[Deleted]

The ginger and white senior warrior felt he had been idle too long. He hadn't been doing much other than sitting around camp and tending to his mate, other than the occasional patrol. But his paws were itching and his legs begging to be stretched. And if he was getting tired of lazing around, then he was almost certain his mate would be, too. So it was with purpose that he strode out of camp, his pace quick enough to get his blood pumping, but at the same time slow enough for his mate to keep up.

As he always did when he was leading him, Burningleaf kept looking over his shoulder, giving Flashbrook an enouraging smile every time their eyes met. When they finally reached their destination, the trampled clearing that would be their training ground, Burningleaf stopped and turned to face his mate.

Suddenly, standing there facing his mate, he was suddenly uncertain. Should he really do this? He didn't even consult Flashbrook first. He just assumed this was for the best, and dragged him out of the comfort of camp and out into the territory, standing in front of him as a mentor faces an apprentice. His uncertainty showed in his eyes; he had never been able to keep his eyes empty.

He dropped his head and looked away. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just dragged you out here. I just.." Burningleaf took a deep breath, still staring at his paws. "I thought that maybe we could find a way that you can learn to hunt again, so that we aren't always stuck in camp like a pair of confined apprentices. But instead of talking to you about it first, I just dragged you out here, just assuming it was what you wanted, without even asking first." Frustrated at himself, the senior warrior turned away, unable to face his partner with such guilt in his heart. "I'm sorry. If you don't want to do this, then we can just go back to camp."

Hellion

[Hellion]

Flashbrook

---

He'd be a lair if he said he hated that his mate stayed in camp with him. He'd still be a lair if he said he wasn't angry with himself for being unable to help out the Clan. Every since his return Flashbrook struggled into find his niche in the Clan again. The formally broken leg had him in almost constant pain and made hunting fast prey such as rabbits nearly impossible, it seemed he was suited for hunting in the underbrush, too bad he was LightingClan.

It was his mate's idea to head out of camp. It was nice to be out of the Clan's hub and move his legs. He didn't have the same stride as before considering his limb and was a pace or two behind Burningleaf. It had always been natural for him to follow the orange tabby, he'd follow him to StarClan.

Recognizing the area as the training ground Flasbrook was slightly confused and it showed in his baby blue eyes. Burningleaf hadn't mentioned an apprentice so he wasn't there to watch the training. Leaning slightly to his good leg, he lifted the bad one off the ground to avoid sitting down right away. His mate turned to look at him and like an open book Flashbrook was able to read that something was okay with him, the love for his mate urged him to step closer, crowing the tom's space in order to comfort him.

The connection was broke then Burningleaf dropped his head and looked away and the red-tinted tom racked his brain for anything that could be wrong between them, until Burningleaf broke the silence. Flashbrook listened with ears forward and eyes alert, he felt emotion well up in his blue eyes, it was a kind of certification of their relationship for Burningleaf to offer such a thing.

Despite Burningleaf's obvious discomfort about dragging him out to the training grounds with no prior knowledge, Flashrook couldn't contain the purr the erupted from his chest. "Thank you." Were the only words he was able to form as a response right away. Stepping forward he nudged his mate's cheek then buried his head against the soft fur of his neck and purred even louder. "I would love to re-learn from you and not feel like such a burden." Flashbrook confessed within the safety of his mate's neck, his voice full of happy emotion.

---

Take my hand and my
Heart and soul, I will
Only have these eyes for you

Word Count:: 420
Tag::Amber
Notes::

[Deleted]

He shifted his paws uncomfortably in the silence. How would Flashbrook feel about being dragged out for an endeavor that could possibly only lead to physical pain and mental disappointment? While his intentions were good, he should have spoken to his mate about it first.

He was lost in his thoughts, so it came as a shock to him when Flashbrook stepped forward to burrow into his neck. "Thank you. I would love to relearn from you and not feel like such a burden." burning leaf returned his mate's purr, waves of relief washing over him. Thank StarClan, Flashbrook wasn't upset with him.

Slowly, he drew back, knowing they would get nowhere if they stayed pressed against each other. Taking a deep breath, he recalled all his seasons as a mentor. This would be different, but still similar. Flashbrook already knew the ways of a warrior, so he wouldn't have to teach him the basics. He still knew all the positions, but he couldn't utilize them fully anymore. So, first they would have to identify his strengths and weaknesses and figure out how to make the best of what they had. Then they would work on modifying his technique, and then finally put it into practice. Already, Burningleaf knew it would be a process and would involve far more than one training session.

Now that he had a plan, he had to see what his partner thought of it. "Alright. First, we'll identify your strengths and weaknesses. Then, we need to modify your techniques. And finally, we'll put them into practice and see how they work. Of course, we don't have to get through all that right now, or even all in one day. I just...know that this is going to take time, love. And it may hurt. But I need you to tell me immediately if you are uncomfortable and want to stop. Don't push yourself too hard, okay? I don't want you to get hurt."

The ginger and white tom looked at his mate with a serious expression. He wanted him to work hard, but not to the point of injury. He sat down, motioning with his tail for Flashbrook to as well. "Okay, we know your speed is pretty much not an option, so taking down rabbits on your own isn't going to happen. Fortunately, there are other places and other animals to hunt that don't require as much speed and agility. So we'll work on changing up your hunter's crouch. What's the most comfortable position for your leg to be in when you're standing? Let's find that, then we can work on dropping down closer to a crouch. Sound good?"

He smiled encouragingly and moved to stand up. He knew it was a lot to take in, but they would take their time and go slow. As he smiled at the red-tinted tom, he sent up a silent prayer to StarClan that this would work. Failure would only disappoint and depress them more.

[Hellion]

Flashbrook

---

He knew re-learning was going to be difficult. When he was learning to walk again back before he returned to LightingClan there was a lot of pain. He had to figure out how many weight his leg could take which wasn't a lot at the time but gradually he was able to make a decent walking pace, progressing into an awkward gated trot if needed. His contribution to the clan in the past moons have been minimal. He had talked with few of his former clanmates, it seemed that his old mentor's death had tainted his reputation. Perhaps they thought he killed him.

Clearing his head by turning his attention back to his mate, Flashbrook nodded a few times. "I can bare a little weight on it but not my entire body. He told Burningleaf as he took a few steps back to show his mate.

The maneuver was strange to him mostly because of his bum leg but he was able to lower himself down to a decent level. He favored his hurt leg and put more of his leg on his right side. Also to compensate for the lack of back leg strength his front legs bared more weight, putting him a little far forward. It wasn't the sturdiest of hunting crouches and likely make him a little cumbersome when it take to actually stalking his prey. Trying to relax Flashbrook turned to look at his mate, an uneasy smile on his face. "Be honest, how awful is it?" He asked him trying to make the situation lighter.

---

Take my hand and my
Heart and soul, I will
Only have these eyes for you

Word Count::
Tag::Amber
Notes::