Here goes nothing (Dyzz)

[ℓυиαя]

Yellow eyes blinked open to a grey world, a world of rocks and boulders which matched the dreary morning sky. With the land already deep in leaffall, Ashnight could feel the coldness growing and settling in his bones. It was this time of year that his hind leg throbbed more eagerly and made him feel so much older than he really was. 

A blink.

Two.

As his mind stirred from his doze, the sharp throb and burning sensation came to life on the side of his neck, his face and torso feeling taught and heavy. One night was nowhere near enough time to heal from the attack of yesterday however Ashnight had promised the sweet Brightblossom he would train her and so train her he would. Climbing to his feet, the silent warrior for once making a sound, Ashnight looked over the camp for his new 'apprentice'. From what he had gathered, she wouldn't be a fast learner but she had heart and that made a warrior. Ashnight stood still for a while, feeling like he was weaving on his feet before he snarled inwardly and took slow steps towards the nursery, him having slept away from the others in the clearing as usual. Each step caused his neck to yell and complain but for him it was merely mind over matter. This training would keep him occupied and save his hind for having to wait around camp aimlessly all day. He preferred the pain.

Nosing his head into the nursery, Ashnight was mindful of not waking the others as he looked for Brightblossom, jaw gritted against the pain.  


Dyzzie

[Dyzzie]

The lithe female slept peacefully, curled up in a ball with her fluffy tail curled around her, the tip resting over her muzzle, as she slept peacefully. Of course, her sleep didn't last long til a scent invaded her mind, the familiar scent of the tom who was going to be attempting to teach her to be something more than she was (a pathetic, and useless queen). She lifted her head slowly, blinking pale yellow eyes open, before slowly meeting his gaze, and instantly she was on her paws, nimbly moving trhough the sleeping nests to reach his side, "You look like you're in pain." She whispered as she swept past him with a graceful ease, light on her paws as she looked around the quiet camp, "Have you had any of those herbs I gave you - the ones to ease the pain? I don't want to be a bother, Ashnight." She purred gently before looking up at him for him to lead her to where ever it was that he'd be training her today.

[ℓυиαя]

She was like a breath of fresh air as she swept past him gracefully, her concern for him obvious. Turning his body around slowly in her direction, Ashnight watched her with a neutral expression. How different the two of them were. Her; soft, caring and motherly. Him; quiet, trained and hard. That jaw of his remained clenched as he moved his body slowly yet somewhat smoothly. What could he say, he was an expert at covering up how serious injuries were. He had forgotten himself earlier however. On the outside his expression was neutral but something in those eyes said otherwise as she gently chided him about the herbs. Starclan, he felt like a kit all over again.

A silent shake of that head, something he immediately regretted doing as the pain spiked all down his left side. Whether the shake was for the herbs or to her being a bother, it was hard to tell and as she turned around waiting for his head, Ashnight spurred his body into gear, jaw still tensed, face still neutral. They were not to go too far however he wasn't about to train her at camp among the watchful eyes. No, they needed somewhere more private and he knew just the place. "Come, no.. I.. feel great." What a bad liar he was. Or maybe it was because he knew she knew anyway.

[Dyzzie]

The female frowned gently at him, seeing the look in his eyes, seeing the brief tiny flickers that hinted at the pain. A slight tensing, a flash of complete void of emotion. Jaw tensing. Sighing, the female gave him a stern look before disappearing to get the few remaining herbs she'd managed to locate for him yesterday. Moving back to him, she set the herbs down infront of him before purposely sitting in the path that they would be taking, refusing to move until he ate at least one for his pain. She eyed him, looking from the herbs, then back up to him, before deciding the perfect way to get him to eat them, "I'd hate to have to tell Briarclaw that you're in too much pain to leave the camp for the next few days," She purred gently, eyebrow raised, resorting to black mail. She'd make him eat the herbs if she had to pin him down and shove them down his throat with both paws.

She finally nodded, willing to follow him out of the camp with a sigh, eyeing him slightly, "So, where are we going, Ashnight?" SHe asked softly, curiously, eyes focused on him.

