Originally Posted by Octavia (Post 47478) Grinning triumphantly, goal number one, confuse his apprentice. Success! Watching however as Bramblestripe started to lead his victory away off towards actual important things like training them to become strong independent warriors who didn't need no mentor to help them about! Padding along after, letting the shy she-cat have her piece he couldn't help but admire that such a shy she-cat would even want to mentor apprentices, they were the opposite of quiet if someone got lucky! Skyepaw on the other paw, was quite happy to have a quiet-if-not calm mentor that seemed to be Bramblestripe, she had some sanity left in her head, which would be useful in training the new eager she-cat. She did glance back however to make sure her friend, and her... eccentric mentor were following along. For Mistypaw's sake she hoped that they balanced eachother out- and Aetherwing had something productive to add!

Originally Posted by Octavia (Post 48384) Skyepaw listened intently, tail flicking to the side as she thought for a moment, what would be a good first thing to do? Perking her ears up as her friend offered hunting she couldn't help but agree, but maybe something else first. "Maybe... showing us the territory limits would be good as well? I'd rather not wander outside and get in trouble." She offered a little quietly, glancing to the three cats around herself. Aetherwing changed a bit at the offer of hunting, smiling quietly but not quite being the weird person he had been since they had met. The tom appeared thoughtful and he didn't comment with silly things for the next bit. "Showing the territory borders might be better so you learn to remember where they are by sight. Hunting is also a good idea, then you can help start contributing to the welfare of our clan outside of taking care of the elders hah. That doesn't mean you get out of taking care of the elders by the way." Before turning to the fellow mentor, amusement in his eyes, what was it that changed the tom to be more mature? "Sound like a good plan Bramblestripe?"

Originally Posted by Octavia (Post 51617) Aetherwing swished his tail back and forth he couldn't help but chuckle quietly. "It'll take less than all day if we start sooner than later." murmuring quietly he glanced over to his apprentice nodding his head, "You'll know how to hunt soon enough you two. Walking past the trio of cats he cast a quiet glance over to Bramblestripe, wondering if she was nervous in general or just unsure of herself with an apprentice to teach. Skyepaw herself wasn't sure of this all, one of the mentors was... crazy! The other moss on a tree, how would she ever learn how to be a warrior from either of the two? Starting off slowly after her friends mentor she looked over to Mistypaw, casting a hopeful expression, maybe it wouldn't be as bad as she worried. It was the first day after all, perhaps this was some sort of a way to shake things up for the new apprentices?

Originally Posted by Rabbitpaw (Post 53992) Leapingbird padded into the cave, yawning. She glanced back at her apprentice, her calico pelt shining in the sun. She felt hot under her thick coat, so she padded into a patch of shade. She looked back at her apprentice again, "Ready to start training?"

Originally Posted by Liquoris (Post 54077) Bluepaw bounced up and down. "Of course, I've been ready since I was born!" she exclaimed happily. "What'll we learn first? Hunting? Fighting? Can we learn both?" she asked, finally stopping her bouncing around.

Originally Posted by Rabbitpaw (Post 54372) She purred as Bluepaw came to a stop, and mewed, "eventually, we'll do both. But, as of right now, you'll need to see the territory, so we might as well start with hunting."

Originally Posted by Liquoris (Post 54774) Bluepaw's big blue eyes went wide with wonder. "Really? I'm gonna bring back the biggest bird any apprentice has ever caught!" she declared. She giggled a bit, trying to stop herself form jumping around anymore. "Where do I start?"

Originally Posted by Liquoris (Post 54774) Bluepaw's big blue eyes went wide with wonder. "Really? I'm gonna bring back the biggest bird any apprentice has ever caught!" she declared. She giggled a bit, trying to stop herself form jumping around anymore. "Where do I start?"

Originally Posted by Rabbitpaw (Post 54800) "Also, we're supposed to join Avocetrose on our patrol, so we can fetch her before we leave." (Duskflight is going to join us (: )

Originally Posted by AbsurdJinx (Post 103303) @Duskflight [ Don't answer right away - I know you're busy with other things, this isn't important, take your time responding, stay in school... obama ] FeatherPaw trotted her way into the Training Plateu, anxiety radiating off her. Her head was lowered, so her chin was nearly a whisker-length above ground. Her tail hung limply behind her, swinging with every step she took, and her paws scuffed against the ground as if she lacked the strength needed to properly walk. Her gaze was locked on the ground, and uneasiness spread throughout her. On the way to the training area, she had jumped at every sound. She could only hope no hunting patrol or cats on a stroll had noticed her passing by, leaping in fright at every noise. She may as well call herself a frog, as she practically jumped all the way to this place. She was expecting GrouseStar to meet her here, where they could perform their first training session. Honestly, she was extremely nervous about training. Not an ounce of excitement. She was confident, though, confident that she'd screw up. FeatherPaw came to a halt by the center of the plateu, where she cowered and aggressively whipped her head around to stare into the surrounding undergrowth. She was a very paranoid cat, as one could easily determine.

Grousestar was a bit ashamed that he hadn't gotten a chance to train with apprentice at all yet, he would have liked to train her as soon as he had proclaimed himself as her mentor, but alas, things had gotten rather busy with moving the clan and recovering from the battles that they had gone through and hadn't a single chance to train with Featherpaw at all, but now he finally had time to get to train the young she-cat. He had told her yesterday to meet him at the training plateau this morning and had naturally gotten there before her, he didn't want her to get there and her stand there all alone because he was late. He knew that the she-cat was paranoid and he knew that him being late to the ordeal wouldn't help her in the slightest, and actually, he had chosen himself as her mentor solely because he wanted to help her become less scared of the world.

