shake the rust [closed]

Though Mudfrost was only a moon from the apprentices’ den herself, she’d accepted that she’d have to take on an apprentice at some point. Mentorship was a natural consequence of warriorhood. A sign of trust, a test, another step toward the respect she hoped to earn. She’d risen to every expectation her Clan had set before her, and she had no intention of letting that change; if she could succeed in learning, she could succeed in teaching. And so, as Ivybrook’s kits grew, Mudfrost prepared for the possibility that she might have to train one of them. What she hadn’t prepared for was Featherpaw.

The first challenge was Featherpaw’s age. Mudfrost resolved that one quickly; she didn’t really care that Featherpaw was older than her. The second challenge wasn’t so easily fixed. For all Mudfrost knew, she’d be training Featherpaw from the ground up. Featherpaw’s moons in the wilderness could have led to rustiness, bad habits, or both; it was Mudfrost’s job to undo them. But Mudfrost was nothing if not persistent. No problem was insurmountable—save for the last.

There was no way to guarantee Featherpaw wouldn’t run away again. This was a trial for both of them. For Mudfrost, that she might prove herself a capable teacher; for Featherpaw, that she might prove herself a RiverClan warrior…or a coward once and for all.

Mudfrost eased past her sleeping denmates into the soft morning light. Her steps made no sound on the damp, chilly earth, carrying her across RiverClan’s camp to the apprentices’ den. Upon poking her head inside, she discovered it looked much like it had a moon ago. Fortunately, she wasn’t the nostalgia-prone type. Finding Featherpaw’s striped silver pelt took a matter of moments; Mudfrost approached to nudge her with an insistent paw. ”It’s dawn.” Some of the other apprentices stirred at the sound of her voice. Stepping back, the tall calico meowed, ”We’ll start with hunting. Meet me at the camp entrance.” Then she turned and marched back out to wait near the camp’s entrance as promised.

She had been awake since the first ray had cascaded into the den. Wordlessly curled, the apprentice allowed the sun to bathe her in luminescence. Plumy tail twitching, restless with unease, she had barely noticed the shadow that had been cast over her pelt. And so, when something prodded against her, Featherpaw felt a quiver jolt through her skin.

"It's dawn."

And then a seething rush coarsed through her, as she recalled where she was. No, she wasn't back in the distant territory. She wasn't alone anymore. With a fleeting shake of her head, as if trying to fling the memories away, she glanced up to meet a piercing green gaze. Intently returning the glance with fatigued, dull eyes, Featherpaw registered Mudfrost's next words clearly. Training.
Remorse flashed briefly in her head. It seemed so many moons ago when she had first explored the territory.. she remembered it vividly. And now, she had to relive that. Relive those few days of training, of unwavering determination to rise into the ranks. Except now, it felt so different.

And Mudfrost... Featherpaw had a feeling that, perhaps, this time it would be harder to earn her mentor's approval. Briefly her thoughts flickered back to an old face, whose eyes glimmered with pride. Tawnyfang - her previous mentor, her half-sister who she had forged a bond with, who was now residing in StarClan. At this thought, her heart clenched with sorrow. Another cat I've disappointed.

She was not going to allow herself to disappoint one more cat. Steadily, she rose onto her paws, caurious to not disturb more of her Clanmates. A few irked gazes bored into her pelt, apprentices idly blinking at her like she was a complete stranger. She couldn't blame them. She felt like a stranger herself. She was a stranger. With a lowered gaze, Featherpaw slipped soundlessly out of the den, pads soft against the moist soil. The delicate morning rays embraced her in a gentle welcome as she sidled tentatively to meet the warrior. She dipped her head in a discreet greeting, a wordless signal of her willingness to listen. With a swirl of desolate thoughts, the she-cat pledged silently to herself,
I'm ready to prove myself, Mudfrost. And I'll do whatever it takes to earn your trust.

Turning on her heel, Mudfrost fixed her piercing stare on the den’s exit. She didn’t bother to sit. Featherpaw had been awake enough to make eye contact; she was certainly awake enough to leave the den without a second reminder, however long it took. Mudfrost had always been the patient sort. Sure enough, after a few moments, a silver shape crept into the open. Featherpaw had chosen to face this. Beneath her surprise, Mudfrost was glad her lesson plans would see the light of day after how much time she’d spent thinking about them the night before. Featherpaw still had a long way to go…but that she’d appeared at all was one point in her favor.

