Lynxpaw's Training; Nightfall's Memories

[♫Lilly♥]

Lynxpaw nodded, “Alright Nightfall.” She responded, padding over to the fresh-kill pile and grabbing one of the small pieces of prey left. She sat by herself, eating the prey in two bites. Soon the prey will become plumper and there will be more to eat. She reassured herself, ignoring the wound became more of a challenge when the pain grew worse. The blood dripped off her shoulder onto the snow-covered ground. That’s not good, People will notice as they awake. One could tell that she didn’t want to be sent to the medicine cat. Though if someone noticed the blood, they’d make her. Especially Eaglewing… Let just hope she doesn’t wake up and see me bleeding.

She padded over to her mentor, “You want to know why I’m bleeding, Don’t you?” She asked, there was a scarlet trail behind her. I officially hate my father, It’s not stopping bleeding and it hurts. She stared at the dripping blood painting the snow, This isn’t good. Not good at all, But I’m going to train today. I refuse to be told I can’t train by anyone. She smiled at him, though the smile was defiantly a fake. It hadn’t met her golden eyes, the only emotions in them was pain and determination.

Word Count: 242
Muse : This isn't good...

[.:Ginger:.]

Nightfall picked himself up and looked at her directly. "Who would not. Let's talk while leaving the camp. I fear there is always listeners around." He started to walk out of the clan camp. When they had reached then entrance her turned to tell her hos thoughts. "As a warrior I will assume you have snuck out of camp. However, that is out of the question. You do not look tired energy wise. You do not smell of freshly melted water. You had not left the camp... The only other choice would be a dream. However, I never heard of a dream to put harm to a cat. The thought had never even occurred to me. I have bad dreams as of most uneasy cats do. However, I never been attacked. So with that in mind.. You were attacked in this possible dream you have. I know naught what it is. However, it seems you may have to lick it clean and get it to stop bleeding. Before we train the training I have planned today." He sad all of that in a clam relaxed voice. As if he understood everything while nothing at all.

He got to the training area of his mentor's choice. Then looked around for some cobweb. He may not be a medicine cat, however every cat knew what cobweb does and how to use it. He found a small piece and went back to his apprentice and gently dabbed her sore with it to stop her shoulder form bleeding. He loathed how much the shoulder, reminded him of his own personal, shoulder scar. When he was positive the scar, will not bleed no more.
He waited for any reply from his apprentice before showing a unique hunting technique that helped in battle.

[♫Lilly♥]

Lynxpaw followed her mentor out of camp, listening to Nightfall’s thoughts. “Your right, It was a nightmare. But there’s something about it that scares me. There was next to no light, and no stars. There’s something wrong with that place, like it’s cut off from Starclan.” She looked around, double-checking there was no other ears around, “It was my father who attacked me. He tried to tell me he knew moves that you didn’t know and he wanted to train with me, but I could tell there was something… well evil with him, so when I refused. He attacked me.” She whispered softly before she raised her voice a little. “What do you have in plan for today? Hunting Practice or more Battle Training?”

She stayed still as he pressed the cobweb against her shoulder, making the wound stop bleeding. When he took the cobweb off of her shoulder she looked at him, “Will I have a scar like you do, Nightfall. A sign of betrayal from someone I cared about at one point?” She asked, her voice was very quiet, close to silent.

She wordlessly watched the hunting technique he showed her before she tried to mimic it.

[.:Ginger:.]

Nightfall was taken back by her words. Last he knew nobody knew of his treachery. That every warrior in the clan and around thought he got it from running in the dark of night in rain. He gave her a dirty look. He then calmly said, "I know not what you are talking about. I had gotten this scar right before my warrior ceremony from a branch that stabbed me. And no it will not be a scar. It should heal. Your very young still.

Today we are going to be practicing hunting skills. You do know the basics, correct?" He ended his words casually. As if he was not questioning her on the inside. As if he felt no pressure at all with her questions. He wanted nobody to know of the monstrosity of his mentor. He was heart broken by how his mentor trained him to follow orders without question. How his mentor trained Nightfall his hardest just to betray his leader in a stealth attack. He was a traitor, yes.. His mentor died an honorary death with the small pathetic traitor.
Did Starclan tell her of my curse? If they did then why.. Why would those mousedung star warriors do that? Bad enough they remind me every day and night. With endless apprentices, nightmares, and reflection of myself when I take a drink of water. Why would they tell her... Why?

