[ti]Private[/ti]Adjusting to Home

[Storm]

BATSTRIKE
MothClan | Warrior | Tom | 12 Moons | Heterosexual

A black tom was curled into a ball at the edge of a cluster of jagged rocks with other sleeping MothClan warriors. The young cat slept on his side, legs tucked up against his body and long tail carefully wrapped around his legs. The short-furred feline had gotten cold during the night and tried to conserve his body heat in this position. He felt exposed out in the open space of the camp clearing compared to his old home where he was sheltered from the elements by the stone walls and tall trees that surrounded IvyClans camp. The young sun had peaked over the edge of the world a few moments ago and was beginning its climb into the sky. Its hot Greenleaf rays raced down to the earth and heated up the morning atmosphere quickly. The air was crisp from the quiet night before, but as the temperature rose the stagnant air grew heavy and humid.

The creatures white tail tip twitched upward as the airs moisture collected in his fur making him uncomfortable. His tail tip flipped back against the ground and up into the air a few times. In a morning grog he was trying to decide if he'd be able to fall back asleep like this. An ear twitched, knowing that if he remained he'd simply lay awake and aggerated at the weather. Golden eyes silted open and glanced around at the others that still seemed to be sleeping peacefully for the most part. He rose quietly, carefully padding around the others until he was distant enough to not disturb anyone. Batstrike sucked in a breath forcefully and pushed it back out in a sigh. He shifted his weight back and lifted his hindquarters in the air, tail reaching back into the sky and paws stretched forward as his head remained low. The cat's white toes parted and his claws grasped into the dry grass beneath them. The stretch felt so good on his back after he slept so poorly on his thin moss bed. Whiskers twitching the cat returned to his tall posture, I need to gather some more bedding if I ever plan on getting a decent night's sleep, he considered glancing back jealously at the others that seemed unbothered. The cat shimmied, lightly shaking the morning out his pelt.  He might as well wake up and get started on his day.  He knew he'd end up on a patrol or something before the end of the day, he was young and they would surely try to keep him busy.

His attention shifted to the rest of the clearing as his head twisted on his shoulders. Batstrike glanced around at the scattered bushes and rocks. A frown tugged at his lips, he still wasn't used to this place even though he long should have been settled by now.  The warrior lowered into a seated position, his tail laying behind him.  Batstrike tilted his chin up into the air slightly and allowed his eyes to ease closed.  Maybe if he did get some free time he would go find a good place to enjoy the sun.  Unfortunately, the sun wouldn't be high enough for good sun bathing for a while, so he'd just pretend he was sucking up the wonderful heat and hope that Greenleaf didn't have plans for rain later in the day.

TAGS: Miss Tactical
NOTES: Batsy's first post c':

[Miss Tactical]

Shadowstorm had always been an early riser. He was a firm believer in early bird got the worm. That and with his incredibly dark pelt sparring in the heat made everything miserable. Getting up earlier than usual meant he could relax for most of the day. The black toms routine started before the sun even touched the sky. It was often still dark out when he woke up, taking advantage of dawns light for the days first hunt, followed by sparring a small dip in water afterwards. Today had been no different. The crickets and peepers stopped chirping, the sun had touched the sky and most of the older warriors duties were done for the day.

He padded into camp, a mouse and vole clamped in his jaws. He held his head high padding in but noticed something, his old apprentice already awake. His eyes narrowed slightly before dropping his catch into the pile, his tail lashing. He had heard Batstrike tossing and turning all night. There was no doubt that he was still uneasy about his new home, but this was where he belonged. IvyClan wasn't home, and sure it had been hard to convince his old apprentice to leave, but his skills would dull and never improve he would be just a warrior...at least in MothClan he would always be improving. He could be the best he just needed to see it, and Shadowstorm thought with tough love he would get there.

He shouldered his way through the crowd stopping before the tom, giving his whiskers a twitch in greeting. He hoped for the best for him, and if he found MothClan wasn't his home and he wanted to go back to IvyClan that would be his own choice, however he thought he had made a compelling argument on why he should stay. "Just because I'm not your mentor anymore doesn't mean you get to sleep in. I've already done my rounds and you are just waking up." Although his tone was deep and serious, there was a flicker of amusement in the toms eyes. Shadowstorm strived to be the best and didn't accept anyone who did any less, despite all odds, he was proud of Batstrike but he still needed to earn that praise. In time it would come.

