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The cream colored tom woke up in the warriors den and he got up. She stretched before he walked out of the den and over to the apprentice den. "Bravepaw" He hissed as he prodded his apprentice with a paw. "Its time to start your training." He hissed again. He was trying to not wake up the other apprentices that were in the den. He was not their mentor, so he did not need them woken up.

Once he was sure that Bravepaw was awake, the tom walked out and walked over to the entrance to the camp. He waited for Bravepaw there. He sat down and licked his front paw before he ran it over his face. When Bravepaw did show up, he looked at the young tom. "Today's lesson will be learning the borders, and where our lands lay." He stood up then and waited for the young apprentice to ask any questions that he may have.

[Phoenix]

Ever since his apprentice ceremony yesterday, Braveki - Bravepaw, he reminded himself with a jolt of glee - had been in a constant state of happiness. He felt as though nothing, barring perhap's Swanfeather's death, could ruin his mood and bring him back down to the ground. Not even the paw to the side and the accompanying that woke him rather rudely from a pleasant sleep. Blinking, he raised his head and looked around in drowsy confusion before blue eyes lit upon Duckflight, and the events of the previous day came crashing around him once more.

Training! The change from one moment to the next was just short of amazing. Leaping to his paws and practically quivering with returning excitement, Bravepaw could not understand how he could have forgotten about training. All of the sleepiness had left him in an instant and eagerly exited the den, muttering apologies to the other grumbling apprentices. But the remorse did not travel far inside of him; he was far to excited at the prospect of his first day of training and everything that he would be able to learn. When he reached the entrance to camp and stood beside Duckflight, a whole new wave of glee washed over him.

"Okay!" Nodding so enthusiastically that one might have worried whether his head would stay attatched to his shoulders, Bravepaw knew that he would have agreed to any lesson plan. Anything was fine with him, for he was confident that he would learn everything in the end; after all, he could only improve from the current state of complete ignorance that he was in right now. "We border NightClan and StoneClan, right?" He thought that he remembered Swanfeather mentioning something a while back. "Do you think we'll meet a cat from a different clan?"

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Duckflight looked at Bravepaw when the tom came out of the den and he lets out a small purr of amusement. He was glad that he got a happy and eager apprentice. He just hoped that the little tom would remember to listen to everything that he was to tell him. Duckflight looked around the camp and he nods to himself before he catches Bravepaws questions. He purrs once more at the nodding of Bravepaws head and he gently places a paw on his head. "If you do not relax, that may not stay attached." He joked lightly.

He nods himself then. "Yes, we border NightClan and StoneClan." He started out of the camp then and he looks down at Bravepaw. "Let us hope we do not meet another cat. Unless it is a Medicine Cat, we have no guaranteed nice side coming from the cats." Especially from NightClan. StoneClan might just leave them alone, but NightClan will probably try to start a fight with them.

He turns to the left and starts on the NightClan borders. "Smell the air, what clan borders this side of us?" He asked Bravepaw. The little tom would know this easily, hopefully. NightClan had a distinct smell that was horrible to him. He also wanted to make sure that no other clan cats were making their way onto RainClan territory. If they were, then Bravepaw would have to run to Sandstar and tell him.

Duckflight would be behind him, but he would also be looking to see if the scents were fresh enough to show that a cat is still on the lands.

[Phoenix]

A sheepish look crossed over his features as he felt a large paw placed on the top of his head, halting any further nodding. Flushing, he shrugged with a slight raising of his shoulders, tail tip flicking, and a muttered apology slipped from his lips. However, Duckflight did not sound particularly annoyed when he spoke a moment later, much to Bravepaw's relief; in fact, the warrior seemed more amused at his enthusiasm than anything. "I'll keep that in mind," He added after a moment, half-way through another nod before he stopped himself. Another sheepish grin was shot in Duckflight's general direction, accompanied by a quiet snort of amusement.

