sturdy birch among the moors [birchpaw assessment, private]

[Aroogi]

HE/HIM • APPRENTICE • 10M • WINDCLAN
"A fluffy white & brown ticked tabby tom."
PURRKS: N/A
---
He waited in camp, tail twitching eagerly. He was trying to spot Dapplebreeze because today was the day he would take his assessment. If all went well, he would be a warrior soon. Cemented in stone. Finally. His ear flicked as he breathed in the scent carried on the wind of the moorland. His home.

He had helped save his home from the fires and by doing so, grown slightly more confident. He was still shy, yes, but he wasn't scared of menial things any longer. He hoped Sunburst was proud of the cat he was becoming - bit by bit. Well, all he could do now was wait for Dapplebreeze to approach him. He felt on top of the world and he felt he could do this. He would become a warrior of WindClan.

[ @Alchemist Kitsune ]

[Alchemist Kitsune]

| Dapplebreeze |
72 Moons - WindClan Fury Lieutenant
Agatha Kitty - Active | Silver Tongue - Active | Killer Aptitude [Tier 3] - Inactive

---

Soft pawsteps took Dapplebreeze out of the warriors' den, her paw pads rapidly on the mend after the burn they had gotten during the inferno. Between Batglare's stubbornness at quietly - and admittedly gently - ensuring that she wouldn't leave until Lightningstorm had taken a look at her, she had been unable to retreat silently to den for a good rest. Evidently that had been the right call regardless, as she had seen herself in need for swift motion sooner than expected. Her darling sapling - who seemed to be awaiting with the energy of an eager kit for very good reasons - was finally ready. It was time for his assessment. Perhaps it would have been easier to have somebody else handle the young tom's final test instead of her, but she knew that despite her affection for her precious apprentice she would be impartial when it came to judging if he was truly ready. To do otherwise would mean to send a warrior who had not yet been properly trained towards their death, and she could never do such a vile thing to the dear.

Birchpaw's excitement infectious, the fury allowed herself a demure smile as she approached her apprentice, holding back from an attempt at nuzzling his head with affection. Today was a serious day. A day to see him not as her kit, but as the warrior he was soon to become. She could go back to her gentler preferences once the assessment was passed. And passed it would be. She had little doubt.

"Goodness me. It seems someone is ready to fly with the wind itself this morning. Most excellent, my dear. That enthusiasm will get you through the day. Now, I do believe asking you if you are ready for your assessment might just be a waste of time here. Why, you look like you were born ready, my darling sapling. So, let us get through to what your assessment will entail today.

All warriors of WindClan should know the territory like the back of their paws. Able to know where and when to find prey as the day progresses. Warriors are also allowed out and about on their own, expected to be able to take care of themselves as they feed the clan and patrol its lands. Today, you leave the camp entrance alone. I wish for you to go out and hunt as much as you can. Rabbit and hare - at least one of either - will be demanded, of course. After all, it is the very life force of the clan. Whatever else you wish to hunt will of course be up to you. Simply remember that I will be watching. Out of sight, and will not interfere unless absolutely necessary.

Following this, we will battle. All warriors fight. It is a reality of our way of living. Either to defend ourselves, our loved ones, or seeking justice for crimes committed against our clan. Here I will not be measuring your victory, but your skill. Do your absolute best. Think fast on your feet. Show me how you attack. React. Survive while in the heat of battle. Do not just think, but feel. Do so, and I am certain we shall end the day in celebration as I go to Twilightstar with news of your having passed your assessment. Now, do we have any questions, my dear? If not, I will give you a head start to begin your hunting. I will pop out when I have seen enough," Dapplebreeze mewed as she twitched her tail towards the entrance, letting Birchpaw know that he was free to leave if he had no doubts plaguing his mind.

---

@Aroogi [Birchpaw]

[Aroogi]

HE/HIM • APPRENTICE • 11M • WINDCLAN
"A fluffy white & brown ticked tabby tom."
PURRKS: N/A
---
[ I will be using a dice roller for this! 10 and below is a fail, 11 and above is a win! i will be rolling a d20! ]

Birchpaw would listen to his mentor carefully. Hunting - gotta get a rabbit or a hare - and battle. Okay.. sounds easy enough. But he knew deep down it wasn't that easy. He would be challenged every step of the way. With a dip of his head, he left the camp and headed for the Sky Glade. He felt comfy starting there. Keeping an eye on the skies, he would swiftly make his way there and crouch down - drawing air over his scent glands with an open jaw. Smelling a mouse, he scanned the grasses with a piercing gaze, spotting the creature. Crouching down he would begin to slowly stalk.

