Thrush's Lessons [p]

[SuspiciousMindz]

@Abyssopelagic

Thrush was isolated to his own part of the forest. A clearing beneath the dark trees he called home. It was quiet here and he rarely ran into another feline. However, he felt different. . . something wasn't right. His chocolate calico fur prickled at the shift in the atmosphere. His icy hues narrowed as the wind picked up as well, shifting the leaves and grass around him.

"Oh. . ." It dawned on him. Someone was coming. Who was coming to visit him though? Wasn't he just a lost, forgotten soul now? Who was deemed worthy of his time? Not that he was limited on time these days. Thrush crept backwards between some trees, his gaze merely watched for the newcomer.

[Abyssopelagic]

Moorpaw carefully crept through the dark, desolate forest she'd found herself in. She'd curled up in her nest to sleep after an exhausting g day of everything in her life going to hell and now she was here.
Somewhere she'd never been, somewhere where the stars did not shine, somewhere that felt.... off.
She felt strange. Being here felt strange.
She could almost compare it to the feeling of being a StarClan resident, but..... somehow twisted and corrupted. Changed.
For brief moments, she feared she'd died again, panic rising within her at the thought that her escape was only a brief venture, and her punishment for escaping death to be placed in a starless hellscape.
Eventually, she gained control of herself, reasoning that ... she was overreacting. This was just a dream like any other, just ... very realistic. And somehow more terrifying than being continually drowned by her sister.
She carefully crept through the dark woods, utilizing the hunting crouch that Dapplebreeze had taught her just hours before. Having learned from her encounter with the fake WindClanner's, she stayed as hidden as she could make herself as she stalked the forest, trying to find a hint of any sort of life, or an idea of what this place could be.

[ @SuspiciousMindz]

[SuspiciousMindz]

@Abyssopelagic

Thrush's tail flicked with delight, amusement even, though his icy gaze stayed blank. The cat creeping through the undergrowth had no advantage here despite what they might think. The tom could smell them coming now and just barely hear them. He'd give them credit for being quiet, but their scent was strong, not mixing with the rest of the forest.

"Well, well, well," Thrush cooed from his hiding place. "What brings you to this part of the forest?" the question echoed softly on the breeze as his gaze searched for the feline. Her scent was strong so she had to be close.

[Abyssopelagic]

Moorpaw almost jumped as a voice spoke, far closer than she would have liked. Turns out this cat knew she was there, but not where. With aubtle movements, she lifted her head to look for this other cat.
He was close, and yet out of sight.
She strained her ears to hear where the sound of his voice was coming from and looped around. If she was correct, she'd come up behind or off to his side.
The closer she became, the harder she tried to stay quiet. Up close she'd be much easier to hear, she realized.
Once she was close to where she thought the other cat was,, she hesitated, deciding if she should speak or show herself. Well, he'd find her quite easily once he knew what direction she was in.
"I don't know why I'm here."
She opted to stay somewhat hidden, her encounter with someone she thought should have been safe still replaying in the back of her mind. At least she was the only one in danger if things went wrong.
"But I know this is an afterlife of some sort. It's definitely not StarClan and I hadn't died when I last checked."
You can't just dream your way into the afterlife, right? Doesn't someone have to invite you? Unless her previously being dead made it easier to slip by.
Ugh, the thought of it all made her head hurt.

[ @SuspiciousMindz]

[SuspiciousMindz]

@Abyssopelagic

Thrush was intrigued. Enough so that he simply let out a sigh and stood up. His eyes were closed as he awaited to be pounced or threatened, the typical approach in these situations. His voice was monotone now, simply trying to get his point across to get the initial meeting over with. This was his worst trait by far. . . good first impressions.

"This is the afterlife, you're correct on that. Seems like you just snuck past the barriers, so I can assist you if needed. You most have a desire for something, so what would that be?" His blue eyes were still closed, still anticipating an attack of some sort.

[Abyssopelagic]

Moorpaw's head lifted as the individual she'd been talking to stood up, showing how terribly off she'd been about where he was. She slowly, very slowly made herself also give away her position and with a deep feeling on apprehension, took steps towards the apparition, but kept a healthy distance.
Her ears prickled forward and her eyes scrutinized him
".... training. I. Desire battle training. I want to protect my family, but life keeps getting in the way of me learning."
She took one more step closer, but there was still a tail length of space between them.
Surely, there was no harm seeking ways to better herself from the dead?
"More than once I've been pitted against an Outsider and found myself at the disadvantage. I'm sick of it."
Her eyes blazed, remembering how she had to be saved in both occasions.
She was too old for that. And it was past time she could protect herself.

[ @SuspiciousMindz ]

[SuspiciousMindz]

@Abyssopelagic


Thrush simply tilted his head as the she-cat presented herself. He studied her for a moment, then that scent was all too familiar. WINDCLAN. It was ALWAYS a WindClanner!

His icy eyes narrowed towards her, a totally different demeanor took over the tom. "I'm not surprised you're getting beat up with the way WindClan always trained their warriors. Weak! His voice was almost a hiss, his body tensed as he watched Moorpaw. "There has not been a decent leader since the fall of Singenight," The Savannah tom came to mind. Oh, how Thrush had always looked up to that leader and his deputy -- Thrush's mentor.

As soon as the angry, almost crazy, demeanor came it was gone. A cool look overtook the tom and he wasn't tense anymore. In fact, his gaze even looked away from the apprentice and towards the distance of this never-ending hell. "Of course, I could always train you, but I can understand if your loyalty to a weaker mentor is more important," the tom spoke, flicking his tail with contempt.

[Abyssopelagic]

Moorpaw wasn't terribly startled at Thrush's outburst, simply narrowing her eyes at the deceased tortoiseshell.
Who the hell is Singenight?
She would need to ask someone else about this, her curiosity would drive her mad otherwise.
Her hackles raised as this cat had the audacity to call her mentor, her beloved Dapplebreeze weak.
She was anything but!
Moorpaw had to bite back what she wanted to shout at him, any harsh words needed to die in her throat before she formed them into reality.
She wanted this cat's training. And anything that resembled backlash might make him re-think his choice to train her.
The uneasy feeling didn't start to prickle through her pelt until the angry lashing out dipped back into a more calm persona once again, but she refused to let that show.
She simply glowered at Thrush.
"I wouldn't have asked for this training if I felt tied to my mentor."

[ @SuspiciousMindz ]

[SuspiciousMindz]

@Abyssopelagic

Thrush sat with thought for a moment. His gaze was hyperfocused on the other feline as he contemplated her words. His expression was unreadable as he sat and thought. The last time he had offered this, the feline never returned. Was it worth the waste of his peace?

It was decided. "Very well," Thrush finally spoke. The moment of silence had lasted for several moments. The chocolate calico rose to his full height -- which wasn't that tall if we're being honest. He was lean and stout, barely worthy to be called a fighter at first glance.

"I am Thrush. Former WindClanner," the tom wasn't going to speak of his moons in RiverClan. The disgraceful time.

[Abyssopelagic]

Moorpaw tipped her head to Thrush as he introduced himself.
She was a bit surprised he used to be WindClan, but at the same time, he seemed intimately knowledgeable about the Clan, so perhaps... she could see it.
As he stood to his full height, she was glad to see he wasn't terribly large, similar to herself. It would make training much easier, as they both would rely on dexterity based attacks rather than strength.
She suddenly realized she never offered her own name.
"Moorpaw... what will you be teaching me tonight?"

[ @SuspiciousMindz ]