[P] used to living somewhere under the surface

[Luna16]

CW: this character often experiences symptoms of PTSD and anxiety.

Fleetpaw was nervous. Well...that wasn't new. Not entirely. But this...this had him on edge. The normally skinny and lanky tom's pelt was fluffed out, not just against the cold but because he was just that nervous. Clouds above, he almost looked like a normal-sized WindClan cat. The dark pelted tom paced near the camp entrance. He was barely able to hold down his breakfast this morning. And what was the source of this anxiety you ask? Combat training. Combat. Training.

Fleetpaw could practically feel the claws scraping against his skin, a shudder traveling down his spine at the memories. So many memories... He was found by WindClan young, and by that point he already had his fair share of scars. Combat was something he always managed to avoid, but now here he was. Having to learn how to fight and defend. He hated fighting. But deep down...he knew this was necessary. Before, as a loner, fleeing was easier. It was only him, he was only responsible for himself. Now, he was a member of a larger group. He had all of WindClan's well-being on his shoulders, never mind the specific cats he cares deeply about.

Fallensky. Twilightstar. Dustbunny. Littlepaw. Cedarpaw. He needed to be strong, he needed to be able to protect the cats he cared about, and represent WindClan properly. Fleetpaw knew all of this. But still...he couldn't shake the terrible images and memories. Claws shredding at his ears, slicing across the bridge of his nose. His flank. His hind leg. Screeching. Running...running...you have to run. Fleetpaw didn't notice, but his claws were reflexively unsheathing and sheathing themselves as he paced. Waiting for Dustbunny's arrival as he tried to keep whatever shred of sanity he had left.

@Moonraven - Dustbunny

[Moonraven]

Dustbunny stretched as she left her little burrow near the warriors' den. As much as she loved sleeping with her clanmates, nothing beat a comfy little burrow under the ground. Dustbunny knocks some dirt from her back and finds Fleetpaw pacing a bit away. Today was the day of battle training, and he looked ready to chuck up everything in his stomach.

"Fleetpaw," Dustbunny calls, interrupting his next stride by stepping before him. It wasn't hard to tell what got him so worked, Dustbunny wasn't a fan of battling either. "Calm down and take some deep breaths. We're just going do some training, some basics, and a few lessons on maneuvering yourself in close spaces, nothing to freak out about." Dustbunny purrs as reassuringly as she can.

"I see you're not a big fan of battle training either. It was my least favorite lesson as an apprentice." The mentor beckons Fleetpaw to follow her as she moves out of camp. The fresh air might calm him down a bit more. "You'd be surprised how many cats actually don't like fighting. Some cats find it exciting, the rush, the sounds, the blood, but it makes me queasy. Yet even though I hate it, I have no regrets about learning how to fight. It's allowed me to protect my clan, and I'd much rather get hurt than see someone I care for get hurt. The better I fight, the less likely those I care for have to."

This was saying a lot for a molly who had very few cats in her life that she cared for. Sadly, those closest to her were her apprentices, no real cats to call friends or family, but so long as she had something that made her want to do better it was all she needed.

She stopped as they reached Sunset Grove, not the most ideal training spot, but it was the only place with enough trees to simulate what she had in mind. Dustbunny sat them down just outside of the forest and looked at Fleetpaw to see if he had calmed himself. She had been babbling mostly but if it helped his nerves at all that'd be great.
@Luna16 [Yeah, I didn't see the mention for this so thanks for the link.]

[Luna16]

Fleetpaw nearly jumped out of his pelt when he heard a voice, realizing after the fact that it was Dustbunny, and that she was blocking his pacing. He blinked, shaking himself off as though he was shaking fresh dirt from his pelt. "S-s-s-s-sorry..." He mumbled, noticing his claws were unsheathed and immediately retracting them. Great skies above. You really need ta get a grip, kid. He was keenly aware of that rude-inner-voice. He did as Dustbunny instructed, forcing himself to take deep breaths in and slowly exhale, repeating the process until he felt his heart rate calm down. The sound of his own blood rushing no longer reverberating in his ears. This is just training. He tried to keep that thought in mind, clung to it in fact, as he nodded. Indicating to Dustbunny that he was, in this moment, ready. Although...he was highly skeptical that other cats didn't like fighting. Most of his encounters in the wilds would disagree with that fact. Strongly.