And so the brown tabby had waited there in the training grounds since the crack of dawn, simply listening to the birds singing in the trees, watching the clouds pass by through the branches of the leafless leafbare trees, just about as happy as could be, the cuts and scraps and wounds from the liberation of the clans healing nicely, they wouldn't leave any scars luckily enough.

Finally Featherpaw appeared in the training grounds, Grousestar spotting her immediately and unable to begin purring out, the tom rising from his original laying position, stretching slightly and approaching the apprentice slowly, his tail held high.
"Greetings Featherpaw, glad to see that you could make it." Just like whenever he spoke with any other cat, there was a purr to his voice, a lighthearted tone that never really seemed to falter except when his clan was threatened. "Are you ready for your first day of training?" He questioned with a smile, tilting his head slightly.

Originally Posted by Duskflight (Post 103376) Grousestar was a bit ashamed that he hadn't gotten a chance to train with apprentice at all yet, he would have liked to train her as soon as he had proclaimed himself as her mentor, but alas, things had gotten rather busy with moving the clan and recovering from the battles that they had gone through and hadn't a single chance to train with Featherpaw at all, but now he finally had time to get to train the young she-cat. He had told her yesterday to meet him at the training plateau this morning and had naturally gotten there before her, he didn't want her to get there and her stand there all alone because he was late. He knew that the she-cat was paranoid and he knew that him being late to the ordeal wouldn't help her in the slightest, and actually, he had chosen himself as her mentor solely because he wanted to help her become less scared of the world. And so the brown tabby had waited there in the training grounds since the crack of dawn, simply listening to the birds singing in the trees, watching the clouds pass by through the branches of the leafless leafbare trees, just about as happy as could be, the cuts and scraps and wounds from the liberation of the clans healing nicely, they wouldn't leave any scars luckily enough. Finally Featherpaw appeared in the training grounds, Grousestar spotting her immediately and unable to begin purring out, the tom rising from his original laying position, stretching slightly and approaching the apprentice slowly, his tail held high. "Greetings Featherpaw, glad to see that you could make it." Just like whenever he spoke with any other cat, there was a purr to his voice, a lighthearted tone that never really seemed to falter except when his clan was threatened. "Are you ready for your first day of training?" He questioned with a smile, tilting his head slightly.

Originally Posted by AbsurdJinx (Post 103533) FeatherPaw flinched simply at the sight of GrouseStar, and she discreetly stepped back, avoiding his gaze. She was trembling with anxiety, and her nervousness wasn't very difficult to spot. Before looking away, she had managed to sneak a quick glance at him, admiring his confident nature. Her belly fur brushed against the ground, and her tail was curled at her flank. She was obviously attempting to appear as small as possible. She did, however, find some comfort in his lighthearted tone. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to help her relax. FeatherPaw could only nod in response to his questions. She had even attempted to speak, but nothing escaped past her parted lips. She closed her mouth, shifting away from GrouseStar by a few more kittensteps. She always felt guilty after acting this way around another cat, but she couldn't help it. Anxiety controlled her, and it demanded her to shy away from those willing to approach her. FeatherPaw, though, strongly disliked her own nature. She believed she could be much more than a worried she-cat. She often dreamed of herself being a self-confident, carefree molly, but honestly, she struggled to see herself like that. Sure, she had once been like that, but that was only around one cat - her mother-figure, the cat who raised her. The only cat she had ever been open around was her deceased guardian, Shrike. Together, they were a troublesome duo who would often disrupt the peace of their housefolk's home. With a quiet cough to clear her throat, FeatherPaw gathered the courage to briefly look at her mentor. What got her attention most was his smile, and with the slight tip of his head, she had to admit his adorableness. He reminded her of a curious kitten, which caused a breathy giggle from herself. She hadn't heard herself laugh in ages, but she didn't like the sound. She flattened her ears at her opinion of her own laugh, and averted her gaze from GrouseStar's line of vision. She even shuffled her body in her attempt to make herself smaller. FeatherPaw, in this moment, wished she could just become invisible. Nobody would miss me anyway, She concluded. Tears threatened to flood her eyes, but she was quick to blink them away. She wouldn't dare shed a single tear in front of anybody. She tried to clear her mind of the depressing, haunting thoughts to focus on training, but she couldn't. Heck, training didn't excite her in the smallest. She couldn't find an interest in it. Really, she just wanted to curl up in her nest and sleep forever. FeatherPaw couldn't feel pain in her sleep.

{I'm so sorry about how late this reply is!}

The brown tabby wasn't phased as he saw his apprentice visibly flinch as he approached, he knew what he was getting himself into when he elected himself as her mentor, he couldn't expect her to randomly be cured of whatever shyness or fear she held on the first day of training, or at the first sight of him one on one with her, but he planned to try and help her throughout the moons he would spend with her, that was his goal. Besides, just about every apprentice was nervous on the first day of training! It was something new, the first time that their parents weren't right behind them, they were there with just their mentor, a cat they most of the time hadn't really known beforehand. So really, Grousestar expected any apprentice to be like this on their first day of training.

So while he wouldn't be able to 'cure' her of any sort of fear or nervousness, the tom could try and make her feel as relaxed and as comfortable as ever and so he kept his light-hearted, gentle tone, a tone he used with all cats of the clan, to make them feel at ease because sometimes he feels they treat him differently because he was the leader, and that's not something he wanted.

Seeing her back away a few more steps, Grousestar simply stopped his approach and sat down with his tail curling over his paws several fox-lengths away, not at all wanting to intimidate her in any sort of way.
"If you're not ready to start Featherpaw, then that's quite fine too. I won't actually be teaching you much today, it's sort of meant to be an evaluation so I can get a sense of what you know and how you work best, nothing too hard." Mewed the tom with that same light smile of his, drawing a paw up and casually beginning to rasp his tongue over it before bringing it up and using it to wash his forehead and behind his ears to the best of his ability, his eyes remaining carefully on Featherpaw, though ready to look away if she gave any sign that she didn't enjoy his gaze being near her, knowing that some cats didn't like eye contact at all and naturally he would respect that. As her mentor, he wanted to everything in his power to make sure that she was comfortable and at ease in his presence. Because if they didn't have trust, then she wouldn't learn anything. Trust was key in this.

