A Girl of a Warrior

27 | Racing | 27

"Duskpaw!" called a voice as soon as she stepped out of the den. Graysplash bounded towards her, abandoning his place by the prey pile.

He skidded to a stop and smiled warmly at her. "How are you feeling today?"

"Good," she replied, and it was true. "Enough to start my training."

"Really?" he asked, his smile widening. "That's wonderful! Seapaw and I were just about to head out to the pond. I'll ask Sunspring to join us." He paused and surveyed her. "He will find a way of training to will suit you, I think. Adjustments need to be made..."

He trailed off, scrutinizing her, and she squirmed. Suddenly, Graysplash's eyes seemed to catch on something behind her. "There's Seapaw! You go off and wait at the camp entrance with her. I'll join you with Sunspring as soon as I find him." He padded off.

She watched after him for a second longer before turning to the prey pile, where Seapaw sat taking quick bites out of a mouse. She looked up as Duskelle approached.

"Duskpaw!" the young she-cat exclaimed, cocking her head in surprise. "What are you doing out of the medicine cat's den?"

"I've healed, Seapaw," Duskelle told her. "I'm going to start my training today."

She smiled brightly and pushed aside the remains of her meal. "Really? That's great! Honestly, I can't understand the Upright Lock. Graysplash is going to help me with that today, but it's so complicated-"

"He told us to wait," Duskelle interrupted — she had spent enough time with Seapaw to know there would never be a pause in her jabbering — "At the camp entrance. He's gone to find Sunspring."

"Oh! Sunspring is coming?"

Duskelle nodded as she began to walk towards the entrance. Sea trailed after her.

"Duskpaw!" came Sunspring's gruff voice. "How ya feelin', gal?"

She bit back an urge to wince at his strange accent. "I'm well, Sunspring."

"Graysplash here tells me yer ready to start trainin', eh?"

"That's right, I think I am."

Graysplash joined them, interrupting the discussion. "Are we ready to go? Come along!"

He raced through the camp entrance, and the others followed together. Duskelle cast a last glance at the medicine cat den where she knew Storm was, but all she could see was its dark entrance.

She turned and disappeared into the reeds.

---

"I've got to get a read on ya first, Duskpaw."

Duskelle wrinkled her nose in confusion. "A read on me? What do you mean?"

"I need to know what kind of body type you have, whether your skills lie in agility or strength," Sunspring said as he surveyed her. "Where I come from...I've seen the way Nofurs fight." 

That said, he started her on a routine of complex and strange stretches, claiming that he remembered them from a set of owners long gone. As she struggled, she could see Graysplash and Seapaw merely...talking.

"What are they doing?" she asked Sunspring as she finally collapsed, unable to complete a motion. "Why are they just talking?"

"He's teachin' her the Warrior code," the old tom-cat responded, reaching up with a paw to scratch at his ear. "That's somethin' that depends on yer morals, not yer paws, and I ain't the one to teach it. Now, let's get started. First — yer stance."

"My stance?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Twolegs are like us felines in this; balance is key, gal! Spread yer legs apart to take your weight evenly — yeah, make sure they ain't touchin'. Now I ain't sure about this, but I doubt yer paws are supposed to be inwards like that..."