Finding Your Heart[C]

Dandelionpaw

Dandelionpaw wasn't thrilled about going out for yet another one of Sootstorm's training sessions. The deputy watched over him as fiercely as his mother used to; though, admittedly, much kinder and gentler. Sootstorm didn't try to force Dandelionpaw to be normal. He just tried to use his own unique strengths and weaknesses to his advantage. Dandelionpaw knew this, but it didn't make the training sessions any easier to deal with. Similar to his mother, all he had to do was perform well enough for Sootstorm to be appeased.

Dandelionpaw glanced over his shoulder to see Sootstorm standing, watching him from not far off. His tail flicked and he dropped into his well-practiced hunting crouch. He picked his way forward through the tussocks, careful not to upturn a pebble with his hind foot. He stepped gently over it, but his shoulder brushed against the tall grasses, rustling and sending a few sparrows into the sky.

So much for that, he growled. He threw an unhappy glance over his shoulder, his ears pulled back with frustration.

"Sorry, Sootstorm," he apologized. "I'll try again."

Dandelionpaw's golden eyes flicked around, trying to find a decent spot to start. His eyes locked on a distant hill and he lowered himself back into the crouch, pulling himself forward, shaky pawstep by shaky pawstep. As he neared the rise, his attention was drawn to movement at the corner of his vision. Something was rustling about beneath a heather bush. Prey?

Dandelionpaw settled on his haunches and waited, doing his best to focus on the opening along the bottom of the heather bush. Perhaps it was just the wind. After some moments of waiting, Dandelionpaw stalked forward and peeked beneath the bush, his golden eyes drawing in as much light as they could gather. He saw... nothing.

With a hiss, the young apprentice drew back and plopped onto his tail. At that moment, a startled mouse darted out from beneath the bush and raced up the hill. Dandelionpaw jumped to his paws and raced clumsily after the scrap, zig zagging between the tussocks.

Just as the creature was about to escape beneath a boulder, Dandelionpaw closed in and scooped up the struggling, squeaking creature in his claws. He dispatched it quickly with a nip to the back of the neck and it instantly fell limp. Good. Sootstorm would be pleased. He picked it up in his jaws and began carrying it in the direction he last saw his mentor.

Dandelionpaw

Dandelionpaw stared over his mentor's shoulder as he spoke, watching the clouds float lazily by in the distance. His expression was vacant as Sootstorm went over the things that he could improve on, recalling his mother's angry face when she told him to just be normal.

At least he's not shaming me, he pondered. But which is worse? What is the point of empty encouragement? I will never be the warrior they all expect me to be. Still, Dandelionpaw would work through the motions. He nodded absently as Sootstorm performed his crouch. Something about straightening the spine.

Dandelionpaw lowered himself, doing his best to mimick his mentor without directly looking at him. "Is my spine straight enough?" he asked, wiggling himself awkwardly, and stiffly forward.