the boss fight [ p ]

[wolfie]

takes place in riverclan clearing/territory featuring wormbite and codpaw [ @Ravensong] !!

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Another assessment. After Shimmerpaw's - now Shimmerbird's - assessment had gone decently well besides the last section. (Then again, he hadn't realized the loophole) Wormbite could only hope this one would go just as smoothly. A part of him was excited despite his blank expression, these were Riverclan's next generations of warriors they referring to. He wanted to see what they could offer.

Wormbite popped his head into the entrance of the apprentice's den, "Codpaw!" He called out before pulling back. He backed up away from the entrance, waiting for the apprentice to drag their self-awake.

The moment they made an appearance, the oriental was jumped to explain. "It is time for your final assessment. Goodmorning, " Wormbite offered, tilting his head curiously at the cat.

[Pitou]

@x ghostie

**Codpaw**

Codpaw lifted his nose from the warmth of his nest. He could've sworn he'd heard his name. But who'd be calling for him? The nip of cold morning air touched him as his body unraveled. He stretched deeply, yawning, and padded out of the den, though his quickly cooling body protested vehemently.

The spotted grey tabby nearly jumped as he came nose to nose with Wormbite outside of the apprentice den. What did the Shield want with him? But before he could verbalize the question, Wormbite answered it. My assessment?! It was finally time! But with it suddenly upon him Codpaw's toes tingled anxiously. Am I actually ready for this? He went over in his mind all of his various training opportunities. He rarely had any reliable one-on-one training, with his rotation of mentors over the last few moons. But he'd gotten good at things, really good, he was sure he had this!

"I've never been so ready! Let's get this thing started!" Codpaw hopped toward the center of the clearing but then stopped, remembering his manners, and dipped his head slightly, "Oh! Good morning!"

[wolfie]

@Ravensong
The Dark Lord gave a subtle dip of his head as Codpaw exited the den, his misty hues watching the apprentice with the beat of silence. With immediate registration, it was as if Codpaw had just been brought back alive. Wormbite turned his head as the tom bounced to what he believed to be, the middle of the clearing. His whiskers twitched in amusement at the excited display, and he followed suit.

"Then shall we go, " Wormbite mewed back as a response, his slim tail gesturing for Codpaw to follow him out of camp. If he truly was this ecstatic, there was no reason for delay. He offered no words while they walked down a hidden trail. With a slope, they were met into a clearing. One that he was oh so familiar with.

He trotted to the middle of it before turning to face Codpaw. "We will be going through three sections to assess you. The first one is hunting. To be a proper assess to Riverclan, you need to be able to provide for your clanmates. This divides into keeping up Riverclan's traditions and hunting in variation, " He began to explain, his voice slow and calm. Leaf-bare was here which provided an extra push to the challenge. Interesting.

"You will bring back at least, one water-based prey and one land-based prey. Be back here before the sun is at its peak and we will continue. You will do this on your own, but I will be lurking, " Wormbite finished, giving a nod of completion.

[Pitou]

@x ghostie

**Codpaw**

The sleek grey tom nodded once, resolutely, then hopped up to follow the older tom as he beckoned with his tail. Codpaw trotted behind, following closely. At first his green eyes stayed locked on Wormbite but the further they walked, the apprentice's eyes began to stray. He knew this territory well and he recognized the path, suspecting where Wormbite was leading them. He took a deep breath, I can do this. There's nothing this land can surprise me with. I'm a true Riverclan cat and I deserve to be a warrior!

But his paws tingled nervously, his mind suddenly filled with questions about Wormbite. Had the warrior ever noticed him during his apprenticeship? Did he already have an opinion on him? Why wasn't he saying anything? He should've talked to Hazelpaw...Hazelstorm to figure out who her assessment was with and how it went! But he was here now.

