Shadowblaze's Bootcamp (Ivypaw)

[mystic]

Shadowblaze
^{Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay it's price}

Shadowblaze smiled, his long tail curling around his paws. Ivypaw had recently been made an apprentice. He had been an apprentice but two moons ago. The tom purred happily. Now he was getting the chance to train his own apprentice. He would make her strong, fearless and a true asset to her clan. Now where to start. He flicked his tail a bit. Then it hit him. Of course, hunting. Learning how to take frogs and other slimy creatures that lived in the marsh was a perfect idea. She would be a great huntress. He would make sure of it. Having decided he stood up and padded to the apprentice's den.

"Ivypaw?" he mewed. "Come on, it's time to get up." he called to her. "We're going hunting. Then I'll teach you some battle moves." He paused. "You want to be a great warrior don't you? If you want to be a powerful warrior you need to get up." he chuckled, his tail flicking. Ivypaw's eagerness excited him. He'd make a great warrior out of her yet. He was sure that she'd make her brother's sprit proud. Stupid clan should have let the little tyke become a warrior. There was no harm in it. But barring him from it, that had led to his untimely death.

[{Robinpelt}]

Ivypaw was in a lush green forest.
She knew she was dreaming. Then-
A flash of white. A gasp from the apprentice.
"Frozenpaw?"
She followed the white fur. "Frozenpaw!"
Ivypaw raced into a clearing.
"Frozen-" She stopped short. There was nobody there.
Ivypaw was in despair at being tricked to see her dead littermate.
"Frozenpaw!" the fluffy gray apprentice gasped.
"Hello, Ivypaw."
Ivypaw spun around to find a lovely, light silver she-cat. Stars surrounded her delicate paws, and followed them where ever, as graceful as the she-cat herself.
Her voice was like honey, smooth, and it ran gracefully along the whispering wind. It was soft. It sounded far away, yet, at the same time, right in her ear.
"W-who are you?" Ivypaw whispered.
The she-cat didn't answer.
"You want to see your brother, Ivypaw." In that same beautiful voice, but with a sadness this time. It was not a question.
A statement.
Ivypaw hesitated, knowing it was the only thing she wanted to see.
"Y-yes." Ivypaw waited. "Where is he?"
The she-cat looked down at her with sparkling green eyes, as beautiful as her voice.
"Your brother is not here."
"What?" Ivypaw demanded. "I want to see my brother and you decline me? Where is-"
Then she heard it.
It was soft. Too soft for Ivypaw to hear, but she had heard it. A scream.
Ivypaw's eyes widened.
"Ivypaw!"
Again.
"Frozenpaw!" she whispered.
He is here!
The she-cat bent her head towards Ivypaw, a few stars following it.
"Time to wake up, Ivypaw."

"Ivypaw! Time to wake up!"
Ivypaw sat up and looked out of the apprentice's den. She recognized Shadowblaze's voice calling her for hunting and warrior training.
Ivypaw felt a rush of adrenaline. She jumped up, gave herself a quick washing, and raced out into the clearing.
"Oof!"
Ivypaw bumped smack into her mentor.
Ivypaw quickly stood and apologized, her ears burning with embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, Shadowblaze!"

[mystic]

Shadowblaze
^{Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay it's price}

Shadowblaze flicked his tail. "Good to see you're up." He mewed. He stood and turned around to pad towards the outskirts of the camp. "Come along." he told her. "We've quite a bit to get underway today." He grinned at her. "We're starting with hunting training today." He told her. "Now, let's see that hunting crouch I've been teaching you." he grinned at her. Today he was going to kick the training into high gear. The she-cat had to know that an attack could come from any angle. Any time. Trust no one. That was how to survive in this harsh world. Simply be more harsh than the world itself is. The tom walked ahead of her. He knew that his rather willing helper would be by any moment.

