Sparrowclan (OLD PAGE - PLEASE COME SEE US AT OUR NEW PAGE)

(Sure! I'll go with...Fawnpaw)

Fawnpaw's twitching tail tapped out a steady rhythm against the ground as she sat at the mouth of the apprentice's den, watching the familiar scenes of morning play out before her. She kept her eyes trained on the camp entrance, waiting for the dawn patrol—and, hopefully, her mentor with it—to return from whatever far corner of the territory they had wandered to today, throwing a wrench directly into her training plans. Yes, maybe it was a little bit her fault that she'd slept through the rise of the sun despite Ripplestrike's telling her last night to make sure to be awake in time to leave—but she'd been tired. And now, when she was restlessly waiting to begin, any source of entertainment was nowhere to be found.

(Ahh, I do love my drama queens x3)

Fawnpaw's ears twitched as her wayward attention snagged on the sound of scuffling paws somewhere behind her. She spun, letting out a purr as her gaze landed on her brother. "Bumblepaw!" She called, her voice not managing to keep up with the shift in her thoughts and settling on a rather aggressive purr. "Hey!"

Catching sight of the flash of reluctance in Bumblepaw's eyes, Fawnpaw smirked. "Nothing much, thanks to my mentor, who just had to go out with the dawn patrol," she sighed, her eyes sparkling. The irritation that had engulfed her was fading fast now that she had someone—willing victim or not—to pester. "How about you?"

(Haha I can relate. Merry Christmas, by the way, if you celebrate!)

“Apparently everyone,” Fawnpaw chuckled, rolling her eyes. “Well, at least that gives good odds that you’re just as stuck here as I am. How were you planning to entertain yourself today? Hunting? Training?” She wrinkled her nose playfully. “More sleep?”

(No worries!)

“Hmm, sounds like fun,” Fawnpaw replied, her tail twitching thoughtfully. “Well, the hunting part at least. Have you seen your mentor anywhere? Maybe if I ask really nicely, he’ll let me tag along so I can be a thorn in your tail all day,” She teased.

(oh, his mentor is Firestrike! I totally forgot that xD Do you want him to train them, or should he just be MIA?) 

(Haha true)

Firestrike chose that very moment to drag himself out of the warm darkness of the warriors’ den. He strode across the clearing, every limb invigorated by a good, long rest that had left him eager to move. “Bumblepaw!” He called, catching sight of his apprentice across the clearing. “You’re up early.”

Fawnpaw stifled a snort, her eyes glittering fiercely as she offered a polite nod to the warrior across camp.

Fawnpaw stuck out her tongue before remembering Firestrike’s presence and hastily stuffing it back into her mouth. She settled for a pointed look at Bumblepaw, her eyes sparkling.

“Well, you’re up now,” Firestrike replied, allowing a hint of amusement to show through his usual, strict front at Fawnpaw’s antics and the plight of his long-suffering apprentice. “I hope you’re ready to train. We’re practicing hunting today. I’ll even let this thorn in your tail tag along, if you’d like,” he added wryly.

"If you insist," Fawnpaw teased, bounding after her brother and skidding into a cheerful trot at his side. "I'll come along. The dawn patrol doesn't deserve me, anyway—and, this way, I can see the look on your face when I put your hunting skills to shame." She chuckled to herself, well aware that hunting was—to say the least—not her strong suit. Still, she was never one to pass up a chance to ruffle someone's feathers.

Firestrike shook his head, stifling a smile. "Don't make me regret this," he ground out as he stepped smoothly to the front of the group, leading the way to the sheltered clearing not far from camp that offered the perfect spot to practice.

(No worries! ^-^)

Firestrike snorted. "Starclan help me." He shook his head and slowed his pace a touch, leaving the apprentices to their antics a few steps ahead. "We might as well work on some partner moves today, since we have both of you," he called up to the pair. "But don't worry. There will still be plenty of time for you to embarass each other."

"You hear that?" Fawnpaw purred, baring her teeth playfully at Bumblepaw. "I'd like to see you try!" Catching sight of the familiar curve in the path just before the training clearing, Fawnpaw shot off, her skidding paws kicking up dirt as she went. As she disappeared around the corner, she glanced back, eyes sparkling. "Last one to the clearing is a mousebrain!"

“Sisters,” Firestrike huffed, remembering his own days as an apprentice, haughtily pretending to be above Featherspark’s games. “You’re smart to let her tire herself out; it’ll make her easier to leave in the dust on the way home,” he added with a slight smile. Catching sight of Fawnpaw trotting a triumphant lap around the clearing, Firestrike slipped back into the role of teacher—and a proud one at that. He was ready to show off what Bumblepaw had learned; let Fawnpaw see if her training with Ripplestrike could keep up. “Speed is useful when it comes to hunting, but it isn’t everything. Let’s start off easy: why don’t you two show me your hunting crouches?”

(I go back to school today and I already miss vacation >.<)

Fawnpaw twitches an ear in acknowledgement as she trotted to Bumblepaw’s side. Spreading her paws squarely on the ground, she dropped down dramatically, shoulders low and tail high.

“You’re not going to catch much of anything of the prey can see your tail waving from a mile away,” Firestrike remarked, striding over to Fawnpaw. “And you want energy in your hind legs, so keep them bunched. Not too much, or you’ll find it hard to leap,” he added as Fawnpaw sheepishly pressed her hind end as low to the ground as she could. “That’s better—just like that. Bumblepaw,” he added, his eyes glittering with just a hint of pride, “Nice job. It looks like you’ve been keeping up with your practice.”

Fawnpaw waited until Firestrike padded out of sight of her face before shooting Bumblepaw a teasing look. Teacher’s pet.

Fawnpaw snickered and wiggled a bit more in her stance, stealing looks as best she could to make it clear just how much she wasn't copying Bumblepaw.

"All right," Firestrike announced as he came to a halt in front of the two apprentices, "Now that you've reviewed the basics, we can move on to something a bit more complex: one of you will scare the prey toward the other. You might have seen this move used for rabbits when the hills are too open for you to get close without being detected, but it works just as well on any less-than-deal terrain. I want the two of you to find the nearest bush with some birds hiding in it and try it out. You'll have to work together." He shot a pointed look at the pair, though his blue eyes glimmered with amusement. "You won't be able to see very well with the leaves and branches in the way, so make sure you don't end up pouncing on each other. Do you think you can pull it off?"

"Of course!" Fawnpaw replied confidently, taking the opportunity to release herself from her hunter's crouch before her hind paws fell asleep competely. "Right, Bumblepaw?"

"Stupid prank?" Fawnpaw gasped, feigning offense. "How dare you!" She bounded after her brother, making sure to flick him with her tail as she skidded to a halt beside him. Bumblepaw was safe—for now. When it came time for serious hunting practice, Fawnpaw's determination not to mess up—and the focus required—outweighed her nose for trouble. "There are a lot of bushes this way," she remarked, twitching her ears to the left. "That might be a good place to start."

“Try to catch birds out of thin air—or yowl at them like a lunatic? Easy answer,” Fawnpaw chuckled, shaking an errant leaf from her pelt. “I’ll chase them toward you. You’re good at the technique stuff.” Though her own admittance that Bumblepaw might be better at anything surprised her, she was so excited by the prospect of not having to suffer through a silent stalk-and-pounce that she hardly noticed the slip. “You go get in position on the other side; let me know when you’re ready.”