.:Training Thornpaw:. (Thorn & Gentle)

[<--Whisper-->]

Scorchedtail sat, twitching his fluffy dark gray tail impatiently. He was the newly named mentor for Thornpaw. She was the rebel of the clan and mayube she'd forgotten about their training session...

[thornstep]

The Silver pelted apprentice raced through the brush, her long legs allowing her great loping strides. Of course she was late to her first training session, she hissed in spite of herself. As far as being rebellious, she was all for it, but one thing she hated was disappointing someone, so she quickened her gait. She could smell her mentor ahead of her as she neared the clearing where he no doubt sat waiting. But as she torn through the last wall of briers, a limb caught the young cat by the back leg, sending the young cat tumbling into the clearing, and landing sprawled before Scorchedtail. Seeing her mentor, and in an attempt to salvage what dignity she had left, shot to her feet and opened her mouth to say something, but snapped it shut. She grinned awkwardly.

“Um, heh, I’m here.”

[<--Whisper-->]

He rolled his eyes and growled," You were supposed to be here before sunhigh. It's past sunhigh now!" His piercing yellow gaze was burning with anger," What was so important that you missed your training session?" He asked anger blazing in his voice.

[thornstep]

Oh boy, she was in trouble. The anger on his face was frightening but slightly comical. This being her first training session, she didn’t know what to expect. I guess there was no being late to his training sessions. She began her explanation lamely. “Well, you see there was this thing…” She mumbled in response to his angered questioning, while working on a briar that had entangled itself in her fur. “I was on my way, and then…well, and then I smelled something.” She sighed as she recalled that morning. She had slept late, and on her way to the field she had caught an interesting scent and completely veered off track. The briar she had been gnawing on finally popped free, and she spit it on the ground with mild loathing. She stared at her mentor, her eyes betraying her slightly embarrassed thoughts. She hoped they could train anyway, she was dieing to prove herself.

[<--Whisper-->]

He sighed, his voice changing from anger to disappointment," I thought you would be ready to prove yourself. But I guess I was wrong. We will still train but you must clean the elder's den and search their pelts for ticks for a week (idk what warriors say for that time period)." He looked at her his yello w gaze holding disappointment.

[thornstep]

“Ah, no!” She scowled. The elders?! As much as she respected…the elderly, she couldn’t stand the smell of that place, like aged flesh and crusty eyes. And searching their withering pelts for ticks with that repulsive mouse bile was something she was not looking forward to. She cringed at the very idea. And on top of that, her new mentor emanated disappointment, and she loathed the very word. She always did her best, to a point where she was considered a little reckless. “I AM ready to prove myself.” She said fiercely, her silver pelt rising. Her fierce green eyes matching her mentors stare; ready to prove her worth.

[<--Whisper-->]

He smiled," Okay then. We'll go hunting. The caln will need fresh-kill with leaf-bare on the way." He mewed and stood up, stretching. He yawned, showing his long razor sharp teeth. His pink tounge standing out among his dark gray pelt. He closed his mouth and ran off without warning.

[thornstep]

Haha! Yes! Hunting! Finally some action. She could barley keep herself from wriggling from the excitement that writhed within her, her claws extended to knead the ground in her enthusiasm. She watched as her mentor heave himself up onto well muscled legs and yawn widely, displaying his array of knife-like fangs. She stood as well, her sense of smell heightened, her eyes keen and focused. But wait, whats this? Scorchedtail had just sprang away from her, quick as lightning, leaving her to ponder his sudden departure, “Hey, wait...!” She yowled after him as she sprang forward to commence the chase. With her long stride she finally caught up with him, though for a few startling moments she had lost sight of him. “So where are we going?” She asked, her breath still fresh. She was an brilliant runner and climber, making up for her utter loathing, and nearly incapable ability to swim. Water…yuck.

[<--Whisper-->]

He laughed as he raced ahead of her," You'll see if you can keep up!" He laughed," This will help build your legs muscles." He mewed as he slowed to run beside her. He scented the air and came to abrut halt, flicking his fluffy dark gray tail for silence. He looked around through his piercing yellow gaze," Squirrel!" He murmured under his breath. He crouched down, pin-poining the squirrel at the foot of a pine tree, scrambling among the roots. He creapt forward, silent as a snake. He pounced, catching the squirrel by it's tail as it raced up the tree. He dug his claws into it's neck, killing it.

[thornstep]

Thornpaw watched the display with admiration. Where had that squirrel come from? As much as she didn’t want to admit, she had completely missed its scent. But at her mentor killing it she couldn’t suppress a whoop of victory. “Great kill!” She mewed happily, becoming a little more comfortable in the presence of her new mentor. “Now its my turn.” She grinned and dropped her nose to the ground, breathing in the scents of the forest. Then she smelled sparrow. It had flitted down apparently to investigate a seed, which it now munched on contentedly. She dropped down slowly, the belly of her silver pelt nearly touching the ground. She unsheathed her claws and crept forward, and shot a questioning look at her mentor. Am I doing alright? Her eyes said. Can I get it?

[<--Whisper-->]

He nodded slightly, signaling her to continue. He smirked as she creapt along, She already has hunting down! He smiled watching the sparrow and his apprentice silently. His whiskers twitched as he stiffled a sneeze.

[thornstep]

She grinned at her mentor’s approval. She began to tread forward, her feet a whisper on the forest floor. She could feel the birds life, its breath, and its demise. She was barley a tail length away when her foot landed on a thorn, quite ironic actually. She tried hard to suppress the shriek that was building inside of her. Instead she hissed loudly, which of course the bird heard. It flittered in terror, but Thornpaw’s anger was to swift. She leaped at the bird and caught it by the next, breaking it, though the jump had jammed the thorn deeper into her paw. She gathered the bird in her jaws and limped proudly to her mentor and set it at his feet. “Hows that!?” She said gleefully. She then jammed her wounded foot in her mouth and began to work out the virulent thorn.

[<--Whisper-->]

He laughed and mewed," Good. But if you step on a thron you shouldn't jump on it! It jams it into your pad more!" He mewe4d pading over to her. He took her pad and grabbed the thorn between his teeth. It was in there pretty good," This is going to hurt." He muttered through his teeth that were clamped around the thorn. He tugged and the thorn popped out, spitting blood with it," Lick it." He ordered.

[thornstep]

Thornpaw winced as her mentor’s teeth closed around the thorn and yanked the spitefully thing free, and upon his orders, began to lick the throbbing wound. But thankfully after a few thorough licks, the cut ceased bleeding, and even started to feel better. She tested her paw daintily on the ground, and slowly began to put weight on it. She knew the more she used it the better it would feel, and she was already rearing to go. “So, what are we going to do now? More hunting? Fighting? Raid Windclan?” The last one was a joke, but it still sounded like fun. But to be honest Thornpaw new she needed a little work on her hunting technique. She thought the sparrow a lucky shot, and she knew she needed work on her stance.

[<--Whisper-->]

He smiled," We'll work on your stance. You were off balcance and when you stepped on the thorn it wouldn't of gone so deep if you were balance and if you hadn't jumped." He mewed his piercing ywllo gaze still holding amusment.