[Deleted]

The early morning light came through the entrance to the den. The dim light woke Clawpaw and she blinked. Yawning she stood and made her way to the entrance. Taking care not to step on any of the other cats, she exited the den and stretched when she got outside. Looking around the camp she saw not many of the others were awake yet. She then had an idea. She decided to go and find her mentor, Blackwolf. Clawpaw was confronted with a decision, would she go and wake him up? Or would she wait until later. Clawpaw decided to go and look for Blackwolf. She asked any of the awakened cats if they knew where Blackwolf was. No one she asked knew, so she decided to wait with a good view of the entrance to the camp.

She took this time to relax herself, and think about the past few days. She had been on a few patrols, and trained twice with Blackwolf. When she had first been assigned to Blackwolf she was unsure about this decision. Through the past moon she had come to respect and look up to Blackwolf, and would have done anything to please him. Unsheathing her claws, she inspected them. She started to scratch the ground in front of her, and hoped she would see Blackwolf soon.

[Fawn]

[atrb=border,0,true] Blackwolf 28 moons, Warrior, NightClan

[/color]

Cat: Here // Table by Phoenix

What had kept Blackwolf from taking his apprentice out first thing in the morning, apparently, was an enormous owl he was dragging into camp - his pride nearly as big as the bird was. Old slow featherbrain. He gloated, curling his lip and puffing out his broad chest as the attention of half the NightClan camp was suddenly on him. The owl was so big it's talons were dragging across the ground, but Blackwolf didn't trip. Instead, he spat the feathers out of his mouth as he dropped it onto the fresh kill pile, basking in his rare catch for a few precious seconds. The owl hadn't exactly been in it's prime, it's eyesight had apparently become so poor that it was really only a matter of time before a NightClan cat got it - he caught the old thing swooping in for a mouse just before the sun had fully risen.

The mouse had got away, sure, but the owl hadn't been so lucky. Blackwolf was sporting a few long scratches on his shoulders, but he ignored them - they weren't deep enough to concern the arrogant tom - instead heading in the direction of Clawpaw's scent.
"Mornin'," mewed the solid black tom with all the friendliness a cat like him could muster, his claws not entirely clean from his fight with the bird - but he'd see to that later. "Did you wait long? I'll take you hunting first, then we'll check the borders, and if you aren't too tired, we'll do a bit of fight training. How's that sound?" Blackwolf grinned, his mismatched eyes radiating an almost overwhelmingly dominant persona, the dark warrior taking pride in his duty as a mentor, clearly.

Though Clawpaw was hardly family, Blackwolf treated her better than he treated some of the other cats in the Clan, and while she wasn't part of his inner circle of friends yet, she ranked higher up on the totem pole than Ratfur did. For starters, she could actually hunt, not that he'd been holding it against him lately. Ratfur was Ratfur, and there was nothing anyone could ever do about it. Clawpaw, on the other hand, was an entirely different cat - a clean slate, if you will, and he was gonna put his signature all over her, so that when she eventually faced an enemy warrior and sent them howling into the bushes, they'd realize oh, she must've been trained by Blackwolf.
That was the goal, anyway. Whether or not he actually succeeded, however, was a different question entirely.

[/td][/tr]
[/table][/center]

[Deleted]

The scent of Blackwolf made the young apprentice refocus her attention on the entrance of the camp. Clawpaw looked up in time to see the her mentor dragging in his prey. It was a large owl. She was instantly excited by her mentors great catch. Owls were awfully hard to catch, and it looked as this one had put up quite the fight. The scratches on Blackwolf seemed were huge to the young cat, but they didn't seem to hurt him. He started to walk towards Clawpaw so she stood up ready to get the agenda for the day.

Blackwolf stated what they would be doing the rest of the day and Clawpaw was quite excited. She had wanted to hunt today, but hadn't wanted to ask Blackwolf. The border patrol was ok, but she was most excited for the training. Blackwolf was one of the best fighters, in her opinion. So she felt she was learning the best moves from the best warrior. The apprentice quickly agreed with the warrior. She also complimented him on the catch of the owl, saying "That is a really big owl Blackwolf! How did you do it!?"

