A Lesson in Combat [Frogpaw]

Mistyfalcon reluctantly left his warm nest and stepped into camp, shivering slightly from the chill in the air that signaled leafbare would be upon the forest sooner than he'd like. With a shake of his head, he turned toward the apprentice den. Frogpaw's training had been progressing, and it was time to do more than just hunting. "Frogpaw?" He called into the den softly, then stepped back to wait for her.

"Today we're going to spar." He said simply, once she'd made her way out of the den. Turning, he led her to a spot not far from camp, where the ground was relatively dry and stable for Shadowclan territory.

"So, you have an opponent that's larger than you, and more experienced. What do you think you should do first?" When he'd been asked this question during training, he'd chosen to attack first rather than give an answer. It had surprised his mentor, which had been the whole point. Frogpaw's answer or non-answer would tell him best where to start.

((OOC: Make sure to go over the Battle System! If you have any questions about it, you can pm me and I'll answer as best I can. You're free to immediately jump in and start using it with your next post, or not. The spar will count for your battle requirement just the same as a predator or enemy cat would.))

Frogpaw poked her head out from her warm nest at the sound of Mistyfalcon’s voice. She was beginning to grow used to waking up early to train, and she felt comfort in having a predictable routine. She padded over to her mentor as usual, the cold air causing her nose to twitch.

“S-Spar?” She gulped, feeling nervous. They hadn’t done that yet. Reluctantly, the black and white she-cat followed him to the training hollow in the middle of ShadowClan’s territory.

As he explained what they would be doing, she flicked her tail, considering what she should say. “Uhm… Maybe… try to use your agility to tire them out?” Frogpaw had a feeling she wasn’t going to be particularly skilled in this regard…

"You're on the right path." Mistyfalcon nodded, noting Frogpaw's nervousness. That wouldn't stop a predator or another cat from attacking her, and his job was to make sure she was capable of fighting and defending herself, nervousness or not. "Surprise attacks, using the shadows to your advantage... Those are good starts, but you won't have surprise for long. An opponent that is larger and stronger will be heavier than you, and you'll have the edge when it comes to dodging. For most opponents, you'll be able to use their momentum against them when they lunge or overextend themselves. Keep them off-balance, and it becomes harder for them to land their attacks with force and where they want to." There was no shame in just tripping someone, either. Derailed less skilled opponents quickly, and even a more experienced foe would spend time regaining their footing. "Cats, and most predators, are protective over their belly, throat and eyes. They're soft and thought after them can be debilitating. Face and head wounds bleed a lot, and it can be disorienting and distracting when blood gets into your eyes." A memory of being half-dragged, half-carried towards camp as he stumbled, leaning on a pale-furred she-cat surfaced, and Mistyfalcon forced it to the back of his mind. Had the blood not been obscuring his vision, the blood loss would've still meant he wouldn't have gotten anywhere on his own after that dog had gotten through with him.

Mistyfalcon gave his head a shake, then continued, forcing his attention back to the apprentice in front of him. "A lot of cats tend to forget about their tails, too. It's easy to grab them and pull them off their paws that way."

Frogpaw listened to him closely. Wow, there was a lot to remember... She tried to memorize each thing he said, going over how she thought the movement would look in her head. She took a few pawsteps back, her long tail timidly flicking against the ground. "Do you want me to uhm... try it?" she whispered. She tried to get into a fighting stance, but she was unsure of her posture. Gosh, she probably looked like a bumbling fool.

Frogpaw listened as he spoke, though Mistyfalcon could tell it was a lot of information to take in at once. He nodded at her question, "The easiest way to learn is by practice." Just talking about it wouldn't do her much good, there was a huge difference between that and actually putting the words into action.

((OOC: As this topic was made before the disputed territory mechanic, you can ignore the stat penalty for being disadvantaged for this spar.))

//OOC: I'm not really sure how the combat works. If you need me to edit my post, I can.//

"Oh..Kay." Gritting her teeth, Frogpaw ran at the more experienced warrior blindly. Being a warrior experienced in combat, Mistyfalcon was easily able to move out the way of the clumsier apprentice. She landed on the ground with an 'oomf', kicking up dust and dead leaves.

Frogpaw used Jumping Strike for -7 SP, dealing -4+3 damage because Mistyfalcon was not in combat with her.
Night Finesse (Shadowclan-exclusive passive) active, +1 damage.

Frogpaw
20 / 20 hp
53 / 60 sp (60 - 7)

Mistyfalcon
62 / 70 hp (70 - 8)
160 / 160 sp

((OOC: I'm sorry there's like... no way for me to not destroy poor Frogpaw using the battle system. When you rank up it'll get better I promise.))

Poor Frogpaw was nervous, but she still tried, that was good. She knocked into him, though it... didn't quite have the effect that it would have if she'd been warrior-aged and warrior-sized. "Good start, you'll get better and stronger as you grow." He mewed. The lanky tom aimed a sheathed paw at Frogpaw's shoulders. He kept the blow light, very much uninterested in causing even minor damage to his clanmate. She would be able to dodge easily enough, he hoped.

Mistyfalcon used Front Paw Blow for -5 sp, dealing -9 damage.
Night Finesse active, +1 damage.

Frogpaw
10 / 20 hp (20 - 10)
53 / 60 sp

Mistyfalcon
62 / 70 hp
155 / 160 sp (160 - 5)

Frogpaw winced. Clearly her attack wasn't enough to really do anything. When Mistyfalcon pounced on her, she tried to deflect the blow, but it was unsuccessful. She was glad his claws were sheathed. So were hers, but its not like that would have made a difference. She attempted to recreate the blow, striking him with a sheathed paw. She was panting heavily.

"This is... really, hah, tiring."

Frogpaw used front paw blow. (-4)
Frogpaw
10 / 20 hp (20 - 10)
48 / 60 sp


/Its fine haha, frogpaw doesnt like fighting anyway. //

((OOC: She could do something like Random Recall + Play Dead, I went for tail yank because it's lower damage and I didn't want to just... end this after 2 strikes lol.))

Frogpaw lashed out with a sheathed paw, and Mistyfalcon took the blow on his shoulder. Hardly enough to bruise, really, but physical strength and experience took time to build. Suddenly, he darted past Frogpaw, aiming to catch her tail between his teeth and lightly tug her off-balance without drawing blood. He'd warned of this move specifically... Time to see how well she paid attention.

Mistyfalcon used Tail Yank for -15 sp, dealing -5 damage.
Night Finesse active, +1 damage.

Frogpaw
4 / 20 hp (10 - 6)
48 / 60 sp

Mistyfalcon
57 / 70 hp
140 / 160 sp (155 - 15)