In this choose-your-own-adventure book, you create a character and lead them through their journey before they are ready to join the stars. Will you succeed, or will you fail?
Mallowpaw bounded forward, lifting her head to smell the aroma of scents that flooded her nose. A butterfly fluttered past her nose, and she quickly sprang up to try and catch it in her paws. Of course, it was too quick even for her, and it fluttered away unharmed. It's been so long since I've been out of camp! I forgot how great it is!
"Woah there, Mallowpaw!" Her mentor, Plumfall, called after her. "I know it's been a while since you've been out of camp last,but please - slow down, okay?"
Mallowpaw was not a cat who liked waiting, she liked to rush ahead and get things done quickly, but she sighed and reluctantly obeyed her mentor. Plumfall glided effortlessly through the trees to catch up with her apprentice, her ebony coat blending perfectly with the shadows.
She could hardly contain her excitement, though, and she kept leaping forward and bounding in circles around Plumfall like a kit. Mallowpaw had only been apprenticed to her less than ten sunrises ago, so she had only ever been to the training grounds when Plumfall had taken her around to farmiliarize her with the territory.
Now, I'm actually going to learn some real battle moves, thought Mallowpaw, and she leaped in the air to catch a falling leaf in her paws. She couldn't wait to be able to beat all the other apprentices in sparring matches once Plumfall taught her some moves. Mallowpaw looked back at Plumfall with pride in her eyes that she had scored her as a mentor. Ever since she had seen the warrior defend some apprentices from a hawk that swooped down into camp, she held her in high regard.
The training grounds was not far from camp, and it took them no time at all to get there. However, Mallowpaw could hear the sound of the rushing waterfall long before they arrived. The training ground was on top of a large rock slab that overlooked a cliff and a raging river that cascaded down the cliffs. Mallowpaw had a secret fear of falling off the edge and down into the depths of the canyon, but the slab was farther away from the edge than it looked.
"Ah, so we are here early," Plumfall remarked. "I expected as much, with the pace we were going. At least we'll have a little extra time to practice."
Mallowpaw turned to her mentor excitedly. "What move will you teach me first?" She asked eagerly.
"Well, first you will need to be able to perform and recognize the proper battle stances for all three of the clans," Plumfall leaped up onto the slab in a quick, smooth heartbeat. Mallowpaw followed her, though the leap was a little tall for her stature. "Good, now watch."
Plumfall spread her back legs out behind her, and poised for a spring. Her front paws were spread out wide, ready to leap forward or backward at any moment. "This is the signature stance of ElkClan for warriors preparing to battle. It is derived from the hunting crouch, but it allows cats to be able to quickly launch or dodge attacks."
The pose made her look fierce, and that made Mallowpaw like her mentor even more. Plumfall relaxed and stood to her paws. "Now it's your turn. Try copying what I just did." Mallowpaw settled into a hunter's crouch just as Plumfall had taught her when she was a fresh apprentice. She tried as best she could to remember how Plumfall had positioned herself.
"Good, but bunch your paws closer to your chest," Her mentor added, adjusting Mallowpaw's position with her paws. "That's better."
"What do I do now?"
"You can relax now," Plumfall said. "One good thing to remember is to never be stiff in a battle stance, or you won't be able to move quickly enough." Mallowpaw nodded, accepting her mentor's advice.
Plumfall showed her the signature battle stances for both OwlClan and WolfClan. They were both very similar to ElkClan's, but different in their own way, and Mallowpaw was confident that she would be able to identify them. They spent a few minutes going over them.
Plumfall crouched down to the stance of an OwlClan cat, with her legs spread apart and her body curled, facing Mallowpaw. Her tail shielded her midsection.
"That's an OwlClan stance!" Mallowpaw said quickly.
"Very good, Mallowpaw! You are a natural at this," Plumfall praised. "Now, can you tell me the best way to attack?"
Mallowpaw thought for a moment. They had not gone over that. Plumfall expected her to come up with the best answer she could on her own.