[Fawn]

[atrb=border,0,true] Blackwolf 28 moons, Warrior, NightClan

[/color]

Cat: Here // Table by Phoenix

Clawpaw's exclamation over his catch had Blackwolf purring, rasping his tongue over a scratch mark on his shoulder, his neck and head slightly twisted in order to reach properly. "Stick with me, Clawpaw, and I'll teach you how to catch anything." Boasting a very big game, the solid black warrior cleaned up the blood on the other shoulder as well, intending to splash through a stream or something to wash the remaining blood away later, and instead flicked his tail for Clawpaw to follow him out of camp. "Have you been sharpening those much?" Blackwolf gestured with his nose to Clawpaw's front paws, inquiring about her unusually long claws for which she'd been named.

Those are gonna do as much damage as a dog's fangs if I can teach her to use them right. Already calculating the best types of strategy for one who'd been so naturally blessed, Blackwolf surged on, leading his apprentice to a choice bit of hunting grounds. She's gonna have to be careful she doesn't get those claws of hers stuck in anything. The trouble with some of NightClan's territory is that some of it was swamp muck, the sucking kind of muck that if you landed in it just right, you probably wouldn't be able to get out unless someone else came to pull you out by the scruff.
If Clawpaw landed funny, or landed awkwardly in one of those swampy areas, she may end up breaking one of her claws or even getting them stuck on a piece of rotten wood while pouncing, Longer claws doesn't always mean stronger claws. Unless you were a badger. Unsure of how durable Clawpaw's claws actually were, Blackwolf made a mental note to go visit the Medicine Cat later and ask if they could give anything for healthy claws, even something to boost her energy would be fine, and he'd have to strengthen her paws manually. Either method was fine, he would still have so much to teach her no matter what path they chose.

"Now, tell me what you can smell." He'd taken her to the Branch Trail, a place that was normally abundant with all kinds of small birds and the occasional bold squirrel. Blackwolf stood next to her, watching her as he scented the air and braced his shoulders against the chill that was blowing against them.

[/td][/tr]
[/table][/center]

[Deleted]

The scent of dead leaves and dry earth made the small apprentice smile. She loved it outside of the camp, and the smells were so original outside of camp. Sniffing the ground she caught a whiff of a mouse, and she said to Blackwolf, "I think I smell a mouse." She then proceeded to crouch close to the ground and make her way quietly toward the mouse. Clawpaw got very close to the scent and she saw it, sitting there munching on something. She sprang at the mouse sharp claws extended, and grabbed the small morsel.

Clawpaw was glad she had been sharpening her claws. Earlier when they had been in camp Blackwolf asked her if she had been sharpening her claws. She said, eager to please, "Yes I have been! I am making sure not to break them though." Clawpaw came out of her flashback and picked up her prey, carrying it  back to her mentor. She looked up at Blackwolf, hoping he approved of her hunting.

[Fawn]

[atrb=border,0,true] Blackwolf 28 moons, Warrior, NightClan

[/color]

Cat: Here // Table by Phoenix

"Good job," praised the jet black NightClan tom, having watched her scent, stalk and then kill the mouse. Able to see those lethally long claws of hers in action, the warrior's mismatched eyes seemed to gleam at the possibilities. "Next time, check if you're downwind or not, otherwise that mouse is gonna scent you before you get close enough to kill it." Her stalking techniques were good, though she seemed a little impatient - ignoring a little of the procedure in favor of a quicker outcome. Speaking above the sound of a grackle cawing somewhere overhead, Blackwolf gestured to the mouse with the tip of his tail. "If you haven't eaten yet, go ahead and have that. We'll catch more later." Having caught that owl earlier, Blackwolf was feeling extremely confident that his own hunting abilities would more than make up for any early morning meals they had along the way to the training grounds. Now about her claws... He was content that she seemed to be aware of how important it was to maintain them, but he still thought it best to add a little more motivation, just in case.

