Conceal, Don't Feel {{Willowstorm}}

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Speckledpaw slowly opened her green eyes, but didn't move. The light was coming in the entrance of the apprentice cave, so it had to be about sun-high. Her mind was still on the gathering, the crows, the dead Windclan deputy. She slowly blinked. Sleep wasn't coming back to her. She might as well get up and go find her mentor. She slowly stood and stretched, long claws escaping her paws, and sharp fangs flashing as she let out a wide yawn. Looked like all the other apprentices were either awake, or never came to bed. She quickly shook out her fur and slipped out blinking in the bright light. Once adjusted she padded over to the warriors den and poked her head inside. She took in a deep breath and smiled jsut a little, not big enough for anyone to see. One day she would have a nest in there. She glanced around and saw against the wall where an empty nest sat, now void of the scent of a long gone clan member. She flicked her ear some, a pain filled her eyes. He had left her. He had promised that he would see her through her training, but he left. Quickly glancing around she pulled her head back moved away. She licked her paw and ran it over her ear until her emotions were in check. When she lifted her head she had her same stone look she always had. They couldn't see what she felt. She wouldn't let them. She opened her mouth and tried to take in the scent of the clan's deputy, her mentor. She finally caught it and followed it over to where a few warriors were talking. She spotted his grey fur and stepped over, careful to avoid tails. Moons before she wouldn't have cared. "Willowstorm," she mewed to get his attention as the clan member paused talking, "If you aren't too busy talking and wasting time, i wouldn't mind working on my fighting and defense skills." Her green eyes bore into him pointedly then she turned and walked away heading to the camp entrance. She was rude. She was disrespectful. She could hear the other clan members murmuring behind her. She tensed her muscles some but her eyes stayed ahead. She hadn't always. They didn't udnerstand what she had gone through. She lost her mom, her mentor and her best friend. Her father wanted her dead and she had no one. She let out a soft hiss to herself. 'No, Speckledpaw, you are better than this. Your emotions don't matter. They can't interfere,' she thought as she pushed through the camp entrance and headed to the training pit, 'You will show them. You are a Riverclan warrior, true to the clan and to yourself. You don't need anyone.' Finding the small pit she sat at the edge waiting quietly, her spotted tail wrapped around her paws. She closed her eyes and listened. She could hear him coming. The brush quivered and the tom emerged. She slowly opened her eyes again and waited. Word Count: 507 Tags: Willowstorm Thoughts: Long post. lol. Oh, and good luck Willowstorm. You're gonna need it. [bg=2c4936]

[atrb=border,0,true] With the recent horror of the gathering, Willowstorm opted to allow his apprentice to sleep for a little longer. He really hadn't known what to do during the scene at four trees, and had been trying all morning to figure something out. After arranging the dawn patrols, he had taken a walk to think about what had happened and how the news might effect the clan. The large tom wondered what was going on in Starclan and hadn't once imagined that they would kill any cat like that. What if it wasn't Starclan, though? What if there was some other horrifying force behind this. Willowstorm didn't want to know. After arranging the sun-high patrols, the Riverclan deputy had been on his way to wake up Speckledpaw for some hunting and battle training when His brother and daughter had walked up to him, asking all sorts of questions and demanding answers in the way that the two of them often did. A couple more warriors who hadn't gone surrounded him as he told the story, many of them were so entranced that they jumped when Speckledpaw spoke, Willowstorm included. Each of the warriors shot amused glances to each other until they with some annoyance how Speckledpaw had spoken to Willowstorm. Sighing rather loudly, Willowstorm bid his company good bye and padded up to her. "It's not the best idea to talk to me like that in front of other warriors." As nonchalantly as he had spoken, the slight frustration in Willowstorm at his apprentice was not very well concealed as his tail tip twitched behind him. Battle training had been second on his list, but as Willowstorm considered the patrols and what the other Mentors were doing, he mentally relented and threw hunting to the bottom of his list this time. He still wondered sometimes how much Speckledpaw really knew about the training she was doing simply because he hadn't been her first mentor and she seemed to enjoy hiding certain things from other cats."Alright, Let's do some battle training." Willowstorm had a good idea of what sort of training could be done. Today he would see how much she knew about launching and avoiding ambushes and how to fight if she does get caught. From his experience, Shadowclan were the ambush masters of the forest, but he wouldn't want any apprentice left without the knowledge and confidence to defend themselves during one. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Word Count: 399, much better than recent posts Muse: Fairly Good Tags: Speckledpaw Notes: Yeay, scathing apprentice! Poor gentle Willowstorm. X3 Also, sorry it took me so long. I had to watch my nephew for a couple of days and he's only 6 months old.

