Focus (Smokepaw's training)

Tawnystorm was quite frankly ecstatic at the thought of having her own apprentice. And so soon, too! Smokepaw was eager, and he could be made into a fine warrior with the right training - training she wished to give him. It was how she had found herself rising before the sun, padding over to the apprentice's den. The strong, muscular warrior nudged the snoozing Smokepaw, urging him to get up.

"Smokepaw, wake up. I'm your new mentor, and we're about to begin training again."

Smokepaw, dreaming of... well Tawnystorm... woke up gently, trying to blink away sleep. When he heard Tawnystorm say 'I'm your new mentor', he was sure this was still a dream. But no. As he got up, he remembered with an ache that his me tor had committed suicide, and Tawnystorm was his new mentor.

He followed her outside, and when he was sure she wasn't looking, she groomed his fur a little, then joined her with the expression of a tough warrior ready for battle. He looked up at her greenish eyes with his own orange eyes and felt a jolt of happiness at being alone with her.

"So, hunting or just patrolling?" he asked her simply, wanting to not bother her with to many questions, like a little kit.

"Both, probably. What has Nightsong taught you?" Tawnystorm began to pad out of the camp, beckoning Smokepaw to follow with her tail. "I would assume he's taught you how to hunt - have you learned any fighting techniques?"

Smokepaw flattened his ears tk his head and lowered his head, smirking sadly. His mentor hadn't really taught him anything, and he wasn't neither very close with him. Nightsong had died even before teaching him anything. All that he knew was from Willowbreeze, Tawnystorm's sister.

"He hadn't really... taught me anything..." she whispered as he walked besides her. "I know a bit of the territory but..."

Tawnystorm frowned. She would be starting from scratch here, but maybe that was a good thing.
"Hmm......why don't we do fishing and hunting today? I can also teach you some fighting moves if we have time, which I think we will. I can also take you out on some patrols later, and you can learn the territory." She was mentally checking off what she needed to teach him, and nodded to herself. Her apprentice was going to be good, and she was going to make sure of it. She began jogging along at a brisker pace.
"Follow me."
Tawnystorm lead Smokepaw to a quiet spot by the riverbank. She could see plenty of fish swimming by in the clear water - perfect.
"So, as you probably know, fish are RiverClan's main source of food. That's why it's important you learnt how to fish."
She crouched on the riverbank, paws in the water, waiting for a fish to swim by. She gave Smokepaw a glance indicating for him to copy her.

Smokepaw follow his mentor towards the riverbank, nodding absently at all that she said, just anting to have her know he agreed to whatever she said. And even if he tried to concentrate, he couldn't. As they reached the riverbank, he gazed into the water at their reflection and couldn't not grin at thinking what Crowpaw would think of him there with Tawnystorm.

He copied her possition by the water and watched her with his orange eyes, ready to do whatever she instructed him to. Maybe even jump in the water and bring her some ThunderClan prey. Well, no.

Actually if she did...

"When you see a fish, snap it up as fast as you can with your jaws." Tawnystorm nodded. A trout came swimming past, and she snatched it up with a splash, finishing it off as it gave a limp twitch in her jaws. "Oh yeah, don't be afraid to bet yourself wet." She gave a small smirk.
"Anyway, you try now."

Almost surprised by her sudden lunge, Smokepaw was ready to jump after her if she fell. He got up, but just as he saw her with the trout in her jaws, he quickly sat back down, wearing his best pokerface.

He nodded at her next words and sat again besdies the water, scanning it for any silverly gleam. Luckily, Tawnystorm seemed to have brought him a to place filled with nothing but fish, so his chance came quickly. Another trout, swimming lazily past the bank. Taking a silent but huge intake of air, he plunged in the water with his jaws wide and felt his teeth sink in the flesh of the fish. The oily taste filled his mouth, mixed with the taste of blood, and the apprentice almost slammed it in the ground as he threw it on the ground, giving it a final hit of his claws before retreating, searching Tawnystorm's face for anything.

He still couldn't quite think of her as his mentor.

She was Tawnystorm. His Tawnystorm. His sweet Tawnystorm.

OOC: Oh boy.

Tawnystorm nodded. "That was pretty good for your first try. Keep practising now." She resumed her position on the bank, catching some more fish.

(Smokepaw: Crush Level: 10,000)

Smokepaw's heart grew with encouragement at her praise and her focused more. He plucked out another fish, the sweet taste making his mouth water, but he kept catching fish without caring. Sometimes, they would slip through his jaws and escape, but he was quick to try and hide that from Tawnystorm.

They had caught a great deal of fish and Smokepaw was kind of tired. He turned his head towards the she-cat. "Should we take these back to camp?" he asked her, remembering she had suggested some fighting training and a patrol later, which they couldn't be doing with so much fish in their paws, ready to be stolen.

OOC: Wait is Crow X Tawny a thing right now?

(Crow x Tawny is a thing, yes. They're gonna end up mates. Poor Smokepaw... friendzoned)
"Good idea."
Tawnystorm picked up her share of fish, carrying it back to the fresh-kill pile. She knew Smokepaw didn't know the territory very well, so she was constantly checking to see if he wants behind her. Eventually, they had carried all their catches back, and Tawnystorm knew it would be a good meal for the clan.
As they made their way back to their spot by the river, Tawnystorm turned to Smokepaw.
"Think about when you play-fought as a kit. Think of what you used to do then - think of what you saw the older cats do. It might help you learn some fighting techniques."

OOC: Damn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Smokepaw helped the she-cat carry back the fish they had hunted, appreaciting the glances cats back in camp gave them as they returned with so much fish. The apprentice followed his mentor back towards where they had fished. He listened to her indication, and nodded absently.

Think about any older cats you saw fighting. Smokepaw remembered seeing Tawnystorm defending him from that mean apprentice that had tried to bury him in fish guts.

(friendzone is better than endzone)

"I'll show you one move today, then we might be able to have a look around the territory." The tawny tabby unsheathed her long claws, glinting in the early morning's light. "This is a simple move - unsheath your claws and try to slash at your opponent. The cat you are fighting will attempt to dodge, so you'll need to be able to judge where they will move." She took a defensive stance. "I want you to try it on me. Remember to try and judge where I will move." She gave another small smirk. ""And seriously, don't worry about hurting me - I'm a lot bigger than you and I can take it."

OOC: Guess you're right *sight*

Smokepaw jolted at the prostpect of hurting Tawnystorm. He ceirtainly didn't want to do so, but if she asked him. And she said she'd be okay with it... Smokepaw sighted and prepared to attck. He tactically fixed his eyes to his right, looking at her right shoulder. If he did that, she'd dodge to her left...

But if she was smarter, she'd dodge to the right as well, which meant he looks at th right, he hits at the right. Thinking that, Smokepaw acted as if he was suddenly lunging for the left, before he turned and slashed his paw, whose claws he had carefully half sheathed, to the right.

Tawnystorm dodged to the right, but as she saw her apprentice dash towards her, she moved to the left at the last second possible. She couldn't deny she was rather impressed.
"That was excellent, Smokepaw - although you may want to hit a bit harder. As well as that, you may want to work on your speed and reflexes. While you were good, you want o make it so I don't have that time to dodge back the other way."