The pinchy dance (closed)

As the sun began to set and bodies began to stir, Sablestrike peeled himself out of his nest and into the camp. Only a few of his fellow clanmates had beaten him to rise, and to his relief Crabpaw didn't seem to be one of them. Peeking into the apprentice's den Sablestrike called out to the ginger tom, not bothering to keep his voice down as he roused a few other apprentices. "Meet me outside of camp, and be quick." Retreating from the den Sablestrike made his way through the thorn tunnel. The night prior he had asked Leopardstar to cover the morning patrols, mainly because he knew if he didn't get to Crabpaw immediately he most likely wouldn't be able to find the tom for a good while. Crabpaw had a knack for crawling into shady spots, and Sablestrike wasn't sure if that should please him or irritate him.

Underneath the soundly sleeping surface, a soft rise and fall of reddish flanks, was the boundless energy of a new apprentice unable to contain his excitement. Crabpaw's enthusiam had been tampered down by the fact that his constant expressions of energy lead him to sleep very well. It was the reason he'd always been the last to rise during daylight kit antics. However, the second Sablestrike's works reached his ears, the young tom was leaping onto his paw pads. He darted over the still frames of his denmates, accidentally stepping on one or two of them in the process.

Calling back over his shoulder, Crabpaw sent a quick, "Sorry!" Within seconds, he was underneath the pale light of the early evening. A cool breeze tickled his ears and a broad grin was plastered across his maw. He raced through the tunnel and barreled straight into is mentor, "Oof!" Pulling back? the apprentice looked up at Sablestrike with a sheepish smile.

"What first? Are you going to show me how to fight Windclan cats?" He glanced at Sablestrike's missing eye, "Or, uh... Thunderclan cats. Windclan cats are too fast I think."

Sablestrike was jolted from his momentary peace as Crabpaw exploded from the thorn tunnel and into his side. He didn't miss the younger tom's look at his eye, that seemed to be all anyone ever wanted to focus on now, nor did he miss the hasty changing of Windclan cats to Thunderclan cats. "Windclanners can be caught just the same as a cat from any other clan. They're not special." He was no stranger to fighting with Windclan warriors, it was the surprise attacks that got him. "I'll teach you how to hold your own against any clan cat. Now come along, and stay on my left side so I can keep my eye on you." With a flick of his tail Sablestrike began leading his apprentice deeper into the marshes. As an afterthought he added, "Oh, and watch your step."

Their territory was known to be treacherous, but the deputy had spent nearly his whole life traversing the wetlands. He knew Shadowclan's territory like the back of his paw. The path he trotted along was much more shallow than the rest of the territory, meant to let the apprentice slowly acclimate himself to what it was like in their territory without putting him in danger of drowning in the more dangerous patches of their land. Soon they approached a tiny clearing, big enough to hold three warriors before giving way to deeper waters. It wasn't the pine grove, but it would do just fine for their first training session.

Content with their locale, Sablestrike turned to regard his ward. "I take it you know how to use your claws, yes? Fighting isn't that much different from swiping at moss balls or bugs or whatever it is you did as a kit. A good strike should balance both speed and power, but the ratio you use is highly dependent on how you fight. Swiftheart usually likes to wear her opponents out before going in for the kill, so she uses more speed in her attacks at first then switches to more powerful strikes. The last time we sparred she gave up on that mentality and used pure strength to overwhelm me. Both are valid ways of fighting, but it would be best if you figured out what suites you early on. After you find that out you can focus on honing your skills." Fighting, or rather sparring, was something Sablestrike had always loved. Seeing his apprentices slowly begin to understand how to fight properly was by far the thing he loved most about being a mentor. "Fighting is simple, but complex at the same time. The basics can only take you so far in a fight. So, think you're up for a spar? I'll go easy on you since it's your first time, but I find learning through experience is the best way to grow." The tom settled a challenging gaze on Crabpaw. His previous apprentices had all had some aptitude for fighting, hopefully this one wouldn't disappoint him.

Crabpaw was not one to hold his tongue but he simply narrowed his eyes at Sablestrike's remark. Could they be caught like any cat? Maybe the trick was to lose your eye first to surprise them and then get a good blow it. His mind briefly contemplated the remark, trying to make sense of what little he knew of the circumstances. The ginger tom was fairly literally, often fixated on things he had witnessed or come to know firsthand. This was outside that scope and denied his previously understood logic.

Regardless, the apprentice was drawn back into the moment as his mentor told him to stay where he could be seen. Happy to oblige, he trotted to the dark-pelted warrior's left side. Haunches happily swaying, Crabpaw's gaze flickered between the path ahead and his mentor above. Sablestrike's warning couldn't have come at a better time as he began to sink into much. With how marshy the territory was, he was used to the sensation but there was so much more outside of camp. A slight grunt of effort left the apprentice as he pulled his pads from the clinging muck and ran forward to try to keep pace.

Sablestrike explained the many mechanics of battle, speaking of speed and strength, applying the use of claws... it was a lot to handle. Admittedly, Crabpaw couldn't remember every word but he think he got the gist. He'd used his claws before for climbing the great rock. Nodding quickly and eagerly, the young tom was determined to show what a good apprentice he was on the first day of training. Crabpaw would show Sablestrike how ready he was. A flicker of mischief crossed his features as he quickly bunched his muscles and sprang forward at the deputy with a yowl.

"The element of surprise is my style!" Hopefully Sablestrike would be impressed. Hopefully his claws hit something. At some point mid air, the apprentice had squeezed his eyes shut and willed himself forward, uncertain of where he would land.

Crabpaw has used Jumping Strike, dealing 6 + 3 damage, and using 7 stamina.

Crabpaw
HP: 20/20
SP: 53/60 [-7]

Sablestike
HP: 61/70 [-9]
SP: 160/160