Whether that resolve would last unaided—because Mudfrost had no plans to drag Featherpaw blindly through her training—was another matter. Faking determination was easy when it was the only option. No opportunities to run meant no opportunities to stay. Dappleshine’s abandonment was fresh in everyone’s minds, or at least in Mudfrost’s; RiverClan didn’t need any more disloyalty. Therefore, every decision, every chance to move forward or back, had to be in the ex-RiverClanner’s paws, and only hers. Mudfrost returned Featherpaw’s nod, quick and sharp. ”All right, then. Follow me.” With a flourish of her tail, she left the camp for the familiar open plains of RiverClan’s border. She didn’t look back.

The sun was still low in the sky when they arrived at a bend in the river, not too far from where Mudfrost’s own training had begun moons ago. Mudfrost considered herself capable in many ways, but fishing was one of her strengths. Furthermore, no cat could call themselves a RiverClanner before proving they could fish. What could make a better first test?

At this angle, their shadows wouldn’t fall over the water; Mudfrost had chosen this place for that exact reason. Now, she sat at the edge of the riverbank. Already, shadows were flitting back and forth just beneath the surface. Looking back up, she gestured with her tail for Featherpaw to approach. ”First, I want to see how much you remember,” she said in a hushed voice, no gentler than before. ”Try to catch something.”

She had tried so hard to hide the falter in her gait, but the quavering in her legs had been too unmistakeable to conceal. Thank StarClan Mudfrost didn't glance back. Featherpaw threaded heedfully on the pebbles, ears subconsciously twitching at the sounds cascading around her. Gradually, eventually, her uneasiness was ebbing away as her thoughts wafted to her surroundings. This was the place where she had grown, the place she had been nurtured within her Clan. This was the place were memories had sprouted, a seedling planted, marking the foundation of the cat that Featherpaw had become. As her paws carried the apprentice away, recollections of the past rippled in her head. Somehow, the chorus of songbird warbles and the gentle lapping of water granted ease to Featherpaw's mind. And she needed that.

At last, the destination approached. With newfound tranquility, she seemed to had tamed her trembling, and surveyed Mudfrost's chosen location. She immediately observed how the position of the sun would prevent shadows cast over the river, and this contributed to Featherpaw's regained composure. Responding to her mentor's gesture, Featherpaw paced forward, gaze following the glimmering beneath the water's surface. With a brief nod at Mudfrost's instructions, the apprentice settled by the bank, eyes flitting at the shadows streaking across the current. If all went well... then perhaps there really was nothing to worry about. Afterall, she had been capable enough of catching her own prey for a few moons. Sure, her old territory had had vastly differing streams, with a much gentler flow, but that didn't mean she was a complete novice to fishing.

All senses focused on the leisure shimmering in the torrent, eyes piercing at the fish whisking in the river. Featherpaw made a swift dart at the sizeable shadow as it approached, feeling the slipping of something smooth against her pads. With a glint of her claws and the floundering of scales, she hauled to the bank a flailing carp. Stunned satisfaction flickered fleetingly onto her features, before she landed a clean slit onto the fish, watching as its life declined into stillness. A tiny glitter blossomed in her eyes as she glanced at Mudfrost, awaiting a response. That must have been good enough.

---

Featherpaw attempted to catch fish, costing 3 stamina. The catch was successful.

Featherpaw
hp: 20/20
sp: 77/80 [-3]

The member 'XFeatherX' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'Hunting Dice' : 3

Again, Featherpaw chose to be surprising. She approached the bank with…maybe not confidence, but not the hesitance Mudfrost had come to expect from her, either. Mudfrost’s ears straightened slightly, and she settled back to observe. Despite the lack of instruction, Featherpaw seemed to recall the basics of fishing; she was quiet and watchful, the way Berrycloud had taught Mudfrost to be, as she sat on the edge of the shore. Her eyes never left the water. Mudfrost briefly wondered if she should have chosen a trickier spot to start—but that could come later. Form first, then the details. Distrust alone wasn’t reason enough to set both of them up for failure.

