[Fawn]

[smear:dbb623]EAGLETALON![/smear:cc380a]

53 Moons // Tom // Senior Warrior // StoneClan

Redpaw was long overdue for a more in-depth battle lesson; that wasn't to say he hadn't been training the tom enough, it had more to do with the quality of training Redpaw had been receiving from one of Hawkstar's oldest friends. Eagletalon had guided the younger ginger tom to the sandy plateau, feeling a strong current of nostalgia strike him as he did so, images of claws unsheathed, flanks heaving from exertion, and particles of dirt and sand kicked up as he flung himself upon his mentor, determined to live up to his potential and more had the same kind of faintly pleasant, bittersweet sensation as did remembering a missed friend. Eagletalon had no desires to go back to being Eaglepaw, but that wasn't to say there were certain aspects of it that he found still held their allure; rule-breaking had been a lot easier, then, and he'd gotten into his fair share of trouble.

Waving aside these nostalgic thoughts with a swift brush of a narrow, golden and dark-flecked tail across the flattened bit of rock beneath them, Eagletalon faced Redpaw, asking him the same question he always asked him every couple of sunrises - repetition being the foundation of Eagletalon's methods for hammering it into the young tom's head. "What is the fourteenth rule of the Warrior Code?" Come on Redpaw, you should know this by now. Eagletalon watched with an attentive, expectant look; of all the rules in the Code, this one in particular pertained to battle, and he considered it a fundamental part of Redpaw's training that they cover the morality behind fighting as well as the actual act of fighting.

When he'd been Eaglepaw, he hadn't understood the point of such teachings - what did it matter whether you killed your opponent or not, as long as you won? That had been the idiotic stance of an idiotic cat, a young tom who had been brash and reckless and wanted only to serve his Clan - who mistakenly thought being a champion in every battle no matter the cost was how you went about serving it. Redpaw had, in all their time together, never stricken Eagletalon as a cold-blooded killer, nor did he come off as so hot-headed that his claws and his temper would get the better of him, and a cat from a rival Clan would take the brunt of it.

Word Count: 400 Words
Tags: @nadia

[Deleted]

REDPAW of StoneClan
09 Moons. Tom. Apprentice

It was another day that Redpaw knew would be happening. Today Eagletalon had told him that they were going to do some more in-depth battle training, and Redpaw was kind of curious as to what that was to consist of. He followed Eagletalon with all of his senses focused on every little thing. Throughout Redpaw's training, he kind of wondered what his mentor was like as an apprentice. Was he a trouble maker or was he like how he is now, calm and collected. Redpaw didn't know, but he knew that many cats changed when they went through their training, but than, some didn't. Once they were at the sandy plateau, the pair had stopped then and Eagletalon was turning to look at Redpaw.

Then a question was asked, every once in a while his mentor would ask him questions about the Warrior Code, and the rule would depend on what they were doing that day. He thought, rule number fourteen. After a few moments it came to him. "An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win his battles, unless they are outside the warrior code or it is necessary for self-defense." He knew that it was word for word, which was what Eagletalon looked for. The next question would probably be, what does that mean to you, and Redpaw didn't know just yet.

He knew that he had to actually experience a fight to be able to truly learn what most of the rules meant, but maybe he would figure it out just by thinking about it and breaking it down? Redpaw thought and he waited for Eagletalon's next moves, whether it be another question, or it be a surprise attack, Redpaw was ready.

[Fawn]

[smear:dbb623]EAGLETALON![/smear:cc380a]

