Ashfur slowly raises his head. The smell of moldy leaves lets him know where he is well before his blue eyes open to behold the eery environment. Back again, as Thistleclaw promised… Rising to his paws, the grey warrior is thankful that the tiredness and exhaustion of his body do not follow him to this place. It'd been a rough training session. Lionpaw is getting dangerously close to his own level when he is allowed to fight seriously. A little smirk grows on Ashfur at the memory of Brackenfur's dispeased looks. No apprentice comes close to Lionpaw's talent for battle, certainly not Hollypaw. If he could get his apprentice to grow like that in his hunting as well, he'd be the perfect warrior by the time he earns his warrior name. Ashfur has well and properly exhausted himself today, but Lionpaw was no better off by the end.
Shaking his fur out, the blue eyed warrior takes a few steps after rising up. The Dark Forest still seems so very strange to him. Like a withered parody of the forest he knows. His wandering and wondering do not last long before a familiar spiky pelt approaches from between the crooked trees. Ashfur nods his head towards his warrior ancestor
„Greetings, Thistleclaw. I'm ready to begin training"
Thistleclaw looks the warrior up and down with his piercing amber eyes after stopping a tail-length before him.
„And train you will. Just like you wish to show off your apprentice eclipsing every other in your clan, I will make sure you surpass the other living cats training here. And I accept no failure, not from my own kin!"
Ashfur flicks his ear. He already knew now that Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost train here, but who else was doing so? Thistleclaw had mentioned that the Dark Forest sometimes aids warriors grow.
„Who else trains here? Do most of them get training by ancestors of theirs?"
Thistleclaw scoffs impatiently
„Some, others just by cats that seek to see them grow stronger. But you are not here to ask questions. I've seen you today. You were challenged by Brackenfur and your claws remained sheathed. Thunderclan needs strong and proud warriors, not cowards that back away. You should have challenged him back, shown the apprentices how real warriors battle and that you should think twice before insulting a warrior of Thunderclan like that."
Ashfur's eyes widen a bit and his ears lower somewhat. He had understood Brackenfur's words more as a challenge to his methods, not to him personally… but perhaps there is little difference between these things. And he left it up to his apprentice to prove Brackenfur wrong. A spark of anger at himself arises in Ashfur. This burden was his and he loaded it onto Lionpaw's shoulders. Lionpaw had nothing to prove to Brackenfur, Ashfur did. Slowly Ashfur nods as he reflects on the matter. The idea of battling another warrior of his clan does not sit well with him, but he should have dealt with this himself. His shattered confidence led him to let his apprentice take care of his problem. He should shield Lionpaw when it comes to it, not the other way around. Another failure… but one he will not repeat.
„You might be right. This wasn't my apprentice's fight, it was mine. No other cat should fight my battles for me"
He looks up at Thistleclaw, the powerful spirit observing his descendant with a look that is difficult to place for a while, before it gives way to a small grin.
„Good. Now, let me see what you are capable of. And you better fight like you mean it! I will not halt my claws for you. Fight with everything you got, every time. Fail that and you will regret it!"
The amber eyed spirit lowers into a fighting stance, hooked claws unsheathing. Though a serious air remains about him, a small glint of wild joy enters his eyes as his claws slide forth. Ashfur takes several steps back, lowering into a fighting stance himself, claws unsheathing. Looking into Thistleclaw's eyes, it is beyond apparent to the Thunderclan warrior; his ancestor lived for battle, the mere prospect seeming to let him live up. His pads sweat with nervousness. This is a battle he is unlikely to win and Thistleclaw will let him feel each mistake he makes. A snarl forms on Ashfur's face as his pelt spikes up. He asked for this, he wants to become stronger and this is the way to achieve that. His warrior ancestor wishes to know what he's capable of, so he will show him, no holding back.
The blue eyed warrior propels himself forward, striking out for Thistleclaw's face. The experienced spirit easily moves out of the way with no back paddling. With Ashfur landing within a few whiskers of him, Thistleclaw launches a flurry of swipes, his descendant just barely avoiding his hooked claws, weaving between the blows. Just as Ashfur believes to spot an opening, finally getting in a swing of his own, worry and anger arise as he ends up hitting but air, the broad shouldered frame of Thistleclaw having rapidly closed in towards his left side. The Thunderclan warrior leaps back to create some distance once more, but not before a sharp pain tears into his shoulder. Landing once more a good tail length from Thistleclaw, he gives a quick glance at the source of this new pain. Sure enough, a new , bleeding clawmark decorates his grey coat, a thin trail of red beginning to run down his left front leg.
„No backing up! A warrior pushes on!"
The fiery words of his ancestor are barely enough warning for Ashfur to narrowly dodge the spiky furred spirit's claws once more, having closed the newly created distance with a rapid leap of his own.
„Do not let a mere scratch distract you! Your enemy will not show you pity for your injuries!"
