private BEFORE LIGHTS OUT | crowpaw

[SILVERSMOKE]

With only two apprentices, Silversmoke still felt as if he had received the entire spectrum of possibilities with them. There was Chrysaliswing, combative and rude, insulting to anyone who did not fit a certain standard of health and who seemingly only held loyalty to SkyClan out of his family's status rather than an agreement with their ideals (the irony of criticising them for this was lost on the Lead). Every moment had been a battle of patience and wit, culminating in an accidental walkout of the chimera's warrior ceremony which sealed the deal on their fractured bond. Then, there was Crowpaw, and Crowpaw scared him. He had heard the word cool so many times that it had lost its meaning, there was an admiration there that felt thoroughly undeserved and it left him uncertain of his words around the little smoke cat. Was he supposed to act 'cool' to keep up appearances? What did acting 'cool' even mean? Or, was he supposed to re-iterate that he didn't care (he clearly did) and that it was his job to ensure Crowpaw was a loyal SkyClanner, not to be cool? StarClan seemed consistent in giving him the hardest battles, his confusion on how to deal with the situation leaving the spotted tabby quiet as he escorted the other towards the training grounds.

Quiet, at least, until the sandy pit was in sight. He craned his neck upwards and flicked his tail toward the sky, walking with a gait more appropriate for a warrior of his rank. Blue and green eyes scanned for familiar faces, his chest expanding in relief when none were in sight. He'd woken his apprentice up earlier than the rest, partially so there would be no further interruptions by demands of a spar, partially as a form of training in itself. His own gaze flickered with exhaustion momentarily, by the time he'd turned around to Crowpaw however, he'd returned his taciturn expression. "Every single one of SkyClan's Warriors has a different opinion on fighting. Some try to avoid it, some live for it and nothing else, I... like it a bit too much." It gave a rush of endorphins greater than that of his favourite prey or winning an argument, only spending time with Auburnflame made him feel a love greater than that of combat. Giving the other a once-over, the tabby's tail slowly fell. If he passed his love of conflict onto the kit, he'd die in a heartbeat.

"The goal of fighting isn't to kill, but to win. Many opponents value their own lives too much to engage in a losing battle." He paused, perhaps a second too long, before continuing. "You're tiny, and our enemies would kill you in a heartbeat, but you won't be able to properly hurt them until you're much older. So, how do you beat them?" A rhetorical question, one he didn't give Crowpaw time to answer as he finally stepped onto the sandy ravine. "Tactics. Did your mother tell you what battle tactics mean?" Bobbie was no fighter, not yet, if she was to be believed. Silversmoke liked to believe she wanted to be a real SkyClan warrior, just like her son would grow up to be under his tutelage.

@CROWPAW!

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[CROWSIGHT]

Being forced awake earlier than his other apprentices was rather odd because while he wouldn't say he was as deep as a sleeper as Drowsypaw, but it was odd to see his friends sleeping. They looked so peaceful. It was also the little thought that he could mess with one of his sleeping companions freely, considering how none of them moved even slightly as he passed them to exit the apprentice den. He would pad over to his mentor who would take him to train. As for his feelings about Silversmoke... He wouldn't say he feared the other warrior, but he didn't really know yet what an apprentice and mentor relationship was supposed to be like. No one really told him how you should treat your mentor, nor did they say what a mentor was or wasn't allowed to do with their apprentices. Despite that, he would trust Silversmoke. Although he was not someone he wanted initially as his mentor, he felt as if he and his mentor could get along. What he didn't know was that his own mentor felt unease because of him.

He had to suppress a laugh watching Silversmoke change his gait before they reached the sandy pit. He didn't really get why his mentor suddenly did that, but he decided it was best not to bring it up. After all, he didn't want to make his mentor mad at him so quickly. He's so silly. His head tilts when his mentor stops and breathes in relief. Expecting someone else? It's then, that his mentor turns to address him. Based on the first sentence alone he has the impression that today's training is about fighting. He wasn't given anytime to gather his thoughts about his stance on fighting, but the knowledge that his own mentor likes fighting. To give his mentor an indication that he's listening he nods when he is done speaking.

I thin-, his little face scrunched in mild annoyance when Silversmoke asked him a question only to answer it a second later. He was grateful for the answer because he wasn't sure in the first place what the answer was, but would it kill Silversmoke to tell him that he didn't have to hurt his brain trying to scrounge up an answer? A sliver annoyance remained within him as he thought for a moment what his mother talked to him about. This tactics thing was not discussed with him nor did she bring up anything about battle. His mother had a run in with dogs and had Blazestar and Duskpool save her, which she had told him dogs were scary and bad creatures, that if they saw one they should run away. After what seems like an eternity (possibly a minute of silence for Silversmoke), he shook his head. "Mommy didn't say anything about battle... Tactics? Only that we should run when seeing dogs." Maybe the information that he has the assumption to run when faced with a dog might make his mentor feel a certain way about his mother, but it made sense. He was tiny, if an enemy would kill him in a heartbeat, then why wouldn't a dog at this point in time?

Whatever the case, he finds his stance about fighting and it's this. He doesn't like it. Not like his mentor, but he wouldn't say he is the type that would actively avoid it. If someone hit him, he for sure is going to hit back. As for living for fighting that was a no thanks. That seemed like too much work and stupid because why was he going to purposely get hurt at every chance he can get. Crowpaw looks up at Silversmoke and after a twitch of his whiskers, "I don't like fighting." After a second he is quick to add, "But I hate dying more than fighting."​

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