I Walk Alone

[xradx]

At first Ashpaw was relieved that she had dodged Snowsong's attack, but then she realized she had no clue where Snowsong was. Ashpaw turned her head to look around, hoping to see the snowy she-cay, but she didn't. This is not good...

Then Ashpaw took a deep breath, and tried ot focus, I'll find her by scent, she told herself. She opened her mouth to taste the air, but it was so thick with her own scent as well as that of Snowsong that it was hard to tell exactly where Snowsong was. But, concentrating hard, she eventually found that the freshest scents were leading directly behind her. She whirled around, half'expecting the other cat to be there already, but found only the undergrowth of the forest. But as she looked more closely she caught a glimpse of snowy fur, I'm glad my fur isn't so white! Prey would spot me from a mile away! Ashpaw then focused herself again, and braced herself for Snowsong to charge her again.

[.&&. Snowsong.]

Snowsong's ears slightly perked up as she felt as if Ashpaw realized she was there. As she looked through the corner of her gaze, she saw that her tail was an inch higher than the bush. I messed it up...oh well..Just get on with the plan...

Snowsong flexed her claws, and she bunched her muscles. Then, she silently padded a step back. A second or so later, she launched herself over the bush and at Ashpaw.

[xradx]

This time Ashpaw wasn't quite so umprepared. And instead of her clusy move before she stepped to the side quickly and easily, and then stuck her foot out in hopes of tripping Snowsong. This isn't so hard, she told herself, Maybe I can learn to fight a badger after all!

But her hopes fell a little as she realized she still hadn't beat Snowsong. That's okay, it will just take a little time.

[.&&. Snowsong.]

Snowsong aimed to follow Ashpaw in midair since Ashpaw dodged to the side. She then realized that Ashpaw was trying to trip her by sticking out her leg. She tried to change position, but it was progressing too slowly.

Instead, Snowsong kicked out her hind legs in hoping of hitting Ashpaw, lightly since it wasn't a true fight, and knocking her off balance for a short moment if not knocking her off her paws.

Snowsong then began to soar down at the ground, and she figured that she would trip over Ashpaw's leg. Hm, I'll have bring out slightly more of my skills....But later...

[xradx]

Snowsong's attack did exactly as it had attended, and Ashpaw tripped and fell flat on her face. Her confidence from just a moment earlier vanished instantly. I'll just do better next time she promised herself.

Ashpaw broughtherself to herpaws and turned around to look at Snowsong. "I never thought fighting would involve os much thinking," she told the other she-cat, "I thought I would just fight and I wouldn't have to think about it."

[.&&. Snowsong.]

Snowsong slightly tripped over Ashpaw's leg as Ashpaw was thrown aside. She swiftly got to her paws and faced Ashpaw. Her ears flicked as Ashpaw stated what she thought about fighting.

"Well, in order to win, you have to think. You have to have at least another plan in mind. Anything can happen in a battle. If you underestimate your enemy or overestimate yourself, the battle will end badly." Snowsong relaxed her muscles slightly. She was never actually confident in herself, even if she put herself to the test.

[xradx]

Ashpaw looked at Snowsong quizically for a moment, and then nodded. "I think I get it. I can't jsut fight, but I have to plan my next move."

This made sense to Ashpaw now. But he honestly did not know how she would ever learn enough to become a warrior. I'll learn it, she swore to herself, I have to learn it. But there was still just a flicker of doubt in her that would not go out, and Ashpaw wasn't sure she believed what she was telling herself.

[.&&. Snowsong.]

"Shall we continue?" Snowsong sat down, relaxing her muscles slightly more. Her tail slowly lashed from side to side as she waited for a response.

I'll hunt later.... Snowsong's ears slightly perked to her right as the sound of a mouse scuffling about drifted into her ears. However, she remained where she was. She didn't go after it, nor did she get up.

Snowsong lifted her right fore paw and licked it. She then pulled it gently over her right ear. She then rested her paw on the ground, and her tail wrapped around her paws.

[xradx]

Ashpaw pushed away her doubt and nodded her head. "Yes, yes I can handle a little more of this." Ashpaw didn't want to admit that she was starting to get tired, she hadn't had a chance to practice fighitng skills with another cat and she was afraid that after this she would have to wait for Darksong to recover.

She slowly backed away from Snowsong, bracing herself for the white she-cat to charge her again. This time I'll wait until she's closer so she won't have time to stop, she decided. There, she was planning. Just like Snowsong said she should.

[.&&. Snowsong.]

Snowsong nodded at Ashpaw as she prepared herself, and she got to her paws. She tensed her muscles, and she unsheathed her claws. She dug her halfway unsheathed claws into the Earth, and she raked them an inch or two down the Earth.

Snowsong then placed her claws onto the same spot where she started to rake them, and she dug them into the ground slightly. Then, she pressured her paws, and she launched herself at Ashpaw. She soared faster thanks to her claws.

On her way to Ashpaw, she sheathed her claws. Then, she positioned her fore paws in front of her. She aimed of pinning the apprentice down. She also used her tail and hind legs to try and control her direction and speed in midair.

[xradx]

This time Ashpaw tried to wait until Snowsong was closer, but the snowy cat's increased speed threw her off and she swerved to the right too early, leaving too many tail-lengths in between them. I can fix this, she told herself, just think Ashpaw, think!

Ashpaw decided to quickly dart over to the other side of Snowsong to try to trip her, hoping that the change in side would confuse the older warrior. And this time she tried to put down her back leg to trip Snowsong instead of her forleg. Maybe this will work better...

[.&&. Snowsong.]

As Ashpaw dodged to the side, Snowsong immediately lashed out her hind legs to propel her in Ashpaw's direction. This time, she also lashed out a second time to speed up.

Snowsong then repositioned her fore paws in front of her, in hopes of pinning Ashpaw down again. She also concentrated completely on Ashpaw's shoulder, though it wasn't the true goal.

A few seconds later, Snowsong was extremely close to Ashpaw. She would likely be able to pin Ashpaw down, but anything could happen. Besides, she didn't believe she would be able to pin the apprentice down. She wasn't confident in herself, as usual.

[xradx]

As Snowsong got closer Ashpaw lost confidence in her new plan and decided to dodge instead. She quickly ran toward the snowy warrior and then swerved to the left to prevent a collison. She then whirled around quickly and decided to try to pin down Snowsong.

Oh please let this work! But she was no more confident than Snowsong, and she didn't really believe that she could pin the other she-cat.

[.&&. Snowsong.]

Snowsong landed, and she whisked around to face Ashpaw. Her gaze was unblinking, and it was nearly emotionless. Emotion is a weakness in battle.... With that, her gaze began to become empty. The path from her gaze that reached her soul was being cut off.

Snowsong then padded a slow step forward. Her tail slowly swung from side to side, and her muscles tensed again. A short moment later, she dashed toward Ashpaw. She had some plans in mind, but she had to get close enough.

[xradx]

Ashpaw's mind froze. She seriously had no idea what she was supposed to do. Should she attack or dodge? Attack or dodge? Attack! She eventually decided. She reared up on her hind legs braced herself to spring at Snowsong. But then she began to lose her balance and toppled over before Snowsong even arrived. She quickly attempted to get back up on her paws but found herself facing the wrong way. This is not my day...

Ashpaw relaxed her muscles, hoping to catch a quck breath, and then whirled around, finding herself looking Snowsong right in the face.