[img="300']https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/575140117488861204/691110745101959218/Rosewood.png[/img]Golem didn't spend a lot of time with other cats. Occasionally he would see his father or brother. The most cats he'd seen in one place at a time was when the strangers invaded his home. He knew that he had to get stronger, so that if they ever came back, he'd make them all think twice about messing with him again. He practiced during the day and in the few times he left the tunnels, he would pick fights with any cat he came across. Why, even at night during his dreams he would fight among the dark forests of his dreams. He'd claw at the dark trees and bounce off of them with a snarl. He was a hulking form even in his sleep and everything felt so real! Sometimes it was hard to know when he was dreaming.
Yet there was always one constant cue. A little kitten who would watch him practice. She didn't come very close the first time he'd seen her, but it seemed like every night after the initial sighting of her, she came closer every time. She didn't seem like a threat-he could take her easy! But... he wasn't gonna hurt some kitten. Especially one that couldn't even talk! At least, that's what he'd thought.
He found himself practicing in the night forest as he'd come to call it. It was always dark here. Dark and quiet except for the small rustling in the leaves, alerting Golem of four tiny scampering paws. He kept his gaze on the tree in front of him, slashing at it and growling, before launching himself off the tree's trunk and landing on the ground. Behind him, he heard a gasp and he turned his head. Two tail lengths away stood the yellow and white kitten, closer than she'd ever been. Turning the rest of him around, he was debating moving closer to the kitten when abruptly she mewed at him!
"Wow, you're so cool! You keep on getting stronger and stronger!" She looked down at her tiny paws. "I try to do that sort of stuff after you leave, but I'm no good at it. My legs are too stubby and my claws are too little." She sighed, but looked back up at Golem with a grin. "But you! You're so cool! You're gonna be so cool when you're grown!"
Golem didn't quite understand. Wasn't this kitten going to grow up too? He frowned at her and moved closer. She looked up at him curiously as he stood beside her and stared at her. Eventually he mewed gruffly.
"Your legs are too far apart, keep them more together. And don't wiggle your tail like that." He added. "Grown or not, anyone can learn how to be stronger than they are..." He thought for a moment, which was not nearly as easy as clawing at a tree. "You come here to watch me train anyway, so... after I finish training me, I'll train you. And you'll grow." The kitten didn't look convinced. "You'll grow stronger." He added. Maybe kittens didn't grow bigger in this forest place. He didn't know, but he did know that no kitten should be left alone and defenseless. "Now, straighten up and give me your fiercest growl." He mewed to her and thus was the first of their many lessons.
(WC: 557)