private ITS THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR ♡ Ice training

[Petalnose]

Ice was beginning to freeze over the river. It was a challenge, even for land hunting amidst frozen puddles tucked away for failure. She had been victim to it, taking the risk upon a mouse and pouncing upon the ice. It hadn't ended well, it had become quite a fall and then soon a tangle of limbs. However, she started to figure it out herself. Balance was a priority, the tail was a tool and so were the claws. Unsheathed paws met the frozen water, glancing down into the depths below her. What lied beneath was a mystery which was never to be known and so was when the next threat that paced to strike. Time and time again they have been driving out of their clan. Lost. Uncomfortable. They had to be ready for anything. Even if everyone was cold and hungry. Even her.

Her mixmatched eyes laid on everyone, but mainly focused upon her apprentice @Starlightpaw . Her tail beckoned to join her, but eyes warned to be careful. "If you all were paying attention to Lichentail, you should've heard that we are training on ice today." Petalnose highlighted, scanning the faces infront of her, "I'm sure most of you aren't familiar with this form of training. Although, I'm sure most of you have already tested the hazard which is the ice." She started within strong tones, carefully beginning to line herself up for battle. "Tails are an important tool for balance and so is your claws. However, we are only using our claws for balance. If you are going for a strike from the paw you need to know how to sheathe them in the moment. This is a challenge for us all. Brute force may be our best bet, quick and sudden movements risk a slip and becoming vulnerable." A pause for question as she taught, ears flicking for spoken words, "Anyone want to be my first opposer and demonstrate? Everyone else may pick their partners when they are ready."


// @Starlightpaw @Redpath @valepaw ➶ @FOXTAIL @EELPAW @Silverbreath @goldenpaw !!

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[Cricketchirp]

( ✩ )　 The surface of the river lies solid and still before Starlightpaw. Chill seeps through their scruffy fur into their bones; the apprentice stands tense and stiff in an effort not to shiver. It's relieving, in some ways, not being expected to swim is a relief, but it is just as much a curse as a blessing. With every day, he only grows more and more unfamiliar with the rapids trapped beneath the ice.

The fear of the ice cracking beneath her paws, of being swept beneath it, has Starlightpaw's heart racing. But his mentor beckons him to train, and he is nothing if not a good apprentice.

The starchild steps upon the ice with careful, wooden movements, eyes remaining fixed upon his mentor. She digs her claws in just as instructed, anchoring herself as though her life depends on it. "I would be happy to help demonstrate," he says, haughty and poised. Fighting on ice is new, certainly, but he will volunteer himself nonetheless. He should be setting an example, being the leader's child. Starlightpaw waits for her mentor's cue.

I WANNA SEE ✩ THE WHOLE WORLD! 【 12.12.23 】

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• "SPEECH"

• ✩ 　⁺　₊ 　⋆　STARLIGHTPAW.　APPRENTICE OF RIVERCLAN.　HE / SHE / THEY.
  6 MOONS & AGES ON THE 12TH.　PENNED BY SATURNID.
  
  

  

  ✩ — A WIRY, CURLY-FURRED BLACK SMOKE WITH CLOUDED BLUE EYES.
  

  
  SMOKESTAR xx CICADASTAR. LITTERMATE TO BEEPAW & CICADAPAW.
  
  MENTORED BY PETALNOSE.​

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[goldenpaw !!]

Starting her apprenticeship in leafbare poses more challenges than Goldenpaw ever would have thought. She has to learn more stealth, more patience, more carefulness. Someone who never pays attention to the direction of the icy wind or where her shadow lands, she feels suddenly constricted and aware, and it gives her pause for the first time in her life.

Paws border the ice tightly, blue eyes tracking Petalnose as she steps out onto the treacherous layer. The lead warrior’s movements were the culmination of practice and precision, the gentle distribution of weight learned with time. Goldenpaw stays close to Silverbreath, ears twitching as the warnings of queens and warriors fill her ears. She knows this is only training, but it’s still something entirely new. It feels strange to be allowed to do this still, especially with such risks involved.

