Dark Forest Training

[Toodle]

Pigeonpaw nodded. Her voice caught in her throat as the molly moved around to her side and offered her assistance. Put weight in my paw - er - leg, thinking of her missing paw as a stub made her dizzy with grief but it wasn't a paw either, not anymore. She gathered her courage and slowly leaned her weight against Figwind, unsure for a moment whether she really could lean on the dead molly. As her grandmother's solid shoulder caught her pressing weight, Pigeonpaw put more weight into it and slowly started pushing her leg into the ground to start easing her side back away from Figwind. She was nervous but the more weight she put onto her stub the more surprised she grew as she realized it didn't hurt. It was awkward and off-balanced but not painful. It felt strange to feel something there other than pain. Soon enough she was no longer touching Figwind and she found herself putting equal weight on all four legs. She took a deep breath, trying to get rid of the anxiety that had stuck with her through it all. She smiled at Figwind. "I did it!" @Ravensong

[Pitou]

**Figwind**

@Toodle

Figwind smiled and walked smoothly away from Pigeonpaw, keeping her eyes on the apprentice as she stood and beamed, clearly proud of her accomplishment. Being able to stand didn't seem like an accomplishment worth pride for an apprentice as old as Pigeonpaw but she understood that trials that the young she-cat had gone through to be back to this point. Overcoming a life-altering injury was no small feat and celebrating each step would help encourage more progress. "So you did." She padded away a few paces then turned and locked her eyes calmly back on the apprentice then sat down and curled her tail around her paws. Giving a small nod, she instructed, "Now walk to me. Go at whatever pace youre comfortable with but don't limp. Focus on keeping your strides even and getting used to balancing and putting weight on the stubbed leg. It needs to be like walking on any other paw."

[Toodle]

Pigeonpaw swallowed nervously but nodded through it. She looked down to her paws - paw, focusing on the stub which was sucking down under the rotted leaf litter and slow-swirling fog. She lifted the stub and paced forward, focusing on setting it down without flinching. Figwind was right, it didn't hurt and she didn't feel the same soreness here as she had awake, as though the wound had long since fully healed. But the nerves were still there, the anticipation of the pain as though her paw would be ripped away from her a second time if she made a wrong step. Focusing on keeping her movements fluid, she lifted her whole paw off the ground and swung it forward. Her chest tattered slightly as her body weight balanced on the stub but she resisted the urge to hurry her movements. She needed to get the hang of the balance. When her paw touched the ground a surge of pride rushed through her. She looked up at Figwind, beaming. Would her grandmother be as proud of her as she was herself? Being able to walk seemed like a silly thing to be proud of but after her worries of never becoming a warrior this felt like flying. She increased her pace, though she kept focusing on making sure everything stayed even and smooth until she made it to Figwind. She stopped and bounced, a smile spread over her maw. "I did jt, I really did it! I can dk anything now! Ill show you! Ill show everybody! What should we do next?"
@Ravensong

[Pitou]

**Figwind**

@Toodle

The light-colored she-cat smiled smoothly as she watched her son's illegitimate daughter making her progress. Pigeonpaw presented her an in to get back at her ungrateful son but she had to admit the young apprentice was beginning to grow on her. She was determined and optimistic. Figwind rose to her paws, giving a few heartbeats to let Pigeonpaw have her moment of celebration before she slowly turned. Glancing over her shoulder, she flicked her tail to beckon Pigeonpaw to follow. "Now wr try to pick up the pace. Lets go for a run, see if you can keep up." Figwind kept her eye on Pigeonpaw but started into an easy trot through the forever dying trees and muggy at, making sure Pigeonpaw was keeping up but also still focusing on keeping her strides relatively even.

