[Fawn]

VIOLETCLAW
The Leopard of RainClan
Warrior || 35 Moons

The seasons kept changing, but her duties as a warrior did not. It was not with bitterness or any sort of tired resentment for the repetitiveness of warriorhood that Violetclaw made this observation; stretching languidly in a patch of sunlight, her pristine coat gleamed and rippled with the breeze. Paws still damp from where she had already carried away a decent haul from her dawn-fishing, Violetclaw mentally checked off her list, having arrived now at the part of her day where taking "Lilypaw" out fishing or hunting or training (or some combination of the three) became her top priority. Violetclaw enjoyed warrior duties and the sense of responsibility and order they represented, and considered it quite the badge of honor to have been given an apprentice so soon after Lilystream had joined her in the warriors' den.

Now that the task of educating and raising the young Swanpaw had fallen to her the moment the silver long-haired kitten had left her mother's side, Violetclaw had, as expected, attacked this new assignment with all the ambitious energy as she handled everything thrown at her. Claws flexing from their sheathes as she stretched one last time, the leopard-marked huntress sought out the next future-warrior that would hopefully become part of a long list of cats mentored by Violetclaw. If RainClan, no, if Sandstar would not hand her the title of deputy, if StarClan felt she had not yet earned such a lofty position amongst her beloved Clan, then Violetclaw fully intended to make them see the truth.
She would soundly beat them over the head with so much proof of her competence that they might even feel guilty for not having selected her earlier.

It wasn't so much arrogance that drove this ambitious, analytical she-cat to feel as though the title of deputy should be well within her grasp, but rather confidence in her abilities. A sense of sureness that was rare amongst her Clanmates that marked her as a she-cat who would literally do anything to ensure the safety and survival of her Clan. Speaking of doing anything for the sake of RainClan... Though this recent battle that drove StoneClan from their forest was a mark for Sandstar rather than against him, Violetclaw had not yet made her peace with him, not since he had passed her up for deputy in favor of the eerie, odd-fanged tom with the shady background.

There's no point dwelling on it. She chided herself, calling into the apprentices' den for the silver fluffball that had become her charge. "Swanpaw! Get up, we're going fishing." I'll keep investing my energy into my apprentices, and it will all eventually pay off.

[Deleted]

SWANPAW
RainClan || Apprentice

"Swanpaw, get up! we're going fishing!"
Swanpaw wasn't used to such an early awakening. Usually, at least when she'd been in the nursery, no one dared waking her for fear of having their ears swiped at and having to deal with a grumpy Swanpaw for the rest of the day. No, the new silver tabby apprentice wasn't a morning person, not at all.
She always had to have to beauty sleep and even after she woke up, she would still lounge about in her nest for an extra hour or so. Swanpaw got the impression that her new mentor had completely different ideas, Violetclaw is it? She stretched slowly, deliberately taking her time, If Violetclaw will have to wait, so what, you can't rush things like this.
She began smoothing down her silky silver fur in an attempt to get herself as presentable as possible in the small period of time she had before Violetclaw was bound to start getting impatient.
Picking a scrap of moss out from in between her claws, she took a deep breath before standing up and surveying the den around her. Several cats still slept, she realised with a hiss of annoyance, Why does Violetclaw have to get up so early?
Collecting herself, she trotted out of the den, head carried high and silver tail streaming out behind her. So long as she looked good, she didn't really mind what her mentor thought of her. Swanpaw was, of course, eager to start training, but she wasn't one of those cats that were so eager, they had trouble even speaking to a warrior for they were so absorbed by awe.
I'll be a warrior one day, she thought with a subtle flick of her feathered tail, No point getting excited about it, might as well get on with things rather than gawping at everything.
The silver-furred apprentice casually smoothed down her chest fur before fixing her mentor with a vaguely interested amber stare, Go on then, let's get this over and done with. The sooner I'm done with this, the sooner I can get back to my nest for a nap.
It wasn't that Swanpaw was lazy, it was just that she found it difficult sleeping, not for any particular reason, it was just the way she was. She was still getting accustomed to her new nest in the Apprentices' Den, which probably played in her sleeping problems.

