WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[wren]

Originally Posted by Chameleon

Lionpaw finally spotted his mentor he stepped forward and touched his nose to her,” I guess. And I will try my best. I can’t promise I’ll be the best apprentice ever, or sucessed each time.” He glanced up at his mentor This will be the closest thing I have to a family, a mentor. Friends aren’t like mentors. Mentors risk lives for you and train you. he paused,” So should I go get mouse bile and start on the elder’s ticks and fleas or do you want to me to change the elder’s moss?” He didn’t really think much of hunting or patroling, or seeing the territory, rather he imagined apprentie duties. Don’t be Questionpaw he knew he chased cats away from him with his excessive questions.

Start with the elders?

Applewhisker smile warmly at the apprenitce, he was her responasability now. Someone to look after and tend to. The she cat closed her eyes for a brief moment, "Lionpaw, I don't want you to worry one bit. I know you'll do great. I can tell" said the she cat wih a slight raise of her eyebrow and the tilt of her head. "I'm almost as old as this clan so I should know" mused the senior warrior. She tunred to watch the clan desperate after a brief chant. Than the molly threw her head back in mock amusement. The apprentice certainly had bees in their brains if that's what they considered fun. Applewhisker gave a quiet huff to signify her confusion. Elders? "I think a more... Uh exciting job is ahead of you" she commented warmly, she paused for a long second. She hadn't any plans for the apprentice and certainly wasn't sure what she was planning on doing. Make it up. That's what we will do, improvise to the best of my ability. The flaming warrior turned to look back at lionpaw. "We shall start a simple activity. I went out on the dawn patrol this morning, my scent is relatively fresh on the territory" she remarked. A sparkle of playfulness in her eyes. It's almost as if applewhisker was truly applepaw. She hadn't seemed to have grown up despite her older age and appearance, Her spirit was young and it would die that way. Dipping back out of her thoughts she watched a few warriors enter the camp than glanced sideways at lionpaw. "It's not to windy so I think my scent will still be there, do you fancy tracking it? Perhaps we can take a tour of the territory" she purred. Took out two rabbits with one claw. he was getting a tracking lesson and a quick tour of the terriory. Not bad applewhisker, he's bound to be your last apprentice let's give him all of our Attenion.

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Mystical

Why was she bringing that up? A juicy hare? Since one would she be telling him that? Suddenly, it occurred to the tom that perhaps he was supposed to bring her prey. Or that she wanted him to get her one at the moment. But either way, he didn't like it. Was that her way of making things less awkward? Because it made them more awkward. He eyed her suspiciously, as she looked at him with her blue hue as though she had been hinting something. So she did want him to get her prey! Weaselshade was not one who appreciated that very much, he may be the kits father but that did not mean that he was going to get her a prey if she wanted it. Especially not if she was eyeing him like that. He dug his claws into the ground in frustration. "And why would you bring this up?" He asked, struggling to keep a note of annoyance out of his voice. "I'm assuming that you want me to get you prey." Weaselshade stated, with a unimpressed look planted on his face. What was she playing at? "Fine." He sighed, turning away from the she-cat so he wouldn't glare at her. The male Somali got up and padded towards the exit, shaking his head only in the slightest. Why did Thea want him to get her something to eat? Her pregnant state was no excuse. They weren't mates! After grabbing a mouse from the fresh kill pile, it was a plump one at least, he padded back into the nursery, dropping the rodent at Thea's feet. "There, I hope you're satisfied." Because if you are this topic is over. Weaselshade had not enjoyed that part of the conversation, but part of him was glad that now there was room for more pleasant conversations. Hopefully the end would be good.