Although...somehow knowing that Dustbunny didn't like fighting either was a comfort to him. He followed her closely, a sense of calm washing over him as they exited the camp. However, it was short lived.

 

He started to feel an intense ringing in his ears as Dustbunny described the many reasons why cats enjoyed fighting. The sound grew louder and her voice became more...garbled. As though she were speaking with moss in her mouth. Fleetpaw froze mid-step, but only for a moment. That moment, to him, lasted an eternity. In that moment, he relieved every scar, every claw, every glare of contempt and hatred. The rush. The blood. The agony. His hunger. His fear. But just as the ringing was so intense that he felt like his ears were going to burst...

...it all stopped. And his steps continued. It was as though in that moment, he had left his body, experienced a thousand deaths, and returned to the original moment. Dustbunny's words were audible again, and he hadn't even lost pace with her. Fleetpaw didn't know how something like that could happen, but he forced it from his mind. Now was not the time. "I'd much rather get hurt than see someone I care for get hurt." Fleetpaw looked up at Dustbunny, a type of determination in his eyes, and nodded. "The better I fight, the less likely those I care for have to." Yes. Yes that was exactly right. He knew this already, but hearing it from her voice made it all make that much more sense to him. Filled him with that much more resolve to the concept. "Th-That's...h-how I feel t-too." He admitted, picturing all the cats he thought of before. Including Dustbunny herself. If any of them were hurt because he was too cowardly to act...he'd never be able to live with himself.

He stopped when Dustbunny did, glancing around them nervously. So this was where they would train... Suddenly, the trees looming over them seemed far more threatening than they ever had before. But still, he remembered his resolve from earlier. He remembered what it felt like when Fallensky was injured in his absence...he never wanted to see her like that again. Fleetpaw met Dustbunny's gaze, and nodded. The conviction of his determination in his eyes, he was ready. Or rather, as ready as he'll ever be.

@Moonraven - Dustbunny - LOL no worries! That's completely on me.

[Moonraven]

Dustbunny purred softly, glad that they could see eye to eye regarding fighting. The tunneler noticed appeared still a little shaken, but determined. It made her wonder what he had been through to make him so terrified of fighting. Despite training him, Dustbunny found that she didn't know much about him other than that he was a former outsider. He had the scars that said he's been in battle before, or ran from them often.

"I'm assuming you have some battle experience. But we'll go over some of the basics. The best place to attack is the stomach, eyes, throat, face, and spine when it comes to your eneimeis, and vice versa when defending yourself." Dustbunny started, pointing at each place with her tail.

"Warriors don't normally go for the eyes as it is considered dishonorable, but when it comes to battling, staying alive is more important than honor, in my opinion." She chirps thoughtfully.

"Some basic techniques are the front paw blow, you bring your paw down hard on your enemy's head, claw sheathed. The forepaw slash, aim for the face or the body, and drag rake your claws over them. The tail yank, dart behind your opponent, grab their tail between your fangs, and yank it as hard as you can to throw them off balance. Teeth grip, aim for the legs, tail, scruff, or ears – and sink in your teeth and hold, your claws will be free to scratch as you'd like. Duck and headbutt, that's where you duck underneath your opponent's strikes and slam your head into their chest, which should throw them off balance, giving you a chance to land a blow." Dustbunny demonstrated the moves as she listed them off to give him a visual aid. They were all pretty easy to follow and learn.

"Those are all great moves to learn against other clan cats. But when battling in the tunnels, you don't have much space to maneuver or use them, so evasive tactics work better. Rolling over will allow you to avoid some swipes and grips, should you ever get pinned, which is likely due to the enclosed space. Don't struggle. Try going limp, your opponent relaxes their grip, believing you're exhausted and beaten, push yourself up explosively, that technique is called play dead. It's a good one for surprising your enemy long enough to flee or turn the battle in your favor." She went quiet for a moment as she recalled other moves that work when pinned.