"So," she meowed after a while, "Are we going training or what?"
Swanpaw gave her mentor a long stare, surveying her mentor. She hadn't really encountered the silver-furred warrior before, but she had heard she was a decent enough warrior. Not the deputy or leader or anything, but a fairly respected warrior. Not that the silver tabby apprentice would want Razorfang, the RainClan deputy, as her mentor. He was a loner once and Swanpaw didn't think he deserved to be deputy.
Who ever heard of a deputy who was a loner? Or even worse, when he becomes leader... She shook away the thoughts, deciding enough had been said, well, thought, on the subject.
Might at well make conversation with my new mentor, she decided with a sigh. Her bright amber orbs fixed on the silver tabby she-cat, "So, we're just fishing today?" she asked, trying at least to look interested, "Nothing else, just fishing?"

ooc - Swanpaw's quite, uh, different to Lilystream. xD

[Fawn]

VIOLETCLAW
The Leopard of RainClan
Warrior || 35 Moons

"If you can prove to me otherwise that you are determined to give this apprenticeship your all, we will do more than fishing." Retorted Violetclaw with a coldness as sharp as ice, finding Swanpaw's insolent tone to be highly undesirable in a cat barely off it's mother's milk and particularly in her own apprentice. Violetclaw wouldn't jump right away to the idea that she missed Lilystream, but the silver and black-marked feline would be kidding herself if she said she preferred Swanpaw's detached lack of enthusiasm over Lilystream's determination and natural abilities.

With a decisive flick of the tail, the leopard-like feline wasted no time in making a break for the camp entrance/exit, speaking to Swanpaw from over her shoulder without actually turning her head. "After your second or third catch, you may help yourself to a meal." Just as she never ate first thing in the morning, as long as Swanpaw was her apprentice, a meal would have to be earned, not snatched from the pile like she was a healthy, bouncing young kitten still being watched over by her mother.

Swanpaw's coddled days were over. If she was to become a warrior - if she was to meet the expectations of her Spartan mentor, then Swanpaw was going to have to buckle down and behave as a warrior's apprentice. Not a shadow. Not a burr that had hitched a ride upon Violetclaw's black-rosetted coat, but a proud RainClan cat. If these requirements could not be met...well...

Violetclaw's amber eyes flicked to their corners, observing Swanpaw with a keen, piercing interest. If Swanpaw could not meet these expectations, then perhaps she would be suited to a different mentor? Violetclaw would hardly count it against herself if she did not match well with Swanpaw. Then again, Sandstar did not assign mentors and apprentices because they matched, but due to the skills of the mentor and his faith that they would be able to push and pull their apprentices into shape with little error.

So it's a matter of pride, then.
Was Sandstar testing her? By comparison, Sandstar had given Fleetpaw to Razorfang - a tom with hoarding issues if ever she'd seen them - whereas the opinionated, seemingly unfriendly Swanpaw had been given to her specifically...

It was with an almost dry scoff that Violetclaw made the connection - no matter how small - between herself and Swanpaw. It was respect. If Swanpaw was ever going to regard her as anything more than overbearing commander with a heart of ice, Violetclaw was going to have to earn her respect, just as Swanpaw was going to have to earn that of Violetclaw's.

If they could impress each other, then this might just work out after all...

ooc: Heehee, it's perfectly fine! I like that they don't seem to get along at first, and yet it's possible they are more alike than either of them can see at this point!

[Deleted]

SWANPAW
RainClan || Apprentice

"If you can prove to me otherwise that you are determined to give this apprenticeship your all, we will do more than fishing." The icy coldness in Violetclaw’s meow sent a shiver down Swanpaw’s spine. No one had ever spoken to her in that tone. Being the only she-kit in her litter, the silky-furred tabby was used to her mother’s soothing voice, telling her how she would make a wonderful warrior and such phrases.
But Violetclaw wasn’t her mother, no. The silver tabby warrior didn’t bear a single resemblance to Skysong, not in appearance or character.
Scared into submission, the newly named apprentice shrunk backwards a little, her amber gaze not quite meeting her mentor’s one. I’d better prove her what I’m capable of then, unless I want to be fishing all day, she wrinkled up her nose at the thought, Pongy, fishy paws all day? Eugh!

Violetclaw gave a flick of her tail, not even looking at her apprentice when she threw the words over her shoulder, "After your second or third catch, you may help yourself to a meal."
Swanpaw’s face fell. Fish guts! The last time the silver tabby she-cat had eaten was the previous night, shortly before she went to her nest. How am I supposed to catch one, let alone two fish If I’m not strong enough? I have to eat to get my strength up! she eyed her mentor, I’m definitely going to need my strength with Violetclaw.
Usually, nobody would challenge Violetclaw’s words, but Swanpaw wasn’t nobody, she was somebody. Standing up as tall as she could, her amber orbs met Violetclaw’s, “How am I supposed to catch prey if I don’t have enough strength to?” she meowed daringly, stepping forwards, “The last time I ate was yesterday.”
It was a risk, challenging her new mentor like that. Well, if she wants me to catch prey, she’s going to have to let me eat first. There’s no way I can give my 100% to training if I’m not strong enough.
The silky-furred silver tabby blinked calmly, eyeing her mentor and awaiting her response. Either, Violetclaw would see sense and let her eat and then they could have a successful training session, or her new mentor would get angry and demand she catch even more prey before she could eat. It was a risk, but Swanpaw was willing to take it.
The RainClan apprentice was confident she would be able to catch fish; after all, she was the daughter of Thunderfall, a successful RainClan warrior and her mother had also complimented her technique when practising fishing on a mossball. But she would only be able to catch real fish if she had enough strength to, and for that, she needed to eat.