This Tom must had been dumb as a rabbit running towards a cat instead of away from it. Thea simply gave Weaselshade a knowing look, one of sympathetic as if he had hit his head on something hard and harmed himself. The queen rolled onto her back, gazing more so at the sky than the Tom she found herself stuck with. When he asked his question, Thea didn't say anything. There was nothing to be said, but she could hear the screeching of his claws as he dug into the earth. Apparently, he wasn't happy about that. His next response, the molly hummed. “You assumed right.” She rolled her eyes up to look at him. When he finally got up to make her ‘wish’ come true, Thea laid in silence. Everyday since it happened, the small molly doubted herself. Out of all the males in the clan - why did she choose that one? Why had it not occurred to her that Weaselshade should had been not even the last tom to have kits with. He shouldn't have been an option at all! Thea fumed to herself, blinking her eyes for a moment, wanting to cry, then laugh, then spontaneously do both. She wiggles her nose to cease her whines when the smell of mouse whisked into her nose. Thea rolled onto her stomach, and blinked at the entrance. The smell of mouse…? She didn't ask for mouse! Thea felt her nostrils flaring, but she suppressed a growl. This was what he wanted. For her to be angry. For her to yell at him. Because she was ready to do it. She was ready to blow up at this Tom. But, in her current state, she was so emotionally unbalanced that she rather cry from sadness than fight in anger. He dropped the rodent at her paws, and she gazed down at it, frowning. “You sure do have an attitude when all I wanted was something to eat.” Her tone had been even, not one of anger or annoyance, even though it should had been. She pulled her plumped self into a sitting position, and gazed down at the mouse. Thea ate her share, tearing tiny pieces out of it. You'd think that even if she was carrying his kits, he would be treating her a lot better. But, nope! They were still at square one. It was as if they never moved a square in the first place.

[Mango]

Originally Posted by Celestial

Start with the elders?

Applewhisker smile warmly at the apprenitce, he was her responasability now. Someone to look after and tend to. The she cat closed her eyes for a brief moment, "Lionpaw, I don't want you to worry one bit. I know you'll do great. I can tell" said the she cat wih a slight raise of her eyebrow and the tilt of her head. "I'm almost as old as this clan so I should know" mused the senior warrior. She tunred to watch the clan desperate after a brief chant. Than the molly threw her head back in mock amusement. The apprentice certainly had bees in their brains if that's what they considered fun. Applewhisker gave a quiet huff to signify her confusion. Elders? "I think a more... Uh exciting job is ahead of you" she commented warmly, she paused for a long second. She hadn't any plans for the apprentice and certainly wasn't sure what she was planning on doing. Make it up. That's what we will do, improvise to the best of my ability. The flaming warrior turned to look back at lionpaw. "We shall start a simple activity. I went out on the dawn patrol this morning, my scent is relatively fresh on the territory" she remarked. A sparkle of playfulness in her eyes. It's almost as if applewhisker was truly applepaw. She hadn't seemed to have grown up despite her older age and appearance, Her spirit was young and it would die that way. Dipping back out of her thoughts she watched a few warriors enter the camp than glanced sideways at lionpaw. "It's not to windy so I think my scent will still be there, do you fancy tracking it? Perhaps we can take a tour of the territory" she purred. Took out two rabbits with one claw. he was getting a tracking lesson and a quick tour of the terriory. Not bad applewhisker, he's bound to be your last apprentice let's give him all of our Attenion.

Lionpaw blinked,” I get to leave camp my first day?” Shock filled his voice,” That’s amazing first day entering the territory!” He licked his paw,” I do often ask alot of questions, I’ll try not to ask too many though. And I might be able to track a scent.” He meowed,” Especially since I know you won’t let me trespass.”

[lone]

A dark colored tom padded into the clearing, soft eyes looking around as he settled down. He'd had enough of drama for a little while... enough to last him a lifetime, actually, but that was his curse. The price of being friends with a bunch of she cats was bound to come with some downsides - lots of downsides, maybe - and one of those was the drama of it all. The only she cats who were seperate from that drama were Infernosky and Jitterpaw, and he wasn't planning in involving them in it. It was like having two parts of his life - two seperate parts that were unique and he liked keeping them like it. Rainpaw was in the no-drama part of his life... well, now he was, anyways. He was getting along much better with his apprentice these days. Russel, along with the two she cats mentioned earlier, was in it. Other then that? Nope, there weren't many cats who weren't involved in his drama. And he needed more of them. More friends who were going to be... different, at least that was the hope. Even if they had their own drama, that would be fine, just - staying out of the mixed up web that he was currently trying to untangle. This was why he had tried to stay away from falling in love... from getting crushes... because they always came with more trouble then they were worth.

