Prepare for the Worst [p]

[Rani]

Crowtooth
Windclan Tunneler | He/him | 49 Moons
Power Card: Cold Gust

Art by Marigoldwhisper

Outward calm confidence, inward endless stress and roiling emotion.

The tom had always felt a need to be strong for his clan, felt he should show no signs of a breakdown so they could at least be reassured he'd handle things while they grieved and took their time to process in safety. It wasnt really healthy, it meant the tom never really got a chance to let himself feel and so just bottled it up until he had a breakdown. However it meant he got a lot of work done!


So even as grief, rage, shock and stress roiled its way under his pelt Crowtooth gathered up Rabbitpaw with a gently rasped "Mornin' kiddo, first lesson an' first time outta the camp. I know the current situation 's... dour but lets keep chipper, alright?


We'll get this battle trainin' done so Im less worried about ya when yer out an' about (though I'll make it clear, yer not joinin' any battles until yer older an got some practice please) an' once we're done we do some more fun tunnelin' stuff.


Up and at 'em, Ill call over some others ta practice wit'."
Before he padded into the clearing and cast an eye on the lingering apprentices in camp today.


It'd give the apprentices someone to try these moves on other then a much much larger warrior who would be far too hard an enemy to start with. Plus.... More students meant more apprentices who could handle being attacked if riverclan or the mink come and who, if they put in the practice, could join the front to drive them away.


So who was around..... Casting an eye over the tom spotted four and called them over with a gravelly call. "Hushpaw, Winterpaw, Duskpaw, an' Dovepaw! Come join me an' Rabbitpaw, we're doin' some battle trainin' out in the territory! Get a move on Im not wastin' no time!" Before he promptly turned and with a waved tail indicated them to follow him as he casually padded out of the camp to a nice flat sandy area he'd sparred Hawkfur in earlier.


They could ask whatever questions they wanted and introduce themselves to eachother on the way or when they arrived as Crowtooth did his own stretches, loosening up the muscles for this session.


@Dolomedes @zozelen @Neptune. @Ladiebugg @Kaybug.

[Ladiebugg]

DuskPaw
DuskKit

10 Moons | She/Her | Heterosexual

WindClan Apprentice

___

@Dolomedes @zozelen @Neptune. @Rani @Kaybug.

___

DuskPaw bounces over, grinning. Yes! Battle Training! This would be so fun. If she learns to fight then she can defend her clan!

[Dolomedes]

Rabbitpaw
He/him | WC Apprentice Tunneler | Moons: 6 | Purrks: none | Part Manx cat

Rabbitpaw looked up from his mindless playing with the grass as he tried to think of something to do today when he mentor came up to him. "Good morning, Crowtooth!" The blonde apprentice replied, trying to push his usual cheer and bubble into it but even to himself it came out a bit flatter than usual. It was better than being miserable, Fallownose wouldn't want that. As the tunneler spoke, Rabbitpaw found himself nodding along, more genuine eagerness coming along with the words. "I'm very excited to learn, though if I am not allowed in any battles how can I protect Windclan?" It was a genuine question, not so much as it was talking back. Walking along his mentor, Rabbitpaw watched the other apprentices that Crowtooth called along with them before jumping with a start when he realized that he stared too long and now Crowtooth was getting away.

With a few quick bounds, the apprentice was trotting at his mentor's side again. Rabbitpaw smiled up at Crowtooth. He wanted to do really, really good in these lessons. Maybe if he was super good then Crowtooth would let him help take care of Riverclan. Oh! Maybe Rabbitpaw would be allowed to stay in camp to protect them in case of any tricks from Riverclan or the minks. The blonde tom shuddered, unhappy with the idea of his curse bring on an attack from Riverclan and minks at the same time. It wouldn't come to that. But if it did then Rabbitpaw would be ready, he had to be! Green eyes moved from Crowtooth to Duskpaw who had come jumping up and down to the pair as they left camp.

He should probably introduce himself. He hasn't many friends besides Lightningpaw, who wasn't called along with them. Rabbitpaw opened his mouth to try and introduce himself to the other but just as quickly snapped his jaws shut. The other apprentices probably didn't want to be friends with him, Rabbitpaw was cursed after all, what if the curse could be passed along? No, that doesn't make sense, if it was then more people would talk about it. It was just a Rabbitpaw thing and that was okay with him, he rather he be cursed than one of his clan mates. It did make it hard to talk to others sometimes, he doesn't understand why Lightningpaw talked to him. He didn't want them to say anything about it, if they did then it would be harder to ignore its existence.

