(Outdated) Warriors: Clouded Skies #1 - The First Storm

Chapter Nineteen

Birchsplash and Rohan were having a stare off from opposite sides of the garden.

The BatClan members were grouped close near the entrance to the Twoleg den, while the Clan-less cats were by the pool of water. The two toms had ruffled fur, with Birchsplash's muzzle torn by a scratch mark and Rohan with a small nick in his ear. It had been a quick scuffle that was broken by Hazelfur and a ginger-pelted loner.

It turned out that the ginger she-cat's name was Wish, which Rowanpaw thought was quite stupid. It didn't make too much sense, but then again, neither did the rest of the Twoleg Place cats names. He could hear names like Rain or Fern being turned into Clan names-maybe Raincloud and Ferntail-but Wish, Primrose, Meadow, Rohan, Copper; they seemed to make no sense. Hickory, maybe, but Rowanpaw didn't really know.

Rowanpaw absently picked at his claws with his teeth, cleaning out the soil and spitting it out with disgust. It felt nice to have them clean, though his pads were still raw and burning from the soot-stained Thunderpath. Bored, he lay his head on his paws, tail flicking softly. His ears perked in interest as Emberheart spoke quietly into Hazelfur's ear.

The light brown she-cat looked excited, and she looked at Rowanpaw with happy eyes, with Emberheart following her gaze to her apprentice's. "Rowanpaw, how would you like to do some battle training with Hazelfur?"

The young apprentice felt a flash of excitement, and his tail flicked. "Yes!" He had done barely any battle practice, and he would rather do it with Emberheart, but with her expecting kits it would be hard. And, apparently, Hazelfur was one of the best fighters in the Clan, which was said by not only Dawnstar but also the senior warriors Brackenfoot and Brownear.

"Great!" Hazelfur scrambled to her paws, eyes shining despite her weak form. "Let's work over there!" She hurried over to the other side of the garden, still against the side of the Twoleg den. "Let's start with the back rake. It'll be the best move to use against EchoClan-with their large size, they'll be slower than us, even in this state. And scratching their spine will make it hard for them to climb to get a height advantage."

Rowanpaw nodded, taking in the information.

"Another good thing is to attack their legs, that will also help keep them on the ground, and if you get their back legs it'll stop them from leaping at us; it's another one of their talents. If you land on their back, bite their scruff and pull and shake, it will throw them off. But be ready for them to roll over, trying to flatten you under them to gain control. You can't let them." The she-cat flicked her tail. "What approach would you use in a fight against an EchoClan opponent using the information I've given you?"

Rowanpaw let out a slow breath, trying to sort through everything he had learned. "They're slower than us, bigger than us, so I should use my speed and size against them." Once she nodded, he continued, "I should try to jump onto their back and hold on with my claws, and if I can grab their neck, too. If they try to flip me under them, I'll jump away, but then immediately jump back while they're still down. I'll grab onto their back leg, and try to scratch their stomach. If I were them, I'd give up by then." He felt proud of himself.

"What if they stop you from jumping on their back?" Hazelfur meowed.

"What?" He felt a flash of confusion. "Well, I'd..." His entire plan went around getting on their back. "I'd try to get on again?" he said slowly.

"Are you asking or telling?" Hazelfur's head tilted softly.

"Uh, telling..." He looked at his dark paws.

"Well, it probably wouldn't work." Hazelfur stood and flexed her claws, muscles rippling over her skinny body. "They would be expecting you to try it again; you need to choose a different approach."