@woly

[Brunch]

@Lonestar23

The days of leaf-fall seemed to drag on forever, and the prey seemed to be falling short of feeding the whole clan for a while now. It was always difficult for WindClan to thrive during this time, perhaps worse than the other four clans. Their bodies were lithe, not meant to hold much fat and muscle, and during such a shortage of food, strength was one thing most warriors lacked, when they needed it most to charge after rabbits hiding in the moors. And with the buffeting winds always frigid by the time leaf-fall hits, most warriors catch colds, and in the worst cases white-cough and green-cough. This, again, made WindClan desperate for any food. And as the clan cats got scrawnier, so did the prey, finding little vegetation feed themselves. Canineheart tried not to think of this as she bunched her muscles against the cool wind, passing her scent down the hill. That didn't matter, all that mattered was the rabbit her emerald gaze was fixed upon. Her ears were flattened, and her body tucked into a small composition, her paws soft against the coarse sedge of the moor. Careful not to give herself away, Canineheart slowly scooted herself towards her prey, coming closer and closer. As she placed her paw down again, Canineheart heard a large squelching sound, and her paw was stuck in the muck and mud of the moor. With its nose twitching in abundance, the rabbit looked up, and bolted. Canineheart tore after it, her brown and white fur nothing but a blure on the moor. The she-cat closed in, on the rabbit. Her jaw fastened around its hind-legs, and she came to a screeching halt. Literally. The rabbit let out a long cry of despair, and Canineheart shook the rabbit like a dog, until it moved no more.The she-cat's socked paws slid across the earth, moving the dirt, creating a hole that got bigger and bigger as her paws flew. Shaking her head of a few droplets that had fallen from the ever-murky leaf-fall sky, Canineheart placed her kill in the hole she had created, covering it up with a swift motion of a paw. And I'll save you for later! Canineheart thought with a flicked of her tail, turning around, and parting her jaw on the wind. Scents rose around her, and she drew them in, trying to detect the smell of prey out of them. No filed mice made their presence known, no rabbit came from their shaft of darkness in the ground. Canineheart sighed throatily, as water came down in thick streaks. She shook her head wearily, and trotted back to the rabbit. Now that it was dead, and matted with dirt, it looked scrawnier than before. It was a sorry kill for such an experienced hunter. What should have been easy was tough, what should have been a better piece of prey was a little bunny. Should she really consider herself a warrior, catching prey of the size an apprentice could catch. Canineheart shook her head, and forgetting the rabbit in her jaws, limp paws smacked her in the face. Taken aback, Canineheart dropped the rabbit, but laughed at her own silliness after a moment. She scooped up the rabbit again and trotted up the slope to WindClan's clearing, her tail flicking gently behind her.

[Cosmo]

Originally Posted by Constellation

This Tom must had been dumb as a rabbit running towards a cat instead of away from it. Thea simply gave Weaselshade a knowing look, one of sympathetic as if he had hit his head on something hard and harmed himself. The queen rolled onto her back, gazing more so at the sky than the Tom she found herself stuck with. When he asked his question, Thea didn't say anything. There was nothing to be said, but she could hear the screeching of his claws as he dug into the earth. Apparently, he wasn't happy about that. His next response, the molly hummed. “You assumed right.” She rolled her eyes up to look at him. When he finally got up to make her ‘wish’ come true, Thea laid in silence. Everyday since it happened, the small molly doubted herself. Out of all the males in the clan - why did she choose that one? Why had it not occurred to her that Weaselshade should had been not even the last tom to have kits with. He shouldn't have been an option at all! Thea fumed to herself, blinking her eyes for a moment, wanting to cry, then laugh, then spontaneously do both. She wiggles her nose to cease her whines when the smell of mouse whisked into her nose. Thea rolled onto her stomach, and blinked at the entrance. The smell of mouse…? She didn't ask for mouse! Thea felt her nostrils flaring, but she suppressed a growl. This was what he wanted. For her to be angry. For her to yell at him. Because she was ready to do it. She was ready to blow up at this Tom. But, in her current state, she was so emotionally unbalanced that she rather cry from sadness than fight in anger. He dropped the rodent at her paws, and she gazed down at it, frowning. “You sure do have an attitude when all I wanted was something to eat.” Her tone had been even, not one of anger or annoyance, even though it should had been. She pulled her plumped self into a sitting position, and gazed down at the mouse. Thea ate her share, tearing tiny pieces out of it. You'd think that even if she was carrying his kits, he would be treating her a lot better. But, nope! They were still at square one. It was as if they never moved a square in the first place.

