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Post by Fawn on Oct 14, 2016 10:09:33 GMT -5
 25 Moons. Tom.--Mudpelt's legs twitched in his sleep. He dreamed he was running along the moorlands, almost as fast as the hare he was chasing. I must be dreaming, he rationalized, frowning into his nest. I'm too heavy to sprint like this. He wasn't Harestrike or Robinflame; Mudpelt decided not to question it, however, and lunged for the hare when he was close enough to it.
But then a pale-furred warrior crashed into him, her splotchy pelt smothering him in a sweet, wildflower scent even as she bowled him over into a heap. Mudpelt grunted in surprise, scrambling back to his paws to see that it was Larkfeather, her pretty laugh filling up his ears like falling water. Mudpelt reddened, unsure of what to say to her--but he didn't have to, she stepped forward and pressed her nose into his cheek.
"You're even worse at talking in your dreams, did you know that?"
Mudpelt woke up mumbling an apology.
Awake and with lingering embarrassment, his eyes seemed to find the pretty she-cat in the dark, where she was curled up next to Dovecloud and Thistlefoot. For one asinine moment, he wanted to wake up Larkfeather to tell her that he wasn't worse at talking in his dreams, but she'd probably add 'beebrained' to the list of things she already thought was wrong with him.
Shaking out his short, mud-brown coat, the tom left the warmth and shelter of the warrior's den to find Sunnypaw. The morning's hunting patrol had not gone out yet, so there only meager pickings on the fresh kill pile. Even so, Mudpelt selected a skinny quail and shared it with Sunnypaw, the bird gone after a few quick bites.
"We're hunting quail today," he mewed, keeping his tone down out of respect for the cats still sleeping. "It takes different skills to hunt quail then it does a rabbit or hare. Quail can fly, so pouncing on them before they take off is very important."
Mudpelt led the ginger tom (who no longer looked like a kitten) to the star field, the dew dampening his pelt. The wind and the wet made for an unpleasant combination, but, as his ears told him, the bugs were out, and that's what quail ate. Bugs. Seeds. Nuts. Here was the best place to find them. Mudpelt gestured for Sunnypaw to crouch down, his pelt rather hard to miss in the morning light. "What can you scent?" He asked, crouching down nearby.
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Word Count: 409 Words
Tags: Hellion @zen (Larkfeather mention)
Notes: This world will break your heart
Nobody's falling in love |
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Post by Hellion on Oct 15, 2016 21:47:26 GMT -5
In the eye of a hurricane there is quiet
For just a moment a yellow sky
Sunnypaw often slept like a rock. Fairly motionless save for the up and down of his chest. Rarely did he fidget which was quite nice considering he was slightly bigger than a few apprentices he shared a den with. It would be something entirely different if Sunnypaw was a restless sleeper, he'd likely be kicked out of the den from all the complaints.
There were only three things that would wake Sunnypaw from his slumber. The first would be an alarming yowl, the second his name said over and over and lastly his own internal clock. The latter is what woke the tom-cat and coaxed him out of his nest and into the camp, blinking as his eyes adjusted. Once outside the den his extended his body to it's full height, stretching to ease out the little bit of tension he often had from sleeping so deeply.
He noticed Mudpelt was coming toward him with a quail and offered to share. Sunnypaw wiped a paw over his face to remove the rest of what lingered from the night before sitting down to eat with his mentor.
His ears flicked as Mudpelt told them that they would be going hunting. Sunnypaw nodded in agreement. It would be a challenge, Sunnypaw had learned to hunt rabbits but never needed to pounce on them like he would need to with a quail. He offered no complaint despite his uneasiness about failing in front of his mentor.
Following after Mudpelt had become easier. He was nearly full grown, no longer tiny and awkwardly shaped kit. Upon their arrival at the star field, Sunnypaw crouched low like his mentor and kept close.
"I can sent the grass and the wet dirt, maybe something that might be quail. I think there was a rabbit through here not to long ago," He whispered back toward Mudpelt, worried that if he talked normally it would startle the birds.