[Fawn]

VIOLETCLAW
The Leopard of RainClan
Warrior || 35 Moons

Lethal eyes as yellow as dried tree sap glimmered, narrowing into slits that almost looked too small to see out of, this cold, abrasive stare held for a few heartbeats. Under normal circumstances, Violetclaw would not react so strongly or feel so annoyed by Swanpaw's outspoken, insolent behavior - but considering this was her own apprentice, no matter how new, Violetclaw felt herself deserving of respect. Even from a pretty pampered kitten like Swanpaw!
"Hunger is a powerful motivation tool. If you're hungry enough, you'll fish for your morning meal." Replied Violetclaw coolly, her tone suggesting that there could be no other substitute. Whining isn't going to get anycat anywhere, least of all what they want. Signalling with a short flick of a black-banded, silver-based tail, the leopard-marked she-cat would hear no other arguments on the matter, inwardly hoping that her newest apprentice would commit to the task of fishing rather than struggle further. A cat could waste a lot of energy arguing, and if Swanpaw was smart, she would get her act together, and fast.

Violetclaw had always been a strict mentor, and nothing was likely to change her rather Spartan methods; she was a firm believer that discipline was foundation by which all apprentices needed in order to become fully fledged, respectable members of RaiClan. Without a strong foundation, there would be generations upon generations of weak Clanmates, and Violetclaw would rather gnaw off her own ear than witness such a deterioration of what a true RainClan cat should be. Obviously she could allow a little leeway, for those cats who truly weren't cut out for her cut-throat methods, but Violetclaw would be sorry to have her record besmirched by the inadequacies of Clan youth.

"Have your parents discussed fishing tactics with you at all?" Spoke the sleek silver feline, a light drizzle beginning just overhead, though the older cat hardly seemed bothered by it. Violetclaw flicked an ear backwards to catch Swanpaw's response. Better to start with what she does know and correct or build upon it, whichever's necessary.

[Deleted]

SWANPAW
RainClan || Apprentice

A ripple of fear rushed through the pretty silver tabby apprentice when she felt Violetclaw’s amber gaze turn against her. Like a snake unfurling into a full blown attack, she could feel her anger growing. This is fish-brained! How does she expect me to catch a thing in my state! It was hours ago that I last ate!
But glancing over at her silver-furred mentor, she felt her anger fade, to be replaced by fear once more. Violetclaw was one of the toughest cats in RainClan, Swanpaw decided it was best not to anger her.
"Hunger is a powerful motivation tool. If you're hungry enough, you'll fish for your morning meal."
As much as she hated to admit, her mentor had a point. Hissing in annoyance, she rolled her eyes, turning away from the RainClan warrior, “Fine.”
Taking a deep breath, she dug her claws into the soft earth, amber eyes blazing with hate for her mentor. It was a simple demand, Just a little fish, before fishing? I would’ve replaced it, it’s not like fishing’s hard. I’m a RainClan cat, it’ll come to me as easily as breathing, I’m sure of it.
Biting back a retort, the silky-furred apprentice turned to face her mentor. Swanpaw was easily angered, rather like a swan in fact. She was like the embers of a fire, the smallest spark could set her off into a full blown fire.
Eyes narrowing to slits, the pretty silver tabby eyed her mentor, flashing Violetclaw a sickly sweet smile.

"Have your parents discussed fishing tactics with you at all?"
Swanpaw inclined her head, digging into her memories. She might as well give this session a bit of effort, she was absolutely starving!
The silver tabby opened her jaws to speak, when suddenly she felt something splash onto her pelt. Swanpaw shivered, cold rippling through her as the drizzle began to fall onto her immaculately groomed pelt. Well, at least it had been immaculately groomed.
“Stupid rain,” the silky-furred apprentice grumbled, amber gaze darkening. She didn’t want to have to groom her pelt again, with it being long, it took quite a while. The RainClan apprentice always had to look her best, anything other than perfect was unacceptable!
Trying to ignore the drizzle, with was quite difficult as it was starting to cling to her long fur, causing it to hang down and adding more weight to the RainClan she-cat’s load, she managed to meow a response to her mentor’s question, “My father, Thunderfall, told me a few things about fishing, but fighting’s more his thing, so I doubt his advice is worth much,”the silver tabby apprentice contemplated for a moment, “But Skysong told me loads about fishing. Although, I can’t remember much of it, I wasn’t really listening.”