[♫Lilly♥]

“I’m not a kit, That really doesn’t look like a branch caused it. It kind of looks like how my shoulder looks at the moment, A claw mark from a bigger cat.” Lynxpaw met his eyes, “I must be partly right, You wouldn’t have gave me that look if I wasn’t close. If I remember the story right, Your mentor… he died right? Before your ceremony…” Then she clicked the pieces together, “You… you killed him didn’t you? I don’t why you would, but you did… No one else can find out about this… They’d exile you for sure.” She looked around worried, “Yet… for some reason I’m not scared of you, even with this knowledge. I wonder why...”

She nodded, “Yes Nightfall, I know the basics.” She responded, before looking down at her paws. I guessed his secret… but how? I shouldn’t have been able to put those teeny-tiny details together. After a few moments she looked back up at him. “Starclan’s warriors are not mousedung, They are our ancestors.”

[.:Ginger:.]

Nightfall ignored her last comment. He was one to keep secrets. He disliked warriors probing finding out his mind and secrets. He knew to keep his thoughts clean now. This apprentice had something special about her. Maybe to special.

Alright, then we are going to practice the most painful hunting technique in our world. You have to hunch your backs legs like this." He moved his legs in a quiet motion. They where partially up and partially down. "Then you are to listen around you while holding this position. Since there are no prey her I want you to practice the pounce on that poor fern there. " He pounced with a quick stealthy quietness. Not a thing was disturbed between him and the bush. He then went back to giving his apprentice instructions. "For every time I hear a noise form you pounce I will make a claw mark on the tree. You are to practice this move till sunset. By the time sunset rolls around you ought to have it memorized. You ought to be able to be ask quiet as a mouse on the ground." This was actually quite false. Well for Nightfall, anyway.


"Darkenedshadow! Darkenedshadow! I did it! I did it!" mewed a small kitten that was similar to a puff ball. His eyes were glittering with joy. The large tom watching with large dark shade blue eyes nodded. Letting the small apprentice know he was watching. His black pelt had a white marking in his chest. He said in a deep sharp voice "Good. Now do it again." The apprentice looked a little hurt, however kept his legs strong. He went at the difficult pounce again. He was attempting to be as silent as possible in this difficult move.
After the long day of training the apprentice heaved large huge breathes. He felt exhausted, so much, he couldn't walk. His tiny body just seemed to magically hold itself up. The large tom who is called Darkenedshadow. Walked over and said in a leading strong voice, "Hold yourself up proudly. You have done great today. It is tomorrow you should be worried about." With that said Darkenedshadow walked off leaving the exhausted apprentice.
The apprentice knew not what the mentor was talking about. However he pulled his will together and followed three fox lengths behind. Forcing each leg forward. His whole body felt like wiggling jelly frog eggs.

The next day he had realized what his mentor was talking about. He had repeat the exercise but twice as bad. His small legs felt painful. They did not want to do anything but lay. What was he forced to do? The same exercise twice as fast. His mentor meant business. To this day the apprentice remembers the pain of pushing to far. It may break a body. If the body not strong enough that is. It can have an advantage. When one grows older they find they are the best in that area of intense practice. His mentor had done well.. To well..

[/color]

[♫Lilly♥]

Lynxpaw nodded, moving her legs the way he had. It hurt – a lot but she put a emotionless mask on her face. Then her instinct took over as she listened, hearing nothing but her own and her mentor’s breathing, before she pounced with her own silent speed. She then looked over at her mentor, with a smile.

”Lillypaw, You did this wrong. It goes like this.” A brown tabby male told her gently, he demonstrated the exact move that Nightfall had shown her only a few moments before. “Like this, Hiddenstar?” She asked, trying the move again, accidentally making noise. “It’s closer then before, Try it again with lighter footwork.” She tried it again, and again until sunset when he mentor nudged her on the shoulder. “Come on Lillypaw, Lets get back to camp.”

Lynxpaw blinked before doing the move again and again, all as silent as the first time. It was clear that this was basically review for her. It hurt each time she moved but she was able to do it with the silence that Nightfall had.[/blockquote][/color]

[.:Ginger:.]

Nightfall only had to claw mark the tree ten times that whole day. The first and second time. Then around the ending. He noted she was getting more and more clumsy around the ending. Probably, from the body having to repeat the same thing over and over. He toke note on how long it had took her to reach that limit. He looked up at the sun to see it was setting. "Alright, time to head back to camp for rest. It is sunset." He walked over to Lynxpaw and looked at her closely. It seemed the wound had gotten torn a bit. It was surprising it hadn't started bleeding most of the day.

