you're gonna go far, kid !! [grouse training]

[redshiftreign]

SHOW ME HOW TO LIE; YOU'RE GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME. TURNING ALL AGAINST ONE IS AN ART THAT'S HARD TO TEACH.

GROUSEPAW KNOWLEDGE THREAD

purrks: silver tongue, agatha kitty, just a scratch.
age: 10 moons [age each 9th]
posts - [0/100]*
mentor - @Micanomancy [mistlewhisker]
clan - shadowclan

training instances: 0/5

territory/border tour -
hunting training* -
battle training* -
stealth training* -
patrols -
battles -
other -


extra skills - [such as herb knowledge, skills learnt irp, etc]


meetings attended - 0/2*

*required

WHEN YOU WALK AWAY, NOTHING MORE TO SAY, SEE THE LIGHTNING IN YOUR EYES.

[redshiftreign]

BUT WE LIKE TO POINT THE BLAME, BLAME, BLAME. IT'S EASIER TO BLAME.
[ @Mica [mistlewhisker]]

the days were getting warmer, grousepaw realized as he rolled in his nest. mid-day sunlight was already filtering through the scraggly branches of the apprentices den in scattered patches like the mottling of his fur. he shifted his weight off of his elbows and onto his flank, pushing himself up with his forepaws. it was well into the later part of the morning, maybe even early sun-high by the time he had awoken, shaking the sleep from his weary paws. exhaustion seemed to plauge him these days, following after him like a ghost. the once-energetic and playful youth had felt himself grow up more in the past few moons than most warriors had in a lifetime. sometimes, you have to open your eyes and see the blood. even the smallest cut can fester and kill if ignored. when grouse looked, he was amazed by all the little wounds in the world. the flaws. the cracks in the armour.

he stretched his hind legs behind him, arching his spine towards the ground and craining his head back to let out a wide, tongue curling yawn. his eyes watered and he blinked a few times until slitted pupils adjusted to the daylight. he was feeling. . . what's the word- wary? no, no not quite. hyper wasn't it either, there wasn't much energy in him these days. the once blinding fire in him had smoldered down to slow burning but still scorching embers. a quieter dissodence now, like the rumble before an earthquake or the thunder before the strike.

restless. that was the word. licking his teeth, the thick pelted tom-cat rose to all four paws and trotted out of the nearly empty den. almost everyone was up and attem by now, especially in shadowclan where tranquility and idleness went to die. he wasn't terribly concerned with his late sleeping- he was just that kind of guy. stayed up late, woke up late. he enjoyed the afternoon sun more anyway. liked the subtle warmth on his pelt.

grousepaw parted his jaws slightly as he lingered at the exit of the den, inhaling through his teeth and scenting the air. countless smells mingled and tangled together, each drawing a name and face from his memory. each a clan-mate. he sifted through them, glancing around the clearing in hopes of catching a specific scent. his mentor's- the new one anyway.

and there it was. almost blended with the background of the forest itself. proved just how dutiful she was, so much as to have almost become indistinguishable from the territory she so desperately sought to protect. grousepaw would have found that poetic if he weren't still quite groggy from his too-long sleep. with careful footsteps he made his way over to the clearing. he found her there, seemingly inbetween tasks. which, he wasn't sure. maybe she'd just returned from a hunting trip or a border patrol. perhaps he'd merely caught her stepping out of the warriors den from a break. or even something else. to be quite honest, it wasn't important and frankly he didn't care.

"mistle," he grunted, voice still hoarse from sleep. he cleared his throat, ear flicking, and glanced away. he never quite could look anyone in the eye for too long- somethin' about it made him uncomfortable. made him shift in his fur like a cornered rat. maybe it was the darkness he saw in them, or how glassy and intense and harsh eyes seemed to be. he didn't care for it- not at all.

"you down for some sparring? or is ya busy?" a slight smile (an eternal constant for him) rested on his muzzle and his head canted slightly to the side as his gaze drifted to observe the world around him. he wanted something to do, despite his previous rebuffals of mistlewhisker's attempts to train. well, at least he was willing this time. however fleeting the moment.

