a force that they can't stop - training session

[emberstar]

"WE ARE THE BROKEN ONES, WHO CHOSE TO SPARK A FLAME"​

With all her usual energy, the leader raced through camp and scrambled atop highrock. She had just had the best idea, and she wanted to try it right now. Even better, it was a responsible, leader-y idea too. "Thunderclan!" she called out eagerly, grinning down at the cats below her with barely contained excitement. She gave them all a moment, in order to assemble to hear what she had to say. She gave herself a moment too, in order to enjoy looking over how many friendly faces she could see. "Today I am going to be doing some combat training! This is not mandatory, but if you want to join in, then follow me!"

After her announcement, she quickly scrambled back down. Mingling with the crowd as she eagerly awaited to see who would come with her. She had done training before in the pine group, but that had only been with two cats. This time, she would have more, At least that was the hope. The idea of training so many cats sounded like a lot of fun, and it was a great way to get to know her clanmates while being productive.

Once she had given them enough time, she began padding out of camp to lead her new trainees to where she intended to teach them. All the while she was beaming ear to ear, this was such a wonderful idea!

// the idea for this thread is that ember is going to learn that there are too many cats in her clan for her to train them all herself. so PLEASE feel free to turn this into kind of a disaster.​

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[Tybalt [Stagstrike]]

Tybalt turned his head at Emberstar's call. Training? He narrowed his eyes at the small flame point. What could she teach him that he didn't already know? He yawned, glancing around the camp. He'd spent his morning bored. So sure, he supposed he could humor her. It would at least beat staying here. Pulling himself to his paws, he slowly padded over to where a small group had begun to gather. "I'll go."

 

[KINDLEHEART]

He doesn't want to fight.

He never saw the point in it - foolish striking of one another with claws unsheathed, bloodspill resulting in permanent scarring, or worse, death. Couldn't there just be peace?

But, when Emberstar's call for combat training reaches his ears, Kindle can't help but glance over towards the medicine den - the unfortunate home of Cinderfrost. Cinderfrost, who made herself known to ThunderClan by attacking - and killing - Emberstar. Cinderfrost, who was supposed to be living with ThunderClan to aid in healing them, of helping them through sickness and injuries. Cinderfrost, who couldn't be trusted.

She could strike at anytime, Kindle knew this. Kindle also knew that, if he were to be the medicine cat's victim, that he would hardly be able to make it out. He didn't know much about fighting. He only had one life. Unlike Emberstar, of course, who could die at Cinderfrost's claws many a time, before she'd truly be declared dead and gone.

White paws lead the tom towards the growing group surrounding around the flame-point leader. Though, he didn't want to fight, he needed to learn how, in case his life depended on it.

"I'll join too."
​

 

[Cottontail]

To learn how to fight was a gift. One that Cotton had realized was something she never got the chance to have. To protect her kits, she fled from the abuse and suffering her twolegs caused her. Her kits, lovely and gentle as they are, needed to learn. They couldn't have a useless mother, and they certainly couldn't get hurt themselves. Emberstar's call goes on deaf ears, but the gathering of cats meant something. She searches the faces of the cats gathering in the distance, and then turns to her two lovely kits.

She prods them with a paw, then her muzzle, gesturing for them to follow her out of their comfortable nests and into the open with the others.

Her tail moves fluidly, pointing towards the gathering group before the tip curls inwards as if to beckon them.

Follow.

@MILKYKIT @Violetkit ​

 

[Flycatcher]

Emberstar was quite clear that this little training session was not mandatory, but yet Fly followed along after a moment's consideration. Fly was not overly fond of fighting and was far from the most skilled combatant that made up their ranks. Sure, he could give someone a good claw to the face if pushed but he lacked any true precision. His father had always chastised him for that, but in that kind, slightly humorous way he always addressed his son when he did something wrong. He had always promised to teach Fly when he had the chance, though sadly he would never get the opportunity. "It'll be good to hone my skills," Fly commented in a light tone, as he caught up with the assembled group. "Plus it'll give me a good idea of who I'm up against." The blue tabby would add with a playful wink.​

 

[MILKYKIT]

Robin blue eyes sleepily opened when she felt the familiar touch of her mother. A silent question hung in the air but was quickly answered by a flick of her mother's tail. Quickly, she hopped to her paws (nearly face-planting in the process) and followed as instructed.

Followed her mom to a swarm of cats. The rapid-speaking leader was in the center of yet another gathering of cats. Milky loved to be in the comfort of her family: it made her feel safe and warm. So, it would make sense that she'd feel the same toward the massive amount of cats, right? Theoretically, yes. Realistically, no. Milky had yet to become accustomed to crowds; they felt cold and distant rather than warm and safe.

Her gaze shifted to Violet. Did her sister understand what in the world was happening? Why were they all gathering and why had their mother thought it crucial that they attended?​

 

[QUAILFEATHER]

Training. Clearly, Emberstar anticipated more battles on the horizon for ThunderClan. The torbie blinks warily at the cheerful flame point as she amasses their cats around her. Tybalt, the disrespectful little youngster she's had more than one run-in with, is the first to agree. Kindle, surprisingly, follows, along with Cotton and Fly, newcomers. Even Cotton's little kits are trailing along.

The older molly sighs. Ember's guts laid bare beneath the sky is an image that won't soon fade from any of their minds. Cinderfrost, as she calls herself, has all but holed herself up in her private den since then. Since Emberstar had given her a clear out, had forbidden them to chase her away.