ROLLED A 13 - SUCCESS!

He pounced and quickly gave it a bite to the neck. Thanking StarClan and burying it, he would look for his next target. A scent hit his nose and he scanned for it. Ahah. Thrush. Checking the wind direction and noticing it wasn't drawing his scent toward the bird, he stalked forward.

ROLLED A 17 - SUCCESS!

Pouncing quickly, he grabbed the bird before it could even take off, nipping it in the neck. He buried it quickly and scanned the grasses once more. Soft, long ears caught his eyes and he licked his lips - rabbit. Checking his surroundings, he noticed the rabbit was close by a clump of bushes and heather. It's den must be inside. He crept forward ...

ROLLED A 10 - FAIL!

... and the wind changed direction. The rabbit sat bolt upright and dove for the bush. Birchpaw growled in frustration and tried to cut it off, but its back legs were disappearing once he got close. He huffed and moved off a ways, he needed another rabbit. Sniffing the air and scenting another one, he crouched down. This one was in the open. He surveyed and noticed a strong smell of rabbit to his left. Pushing through the grass slowly - he saw a hole in a small hill. Its den.. it was far anough away..

Crouching down and making sure to keep downwind, he would slowly move toward the rabbit. It ate blissfully - unaware of the danger. He waggled his haunches..

ROLLED A 17 - SUCCESS!

... and pounced! The rabbit attempted to squeal as Birchpaw's paws enclosed around it, but it was cut off as he bit down on it's neck. Thanking StarClan for this catch - he made his way back toward his cache.

[ @Alchemist Kitsune ]

[Alchemist Kitsune]

| Dapplebreeze |
72 Moons - WindClan Fury Lieutenant
Agatha Kitty - Active | Silver Tongue - Active | Killer Aptitude [Tier 3] - Inactive

---

Silent, expert paws took Dapplebreeze across the plateau. Moons of living in the moors had taught her how to best navigate the flat, open lands of WindClan, and while most of their territory was newer, leaving her much less familiar than she had been with their home of old, one could not argue against the wisdom of age. Her apprentice's first choice earning a sparkle of pride in the fury's gaze, she followed, making sure to keep her distance as he tracked his prey. The Sky Glade was teeming with prey, yes. Easy to find. Not so easy to catch. A good place to prove one's worth.

Birchpaw's tracking had been impeccable. Nothing less than the patched she-cat expected. He had been a hard working, talented young tom throughout his entire apprenticeship, after all. Even when nature conspired against him - the winds could be cruel sometimes - he recovered. Losing one rabbit was not enough to discourage him, and sooner rather than later he found a second, catching it and killing it swiftly. And this was all without taking into account his magnificent work with the thrush.

Remaining where she was, Dapplebreeze lowered herself, hiding in the yellowing grasses of leaffall. She considered revealing herself. Allowing for her apprentice to move on to the next step. But she wondered how he would fare if left to his own devices for a little longer. He missed one rabbit despite catching two other prey. Would he choose to go for more prey to make up for the wind's deceit, or would he choose to remain as he was? Content with his catch and ready to move on? She knew what choice her own pride would dictate she go for. What her sense of duty would spur on. Had their time together instilled some of that same need to provide in him that her own mentor had done for her?

---

@Aroogi [Birchpaw]

[Aroogi]

HE/HIM • APPRENTICE • 11M • WINDCLAN
"A fluffy white & brown ticked tabby tom."
PURRKS: N/A
---
Burying his prey with his others, he turned around. He was going to try and catch one more thing. Letting the air travel over his scent glands, he did indeed scent something else - a vole.

Keeping downwind, the tom would creep through the grass as quiet as a mouse. Waggling his hindquarters...

ROLLED A 14 - SUCCESS!

and pounced, catching the vole with a claw and biting down with a silent prayer to StarClan. He then headed back to the rest of his prey and buried the vole, sitting down and waiting for Dapplemum to appear.