This was not what he had wanted to happen. Perhaps she could stop asking him to do things for her. Stop expecting him to do the duties of a mate. Weaselshade was not that type of cat. He thought, that maybe she had gotten better. That during the time he had been gone, she had gotten nicer. That perhaps his last visit had actually changed her for the better. Even as annoying, hardheaded Thea, she had never struck the tom as greedy. But what was this now? Asking him to get her a hare? And when the fresh kill pile was the lowest. If she had wanted, he could have gotten her a shrew. That was the plumpest thing on the pile. When the next hunting patrol returned, maybe she would actually consider doing something herself for once. Weaselshade glared at her, his tail twitching irritably."I got you the plumpest thing on the pile. There were some scrawny mice and a couple shrews but not a hare." He paused, to soften his gaze in the slightest, keeping it a glare. "Not even a petite one." At this point, the tom was fighting himself to stay calm. This was not what he wanted. He needed to calm down. But she seemed to succeed at stopping that from being possible. Did she want to annoy him? He didn't need to have gotten her anything!"When the next hunting patrol returns, you can get yourself a hare, because I won't be there to get it for you. Especially if you keep acting this way." Yes, the words sounded like a mother scolding her kit, but Weaselshade's voice was not stern, nor disappointed, just agitated. He didn't want to be fighting with her, but she had done it again. Gone and annoyed him just too much. And that was what happened.

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Mystical

This was not what he had wanted to happen. Perhaps she could stop asking him to do things for her. Stop expecting him to do the duties of a mate. Weaselshade was not that type of cat. He thought, that maybe she had gotten better. That during the time he had been gone, she had gotten nicer. That perhaps his last visit had actually changed her for the better. Even as annoying, hardheaded Thea, she had never struck the tom as greedy. But what was this now? Asking him to get her a hare? And when the fresh kill pile was the lowest. If she had wanted, he could have gotten her a shrew. That was the plumpest thing on the pile. When the next hunting patrol returned, maybe she would actually consider doing something herself for once. Weaselshade glared at her, his tail twitching irritably."I got you the plumpest thing on the pile. There were some scrawny mice and a couple shrews but not a hare." He paused, to soften his gaze in the slightest, keeping it a glare. "Not even a petite one." At this point, the tom was fighting himself to stay calm. This was not what he wanted. He needed to calm down. But she seemed to succeed at stopping that from being possible. Did she want to annoy him? He didn't need to have gotten her anything!"When the next hunting patrol returns, you can get yourself a hare, because I won't be there to get it for you. Especially if you keep acting this way." Yes, the words sounded like a mother scolding her kit, but Weaselshade's voice was not stern, nor disappointed, just agitated. He didn't want to be fighting with her, but she had done it again. Gone and annoyed him just too much. And that was what happened.

“Fine, fine - will you just drop it?” Her nose twitched, and her eyes refused to even look at him. She was already annoyed as he was, but she was feeling a mixture of emotions as a pregnant one would. Evidently, not one of happiness. Thea found that she could never be happy when she was around this tom. On top of that. He had made her feel bad for saying such words to him because he got her a mouse. She didn't know the food pile was getting low. Then, he had told her that he had gotten her the plumpest mouse on the food pile. It made her slow down eating because now she didn't want the mouse. The tonkinese laid down, her head buried between her paws. “I don't want it.” Someone else needed it more than she did. Like one of the elders. Or one of the other Queens. He could had gotten herself something scrawny. She would had been more...appreciative of that. “But, I do thank you for the meal.” She would had asked him to give it to the elders, but she figured he would have an attitude about that too. As he mentioned before, Thea thought he was right. She was pregnant before, and she took care of herself.. Even if that litter was lost. His next words penetrated her, making her ears fall flat for a moment. At that exact moment, the Queen felt herself overwhelmed. Not out of sadness, but her natural feistiness. She shot up from her nest, sneering at the male with bulging blue eyes. “I don't need you to do anything for me! Good Grief! I don't even know why you're even here.” Okay, so maybe she was acting like a rowdy kit, but the Molly was so mad at the moment. Which was no surprise when it came to this Tom. They were supposed to be working together. She was moody, he was moody. This was never going to work. Thea didn't know why they even tried. Falling back in her nest, she closed her eyes to keep herself calm. She couldn't allow the stress to get to her. Instead, she breathed calmly, and bent her head down to give her plump stomach a couple licks. Inwardly, she reminded herself not to ask him to do anything else for her. If he hadn't came into the nursery, she was pretty sure she could had gotten Pewterbranch to get her a quick meal. And, if her best friend wasn't reachable, she would drag herself to the food pile to scoop up something. Thea thought he didn't mind getting food for her, but apparently she was wrong. Was it so that she was asking for too much? “Don't you have friends to keep company or something similar of the sort?” The tonkinese relaxed herself, shifting her stomach so that she didn't heavily lay on it. Her ears flicked, and she stared at the entrance of the nursery. Perhaps, a walk wouldn't be so bad. But, she would have to shake this Tom off first. Which wouldn't be hard since he left as quickly as he came.