"Good, but don't do anything stupid. If those needles of yours break, they're gonna change your name to Shatteredpaw." Eyes glittering, Blackwolf suppressed a snorting laugh. By 'they', he meant Ravenstar and Boneshadow. He knew neither one of them would purposefully give one of their apprentices a cruel name, but it was a decent motivational tool, the prospect of earning such a ridiculous name due to their own foolishness. It had been something he'd been afraid of as an apprentice; while it hadn't stopped him from jumping into the fray, it did make him extra careful about not losing any important body-parts or having any hideous accidents that would give him an equally hideous warrior name. Leaving Clawpaw to do what she wanted with her mouse, Blackwolf padded through the pine forest, the pine needles soft and damp from the rain yesterday, a thin blanket of mist nestling close to the ground as though the clouds came down to take a rest. A quick border check in which he'd introduce her to the reeking stench of TreeClan, and then they'd get on with battle training. Now that was something he was looking forward to.

[/td][/tr]
[/table][/center]

[Deleted]

Clawpaw thought she heard praise in her mentors voice, but he kept talking. He pointed out the faults in her technique, and Clawpaw cursed herself, wishing she had remembered all that she had been taught. Why couldn't she remember to pay attention to the wind. She twitched her tail back and forth, trying not to show express her annoyance so obviously. Blackwolf gave her the choice of whether she would eat her mouse now or save it. Clawpaw decided to eat the mouse so she could have strength for the rest of the day. The border patrol would not require to much energy, but the training would. Since she was always pushing herself in the training she always came back hungry, so the apprentice figured eating now would help. 

Snapping up the mouse Clawpaw half-listened to what Blackwolf was saying, but she caught "change you name to Shatterpaw". At this she almost choked on the half-swallowed mouse. The thought of being called Shatterpaw disturbed her. Such a name would be quite embarrassing. Startled by a sudden chuckle she whipped his head to Blackwolf. Clawpaw sighed with relief, realizing that her mentor was joking. Yet the thought of being renamed Shatterpaw still nagged at her for a while after. She stood and followed her mentor. 'With the direction we are heading we must be going to... Treeclan.' The cat hoped that Treeclan had not remarked their border recently. The smell of those cats disgusted her. Clawpaw did not have much of a choice though, so she just followed her mentor toward the border.

[Fawn]

[atrb=border,0,true] Blackwolf 28 moons, Warrior, NightClan

[/color]

Cat: Here // Table by Phoenix

"This place is called the Deer Path," spoke Blackwolf, calling back to his apprentice as she devoured the rest of her mouse and caught up to him. "Right along the TreeClan border. You smell that stench? Whew!" Wrinkling his nose at the repugnant smell, the jet black tom wandered towards the stale NightClan scent markings, intending to renew them while trying not to choke on the overwhelming scent of pointless heroism. Those TreeClanners... He could've sworn they'd tear down the whole forest to save one kit, and he wouldn't be surprised if one day they took in a dog because StarClan forbid, they stop accepting every flea-bitten stray that wandered onto their territory.

Blackwolf's opinion of TreeClan was sour and already fermenting into a potent loathing for those softhearted kittypet lovers - not that he'd ever met one, but he'd heard of them - that was enough for him to lose all respect for them. After this, they'd saunter over to the Soggy Marsh to renew the scent markings near RainClan's territory. He could even smell the dampness from there - they must've suffered from a worse flooding than NightClan had. There wasn't pity in his heart over the suffering and plights of RainClan, only a condescending snort that they'd settled on what was probably the worst territory in the whole forest. Maybe it was just him, but too much water always seemed like a bad thing.

[/td][/tr]
[/table][/center]

[Deleted]

Walking down Deer Path, her nose was hit with the smell of Treeclan. She tried to focus on what Blackwolf was saying, but it was very hard to because of the smell. Yet she did hear most of what he was saying to her. She tried to sniff out any prey, but instead the stench of Treeclan just got worse. Realizing she had stopped walking, she quickened her pace to match Blackwolf. The two cats started walking towards the Rainclan border, and Clawpaw sucked in a deep breath. The smell of the dampness wasn't great, but she liked it a lot more than the smell of Treeclan. She stepped very carefully in the damp ground, careful not to let her claws catch on anything. Clawpaw felt awful for Rainclan. She believed they had gotten stuck with the worst piece of land. 'The ground is almost always wet, and they have to fish! Then they have to eat those smelly things!' Clapaw shook her head, trying to clear the thought. Once they got to the border she helped Blackwolf remark the territory. Excited to be done with the chores of the day, Clawpaw was looking forward to the training. She wondered what Blackwolf would teach her. She decided not to ask, and instead wait and see what her would do.