"Just tell me when you're ready and we'll begin. I want to analyze how you think you should hunt first, again, nothing too hard, just pretend you're hunting a mouse use uh.. Use that leaf over there as your 'mouse'." He said, nodding towards a single leaf that was near the far right side of the training grounds before turning his head back to her and smiling gently, ready to watch her whenever she decided she was ready to show what she knew to him. He would say nothing else after this, he would simply fall quiet and wait and see, he wouldn't push her, he wouldn't do anything at all, he would quite simply wait.

Don't worry, she'll get out of this little phase little by little the more you train with her, this is how she'll be permanently. She'll learn to know that other cats, ones of her clan, won't hurt her in any sort of way, not if I have anything to say about it. Thought the tom to himself as he waited there, quietly washing himself.

Originally Posted by Duskflight (Post 108697) {I'm so sorry about how late this reply is!} The brown tabby wasn't phased as he saw his apprentice visibly flinch as he approached, he knew what he was getting himself into when he elected himself as her mentor, he couldn't expect her to randomly be cured of whatever shyness or fear she held on the first day of training, or at the first sight of him one on one with her, but he planned to try and help her throughout the moons he would spend with her, that was his goal. Besides, just about every apprentice was nervous on the first day of training! It was something new, the first time that their parents weren't right behind them, they were there with just their mentor, a cat they most of the time hadn't really known beforehand. So really, Grousestar expected any apprentice to be like this on their first day of training. So while he wouldn't be able to 'cure' her of any sort of fear or nervousness, the tom could try and make her feel as relaxed and as comfortable as ever and so he kept his light-hearted, gentle tone, a tone he used with all cats of the clan, to make them feel at ease because sometimes he feels they treat him differently because he was the leader, and that's not something he wanted. Seeing her back away a few more steps, Grousestar simply stopped his approach and sat down with his tail curling over his paws several fox-lengths away, not at all wanting to intimidate her in any sort of way. "If you're not ready to start Featherpaw, then that's quite fine too. I won't actually be teaching you much today, it's sort of meant to be an evaluation so I can get a sense of what you know and how you work best, nothing too hard." Mewed the tom with that same light smile of his, drawing a paw up and casually beginning to rasp his tongue over it before bringing it up and using it to wash his forehead and behind his ears to the best of his ability, his eyes remaining carefully on Featherpaw, though ready to look away if she gave any sign that she didn't enjoy his gaze being near her, knowing that some cats didn't like eye contact at all and naturally he would respect that. As her mentor, he wanted to everything in his power to make sure that she was comfortable and at ease in his presence. Because if they didn't have trust, then she wouldn't learn anything. Trust was key in this. "Just tell me when you're ready and we'll begin. I want to analyze how you think you should hunt first, again, nothing too hard, just pretend you're hunting a mouse use uh.. Use that leaf over there as your 'mouse'." He said, nodding towards a single leaf that was near the far right side of the training grounds before turning his head back to her and smiling gently, ready to watch her whenever she decided she was ready to show what she knew to him. He would say nothing else after this, he would simply fall quiet and wait and see, he wouldn't push her, he wouldn't do anything at all, he would quite simply wait. Don't worry, she'll get out of this little phase little by little the more you train with her, this is how she'll be permanently. She'll learn to know that other cats, ones of her clan, won't hurt her in any sort of way, not if I have anything to say about it. Thought the tom to himself as he waited there, quietly washing himself.

Originally Posted by AbsurdJinx (Post 108878) [ No! No apologies! I know how busy you must be & I demand that this rp be on the bottom of your to-do-list ] FeatherPaw felt warmth spread throughout her at his easy-going nature. She feared the worst of her mentor. For example, what if he had been harsh? If he had been quick to throw her into battle training? Of course, her mind automatically drew her to the worst case scenario ever. Her heart practically pounded against her chest, and she wondered if GrouseStar could hear it. She shuffled her paws anxiously, her gaze locked on her feet as she listened to him speak. She silently thanked him for adjusting to her... her... disability? Her nature? Her anxiety. Whatever - she was just thankful to have such a nice mentor. FeatherPaw risked a brief glance at her mentor. He had a gentle smile that would relax anyone's tensed muscles - with the exception of FeatherPaw. Her movements were robotic, which such stiff muscles. GrouseStar looked like a warmhearted cat, and he most definitely proved that he was when he spoke. She averted her gaze, and instead, she looked at the leaf - er, `mouse` - he pointed out. All she could do was stare blankly at the leaf for what seemed like ages. She didn't want to move in front of GrouseStar, as she was sure he'd be able to pick out a few of her flaws just by the way she walked. Heck, she was sure he found something wrong in just her appearance. She certainly did. She was born a jet-black molly, but as she aged, flecks of white began to paint her pelt. She hadn't thought very highly of herself before, personality-wise, but since the added specks of white, she hasn't thought very highly of herself both appearance-wise and personality-wise. She didn't hear anything from GrouseStar except the faint laps of his tongue passing over his pelt. Tears flooded her eyes as she continued to stare at the leaf - but no, it was not the leaf that brought water to her eyes. She felt so strange in training - standing before her mentor who awaited her movement. FeatherPaw couldn't move. She couldn't. She bit back a sob, refusing to cry in front of others. Then she couldn't breathe, and she couldn't see. Everything before her was blurry. She shifted back, gasping for breath, and aggressively shaking her head as she repeatedly murmured the words `I can't` and `I'm sorry`. As she did this, she didn't look at GrouseStar as she expected to see him disappointed or furious with her cowardice. As she pictured her mentor's look, her gasping and words quickened - worsened. Her head swirled, her stomach ached uncomfortably, and her chest tightened. She couldn't think.