Any lingering embarassment disappeared with the thrill that followed the warrior's confirmation of his information. A fully fledged smile broke out over his lips, and his eyes brightened. It was always rewarding to hear that he was correct, even with the simplest, most well-known facts. Eagerly, he followed Duckflight as his mentor strode from camp, covering the same ground with smaller, more rapid strides. The inconvenience of having shorter, kit-sized legs, however, was lost on Bravepaw, who was far more distracted by the fact that he was actually leaving camp! Wide blue eyes stared at his surroundings with awe, seeing the world in a whole new light, and his paws walked the well-worn path that so many great warriors before him. Despite his newfound fascination, Bravepaw still heard his mentor's warning and turned to give him an odd look. "Why?" He asked before elaborating, "Why would they not be nice, I mean. We've done nothing bad to them, right?" In his innocence, he could not comprehend the animosity that clan rivalries formed; his world so far had existed around judging a cat based on his interactions with them, not on pre-made opinions that would be hard to change.

He followed his mentor obediently, and had Duckflight not mentioned a border, Bravepaw was not sure that he would have even known of its existence. The land continued on, an unbroken forest of pine trees, and he could not find any visible indication that part of it belonged to the neighboring clan. Once the warrior mentioned it, however, he became aware of a distinct scent difference. Or rather, he connected the change with a different clan. He had thought that the rather unappealing smell was a product of the marshy area itself, but perhaps it was due to a well-marked border? But which one? What did he know about StoneClan and NightClan? Judging by its name, StoneClan presumably lived in a rocky territory, and the rows of pine trees that spread out before him did not look as though they housed many stones. NightClan sounded like the name of a group of sinister cats who lurked in the shadows of these tall trees, covered in the scent of pine and marshland.

Crinkling his nose, Bravepaw imagined forest full of large black warriors with glittering, beady eyes and shivered. He turned away, blue eyes finding Duckflight. "Is it NightClan?" He answered, his reply resembling more of a question than a statement.

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Duckflight shook his head gently at the young tom. He was happy for the enthusiasm to learn, but if it got in the way of training, he would go stern on the young one. He does not want to do that, but he will if it turns out to be necessary. He saw another quick nod and he saw the grin before he set off and he purrs with slight amusement. He will prove to be a fun learning experience even for me. The warrior thought.

He heard the questions following his warning then and she sighs lightly. "The clans hold close to the code. But NightClan seems to be the easiest clan to upset. I would rather us be able to get out with no scratches than anything." He stopped and looked at Bravepaw and he nudged him lightly. "Besides, protecting our land is our greatest feat. Lets make sure we can still do that alright." He purred lightly before he started off again. Duckflight was with his first apprentice now, and he did not mind it. It was proving to be a learning experience for them both.

He slowed his step so he was walking beside Bravepaw then. He noticed how the young tom started to try and figure out which scent was witch and he smirked a little at that. He waited and continued to walk. He nodded lightly though when Bravepaw did answer. "That is correct." He mewed happily to his apprentice.


OOC; sorry it was so late. I was wondering what you thought about the idea of me bringing in Blackeagle so he can meet a medicine cat other than their own?

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[Phoenix]

Unbidden, a shiver traveled down his spine at Duckflight's words. Trying to swallow the sudden axiety that crept up on him, the apprentice turned wide eyes back toward his mentor. NightClan sounded rather short-tempered, and he wasn't oblivious to the way Swanfeather stiffened whenever that particular clan was mentioned. It had taken him a while to pick up on it, particularly since that topic was usually one cats avoided, but once he had noticed it, he could no longer ignore the discomfort. If the clan caused Swanfeather, of all cats, trouble, then he did not want to get on the wrong side of them. Their medicine cat and his surrogate mother was a tough she-cat, and Bravepaw had no doubt that she could handle and defeat almost anything. Duckflight, her brother - and his surrogate uncle? - was surely just as strong. Looking up at the tom, he felt a sudden sense of security. The warrior looked as though he would have no trouble defending their territory from NightClan, and right then and there, Bravepaw vowed that he wanted to become a warrior like that. He wanted to learn how to protect their land from invaders and train apprentices and hunt.

A wide grin broke out across his face at the confirmation of his guess. "Yes!" He shouted, though he tried to keep his excitement under wraps. Though is sounded almost like a hiss, the end result was still louder than he had intended it to be, and instantly, he cut himself off, tail wrapping around to cover his mouth. Blue eyes flicked to their corners, peering back into the shadows of NightClan's territory. He didn't see any sign of a cat, but it wasn't as though he was particularly skilled in that area yet. Lifting his shoulders in a slight shrug, he let out a soft, nervous laugh. Slowly lowering his tail, the tom turned his gaze back to Duckflight, expression sheepish. "Maybe we should go?" He suggested, inching away from the border and deeper into RainClan territory.