Codpaw nearly bumped into Wormbite's nose as the warrior stopped and turned. He swallowed and sat down, taking in a deep breath, suddenly realizing that they were in the clearing. He listened closely to Wormbite's instruction, pushing his inner thoughts out of his mind. As Wormbite finished, Codpaw nodded his understanding and turned to trot away. Fish were more active in the mornings so he'd start with the fish, hopefully the mice would be taking advantage of the warmer part of the day and coming out then. He took a deep breath and seated himself by the edge of a small pond. He thought back to Palehound's lesson and studied the shadows as they rippled through the water. Using a quick paw, he jabbed down into the water as one of the shadows moved within his reach but felt nothing but empty water. His heart sank into his stomach. Judging the depth of the fish was a question he realized he never got an answer on. He shook his pelt and focused his mind, he'd just need to try again. But the shadows that had splotched the water just heartbeats before had all disappeared. He flexed his claws into the saturated bank in frustration.

Codpaw stood and walked briskly to the inlet stream feeding the pond. He stepped into the moving water and leveled his breathing. He focused on the water to watch for any fish but dared not even move his head. After painfully long heartbeats filled with Codpaw's worry of passing time, a fish lazed through the waters towards the open pond. Codpaw took the opportunity, pulling his front legs up out of the water and diving straight down on top of the fish. He pinned it and dunked his head in quickly to bite it and pull it out. He breathed out a sigh of relief. It wasn't a big fish, really it was pretty disappointing, maybe if he had time after land hunting he'd try to catch another fish. But at least he had something.

He buried the fish to return to and walked to the more dense undergrowth. He looked around. Sunsetbloom's mouse baiting competition gave him a good idea. He looked up to the sky and noticed the sun still fairly low. He had time. He'd won Sunsetbloom's competition so why wouldn't it work for his assessment? He hurried through the brush looking for something to use. Cherries had been his go to for the competition so he kept a keen eye out for some cherries. After finally finding some shriveled reddish cherries beneath what Codpaw assumed must be a cherry tree past its fruiting season, he grabbed one and looked for a mouse trail. He sniffed around a bramble and found not-so-stale scent leading down into a little hole. Codpaw placed the cherry strategically outside the hole, not too close that the mouse wouldn't have to leave the safety of its burrow but not too far that it wouldn't be tempted by its scent.

He hopped back and found a hidden spot to the side of the bramble and settled down to wait. The cold of the ground seeped through his thick fur and the anxiety of passing time made him uncomfortable and fidgety, though he fought the urge to move. His pelt crawled as he kept stifling the urge to check the sun again. The more he moved the less likely the mouse would venture out of his burrow. This all seemed so much easier during the competition but Codpaw figured that had a lot more to do with there being so much less at stake during the competition.

At long last, his patience paid off. A small triangular nose twitched out of the hole. Patience. Codpaw rose slightly, positioning himself to spring as soon as the opportunity presented itself. If he sprang too early or too late the mouse would disappear down into the hole before he could get over the ground. As the little brown rodent stretched out towards the overripe berry, Codpaw pounced, his front paws landing squarely on the mouse's back as he nipped the back of its neck cleanly. His pelt buzzed. That was everything, right?! He looked up to the sun and jumped. It was nearly sunhigh! He carried his mouse to the place he buried his fish to collect it and ran back to Wormbite. Dropping his freshkill at the warrior's paws, Codpaw sat back, grinning proudly though his insides buzzed with anxiety.

[wolfie]

@Ravensong
Misty hues watched the figure disappear into the evergreen and he waited a few moments. There was no worry of losing the apprentice, blindness did allow for Wormbite to improve on his tracking skills after all. After time had passed, the Dark Lord began to follow the path Codpaw had gone down. He kept his pawsteps light, his movements quick and precise. The darkness was one with him, he was simply a shadow.

Similar enough, Codpaw had went to catch a fish before land prey - just like Shimmerpaw. Hm. Wormbite stopped right before the bank, ducking behind the bushes and he simply listened to the sounds of rushing water. His misshaped ears perked up at the sound of a splash - an attempt but Codpaw did not begin to walk away from the bank. Either a failed attempt or eager to please, he would have to find out later. Wormbite fidgeted awkwardly before after a decent time period had come upon, there was another splash and ah - the corner of his lips tugged upwards. Must be a success and then they were on the move again.

...

