Learn What Matters [closed]

It had been a few days since Mottledspark had received his first ever apprentice, a half-blood named Minkpaw. At first the young warrior had been, frankly, offended that a loyal and pureblooded RiverClan tom like himself would be forced to take on a kit who was barely a Clan cat; however, he began to realize that perhaps it was a challenge to test his ability as a mentor. After all, if he could teach a half-loner kit - who likely didn't even know his parentage yet - to be a strong and loyal RiverClan warrior, he could train anyone.

On their first day, immediately after Minkpaw was apprenticed, Mottledspark had shown the young tom RiverClan's borders and emphasized the importance of defending them even at the cost of their life - especially the Gorge, after the "misunderstanding" between Brindlestar and RiverClan's own idiot medicine cat, Goldeneye. The next few days had consisted mostly of busy work and teaching some of RiverClan's history and all about the warrior code and RiverClan's current relationship with other Clans - a bit skewed, he had to admit, to try to keep his apprentice biased towards his birth Clan.

Now Mottledspark intended to find out how much of Minkpaw's RiverClan blood had carried through. Every RiverClan kit was taught to swim in the shallows, out of the currents, before even leaving the nursery. However, swimming in the currents and fishing were two very different and much more demanding types of swimming that only truly capable RiverClan cats could do. So, Mottledspark intended to make sure that his apprentice became one of the best swimmers and fishers in the Clan. No one could question his loyalty if his RiverClan bloodline were truly embraced, right?

With that, Mottledspark approached the apprentice's den, peeking his head in. It was just before sun-up, when many fish would be gathering near the surface to catch what few bugs remained in the cold weather. "Minkpaw, wake up," Mottledspark called gruffly into the darkness, "it's time for river training." The dark tortoiseshell tom withdrew from the den and waited outside the entrance for his apprentice to show.

A voice broke into his dreams, shattering muddled images and feelings like a paw striking muddied water. Groggily, he raised his head, blinking at a dim form he recognized as his mentor. Time for river training.... Just a few days ago he would have been scrambling out of his nest and straight into the water at the thought, but now he just shrank back into his nest for a moment. What if I can't do it? Only RiverClan cats can swim, right? Have I got enough in me? If only he hadn't asked his mother those questions.... He nearly buried his head back into his nest before setting his jaw and rising on firm paws, forcing a grin. Who cares? Blood doesn't mean anything.
With that thought in mind, he strode out of the den, a small tingle of excitement running through the slight twisting in his gut. "All right!" He grinned at his mentor, the expression no longer feeling as forced. "Where're we starting?"

Mottledspark waited, though he felt more and more impatient with each passing second. Oh, come on, we haven't even been training for a quarter moon and he's already starting to get lazy, the RiverClan warrior thought irritably, but almost immediately Minkpaw appeared, looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as usual despite the cold and the snow that had fallen on the forest. Well. I mean, I guess I take a bit to get out of my nest, too, he conceded silently.

Ruffling his long tortoiseshell fur against the cold as well as to hide his temper-prickled fur, Mottledspark turned his hazel eyes to his apprentice. "We're going upriver," he responded, turning to lead the way out of camp, "to ensure that you can swim in a decent current. It's easiest to fall in while you're learning to fish, and I want to ensure you can get yourself out should that happen." The young warrior led the way towards Fourtrees; in the distance he could hear the waterfall, but they would be staying closer to camp where the water had slowed and Minkpaw would be able to more easily climb out.

As they neared the water, Mottledspark nodded towards ThunderClan's territory. "We came here on your first day of training; which Clan lives across that border? Can you scent any of their warriors across the river?" Any RiverClan cat had to be able to scent through the pungent smell of the water and reeds that surrounded them. Mottledspark scented none nearby, but the wafting of fresh ThunderClan scent over the surface of the churning river let him know a patrol had gone by not too long ago.

Minkpaw nodded and followed his mentor along the snow-dusted ground as he led the way upriver. In a moment, they were padding near the swirling waters, and he gazed curiously across the dark, almost sludgy-looking depths cutting a dark path through the white. The forests looked dim this morning, their bare branches clawing at the sky.
He shook himself out of his thoughts as Mottledspark asked him a question, glancing at the other tom before turning back to look at the forest. Frowning slightly, he opened his mouth to draw the scent across his tongue, memory fleeing his mind for a moment. "Uh, that's... ThunderClan territory," He mewed, flicking his tail behind him as he attempted to sort through the overwhelming scent of the river and its plants. Rushes, heavy water scent, faint smell of cats.... "...No, there's some scent, but it's not strong."

