one hundred moments || a challenge

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60. hello/goodbye
featuring;; owlmask
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There was an art to raising apprentices. Owlmask felt that she had mastered that art, and she had a long list of successful warriors to prove it. Her teachings were high quality, and though they put up something of a fight in the beginning, her students were always grateful. But that didn't mean it was easy.
Introductions were always complicated. Except for their age, no two apprentices were the same. Even siblings could be wildly different; Owlmask had once trained a pair of sisters who had wildly different opinions on which kind of patrol was the best. Getting to know an apprentice in the beginning was awkward, hard work. But Owlmask had a strategy that she liked to employ for this phase.
A trip around the entire MoorClan border was a hefty task for any cat. On the first day of her new mentorship, Owlmask took her new apprentice on this journey. She would gauge their character based on how they acted at different points of the journey. Did they start complaining at the halfway mark? Did they extend the journey by wandering off to explore? Did they celebrate once the trip was finally over? Owlmask based the rest of her training off of this test.
The actual training of an apprentice was rather standard. Owlmask gave basic courses on each of the things a warrior should know, then watched carefully to find the apprentice's strengths. She loved being surprised by her young charges. Having an apprentice that came from a family of good fighters show skill in fishing was fascinating to Owlmask. She tailored her training accordingly, and allowed her apprentices to grow into the warriors they were built to become.
Parting with her apprentice was the hardest part. Owlmask stood proudly at the front of the crowd as her apprentice graduated and became a warrior. Her congratulatory shouts were usually the loudest and most excited. She had nothing but pride for the new warrior she had created.
And then it was over. No more training sessions, no more tests of ability. Owlmask's warrior was on their own now.
Owlmask had no doubts that they would thrive.

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61. intricate
featuring;; belle
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She soared over the jump with well-practiced grace. Belle kept close count of her steps as she approached the final jump, then cleared it with ease. She slowed to a walk, flipping her mane as she glanced back over the practice course. She hadn't competed in years, so there was really no reason for the mare to keep coming back to the jumps. Something about the intricacy of it all just kept calling her to return.
Her joints were starting to feel the strain from years of hard work. Her eyes had some trouble seeing objects and horses at a distance. Her friends even had to repeat themselves sometimes in order for Belle to hear them. Her muzzle was greying, and her winter coat grew thinner with each passing year. Yet her feet never seemed to forget the show jumps that she had grown up with it.
Belle never stumbled, never mis-stepped. Even now, she never kicked any of the bars away from the jumps. Her form wasn't always perfect, and the mare often found herself coming away from these runs with some kind of new ache or pain. As she walked around to prepare for another go, she rolled her neck to work out the new cramp she had created. Belle stared down the course in front of her, aging eyes doing their best to focus.
She huffed, barreling towards the first jump.

