Briarpaw's Battle Training

Reedheart led his apprentice through the grass and over rocks, to a place to train. He was nervous, - no, beyond that, afraid. War grew closer and closer to RiverClan every day, but there was also more disturbing happenings closer to home... an apprentice, Russetpaw, killed on their own territory. It outraged him above all, and he wanted nothing more than to dig his claws into whatever foul rogue that would kill an apprentice, but it made him frightened for Briarpaw and the rest. She needed to learn to defend herself.

Briarpaw followed behind her mentor, and kinda nervous for the battle training. All she wanted to do was impress her mentor, but if she messed up that wouldn't happen. As for Russetpaw she wasn't to stricken by it for she didn't know the tom all well, but it seemed to have gotten the clan into a hype.

Reedheart stopped among a small clearing. The soil was soft and loose here, good enough to cushion falls. It would have to do for now. He moved along, positioning himself on the other side of the clearing. "Alright Briarpaw. Attack me, paws sheathed. Try to knock me to the ground." he mewed.

It was the same teaching tool Froststar had used when she'd caught him trying to slip out of camp. It was effective, to encourage moves that felt fluid and natural. It made for a more graceful and quick-thinking fighter.

Briarpaw stood there for a moment, having no battle training the apprentice didn't know what to do. For she was small, and Reedheart was bigger than her. Somehow she would have to use her size to an advantage, but how is the question. Quickly the apprentice dashed forward, she attempted to jump but slipped, and slide under the warrior, reacting fast enough to try, and paw at his stomach.

Reedheart was almost caught off-guard as the apprentice slid towards him. But by the time her paw flicked out to catch him in his soft underbelly, he had let himself collapse right on top of the smaller she-cat. The warrior's whiskers twitched in amusement, though she could not see that. "That was... a nice try." he mewed, wondering if that had been intentional. "But you have to be quicker than that. You've got to be one step ahead; think before you move."

The tom stood up, releasing Briarpaw from under him.