53 Moons // Tom // Senior Warrior // StoneClan

The sand-furred warrior nodded, pleased it had not taken Redpaw very long to answer. He's a good apprentice, always knows his stuff. Not to say that the cats who had been trained before Redpaw were unlawful and obnoxious, but Eagletalon could appreciate Redpaw's studious approach to his apprenticeship; it was always a good thing, to have an apprentice who was willing to learn and actually retained what you taught him. "Very good," Eagletalon moved on to the next question - it was one he asked himself every couple of moons, a question he had found the answer to in his youth, and while it had been modified as he'd matured and cats had come and gone from his life, the basis was always the same. "What do you fight for, Redpaw?" Friends? Family? The Clan? The Code? In spite of how he chose to start his lessons each morning and sunhigh, Eagletalon was willing to disregard the Code when it was at odds with his personal Code of ethics; protecting his family and protecting the Clan were one in the same, for the cat with no blood relations left, he had taken on the role as guardian, and it suited him just fine. After Fallingstar's death, his loyalty to and his desire to protect the Clan leader hadn't really shifted - not when his best friend, Hawkwing, had become Hawkstar, and it was only a small matter of adapting to the change in leadership (and getting over the grief of losing his sister). With Fallingstar gone, Eagletalon had been very alone, there was no kin to share tongues with, he was the last of his line - but it didn't depress him as much as it used to, these days.

These days he considered the whole Clan his kin, his family having always been right in front of him the whole time; the Clan had raised him, trained him, and in return he kept the Clan fed, protected the Clan, patrolled for the Clan, and did his part in raising and training apprentices of his own. Not expecting a hasty answer, Eagletalon took the time to stretch, his front limbs seeming to grow longer as he reached for an invisible marker on the ground in front of him, sunlight accentuating the ripple of hard-earned muscle when he moved, stretching out his spine with a small grunt of satisfaction. He'd warmed up prior to taking Redpaw to the sandy plateau - but he wasn't as young as he used to be. It was important to stay limber, or else he'd be regretting it later.

Word Count: 425 Words
Tags: @nadia

[Deleted]

REDPAW of StoneClan
09 Moons. Tom. Apprentice

He noticed the nod of his mentor and he sighed lightly. He was happy to be making Eagletalon proud, for that was something that he was proud to be able to say that he has done. Then came the verbal compliment and he did his best to hold his pride down. Pride was not a friend of cats right now, and Redpaw was not about to fall to be one of its newer victims. Instead, he waited for the second question, for there had to be one, right? As he waited, Eageltalon's vocals reached his ears which flicked toward the older tom immediately. What do I fight for? The Clan is family, and my friends are in my clan, so would that mean that I just fight for my clan and family?

This question took the apprentice a little longer, for he had quite the dilemma, what would he consider this, family or clan? Once he had decided his answer her opened his maw to speak. "I would say that I fight for my family and Clan, even though I find them the same." He paused for a moment and looked at Eagletalon with curiosity in his eyes then. "Eagletalon, what would you consider that then? If you think that the Clan is your family. Would that be just fighting for your family?" He knew that he should probably say the code, but to him, his family was more important that a list of rules.

He was already an only kit, he didn't want to lose the only two family members that he had left, even if he does think it is hi fault that he didn't have siblings anymore. He let those thoughts go and he looked at Eagletalon waiting for his answer.

[Fawn]

[smear:dbb623]EAGLETALON![/smear:cc380a]

53 Moons // Tom // Senior Warrior // StoneClan

Eagletalon nodded, it was easy to see how the younger tom might come to that conclusion. "There is a difference between fighting for your Clan and fighting for your family. For cats like us, who have so few family members to look after, it's easy to consider the Clan our families instead - and that's the way we should look at it. However, fighting for the Clan doesn't mean fighting just for the cats who are alive, right here with us." The sandy warrior realized, in that moment, just how 'old and wise' he'd gotten; his whiskers twitched. I'm starting to sound like you, Fallingstar. "To fight for the Clan is to fight for our ancestors, our home, our pride as StoneClan cats; to fight for StoneClan is to protect those that will come after us," he thought of little Viperkit and Heronkit in the nursery, aware that some day they would be fighting for a new generation as well. "It's more than just fighting to preserve the Code, it's to preserve our way of life. Do you understand what I'm saying, Redpaw? When you raise your claws in battle, when you protect your Clanmates from a hawk, you're being a part of a long, proud legacy." And there is great honor in that.