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Mystical

@Constellation

The she-kit padded out of the nursery, blinking as the sun hit her eyes. She narrowed her golden orbs against the sun. Mothkit had been staying in the nursery for the past few days, avoiding a certain cat. He had recently become an apprentice, which she thought Nightkit was happy about. Of course she loved Lynxpaw, because he was her best friend, but her logic had been that maybe he would find new friends. What she had not accounted for was for the fact that her best friend might have forgotten about her. That was not going to happen. Lynxpaw was her best friend, and when she became an apprentice, she was going to make sure of that. Mothkit knew it sounded greedy, though it was not intended to be, she just didn't want to loose her best friend. Of course she had Emeraldpaw, Nightkit, Thea, Weaselshade, and all those other cats she loved and played with, but none of them were Lynxpaw. He was special and no cat could make her forget him. The female kit had finally gathered her courage, so that she could go out and find him. If she was lucky, run into him, but all that mattered is that she saw him. The molly began padding away from the nursery, her little golden eyes searching for her friend. She was going to find him.

“WOO-HOO!” Running through the Moors had to be the best thing as being an apprentice was. Lynxpaw found himself dodging every bush, his paws thudding the ground like an incoming storm. Not only was he an apprentice, but he also had the best mentor. The all time, one of a kind, one in a.million: Hunterfang. His own brother. His role model. Days in the nursery, the Tom remembered talking about mentors with Sorrelpaw, and he predicted Hunterfang would be his mentor. Lynxpaw fell against the grass, rolling around in it to embrace his freedom. Everyone was happy. This Tom certainly was. As quickly as he fell down, Lynxpaw jumped back up, hoping to find Hunterfanf. Oh, boy! He was ready for a lesson. It didn't even have to be a lesson! He just wanted to be around Hunterfang. It was a dream come true. He was finally able to hang around Hunterfang...a lot more. Lynxpaw began running again, picking up his pace, and once he entered the clearing, he kept apologizing to anyone he ran into. Muffled “sorries” coming from his maw, and he tried his best to dodge any other cat he seen in the distance. However, he didn't slow down, coming into contact with soft fur. He planted claws into the ground. Skidding across it until he was nose to nose with the other feline. Lynxpaw had closed his eyes, expecting to be impacted somehow, but he felt the touch of a butterfly. Soft. Not hard at all. His eyes opened, and he didn't expect to see...Mothkit? Oh. Mothkit! Lynxpaw pulled himself away quickly, screaming internally at his mistake and he shuffled on his paws, offering her a bright grin, yet a sheepish one. “Hey, Mothy! How ya been?” He wasn't expecting to run into her. She was still a kit, but she was almost an apprentice. Lynxpaw couldn't wait until she became one. Then, they would be able to hang out a lot more.

[AbsurdJinx]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Surely whatever she was going to ask couldn't be too bad, could it? Obsidiansky wasn't that uncomfortable with Fawnskip asking him something, although he couldn't help but feel a sting of disappointment at not getting to ask his own questions. He wanted to ask her about her flirting, he wanted to ask her if she'd ever had her heart broken (personal though it was), he wanted to ask her what she loved about WindClan. He wanted to ask her all of those things, but it looked like he was going to have to wait. "I have to admit... you're more fun... then I thought," The tom panted, giving her a bright smile. "I thought... all you did... was throw out flirty compliments," He added with a shrug. That wasn't the best thing to say to someone. Especially not someone that he could see himself crushing on.

