.:Crowpaw's training:.

[Burningwing]

_{Crowpaw scampered playfully around the swampy underground that stretched across the training area. Her paws were raw from rubbing against hard ice that poked up above the rocks. Her ebony coloured pelt ruffled in the wind and stirred up her imagination. She imagined racing across the sky with the warriors of Starclan. She imagined her pelt blending in with their pelts of ice and fire, spotted with stars. she felt the soft cloud cotton bouncing under her paws and soothing her cuts and bruises. She looked and saw the night melding into day and spirits dancing on the moon. Soft grass brushing her legs and tickling her senses. She heard the bubbling of a small brook that came from a winding waterfall. Towering trees sprouted and blossomed with cherry's and apples. Fresh prey scent filled the area and wafted around dreamily. Crowpaw sighed and let herself flought along the clouds. Flying....flying...
Crowpaw snapped out of it and waved her head to get all the bits of dream out of her head. She was here to train with Dogstar and he would be coming soon. She had darted ahead of him and scooted up the oath to get to the area in a hurry. She sat down warily, checking first so she didn't sit down on a pile of ice. She pricked her ears and waited for her mentor to come.}

[xx. Dogstar]

xx. I see a light in the sky...

Was it an illusion? Or was there really a cat racing along the path that his apprentice had followed, fur blowing about wildly, for he could feel the wind pushing his limits. Run...run...run like the wind...is it true? Am I really all alone? For a moment the tom faltered, allowing himself to take in the forest about him. And then he remembered. He had a purpose. Lifting up his head a bit higher, he rushed headlong into the wind, dodging the ice rocks all the way up. He felt his apprentice pass him. He smiled. So much energy in that young bundle. It was almost as if he was a young warrior again, bounding about in a most unruly fashion, and being quite the rogue. And then he was subdued again. Purpose? No. Time to beat the wind? Yes.

It wasn't the first time Dogstar had tried to rush headlong into the wind and win it over. His own family, being all gone as they were, seemed to belong to the wind. And it was always teasing him. First it was here, then it was there, and then it engulfed him and wouldn't let him get any farther. It annoyed him so! What was it about the wind, that you couldn't ever catch it? Why was it that he couldn't ever outrun his past? His troubles?

Before he could farther dwell on this, Dogstar burst into the clearing. The wind abruptly stopped, and his thoughts cleared to what he was supposed to be doing. He looked fondly at his apprentice. Already they were beginning to share a strong bond. Smiling, he sat down, as patiently as he could, and said, "Okay, Crowpaw. I want you to attack me. Do it whatever way you want, but be sure to attack me as hard as you can."

[Burningwing]

<sub>Crowpaw nodded and tucked herself into a small springy looking ball of fur and claws. She felt her legs coil under her and wanting to spring out from beneath. She thought quickly about her attack. but not to long, she knew that it would give the enemy a chance to think out their own plan also. She sprung forward aiming for Dogstar's paws. At the last second she twisted her tail to send her at his side instead. She tried to headbutt him but it ended up as a little push. She groaned and shook her head forcefully. Quickly she pulled her paw over her ear to wipe away a clump of snow. She laughed and backed up again.
" This time I won't be as merciful!"

She edged back and thought about her attack this time. she planned to go for his back. she slowly thought the plan through. She would pretend to be going in for another head butt, but instead she would fire into the air and onto Dogstar's back. She quickly ran through the plan once more and went in to action.

She ran forward, aiming for his side again. She leaped forward in fluid, forceful bounds, then leaped through the air, going for Dogsar's back like in the plan.</sub>

[xx. Dogstar]

xx. It's almost blinding...

Lightning was always some of the fastest things in the world, and when Dogstar moved to block the attack, he was much faster than many ever hoped to be. As Crowpaw aimed for his back, he ducked and then rolled. She flew overhead and, with sheathed claws, he gave her a gentle push in the air, making her fly a bit faster and into whatever she was to collide with much harder. Dogstar chuckled at his apprentice, for he knew very well how hard it was on the first day. His eyes glowed as he told her, "Next time, don't plan for so long, and don't let everything you're going to do run through your eyes. You need to be quicker, and when you jump, think about what it is you are going to do."

He had seen it all in her face as she jumped at him. The first time obviously wasn't going to work, so he watched her as she formulated a plan, and then pounced at him. He had to admit, he saw that in the future she'd be much faster, and be a most fearsome warrior. But not quite yet. She had much to learn, and Dogstar intended to teach her. Certainly, she had much in common with him. They both liked to plan what they wanted to do, and perhaps disliked being outsmarted. Dogstar had learned to laugh at himself, and he saw the same in Crowpaw.

Laughing again, he said, "Make it a bit more discreet. This time, I'm going to jump at you, and attempt to block it. You aren't allowed to use claws, so sheath your pretty paws, Crowpaw."

[Burningwing]

<sub>Crowpaw nodded obediently. She stretched her claws way out once, then withdrew them quickly. Standing with her legs spread out like the roots of trees, she wondered what she should do when Dogstar attacked. She braced her self and waited for him to advance. Her mind wandered of to another subject and for a second she was lost in thought.

