shifting stance [closed]

It was mid-day. Patrols had been assigned, apprentices were training or going about their various duties, and the camp was rather quiet. Pebblepaw was on elder care duty along with a couple of the other apprentices. Finding this to be a brief reprieve from his duties, with the clan engaged and about their daily tasks, it seemed he would finally have the chance to accomplish what he had been planning on for sometime now. A training session with Pebblepaw. Stoatstar, since deputyhood, had been engaged in the training of all apprentices to make sure they were ready to become clan warriors and received the best training.

The Riverclan born tom had an odd gait. Stoatstar wanted to make sure he knew how to navigate it in battle and when hunting, to make things easier for himself. The tom wasn't entirely sure how but he was determined to find out. Poking his head into the elder's den, he dipped his head to Dustcloud before meowing, "Pebblepaw. Come with me." He turned and headed for the camp entrance, not wasting time to wait around, expecting the apprentice to follow suit. Once Pebblepaw had caught up, he continued, "We're going to train today, you and me. I want to get some battle practice in, maybe hunting too, if you're up for it. Is that alright?"

Pebblepaw was rolling together the old moss from the elders’ nest to carry it out to the dirt place when Stoatstar poked his head in the den. Thank StarClan, something other than grouchy old cats, he thought as he followed the older tom out into camp. His ears pricked up at the mention of training, looking up at Stoatstar with bright eyes. Flurrypaw and Mintpaw had already begun their training in ThunderClan and finally it was his turn. His paws prickled with excitement and he sped up into a teetering trot to walk alongside Stoatstar.
“Of course I’m up to it!” He crowed, his fur fluffed up in excitement. “I’m ready to learn, Stoatstar!”

"So," he began as they padded away from the camp. There had been a brief pause but the enthusiasm of the young tom seemed to warm his paws and build the leader's own excitement. Not only would this be a welcome challenge to overcome but he longed to see the younger cat become a warrior regardless of the circumstances, "I'm sure you that your physical abilities are not like that of other cats. It seems to hardly slow you down but I want to make sure your skills are sharpened as much as any other cat. I want other clans to fear you, Pebblepaw, and I know they will someday. Tell me what it's like as best you can, and then we will practice. I'm going to learn from you and you from me. How does that sound?" Unlike his sister, the former Riverclan apprentice seemed to live without worry. It was a good thing in this scenario but something he planned to keep an eye on. For now, he simply settled back on his haunches and waited for the apprentice to speak.

Pebblepaw listened to Stoatstar, resisting the urge to snort when the topic of his walk came up. Since he’d opened his eyes in the nursery, he’d always known that something was different about him. Even if he hadn’t figured that out on his own, it seemed like there was no shortage of cats around him that told him as much. Of course, he kept his mouth shut and his ears open-- this would be the first real training session he had in a long time (and with Stoatstar no less!). He wasn’t going to ruin the opportunity. As Stoatstar continued on, a prickle of excitement ran up Pebblepaw’s spine.
I want other clans to fear you, Pebblepaw, and I know they will someday.
The young tom looked up at his leader, green eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. No cat had ever said that about him before. It had always been “perhaps” or “maybe” when it came to him reaching a full warriorhood. Stoatstar sounded so sure about it, and Pebblepaw ducked his head shyly. I won’t let you down!
“That sounds perfect!” His tail lashed from side to side, energy surging to his paws. “If I were to describe it… It’s like… Half of me wants to go one way, and the tail end of me wants to go the other way.”

The shock that was written across the tom's face confused him slightly. Had no cat ever looked at him like a warrior before? This was their way of life - Pebblepaw needed to learn rather than being sheltered. A flash of frustration at the tom's former clan was brief before the leader turned into the apprentice's words. Stoatstar hummed softly with thought. Not long before he had done the same thing with Mintpaw and they had found some resolution. There was hope and hopefully the younger cat understood that. But... what to do. Tail end wanting to go the different way? He did not understand how it felt but, "Have you tried to let your tail end guide you? Perhaps moving with your hindpaws first will help you better control your movements. It would be an interesting fighting style for sure to rely on your hindlegs but I'm sure no cat would expect it. Want to give it a try?"

The idea of going into battle tailfirst almost made Pebblepaw laugh, but the earnestness in Stoatstar’s voice made him pause. He lifted one hindpaw after the other as he contemplated the idea. Moving hindpaw first definitely didn't come naturally. But that didn't mean that his back claws were any less sharp than his front claws, and Stoatstar was right about no cat expecting it. It would certainly be an adjustment, but if Stoatstar was willing to give him the time and effort it would take to get him used to it, then Pebblepaw was willing to try anything.  
“I’m up for it,” he meowed confidently, whiskers twitching with excitement. “I just hope my paws are up for it, too.”

[ooc: sorry this took so long to get up, I ended up getting really busy irl and I didn't have time to post]

"I believe in you." Stoatstar meowed encouragingly as he crouched down into a defensive position. It would definitely be an adjustment but with the enthusiasm Pebblepaw displayed, he was certain that the young tom would be able to work through this. With his tail lashing back and forth, he continued, "Okay, you attack me first. We'll practice. Slowly. If this works, training will get more intense." He was prepared to take the blows and act like a rather stagnant target. They would work up to proper training. Pebblepaw would get there - he was sure of it.

Pebblepaw nodded and dropped into a stance that mirrored Stoatstar’s, tucking his ears back flat against his head as he tried to remember what little battle training he’d been given prior in RiverClan. Slowly and more than a little awkwardly, he stalked forward with his hindpaws leading him. Don’t think about how much of a turtle you look like right now, don’t think about it, he thought, lashing his tail as he struck out at Stoatstar with a sheathed paw.

Pebblepaw used Front Paw Blow, dealing 4 Damage and costing 5 Stamina
Pebblepaw 15 HP/25 SP (-5 SP)

"Good start!" He praised, feeling the blow. Despite being a first blow, not wholly certain, the young apprentice had managed to land a blow. It would take some learning for sure but seeing Pebblepaw picking up on things so quickly was reassuring. Stoatstar meowed as he pounced to the side to try to land his own blow, "You have to learn to dodge like this too. Let's see how you do." The little brown and white tom planned to strike Pebblepaw's shoulder. The move would likely throw the younger cat off but there had to be a gradual realism to their training so that eventually Pebblepaw would be prepared for battle. He could do it, though. Stoatstar knew he could do it.

Stoatstar used front paw blow, dealing 7 (+2) 'damage' and using 5 stamina.

Pebblepaw
HP: 6/15
SP: 25/25

Stoatstar
HP: 76/80
SP: 165/170

Pebblepaw didn’t have much time to bask in the glow of self pride that came with Stoatstar’s praise as the older tom leapt and landed a strike on his shoulder. Indeed, the blow tipped him over. He was already topheavy and it certainly didn’t take much to push him over that last whisker length over. Instead of fighting the fall, he leaned into it, flailing his paws up over his head until he landed rightside up, his paws tucked underneath him and his belly pressed to the ground. His fur was covered in dust and forest floor debris but he was crouched and alert. “Dodging might be a bit tricky,” he admitted, giving himself a wobbling shake to try and dislodge the debris in his ruffled pelt. "Maybe... Maybe we could work on that rolling thing," he pipped up. "With practice maybe I can look less like a turtle and more like a real warrior."

Pebblepaw
HP: 6/15
SP: 25/25

Stoatstar
HP: 76/80
SP: 165/170