guilty by [ASSOCIATION] *cherryhail

[Dawn]

YOU'RE AN OUTCAST, ALWAYS UNDER ATTACK, ALWAYS COMING IN LAST

|| Bad repuations are hard to live down ;; I'll always be guilty by association ||

Several moons had passed since his clan, Tempestclan, had fought against Celestialclan. It was all because of him; because he had murdered a Celestialclan warrior, Jaspersun, in cold blood. It was nothing more than a border scuffle between two cats; Jaspersun was as much to blame for his own death, having picked the wrong fight to lose, as Hailghost was for dealing the killing blow. It takes two to start a war; but it takes a good many more to finally end it. While Tempestclan and Celestialclan were at rest now, and most of it had blown over, tensions were still high between the neighboring clans. And why shouldn't they be? Voidstar had chosen not to outcast Hailghost, and not only this, but he was harboring another murderer, the infamous Shard. Many cats from within the clan, in fact, weren't too happy about this. Hailghost snorted; Tempestclan was full of murderers. Guilty by association, that's what it was, sure. But what cat could deny having stained their paws at least once? Not himself, not 'Blackshard,' surely not his own brother, Owlscreech, and what of the great and fair Voidstar? He read Dreamfeather like no other cat, and yet it was her that was always reading him the riot act. GUILTY. They were all guilty, and Hailghost was as sure of it as he was of his own piercing sanity.

Today wasn't a day he felt like being alone with his own mind. It was, essentially, a very noisy place to be. Thinking about past battles was not at the top of his list. Hailghost felt his triple notched ear burn, intensely aware of its tattered edges. The Celestialclan leader, Hallowstar, had caught him with a lucky blow, which had brought out a vengeful end. Several of the Celestialclan apprentices had ganged up on him, as two young females had witnessed the killing of their clanmate. At that point he was already weakened by the leader's attack, and from defending his apprentice, and took a heavy hit to his shoulder, which had become just about as infected as a damned rat bite. Now that he was healed up, though, he was none the worse except for having sacrificed some of his good looks; his hearing remained unaffected. Hailghost was better off than some, and was in no position to be dwelling on his notched ear. Indeed, it was time to find Cherrypaw. Today would be a day for battle training.

Snow blanketed the ground, a sparkling white cloak spread over the forest. Hailghost knew his apprentice wouldn't mind, even if she did happen to complain; she was hungry for experience, and he was equally hungry to teach all he could to her. The clans were at peace now, but it was very tentative, he felt, and it wouldn't do to be huddling together for warmth during the cold moons. No, whirling and swiping and clawing would warm a warrior's blood just as well, and when the next battle came, would keep the snow from being tainted red with the blood of apprentices. Hailghost was hard on Cherrypaw, but he found that he felt a growing protection for her, the rogue kit. He was always noticing her growth as the moon swelled and ebbed, and to see her ribs show in leafbare wouldn't do; the muscular gray tom would sooner give up his own kill to keep her strong. It was important to have enough food to feed the clan now; the abundance of youth was unfortunate, making up nearly half of the clan. Hailghost wondered if Voidstar was now regretting his decision to take in so many mouths to feed; Shard, his three daughters, and the two rogue kits he brought along with him.

The snow was hardened overnight from being so wet when it fell, and as Hailghost walked across it, his pink pads stinging, it did not break. His trek through the morning air was silent, grey paws leaving only their prints on the snow's surface as he headed for the area where the apprentices slept. It was a cold dawn, and no one else was out yet, evident by his prints being the only ones circling the tree. Upon seeing the curled ball of faded calico fur, he couldn't help but grin slightly, one notched ear pressed back with the movement. Hailghost almost felt bad to wake her, but it couldn't be avoided; he was determined to get her battle fit by newleaf. "Cherrypaw." The long furred gray tom nudged his apprentice once or twice, then, slightly unnerved by his earlier protective feelings, turned and headed toward the fresh kill pile. It was rather bare; if he saw anything while they were out it might be good to stop and catch it. Training was important, but feeding the clan was his first priority.