It was his belief in StoneClan and in the cats who populated it that kept him going; Eagletalon was a reckless individual, he'd admit, especially more-so since his position as bachelor had solidified in his senior years. He considered himself one of the expendable few, and while there was a sadness to that, it was also an unexpected privilege; I'll be mourned when I'm gone, he had long ago realized. That's all a cat really needs, anyway. His spirit and his ideals would live on through his apprentices, gazing down at Redpaw with an unexpected, almost fatherly warmth, Eagletalon smiled, aware that the young tom before him would be fighting for him too, when he went to join Fallingstar in StarClan.

But enough talk of death. He would be teaching Redpaw the proper ways to deal with a snake attack; now that the weather had warmed up considerably, this would be a serious problem as the snakes sought the cool interiors of StoneClan's den, seeking shelter from the heat of Green-Leaf.

Word Count: 384 Words
Tags: @nadia

[Deleted]

REDPAW of StoneClan
09 Moons. Tom. Apprentice

With the nod from Eagletalon, he knew that he had made a valid question and point. He listened to the older tom's way of thinking and he nodded then as well. He thought on the words then and he started to form the thoughts that he was now thinking. "So by fighting for my clan, I am fighting for those who are alive as well as the ones in StarClan. And since I fight for my clan, I also fight for my family?" He formed his questions thoughtfully and slowly as he wondered if he was making sense with them, for he was starting to confuse himself honestly. A long and proud legacy. Wow that sounds nice, but what would I be doing in that legacy? His thoughts came and went, and he looked at Eagletalon as he waited to see if the older tom would help him make more sense of the thoughts that he had verbalized.

But as he thought of that, he thought of the death that reaped the clan every day. Like the day that he was born, two kits were taken from his family which left him alone. Were they apart of that legacy that Eagletalon was talking about? Everyday Redpaw thought of what it would be like to have his brother and sister still alive and with him to this very day, but he could think of nothing with it, for he never got to know them. But he let those thoughts go and he looked at Eagletalon, he was ready to practice his battle moves now, but he wanted to learn everything that the older tom would tell him as well. That was what made him sure that he would become a great warrior for StoneClan.

[Fawn]

[smear:dbb623]EAGLETALON![/smear:cc380a]

53 Moons // Tom // Senior Warrior // StoneClan

"Yes," Eagletalon's stance shifted as he spoke, feeling the sand and wind-flattened stone beneath his paws as he did so, enjoying the reliable sturdiness of the plateau below. You'll understand it even better when you're older. He didn't really like saying cliched things like that, so he let those words go unspoken - even if they were true; Redpaw might've been a studious young cat with a good head on his shoulders and a sense of loyalty and obedience that StoneClan could be proud of, however he was still scarcely 3 moons out of the nursery, and Eagletalon had no doubts at all that Redpaw would grow up to become a wise, level-headed member of Clan life. All it took was time - and training.

"There are more foes than just other Clans, and that is what I'm teaching you about today." Due to StoneClan's lack of cover in their territory, they were more exposed to threats than any of the other Clans; while this might've frightened away any cat that hadn't been born here, it was a point of pride as well as a painful lesson for the cats of StoneClan. Hawks could carry off young cats, especially kits, and adders were the bane of any warrior, young or old, foxes and badgers were a rare sighting in the rocky landscape here, but they occasionally wandered into StoneClan territory and couldn't be ignored.

Eagletalon paused, thinking back to the past few moons, whether or not Hawkstar had shown the Clan's younger generations what the triangular, diamond markings on an adder looked like; if he didn't, I'll see if there's any snake skin lying around when we're finished here. "Adders are fast and a single bite can kill a cat of any age, listen very closely to what I have to say about it, alright? If you come across an adder, don't try to scare it, don't try to attack it; back up if you can, and if it doesn't get closer, I want you to turn around and get away from it as quickly as your legs can carry you." Bravado wasn't worth dying a horrible, painful death over, especially against a creature where, more often then not, cats fell before they could achieve the 'impressive' distinction of having killed an adder.