Mottledspark nodded once when Minkpaw said ThunderClan, and again when the tom said that no one was nearby. "Good. We're gonna be swimming near Sunningrocks, and despite that it's rightfully ours, ThunderClan is full of mouse-brained bullies who think everything should be theirs." His tail lashed with irritation, and he added, "I'd rather you be able to focus on learning than have to argue with those mouse-brains." The dark tortoiseshell tom led the way to the river's edge; across the way were Sunningrocks. Between them and the smooth stones, however, was cold water that had become quicker since the first snow had fallen.

"Alright. As you probably know, our diet of fish helps oil our pelts and repel water. However, no matter how thick or water-resistant your fur," Mottledspark spoke, and he began padding into the shallows, "cold water is still cold." The river lapped at his belly and he sucked in a breath through gritted teeth. "Come on in upstream of me; if you lose your grip, I'll catch you." He glanced at the apprentice's paws, then added, "You've got big feet like the rest of the Clan does, so at least there's that. Make use of them as much as you can."

Minkpaw stepped forwards, walked towards the river, and slipped into the freezing cold. It was so cold. He shivered, hesitating for a moment as his muscles froze. You've got big feet like the rest of the Clan. He gave a shivering smile at that, glancing down at said paws, which were currently freezing into blocks of ice. "Yeah, but they don't feel much like feet now." Steeling himself, teeth already chattering, he waded deeper into the water, feeling an unaccustomed swirling around the fur on his legs, making the hairs dance like weeds trailing along the river.
At least it isn't too dee- His paw slipped. With a yowl of shock, he went plunging straight into the river. The freezing cold took his breath away, most of his air disappearing in a cloud of bubbles as his yowl was choked off. Panicking, he thrashed wildly at the water, all his lessons disappearing in a fog of fear. Littlestream! Mottledspark! Anyone! He couldn't see through the murkiness, everything painted in shades of brown and pale light spearing through. The current whirled him around, and in his panic it felt like he was being swept towards the gorge. -Named  you Strom. For the current. The phantom voice rang through his head, but Strom couldn't do anything but let the current carry him away.

(sorry for suddenly switching on colours randomly, I kinda just want to test it out a little more)

Mottledspark watched his apprentice as the tom carefully picked his way into the river. When Minkpaw made a joke about his toes being cold, the warrior stifled a laugh and said firmly, "Focus, Minkpaw." The tortoiseshell tom kept a wary eye as Minkpaw wandered in farther. In just a heartbeat the apprentice had lost his footing and slipped, letting out a startled cry just in time to hit the water. Mottledspark's heart jumped and he was already striking out in the slightly deeper water, his muscles working against the current. It's definitely faster than I had to learn in, he thought as he made his way towards the splashing in the river which was his apprentice.

When Mottledspark reached Minkpaw's side, he dipped his head under to bite firmly on the apprentice's scruff before yanking back up to bring them both above the surface. Through the mouthful of fur, Mottledspark growled, "Quit thrashing and--", he choked on a wave then continued, "--start swimming, frog-brain," as he helped direct his apprentice back towards the shore. As soon as they reached where Minkpaw could easily touch the riverbed again, Mottledspark let go and glared at the wet scrap of fur before him. "You do know that your lungs aren't waterproof, right? Why on earth did you open your mouth when you fell? Your first instinct should be to shut your mouth and hold your breath when you fall in."

His lungs bursting, Strom was just about to let go of his last gasp of air when he felt teeth meet in his scruff and yank him to the surface. He gulped in the chilly air, blinking water out of his eyes and stilling his thrashing as his mentor told him to, settling his legs into a smoother rhythm that kept him above the water, though not without swallowing a bit of it.
When his paws finally touched the pebbles of the riverbed, Minkpaw stumbled forwards onto drier ground, feeling his fur plastering to his body. Resisting the urge to shake himself, he turned to his mentor as the older tom demanded why he hadn't held his breath. "I didn't have any time-!" He took a deep breath of air, calming himself down and shaking off the panic of coming close to nearly drowning. "I couldn't help it. I guess I just haven't swum enough. Or maybe I just can't swim like the rest of you," He finished with a hint of bitterness, looking anywhere but at his mentor's face.

