camp GLORY AND REFLECTION | questioning apprentices

[TIGERFROST]

TIGERFROST ♂

0/9

WINDCLAN / LEAD WARRIOR
BIOGRAPHY AND TAGS
PLAYED BY SHEOGORATH

HEALTH: ████████████████████​

---

He was recovering well, as were many that survived that raid into RiverClan territory. It seemed Weaselclaw had gotten the worst of the injuries, but nontheless, in the three weeks that had passed since the the battle, all of WindClan had survived, and soon enough, would thrive once more. Now that Tigerfrost finally felt he had the freedom to move again, he has taken a moment to gather a few of the local apprentices together, peering down at them with curious, flaming eyes.

"So, those of you who were in that battle against RiverClan." He begins gruffly, tail coiled around his paws, "Did you learn anything new? Something you hadn't known before the battle? Did the fight make you realize something that you were unsure of before?" Tigerfrost probes. For many, this was their very first battle, and there were bound to be things that none of them had known before. Training could teach a cat to fight, but nothing less than experience could prepare them for it. The reality of war was most unkind. There was bloodshed, agony, and death. To some, it was glorious. To others, it was simply a fact of life. And of course, there were those who preferred to avoid it, at all costs.

"Battle is a part of being a Warrior. It is our willingness to put the clan's needs above our own, our bravery to fight for our own survival, that makes us who we are. It's not always pretty, but there is still a beauty in triumph, an honor in knowing that you fight for something meaningful. But... the most important part of survival is self reflection. What did you do right? What did you do wrong? What could be improved upon in the next fight? And of course, sharing these experiences with your fellow apprentices, so that they might be more prepared when it is time for their first battle." His molten eyes shift across the faces of those who were not present in the warfare, but would likely take part in any future skirmishes.

That was the point of this little lesson, after all. To encourage WindClan's apprentices, to insure that when the next war was upon their heads, all would be better prepared for it. This was an opportunity for growth.​

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[WOLFSONG]

──⇌•〘 INFO 〙 There is only so much that can be learned about battle in words. It is easy to tell an apprentice to guard their left side more closely, or to tell them that their enemy may try to deceive them by falsley pleading for mercy. But simply telling them so is not a lesson. Lecture, yes, but lessons are things of substance, and in battle training, they are blood and sweat and bile. And though he respects Tigerfrost as a warrior, Wolfsong does not look upon this discussion as more than spectacle.

No amount of civil discourse will brace them for shaking limbs or hearts trampling the hares in their haste to make a mind lightheaded. He understands what his fellow lead warrior means to accomplish, but he does not know how effective it will be.

"If the battle taught you anything, it is that RiverClan is no less brave than WindClan and should not be dismissed as weak foes." He pauses, and knows that there might be disagreement, but if WindClan defeats a weak foe, how does that prove their own strength? No, better to recognize RiverClan as equals. That is a greater feat. "They also fought alone. Did they not send for their SkyClan allies, or did they neglect to answer? This may be useful to us."
​

 

[SNAILSTRIDE]

They were like a lion amidst cubs as they sat among the apprentices, though luckily for everyone, the marbled tabby lacked the physical and metaphorical bite of one of the great beasts before their time. They sat with their ears flat and shoulders hunched, trying to blend in with height with the three moon olds despite knowing it'd be futile (and despite knowing they were a few moments away from being told to sit up straight). Any semblance of injury on Snailpaw had disappeared, only leaving behind thin lines of temporary hairlessness that a downy coat could cover up at most angles. Fatigued eyes forced themselves to linger upon their mentor, though Snailpaw desperately wanted them to wander anywhere else. This was not a conversation that interested them. They were barely thinking of what they'd actually learned, the memory of war was a terrifying one, one they weren't keen to relive even if it meant 'progress'. Wolfsong spoke and there was an uncharacteristic acidity to the tabby's thoughts - uncharacteristic, at least, until they'd been assigned a new mentor. They smirked slightly, moving to flatten some of their wily chest fur in an attempt to hide the contemptuous expression.

'Useful to you maybe... not to me.' What was it their badly injured lead warrior had said - apprentices had no voice when the warriors were speaking? Still, Snail wasn't sure if they'd get more autonomy when the clan trusted them again, WindClan was a suffocating place, a tempest one could not thrive in, only seek to survive in. Perhaps that was the lesson they could their fellow apprentices, in a roundabout way - any pessimism about the clan would never be shared again. "Another important aspect of survival is sticking with what you're good at when the real thing comes around. Don't wanna be practicing a fancy new move if your opponent wants to kill you!" Snailpaw had stuck with what they'd done best - disappearing for a long period of time, avoiding the worst of a situation, coping with the aftermath of that in their own way. Maybe it wasn't actually as simple as that, this time they'd managed to make a good thing out of their hiding, but there was no point in overcomplicating things. "I... really don't have anythin' to learn. I did everything right, I think. Destroyed some herbs, beat someone up, and got out mostly unscathed. I... was probably better than some of the warriors, to be honest!"

