FINAL FORTRESS \ figpaw

[TALLULAHWING]

SkyClan has become a dreary, frightening place since housefolk have moved into their territory to trap wild cats. Tallulahwing feels a strange guilt that lays delicately across her shoulders; she remembers the lead warrior's accusation during the meeting. "Are daylight warriors leading Twolegs to our camp?" She can imagine how frightened her own housefolk would be if something happened to her, if she was gone for more than a single night. Was her presence further damning SkyClan?

In the midst of this darkness and guilt, though, is a bright spot. Figpaw is soon to become a warrior. The golden tabby is following at her heels, waiting eagerly for Tallulahwing's instructions.

Today is her final assessment. The torbie turns meaningfully to the girl, her eyes gleaming with emotion. Since she had been a rambunctious kit of four moons, the two had walked paw by paw in this forest, racing through the tree tops, chasing birds and squirrels. And then, when Figpaw had been in the medicine cat den, her resilience faltering and returning with fervor -- and Figpaw's first catch with her injured leg, that tremendous bit of luck and skill.

Tallulahwing says, "Figpaw, if you pass this assessment today, I will go to Blazestar to see about you gettin' your warrior name." She flicks her ears. A slight breeze ruffles the tendrils of her ribbon. "I want you to catch three birds. Three different kinds of birds." She eyes the young she-cat as she continues, "Birds're always gonna be difficult for you, darlin'. They're hard for cats with four legs to catch, cats who can scale trees easily. You'll be stuck to the forest floor." She nods toward the forest yawning before them. "You'll hafta use your wits to catch them. But I believe in you. I always have."

In a rare moment of affection, Tallulahwing touches her nose to Figpaw's ear. Brusquely, she pulls herself back and declares, "I'll be watchin' from the trees, missy. You do what you have to to get those birds, you hear?"

She'll wait for Figpaw's confirmation before scaling the nearest trunk to sit watch among the pines.

// @FIGPAW​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

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[FIGFEATHER]

Three birds, her heart lurches in alarm. Typically Figpaw enjoyed a challenge but now that her warrior name was on the line she couldn't help but be frightened. The fear is masked aside from in her eyes as she pads forward to nod in understanding of her mentor's instructions. Would she be able to do it? Birds, as her mentor had acknowledged, were difficult prey even for cats who could take flight in the trees. How could someone like her get three in one day? A squirrel or a vole she could do... but birds could take flight in the blink of an eye. All it took was one false movement, then poof, into the canopy they vanished!

Yet if she could catch three birds to pass her assessment no one would be able to question her validility in SkyClan again. Not even Chrysalispaw. The goal to prove her rival wrong sparks a flame for newfound determination, she would do this!

With a "goodbye" to Tallulahwing the fire pelted girl sets off, tasting the air as she went for traces of birds. It felt wrong ignoring the scent of vole and the sound of mouse heartbeats, but focus is part of the test, she doesn't let them distract her.

The first bird she tracks is woodpecker, it's quite noisy as it's beak pounds against the man-placed wood. It was working on the lower-half of the fence, this was good for Figpaw... Slowly and carefully she stalks it, and once she gets close enough she pounces! Before the bird can sqwuak in alarm she bites it's neck and twists, successfully killing it. Confidence surges through her and after getting away from the twolegplace (not to further chance her luck) her claws dig into the earth to bury her prey.

Instantly she gets back to it but not once does she forget Tallulahwing's presence. Its hard to not let her eyes wander in the trees to look for the older she-cat. The next bird to her luck is a junco, currently inhabiting a pile of brush with it's mate. The two are playing, darting in and out of the sticks. This catch wouldn't be easy to accomplish, but if she was patient and got her timing right she could snatch one of the juncos as they emerged from one of the gaps in the brush. It'd be worth a try- but it was a fruitless one. Right as she had pounced the bird darted back into the safety of the brush, the girl had through about somehow trying to go in after it or even destroying the pile! She cannot imagine the amount of splinters she'd have to pull out of her paws, however, and decides to accept defeat. Still... there was hope for her, right?

Next, she stumbles upon a nest, it's fallen on the ground with the eggs seemingly still intact. Figpaw never finds the bird for this nest, it finds her and begins to harass her. Figpaw is at first startled by the angry thrasher, it's first harassing swoop at her gives her a taste of what a talon felt like scraping against skin. The brown bird continued to try and mob her, but at the end of the day the furious parent was no match for this huntress. She regains her demeanor and swats it to the ground in order to kill it. She cannot help as she buries it but to admire it's ferocity and hopes to display as much bravery as the thrush when she's a warrior.