When he was positive she hadn't broken any bones or anything he started to pad away. Before he went back to camp he turned and said in a calm smooth voice, "You should be proud of yourself. Your body is very incredible. However, unacceptable. You may have abilities unseen. Though you need to manifest them. Tomorrow, expect a harder challenge. One I personally created." With that said he walked out on her and returned to camp.

He skipped out on fresh-kill. There was only one fresh-kill creature left in the pile. He figured that whenever, Lynxpaw makes it back. She'll probably swallow it whole. He went over to his favorite spot and sat thinking.

His mind couldn't shake the fact she had read his mind. That she figured out things about him he wanted to keep secret forever.. That she had incredible stamina and lean body. She may not be black furred and don't blend in well.. She had more advantages she could imagine. He most defiantly would have to be different to her, than all his other apprentices. Even with a swore shoulder she was incredible. Not to mention her father... The one who gotten himself exiled in both Windclan and Shadowclan. What did he have to offer her? Would it be Windclan moves? If so how will Nightfall not be able to teach her those.. All you have to do is focus on agility and flexibility.. Which Nightfall was planning to teach her anyway.

This apprentice will most certainly be his hardest.. He cannot lose her to her father. He will not allow it. He will have to learn everything about this apprentice. Her likes and dislikes.. Her reactions to certain things. Her connection with Starclan. To which he still hates at times for his lame curse.

[♫Lilly♥]

Lynxpaw smiled at the tree of failure, there wasn’t too many mistakes. 10 marks weren’t too much, it could be much worse. She was really sore and it hurt to move too much but she was proud of her work. I will become the best warrior I can be. She thought to herself, Without my father’s help, I refuse to go back to that dark place. I couldn’t see the stars. She was sad at the thought of the place where no stars were. They’re torn away from their warrior ancestors.

She glared daggers at her when he called her training unacceptable, You should be proud of yourself gets overridden by unacceptable. I guess I did worse then I thought. She thought sadly, padding back towards camp with her head hung low. When she got closer to camp she put her head back at a normal level; trying to walk into the camp, as if she wasn’t sore.

When she got to camp there was only one piece of Fresh-kill left, and when Lynxpaw went to go pick it up she noticed her mentor was skipping out on fresh-kill. She grabbed the fresh-kill creature and carried it over to her mentor, setting it down. “New Rule; Nightfall is not aloud to skip on Fresh-kill if he hasn’t eaten since dawn.” She took a few bites of the fresh-kill leaving half for her mentor, her golden eyes watching him expectantly.

“ I figured out your secret, I have good stamina and a lean body like my Windclan-born father, and I did well with a swore shoulder. I don’t see what’s special with me, Nightfall.” She told him, tilting her head at him, slightly confused at his mind’s contents.

“I have no plans of accepting my father’s offer, Don’t worry about that. And my connection to Starclan, I have no idea about that.” She told him, I disagree about the hardest part too, It could be worse.

[.:Ginger:.]

Nightfall watched as his apprentice appeared a few moments after him. She had picked the fresh-kill up and walked it over to him. Then spoke with a confident warrior voice. "Fine." He disliked how she was telling him everything that went trough his head. he disliked warriors figuring him out. He purposefully was unpredictable. This was annoying. "Well, if you must know Lynxpaw. First you are reading my mind as if I spoke it out loud. Which will be dumb to do so. Being that those thoughts are privates. Second this training I made you do today... All of my apprentices screwed up forty times tops. I personally, screwed up fifty times. My body was so in pain I passed out, when I got to the camp. Now since you can obviously read minds. I will have to think carefully around you."Starting with simply saying what I need to say in silence. Test your mind connections to others and improve it. For you need to improve you individuality in order to be the best. Goodnight Lynxpaw.

He got up and walked away his tail twitching in frustration on how he found the most difficult opponent ever. His own apprentice. He went to his den and slept.

"What's wrong Nightfall? You want to honor a traitor? You want to become the greatest warrior through you own skills.. Oh wait.. You have no skills. You were a fat furball before I trained you. You would be nothing without me... You have been a failure in all your achievements. The only reason you can actually achieve anything is through failures." The voice spoke all around Nightfall. He turned this way and that with large shocked eyes. He had shrunk to the size of a young warrior. His eyes were huge as he ran this way and that in the darkness. He kept screaming.. "Why! Why did it have to be me! Why does it stay on me!" He finally gave up running out of fear and flopped on the ground crying. A pool of water appeared in front of him. It was gently dabbing at his tiny paws. He looked at himself to see a scar on his shoulder to which carries to horrid memory. The young warrior shook his head obviously upset.
"Starclan! Why do you hate me so! You gave me this wretched scar, you give me these wretched dreams, and then you kill my only family in the clan. Why Starclan! Why must you torture me so!" The young warrior let out a yowling mew. He suddenly felt a figure approach him near by. He quickly turned ready to defend himself

