The mossy clearing

The Mossy Clearing or The Mossy Hollow is a place in ThunderClan territory where mentors go to train their apprentices in a variety of skills. It fulfills the same role as the Sandy Hollow back in the old forest, as the Sandy Hollow was used for training, just like the mossy clearing.

Description

The Mossy Clearing is a sheltered clearing that is not far from ThunderClan's camp in the Lake Territories. At the clearing's edge is a sapling and the ground is flat and mossy, and so a good place for training young cats. The ground in the clearing is smooth; no roots to trip over and no fallen leaves to slip on, so it is a great place to practice battle skills, hunting ways or stalking techniques.

Uses

The Mossy Clearing is a place where mentors take their apprentices to teach them battle skill and hunting techniques. It is a great place to practice stalking, and because of the soft ground, an ideal place for battle training, and ThunderClan cats come to the mossy clearing for mock battles. It is also used to teach cats who join ThunderClan.

Book Appearances

In the New Prophecy Arc

Twilight

As Leafpool arrives with borage leaves back to the ThunderClan camp, she is distracted by pale fur from the other side of a bracken clump, so she crosses the bracken to end up in the Mossy Clearing, where Cloudtail is training Daisy, a loner that has joined ThunderClan with her three kits, Mousekit, Berrykit, and Hazelkit. The training session turns hopeless as Daisy struggles to adjust to the fighting techniques and life of a warrior. Leafpool then waves her tail in greeting as she passes the two cats and leaves the clearing.

In the Power of Three Arc

The Sight

Poppypaw mentions the Mossy Clearing as she and Hazelpaw encounter an apprentice of their Clan, Jaypaw, as he and his mentor, Brightheart, are exploring ThunderClan territory. The two she-cats tell the cats about their day - starting with Hazelpaw asking them if they had a fun day, and telling them about the border patrol they just went on. Poppypaw tells Jaypaw that they are going to start battle training in the Mossy Clearing, to which Poppypaw suggests that Jaypaw comes with them, but he is turned down.

The medicine cats of ThunderClan, Leafpool and Hollypaw, come to the Mossy Clearing for combat training - as medicine cats must learn how to defend themselves and their Clanmates as well as learning healing herbs and connecting with StarClan. They run into Cloudtail and Cinderpaw, but the two apprentices do not participate in a mock battle until Leafpool successfully teaches Hollypaw several moves, to Hollypaw's pride, getting them right at all times. Then, Cinderpaw and Hollypaw participate in a mock battle - to which Hollypaw wins. Then, Hollypaw is mentioned to be sorry to leave the Mossy Clearing - as her body feels bruised and tired.

Outcast

Thornclaw announces to Cinderpaw, Hollypaw, and Lionblaze that he and Cloudtail are taking out their apprentices to the mossy clearing for some advanced battle training - and that Lionpaw and Hollypaw can watch. They go to the hollow, and Hollypaw sits in a sunny spot with her mentor, Brackenfur, and Lionpaw and Ashfur sit a couple of tail-lengths away. Cinderpaw and Cloudtail practice a battle move in the clearing, and Lionpaw asks his mentor if he can try, adding in that he can do it. When Ashfur hesitantly agrees, Lionpaw performs the battle move beautifully - and asks Ashfur if he will be a little tougher on him. When Ashfur questions him, they get into a full on fight, not the normal mock fight between an apprentice and mentor - but a fight with claws unsheathed and teeth bared and rage blazing in both of their eyes. The fight is broken apart, and Lionpaw is praised for fighting like a warrior, and the mentor and apprentice leave for camp.

Sunrise

Leafpool takes Jayfeather to the Mossy Clearing to practice battle moves - much to Jayfeather's annoyance, as he believes it will waste time when he and Leafpool must look for herbs. Jayfeather mentions that he hates learning to fight - as he knows he would never be any good at it. Leafpool demonstrates battle moves, and has Jayfeather copy them, but he fails, to Leafpool's disappointment. She accuses him of being a poor fighter because his siblings, Hollyleaf and Lionblaze, aren't there to protect him, but even when Jayfeather denies it, Leafpool believes that it is the truth. Jayfeather is left thinking about if Leafpool knew that her sister lied about him and his siblings being her kits, in the Mossy Clearing.

See Also

• Sandy Hollow
• Mentor
• Apprentice