one step, two step [closed - training]

Rest had been nice. He had truly felt like he had slept for moons. Prey was still hard to come by and he couldn't bring himself to take much from the pile but he knew he needed it, opting for a mouse. It would be enough for midday training at least. The little tom had always prescribed to the belief that touring the territory with a new apprentice was a waste of time. They would not be out on their own for a long time, really until warriorhood, would learn on patrols, and would forget all the landmarks by the next morning. Stoatstar was far to practical for that.

Feeling like a new cat, in many ways, he'd collected himself, and then the apprentices in his care for the time being. Leaving the camp was when Minkstar became heavy on his mind once more. The pair had patrolled together so much in their final days. He was reminded of being a young tom, padding after Minkstar, soaking up every bit of knowledge that was offered to him. The sensation was painful and hit him in the chest like an enemy's blow. But he had to shake if off. Grief did not fill bellies nor did it train young cats. Keeping his head clear was what mattered. Thunderclan was growing and he had three apprentices in tow. Eager things they were - for the most part. It was an odd bunch and he would be watching them closely through their training, especially to see how Flurrypaw was adjusting.

"Alright, we'll stop here." Stoatstar had been thinking of a rather spacious clearing. It was a tad harder to find in the snow but he'd managed to track it. When he turned, he spent a moment sizing up the apprentices, waiting for their attention to be fully on him before he spoke, "Today we're going to practice basic battle moves. If you can learn to fight a cat, catching prey is easier. Although, you have to keep in mind that with prey, paws have to be lighter, quicker. It is always better to be smart and quick than to have a heavy blow. But I plan on showing you both."

The small break in the dense foliage allowed for an even blanket of snow. Over the past few days it had accumulated enough to cover his pads. No doubt fighting in the snow more interesting - there was more to pay attention to. Being born in this harsh leafbare would sharpen their skills - he was sure of it. Stoatstar had already planned out their session but now it was time to pass this information along to them, "We will pair off and spar. Flurrypaw, with me. Cinderpaw and Mottlepaw, you will be up against each other. It is better to practice on each other than the air, as air does not fight back. Claws sheathed and if you use your teeth, watch that you don't break skin."

First, he planned to show them a Thunderclan specialty. As he walked them through the motions, he paws swiped the air with a swift and fluid motion. Shifting his weight in the most seamless manner, he brought his paws down on what would have been the head of an enemy cat. Stoatstar did this once or twice before signaling for them to try it. He faced his partner and settled into a defensive position, "I'm interested in seeing how a Riverclan cat fights. I have as much to learn from you, as you do me. Don't forget what you learned before but adapt it, change it. Take all the information you have and learn to use it. That's an ability you'll have that most cats don't. Now, show me what you can do."

ooc; if you use the battle system for your posts it will count as a spar and a req ^^ i can also help with hunting reqs as well if you need those. for reference - the move he is demonstrating is thunderous stomp

The moment Stoatstar had summoned the tortoiseshell apprentice for training, her amber gaze immediately had honed in upon judging whether or not he had gotten any rest or sustinence. If he hadn't gotten either of those, she'd have grumbled and practically done her best to push him off to at least somewhat take care of himself. Mottlepaw held the belief that training with an exhausted mentor was practically as good as eating the skinniest mouse - it took more energy to do the activity than whatever the gain would be from it. However, for once, the leader actually looked like he'd had a modicum of self care. So, she rose from her lounging spot in camp, following after her mentor and the other apprentices that flanked behind him.

She came to a halt a little bit behind Stoatstar as he gave their instructions. Battle training was something she wasn't exactly looking forward to, but it was necessary in her role as a warrior. Defense and offense were just simply part of how life went for them, and unless she learned how to properly execute such a task, it would be rather easy to end up much more injured than if she had took a simple swipe from a paw. So, as such, she listened. Her head tilted to the side in its signature style, indicating her focus and attempt to process everything that she was being told.

