private Soldiers Are Toys They Laud With Affection (Flycatcher)

[Shinebug]

The exuberance of health had finally worn off, and in its place anxiety and grim determination had reared their heads. Shinepaw was grateful to be out of the medicine den, anything was preferable to those cramped accommodations and strange scents, but the boy was acutely aware of how much he’d missed. The shaft of sunlight was already playing catchup, but now the boy had to work especially hard to try and keep pace.

That was why he was up and out of camp at the crack of dawn, dutifully following his mentor through the woods. The cat was quaking with both excitement and anxiety, mind split between focus on the present and thinking about the future. What kind of warrior would he be if he could barely fight or hunt? His twelfth moon was fast approaching, and the shaft of sunlight needed to be ready for when he was made a warrior.

“Um, could we practice battle moves today, please?” the once-outspoken cat piped up suddenly. Shinepaw was many things, but violent was not one of them. It was out of character for the tomcat to want to hone his combat skills, but the reason soon became clear as sun-drenched cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.

“When the rouges attacked camp - attacked me - you and Burnstorm had to rescue me. I’m really grateful, but I wish I was able to hold my own.” The shame at his weakness wasn’t exactly fair - Shinepaw was still in the grip of sickness at the time - but the boy could certainly stand to hone the blunt blade of his battle skills.

// @Flycatcher​

 

[Flycatcher]

Flycatcher was not on any dawn patrols today but that had not stopped him from leaving camp early, Shinepaw close on his heel, ready to begin some daily training. He had no real plans for a specific skill to focus on, so when Shinepaw requested they work on his battle moves, Flycatcher was surprised but happy to oblige.

Even without Shinepaw's illness, Flycatcher noted he was probably lacking a bit when it came to combat. A part of which was down to himself, he wasn't much of a combatant, preferring defensive moves over outright offensive ones. That wasn't to say he couldn't fight though, on occasion he fought with the ferocity of LionClan itself when it came to it. "I understand," Flycatcher mewed, nodding his head at Shinepaw giving his reasoning for wanting to learn more. "I apologise, Shinepaw. Some of that lack of combat training is down to my own fault too."

A long silence hung in the air for a moment before he looked at Shinepaw with a more serious gaze. "Get into a battle stance for me," He mewed. Flycatcher did not wait for Shinepaw to act before slipping into the bushes stealthily. When the young boy would look for him, he would be out of sight, but close enough to see, and close enough to wait patiently to strike.​

 

[Shinebug]

As Flycatcher turned and took in his request, there was a brief flash of fear in sky-blue eyes, irrationally afraid of his mentor telling him off. Shinepaw played a thousand scenarios through in his head. The shaft of sunlight being admonished for speaking up, selfishly assuming he could concoct training regimes better than the deputy of Thunderclan. Or the apprentice being laughed off, so hopeless in combat that attempting to train him would be akin to teaching a cat to fly.

Of course, none of these came to pass, and Shinepaw was quick to flash an appreciative smile at his mentor. He was truly grateful for how much the other had helped him along, and the boy felt like he could talk for hours and still not convey his gratitude. As the shaft of sunlight focused on shifting his weight into a (somewhat acceptable) combat stance, sky-blue eyes briefly returned to where Flycatcher was standing. “You’re a really good teacher. I-“

But he was already gone, vanished into the surroundings while Shinepaw was distracted with the placement of paws. As a flame-tinted face looked wildly around to try and catch sight of Flycatcher, he could feel panic rising in his chest. Where had he gone? Was his mentor disappointed in him?

The boy remembered the last time something like this had happened. He’d given up immediately, so convinced of failure that a simple stick had shattered his confidence. Claws flexed against the earth as Shinepaw hardened his resolve. It wouldn’t happen again. With a deep breath, the boy began to stalk in circles, wary of his footing as sly-blue eyes strained to catch any hint of Flycatcher. ​

 

[Flycatcher]

From his hiding place in the bushes, Flycatcher watches with interest to see how Shinepaw will react. Initially, there's panic there, he can see it in the way he looks around rapidly, a wild sort of panic-stricken expression taking hold for a moment. Flycatcher is pleased when Shinepaw quickly settles. It might have seemed like he had abandoned him but this was all a test, to see how he would react to his apparent abandonment, and to see how he would react to him suddenly lunging at him.

