's eyes twinkled encouragingly, and he gave Foxpaw a curt nod to nudge her along, but not before adding in his last piece of advice.
"I understand that judging the distance and timing can seem daunting, but trust your instincts. You've been watching cats below you for so long, even if you haven't exactly been using them for landing practice, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

She IS a TreeClan cat, after all.
It was true that Foxpaw had not been born in TreeClan, but that did not change his opinion of her, or the loyalty he was sure she felt for her Clan and Clanmates. Stealth and precision came naturally to a she-cat like her. Foxpaw wasn't worried - if she took her time and didn't psyche herself out, she'd be just fine.

---

Word Count: 403
Notes: Idea!!
What if Lionstar shows her a few more tree-fighting techniques, and then we start a different thread where Foxpaw gets to use them? How about a starved loner sneaks onto TreeClan territory, and Foxpaw was watching from the trees? She was going to go and get help, but an apprentice NPC (youngish) shows up, attracts the loner's attention and needs help? So Foxpaw can use her tree-attacking skills to chase off the loner just in time for a patrol to arrive. :]

[Insidious]

“Were you never trained how to fight in the trees?”
Foxpaw locked her gray-green eyes into the depths of Lionstar's own golden, slowly twisting her head in a 'no' motion to answer his question. The orange furred tabby had already began to descend the tree to locate a lower branch upon registering Lionstar's advice to do so. Her newly found destination was reached in a matter of moments – Foxpaw only being required to press a few claw marks into the bark to assist in maneuvering downward before springing off and landing on a lower branch.

Once again, the she-cat inched forward to reach the end of the branch, her gaze averting to Lionstar just in time to detect what he expected her to do. Land on his back? Grab hold of his scruff? Already, her heart rate was beginning to increase. An element of fear was present, however, so was a small element of adrenaline toward soaring down from the trees to surprise attack her clan leader – the element of surprise being more or less since it was currently expected from her.

She offered the large feline a quick nod to express that she understood, and was ready to give it a shot. It certainly did seem daunting that she had to perfect her calculations to assure she did not miss her target. Foxpaw wasn't entirely scared, though. Sure, the chance that she could get injured by this presented a subtle, nervous tinge to course through her lithe frame. But, she was a TreeClan cat, for pete's sake. Never before had Foxpaw been nervous in the trees, and she wasn't about to allow herself to become nervous now.

Straightening her stance from its buckled position, the she-cat's tail flicked outward to assist in balance. Wriggling her haunches back and fourth, and allowing herself to perform one last check of her positioning and Lionstar's: she sprung from the tree without allowing herself to second-guess it.

At first, the free-fall was more so terrifying than it was thrilling. The idea that she was tumbling down from the tree at full-speed made it nearly impossible to breathe, but Foxpaw quickly reassured herself that she would be able to land on Lionstar's back. She would be successful.
Thankfully, Lionstar had a thick coat of that golden fur of his. Because upon impact, Foxpaw's claws were digging to establish a firm grip. Of course, she wasn't desiring to injure the tom-cat in any way. Simply put, it was her first attempt at jumping from the trees to land on the back of a target. It was only natural that she would be more mindful than usual to assure she was in fact safe and hadn't inquired an injury from her leap.
Returning to the reality of the situation, the she-cat clamped her small jaws around the scruff of Lionstar's scruff as he had requested prior. Loosening her claws a touch to lessen the sharp grip on her leader, the she-cat closed her eyelids and prepared to hold on for dear life if Lionstar planned to take his instincts into consideration and attempt wriggling the stealthy she-cat off of his back.

OOC: Ooohhh. I like that idea! ;D We can do that~ -nod-