{All rps have equal importance to me so I'm not putting this one at the bottom of my list, but thank you for understanding! c:}

Despite what she might fear, Grousestar could most certainly not hear that little heart of hers beating in her chest, no matter how loud it sounded in her ears, though he could make a guess that it was at an abnormal rate, it usually was with nervous cats like her. He spoke to her in his usual, easy-going, calm and gentle manner, treating her with as much gentleness as he offers every other cat in the clan, perhaps even more so if that was even possible considering he cared for all cats of the clan.

Emerald eyes focused on her for a moment as she looked at the leaf he instructed could be used as a 'mouse', happy that she at least looked at it and appeared to give it some sort of thought, and then looked away again, knowing that direct eye contact could perhaps make her even more nervous. Instead, the tom looked up at the bare limbs of the trees above, that smile of his still on his muzzle, his gaze focusing on a black bird that chattered noisily, flitting from one branch to another, bobbing its head. Grousestar liked birds, he liked how free they were, how they could fly where they wished and the elegance that went with them, he truly admired them and they were perhaps his favorite species of prey. All the while he watched the bird in the canopy, he kept his ears trained on her, waiting to see if he could hear any sort of movement, though not expecting her to do anything.

All the while the molly stared at the leaf, the tom simply watched the bird until it eventually flew from sight, in which he would let out a soft, happy sigh, his gaze momentarily focusing back on his apprentice before he slowly laid down on the ground of the training grounds, neatly tucking his paws beneath himself and making himself looked comfortable and relaxed, another trick he had found that sometimes helped nervous cats. If you looked relaxed, sometimes they would relax a bit too, and again, he kept in mind to not look too long so that she would grow self-conscious or scared.

His gaze continuously made small journeys back to the young cat as the leader waited very patiently for her, in the meantime quietly cleaning his pelt. Though his ears perked up when he heard her pawsteps and gasp, his head quickly snapping up to look at the young she-cat with worry, seeing her stumble backwards and shake her head rather aggressively. Immediately the brown tabby was to his paws and whisking over, within seconds he was upon her, pressing against her side and wrapping his tail around her.
"Shh, it's okay Featherpaw. I'm not forcing you to do this, you do this when you're ready, take it easy hm?" Cooed the tom softly, making sure his tail wasn't coiled too tight around her knowing it could just be another thing that might freak her out even more, which was something he most certainly did not want to do.
"It's alright Featherpaw, I'm not going to get angry. I promise."

Originally Posted by Duskflight (Post 118065) {All rps have equal importance to me so I'm not putting this one at the bottom of my list, but thank you for understanding! c:} Despite what she might fear, Grousestar could most certainly not hear that little heart of hers beating in her chest, no matter how loud it sounded in her ears, though he could make a guess that it was at an abnormal rate, it usually was with nervous cats like her. He spoke to her in his usual, easy-going, calm and gentle manner, treating her with as much gentleness as he offers every other cat in the clan, perhaps even more so if that was even possible considering he cared for all cats of the clan. Emerald eyes focused on her for a moment as she looked at the leaf he instructed could be used as a 'mouse', happy that she at least looked at it and appeared to give it some sort of thought, and then looked away again, knowing that direct eye contact could perhaps make her even more nervous. Instead, the tom looked up at the bare limbs of the trees above, that smile of his still on his muzzle, his gaze focusing on a black bird that chattered noisily, flitting from one branch to another, bobbing its head. Grousestar liked birds, he liked how free they were, how they could fly where they wished and the elegance that went with them, he truly admired them and they were perhaps his favorite species of prey. All the while he watched the bird in the canopy, he kept his ears trained on her, waiting to see if he could hear any sort of movement, though not expecting her to do anything. All the while the molly stared at the leaf, the tom simply watched the bird until it eventually flew from sight, in which he would let out a soft, happy sigh, his gaze momentarily focusing back on his apprentice before he slowly laid down on the ground of the training grounds, neatly tucking his paws beneath himself and making himself looked comfortable and relaxed, another trick he had found that sometimes helped nervous cats. If you looked relaxed, sometimes they would relax a bit too, and again, he kept in mind to not look too long so that she would grow self-conscious or scared. His gaze continuously made small journeys back to the young cat as the leader waited very patiently for her, in the meantime quietly cleaning his pelt. Though his ears perked up when he heard her pawsteps and gasp, his head quickly snapping up to look at the young she-cat with worry, seeing her stumble backwards and shake her head rather aggressively. Immediately the brown tabby was to his paws and whisking over, within seconds he was upon her, pressing against her side and wrapping his tail around her. "Shh, it's okay Featherpaw. I'm not forcing you to do this, you do this when you're ready, take it easy hm?" Cooed the tom softly, making sure his tail wasn't coiled too tight around her knowing it could just be another thing that might freak her out even more, which was something he most certainly did not want to do. "It's alright Featherpaw, I'm not going to get angry. I promise."