The figure was a pure black tom with a white puff chest. His eyes where oceanic blue and glowing dangerously. "Why bother whining young warrior? You have done you deed now get over yourself. Thanks to you impures will roam the land. The leader will live a happy horrible life. Thanks to you, you now bar marks on your shoulder. Your kin is all dead. It is all your fault Nightfall. Starclan done this just to remind you of your treachery. The treachery of pure blood warriors.

Now you will forever be haunted by this deed!!!" The large tom began laughing madly. As if he had won a huge battle and had succeeded the worst yet. Young Nightfall felt horrible. He did not deserve his warrior name. He was not to be NIghtwing.. Meaning of flight and soaring wonders... He was to be Nightfall.. To fall into the pit of despair and darkness. He had later asked for this name.

The young Nightfall gathered his wits. "I'm in this horrible dream.. I can break away form this cursed nightmare!" He forced his mind and body to plunge into the waters next to him. To where he allowed himself to drown in total lonesome darkness. This is where the light is overwhelmed. This is wear dreams die. This is the path of treachery and truth. This was Nightfall's true place in the world of dreams.

Nightfall eyes shot up from the dream. He was breathing heavily as if gasping for every ounce of breath was stolen from his body. He groaned as he snaked around the warriors. He wondered how far his new apprentice's ability could go. Hopefully she saw nothing of his dream. It just might break her.

He knew deep down that his kin didn't die because of his treachery. They simply died off like any other warriors. It was the fact they were all his kin that picked at him. It was obvious the curse was always trying to get to him. Trying to make him crack and go crazy. Which he knew deep down already happened.

He looked at his surroundings outside. Most cat's were active and about. For once he slept till dawn. He saw that the dawn patrol was already back. They had brought some food. Enough for a warrior to get a snack. Which in this time is a whole dinner. He went over and picked up a sadly skinny crow. He ate all of it. Head, feathers, meat, and bones. He was willing to get every ounce of energy possible.

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[♫Lilly♥]

Lynxpaw smiled, “Good.” She said. When he told her what was special about her eyes widened in surprised, “Not everyone reads minds. Nor, Did they do that well in that technique first time.” She looked around the camp, relived to see no one was in hearing-distance of the conversation. “I’ll start to work on it tonight, Goodnight Nightfall.” She nodded to him before getting up and padding to apprentice’s den. ‘Where in Starclan have she been.’ Ashpaw thought, Though she didn’t respond before she padded over to her nest. As soon as she went to sleep, she found herself in the darkness again.

She was running as fast as she possibly could again tonight, Trying to get away from the darkness without stars. The place with no stars was a very sad place to be in, ‘They’re torn away from the stars, The only one who has say is here is the cats themselves.’ She realized, she tried to stop running but it was clear her paws wouldn’t stop running until they got to where they were going. ‘Traitors’ she thought, good-humouredly. Again her feet landed her to the clearing from last night. Her father was there of course, watching her with an angry gaze as he sat in a tree. “Have you reconsidered my offer yet, Lynxpaw?” He asked, leaping off of the tree. “No, Darkcloud, I’m not going to accept your offer.” ‘There’s a reason there’s no stars here, There’s evil here. I can sense it.’ Darkcloud’s eyes grew darker in the glow of the mushrooms. ‘Stupid, Stupid daughter. She’s more connected with Starclan then I thought. And she won’t be betraying them anytime soon.’ She made no reaction to his thoughts, just turned to leave. “Your leaving without your gift?” He purred, the sound was twisted as he attacked her shoulder. She fought back but the hard she thought the deeper they went in, until finally the dream had thankfully shattered.

Lynxpaw was just waking up when Silverpaw had rushed over to her, ‘What in Starclan happened to her.’ The young, ginger she-cat heard her sister think. “Don’t tell Eaglewing, Silverpaw, She’d send me to Darksky.” She pleaded, looking at her bleeding shoulder. Her sister sighed, “If exit the den they’re going to send you to the medicine cat, It’s past dawn already.” The silver she-cat whispered, before looking around. There was a cobweb growing on the edge of the den, which Silverpaw ran to get, came back over with, and pressed it on the wound. After a few moments the silver she-cat took the cob-web off the wound, smiling when it wasn’t bleeding anymore. Lynxpaw smiled at her, “Thank You Silverpaw, I owe you one!”