But, Obsidiansky hadn't really thought about that - he thought of it as an honest comment, something from his honest opinion. Silence fell and, for a moment, the dark tom was content just to sit and think in silence. Wonder about what her question would be, until she finally asked it. And it was more personal then he liked to answer. Special she cat? Who was he supposed to answer for that? Sagewhisker... Canineheart... they were both special, and they both had feelings for him. For a moment he was silent before he seemed to have his answer. "A couple of cats that I'm trying to figure out feelings for, yeah. Both close friends." His friendly nature seemed to disappear for a second and he lowered his head.

Right now, Obsidiansky was nowhere near as comfortable as he had been. He shifted his weight and looked down at the ground, before meeting Fawnskip's eyes again. "Sometimes I wish I could just forget." It was an incredibly personal statement, but he knew Fawnskip couldn't hurt him with it. As long as he kept his heart closed off, she couldn't hurt him. And that was what he was trying to do. It was hard not to open up to another cat, when he so badly needed someone to understand, to listen, and he wished more then ever that Infernosky was here. She would listen to him. She was so good at listening to him.

Please, use your deputy-sense and come find me, Infernosky. I really need you right now. In the past, he would have trusted Sagewhisker with this, but he was afraid to tell her - afraid to ruin their friendship. If Infernosky was here, he knew Fawnskip wouldn't dare try anything. The stern former deputy was too intimidating to allow someone to do something like that.

(Infernosky appears out of nowhere
Inferno: I'm here to save you Obsidian
Obsidian: yES thank StarClan
Fawn: wait what I thought you and I were having fun
Inferno: -glares-
Fawn: -winks at Obsidian- Siiiidiansky
Inferno: -glares harder-
Obsidian: -hides behind inferno- don't scare me Fawn)

[ xD
Fawn;; ...Siiiiidsters
Inferno;; -death glare- Stop it
Obsidian;; stop please dont hurt me
Everyone;; ...
Fawn;; Siidian! my brother from another mother! you know me c; ]


Fawnskip tried to ignore Obsidiansky's uneasiness. From her point of view, she had asked a very common question, but then again, many toms - and even she-cats - asked her if there was anyone special in her life. She was used to it. It seemed, however, that Obsidiansky was not. She could only think, Oh my, he might be more of a challenge than Blazingstar. At least Blazingstar played her games openly, while Obsidiansky seemed to be trying his best not to play. However, Fawnskip had worked with both types of cats before - stoic, and playful - and if she remembered correctly, she had come out on top. She'd simply have to work harder on Obsidiansky.


Reminding herself to maintain appearances, Fawnskip shook her head sadly, golden eyes expressing her compassion. ``I'm sorry to bring that up. I was just trying to see if you were, well, if you were available.`` She glanced down in an embarrassed manner - rather convincingly, too - shuffling her paws. She laughed softly in a way that seemed to be criticizing herself, raising her head once more to look at him. ``I have a lot to apologize for, actually. I know I came off rather strong...`` She shrugged as she spoke, quickly surveying the area before looking at Obsidiansky once more. ``I suppose I just like to make an impression. And honestly, who wouldn't want to make an impression on you? I mean, you yourself said many she-cats are padding after you. I guess I thought I'd be one of them.`` Fawnskip laughed again, shaking her head disbelievingly as if she couldn't understand why she thought she'd have a chance with him.


Of course, all of Fawnskip's apologies were not true, but it wasn't like she was going to tell Obsidiansky that. And no, she did not expect the dark-pelted tomcat to have so many admirers! Sure, he was handsome, but he was also quite... well, for a lack of a better word, shy. Fawnskip preferred those who were confident and playful. It did seem that Obsidiansky had a playful streak in him as displayed through their race, but he didn't seem to have the type of confidence she admired. ``Silly me, huh? Hey, did you still want to ask me a question? Because you can - feel free to. Maybe we could just ask each other questions and get to know one another? What do you say, Sid? Are you prepared to answer more of my questions?`` She flashed him a challenging smirk, puffing out her chest confidently.