"If, for some reason you have to fight - the adder's in camp and headed for the nursery - then here's what you have to do." Eagletalon made a show of being on the tips of his paws, as if he were stepping over brittle leaves and trying not to make a sound; without warning, he sprang away as though he were a cat 5 pounds lighter, landing neatly and leaping again the second his paws touched the ground. This was a difficult move to keep doing, the older you became (rather, the heavier you became), but with enough strength in your legs, you could keep it up for a decent length of time. "Speed is your best ally against an adder. You have to be fast to dodge it, and fast to strike it. The worst thing about adders is their venom, but other then that, they aren't very strong." If you could bite it in several places, then the snake would have no choice but to slither away, likely to die of it's injuries or get picked off by a hawk once it was clear of StoneClan's encampment.

Word Count: 560 Words
Tags: @nadia

[Deleted]

REDPAW of StoneClan
09 Moons. Tom. Apprentice

"Yes." Hearing that one word after his question made him feel better. That meant that he was starting to understand things just a little better. Redpaw knew that there was an unspoken phrase in there and he let it stay unspoken. But his thoughts were interrupted when Eagletalon spoke once more and he listened intently. More than just other clans as enemies? Sure he had heard of a few others, and he knew that foxes and badger existed in the territory, but everything else, was a little bit new to him.

Then came a description of Adders, that was a snake right? "So if I see an Adder I back away and if it doesn't follow I run back to camp to tell someone. Got it!" He had repeated the main point on purpose, to make sure that he remembered it. He was not about to forget something so important, for he didn't want to be the cause of his death or another cats. He loved his life, and he knew that the cats of StoneClan loved their lives as well, so he was not about to be the death of one.

Then Eagletalon started to how him a move and he copied him bit by bit. First he raised to be on the tip of his paws, which by the way, hurt, a lot. He then started to step around the leaves with him as well, and he crunched a few of the leaves beneath his paws but he was able to do a clumsy spring away from the direction in front of him. He landed clumsy as well and fell on his rump but he listened to Eagletalon's next set of words. Redpaw nodded then and he rose to his paws to practice the move once more, only to land on his rump again.

[Fawn]

[smear:dbb623]EAGLETALON![/smear:cc380a]

53 Moons // Tom // Senior Warrior // StoneClan

"It's going to take more practice, but this move is going to save your life one day so practice often and practice well. Feel free to have another warrior supervise if I'm out on patrol or hunting duty." Eagletalon's words were calm but serious. He was normally a rather laid back mentor with occasional moments where humor or his own relaxed teaching style had no place; adders were one such thing, it really was important that Redpaw grasp this. There was nothing more tragic in Eagletalon's eyes than seeing a young cat die over something that should have been handled better, or a cautionary lesson was skipped or went unheeded.

Watching the tom go up on the tips of his toes and then try the complicated spring-away motion he had taught him, Eagletalon nodded to show that it was satisfactory for a beginner. Even a sloppy spring-away was better than no spring-away at all. "Now I want you to practice that, only this time go backwards, like this." Rising again to the front-facing edge of his paws, he gathered the strength in his legs and sprang back; the senior warrior also stirred up the leaves with his movements, but there was nothing he could do about the leaves until the wind eventually picked them up and scattered them across the territory. Besides, it was worth noting that sound was not a huge factor in winning or losing a fight with an adder.

"To find us, snakes taste the air with their tongues, similar how we open our mouths to pick up scents. Their hearing is not very good, so you don't have to worry about making too much noise—just remember to keep out of range. They can feel vibrations from our paws like mice, so land lightly. Now you try." To give Redpaw another chance to copy his movements, Eagletalon performed the spring-back a second time, landing lightly upon the raised plateau, making the move look effortless—and for him, it was. He was little more than short sandy fur and hardened muscle nowadays, any kittenish weakness in his legs had been shed long ago when he was still an apprentice. Redpaw, who had not thrown himself into his training the way 'Eaglepaw' had back in the day, would find a little trouble with these moves, but with enough repetition, he'd be springing nimbly backwards, forwards and to any side he chose before too long.