Stars, it sickened them to say that, but... Tigerfrost and Sootstar's praise hadn't been enough before.

​

 

[TIGERFROST]

TIGERFROST ♂

0/9

WINDCLAN / LEAD WARRIOR
BIOGRAPHY AND TAGS
PLAYED BY SHEOGORATH

HEALTH: ████████████████████​

---

Wolfsong's words are one that give Tigerfrost a brief pause. On one hand, he doesn't completely agree that RiverClan weren't weak, at least in comparison to WindClan. They had been defeated in their own camp, of all places. Even if it had merely been their temporary one. Regardless, he isn't about to start in-fighting with another Lead Warrior over such semantics. He was not a child, grumpy as he may be. One thing does garner the tabby's interest, though. SkyClan hadn't appeared to help their allies, which meant that RiverClan might have been so utterly defeated that they were unable to run for help, or, that something a bit more curious was going on among their neighbors.

Had something happened between RiverClan and SkyClan?

"That's worth keeping in mind." Tigerfrost agrees with a rumble, "I wonder if something happened between those two clans, especially with Cicadastar acting like some raving loon, as of late." The dusty hued tabby mused aloud. Nothing at the gathering had indicated that Blazestar and Cicadastar had some newfound bad blood between them, but it wasn't as if any other leader had much chance to talk after Cicadastar's yowling. Blazestar had stated that SkyClan still stood with RiverClan, but clearly, things were not so simple.

It was certainly a fun little string of thoughts to toy with. If SkyClan's alliance with RiverClan had been called into question through Cicadastar's actions, then their fish eating neighbors were far more vulnerable than initially realized.

Eyes flicker toward Snailpaw next, glowing with approval. The youth had destroyed RiverClan herbs, without any prompting from their mentor, or other WindClanners. They had simply realized, in the midst of the battle, that such a thing would be a tactical advantage for WindClan as a whole. No doubt Badgermoon would have been displeased to hear of Snailpaw's actions, but how was the apprentice to know? Regardless, it was Tigerfrost's approval that mattered, and he doubts Sootstar will find a problem with the apprentice's choice either.

"You did well for your first battle, Snailpaw. And, you've proven you've got what it takes to one day be a WindClan warrior, once you're skilled enough to hunt and fight for yourself, of course. Destroying those herbs was a cunning choice, and even better that you thought to do it in the midst of a chaotic fight." Tigerfrost explains, vastly overexaggerating Snailpaw's actions, no doubt, but the Lead Warrior had not seen it happen, only had their words to go by. He only wishes Cindershade had died of her injuries, or Smokethroat, for that matter.​

​

 

[cottonsprig]

The validity of a lesson matters not to Cottonpaw - what matters is that it's a teaching moment. Her curiosity binds her to these sorts of gatherings, and though the older felines find the lack of hands-on to be detrimental, she finds it integral to her rounded training. It'd be a blast to show up to a training session with Icebreath and impress them with new knowledge, or attend a battle and surprise her opponents with just how much she seems to know!

For once, she remains silent. She listens to Tigerfrost, Wolfsong, Snailpaw, and then Tigerfrost again. Wolfsong points out that during their raid on RiverClan, SkyClan hadn't come to help - which supposedly happened during a different battle, either when Cottonpaw was too little or unborn (the distinct fact doesn't exactly matter in the moment.) Curious. If River and Sky were friends like Wind and Shadow were - and now Wind and Shadow are decidedly not friends... does that mean River and Sky fell apart, too? And where was ThunderClan in all this mess? Sootstar approached them with an offer of peace, but it didn't seem to be taken properly. Maybe no one was friends anymore.

She opens her mouth to pose the suggestion, however the conversation's moved on in her silence and she damns herself for potentially missing out on the lesson. Overthinking will be the death of her one day! In any case, she tucks her tail in close to her body and listens to whatever the lead warriors have left to say. Her eyes flutter over to the older apprentices, too, hoping to gain from their experience as well.​

 

[Badgermoon]

The deputy's experience of the battle had been gentler than a number of his Clanmates': he had not been brought to the brink of death like Weaselclaw, he had not lost an eye or a limb...he had not even gained a new scar for his collection. One might assume this meant he was well-positioned to analyze his Clanmates' performance, but in truth his whole world narrowed down to a single pinprick when he fought: only his opponent, and nothing else. It made him a formidable enemy, perhaps, but also a reckless one, easily ambushed and without adequate self-preservation instincts. The black-and-white tomcat padded towards the pair of lead warriors and the pair of apprentices, reflecting with amusement on the differences between them all. Rank does so little to dictate a cat's personality. he thought as he listened to Tigerfrost's praise of Snailpaw. Badgermoon's eyes darkened a little at the reminder of the herbs which had been destroyed in the raid - he had specifically prohibited his lead warriors from doing that, but...well, it was a step in the right direction for Snailpaw. Perhaps too far. "You should be proud." he meowed to the blue tabby, giving a small but heartfelt smile. "What do you think, Cottonpaw? How do you feel about battle? Are you excited for when your time comes to fight? Nervous?"​