Imma Gonna Get Ya {{Blizzardclaw}}

Dapplepaw
Don't Bring a Cloud
To Rain on My Parade

The young spotted apprentice, yes she could finally say she was an apprentice, moved around some of the trees and sniffed at the ground. Her mentors trail was faint but traceable. A warrior had told her just a little while ago that she had to follow Blizzardclaw's sent to be able to tell where they were training. At first she was a little confused since they had never had a tracking training before, but figured this might be a test for him to see how much she knew. She had followed it past the sandy hollow and here to the great sycamore but now was a little confused. He had backtracked on his own trail a few times and she found herself going in circles.

She stopped after a bit and let out a slow breath. She couldn't get frustrated. She had to show Blizzardclaw and her dad that she would be a good warrior and warriors didn't let problems get to them. Hopping up quickly she tried again starting at the bush she had used to come into the small clearing. Keeping her nose to the ground she followed it tot eh base of the tree and around it some, then up as he climbed up it a little. He must have changed his mind and jumped down landing a few paw steps away. That's when he started back tracking. She kept her head down and her ears perked in case he tried to jump her.

After going in circles again she sighed and sat down flicking her tail and just decided to look in the branches. She guessed he was probably watching her from above, however, if he was she couldn't see him. She flicked her ear some before slowly ducking her head some.
"Blizzardclaw, are you there?" she called out hoping to get an answer. Surely he wouldn't be mad at her for asking for help. It was the first time she had tried after all and she had gotten this far.

Blizzardclaw knew it was a bit unfair to test Dapplepaw on her very first day as an apprentice. He had plenty of reasons to do it though. First and foremost, he wanted to test how much Dapplepaw knew and how far she could make it.

Second, for his own amusement in watching her search around for him. Unbeknownst to her, Blizzardclaw had followed after her all the way from the camp. He used every trick in his arsenal to remain undetected: rolled in wet ferns to hide his scent, stay downwind so she couldn't smell that she was being stalked by ferns, and stayed light on his paws so his paw steps didn't make a sound.

Honestly, she did get farther than he thought she would. He half expected her to wait by the Sandy Hollow for him to appear while the rest of the trail went dead, but she proved him wrong. Dapplepaw lead the way to the Great Sycamore, where the deputy had planned for their first lesson.

That's as far as she could get though, and the frustration she was feeling showed in way she took deep breaths. Dapplepaw was doing really well. She kept alert, possibly listening for dangers and possibly listening for him. Maybe in her mind they were one and the same. Was she expecting him to ambush her?

Well, that had crossed his mind a couple of times, but it wasn't in the game plan. His new apprentice finally sighed and sat down, looking around with flicking ears before calling out, "Blizzardclaw, are you out there?" He decided she had been patient long enough and stepped out from behind a curtain of lichen. "Right here."

He approached her with a warm smile on his face and sat a few feet away from her. "I admit, Dapplepaw, I'm surprised at how well you did. Any other new apprentice would have given up half-way through, or at least waited by the Sandy Hollow instead of following the trail." Blizzardclaw chuckled, amber eyes twinkling in mischievous humor. "I guess spending all that time stalking your father around camp wasn't for show, huh?"

---

Tagged: Mouse
Words: 351
Notes: Yay, first training session!

Dapplepaw
Don't Bring a Cloud
To Rain on My Parade

Dapplepaw turned and watched as her mentor walked over and sat in front of her, praising her for what she had shown him so far. So he had been watching the whole time. She wondered where he had been and decided to make a mental note to ask him after their training session. When he made his comment about her stalking her father around one of her ears flicked back sheepishly and she gave him a small grin.
"Not really. I was really wanting to start my training," she explained, "Even if i was too young."

She tried to sit still now, but since Blizzardclaw had shown himself, she was starting to realize that this would be her first official training as an apprentice. From this day forward everything that she did with Blizzardclaw was going to help her become a great warrior for Thunderclan. She finally got her paws still, but her tail kept flicking back and forth.

