The Flames in the Shadow

[//Sunneh// is FuMiNg]

[glow=orange,2,300]Strickenshadow [/glow]

It was a fine night for battle training.

Deep in an evergreen forest, the IvyClan camp at this time was usually dark at best—pitch-black at worse. But this night was brighter than most and shards of moonlight had managed to stream through the thick ivy. Consequently, the camp was bathed in an eerie, silvery glow dappled with shadows.

Perfect.

Strickenshadow had been looking forward to a night like this one ever since he had been named the mentor of his second apprentice, Flamepaw. The young cat had an attitude problem, that was for sure. Flamepaw was starting to seem quite grumpy and sometimes even hostile towards others. Strickenshadow decided that the apprentice needed some intense battle training to let all that unnecessary anger out; that was what Strickenshadow always did when he was—how could he put this—infuriated. And, to tell you the truth, that was quite often.

Strickenshadow padded to the apprentice’s hollow, taking care to stay quiet. There were more IvyClan apprentices then usual, so if he disturbed one, he would most likely wake them all—not something that he would enjoy explaining to their mentors. He hesitated, then shook Flamepaw. No sooner than the ginger apprentice opened his eyes, Strickenshadow flicked his black-tipped tail over Flamepaw’s lips, then nodded towards the training area. After giving him a slight wink, he padded out of the den.

After they had reached the clearing, Strickenshadow turned towards his apprentice. “Alright,” he said, grinning cheerfully. “It may seem sudden, but tonight I’m going to teach you some battle moves and tail signals. We’ll start off basic, but if you seem ready, I’ll show you some really advanced attacks. Got it? If you know any attacks already,” he continued, settling down in a defensive position, “just show me.”

[- - -evening ||]

[glow=orange,2,300]FLAMEPAW[/glow]

.:The Fight To Death:.

So he was an apprentice now. Funny, he felt no different. He expected to feel more mature, more like an older cat, but, he guessed that he was more mature than most cats in the nursery, prancing around like butterflies, meowing helplessly. No, he was never like that. For in sense, he had opened his eyes the very moment he was born, his eyes, a dull gray, had turned a glowing amber, a startling glowing amber. Cats rewarded him as being a handsome and attractive young male cat, one that any she-cat would want to mate - with his charming looks and beautiful glowing eyes, there was no way that he could go wrong. 'He would be the pride of the clan, the most handsome cat in all of the clans, with any clancat female, throwing themselves at his paws,' or so they thought...

He smiled darkly at the thought of everyone liking him, for he had few friends, unlike they had predicted. Yes, he had to admit, he was a handsome cat, but that said nothing about his attitude. Dark and mysterious, he was through and through his grandfather. Darkheart, named only for his dark pelt, was nothing like Flamepaw, his father was just too nice. He had wished that he had met Gorsevoice, a raspy elder by the time that he was born, dark and forbidding. It was said that he had tried to kill Sunstar, the SnakeClan leader, but in his attempt, something went amiss, and Raccoontail had thrown him off. He could have won, he thought darkly, but he was weak, he fell in love! A low growl ripped Flamepaw, that she-cat had prevented him from killing Sunstar, and because he...loved... her, he agreed to stop.

And that was why he liked Windpaw, his best and just about only friend, he wasn't foolish enough to fall in love. He was softer than he was, but still refused the love of she-cats. Though Windpaw was older than he was, they were so similar they could have been mistaken as brothers if not for their pelt color and body built. In a way, he despised Windpaw, past the friendliness and brotherly-hood, he just hated him. He knew Windpaw's ambitions, his goals, and his strength, the cat was stupid enough to tell him a good part of each, even if it wasn't all. Windpaw was 'darker' then he was, he knew, but he, Flamepaw, was smart enough to hide his ambitious remarks, and plans, etched on his face. Sure, Windpaw had killed a cat or two, and none of the other cats had found out, but that was because they were stupid! He hadn't heard the story until just now about how Redpaw had died, but by piecing together the clues, he knew that it wasn't an accident. Sure, it could have been any cat, but for one thing certain, Windpaw hated his brother, so why not piece the puzzle together?
Deputy? Bah! Windpaw would never get there, not if he had anything to say about it!

The apprentices' den. Nothing special, just a group of cats, sleeping together, the oldest claimed the middle - but why? He wouldn't want to sleep in the middle of all those cats, sneezing on him, or laying on his tail or stomach! Were was the satisfaction in that? No, he was sleeping as far away from the cats as possible, thus, he claimed the edge of the den where no cat could possible touch him by accident.

As he settled down in his spot, he could hear the other apprentices whispering to each other, talking about their day, their friends, and him he supposed; there was always talk about new apprentice. As his peers quietly drifted off to sleep, he lay awake, wondering what Strickenshadow would teach him, he sensed that he was a very experienced warrior, one that he hoped wouldn't let him down. Strickenshadow, a good name, especially for an IvyClan cat. Why would anyone name an IvyClan cat Mellowflower these days? It was too soft!