The next bird she finds cannot be hunted, or at least not counted to her goal. It's another thrasher so she leaves it be. The next bird at least isn't difficult to find with all it's grunting and crackling, a small group of quails. Figpaw knows this is a bird she can handle, scarcely do they take flight, instead they run. She can use the skills Coyotepaw has shown her for this hunt... stalking up on them she sends a quick prayer to StarClan, pleading that they allow her to make this catch. When Figpaw leaps from her positions the birds do break out in a run, but Figpaw targets the oldest- and the slowest. Using all the endurance and stamina her practice has allowed her to gain she leaps again for the quail and this time secures it between her claws. It's alarmed cackles are cut off with a killing blow and pride washes over Figpaw.

I've done it!

"Tallulahwing! I did it!" The girl celebrates after dropping her catch, knowing the torbie had been watching. ​

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Spoiler: TAGS ★ 03/27

( primary character / "speech" / ic opinions )​

╰ ★ ჻ 001 GENERAL INFORMATION ,
· FIGPAW, AMAB — she / her
╰ ‣ 11 moons .
╰ ‣ skyclan apprentice . believes in starclan

╰ ★ ჻ 002 VISUALS & AESTHETICS ,
· DOMESTIC FELINE, smells like pine nettles & sap, status — 100%
╰ ‣ A red tabby she-cat with orange eyes. Mangled right hind leg.

╰ ★ ჻ 003 MENTALITY & MANNERISMS ,
· ENFP-A ❝ CAMPAIGNER❞ , Gryfindor, Lawful Good
╰ ‣ Excitable, generous, caring, quick-to-act, distrusting, resentful
╰ ‣ finds relative ease relating to others . kind-hearted, will show mercy
╰ ‣ cats of windclan blood or those she deems morally inferior will be met with her ire

╰ ★ ჻ 004 INTERACTIONS & RELATIONSHIPS ,
· NPC X DAISYFLIGHT, sister to Greenpaw, Violetpaw, Snowpaw & Butterflypaw
╰ ‣ Pansexual . mistakes admiration for romantic feelings
╰ ‣ Crushing on Fanta
╰ ‣ Apprentice to Tallulahwing
╰ ‣ good fighter . excellent hunter .
╰ ‣ unlikely to start fights . will flee .
╰ ‣ attack in underline . penned by user @ava.

 

[TALLULAHWING]

The uncertainty on young Figpaw's face is clear, but Tallulahwing gives her no room to waver. The torbie does not relent, and after several heartbeats, her apprentice gives her a nod of goodbye. The sunkissed she-cat has the determination to complete her assessment, even if the task seems impossible.

Tallulahwing watches her set off. She bunches her muscles and scales the trunk of the nearest pine, securing herself a place among its branches. The daylight warrior is silent, stalking Figpaw from the trees as her protege slinks along the needle-sprayed earth.

The first bird Figpaw manages to find is a woodpecker, drilling noisily against a Twoleg fence lining the border. Tallulahwing grins and swishes her tail at the young girl's luck. Figpaw dispatches it easily, then buries it and continues on her quest.

The second bird Figpaw finds is a junco. Tallulahwing can see its fluttering dark wings within the protective contents of a brushpile. Figpaw misses her initial strike, though the torbie's whiskers barely quiver as she continues to watch. Even the most skilled huntress misses a catch on occasion. She waits for the next opportunity at a catch -- a thrasher who harasses her for an unwitting disturbance. Tallulahwing's smile stretches across her face, teeth gleaming wickedly in the sun-streaked gloom from her hiding place.

She descends with her tail puffed-out after Figpaw manages to kill the quail. Three long hours caused the dark-pelted femme's limbs and joints to ache and her lungs to quiver as she'd held her tongue, but her apprentice had beaten an assessment worthy of a skilled and seasoned warrior.

"Figpaw, you damned genius!" She's laughing, something the orange-furred girl would not have seen much of during their training. In a display of overt affection and excitement, Tallulahwing headbutts Figpaw's shoulder. "You're a warrior, alright, darlin'! Bring one of those to Chrysalispaw and tell him how you caught it." She grins mischievously, her tail flying behind her.

After a few heartbeats, Tallulahwing steps back to study Figpaw. A warrior, yes, rounded in the middle but with strength radiating from her, inside and out. A far cry from the rambunctious kit who'd crossed a border chasing a squirrel, from the broken and miserable apprentice lying in the medicine cat's den, bereft of hope.

"I'm more proud of you than you can know," she says, her voice almost soft. "Let's take this back to camp. I've got a leader to talk to, by golly."​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

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