"A headbutt to the face may give you the element of surprise needed to wind your opponent and slip out from underneath them. Biting their front legs if they're in reach or clawing at their bellies would work as well. Creating enough discomfort for your opponent and they'll loosen their grip. If you're stuck on your back and can't get free, remember to safeguard your belly and your neck as best you can. Battering your opponent's belly with your hind legs could get you free, clawing underneath their chin or the side of their neck will help as well. You can also try flipping on your belly, if you can, grab the front paw between your fangs, and yank hard to pull them off balance while rearing up, it should topple them one way or another. Regardless, you'll want to keep moving if you're in the tunnels. Once get the chance, you'll want to run, don't stick around to fight." Dustbunny paused there to observe Fleetpaw and listen if he had any questions.
@Luna16

[Luna16]

Fleetpaw smiled slightly at Dustbunny's purr, feeling his heartrate slow even more. It was...pretty close to normal now. Probably. He felt his fur bristle slightly at his mentor's observation, swallowing hard to try and bite back his anxiety. Of course she noticed his scars...not just their presence but their placement. His scars were mostly, if not entirely, the marks of a coward. Scars on his hind legs, flank, and tail from teeth and claws alike, the marks of a cat who ran. Constantly. Did that count as experience? He wasn't sure...but he found himself given an uncertain nod at her assumption. He didn't want to disappoint her. "M-Maybe not...q-quite like y-you're th-thinking...b-but I've...b-been in s-some..." What's a good word? "...s-situations." Yep, that about summed it up.

He nodded as she described the basics, areas to aim for. Thinking about it...made him feel so...on edge though. He couldn't even fathom causing harm to another cat like that... But then, he just remembered Fallensky coming home with scars and he found he was able to imagine himself intervening to protect the ones he cared about. To protect his clan. Remember, Fleet. That's what this is all about! Focus and purpose regained, he watched as Dustbunny demonstrated and described some of the basic moves. Attempting to copy her movements as she went through them. Though his movements were a lot less confident than her's were. "L-Like this?" He asked, fumbling the "duck and headbutt" manuver but then quickly doing it again and getting it...relatively correct.

The mention of combat in the tunnels drew his attention again, and his expression grew more solemn. More somber. The tunnels...his sacred place. The thought of fighting there was...not his favorite thought. But it was important. Those tunnels wove everywhere throughout the territory, he knew they did. Their defense was critical. He nodded as she spoke. Rollover... He flung himself down, leading with his shoulder, rolling quickly onto his back and then back onto his paws. Tilting his head as he rose "L-Like that?" He asked, hoping that was the maneuver she was talking about.

His head drooped when she mentioned that he would want to run. He was...relatively good at that. Though his scars might tell a bit of a different story, maybe he actually wasn't good at running away? That would figure. Only he could screw up something so basic. "I'm...f-familiar...w-with fleeing f-from d-danger..." He admitted, looking down at his paws in shame. His tail drooping low. He hated that about himself, but at least it did seem to serve him well in the tunnels? Right? "Th-That's actually...w-where m-my name comes from." He added, blinking up at his mentor. He was certain he hadn't told this to any cat, not even Twilightstar. When she asked him for his name, he had simply told her that he was called Fleet. But not why.

One of his ears flicked nervously, he wasn't sure why he was telling Dustbunny this now of all times. "B-Before WindClan found me...th-the other...rogues and l-loners...they c-called me F-Fleet. S-Since I was always...f-fleeing from them..." A shudder passed through him as memories threatened again to overwhelm him, but he forced it down. Looking back up at Dustbunny. His gaze wide and fearful. Would she think of him a coward now? Don't be silly, Fleet. She already knows you're a coward. That stupid inner voice again...but it was probably right. He hung his head again, before noticing a slight tremble in his legs. Get a hold of yourself Fleetpaw! This is supposed to be a training exercise! He physically shook himself, attempting to flash Dustbunny a small smile to show her he was okay. Or rather, he would be.

Fleetpaw flopped himself over on his back, trying to imagine that an enemy fox had him pinned. It wasn't...truly difficult to imagine. The difficult part was keeping his fur flat and reminding himself it was simply a conjuring of his imagination. He outstretched his neck, pretending to grasp hold of where he imagined his faux fox foe's foreleg would be, and then attempting to roll over as he "yanked" to roll it over. The motion also bringing him to his paws, where he instantly was able to lunge forward as though he were about to spring but didn't. He looked at Dustbunny, his gaze questioning. "I-Is something l-like that...e-effective o-only on...enemy cats? O-Or would it...a-also work on...l-larger th-things like...f-foxes?" He asked.