Quail sets her jaw. What good will training do when there's a parasite within their camp?

But she only stalks forward, leveling Emberstar with a cool expression from flat green eyes. "And what, pray tell, does this training entail? If the kits are coming, I'd hope we're doing this in a safe place." She's scolding the young leader in the only way she knows how -- to be critical. Not that it had worked after Emberstar had scrambled to her feet, wound congealing, gasping to spare Cinderfrost.

Quail exhales softly, waiting for their leader's response.
​

PENNED BY MARQUETTE​

 

[emberstar]

"WE ARE THE BROKEN ONES, WHO CHOSE TO SPARK A FLAME"​

With a glance backward, Emberstar realized that she had more cats following her than she had anticipated. Like, a lot more. For a moment it was all she could do to gaze back at them in wonder. Last time she had done any sort of training, she had only managed to gather two students. This time it seemed half the clan had decided to take her up on her offer!

Worry bubbled up in her chest, but she squashed it under her grin.

Quailfeather's voice cut through the chorus of announcements that one clanmate or another would be participating. Coolly questioning if this training was safe for the kits. "Kits?" She asked, bewildered, only to glance around to find Cottontail and her kits following along with the group. Oh. "Uh, well it's nothing I didn't do when I was their age, so it'll be fine." She gave what she hoped to be a reassuring smile. All she had intended to do was go over some basics, really. That was fine for kits to do, right?

After a moment, the procession arrived in the small clearing she had intended to use for training. Emphasis on small, she hadn't expected this many. There was a little less room for all of them then she would have liked, but she could make do.

"Okay, uh, everyone?" she called out over the crowd. There were just so many of them. Her tails lashing betrayed her worry. It was fine though, she'd just do the same thing she had done last time. "We're going to go over something very basic, your stance. So if you already know what you're doing-." she paused, unsure. "Just follow along, and we'll get to stuff you need to work on later?" That sounded alright.

In her uncertainty, she fell back on what her mother had told her moons ago. Reciting the teachings word for word. ""You will always, and I mean always, start a fight the same way. Anyone who knows anything will move in the same direction." She lowered herself down dramatically into a fighting stance. Giving the crowd pointed glances. "Down. I'm gonna stay like this while I talk so you can copy it, but the most important part is to lower yourself. This does two things; first it gives you a strong base that allows you to take a hit better and second it lowers your center of gravity so you can move faster." She explained, loud as she could to make sure everyone could hear.​

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[Flycatcher]

Fly had to admit he was a little surprised Emberstar did not tell Cotton and her kits - or at least her kits - to stay back in camp. He didn't have much of a problem with youngsters wanting to learn how to fight, especially given how dangerous this world could be, but surely they were too young to be fighting at this age, especially with fully grown cat. Still, when Emberstar allowed them to come, he said nothing against it. Like the leader, he had also learned a few moves when he was closer to their age so maybe it wouldn't be too bad. Besides, Cotton would surely keep an eye on them anyway.

Not long after they made it to the clearing where Emberstar clearly intended to host this impromptu training session. It wasn't a particularly large space and felt smaller due to the sheer size of cats who had followed after Emberstar. When she began to get into her lessons, Fly was quick to follow along. He was no skilled fighter but he had some idea of the correct stances he needed to be taking. It wasn't a perfect match but his fighting stance was fairly close to what Emberstar was showing them.​

 

[TRUFFLEPELT]

Aging paws forged a path toward commotion; that was a training session, apparently. Brows raised in pleasant surprise as he drew amongst his fellow Thunderclanners, yellow eyes surveying their movements for a few long moments. It was fascinating, to see them move in sync- or at least attempt to under the instruction of their leader. It was crowded, but there was enough space to spin your tail in... enough for basic stance training, of course.

Through his long life Truffle had been in many a fight, and though he had not formal training he did as much as he could to stay in shape. It was one of those reflexes that would eventually settle into your mind embedded, and would not leave the muscles that had memorised the movements. Swift ways to end conflicts had always been his priority, therefore the entire idea of stance, set-up and such was amusing... was interesting, too. The more he learned of these Clan cats the more he was interested in their life, and the more he felt as if he belonged. The little voice that had called him here was right, it was no siren. Astray had he wandered for so long, but this forest and this community would be his home now. His whole.

So, he took the stance.​

( PENNED BY PIN )​

 

[emberstar]

"WE ARE THE BROKEN ONES, WHO CHOSE TO SPARK A FLAME"​

Everyone took on the stance she had, or at least tried. As she looked over the mass of cats attempting to imitate her, she suddenly felt nervous. She could see, easily, what any one of them was doing wrong or right, but not all of them. The cats in the back were blocked by those in the front, and even those in the middle were hard to see. If she wanted to get an idea of what was really going on, she'd have to walk around a bit. Even if she could see them all, it would take a while to tell them all what they were doing wrong and get them to fix it. Meanwhile, she still knew that some of their number already knew how to do this. What were those cats supposed to do, wait?

It began to dawn on her that this might have been a bad idea.

Still, she tried to push onward. Even though this was only the most basic of basics and there were already problems. "Okay, Fly and Truffle, you are both doing good!" she stated with a smile. There were things she wanted to critique and touch up even with them, but she didn't want to leave everyone else waiting and the mistakes were small enough to be acceptable. Slowly, she raised out of her crouch and began to walk around the group, attempting to get a better look at everyone.​

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