Good name yes, but how much did he know? At his ceremony, he didn't do much as to say 'yeah I can't wait to train'. Just with a long look at his future mentor, he stalked off to the apprentices' den. So here he was now, just awaiting.

The crunch of leaves told him that someone was coming. The smell was familiar, but since he was new, he couldn't recognize it. As the figure came closer, he realized that it was Strickenshadow. What did he want to do - dawn patrol? He silently looked up at Strickenshadow, and was slightly surprised as he put his tail to his mouth. What the-? With a smile and a wink he nodded toward the training area. Oh, smart thinking, he liked this cat....so far...

Strickenshadow turned toward him, “Alright,” he said, grinning in a cheerful manor, “It may seem sudden, but tonight I’m going to teach you some battle moves and tail signals. We’ll start off basic, but if you seem ready, I’ll show you some really advanced attacks. Got it? If you know any attacks already,” he continued, settling down in a defensive position, “just show me.”

He knew some battle moves, but he wasn't an expert, he couldn't just look at a move and do it, but he was determined. He signaled with his tail to go on. He tried to do it lightly, but his tail, whipped up and hit a stick, snapping it off the branch and onto the ground.
"My tail is unusually strong," he meowed emotionless, "If that will help you in teaching me, it would be a good defense, or maybe even offense, but that is up to you."
____________________________

OOC: Wow! *whistles* Flamepaw thinks a lot!

[//Sunneh// is FuMiNg]

[glow=orange,2,300]Strickenshadow[/glow]

<sub>He was starting to like this apprentice. Yes, Strickenshadow was a fairly friendly cat and it usually didn’t surprise him when he felt himself growing fond of another—especially his own student. But Flamepaw…Flamepaw was different. He wasn’t an easy cat to like. In fact, he seemed to push his clanmates away, especially the she-cats. Strickenshadow found this amusing; Flamepaw obviously had a lot to learn about life and relationships. But the young apprentice was also cunning and, in those ruthless amber eyes, Strickenshadow saw the makings of a leader. And he hoped to train him to be a good one.

Strickenshadow watched as Flamepaw flicked his whip-like tail. He was expecting the young cat to start showing off like most apprentices did, flexing his scanty muscles and clawing at invisible enemies as if his life depended on it. But he obviously had underestimated the ginger tom. Flamepaw’s tail wrapped itself around a branch and broke it off, either from the power of the blow or the pressure of the tail’s grip. Either way, Strickenshadow was impressed. Yes, he was really starting to like this apprentice.

"My tail is unusually strong," Flamepaw meowed. His voice was flat and monotone, better suited for an elder then an apprentice. Strickenshadow wondered if it was an act, or his personality. He sighed. Another habit to try to break him of. "If that will help you in teaching me,” the ginger tom went on, “it would be a good defense, or maybe even offense, but that is up to you."
“Bravo,” Strickenshadow said, beaming at Flamepaw. “That was impressive, to say the least. I’ve heard that your tail is muscular, but I never expected this.” He knew the apprentice wouldn’t get excited over his praise like most, but he knew it wouldn’t hurt.

“Before we begin, I’d like to tell you some more about what it takes to be an IvyClan warrior. IvyClan warriors are born in shadow. They train in shadow. They fight in shadow. Darkness gives us an advantage over our enemies so you can say that we prevail in shadow.” Strickenshadow’s voice darkened. His mentor, Nightlash, had given him this speech the same night he had been apprenticed. It had been the night of his apprentice ceremony, when he was the same age as Flamepaw. It wasn’t something mentors usually did, but Nightlash had insisted on it. And now Strickenshadow did.
“But to truly become a warrior of the night, your heart must not be in shadow. Look at the warriors of our past—which ones do you admire? Hopefully not the ones who let the darkness consume them; they are no stronger than the mere shadows that IvyClan dwell in. No matter what they accomplished in their life, they died cold and alone in the end. And what happens in the end is what really counts. Remember this.”

He paused for a moment, wondering if he should have said those things to an apprentice so young. Had he scared Flamepaw? He knew the answer before he even saw the expressionless mask of Flamepaw’s face. No. Even if the ginger tom was afraid, he wouldn’t show anyone, least of all his mentor. Strickenshadow went on, his voice returning to its usual cheerfulness. “Anyway, the first move I’ll show you is called the Shadow Slash. It is relatively easy, so I’m sure you’ll master it in no time. Watch me carefully”

Strickenshadow moved towards the old, beaten log that IvyClan practiced on. His fierce amber eyes never left the claw-marked bark as he advanced. He was slightly crouched and his tail swayed slightly side to side. In the mottled shadow and moonlight, his black paws seemed to sink in and out of the ground. Silently…silently… Then, faster than what was thought possible, he struck at the log, scoring deep marks into its side. “The secret to this move is quick paw-work and good balance,” he told Flamepaw. “Your strong tail will help keep you stable, even when it’s not the one inflicting damage. Now, you try. And remember: silence.”</sub>

[/sub]

[- - -evening ||]

[glow=orange,2,300]FLAMEPAW[/glow]

.:The Fight To Death, And Ever After:.