Claws flexing and tail waving subconsciously as Petalnose brings their attention to these crucial tools, she braces herself to volunteer, even if she really doesn’t want to. Thankfully, Starlightpaw offers his waning familiarity with the ice instead, and she breathes an almost-noticable sigh of relief.

“Good luck!” she still chirps – and means it more than a pleasantry.

i know you can make it righta

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[valesight ➶]

⸙͎｡˚⋆ ⍋ ѧѦ ѧ⍋ ⸙͎｡˚⋆

Could this day get any worse?

Valepaw casts a rueful glance to his mentor, aware she must be practically vibrating at the excuse to talk about battle again... to talk about pursuing enemies across slippery landscapes, to bury their faces into the hard ice until it cracks under the pressure. The thought of it alone makes his skin crawl and he makes a note that Lichentail is a meddling wench to have insisted upon this.

Petalnose begins the instruction with a call for a volunteer and the chimera boy is unreasonably quick to hide behind Goldenpaw's sunshine colored coat. It is a star's blessing that the lead warrior's own apprentice forfeits his own safety to play the role of first victim- he lets out a soft, relieved sigh for it.

The ice is frigid... and even the little curls of fur between his toes do little to shield his sensitive paw pads from its horrendous grip.​

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[EELPAW]

Knowing better than to interrupt, Eelpaw finds herself watching in silence beside Valepaw as Petalnose begins her lesson. She'd remembered being scolded and watching other kittens being scolded for playing on the ice before and was unsure of if they were really allowed to play on the ice today. Her eyes follow as Goldenpaw volunteers to be the first one to demonstrate, hopeful that whatever it was they were being asked to do (she was too tired to concentrate) was simple enough to understand and replicate.
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[Silverbreath]

*+:｡.｡ Fighting atop ice - phew, not his most favorite thing to do. He'd had some practice way back...lets say, this time last season. But he'd been quite the two-left-footed duck when it came to this sort of skill. He is agile and built better for quick, sharp turns in water or on land - unfortunately, sharp turns don't work quite so well on a slippery surface. So Silverbreath is more than happy to let Petalnose do most of the demonstrating, choosing to sit comfortably beside his apprentice, Goldenpaw.

He can't help but beam with excitement, nearly as bright as the youths', for like them, this is a first experience for him, too. He's a mentor! How exciting! After raising Carp-paw, he'd begun to consider the impact he had on the little squishy heads of the clan's young, and seeing Carp blossom into her own person, he found he longed more than ever to be a guide for those still forging their paths. Someone to help boost morale and encourage growth!

Looking sideways at the peppy amber tabby beside him, Silverbreath reflected with a happy curl of his tail how lucky he was to have been assigned Goldenpaw as his first apprentice. Eager, but cautious, someone who isn't controlled by her anxiety but learns to listen to it when she needs to. She's already quite the smart cookie. Her little sigh of relief warms Silverbreath's heart, and he aims to gently lay his tail on her shoulder.

He wants to extend the comfort to Valepaw, but hesitates as he watches the young tom hide behind Goldenpaw. Memories flash treacherously behind his lids, and his smile wanes. He doubts Valepaw would want Silverbreath's comfort after...ah. He rolls his shoulders, facing his nose back to Petalnose and Starlightpaw, hoping to casually shake off the doubts threatening to creep over his spine and into his head. Not right now. Not on Goldenpaw's first day.

"Show us how it's done, Starlightpaw" Silverbreath purrs encouragingly.

*+:｡.｡ Updated 12/15/23

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  GENERAL:
  ☮ Silverbreath
  ☮ DMAB— He/Him — Bisexual
  ☮ 35 moons — Ages 1 moon every month real-time
  ☮ Father to Carp-paw, Mentoring Goldenpaw
  ☮ Riverclan — Warrior
  
  
  
  
  
  
  COMBAT:
  ☮Physically hard | mentally hard
  ☮ Attack in bold #7d7d7d
  injuries: None currently

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