Here Cometh Mighty Otterpaw {Closed}

The sun's pale rays had barely begun to grace the West Shore of the lake, when the RiverClan deputy was up and about. Even this far from home, Scorchclaw still retained many of his habits and customs. Rising early was one of them. It was good for a cat to rise early, for there was always much work to be done in a day, and he who failed to discipline himself in the wee hours of dawn would often fail to do so later on. That morning, the large tabby was accompanied by Otterpaw. As of the day before, he had officially gained one more apprentice. He had no idea how Wasppaw felt about this turn of events, but Otterpaw was enthusiastic and ready to learn. As for himself, he... was just going to do what he always did with his apprentices—train her to the best of his ability. Dewshine had entrusted her kits to him and Flurryshine. Putting aside the disagreements that had existed between the late warrior and him, they were his responsibility now. Just because they had reached the age of six moons, they were not off his paws. His taking one of them as his apprentice had been his way of indirectly reassuring the stars. At least, he believed that had been his intention. Whether or not he had begun to grow attached to them... this was another matter.

Every now and then, Scorchclaw would cast a glance over his shoulder to ensure that Otterpaw was still following him. The two of them made their trip along the riverbanks in a mostly wordless manner. The large tabby was not one given to unnecessary conversation. Questions asked of him received single-word answers such as "yes," "no," or "hrmm." As the training session progressed, he would surely begin to speak a lot more. For now, however, the refreshing burble of river water filled the absence. In the time since the flood, the great forces of nature had more or less calmed themselves. To the cats who had never experienced the disaster, the river now looked as innocent could be. It was almost hard to believe that the waters had uprooted trees, dashed apart camps, and swept up cats in grip. But Scorchclaw remembered, and so did the other cats of RiverClan. There was no way they could forget. Never without a wary eye would he examine the river. The fear that Otterpaw and her siblings would one day lose themselves in its depths pressed at the back of his mind. Unlike their clanmates, these three had been born on the shore. They had not personally experienced the raging might of the force their clan was named after. All they knew was that the flood had taken their parents.

As neither mentor nor apprentice had eaten, their bellies were still empty. "Surely the mighty Otterpaw would not be troubled without one meal?" Or so Scorchclaw had questioned the younger she-cat. In all probability, they would likely be catching that very meal themselves. At length, the fluffy tom passed his approval on a section of the shore, and he came to a stop. Turning to face Otterpaw, he solemnly announced, "This place will do." Now, what would they cover first? He had already planned out what he was going to do. If he knew her well enough, and he believed he did, Otterpaw would have no problem catching on. "You are no longer a kit, Otterpaw." He reminded her, with his twitch of his whiskers, "I will no longer coddle you. At this moment, I am the mentor, and you are the apprentice. I believe you already know that, however. Are you ready to learn?" Serious pale-green eyes peered down into prettier ones.

The buzz of excitement and determination hadn't dimmed as Otterpaw trailed behind Scorchclaw in a seemingly meaningless silence, her instead trying to focus on the steady trill of her surroundings; the splash and hum of the river, the rustling of the dew-laced grass beneath her paws, the slight breeze flowing through her fur. Picking up her pace a little to keep up with the much bigger tom, she skidded to a halt at his sudden stop, paws kneading at the ground in anticipation. Would they be hunting? She hoped so; her stomach seemed to moan and holler inside her like a hungry kit! She inwardly groaned, then straightened herself up. Perhaps she was being a little dramatic; after all, she still had boundless energy to use, and to be an apprentice she had to be strong-willed enough to overcome much more than the ever-so-painful grasp of a missed breakfast.
This was only reinforced by Scorchclaw's next words, and Otterpaw's back fur bristled just a little. Even though nothing he said was unreasonable, she had a natural aversion to discipline, and Scorchclaw's words felt more like a personal attack than a simple laying-out of the rules. Biting back a sharp retort, she nodded, a smile returning to her muzzle. Oh, well; even if she had to listen to the rules, at least she was still going to start training today!
"I'm so ready!" the little grey-and-white apprentice chirped, antsy and moving around on the spot, "What will we be doing first? Hunting? Battling?"