Originally Posted by AbsurdJinx (Post 118784) [ You're too nice xD ] [ I love what you wrote here - ``GrouseStar liked birds`` - it sounded so innocent in my mind; absolutely adorable cx ] FeatherPaw flinched at GrouseStar's touch, but as soon as she adjusted, she sank into the warmth he offered her. ``I'm sorry,`` She cried, shaking her head softly. She continued to look sadly at the ground, her head turned so she was facing away from the tomcat. Her ears were folded back, and her eyes were shut tight as if it would clear her of tears, as if nobody would be able to see her embarrassing panic attack if she couldn't see them. She had fallen into a crouch, her chin resting on her paws, and her tail having quit moving due to nerves. She feared moving, but she didn't know why. She was eager to hide her face beneath her paws, but she was much too scared to move her head to do so. She found comfort in his soothing voice that told her she wasn't being forced to stalk the leaf - er, mouse. Unfortunately, it was not enough to relax her as she continued to release dry sobs, and her muscles didn't stop being tense. FeatherPaw's chest heaved with every shaky inhale and exhale of breath, and she even dared to flex her toes despite her fear of movement at the moment. ``I-I can't breathe,`` She complained, leaning into GrouseStar as she focused on evening her breaths. I can't. I can't. I'm sorry. I can't. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. These were the two statements that were being repeated, non-stop, in her mind. Otherwise, FeatherPaw couldn't think straight. Almost like she was lost in a flood, fighting to keep her head above the surface. Meanwhile, blurred figures threw objects at her, yowling harsh words, like they wanted her to drown. The figures were safe, on land, and every time she would try to lift herself onto the terrain, she would be pushed off. It was frustrating, and scary, as well as exhausting - she simply could not understand it. Her frequent panic attacks were frustrating, scary, exhausting, and difficult to understand. FeatherPaw, unbeknownst to her, was cursed with severe anxiety and depression, and her self-confidence was exactly in the high range. She feared nearly everything, including herself. There was never an escape. If she were to pounce on a leaf pretending to be a mouse - panic attack. If she were to leave camp - panic attack. If she were to curl up for bed - panic attack. Not to mentions that her dark thoughts often put her down. However, she did try to add a positive touch to her mainly-negative nature. She'd tell herself `today will be the day! The day I have the confidence to face my fears!`` but it never happens. This only put her down even more. GrouseStar had quite a challenge on his paws.

{Aw, well I'm glad you think so xD}
{Yeah, Grouse is an innocent little babe, he doesn't even understand what love is, so pure :heartbounce:}

"Don't apologize, there's nothing to apologize for, you're alright." Breathed the tom gently, brushing the tip of his tail along her shoulder and gently resting his chin on tom of her head, in a way trying to shield her from the outside world, to shield her from whatever demons plagued her mind and caused her to react so negatively. That's what Grousestar wanted to do so desperately bad, to shield her from that fear, her inner demons, so that she could live a normal life because he knew, he just knew that this young molly had to be suffering if she were this nervous and scared all of the time. He wanted to help her so desperately bad, she was his apprentice and she was a valuable member to his clan.

Nonetheless, the tom continued to gently brush the tip of his tail along her shoulder as a human might gently rub someone else's back to help soothe them, lifting his chin from her head to look over her nervously, almost seeming to make sure there was no outward sign of injury, just wanting to be absolutely positive that she didn't have an illness or infected wound, anything of the sort. "You can breathe Featherpaw, you're just breathing too fast and shallow and are scaring yourself. You're alright." Reassured the tabby, continuing to soothingly brush at her shoulder with his tail that was loosely curled around her.

"It's alright, just focus on getting your breathing back to normal. Just know you're in a safe place and I would never let any harm occur to you, alright?" Purred out the tom quietly, his gaze slowly looking up at the canopy again to find that the black bird was back, a small smile turning the corners of his muzzle upwards.

"Do you see that bird up there Featherpaw? That's a black bird. They're just like a crow and a raven, but they're smaller. They're not as smart either, but aren't they just so pretty? Don't you think it's beautiful how they can fly wherever they want, just on the whim of thought?" Questioned the tom, still looking up at the bird with bright eyes, his tail still brushing along her shoulder. It was a genuine question, but also a tactic to get her mind off of whatever had caused her panic attack. He's never actually dealt with a cat who's had one, but he's got a decent idea of what to do and figured he was helping, or at least helping to the best of his ability. Grousestar might have a challenge, but I believe you just happened upon one of the most patient cats in Skyclan.

Grousestar would be more than happy to spend an eternity helping this young molly best her anxiety and depression and that was the absolute truth.

Originally Posted by Duskflight (Post 118952) {Aw, well I'm glad you think so xD} {Yeah, Grouse is an innocent little babe, he doesn't even understand what love is, so pure :heartbounce:} "Don't apologize, there's nothing to apologize for, you're alright." Breathed the tom gently, brushing the tip of his tail along her shoulder and gently resting his chin on tom of her head, in a way trying to shield her from the outside world, to shield her from whatever demons plagued her mind and caused her to react so negatively. That's what Grousestar wanted to do so desperately bad, to shield her from that fear, her inner demons, so that she could live a normal life because he knew, he just knew that this young molly had to be suffering if she were this nervous and scared all of the time. He wanted to help her so desperately bad, she was his apprentice and she was a valuable member to his clan. Nonetheless, the tom continued to gently brush the tip of his tail along her shoulder as a human might gently rub someone else's back to help soothe them, lifting his chin from her head to look over her nervously, almost seeming to make sure there was no outward sign of injury, just wanting to be absolutely positive that she didn't have an illness or infected wound, anything of the sort. "You can breathe Featherpaw, you're just breathing too fast and shallow and are scaring yourself. You're alright." Reassured the tabby, continuing to soothingly brush at her shoulder with his tail that was loosely curled around her. "It's alright, just focus on getting your breathing back to normal. Just know you're in a safe place and I would never let any harm occur to you, alright?" Purred out the tom quietly, his gaze slowly looking up at the canopy again to find that the black bird was back, a small smile turning the corners of his muzzle upwards. "Do you see that bird up there Featherpaw? That's a black bird. They're just like a crow and a raven, but they're smaller. They're not as smart either, but aren't they just so pretty? Don't you think it's beautiful how they can fly wherever they want, just on the whim of thought?" Questioned the tom, still looking up at the bird with bright eyes, his tail still brushing along her shoulder. It was a genuine question, but also a tactic to get her mind off of whatever had caused her panic attack. He's never actually dealt with a cat who's had one, but he's got a decent idea of what to do and figured he was helping, or at least helping to the best of his ability. Grousestar might have a challenge, but I believe you just happened upon one of the most patient cats in Skyclan. Grousestar would be more than happy to spend an eternity helping this young molly best her anxiety and depression and that was the absolute truth.