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Speckledpaw
Let the Storm Rage On
The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway

The calico she-cat stood as the tom came into pit and agreed to start battle training. She had heard his comment about talking to him teh way she did. She brushed it off. What did it matter if she was rude? He had a job as a mentor to train her and she wanted to be a warrior as soon as she could. She was tired of sitting back and watching otehr clans name warriors and hearing about it all the time. There were two apprentices in Riverclan, Herself and Snowpaw, and only one kit, Cedarkit, who would probably never become a real warrior. Riverclan was falling to shambles.

Finally having a feel for the training pit, she stood and watched her mentor quietly, then sprang forward attempting to catch him in the side. As expected he was ready and she let out a growl as he bowled her to teh side with little to no effort. SHe rolled and skidded, making sure she had her balance again. SHe gritted her teeth in irritation. Never had her and Lionstrike worked on battle training. It was always hunting or tracking.

'I don't need jsut those skills to become a great warrior you mousebrain!' she hissed in her head to her long gone mentor now. He could be dead for all she cared right now. He had put her behind and now she looked like a fool! She growled and lunged forward again. However this time Willowstorm dodged and suddenly his weight was on her. She grunted and tried to wiggle away, but he put just enough weight on her hind quarters that she could break free.

She let out a hiss of annoyance and glared at him. "Okay, go ahead and tell me what i did wrong," she growled. She hoped Snowpaw and Crimsonclaw didn't come over here. This was embarrassing.

Word count:309
Tags: Willowstorm
Thoughts: Hope you don't think i'm trying to take over Willowstorm! If you don't like me doing that just let me know!

Shaking his head and keeping his weight on her haunches, the larger Tom blinked curiously at Speckledpaw. "What do You think you did wrong?" After another moment, the deputy let his apprentice up and continued to watch her curiously. He knew well enough that any cat's worse critic was themselves and it seemed that lessons sunk in better with cats like speckledpaw if they weren't lectured, but given room to mull things over in their own minds. It was unfortunate that the she-cat's previous mentor had hated battling and refused to teach her. "I understand that your mentor would not teach you battle moves at all. You show signs of natural talent, and would be much farther in your training if he had not neglected you. I think." the Tom paused a second "That you are distracted by that fact. You must put it out of your mind. As horrid as battle is, distraction only makes it worse. You are being trained now and will improve quickly. The past no longer matters." Willowstorm had noticed the nearly instant annoyance that Speckledpaw had shown when he dodged her attack and wanted her to let those annoyances go. "With that behind you, what mistakes do you believe you made during your attack?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Notes: Try to keep it down to just one move or line. Otherwise I have nothing to post and have to fall back on dialogue to keep my posts an acceptable length.

Speckledpaw
Let the Storm Rage On
The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway

Speckledpaw narrowed her eyes. Why wouldn't he just tell her what she did wrong? Why did he have to make it a riddle or some soul searching crap? She darted her eyes away and he answered his own question in a way. Lionstrike had never taught her anything, but it didn't mean she should roll over and be thankful that he was doing it now. It wasn't like she had learned anything yet.

When he made the comment about her being distracted she inwardly winced. She was but it wasn't why he thought. Her mind was on so much more than her old mentor, than her training. The past no longer matters. those words hurt too much. Much more than they ever should. She gave him a cold stare. He had no idea what the past meant to her.

"I anticipated that you wouldn't dodge my attack," she mewed bitterly. "I know a cat won't sit still and take a beating....at least most won't."
Her voice softened some. Ravenpaw's face crossed her mind and she hissed to herself. No. She couldn't think about him. She dug her claws into the ground.

"No offence Willowstorm, I train better by doing. Not listening," she said standing again and starting to get ready. She just wanted to move. If she moved she couldn't think. If she couldn't think she didn't dwell on him.

[atrb=border,0,true] Willowstorm nodded as he listened to her explanation. Indeed, he was giving her a chance to train with him semi-realistically by dodging and countering without his claws. She was learning by doing and he wasn't about to pause for too long. "Don't worry, Speckledpaw, we're not going to stop. The next time you attack, try to watch my shoulders. Even if a cat is trying to fake which way they you, watching how they move can help you correct yourself before they have you." The large tabby took a few more steps away and nodded to Speckledpaw so that she would know she could attack when she wished to and waited for her. Speckledpaw was an older apprentice, so she may not have the same trouble that younger apprentices often did when Willowstorm gave them that advice. Many could only focus on his shoulders and took a long time to learn how to watch to see not only where he was going, but also if or when he would attack. It was a skill that the deputy tried to pass on to every apprentice that he trained, although with varying levels of success. Being that she was older, Speckledpaw would probably learn far more quickly than his other apprentices had. Almost as easily distracted as his apprentice, Willowstorm caught himself drifting and quickly righted himself so that he could focus on the smaller she-cat in front of him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Word Count: 243, not bad Muse: Tired, so very tired Tags: Speckledpaw Notes:

Speckledpaw
Let the Storm Rage On
The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway

She listened then nodded ever so slightly as he instructed her to watch the opponent's shoulders. She thought it was an odd idea, but she more she thought about it, it made sense. For a cat to move quickly they would have to put their weight on their legs in the directions they would want to go even for a trick maneuver. She had done it several times with her mother but never payed attention to the idea.