[Fawn]

VIOLETCLAW
The Leopard of RainClan
Warrior || 35 Moons

Great StarClan, how did they put up with her?

Violetclaw had been under the impression that Swanpaw was spoiled before, but the blatant disrespect she had for her own parents was staggering. As a cat who had her own complicated relationship with her parents (one of which was exiled for murder), the silver leopard refrained from commenting, but that did not quite extinguish that flash of darkness through Violetclaw's sharp yellow eyes.
"Shame, any fishing advice would've come in handy this morning. Show me what you do remember from your parents' lessons, then." A sharp jab of the tail in the direction of the riverside followed those calm, crisp words, her darkly pigmented face arranged in an expression of enigmatic indifference. Intending to study Swanpaw's movements from a suitable place, the light drizzling they had endured up to this point gradually increased into fatter rain drops, disturbing the river's surface in a way that was likely to make visibility difficult - but Violetclaw was hardly going to call the lesson over just because of a little rain.

The pampered apprentice could consider this another test, another process to get her used to life as a RainClan cat - which, obviously, meant dealing with the rain. Sometimes you had to just buckle down and bear it, as the Clan's needs as a whole always came before those of the individual. Because the surface of the water was constantly being disrupted by the light, steady fall of raindrops, Swanpaw would be given a little more leverage when it came to her shadow, though her timing would have to be superb if she was going to catch any fish and take advantage of the weather.

Did I request too much of her?
While she stood nearby, as still as a silver gradually dampening stone beneath the dark, bruised storm clouds and creaking willow branches, Violetclaw contemplated her teaching methods for the first time in a short while. After the success of Lilystream, the silver leopard had grown more confident in her abilities, not that Lilystream had been a particularly tough apprentice, however her ego had been boosted, and her enthusiasm for the task of mentoring had only doubled since then. Swanpaw, however, was not Lilystream. Swanpaw was an entirely different cat who may require entirely different teaching methods - RainClan was all about adapting to the environment, flowing like the river and bending around any rocks that may fall into their path - Violetclaw would do well not to become quite so rigid in her training.

Mindful now of her own behavior, Violetclaw inwardly agreed to waive her previous orders of Swanpaw catching her own breakfast if she was unsuccessful the first few times. She hid a small smile, a rain drop falling from the tip of her black-ringed tail; if the rain actually turned into a downpour, Violetclaw wouldn't at all be surprised if Swanpaw threw a tantrum and stormed off. She seemed like the type to do that sort of thing. However, that didn't mean the strict mentor was at all unwilling to be surprised.

[Deleted]

SWANPAW
RainClan || Apprentice

"Shame, any fishing advice would've come in handy this morning. Show me what you do remember from your parents' lessons, then."
Violetclaw’s mew was surprisingly cold and sent a chill down Swanpaw’s spine. It was only after a few moments that the silky-furred apprentice realised what she was to.
What? She’s not even going to tell me how to fish? Digging her claws into the dirt in frustration, the silver tabby forced a sickly sweet smile, amber eyes trailing over to the river.
Deciding it would be best not to argue with her mentor, the young she-cat rose to her paws, flicking off the rain drops from her pelt and tentatively walked over to the river bank.
Peering down at the murky water, Swanpaw had to squint with the rain clouding her vision. You’ll be great, Swanpaw. It’s easy, mother said so. She said you’ll be a great warrior, do her proud. Pulling herself together, the silky-furred silver she-cat settled herself down on the river bank, a shiver rushing down her spine as a fat raindrop landed on her head.
Stupid rain.

Taking a deep breath, bright amber eyes scoured the depths for any signs of life. In all honesty, Swanpaw had no idea where fish would be hiding on a day like today, she certainly couldn’t see any. With the rain disrupting the surface of the water, it was her guess they’d be right at the very bottom.
For once, the young she-cat wished she’d listened to her parents. She gulped, trying to think back to when Skysong had told her about fishing. Come on, Swanpaw, think!
She could vaguely remember something about shadows over water? Swanpaw wasn’t sure though, she had never really listened to her mother and father’s advice for fishing, she had always assumed it would come to her easily, she was Swanpaw after all, a natural born warrior.
The silver tabby hesitated for a moment, amber orbs raking the water for fish. She was about to give up when a silver shape darted past under the water. Swanpaw smirked, fish.

