Shrikepaw frowned considering his mentors words head cocking back and forth unconsciously as he thought over the ideas, a rare honest sign of his youth. It all seemed like good advice but implementing it would be the hard part, the tom had no doubt he was going to take a few hits in the process. He was more afraid than he'd like admit of that. Not so much because of the potential impact attached but because of the lingering worry that Windstrike, seeing an opportunity, would pull claws on the apprentice and make it a blow he wouldn't be able to take. All warriors he'd learnt from before had been of that kind and his mentor hadn't really done much to prove he was any different only fuelling what was becoming an unhealthy paranoia of everyone but Shrikepaws own sister. A reasonable one knowing shadowclan and his usual training but one that would hold him back in this learning stage.
Right he wasn't hesitating this time, Shrikepaw didn't waste a single second as he darted forward ducking low and sliding as if to batter his stomach before leaping at the last second. Jumping in a smooth arch his paws went wide trying to grip at the warrior firmly back paws lifting off of the ground to batter at Windstrikes side while he clung. He'd tried this attack before on Shrewpaw and it worked well while it lasted, Shrikepaw was small enough that he could easily hold himself on to someone and being stuck so firmly onto someones side made him harder to hit and near impossible to bite. It was simple, body tucked in close to his foe front paws reached around to get a firm grip and tail curled out of the war around a leg he made himself as small as possible back paws kicking at an open stomach, it was difficult without claws but defiantly not impossible. As long as he wasn't tossed off the small tom could do a lot of damage with his free back paws while his opponent was reeling, cats rarely knew what to do when finding an unwanted clinging burr that refused to let go and that confusion afforded the opportunist a lot of room to work. He had been foiled by the other apprentice flopping over and squishing him sure but the tom had made plans to avoid that this time.
Even if the move failed Shrikepaw was prepared to take Windstrikes advice and move with whatever counter attack the warrior threw at him even it was more on the fly than the young tom perhaps preferred. Adaptability in battle, he could learn that right?
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Pepperkins