[ℓυиαя]

He stopped in his tracks as the smaller she cat rested before him, her eyes moving between him and those disgusting herbs. What? Had she just provided him with an ultimatum? Brave kitty. Looking down at her, the tall tom still standing, Ashnight too looked down at the herbs. He COULD have just kept walking, after all, no one around camp knew where he was most of the time to keep him inside the camp but.. He had wanted to train today and she hadn't been so keen. The least he could do would be to take the herbs. Those sour, shiny herbs. Plus, the way she was looking at him, he didn't think she was going to let him just stroll on by. Looking at her once more, Ashnight lowered his head feeling the heat of his neck crank up a couple of notches. Those eyes flared softly but he licked up the little critters before raising his head and taking the lead slowly once more, that thin tail of his seeming to pat her on the head as he went by.: a silent wait and see, come along. Two could play at being difficult..


With each step, the warrior could feel the pull and tug of deep cuts across his face and side, not to mention the ache of pain that erupted in his neck with each step of his left foreleg. He had been lucky, lucky to have only had these injuries and lucky that Brightblossom had been there when a medicine cat hadn't. Weaving his way on mostly silent legs, Ashnight made his way to the Dead Willow, a place where he had grown up training. It had many obstacles and things to work with. It would be perfect. Slowing to a stop.. which wasn't that much of a slow down, Ashnight turned his eyes slowly to his student and seemed to raise an eyebrow. "Threats..around us... Name them."

[Dyzzie]

The she-cat grinned at his reaction, the grin quickly swifting to a polite, and sweet smile, as if to silently retort with a 'I'm too cute to be realllllyyy evil,' before smiling faintly at her. She waited patiently, glancing back at him and then to the herbs, then back at him once more. She wasn't going move one step until she was certain he'd eat them. Finally he reacted, lowering his head, eating the leaves that would help him. She nodded her head in approval before standing again, purring faintly when he passed her, his tail patting her head. She playfully swatted at it, before turning to follow, walking with him and occassionally watching him to make sure that he wasn't going to get hurt more. Finally they got to the dead willow and the female looked around slowly before stopping next to him. She turned her gaze to him, pale yellow eyes meeting his, before pausing at his question. Threats. around them? She looked around slowly, "Currently, I think the biggest threat towards me is you -- considering I just threatened you . . . . but beyond that?" What was there that was a threat. Her eyes scanned the area slowly, "The dead tree? Because of all bare roots and limbs that could snap and fall?" She finally asked, uncertain, her ears falling, expecting to be scolded for a wrong answer, called stupid, or be told she was too pathetic to train. She glanced at him before looking around again. What threats were there to worry about?

[ℓυиαя]

Good.

Ashnight watched her with bright eyes as she started off strong and then her confidence fell sharply. That they would work on, they had to. She was smart to point him out and although he would never hurt her, he was currently her biggest threat. The tree was.. yes threatening but the first answer she had gave him had been the one he had wanted. A nod as he watched her before looking out around them. He had already witnessed her ability to climb first-paw and so he thought the things she would benefit from him the most would be confidence and fighting skills. Hunting wasn't required unless she really wanted to.

Turning his gaze back to her he stepped towards her suddenly, ignoring the pain that coursed through his body. His ears lay flat against his head and his eyes gleamed, the neutral glaze gone. He was now an enemy and he wanted to see her retaliate.

[Dyzzie]

The she-cat wasn't the type to react will in these type of situations, when her lack of knowledge, of confidence was so painfully obvious. She honestly had no idea what type of answer he wanted, and while her first answer may have been the right one, she said it more out of play than anything else. And of course she wasn't sure what to say at all. And yet he nodded, she'd been right. She smiled faintly before he looked out around him. She followed his gaze before seeing a small change, and she turned towards him, seeing his ears lay flat, and instantly that flight instinct took in. She wasn't sure how it happened, but one moment she was seeing him step towards her, and the next, she was up the dead tree, balanced on one of the large branches, looking down at him, keeping her weight centered so that the branch would break beneath her weight, her eyes on the male below, "Uh, Ashnight? I was just kidding about turning you in for being hurt! I swear!" She meowed, her pale yellow eyes focused as she managed a half smile of pure sweetness, "So uh, mind helping me figure out how to get down from here . . . . ? I don't even know how I got up . . . ." Day one of fight training, and she got herself stuck in the dead willow. Great. Just great.

[ℓυиαя]

All it took was one slightly hostile step in her direction and she was away, up high in the precariously placed tree, looking down at him with those pale yellow eyes.

Oh Starclan..

