[Panther/Minnow/Spider/Dark] Who's the Mentor Here?

[belloblossom]

Pantherpaw had always hoped that when she would be apprenticed, she would get a strong mentor who could show her how to be a really great warrior, like Darktail or Wildflower! Instead... she got Minnowflash. She just had to shout loud enough and he'd take her hunting or show her new battle moves, but there was nothing exciting about it. So, she'd begun to hound her sister, Spiderpaw to let her train with her and her mentor Darktail. She asked her every morning and every night "Please ask Darktail if we can train together, please please please." Until finally, she got the results she wanted. She was thrilled! Well, Minnowflash still had to come along, for appearances sake, she supposed. Where was her mentor anyway? She headed towards the Warriors Den.

"Minnowflash?" She called into the den. "Are you in here? It's time to train with an actual warrior!"

Darktail knew that when he was assigned to be Spiderpaw's mentor, it was to toughen up the nervous kit in front of him. So, he'd established a firm schedule. They would get up promptly at dawn, no dilly-dallying. They would go out with the hunting patrol and he would train her along the way. After they returned, she could eat whatever the patrol brought back or if she managed to catch something herself, it was hers. He would allow her a brief reprieve before he would take her out again for battle training. A strict routine is what his mentor had provided for him and it was what he would pass on to his apprentices. To be able to follow a schedule should give them confidence in a routine and routines were much of what being a warrior entailed.

Training in accompaniment of another mentor and their apprentice was not apart of his schedule. He would've said no, but it was one of the few times that his apprentice had asked something of him that he could do and he wanted to encourage her to speak up for herself more... So he allowed it. Once.

So, he told Spiderpaw to invite her sister along to their training schedule for the next day. He'd been awake before dawn preparing for the session. Having two new cats could disturb their usual routine, but if he ran through it with a firm hold... He nodded to himself, grooming his chest as he stood by the fresh kill pile. He could do this. He waited for his apprentice, watching as Pantherpaw emerged from the Apprentices' Den, rushing towards the Warriors Den and yowling for Minnowflash. Was that who her mentor was? No wonder she was behaving so poorly. He closed his eyes, reflecting on when he tried to shape Minnowpaw, who seemed more like a fish than a cat and no where close to being a warrior, into some semblance of one. He was far from brave-hearted as a proper warrior should be, but at least he could fend for himself against an opponent... Though not his own apprentice. He let out a long sigh.

It would appear I'm due to train three apprentices today. He reflected and opened his eyes. He was ready to face them all. He would make them all into their proper roles as mentors and apprentices, if it killed him.

Fea Line

 

[Fea Line]

Minnowflash was indeed inside the warriors den, awake but still curled into a ball, eyes shut tight. He was going through his morning mental prep, repeatedly chanting to himself that he can do this and that today would be a good day when a voice cut through his self motivation and caused him to jump. Blinking, he let his fur lie flat before doing his best to smile and nod. "I am Pantherpaw." he said, stepping out into the morning sun.

Her other statement about training with a real warrior stung and he did his best to hold it back. "I'm c-coming..." he breathed, already feeling nervous. As soon as he got fully outside, all he could do was focus on Darktail, the cat that had once been his mentor. Blinking sheepishly, he tried to smile but all the memories of his apprentice days flooded back into him, causing him to shuffle nervously. "Um....Excited to uh... co-train with you...t-today."


Spiderpaw sat by Darktail, sort of using him as a shield while also peeking around him at her sister. She was so tired but stifled a yawn so as to not show Darktail. He was a tough mentor and had the same routine day after day which was tiring and hard but he was smart and she hoped to learn a lot from him and not let him down. She committed everything she could to memory, all the goods and bads in hopes shed not make the same mistakes twice.... except she usually made them twice. Or more.

Still, today was hopefully going to be different because today she was training along side her sister and her mentor Minnowflash. Sometimes Spiderpaw wished she could trade mentors, it seemed like each other's mentor was perfect for the other.... but Shadowstar was too scary to talk too and she'd probably chew her out for even asking that. So instead Spiderpaw tried her best to be brave and strong, just like her sister!

It quite often didn't work out...

belloblossom

 

[belloblossom]

Once Pantherpaw saw her mentor was ready, she gave him an excited grin.
"Isn't this great?" She asked him. "I'm so excited!" And it showed, for her fur was sticking out in all angles. She looked as though she'd been struck by lightening, minus the singed bit.