Sunnypaw |
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Post by Fawn on Oct 16, 2016 21:37:52 GMT -5
25 Moons. Tom.-- "Correct, there was a rabbit here not so long ago." Mudpelt's body went still as he tasted the air, concentrating on separating the fresh scents from the stale. "It's gone, however. Concentrate on that quail-scent. What direction is it coming from?" Somber yellow eyes rested on Sunnypaw, watching him closely as if he could picture the younger tom's mental processes, as if he could see the gears turning if he concentrated hard enough.
Mudpelt much preferred hunting quail to hunting rabbits. Rabbits were quick, and unless he was part of a two-cat hunting team, it was tiresome work for a tom who wasn't exceptionally fast. There was nothing more disheartening than to chase a hare all over the moorland only to have it dodge into it's warren at the last heartbeat.
Quail, however, quail tended to be slow to fly away, preferring to rely on their plumage to act as camouflage when predators were around. That meant more chances to pounce on them. The feathers were good bedding, and Mudpelt always made the effort to bring some to the nursery, in homage to his mother's place as a permanent queen when she'd still been alive.
It's there, he realized, pinpointing the scent before Sunnypaw had. He didn't give anything away, however, wanting the tom to work it out for himself.
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Word Count: 210 Words
Tags: Hellion
Notes: Keeping it short so it goes quickly This world will break your heart
Nobody's falling in love |
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Post by Hellion on Oct 17, 2016 15:54:43 GMT -5
In the eye of a hurricane there is quiet
For just a moment a yellow sky Sunnypaw beamed toward his mentor when he was confirmed being correct about the rabbit. Hunting wasn't Sunnypaw's strongest skill. In fact as he grew up he would lose the ability to chase down a rabbit. Soon the skills he learned on stalking would prove to be his only strength in hunting.
Hearing his mentor's words about concentrating on the quail scent, Sunnypaw was able to pin point it. It was coming from the right of them, not too far right, just a slight directional shift. His whiskers twitched as he zeroed in on the location of the scent.
"That way," He pointed with his forepaw before taking a careful step toward the scent. It was nice, reminded him of the meal he and his mentor shared. He wondered for a moment if quails were smarter or dumber than rabbits.
Rabbits seemed to have an extra sense to help them avoid being fresh-kill. Did the quail have something like that? Could they tell something was lurking in the grasses? Waiting for his mentor's further instruction, Sunnypaw's flicked back and forth. Sunnypaw |
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Post by Fawn on Oct 17, 2016 19:26:11 GMT -5
25 Moons. Tom.-- Mudpelt nodded, watching as Sunnypaw placed his paw back down, hoping the tom had stealth in mind. "Quail prefer to hide rather than fly. We don't want to flush them out of their hiding spots so they fly off, but pounce on them while they're in the tall grasses." The solid brown tom began to move away, walking cautiously through the field, he spoke quietly back to his student. "I'll draw it closer towards you. Be ready to pounce." Even if Sunnypaw missed, he would likely get another chance.
If the quail didn't somehow manage to confuse or lose both warriors, with it's perfect camouflage of colors. Mudpelt likewise was well suited to the tall grasses, now that everything was turning brown and gold for the season; he hunkered down low, spotting a female quail sitting atop a nest, nearly too well hidden to notice.
Mudpelt let out a yowl, startling the quail back towards Sunnypaw. Hunting did not seem to be Sunnypaw’s strongest trait. Though the tom had managed to catch a rabbit a few times, his speed was average, if not a little below. Quail-hunting was more about timing and focus, so he had hopes that Sunnypaw would manage to be proficient in this area. Otherwise… He grimaced at the idea of having to give an a less-than-positive account of his apprentice’s training to Firestar.