Despite being dragged through the current, Mottledspark could tell that Minkpaw had at least put some effort into helping them get to the shore. Mentor and apprentice both withdrew from the water, and once Mottledspark had snapped his question, the apprentice blurted back in a choked and panicked mewl. The RiverClan warrior's lip curled for a moment - If you got Starlord's attitude, I might just let the river take you next time, he thought tartly - but quickly relaxed as Minkpaw began to compose himself.

When his apprentice trailed off sounding dejected, Mottledspark snorted and continued to stare at his apprentice. "Maybe you can't swim like the rest of us," Mottledspark replied mildly. "Your father was bad at it when he ever even bothered to try." The dark tortoiseshell warrior began to pace in front of Minkpaw, considering for a second, then mewed, "However, you're half RiverClan - from a line of strong leaders, even. If Gingerstripe can learn to flounder around without a drop of RiverClan blood in his veins then we can train you to swim laps."

Mottledspark padded back into the water and searched for a slightly calmer section that would be slightly sheltered from the current; though still uncomfortable, the cold as he entered was less shocking this time now that his fur was already wet. "Here, come stand next to me. We'll wade in together - just wading until you can't touch anymore. I'll still have a solid grip so I can keep you in place and we can make sure you know how to paddle to keep afloat."

Minkpaw stared at his mentor. The other tom's words rang through his head, and he let his tail droop all the way to the ground as his head sank in exhaustion. Knew it. He could feel the cold drops of the river dripping down his legs and onto the pebbles beneath him, painting them a darker colour than they had been. Rogues can't swim, and you've got rogue blood. He sighed inwardly, starting to shiver again as an icy wind cut through the rushes, making them rustle with a sound as cold as the chill.
Staring down dully as his mentor paced in front of him, the other's sudden meow caught him by surprise, and he lifted his head, ears pricking. Even though it was said in an almost off-handed manner, Mottledspark's words filled him with a sudden warm feeling of determination, and he sent a half-grin at his mentor. "I guess I can.... Laps don't sound half bad." At least that wouldn't include drowning, right?
He followed the other tom as Mottledspark went down to the river again, stepping next to him and attempting not to shiver. "Right." He took a deep breath, banishing the left-over fear from last time he'd gone in, and feeling a tingle of anticipation arise instead. It'll be just like when Littlestream brought us to the pools.... And probably just as humiliating, he had to admit to himself.

Mottledspark felt a smug satisfaction inside him to see the half-blooded apprentice seeming so uncertain, though he didn't let it show. He just needs a strong role model, the warrior assured himself, to show him that his loyalty lies here whether his blood does or not. If he can just forget about being half rogue then maybe he'll be worthy of being a RiverClan warrior one day. His words seemed to fill his apprentice with a bit of determination, and he hoped it would begin to help steer Minkpaw in the right direction. Mottledspark nodded once at the young tom's understatement.

When Minkpaw was in the water beside him, Mottledspark continued to step forward, keeping his chin high as they moved slowly deeper until Minkpaw would begin to lose his footing. "The first thing to remember if you go down, as I said, is to shut your mouth as fast as possible and hold your breath," Mottledspark instructed, "and that is because your lungs full of air will help you to float to the surface. Lungs full of water will only make you panic, and panic turns you into fish food." He glanced to see if Minkpaw seemed worried.

"When you are not below the surface," he continued, the water now starting to come over his back, "it's important to try to breathe deep and steady as it will help you stay above the surface and keep you prepared if you go under. And always keep your chin up." A small wave went over the side of Mottledspark's head and he flicked his head vigorously. "Now, Minkpaw, remember how Littlestream taught you to swim in the pools and do that - just that. I'll keep the current from taking you away for now; you just have to stay afloat. Can you do that?"