OOC: That sounds good. He'd definitely like that

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Duckflgiht

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He watched Bravepaw as he thought of many things in his mind. Duckflgiht did not mind this either. He let him think as long as he needed, and while Bravepaw was thinking, Duckflight was remarking the borders near them. He wanted to be sure that they stayed strong. The tom looked at Bravepaw at his sudden outburst and he purred lightly.

He walked back over to the apprentice to hear him ask if they should leave. Duckflight nodded gently then and started toward the StoneClan borders. "Yes, but lets walk the StoneClan borders as well, to get you used to them." He looked behind at Bravepaw and he flicks his tail lightly. He is willing to learn and teach. He will be a good warrior. Duckflight's thoughts trailed as he caught a StoneClan cat scent close to the border.

He walked over and he flicked his tail and stopped short of a hiss. "Hello Blackeagle, I trust StoneClan is well?" He asked the StoneClan Medicine Cat then. He knew that the Medicine Cats were allowed to pass if it was important to talk to other Medicine Cats, but he figured that the tom was probably herb hunting.

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Blackeagle

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The black tom was out herb hunting along the border with RiverClan. He has not had issues with them yet on his traveling along the border looking, so he kept with it. He was in his own world carrying a leaf bundle of herbs when he was spooked by Duckflight. He flicked his tail in slight irritation before he put down the bundle.

"Hello Blackeagle, I trust StoneClan is well?"

The formal question came to his ears then and he nodded his dome."We are well, and I trust that RiverClan is doing well too?" He then looked over to the young apprentice with Duckflight and he nods to him. "Hello little one, I am Blackeagle, Medicine Cat of StoneClan" He turned back to Duckflight then. "Your first apprentice Duckflight?" He asked the tom.

He then looked at the apprentice and figured that he must be confused. "I know your Medicine Cat as well, and her family."[/b] He mewed to Bravepaw.
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[Phoenix]

Bravepaw flicked his tail, a wide grin spreading across his face. He wanted to see just how stony StoneClan actually was. Surely a whole territory couldn't consist of just rocks. Blue eyes glanced around as he tried to picture the surrounding area both the dull, gray color that most rocks seemed to have. Though he barely remembered how they looked before leaf-bare had taken hold, the thought that all of the lush greens and the sparkling blue rivers that made up RainClan's territory would be replaced with rocks saddened him. No cat in their right mind would want to live where the only thing they could see were rocks. Something like pity blossomed in his chest as he padded along side Duckflight. If StoneClan land really was that rocky, then all of the StoneClan cats did not know what they were missing. It was a saddening thought. He was lucky that Swanfeather had found him.

As they neared the border, which was a frozen stream on a rocky shore, the scent of StoneClan suddenly became overwhelming. Bravepaw looked up, wondering why the foreign scent was so much stronger than NightClan's had been. Duckflight's words caught his attention, and ears flicking forward, he turned to follow the older tom's gaze. His heart leapt. There was a StoneClan cat! All of the questions he wanted to ask and the cool introductions he wanted to make caught in his throat, clogging his airway so that none of them could escape. Infinitely more composed than his apprentice, Duckflight strode forward and addressed the StoneClan tom. Blackeagle? That name was familiar, though he could not figure out why. Swanfeather had definitely mentioned it before. Finally regaining the semblence of control, Bravepaw managed to force a half-croak sound out of his open jaws. "Who--"

But Blackeagle answered the question before the quiet words had even finished rolling off his tongue. He was the medicine cat of StoneClan. That's why I've heard of him! Once again, the ability to speak left him completely as Blackeagle continued. Bravepaw swallowed multiple times, eyes wide and alight with a mixture of naive curiousity and innocent eagerness. "You-You know Swanfeather?" He asked finally, clearing his throat before repeating the question with a stronger voice, "You know Swanfeather? That's cool! I've heard of you a little bit but not much. Umm... Do you mind if I ask you something?" His voice trailed off as blue eyes left the StoneClan tom, instead shifting to the landscape behind him. It provided no answers, for it was just as snowy as RainClan's. "Is your territory all-- Just how rocky is your territory? Is it really full of stones?"