Freezepaw
^{Starclan loves you.  It's everybody else that thinks you're a mousebrain.}

Getting to body check clan mates. And not getting into trouble for it. It was a dream come true for Freezepaw. He grinned and crouched low. There was his traget, Ivypaw. He chuckled. This was a fun thing. Of course it might end up in a fight. Still, fun for him. He wasn't sure if it would be fun for Ivypaw. Then again. He didn't quite care. What mattered was that he would be having fun. The tom crouched low. He saw Shadowblaze's tail drop in the signal and charged at Ivypaw sounding like something out of a kit's nightmare.

[{Robinpelt}]

Ivypaw followed her mentor eagerly. She realized that she was bouncing up and down like an excited kit. The fluffy gray apprentice willed herself to walk calmly. When Ivypaw was padding along as silently as her mentor, she was suddenly aware of something.
It was walking near them, unseen. Ivypaw tried to sense where it was. She wanted to surprise her attacker, so, instead of announcing that something was wrong, which would alert whoever it was stalking the two cats, she kept walking, but got ready for anything.

Ivypaw was now glad she was able to control her eagerness. Her muscles were tense, her ear alert for-
The charging of paws alerted Ivypaw, and she turned just in time to see Freezepaw racing straight on for her. Just in time, the gray she cat slipped out of the way and, when Freezepaw had reached where she had once been, leaped for his bristling back, clawing and hissing.

[mystic]

Freezepaw
^{Starclan loves you.  It's everybody else that thinks you're a mousebrain.}

Freezepaw had not been expecting his target to be ready for him. The tom kept on going landed in a very undiginfied heap in a thistle patch. Then let out a yowl before climbing out of it. "Great Starclan that HURT!" he snapped, looking at his thistle impaled paw. He glared up at her for a moment, then grinned. "You're fast." He mewed, blushing a bit. "Faster than me." He chuckled slightly. "Wanna g-" He was knocked sideways by a buffet to the side from Shadowblaze's paw.

Shadowblaze
^{Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay it's price}

"I asked you to test her reflexes, not flirt." Shadowblaze, after swatting the young tom apprentice. Then he turned to Ivypaw. "That's very good." he mewed. "You need to be prepared for an attack at any moment. It's never safe. Out there, beyond the camp, there are foxes, badgers, rouges and eagles." He said. "any one of them will try their best to pick off young thing like you. He paused. "And not all of them will be as clumsy in their attack as Freezepaw here was."


"HEY!" Freezepaw protested, earning another box to the ears. The little tom shut up, rubbing the side of his head.

[{Robinpelt}]

Ivypaw felt herself blush a bit as Freezepaw complimented her. She willed herself not to hide her face in embarrassment. It would look silly and weak, not to mention girlish. What had he been saying that Shadowblaze had interrupted? Ivypaw told herself to ignore it.

Then she beamed with pride when Shadowblaze approved her actions. She felt like a great apprentice. Ivypaw knew she would make a great warrior now. But...

"Wait... Test my reflexes? You knew Freezepaw was stalking us?" Ivypaw questioned. It didn't make sense! But at the same time... it did. Ivypaw didn't know if any of the other mentors used other apprentices to train theirs. It was completely unexpected.
It's perfect!

[mystic]

Shadowblaze
^{Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay it's price}

Freezepaw
^{Starclan loves you.  It's everybody else that thinks you're a mousebrain.}

Shadowblaze gave Freezepaw a sharp look. "Run along." He told the apprentice. He paused, then glowered when he was not obeyed. He flicked his ears back and hissed. "Scat, now."
"Hey, talk to you later, kay? Maybe we'll share a mouse." Freezepaw said, dodging yet another clip to his ears from Shadowblaze before "scatting" as he was told. "Have fun, glad it's not me being his apprentice." he called over his shoulder.

Shadowblaze watched as the grey tom ran off. "Well then." He mewed. "Now that I've been training you for a few suns. We're going to really start working. I've asked various cats to charge you at random times. I myself will attack you when you least expect it." He paused. "The most important thing to learn as a warrior is that enemies are everywhere." He told her, sounding very serious. "Now, onto hunting." He looked at her. "What do you have to remember when hunting frogs?" He asked her, hoping she'd remember what he'd told her before their actual outings. He'd found his apprentice to be a fast study. He wouldn't let her know too much tough. Only saving praise for when it was truly and well deserved.

