private glow on the mountain ― crowpaw

[snowspark.]

To say he was surprised about the newest development in his life was an extreme understatement. His fault for not paying attention during the meeting, too busy fidgeting with his claws to do more than blink in shock when his name was called. A shocked look was a polite way to put it, but he fixed his face faster than a hare could sprint when the same apprentice from the gorge accident excitedly waltzed up to him. Crowpaw, that was her name. He figured he better remember it for the next stretch of moon cycles. A fragment of pity lingered in his chest at the thought of her old mentor, swept away by the current. He couldn't shake the feeling, the peculiarity of it all stuck between his ribs and eating away at his thoughts. Brookshade had been elderly, practically dissolving to dust, but had she been that clumsy? That stupid? Probably, but also probably not. Regardless, what was done was done, and now he was tasked with training a kid a little less than half his own age. Great.

Snowspark tried not to think too hard about the tortoiseshell's death as he guided the apprentice, his apprentice out beyond the camp's gorse walls. Not too far, he didn't want to get them both lost in the weather. Shivering in his thin layer of fur, he trudged through the snow until he found a spot where enough of it was packed down to walk without high-stepping. The tangled barrier was pointedly still in sight when he stopped, turning his pale eyes onto Crowpaw. The wind whipped at both of their faces, but she probably wasn't as cold as him ― oh, well. They'd both have to get used to it one way or another. "Sorry I can't take you farther," he finally chattered out, trying his best to conceal his misery at the weather behind his typical monotony. "Don't wanna get lost or anything." Maybe when the moorland finally thawed, he could find a warmer place to train in the springtime... except train, even in the present, was a vague word. What was he even supposed to do here? He spent a great deal of time mulling over his first course of action, yet couldn't plan out a single one. The moor-runner clenched his jaw, eyes darting around to look at anything but her. A starting point would be nice, but he could barely think clearly through the burning chill spending up his limbs. "What- what do you know already? Did the old bat teach you anything?" he asked without filtering, quickly glancing over his shoulder as though Brookshade's spirit might come down from the stars themselves to nag about his lack of manners. Hunting would be impossible in these conditions, so either way, today was shaping out to be a fighting practice day. He wished he stretched before this.

@crowpaw​

 

[crowpaw]

crowpaw followed her new mentor closely, white paws pushing through snow. it was a familiar feeling. following behind a new teacher, except now they were a lot younger, and hopefully more willing to satisfy her ideals. brookshade was a thing of the past. the apprentice had grieved as she should. losing a clanmate is a terrible thing for one to go through after all.

the monochrome feline treaded through and out of camp silently. her words would likely be lost to the wind, and what was the point of babbling when there was nothing to talk about? she barely knew snowspark. excited chatter was pointless when she lacked valuable knowledge about his abilities. crowpaw still hadn't decided if there even was anything to be excited about besides getting rid of that hag.

stopping suddenly, she offered a nod to his words. possibly one of reassurance that it would be awful to get lost in the snow. green eyes remained still as his darted around. was he looking for something? confusion threatened to overtake her features but disappeared as he spoke again. a question, what did she know. crowpaw had to stifle a huff. "taught me how to make a mean nest," the apprentice began sarcastically. "as for actually useful things, i know the basics. just enough so she could stay out of trouble." the words were almost venomous. her training was so far behind it had her wondering if she would remain crowpaw forever, and it was killing her.

[ 𓆩⟡𓆪 ]​

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[snowspark.]

He tried to fight the exasperation creeping across his face, as well as the disappointment in his voice. Really, he tried. But his first syllable faltered, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Not at Crowpaw, he couldn’t blame her for a lack of training. The cruel part of him wished they had found Brookshade's body, so he could shake her one last time for her laziness. Snowspark paced, only a little, trying to think with his whip-like tail lashing behind him.

"Okay," he muttered, partially to himself, "We can figure something out." The moor-runner stopped in his pacing, snow trampled beneath his steps. He looked to the clouds above, grasping at his thoughts and trying to piece it all together enough for decent sentences. "...For fights, the most important thing, er ― one of them, at least, is to know what you're up against. I mean, being smart about it. Not every move is gonna work on every cat ― you won't be able to just tackle someone bigger than you, for example." Snowspark glanced at her face, trying to gauge if she was following his clumsy explanation. "You... have to find weak points before you fight, but I guess that's obvious. I usually go for the face or legs if I get a chance. Face, because it could blind them, and legs, because it could unbalance them so you can go for more damage. Or get away. Knowing when to call it quits is important too." He could go on several more tangents, but he didn't want to overwhelm her with his rambling all at once. And his voice was starting to rasp, unused to all this talking business. Snowspark backed up, shifting to face her fully. "...I want you to size me up, find any weak points, then try to 'attack' me. And I guess we can go from there." He stood at a taller height than her, though fell more onto the skinny as a twig side of builds than anything muscular. Pale eyes watched the apprentice with dull curiosity, anticipating her next movement.​

 

[crowpaw]

she listened attentively to snowspark's explanations. a single word would not be left to the air, not when her mind had been so hungry. the young cat offered nods. know your opponent, know when to stop. the first one seemed self explanatory. no matter how trained she was, her efforts would easily be thwarted by one twice her size. it would be an embarrassing loss. however, crowpaw was not born with the innate sense of when to 'call it quits'. if her paws were to ever find themselves in battle, ideally she wouldn't have to. be rid of your opponent or die trying. quitting was for the faint of heart.

green eyes were already raking over the pale warrior before he had prompted her to analyze him. the soft yet alert gaze had shifted into something more predatory. snowspark stood tall, much like herself. still, she was at a disadvantage due to her age and inexperience. her tail tip twitched in frustration, almost too overwhelmed by the idea of her efforts failing to move. she could throw all of her weight at his body, but would have to change her position first. completely ruining any advantage she could gain from the blitz. crowpaw's jaw ticked. too much time had passed, and here she was at a loss for ideas.

it was easier with brookshade, old and languid with a false sense of security. teeth ground at the memory of her stupid pleading face moments before demise but that didn't make the thought go away. caught up in the plan, maybe a little impulsivity was what she needed. in a moment she was on her feet, a dash towards snowspark. she used closed the distance quickly, building up as much momentum as she could and digging her claws into the snowy ground for stability. right before making presumed contact, crowpaw tucked her chin, using the top of her head to try and ram into her mentor's chest.​

[ 𓆩⟡𓆪 ]​