"So what are we gonna work on today? hunting? Oh! Or maybe fighting. I know you can use similar techniques in both because I've watched the other apprentices-" she stopped herself in mid-sentence noticing she was babbling. She ducked her head, her ears going back as she gave him a weak grin. She couldn't help that she was so excited. But maybe she could help not talking so much and listen to what her mentor wanted her to do.

Blizzardclaw
They might be right, but I disagree
Cause I've never felt stronger
than when you're with me

---

The sheepishness in the ear flick almost made him snort, and the follow up grin and comment actually did make him snort. The amusement in his gave and twitching whiskers made it clear the reaction wasn't offensive. "Were you perhaps hoping to pester him into making you an apprentice? Or just prove to him you were good enough to?" he teased with a chuckle.

It looked like Dapplepaw had ants in her fur from the way she was squirming. It started with shuffling her her paws, like she wanted to pace or she had something hot under her that was burning the pads on her feet. Then it was her hind quarters, like she was getting ready to pounce but was holding herself back. It was clear she was trying to keep still, but was failing tragically at it.

She took a while, but finally it was only her tail that was twitching and nothing else. "So what are we gonna work on today? hunting? Oh! Or maybe fighting. I know you can use similar techniques in both because I've watched the other apprentices-" The more Dapplepaw blabbed, the harder it was for Blizzardclaw to keep from laughing. He wasn’t a cruel cat, he didn’t laugh at others’ misfortune or their faults. But Dapplepaw was so childish and innocent that it was hard not to be amused by her.

Either she caught herself babbling or she could see he was near bursting, because she caught herself and gave a sheepish grin with her ears back. Blizzardclaw cleared his throat to try and dismiss the humor, but his eyes danced with laughter as he gestured towards the Great Sycamore. ”This is the Great Sycamore. It’s where apprentices come to learn how to climb trees. You, however, will be tutored in that by some other cat. That’s where my first lesson comes.”

All traces of humor and goodwill faded to be replaced by a serious, stern face. ”I’m afraid of heights. When I was an apprentice, I fell from a tree showing off and broke my leg. Was in the medicine den for moons before I could go back to training. My first piece of wisdom is this: it’s okay to be afraid. Every cat, even myself, even your father, has fears. Don’t play them off like nothing, because that’s what makes cats freeze when they need to act. Do you understand?"

---

Words: 396 words
Tagged: Mouse
Notes: So sorry this too so long! Muse wasn't working with me.

Dapplepaw
Don't Bring a Cloud
To Rain on My Parade

Dapplepaw was glad to see that blizzardclaw was in a good mood. It was rare to see that he wasn't but it meant that she could relax around him, but it didn't give her an excuse to slack off. She would listen and try hard. She had to. She had to know that her dad still knew that she wanted to grow strong into a warrior. Inside, she had the idea he knew, but with everything going on....

As Blizzardclaw motioned toward the huge tree beside them, Dapplepaw lifted her head to the large branches above and listened as the deputy explained what it was used for. When he said she would be learning how to climb from someone else she looked at him a little startled. She would have never though that he would be scared of heights, but once he explained why it made sense. She glanced back up at the limbs not really sure if she wanted to climb anymore.

When he started talking about fears, she grew still and focused on him. So, even her dad, the great leader of Thunderclan was scared of something. She wondered what, but kind of guessed it wasn't important at the time. She nodded when he asked if she understood.
"I believe so. Like...i know there are cats that are afraid of what's going on," she mewed quietly, "But, i believe that Starclan isn't doing this and it will get better. We just have to give it time."

She gave him a small smile then stood and moved over to the tree some, looking at it old bark. She had climbs only a few feet up other trees when Ratkit had been around, but they never climbed too far that they couldn't get down. Her ears laid back some as she remembered her friend. She missed him. A lot. He was supposed to be here with her. She got quiet for a minute then looked at Blizzardclaw her eyes a little wide.
"I'm afraid of being alone," she murmured then looked down at her paw.

To her it was stupid. She was in a clan full of cats, with the best parents anyone could ask for. She knew she had warrior who would come to rescue if it was needed, but there were times that she still felt alone. Would Blizzardclaw understand that?