[Toodle]

Pigeonpaw's eyes widened as Figwind mentioned going for a run. She watched the molly turn, almost mesmerized by her graceful movements. Was she given youth and grace back after death or did she die this way? She suddenly found herself curious about what had killed her grandmother. It didn't seem like it had been possible for her to have died, not in the form Pigeonpaw saw her now, so full of life and beauty. She nodded then bounded after Figwind. Her mind was so caughtnup in her wonderings she didn't think about how the first leap would have her land directly on her front two paws, one of which no longer existed. She cringed in the anticipation as the ground came up to meet her. Her stub came down shorter on the ground than her paw but it didn't hurt and she kept her balance. Elation made her feel light and airy and she settled down and bounded forward, unrestricted. After getting past the standing and walking, everything else seemed to settle back in so easily. She nearly laughed aloud as suddenly all of her hopes and dreams and aspirations came crashing back to her, all seeming so much more attainable again. She let her worries fall away as the stiff, muggy air ruffled her grey fur. Batsong and Snowpaw were gone again but now she knew who her real father was. He didn't yet know that she knew, or maybe he didn't even know she was his daughter. But he'd saved her life once, that must mean he didn't hate her. And now she'd become the strongest warrior in Shadowclan, even with a paw missing, and make Elmshadow proud of her! She would do it! Her excitement bubbled over and her concentration broke. She missed the jutting root hiding beneath the thick fog along the ground. Her stub landed on the gnarled thing and she rolled rail over nose, crashing into the ground. When she stopped she shook out her fur and hopped back to her paws. Even a stumble couldn't dampen her mood as she leapt forward again and took off after Figwind again. @Ravensong

[Pitou]

**Figwind**

@Toodle

As she ran, Figwind kept her eyes glancing back over her shoulder to check Pigeonpaw's progress and make sure she was keeping up. The run was jolting but the confidence was beginning to show through. Figwind slowed as she looked back and saw Pigeonpaw stumble and roll, but nearly as quickly as she stopped rolling the apprentice was back on her paws and chasing after her again. Figwind smiled approvingly. She bounded forward until she found a rock. She didn't break her stride until she leapt off the ground and landed lightly atop the low rock. Oh, how she'd been longing to feel the warmth of a sun-soaked stone beneath her pads. She'd been here long enough to know better than to hope for such pleasures but the blessing of Pigeonpaw falling into her grasp must've made her weak to the trap of hope. Alas, the grey stone was muggy and uncomfortably cool; not cool enough to be refreshing but not warmth enough to be comforting. Nevertheless, she laid her stomach down on the unforgiving rock and slowly groomed her front legs. Without looking at Pigeonpaw, she drawled pleasantly, "Youre doing very well. Practice in the waking world and there will be nothing to hold you back from all of your dreams, young one." She knew she now had to traverse the topic of her son carefully. She didn't want to spook the apprentice yet giving and not receiving was growing tiresome, though Figwind was a patient cat. She decided to let Pigeonpaw lead the coming conversation, see where the apprentice wanted to go from here.

[Toodle]

Pigeonpaw stopped when Figwind jumped to the rock in front of her. She watched in awe. The molly was awe-inspiring in her grace and power to Pigeonpaw. The apprentice scrambled over to sit below her grandmother as the molly began grooming herself. Whats next? It can't be time to wake up already.

Pigeonpaw suddenly beamed under Figwind's assesment. She nodded enthusiastically, "Ill work hard always! I wont let you down!"

Her thoughts drifted slightly as she thought of why exactly she knew she wouldn't fail. Looking back at Figwind with a thoughtful expression she said, "Um, Figwind, could you maybe tell me more about my father, uh, Elmshadow? My mentor says i maybe shouldnt tell him - about me, i mean. But i just want to know more about him."
@Ravensong

[Serenitystar]

"We're here, Archscar. Now you're going to fight me until I say stop." Scar said. @spirit free

[SpiritWolf_yt]

archscar looks around" alright fine by me" he says with claws sheathed and sharp teeth showing
@Moonhunter

[Serenitystar]

Scar launched at Archscar, claws outstretched. @spirit free