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62. end game
featuring;; dawn and mullen
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Dawn needed help. If she was going to conquer this specific fear, then she knew that she wanted someone there with her. Dawn approached Mullen with uncharacteristic confidence. The smaller dog looked up at her, head slightly tilted. Dawn's voice shook as she spoke.
"Can you help me?" Dawn asked, meeting Mullen's eye.
Mullen, ever helpful, was quick to agree. He got up from his bed by the window and followed Dawn out of the house. It was only once the two dogs were out on the front porch that Mullen stopped and turned to Dawn.
"What do you need me to do?" Mullen asked, his deep brown eyes full of questions.
Dawn sighed in response. It was always embarrassing to explain her fears to others, even if they were supportive. She grew up incredibly sheltered and was kept almost exclusively inside the confines of a house. The outside world was a whole new experience for the shepherd. Even now that she had been with the Slate Mine pack for a few months, it still terrified her.
"There's a spider out in the yard," Dawn explain, shuddering as she pictured it. "I have to get past it in order to get the ball I want. But every time I get near it, I- I freeze up."
She watched Mullen's expression carefully, looking for any signs of judgement. But she found none. All she saw was understanding as Mullen nodded alone to her explanation. It seemed to make perfect sense to him. Dawn felt a small wave of relief. She continued, voice still wavering a little.
"Could you just stand between me and it?" she asked Mullen. "I really don't want it near me while I get the ball."
"Sure! That's easy enough," Mullen replied with a smile. "Lead the way."
The two dogs walked down from the porch and out into the adjoining yard. Dawn's fur bristled as they approached the place where the spider had set up its web. Mullen must have noticed, as he moved closer to Dawn's side. When he saw the spider, he made sure to keep himself between it and Dawn. Dawn was grateful as she retrieved the ball she wanted. But as she went to retreat, she stopped, turning to face the spider.
"You ok?" Mullen asked.
Dawn forced herself to nod.
"I need to become brave," she murmured to herself.
"That's your goal, huh?" Mullen asked, glancing between Dawn and the spider. "Why don't you come closer and take a look? Spiders aren't so bad."
That was indeed the end game for Dawn. She wanted nothing more than to become like a normal dog. It wasn't right that she was afraid of so many things, and the shepherd wanted to change that. Dawn took a few, tentative steps forward, clutching the ball tightly between her teeth. The spider was about the size of her paw, and the web it had created was more intricate than anything that Dawn had ever seen. For a moment she was able to look past the fear and could simply be fascinated by what she saw.
Then the spider moved, as if to look back at Dawn.
Dawn forgot about the ball and Mullen as she turned tail and fled back to the house. She ran right to the basement and into her crate, diving beneath the pile of blankets. Breathing heavily, she covered her face with her paws.

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63. shoot for the moon (even if you miss you'll probably float in space for a while)
featuring;; linus
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Linus peered through the fence at the agility course ahead of him. The Premier Agility Dog course at the Carolina Shepherds breed show never changed in its setup. The jumps and other obstacles remained in the same place and order. At this point, dog and course were basically old friends.
And yet, Linus still hadn't successfully passed the course.
He didn't quite understand where he was going wrong. Linus knew how to cut his corners to save time on the second and third jumps. He'd perfected the angle to enter the weave poles. He just couldn't seem to get his time fast enough to pass the course. He was just a few seconds too slow. It was close enough that Linus felt he had to keep trying, but improved so slowly that the poor shepherd had already competed on this course twelve times. He just wanted to move forward!
There was a small silver lining to this whole debacle, though. Linus was considered a veteran of the course, so new competitors would come to him asking for advice. Linus was happy to help them, even though he knew it would lead to a more competitive scene for him. If he was going to keep failing, he might as well make the most of it.
Sharing his tips made agility more fun for him.

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64. a lifetime
featuring;; rex and onyx
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Rex found refuge from the heat of the day in the shade of a cave. His little bird companion, Onyx, slept between the saber's front paws. A long morning of hunting for the pack had exhausted the pair. They had plenty of success to show for their efforts, however; a pair of deer carcasses lay further inside the cave.
Rex sighed with content, glancing down at the sleeping Onyx. Where would he be without the little bird? She could scout out prey more effectively than Rex ever could. Onyx would run ahead through the brush, undetected by most large prey animals due to her small size and nonthreatening nature. Then she'd lead Rex right back to the herd without them knowing that the saber was nearby. Rex's success rate had improved significantly since Onyx had joined him. The two of them were unstoppable.
Still, it was always at the back of Rex's mind that he wouldn't have Onyx forever. The lifespan of a bird was undoubtedly smaller than that of a saber. Onyx had no way to tell him how old she already was or how long she expected to be here. Rex could only wonder, and hope that he'd have many more seasons with his friend.
Rex rested his head on his paws, careful not to squish the still-sleeping Onyx. Soon they would have to bring their kills back to the pack. Rex would forget his worries, and would tell his pack mates the story of their latest hunt. Onyx would chirp and chatter alongside him, telling the story in her own way.
Rex focused on enjoying those moments with her.

