DEFINITELY MAYBE \ cragpaw

[FERNGILL]

He'd been doing his best with Cragpaw- more than his best, he'd like to think. it'd be the worst thing in the world if he let his nephew down. A failure of an apprentice would surely make a failure of a mentor- it only made sense, didn't it? But Cragpaw seemed to take well to his teaching, most of the time- listened to him well, and though progress wasn't an instantaneous burst, it was slow and steady. At least, in the water... they hadn't got very far with fighting yet, and Ferngill was beginning to get a bit restless. Was he teaching it wrong ...? In truth, he was half-parroting Mudpelt... and, well, Cragpaw had both his eyes...

"Cragpaw, today we're going to focus on dodging." he circled his apprentice, a pleasant smile on his face, but a slight serious twinge to his voice that would betray to his nephew that he was in teaching-mode. "Fighting isn't all about strength, Stars if I know! Sometimes you've got to use your opponent's strength against them. But that involves dodging their blows."

Now, Ferngill wasn't strong- but he had moons of training under his pelt. Moons more specialised training than most warriors his age, in truth. He was confident he'd at least be a challenge for Cragpaw, at least for today. When he started to best him, they'd get him another opponent... "Once a move misses, it'll leave them vulnerable- think of how you can tip your opponent over to pin them!"

"Ready?" he asked his kin. Given confirmation, Ferngill would streak forward with trained speed, attempting to land a soft-pawed blow at Cragpaw's face.​

✦ penned by pin ✦​

 

[CRAGPAW]

Cragpaw plants his paws firmly on the ground, his eyes narrowing in concentration as he watches his mentor circle him. Dodging. He's quick in the water - he knows that - but on land, he's always relied more on his strength than speed. The concept of using his opponent's strength against them feels…new. Unfamiliar. But if Ferngill thinks it's important, he's willing to listen.

He nods when Ferngill explains the strategy. "Right, dodging leaves them open," Cragpaw mutters to himself, trying to wrap his mind around the tactic. His gaze tracks the red tabby's movements closely, eyes sharp and focused as his mentor begins the exercise. He shifts his weight slightly, muscles tense and ready. "Ready," He says firmly, meeting Ferngill's eye with determination.

The moment the lead warrior streaks forward, Cragpaw braces, instinctively raising a paw to block the blow - but then remembers the point isn't to block, it's to dodge. He shifts his weight at the last second, stepping to the side, feeling Ferngill's paw graze the fur of his cheek. He spins, trying to recover quickly, keeping his mentor in his sights. Not bad, He thinks to himself arrogantly, though he knows he needs to be faster. If this had been a real battle, if claws had been unsheathed, he'd have a gnarly new scar dripping blood down his face. His paws skid slightly on the dirt as he regains his footing.

"Almost got me!" He trills, a faint smirk on his face as he squares up for another round. He's determined not to make the same mistake twice. This time, he'll move faster - he'll try to anticipate where Ferngill's next strike will land. "Again?" he asks, eager to continue.

// SORRY THIS IS SO LATE!!!
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