Wormbite would admit he entirely had no idea what this tom was doing. He peered at Codpaw intensely from the pits of darkness and if he could see the Shield - there would be a utter look of confusion plastered on his face... Codpaw was scavenging through a bush or something similar enough by the sounds of it. This was not a time for a snack? Nonetheless, Wormbite just observed and to his relief there was a reason for this. It only clicked inside his head once Codpaw had successfully caught the .. mouse but the reason was for bait. Approved.

With a nod of his head, the oriental ducked away. He had witnessed all he needed for this section. Wormbite returned to the familiar clearing, taking a seat in the middle. His eyes were closed shut, simply listening to the sounds of the scenery around him. It was only when pawsteps began to come closer he opened them.

"Hello, " Wormbite mewed, his whiskers twitching. Ah yes, one fish and one mouse. "Suitable, " He nodded, his voice ranging with approval and perhaps he was being ominous at this point on purpose. He rose to his full height, "This next portion shall be quick. You may bury your fresh kill here, we will return. Follow me once you have finished, " And once Codpaw had, off they went!

This time, Wormbite did provide more information. "An important part and a unique trait are swimming. It is one of the many things that separates us from the other clans and provides a useful advantage in battle, " The clearing was a bit of a walk but soon enough they arrived at Cattail Pond. One - if not the best - location where you can swim with freedom. Wormbite came to a halt at the bank.

Without glancing back, he moved to one point. "This is where you will start, " and then one more, "This is where you will end. I want you to swim from those points and then we may begin the battle portion, " The oriental moved back to where Codpaw could start. "When you are ready."

[Pitou]

@x ghostie

**Codpaw**

The apprentice tried to gauge the tom's reaction. "Suitable"...So I passed then? Codpaw let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. The hunting portion of the test was over, that just left swimming and fighting. He did as he was told with slightly trembling paws and dug a hole to drop his mouse and fish into before kicking dirt back over it and looking back to Wormbite.

The spotted young tom followed the warrior, nerves making his legs move faster than he would've like so he was constantly reminding himself to slow down to maintain a respectable distance between Wormbite and himself. Swimming! Codpaw couldn't help the surge of excitement and suddenly his nerves seemed to settle. He may have a mildly concerning interest in the other clans and their way of life but he was a Riverclan cat at heart, through-and-through. Swimming was his natural happy place.

He listened closely and stopped at the bank of Cattail Pond, watching Wormbite point out the two points that he'd need to swim between. He nodded once and bounded to the starting point. He dove in with minimal splash, feeling the water course through his fur as it quickly soaked through his pelt and touched his skin. The thick insulation of his fur helped to heat up the frigid waters that trapped themselves within his oily pelt so the colder waters stayed on the outside. His face slipped inconsequential back through the surface and he sucked in a deep breath before striking out with strong legs, propelling himself through the water, cutting the surface with a ripple.

Just over the halfway mark, he dove his head down, his slick body following gracefully as he slipped streamline through the water and tucking tightly to torpedo spin underwater before breaking back through the surface and completing his swim as his paws grazed the bottom and he pulled himself up onto the shore.

Codpaw ran back to meet Wormbite, his pelt dripping and sodden with no thought of shaking the pond from his fur, and sat down, his chest puffing proudly.

[wolfie]

@Ravensong
This was one of the more lenient sections - swimming was a unique and important skill Riverclan harnessed, and they needed to keep that alive. Nonetheless, Codpaw wouldn't fail the whole assessment if he failed this section. Though, the Dark Lord did carry curious expectations for the tom due to his prefix.

Wormbite stood by the bank -- near the end of the point. His ears were alert and shifted to the sound of Codpaw's swimming. He made a light splash when he dove in, his movements were quick and efficient. Midway through the sound of his swimming had died down so severely the tom almost jumped into the pond with worry that Codpaw had managed to drown. Thankfully, soon after the apprentice pulled himself at the shore and came running towards the Shield.

Amusement twinkled in Wormbite's eyes at the pride that radiated off Codpaw. He quickly crushed it down because ah yes, professional Shield right here. "Good. It is time for the final portion - we shall test your battle skills, " The sky was beginning to darken - ideally this would go by quick and efficient.