Minkpaw moved forwards with his mentor, feeling the water again swirling around his fur, though not quite as much as before with his mentor breaking the brunt of it. As they strode in deeper, the water rose around his neck, leaving only his head dry. Letting go of the bottom, he began to churn his paws lightly beneath him, trying as best he could not to hit his mentor with a wayward leg while still keeping his head above water. He listened to Mottledspark as the other tom explained what to do if he sank again. Fish food sounds great. He nodded, not daring to open his mouth as he instinctively kept it as far above the water as he could, trying to ignore the thought of drowning on his first proper swimming lesson, like he almost would have before.
Hissing breaths shivering as he churned his feet harder, he tried to smoothen them out as his mentor said, breathing deep rather than shallow, despite his body's urge not to in case a wave slopped into his mouth. Remember how Littlestream taught you to swim. He evened his leg movements out, pushing deep as he kicked them down, breathing as deep and even as he could. To his surprised delight, it worked better than he'd thought it would, his head staying comfortably above the surface, only his chin touching it.
"I'll keep the current from taking you away for now; you just have to stay afloat. Can you do that?"
Concentrating fiercely on doing everything at once, he kept looking ahead as he replied, "For a while. This is getting a bit-" He coughed as a ripple splashed into his mouth, his attention breaking for a moment as he tried to drive his head higher. "-It's getting a bit tiring."
He could feel his legs starting to stiffen as the cold got to them, the slight ache of fatigue beginning to bite. It wasn't that bad, but he could tell he wouldn't be able to keep up his current pace for that long. Need more practice. My muscles should be stronger than this.

Mottledspark was very grateful for the RiverClan blood in his veins; he was sure that if he were half-blooded like Minkpaw, he'd struggle just as much in the water, especially in the winter as the river grew colder and risked icing over. He was pleased that the second attempt seemed to be going a bit more smoothly than the first. Minkpaw was even able to speak a little bit. When he commented that it was tiring, Mottledspark responded drily, "I'm sure that swimming for your life will require a bit more energy than treading water while your mentor protects you from the current." He let out a huff and continued to stand in the water for several moments longer, but he could tell that Minkpaw really was starting to get fatigued.

"Alright, that's good enough for this session," Mottledspark said. "Let's turn around and head back to shore. We'll dry off, and then I'll show you how to fish now that I know you can at least keep yourself afloat." Even pureblooded RiverClan cats needed to rest their muscles - and Mottledspark supposed that as an apprentice he'd needed to build up his endurance, too. With that, Mottledspark began to head towards the shore, making sure that Minkpaw didn't get swept by the current until the apprentice could get his footing again.

Minkpaw grinned at his mentor's comment, keeping his paws churning underneath him. "Yeah. Might get a bit more out of my legs, too," He gasped, trying to speak and spit out the water that slopped into his mouth at the same time. His legs were really starting to move sluggishly, now, and he gritted his teeth as he forced them to keep moving, the exhaustion disappearing for a moment as he focused on keeping afloat. Pinpricks of cold drove into his legs, and he could feel it biting even harder now that his fur was thoroughly soaked.
When his legs were just starting to feel numb, his mentor finally decided to take them back to shore. Giving a silent sigh of relief, he twisted around in the water and kicked towards shore. As soon as his paws touched the pebbles once more, he carefully rested all of his weight on them, just in case swimming in the river had been strenuous enough to make his legs shaky. They gave one slight wobble and then held. Satisfied, Minkpaw waded out of the river beside Mottledspark, shaking his pelt thoroughly.

Well, at least he's trying, Mottledspark conceded, though inwardly he kept expecting his apprentice to fail - and maybe part of him wanted Minkpaw to fail, though not if it would discredit him as a warrior. If he is unable to become a warrior, it won't be due to lack of trying on my part. The young apprentice began to slow and was clearly grateful when Mottledspark dismissed them from the river. Minkpaw was able to turn around to swim back towards shore, however clumsy his rotation may have been, and Mottledspark felt a bit of hope that the apprentice had turned around on his own. He definitely has some swimming instinct - it will just take training.

They reached the shore and Mottledspark continued to glance sidelong as Minkpaw as they made their way up. His legs being a bit sore and numb could hinder his ability to learn to fish, but he was a RiverClan cat. Mottledspark couldn't count how many time since the start of leaf-bare his paws had gone numb from fishing. The dark tortoiseshell warrior stood on the shore and gave his pelt a hard, thorough shake; the oily coat flung droplets off in every direction, leaving him only lightly damp. He instructed, "Give yourself a quick wash - it'll give us more time out here to train before we're too cold."