Crouching low, poised above the surface of the water, Swanpaw watched the fish’s movements. It was darting about very quickly, glinting silver in the morning light.
It can’t be that hard, fishing, can it? The silky-furred she-cat swiped her tongue around her jaws in anticipation, dropping into a crouch. She couldn’t wait to get this over and done with so she could at last eat.
Amber orbs fixed on the fish, she watched it for a few more moments before preparing to make her move. Claws unsheathed, she peered down into the water.
Come on, stupid fish. Stop moving!
Then came the moment of opportunity. The silver fish stopped swimming, simply hovering about in one place. Swanpaw immediately went in for the kill, thrusting her paw into the water and trying to grab the fish.
But the silver creature saw her attack coming and had already began to swim away by the time Swanpaw’s paw was in the water.

Retracting her paw from the water, she growled in frustration, “Stupid fi”-
It all happened at once; one moment she was on dry land, the next she was in the river.
Swanpaw spluttered about helplessly for a moment, accidentally swallowing a whole load of river water. Coughing, she furiously began to paddle away against the current, paws ploughing through the water.
Well, at least I know I can swim, she thought sarcastically after finally getting the hang of it. Cold rippling through her, Swanpaw attempted to swim towards the bank as fast as she could. The last thing the silver she-cat wanted was Violetclaw having to save her. No, Swanpaw would show her mentor she was perfectly capable of getting herself out of this sticky situation. Well, maybe not sticky, more like a damp, to say the least, situation.
Her swimming style wasn’t at all graceful, but it worked and Swanpaw managed to reach the bank. She could already picture Violetclaw’s expression when she emerged from the water. She was bound to say something like “I told you so.”

Swanpaw managed, just about, to pull herself onto the river bank, the weight of the water clinging to her now darker silver pelt. A grim expression set upon her face, the young apprentice dragged herself further up the bank, closer to where her mentor was sat.
It was there that the silver tabby she-cat decided to attempt to shake the water from her wet, bedraggled pelt, accidentally spraying it all over Violetclaw. Swanpaw forced out a mumbled “Sorry,” before moving further up the bank. From there, she was at a safe distance from her mentor, just in case the silver-furred warrior got angry at her.
The young silver tabby began to lick her pelt furiously, in an attempt to get her blood running again. Although she wouldn’t admit it to her mentor, she was absolutely freezing. Not that Violetclaw would probably care if she was cold.
After a moment or so, the silky-furred she-cat stopped grooming to let her amber eyes rest on her mentor. She didn’t have anything to say to her mentor, she hadn’t told her what to do or anything, just to try fishing. It was Violetclaw’s fault she’d failed in her attempt, not hers.
Swanpaw would have been perfectly happy to end up the training session, but she got the suspicion that Violetclaw wouldn’t give up so easily and would have her try it again. Her belly let out a growl and Swanpaw sighed, it looked as though she was going to have to keep trying until she caught something, otherwise Violetclaw would never be happy with her.

[Fawn]

VIOLETCLAW
The Leopard of RainClan
Warrior || 35 Moons

There's so much work to do.

Everything from Swanpaw's overzealous lunge to the sloppy swimming were enough to cause a grimace to cross the silver leopard's muzzle, her claws unsheathing to better grip the ground and this situation. The way her parents spoke of her, Violetclaw would have expected Swanpaw to be StarClan's gift to the forest had she been younger and a lot more naive. Parents always boasted about their children - particularly if they happened to appear better than anyone else's. What Swanpaw had going for her, was beauty more than talent or personality.

Of course, Violetclaw didn't consider herself a trophy winner when it came to likeable personalities, but even by her relatively blunt standards the fluffy silver she-cat was a piece of work. Hissing as a few water droplets struck the sharp yellow eyes glaring out through a face of silver and black, the would-be deputy immediately voiced aloud her assessment, wanting Swanpaw to know exactly what they needed to work on. "Your posture wasn't terrible, but you didn't watch your shadow so the fish spotted you. I'm sure you can understand why you fell into the river," that last statement was delivered with a derisive snort. Lunging after that fish knocked you right off the bank, Swanpaw. The grassy banks were slick and muddied by the rain, and Violetclaw had already taken into account what sort of environmental obstacles her apprentice was likely to face on their first ever attempt - what she had not anticipated, however, was how Swanpaw had managed to hit every single one of them.

Rather than allow Swanpaw to try fishing again, however, the she-cat rose from her seated position to approach the beautiful kitten, nose pressing to Swanpaw's left ear to get a sense of her internal temperatures. Just great. "Start running, it will warm you up. You may eat afterwards." Touching the tip of her tail swiftly to Swanpaw's shoulder like a wasp-sting, Violetclaw began to trot, indicating that she intended to have Swanpaw run alongside her as they put what meager wooded areas RainClan actually had.
"You'll catch a chill otherwise."