@Moonraven - Dustbunny

[Moonraven]

Her ears twitched at her apprentice's response; regardless of what she thought, experience was experience. She sat back and observed him as he showed her some of the moves he had just learned. The saw he got the duck and headbutt technique down rather quickly. She purred her approval after watching him repeat the move. "Yup, you're a fast learner." She noticed that he did learn things rather quickly. Perhaps because he was an older apprentice?

He had no problems with rollover either. "Yup, yup, you're a natural. I always got my paws tangled up when I tried rolling over an apprentice, or failed to turn all the way." She commented on her experience during her younger moons. Fleetpaw had none of the same issues as she had. "If you roll over and get back on your paws fast enough, you'll have enough time to throw in a quick attack or run depending on who you're fighting." She adds with a faint purr.

Her floppy ears perked up at the slight shift in topic and tone. She tips her head to the right while listening to how he got his name. Dustbunny couldn't help but be a little confused as she saw the shame on his face. The tunneler wasn't sure why he thought it was so shameful. The urge to tell him otherwise was on the tip of her tongue, but she bit back from saying anything immediately, deciding to think about it for a moment.

She had been born and raised in WindClan all her life; running was something WindClan excelled at. Perhaps because she grew up hearing how fast and sure-footed the warriors in WindClan were, that fleeing from battles sounded less cowardly to her and more intelligent. She always thought that those who flee were more quick-witted. Why fight a losing battle, and the whole die trying never appealed to her.

"While if you hadn't run from them, I doubt you would have ended up in WindClan. I know running from your foes is supposed to be cowardice, but I believe that it's more smart. Picking a fight and dying doesn't prove much of anything other than you died trying, which is dumb in my opinion. It doesn't sound like you had anyone out there that had your back or taught you to defend yourself. Running is all you could do, a survival instinct that kept you alive long enough to find your rightful home among cats that care for you. In WindClan, your name Fleet is attributed to your ability to outrun or outsmart your enemies." She could understand how fleeing in the outskirts could look bad, but she felt it was perfectly reasonable in the clans.

"I certainly don't think of you less for running, I'd run from bigger, meaner enemies all the time if I didn't have my clanmates at my back to support me." She trilled with an encouraging smile. She didn't want to die; it was natural to want to preserve your life, although all that fear and desire to survive often disappeared when it came to wanting to protect someone. And Fleetpaw, she was sure, had a lot he wanted to protect. Plus, he had a clan now, so it was hard to see him running from much other than what she'd advised him to run from.

He seemed to bounce back alright, as he flopped onto his back to demonstrate the next move while wrestling with an imaginary enemy. "Well done," She praised and thought about his question. "Oh, well, I suppose so, though it works better on cats. It kinda depends on your size and strength there. Foxes are rather big, most cats wouldn't want to get pinned under them cause their jowls are much larger than cats and could potentially end them in one bite. Foxes also don't fight like cats, they're more unpredictable. But any of the evasive moves could potentially help you in a battle against enemies outside of cats." Theorytically, anyways.

"Do you wanna do some sparring?"
@Luna16

[Luna16]

CW: this character often experiences symptoms of PTSD and anxiety.

Fleetpaw couldn't help a small smile at Dustbunny's praise, his ears flattening timidly. "N-No I'm nothing s-special." He mewed, dipping his head to his mentor. "I-I'm this good...b-because I have s-such a great t-teacher." And he meant it. He truly believed he would be lost without Dustbunny's guidance, literally and figuratively. But the praise continued after the roll-over technique. He was honestly surprised, his eyes showing it. He couldn't imagine Dustbunny getting all tangled up on her own paws like that. Imagining a young Dustbunny at all was...hard. But he imagined her as being strong and confident. Maybe a little weird as she herself described, but still...everything he wasn't.