Originally Posted by AbsurdJinx (Post 126756) Featherpaw fought to balance her shaky breaths, her gaze locked on the ground before her as she struggled to focus. She was genuinely grateful for Grousestar's company, although there was that ounce of irritation in her in which she felt for him. Shut up! But as quickly as it had grown, her frustration with him disappeared - which was quick. It was replaced with self-pity and sadness. He doesn't know. He doesn't care. Why's he trying? He isn't even trying. He just wants you to stop because you're annoying. She continued to convince herself that he truly didn't care. He wants to get this session over with. Then he won't have to be with me. I can understand that, though... I mean, why do I have to be me? Her breaths quickened, and she shuffled her paws as if preparing to run away - but she didn't. She was afraid of moving, for a reason she did not know. While Grousestar continued to talk about the bird within the trees, Featherpaw's breathing was becoming stable. However, her breaths remained slightly labored as if lacking the energy to breathe properly. Her chest would rise and fall in a shaky motion, and her entire body trembled. She took a risk, barely raising her chin to stare at the blackbird. From the corner of her eye, she could see Grousestar staring at the bird as well. But unlike her, he had a kit-like fascination with the bird - she found him and his reaction with the bird to be absolutely adorable. Featherpaw studied the black-feathered prey, wondering what was so amazing about it. Luckily, the bird became a distraction, and her anxiety was forgotten. She could feel the tomcat's tail brushing against her side in a soothing rhythm, offering her warmth and comfort in which she appreciated. Featherpaw exhaled heavily, blinking at the animal of flight. It wasn't completely black, a few flecks in it's feathers being shades of gray. It's eyes were round, and and a yellow-orange - frightening, actually. It's pointed peak matched the color of it's eyes. However, it was a gorgeous animal. Her gaze fluttered to it's wings, tucked to it's side. Her jaw dropped slightly as she began to understand Grousestar's feelings towards the bird. She imagined it's wings spreading, the feathers twitching as it did so. It would launch itself off the ground, producing a pathetic excuse for a cloud of dust as it's feet left the ground. The wings would be a blur as they swung up and down, gaining height. Reaching towards the sky, flying away from all it's troubles. It would be free. ``I - I want to be a bird. I want to fly away from all my troubles. Far, far away from here,`` Featherpaw murmured in response, her eyes wide in fascination as she imagined herself as a bird, flying away from here. Hope and joy sparkled in her eyes as if her thoughts had become reality. A weak smile was on her face, and her whiskers would twitch whenever her smile faltered. Bird. I want to be a bird.

{Jeez I am so sorry about how late this reply is x.x"}

As patient as ever, the tom, after speaking to her, remained quiet knowing that sometimes things simply needed to sort themselves out, she needed to be the one to tell her mind to calm down because it wouldn't matter what he said, in the end it was her who had to be the one to calm herself back down. Grousestar could only help but so much, but he would most certainly try his best to help as much as he could. The tom couldn't imagine the whirlwind of fear that was going on in her mind right now, but he knew it couldn't be good, he couldn't imagine the thoughts that were there in her mind, be he guessed that they could be ones of frustration, or of denial, ones that berated herself. He could talk all he wanted, but again, in the end, it would have to be her who stops these thoughts.

With his attention focused on the bird, he swiveled his left ear just slightly, noticing that her breaths were starting to become more stable, hoping that this was a sign that she was beating her mental demons, that she was overcoming this small breakdown, knowing that she was a strong cat, that she just didn't know it yet. But meanwhile, he spoke about the bird, allowing himself to become nearly entranced by it, fascinated by it and truly admiring it just like he always did. He wished that he could be as graceful, as elegant as that bird, to have the wisdom of it that only a bird could have. Many cats didn't like to think of them as anything but prey, but he saw them as fragile messengers that spoke and flew with the wind, telling warnings of rain, of danger, of anything going on in the forest with their own language that in its own were songs.

As the sunlight hit the black part of the birds feathers, a beautiful, glossy purple seemed to reflect the light back, making the creature even more beautiful in the leaders eyes, causing his smile to brighten considerably as the creature cawed out in it's strange language. Everything about that bird, everything, was beautiful to Grousestar. The way it moved, the colors, the way the light flooded over it's glossy feathers to give it a touch of new color, the way it's beaks and eyes set it apart from it's otherwise black body and even the way it spoke. It wasn't like the song of other birds, it was solely unique to that single species, the small series of chirps, the four whistles that increased in pitch in the last two whistles and the way the calls seemed to fill the forest after just one lets out a single chirp. The entire thing was amazing to him and he found it a shame that not everyone could truly admire the beautify of this bird, or any bird in general.
The blackbird turned on the branch, calling out into the forest, it's wings opening as if it thought about taking off before folding back to it's side and the bird turning back around on the branch, cocking it's head at the two cats in the training grounds.

Grousestar's ears swiveled as he heard Featherpaw speak up, his head turning slightly and his gentle green eyes focusing on her, allowing her to finish before turning his gaze back up to the bird.
"I once wanted to be a bird too. So that I could fly wherever I wanted, as free as ever, and speak in song, warning others of danger." And sometimes, the brown tabby still thought about his naive desire to be a bird, fond memories of his kithood, imagining that he was a raven and making silly chirping sounds as he raced around his mother, pretending that was flying and warning other birds of a cat in the forest. The thought brought a fond smile to his muzzle, his whiskers quivering a bit as he recollected the memory.