A respectful nod towards the other apprentice, Cinderpaw, came from the young molly as her partner was assigned. Another firm nod was given to Stoatstar's instructions to be kinder to each other while fighting, as they were indeed clanmates and not enemies. That was one thing that she certainly had on her side, as while she expected to come home sore from battle training, she didn't want any actual injuries to come home with. It had nothing to do with the idea of her pelt getting messy, or any blemishes upon her fur, but rather, it was hard to be useful while injured. Mottlepaw wanted to be able to do as much as she could for the Clan, even as an apprentice, and she'd keep herself in top shape any way that she could.

Her speckled head once more tilted as she observed the move that Stoatstar demonstrated for them. To her, it appeared as if he went to swipe at his opponent before rearing up, using the swipe as a distraction as he prepared to launch his front paws down upon the opponent. It took a bit of focus to picture it, but as soon as he repeated the motion, she felt solid in her mental picture. Turning towards her battle parter, but taking a few pawsteps back so as to be nowhere near striking her, Mottlepaw attempted to recreate the move Stoatstar had shown them.

With her claws sheathed, she swiped at the air between the two she-cats with one paw, using the other to push her small torso up onto her hind legs. Quickly she then brought her two paws together, only to launch them straight downwards into the snow. It made a satisfying crunch beneath the weight she had applied - and her amber gaze flickered over to Stoatstar for any sign of approval before turning back to her partner. "Once you try it, we could try it on each other? The snow should make it so we don't hurt our muzzles." She suggested, wanting her partners permission before attempting such a move.

The former Riverclanner had been resting in the warmth of the apprentices' den. Like an invisible border, she stuck close to her siblings, their nests even combined together. The other apprentices weren't unkind, she was just... wary. She didn't bother trying to fit in, but also didn't do things that would make them dislike her. So when Stoatfur summoned a select few, her name included, a feeling of dread settled in her. The she-cat was stubborn, however, not wanting to bring the leader aside to ask for a private session.

The molly hadn't been out of camp very often, unused to all the undergrowth. She kept to herself but didn't stray too far from the little group, observing the snowy white territory. When they came to a stop, she felt a flicker of relief, her nerves of tripping over things were slightly lessened. Imagine tripping up in front of these other apprentices... they'd think Riverclan cats were all this clumsy- she mused. Catching herself assuming she was still Riverclan, she forced the thought out of her mind. Just focus on the task Flurrypaw...

At the mention of sparring, her whiskers twitched in excitement. Imagine if I beat the leader! the prideful apprentice thought, though the idea was rather far off from coming true. Watching as the tom pushed off the ground into a position that looked to her alike a bear, she imagined herself doing the same. The swish of the air and a thud where his paws hit the snow. Looks easy enough! The group broke off into their assigned pairs, the white and dark brown molly facing her partner. Yellow eyes studied her 'opponent's form, tail lashing at the tom's words. She certainly wasn't about to let him know she hadn't received much hunting training, let alone battle training.

She took on a stance that felt firm enough, back slightly arched. Eyeing her foe, she striked first, attempting to rush by and land a hit on his flank at the same time. Prepping to launch, at a mental signal, she slid past the tom, sheathed paws catching his side. Now behind the tom, she swiveled around to meet him face to face again. How was that? It seemed like a pretty Riverclan thing to do...

Since the deputy ceremony, Cinderpaw hasn't talked much to her father. The feisty she-cat still loved him and respected him but his decision was... questionable. Additionally, she wasn't too excited with Flurrypaw on their patrol. The brown-grey molly distrusted the former Riverclan apprentice and her family. Cinderpaw did not take her eyes away from the she-cat. In the Thunderclan apprentice eyes, she was a traitor to her clan. How could Stoatstar trust her to not leave Thunderclan as well?

When they finally arrived, she let out a soft hiss under her breath when the leader announced the sparring teams. Why can't I train with dad? Why is he preferring to spar with Flurrypaw instead of training her own daughter? She decided to not argue against his decision but the apprentice was pissed.