Word Count: 403 Words
Tags: @nadia

[Deleted]

REDPAW of StoneClan
09 Moons. Tom. Apprentice

"It's going to take more practice, but this move is going to save your life one day so practice often and practice well. Feel free to have another warrior supervise if I'm out on patrol or hunting duty." Redpaw looked up at Eagletalon and he nodded lightly then. "Okay! Then I shall practice everyday!" Redpaw didn't need to prove that he was a good student, but he always loved to go over and beyond, though sometimes it could get him into trouble, but he loved to make Eagletalon happy, so it worked right? Redpaw practiced the move once more and was proud that he had managed to stay on his paws this time, no mater how clumsy it happened.

Redpaw looked at Eagletalon as he did the move, only backwards, and you could hear a groan come from the young tom. That looked harder than going forward, and he was kind of worried about it. But Redpaw did what he was told, and he rose to the tips of his paws. He then sprang backwards, and managed to do that one better than going forward. Redpaw lowered himself to the rest of his paws and he looked at Eagletalon hoping to get criticism. Good or bad, it all helped him get better.

Redpaw was relieved to hear that he didn't need to worry about being quiet when getting away from an adder, but he knew that he had to move faster if he was to get away from the quick snake. Redpaw waited until Eagletalon had done the move once more before he did it again himself, only this time, he almost made it soundlessly, not quite though, for he had landed on a twig and fell to his rump. "Ooff.."

[Fawn]

[smear:dbb623]EAGLETALON![/smear:cc380a]

53 Moons // Tom // Senior Warrior // StoneClan

Though it might've looked funny to any observers, the spring-back was just as easy as the spring-forward once your body got used to the change in direction. It was a decent skill to have in any warrior's arsenal, and it was good for more than just snakes. Eagletalon nodded again, finding Redpaw's behavior satisfactory—even with the graceless tumble the ginger tom took shortly after he'd landed.
"You're getting better, keep your spirits up." It was important not to get discouraged, especially when so much pressure had been placed on getting this particular set of moves right. Eagletalon didn't wish to burden his pupil, but he wasn't going to ignore the seriousness of the threats their environment posed on the Clan and on any cat who hunted in the rocky scrublands of stoneClan. To give Redpaw a little more incentive to get it right, Eagletalon moved into position, standing opposite the smaller-bodied feline and facing him, one paw raised. "Don't worry about making noise, just focus on avoiding my strikes, understand?" He let his golden eyes linger on Redpaw's, wanting to make sure the apprentice comprehended the raised level of difficulty before he struck.

When some sign was given from Redpaw that the apprentice was ready, Eagletalon make a quick jab towards a slim ginger shoulder, an attack meant to encourage the tom to leap backwards or to the side, whichever he felt most comfortable doing—if he had any time to think about it, that is. Snakes didn't always give you time to think through a proper plan, so it was better for Redpaw's well being and Eagletalon's peace of mind that it became engrained into Redpaw's memory, and something he could pass on to his own apprentice someday. Gaining ground, Eagletalon tried that self-same jab 3 more times in different locations: Redpaw's muzzle, his chest, and perhaps mostly deadly of all for a snake to target, Redpaw's throat.

Word Count: 312 Words
Tags: @nadia

[Deleted]

REDPAW of StoneClan
09 Moons. Tom. Apprentice

He was glad that he was learning a skill that could come in hand for many different things, but that didn't mean that this didn't hurt after a while. It wasn't his legs that were hurting, but his paws instead because of the fact that he had to stand on them to get ready to jump back, forward, or side to side. When he took a small break though, she saw a nod come from Eagletalon and that made him feel a little better. At least now he knew that he wasn't messing up or doing it horribly, even though he probably was. He did the move once more, but this time her went forward, and managed to stay on his paws and he sighed happily at the progress that he was making.

"You're getting better, keep your spirits up." He looked up from the ground and looked at Eagletalon. "How long did it take you to get this right Eagletalon?" He was happy to know that Eagletalon didn't think that he was doing horribly, which helped him feel better about how slowly he was getting these moves down. But as he thought, Eagletalon crouched down in front of him and he looked at the tom. "Don't worry about making noise, just focus on avoiding my strikes, understand?" He gave a curt nod and focused on the paw of his mentor then.