[Fawn]

[atrb=border,0,true] Blackwolf 28 moons, Warrior, NightClan

[/color]

Cat: Here // Table by Phoenix

Warrior duties for the most part complete, Blackwolf led his apprentice with a sharp flick of his tail off in the direction of the Pineneedle Clearing, the recent rains having dampened the needles significantly, making them soft and pliable beneath their pawsteps when they entered. The fresh scent of rain water flushed his nostrils of that awful TreeClan scent, their particular tang not his favorite by any means, and it always seemed to have an annoying aftertaste. Casting aside those unpleasant thoughts, the handsome black tom turned sharply on his heels, mismatched gaze aglitter with battle lust.

"You're gonna get one shot at this one and shot only," declared Blackwolf, his claws sheathing and unsheathing in anticipation. "Surprise me, and you'll be rewarded." Let's see how smart you are, little apprentice. I'm not training a wimp, even if you got claws like daggers. Give me your best shot and you'll pass this little test of mine. Wanting to ensure he wasn't going to be training someone with the intelligence of a swamp frog, the sinewy warrior's muscles tensed, ever ready for her assault and making no attempt to appear calm.

There was nothing calm about battle, after all. It was full of rushing, writhing, yowling, agony, joy, triumph, death. There was no room for tranquility and quiet assessment here. First he was going to teach her a few basic moves, and then he was going to sharpen her reflexes until she could react properly in her sleep.

Oh yes. Busy was the mind that planned big.

[/td][/tr]
[/table][/center]

[Deleted]

The mentor and apprentice stepped into the clearing, light by the mid-day light. The young apprentice was very excited. Looking around the clearing she noted a few twigs and a puddle. Taking note of where these things were she returned her eyes to her mentor. She hoped she was going to learn a lot from today's training. Clawpaw faced her mentor and got her instructions. She was a bit confused when the Blackwolf told her to attack, but she took the command and got ready. She flashed back to her training for the past few moons. The repetitive twists and turns. The bruises from falling on the ground or getting hit by Blackwolf. Also the bruising from practicing with her clan mates. She let all the battle training take up the space in her mind. She twitched her tail back and forth and decided what to do. Should she leap at the warrior, twisting away at the last second and taking a swipe at the warrior? Or go for the direct approach and dart quickly in to try and land a blow? She decided to go for a mix of the two. She darted toward the larger warrior, but instead of hitting him, she swerved to the side and tried to hit his rear, making sure her claws were still sheathed.

[Fawn]

[atrb=border,0,true] Blackwolf 28 moons, Warrior, NightClan

[/color]

Cat: Here // Table by Phoenix

He'd actually seen this move before, the feint and then the side-swerve - he'd even tried to use it a few times when he was younger, but it wasn't as effective if your opponent knew the counter move. Blackwolf shifted with her as she swerved, never breaking his concentration as the lower half of his body swung off to the side and he headbutted his apprentice right in the flank, the move intending to send her tumbling.
"Not bad - but you still need some work. More experienced warriors aren't going to fall for the feint. Actually," the tom's head lifted up as something seemed to occur to him - something that Clawpaw could possibly use against tougher, more battle-hardened warriors such as himself.

"Every apprentice learns how to feint, but not every apprentice learns how to make a frontal assault without exposing anything vital. Your claws are longer than most apprentices, so we'll use that to your advantage." He didn't go over to see if the she-cat was okay - they'd done this song and dance before, besides, Blackwolf was certain that she could take a few bruises. She'd been taking them the past few moons, after all. A little tumbling into the dirt wouldn't hurt her.

