pafp I WAS VERY MOTIVATED | sparring

[Cloudyfur]

Cloudypaw couldn't stop thinking about all the times that she would have died in the fight against the dog had her clanmates not been there. Though she had fought despite her fear, she had been clumsy and uncoordinated as usual. It was terrifying to think what might have happened to her had she been all on her own.

If she was going to take Covecatcher's advice, and stay in Thunderclan, she needed to become a better fighter. So, she had mustered up the courage to ask Cherrypaw to spar with her today. Though she had seen her clanmates doing it to train from time to time, the idea of doing so herself intimidated her. Still, she was resolved to at least try it, hopefully she could learn something. After all, from what she had seen of his training, Cherrypaw seemed pretty good at it. That was why she had asked him.

"Alright." Cloudypaw began uneasily, unable to subdue her nerves. The two apprentices stood across from each other in Sandy Hollow, and now that they were fit to start butterflies had found their way into her stomach. "Whenever your ready." She told him as she settled into an awkward battle stance.

/wait for @Cherrypaw to respond
//post the dogs attack​

 

[Cherrypaw [in.]]

"THAT'S WHEN STRANGE SENSATIONS, START TO GROW"​

---

It was strange, striding back inside the sandy hollow without the threat of dogs bearing down upon their backs like a scourge. Although it had begun to grow stale, the vile scent was still able to be picked up, and the whiff rapidly dissipated as he followed Cloudypaw into the sandy hollow, replaced with the familiar smell of stirred sand. He glances over his shoulder where he can see some other apprentices nearby, some of whom shared his nervousness as well. Patchpaw wanted to come as well, but apparently, Howlingstar had ordered her to stay in camp. Shame.
He was grateful they could finally leave camp more freely, but he couldn't blame them for being this nervous. He could feel his own pelt prickling from the thought of more dogs tearing through the shrubs above them to hunt them all down, but they were gone now. There would be no more need to worry.

He gives himself a quick shake and focuses on Cloudypaw, calmly taking his stance in front of her. He was quite delighted that she had asked if he wanted to train with her, gladly accepting the offer. She had taken a decent battle stance at least. Cherrypaw quickly spots the lack of confidence in her eyes, and he snorts under his breath. It was no mockery, of course, Cherrypaw was never that mean, but that weakness was more than enough.
”Only if you're so sure," Cherrypaw comments coolly as he settles himself into his own stance with his hind legs poised and ready and paws rooted to the ground, a trick his mentor had taught him.

Stand like a towering sycamore, and it won't be so easy for them to knock you over, he instructs himself internally. A moment passes between them. Maybe he wasn't going to leap after all...
Suddenly, he drops down and his haunches launch him forwards like a wound-up spring, and within seconds, he closes the already-small gap between them. He attempts to pounce down on Cloudypaw's neck, with his heavier weight threatening to tilt her backwards and hopefully knock her onto her back.​

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[Cloudyfur]

”Only if you're so sure,"

Cloudypaw tried to give him a nod of confirmation, but she couldn't find the confidence for it. A moment of stillness passed between them. She shifted in place nervously. As soon as she did, he moved.

A jolt of fear, sharp as a dog's teeth, ran through her as Cherrypaw leapt toward her. It was a brief, fleeting feeling, but she hadn't expected it. She had known he was going to attack after all. That brief shock of terror was all it took to make her mind go blank, whatever half-remembered pieces of training had been there vanished in an instant. All she could do was stare wide eyed, attempting to scramble backward uselessly. The other apprentice's weight slammed into her, and she toppled backward with an alarmed cry.

Now on her back, Cloudypaw lashed out in a blind panic. Clumsily attempting to push Cherrypaw away from her long enough to scramble back to her paws. All her trashing kicked up the dirt beneath her in the process, causing her to cough as her eyes watered.​

 

[LICHENPAW ❁]

( ☘ ) Lichenpaw stood amid the crowd of spectators. Like Cloudypaw, the apprentice was dissatisfied with his actions in the fight against the dogs. He'd been proud of his abilities for so long, yet when it came down to a real life or death situation, he froze. Lichenpaw is a survivor, not a fighter: all he knows to do is run and save his own tail. There's been a deep shame growing within him since the proof of this was put on display for all of ThunderClan to see.

The sound of a spar is enticing to the apprentice, claws itching for a fight. Still, he settles himself for spectating Cherrypaw and Cloudypaw's match. Good for him to see how the others fight. Cloudypaw was the first to act against the dogs, surely he could learn something from her --

Lichenpaw watches in shock as Cloudypaw is bowled over by the other apprentice, eyes wide and fearful. Before the dog attack, he'd considered her weak for her kittypet roots, would be unsurprising to see her fear in the face of a simple spar, but now his chest pangs with sympathy. He was much the same, confronted with the dog. "Cloudy -- Cloudypaw, uh, you can do this! Stay focused," he encourages her. He hates to pick sides, but Cherrypaw seems confident enough. He wants to see Cloudypaw fight like she did against the dogs, before the plan had backfired. Now that would be a spar to pay attention to.​

 

[Cherrypaw [in.]]

"THAT'S WHEN STRANGE SENSATIONS, START TO GROW"​

---

”Oof!” His pained yelp sounds out into the clearing as Cloudypaw’s frantic scrabbling limbs kick him straight in the gut in an attempt to shove him off. His stomach lurching, he releases Cloudypaw and stumbles away, gritting his teeth. Normally he would've attempted to hold her legs down to keep her from smacking him again, but that clearly didn't do Cherrypaw much good as he rubs his stomach with a miffed frown.
Guess she really is high-strung, he muses to himself as he glances back up at Cloudypaw, before his slight irritation at getting hit in the stomach quickly dissipates at the thought.

She was so close to getting mauled by the dog...I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't be so skittish after that.

"You know I'm not a dog, right?" He comments with a puzzled expression. He pulls himself back up onto his feet, taking the same stance as he did before to give Cloudypaw a good target. Unfortunately, he wasn't exactly equipped with nifty social skills like his sister was.
"You can relax, I'm not gonna hurt you. Try to attack me."​

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[Cloudyfur]

Scrambling back to her paws, Cloudypaw's gaze whipped around toward Cherrypaw, expecting the spar to continue. That was how it had worked when she had watched Goldendawn and Sunnyday had done it.

Instead, she found Cherrypaw staring at her with confusion and a little concern.

Cloudypaw winced at his comment. Of course she knew that. Her fear felt so silly even to her, she knew she should have nothing to be afraid of. There was no reason for her to be so scared of mere training. She couldn't explain what had come over her.

"I'm fine!" Cloudypaw tried to reassure him as she settled back into her awkward crouch. She took a moment, mustering her confidence and planning out her attack. Then, she lurched forward, swinging her paw clumsily toward Cherrypaws head in an attempt to cuff him across the ears.​

 

[Cherrypaw [in.]]

"THAT'S WHEN STRANGE SENSATIONS, START TO GROW"​

---

He wasn't convinced, and Cherrypaw frowns at her as he braces himself for her next attack. She was far too uptight, and it wouldn't do her any good to stay so stressed like this--especially not in the heat of battle. But, he supposed, it would be good to pull back on his attacks somewhat and give her room to fight. While her paw manages to whack one of his ears, Cherrypaw ducks off to her left and rams into her side, attempting to use his taller height to get the best of her and pin her down.

"You don't sound fine." He comments, glancing at her. "Take a moment to breathe and just focus on me. Less on the dog. That sort of thing, I guess. It's what I've been doing every time I go near Sunningrocks."​

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