WORD COUNT: 806 TAGGED: CHERRYPAW (minty) ONLY NOTES: yay, fatherly feelings in mean old hailghost! (x

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[MiNTY♥]

never been so used as i'm using you, abusing you, my little decoy

As she looked around her the forest was a huge expanse, blanketed with glittering snow. She was simply a small being in the middle of it all and after a while she was beginning to wonder if she was the only living thing. Pausing as she took a moment to recall her hunting skills, she stood deathly still listening for the smallest noise but there was nothing. Leaping forward she tried to locate the direction of the wind so she could scent for prey, but there was no wind. No sharp, bitter air biting her pads and crawling up her limbs. Tensing she tried to grip the ice with her claws in a panic. That was when she began to feel she was sliding and the ground fell away from her. Suddenly everything became white as if she was under a pile of snow, ahead of her there was an empty nothingness. Beginning to run she continued to run but there was the same empty space ahead of her no matter how far she ran, eventually falling to the ground panting before opening her eyes to see a dimly lit den and her name being called. Seeing the squirrel-like tail that belonged to Hailghost disappear out of the entrance to her den she shivered from her dream and jumped to her paws racing out after her mentor so she didn’t keep him waiting forgetting to pick the clumps of moss from her pelt.

The central area of camp was covered in a thin layer of ice that sparkled when the light caught it, a beautiful sight nonetheless but the sharp pain she felt on her pads was like standing on a pinecone. At first she flinched at the touch but forced herself to forget about it. Quickly padding across camp on her dainty paws she stood by Hailghost looking up at him. He was at least a head taller than her in size, although maybe his fur made him appear to stand even taller than she. Seeing the fresh kill pile her eyes narrowed a couple of scraps of basically frozen fresh kill. Even though she was hungry the thought of crunching through that was not an appealing one. She had always been a lean cat but with so little food to go around she was one of the thinnest in the clan, even though none of them were particularly well fed. Even when she did eat she felt guilty for doing so because of the other cats in the clan that had to be fed. On one hand it was harder dealing with winter in a clan because there were more mouths to feed but on the other hand it was better because everyone looked out for one another, at least that’s what they had you believe. Something told her that not every cat was looking out for her in return for her working hard to hunt for them. Despite this there was the odd cat in Tempestclan that had potential to get along with her so it wasn’t a lost cause.

”Whats up Hailghost?” She asked he older tom with a flick of her tail. Quickly glancing over his pelt she was slightly envious at his long coat that would keep him warmer than she in the winter. If only she had a coat more like her siblings, one that was thick and fluffy. Aspenpaw was a stupid asshole. Realising she was lashing her tail at the thought she stopped and stood straight. She didn’t want to let Hailghost see her behaving like a total idiot, occasionally she slipped up which was acceptable because she was still young but at the same time she wanted to be taken seriously. She also wanted to be great and strong and that wouldn’t happen without a lot of training from Hailghost. She could sense that not every cat accepted him after the incident with Celestialclan but it didn’t bother her in the slightest as she knew her heritage was most likely worse. Cherrypaw felt what the warrior had done proved he was not just a pushover but that’s not to say she was a fan of killing just because you could, she was a clan cat now and she had to live with that.

words || 713
notes|| baw :3

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[Dawn]

YOU'RE AN OUTCAST, ALWAYS UNDER ATTACK, ALWAYS COMING IN LAST

He had never paused to consider how Cherrypaw might feel, not before this. She was the apprentice to a murderer. How could that make her feel? Of course, he had already been a murderer, long before she was born, and long before she was chosen as his to mentor. Did she feel like she'd gotten the short end of the stick, Voidstar choosing an outcast in the clan like himself as her mentor? Perhaps if Cherrypaw had been assigned to someone more popular, Flamestripe, or Moonbeam even, she would become more widely accepted. But then, to be taught by younger, less experienced warriors, she would likely be wasting her potential. He wasn't going to brag; He wasn't the strongest or the best fighter in the clan. But he was strong, and he had an eye for talent not possessed by many. He would make certain that Cherrypaw was trained to her full extent. Besides, he doubted she cared much about popularity. Hailghost didn't know who her parents had been; and like his clanmates, but for different reasons, he didn't care! The clan didn't seem to bother because, in public opinion, Cherrypaw was brought to the clan by filth, by Shard, and therefore she was as good as offspring of his anyway. He didn't care, because, despite being siblings with the deputy, Dreamfeather, he wasn't just bursting full of pride about his full blood status. In a clan led by a tom that was most parts rogue anyway, what was it to be proud of, that you were different than him? And anyway, I couldn't give a flying squirrel tail whose parents are whose. There's pure blood warriors that are weak cowards, and then there's rogues worth twice their blood!

