Lichenpaw isn't really notable for any outstanding skills. She's not the top fighter or hunter out of the apprentices, and the warriors of her expansive clan don't look at her as the one with the most potential. That is, until she discovers a unique...
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-Lichen-
Sunshine warmed a sandy clearing, trees surrounding the area that was sheltering the hollow. Four apprentices, each with their mentor, sat in a semi-circle, listening carefully to Volemask, who stood before them. Lichenpaw watched the light brown tom carefully, for once a lesson having her full attention.
"Therefore, a good jump comes from a firm footing. If you're slipping around..." He trailed off, yellow eyes expectantly wide. The four apprentices sighed, mumbling the rest of the phrase in a disjointed unison.
"Your paws won't leave the ground." The thick tom nodded with approval, and the cats broke up to regroup with their mentors, Brightpaw mumbling something about how, "Your paws actually leave the ground when you slip and fall, that saying is dumb." Lichenpaw waited in place for Fallingwhisker to come to her, the dusky brown tabby tom waving his tail.
"Ready to give it a try?" Lichenpaw twitched an ear in a casual reply.
"Sure..." She meowed unenthusiastically.
"Look, I know you already know how to jump, but going back and relearning basics can help." He murmured. The patched apprentice's eyes glowed. He hasn't been this supportive since I first became an apprentice. She nodded firmly.
"Right." She steadied herself, her eyes on the only tree edging the sandy hollow that wasn't completely overgrown with ivy and underbrush. The other apprentices were also readying themselves to leap up the same oak, their eyes bright.
"I'm first!" Brightpaw called, her face lively. She crouched down, waggling her haunches before leaping up the base of the tree, making it around six tail-lengths high. The calico cat took an unsheathed claw, proudly stripping a small bit of bark off where she had landed before leaping back down. Her mentor, Volemask, who had taught the lesson summoned her to him with a tail wave.
Lichenpaw watched her pad away, missing Hemlockpaw's jump. The white tom hadn't made it nearly as high as his lighter-framed sister, only around four tail-lengths. He, too, dug his claws in to mark his height. Lichenpaw glanced back to Fallingwhisker, who's eyes were glassed over as he thought about something. Something unrelated to jumping up a tree and looking like a mouse-brain like I'm about to do. She sighed inwardly. Might as well get this over and done with.
She eyed the other apprentices. Brightpaw was bragging to Hemlockpaw, who gave a good-natured tail flick, and Weaselpaw was nervously gawking at the trunk that he hadn't had a turn on yet. Her eyes moved to the two scratches on the bark. I can do better, she realised. I may have a chance of beating them, and proving to Fallingwhisker that I'm not a complete failure of an apprentice.
So, with all her might, she braced herself and bunched her muscles, preparing her jump.
And off she went, flying through the air. For a moment, Lichenpaw felt like she was truly flying through the air; like the ebony-feathered crow she caught the night before.
Her claw snagged the trunk of the tree, and she braced herself, and dropped, the apprentice's paws thumping onto the ground. She opened her eyes, not realising they were closed in the first place.
The claw mark was just a mouse-length from Brightpaw's, which was the current highest.
Mouse dung. I know I can do better than that--
"Whoah, cool! What's this?" Lichenpaw looked up sharply. Outlined by the sunlight stood Emberpaw, tortoiseshell and white fur sleek and shining in the golden rays. She groaned inwardly as the new apprentice trot toward the tree, but she straightened up as she realized Smokestar was slowly following behind the young cat.
"We're practicing leaps. Being able to jump higher can be the difference between catching or loosing prey." Volemask informed from where he stood with Brightpaw. Ember blinked in interest.
"Ooh-- Smokestar, can I try?" She swung her head back to look at her mentor. The long-haired dark she-cat shrugged.
"Sure, go for it. Be sure to use the right technique though!" Emberpaw nodded enthusiastically, dashing back a few paces to prepare herself. Lichenpaw curled her lip, annoyed, moving away and making room for the former WindClan cat.
"Alright Emberpaw, let's see what you got! I've got the highest marks so far!" Brightpaw cheered. Lichenpaw narrowed her eyes, focusing in. Emberpaw closed her eyes, taking in a breath, then opened them again. She set her paws apart slightly, one further ahead than the other, and crouched ever so slightly down. Then she waggled her haunches slightly, her leathe, short furred body not hiding a single solid muscle that rippled under her pelt. She launched into the air, long legs pushing her up. Lichenpaw's eyes widened as she watched it. Her body twisted slightly as she aimed her course for the tree, and she clasped to the rough bark as she reached her highest point.
Lichenpaw choked on air.
She was at least a tail length length higher than Brightpaw, probably more. Cheers rose from Brightpaw, Hemlockpaw, and Weaselpaw.
"WOW, Emberpaw, show me how you did that, that was awesome! Even better than Lichenpaw, she usually does pretty good!"
The black and white apprentice felt her pulse race, her fur heating up. This is what I'm supposed to be good at. I'm the one who is the high jumper, I'm the one who snags bird out of the air, who saves Brightpaw's sloppy attempts. She watched Smokestar, who was watching Emberpaw with interest. This can't be happening.