She walked towards Mottlepaw and nodded back at her. Unlike Flurrypaw, the molly didn't have anything against this apprentice. Impatiently, Cinderpaw waited for the other she-cat to finish up trying the new move Stoatstar had shown them. Once Mottlepaw was finished, the brownish she-cat took a step back. Taking a deep breath to prepare, Cinderpaw lifted her upper body to stand up in her two hind legs. Quickly, before she could lose her balance, she let her body fall in front of her and brought her paws down simultaneously, hitting the snow as strong as she could. Her sheathed paws sunk into the snow and a satisfied smile drew in Cinderpaw's face. That would certainly knock an enemy! She thought gleefully.

Before she could continue to celebrate her successful attempt, Mottlepaw surprised her with the offering. With a wide smile and a blaze of excitement in her green eyes, Cinderpaw nodded energetically. Finally! A real fight!. Imitating Stoatstar, Cinderpaw took a defensive position and looked right into Mottlepaw's eyes. "Let's do it! You can attack first. I will wait for you."

ooc; so sorry for the delay my friends!

Admittedly, she was quicker than he expected. Soft pads grazed his side as she tried to slide past him. But this was an untrained apprentice - and he was a skilled warrior. Stoatstar had seen the arrogance in her eyes before the strike. Even so, the erratic steps were that of one who'd hardly had a training session before. Flurrypaw was as much of a kit as the other two, who had just received their apprentice names and spend little time in a new den. This was just the beginning. Such pride needed to be trained out quick, it would make her sloppy. The leader waited until she was almost behind him, sticking out a paw to catch her hindlegs.

With the momentum build up, fueled by over confidence, the simple blockade threatened to send her tumbling through the snow. By this time the brown and white warrior had already whipped around and was darting forward. He leaped, easily pressing her paws into her pelt and pushing Flurrypaw into the snow. Stoatstar looked down at her, studying her with his bright orange eyes. For a moment, he'd stopped focusing on the other match and was giving his full attention to this former Riverclan cat. His tail flickered back and forth as he waited a second before speaking.

"You fight with the grace and skill of a badger, without the strength." He finally remarked, looking down at the apprentice. Stoatstar hadn't intended to strike with such enthusiasm but noting her attitude, decided it was better to train out such foolishness quickly. If she wanted to fight like a toothless fox cub, she wouldn't last in a real battle. It had become more painfully obvious that Flurrypaw had hardly lifted a claw before. The fire and passion was untamed, needed refining and he intended to train that into her, "Making up moves won't get you anywhere. I hope you're paying close attention. That Riverclan move won't help you fight anything. Forget what you may have learned - I'm going to teach you how a proper warrior fights."

Stoatstar used leap and hold on Flurrypaw 'dealing' 10 (+2 star striker) damage and using 15 stamina. Flurrypaw is held for 2 turns. (Stoat will not hold her for two turns).

Stoatstar (leader bonus active, disadvantaged stats active)
HP: 75/75
SP: 140/140

Flurrypaw (disadvantaged stats active)
HP: 3/15
SP: 30/30

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

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'Effect Dice' : 6

"Ah!" her hindlegs caught something and in a quick tumble, the apprentice found herself pinned. Fishes- now he's not gonna stop crowing about it! Flurrypaw had expected some kind of gleeful remark, but an insult as such... it came as a surprise. A look of shock crossed her maw, if only for a split second, then a hardened, defiant glare rested in place. "Well, you look like one and smell like one too." she whispered, eyes daring to meet his. The cold snow threatened to make her thick pelt wet and a frosty breath prompted the warrior to let her up. " Could you please get off me already?" Just because the stubborn she-cat acted the way she did, did not mean that she was not going to listen.

Seeing that he still had more to say, she did not hesitate to act on her own. Using what power she had, she attempted to twist out from under the leader's grip. His claws were sheathed, meaning it would be easier to get out. Her hindlegs pushed out from under and pelt slid on the snow, yet she was not strong enough to shove the warrior off. Thrashing did no good and only left her with a rather sodden pelt.


Flurrypaw attempted to use Duck and Twist. It was unsuccessful!

Stoatstar (leader bonus active, disadvantaged stats active)
HP: 71/75 (-4)
SP: 140/140

Flurrypaw (disadvantaged stats active)
HP: 3/15
SP: 25/30 (-5)

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

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'Effect Dice' : 3