And this was only day one.

Blinking up at her, Ashnight's ears straightened to a more friendly position and then his eyes traveled down her body and then down the tree, looking for her best bet at maneuvering back to where he stood. Three paths were quickly analysed before he settled on the safer, easier to explain route. A shake of that head but there was laughter in his eyes. He'd known she wouldn't be great but he hadn't expected this. Well, at least he now knew what they needed to work on first. Something intelligible, then: "Right leg straight.. back.. down.. then left. Thats it.." He continued talking, explaining the route to her thoroughly as he couldn't exactly climb up there and get her himself, it was too thin and too risky. As he told her the last step, the lean warrior sat, curling his tail around his body and watched her. It was hard to tell but was that a raised eyebrow?

[Dyzzie]

This what not what the she-cat was expecting to happen in her training. Instinct had taken over and a quick as a bee she'd been up high in the tree. She did not do well wit hostility. She watched his ears straighten, the 'enemy' returning to a friend, and she couldn't help but be embarassed by her reaction, and yet as he shook his head, she ould see the laughter in his eyes, even from this far away. At least someone was amoved. Slowly she followed his intructions, climbing down slowly, until finally she was on the ground, and almost immediately she collapsed, purring in relief, "I hate trees." She grumbled more to herself, than to her companion. Slowly she turned her attention up to him, her expression all sheepish from her reaction, "Uhm, so, how about what just happened stays between us . . . ." She meowed, not wanting to have to explain to the entire clan how she managed to get stuck up a tree.

[ℓυиαя]

That eyebrow now definitely raised at her words. She was really telling him, the most antisocial cat around, not to tell anyone about this? It was almost laughable. Almost. Keeping those eyes on her, Ashnight flicked his tail for her to stand up and get ready to train. "I'll be sure to.. tell.. my many friends.." A rare grin crossed that face, so fleeting that it could easily have been missed.
The poor queen really was out of her comfort zone wasn't she. It was endearing and sweet but it wasn't to help her when she needed it. And that was what he was worried about. Now, they were going to do this again and she wasn't going to go hurrying up the nearest tree.

Motioning with his head for her to move in front of him, he looked to ask if she was ready. This wasn't a.. normal approach of the grey warrior but he knew other cat's tactics even if he didn't neccessarily fight as they did. "Now.. don't run.. do what feels.. instinctual." Once more the tom stepped foward into her comfort zone, his body close to hers so that their breath mingled. Ears flattened, he made sure to keep his eyes the same, hoping she wouldn't get as frightened.

[Dyzzie]

The female managed a half smile at his words, relaxing when she caught sight of the grin on his own features, "You should . . . . smile more." She murmured before obeying the request and standing, flicking her tail to dislodge the jitters, before obedientally moving to stand in front of him, nodding to his words, "My instinct says to run, though." She muttered more to herself, before forcing herself to stand still when he stepped forward, once more into her comfort zone, forgetting about his approach for a moment to keep herself from running. It wasn't until she realized how close he was that instinct finally took over, the female side stepping, light on her paws, her tail whisking through the air, to get him out of her comfort zone again, keeping her eyes locked on him, on the flat ears, but the eyes that were still Ashnight. Not an enemy. A friend. She could do this. She needed to do this. She needed to learn to defend herself, to defend the kits, to defend *smack* her eyes widened in horror as she stared from her raised paw to the tom's shoulder from where she'd actually hit him. She'd hit him! She'd really hit him! The panick set in again, but for a different reason this time. Forgetting the fact her claws had been sheathed, the female forgetting to even let them slide out, the she-cat apologized anyway, "Oh dear! I hit you! I'm so sorry Ashnight, I didn't mean to, I swear! I'm so sorry. Are you hurt. Oh goodness, what if I hurt you worse! You're already injured!" The queen meowed in alarm, before glancing up at him, a different thought occuring to her, "I hit you . . . I really hit you. I didn't run. I hit you." Her expression was a mix of gut-wrenching horror, and startled pleasure. She'd actually done it. She didn't run . . . . but, hit someone!

[ℓυиαя]

"You should . . . . smile more."