Hailghost rarely did that, thought about how others perceived him as he just had with Cherrypaw. In short, he just didn't give a damn. For example, his warm, thick fur; it was not the most well taken care of, one might say. But what of it? He lived in the forest, not with flaming twolegs! Every now and then he might catch the disturbed look other cats gave him, as though they believed he was some sort of walking flea pelt. Oh, but he didn't care. It was all the better if his clanmates found him 'dirty' and 'disheveled.' For that matter, it was the best plan, because then they'd stay away from him, and he wouldn't have to shred their ears over their annoying, whiny complaints. The big gray tom had noticed his apprentice's brief inspection, and in return, he took in her lashing tail. He was about to ask what was disturbing her, glancing calmly over his shoulder, when she abruptly straightened up. That brought a glint of humor to his cold amber eyes, though the smile of earlier didn't return. What's up Hailghost?

Cutting to the chase. He liked that. "Battle training." Hailghost glanced again at the fresh kill pile, then back at his apprentice. In the few minutes since he'd last looked, it hadn't magically been restocked by warriors up early for the good of the clan. Worthless, lazy lumps. Probably all asleep still, while we're out in the snow, making progress! "I can't imagine you'll want to, but, to be fair..." He snorted. There he was considering the opinions of others again. Fair, ha! Still, she was one of the older apprentices now that Blackshard's kits had been apprenticed and Splashpaw made a warrior, and she probably would have normally been assigned to hunt for the clan anyway. At least this way Cherrypaw was learning something while they were at it. "Do you want to eat now, or hunt on the way? Regardless, we need to hunt anyway."

WORD COUNT: 622 TAGGED: CHERRYPAW (minty) ONLY NOTES: A little short this time but oh well. n_n

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[MiNTY♥]

never been so used as i'm using you, abusing you, my little decoy

Without meaning to the young female found herself considering what sort of thoughts would be going through her mentors head when he had decided to murder Jaspersun. It was a tossup between him taking a crazy turn and lashing out where he could or him being a natural killer of his own kind. However, looking at him made her reluctant to choose between the two because he did not actually fall into either category. Certainly the other clans would judge him and class him as some kind of dangerous murderer but that was not how he appeared in her eyes. Having spent time with the tom over the past couple of moons during training sessions she did not feel he was murderous, although he was formidable. Maybe one day some mouse-brain would push her buttons and as a result it would be off with their head and maybe then she would understand but for now she was concerning herself with the skill that Hailghost had to achieve such a thing. From the battle she had found their opponents to be a considerable challenge, well at her skill level anyway, so if that warrior he had killed had been as skilled then that would make her mentor better. Somewhere down the line that would also make her better and she would fight hard for that to happen. Inside her was a burning passion to be able to make fear pulse through the veins of other cats just at the sound of her voice.

“Aw really...I thought I saw the sky up there.” She retorted as she looked up at the daylight filtering through the cracks in the trunk overhead. With her little sarcastic comment she felt a bit more refreshed and ready to answer to anything that was out there waiting for her. She always found herself being abnormally friendly just after she woke up and just before she fell asleep and was totally off her game. If she was to be better than everyone then she had to be on top of her game all the time. As Hailghost seemed to be pondering over something she sat down and began to pick little strands of moss from her pelt and dropped them in a small pile on the ground next to her. Following that she groomed her pelt in the opposite direction to keep herself warm while she was stationary. Running a paw over the small pile of moss it was rolled into a neat ball which she could easily dispose of when the time came. Cherrypaw was at times a little set on things being neat and tidy but she tried her best not to make her strange trait known, after all she didn’t want others knowing something that got on her nerves.

