Let's Do Some Training! (Dragonstar + Darkpaw)

[~Night~]

Darkpaw

~Darkpaw padded into the grassy clearing where Darkchaos had taken her when she had first become his apprentice. She sat down in the middle of the clearing, her tail wrapped around her paws. She inhaled, and memories of her former mentor surrounded her. He had seemed confused by her enthusiasm. He had asked her to recite the warrior code. He had brushed it off when she had scented a loner in their territory. She would prove to darkchaos that she was the best warrior in Earthclan, or maybe in all the clans! She would work her hardest!~

[Ember]

Dragonstar padded into the clearing, head high. Darkpaw would be her last apprentice before she retired, so she wanted to shape the unfortunate apprentice into one of the best warriors the Clan had ever seen. "Good to see you awake," she said from behind the small cat, aware that she was downwind and therefore Darkpaw would not have heard or smelled her coming.

[~Night~]

Darkpaw

~Darkpaw heard her mentor's voice, and spun around, her eyes wide. She attempted to keep her expression hidden, but it didn't work so well. She sat up, and relaxed, flexing her claws excitedly. What would Dragonstar teach her? She shivered with excitement.~ What are we going to do today?

[Ember]

Dragonstar let a twinkle of amusement glimmer in her wise eyes as the -- no, her apprentice shivered with excitement. She might as well start off with fighting, since that would shape the rest of their training pattern. MoonClan and SunClan had been in an argument, or EarthClan's leader had thought, because of their behavior at the gathering. She didn't see any SunClan cats speak to any MoonClan cats, which bothered her. Of course, it wasn't supposed to be any of her business, but if the cause was not good enough, she would feel inclined to act. "Well, let's see what Darkchaos taught you, shall we? Attack me."

[~Night~]

Darkpaw

What Darkchaos taught me? To recite the warrior code. ~Darkpaw growled, think of her previous mentor feeling rsentful.~ Uhm.... Ok... to attack you... ~She padded two tail lengths from her leader. She looked down at her foreaws, wondering whether to attack her leader with them sheathed or unsheathed. In a real battle, she would use them unsheathed, no brainer, but this was training. With her mentor, who just so happened to be the leader of their clan! Sheathed. Then, she turned, and glancing at her leader, she leaped forward, giving barely any indication that she was aiming for her leader's throat area. She knew that was a prime target, and with dread, she realized her first mistake. Dragonstar would be most likely be quick to defend it.~

[Ember]

Dragonstar watched as Darkpaw prepared to fight. To her, it looked as though the apprentice had never fought before. Perhaps Darkchaos had been a bad idea as a mentor... ach. If all he taught this promising cat was the warrior code, perhaps it is best that he is not here right now... I wouldn't want to explain to a senior warrior how to properly train an apprentice, she thought to herself, before giving her head a quick shake. There was no time to dwell on that right now. Darkpaw deserved her mentor's total attention, and that was what Dragonstar was going to give her. Any less would seem as though she resented choosing to mentor an apprentice, which was something that she would not tolerate. After all, as she had often told herself, if she was to retire, she'd want to be remembered as a leader that was not only fit to command cats in battle, but also a caring mentor towards the next generation of leaders.

The ginger she-cat's interest spiked when Darkpaw leaped at her, aiming for Dragonstar's head, or more likely, her throat, but that presented no problem for an experienced leader like herself. Quickly suppressing a small chuckle, she decided that the best way to teach an inexperienced apprentice such as Darkpaw would be to passively thwart every attempt. That method would slowly infuriate the apprentice into doing things quickly and better, which was exactly what every mentor wanted. Thus, she calmly sidestepping out of the apprentice's path, and waited for the young cat to land. "Good idea, but you have to be faster. Your enemy can't be given time to think," she meowed.

[~Night~]

Darkpaw

Yes Dragonstar. ~Darkpaw answered obediently. She padded three tail lengths from her mentor, and turned, her eyes quickly choosing a place to aim for. With her claws still sheathed, she pushed off with her hind paws, trying for maximum speed. She looked at Dragonstar's throat again, aiming, then at the last second before she leaped, she changed her mind, and still looking at her mentor's throat, she leaped towards her mentor's back, hoping that she was going the way that her mentor would sidestep.~