"The Morning Hunting patrol is already organized, and the rogue threat is less which means less border patrols. How about I show ya some spots, maybe get you settled in more." He sighed softly, tail sweeping around his paws. He knew of some nice shadey spots around the territory that were not only relaxing but the warmth from the sun on the stone helped tense muscles. Not only would it be time for them two to bond again, but it would help him with his sore muscles. It was a win win.

[Storm]

BATSTRIKE
MothClan | Warrior | Tom | 12 Moons | Heterosexual

The camp was beginning to get lively with morning duties, but Batstrike remained quietly seated. His eyes closed, he listened to the others shuffling around camp. The tom heard paw steps approaching but couldn’t distinguish who they belonged to. He assumed it was no one he knew and that the cat would pass on by him. The deep voice of his mentor made the tom sit up straighter before he even managed to open his eyes. For a moment the serious tone made the young cat worried, but as he met his old mentors gaze he relaxed again. The black felines tail flicked off to his side as he tilted his head to the left. Batstrike was fully aware of his old mentor’s early morning routine, most of his apprenticeship he was drug along on it, so he was hardly surprised that the warrior had already been busy today. While his old mentor was awake in the morning, Batstrike struggled to be as aware as he would be later in the day, he simply could not keep up with a habit like that. Batstrike instead loved the night, once everything started to settle down from a long day it seemed so peaceful and the tom remained sharp even after the sun went down.

A couple soft puffs of air escaped the tom as a chuckle at his mentor’s words. “Not all of us wake up before the sun does, like you do Shadowstorm.”, the tom remarked in a joking way. A charming grin crossed his face, he admired the self-efficacy Shadowstorm had. No matter how hard you tried to do things right, he always found a way to do better. Just with this interaction the tom found his mood lifted after the poor nights rest.  He was much more comfortable around a familiar face and would have been unhappy back at Ivyclan without him.   

As he listened to the older tom he lifted into his tall stance, preparing to accept the offer. “I haven’t done any exploring on my own so I’d appreciate an insider tour. I’ve settled in nicely though…” the tom was cheerful in his reply but grew quiet near the end of his lie. He caught himself before his facial expression shifted. Shadowstorm would have caught on, but the tom picked back up his sentence. “I’m just not sleeping well, probably just restless. I’ll put myself to work and volunteer for some extra patrols, that’ll help me sleep.” The tom spewed out something that he thought would please his mentor, or at least throw off the idea that he wasn’t settling in yet. He actually wouldn't mind the extra work anyway, it would help him get a better idea of the new terrain. It was embarrassing that the young cat still hadn’t adjusted to his new clan, especially when Shadowstorm hadn’t missed a beat. It was like Shadowstorm was MothClan born and Batstrike didn’t want the cat he looked up to thinking he was growing weak already since becoming a warrior. Hunting was already a weak spot in Batstrike’s skill set and it couldn’t be more obvious to anyone than the tom that trained him, he really didn’t need any other points against him in Shadowstorm’s eyes. The feline shifted anxiously on his paws, “So, where to first? Like you said I’m just waking up and I’m ready to stretch out my legs.” Hopefully the other tom would think his hesitations where due to nerves about the rouges or ticks from lack of sleep, anything other than weakness. Anything that wouldn’t disappoint the felines old mentor.

[Miss Tactical]

Not all of us wake up before the sun does, like you do Shadowstorm.” Shadowstorm raised a brow and grumbled a bit. Sure he was up before the sun touched the horizons but at the same time he was done before everyone else was and got to relax. That and he could conserve his energy for previous apprentices who needed to learn where they fit in, or danger, but today there was none thank StarClan. "Haven't you ever heard early bird gets the worm? If I'm not mistaken I told you that more than once."Although his tone was serious, his eyes reflected some sort of playfullness, but that quickly faded with a dismissive flick of his tail before padding back out of camp, from which he came. He didn't mind another round of patrolling, he kept him strong and ready, and for that he couldn't complain.