Eventually Hailghost had decided upon asking her opinion of the matter, this made her feel a little warm inside that a far more experienced cat would consider her opinion but she took it in her stride. Taking a moment to look at the prey a frown fell upon her maw. ”I don’t fancy breaking my fangs on that, those who are lazy will get what they deserve, and we shall get something still slightly warm and squishy.” She replied. It was true that the clan should be fed before herself and she had heard that rule countless times but Hailghost didn’t seem to be enforcing it and she was happy to take advantage of that. At the same time she had a habit of telling the truth even if it was the wrong thing to say, but there was no reason for her to sink to the standards of others. Being a young cat she was still learning but at times she felt like the answer was obvious and that those older than her couldn’t seem to see that. Being good was not top of her priority list, making herself stronger was and she would accept anything she had to deal with to get there. While her mentor wasn’t enforcing the rules too strictly she considered whether or not the other mentors would since it did not take long to get the idea that Tempestclan weren’t ones for sticking rigidly to the rules. The young female could not think of a clan where she would fit in better.

words || 722
notes|| oh I think she will be a fun character XP

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[Dawn]

YOU'RE AN OUTCAST, ALWAYS UNDER ATTACK, ALWAYS COMING IN LAST

At her sarcastic comment, I thought I saw the sky up there, Hailghost rolled his eyes, giving a lash of his tail. Cherrypaw did have spunk. He had decided that as soon as she was named his apprentice. Did Voidstar have anything in mind when he chose me, so many moons ago? After all, he had been told by the leader that the diluted calico would be his when she was still a rather young kit, Cherrykit; before the clan regarded him as a murderer. Her brother, Aspenpaw, was assigned to Longshadow. Of course, all of this has NOTHING whatsoever to do with the task at present. The gray tom blew out a sigh, and looked the young female over again. He supposed his thinking on so many matters was just a way to distract him from what was to come. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy training his apprentice, as well one could. But it was a task he could take little pleasure in, as it was usually completely serious, regarded as so by both mentor and apprentice. She doesn't complain, but doesn't she ever get tired of the same thing? He decided that, if he saw the chance, he'd try to change up the training session of this day. It was the least he could do, making her get up in leafbare at dawn. Oh, curse it! Little by little, she was softening him. He had started off their training curious about her, but equally glad to work her hard and train without mercy. Now he found himself looking out for her, almost- almost as one might- Hailghost turned his head away, muttered a curse beneath his breath, and then straightened. There would be no more dwelling on such things!

Stormy gray tail lashing still, sending the soft, powdery top layer of snow flying about, Hailghost considered that he didn't stop the show of inner frustration, as Cherrypaw had. He didn't much care about anyone's good opinions. He was, however, very pleased by her response. "Indeed, the lazy will get what they deserve..." Murmured he, impressed. At her mention of getting something 'still slightly warm and squishy' he couldn't help but chuckle, already turning toward the camp exit. "Well, let's get moving then." He thought of something, and turned back for a moment, pausing, to look at her with glinting amber lights. "We'll hunt for the clan after training, too. We can leave your brother to care for the elders today." With that last comment he bounded off, wasting no time in leaving camp behind. A smirk rested upon his maw, and though he'd scarcely admit it, the warrior was enjoying the snow flying up from beneath his big paws. Outside of camp, the covering of trees had prevented all of the white blanket from hardening up with rainfall, and thus it was still soft in some places, and mushy in others, turning to slush and mud. In these watery areas it was cold, but the movement kept him from minding much, as he headed for an open place in the wide fen that both cats knew well. It was the area they usually trained in; Hailghost fancied it, for there were few rocks or bushes to get in the way, and during greenleaf, tall grass covered the area, providing cover for stalking and hunting practice. It was where his own mentor had taught him, many moons ago.