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65. what do i do?
featuring;; venidiumpaw and smolderpaw
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Venidiumpaw woke up to the sound of shuffling. She opened her eyes just enough to see Smolderpaw thrashing around in her nest. It looked almost as though the smaller cat was fighting, and Venidiumpaw frowned. This must be what the other apprentices had been complaining about.
She sat up in her nest, stretching before placing a paw on top of Smolderpaw's head. To her relief, the cat immediately calmed under her touch. Just a nightmare, she was sure of it. She settled back down into her own nest, stifling a yawn. Smolderpaw had been kicked out of the apprentice den due to these sleeping issues. This had further damaged the already tense relationship she had with her cohort. Venidiumpaw had suggested she stay in the medicine cat den until the issue was resolved, and Smolderpaw had reluctantly accepted. This was the first time that Venidiumpaw had seen the problem with her own eyes.
She closed her eyes once more, settling back into sleep. This would pass.
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This marked the fourth night that Venidiumpaw had been awakened by Smolderpaw yowling in her sleep. Venidiumpaw wanted to pull her fur out. She'd lost so much sleep that she had confused coltsfoot and dandelion in her last training session, a mistake she'd never made before. But she couldn't just kick Smolderpaw out. The apprentice needed somewhere to sleep.
Venidiumpaw eventually convinced her friend that she needed something to help her sleep. After discussing it with Heronfeather, a poultice of thyme leaves and poppy seeds was decided upon. Smolderpaw was reluctant at first, but eventually relented when Venidiumpaw pointed out that she'd have to sleep outside if she didn't take the herbs. They settled into their nests, but Venidiumpaw found that she couldn't settle into sleep. She watched as Smolderpaw fell into a deeper sleep than usual, body seeming more relaxed.
The light of the moon lit up the inside of the den enough to make Smolderpaw's fur shine. By this point in the night, the apprentice was usually grunting and fighting in her sleep. Not this night, though. Tonight, the cat lay still.
Venidiumpaw sighed in relief, heavy eyes beginning to close. Everything was finally quiet.
Then Smolderpaw suddenly flinched, and Vendiumpaw was once again jolted awake.
She watched in horror as a small wound traced its way across Smolderpaw's shoulder. Fresh blood was highlighted by the moonlight.
Oh, stars!

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66. beings
featuring;; tape and orion
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Rustling leaves gave away the Beardog's position on the wooded trail. Normally, he would do his best to be stealthy. But in recent days his injuries had only worsened, and all he could think about for the moment was finding somewhere to hide. He stumbled through the undergrowth, unaware of the sheer drop on the other side of the bushes.
He lost consciousness before he hit the ground.
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He was being carried. Two bodies moved beneath him, supporting his weight as they took him to some unknown destination. He attempted to lift his head, but the exhaustion wouldn't allow it. Shortly after, he was gently deposited onto some soft grass. Voices surrounded him, concerned and intrigued. The beardog listened as best he could in this half-conscious state. They discussed his state, who he was...what he might be called? That struck the beardog as odd. His kind didn't usually use names for each other.
He didn't dwell on the thought for too long. His body and mind were exhausted, and it wasn't long before he fell asleep.
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When he awoke again, he was surprised at how much better he felt. He could actually open his eyes this time. He found that he was covered in poultices and loosely wrapped bandages. It wasn't great, but it did the job. He pushed himself up to his feet and stepped out of the den he'd been laid in.
"Oh hey; he's up!" someone called out. "Go get the doctor."
He was looked over again while the other beardogs stared. It was rather embarrassing, especially when one beardog pushed through the crowd and walked right up to him. The beardog braced himself, ready for a fight.
"Glad to see you're ok," the other beardog said with a smile. "I'm Orion. And you?"
The beardog watched Orion carefully.
"I'm just me," he replied. "No need for silly identifiers."
To his surprise, Orion chuckled.
"Well we have to call you something," Orion pointed out. "I can only say 'hey, you' so many times before it becomes disrespectful."
"You're acting like I'm going to stick around," the beardog shot back, narrowing his eyes. He'd much rather be back out in the wilderness by himself.
Orion raised an eyebrow.
"I don't think you're getting very far in that state," he pointed out. "The good doctor here spent quite a lot of the night trying to keep you alive. It'd be a shame to waste all that effort."
That almost sounded like a threat. The beardog raised his hackles, only to be overcome by a hacking fit of coughing. He struggled to keep his balance, but raised his head to meet Orion's eye.
"Fine. Have it your way."
They gave him the name "Tape". Over time, he came to tolerate it.