Shadowstorm had asked Batstruke if he had wanted to join him in MothClan, there was too much confusion with the leadership in their old clan, too many wrong decisions in his eyes, thus he asked Batstrike to follow him, he would learn his place among like minded cats, and despite not saying anything Shadowstorm was proud of him, and he would be even more proud when Batstrike earned his first apprentice. He was young, and still had a lot of room for growth. He would earn his keep, the larger black tom would make sure of it. It may take awhile, but being a fresh warrior meant his loyalty could be burned in, whereas, Shadowstorm often wondered if he was trusted yet. Certainly he hoped so, he hadn't even looked over his shoulder once, he was happy.

"I'll show ya the spots, but what you need is a good sparring." Shadowstorm mewed. He knew the best spot near the fields not to far from the two-leg place. Occasionally their were kitty pets, rogues and loners to chase away which made for great exercise and stretching of the limbs. "I know a great spot, it's just pass where the apprentices train." Shadowstorm took off on a high speed run, his paws thudding against the ground kicking up grass and dirt as he ran, he pushed himself until his muscles burned that was something he took pride in, pushing himself into pain. Was it smart, probably not but he enjoyed it.

He slowed down as the grass grew taller making it rather difficult to navigate. Just north of the training spot were smaller trees and stones that made for a perfect arena. He curled his lip into a coy smile tail lashing back and forth. "Aha hear we are, plenty of rocks to climb on, tall grass to hide in, trees to climb up in should be a nice spar if i'm not mistaken so attack me." he mewed. Although he seemed relaxed and not tense, the black tom was ready to fight his previous apprentice, and hopefully he had learned a thing or two since the last time they fought.

[Storm]

BATSTRIKE
MothClan | Warrior | Tom | 12 Moons | Heterosexual

The cat grinned as his former mentor tried to beat the same old lesson into his head. He nodded at the older felines words, Shadowstorm had done more than told him, he set an example of it every day. Batstrike wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to put that lesson to practice though, especially with the poor sleep patterns he was experiencing recently. A wave of relief passed over him when the near verbal slip went unnoticed, his body tension diminished as Shadowstorm started to head out of camp. The long-legged feline picked up a gait right beside the older tom as they left. Batstrikes mood had shifted so fast a small smile still tugged at his lips. He was glad he would get a better look at his clan’s new territories, but what he was really excited about was that he’d be spending that time with Shadowstorm.

The black and white cat’s ears twitched to listen to Shadowstorm’s comments, his eyes were set forward as they walked though. A sparring, ehh? It couldn’t be more fitting coming from the black tom, always taking every opportunity to get stronger. “You better not drag me out to some remote spot in the territory and rip all my fur out.” Batstrike chimed as a joke, but he was suspicious of the other tom’s motives. Knowing Shadowstorm he might have been planning to beat some sense into his old apprentice for not heeding every drop of advice he was ever given. Batstrike thought it would be justifiable though, if he wanted to stay in his idles good graces he should probably act like it a little more and use the things he was taught to his advantage.

His thoughts were suddenly disrupted by his companion bursting into a sprint. It took Batstrike mere seconds to shift his gait into his long, speedy strides but Shadowstorm had already gained some distance ahead of him. The feline matched his old mentors pace from behind, as they tore through their territory. At this rate I’ll be sore from Shadowstorm 'showing me around', ha! It was just like a few moons ago, training under the tom, sore day in and day out from giving a brutal effort to keep up with his relentless training pace. The tom slowed down a little later than Shadowstorm, passing by the cat after he halted and let him know they had reached their destination. Batstrike had come to a stop a few fox lengths ahead of Shadowstorm when the tom extended his challenge.

He had faced his old mentor many times and he knew better than to hesitate. Any lapse or flaw would be taken advantage of by the big, experienced tom. The black feline swiveled on his light paws and launched forward at his opponent. He shifted his weight back and forth to allow him to bound forward diagonally. Yellow gaze cold and harsh, his movements resembled that of the ugly winged beasts that took to the night, dancing through the dark sky. Once he reached striking distance the tom lifted his white left paw. He came down hard towards Shadowstorm’s head but threw all of his weight to the right and pulled his strike in so it would miss the obvious mark. Batstrike had sold this fake frontal attack in the hopes of the tom attempting to counter. A movement to block or get out of the way of the strike would put the other tom in an awkward position for a moment and that was all the time Batstrike would need. He planted his front paws to the side of Shadowstorm he had peeled off to and lashed his hind leg out at the body behind him. Batstrikes had judged the distance perfectly, hind paws landing on Shadowstorm’s solid thoracic region. The cat was moving too quick to see if his opponent had fallen for his fake out. If he was off balance the back kick would be fairly effective in tumbling the large tom over, but if the initial move failed the kick would be a weak strike coming from the lean feline.