Then Featherpaw went rigid. Her paw shot out, every bit as fast as a fish, tossing up river water as she hooked her claws into her target and brought it to shore. By her expression, she hadn’t expected to catch something so big. Still, she reacted before Mudfrost could, killing the fish easily. Once it had gone still, Mudfrost peered at its scales. A carp! Even for an experienced warrior, that made for a decent catch. For a cat who’d struggled to cross the river the day she’d returned to RiverClan, it was downright shocking.

Aware that Featherpaw was looking at her now, Mudfrost hurriedly blinked the astonishment out of her eyes. Right. It was her turn to give input. Like Berrycloud. It had happened so quickly, though… ”You were fast, and your aim was good,” she said with a firm nod. ”But I want to make sure that wasn’t a fluke. We’ll try again. First—” If Featherpaw could catch a carp, Mudfrost couldn’t walk back into camp empty-pawed. With a soft breath to calm the unexpected nervousness prickling in her stomach (what did she have to fear, she’d done this a hundred times before), she turned her own eyes toward the river. One of the shapes caught her attention. It wasn’t as big as a carp, but fish was fish. In a motion as smooth as Featherpaw’s had been, much to Mudfrost’s relief, her paw wrapped around her prey, and she flung it to shore. Then she pounced on it, digging her claws in before it could so much as twitch toward the water. ”There,” she said, raising her head to her apprentice. A challenge gleamed in her eyes. ”Your turn.”

Mudfrost attempted to catch Fish, using 3 stamina. The attempt was successful!

Mudfrost
45/45 HP
157/160 SP (-3)

The member 'rhindon' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'Hunting Dice' : 8

As Mudfrost returned her gaze, Featherpaw discerned the transient morphing of her features. Shock. A shiver rippled through her tail - a small flick of fulfilment, pride. Although her mentor had tried to blink the bewilderment away, she had caught the brief shift of her expression. The apprentice's maw twitched upward ever so slightly, a soft rumble brewing in her throat. She suppressed the purr that was threatening to spill, but the twinkle in her eyes clearly displayed her newfound self-assurance. When Mudfrost expressed her approval, stating what she had done correctly, she felt her pelt heat up in bashful contentment. As with reinforcing the warrior's trust in her capabilities, Featherpaw had also risen her own belief in herself. Hopefully, she could more success as her training ensued.

Returning the nod, she observed wordlessly as Mudfrost attempted her own catch. Her eyes flitted over the swirling shadows, attentive and alert. With swift manoeuvres and heedful motions, her paw darted forward briskly, grasping onto a slippery figure. As rapid as a blink, the thrashing fish was hurled onto the bank, its struggle promptly ceased. Then their gazes met, Mudfrost's eyes glistening with a daring message, "Your turn." A small blink, a small smile and a small nod, before she broke eye contact and shuffled closer to the river's edge.

With a flutter of her whiskers, she redirected her focus back to the torrent. Two catches were already deposited upon the riverbank, and more forms were still whirling below the surface. Scrutinising them closely, eyes narrowed at their twisting, Featherpaw peered intently at one particular set of scales. She went stiff with concentration as her paw rose steadily, claws glinting, firm and fixed to strike.

...Now.

Her flexed paw propelled forward, sliding against something smooth. She hooked her paw, attaining scales between her claws. Featherpaw cast the fish up, setting a flailing creature before her. It certainly wasn't as sizeable as the carp, yet its size was still equivalent to that of Mudfrost's prey. Tail swishing contently, she slid her claws upwards, wrapping them around her catch. The fish's writhing receded at her sharp jab. Satisfied, she glimpsed at Mudfrost once again, awaiting further instruction.

---

Featherpaw attempted to catch fish, costing 3 stamina. The catch was successful.

Featherpaw
hp: 20/20
sp: 74/80 [-3]

The member 'FeahterLaLaLa' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'Hunting Dice' : 3

Something like pride lit up Featherpaw’s face. Unusual as it was, Mudfrost didn’t recognize it for what it was until Featherpaw had already turned back toward the river, heartened by her success. Mudfrost followed suit, leaning forward and squinting as if that might help her find something worth correcting in Featherpaw’s technique. The second catch was every bit as smooth as the first. She managed to hide her surprise; an oddly hopeful thought crept in all the same: Not a fluke, then.