Once Swanpaw was no longer shivering like a half-drowned rat, the strict creature who had been assigned her mentor would hunt down something warm-blooded, so that Swanpaw would fill her stomach without getting colder. Of course, there was always a possibility that the pampered kitten would no longer have any incentive to continue fishing lessons, but Violetclaw wasn't worried about that. After a solid moon of ordering Swanpaw to fish for her morning meals, Swanpaw would grasp the gist of things. There would be no pampering from the strict leopard of RainClan.

She wasn't her mother and she wasn't her father - she wasn't even anything resembling an older sibling. She was a teacher, sharp of tongue and fiery of will, and fully intended to sculpt and mold and push Swanpaw into the warrior RainClan needed her to be.

[Deleted]

SWANPAW
RainClan || Apprentice

"Your posture wasn't terrible, but you didn't watch your shadow so the fish spotted you. I'm sure you can understand why you fell into the river,"
Swanpaw, face screwed up in frustration, managed to give a nod, bright amber eyes blazing with fury at her failed attempt. What was she going to say to her parents and littermates when she got back to camp, absolutely drenched, ”Oh yeah, I fell in the river. No, she’d have to make up an excuse for her poor technique, she couldn’t let Skysong and Thunderfall think she was a failure, her littermates as well.
Shaking her head in an attempt to get rid of the raindrops clinging to her long whiskers, the silky-furred silver tabby began to fret over her pelt again. She had to look presentable for when she got back to camp, she couldn’t have the toms seeing her like this.
"Start running, it will warm you up. You may eat afterwards.”…“You'll catch a chill otherwise."
”Oh great,” the silky-furred apprentice snorted under her breath, “Running, yippee!” her voice dripping with sarcasm as she began to reluctantly pad briskly after her mentor. Swanpaw wouldn’t run, she didn’t want to slip over with the ground being so muddy and waterlogged around here, something which she wished she’d noticed earlier.

Lagging behind her mentor, the silver tabby she-cat decided to finally attempt a run, she didn’t want to fall too far behind Violetclaw. As her mentor had said, her blood was soon up and her heart pumping, though her pelt was still a little damp.
Swanpaw was relieved, to say the least, when the silver-furred mentor stopped, even if it had warmed her up a little. If it weren’t for the promise of food, the silky-furred silver apprentice would probably have given up and just stormed back to camp to get something from the fresh-kill pile.
No longer shivering, Swanpaw made a final attempt to get her pelt up to standards, hurriedly rasping her small pink tongue over her feather-like silver tabby pelt. She glanced over briefly at her mentor, wondering what thoughts were running through the leopard of RainClan’s mind.
Swanpaw just hoped she wasn’t planning more swimming. Her pelt was only just in an acceptable state, another dip in the river would mean at least half an hour of grooming to get it up to her usual high standards.
“So,”she meowed impatiently, having finished grooming her pelt, “What now?”

[Fawn]

VIOLETCLAW
The Leopard of RainClan
Warrior || 35 Moons

"Now," Violetclaw spoke around a bank vole, dropping the fresh kill in front of her apprentice curtly, "We eat. Warm food will make you feel better. We will save fishing for another day, and focus on hunting land prey - it should yield less...drenched results." While Swanpaw had immediately begun to put her pelt into some kind of respectable state of cleanliness, Violetclaw had taken advantage of the situation to venture a little ways away into the sparse woodlands on RainClan's homeland. Though she had immediately started hunting right after running, this quick switch in activities barely had any sort of impact on the silver wild cat, her ability to regulate her breathing and change 'modes' as it were, a talent of hers.

She was a very driven sort of warrior, the kind who would never stop to clean her pelt just because it wasn't perfect, though she had a short coat that only aided in her desire to keep going, keep hunting and fighting and fishing for as long as possible - Violetclaw couldn't really relate to Swanpaw's need for cleanliness. Though, she could imagine hunting or doing any sort of activity in a pelt drenched with water was an enormous hassle. Deciding that she was satisfied with Swanpaw's behavior rather than put off by it, Violetclaw flicked a droplet from one long, ivory whisker, seemingly content to sit until the fussy feline had finished.

While she waited, an opening of the senses, a hyper-vigilance took over, allowing the sights and sounds and tastes of their world flood in, fighting through the rain to detect whatever scents were not being washed away. Unfortunately this day was not planning on giving them an easy time of things, the rain obscuring the surface of the water so much as to prove troublesome for a rookie apprentice, whereas it also washed away the scents of any land prey, the possibility of any hunting tests she came up with turning into obnoxious wild goose chases.