The little tom shook his fur out and jumped forward, taking the lead on Crowtooth and turning around to walk backwards in front of the tunneler. "Could you tell me more about the tunnels before we start with training?" He had to count his steps while walking like this so he made sure he didn't trip over himself.

[ @Rani - Crowtooth | @zozelen - Winterpaw | @Neptune. - Hushpaw |@Ladiebugg - Duskpaw | @Kaybug. - Dovepaw ]
[ Sorry if I accidentally mixed up any of your guys' characters /w\ ]


Rabbitpaw gif made by ramen!

[Neptune.]

Hushpaw
~<>~
24/100
10 moons || he/him || WindClan Apprentice
medium furred tom w/ black, grey and white fur; gold eyes

Oooooo training!! Group battle training!! Let's goooo!! Not that Hushpaw needed more training, he's already an expert!! But some extra practice would never hurt~

Springing to his paws, the black and white apprentice quickly trots up to Crowtooth and the quickly gathering group of apprentices. He was practically vibrating with excitement as he sidled up next to Duskpaw, spotting her easily among the small throng. "Hey, hey!" He chirps, grinning a wide smile at the [color] apprentice, tail raised high in the air. "You excited to get going? I'm excited! I can't wait to show off how cool I am, hehehe..." With a cocky tilt of his head, Hushpaw levels shining gold eyes on Duskpaw, eager to hear her response as they trotted along after Crowtooth.

[ @Rani // @zozelen // @Ladiebugg // @Kaybug // @Dolomedes ]

[Kaybug.]

-
@Dolomedes @zozelen @Neptune. @Ladiebugg @Rani

DOVEPAW
They/He 10 moons

Dovepaw heard their name called and their ears perked up towards Crowtooth. Battle training? Perfect! He was pretty good at fighting and had some training from when Heatherwhisker was their mentor but now Heatherwhisker is gone and he has a mentor who doesn't train him. He's thankful for the warriors who take him out all of the time though. Ever since Heatherwhisker disappeared he was pretty sad because his sibling was also missing.

Silently, Dovepaw followed the decent sized group. They wanted to talk, but didn't know what to talk about because he didn't really interact with a bunch of apprentices. It was usually warriors he talked to. Dovepaw's fluffy, grey and white fur rustled as he walked alongside the group. There was Crowtooth, Duskpaw, Hushpaw, Rabbitpaw, and Winterpaw.

They scanned their surroundings with their blue gaze. Sure he was a little anxious. They didn't really like a large group but Dovepaw wasn't going to say anything... Training is training after all.

[zozelen]

Winterpaw's ear twitched when he heard Crowtooth's call to train, and he turned his head from where he was lingering by the fresh-kill pile. Not like he was sneaking extra breakfast, the apprentice just sometimes liked to count the various prey there. It was an easy way to notice what catches were becoming more or less regular as the moons went by. Anyways, Crowtooth was inviting him to go train. Hm. Sure, Winterpaw wasn't the type to turn down an opportunity for learning.

He silently joined the rest of the group, noticing how some of the apprentices already seemed to be talking, and Rabbitpaw was asking Crowtooth some questions. Maybe after the training was over, he'd be better acquainted with a few more of his clanmates...

@Rani @Ladiebugg @Dolomedes @Neptune. @Kaybug.

[Rani]

Crowtooth
Windclan Tunneler | He/him | 49 Moons

Power Card: Cold Gust

It was always very nice when apprentices were eager, happy to learn even the harsher skills with a genuine interest in the abilities that'd make them worthwhile warriors as well as keep themselves safe. Sometimes some of the more frightful apprentices who didnt yet realize that peace among clans simply wasnt possible shied away from this training, and left their mentors in doubt they'd learnt anything at all. And if these skills werent absorbed it could easily mean death.

Wow that was a somber thought, time to distract himself because evidently Crowtooth was in a somber mood.

Rabbitpaw provided an easy solution however and the tom chuckled, replying "You'll protect windclan by guardin' the camp. When battles happen 't means all the warriors are away, an' if another clan is smart they could use that ta take out home. Until yer a moon older an' have practiced sparrin' wit' the new skills wit' another apprentice thats yer job."
A smaller too young apprentice, even trained, was easy prey in a fight and the tunneler was damned if his apprentice went down in his first battle when he had a long life in front of him.

As for the other question, it was one he was far more eager to answer and did so with gusto as the others lurked around.
"Ok well one thin' about the tunnels is theyre contradictory.