WORD COUNT: 569 TAGGED: CHERRYPAW (minty) ONLY NOTES: You can play them out reaching the area, unless of course Cherry gets left behind or whatever you decide. xD Haha. But yeah if all goes well, reaching the area. Quite short again, I'm afraid. D;

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[MiNTY♥]

never been so used as i'm using you, abusing you, my little decoy

Seeing the older tom cat lash his tail she wondered what on earth he had to be frustrated about but decided that he must have been having some sort of inner debate since she clearly had done nothing wrong. It was simply a fact that the sky was up and if he didn’t like it then that was his problem. One thing was for sure, if she had angered him then she wasn’t planning on changing her personality any time soon and that Hailghost would just have to deal with it like a big boy. She was interested in learning how to hunt and fight – not how to please others. She was more the type to stir things up a bit and upset others; everything was more interesting that way. Although Shard was not her father and never would be she remembered one thing that he had told her a few times when they had occasionally talked. You can’t make everyone love you, but you can make them fear you; although the she-cat was not planning on using death to get to that position.

When the stormy grey tom agreed with her comment she smirked and a small glint of pleasure flickered across her eyes like a flame which was still present as she met the gaze of her mentor. At that moment she felt as if she had a connection with him and that they both had a similar line of thought that led him to be a good match for her battle coach. Quickly realising how ridiculous she sounded she snorted and trotted by Hailghost, heading out into the territory. No doubt that little fuzz-ball, Rift, would be fuming at her later that day for leaving him to do all the hard work for himself but on the other hand she had her own hard work to take care of. ”Ok, I suppose that is fair but I don’t know how much we will find, I heard the elders arguing over the lack of prey before sun down.” She replied.

Pausing, she let her mentor exit the camp first before darting after him and matching his step as best as she could. She couldn’t help but notice that more than two of his steps were the same as one of her own tiny ones, but she had the advantage of being small and fast. Kicking off with her hind legs she bounded a little ahead of her mentor, being careful to watch her footing so she didn’t slide on the ice although having claws to grip the forest floor with did help considerably. Reaching the clearing where she normally trained she looked for Hailghost and locating him she smirked. ”Got anything good to teach me today oldie?” She purred while smiling in a teasing manner.

words || 467
notes|| my post length will start to get a bit shorter so I can keep up with posting (: sorry for that but I don't have a lot of time.

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[Dawn]

YOU'RE AN OUTCAST, ALWAYS UNDER ATTACK, ALWAYS COMING IN LAST

Her last words echoing in his mind, Hailghost considered carefully what the best place to hunt would be as he ran. His line of thought went something like this: Somewhere in the fen...? Best to stay away from camp, prey will be especially wary in this season... Perhaps we should try the shore, Dreamfeather's patrol has been in the fen the last few times... If we get really desperate, we can try the grove. Lots of walking, but the exercise is good for Cherrypaw anyway... Yes, around the shore first, then to the grove if we aren't successful. He would've never said so much aloud, but his rambling thoughts kept him occupied on the way over. So much so, in fact, that he hardly noticed when Cherrypaw passed him on nimble calico paws, enjoying the chance to show up her heavyset mentor. Powerful legs made him a strong runner, but he was no Zephyrclan warrior, what with his Tempestclan build. He also didn't pause to consider much that they were thinking of hunting on the way; more recent in his thoughts was hunting after training, particularly for the elders, and so he had decided they would also eat after their match. He would probably allow his apprentice to eat first; it all depended, in Hailghost's mind, on how much effort she put into their session.

