Open ShadowClan this could be an all nighter [open/training]

[WOLFPACK]

AND I AM SORRY MY CONSCIENCE CALLED IN SICK AGAIN

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A fine layer of mist clung to the marsh that morning, turning everything silver and dull beneath the early morning sky. The sun had only barely set it's hold upon the swamp, but Wolfpack and the rest of Shadowclan were already moving.

His paws were soaked from the trek through the soggy undergrowth, muck clinging stubbornly between his toes in a way that would have made him cringe if he were more sensitive to touch.The dew droplets clinging to his lower body wouldn't have helped, nor the muddy streaks adorning his pelt. Cleanliness was a difficult thing to maintain in Shadowclan, especially when you were doing anything that required you to move.

He was so used to it by now though that he didn't even bother with shaking out his coat or trying to groom it away, knowing it'd be useless when he was still out here in the middle of things.

With his group of warriors in tow, Wolfpack padded into the clearing– if it could even be called that. The marsh opened up here in a rare circle of bare-bellied earth, where peaty, grit-flecked soil gave way under paw with each step. In certain parts it gave way to murky puddles of grimy water. In others, it became deceptively firm.

A minefield of uneven footing and unpredictable terrain, where one minute you could be dashing across solid ground and then be up to your knees in mud. Messy. Treacherous. And *theirs*.

The air was thick with the scent of petirchor and cedar, a smell so embedded in his senses he could almost taste it permanently on his tongue, and he was only hald surprised when the soft pitter patter of rain began to fall around them.

Good.

Let them fight cold. Let them fight wet. Let them fight tires and raw and with mud in their teeth. It would make them all the more ready when the time came for the real thing.

The mottled tomcat lept up to balance on a half-sunken log before turning to address the cats who'd followed him out here, mismatched eyes regarding them for just a beat before he was speaking.

"I'm not here to give you a lesson on posture or to tell you how to land on your feet. If you need that kind of help, I'd suggest asking for a mentor and bunking with the apprentices for a while." he called, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

"I'm here because you all need to know how to win if any of our new neighbours think they can push scentlines or cause trouble in our marshes. Most of us aren't used to fighting on terrain like this-- but that'll change." he finished, voice low but sharp enough to cut through the damp air.

Wolfpack let the silence settle after his last remark, letting the words settle like fog over the clearing they were in. He stood tall atop the moss-slick log, droplets of rain beading along his thick, scar-laced coat, his tail curling slowly behind him like a waiting whip before continuing.

"This isn't a traditional spar- there's no teams. Only one cat wins at the end, so if you decide to build alliances on the fly, don't expect them to last." explained the chimera, "If you leave or are pushed out of the clearing it counts as a loss. No shedding blood, if you can help, or inflicting serious injuries-- but just about everything else is fair game."

Bruises. Exhaustion. Temporary team-ups. Underhandedness. Whatever got them the win.

Whatever helped them learn the territory and what to expect from it. Or the techniques of an enemy cat.

With that, he dropped down from the log, his paws landing in the soft earth with a muted thud, mismatched eyes shifting between the faces standing before him and choosing to ignore any complaints he may have heard. Those who wanted to half-ass it or back out could do so-- it'd be thier funeral when shit hit the fan, because Wolfpack wouldn't be wasting his time trying to save someone who refused to train alongside their clanmates-- not unless they had a damn good reason, or were useful enough in some other way to warrant an exception-- like Cicadabuzz.

Though truthfully, Wolfpack would have had the cat enduring private lessons with him if he were given his way. A cat that valuable should have every defence available to them.

"Begin!" he called, lunging for the closest cat without warning.

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OOC NOTES . ◭ . CHARACTER INFO

• ooc : — open to warriors! just a free-for-all training sessions for the grown-ups! Apprentices can watch! (If you're character gets pushed out of the clearing or yields, they lose and go sit on the sidelines to watch :)​
• shadowclan deputy - male - a large, monochrome chimera with mismatched eyes and several scars