advanced battle || p

[Neptune.]

Cinderpaw
~<>~
87/100
11 moons || she/her || ShadowClan Apprentice
small black tabby with minimal white markings and 3 legs; amber eyes

It was time to be a little more proactive, and, in that regard, Cinderpaw needed to get better at fighting - who better to teach her than her big sister? So, Cinderpaw seeks out Sleepysunrise among the warriors in camp, her face set in a way that was not normally present: determined. She needed just this little bit more before she was ready to have her assessment! Just this small bit!! It was simple, really, and why she hadn't done so sooner was more of a mystery than anything up to this point.

Kin spots kin soon enough, and Cinderpaw finds herself walking up to her sister, head dipped in greeting, perhaps a little formal, but she'd never known how to properly act with her kin, never known what might set them off, so she stays polite. Her throat hurts, and the thought of forcing herself to speak today is almost too much, so she elects for the easier option of signing her wishes.

'Help with training? Battle... advanced?' She asks, hoping it comes across properly, and awaits her big sister's reply.

[ @Estelle ]

[Estelle]

Sleepysunrise
[ 14 moons | She / Her | Shc Enforcer | Shadow Fiend ]

It was strange, she hadn't seen much of her siblings as of late. Not since before their mother's death, not since before Sleepysunrise felt afflicted with a heavy heart and claws itching to unravel whatever truly killed her mother and keep it away from her family. But she hadn't been doing a particularly good job of that. She couldn't let the same betrayals kill her siblings, Miss Grandmama, her ... Aunts and uncles. And yet, she hadn't spoken to any of them. Hadn't trained of them recently, and hadn't assessed any other than Birdpaw (Birdecho in this timeline?). Still, it is why she stood guard where she did. The nights she lay awake within her grandmother's den, the mornings she fought away remnants of sleepiness and the times she wasn't training apprentices or patrolling were spent dutifully guarding camp from that same dark corner between the medic and leader's den. It is where she sat now, a tired and dull gaze sweeping across the clan, soon settling on an approaching dark tripod.

She would recognise her three-legged sibling anywhere; not for the three legs, but for the fact of being her sibling. Half, in all factual manners, but still her sister. Sleepysunrise had long since grown out of her jealous state; memories of that get-together often still haunted her mind, but in some way it is the very thing that brought her closer to them. Saw their pain reflected in her own, and vowed to be a better big sister. Not that she had ever been a better big sister. And now with mama gone, she felt the gapping hole of pain and regret, mixed with the need to fill bigger paw steps all the more. She didn't know what the Stranger had been up to. She could only assume Darkfall had told them of the news, and seeing Cindpaw approach only reminded her of the duty that now lay within her paws. She had lost a mother, her only mother, but they had too. And as the eldest remaining sibling of this family it was her duty not only to ensure they were safe, but also progressing. She should have come to them when she learned of the news. But she didn't; she hid, crying into Miss Grandmama's fur when even the older feline hadn't wanted such contact, and she had to count herself lucky she hadn't been thrown out right there and then.

But what could she change about the past. Their family had been different from the start, even the little cat could feel it, but that didn't lessen how she felt about them. She missed mama more than anything, she realised she never spent enough time with the molly. Mama had always been busy, too busy to seek her out. And Sleepysunrise had always been waiting, thinking she was being obedient, until she herself had become just as busy as the former. Life was strange like that. Their time felt like such a fleeting moment, now, and the young one struggled to understand how anyone could form any close relation. In fourteen moons of life she had seen many faces come and go, never for her to remember. Yellowtwist moons ago, Darkfall was hardly around, half her siblings had disappear and the cats of the clan seemed to always be changing faces. Even Nightshiver, in all her elderly moons, seemed to lack the time to truly form any close bonds. She never saw the forever queen spend time with the same cats, always kittens or the same superficial 'small talk' that the enforcer didn't care for or understand the point of.