Once his paws returned to the ground after extension through his kick Batstrike leapt forward. If his attack wasn’t strong enough to phase Shadowstorm the tom needed to get out of a dangerous range. He turned on his paws again to face the battle and took an athletic stance in a crouched position, long tail lashing behind him. Yellow orbs whipped around seeking out the other cat’s figure, anxious to see how well his attack landed and to prepare for his former mentors return blow.

[Miss Tactical]

The one thing about Batstrike that gave him the slight advantage was his build. Shadowstorm was more stocky and moved slower despite his constant running around you could only move so fast on shorter legs. He was meant for shorter distance perhaps some quick dodging but he was all about brute force. The tom quickly ducked dodging one move, but sheathed paws made contact pushing the tom backwards nearly knocking the breath out of him. He stood there for a moment, eyes narrowed. "That was rather impressive." Batstrikes quick thinking put him at a top candidate for a fighter. He nodded slowly circling around his previous apprentice like a hungry animal stalking it's prey, he was about to pounce when his ears swiveled, the fur on the back of his neck began to rise as an all too familiar sound hit his ears.

Dog!

The familiar yipping and growls hit his ears and he cursed under his breath lowering himself in the tall the grass. He stepped in front of Batstrike, whiskers twitching he parted his jaws carefully was it close? "Stay VERY quiet...and back up slowly..." He whispered. It was very low, barely audible. He listened to the rustling in the tall grass, and stood up straight to take a peak looking for the nearest tree. It was rather far away, if they moved slowly it would take ages, if they ran, the dog heard them and they would be fresh kill. HE mumbled a few more things deciding that moving slowly towards their destination would be the best option. After all if the dog came out, they could make a run for it, and they would be closer than they were now.

Shadowstorm started to back away, being rather careful of where he set his large paws, he wanted to make sure not a single twig snapped, no pebble thumped, no grass blade moved. The dog could be small, could be large, and without proper visuals they were working blindly and that of itself was dangerous. The barking became louder, and Shadowstorm flattened his ears against the high pitch sound, sure he had fought his share of wild animals protecting his clans, but dogs, they were vicious things and one of the things he feared most. He would rather fight a badger than one of these things. As the growling and barking got closer he stopped. The creature was too close now. He could hear the snuffling, and see the grass moving.

Claws unsheathed he turned to Batstrike. "When I say run...you run." Shadowstorm crouched down muscles tense into a battle stance ready to attack, he let out a loud hiss rushing into the tall grass coming nose to nose with a large dog (Rottweiler) He saw his bobbed tail and large paws and gulped nervously. "BATSTRIKE RUN!" He called as he lunged forward slashing across the dogs pelt. There was no way he would be fighting this thing down, he needed to distract it and run away himself, but he needed to wait for Batstrike, as a mentor you take a pledge to protect your apprentice, and despite Batstrike being a warrior now, that didn't mean his pledge was over.

[Storm]

BATSTRIKE
MothClan | Warrior | Tom | 12 Moons | Heterosexual

The tom let out a little breath of pride when he caught sight of Shadowstorm. He wasn’t able to strike back immediately and his comment inflated his head even further. The cat almost shed one of his charming glances, but his former mentors circling brought him back to a combat focus. Tension gathered beneath his skin as he stood his ground. The cats square head rolling around his shoulders as sharp yellow eyes followed the big warrior. The sounds of trouble made his ears twitched to stand on edge. Shadowstorm had reacted to the signs of a dog closing on them before he had. The friendly sparring mode between the two shifted suddenly. Batstrike sunk from his athletic stance into a deeper crouch, wide eyes held on Shadowstorm for cues. The young tom scented the air, but knew better than to depend on this effort of his. He was terrible at locating prey and that translated just as poorly to determining which direction danger was approaching from. Adrenaline coursed through his body, but he held his breath suspended in suspense. As if following a command Batstrike nodded to his former mentor silently and maneuvered to make a retreat. We just need to head for cover, he thought, eyes scanning the grass which concealed the dogs position. 

