Ask to Join Redpaw Greenhorn

Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night
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Palestar’s ears twitched at the sharp edge in Redpaw’s voice. She studied him for a long moment, taking in the way his paws shifted unevenly, his weight unsteady - not just his stance, but in his thoughts. After the gruesome aspects of Whisperingwind's death, he had every reason to be on guard.

"Yes." Came her usually simple responce. "But only if you focus."

She circled him slowly, her steps deliberate, testing. "Balance isn’t just about standing upright. You can’t protect anyone if you’re the one getting knocked down first."

Without warning, she lunged, not with enough force to bowl him over, but enough to see if he’d steady himself, stumble, or get out of the way. "Show me you’re grounded, Redpaw. Then we can share some protective techniques."

Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night
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Palestar watched him carefully, her expression unreadable as he scrambled up, fur bristling and claws digging into the snow. She didn't move to attack again. Instead, she let the silence stretch, letting his words settle between them like freshly fallen frost.

"Good." She said at last, her voice even, but not unkind. "You shouldn't want to."

She sat down, tail wrapping over her paws. "Fighting isn't about wanting to hurt. It's about knowing when you have to act - and how to do it without losing yourself to fear or anger. Because those things?" Her odd-colored eyes flicked to his trembling form. "They get warriors killed just as easily as a poorly placed step."

Palestar let out a slow breath, the mist curling in the cold air. "You don’t have to love battle, Redpaw. But you do need to be ready for it."

Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night
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She stood, pacing a slow circle in the snow, leaving shallow imprints where her paws pressed against the frozen ground. "Running is always the first option, Redpaw. A fight should only ever be a last measure - when you have no other choice. If you can escape without harm, do it. If you can avoid a fight entirely, even better."

She stopped in front of him, tipping her head slightly. "But sometimes you can't run. Sometimes you're cornered, or someone else is in danger, and you have to stand your ground." Her gaze softened, but there was steel beneath it. "Fighting isn’t about proving strength. It’s about surviving. Protecting yourself. Protecting your Clanmates."

Palestar let that settle before adding, "Would you like to learn how to escape a hold instead?" A slight shift in approach - something practical, something that still gave him a way out. A choice.

Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night
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Palestar nodded, stepping forward with careful measured movements. "A pin is meant to end a spar. A hold is meant to keep your enemy from fighting back." She circled him, her tail flicking as she studied his stance. He was wary now, at least focused, if not entirely confident. That was enough.

"Most cats will try to pin you down or grab your scruff. The key is not to struggle blindly." She suddenly lunged, aiming to hook her foreleg over his shoulders in a controlled motion - not with full strength, but enough to mimic a real hold.

She aimed to tighten her grip just enough for him to feel the pressure. "The more you thrash, the easier it is for them to keep you down. Instead, use their weight against them. Shift your stance, find an opening, and slip free."

She gave him a heartbeat to react, to try and break from her hold. "Go on. Show me how you'd escape."

Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night
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Palestar didn’t release him right away. Instead, she remained steady, watching his failed attempts with quiet patience.

After a few heartbeats, she finally lifted her weight off him, stepping back with a flick of her tail. "Not bad." She said evenly. "You tried different approaches, which is more than some would do. But flailing only works if your opponent is surprised." Her whiskers twitched with a note of dry mirth. "And I promise, most won’t be startled by a few paw bats."

She crouched slightly, demonstrating. "Instead of pushing back against me, think about where I’m strongest - and where I’m weakest. My weight is pressing forward, which means my balance is weaker behind me." She shifted, showing the gap he could have used. "If you can’t push them off, slide under, twist out, or strike at a weak point. Let’s try again. This time, focus on escaping, not just fighting against the pressure."

She gestured for him to reset, her odd colored gaze expectant. "Whenever you’re ready, Redpaw."

Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night
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When he flopped dramatically onto his side and gave her that half defeated, half determined look, she let out a quiet breath through her nose, somewhere between exasperation and amusement.

"Alright." She said, stepping forward again. With the same deliberate movement as before, she leaned into him, foreleg hooking over his shoulders to simulate the hold again - though she was careful not to crush him beneath her weight this time. It was more about form than force now. A controlled test. She hoped he had time to consider where she may be weakest.

She braced herself, muscles taut and ready to shift depending on what he tried, but not so tight that escape was impossible. Just difficult enough to make him think about it.

Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night
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Palestar felt the shift in his weight, the subtle redirection of focus as his front paws scrabbled at her forelegs. Her ears twitched - a feint!

Then his back legs struck, quick and low, targeting the joint behind her. She gave, just slightly, her balance tilting as her hind paw slipped. Not a clean knockdown, but enough that she had to readjust her footing and could allow him escape - enough that a real enemy might’ve faltered for a heartbeat longer than she had.

She let him go, stepping back with a flick of her tail. "That was the right idea!" Palestar gave him a once over, appraising, but her tone held approval. "You used distraction. Thought about leverage.  A moment is all you need to get away." She would consider that a victory for Redpaw.