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Word Count: 231 Words
Tags: Hellion
Notes: This world will break your heart
Nobody's falling in love |
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Post by Hellion on Oct 18, 2016 3:30:09 GMT -5
In the eye of a hurricane there is quiet
For just a moment a yellow sky Sunnypaw nodded in response to his mentor's explaination. Repeating the importnat information in his head a few times Sunnypaw hoped that he committed it to memory. Hunting quail needed to be his strong suit in order to provide for LightingClan as his fathers provided for him. Even if the pressure for him to succeed was high, Sunnypaw did his best to remain calm and level headed in the situation. The last thing he wanted to do was make a fool of himself.
Nodding as Mudpelt explained their plan, Sunnypaw readied himself. He watched as his mentor moved through the grass with ease. His amber-eyed focus was kept on the dark hue of his mentor's pelt until the yowl was heard.
Sunnypaw sprang into action! His claws were outstretched as the quail darted away from Mudpelt's yowl and right toward him. Pouncing forward, Sunnypaw landed on the quail and gave it a sharp bite to the neck, ending it's life. A short purr escaped him as he realized how easy it was compared to rabbits. He wasn't panting to keep up or struggle to get overwhelm the prey, instead his heart was racing from the pounce and thrill of making a clean kill.
"That was fun! Can we try to get more?" Sunnypaw asked his mentor, keeping his voice low to avoid startling any lurking birds.
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Post by Fawn on Oct 18, 2016 9:35:53 GMT -5
25 Moons. Tom.-- "Be sure to thank StarClan for its life, Sunnypaw." Mudpelt suppressed a purr of satisfaction and relief, not wanting to give the young tom too much praise. Not until his 2nd or 3rd catch of the day; then that would prove the tom was learning, not just getting lucky.
"This time, I'll move further out and drive the prey closer to you. I want you to get as close as you can, then pounce." And for the third time, Sunnypaw would try to hunt quail without his mentor's assistance.
Scenting the air again, he trusted Sunnypaw to scrape dirt and grass over the fresh kill for later, and turned his focus outward, trying to pick up more than just his apprentice's excitement.
So far so good.
A faint breeze carried fresh scents with it, and Mudpelt flicked his tail for Sunnypaw to follow. The mud-brown warrior traced a path through the tall grasses, scenting quail droppings, as well as hearing the high cry of a bird searching for a mate. He spotted the wide black stripe on a male quail's chest, making a mental note to mention the difference between the males and females to Sunnypaw when they were done.
Mudpelt held up his tail slightly, signalling for Sunnypaw to stop. "I'll drive it towards you. I won't yowl this time, so keep your senses open." With the grass turning golden brown and even somewhat colorless as the leaf-fall days wore on, a cat's sense of smell was their best ally when it came to hunting quail. They blended in almost too well this time of year.
Focused heavily on his task, Mudpelt circled around this one, and deliberately snapped a branch to catch the bird's attention. It froze. He took a few steps forward, and the quail retreated into a denser pocket of grass. Mudpelt rustled the long stalks with his tail, scenting the quail's change in position as he drove it closer, little by little, into Sunnypaw's path.
He waited any moment for Sunnypaw to spring out and catch the bird, trusting the young tom to have been creeping up on it as it got closer.
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Word Count: 351 Words
Tags: Hellion
Notes: This world will break your heart
Nobody's falling in love |
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Post by Hellion on Oct 18, 2016 15:43:41 GMT -5
In the eye of a hurricane there is quiet
For just a moment a yellow sky Sunnypaw glanced down at the quail then let his gaze flick upward toward the sky. He had heard of StarClan from his fathers, often listened to a lot of cats talk about their ancestors but Sunnypaw wasn't sure if he believed in them. He wasn't Clanborn and even if he wanted others to forget about it, part of him felt that it excluded him from having the 'right' to believe in StarClan. In his mind it as only for the clan-born. He glanced from the prey to his mentor for a second then back again, unsure if Mudpelt would have the answer.
Coming to the conclusion that it wasn't the time, Sunnypaw simply buried the prey before turning to listen to Mudpelt better. Sunnypaw nodded claws itching to try again at catching another quail.