Shadowstorm's demeanor changed again and the situation suddenly became more real to his former apprentice. Batstrike was young, he hadn’t defended himself from any real danger yet, but this was what he had been trained for and he was confident in his skills. He feared no fox, badger or dog for that matter more than he feared leaving the tom he stood with now behind. Batstrike didn’t even have a chance to quietly hiss a protest to fleeing without him before Shadowstorm rushed out of sight. That stone-head, the tom scowled, flattening his ears as he shifted his weight to creep after Shadowstorm. The black and white feline hadn’t even managed to take his first step before his former mentor yowled for him to leave though. Just as moments before Batstrike didn’t hesitate, but he wasn’t listening anymore either. He had no intention of leaving one of the only cats he trusted behind in a situation like this. Batstrike swiftly moved forward to spot the other tom lashing out at the large black and brown stray. 

This is bad. He moved from behind Shadowstorm and spat at the dog, tail lashing wildly to draw its attention away from the other attacking cat. He didn't want the dog to retaliate after Shadowstorm's massive blow. If they could lure the dog closer to the tree they were previously moving towards then they'd have a better chance of making it to cover. The dog lunged forward at Batstrike who was trying to inch away. The usually light-on-his-paws tom leapt backwards, curling his body away, but the dog snapped at the cat and managed to catch the tom at the base of his scruff. He let out a hiss at being snatched from the air, but clawed with his back paw at any part of the dog he could feel. Unsheathed black claws catching on the side of the dogs neck, Batstrike straightened out his hind leg to push away from the dogs jowls. The creature didn't release its grip on the cat and instead his skin tore in its fangs before the dog could violently shake him around. He was lucky to get free with just a flesh wound, mostly flesh and fur, as he bounded a few steps away. Shoulders seeping with crimson the tom winced as he finally turned, much too wise to keep his back to the dog for long.

[Miss Tactical]

Shadowstorm had leaped over the dog and his eyes locked into Batstrike. "Now is not the time to NOT listen."he thought to himself. He curled his lip into an annoyed snarl. As an apprentice he had his moments, sometimes questioning things he said, but normally Shadowstorm got the tom to listen to his advice, and for ONCE the ONE time he decided to not listen to him was today of all days. Sure it was okay to do his own thing, he was a warrior now he was free to come and go, but...if Shadowstorm got this young warrior killed he would never let himself live it down, yet here this tom was being wreckless. It was admirable in a sense to want to help his old mentor, but he was young. If something happened he would never have an apprentice, he would never have a mate, he would never have a family, all because SOMETHING in his BRAIN told him to not listen.

He watched in horror as the dog got a hold of Batstrike shaking him violently his eyes wide with horror, luckily the black warrior was able to get free, he could see the flesh wound but how deep was it? It would need to be treated right away. "YOU MOUSE BRAIN." Shadowstorm hissed. Now was not the time for pleasant or colorful language instead he now had to get this injured warrior to safety meanwhile he had a dog at his heels, and there was a long list of things going through the black warriors mind. When, not If they got back to camp, Shadowstorm would follow Batstrike into the medicine cats den and give him a piece of his mind, but for now...for now he just needed to get him to safety.

The black tom hissed at the dog, yowling trying to get it's attention. The large thing barked at him and he eyed Batstrike he would be running slow with an injured shoulder so he would need time. "HEAD TO THE TREE! LISTEN THIS TIME!" He bounced around snarling at the dog lashing out, fighting this thing was almost pointless there is no way he would be able to take this dog down, neither could Batstrike. There was a time or place for everything. "I'LL HEAD OVER SHORTLY JUST TRUST ME!!" He didn't wait to see if Batstrike would listen, he hissed more taunting words towards the dog and ran into the tall grass with the large beast nipping at his heels. He would lead him away, that was Batstrikes best chance now.