Crowkit looked around in terror. Claws glinted in the moonlight and jaws snapped. Blood soaked the grass and sopped on her paws. She ran in blind horror for a tree nearby, but was lifted roughly by the cuft of her neck.
" NO!"
She squealed in fear. She grappled on to the tree and her claws nearly popped out of her toes. She felt the icy grip relax and she ripped from its grip and scampered up the tree. Looking down, she saw the cat laying limply at the bottom.
"Ravenkit!"

Crowpaw shook away the memory and turned her attention back to her mentor. Wiggling her black tail, she waited in anticipation for Dogstar to come over and attack.</sub>

[xx. Dogstar]

xx. The Apple of My Eye!

A subdued Dogstar watched Crowpaw neatly, tucking his tail over his paws primly and waiting for the apropriate time. Within the moment, he began to circle her and moved around until he was once again in front. With that done, he leaped unexpectedly, and was flying through the air triumphantly toward his apprentice.

((Bleh...can't think of anything creative today!))

[Burningwing]

<sub>A gleam of triumph sparkled in Crowpaw's sky blue eyes. As Dogstar sailed over her head, she darted forward, just enough so he couldn't grasp her with one of his paws. Then, her ears flattened back, she burst off the ground like a rocket and head butted Dogstar's stomach. She felt the velvety rub of fur on her forehead and let out a triumphant mew, then pulled her head down to the ground, rolled into a ball, whirled forward, and uncurled at the last moment in a perfect arch. Her spine bridged gracefully, she dashed back over to her mentor to see what he had to suggest to be better.

" Was that good Dogstar?" She purred innocently, head lowered curiously. Her paws fiddled in the mossy lining of the swamp and her claws dug up dead grass.</sub>

[xx. Dogstar]

Dogstar felt his apprentice's ears on his stomach, and felt the wind knocked slightly from him, leaving him breathless. Flying into the bushes, he lay there for a moment, then got up and saw his apprentice mewing in triumph. "That was absolutely wonderful, Crowpaw!" His congratulations rang out in the clearing. "I think you have a knack for strategy. But remember, in battle, you always have to be prepared. Not everything will be as pretty as that. Now, sheath your claws and attack me again. This time, however, I want you to try the element of surprise. Like this." Within the moment, the skillful leader had dashed around behind Crowpaw and leapt onto her back, seizing her shoulders. Careful to keep his claws sheathed, he unbalanced her and rolled her onto her back. "Now, what are you going to do?"

[Burningwing]

<sub>" It's supposed to be a surprise!" She squealed. " I can't tell you!" she taunted with a gleam in her eye. Dogstar had said to make it a surprise so the enemy wouldn't guess how to counter the attack. So that was what she had to do.

She let her breathing slow and limpened her body, making her appear almost dead. Then she pulled back the hind-legs, careful to keep her claw sheathed, and let loose. Her hind feet hurtled into Dogstar's belly, pushing him off off Crowpaw so she could get up. As she did though, she was careful not to knock the wind right out of her leader, she didn't want to hurt him. She gave a little yowl then leaped at Dogstar while he was still unbalanced. She leaped on top of him and pinned him down, her black pelt making her appear like a shadow creature, coming to life and chasing things. The thought made her feel strong and confident. A smile washed over her face as a pale shaft of light spilled over her face. " I made it a surprise like you said!" She mewled excitedly.</sub>

//if you think i'm powerplaying just tell me//

[xx. Dogstar]

"Don't get distracted!" Dogstar warned this before flipping her over and pinning her successfully and immovable to the ground. "Now, that was wonderful. Just don't weaken in your moment of success." His eyes looked up to the sky and saw the slight darkening. "Well, as it is getting toward sunset, why don't we practice hunting. Tomorrow we will resume training."

[Burningwing]

<sub>Crowpaw nodded, lowering her head as if to show she was wrong. Her black pelt shimmered in the rays of sun as it lowered down in the sky, its longing rays flickering at the shadows that creeped over the trees and curved hollows into the simplest things that lay in its path. The marshy land under her paws felt cool, reliving her of the heat from the earlier day

She could hear a whisper in her ear, yet when she snapped her head back to look, nothing was there, except four neat paw steps right behind her. Feeling slightly creeped out, she padded forward, trying to draw a conclusion to the things she had seen and heard. Surely , she had stepped back making those paw prints, and the whisper, just the wind of course! Or was it?

Crowpaw let out a sigh. " Ok, Dogstar. What do I have to do for the hunting training?" Her eyes shimmered lightly in the last shafts of sunlight warming her pelt.</sub>

[xx. Dogstar]

Dogstar looked back over his shoulder, the waning light beginning to throw shadows on his face. "You have to be quiet, first of all. Step lightly on your pawsteps, and make sure that you are always downwind of the prey that you scent." He crouched down and moved silently forward, evenly distributing his weight among the pawsteps. "Move quickly, and make sure to not step on anything." He opened his mouth. "Scent the air with your mouth to tell you of the prey." With that, he pounced over a nearby log and put his head up with a mouse in his jaws.