Once Featherpaw’s focus shifted back to her, she nodded. ”Good.” Her tone had lost a shade of its previous severity. In her eyes, Featherpaw still had a long way to go, but this was a promising start. RiverClan needed strong warriors. If her assumptions had been wrong, and Featherpaw was capable of being one of those warriors after all… Well, there were worse outcomes. With some reluctance, Mudfrost stepped away from the water. ”We’ll try land hunting next. It’s a short walk from here.” Prey was prey, but she preferred hers without fur. On top of that, the local water voles still managed to evade her more often than she liked. With any luck, Featherpaw wouldn’t need a demonstration.

She leaned down to pick up her fish, and a high, almost squeaking call split the air above. Mudfrost froze at once, ears swiveling in search of the source. Her eyes caught on a brown, feathery blur, but there was no time to react before the scrape of talons sent her stumbling back. Frog-dung! She caught herself uncomfortably close to the edge of the riverbank and covered the resulting spike of fear with a snarl, tail lashing from side to side. She should have known. Leaving three fresh fish out in the open so close to leaf-bare was asking for trouble; the cold lent bravery to the worst kinds of creatures.

Blood dripped from the fresh wounds across Mudfrost’s side. She crouched, tracking the eagle’s flight through narrowed eyes. Fighting off another cat—the apprentice who’d charged her at Sunningrocks, for example—was simple. Fighting off a predator, especially one desperate enough to attack two cats for the sake of a meal, was decidedly not. As much as she wanted to glance toward her apprentice, wanted to know whether she’d be fighting this battle alone, she couldn’t let herself be caught off guard again.

Eagle used Talon Strike on Mudfrost, dealing 10 damage and using 10 stamina.

Mudfrost
35/45 HP (-10)
157/160 SP

Eagle
60/60 HP
190/200 SP (-10)

Another flutter danced gently in her chest. It had only been a mere "Good," but with the diminished harshness of Mudfrost's tone, for Featherpaw, it was patently good enough. Her confidence was gradually ascending with every success she had managed to prove. With Featherpaw's freshly-established hope for her capabilities, and the possibility of reinforcing Mudfrost's beliefs in them, her anxious quivering had ceased. At least, until "land hunting" was mentioned.

At that, a rigidness engulfed her. Another sweeping wave of doubt crashed over the apprentice, as she knew without any indecision that she would mess this up. It was very evident to her that she had absolutely no luck when hunting involved fur or feathers. Frogs and toads were quite slick in a way that was unlike fish, always evading her claws. She seldom targeted these creatures - from her experience, it would be useless to even lay eyes on one. What a scarce moment it would be if she ever managed to fumble one into her grasp, and even then it would require her to rely primarily on chance. When it came to land prey, Featherpaw had no skill of which she knew of. It seemed their reluctance was shared when she warily sidled away from the river.

The apprentice dropped her head, clutching her catches firmly in her jaw, when the shrill cry resonated above. Then her ears flattened at once. Not only because of the harshness of the strident sound, but because she recognised its source almost at once. A memory flooded her vision. That screech was not foreign, for she had faced it before.

Why did all her hunting patrols attract eagles?

The howl of wind echoed in her ears as she swivelled her head, barely catching the beast strike. The feeling that Featherpaw was absolutely no stranger to, the feeling identified as dread, was plastered all over her face. Her fear was gluing her to the ground, and with every forceful flap of its wings, her instinct to retreat multiplied. But the sight of her mentor stumbling empowered both fright and... denial. No. She refused to recoil beneath the eagle's shadow. Every second she spent frozen was another second endangering them both.

With an impulsive growl that was directed at herself, Featherpaw lunged. It was a blur, a streak of rapid movement, in which her unsheathed paws lashed out. Somehow, they came into contact with the soaring predator. Feathers flurried down, cedar plumes tufted between her claws. She had scored a mark across the eagle's face, inflicting a slash a whisker-length from its eyes. With that she was brought back down, eyes seething with an energy fueled by panic. She hadn't been thinking - the attack had been purely spontaneous. Featherpaw lurched towards Mudfrost, fur bristling defensively.

She wasn't going to be a coward.
She had vowed that she would change.

---

Featherpaw used Front Paw Strike on Eagle, dealing 6 damage and costing 10 stamina.

Featherpaw
hp: 20/20
sp: 64/80 [-10]

Eagle
hp: 54/60 [-6]
sp: 190/200

Mudfrost
hp: 35/45
sp: 157/160