-[ Warriors: With The Fallen ]-

Part One: Chapter Two~ Battle-Training

  She led Rose'paw deep into their clan's forest. She was able to easily keep up with her mentor's steady pace.

  '104, 105, 106, 107, 108...' Rose'paw trailed off as she followed Fawn'tooth.

  "We're almost there, Rose'paw." Fawn'tooth flicked her gaze back to her. "Take a look around the scenery. Everything looks a little different covered in snow,"

  'Why is she taking me so far?' She thought with a yawn.

  Looking up, the forest remained still. Nothing, but her mentor's voice and the rushing winds could be heard. She much enjoyed Green-leaf, or what she could remember of it. Rose'paw had been born mid into the Green-leaf season.

  Memories of loud chirping and bird song refreshed her. Along with Feather'paw, or Feather'kit, at the time. Throughout her kit-hood and even early into her apprenticeship, the two had been—

  Feather'paw's loud voice suddenly sounded; like some moth drawn to a flame. The moth being him, and the flame being her just thinking his name.

  'Can everyone just stop cutting me off?' She kept herself from hissing.

  "Rose'paw!" Feather'paw hollered to her, "It's sure snowy out here,"

  She just continued to follow Fawn'tooth. If she pretended to not have heard him, then she didn't.

  "Rose'paw? Did you hear me?"

  She heard Fawn'tooth chuckle beside her. She didn't understand this, because she didn't have to deal with a Feather'paw in her life.

  Turning to the tom, Rose'paw put on a smile. "Sorry, Feather'paw, I'm training right now,"

  "Well, not yet," mewed Fawn'tooth.

  She must've planned this for her being late! Maybe. Fawn'tooth could get creative with punishments.

  Fawn'tooth continued, "Really, we were only about to start."

  "Listen, Feather'paw, I'll talk to you uh later," She saw a mouse at his paws, "Good luck in hunting,"

  "Thanks! Bye, Rose'paw!" He trotted off somewhere.

  Fawn'tooth laughed, "We should have invited him,"in your hunting,"

  "Thanks," He trotted off somewhere.

  "Awh, we should have invited him to join us," Fawn'tooth nudged her and started laughing again.

  She just blinked at her, "No."

  "Alright, alright, let's begin." She walked up onto the start of a hill, "Say I'm an enemy warrior on a boarder squirmish. Of course you would want to be on higher ground than your enemy. In this situation, you aren't. What do you do?"

  "Uh, sorry, but why are we so far away for some battle-training?" Rose'paw mewed.

  "The farther away from our territory, the smaller the hills get." Fawn'tooth replied, "So, we're practicing here, as if it is a real squirmish."

  Rose'paw nodded. That kinda made sense. She was tired that they had to walk so far though.

  "Alright, now what would you do in this situation?" She asked again.

  Rose'paw just stood there. Weariness from the lack of sleep the night before left her feeling like a dried-up leaf.

  Fawn'tooth sighed. "Think of your tactics,"

  "Oh! I'd slide underneath you, and pin you from above," She snapped out of her tired daze, and quickly answered.

  Mentors were chosen for their apprentices based off of their traits. Rose'paw and Fawn'tooth were both easily one of the faster cats in the clan. Along with their slim build, and lack of strength, Fogstar had made a good choice with pairing the two.

  Like how he had also paired up Wolf'fang, her father, with Feather'paw. Sure, the two got along well. Really well — Too well.

  Both had a large, strong build. However, the two lacked in speed and agility. Something her pair strived in.

  It just annoyed her. Whenever she decided to talk to her father, the conversation always turned to Feather'paw. Everything was always about him. Not just when she talked to her father, but with everyone she talked to.

  Everyone always talked about him as a bright, smart tom, who would be destined to be Cloud'clan's leader one day. —Agitating. Whenever she talked to him, he always would rub it in too.

  Sure, she spaced out a lot. Sure, she wasn't all that bright. Did he have to rub in about how successful he was in certain aspects? No! He didn't.

  No one got that, besides Night'paw. Night'paw always got everything she talked about.

  "Good, your head is still working. Now do that," Fawn'tooth smiled.

  Rose'paw used her long limbs to quickly stride towards Fawn'tooth. She attempted to dart underneath her. Fawn'tooth batted her away with sheathed claws.

  She yelped as she tumbled backwards into the snow. "Ouch!"

  "Again," Fawn'tooth smirked.

  So, again, she got up and rushed up at Fawn'tooth. Again, she got batted back — Easily.

  "Again," Fawn'tooth yawned.

  This went on for a couple more attempts. Each time she fell, she grew more frustrated. Also more tired.

  'Okay, so if I keep getting knocked down by her front paw, then when she goes to strike, I'll slide under her paw and come out from her other side. Then I'll like jump up and pin her down.' She planned it out to herself; her eyebrows furrowed.

  "Again," Fawn'tooth said.

  Rose'paw rushed at her. When Fawn'tooth raised her paw to swipe her away, she ducked underneath it, and not her side this time, and darted underneath her.

  "Yes!" She yelped excitedly.

  Fawn'tooth scowled playfully, and began to turn back to her. Rose'paw immediately scrunched up her haunches and leaped at her. She pinned down her mentor before she could fully turn to her.

  Triumphant, she yelped louder, "Yes!! Did you see that? That was so cool! I was like 'pew', 'pew' and then I got you pinned!"

  "Yes, very cool," Fawn'tooth smiled at the overly excited apprentice.

  Once Rose'paw had calmed down from her euphoria, she added, "Let's try a couple other stances, and then we'll head back,"

  Rose'paw grumbled, but nodded nonetheless.