I'll be nice, but I won't go easy (Closed Training for Acrylic)

Blacktwig padded out of the warriors' den, searching for his apprentice, Halfpaw. She was a fairly new apprentice, however, she had proven herself to be patient and strong, even when her father disappeared. Stormstrike. Blacktwig couldn't shake the name from his mind, yet he knew that a bit of Stormstrike was in the young she-cat that was now his apprentice. Clouds swam in the cerulean atmosphere, right above the speckled warrior's head. "Halfpaw!" Blacktwig poked his head into the apprentices' den, and called softly.

Halfpaw, surprisingly, had found the den that she had wanted in the very back. That was rare, considering that there were so many apprentices in one den, and the one that you absolutely wanted was probably taken by another cat. She had fallen asleep thinking about her father. If he were here, would he be her mentor? No, don't get her wrong, she was really excited to have her cousin, Blacktwig, as her mentor, and Morningshine had told her the night before about how amazing Blacktwig was, but she still missed her father dearly. She felt as if Stormstrike was the best tom in all of the Clans, with her mother being the best she-cat, of course.

Now, the sun was just beginning to rise from where it had sunk behind the horizon, and it gave the clouds that dappled the sky a pretty warm glow, most of the cats in camp were still asleep, except for Blacktwig and the dawn patrol that had left earlier. The tortoiseshell she-cat had been dreaming about hunting in a field full of prey, which was a common dream for Clan cats, when she heard the voice of her mentor and cousin, Blacktwig. Halfpaw immediately lifted her head, opened her eyes, and looked back at the speckled tom.
"Yes?" She asked, then paused as her jaws parted to let a large yawn escape, after a sleepy blink, she continued, "Are we training today?"

Blacktwig nodded, gesturing for her to come out. "Yes, Halfpaw," he said, with half-shut eyes. He trotted out to a corner of camp to speak. It wasn't secluded, just, you know, the corner. "Today we'll be doing the basics; if you get those down pat, then we'll move on." Blacktwig explained, sitting down and curling his tail around his snowy white paws.

Halfpaw followed, silently yet eagerly. When she emerged from the apprentices den, one of the rays of the rising sun hit her half black and half ginger face. She blinked repeatedly as her eyes adjusted to the light.
"Cool. Are the basics the hunting crouch?" She asked, sitting down in front of her mentor, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Yep, that's one of em," Blacktwig purred knowingly. At least Halfpaw deadened the feeling of the terrible things that had happened recently. He dropped into a hunting crouch, perfected by training with Sedgewhisker and Scorchfrost. "Try copying me, first," he ordered calmly, long tail swishing silently.

Halfpaw took about four heartbeats to study Blacktwig's form, before she crouched down in attempts to copy the hunting crouch. It was a bit sloppy. She was shaking, as if she was cold, but she wasn't. She was tense and her tail brushed the ground, which it wasn't supposed to. When she felt herself teetering over, Halfpaw quickly tried to balance herself again.

Blacktwig crept over, deciding to give a few useful tips. After giving the she-cat a nudge, he began, "Make sure your tail doesn't brush the ground," he said, blinking as he studied Halfpaw's posture. "Stop shaking." He meowed simply. There was a coldness to his tone, but it was only because he was helping her. "Don't balance, adjust yourself until you feel stable, and don't tense up." The tom finished, straightening up. He then wore a gentle smile. "Now try," he offered.

Halfpaw said nothing as she listened to Blacktwig's advice, and after he invited her to try again, she did so. She lifted her tail from where it had been draped along the ground, and made sure that she was in a position where she felt comfortable and stable. She relaxed herself so that she wasn't tense anymore. She then looked up at her mentor, "Am I doing it right?"

"Yes!" Blacktwig praised, tail waving. "It's better, but we'll perfect it later. Follow me," Blacktwig said, walking away as he beckoned for Halfpaw to follow him. He raised his head and scented the air, tilting his head slightly. "I smell mouse. Can you?" He asked, looking over his broad shoulder towards the calico she-cat.

Halfpaw smiled brightly at her mentor's praise. She then obediently followed Blacktwig out of camp, and stayed behind the speckled tom as they padded through. She looked around at the territory, taking in all of the new sights, smells, and sounds. One in particular was mouse. She looked up at her mentor to answer his question.
"Yes, I smell it too." She confirmed, nodding her ginger and black head as she lifted her nose to scent the air again.

"Okay," Blacktwig said sternly, turning his head to lock his gaze with his apprentice's. "Locate it, and demonstrate the hunting crouch in action." He decided, flicking his tail towards a bush to give a small hint.

Halfpaw nervously nodded, quickly getting into the crouch that she had learned. When she saw small rustling in a nearby bush, she began to head towards it. There was a flash of gray fur, a soft squeak, and the mouse came darting out of the bush after hearing Halfpaw's pawsteps. The tortoiseshell, not knowing what to do, gave chase after it, disappearing into the undergrowth to find the prey.

Blacktwig signalled with his tail for Halfpaw to stop. "Halfpaw," he informed the young she-cat, "Don't give chase, and come here," he demanded, tone silky and gaze constantly blinking, with the arrival of the sun over the horizon. "Prey is more likely to be scared off upon seeing another scuttling away," Blacktwig told his apprentice irritably. However, he decided he should be more patient. "Next time, give yourself more time, always stay hidden, and be silent."

Halfpaw sighed and flattened her ears against her head.
Great, you messed up on your first try!
She looked up at Blacktwig, her expression exasperated, specifically with herself.
"Sorry, Blacktwig," She began, "If we scent something else I'll do a better job of catching it." She promised.
Or at least just trying to catch it... She thought, discouragingly.

"Hey," Blacktwig said, shifting closer to the she-cat. His eyes studied her face. "It's okay. You'll get better, I'll help you," he promised, curling his tail around her calico frame.