[Empress Of Evil]

Originally Posted by Lilly

Not that she was surprised by her mentor's urge to just get right to training, but a little part of Moonpaw felt crestfallen as Winterwisp instructed her to start off with agility. This is what you wanted, remember? To get right back into training? The apprentice gave herself a shake as if to reorganize her scattered thoughts and nodded, a determined look settling into the side of her face that was still recognizable. "Alright," she mewed, her tone firm and voice willful as she turned to face the daunting obstacle of rocks. Somehow, they appeared bigger and more menacing than the first time she'd approached them moons ago. After her last encounter with them, she had to visit Surgestorm's den to make sure she hadn't sustained any internal injuries. Since then Moonpaw had improved her speed a bit, but with the accident now looming in her way? A shudder passed through the apprentice.

Taking a deep breath, Moonpaw padded to stand in front of the line of boulders that jutted from the ground, each larger than the next. Muscles twitched with anticipation as she analyzed the path, studying the distance between each rock with her good eye, and taking a moment to think out how she would deal with having no peripheral on one side. You can do this, she thought again, settling into a low crouch. Without giving her brain much time to oppose, the black and white she-cat shot off towards the first rock, tail streaming out behind her.

Quickly, she darted to the right, easily clearing the first rock. Upon hurtling towards the send, she swung her weight from her right to her left, allowing her whispers to just barely graze the second rock as she sailed past. Yes! she thought, a whizz of excitement rushing through her. Once the third rock was behind her, Moonpaw narrowed her blue gaze even more. This rock, almost blotting out the sky, was a lot different, and as she tried to swing her weight again, she felt her blind side scrape the edge, knocking her off balance and sending her stumbling across the grass. Because that half of her face was numb, the blow of the impact wasn't sharply felt - instead, a dull ache rang through her body and she growled, shutting her good eye as she fought to stay upright; she wasn't about to fall in front of her mentor. Stay up! she yowled to herself in her head, forcing her good eye open. The ground swayed in her vision, and she stumbled a bit more, though never fell over.

When Winterwisp looked at Moonpaw, she no longer looked directly at her eyes. If anything, she would try not to look at her face as a whole. Having already seen the apprentice's damaged face, the she-cat knew that she did not want to look again. Still, a small part of her had the urge to glance back at the young cat's face, even though she knew it would send an uncomfortable shiver running down her spine. Still, Winterwisp took a short glance at the damaged side of Moonpaw's face, and shuddered. Then her pale green gaze momentarily moved to the intact side and surprised lit her gaze when she saw determination on her face. After all she had been through, she was still determined to do her best and complete her training. The warrior knew that if she were in her position, she would've already given up. She would've given up on trying to become a warrior and she would've been preparing to spend the rest of her days in the Elder's Den. But Moonpaw was a determined cat, and she wasn't ready to give up yet. The warrior wasn't sure whether to admire her for this, or to snort at the false hope she was giving herself. It was probably the snort.

Winterwisp watched the black and white she-cat through narrowed eyes, claws digging into the ground as she impatiently waited for the apprentice to start running. A moment later, the apprentice quickly started to move. Despite the surprise she felt, the warrior didn't let her eyes give anything away. It was surprising to see that the she-cat had moved past three of the rocks without much of a struggle. The fourth rock however, loomed over the apprentice and the warrior doubted the she would make it past. Her prediction was correct, as the she-cat lost her balance and started stumbling away. The warrior looked unimpressed and made no move to help the apprentice regain her balance. She gave Moonpaw a few seconds to recollect herself and her sense of balance, before finally speaking. "Again!" she commanded. "Think of that rock as an enemy. That boulder was a large enemy, much to big for you to fight, so you had no other option but to dodge them, yet other enemies stood in your way. That time, you lost your control and crashed into the enemy, but this time you can't let that happen. If something like that happened in a battle, you would be dead by now. Do it again, and this time imagine those rocks as enemies," Winterwisp said, her voice sharp and lacking any concern for the apprentice's well being. The idea of pretending that the rocks were enemy warriors had only just come to her head when she noticed the way they loomed over her and knocked her sense of balance away, even if they were just inanimate objects.