In the winter theyre impossible ta dig, the ground freezes near the surface in snow but collapses when wet in rain. So 'ts all round a mess, however, you'll find the most prey in the tunnels in winter. They go down there ta sleep an' hide so while theyre rare on the surface theyre common below.

So ya see, its an ongoin' puzzle, but a fun one."



Crowtooth loved the complexities of the deep and he'd happily ramble on about them forever, however the others had gathered so with a pat to Rabbitpaws head he shifted track and addressed the group.


"Alright you lot, lets learn ta fight!

First battle stances."
The tunneler dropped into his, showing the apprentices as he explained.
"As ya can see 'ts not quite like a huntin' crouch. Yer not as low an' yer legs are more wide ta keep ya balanced. Ya dont want them too wide an' only slightly bent, like a smidgen wider then yer shoulder an' juuust bendy enough ta spring whenever ya want.

Then ya tuck yer tail around yer leg so no one can grab it, pin yer ears an' narrow yer eyes and yer ready ta fight!

Give 't a go an' if I see any issues Ill correct it, hey even throw out a couple swipes if yer eager!"


Swipes really didnt need much instruction, there were tips that could make them more effective and the tom would give them, but really you just..... Swiped. Even kits did it. These apprentice could probably do too, the thing he'd probably be correcting was their stances.


@zozelen @Dolomedes @Kaybug. @Neptune. @Ladiebugg

[Neptune.]

Hushpaw
~<>~
25/100
10 moons || he/him || WindClan Apprentice
medium furred tom w/ black, grey and white fur; gold eyes

Battle stances! All right! They were starting with the very fundamentals, the most fundamental thing a good fighter requires: a good, solid stance. Hushpaw was already the best at anything and everything he tried, so this would go smoothly for him. Still, he levels his eyes on Crowtooth, drinking in his positioning, the way he bends his knees, just how far apart his legs are, how he holds his tail, even the way he holds his ears. Maybe not all of it is important to note, but any little detail could be the difference between life and death.

Hush crouches, brows set into a serious furrow, the concentration feeling a little unfamiliar on the face of the normally happy-go-lucky apprentice. His stance is a little wide, his legs a little too bent at the knees, but it feels solid to him so he doesn't notice. One errant swipe, though, and he may not be able to dodge in time, his slightly wide stance not great for accommodating swift dodging.

[ @zozelen @Dolomedes @Kaybug. @Rani @Ladiebugg ]

[Dolomedes]

Rabbitpaw
He/him | WC Apprentice Tunneler | Moons: 6 | Purrks: none | Part Manx cat

Rabbitpaw listened as Crowtooth explained more about the tunnels to him. They sounded so fascinating! But also puzzling as Crowtooth described them. So they freeze in winter making digging hard, collapse in when wet, but contain the most prey during the leafbare as well. It sounded straightforward enough. He tilted his head a bit as he thought through the information, "Does that make them extra dangerous during newleaf? With all the sun melting all the frost and ice and snow and stuff?" He wasn't scared! No way, he wasn't. Though being buried on his first trip down didn't sound like a whole lot of fun, it would also be embarrassing. What kind of tunneler would he be if he got buried on his first trip? The warrior patted his head and Rabbitpaw looked up with a grin, ready to start practicing.

Crowtooth dropped into a crouch that seemed easy enough to do, at least just looking it seemed to be a bit easy. The blonde apprentice crouched down as well, shuffling his paws to be a bit wider. He shifted his weight to his haunches, ready to spring and pounce on any invisible enemies. His stubby tail wagged a bit and he grinned when he realized he had an advantage of not needing to worry about it being bit in battle. He pinned his long ears to his skull, narrowed his green eyes, and swiped forward with a paw, hooking it through the air by retracting it back to be under him again. Rabbitpaw looked over to his mentor. Trying to see if he was doing it right.

[ @Rani - Crowtooth | @zozelen - Winterpaw | @Neptune. - Hushpaw |@Ladiebugg - Duskpaw | @Kaybug. - Dovepaw ]


Rabbitpaw gif made by ramen!

[zozelen]

Winterpaw had never trained for battle before, though this could be where he'd start. Maybe he should ask Applefrost for some more practice sometime soon... he hadn't seem his mentor around as of late.

Closely watching Crowtooth's demonstration, Winterpaw slid into the position as well, imagining how he'd move if he was in a real fight. With his long legs he did have to crouch down a bit differently then the other apprentices, getting even lower to the ground. Pressing his spiky white tail against his leg, Winterpaw pushed his big ears back and experimentally swatted the air with his paw.

@Ladiebugg @Kaybug. @Rani @Neptune. @Dolomedes (a bit of a shorter post, i'm tired )