i didn't hear no bell ✘ Sablepaw Assessment

[SMOKESTAR]

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"I wish we could be on our own territory for this...I wish things were different." It should be Cicadastar here overseeing this, Cindershade as well though the molly was caught up in dealing with the nonstop hunting and caretaking for the clan like all the other ablebodied warriors. Smokethroat never thought he would be in a position to determine the future of their apprentices like this, he was a follower, a dutiful deputy who stood behind his leader and only nodded his ascent or frowned his disapproval but he could no longer hide in the shadow of the mottled phantom. The clan had to keep pressing forward and they needed every paw available for the task to come, the rogues needed to be dealt with and as the oldest of the apprentice's - soon to be made a warrior - he needed to know if Sablepaw was to join them in battle or not.

"No matter what looks you've recieved, what comments have been made...you are RiverClan above all else. Born and raised, trained and tempered." His lone orange eye finds the calm blue of the younger cat's in the shade of the drooping willows, he narrows it briefly in thought, "...I will be your assessment. Here in the marshlands, it is darker than our own territory. You will stalk me as you would prey, you must land a blow before I know you're there with claws out - you have to mean it. If I see you beforehand you will fail." She was stealthy, more surefooted than the others her age and he had high hopes that Sablepaw would not fail when it came to stalking down a target; she would carry her fallen sister with her through skill alone and she would make RiverClan proud and if she failed...? He would keep to his word and she would wait another moon before trying again. He thinks of Fernpaw briefly, several moons behind his siblings and off in the mountains fighting for a cure for them. Though doubtful Sablepaw would fall so far behind given her tenacity, it is a worry that slices through him all the same - a worry that the next generation will not be prepared for the struggles to come when leafbare finally settles once more.
"Close your eyes. It is nearing night. The second you hear the noise of the insects that trill in the dark you may begin." By then he would be far enough away, less present, and the bugs would begin to chatter noisily once again when they were assured they were safe from trampling paws. Once his order was obeyed Smokethroat turned and calmly began to pad off in a direction, swift despite his size and his coat would blend into ever bend and curve of the dark forest as though he was molded by it.

——✘ when does ripple become a tidal wave ———✘ when does a candle become a flame

• @Sablepaw
• 
  
  
  Smokethroat
  —⊰⋅ Deputy of RiverClan
  —⊰⋅ He/Him
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  —⊰⋅ Black tom w/vitiligo & one orange eye.
  —⊰⋅ penned by Rai
  

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[Sablemist]

Obsidian paws weigh down a skimpy mouse she managed to snag during an earlier hunting patrol. It wasn't much, but the meal she found herself nibbling on was far better than the boney lizards or the slimy toads that ran rampant in this dark forest. After some time she found a silhouette loom above her. Allowing soft blue eyes to trail upward they land upon Smokethroat she straightens her posture, swiping her tongue across dual toned lips to clear the last traces of her meal. Quietly she follows, listening as he briefly laments over the loss of their territory. A pang of grief washes over her. "I do too..." She echoed soon after. Although she personally couldn't find herself comfortable within her parent's former home, instinctually Sablepaw wore the surrounding darkness like a second skin. The shadows were easier to meld into here, the everlasting night cloaking her frame like an old friend.

Encouraging words remind the molly of who she truly is despite blood ties and passing whispers. To which the apprentice nods her head in agreement. Perhaps if her mother's story had gone another way this marsh would have been her home. But it isn't, and she cannot allow herself to become caught up on ghosts of the past, nor frivolous what ifs. Surprise colors her visage afterward, as he reveals that he would be her assessment. The deputy would make a formidable foe. Although hope whispers that she does stand a chance. Cindershade spared no niceties when it came to her training. She was forged in shadow, typically trained under the cover of night and honed to strike swift and true. The dark was her ultimate ally. A gentle bob of her head reveals her understanding of what is expected of her. Silently she sits, eyes closing as her ears rotate at the sound of riverclan's deputy sprinting off.

In the meantime she meditates, head bowed until the soft trill of cricket song tickles the nighttime air. Slowly she opens her eyes and gathers herself, but she does not immediately search for her target. Instead a lesson taught to her by Cindershade rings within her mind. A memory of coating themselves in mud to conceal their scent and in her case, the ivory lining her back and face. The task then was to stir up trouble and take prey at sunning rock. Now, it would be used to hunt her mark. A single paw gingerly swipes a generous amount over herself, hiding her in plain sight. Once finished she heads off to truly begin.

Delicate paws traverse the ground with feather light touches, noise non-existent with every step secured. Pale blue eyes skim the darkness ahead, making out a roaming figure after quite some time of searching. Finally she spots him after about an hour or two of stalking. Distance remains a fickle challenge as the deputy seems to slowly slip away from her every time ground is gained. "So close..." Again she moves from her cover, slipping behind the bark of yet another tree. Breath held within fluttering lungs she peeks around the edge to find him still unaware, gifting her a few precious seconds to make another move. Crouching low, Sablepaw stalked forward with swift albeit cautious proficiency, effectively shaving off several more feet. She was nearly there, all that stood in her way was the daunting task of landing a hit without being seen.

Then an idea hits her. Skirting just a little ways ahead she slips into a relatively deep pool of murky water. The gnarled roots of a tree hide her presence just long enough for Smokethroat to slip by and for her to strike. Exploding from the depths Sablepaw wraps her forearms around his broad shoulders, claws securing her hold as she drags the tom into the bog with her. It was from here that she immediately released him, backpedaling within the sluggish pool to give the deputy room. "Smokethroat, are you okay?" The maine coon mix was sure that he was , if only recovering from a bit of shock. But pride blooms within her chest in the face of her accomplishment.

✿ ≖≖ riverclan apprentice / twelve moons old / she/her ≖≖ ✿​

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