The Storms a' Brewing [c]

Mottlerose found herself busier and busier with the various duties that came with helping lead the clan. She had gotten a good sense for it all while Minnowfin was simply deputy, but actually being the one to have to do it all? It was an entirely different game. Not to mention, it seemed her mate had been under the weather the last few days, meaning she stepped up to the plate in leading in a much stronger capacity. The tortoiseshell found her way around the camp, and she had sent thanks to the warriors who had been helping with her apprentice, Stormpaw.

Speaking of the young cat, she peeked her head into the apprentice's den, searching for her young pupil. "Stormpaw? If you're here, come meet me at the entrance of camp for battle training." She called. Motherhood, mentorship, and leadership had meant she got better by the day at calling for a specific cat without disturbing the others too harshly. It was bright and early, after all.

The deputy thought back to her own apprenticeship, under Stoatstar, and even learning from Minnowfin. It all seemed so long ago that she herself was just learning what it meant to serve and protect her clan. It brought a smile to her maw as she took her spot by the entrance of camp, waiting for him to appear.

He had been sleeping so soundly that their ancestors might have walked down from the heavens themselves and he might not have stirred, snuggled up into the thick of his freshly gathered moss bed. Stormpaw might have never thought he'd want to leave, right up until he heard his mentor's voice calling -- and specifically the words battle training. His ears perked up and the tom sprung up onto his feet, shaking the sleep from his head. "Coming Mottlerose!"

He nearly stumbled out of the den in his excitement, rushing over to the she-cat's side and looking up at her brightly. "What are we going to learn first? Where are we going? Am I gonna learn how to scare off those fox-tongues in SkyClan?"

It was nigh-on impossible to hide the smile that spread across her maw at seeing the pure excitement radiating from the tom. His colorful pelt certainly matched his personality - vibrant, full of life, and certainly excited. Mottlerose actually enjoyed it. Being surrounded by tasks that always just simply seemed draining and daunting certainly zapped her energy sometimes, but she found herself rejuvinated by his presence and his spirit. The deputy stood, chuckling as she signaled for her apprentice to follow her through the entrance of camp.

"Hopefully we won't have to fight SkyClan, or RiverClan, or anybody. But if the time comes that you'll have to fight... yes. I'm going to make sure you're prepared." She answered, her tail high with amusement, but also just... joy. The motherly part of her was out in full-force, and it only made her happy to be around apprentices again. "We're going out into the heart of ThunderClan territory for right now. Tell me, do you know what makes ThunderClan unique from the others when we fight?" She didn't expect the tom to know the answer, but she'd seen him out and about with some of his Clanmates. She wouldn't entirely dismiss the idea he'd picked up a thing or two from them.

StarClan, help him, his first question... He didn't want to let Mottlerose down. The tom frowned in thought as they walked, blue eyes peering open to see his mentor and the path ahead now and again. "RiverClan fight in the water. SkyClan fight in the trees. We're good at... running... on... the ground? But like, not like WindClan does -"

Mottlerose chuckled as she saw just how hard her apprentice was trying to answer her question. Now that they were at a small clearing in the trees, she gave a solid nod and sat down. "Good job! Yes, Riverclan can fight in the water, and Skyclan fights in the trees. Windclan is known for their speed and running, yes. Shadowclan are known for being able to fight at night, and in muddy terrain." She informed, her tone warm and kind. "What sets Thunderclan apart is a bit... harder to describe. Think of it this way: You know how Skyclan can fight in the trees? Among the branches? We're like the tree trunks. We're sturdy, and really strong. It's hard to stun us for long in battle." She nodded, rooting herself to the ground as if she were a tree to only further demonstrate her point.

"So! We're going to do a practice battle. Keep your claws sheathed, and I'll let you know if you get too rough for sparring with a clanmate. With what you know about Thunderclan being sturdy, what do you think would be the enemy's plan to knock me over? Show me, don't tell." To be able to best protect against an enemy in battle, you had to know your own weakness. That was the first thing Mottlerose would teach him about battle.


ooc; The battle system is found here! With sparring, feel free to use any of the moves on there - just deduct SP, not HP, as they aren't fighting for damage.