Messy gray fur puffed up from the run, which seemed to have been against a chilling wind, Hailghost reached the clearing a little behind Cherrypaw. He gave himself a furious shake, the closest to being annoyed with his disheveled appearance that he came, and then glanced about. The clearing was snowy, but was mostly dry, and the snow was quite thin in some places. He swept at the top layer with his plume-like tail, and found a place of bare ground to sit. Only then, when he was properly accustomed to his familiar surroundings, did he cast a dark amber eye on his apprentice. Her teasing question brought a rough grin to his maw. Had he been a more stern mentor, he might have pointed out that anything he had to teach was surely important. He didn't waste time teaching the 'paws about 'the warrior code' and 'starclan' and all of that such nonsense. It was important to know, but they would hear about it from others just as well. His training put special emphasis on fighting, but he paid just as much attention to hunting and tracking, though he wasn't as adept with them. Hailghost, feeling strengthened by his escalated heartbeat, was ready for a spar or two. "The other day I started teaching you the leap and hold, I believe." He paused with an irritable snort, "Before Dreamfeather had the apprentices back repairing things around camp..." Thinks there's a battle coming, she does. He wasted little time on annoyance for his sister, however. "As you'll remember, the leap and hold is to your advantage against larger warriors. I'll now proceed to lecture you about it. Go ahead and see if you know it well enough to stop me, with moves of your choice in succession." After that particular lengthy sentence, he smirked and continued to ramble about the uses of the move, absently, for he didn't expect her to sit around and listen to it for long. If she had been paying attention yesterday, she'd know it well enough now to stop his lecture.

WORD COUNT: 571 TAGGED: CHERRYPAW (minty) ONLY NOTES: it's okay, i'm thinking that's a good idea for me too. hailghost has interesting ideas on training. xD like the 'get your mentor to shut up' method.

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[MiNTY♥]

never been so used as i'm using you, abusing you, my little decoy

The question she had asked the older warrior had been genuine at the same time as it had been teasing because she was eager to learn more. The fact that Hailghost wanted to train her and teach her plenty of battle moves put him in her good books because she wanted to be a good warrior that nobody would mess with if they had their head screwed on correctly. It had been a very short period of time that she and her sibling had spent with their parents but she could tell that they were powerful and respected fighters from that short time and despite the fact she was lithe she wanted to have the respect that they had from their peers. As these thoughts circulated through her head she wondered what the rest of the clan thought of her mentor, Hailghost, considering he had murdered a cat. It wasn’t as if it was like Tempestclan to be soft or frown upon killing and she was sure that plenty of the warriors around had killed before so she didn’t see why any of them would want to turn their backs on Hailghost and she hoped that they wouldn’t. In her young eyes he was a very powerful tom and she respected him more than anyone else at the present. Though she supposed he didn’t care for her opinion or anyone else’s.

His voice brought her back from her thoughts that she had gotten lost in and she sat at attention picking up on a couple of things as he spoke to her. Her little mind was curious about his relationship with Dreamfeather, but she did not get the impression from him that he was a family-man and it was certainly out of place for her to ask him about it although maybe one day she would pluck up the courage. ”Yeah I don’t really like fetching twigs and sticking them in the walls I mean we could send the kits to do that job.” She replied. A rush of hot air left her maw as she pretended to listen to what he said after that, as if she didn’t know half of this stuff. When you got rid of all the rubbish Hailghost was rambling on about you simply used it if your opponent was larger and their back was not being guarded. Something told her she would be using this move a lot in her future so she had better get good at it and use it effectively. Maybe it would even become her signature move. Whatever it would be to her a penny suddenly dropped from within and she considered her best way to complete the attack as quickly as possible.

Hailghost didn’t seem to be paying too much attention to what he was saying but she figured if she started tip-toeing off to the side for her attack he would notice rather quickly. As if looking at the bird above that sat chirping in the tree she took a few steps so she was side on to the larger tom and using the power of her back legs, darted forward and flew at the tom, with her claws unsheathed but only to get a grip in his thick fur coat.

words// 543
notes// aww they work so well together.

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[Dawn]

YOU'RE AN OUTCAST, ALWAYS UNDER ATTACK, ALWAYS COMING IN LAST

|| Bad repuations are hard to live down ;; I'll always be guilty by association ||

"The leap and hold is quite useful for a smaller cat, like yourself, to know..." Hailghost was chatting idly, in a manner that he never would have really done. He wasn't aiming to teach her something with his words, however, but more making battle training interesting. As an apprentice, there were many times when he longed to shut up his mentor's rambling in such a way, by simply demonstrating the move. Now that he was the mentor, he was glad to employ such techniques. "Of course, it's generally best to use in partner fighting for an apprentice, but when you're a full grown warrior, you should be able to take on a cat of my size using it completely on your own." The large gray tom-cat was watching a bird, twittering high above their heads. It was foolish, rocking back and forth on the branches overhead, as though it hadn't the slightest clue that cats were down below. If it was still there after they'd finished training, Hailghost would be sure to make it their first catch. The stupid and the weak, after all, were natural prey to the strong and the intelligent. That was why, in Tempestclan territory, the cats were the main predators. Their strength and cleverness made up for what they tended to lack in speed and swiftness. Cherrypaw will have the best of both- she's slim, but being brought up in our clan has made her strong bodied. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, tail tip twitching as he lectured. She's clever, too... But she also seems to know to take her time.