[Deleted]

SWANPAW
RainClan || Apprentice

A smile finally crept to Swanpaw's face when Violetclaw dropped the bank vole in front of her. "Now, we eat. Warm food will make you feel better. We will save fishing for another day, and focus on hunting land prey - it should yield less...drenched results."
The silky-furred silver feline gave a nod before tucking into her vole. It wasn't quite as good as carp, Swanpaw's favourite kind of fish, but it sent a ripple of warmth through her quivering body and, because she hadn't eaten since yesterday evening, it tasted much better than usual.
Spitting out some of the fur, Swanpaw wondered how the other clans coped, eating furred creatures all the time. The fur stuck to the young apprentice's tongue and down her throat, it was rather annoying.
Once finished, the slender silver tabby rose to her paws and quickly buried the remains of the vole, the bones and such. Feeling energised, the young she-cat trotted back to her mentor, head held high.
Refreshed, Swanpaw felt a lot readier for whatever Violetclaw may throw at her. Sitting in front of her mentor, she studied Violetclaw for a moment. Flicking the water droplets from her ivory-white whiskers, Swanpaw tried to ignore the constant fall of rain. The drizzle had turned to light rain now and although Swanpaw was under a small willow tree, it gave little protection against the elements.
"Land prey," the silver tabby murmured thoughtfully, half to herself, half to her mentor, "So, mice and birds and stuff?" she thought for a moment, "Wait, it won't involve climbing any trees, will it?"

[Fawn]

VIOLETCLAW
The Leopard of RainClan
Warrior || 35 Moons

Violetclaw noted with silent approval Swanpaw burying the bones of the vole she had just eaten, finding it satisfactory that her apprentice could do at least this much. Of course, this was completely standard, but after having been enlightened by the news that Swanpaw hadn't been the most attentive when it came to advice from her parents - something Violetclaw still felt the urge to snort derisively over. The fluffy pampered kitten should've been grateful her parents had even been willing to teach her anything at all - plenty of parents made no attempts at giving their offspring a head start in their apprenticeship training, and literally left everything up to their mentors after tossing a few casual bits of advice that anyone with a brain could've figured out.

Flicking a dark left ear once a particularly fat droplet splashed down into the inner ear canal, the silver leopard actually did snort this time, finding some humor in Swanpaw's question. "Absolutely no tree climbing. We'll leave the bark-crawling to TreeClan, shall we? Searching around tree roots and bushes, that's more the standard method of hunting for land prey. Follow." Due to a life spent eating so much fish, the older warrior's coat was sleek and pressed against her tight musculature, a not-so-subtle display of the power she actually held, the picture of endurance and agility with nary a shiver or low whine of protest.

The weather was the weather. The sooner Swanpaw grew accustomed to the dampness, the better. "Your pelt will be more water resistant as you age and eat more fish," she tossed out, in case her pupil was still inwardly fussing over the state of her fur. Inhaling deeply as she walked, the drenched grass flattening beneath a surprisingly light step, Violetclaw surveyed the area in much the same manner she'd done earlier while trying to catch a vole. Deciding to hold off on further lectures - doubtful that Swanpaw would be particularly fond of that kind of learning style - and keep the now well-fed kitten moving her body and problem solving, Violetclaw proposed a deal.
"I have a preposition for you. If you can distinguish three different scents and track the prey to their most recent location before the rain washes the smell away, we will go home early."

A black ringed tail swept across the grass to curl around Violetclaw's paws. She didn't bother announcing what they would be doing if Swanpaw failed, opting to have the she-kitten's imagination provide her with the correct amount of motivation.

[Deleted]

SWANPAW
RainClan || Apprentice

Swanpaw failed to hide a sigh of relief when her mentor told her they wouldn’t be climbing trees for prey, like stupid old TreeClan. Had Violetclaw told her the opposite, that they were to be climbing trees, the silky-furred she-cat would probably have stormed off back to camp and her nice cosy nest in the Apprentices’ Den.
She grimaced at the thought that she could have still been sleeping now, if her mentor hadn’t awoken her for a training session, in the rain may she add. Swanpaw, although having eaten now, could have had a nice filling breakfast, in the shelter of camp, and could be relaxing in her nest now.
The silver-furred she-cat sighed, But no, instead I’m following Violetclaw, through the rain, to StarClan knows where… At least we won’t be climbing trees though.
On top of that, Swanpaw still wasn’t satisfied with the state of her pelt. The rain had started to mess it up again and now it was all ruffled and damp, much to her disgust. Just as the young feline was about to tidy it up, Violetclaw, as if to have read her mind, meowed,
"Your pelt will be more water resistant as you age and eat more fish.”
Well, that was good at least. Swanpaw wasn’t sure whether she’d be able to cope if every time she got her pelt damp, she had to go through that same, long rigorous grooming process.