The young ginger apprentice padded out of the apprentice’s den, her shoulder hurting as she padded over to the fresh-kill pile, grabbing a small frog heading over to sit next to her mentor. She ate it quickly, though as she sat next to him she saw bits and pieces of his dream. She looked up at him, “Your lucky I wasn’t in your dream, I would have clawed you mentor’s face off for saying that.” She said, quietly.

[.:Ginger:.]

"Oh really." Nightfall said it with a calm a little bit of a childish voice. LIke he was wondering how she would achieve getting rid of his cursive dreams. He got up and started to lick his fur calmly. These last few days he neglected cleaning it. The dust that was on it went on his tongue and down his throat. He stopped when he was positive his body was completely cleaned. He then picked himself up and looked at the apprentice. She had yet another marking. He would delay his original idea. If it wasn't for the, fact she beat the last two training days. It really bothered him, when he finds somebody, that figures him out and well wins. So instead of holding back. He will just put the same pressure on her like he would've any other unharmed apprentice. You know why I must do it. Now hurry up and eat whatever is in the fresh-kill pile. We leave soon.

[♫Lilly♥]

Lynxpaw nodded, “Yes, He doesn’t have the right to talk to you like that.” She said, smiling at his childish voice. “Unfortunately, I’m unable to enter people’s dreams. So I can’t do anything to him unless he appears in my dreams.” She sighed, pouting at fact. And Darkenedshadow enjoys torturing Nightfall too much to go torture me. I already have Darkcloud doing that… Isn’t it strange that both of them have something to do with darkness in they’re name? She pondered, tilting her head slightly. She lifted her right paw (the one on the uninjured shoulder) and licked it, widening her eyes at Nightfall’s pelt. He must not a groomed it for a while, It looks pretty dusty. She noted, looking around camp silently. She then hopped up, snow puffed up in a cloud around her before it fell back down on the ground. She normally would have smiled at the sight, if hopping didn’t open the wound again. Foxdug, Right in the middle of camp too. She then smiled, “I ate a frog already, Let’s just head out to the training spot.” She said, looking at the camp’s exit eagerly. I know why your pushing me so hard, Nightfall, I’ll be just fine.

[.:Ginger:.]

Nightfall had forgotten. He must be getting old... He padded out of camp ahead of Lynxpaw. He headed right to the training place, he always picks. For a cruel place, it was home. He reached the spot left to the large pine tree with claw marks. OKay today we will be practicing a move that I personally made up. It is quite an extravagant move. You simply run at the tree like this. He ran right for the tree and showed everything he was going to do in detail in his mind.
He went right for the mid section of the trunk and jumped right at it. He turned his body at the last second to allow his paws to touch the trunk. Then did a back flip and landed about a fox length away form his original starting point. He then made up a random white large cat and charged at it form behind. This was some memory of his. However he wasn't going to show in detail the memory.

There you go. Now you are going to practice this till... Well when the sun hits high point. Then you will be taught how to hunt for real. Not just moves. He started to pad back to her thinking he forgot something. When he remembered what he said calmly. "Oh after the first time. You are able to achieve it. I want you to do it faster and faster and more quieter than before. You know make it challenging."

When he reached her he calmly sat next to the ginger cat. The motioned his head for her to go. Not bothering even thinking the words. He then studied her movements. His senses on high alerts for any sounds that she could possibly make. Each time he believed she was getting better. Scary better.

[♫Lilly♥]

Lynxpaw followed Nightfall quietly, her paws starting to move faster when she got nearer to the normal training spot. She listened to him, paying as much attention to him as she would if he was speaking out-loud. So I run at the tree like that, go right for the mid section of the trunk, turn my body at last second and allow my paws to touch the trunk, do a back flip. Then charge at a pretend thing. Got it. She did the move great for a first timer – that is until she was suppose to do the back-flip. She had crash-landed onto the ground with a big Crash! She got up, shaking her fur. She glared at the tree, doing the move again, this time; however, she succeeded unlike the first time. She did it faster and quieter then before.

After a while of fast-fast-fast-crash-fast so on and so forth the sun was at it’s highest point. The last move ended in a crash, and her hopping up and shaking the snow off of her pelt. “Remind me next time I do that move make sure I don’t crash.” She said, though a hint of a smile crossed her face. ‘Your just amused that you failed.’ The dark voice made her jump high into the air. And now he’s haunting my thoughts, This is officially not good.