Oh. Her eyes refocused from abyss of nothingness to waving dark paws. Quiet as she always was Cinderpaw had reached Sleepysunrise while her mind was drifting away, and seemed to be performing some strange dance with her paws. She stared on, rather blank, more focused on trying to understand what her sister was doing than remembering the common acts of courtesy. She knew Cinderpaw didn't talk. She had always been quiet, had probably never heard her voice if this was prior to the meeting. And the young one was astute enough to guess that this might be Cinderpaw's way of communication, but fate had it that Sleepysunrise didn't understand sign. She didn't know what the waving movements of her paws and arms meant. She was trying to say something, but what?

She had to eliminate her options by logic, and as an after thought hoped Cinderpaw wasn't deaf. Sleepysunrise didn't remember such a fact, but highlighted how little she truly knew of her siblings. She didn't even know where exactly Cinderpaw was with her training, only that... Rookfire, the medic-non-medic-but-medic, was her mentor. Rookfire seemed very interested in continuing his enforcer duties even as an apprentice to Mossfreckle, and although she had found herself astounded that he lacked a night hunting lesson once upon a time, she would rather believe he had adequately trained Cinderpaw. And since Birdpaw had asked to be assessed a mere fortnight ago, could it be that Cinderpaw was requesting the same thing? Bright eyes settled down on the apprentice once more whom considered with care. Cinderpaw lacked a fourth leg, and she had to see how that changed the arts of battle and hunting. She could believe Cinderpaw might need more time, but Rookfire was an odd cat able to work with odd situations; she wouldn't put it past the RiverClanner that he had already completed Cinderpaw's training. And whatever the case, an overview couldn't hurt.

So, Sleepysunrise made a decision. She would host Cinderpaw's assessment just like she did Birdpaw's, only this time she shall start with the arts of battle. Since Rookfire lacked proper night hunting until a few moons ago, she wanted to host Cinderpaw's hunting assessment at nightfall when darkness covered the territory, to ensure every aspect had been adequately covered. Until then they could fight.
"Very well."
She spoke with a nod, a subtle sign of warmth flicking through her gaze as she rose to her paws and waved her tail over the apprentice's ears in an affectionate manner, much like Miss Grandmama often did with her. She expected Cinderpaw would know to follow Sleepysunrise out into the territory as the white-tufted feline pick and chose the terrain they would be fighting in; a grove surrounded by some idle trees and protruding rocks lining an ancient path leading further into the territory.

She huffed, a slight fog forming in wake of her breath after inspecting the surrounding area with bright eyes lacking in feeling. Her head turned towards Cinderpaw, whom she inspected like she often did her opponents before battle, tail lightly lashing and claws slowly unsheathing.
"Be ready;"
She decided to warn in silent sounds, a benefit only a select few cats received - well, her siblings, in other words. But the element of the unexpected she preferred to keep about her, stalking in slow steps closer to the dark-furred apprentice until her paw suddenly lashed in swift movement, aiming at disorienting Cinderpaw more than hitting her as Sleepysunrise's shifted aside to try to hit her shoulder against her sister's ribs.


[ @Neptune. - Don't feel the need to match the length, this just turned into a loot of thoughts ! ]

[Neptune.]

Cinderpaw
~<>~
94/100
11 moons || she/her || ShadowClan Apprentice
small black tabby with minimal white markings and 3 legs; amber eyes

Her sister seems agreeable enough to the question and so Cinderpaw follows behind the enforcer as she leads her out into the territory before coming to face her. There is no preamble to this lesson, to the assessment Cinderpaw has no idea is happening. Perhaps this is how battle is often taught, just jumping right into the fray of things. She only gets a quiet warning, a simple 'be ready,' before the enforcer begins the assault.

A slow approach is what Sleepysunrise seems to be going for, and Cinderpaw has a few seconds to ponder if she should stand her ground or get out of the way. She takes too long to think on it, though, and the paw that the enforcer lashes out with makes contact, immediately followed by a blow to her ribs. Stumbling, the tripod is thrown off her fragile balance for a moment, but quickly regains her footing.

Turning head on to face her sister, she tries for a front paw strike, a blow to the head similar to what Sleepysunrise had done. This is not a fight she is expecting to win. But she doesn't have to win in order to pass... she just has to hold her own...

[ @Estelle ]