"I have a preposition for you. If you can distinguish three different scents and track the prey to their most recent location before the rain washes the smell away, we will go home early."
The plush silver feline immediately perked up at her mentor’s offer. Nodding curtly, Swanpaw didn’t quite meet her mentor’s amber orbs, “Okay then, that shouldn’t be too hard,”the last part wasn’t aimed at her mentor and was more encouragement for herself.
Even though land-prey wasn’t really RainClan’s thing, Swanpaw decided it was time to show her mentor her true potential. Her mother had told her what an excellent warrior she would make, now it was time to convert her Violetclaw to the same way of thinking.
Right, let’s get this over and done with. The sooner you get this done, the sooner you can be back at camp, showing off to some cute toms. Swanpaw smirked at the thought and with a flick of her black-and-silver tail, she wrinkled up her nose and scented the air.
Immediately, dozens of scents and smells hit the silver feline hard and she retracted, face screwing up a little in alarm. There were so many scents, how on earth would she be able to distinguish a single scent and track it down?
Calm down Swanpaw, keep your cool. It can’t be too hard, not for you, you’re Swanpaw! Your father’s Thunderfall, one of RainClan’s greatest warriors, it’s in your blood! Besides, mother said you’d be an excellent warrior, when is Skysong ever wrong?

At last brimming with confidence, the silver tabby she-kitten took in another deep breath and tried to make sense of the jumble of scents exploding in her nostrils. Rain, earth, grass… Oh, a bird! Judging from how faint the scent of bird was, Swanpaw guessed it hadn’t been here for a while. But where was it now?
Lifting her nose to the sky and taking one last gulp of air, Swanpaw pinpointed the scent of bird one last time and tried to make out its location. Ooh, it seems to be coming from over there, her amber gaze flickered towards a clumping of trees, at last putting some effort into this training session.
Having mainly lived off fish, Swanpaw’s knowledge of birds was limited, but it was her guess that the bird was a sparrow perhaps? Amber eyes narrowing a little, the silver-furred feline set off on a mission.
Letting instinct kick in, the silky-furred silver tabby kept low against the rain-soaked grass, orbs fixed straight ahead and her pawsteps light. This was much better than fishing, she didn’t even have to get her paws wet! Well, there was the rain, but it didn’t rain all the time.
The silver tabby she-cat wished she was a TreeClan or NightClan cat. Life must’ve been much easier under the shelter of the trees, hunting squirrels and mice. Although, if she wasn’t RainClan, Swanpaw would definitely miss the taste of Carp fish.

The rustle of several fallen willow leaves under-paw told the slender silver feline she had reached the copse of willows. The scent of the bird was very strong here, so it must’ve been here quite recently. She smiled smugly at her mentor, One down, two to go.

[Fawn]

VIOLETCLAW
The Leopard of RainClan
Warrior || 35 Moons

Violetclaw had not expected her apprentice's sensory skills to be at their current level; as such, it was a tiny, pleasant surprise to see the pretty, pampered kitten with her nose close to the ground accurately tracking a bird to it's most recent location. Tracking was not a trait many RainClanners could ever hope to employ, much less know how to do properly - and that gave Swanpaw a chip on her shoulder in comparison with her same-age friends. The silvery warrioress was of a similar advanced state, having been trained and self-taught in various areas that the average RainClan cat would have difficulty performing in - such as tracking a prey scent through RainClan's sparse woods during a small shower.

Even as they walked - Violetclaw keeping a respectful distance, allowing her young charge to work things out for herself - the rain was starting to fall in fatter droplets, as if a herd of enormous creatures had begun to shed freshwater tears onto the forest and directly onto their pelts. The kind of woods RainClan could boast of was flimsy in comparison with TreeClan's, LightningClan's and NightClan's; lacking in a particularly thick canopy, Violetclaw and Swanpaw were likely feeling the same number of rain drops splashing onto their pelts as they would've if they'd been in open plains or anywhere else without arbors.

"Well done. Continue." A curt nod of approval accompanied these words, Violetclaw letting the scents flow into her mouth and nose, tasting the fresh rainscent as well as the bird Swanpaw had been tracking thus far. The difficulty will go up the longer we are out here. Yellow eyes narrowing, Violetclaw could recall the woody taste of squirrel, the scent having been faint and slightly mingled with the birdscent Swanpaw had originally discovered, and the silver RainClanner watched, curious to see if her apprentice would 'return to start' to find that squirrelscent or try her luck with something else entirely.

Though the animals usually went into their burrows during stormy weather, it would be nothing short of a bonus if they actually managed to catch something; it would replenish the meal Violetclaw had allowed Swanpaw to eat earlier, and Violetclaw was always of the mindset that one should give as much as they took - this rule applying to all cats the moment they left the nursery up until they entered the elders' den.

...Or the ground.

OOC: @littleflower - Sorry for how long this took! Seriously my bad! xD This is soo late.