[ @Alchemist Kitsune ]

[Alchemist Kitsune]

| Dapplebreeze |
72 Moons - WindClan Fury Lieutenant
Agatha Kitty - Active | Silver Tongue - Active | Killer Aptitude [Tier 3] - Inactive

---

A mild, polite smile crossed the fury's maw as she held back from positively beaming. It would not do to go so far just yet, after all! The battle portion of this assessment was still required, and while she had no doubt as to her apprentice's bravery - the flames he had helped quell had more than helped cement his place as one of WindClan's finest in her eyes - it was a fact that bravery and skill did not always go paw in paw. Not that she doubted the darling... Oh dear, she truly was getting sentimental now. Best emerge and finish this assessment before she felt the urge to forgo the entire thing and congratulate him on the hunt alone!

"Absolutely splendid, my dear," Dapplebreeze mewed as she parted from the grasses, a purr escaping her despite herself. "WindClan shan't know hunger as long as you live."

With elegant, well poised movements, the senior warrior reached her darling sapling before sitting down, assessing him well before continuing. He had hunted well, and had not harmed himself in the process. This was good. She wanted him to give it his all. The patched molly had been earnest before. There was no burden on him to win a fight against her. She had been in so many wars. Killed so many predators and fought off so many rogues and enemy clanners alike. It would be unfair for anyone to believe someone untested would have the malice and knowhow to defeat any seasoned warrior of the clan. But his mettle must still be tested. His experience not withstanding, she would not send someone out to be mercilessly shredded if they could not at least make a stand.

"Now we move to the second part of your assessment, my dear. We shall battle here, in the very place you have hunted in. It is important to know how to pace oneself no matter where in the territory one is attacked, after all. While I know that during our training I insisted on no claws, as training should never be punishing, this is your assessment. An intruder will use their claws, their teeth, and their wits to defeat you. Not all will stop themselves. Rarely will they follow the warrior code as we do, or as fastidiously as WindClan adheres to it. So then, let us begin. Attack me as you would a rogue who dares trespass and make a mockery of your clan!"

Dapplebreeze stood, her warm, loving gaze shifting no sooner had she stopped talking, an aloof glare of contempt replacing it. She had no intention of using her own claws. She would never go all out against her lovely sapling. However, he didn't need to know that. She needed to bring out his fiercest, most tenacious self. And so, she would act as she did with any vermin that dared cross into her home. Hopefully that would be enough to ensure the darling tom would do his best against her in this fight.

---

@Aroogi [Birchpaw]

[Aroogi]

HE/HIM • APPRENTICE • 11M • WINDCLAN
"A fluffy white & brown ticked tabby tom."
PURRKS: N/A
---
Birchpaw would beam with pride as Dapplemum told him how good his hunting had been. His fur warmed and he raised his chin slightly. Now, his fighting assessment. As his mentor spoke - he felt shock lace through his fur. She.. wanted him to use his claws against her? He didn't expect that. But if she wanted to truly test his abilities - he'd do it.

Hardening his gaze, he would lash his tail and move around her in a slow circle. He sized her up. She was bigger than him - and yet... if he did it correctly, he could use that fact to his advantage. Letting out a low hiss, he narrowed his eyes, unsheathed his claws and darted forward. He was going to attempt to attack one side of her, but dart over once she went after him and attack the then vulnerable side. It was worth a shot.

[ @Alchemist Kitsune ]

[Alchemist Kitsune]

| Dapplebreeze |
72 Moons - WindClan Fury Lieutenant
Agatha Kitty - Active | Silver Tongue - Active | Killer Aptitude [Tier 3] - Active

---

Her sapling's shock almost made her wish to take back her words, always hating this part of training any young, promising WindClanner. The fury would always loathe the idea of fighting against a clanmate, no matter the situation. But one she had grown to love as her own? It was heart breaking. Always would be.

Yet no amount of discomfort would be worth allowing Birchpaw to be named warrior without him having earned the right for himself. Not only would it be an insult to the highly capable and talented tom, but a potential danger to the darling. And so, even as her heart warred with her mind, she found herself hiding the pride she felt when he charged forward behind that cold, dark gaze of contempt. The mask she was so known for in battles against enemies. When she was forced to dispatch of cats lesser than the warriors she fought and served with. The one that he had to learn to associate with the enemy. For they wouldn't give him mercy for a moment, just like she wouldn't now. Not fully... in any case.

