A dark ginger tom pushed his way out of the reeds marking the edge of the RiverClan camp, his long tail lashing to knock the clinging thorns and needles from it. The long, bushy fur of his tail seemed to catch up on everything. Growling with annoyance, he almost cursed aloud as he felt a throbbing pain in the very tip of his tail before remembering that his apprentice was with them. Without think he curled his tail up by his chest and pulled the thorn from it. It stung, but didn't bleed and knew it had only scratched his skin. He flicked his tail back out behind him, padded a fair distance from the entrance of the camp, before he turned to face his apprentice. For a heartbeat he remembered his own kits and wondered if they had become warriors yet. Brightsoul had told him that they had trained into fine young apprentices. Pride warmed his heart and he blinked to clear the thoughts. Gazing at Ragepaw he meowed, "I'm going to teach you some of the moves needed to fight. Are you ready? ThunderClan are making it clear they're pushing past the border again," he lashed his tail angrily.

Blinking down at his apprentice he liked the enthusiasm he saw in his gaze. "Okay then," he purred, padding to one side of the clearing and turning to face the tom. "Attack me," he stated simply. His tail flicked back and forth. "Try and knock me over. Keep your claws sheathed; we don't want this to get bloody. And nobody is supposed to get hurt in battle training," he added. He had noticed the cold sarcasm his apprentice had, and knew he was going to have to be very careful in what he said and did when training his apprentice. He hoped a bit of good battle training, which helped soothe those angry feelings, would help in his favor.

Foxtail steadied himself, waiting for the attack, his eyes fixed on Ragepaw's. When the apprentice darted forward, he prepared for a swipe or a blow, now a crash. As the tom's head rammed into his side, he staggered, startled when a paw knocked his front paws beneath him. He tumbled over in the dirt, both surprised and excited at the same time. Shaking the dust from his coat, he sprang to his paws and flicked his tail. "Impressive," he commented. "I can see you'll make a great fighter. Let's see how you can defend yourself," he narrowed his eyes, prepared a blow. With his eyes aiming for Ragepaw's legs, he ran forward, one paw aiming to swipe the cat's legs beneath him. At the last moment he kicked off the ground, springing through the air and spinning around to land on his apprentice's back. Instinctively he nearly unsheathed his claws before he reminded himself that it was training and kept them in his paws. His fluffy tail flicked in midair as the air whirled around him.

Foxtail blinked and stepped back as his apprentice began to yowl angrily. The tip of his tail slowly began to twitch and he stifled the growl he felt rising in his throat. Mouse-brain! he thought. Thrashing his tail, setting the reeds behind him rustling he stepped forward with a forceful hiss. "Do you think your enemies are going to warn you when they attack? they're not just going to stand there, telling you when they'll strike. You have to be ready at all times. Always expect an attack; it can come at any time. Learn it and remember it, because in the future, every warrior must be ready," he narrowed his eyes into a glare as he stared down at his apprentice. Sighing inwardly, he took a deep breath to keep himself calm before turning away and padded to the other side of the clearing. Maybe it would be best if he taught his apprentice some basic moves? "Copy this," he growled coolly. Taking one forepaw, he unleashed the claws, then swiped them rapidly down the face of an imaginary enemy, before rolling around and pummeling at the fake tom's belly with his hind claws. When finished, he leaped to his feet, and flicked his tail towards Ragepaw.

Foxtail almost snarled at his apprentice, anger making the fur along his spine bristle and his claws unleash into the earth. He thrashed his tail furiously back and forth, struggling to contain his temper. His kits had more sense than this piece of fox-dung! Glaring at Ragepaw's tail as his apprentice disappeared into the bushes, he stalked forward, fury pulsing through him. Without bothering to control his temper he hissed, venom stinging his words, "You mouse-brained idiot! if you think you're so great then you can just run off to ShadowClan and try fighting them! do what you like, you're worthless to train!" stinging with fury, he felt no regret in his words as he turned and pelted away into the reeds, ignoring the thorns that scratched his skin and fur. Anger throbbed him as he skidded, panting, to a halt by the WindClan border. Gazing over the moorland, he felt tired sorrow and confusion. How was Brightsoul? were his kits alright? he wished he could see them. He hadn't set an eye on them, never seen them. He felt a pang of sadness that he had never seen his own kits, yet they were almost warriors. He stared up at the sky, wishing he had them for his apprentice instead of a piece of fox-dung like Ragepaw. He tried to gather anger again, but nothing came. Yet he did not regret the words he spoke.