Grow Strong Little Poppy [Training thread; tagged]

[Twix]

Ivyleaf had only just woken up, much earlier than she normally did. First day of training!, she was excited but still increasingly nervous. She didn't feel ready for an apprentice yet, but had gotten one anyways. Poppypaw. She would try her hardest to do a good job as her mentor. She sat up in her nest, beginning to groom her pelt back it's normal, sleek look, before getting up and walking out of the warrior's den. A yawn escaped from her jaws as she did so, and she had to bite back the urge to turn around and go right back to sleep. The sun had only just began to rise into the sky, but she knew it would take awhile to show the apprentice the territory. There were only a few cats out and about the clearing, and it appeared the dawn patrol had just returned. Good, at least some of the cats are already awake. It made herself feel better for being awake during this time, too. Gracefully the white she-cat made her way over to the apprentice's den, and poked her head inside to find Poppypaw. Once she spotted the tortoiseshell pelt hiding in the darkness, she prodded her gently in the side, doing her best to avoid the sleeping bodies of the other apprentices. "Wake up, Poppypaw. It's time for training."

[Heron]

[Heron]

Poppypaw....Poppypaw...someone was saying her name. The young apprentice looked around wildly, squinting through the dark fog that hovered over the river. She had been trying to see across it, to look at what was calling her name...

"....Poppypaw. It's time for training."

The young cat opened her eyes to find the face of another staring at her. She felt the gentle prodding at her side, and realized it was her new mentor, Ivyleaf. Poppypaw. Getting used to that name would take a while, but it was a badge of honor that the young apprentice was ready to carry with her until she could receive her warrior name. The she-cat nodded and rose to her feet, dragging herself out of the den with slow moving eagerness. She saw that the dawn patrol had just returned, and flicked her ears in surprise. It was that early?

She turned to Ivyleaf and began to groom her chest absentmindedly. "Good morning," she mewed. "What are we going to focus on today?" Her tone was mild and ready, her question filled with little curiosity due to the fact that Poppypaw already could guess. The basics, of course. It was only natural she would be taught the right way to pounce, stalk, and walk like a warrior. Once she was done flattening her chest, she blinked at her mentor.

[Twix]

"Good morning", she purred in reply, "Nothing too exciting, just showing you the territory and the boundaries with the other clans. If you're hungry, eat now, because we'll be out all day. Unless you catch something on your first day." She had to admit, the chance of that happening was rare, but already the white and silver-patched she-cat felt proud at even the thought of it.

[ OoC: I know not everyone likes actually roleplaying through the "showing off territory" thing, so we can skip it if you'd like. Or maybe we could have something especially interesting to happen? Your call. ]

[Heron]

Poppypaw crinkled her nose, her muzzle forming two folded lines as she did so. The young tortie shook her head respectfully, already on her feet to head toward the camp's entrance. "I'm not hungry!" She promised, though her tone indicated that this might've been a lie. Still, how could she eat? It was her first real day as an apprentice! Food would not settle in her stomach, anyhow, if mixed with the anticipation. Leaf-fall had left the air feeling a bit chilly, and the young she-cat fluffed out her fur as much as she could. Its short length was not very useful in the cooler months of the year, and she secretly hoped that her soft, kit-like fur wasn't so obvious. "We'll probably go to Leafclan's border, right?" She piped up, hopeful. Her whiskers twitched eagerly. "Because on the other side is just the river. We won't be crossing it, will we?" She could hardly imagine her own mentor would be taking her swimming during leaf-fall...but what did she know? She was just an apprentice.

[Twix]

Ivyleaf gave a nod. "Very good. We will be seeing the Leafclan border, as well as the Stormclan border. but no- we will definitely not be going for a swim. We don't usually do much swimming, especially when it's cold like this, so don't worry too much about it." The white she-cat padded off towards the entrance with her new apprentice in tow. She wasn't planning on eating either, but hopefully the two she-cats could catch some of their own play later on. Figuring they would probably get hungry after all their running from place to place. After pushing her way out of the entrance, she quickly turned on her delicate paws and darted off towards the river and the Stormclan border. She figured she'd start there, since it was the closest border.

[OoC: I'm planning on having Ivyleaf to die later of Greencough, after having her kits.]

[Heron]

Poppypaw nodded bravely and followed her mentor, keeping close on the warrior's hind legs. She tried to remain as silent and as stealthy as her new mentor, but even Poppypaw had to admit that this was rather hard for her. She half expected to be a natural at something as simple as walking, but already the forest floor was making it more difficult than initially thought. When she stepped, the ground crunched noisily and she cursed herself. Despite being safe within the clan borders it was always a good idea to stay as silent as possible. Even though they were not hunting, Poppypaw could smell prey as they passed. Some scents were stronger than others, like a heightened scent of what she was used to smelling around the fresh-kill pile. Fresher. More alive. It almost diminished the excitement in her belly.

When they neared the Stormclan border, Poppypaw's fur prickled in distaste. Stormclan! She had never smelled their scent before, but now could understand why they were considered river rats. It was fouler and less appetizing to Poppypaw than her own clan's scent, likely due to the fact that her scent brought comfort and safety. This one brought an alarm within her that she assumed was bred into her being. She looked at Ivyleaf expectantly, the bustling river rushing in front of them. "So that's the border," she mewed aloud. "Do they cross often?"

[[ Oh no! Sorry to hear that. Poppypaw is going to be so sad. T_T I would love to be apart of that thread if you make one. ]]

[Twix]

It wasn't long before the two cats stood along the river that marked the border. Ivyleaf could tell that her apprentice had a hard time navigating through the dense forest, even with most of the undergrowth that had died thanks to the colder weather. Even so, the white and silver-patched she-cat had kept her pace even and the apprentice managed to keep up with her. She made sure neither of them got too close to the edge- her mind whirling with the last time she had been here, with a cat from the camp across the water. She had nearly drowned during their meeting, and would have died if it wasn't for him. Webfire. When will I see you again?

For a moment the she-cat forgot she hadn't come here alone. She stretched her senses, listening intently and scenting the air for the faintest traces of him. She heard nothing- but could pick out his scent on the platform that laid in the middle of the swirling water. It seemed.. fresher than the last time she had seen him; but from this distance, she couldn't be sure or not. Though there was another scent too. One she couldn't pick out exactly, but knew it was the scent of Midnightclan. Her clan- but the scent wasn't hers. Apprehension made her belly twist and turn uncomfortably. Had a passing patrol spotted him? Had their been a fight? Thoughts raced through her mind until finally a voice broke through her thoughts. She looked down to see Poppypaw, eyes flickering with slight fear as she let the scent of Stormclan wash over her. Good. She'll need to learn to remember it.

"No, not usually. Especially not while the weather is cold." It would be a death wish to swim during the cold season, especially with greencough having a grip on all the clans. but she eyed the platform suspiciously. "but the platform makes it easier to cross. Remember that." She pointed to the large area that marked the middle with her tail. It was a long jump inbetween the banks and the platform, and she knew how easy it was to fall in. Because she had, not long ago. "but it is a long jump, and only confident cats dare jump across it.. I hope you never have to try, but if you do. Don't doubt yourself, or you will fall." Ivyleaf's warning hung in the air around them before, slowly, the she-cat padded away from the border. He paws carried her swiftly back through the forest as she headed for the border with Leafclan. She didn't look back to make sure Poppypaw was following, but one ear swiveled backwards, listening for the young cat's pawsteps behind her.