Training

"Dang this rain... the weather's been too muddy lately, I think that I'd be enjoying leaf-bare more than this..." Mudpaw hissed under his breath, pushing some of the overlying branches together to make an umbrella-type thing under the bush. He brushed the water droplets off, but they just soaked straight into his fur. The water was so cold, why were all these cats out practicing in the rain? The medicine cat surely wouldn't be happy if every apprentice caught a cold, but that was really none of his business. It would be a nice lesson learned for those that train in the rain, although they all needed training, wouldn't it be better to come out tomorrow, and not in odd weather conditions such as this.

"Oy! Mudpaw! Get your rear in gear! Snowcloud is too stupid to fight." As if you're any better.. Houndpaw shook his head and glared at the apprentice, his hate for him growing.

"My rear is in gear, I'd surely hope that it wasn't... out of gear..." Mudpaw meowed, emerging from his cover. Mudpaw swatted at the ground, flinging up dirt and mud. "Alright, let's go" He meowed lazily, his pelt now being weighed down in the rain.

He stood regularly, but bracing himself in the dirt by spreading his paws out the slightest bit. He had thought this battle over well, between himself and Houndpaw. He began walking slowly toward the cat, until only a few foxlengths away, then shot to the left in a circle around the cat. When he reached the rear, he stopped, planting his feet in worry of slipping, and pounced, aiming at the center of Houndpaw's back.

Houndpaw smiled and ducked. As Mudpaw flew over him, as he knew he would, the tom would aim a blow at Mudpaw's belly. If it was a real battle, it would be a useful trick.

Ferretflight watched the two fighting apprentices carefully, she'd need to see where they needed improvement. Right now, Houndpaw needed work on his cockiness and stance. Mudpaw would have to increase his speed and agility, though it was excellent when he was hunting.

Mudpaw tumbled in the air and didn't even stop to catch himself, he ran forward. He flipped around, he knew now that this cat would aim at his vital spots, the weak-skinned ones. "Okay, keep your stomach low, Mudpaw." He told himself, walking straight up to the cat, about the same distance as last time, but this time, he'd try something different. There was just one way that he knew to humiliate Houndpaw. Mudpaw bunched his muscles, as if to jump, but quickly dropped that and flung some loose muddy dirt and water at Houndpaw with a forepaw.

Houndpaw gave a snort of amusement as the mud hit him. "Hows this going to help you?" In a real battle, he would claw the area above the eyes, blinding the cat temorarily with its own blood, and the mud would disguise his scent. Of course I can't do that... He slid forwards suddenly, as easy as a stone breaks through the surface of water, hoping to unbalance Mudpaw with his sudden attack at his legs.

Mudpaw instinctively jumped back, and as Houndpaw slid by, he charged forward, and aimed to pin Houndpaw down with his forepaws, while still keeping on the ground, so his underbelly wouldn't be attacked so easily, unless Houndpaw were to reach between his paws, where then he could pin him just as easily, maybe easier.

As soon as he missed, the grey tom flipped over and aimed a headbutt at Mudpaw. It was carefully aimed; Mudpaw would find it difficult to evade it.

Mudpaw saw Houndpaw aim for a headbutt, there was definitely one way to take him down. Mudpaw lowered his head, and leaped straight at his head. This would... hurt... This would be impossible to dodge, considering that if Houndpaw did pull his head back, Mudpaw would hit his stomach considerably hard.

Ferretflight looked on carefully, leaning forward on the Arch. If something went wrong, she'd have to step in, fast.

Houndpaw hissed and jerked away, then sped round to Mudpaw's side and lept, hping he had been quick enough.

Mudpaw stumbled forward, and felt a paw swish past his flank. He turned around, and dropped into a low crouch, and just stayed there, waiting.

Houndpaw sniffed the air, then stood, panting, claws dug into the ground, prepared for a suddden attack.

Mudpaw felt that this fight would be never ending, as himself and Houndpaw had been fighting for so long, and neither cat had been able to land a clean blow on the other cat. "Hey, Ferretflight, should that be enough sparring for now? I have the feeling that this fight is never going to go anywhere." He meowed, and stood back far enough so if Houndpaw weren't done fighting, he would be ready.

Ferretflight looked down at the two, "At the rate you cats are moving, no, things won't." she mewed, shaking her head a bit. "Why don't you try applying yourselves more. Try moves you've never tried before." she flicked her tail and watched for they're reply.

"Can I have a go?" A cheerful voice mewed stepping out from behind the Rock Arch. Her jaws were loaded with fresh kill and her green eyes glinted with excitement at the prospect of a fight. She set down her load and pushed in carefully under a bush. "Who can I fight? She mewed sitting down. Of course she didn't mind, she just wanted to know who she was up against.

Houndpaw gave a snort. "Too scared to finish the fight properly are we? You'd be at my paws right now if I wanted to hurt you."

Ferretflight growled deeply, "That sort of talk could have your throat slit by an enemy claw Houndpaw." she snarled. "Don't get cocky."

Mudpaw let out a grunt of boredom. "Come on, Houndpaw, let's get this over with. Mudpaw stood there, staring at Houndpaw, and for once, he decided to do something but jump. He stepped once, and dug his front paws into the loose soil. He pushed them toward each other, destroying the soil between them. This dirt was worth about as much as Houndpaw's pelt, you've gust got to smoosh it all up. He tried to imagine when he'd run fastest, and hit hardest. It had definitely not been in the rain, where the earth beneath himself couldn't keep his paws above the ground.

No, it had been in a draught, as a kit. This had to have at least FELT like he was quickest, he had been a race with the other kits, and when they all were tripping on tangled roots, Mudpaw stepped on top of them, and raced to the finish. He could see that most of the other kits were barely half-way there, that was when he assumed that they were all holding back, and that he had forgotten something that his mother had told him. From that day forward, he held back, he could bend under all of the roots, and run faster than the others. There was no way that Houndpaw could beat him! Houndpaw was just an apprentice, a normal apprentice. If Mudpaw let himself be beat, he would have to train three times as hard just to surpass him.

Mudpaw let out a hiss to himself, and reluctantly stayed back. His superior speed could probably come in handy in defense, too, so why not try that?