"I'm so ready!"

Otterpaw's response was swift and energetic, falling in line with Scorchclaw's expectations. The large tabby huffed softly. Enthusiastic apprentices had both their advantages and their disadvantages. Then again, there was no surprise here. In the past six moons, Otterpaw and her siblings had been continuously fed with various tales of valor. Stories were a necessary component to raising kits, or so it almost seemed to Scorchclaw. There was hardly a better way to entertain them. Even with the absence of elders, there was always a warrior or an apprentice available, who would be all too willing to pass down the accounts of times gone by. Was there now a single one of Dewshine's litter who was not looking forward to their first day of training? His stern green gaze seemed to soften somewhat. "Let us hope your energy will hold out." He meowed, voice tinged with barely discernible amusement. The corners of his maw, twitching upwards, could have formed a small smile. Alas, they did not. Not quite. "We shall cover the basics today. We will start with battle training, and then move on to hunting." Laden with their catch, they would lastly head back to their temporary home. So would end the first training session.

Taking a few steps away from his apprentice, Scorchclaw lowered himself into a defensive stance. One of the best ways to teach battle techniques was by demonstrating them. Simple words did not usually get an apprentice anywhere. "When you get into a battle crouch," He began, "you want to keep several things in mind. Firstly, remember that your underbelly and throat are vulnerable. A deep enough wound to either will be fatal. While warriors do not usually strike to kill, predatory animals and rogues will not show you such mercy. Know your limits and weaknesses, and guard them well. You would do well to remember that piece of advice, for it can be applied in many other ways." With a slight jerk of his chin, he drew her attention. "Keep your head lowered. Do not expose your throat any more than necessary, especially before an enemy. Try to lower your center of gravity. The more stable a stance you have, the less likely you are to be knocked down." Now that he was beginning to teach, the words flowed out in a surprisingly natural manner. Beneath the usual solemness, there was a certain earnestness to his tone. Battle was an all too prevalent portion of a warrior's life, and Scorchclaw wanted to make sure that Otterpaw understood what he was teaching. The sooner she learned, the sooner she would be able to protect herself. Muscles tensing beneath his thick pelt, he struck out at thin air with one forepaw. Unsheathed claws flashed in the watery sunlight. Then, he shifted his weight to both forelegs. In one fluid motion, he lifted both back legs off the ground, driving a sharp kick backwards. "There is only so much you can learn from watching and copying me, however. In battle, there is nothing more important than instinct, adaptability, and creativity. I believe you are itching for action?"

With a flick of his feathery tail, Scorchclaw straightened up. "Try to attack me, Otterpaw. Then I will tell you what you do wrong." A challenging glint flashed within his green eyes as he spoke. The practical approach was the best way to teach someone like Otterpaw. For safety's sake, he added, "We will keep our claws sheathed during this exercise."

OOC: Please use the battle system~ Otterpaw's claws are supposed to be sheathed, but you can use more than just Front Paw Blow. We'll just pretend and subtract the usual damage stats. XD

Otterpaw watched intently as Scorchclaw demonstrated the battle crouch, a confused glaze setting over her eyes for a moment as word after word came from her mentor's mouth. A grin stretched across her maw as she was instructed to attack him - battling was the thing she was anticipating the most before her apprenticeship - but quickly faded as she tried to remember how to replicate the pose he had shown her a few moments beforehand.
Okay, so, uh, first... keep low to the ground. Her snow-white belly pressed against the grass, soft fur quickly wettening with droplets of the early morning's dew. Hide your throat, I think? She kept her head low, staring down Scorchclaw's paws as she tried to focus. Centre of.. gravity? Keep stable, I think he said? Her back legs trembled as she tried to stabilise herself, attempting to keep still and stop moving her paws. Otterpaw couldn't see herself, but she decided it was good enough and leapt at Scorchclaw, baring her teeth in a playful facade of head-on aggression. She sprang forward, using as much force from her back legs as possible, and slammed into her mentor's flank, paws outstretched, with as much strength as she could muster.