[Storm]

BATSTRIKE
MothClan | Warrior | Tom | 12 Moons | Heterosexual

His yellow eyes bounced to the bulky feline when his hiss stung in the tom’s ears, but they darted back to focus on the dog. That was a good excuse, right? Better than the fact that he couldn’t look his former mentor in the face after a failed stunt like that. He got the dogs attention, just like he wanted and now with a sting above his shoulders he was paying for it. Fox dung. Batstrike cursed to himself. I misjudged its reach and now I look like a young, mouse-brained fool. In front of- no trying to assist Shadowstorm no less. He hissed in his head. It was his own fault his pelt was torn up now and they were still in danger, it was for nothing. If anything, now he was a burden, if he took a full stride with his forepaws it would pull at his sensitive flesh.

The battered tom’s ears flattened against his square head as he was told once again to flee. He still had no intention on leaving the older warrior behind. It wasn’t a doubt in Shadowstorm’s skill, but a fear of the dangers his former mentor was willing to face alone. His maw gaped open to speak, but he did trust the big tom and so his jaw snapped shut covered with a defeated facial expression. Not that it would be seen as the cat had already stolen the beasts attention and fled from sight with the dog in tow.

Batstrike turned on his white paws with a wince as he half-strode to the nearest tree he could see over the grass line. His trot was hastened, but obviously a hindered movement from his ordinary lengthy strides. His mind flood with horrid thoughts as the grass whispered behind him filled with scattered barks. In reaching the tree the black and white tom didn’t bother to look over his bleeding shoulder. Claws still unsheathed he dug into the bark and climbed to the lowest branch with a scowl. He pushed the pain to the back of his mind as his orbs searched the tall grass for movement instead. “Don’t keep me waiting long.” Batstrike sighed out. It wasn’t his usual cocky and charming voice, but once laced with worry. You gotta get that stray off your tail, he stood shakily on edge, fur as disheveled as his resolve as he finally caught sight of the cat and canine from his vantage point.

[Miss Tactical]

The black tom heard the slowed pawsteps of his apprentice. Good.... He thought to himself. It was about time that the tom listened. He took in a deep breath his paws pounding as it hit the ground sending up clumps of grass and dirt. He could hear the barking right behind him and he wasn't about to turn around to see how close the creature was. He knew the creature was close, close enough that he felt like he could feel the heat from it's breath on his hind legs. The black tom pushed himself to the absolute extreme weaving in and out of tendrils, as the dog simply ran straight breaking right through them. It would be just his luck, that the day he chose to show his previous apprentice the beauties of MothClan that it would go completely south. Things seemed to go south for him more often than not.

He curled his lip into a snarl before he took a sharp turn left, the dog of course followed suit. Surely Batstrike had enough time to reach the tree by now? He had kept the creature at bay for as long as he could and he only prayed to StarClan that it was enough time for his previous apprentice to make it to safety. Sure they were both young, but Batstrike still had a lot of life in him, if any cat should live if one had to die, Shadowstorm would jump into a pit of fire for the tom, no questions asked. Despite his apprentice being a warrior, he was still his apprentice. He didn't always need looking after, but Shadowstorm would watch out for him, that was a mentors job to protect your apprentice. He wouldn't let some foul breath fox heart attack him, and thus he decided it was best for him to lead the dog away.

The tree came into closer view, but the Black tom was clearly fatigued as his pace began to slow. "It's now or never..." The black tom leaped out of the tall grass, his sharp claws hooking into the bark of the tall tree, and to thank StarClan, Batstrike was sitting on one of the branches. His thinking had distracted him for a moment as he felt tight jaws grasp around his hind leg pulling him back down into the grass with a loud thump. His eyes wide as Batstrike vanished from his sight. He let out a loud yowl as the dog viciously shook his leg, and it was followed by a sickening pop. Shadowstorm reached back with front paw claws unsheathed slashing across the creatures face. There was a loud yip and it gave Shadowstorm the second he needed.

With only three good legs, the other dragging behind him, his sore body bunched up and once again he popped out of the tall grass, three paws sinking into the bark as he slowly climbed up onto the same branch that Batstrike was on. His right hind leg hung grotesquely behind him, bleeding from the bite marks but it was very obvious that it was out of socket and rather broken. He panted, as the dog circled around the tangled roots clearly frustrated that his chew toy was out of reach. "I told you I'd be back." he mewed with a tired cheeky tone. The black tom layed his head on his front paws, clearly tired, and in incredibly pain. Although he didn't show it...pain was weakness leaving the body. And he wouldn't let his apprentice know he was hurting.