-Close your eyes...-

Flamepaw stared at Strickenshadow, concentrating on his movement. He ignored Strickenshadow's speech on 'You need not be in darkness to win' or whatever it was. Which warrior did he admire in the past? Hawkfrost. He knew this was not the answer Strickenshadow would be looking for, but he kept quiet. He admired Hawkfrost for his cunning ability to manipulate other warriors, and he admired Tigerstar for that too, but in the end, he despised them both for the way their plans turned out. Hawkfrost shouldn't have trusted his brother, and Tigerstar just went too far. He, if he ever did try, would not fail in his attempt to rule, but he wasn't all for the 'ruling' thing at the present time, he just wanted to at least get deputy. his peers were lazy slackers, even if they looked like evil cunning fools to the other clans, and truth be told, they were fools, they all were.

“The secret to this move is quick paw-work and good balance,” Strickenshadow recited. “Your strong tail will help keep you stable, even when it’s not the one inflicting damage. Now, you try. And remember: silence.”
He had studied the move carefully as Strickenshadow glided toward the log, and made a quick swipe at it, scoring claw marks down the side.
Impressive. Very impressive. It was better than he had hoped to learn. For he saw some apprentices coming back learning a move called 'swipe'. Swipe? For the sake of all living things, that was move you were born with!

He crouched down, trying to copy Strickenshadow's smooth movement. His foot twisted to the side some, and he bent it back into place. He pawed forward a bit, testing his balance, and was tempted to swish his tail back and forth, but thought better about it. Suddenly, without planning to, he sped forward and clawed the tree. When he stopped, he could see gash marks in it, not quite as deep as Strickenshadow's, but deep enough.

Satisfied? No, he knew he could do better. He looked up at Strickenshadow his claws still unsheathed, to await and see how he would judge him.

-And attack the log-

[//Sunneh// is FuMiNg]

[glow=orange,2,300]Strickenshadow[/glow]

Strickenshadow watched with slightly narrowed eyes as Flamepaw started towards the log. He was doing a good job of mimicking the demonstration. Strickenshadow could see a few flaws in his posture, but the apprentice quickly corrected them. It was an impressive feat for one so young. Strickenshadow had lied about the Shadow Slash being an easy move; it was a hard attack to master. In fact, most warriors didn’t learn it until their third moon as an apprentice. But Flamepaw seemed to be a natural at combat, almost as if he had an extra sense that guided him.

A small, unusual sense of pride seemed to stir in Strickenshadow’s chest as he watched the ginger apprentice speed forward and slash the log, his still kit-like claws inflicting impressive damage on the bark. Strickenshadow had never been very fond of the few apprentices he had trained. He didn’t hate them or anything, but they tended to get on his nerves with their never-ending stream of questions and their sickening frolicking. But this one had his amber eyes on the prize and only the prize, a trait Strickenshadow appreciated. He nodded in satisfaction, then noticed that Flamepaw had kept his claws unsheathed.

Did the apprentice want more? If so, Strickenshadow was going to give it to him. “That was excellent,” he finally said, his upper lip curling into a harsh smile. A bit of talking would distract the apprentice. “But different warriors have different fighting styles. Apprentices usually reflect on their mentors when fighting, which can become a bit of a mess if the apprentice doesn’t have the size or the strength of his teacher. Luckily, you and I are similarly built, so your style can reflect on mine without too much of a problem. But we both have different strengths and weaknesses, so even if your style did mirror mine, it would gradually change.”

Strickenshadow paused for a moment, then settled into a crouch. “My strength is in my paws and my legs. My legs are a bit s-sh-shor-short,”—he stumbled over the hated word with a bit of trouble—“which makes me sturdier than most cats and harder to pin down. They also help me perform various attacks that are too complex and agile for warriors larger than me. My paws are rather large which helps my balance and can also pack a hell of a punch.” he swung his paw with relish, then went on with a chuckle. “As for my weaknesses…maybe you’ll find out some day.”

He swept his tail towards the fallen branch that Flamepaw had demolished. “Your tail is one of your strengths, so your style should be based on that.”