Getting ready, she moved around Willowstorm again some. He was distracted, thinking about something else. She flicked her ear in irritation. What could he be thinking about that was more important than her training? She would claw his ears off if he ended up being like Lionstrike and got distracted by everything.

When she noticed he was back to reality, she was behind him and decided this was her chance. Digging her claws into her ground for some balance she lunged forward and landed on his furry back and gripped the scruff of his neck in her jaws. It wasn't tight that it would break the skin, but enough that she could make her next move.

She quickly rolled off his back, hoisting him by his scruff that, remembering when she was a kit, would freeze him up enough that she could pin him, or at least she hoped. she was trying to combine some moved that she had talked with Ravenpaw about moons ago, but never got to practice. By using the idea of the killing bite, but not biting into the muscle but just the skin, one could throw off their opponent so the throw could be achieved. Sadly Speckledpaw wasn't quiet strong enough to throw Willowstorm so she kind of made him roll on top of her. quickly letting go with her teeth she tried to twist to pin him but noticed his already getting ready for a counterattack and quickly jumped back and away from him.

Now to see how mad he was.

Word Count:: 331
Tagged:: Willowstorm
Thoughts:: So, I'm really trying not to play him. If i am please tell me! And Speckledpaw went a whole post without making a comment. -gasp-

[atrb=border,0,true] Realizing too late that she was behind him, Willowstorm made a last ditch effort to dodge out of her way, but found himself not moving fast enough compared to the smaller apprentice who was suddenly attached to his back. The large tom dipped his head down to throw her off, but was too late as the bite in his scruff caused the muscles in his shoulders and neck to tighten and hinder his movement. A hiss of frustration mostly in himself escaped as he was pulled over on top of Speckledpaw. Willowstorm saw an opening and the moment Speckledpaw let go and tried to wriggle around to pin him, the tom threw his head back, attempting to gently knock her with it and threw himself to his feet, facing her as he panted lightly. The tom had not expected her to grab his scruff and it was obvious that she had not missed his neck but had only aimed for the tom's skin. It was an impressive tactic that Willowstorm had never thought of being or seen used before. Once Speckledpaw had made it clear that she was waiting for his feed back, the pale colored tom took a moment to shake out his shoulders and flatten his fur. A low, approving purr rumbled in his throat as he let a small chuckle escape."You're a little bit too small to try that move with me, but it's impressive. I had not thought of altering a killing bite like that and had forgotten that the scruff can cause a cat to react like that if you catch it the right way. Well done, Speckledpaw." The tom gave her a playfully mischievous look "But, I was distracted and you had it easy this time. A good way to alter that move for larger cats is to leap off when you feel them give and attack for the stomach while they're still stunned." Giving a nod, the tom stepped away and readied himself so that she could practice the altered version of the move should she choose. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Word Count: 349, MUCH better Muse: Acceptable Tags: Speckledpaw Notes: Yeay fun new moves! There's nothing wrong with the way you're playing. Hints on how you want me to react keep both of us interested in the roleplay.

Speckledpaw
Let the Storm Rage On
The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway

Speckledpaw listened quietly as Willowstorm praised her. Her ears perked up some and a very small smile crossed her lips as she flicked her smile. As he explained another possibility of her being able to get away a little easier she tilted her head and ran through the idea in her head. Yes, it would be easier as long as she could pull away quick enough. If she were really to use her claws on a cat with longer fur, it could be possible that her claws would get caught in their fur and then she would be stuck or rip out a claw.

"Willowstorm, out of curiosity," she mewed as she got herself ready for another attack, "Do you think Ravenpaw would have made a good warrior?"
She darted forward and took a few testing swipes, claws sheathed, at his shoulders and muzzle and dodges away as he moved to attack back.

It had become really rare for Speckledpaw to talk about the black apprentice that had passed because injuries sustained in a fight against her father, Sage. It was cruel, what the rouge did, beating up on Ravenpaw even when he was already down. The memory still sent shivers down her spine, but she wouldn't show anyone that.

