gut punch [p]

[Neptune.]

Cinderpaw
~<>~
50/100
9 moons || she/her || ShadowClan Apprentice
small black tabby with minimal white markings and 3 legs; amber eyes

The offer for a spar that Bitternpaw had offered her hadn't quite left Cinderpaw's mind. When he'd offered, she hadn't any training to rely on and was going to ask him to help show her a thing or two, but now she had just a little bit she could lean on. Namely, the front-paw-strike and the cranial-blow. It wasn't much, but Cinderpaw thought she could probably improvise the rest. Casting her gaze around the clearing, Cinderpaw first looks for an open space - since they wouldn't be able to leave camp, this spar would need to take place within its walls. There's a pretty decent spot close to the apprentice's den that they could use, Cinder decides, and she turns to go in search of Bitternpaw, looking for his silver pelt among the sea of ShadowClan cats.

It doesn't take long to find him, and as she approaches, she makes a mental note to try and use the regular sign language she knew, and not the version she made up herself. They'd get nothing done if he couldn't understand her, and she'd begun to realize as of late that perhaps creating her own version of sign language wasn't... smart.

"Bitternpaw," she 'says', approaching from in front of him. "Did you still want that spar?"

[ @silver. ]

[silver.]

75/100
shc apprentice // he/him // 10 moons
purrks: agatha kitty, the collector, rapid recovery

---

A distraction was always nice. Especially since camp life could be so dull. In the midst of grooming his front paws and face, he pauses when Cinderpaw approaches, making sure his tongue wasn't still sticking out from his current task. That spar? Oh yeah, that was right. They were going to train together before being very rudely interrupted that morning. He definitely had nothing better to do so he rises to his paws in a tall stretch of his back and a yawn to force all and any fatigue from his body to prepare for the coming battle.

"Of course. Have you gotten any training in since then?"

Since their last encounter he hadn't trained any but he had done quite a bit with his mentor and Dawnstar. So he was ready for whatever she was to throw at him. And maybe he could teach her something, too, to help her along in her training. She seemed proactive like him. So maybe she too wanted to become a warrior as quickly as possible.

cinderpaw | @Neptune.

[Neptune.]

Cinderpaw
~<>~
51/100
9 moons || she/her || ShadowClan Apprentice
small black tabby with minimal white markings and 3 legs; amber eyes

She was pleased when he agreed, seeming to remember his request from earlier. At his question of any training she'd gotten since then, she moves her paws in a gesture to indicate 'a little' and leads the way the short distance to the empty dirt area not too far away.

Turning to face him, Cinderpaw quickly stretches, arching her back with her tail straight up behind her. She feels comfortable now, at least most of the time, and this little spar would only serve to boost that confidence if it goes well.

"Rookfire has taught me a few things," she answers, "but maybe I can learn some more from you." Her father was taking her out soon, too, he'd promised after all.

[ @silver. ]

[silver.]

76/100
shc apprentice // he/him // 10 moons
purrks: agatha kitty, the collector, rapid recovery

---

That was promising. Though he still held a bit of hesitance toward Rookfire because of his origins, at least he was working on proving himself wholly to Shadowclan. Teaching an apprentice how to fight was as important as any patrol, so for that he gains a bit of his respect. Nodding in understanding to the molly he watches closely as she stretches, idly wondering how well she would fight missing a limb.

How did she come to lose it? As interested as he was he wouldn't dare ask. Perhaps another time or when they grew closer would he dare bring it up but for now he's flexing his claws to stretch his toes and rolling his shoulders to loosen up his body.

"Good. I'm ready whenever you are. Feel free to make the first move."

cinderpaw | @Neptune.

[Neptune.]

Cinderpaw
~<>~
54/100
9 moons || she/her || ShadowClan Apprentice
small black tabby with minimal white markings and 3 legs; amber eyes

At Bitternpaw's confirmation that he was ready, Cinderpaw pauses for a second, briefly considering how to approach first. She doesn't let herself deliberate for too long, though, before she bolts forward, stumbling slightly as she overcompensates for her missing limb. Making a beeline towards Bitternpaw's left side, she quickly shifts directions to his left (she thinks that's called a feint, but she's unsure) and, her claws sheathed, attempts a cranial blow, trying to bonk the silver feline on the head and disorient him.

[ @silver. ]

[silver.]

81/100
shc apprentice // he/him // 10 moons
purrks: agatha kitty, the collector, rapid recovery

---

[ Bitternpaw rolled an 8 to foresee the oncoming attack. ]

A feint was something that he had attempted himself against Hillstrider, but had never had happen to him. So he doesn't know how to tell the signs of it until it's too late. The other apprentice's paw connects with his head and has him falling forward a bit with a hiss until he regains his footing and reels backwards and away from her. Shaking off the onset dizziness from the blow he readies himself for his own offensive.

[ Bitternpaw rolled a 16 to knock Cinderpaw off her feet. ]

Remembering what his mentor had taught him, he rushes forward and crouches a bit to get below the molly's belly. He then pushes up and forward with his shoulder to check her a bit roughly in hopes the movement would knock her over onto her side. If successful, he would use Dawnstar's teaching next, raising his paw up high and slamming it downwards toward her head with sheathed claws.

cinderpaw | @Neptune.

[Neptune.]

Cinderpaw
~<>~
60/100
10 moons || she/her || ShadowClan Apprentice
small black tabby with minimal white markings and 3 legs; amber eyes

[ contested roll: 11, 13 - fail ]
Roughly being shoved off her paws was not something Cinderpaw had expected to happen. Maybe she was still getting used to her center of gravity while fighting three-legged... she didn't exactly have anyone she could go to for assistance in that particular matter. Trying to recover from being knocked down, Cinderpaw rolls to the side, trying to get out of the way before Bitternpaw's strike comes down on her.

Unfortunately, she isn't quite fast enough, and his paw connects with her shoulder as she's moving away. It's not a light blow, but there shouldn't be any real damage, so she shakes it off, making an attempt to spring forward and lock her front paws around his neck so she can pull him to the ground.

[ @silver. ]

[silver.]

88/100
shc apprentice // he/him // 10 moons
purrks: agatha kitty, the collector, rapid recovery

---

[ Bitternpaw rolled a 2 to resist being pulled to the ground. ]

A new move for him to lock away in his brain for later. It works pretty well since he doesn't see it coming. Her paws wrap around his neck and pull him to the ground pretty roughly, as if the sudden movement had made him a limp doll to drag around. Being so small could be an advantage in most cases but definitely not this one. Now that both of them were on the ground he can only think of one thing.

[ Bitternpaw rolled a 14 to attempt to counter-attack. ]

Weaseling his head out from between her paws to free himself he sinks his teeth lightly into one of her front legs to give himself leverage to bunny kick at her belly with sheathed back claws.

cinderpaw | @Neptune.