But I Will Trust The Artist Molding Me | Aspenhaze

[Mosspool]

With the reassignment of her mentorship to Aspenhaze had come a renewed interest in her training. Not that she would say she had ever been anything other than a hard-working and motivated apprentice. Though before that had all come from a a rigid sense of dispassionate duty, an obligation to and pride in her clan.

Cicadastar's speech at the meeting had changed that.

Mosspaw had wanted to get back at Windclan and Thunderclan before, but not like this. The words of her leader had lit passion inside her that lingered long after the meeting had ended. Now, there was new purpose behind her training. This was no longer just learning for learning's sake, it was preparation for the day she faced her clan's enemies herself.

As she padded toward the stepping stones, that thought built an eagerness within her. A feeling that sat alongside her satisfaction at arriving exactly at the time she had been told to meet there.​

 

[Aspenhaze]

Aspenhaze walks with a skip in their step as they get ready for today's training with their apprentice. They've always dreamed of being able to teach someone, and now they finally have that. It's exhilarating really, being able to pass down skills to someone younger than yourself. It makes them feel like their life is worth it; they're actually adequate, and others see it too.

At the talk of finally putting the other clans in their place, they have decided that for right now, combat training was the most important to learn. They wouldn't slack on hunting and other camp duties, but for now she needs to be ready for anything. They spot Mosspaw joining them at exactly the right time, and they smile at her punctuality.

"Thank you for being on time. Now," they stand up straight, eyeing the water for a moment, "as I said, today we will be learning water-based combat. But firstly, I want to see what kind of skills you already have learned. Attack me however you please, and we will go from there." They hope that her prior mentor has already taught her at least the basics. ​

 

[Mosspool]

As soon as her mentor started speaking, she listened with rapt attention, nodding along to their every word. Though she had already done some combat training, it hadn't been as water focused as this session promised to be. The thought excited her. In a fight, her clan's ability to swim would doubtlessly be a insurmountable advantage if used correctly. If she could master this, none of the other clans would ever stand a chance against her. When her mentor told her to show them what she already knew, she nodded quickly.

Mosspaw knew instantly what move she wanted to try. She quickly settled into a combat stance that was a strict mirror of the one her last mentor had shown her. Perhaps too strict. Her intense focus on getting the shape of the stance right always left her too tense and rigid to move out of the position easily. It looked correct to the uninitiated, but would be almost worse than just standing normally in a real fight.

For a moment she held the position, wanting her mentor to be unsure when she would strike. She would need every advantage she could get if she wanted to impress a practiced warrior.

In a burst of movement, she struck. With a flick of her tail she aimed to splash water in Aspenhaze's eyes, hoping to blind them. Then she leapt toward them, aiming to bat at their chest with sheathed claws. It was a move she had put a lot of practice into, and she was eager to try it out on a real opponent.​

 

[Aspenhaze]

// Rolled a 20! Crit success!

They quickly figured out that their apprentice would try to be unpredictable, and that in turn made her easy to read. They were quick to notice that Mosspaw was attempting to use the water as a distraction, so they quickly close their eyes as the splash reaches their face, knowing that there was still a moment of vulnerability doing so. Aspenhaze's ears flick as she leaps towards them, but they stay in place, feinting pain as they allow her to strike them in the chest.

"Good move," they say as they shake off the water from their fur. "While I could immediately tell what you were trying to accomplish, cats from other clans may be less prepared. Keep that in your arsenal. However, just remember that your opponent may not be that patient, so it might be harder to catch them off guard. If you truly want to be unpredictable, don't wait too long, and make your movements more shaky. There still needs to be purpose behind it." They nod their head. "Now, are there any other moves you've learned that you think I should know about? If not, we can move onto real training."​

 

[Mosspool]

Mosspaw's eyes widened when she saw how quickly her mentor reacvted. The moment she went to splash water in their eyes, they immediately closed them to avoid it. Even as she rushed forward to make her attack, those eyes were already back open, staring right at her as she charged. It made her a bit surprised when her attack actually landed. If Aspenhaze had wanted, they could have dodged her attack easily, and she could tell. It was humbling to have a move she had practiced so rigorously be dealt with effortlessly.

As she had expected, her new mentor was a master of combat. She wanted them to teach her everything.

"Thank you." She received Aspenhaze's compliment with a dip of her head. It pleased her that she had at least preformed it well enough to meet her new mentor's standards. As he listed the improvements she could make to her technique, she nodded along, making a list of them in her head. Questions bubbled up within her, even as her mentor suggested they move on to another move or real training. Her instinct was to disect her performance, repeat it until she could do it well enough to make it work. She tried to restrain that desire though, and listen to Aspenhaze. "No, we can move onto training."

A beat of silence. Her ear flicked.

"What do you mean by having purpose behind it?" Mosspaw added abruptly, unable to restrain her urges completely. Just one question would be fine, surely.​

 

[Aspenhaze]

They don't seem to mind the question being asked at all. "No need to be afraid to ask questions. I won't punish you for it. In fact, I'd prefer you ask." Knowing her concerns would make the training more effective, and they hope she knows it too. "But...hmm. How to word it? It seems almost antithetical, huh. Asking for you to be random but also not? It's just that, if you don't put thoughts behind your actions, you won't be as successful. Swinging around wildly can work, sure, but it won't be that effective. You'll have more power if you are aware of your movements. Does that make sense?" They hope they aren't wording their point in a needless complicated way, as they know they're prone to do sometimes. ​