[Mica]

Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Enforcer
she/her | 39 moons
[Large black cat with a half white muzzle and a pale green eye (left gouged out)]
Purrks: Beefed Up T3, Shadow Fiend
· · ────────────── · ·
[Grousepaw - @redshiftreign ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Ah. Grousepaw. One of the many projects Mistlewhisker had taken up in her recent moons. The apprentice's laxness and subtle disobedience was a liability to the clan, and annoying to her. She had seen him passed around mentor to mentor, as no one could manage him for long before either begging for a reassignment or giving up all together on training him. Mistlewhisker had repeatedly approached him with offers for training, as he was falling behind the typical progress one would expect of a 10 moon old apprentice.

So needless to say, she was surprised to hear Grousepaw approach as she was crossing camp from one meaningless task to another. She slowed to a stop as he got close enough, her muscled form looming over them. His lax tone already pricked at the cool calm she shrouded herself in, threatening to irritate her. "You know how I feel about you addressing me just as 'Mistle'." A whisper of a grimace ghosted over her face. "My name is Mistlewhisker. You are an apprentice, and shall address me as such. Thank you." She knew he wouldn't follow her wishes, but she would be consistent in her feedback.

His question about training, however... "I would be glad to spar." She meowed, long tail swishing behind her. "Come, I know a good spot." It was where she had taught apprentices stealth training, done Palesong's assessment, trained Squirrelpaw in hunting and Goopypaw in confidence. It was one of her favorite places in the territory. She remembered Thornwing training her there, and thought it only fit to honor his memory by training the next generation of ShadowClan where he taught her.

The clearing was surrounded by old-growth pines and maples, several large, flat stones covered in moss and lichen lining one side of the clearing. In Leaffall, the ground was made soft by fallen pine needles and maple leaves, and the ground always smelled sweetly of plant decay and moss. Now, in the very beginnings of Newleaf, the moss was chilled with remnants of the night, and the ground was soft with rain. Mistlewhisker took a deep breath through her nose, the coolness filling her lungs and refreshing her.

The enforcer turned to face Grousepaw. "Alright. Begin when ready." That was all Mistlewhisker said, standing idly on the tufts of grass, watching him with her one piercing eye.

[redshiftreign]

GOOD LITTLE GIRL, ALWAYS PICKING A FIGHT WITH ME.
[ @Mica [mistlewhisker]]

"mistle," grousepaw repeated, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his muzzle as he trotted out the camp after the taller, leaner dark warrior. "oh, you're not gonna last a whole moon." he laughed to himself.

carefree was a good word to describe him, but laidback was better. he was not free of cares or concerns. in fact, he was burdened with them more than most apprentices his age. but, he took them in stride and laughed as he let them roll off his pelt like water off a leaf. he cared, but he didn't worry. perhaps that's what made him so dangerous to the status quo. he cared deeply, burning, for his family and his friends and people. but with equal fervor, he loathed leadership and rules and clans. he was, in all senses of the phrase, a low burning fire. embers, sure, but enough to spark something dangerous. something consuming.

he had that quiet fire. the kind that could scorched- it was a matter of what it sought to consume in order to sustain that was the problem. now, the fire in him burned off defiance. off dismantling the status quo.

humming as he skid to a halt a few tail-lengths from mistlewhisker, he scanned her with clever amber eyes. like a hawk studying a field mouse miles below. he knew this was gonna be tough, and mistle was gonna give him a real challenge. and he loved that.

so, with surprising speed, he lunged forwards, claws sheathed and started simple. he aimed to land on her shoulder if she didn't react quick enough and throw her off her balance, intentionally sloppy in his execution to manage expectations. it's easier to beat someone who thinks they're fighting a fool than it is to beat someone who thinks you have more skill than you do.

[Mica]

Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Enforcer
she/her | 39 moons
[Large black cat with a half white muzzle and a pale green eye (left gouged out)]
Purrks: Beefed Up T3, Shadow Fiend
· · ────────────── · ·
[Grousepaw - @redshiftreign ]
· · ────────────── · ·
His blatant disrespect rolled off of Mistlewhisker's shoulders like water off a duck. If he wanted to be insufferable, then he could go do it with someone else. Mistlewhisker was known for not taking crap from anyone, and not being easily annoyed. Well, she was easily annoyed, yes, but she rarely let it show.