Wormbite once again lead Codpaw back to the clearing expect this time there was no secondary location. There was a reason he was doing this last. Swimming and hunting were both straining on the body and when you were fighting for your life, you need to be able to push through no matter how much your body tires. "There are three important aspects when you are fighting. Endurance, strength, and agility. I am sure you have sparred at least a... couple times... in your training, yes?" Wormbite questioned, turning to face Codpaw. He moved a tail-length away from the tom, his posture becoming more rigid. More prepared.

"We will spar and see where you excel at. It ends when you either call out surrender or manage to pin me for fifteen seconds. When you are ready, " He mewed, leaning down towards the ground. He had done a much more complex approach with Shimmerpaw ,,, now Shimmerbird but she had found a loophole and it all ended up being mildly useless. So, he would go with the blunt route.

If you can keep someone pinned long enough to end their life - especially someone experienced - you can hold your own in a battle.

[Pitou]

@x ghostie

**Codpaw**

Codpaw followed Wormbite proudly from the pond. He'd at least passed the hunting and fishing, able to catch one of each before sunhigh, and he was confident that he'd sufficiently shown the Shield his worth in the water. That just left...Codpaw groaned inwardly. It wasn't just that he never excelled at fighting, he didn't particularly enjoy it enough to want to get good at it. He didn't see much use in it. He hadn't yet found a need for it though he'd met cats of other clans; though they always seemed tense, it was never something that couldn't be talked out of. In Codpaw's mind, all cats would rather just talk to one another, it was this perpetuated theory that other cats wanted to fight which always led to unnecessary fighting. Nonetheless, he knew fighting skills were both part of his training and required to become a warrior.

Codpaw focused on what Wormbite was saying to him and tensed slightly when the warrior turned to face him. The change in his posture moved Codpaw's paws into a battle-ready stance subconsciously. He nodded slowly without moving his eyes away from Wormbite. Whenever I'm ready... Sagewhisper's words echoed in his mind. As long as he's facing cats that outsize him, he'd have to be smart and sneakier with his moves. Facing a stronger, more experienced cat head on would rarely work in his favor. He took a deep breath. He bunched his muscles tightly and leapt forward, soaring through the air as though he was aiming to attack the older cat's face but instead he landed short and immediately pounced sideways. He placed himself to Wormbite's side and quickly redirected, launching himself low across the ground towards Wormbite's flank, swiping a paw out towards the warrior's legs in an attempt to off-balance him then hopefully get the upper paw by pouncing on top of the warrior.

[wolfie]

@Ravensong
The Dark Lord's gaze fell to the ground. More often than not, he made a conscious move to meet someone's eyes in a different setting. However, on the battlefield --- his opponents were not granted that. It distracted him. He listened to Codpaw's breath, waiting for his first move. Wormbite was ready, the feeling of coldness washing over him.

And then the apprentice moved forward. His ears perked up, ah yes. Codpaw took off, leaping through the air and the Shield jerked back out of reflex. He caught on to how Codpaw redirected himself. Smart move. This time he didn't bother to pull himself back. If this had been a real battle, it wouldn't have been fatal. Instead, it offered up its own opening if you were destructive enough. Codpaw was able to knock out one of his legs - disbalancing him - but Wormbite threw himself towards the tom. Skidding across the ground, he aimed to slam his head against either Codpaw's chin or chest. Targeting to stun him for even a few seconds. If he managed to dodge, the Shield's back was wide open.

[Pitou]

@x ghostie

**Codpaw**

The resistance against his paw as it connected with Wormbite's leg sent a shock of relief through Codpaw. He'd at least landed his first attack, but it didn't have as strong of an affect as he'd hoped. He was snapped back as the warrior was suddenly advancing on him. Eyes wide, he threw his head up to avoid the head coming in at him. I'm his flurry to dodge out of the way, his front paws rose off the ground enough that Wormbite's attack landed under Codpaw's chest, knocking his breath from him for a moment. It quickly occurred to him that this dodge was dangerous as he left his belly mostly exposed, and he'd done it more out of fear than skill. He quickly drove his front paws back down, aiming to grab hold of Wormbite's back where he'd attempt to flip around and get a good bite onto the back of the warrior's neck.