Otterpaw uses Run-and-Tackle, dealing 6 damage!

Otterpaw - 20/70

Scorchclaw - 94/280

As Otterpaw settled herself into a crude replication of his battle crouch, Scorchclaw watched her with an analytical eye. He supposed she did well enough, but there were several flaws that he could easily pick out. They would be fixed soon enough. The apprentice was a beginner, barely more than a kit. It was only natural that she would make mistakes. In fact, making mistakes was a part of the purpose for this exercise. Once she was ready, the young she-cat sprang forward. The larger tabby made little attempt to get out of the way, choosing instead to calmly face her. As a result, her small paws made contact with his flank. Due to the difference in size and weight, the RiverClan deputy barely stumbled. But it was a good effort, one that Otterpaw had put all her strength into. Her eagerness pleased him, if nothing else. Lifting one paw, he gently bopped her on the head. "You're open, Otterpaw." He remarked dryly. "Attacking me head on with our size difference? How foolish. You are strong, but I am stronger still. In this case, you need to use your head. What can you do to increase your chances? I said that adaptability and creativity are two of the most important keys in battle, and I do not believe you are lacking in them."

Pulling away from Otterpaw, Scorchclaw fell into a battle crouch of his own. "You did well to imitate me, Otterpaw. However, you do not need to keep so low that your underbelly brushes against the ground." His tone lightened, and he twitched his whiskers. "As for hiding your throat, simply be aware of it and take care not to carelessly expose it. If you keep your eyes on my paws, you would be unable to see any incoming attacks, would you not? Try again, Otterpaw." The large tabby swept his feathery tail slowly from side to side.


OOC: There are no problems with your usage of the battle system! ^^ Both damage and stamina stats are accurate. However, below is the preferred way to record them. Listing the stats to this extent makes it useful to find calculation errors that might have occurred. XD Would you like to try out a stun move on Scorchclaw?

Scorchclaw does not attack, dealing 0 damage and costing 0 stamina.

Scorchclaw
94/100 HP
280/280 SP

Otterpaw
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

Otterpaw got more and more irked as he went on. She was unable to meet his eyes, as her face clearly showed she was disgruntled and she didn't want to get in trouble on her first day of training. She sucked in a deep breath, chest puffing out, as she tried not to show her immediate irritation. Foolish? I'll show him foolish! Though I suppose he made a good point... Tail twitching, she considered his words, telling herself not to lash out at her mentor in any way. She stepped back a couple of paces and sized him up; if she couldn't fight him head-on, what else could she do?

Eyes furrowed in concentration, she got into her battle pose, relaxing her frame a bit more and keeping her underbelly slightly above where it was before. She grudgingly realised the brown tabby tom was right; this way, she could plan out her moves a lot better with a slightly elevated body and with him in full view. After calming down a bit more, she slowly crept around, surveying his posture and how she could subdue him. Frustration began to creep up on her again; he said she wasn't lacking in adaptability or creativity, but at this rate, she may as well have had the brain of a mouse. She recalled his words once more; adaptability and creativity. Creativity... she didn't need to be big to stop him! She readied herself and, instead of springing upwards, propelled herself forward and skidded around him, giving a sharp tug on his swaying tail. "How was that?" she mewed, voice still muffled from her grip. She let go and, a little bit of her pride regained in being able to come up with a different solution, moved around to sit back in front of him.

Otterpaw uses Tail Yank, dealing 2 damage and costing 10 stamina. Scorchclaw is stunned for one turn.