Following after his mentor and keep close, Sunnypaw tried his best not to get distracted. He needed to learn from Mudpelt not branch off on his own just yet. Hearing Mudpelt's instructions had Sunnypaw pausing before finding himself to wait for the quail to come past. The growing tom-cat focused his ears on the rustling in the grass and the shift of the wind to provide some scents.
There was a quail to his left and every shift of the grass Sunnypaw's ears twitched. Finally the fresh scent of quail was coming toward him. Lowering himself down to a crouch he waited until the bird darted forward. Launching himself forward, Sunnypaw jumped a little too far and nearly missed his prey but managed to recover at the last second. The kill was messier than before, but he managed to kill it without and tried to stop his heart from hammering out of his chest.
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Post by Fawn on Oct 18, 2016 20:40:47 GMT -5
25 Moons. Tom.-- It was a sloppy kill, but Mudpelt found it acceptable. He nodded his approval, stepping through the tall grasses to reach him. "We'll work on your distances. Well done. Put that one with the others, then I want you to hunt a quail by yourself." He suspected Sunnypaw might be nervous at the idea, but Mudpelt placed his tail on Sunnypaw's shoulder encouragingly.
"If you remember what I just taught you, you should be fine. Don't be afraid of failure, Sunnypaw, all cats fail sometimes. It's what makes success so great, when you achieve what you've worked hard to do."
Even if you fail, we will keep trying.
Mudpelt, though he longed to go into the grasses himself and catch a few quail, knew better than to do that. Sunnypaw needed as much of an advantage as he could get--and that meant his mentor would have to leave enough of the birds for him to hunt.
Aware that the quail weren't just going to line up and wait to be pounced on, he took Sunnypaw to a different part of the grassy field, and then both toms hunkered down to wait. Keeping their ears, mouths and eyes open for any fresh quail scents. Mudpelt's stomach was starting to growl, but he ignored it. Suddenly, his ears pricked forward as he caught the none-too-distant cry of a male quail. Signalling with his tail for his apprentice to raise, he gestured again for him to try to hunt it on his own.
Good luck. Mind your footing. Keep downwind. Feeling anticipation for Sunnypaw to succeed, despite his earlier words about success and failure, he couldn't stop himself from being a bit... expectant of success. Was that hope on the part of a new mentor, or an understanding of Sunnypaw's abilities? Mudpelt crouched low, watching and waiting.
They would just have to find out.
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Word Count: 315 Words
Tags: Hellion
Notes: 2-3 more posts and we should be finished! This world will break your heart
Nobody's falling in love |
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Post by Hellion on Oct 24, 2016 1:36:08 GMT -5
In the eye of a hurricane there is quiet
For just a moment a yellow sky Sunnypaw carefully tucked away his second kill with a scrap of dirt and a small quickly dug hole. He didn't expect for Mudpelt to let him go on his own. His ears tucked back for a second in a sign of protest, but he don't voice himself. Instead he swallowed the little lump that formed.
"I'll do my best," Was all he managed to say. He agreed with his mentor, cats failed but it didn't stop the pounding in his chest. Giving himself a short shake, Sunnypaw tried to ease away the nervous energy. He needed to focus other wise he'd mess up his solo hunt.
Following after Mudpelt, Sunnypaw noted the slight change. The grass here was denser. Something he could use to his advantage. Mimicking his mentor and lowering himself to the grass, Sunnypaw kept his ears open and ready for the sound of the quail.
He heard it's song before turning his head toward it. Without a word he stalked off toward it. Normally Sunnypaw let his bulky size push the grass around him, but the goal wasn't to startle the prey. Instead he kept himself low to the ground, mouth open to find the scent of the bird, tail tucked low.
His whiskers twitched as they grazed the grass against his head until he amber eyes were able to settle on pair of quail. Sunnypaw knew he wasn't fast enough to catch them both, so his attention settled on the larger of the two birds.