"Next time you go for a frontal assault, hit your opponent in the chest - almost at the throat, and then I want you to strike them in the jaw as hard as you can. Understand?" That little one-two-combo was one of his personal favorites. The strike to the collarbone might hurt if you happen to have soft paws, but it would be enough to momentarily knock the breath out of your opponent, and then you'd simply smash your paw into their jawline, and then go for the throat while their neck is exposed.

Of course it certainly wasn't as easy as Blackwolf made it sound, but he was somewhat optimistic of his little apprentice. If he could do it, her mentor, then why the heck couldn't she? If she couldn't, then it sure as hell wasn't due to his teaching style.

OOC: Sorry if this is lousy, xD it's 4 in the morning, lol. Ahh Blackwolf, will your ego ever cease?

[/td][/tr]
[/table][/center]

[Deleted]

Grunting as her mentors paw hit her she rolled on the ground. Knowing she would get no sympathy she quickly stood up. Clawpaw grimaced when hearing that her mentor said her move was basic. She thought it had been clever, but when she thought about she remembered that Blackwolf had probably done the same thing as an apprentice at one point. The move was not very original and she cursed herself for it. Oh well. Hopefully I can get him next time.

The move her mentor suggested next seemed crazy at first. Then when he explained himself it made a lot more sense. Her claws were sharper, so she would have the upper-hand. She smiled at how smart her mentor was, thinking how she was so glad she didn't get stuck with any other cat. She nodded enthusiastically and said, "That seems great! It would definitely work to my advantage." Before she even finished her sentence she went at Blackwolf to try it. She moved quick but she wasn't sure if it was quick enough. Thrusting her paw at his chest, and hoping she had done it correctly.

[Fawn]

[atrb=border,0,true] Blackwolf 28 moons, Warrior, NightClan

[/color]

Cat: Here // Table by Phoenix

Unconsciously unable to not anticipate her moves, the jet black warrior watched her with his gold and blue eyes locked upon Clawpaw, analyzing her every movement - every muscle twitch. It took all the tom's self control to allow her strike to make contact, her sheathed paw thrust right against the rather nasty scar upon his chest, an unconscious target, he concluded. Though he'd been anticipating it, she had been quick enough to draw out a grunt of discomfort, a faint sting over the toughened, ropy scar she had struck. His satisfaction with her efforts ended with that move, as Clawpaw hadn't followed through the paw-swipe to his jawline.

Blackwolf lashed his tail in impatience. "Don't be afraid to hurt me - I'm not training a cat with fluff for brains and a soft heart. You're a future NightClan warrior start acting like it." Those words might have seemed harsh at first, but Blackwolf didn't want any of this 'oh no, I might hurt you, here I'll soften my blows' mentality to sink in too deep. Even if she was fighting against her mentor, Clawpaw should always try her best - claws sheathed for both their sakes, however.
"Try it again, this time make sure you strike for my jaw right after. Got it? Now again." Blackwolf gave a flick of his tail, shifting his stance into that of a more battle-ready opponent, wanting to give her a bit of realism in this mock-fight, even if he technically wouldn't be fighting back. Again the first time mentor fixed her with his sharp, analytical gaze.
Come on Clawpaw. Move your tail! Hit me like you're trying to knock the breath out of my body.

[/td][/tr]
[/table][/center]

[Deleted]

Clawpaw landed the blow, and realized Blackwolf had let her. Thinking there might be something wrong she instantly stopped the move and backed away. She was a bit annoyed he had let her land the hit to his chest. At first she thought maybe she should start again. Suddenly her mentor was annoyed with her. What he said made the apprentice's mood swing and she was instantly angry. I am no stupid fluff-ball! I am no longer a kit! I want a challenge! Not for you to just let me hit you! She growled softly and took her positions opposite him. She noticed he had taken an actual fighting position and was pleased. Focusing her thoughts she looked at his stance and quickly bounded in at him. She struck at his chest, right were she had hit him before. She tunneled all her anger into this one hit. Her anger of him yelling at her, him pushing her to her very limit, and him calling her a fluff-ball. She let out a loud growl and went for the jaw, ready to hit as hard as she could.

Notes: Sorry for the anger thing. In the bio I said her mood would swing, well here it is!