private Seed of a Tear || Flycatcher || Flower of a Smile

[Shinebug]

He hadn’t been abandoned.

That was the most surprising thing of all. In the days and weeks since failing his assessment, Shinepaw waited for a social expulsion that never came. No one stopped talking to him, no one stopped caring about him, no one treated him any differently than usual. The boy’s ‘friends’ - those he thought were merely putting up with him -were still there.

Was it really that simple? Had the ball of nerves been blinded all this time? That desire, no, need to be everything to all cats: strong, smart, funny, maybe it wasn’t necessary. Maybe he could just be…Shinepaw. It was a lot of emotions to sort through, and the shaft of sunlight still wasn’t mature enough to process them all, but the kindness he’d been shown in the last moon gave the warrior-aspirant a spark of hope for the future.

That was why, even as Flycatcher led him out of camp and the apprentice’s legs were quaking with nervousness, a small smile was plastered across sun-drenched features. Shinepaw didn’t know if he would pass this time around, and he would try his best, but now it was clear that even if he had to wait another moon, the boy still had a future in Thunderclan.

// @Flycatcher​

 

[Flycatcher]

When Shinepaw had failed his previous assessment, Flycatcher was admittedly not sure how their next few training sessions were going to go. The blue tabby could remember his apprentice's tears, his worries that his peers would hate him, that Flycatcher would hate him.

To his surprise - and great relief - it seems as though the experience has been something of a turning page for his young apprentice. When Flycatcher summons him to follow, his intention to host another warrior assessment, he is pleased that Shinepaw seems in much brighter spirits approaching this. Ther nerves are still there which is to be expected, but when he catches sight of Shinepaw's small smile, he can't help but smile back. "I'm glad to see you are in a good mood, Shinepaw," Flycatcher mewed, green eyes shimmering with pride as he looked at the golden-hued young tom. "You've impressed me with your approach to training this past moon. I have high hopes for today."

The two of them continued to walk when Flycatcher suddenly pulled back, waiting for his apprentice to walk on a little bit ahead before calling out to him. "Run, Shinepaw," He instructed. It was a rather ominous instruction, and if Shinepaw looked back, he would flash him a reassuring smile. "I want you to run and hide from me as best you can. Today, I want to see your stealth skills in action and see if you can intercept me before I can catch you."

​

 

[Shinebug]

Sky-blue eyes met Flycatcher’s as the former deputy spoke, the shaft of sunlight shuffling slightly as he walked. Shinepaw might’ve been in higher spirits now, but he’d grown no better at accepting compliments. “I…I have a lot of people to thank for that. You especially, Flycatcher” The warrior-aspirant pushed back, slightly uncomfortable with the praise. After all, if it wasn’t for his clanmates pulling him out of the muck, Shinepaw would’ve been content to languish in torpor forever.

The apprentice felt a small tingle go up his spine as Flycatcher slowed to let him pass. The shaft of sunlight felt weird, being in front like this. His eyes were used to someone up ahead, someone to follow and emulate. It felt a bit lonely leading like this. The boy briefly wondered if his mentor had the same feeling when he was deputy when that very voice cut through the growing silence.

Shinepaw visibly stiffened at the order, and for a moment, the briefest moment, the ball of nerves was sure that he was being exiled. Run out of the territory for repeated incompetence. However, as uncertain eyes looked back towards his mentor, the flash of fear vanished as quickly as it appeared. The shaft of sunlight nodded, some of his anxiety being replaced with adrenaline. “I’ll try not to rush this time” he promised, determined not to repeat last moon’s catastrophe.

And like that, Shinepaw shot off like a rocket. The race with Nightshadepaw had rebuilt some of the boy’s self-esteem, and he was confident in his own speed. After a few fox-lengths, the warrior-aspirant veered off to the left, trying to get out of Flycatcher’s line of sight. After a few more minutes of running (and acutely aware of how much his pelt stood out) Shinepaw tried to get himself nice and muddy, rolling around for a few moments before hiding in a nearby bush and surveying the area. However, worried about being caught in the open, Shinepaw hadn’t been able to fully coat himself. So, as he sat and sniffed the air, tufts of flame were visible to those looking closely.​

 

[Flycatcher]

Shinepaw promised not to rush this time and Flycatcher grinned in response. It had been a problem during his last assessment, but Flycatcher is relieved they can jest about it now, having learnt from past mistakes.