Checking his foot before gathering himself up Sunnypaw was able to launch himself forward. The rustle of the grass as he moved alerted the hens, but Sunnypaw was just a tad faster. One got away but he was able to land and kill the larger of the two. Pride swelled in his chest as he picked up the bird and turned to try and find his mentor in the grass. Sunnypaw |
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Post by Fawn on Oct 24, 2016 13:20:51 GMT -5
25 Moons. Tom.-- Mudpelt sprang out of his cover in the tall grasses, rustling the long stalks as he caught and killed the second bird. Holding the quail by the neck, he rejoined Sunnypaw, setting the prey down so the tom could see and hear his approval. "Well done, Sunnypaw. It was a wise choice to focus on one bird. A greedy or overzealous warrior misses both catches."
The brown warrior recounted Sunnypaw's catch, satisfied as he recalled his placement and his technique. Though rabbits and hare continued to prove a challenge for the ginger tom, Mudpelt could at least report to Firestar and Redscar that Sunnypaw had found his hunting niche. "I have one last thing to teach you, before we turn in." The somber brown tom gestured to the quail he had caught after Sunnypaw's, indicating the speckled feathers on the chest with a dark paw. "This one is female."
Mudpelt then gestured to the second quail, the one Sunnypaw had caught and also the larger of the two. "That one is male. See the plain brown feathers? That's the one you heard calling before." While other mentors might not consider this necessary to their apprentices' education, Mudpelt was nothing if not thorough. It was baffling to him to think that Sunnypaw (or any cat, for that matter) would want to maintain their ignorance about the world and the creatures that lived in it.
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Word Count: 229 Words
Tags: Hellion
Notes: Here is a link to the quail~ HERE This world will break your heart
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Post by Hellion on Oct 24, 2016 13:36:43 GMT -5
In the eye of a hurricane there is quiet
For just a moment a yellow sky
Sunnypaw let a pleased purr escape him as he heard Mudpelt's praise. It was nice and comforting for him to have his clever thinking to be noticed. In their short stint at hunting, Sunnypaw felt he had learned a lot.
He found his skill at hunting, stalking and finding prey versus chasing down prey far to past for him. Sunnypaw wondered for a moment if he would ever be able to hunt a rabbit. The more he thought about it the more he pushed away the idea. Hunting birds and smaller prey would be his talent, protecting his clan would be the other. Rabbits weren't his thing and that was okay.
Mudpelt captured his attention again, explaining to him the difference between the male and female birds. It was easy to tell and Sunnypaw did his best to commit it to memory, but one thing stood out to him.
"Should we not hunt the females? That way they can lay eggs and make more kit quails? Or does it really matter?" Sunnypaw asked, looking between the two birds for a moment.
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Post by Fawn on Oct 25, 2016 10:43:51 GMT -5
25 Moons. Tom.-- "Should we not hunt the females? That way they can lay eggs and make more kit quails? Or does it really matter?"
Kit quails. Mudpelt, in a rare moment of humor, felt his whiskers twitch a little before he regained control of himself. It was a good question. "A quail's offspring are called chicks, not kits. And it is safe to hunt them during leaf-fall and leafbare. In newleaf and greenleaf, we should be careful not to kill any female quails if they're sitting on nests. The males should be fine."
He had never been concerned with overhunting LightningClan's quail population; no cat was successful at hunting every day, and it would only get harder with the weather. Mudpelt considered bringing it up with Firestar or Redscar if there seemed to be a shortage of rabbit, hare or quail at any point -- but that was something for a more experienced warrior to discover and deal with. He did not want to yell 'smoke' when there wasn't even a fire.
"It's time we returned. If you carry two, I'll carry the last two." Mudpelt went to their cache of quail, and showed him how to grip both birds by gripping a leg from each quail and carrying them back that way, the birds bouncing heavily against his chest. He kept his pace slow in case Sunnypaw needed to adjust his hold, or try some other way of carrying them.
