it consumed my thoughts || training

[milkthorn.]

As the sun rose, the birds sung, and the chatter of clanmates woke up, he only groaned in dismay. His nest was kicked up, the ability to get comfortable never happening. He barely slept, and his tired eyes showed that, his pupils slitted in annoyance.

He wouldn't notice, no, that since he was released from the nursery, he was getting bigger. All he would know is his muscles were cramped, and his normal comfy retire to the night was not happening. Claws dragged the mess back together, and he slinked through the camp, a look of frustration plastered on the white males face, his scruffy fur puffed out, unkempt.

The feeling of pins and needles were absurd, as he kicked his hind leg out and rested on his other. Maybe, but very doubtful, he could get others to do something with him. But the murmurs of his troublesome behavior was heard. The laughter during his stay was a reminder.

So with a dip of his head towards Dewmist, they would head out. Perhaps, others would come, train with them. But the doubt was there. Dewmist would not look at him, which was expected. "We're fighting today." She said, her voice curt.

He said nothing, the silence in the air burning at his ears. They reached a clearing, and he was ordered to attack her. So he would attempt, throwing himself at the femme only for her to dodge, and the apprentice to eat dirt. "Claws out," she would suddenly say, whipping her form gracefully around him, suddenly feeling the pain of claws snagging his fur from behind him.

He would grow tired, as she dodged and spun around his form, scratching him here, nipping him there- he was left panting as the heat of the sun bore down upon them, and she was unscathed.

He was out of practice. And she was fast, well rested. A hell of a disadvantage for him.

 

[Badgermoon]

The trouble with Milkpaw, Badgermoon felt, was...well, he didn't know. He had no idea what made the young cat's attitude troublesome, nor why his mentor seemed not to ameliorate the situation. What he did know was that the training of apprentices was under his purview, and that - now that Milkpaw was freed from his nursery punishment - he intended to observe the pale-furred youth's education much more closely. Therefore, when he spotted Dewmist and her apprentice engaged in what appeared to be combat training, he reclined lightly on his haunches and began to watch through half-narrowed golden eyes. Her order for Milkpaw to unsheathe his claws made Badgermoon raise his eyebrows, but he held his tongue, wincing slightly as the apprentice acquired a few scrapes and scratches. Come on, get her! Use her size against her!​

 

[sparkspirit]

Sparkspirit would not be one of the few to defend Milkpaw. The apprentice's annoying attitude and actions both had earned him a place upon Sparkspirit's (admittedly very mercurial) list of cats he despises from a distance. On his worst of days, not even his flesh and blood are safe from their place on this list. Now that Snakehiss has distanced himself from it some, it's only fitting that Milkpaw take up the mantle. But today, at least, he is relatively safe for it. At the scent of exertion and the sound of Dewmist's curt commands, Sparkspirit joins the deputy where he watches. Though he spends most of his time watching Milkpaw's motions, his gaze does at times catch the black and white tom's expression. Lifted brows, a wince. His own brow furrows at the reaction, and he cannot help but lean in some to ask, his head respectfully lowered. "Is she not meant to teach him to fight like this?" he asks, sounding truly perplexed. "I thought all mentors trained with claws." Weaselclaw had, at least, and Sparkspirit considers himself a capable warrior with his training.

˗ˏˋ〘  OOC ･ ｡ﾟ🗲 REFERENCE 06.26.2023 〙´ˎ˗

• ooc: —

• 

• sparkspirit, sparky. dmab male, he - him - his.
  ──── moor runner warrior of windclan; is very loyal to his clan.
  ──── 09 moons old. born on 12.15.22, and ages 85% real time.
  ──── echolight x elmbreeze, adopted by yewberry. brightfam?
  
  a long-limbed, trim mock tortoiseshell tom with mostly black fur splashed with the occasional patch orange. he has a singular white mark on the back of his neck shaped similarly to a lightning strike, and a small scar across the bridge of his nose. his eyes are a shocking electric blue.
  
  his apprenticeship has treated sparkspirit well. a newly-named warrior, he is lean and well-muscled, with paws accustomed to long treks throughout the moorland. he is deceptively sturdy and heavier than one might expect.