Dapplebreeze had not made it to her older age - although she would fight to this day that she was still well within her prime - with a love for battle by making mistakes, however. Being smaller in stature and leaner by nature than most cats in other clans - especially ThunderClan and ShadowClan, the towering brutes... - she had learned to anticipate attacks. To understand when to dodge and when to stand her ground. And her sapling's attack? She welcomed openly, shoving her flank as if it were a target in the direction of his charge without changing her own position. She would be able to take the tackle, and if he connected, she would strike rapidly in between his ears. Speed had always been her strength, after all. A simple hit that should cause no real harm - perhaps she was being a little soft - but would certainly make him see stars if it connected. If he decided to change course, well, she was still on the defensive. He was welcome to come at her from whatever angle he so pleased. She would be at the ready.

---

@Aroogi [Dapplebreeze]
| I was so certain I had responded to this. My bad entirely!

For the battle, I gave two potential outcomes to hopefully make up for this so that you can choose how to go with Birchpaw following this move! He is of course free to dodge the smaller strike she did if he connects! Dapplebreeze by default isn't the strongest of cats, but she is cunning and extremely fast in combat, so she'll specialize more in fast hits that strike at weak spots than big hits that instantly knock the opponent down. She wouldn't have used her usual fighting style on Birchpaw previously, though, as she prefers helping apprentices find what works for them over what works for her and forcing them to conform to it. |

[Aroogi]

HE/HIM • APPRENTICE • 12M • WINDCLAN
"A fluffy white & brown ticked tabby tom."
PURRKS: N/A
---
Well... he wasn't expecting that. She shoved herself in his path and he slammed into her flank. Before he could even dig his claws in her paws had rapidly struck his head multiple times. Shaking out the stars laying fixed in his vision and laying his gaze on her once more he would size her up again. Speed was her strength, not raw power. He was somewhere in the middle. He was strong and agile. He took this into account. Going towards her again, he decided to leap up onto her back and cling on like a burr with the strength he did have over her. Once he successfully did it, he would begin to rip tufts of fur out and bite down on her scruff to try and force her to the ground with his weight.

[ @Alchemist Kitsune ]

[Alchemist Kitsune]

| Dapplebreeze |
73 Moons - WindClan Fury Lieutenant
Agatha Kitty - Active | Silver Tongue - Active | Killer Aptitude [Tier 3] - Active

---

The tom's leap almost breaking her aloof expression and replacing it with a feral, beaming smile, Dapplebreeze managed to remain compose despite how pleased she was with her apprentice's actions. The difference in size between herself and her darling were not enormous. Most warriors would not attempt to leap on her back, as it where, due to her unimpressive height. Average as she was for a WindClanner, most ThunderClan cats and ShadowClan tended to tower over her, making it her the one who had to climb upon their backs for safer attack. Birchpaw's leap was swift, as well, with no real way for the senior warrior to avoid in its entirety without leaving herself open to some other retaliation, so instead, she did the unorthodox thing as she felt the apprentice land upon her back. The patched queen sat.

With her and her darling sapling being so close in size, it must not have been easy to balance himself upon her back as it was, meaning the sudden lack of hindquarters to have footing on should - by her calculations - disbalance the tom. In an attempt to further dislodge the young apprentice from her back, she exposed her neck by dipping her head forward for only a moment before slamming it back in an instant. If Birchpaw had tried to bite her neck in the small, taunting opening she had provided, the back of her head should connect harshly with the front of his. If he was flailing from her sudden, sitting motion, however, she hoped to smash in his nose. Either strike would hurt both felines, but the lieutenant was well used to pain.

Should this work, she would aim a clawless blow to his face, if only to make him step back so she could allow herself to relax. It had been moons since any cat had been able to grab a hold of her in battle. Not even when she had been fighting against RiverClan seasons ago and seen herself in a two versus one battle had the two youngsters been able to pin her down. Land inelegant, inconsequential blows? Absolutely. But gained the potential to land her in an unwinnable position? No. Not even close. Nowhere nearly as efficiently as her dear apprentice had here today. As far as she was concerned, this assessment was complete. Birchpaw was ready. A sapling no more, her darling had turned into a full blown birch before her very eyes, and she could hardly wait to see him earn his full name in the upcoming meeting.

---

@Aroogi [Birchpaw]
| If either of Dapplebreeze's attempts at dislodging Birchpaw from her succeed, then Dapplebreeze should be making a motion for Birchpaw to stop! He has already shown more potential to genuinely hurt her than any actual enemy she has fought, so she has no doubt he will be a fierce and competent warrior already! If not, we can continue the battle with his next move. |