Grousepaw struck first, with a speedy attack that Mistlewhisker was too large and slow to dodge. It hardly mattered, as his paw was met with muscles like rock and skin tougher than treebark. She hardly moved, only angled her head to stare at him blankly. "You'll have to try harder than that." She meowed, then dipped low and lunged forward, aiming to ram her shoulder into Grousepaw's chest and knock the wind out of him.

[redshiftreign]

GOOD LITTLE GIRL, ALWAYS PICKING A FIGHT WITH ME.
[ @Mica [mistlewhisker]]

she was tough. he noted that. getting her off balance from the top down would be a no-go. so he'd have to think outside the box- that was fine.

annnnd then she was charging at him, and admittedly he didn't expect her to be as fast as she was. he writhed to the right, just far enough for her shoulder to check his but miss the chance to wind him. twisting around, he ducked low and slid underneath her, before shoving off the ground in a powerful motion- it was an odd, unexpected move, sure, but he knew that he could use his size and natural muscle tone for an advantage, and being pretty near to warrior-age, he wasn't much smaller than he'd be as a full grown warrior. cheers for good genetics, ey! lifting with his powerful legs, he optimistically would have thrown her with the sheer weight of his push. if she wasn't gonna go down, he could throw her off her balance from the bottom up instead. if it worked or not, he shoved himself forwards to her other side, preparing himself to get distance if his tactic didn't work.

hey, experimental tactics are fun. whatever works, right? grouse was always one for innovation. and confusing the enemy is a perk too.

[Mica]

Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Enforcer
she/her | 39 moons
[Large black cat with a half white muzzle and a pale green eye (left gouged out)]
Purrks: Beefed Up T3, Shadow Fiend
· · ────────────── · ·
[Grousepaw - @redshiftreign ]
· · ────────────── · ·
The risky move paid off, though she was much heavier than he would have expected. She didn't go tumbling away, but instead stumbled off to the side, sliding off his back. She smirked. "Good work." She meowed, righting herself. She jerked her head at him. "But now you're too far away to actually hit me." She steadied herself again, circling him. "Don't wait for my reactions. Keep moving, keep hitting. Your opponent won't be as gracious as I." She lowered herself down. "Again."

[redshiftreign]

GOOD LITTLE GIRL, ALWAYS PICKING A FIGHT WITH ME.
[ @Mica [mistlewhisker]]

right. don't wait. that's a good tip- honestly he was just sort of winging it. he hadn't really had a full battle lesson- some snippets, but never a full lesson. so by his standards, he was doing great. could be better. could always be better.

"so, how do you deal with an opponent that's more experienced than you?" he asked, as he streaked in for a quick attempt to bat at her throat, ducking to the side and circling for an opportunity. if she turned to him, he'd fake a swat towards her head, before aiming a more powerful one to her shoulder.

[Mica]

Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Enforcer
she/her | 38 moons
[Large black cat with a half white muzzle and a pale green eye (left gouged out)]
Purrks: Beefed Up T3, Shadow Fiend
· · ────────────── · ·
[Grousepaw - @redshiftreign ]
· · ────────────── · ·
The bat to her throat was short, and she ducked out of the way with expert precision. She turned her head only slightly to follow Grousepaw as he circled her, though it seemed that was exactly what he wanted her to do. Mistlewhisker jerked her head out of the way, expecting a hit to her face, but instead felt a powerful blow land on her shoulder that smarted dully. Good. Much better. Mistlewhisker sidestepped, putting enough distance between them so she could gauge her next move, as well as answer his question. "Always assume your opponent is more experienced. Cockiness does nothing except hinder you." A slow swish of her tail. "Use your surroundings to your benefit. You may not be able to fight a more experienced cat on a level playing field, so you have to turn it to your advantage." She lunged forward rising up to ensnare his neck in her powerful front arms, attempting to wrestle him to the ground.