She stopped watching Willowstorm, knowing the question had probably caught him off guard, but she wasn't going to use it to her advantage this time. She really wanted to know what the deputy thought of the tom that has somehow found a way to wiggle a spot into her heart. Yes, she could admit it now, now that she would never see him face to face again, but the tom had take her heart. Then he had to go and shatter it to a million pieces when he passed.

It had broken her, but even broken she could still live. It was in pain, but she could live.

Word Count:: 313
Tagged:: Willowstorm
Thoughts:: It you don't know anything about Ravenpaw just PM me and i'll try to give a brief history on these two.

"Ravenpaw?" Willowstorm dodged a couple of swiped but took one to the muzzle which caused him to sneeze in the middle of his counter attack and loose tack of his apprentice for a moment. When shepaused to hear his reply, the older tom took a moment to think over what he had seen of Ravenpaw before his sad and early death. It was a hard answer to give because he had seen so little of Ravenpaw's training.

"He was jumpy, but determined and loyal from what i've seen of him. With time and some extra training he probably would have shaped up well. I cant say if he would have done very well in battles, but I did see the heart of a warrior in him, even if he was scared of his shadow." Adding on the last comment as a playful taunt, it was clear that Willowstorm thought well enough of the apprentice that he hardly knew at all. "I do know that even though he lost, the injuries he had poved that he wasn't going to run as long as he had something to protect. That kind of streingth is far more important than any phyiscal attack and if no other cat thinks so, I respedct his resilliance and honor more than any cat alive today."

Giving Speckledpaw a nod, Willowstorm readied himself again. "You're offensive moves are coming along quickly as I expected. Let's see how you can defend yourself against a larger opponent." With that, Willowstorm ran at his apprentice, zig zaging at he came close. Once in range, the larger tom threw a few blows at Speckledpaw's maw and ears before leaping at her back, attempting to pin her down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry for the lack of code, i'm battling with a tabletinstead of a computer.

Speckledpaw
Let the Storm Rage On
The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway

Speckledpaw listened quiet. So no one really knew Ravenpaw. Like no one really knew her. She flicked her tail and flicked her ears back some. What was the point of being in a clan if no one really took the time to get to know anyone? She had to admit, she didn't know everything, but she knew he would have been an amazing warrior for Riverclan. He put his heart and soul into everything for this clan.

'I do know that even though he lost, the injuries he had proved that he wasn't going to run as long as he had something to protect. That kind of strength is far more important than any physical attack...'

The rest of the words he said fell on deaf ears. He had been fighting to protect something? His own life? No. not himself. Her. He had given up his life....fought a cat, much stronger and skilled than himself, to keep her safe. He more mouse brained that she had originally believed. but she couldn't help but give a weak laugh.

Suddenly she was getting bopped on her nose by her mentor and jumped back some startled. So he had continued the training and now she was flustered and behind. Gathering her focus she crounched and watch as he jumped up to land on her. Quickly rolling on her back she shifted and waited when his weight landed on her she kicked her hind legs up hard catchign him in teh stomach and pushed him to the and rolled up with the momentum and darted forward as he pushed himself up. Using her smaller size she slid under his stomach then pushed up with her head to knock him off balance again.

Jumping away she watched with a slight smug look at the flustered look he was giving her. "Don't look so surprised. Just because i lose focus doesn't mean i can't get the upper hand," she mewed and moved around him some, "I find a way to turn everything to my advantage. That's the way I've always worked."

She knew it made her sound arrogant, but it was the truth.

Word Count:: 353
Tagged:: Willowstorm
Thoughts:: Sorry this took so long.

<sup>Surprised by her speed, Willowstorm found his belly pummeled, but rolled quickly and stood just in time to see her going up under him to try and knock him off balance. Waiting until the last moment when he felt his paws coming out from under him, Willowstorm leg his legs buckle and fell full weight straight down toward Speckledpaw who was underneath him.

He hopped up and nodded, impressed by her calm, calculated reaction to his attack. Speckledpaw was learning very quickly and would be a good warrior for her clan once she got her arrogance under control. Still, her ability to quickly make a calculated choice in a sudden battle situation would benefit her and the entire clan one day.

"As arrogant as you are, Speckledpaw..." The tom started, half teasing. "I am glad to know that you can make a calculated choice so quickly. It is a good skill to have that usually takes many moons of experience to develop." It was a good thing to have. "I think we're done for today. See if you can find something to put in the fresh-kill pile and take a break." It was about to be time for the Riverclan deputy to organize dusk patrols as the sun was beginning to sink behind the hills.

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Word Count: 213
Muse: meh, kinda hurting a little.
Notes: It's fine. ^^</sup>