[{Robinpelt}]

Ivypaw almost called back to Freezepaw, though she did chuckle a little. She reminded herself to be nice to Freezepaw. Ivypaw blushed when he spoke to her. He was nice to her, a good apprentice, and smart. He got on Shadowblaze's nerves, obviously, but only did that for fun. She stared after him until the question of frogs appeared in her ears.
Now, frogs. She remembered...
"Remain downwind to them so they don't sent you, and that they're jumpy. Only pounce once when they're not ready, or they'll jump away and scare all the rest of the prey."
Ivypaw hoped that was right...
Of course it's right! You're smart, you know this! Get your mind off Freezepaw and think! The fluffy gray apprentice scolded herself inwardly. Shed see Freezepaw later, and she promised herself that shed share a mouse with the gray tom.

[mystic]

(Just pointing out it's Freezepaw not Frozenpaw)

Shadowblaze
^{Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay it's price}

Shadowblaze nodded to her. "That's right Ivypaw. And if you are most unlucky. You may misjudge your jump and end up landing in the swamp with the frogs." He told her, flicking his tail and chuckling a bit. He paused and looked at her. "Now what do you scent? Anything that would be worth hunting?" he asked her. "and keep in mind, that there may be something dangerous." he paused one more time.
As they were speaking a fat mouse passed by not to far off.

Shadowblaze sniffed the air and froze. He could scent badger. The tom considered telling his apprentice and decided against it. He knew that he could face any foe in battle. He was the greatest warrior after all. And he was also sure his apprentice would catch the scent. Even if it was faint. No, wait... it was getting stronger. The tom lashed his tail a bit but said nothing on the matter of badger scent. "What do you smell Ivypaw? Tell me everything. What you smell, hear, seel, feel. Every last detail. These things are important to a warrior. The slightest change in your surroundings is vital in telling you what is going on about you. If the birds stop singing, for example, there is likely a predator. Silence in the swamp is a bad thing. It means either your prey has noticed you. Or there is something out there hunting you. Something bigger than you."

[{Robinpelt}]

(sorry! I'll modify it!! )

The apprentice unconsciously started thinking about Freezepaw again. Shadowblaze's lecture about scenting had caused her mind to wander off. Ivypaw promised herself that she would share a mouse with him later, when she got back to camp. Her head came back into focus just in time to hear Shadowblaze instruct her to tell him what she scented.
Ivypaw did what her mentor told her and tried to scent everything. She scented a fat mouse close by. "Mouse, close, and..." Ivypaw stopped. She sniffed again. Her eyes widened.
"Badger!"
She turned to her mentor. "It's strong, too. Should we-"
She was cut off as she heard a loud snuffling in the bushes. It got louder, closer.

Then she caught her breath as a large, striped head pushed its way through the bushes and spotted them with beady, black eyes.

[mystic]

Shadowblaze
^{Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay it's price}

The tom looked down at her. "No." he mewed. "A warrior does not run from battle. Only cowards run from battle." He stood tall next to her. He looked down at her, a exited grin on his muzzle. The black tom trembled in anticipation of battle. This was his element. This was where he belonged. He would teach his apprentice the ways of battle. He knew the young cat could handle it. If not he could easily take down the badger. "Stay low." he told her. "Wait for my signal." It was likely that any mentor who wasn't Shadowblaze would have the sense enough to run from a badger when out with a six moon apprentice. However Shadowblaze wasn't that sort of cat. He lived for the thrill of battle. He knew that he would come out victorious.

"When attacking, let me do most of the work." He mewed to her. "Try not to get yourself killed." he added. He knew that he wasn't going to get killed. After all he was a great warrior. The tom laid his ears back and crouched low. "On my mark." he mewed. "Wait for it...." The tom charged forward, letting out a battle scream. The badger looked up, then roared its own challange and charged forward.