• "speech"

​

 

[Mintshade]

Mintshade didn't often go watch other mentors train their apprentices but she spots Badgermoon and Sparkspirit as she heads to the camp and immediately diverts her attention to go and see what was going on. Milkpaw, ah, free from the nursery punishment at last apparently? From what she'd heard from Spiderbloom he had been strangely well-behaved but it was most likely to get away from her kits; horrible little creatures that they were. Kits, ugh. She didn't think she could tolerate it the way recent queens had been doing, existing in that loud and crowded nursery and having little biters swarm you for constant attention. It was sort of like being a mentor except she could hit an apprentice and no one batted an eye but if she swatted a kit then a few words were said about it depending on how hard the swat.

"YEAH, PUT HIM ON THE GROUND!" Of course she was cheering for Dewmist, frankly Milkpaw was an uppity little loudmouth who deserved to be trounced into the ground until he learned his place proper and he was just lucky Mintshade wasn't his mentor. The only reason Moorpaw got even any leeway was that was her niece and she didn't think Sootstar would be too happy if another of her kits had a ripped up ear.
An acid green eye hones in on Sparkspirit's question, not realizing why it was being asked but more than happy to help, "Of course we do! Who told you otherwise cause they're a moron? WindClan always fight with claws out." She turns to make sure Moorpaw was listening to this, "A few scars is a small price to pay for a lesson that STICKS."

---

[Ooc]
Apprentice tag - @MOORPAW
​

 

[milkthorn.]

"Yeah put him on the ground!"

As he was bent over, panting, his heartbeat in his ears pounding. The echoing of cheers for her made his stomach sickingly twist and turn, and his limbs feel weak underneath him. A feeling of defeat, icy hues drifting shut, and his maw opening slightly to try to calm his quickened breaths.

'Milkclaw! My best deputy Berrystar can ever have!' His sister giggled, a paw on his shoulder as he was just appointed his sisters greatest warrior and companion. He had fought the foxes that attacked her clan with bravery and strength.

But where was it now? He felt so... weak against the warrior, against the other apprentices. But they were older than him, he had to remind himself. They were stronger. They were bigger.

His gaze opened, locked on to Dewmist charging at him. His fight with Snakepaw- well, Snakehiss now- he had managed to leap up and land on the apprentice who didn't suspect it, sending curses his way, and getting that "good job" he rarely heard.

He waited, watched as she raced towards him, and at the right moment, the very last second before she could collide into him, her limbs outstretched and ready to rake down sheathed paws towards him, he jumped.

A single paw did outstretch just a bit further in a quick reaction to his movement, catching his hind leg and snagging into unkempt fur, knotted and matted from uncleanliness. He barely managed to snag her face before her other paw would be used to slam him down on his side, breath pushing out of his chest in the sudden impact.

Though, he was pinned, he had finally gotten her, the speckles of blood beginning down her forehead felt victory enough for him, if he wasn't pinned on the ground. A paw on his side, and one wrenching itself free from his knotted fur, he would twist around, and-

Just barely snapping his teeth close to her neck (in a soft manner, he wouldn't try to actually harm her) before she tore away and reared back.

And for the first time ever. A spark of something flashed in her eyes as he began to stand up, and she sat down, looking... accomplished. "Good, Milkpaw."

Her words struck him in surprise. Even if it wasn't a full good job, he had never heard her say that he was doing Good. "I- uh... Thanks."

 

[Badgermoon]

Badgermoon flicked his yellow gaze over to Sparkspirit at the young warrior's question and let a small smile animate his features. "I don't enjoy watching failure." said the tomcat in a quiet voice: watching an apprentice get cut and sliced repeatedly without striking a blow in return was difficult, and boring. Particularly considering Dewmist's already-proven inability to handle Milkpaw, he had his doubts about the success of the session. "But, yes, most mentors in WindClan train with claws out." he confirmed with a twitch of one white-tipped ear. "It is helpful, I think, to know how it really feels when you cannot dodge a blow." it would be some time before he unsheathed his claws for the training of Scorchpaw, though - she was too young for that now.

Mintshade's dark frame appeared, cheering loudly for Dewmist, and Badgermoon flicked his tail in wordless greeting to the inky she-cat. He didn't hear the rest of what she said, too focused was he on the battle unfolding before their eyes: a look of approval flashed over his features as Milkpaw sprang at just the right moment. The crimson drops on Dewmist's face were a testament to his success, and Badgermoon hummed as the warrior praised her apprentice, however minimally. "Very nice. Excellent way to handle a larger opponent. And smart to go for her neck." glancing back at Sparkspirit, he mrowed, "I much prefer to see that sort of thing."​