He nodded at her tip, trying the roll over move again to see if he could do it more quickly this time. However, he did the move so quickly this time he made himself a little dizzy! Fleetpaw stumbled a little when he was up on his paws, tail drooping in disappointment, but he wouldn't let that stop him! The skinny tom threw himself down again, this time rising to his paws again and holding steadfast. Quickly, he ducked and jutted his head out as thought ducking an opponent's move and then headbutting them. Even Fleetpaw felt satisfied with how that felt! He looked at Dustbunny's eyes sparkling with an almost...giddy sense of joy. "I-I think I...d-did that one w-well!" He mewed, then seemed to remember himself. Straightening up and sweeping his tail behind him timidly. "R-Right?"

And then...the topic shifted. The silence that hang between them gave Fleetpaw plenty of time to regret saying anything. He couldn't bare to lift his gaze to meet her's...but then she responded. And he was physically jolted by the shock of her response. She...she thinks I was...smart? He...he couldn't believe it. Nocat...had ever said he was smart. "In WindClan, your name Fleet is attributed to your ability to outrun or outsmart your enemies." Fleetpaw blinked at Dustbunny, the words slowly setting in. His name...alluded to an ability? And again being smart... Was he...was he capable of living up to this? What he thought was a burden all this time...was actually some kind of legacy? I...I have to live up to it!

"I-I promise..." He mewed, looking up at Dustbunny now with a fire in his eyes. "I will...live up to my name!" He smiled, a true and happy smile. This goal, it's the same as it always was. But now he felt a fiercer determination than he ever felt before. It was just what he needed for the next part of this training. His question on the final maneuver answered, Fleetpaw nodded, changing his stance to a defensive one. "I-I'm ready!" He mewed, waiting for Dustbunny to indicate the same before he darted out, trying to get behind Dustbunny and grab onto the base of her tail or a back leg. He was fairly certain that she wouldn't expect him to try and make the first move, frankly he barely expected it himself. But he was still feeling the passion sparked within him from Dustbunny's words, and he knew that he needed to make use of that.

@Moonraven - Dustbunny

[Moonraven]

So this mentor thing was harder than Dustbunny had expected. Being as socially inept as she was and no longer having any family in WindClan, the tunneler often isolated herself. She has been like that since her mother passed all those seasons back. She was quite content in her isolation, even if it got a bit lonely sometimes, her anxiety didn't flare up as often as it did in the company of others. She had learned quickly how to take care of herself, what to say and do to calm those frequent fears and doubts that some dug their claws into her heart.

But she wasn't certain she was doing a good job regarding others. She felt more often than not she was talking nonsense when it came to quelling others' anxieties or fears. Was she truly helping or hindering? So hearing Fleetpaw's reassurance that she was a good mentor meant the world to her.

She smiled broadly while watching him repeat the technique a few times. The first one didn't go so well; he was much faster, but dizziness left him unbalanced. She was going to comment about that, but he was already ducking and twisting again, determined to get it right. "Yes, that was much better." She purred kindly. "Your enemies won't know what hit them, although be careful. Spinning too much will leave you dizzy and unbalanced like before. Practice might help you with that, and rolling in the opposite direction could help your body adjust." She commented.

She didn't have much warning as he jumped into battle after her question. He truly lived up to his name. He was fast, he didn't even give her any time to finish talking. Dustbunny didn't bother trying to turn and keep him in her sight. The fur along her spine stood on end as soon as she felt the lightest touch on her tail. Her hind legs lashed in a sharp back kick, aiming to back him up more than actually hit him. She wouldn't wait around to see if the kick connected or not. Dustbunny would race forward as soon as her hind legs touched the ground.

"Come on," She tossed over her shoulder with a laugh. Darting into the woods, she'd weave her way between the trees with all the grace and precision of a well-trained tunneler. Coming upon a small clearing, she'd pivot as soon as all four paws touched the earth, twisting smoothly to avoid headbutting a thin truck. She aims a heavy cuff at Fleetpaw's head that would leave him reeling.
@Luna16

[Luna16]

CW: this character often experiences symptoms of PTSD and anxiety.

Fleetpaw noticed Dustbunny considering his words, and he only hoped that was a positive thing. Nothing in her body language told him she was upset, and he didn't hear her heartrate increasing or anything like that, so that was good. He cast a small and timid smile, grateful for Dustbunny's patience and support over these moons.