"Once you've got a few other good moves learned, then this could very well become the best-" He was cut off as his apprentice flew at him, and as his amber eyes flashed in that direction, he glimpsed her claws, outstretched. Hailghost rarely reminded Cherrypaw to keep her claws sheathed while training. It wasn't high in his priorities; the fight was, in fact, a bit more fun for both of them with greater risk, but he also tried to keep his methods orthodox. Before he knew it, his apprentice had landed on his back, and had a good hold there. He admired her speed, but privately. Now was not the time to be dishing out compliments. "Good. Now that you've got a hold, however, it's likely that the warrior will roll over and crush you against the ground. There's pretty much no avoiding this, so you'll have to strike fast and hard before your opponent can get a chance to knock you off." He flicked his gray tipped ears. "If this were a real battle, the first place you'd want to strike would be the ears." He had reminded her not to actually slash up his ears, as they'd already taken enough damage, and he didn't need any more notches. "If you can get there fast enough, you might also try slashing at the face."

Hailghost proceeded to push his weight upward in one quick movement, so that his apprentice lost her grip and was thrown off. He cast a wry, half smile at Cherrypaw. "Anyway, that's enough on that right now. If listening to me ramble has been as tiring for you as it has for me, then you'll be wanting to hunt for a while?" Spontaneously, he had decided to pause the battle training, at least for a while. Hailghost's stomach was growling to him, louder than any Vertigoclan warrior clinging to his back. He was ready to stop and seek something to ease his hunger pains for a bit. Also, the sun was already high in the sky, and he imagined it was about time to find something to bring back to the elders, and for the medicine cat, Ashenflight, as well.


WORD COUNT: 635 TAGGED: CHERRYPAW (minty) ONLY NOTES: whoo, hunting time, and maybe a bit of questioning from cherry to hail, if she wants? just so there's still a little talking going on, maybe when they're on their way back to camp and in between stalking and stuff. :D

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[MiNTY♥]

never been so used as i'm using you, abusing you, my little decoy

After executing her carefully planned move she dug her claws into the warriors pelt, but not far enough for her to actually pierce his skin. Being on top of such a powerful warrior gave her a warm feeling inside and made her feel stronger than ever. It even made her feel a little hopeful, then again she knew she was one to be watched because at a later date she would come back and kick your ass if you did her any harm now. No matter what anyone said she was, and would always be, Karma. The moment couldn’t last forever and she was sent off balance by the large tom moving underneath her. Releasing her grip on the tom she sprung away from him and landed neatly a few fox-lengths away as she took the time to shake out her pelt and groom it so it lay flat again. ”Yes I suppose it is about time to hunt.” She replied, although inwardly she wished they could go on battle training all day long. Although she quickly decided on making the session last a little longer by questioning him on what he had been telling her. She felt that while trying to balance on top of him was not the best moment to strike up a conversation.

”Oh I can’t understand why my fellow apprentices are reluctant to fight alongside me.” She announced in a sort of oh-woe, poor me tone. However, at the same time she was being thickly sarcastic and generally couldn’t care much for any of them. ”Where are we going then?” She asked out of the blue not sure of which general direction to start off in. Maybe he was intending for her to lead the way or maybe he already had a spot picked out. She hoped the latter as she wasn’t totally sure of all the good hunting places, especially when they were covered in a thick layer of snow.