To his credit, the younger tom darted forward, moving so fast that it did not take long for Flycatcher to lose sight of him. He does not follow immediately, and when he does he moves slowly and cautiously, following Shinepaw's scent and disturbed dirt to track his movements. It takes him a little while to pinpoint Shinepaw's location, briefly losing the scent due to Shinepaw's efforts to cover himself in mud. In the end, it is the tufts of ginger fur, just visible through the bush that gives him away. Flycatcher is quick to move aware that he is also in the open, springing into the bush with alarming speed, hoping to shove the apprentice to the ground with his forepaws if he could. Although Flycatcher had said he wanted to see his stealth in action, there was more to his assessment than that.​

 

[Shinebug]

As sky-blue eyes peered out from his hiding spot, Shinepaw worked hard to shove all doubt from his mind. Was he fully concealed? A moon ago, the boy would’ve wound himself in circles around that simple question, worrying so much about if he’d done it right and what Flycatcher would think that he wouldn’t have been able to focus on anything else.

That temptation was still there, pulling at the warrior-aspirant like a fox biting his flank, but he tried to push past it. Was Shinepaw completely hidden? Maybe, maybe not. The moment was gone, and the boy had done his best. What mattered was dealing with what came next.

Shinepaw got the answer to his question a few moments later, scenting his mentor a half-second before feeling a hard impact on his side, sending the warrior-aged apprentice tumbling out of the bush. A slight scoff of disappointment left him, only now realizing that the cloak of mud was a double-edged sword, dulling his own sense of smell at the same time.

Shinepaw was quick to his paws, though. Again, trying to ignore the feelings of self-hatred that would’ve had him exploding into tears not so long ago. The shaft of sunlight steeled himself, circling his mentor slowly and trying to harden his resolve. “I’m not perfect. I’ll never be perfect, but I don’t have to be. I just have to be better than I was before!” Shinepaw screamed internally before suddenly darting forwards, looking like he was going for a straightforward attack before ducking and attempting to knock Flycatcher’s paws from under him. ​

 

[Flycatcher]

His surprise attack worked and Shinepaw tumbles out of the bush. Not so long, Flycatcher might have anticipated his apprentice to be shaken from this experience, to well up and start to cry. It pleases him to see that Shinepaw, though initially rattled, steels himself to his emotions. His apprentice is quick to his paws, and the two begin circling each other, with Flycatcher watching Shinepaw's every move.

They've never really sparred much like this before and more than anything Flycatcher is intrigued to see what he would try next. Shinepaw darts forward, making it appear as though he was going in for a straightforward attack, but alters his course at the last moment, ducking from Flycatcher and attempting to knock out his legs. Flycatcher has enough awareness of what his apprentice was trying to do not to fall, but his legs do buckle slightly and he fights to regain his posture. In an effort to slow Shinepaw, Flycatcher tries to disturb some dirt on the ground, trying to kick it up at Shinepaw. If successful he would pull back slightly, before using the distraction to his advantage further and trying to smack him on the top of the head with a sheathed paw.​

 

[Shinebug]

As Shinepaw feels the impact of his blow to Flycatcher, flashes of emotion surge through the boy’s mind, trying to keep his spirits up. He’d landed a hit. He’d landed a hit against the former deputy. If he could land one, that meant he could land more. If he could land enough, then his mentor would eventually go down.

However, all that was tempered by the disappointment of not seeing Flycatcher fall. Shinepaw’s attack hadn’t worked as well as he’d hoped, and now the warrior-aspirant had to deal with the consequences.

Sky-blue eyes darted from the deputy’s legs back up to his face, only to be blinded by a spray of soil. “Pbth! Ptoo!” The boy spat as he felt some get in his mouth, instinctively backing away to let his vision recover. Thankfully Shinepaw’s retreat was well-timed, and Flycather’s potentially punishing strike turned into a glancing blow as the boy put distance between them. That didn’t stop it from hurting, though.

“That was a dirty move. Getting desperate, are you?” Shinepaw teased lightly while catching his breath, extroverted nature pulling him to attempt some banter even in this situation. “You said you’d test my stealth, but it’s turned into a simple fight, huh? Guess both of us are to blame for that.” The boy wondered aloud with a smile, circling once more while scanning for openings. “Works for me. Even if I don’t like fighting too much, I’ve always been better at simple” The shaft of sunlight growled before charging forwards again, this time aiming to land a flurry of sheathed blows at Flycatcher’s side. If successful, he would try once again to knock the older tom’s legs out from under him. ​