He felt his own heartrate increase at his mentor's smile and approval, nodding eagerly. Spin the other way to counteract any dizziness, okay noted! That will be good knowledge to have in mind. And with that, things shifted. He grunted when her hind leg connected with his chest, using his claws to keep himself from being sent back too much. He wasn't expecting Dustbunny to dart off like she did, ears pricked forward attentively. He stood there stunned for a heartbeat, before haring off after her.

Her laugh, and running at full force like this, brought out a sound from him that has probably never been heard before: laughter of pure delight. Fleetpaw did love to run, when he young and on his own that joy was stolen from him. Usually when he was running it was because he was avoiding an immediate threat, running for his life with claws and teeth gnashing behind him. Many of his scars were obtained from these moments - teeth or claws grabbing at his tail, legs, or flank. But this was different.

This was the first time in moons he'd run just for the heck of it. Sure, he was following closely behind Dustbunny for a training exercise. But this was...the most fun he'd had in a long time. Dustbunny wove around obstacles like a pro, but Fleetpaw was no slouch either. Using his claws to grab the ground and propel him forward more, he kept Dustbunny well within his sight and range of hearing, using his hearing to give him a warning for upcoming obstacles. Listening for the subtleties of her tail swishing as it changed direction, or claws thumping is she swerve around roots or leapt an obstacle.

Fleetpaw was already a well-trained and experienced runner. But using Dustbunny's movements as a guide allowed him to keep up almost effortlessly, he just had to focus his hearing on the sounds ahead of him and tune out the sound of his own racing heartbeat. And since he was listening so closely, he heard her paws hit softer ground and turn her around. She's getting ready to attack. Knowing it was coming and being able to dodge the blow were two different things entirely though.

He was going too fast to come to a dead stop on time, but he knew he needed to avoid that blow...going this speed that blow would really knock him off his feet- off his feet... Fleetpaw decided to try something reckless. The skinny tom used the force of the speed he was going, tilting his body slightly to the side to avoid the blow from Dustbunny and ram against her side opposite to where her paw was lifted. If the move connected, he hoped it would knock her over and stun her enough that he would have the opportunity to pin her.

@Moonraven - Dustbunny

[Moonraven]

This was fun! She usually enjoyed training her apprentices, but this was exhilarating. In the tunnels, she didn't feel the wind ruffle her fur, hear the trees whip past her ears, or the grass tickle her paws. Dustbunny would always be a tunneler at heart, but her love of speed and the chase would have made her an excellent moor runner once upon a time. From the sounds behind her, Fleetpaw wasn't having much, if any, difficulty keeping up with her.

Oh, one of these days, maybe she should do a race with him. He said all he's used his speed for is running away. She could show him the joys of being as quick as he was. A race above ground or under it could be so exciting. Dustbunny wasn't one to brag, but she had long since overcome the clumpiness of her huge paws with the tunneling training; her paw control was precise, and the big feet helped her kick off the ground when she ran. She was sure she was fast enough to give the apprentice named after his speed a good run.

But back to the training. She didn't know how he did it exactly, but it was like he had predicted her attack and was reacting accordingly. He hadn't been more than a tail length at most behind her when they were running, perhaps he saw her turning? Whatever he did, he dodged the cuff. She didn't have time to think too long as he came barreling into her flank.

Alas, Dustbunny had WindClan's usual willowy, thin build, and was quite average in height and size. Her shoulders were a tad on the broad side thanks to her work in the tunnels, but most of her muscles were lean. Between Fleetpaw's size and the speed with which he came charging into her, the mentor had no chance of withstanding the attack. The momentum flings her backward; her flank hits the clearing with a loud thud, scaring some birds from the trees. She'd feel it later once the adrenaline settled down.

In the meantime, she rolls as soon as her flank connects to the ground, as neatly as one could after a fall like that, and scrambles to her feet as quickly as she could, not wanting to get stuck underneath Fleetpaw. Her tail lashes out behind her, brushing against the trees at her back to keep her from bumping into them as she attempts to put more distance between her and the apprentice. This was not exactly how she was expecting the training to go. For someone who said he was a coward, Fleetpaw was quite the aggressor. It made her want to laugh for some reason.
@Luna16