Growling and gnashing his teeth, Ashfur leaps up, over his ancestor, landing close behind him, whirling around with a fierce swipe aimed at the spirits flank. Thistleclaw however turns rapidly, striking Ashfur across the face with his tail in his motion. Ashfur's eyes are forced to close for a brief moment. He knows this will be to his detriment, by the time he can open them and solidly see Thistleclaw again, he will already be in a bad position. Pitiful… but perhaps not necessarily as an idea sparks that might buy him a few heartbeats worth of time. Still blinded but knowing his opponent before him, Ashfur forcefully leaps straight forward with his shoulder. Sure enough he connects, feeling the resistance as his full weight and force crashes against the turning Thistleclaw, sending him reeling backwards a few steps. Blinking, he tries to regain his sight, doing so only in time for a paw to impact the side of his face with force, sending Ashfur reeling to the side for a few steps. His left ear rings as he tries to regain a stable stance. The chance is not given as he feels Thistleclaw leap onto him from the side, air knocked out of his lungs as he impacts the ground. Gasping for air, Ashfur freezes as he feels claws at his throat, looking up at the ancestor pinning him. Thistleclaw remains for a while, a bit of worry arising in Ashfur, before at last the spirit gets off of him with a scoff.
„That's the best my kin has to offer? No surprise Thunderclan is a shadow of what it once was… laughable. Fighting only to injure the weak foxhearts of Shadowclan and the meager rabbitbrains of Windclan has left you weak."
As Thistleclaw shakes his head, Ashfur rolls back onto his belly, ears lowered at his ancestor's words. Slowly the Thunderclan warrior rises back to his paws, only to have Thistleclaw turn around and stare him down
„Where was the fire you had fighting the badgers? There was none of it in this fight! All you managed was to bump into me and you didn't even try to use the chance to follow that up properly."
Ashfur nods, thought at this mention his mind begins to work. The only move that remotely worked in this fight he copied from his battle with Talon… but Thistleclaw is right. He could have made more of it. He didn't need his eyes at that distance to know where the opponent was, he could have taken the offensive. The spiky furred spirit's growl pulls him from his contemplation
„Do not space out on me! You will train until your claws crack to make up for this weakness, Ashfur! I refuse to be outdone by my former apprentice. My descendant will prove stronger, I accept nothing less!"
His ears rising into a neutral position again, Ashfur tilts his head at Thistleclaw.
„Your former apprentice?"
The amber eyed spirit scoffs quietly, sitting down on his haunches
„You ask too many questions. I speak of Tigerstar. Who did you think was training Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost? He became one of the most fierce fighters the clans ever knew through my training."
Ashfur's neck fur stands up at the mention of the fallen traitor. The monster that murdered his mother, caused the death of his father… his ferocity was based on skills Ashfur's ancestor taught him? And Brambleclaw voluntarily trains under him. Ashfur's blue eyes narrow as quiet fury bubbles up in him. He still remembers the day Tiger- and Lionclan faced off, when Brambleclaw refused to join his father. Now he follows him after all. And Thistleclaw wishes for him to surpass Tigerstar's new apprentices. Good! Tigerstar betrayed Thunderclan and caused the death of his son, Ashfur's father. Thistleclaw has every reason to feel the need to prove his bloodline better than that traitorous monster's, at the very least! A desire Ashfur thoroughly shares. A brief glint of interest enters Thistleclaw's eyes as genuine anger and determination blaze in his kin's deep blue eyes, Ashfur looking up to him.
„… Let's go again, keep training. I will not lose to Brambleclaw."
Thistleclaw gives a brief nod, no further answer needed beyond the short-lived shadow of approval moving over his mottled face before he takes a combat stance, the mixture of seriousness and battle lust taking prevalence in Thistleclaw's expression again. Ashfur mirrors his ancestor's stance before leaping back into battle. As the sounds of combat sound through the gloomy woodland once more, ancestor and descendant locked in and focused on ferocious sparring, neither takes notice of the ice cold pair of eyes observing them for a while, before disappearing back into the shadows.
Slowly Ashfur opens his eyes, shifting with a little grunt as his eyes adjust. It takes a few heartbeats before he recognises the inside of the warriors den. He exhales quietly, looking around. Many of the nests are empty by now, most of the remaining warriors in the process of waking and getting up themselves. Ashfur sighs quietly and moves to get up, a sting of sudden pain surprising him enough to stay put. He looks over to his shoulder, observing the dried blood on a still fairly fresh looking claw mark. He hums quietly, a displeased expression forming on him. He figured out Brambleclaw is training because Brightheart noticed his injuries, he should have guessed from that alone already that wounds carry over from the Dark Forest. Still, he cannot help but feel a measure of annoyed surprise at this. By tonight it should be good enough to be ready for training with Talon, but it will remain an inconvenience all morning. Especially so if Lionpaw remains adamant about battle training. Perhaps he can convince the hotheaded apprentice to go train hunting today if he makes it seem like a competition. A small grin grows on the grey warrior. That might be the way to do it, make it seem like a contest. If he can team up with another mentor, they could hold a mock assessment together, see which apprentice manages to catch the most prey in a day. With the added difficulty of it being leafbare, it may just force Lionpaw to adopt some patience while he's at it. Maybe Whitewing. Cloudtail's kit, that basically makes her kin, and she's mentoring one of Ferncloud's kits to boot. With a quiet huff, he lifts himself out of the nest, ignoring his shoulder, as well as the numerous smaller scratches better hidden under his pelt, forcing himself out of the den. It would be nice, taking today a little calmer, around kin. At least until night falls. Talon said he'd be late, so Ashfur might even get some sleep in before going to the river. A quiet anticipation warms the grey pelted warrior, as he steps through camp towards the apprentice den.