He'd been told that before, yet somehow it seemed more genuine when she spoke of it. His thoughts cast to Honeyrain, the she cat that had been full of sprite and excitement, the she cat that had told him she cared but for him to give her time. Time he had given her but still, nothing.. It was funny but it didn't cut him up like it once had. Maybe that was due to the company. It was funny how different the two females were. Honeyrain was an apt fighter with a sense of humour yet there was something about the soft and gentle queen that drew him. Her vulnerability yet desire to learn, her nervousness that made her so endearing. She truly was a cat worth protecting and regardless of whether she became great at this or not, his yellow eyes would always protect her.

Thats the girl.

He saw her move, saw her raise her paw and hit him square in his left shoulder, saw the determination that turned to horror on that pretty face. Her swat had been rather close to his neck and had caused the wound to pull slightly but to show that would cause her to clam up. So instead, that jaw of his tensed again yet he showed no other signs of pain. He had put her up to this and agreed, he wasn't going to lose her commitment now. The expressions on her face warned him of her next words.

"Oh dear! I hit you! I'm so sorry Ashnight, I didn't mean to, I swear! I'm so sorry. Are you hurt. Oh goodness, what if I hurt you worse! You're already injured!" Then she changed pace, her alarm turning into one of surprise, "I hit you . . . I really hit you. I didn't run. I hit you."

There it was.

One little hit had increased her confidence by ten fold and he was determined to keep it that way. Without a word, Ashnight raised his good foreleg and jabbed her lightly in the shoulder. For now, he thought it would be a good idea to get her moving in and out of the way of his attacks and his of hers. Not real attacks, she needed to learn how to move, how others moved and what to expect. With his other leg, the tom swept at her forelegs, his body much larger than hers but still remaining gentle. For now.

A shake of that head again. She shouldn't apologise. What if he was that young rogue that had been yelling rude words at her the day before? Would she apologise then? She had no reason to apologise, she wasn't going to hurt the seasoned warrior. "So hit.. me again.."

[Dyzzie]

The female had to smile softly, pale yellow eyes sincere as she looked at the tom, and giggled softly, "You look far more handsome when you smile." She added, before her gaze dropped, not sure where the term 'handsome' had come from, the small smile still on her muzzle before they returned to this training fiasco. She still couldn't help but feel it was pointless, and clearly not doing anything for her. Or at least, not until she actually hit him. Her eyes had turned to horror, especially when she saw the set of his jaw. Oh, Starclan, she had hurt him! What a horrid idea this was. She panicked first, but slowly, slowly the panic turned to something else, to surprise, by realizing she'd actually done what he was training her to do. She'd hit him.

In the midst of her inner battle, she wasn't fully aware of Ashnight's movements, and it was in that next moment as his foreleg jabbed her in the shoulder, lightly, that she was brought back to reality, glancing from her shoulder to his feet, and this time, watching him, so when his other paw swept at her forelegs, she was able to react a little faster, quickly jumping out of the way, to avoid the movement, before fumbling on the landing when she succeeded in only step on her own tail, a squak leaving her as she quickly pulled the appendage out from beneath her, and quickly pretending like nothing had happened. A cat stepping on it's own tail . . .. This was going to be a long day . . .

He shook his head again, and the female glanced back at him when he told her to hit him again. She frowned, before finally relenting, "The moment you start to feel too much pain, we take a break." She finally said, careful to say 'too much pain' rather than 'any pain' to keep him from refusing her agreement. She didn't want to hurt him, especially with his fresh injuries. An almost playful smile touched the queen's face, as stayed back, walking a half circle around him, before lunging suddenly at his good hip (being careful to avoid his neck injury), claws sheathed and eyes playful for the moment.

[ℓυиαя]

Handsome.

The word rolled off her tongue and once more that eyebrow raised in his grey fur. That expression remained on his face as she landed, missing his foot sweep. Good this was good, well.. except for the interaction with her tail. but that was just.. Well that was just Brightblossom. Clearing his throat at her next words, Ashnight didn't let himself become distracted at her words. She might not have intended that as the purpose but others would and it was ingrained in him not to batter an eye.

"The moment you start to feel too much pain, we take a break." 

Really.

Moving to keep her in his line of sight as she circled him, Ashnight waited until he saw the giveaways of her lunge in her posture. She went for it and the tom neatly sidestepped, moving as if he had seen everything in slow motion. His training had all been about anticipating and being one step ahead where as a lot of cats often got trained to take each attack blow by blow. As he moved, he lowered his body and propped out a paw right into her path.