in the midst of the insanity .||. something sane

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Everything was quiet and still in the EarthClan forest, giving the whole scenery a rather tranquil feel to it. The air was cool and crisp, giving the sense that a cold season was here and it was here to stay for a while before it finally conceeded to let a warmer temperature take over.

Leaf-bare was actually not a bad season, although it was probably the hardest for cats to get through, due to the fact that they were all vulnerable the cold as well as disease, in which medicine cats had to store up herbs in such a case, since not many herbs managed to survive and continue to thrive during the winter.

As she padded along, Ivorywing swept her surroundings with her emerald green gaze. The ground underneath was rather cold and frozen and the slight blanket of snow that had fallen caused her paws to sink in to it with each movement, but she felt relatively content out here in the forest.

In truth, this was one of the more sane and calm moments, compared to what was happening at Camp, what with all these cats entering the territorty and Maplestar beginning to realize his past.

Arriving at the clearing in which she was destined to train with Monkeypaw, Ivorywing halted and looked over her shoulder to see if he was following. "We're here," she meowed shortly.

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[}--[i]NKYphAnt+>]

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[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Ivorywing had never really been too big on fighting, but it was a basic skill that was needed from all cats of the Clan, even those involved in the job of trying to heal the effects of skirmishes. She gave a slight nod of her head to signal that they were beginning the training, and there would be no exceptions until she was finished teaching him for the day.

"You can somewhat consider fighting like -- a dance, if you will," the she-cat meowed rather thoughtfully. "Fancy footwork is involved, and as long as you keep a clear and calm mind and don't get caught up in the pandamonium of the whole thing, you'll survive. You must be quick, and decent balance certainly has its advantages when it comes to fighting with a larger opponent. In truth, most of the moves that we're supposed to learn for basic defense are basically a series of slashes combined together or singled out, using sheathed or unsheathed calls."

"You got that all down?" she meowed, pausing to let the information register.

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[/i] he groaned in his head. Requires a clear mind...Wonder How I'll get on with that.

However, he just straightened and nodded, tilting his head and his mentor. "What about those who lack both weight and balance? How do you suppose they'd fight?" Monkeypaw'd meant it to sound as an offhand question--but he guessed Ivorywing would understand his true intention. It wasn't exactly easy to conceal his condition...[/size]
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[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Ivorywing watched the tomcat wiht a thoughtful expression written across her face. "You'd be surprised how well fighting techniques handed down to us from our ancestors include tactics for even those with the least self-esteem and those who believe themselves to be... small and light," she meowed in a kind voice as she looked at the tomcat. "In fact, cats with a small stature sometimes can have a decent advantage when faced with an unruly and a bulky cat. Being small, a cat has the ability to dodge and weave through certain tight situations, especially with multiple opponents."

"Why don't we start with this weaving and dodging?" she meowed, smoothly and swiftly transitioning into battle training.

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[}--[i]NKYphAnt+>]

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[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Looking down at Monkeypaw with a gentle expression, Ivorywing crouched down as if she were ready to pounce, although she was to remain on the ground. "There's not much to dodging to explain, I suppose -- it's more just in finding spaces where you can squeeze past and around," she meowed in a quiet voice. "Your target will almost always be moving, but I'll just remain stationary just to see how well you can steer yourself. Still, you should remember that usually it's almost impossible to veer to the right or left of the opponent cleanly, so you should always keep your paws at the ready in case you need a bit of slashing. In a serious battle, you would have your claws unsheathed, yet I think for the sake of keeping my fur intact, keep them sheathed. Go ahead. Try to find places where you can get past me," she explained.

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[/b][/color] the apprentice confessed, looking off to the side. He felt a heat rising to his face as he said this--as it was as embarrassing to admit the awkwardness of dodging a stationery object as doing the action itself.[/size]
(Fwee. Bit longer. I can't see in the darkkk. *hugs Monkeypaw*)
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[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

"That's fine, Monkeypaw. I know that it might feel a little... weird, but trust me, one day you'll probably need to use these moves, although I certainly hope not," Ivorywing told to the tomcat, gazing at him steadily with her viridian colored eyes. "It'll probably take some practice, but I'm sure you're bound to become as much as a warrior as you are a medicine cat apprentice. Trust me when I saw that -- I don't particularly give out praise all too easily, now do I? You'll be able to do it. Believe me. Even if you find as if you don't really want to do it now in front of me, natural instincts during battle will automatically kick in along with the whole adrenaline rush. Still, it's good to practice. Go ahead. Try again."

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Still, as he moved forward, he couldn't shake the feeling that he looked completely ridiculous. Nonetheless, he forced himself to aim at his mentor, paw outstretched to lightly tag her left side.[/ul]
(*hums disney songs* Sorry the reply sucks so much and was really late.)

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

In truth, it was rather difficult to mentor a cat -- you didn't really know what they would do or how they would respond to your direction. Ivorywing didn't really envy the job that the warriors had when they received an apprentice. Still, she needed to do her very best -- fighting was just a skill as necessary a skill as cleaning a wound.

She felt something come in contact to her left side and immediately gave a start. Looking, she saw that she had been somewhat hit by Monkeypaw. A purr trembled in her throat. "Very good," she meowed in response. "However, a little harder wouldn't hurt -- after all, I don't think you're going to hit so lightly when you truly are under attack. At the end of the day, instincts are what usually saves you -- training just helps your skills a little bit. After all, if a group of rats jumped out right now and attacked you, you would probably bite and snap at it as hard as you can for the sake of your life."

The ivory colored feline cave a slight nod. "Speaking of rat bites... quick, what helps prevent infection of them?" she asked, swiftly transfering back into medicinal values.

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(Hmm...Dodgeroot...)

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

"Correct," the ivory colored feline responded, giving a nod in agreement for the right answer. "Your speed at answering questions isn't half bad -- that can be a reflex that can also help in fighting, as you might need to make quick decisions sometimes." She paused here, reflecting on her own words for a moment before looking back at Monkeypaw.

"I believe we've had enough training here -- what say we head on back to the camp? You can grab a piece of something to eat -- but make sure that all the cats with the higher rankings have received their share of prey -- and then you may rest for a little while," Ivorywing told the tomcat, turning and beginning to pad away in the direction of the EarthClan Camp, flicking her tail as a signal for him to follow.

Ivorywing >> EarthClan Camp

ooc; Icky. x.x;

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