Originally Posted by Duskflight (Post 146751) {Jeez I am so sorry about how late this reply is x.x"} As patient as ever, the tom, after speaking to her, remained quiet knowing that sometimes things simply needed to sort themselves out, she needed to be the one to tell her mind to calm down because it wouldn't matter what he said, in the end it was her who had to be the one to calm herself back down. Grousestar could only help but so much, but he would most certainly try his best to help as much as he could. The tom couldn't imagine the whirlwind of fear that was going on in her mind right now, but he knew it couldn't be good, he couldn't imagine the thoughts that were there in her mind, be he guessed that they could be ones of frustration, or of denial, ones that berated herself. He could talk all he wanted, but again, in the end, it would have to be her who stops these thoughts. With his attention focused on the bird, he swiveled his left ear just slightly, noticing that her breaths were starting to become more stable, hoping that this was a sign that she was beating her mental demons, that she was overcoming this small breakdown, knowing that she was a strong cat, that she just didn't know it yet. But meanwhile, he spoke about the bird, allowing himself to become nearly entranced by it, fascinated by it and truly admiring it just like he always did. He wished that he could be as graceful, as elegant as that bird, to have the wisdom of it that only a bird could have. Many cats didn't like to think of them as anything but prey, but he saw them as fragile messengers that spoke and flew with the wind, telling warnings of rain, of danger, of anything going on in the forest with their own language that in its own were songs. As the sunlight hit the black part of the birds feathers, a beautiful, glossy purple seemed to reflect the light back, making the creature even more beautiful in the leaders eyes, causing his smile to brighten considerably as the creature cawed out in it's strange language. Everything about that bird, everything, was beautiful to Grousestar. The way it moved, the colors, the way the light flooded over it's glossy feathers to give it a touch of new color, the way it's beaks and eyes set it apart from it's otherwise black body and even the way it spoke. It wasn't like the song of other birds, it was solely unique to that single species, the small series of chirps, the four whistles that increased in pitch in the last two whistles and the way the calls seemed to fill the forest after just one lets out a single chirp. The entire thing was amazing to him and he found it a shame that not everyone could truly admire the beautify of this bird, or any bird in general. The blackbird turned on the branch, calling out into the forest, it's wings opening as if it thought about taking off before folding back to it's side and the bird turning back around on the branch, cocking it's head at the two cats in the training grounds. Grousestar's ears swiveled as he heard Featherpaw speak up, his head turning slightly and his gentle green eyes focusing on her, allowing her to finish before turning his gaze back up to the bird. "I once wanted to be a bird too. So that I could fly wherever I wanted, as free as ever, and speak in song, warning others of danger." And sometimes, the brown tabby still thought about his naive desire to be a bird, fond memories of his kithood, imagining that he was a raven and making silly chirping sounds as he raced around his mother, pretending that was flying and warning other birds of a cat in the forest. The thought brought a fond smile to his muzzle, his whiskers quivering a bit as he recollected the memory.

@Empress Of Evil
Chirppaw padded warily into the training area, her long well groomed pelt messed up and knotted. She looked down at the cream colored fur and released a grunt of disgust. She hated, above anything else, having a messy pelt. It wasn't her fault that she was almost completely devoted to her fur, her mother he started it, by teaching her how to groom it, how to care for it, and why she had too care for it. After that, she just took it on and couldn't help herself, plus she hated when it got tangles because they hurt when she had to work them out later. Her warm honey colored hues scanned the area, with no sign of her mentor. She shrugged and turned down to straighten out her pelt. With each stroke she placed, she purred. This had just become habit for her. Her pelt mattered almost everything to her. It was a display of beauty for her, and also a way to flaunt out to her piers. She liked showing off her beautiful fur, it made her feel special.

As Chirppaw cleaned her creamy fur, her thoughts began rolling, and she realized how hard this was probably going to be for her. She liked being in control. She liked making the orders. She liked telling others what to do and what not to do. Sure she was proud that Grousestar had assigned Auroraflame to be her mentor, and she had always assumed that she would be easy going on a friend. But the more she thought, the more insecurities worked their way in. Maybe it wasn't a good thing after all. What if the best apprentices get assigned to regular warriors because they don't need that much help. Then that would make the worst apprentices the ones of the leader and deputy, with the worst of the worst assigned as medicine cat because, seriously, who wanted to spend all day cramped inside a filthy smelly den treating disgusting cuts and horrible sicknesses? Sure the medicine cats were necessary, but never would she ever want to spend time there, yuck!

Originally Posted by Wolfybro (Post 165999) Povenshout padded into the area excitedly. this was his first apprentice! He was determined to not screw it up. His blue eyes shined as he turned to Blackpaw, smiling. "This is the training plateu," he mewed, his voice quivering with excitement as he spoke,"this is where we'll spend a lot of our time battle training and hunting moves, and we'll go in the territory later if you'd like to maybe practice your first hunt." the cream tom couldn't stop smiling because he could now share all of his excitement with someone. @Immacat

Originally Posted by Immacat (Post 166021) ''Why he looks so content with that...Well, this is not important at all...'' thought the tom serious, when he approached from his mentor, he asked ''We will train fighting?'' Blackpaw meowed, and yawned lazily, ''It's better be fight, it's better be a fight, it's better be a fight!...'' he screamed mentally, he knew that he was really bad at hunting, and can stress someone easily with his terrible ways, one day a cat said that he hunt like a kit, and he thought that this cat was not wrong at all.

Originally Posted by Wolfybro (Post 166121) "We'll try a few moves sure, then practice a hunting crouch and see if we can bring back anything to the fresh kill pile." he mewed,"Though I'm a terrible hunter so i can promise anything." he chuckled. He made his way over to a more clear spot in the platu,tail twitching,"Ready to start?"