Turning, she went to rush over to her sister. She ducked around Darktail and smashed her nose against Spiderpaw's by way of an over-enthusiastic greeting.
"Good morning, Spiderpaw! Are you ready to train?" She asked her sister, unaware of the stare pinned on her by Darktail. "What do you think we're going to do first-"

Darktail glanced behind him at his apprentice.
"I'll need your help today, to show these cats what a dedicated apprentice is like." He mewed to Spiderpaw. "I want to see you at your best in front of our audience." He informed her as he observed the eager Pantherpaw drawing closer. He got to his paws to greet her, but she rushed past him to Spiderpaw. His tail tip flicked in irritation before his gaze found Minnowflash. "Indeed. I'm sure we can all learn something from this session. Hopefully some of us more than others." He said tersely, before he turned to Pantherpaw and Spiderpaw.

"The first thing we will be doing, Pantherpaw," He cut in sharply. "Is going out to hunt. When we return from the hunt, we will go do battle training. And if you are both model apprentices, then I may reserve the right to teach you something very special on this training session. If you deserve it." He added, watching the two dark apprentices. "Now, Spiderpaw, you and Pantherpaw may lead, but do not run ahead." He nodded to Spiderpaw for her to do as he instructed, before turning his gaze to Minnowflash and indicating with a gesture of his fore paw that they were to follow. Already, he could see Pantherpaw was starting to charge ahead of them. Rolling his eys to the sky, he looked to Minnowflash. "Be her mentor and call her to order." He told the younger warrior, looking expectant.

Fea Line

 

[Fea Line]

Spiderpaw had been trying to sneakily shut her eyes when suddenly there was a Pantherpaw in her face. Lighting up she purred, giving her sister a playful paw before grooming down a bit of fur behind Panther's ear. "I..." she had opened her mouth to say before Darktail spoke. "Oh...the.. usual..." she said softly, deflating a bit before she perked back up, wide eyed and at attention.".. and yes Darktail! Absolutely! I will give it my all.." she said but he was already talking again. She shrank briefly, huddled next to her almost twin sister.

Minnowflash winced slightly at Darktail's words.

'Suck it up Minnowflash, Shadowstar obviously thought you fit to be a warrior, so act like it!' he mentally repeated to himself.

He caught Darktail's movements and stared at him blankly for a moment before his fur tingled. "Oh.... Pantherpaw! Slow down... s-stay with the group...uh please." he called out to her, side eyeing Darktail nervously.


Spiderpaw laughed and ran off after her sister before Darktail's voice caught her ear again as well as Minnowflash calling out to Pantherpaw. "We should slow down..." she said softly, gently poking Pantherpaw in the side before slowing down herself, glancing up apologetically at both warriors.

belloblossom

 

[belloblossom]

Pantherpaw was eager to go on ahead and would've disregarded Minnowflash, claiming it to be selective hearing if he actually got on her about it (not that he would, she knew), but when Spiderpaw poked her and suggested they ought to slow down, she let out a dramatic sigh before she followed suit. She looked back to the two warriors, her gaze moving from Minnowflash to Darktail expectantly.

"There, we stopped." She mewed, a tone of irritation in her mew. "Now what?"

Darktail watched Minnowflash and his weak attempt to call Pantherpaw to order. He was opening his maw to give a real command, when Spiderpaw took charge and it looked like she was able to wrangle her sister. Good. He nodded his approval to Spiderpaw. At least, she was able to act mature among untrained company.

Turning to Pantherpaw at her question, he replied.
"We told you to slow down, not to stop. Move on, we're wasting time." He told her and strode past. "Spiderpaw," He mewed to his apprentice, beckoning her to his side with a sharp flick of his tail. "What can you scent nearby?" He asked her. He'd caught the faint trail of a rabbit some distance off. If they were able to get to it before it fled back to its burrow, then it would be a considerable gain to the Clan and feed plenty of warriors. A blessing in this weather.

Pantherpaw lowered her ears when Darktail scolded her and looked to Minnowflash for some sympathy. She even took the time to open her mouth to smell the air, but nothing appeared.
"I can't smell anything." She said sourly. "Does that mean we have to fish?"

Fea Line