Love is just a cloudy sky as far as I can see
⤝ ⥈ ⥈ ☁ ⥈ ⥈ ⤞
Strong, sunhigh sunshine warmed over the WindClan moor, turning the storm-slicked grass from the day before into a pliant floor. This moon he had taken over mentoring duties from Aspenberry, who was much distracted by her litter of new kits. He still warmed at the knowledge of their parentage and was very eager to see more of them, but first...
Training Fallpaw.
The thought stirred a complicated sense of responsibility in his chest. Fallpaw was no greenpaw anymore...he was in the final moon of his apprenticeship, and Cloudflare had watched him grow from a clumsy foundling into a capable young cat. He wasn’t taking over Aspenberry’s role lightly. And he had organized them both for sunhigh patrol today.
His tail flicked once behind him, thoughtful but resolute.
"Fallpaw, how are you holding up?" He meowed towards his patrol-mate. He considered planning the venture; tracking, sparring, hunting techniques, and a final push of endurance racing on the hills...but wanted to take it slow first, to consider the young cat's thoughts about it all. About his life in WindClan.
The sun was pleasant on his fur. There was plenty of WindClan territory and oppertunity ahead of them.
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Senior Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
Tangleloon, ♂ Whimsical Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
Rimekit, ♀ Rowdy kit
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Senior Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherpaw, ♀ Sincere Apprentice
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Duskpaw, ♂ Opportunistic Apprentice
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Visionary Feral
Montgomery (Monty), ♂ Sentimental Semi-Feral
Fallpaw padded alongside Cloudflare. He was grateful that at this point his legs had grown enough to not need to bound to keep up with adults so much anymore. He wasn't exactly sure what to think about Cloudflare; the warrior was so outgoing and ready to get stuff done. Not that that was a bad thing, but Fallpaw himself felt a bit more resigned.
His dark brown ears perked as his new stand-in mentor asked a question, and he held his head thoughtfully in his most mature posture. "I'm doing fine," he replied. "Kind of disappointed Aspenberry won't finish off my training. I mean, I'm happy for her, but she couldn't have waited a couple more moons to have kits?" He glanced at the older tom, hoping his humor came through his tone.
Love is just a cloudy sky as far as I can see
⤝ ⥈ ⥈ ☁ ⥈ ⥈ ⤞
Cloudflare let out a short, amused breath, his whiskers twitching at the apprentice’s dry comment. It was the kind of tone he could appreciate. His copper eyes flicked to Fallpaw with a glint of approval. "Those kits were born healthy and strong, so that's good."
He paused a beat, then added with a half grin. "But I get it. If I were in your paws, I’d feel the same. When you start something with a mentor, you want to finish it with them." He stretched his forelimbs forward into a deep, slow arch before straightening again, tail flicking lightly behind him.
"But hey - doesn’t mean you’re getting shortpawed. I’m not here to walk you to your ceremony and call it a day." His gaze sharpened slightly. "We’re going to make sure that when you stand before the Clan, no one questions your place among the warriors...So. You’re doing fine, you say. Let’s test that. What’s your strongest skill right now?" He tilted his head, tone curious but not demanding. "And more importantly - what still trips you up?" He had some idea from Aspenberry herself, but it was very important he got his input.
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Senior Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
Tangleloon, ♂ Whimsical Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
Rimekit, ♀ Rowdy kit
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Senior Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherpaw, ♀ Sincere Apprentice
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Duskpaw, ♂ Opportunistic Apprentice
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Visionary Feral
Montgomery (Monty), ♂ Sentimental Semi-Feral
“Hmm…” Strongest skill. Fallpaw didn't quite know how to answer. “Well, I'm fast…pretty decent at chasing down prey. And…I guess I could be better at battle stuff. Maybe just because I’ve never been in a real one.” He swallowed his nervousness, not exactly loving the idea of having to throw himself into a fight, even if it was far in the future. Suppose being a warrior meant being able to, though, he thought. But, with the bloody deaths recently, it’d probably be smarter to be more prepared.