Deciding that he had driveled enough, Strickenshadow lunged at the apprentice with a yowl of, “Think fast!” Corny, yes, but effective. If Flamepaw was quick enough, he would be able to dodge. If not, Strickenshadow would veer to the side, leaving the young tom unscathed. Well, not completely unscathed—Flamepaw would be a bit embarrassed, Strickenshadow assumed.

[/blockquote]

[- - -evening ||]

FLAMEPAW

Chapter 3 --Instinct

His mentor was proud of him --that was something at least; but did his mentor have interpenetrating hunger? Was he all nice? Flamepaw sneered at the thought. An all nice IvyClan cat? Not likeyly, but it had happened before. Duskwing, the other one that had killed themselves --and look how they turned out, dead, or banished, or even running away like a cowered. If you didn't like your leader, do something about it, don't run away. He smiled inside at the thought of Seastar --the weakling, she was close to death, that was evident. FrostClan cats were weak, and SnakeClan even weaker --the stupid love trouble, what a corny idiotic bunch! CloudClan was just plain sad, they had about three warriors and all kits. Pitiful. All this did not reflect in his face, but his eyes, a burning amber. He turned his gaze away, scolding himself to think that he had given too much away.

“That was excellent,” he sneered, which immiediatly made Flamepaw approve him, all doubts about his intensity of kindness disappearing, “But different warriors have different fighting styles. Apprentices usually reflect on their mentors when fighting, which can become a bit of a mess if the apprentice doesn’t have the size or the strength of his teacher. Luckily, you and I are similarly built, so your style can reflect on mine without too much of a problem. But we both have different strengths and weaknesses, so even if your style did mirror mine, it would gradually change.” that was true...His mentor paused, then crouched down low. “My strength is in my paws and my legs. My legs are a bit s-sh-shor-short,”—he stumbled over the hated word with a bit of trouble—“which makes me sturdier than most cats and harder to pin down. They also help me perform various attacks that are too complex and agile for warriors larger than me. My paws are rather large which helps my balance and can also pack a hell of a punch.” he swung his paw with relish, then went on with a chuckle. “As for my weaknesses…maybe you’ll find out some day.”

Flamepaw smiled darkly at the thought --no doubt he wouldn't rest until he found this cat's weakness; it was....intriguing. He was as far as approving his mentor as he would be at the moment. Everything the cat said was true and informative --even if it was a bit obvious, but sometimes, you could skip over the obvious. Strickenshadow wasn't the 'all kind' warrior Flamepaw had first thought him to be. He may be a bit too happy at times, but he was a true IvyClan warrior, and a perfect mentor for a cat like him.

Lost in thought, he happened to glance up at Strickenshadow. He almost wanted to jump three feet in the air, but he retained himself. What was he doing? Oh damn, I left my guard down.., he cursed to himself. Should he duck? Run out of the way? No, too late for that --so he did the natural instinct; he lifted his upper body up onto his hind legs, paws in front of him, and claws still unsheathed.

No he didn't want to kill his mentor, or even injure him that is --but it was instinct when he had nothing else to do but defend. His paws ready, and his tail up at his side, he braced himself for the blow, a blow that he would strike back at --if it killed him.

He would not make an embarrassment of himself, his pride did not permit that --at all.

[//Sunneh// is FuMiNg]

--the S T R I C K E N shadow

The white-and-black tom was in mid-leap, paws outstretched and muscles tense, when Flamepaw's intentions finally dawned on him. Well, they didn't exactly "dawn" on him; it was more of a slap in the face than anything else. It was just so unexpected, even though he had vowed to expect anything when it came to sparring matches. Strickenshadow's amber eyes flared, his ears flattened, and he let out a soft, nearly inaudible hiss of surprise, as he watched his small apprentice rear up on his hind legs, and stretch his front paws forward, claws still unsheathed.

What the--?

Strickenshadow veered to the side, taking care to land at a safe distance away from his apprentice, who still had his claws out. He wasn't afraid of taking a hit from such kit-like claws, but also wasn't about to let his apprentice get the better of him on their first lesson. No, that wasn't about to happen. With an apprentice like Flamepaw, it was simply too risky to show any weakness. It could be used against him in the future, as simple as that.

It took him less than a second to recover from the landing, but Flamepaw's technique had piqued Strickenshadow's curiosity.The small warrior had expected a smooth, clean dodge, maybe even an offensive move, but defense...? No. Not from this cat. It was strange, really - it just didn't seem like the flame-colored tom's style. Perhaps an attack would be too predictable, or maybe...maybe Flamepaw was actually hesitant about hurting his mentor. Strickenshadow hoped that was true.

Straightening his limbs with a carefree sigh, he turned back to his apprentice, all previous hints of hostility drained from his expression. "Perfect," he whispered, then flicked his black-tipped tail towards the apprentice den. "You should probably get some rest. Big day tomorrow."

OOC: Sorry it's so short. D: I GTG.