As Shinepaw begins to circle, Flycatcher also begins to move. Occasionally, Shinepaw might have caught a glimpse of his mentor's face, or a flash of grey fur among the bushes but he would not be seen until the moment was right. When Shinepaw had been kept waiting long enough, he prepared himself to pounce on his apprentice. The deputy crouched, bunched up his hind legs, took a breath and pounced. He aimed to use the element of surprise to his advantage, leaping out of a bush suddenly before unleashing a flurry of sheathed pawstrikes to Shinepaw's head. He was mindful not to be too heavy handed with his strikes, more interested in seeing how Shinepaw would potentially react rather than how effective he was at hitting.​

 

[Shinebug]

// So sorry for the late reply!

As sky-blue eyes flicked back and forth, self-doubt quickly overtook Flycatcher as Shinepaw’s greatest adversary. There were a few times when the boy saw a hint of his mentor - flashes of fur, or gleaming eyes meeting his own - but shaft of sunlight was quick to dismiss these as tricks of the mind, downplaying his modest skills of perception as nothing more than an overactive imagination. There was no way Shinepaw could see the deputy of Thunderclan if the other didn’t want to be seen.

Voluntarily ignoring his sight, Shinepaw’s only warning was the sound of thrumming pawpads. The boy turned just in time, eyes going wide as he met Flycatcher’s own. Shinepaw remembered the rouges that invaded camp; the one that attacked him, the one he had to be saved from. All the ball of anxiety could do was close his eyes and tense up.

However, after a few strikes, Shinepaw noticed his mentor was going easy on him. He wasn’t in danger, he wasn’t going to die, and that made it okay to act. After a few moments of standing uselessly like a ragdoll, Shinepaw would duck under the barrage of soft strikes, going low and attempting to knock Flycatcher’s legs out from under him with a swipe.​

 

[Flycatcher]

Flycatcher was impressed at Shinepaw's reaction, admiring the young tom's perception and turning to face just before her had attacked. It takes a bit longer for his apprentice to actually respond appropriately, and move to avoid him. The pale apprentice ducked and dropped low, attempting to knock Flycatcher's legs out from under him. Whilst he doesn't fall, the quick blow is enough to make Flycatcher stumble slightly, and he is forced to ease up on his attacks to regain his posture.

"Good thinking ducking and trying to get under me," Flycatcher commended, giving an approving nod. "You're a small cat like myself. Use that to your advantage, especially if fighting against a larger and bulkier cat. Try and move to their side if they attack you head on, or like just now, duck underneath and try and hit them from below. Trying to knock my legs out was a good idea but if you need to cause some real damage aim for the belly." Flycatcher usually wasn't one for such violent techniques, but he thought it was wise to bring it up to his apprentice at least. There was no telling of the sorts of opponents he might face in the future. ​

 

[Shinebug]

As his paw made contact, Shinepaw couldn’t help but wonder if he was in a dream. The ball of anxiety and self doubt had actually landed a blow against his mentor, Thunderclan’s own deputy. It wasn’t very strong, and the shaft of sunlight could still feel sheathed paws batting his head, but it had been a successful hit. Perhaps the boy wasn’t as far behind as he’d feared?

But as Flycatcher began to praise him and sun-drenched fur went hot, unable to accept the compliment, a steadily growing voice rang in his mind. “It was a lucky shot. And he was going easy on me anyways, so I shouldn’t feel good about it. He’s just trying to make me feel better.” Shinepaw opened his mouth for a split second, as if to speak, but decided against it. He knew airing those thoughts aloud would only lead to more comfort and coddling. The apprentice didn’t want to be reassured, he wanted to improve.

Instead, a forced smile would show on Shinepaw’s maw as he backed away, getting into his stance again. “Got it. I’m gonna try to go for the side now, like you said.” The anxiety-ridden extrovert briefly wondered if announcing his plan was productive in a combat scenario, but he brushed it aside. Shinepaw charged forwards, aiming to meet Flycatcher head-on before slipping to the left at the last second, trying to score the other’s pelt with a sheathed paw, but stumbling slightly as he felt himself slip on a leaf.​

 

[Flycatcher]

He gave a small approving nod when Shinepaw announced his intentions. As the young tom theorised, in an actual combat scenario such a thing would be unheard of, if not downright foolish. He charges him head on and Flycatcher braces himself, trying to determine which direction he intends to strike next. Flycatcher moves to the right slightly, thinking Shinepaw was aiming there, only to be caught out by his last minute switch to the left. Shinepaw's paw connects with his side and had he not slipped and this was a real fight, Flycatcher would have very likely gained a fresh cut on that side.

Deciding to see how his apprentice would fair without any information on what he would do next, Flycatcher opted to keep his next attack a surprise. Using the moment Shinepaw stumbled to his advantage, he twisted suddenly, and proceeded to kick out with his hind legs, hoping to catch out Shinepaw and force him back with his kick.​