Wrestling your way to warriorhood

[Estelle]

Another day. Another she ought to spend refining her skills, learning from the best of the best a varied number of skills and knowledge, of capabilities; and Sleepypaw wanted to learn. To be the best she could be and beyond. To follow in mama's and Miss Grandmama's pawsteps - to make them proud, to live up to the clan's expectations. To become an apprentice enforcer, that was a way of achieving that, to be independent from warriors too but right now there was only one way to achieve that: training. Piercing blue eyes contrasting her dark white-speckled pelt had sought out another enforcer, the few whom she remotely trusted to train her besides mama and Miss Grandmama. This one was Silverlark, if memory served her right, though discussing names is not what she had come for. Soft paw steps led her closer to the usually cheery enforcer, looking up at him dully with a glimmer of determination.
"Teach me. Please."
Her head flickered down only a second, remembering her manners, before awaiting a response.


[ @Alchemist Kitsune ]

[Alchemist Kitsune]

| Silverlark |
Shadow Fiend - Inactive | Just a Scratch - Inactive | Beefed Up [Tier 3] - Inactive

---

Oof, itchy! So. Very. Itchy! It wasn't often, but every now and then the scars he had gained in his battles would get incredibly annoying, and aware. Like they wanted attention. Attention the enforcer was not very keen on giving them, what with them being a bit too close to his grandfather's for comfort. He just didn't see why he should care for them, or about them in general. Obviously, they had other plans...

So focused had Silverlark been on scratching at his muzzle with his hind paw that he almost missed her. The apprentice that approached him. Verdant hues slowly caught the hint of black and white at the corner of his eye, and even if they hadn't, the paw's voice would have caught his attention. Her words quite frankly made no sense at all to the muscular warrior, and without meaning to, he paused halfway in his frantic scratching, offering a look of utmost confusion. On a regular day, the young tom was very coordinated, despite his bubbly, happy go lucky attitude, capable of balancing himself and making twists and turns in midair that made a great part of his regular fighting style. Unfortunately for him, his befuddlement was enough of a distraction just now that he found himself slowly tilting to the side, until Sleepypaw was very much upside down.

"Uhwah?" the stocky feline blurted out unintelligibly as the patched molly dipped her head, trying to make sense of both why the treetops looked like they were on the ground and just how exactly the paw was clinging to this topsy turvy world.

Blinking slowly a few times, Silverlark's eyes grew wide, suddenly realizing his mistake. Because! Because. It wasn't that Sleepypaw was upside down. That was just silly. It was him who was the wrong side up, heh heh! A hearty chortle escaping him as he righted himself, shaking his thick coat free from any dust, he turned a much more alert, amicable gaze at the she-cat, still with some genuine confusion in his head. Because... why did she need to be taught how to scratch? Did... did she never have an itch as a kit? Oh! Oh! Maybe Lostspark was just such a good mum that she scratched Sleepypaw all the time growing up. Oh, but that made things awkward now that she wasn't so little anymore, huh? Hmmm... note to self, let his future kits learn how to scratch themselves to avoid them having to go to others as paws for help, yep yep. Because... oof. What if there was no one around? And then they were just itchy forever?! Ew. No that sounded gross, thank you very much.

"Teach you? Teach you? Well, okay! Now, the most important thing? Balance, yeah? Otherwise, you end up on the floor like I did, heh heh," the tom snorted, sitting down once more as he lifted his paw, scratching at his muzzle in demonstration. "See? See? Good balance. Good posture. Mmmhmm. You'll be getting at those nasty nose scratchies in no time!"

---

@Estelle [Sleepypaw]
| |

[Estelle]

...Call her silly, but the young apprentice was following Silverlark's exact instruction. And by exact instructions, exact instructions are meant. She sat, much like him, watching his every move with great care as her paw carefully lifted towards her face closer, and closer, and closer...

Now, she did think this to be rather peculiar. But Silverlark was an enforcer, and thus Miss Grandmama must trust him. Which meant he must be skilled, so, Sleepypaw was inclined to believe his teachings - she wanted to, even if they weren't as good as Miss Grandmama's.

Vibrant, piercing blue eyes remained focused on the enforcer, taking note of the importance of balance. She steadied herself, trying not to fall much like she did during her hunting lesson. She steadied herself with one paw, shuffling around a little until she was more or less comfortably balanced, paying attention and --- scratchies?

Millimetres from her face, Sleepypaw stopped dead in her tracks, eyes growing wide. Scratchies... Scratchies? Was that a name for some special technique, or...? She blinked, utterly confused, her paw slooowwwwwwwly retreating back to the ground with an awkward shuffle, eyes focused on the ground in great silence for some time.

Scratchies. That sounded... Not much like what she intended to do. Was this a lesson on scratching? (Not that she was particularly good at scratching the scratchies, but that was besides the point). She blinked again, uncertain of what to do, how to react, what to say or think before her eyes slowly lifted towards Silverlark again, hesitating briefly before she spoke in a dull tone.
"I mean... fighting... Defending, so..."
She trailed off. So she could fight at Miss Grandmama and mama's sides.


[ @Alchemist Kitsune - Looks like that scratching lesson might be of use after all ]