Otterpaw - 20/20 HP, 60/80 SP
Scorchclaw (stunned) - 92/100 HP, 280/280 SP

Scorchclaw had always been a particularly observant cat, and Otterpaw's disgruntlement did not escape his attention. As he stared down at the smaller she-cat, she refused to meet his gaze. The sight brought to mind memories of his very first apprentice; Blackpaw would occasionally do the same thing when he was upset. Somewhat exasperated, the fluffy tabby flicked one tufted ear. Had he been too strict? But he had only pointed out the facts to her... It was essential that she learned from her mistakes as quickly as possible. What was the point of a mentor's teaching, if the apprentice was unwilling to learn? But he was not about to judge Otterpaw so quickly. For six whole moons, he had been watching her growth. He had a good idea of what she could and could not do.

As Otterpaw circled around him, the large tabby kept a wary gaze on her. Come at me! His green eyes narrowed. At last, the apprentice flung herself forward. In a flash of gray and white fur, she had closed her jaws around his tail. Scorchclaw felt, rather than saw, the firm yank. Just as he had hoped she would, she had made use of the chance that was presented to her. He grimaced at the discomfort. She was small, but she had held nothing back again. And the tail was certainly a sensitive appendage. Instead of following up with another attack, then, Otterpaw came and sat down in front of him. The light sparkling in her eyes this time made her feelings all too clear. Scorchclaw huffed, shaking out his tail. "You did well, Otterpaw." While his expression was no less serious than it had been before, his tone gave away the fact that he was truly pleased. "Remember that move. While simple, it can be effective even on larger cats. Even if you fail to throw them off balance, the pain will often cause them to freeze for a moment or two. When that happens, follow up as quickly as possible with another attack. You will want to make use of any opening you can get." So saying, he made a brief gesture with a forepaw.

The RiverClan deputy sat down. "Now listen closely, Otterpaw. Imagine you are truly facing a larger opponent—a warrior, perhaps. Making use of the size difference, he seizes hold of your scruff and shakes you from side to side. You would be badly stunned. Is there any way to make use of this situation and strike back? What would you do?" His keen eyes glinting, he tilted his head in question.

Otterpaw beamed at her mentor's praise; though she was susceptible to bad moods, her attempt being described positively by such a stern figure as Scorchclaw made her immediate reaction to his first criticism less prominent than it was before. Ears perked, her wide smile ebbed a little as she focused on the question being asked, mind whirring yet again to come up with a solution. Her eyes furrowed. Being held in such a position would be more than impossible to get out of, wouldn't it be? If she was stunned, she couldn't fight back or wriggle out of her attacker's jaws, and at that point, it would be easy for them to finish her off.
She stared at her paws, frustratedly digging at the rather loose soil and grass below her. She watched as a single blade, torn from its base by her claws, was carried away by a light wind. It didn't fight the wind; rather, it glided smoothly through the air as a bird would before settling again on the dirt, safe this time from the breeze. Otterpaw had, for the most part, been thinking strictly of ways that she could fight directly against her opponent, but maybe she didn't have to. After all, if such a cat grabbed her by the scruff, they were obviously trying to kill her.
But you'd never try to kill something that was already dead!
It took her a fair bit of time to figure it out, but eventually, she piped up, less sure of her current answer than before. Oh well; it was all she could come up with, and she supposed that it would work. Still, it felt almost stupid to her, pretending to lose a fight when the main goal was to win.
"You could play dead, maybe?" she suggested, "Like, pretend that you were badly hurt or not a threat, and then lash out at them when their guard was down?"

"That is correct." Scorchclaw meowed, with a slight nod. "We will not be practicing that today, but keep it in mind. One day, it will aid you." Straightening up, the large tabby swept his pale green gaze down the gravelly shore. "There is still much for you to learn in the way of battle techniques, but let us move on to hunting for now. Scent the air, Otterpaw. Do you smell anything familiar?"