Love is just a cloudy sky as far as I can see
⤝ ⥈ ⥈ ☁ ⥈ ⥈ ⤞
Cloudflare respected the honesty. "Speed’s no small thing in WindClan..." He said after a thoughtful pause, voice steady. "If you can outpace your prey, that’s a huge edge."
He gave Fallpaw a small nod, one that conveyed more approval than his words alone. "Not having real battle experience isn’t a flaw. It’s a reality. We train for it, hope it never comes to that - but if it does, you need to be able to trust your paws and your instincts."
His tail flicked through the grass, considering how best to proceed. "We’ll work on it. I’ll show you what a real fight feels like - without the claws, for now. Come on. There’s a slope not far from here, good cover and some soft ground for sparring. Let’s see how you move."
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Senior Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
Tangleloon, ♂ Whimsical Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
Rimekit, ♀ Rowdy kit
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Senior Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherpaw, ♀ Sincere Apprentice
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Duskpaw, ♂ Opportunistic Apprentice
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Visionary Feral
Montgomery (Monty), ♂ Sentimental Semi-Feral
Fallpaw couldn’t hold back a sigh. He knew if he’d mentioned lacking skills in combat, he’d have to do more battle training. Couldn’t be helped, he supposed. Without much comment, or enthusiasm, he followed his new mentor towards the grassy slope.
Love is just a cloudy sky as far as I can see
⤝ ⥈ ⥈ ☁ ⥈ ⥈ ⤞
Cloudflare heard the sigh loud and clear. He didn’t call Fallpaw out on it as they padded toward the slope, grass brushing their legs and the sun beating gently on their backs. But he wasn’t going to let the mood stay heavy either.
Once they reached the slope and the ground leveled out a little, he turned, giving the younger tom a sideways glance, eyes glinting with a touch of mischief. "Alright." He planted his paws firmly. "Tell you what. You manage to land a clean hit on me, and we do whatever you want next. Training or otherwise." His grin widened just enough to show he was enjoying this. It could even be...take a nap, or...stare at clouds.
He crouched slightly, tail tip flicking. "But fair warning I don’t go easy when a deal’s on the line."
His tone was playful, but the challenge in his stance was real. It wasn’t about pushing Fallpaw harder than he could handle. It was about giving him something to aim for and a reason to try. Cloudflare wasn’t interested in making battle training a chore. He wanted to see what the apprentice would do when given a stake in the fight.
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Senior Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
Tangleloon, ♂ Whimsical Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
Rimekit, ♀ Rowdy kit
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Senior Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherpaw, ♀ Sincere Apprentice
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Duskpaw, ♂ Opportunistic Apprentice
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Visionary Feral
Montgomery (Monty), ♂ Sentimental Semi-Feral
Fallpaw tossed the idea around in his head for a moment. A clean hit on a seasoned warrior who'd already mentored another cat before. Fun. He gave a good-natured chuckle. "Sounds fair enough."
He got into his stance, accepting the challenge. Carefully, he began to pace, making use of his speed. It only took a few moments before he decided to launch himself at an opening, aiming to land a blow on Cloudflare from the side.
Love is just a cloudy sky as far as I can see
⤝ ⥈ ⥈ ☁ ⥈ ⥈ ⤞
Cloudflare’s eyes tracked Fallpaw’s movement with the quiet patience of a hawk. He didn’t move immediately and just let the apprentice circle, his copper eyes half lidded as if relaxed. But his muscles were ready beneath his sleek pelt, coiled beneath the surface like a spring.
As Fallpaw launched forward, fast and confident, Cloudflare pivoted sharply on his hind legs. The apprentice’s paw grazed one - maybe two hairs, just enough to ruffle fur but not quite enough to count.
"Close!" Cloudflare called, his voice bright with challenge. Instead of pressing the advantage, he sprang away and landed lightly a few tail lengths off, flicking his tail in invitation. "Try again."
Fallpaw wasn’t hesitating. And for a first strike, it was bold and clean. That was something to build on.
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Senior Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
Tangleloon, ♂ Whimsical Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
Rimekit, ♀ Rowdy kit
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Senior Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherpaw, ♀ Sincere Apprentice
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Duskpaw, ♂ Opportunistic Apprentice
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Visionary Feral
Montgomery (Monty), ♂ Sentimental Semi-Feral
