2ND SUCKS [ ✦ ] skypaw, howlingstar

[BURNSTORM]

Skypaw was his younger brother. Or well, his half brother according to his mother but Burnstorm was not an idiot like some of his siblings were. Who else would their mother have had kits with that wouldn't step up and claim them as their own? Hailstorm? She had been cozying up to him lately but he didn't seem like the type to let his children run around unclaimed and fatherless. No, he knows full well that Skypaw has just as much kittypet blood running through his veins as he does. But Skypaw does not know this, nor does Duskpaw. They are free from the curse of thinking they have to prove themselves in the same way Burnstorm and Moonwhisper have had to. He and his sister had had to work twice as hard in order to show the rest of the clan that they were bettere than the softness that ran through their veins, that they would not betray the clan the way their brother and sister had. Little Wolf had spared them that fate, at least.

He is glad when his grandmother approves of his request to take his sibling out to spar. He had wanted to spend time with Skypaw alone preferably but he did not mind when Howlingstar had invited herself along as well. To oversee she had said. It would be nice to spend time with his grandmother and besides, maybe in doing this he could prove to her that he was good at teaching, that he was ready to be a mentor whenever she found a kit that would be a good fit for him. A small part of him worries he will be given one of Sunfreckle's brood. He liked the orange tom enough but his kits seemed like paw-fulls. Maybe one day he would mentor one of Raccoonstripe's kits. Hah! Wouldn't that be something funny.

When they finally get to the sandy hollow, Burnstorm spins around on his heels "You ready to show me what you've got, brother?" he says as he looks down at the orange and black cat, a challenge in his eyes and in the wide grin he wears on his face.

// @skypaw @HOWLINGSTAR
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[HOWLINGSTAR]

Howlingstar does not let her apprentice out of her sight often when they leave camp. And Burnstorm has never had an apprentice before, young and fresh out of the apprentice's den as he is. So while she had been more than happy to let him have his spar with his younger brother, she insisted on coming along. Skypaw doesn't leave camp often without her there, and when he does it's only just outside to gather some moss. It is her duty to be there and watch over him, after all.

She sits with her back straight and ears pressing forward, a gentle smile resting on her muzzle. She has taught Skypaw the basics in fighting, and it's come around the time for him to discover his own style. She looks forward to watching how he does against his older brother, her tail twitching eagerly.​

 

[skyclaw]

Skypaw knows that in a few short moons, Howlingstar will be feeding him assessment after assessment, testing his knowledge in more ways than one just to see if he's learned enough to become a warrior, like the rest of them. And admittedly, all that is more daunting than it should be. She is more than his mentor; she is his leader and grandmother too, and her approval amounts to that much more at the end of the day. All of this is to say that Burnstorm's suggestion of a spar is readily accepted. An informal test, truly, to see if they can hold up against some of their best. Not to mention, spending some time with his brother again after the other's warrior promotion is always a bonus.

He's nearly silent as Burnstorm seeks out a space for them to brawl in. Skypaw runs through his memories of all that his former mentor taught him, plus the brushing up and new lessons that Howlingstar bestowed upon him next. He's a realist in the moment - his brother has moons on him, battles and border skirmishes worn like badges on a sash. Skypaw is hardly half as experienced as he is, but holding his own even if only for a few moments would prove that he's on the right track.

Burnstorm's grin lights something in Skypaw and the apprentice nods, "I just hope you are," he bids. The smaller tom is still for a few moments longer, gauging the hollow around them, before launching forward. In knowing that he has a very limited chance in bowling over his dark furred brother, he instead attempts a fake out - Skypaw looks to go for a shoulder to the other's chest, however ducks left of his brother and shoves into his side instead. Regardless of how successful he is in knocking the other off balance, Skypaw takes several steps off, turning to assess the damage and likely waiting too long to attack again.​