Originally Posted by Immacat (Post 166130) Blackpaw was happy, and sighed relieved, he nodded in agreement, ''Should i start? he meowed, unsheathing his claws, pratically dug in the ground, the cream tom moved his tail, he chuckled a bit when his mentor said that he was a bad hunter, this makes him feel more comfortable.

Originally Posted by Wolfybro (Post 166140) "Shealth those claws of yours buddy," the warrior mewed,"when training you never use your claws, only in real battles." he shifted so his legs were spread apart more,so it'd be hard to knock him down, his tail swiped across the ground. The warrior nodded,"Show me what you got."

Originally Posted by Immacat (Post 166618) Blackpaw nodded in agreement, he sheathed his claws, and leaped, opening a bit his mouth, yellowish teeths revealing, muscles appearing to leap, when he jumped, he gave an tackle in the shoulder with his head, Blackpaw felt a slightly pain, but he was okay, Blackpaw observed with curiosity his mentor, eyes gleaming, it was not the best attack, but maybe this could help him in studying how Povenshout would react, and maybe he could give a tip about battle, the lack of training in fight as a loner was bad, and maybe this training could award that days.

Originally Posted by Wolfybro (Post 166651) Blackpaws head his the toms shoulder which caused him to wobble slightly, but not by much. His body shifted so he wouldn't fall. "Next time, make your jump quickier, I could tell you were going to jump," he mewed,"And instead of using your head, use your paws. It'll knock me down I'm sure." he smiled,"Try again."

Originally Posted by Immacat (Post 166679) The small tom nodded, he is not very quicker, so maybe a attack with brute force could help, but his weight did not help with this, so, it's better try the same attack, ''but like a surprise?...'' he asked to himself completing what the narrator was saying, he quickly jumped into the back of his mentor, and stayed on top of the back, Blackpaw thought that using his claws would help, but well, Povenshout prohibited, and the siamese cat put his fangs in Povenshout.

Originally Posted by Wolfybro (Post 166696) Povenshout immediately hissed at the feeling of Blackpaw biting his scruff, he forgot to prohibit his fangs to, as in training you are not allowed to hurt one another, only in real combat. He immediately leaned over and flopped on his side, and standing back up again in hope he had thrown the apprentice off.

Originally Posted by Immacat (Post 166814) Blackpaw fell in the ground, the humor of his mentor changed very fast, in his face, a unexpressive expression, in his mind, questions, and a scream of surprise, Povenshout looked like a friendly guy, who never do something like that, but obviously, he could be furious, ''Sorry, but how could i train a fight without claws and fangs?'' he meowed, rising up.[ /QUOTE] "It's the warrior code," he mewed,"For battle training we practice pounces, swipes and tackles but we never train with claws and bites is all." he explained. He shook the negative tension off,as he was usually never serious but when injured is the only time he is. "Let's try something more simple first, like tackling."

Originally Posted by Nighty (Post 165377) @Empress Of Evil Chirppaw padded warily into the training area, her long well groomed pelt messed up and knotted. She looked down at the cream colored fur and released a grunt of disgust. She hated, above anything else, having a messy pelt. It wasn't her fault that she was almost completely devoted to her fur, her mother he started it, by teaching her how to groom it, how to care for it, and why she had too care for it. After that, she just took it on and couldn't help herself, plus she hated when it got tangles because they hurt when she had to work them out later. Her warm honey colored hues scanned the area, with no sign of her mentor. She shrugged and turned down to straighten out her pelt. With each stroke she placed, she purred. This had just become habit for her. Her pelt mattered almost everything to her. It was a display of beauty for her, and also a way to flaunt out to her piers. She liked showing off her beautiful fur, it made her feel special. As Chirppaw cleaned her creamy fur, her thoughts began rolling, and she realized how hard this was probably going to be for her. She liked being in control. She liked making the orders. She liked telling others what to do and what not to do. Sure she was proud that Grousestar had assigned Auroraflame to be her mentor, and she had always assumed that she would be easy going on a friend. But the more she thought, the more insecurities worked their way in. Maybe it wasn't a good thing after all. What if the best apprentices get assigned to regular warriors because they don't need that much help. Then that would make the worst apprentices the ones of the leader and deputy, with the worst of the worst assigned as medicine cat because, seriously, who wanted to spend all day cramped inside a filthy smelly den treating disgusting cuts and horrible sicknesses? Sure the medicine cats were necessary, but never would she ever want to spend time there, yuck!

Auroraflame padded into the Training Plateau with a cheerful smile on her face. This would be her second apprentice and she was quite excited to take on challenge of training a new apprentice. Auroraflame had only briefly talked to her apprentice before, and that was at the Skyrock. She remembered telling Chirppaw to go rest herself as they would start training later that day. The deputy stopped suddenly, her gaze searching for the particular persian figure of her apprentice. She couldn't help but raise an eye in amusement as she noticed Chirppaw was grooming her fur, deep in thought. It's great to see she likes to keep clean, but too bad her efforts will most likely be wasted, Auroraflame thought, chuckling softly to herself. The ebony she-cat doubted that Chirppaw would be able to keep clean during a training session, hardly any apprentice could escape clean.

"Goodmorning Chirppaw!", Auroraflame greeted with enthusiasm as she approached her apprentice. Ideas ran through her head as Auroraflame debated with herself over which basic training move they should do. "Today we'll be starting with some basics", the deputy announced. She paused for a moment, making her final decision. "We'll start by seeing what you might already know", the she-cat then continued. She decided it would be best for her if she could see what Chirppaw already knew. Hopefully, she would be able to help her improve with any incorrectly done actions. "Show me anything you might know about hunting", Auroraflame said with an encouraging smile. If Chirppaw didn't know anything about hunting, the deputy would gladly teach her every move and tip she knew. Afterall, that was what she was supposed to do.