The first strike that he saw was going to his left shoulder, so he quickly jumped to the right so that he was out of the line of harm. He didn't really think about it, he just moved, which was good right? But before he could regain his footing, he fell, which didn't help the fact that Eagletalon was jabbing at him 3 times now. He ducked his head to avoid the jab going for his muzzle, but the last two hits, hit him in their targeted locations.

[Fawn]

[smear:dbb623]EAGLETALON![/smear:cc380a]

53 Moons // Tom // Senior Warrior // StoneClan

If Eagletalon wanted to be more realistic, a snake would not strike three times in quick succession like that—they weren't like cats, who could keep batting at their prey or enemies for however long it took to get the desired outcome—but this had more to do with decreasing the time it took for Redpaw to react than to actually imitate an adder. The ginger tabby tom had performed somewhat as expected. A dodge here, a hit there; it wasn't exactly ideal, but Eagletalon had to remember that this was only the beginning of the lesson. Redpaw would improve over time with consistency and dedication, which he believed his pupil had in spades.

Eagletalon stalled, his tail tip swishing low not as a sign of anger or disagreement, but as a byproduct of performing fighting moves; it really wasn't hard to get his blood boiling, and even just a few practice runs with his faithful apprentice was enough to put that gleam back in the golden gaze of the sandy warrior. "Not bad," he mewed, willing his claws to stay within their sheathes, a few calm breaths able to stabilize him. "Just keep working at it, everything will start to click into place after a while. It did for me." That was how Eaglepaw had learned things—repetition and just plain old blood, sweat and tears; he'd been a particularly hard-headed youth, to say he'd learned things the hard way was almost a complete understatement. Almost. In his last moon or so, he'd gained a little wisdom from getting himself into so much trouble, so many fights.

Redpaw was different, though. There was no denying that; the day he saw the ginger tom starting a fight or doing something pig-headed like crossing the border to taunt their neighbors was the day he'd eat his own tail. Perhaps Redpaw needed a different learning approach than just repetition and memorization? The gears of Eagletalon's mind began to whirr, attempting to come up with an ulterior teaching method, but nothing immediately sprang up. He shrugged, mentally. He'd have to pick Hawkstar's or Hailstrike's brain for techniques later.
"We can take a small break, your legs must be getting a little sore." This time he gestured with his tail for Redpaw to follow. "A short walk will help with that, you don't want to just rest right away after training practices, your muscles need time to cool down."

Word Count: 403 Words
Tags: @nadia

[Deleted]

REDPAW of StoneClan
09 Moons. Tom. Apprentice

Redpaw had no idea if an adder would strike three times in a row, but with the attacks, Redpaw focused on moving faster, not getting the move right. He just wanted to be able to show that he had speed, and then from the speed, he would work on the actual move to make it better. But he felt a few hits, and he focused on watching the paw that attacked him, thinking that it would help him, but not by much.

But when Eagletalon stalled and his tail flicked, Redpaw looked up at him and he was panting, but his eyes still showed the determination that he held for wanting to get the move right and get it done fast. But when the older tom spoke and gave him a slight compliment, Redpaw looked at him and wondered if it was true, or if he was just saying that because it was his first time with the moves. "Just keep working at it, everything will start to click into place after a while. It did for me." But hearing that comment from Eagletalon, made him feel a little better. He now knew that he wasn't doing so horribly.

Redpaw could feel his legs shaking a little, but he didn't mind it, he was having fun learning new things, and he was also determined to get them done correctly. But when Eagletalon suggested a walk, Redpaw was more than happy to agree to it. A walk sounded nice, and it sounded like it would be better than just standing where they were. Redpaw started to walk in a circle around Eagletalon as he waited for the older tom. "How many times can an adder attack at once Eagletalon?"

The apprentice was curious to learn more about the adders and how quickly they could kill him or any other cat in the clan.

Fawn