When they returned to the camp, he helped Sunnypaw carry their bounty over to the fresh kill pile, feeling a soft glow of pride for Sunnypaw as their Clanmates' murmured approval and delight at their results.
"You did well today, Sunnypaw. Take one quail to the elders, and bring another to your fathers. I am sure they will appreciate it."
Mudpelt dismissed his young charge, and went to find Firestar. Not wishing to intrude upon the leader's den without invitation, he stood a harelength outside the entrance, meowing inside. "Firestar? May I speak with you?"
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Word Count: 317 Words
Tags: Hellion
Notes: =) He's just gonna give his report on Sunnypaw's progress. This world will break your heart
Nobody's falling in love |
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Post by Hellion on Nov 10, 2016 0:50:53 GMT -5
[smear:CE3259] Sunnypaw[/smear:FA724A] & [smear:f27d0c] Firestar[/smear:800909]
Sunnypaw felt a little embarrassed that he didn't know the 'proper' name of kit quails. Even as Mudpelt told him, Sunnypaw found the term 'kit quail' better suited. The word chicks just seemed boring. As his mentor explained when it was better to hunt them he gave a nod to show he understood. "I'll be sure to remember that,"
Hearing his mentor's request Sunnypaw followed his mentor's example and grabbed the quail by the feet. It took a bit of adjusting and a few times he thought he was going to drop them but he managed. It was sort of funny to feel them pat against his chest as he walked half a stride behind Mudpelt.
They arrived in camp and as they crossed over to the fresh-kill pile, the sound of praise warmed his ears. He even caught a glimpse of Flashbrook leaving the warriors den. His father smiled proudly toward him and dipped his head. Mudpelt gave him a quick errand which he didn't dare protest. Instead he picked up the quails just as before and headed for the elder's den then to Flashbrook to offer him the second quail.
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Firestar had just returned from a short patrol to the sunstones and was busy grooming away a bit of mud that clung to her feet. Hearing the sound of Mudpelt's voice the she-cat rose up and greeted him at the entrance before coaxing him in.
"Of course you can talk to me when ever you want, She told him with a warm inviting smile before directing him with a nod to sit or stand across from her as she returned to her grooming.
"I hope nothing is troubling you. Is Sunnypaw shaping up to be a good warrior of LightingClan?" She asked.
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Post by Fawn on Nov 11, 2016 21:37:24 GMT -5
Mudpelt entered the den, twitching an ear as he thought he caught the sound of his brother's voice somewhere around camp, but the noise faded. At Firestar's prompting, Mudpelt (still standing, as was his way) went right to the point. "Sunnypaw's training is coming along well. His ability to hunt rabbit and hare leaves much to be desired." Mudpelt hated pointing out the ginger tom's weaknesses, but they were necessary. "But he seems to have found his niche with quail. I have tutored him extensively on the Warrior Code and we have covered the basics of battle training. He works hard and listens well."
Mudpelt dipped his head courteously to show he had finished his assessment, then finally chose to sit down, his stocky frame maneuvered into a more comfortable posture. Though, with the way he tended to hold himself, he never looked too comfortable except when sleeping. Blazefang liked to say he had a stick up his rump, but Mudpelt would rather be proper than casual.
'Casual' good come off as disrespect, especially in front of cats who outranked him or commanded more respect than a young warrior lounging around like an overfed weasel. Fixing somber yellow eyes on the matriarch of LightningClan, Mudpelt had half a mind to request she accompany them on their next hunting trip, but he backpedaled at once. He did not want to make Sunnypaw too nervous, not until he had gone on a few more hunting trips first. And, Mudpelt was at once reminded, it was Firestar who decided when and if an apprentice was due for an assessment.
Resolved to be patient and obedient, Mudpelt listened, still and solid of temperament as the earth.
289 words - Hellion - notes: feel free to close the thread! MUDPELT lightningclan warrior. 25 moons. you may encounter many defeats but you must not be defeated. in fact it may be necessary to encounter the defeats so you can know who you are, what you can rise from
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