[{Robinpelt}]

At first, Ivypaw was scared stiff. Then she remembered where she was and charged with her mentor, letting a shrill cry escape her mouth. Ivypaw ran and, while the giant oaf was distracted with Shadowblaze, the apprentice scratched down it's arm and dodged, scampering over to wound it's neck.
Quickly, quickly, then ran and bit hard on it hind leg, and again ran over to do more harm.
Ivypaw felt proud of herself at this moment.

But then something went wrong.

Ivypaw bit down hard on the badger's wrist when it lashed out quicker than Ivypaw had expected. The fluffy gray apprentice was thrown across the forest and hit her head on a sturdy tree. Then everything went black.


She wasn't sure how long she was out, but when Ivypaw awoke, Shadowblaze was still battling the badger. The apprentice tried to get up, but everything was hazy and blurred, and Ivypaw felt blood trickle down her head where she had hit it. She slumped down, dazed.
"Shadowblaze," Ivypaw tried to mumble.

[mystic]

Shadowblaze
^{Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay it's price}

Shadowblaze kept on attacking the badger. Going for the creature's eyes, nose, and ears. All senstive points. Finally he got a lucky swipe in at the eye and half blinded the beast. The creature, deciding it had take enough abuse, gave a mighty snort and charged back into the bushes. Shadowblaze stood tall, his chest puffed out. "And never come back again!" He yowled. The tom turned to face Ivypaw. "You okay there kid?" he mewed? "You took quite a bash to the side of your head." The tom himself was bleeding from the side of his face. He shook his head. "Wow, what a rush. That was amazing." the tom looked at her. "We should get back to camp and tell them. Of course, if you hadn't taken a blow to the head like you did. We'd be chasing that nasty though the bushes." He bent down and helped her up. "Let's have Hazlefur look at you." he said.

The tom began walking off, glancing over his shoulder. "You coming kid, or are you going to lie there until the crows fly home?" he asked her.

[{Robinpelt}]

Ivypaw heard her mentor beckoning her, and tried to stand to leave. But everything was fuzzy. The world tipped sideways, and so did Ivypaw. Her paws faltered and she fell to the ground, half conscious. Blood slithered down her head, the gash letting blood free.
Again, she tried to stand, stubbornness blinding her need for help.

No! I can do this myself!
But she knew she couldn't. Eyes wide, trying to make sense, she heard screaming in her mind. Everything blurred, and Ivypaw stumbled over to her mentor, the world careening again. As she stood next to her mentor, exaughsted, everything tipped again, but this time Ivypaw found herself leaning on Shadowblaze's shoulder, eyes half closed in exaughstion.

Thank you... Ivypaw thought.
Nothing was clear anymore. Everything blurred, hazy, the only thing vivid was the crimson that slid down the back of her head, almost hidden by the fluffy gray fur. The screaming was muffled, but Ivypaw knew Frozenpaws voice.
"Frozenpaw..." the gray apprentice murmured.

[mystic]

Shadowblaze
^{Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay it's price}

The black tom looked at his apprentice, his brow furrowed in worry. "That's not good." he murmured. "Come on kid, you gotta stay awake." He said. Taking a deep sigh the tom grabbed the new apprentice by her scruff. "Let's get you back to camp." he mewed. Dizzness was ringing in his own ears. However that didn't matter right now. What mattered was that his apprentice was in poor condition. He knew the young cat's instincts would take over. The black tom crouched low then took off. He ran towards the camp. Though this whole mess was his fault, the arrogant black cat didn't realise that. In his mind it was the badger's fault. He made sure that he would track that nasty beast down and rip it apart. It had dared to harm his apprentice.

His sides were heaving, and his head spinning when he got back to camp. Setting his apprentice down he yowled, calling for the Medicine cat. He knew he needed help if she was to make it. The tom let forth another yowl, his tail lashing.