”So while I am on top of the warrior it’s better to bite their ears rather than use my claws right so I don’t lose my balance and fall over?” She asked trying to use her brains to work out the best way to go about this sort of attack, and hoping to impress the older tom with her logic. ”And maybe just before I jump away from them I could get their face with my claws at the last moment?” She asked. At all these questions she began to shudder a little inwardly. She was beginning to sound like a medicine cat apprentice but they were perfectly reasonable questions and she was sure no other apprentice would be asking them. ”Although if I used it on a smaller cat then they would just get flattened underneath me and topple over giving me an advantage, I could give them a quick blow and send them running back to their camp with fear pulsing through their veins. Despite the fact I don’t think many others will be overly smaller than me.” She meowed, generally just thinking out loud as she waited for her mentor to make his mind up.

words// 524
notes// yeah maybe she could while she is in her question asking mood, maybe it could just sort of slip out?

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[Dawn]

YOU'RE AN OUTCAST, ALWAYS UNDER ATTACK, ALWAYS COMING IN LAST

|| Bad repuations are hard to live down ;; I'll always be guilty by association ||

”Yes I suppose it is about time to hunt.” Hailghost loved how his apprentice always seemed so focused. He rarely saw her bouncing about like an idiot, as surely her younger denmates, Martenpaw, Brazenpaw, and Secretpaw, must do. He imagined that one of said she-cats would be likely to land in a heap when he surprised them by tossing them off; but his apprentice, Cherrypaw, did not. Instead she stood gracefully, without giving off a yelp, simply grooming her fur. He didn't put all that much stock in such things, but he couldn't expect a young she-cat to be the same as himself, a weathered tom, so he waited patiently. Hailghost listened in silence when she spoke of her 'fellow apprentices,' a faint smile cracking his distant expression. Only when she meowed, ”Where are we going then?” did he shift, give his fur a brief shake, and consider, as he had on the run here. "The shore, to start with." He replied, having already given some thought to the matter. "Have you hunted there yet?" Of course he planned to poke around in the grove if they were unlucky there, but he didn't say as much. Cherrypaw had no use for that knowledge, not right at that moment. Besides, she had begun to question him, and he decided that any time he was speaking was simply depriving her from the time to ask questions about battle training. Hailghost wasn't the most clever cat in the forest, but he knew his share about fighting, and he was glad to be asked things that he could answer quite easily. Even so, it was interesting, as he listened to his apprentice, how the young saw techniques when compared to the old. Every generation had something to teach, he supposed.

”So while I am on top of the warrior it’s better to bite their ears rather than use my claws right so I don’t lose my balance and fall over?” The warrior's amber eyes drifted to her, as always finding something to be impressed about with her intelligence. He didn't vocalize this, however. "Correct. Though some cats can manage to do either. The key thing is to do as much damage as you can as quickly as you can- before you get thrown off." He turned and began to pad through the dry winter foliage, heading toward the shoreline. He was distracted, momentarily, as they shifted through the trees. Maybe I should work on climbing with Cherrypaw, soon. Granted the Tempestclan cats lived in a large tree, but some cats made their dens lower to the ground than others, and climbing was a necessity when it came to escape. He wanted his apprentice to be a confident climber, for this reason, and in case he decided to teach her fighting moves that involved their environment later on. ”And maybe just before I jump away from them I could get their face with my claws at the last moment?” The long furred gray tom nodded, tasting the air to determine how close they were getting to the shore. He was purposely making his strides shorter, first so that she could keep up easily, and second so that she'd have time to ask questions. He glanced right, then left, trying to decide which way to go, while she continued talking, thinking aloud. "Despite the fact I don’t think many others will be overly smaller than me.” The warrior glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, amused. "If we're lucky, there won't be fighting in the next few moons. The clans are at 'peace' right now." He whisked his tail over her shoulders, having paused, to signal that they should continue walking. Taking the left, he leaped over an old, rotted out log. "Anyway, you'll grow, just wait." She was only eight or so moons old now. There was still plenty of time. Hailghost returned to gazing ahead, seeking a gap in the forestland. He thought that they were getting close now.

WORD COUNT: 667 TAGGED: CHERRYPAW (minty) ONLY NOTES: xD They're almost to the shore, so she can question him s'more, if she wants, and then in my next post I'll have them reach it.

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!