[Deleted]

Littleflower dozed lazily by The Ancient Stump, her blue eyes half open, blinking in the warm sunshine.
Life was good. She had hunted earlier that morning and her belly was full, so all she wanted to do now was sleep.
But she knew that life was never easy in the clans. Yawning she got to her paws, there must be something to do, someone who needed her.
Her eyes searched the camp, though her senses were still pretty much asleep. She stretched her weary legs and glanced up at the sky.
The sun was high, so there was still a long time until the clan would be settling for the night.
Sitting on her haunches, she smoothed back her ruffled silver pelt until no-one would be able to guess she had been dozing.
Shaking the last drop of tiredness out of her, she did a final stretch, letting the warm sunlight soak into her pelt, filling her with energy. She smiled and glanced around camp.
Now, for something to do, she thought to herself.

[Fawn]

[style=font-family:Almendra SC; font-size:54px;]Lionstep

So that's Leafscar who's agreed to help, and while he's made no promises, he seems to think that Littlepaw will be up for it. The only question now is, will Dawnpaw be up for it? Thinking back to his traumatized apprentice, Lionstep felt the mouse he was devouring lose flavor, the meat suddenly a lot less savory, his heart panging with remorse. It had been a while since he'd messed up so severely, and never before had he messed up someone else, let alone one of his apprentices. Dawnpaw was only the golden deputy's second apprentice, but he had foolishly thought that since he'd dealt with Redbird, he could deal with just about anyone without much difficulty.
Oh how wrong he was.

It wasn't even his apprentice that was the root of Lionstep's regret. It was Bloodtalon's. With a heavy feeling creeping into the golden warrior's heart, the TreeClan deputy was quick to distract himself, his oversized paws padding thickly across camp to organize a patrol. Let's see... Sweeping a gleaming amber gaze around the camp, Lionstep spotted Littleflower stretching leisurely out in the sunlight. He bit back a smile; If only all of us could be so care free.
"Littleflower!" mewed the deputy, feeling the sun warm the fur between his shoulderblades, the brawny warrior resisting the urge to stretch out too. "You and I are going on patrol," Lionstep gave a flick of his tail, indicating that she should stand and follow him out of the TreeClan camp. He'd seen her leave to go hunting earlier, so he didn't bother asking if she'd eaten already.

[Deleted]

Littleflower smiled when she noticed the TreeClan deputy padding towards her. She dipped her head in respect, listening to what Lionstep had to say,"A patrol?" she tilted her head to one side, "Sure."
She shook the final grain of tiredness out of her body, then followed him out of TreeClan's camp.
She breathed in the fresh forest air and all at once her senses became alert once more.
She could smell prey nearby, but resisted the urge to track it and make a kill. She had eaten already, and besides, she was meant to be patrolling, not hunting.
She blocked out the scent of mice and instead focused on scenting the other clans.
The faint scent of LightningClan hit her, but that was normal. They shared a border, so you could always smell their foul scent if you were out in TreeClan's territory.

[Phoenix]

Paws nimbly carried Littlepaw back to camp at a speed that would make one think that there was an emergency. Well there was one, of sorts, but perhaps not kind that one would expect. And definitely not one as grave. The small tabby shape barely slowed dodged around trees and threw herself past bushes. She was late to their training session, her's and Leafscar's, with no real reason. Littlepaw had gone out to get some water, and while the stream was not far from camp, she had become captivated by the sight of the water flowing over rocks and consequently lost track of time. Hopefully Leafscar wouldn't be mad.

Littlepaw rounded a tree and barely recognized the impressive form of Lionstep and another warrior before she shut her eyes. She was going to hit them. She couldn't stop. She was going to run into the deputy of TreeClan, of all cats. Her momentum pulled her forward while her paws scrambled, trying to stop. Please, StarClan, what did I do to you?

OOC: Mind if I join?

[Deleted]

OOC - Sure.

Littleflower looked up to see an apprentice, charging towards them. She quickly jumped out of the way and forced her gaze away from the apprentice, to Lionstep.
The young she-cat was going to crash into TreeClan's deputy and there was nothing she could do. Littleflower was completely frozen to the spot, all she could do was yowl a warning, "Look out!"

[Fawn]

[style=font-family:Almendra SC; font-size:54px;]Lionstep

Lionstep smelled her before he saw her. Turning to look over his shoulder Treeflower's yowl of warning still sounded in his ears as, the smallest apprentice, aptly named Littlepaw, smashed right into his flank like an enraged squirrel.
"Are you alright?" mewed the sizable deputy, his weight having stood up to the force of Littlepaw's body colliding with his. He knew that her crashing into him would've done more damage to the little she-cat than to himself. "You seem in quite a hurry, is everything okay?" His amiable tone turned upward in a note of concern, the smooth low pitch of his voice resonant enough that Littlepaw should've heard him, especially since she was in such close proximity.

Lionstep glanced back at Littleflower, not wanting to hold the other she-cat up. "We'll check the scent markings in a moment - you can hunt that mouse I heard scuttling around earlier, the Clan needs the fresh kill." He wasn't dismissing the she-cat, not at all, he was only checking on Littlepaw before they continued on their way, and he didn't want Littleflower forced to stand around doing nothing because he was taking his time.

OOC: :] Nope, don't mind at all!

[Phoenix]

Apparently StarClan was not feeling very generous, as Littlepaw ran head-first into the larger deputy and literally bounced off again. Blinking, the apprentice found herself on the ground. Her nose was considerably more sore than it had been before the collision, and her side was not thanking her for landing on it awkwardly. Black spots danced in front of her eyes for a moment. Littlepaw shook her head to clear her vision and found herself looking up into Lionstep's concerned expression.

Mortified, she quickly glanced away, wishing that she could just sink into the ground. She had crashed into the deputy! The deputy! And just now, she realized how foolish she must look, splayed out on the ground with a startled expression on her face. Littlepaw's face grew hot as she clambered to her paws. "Yeah," She meowed finally in a very small voice, forcing herself to speak and still not meeting Lionstep's gaze. "I'm fine..." The apprentice paused, then added, "Sorry about that... crashing into you, I mean. I didn't see you there." Green eyes flicked up to his before turning away again, finding the other warrior. Littlepaw hadn't run into her. She could look at the she-cat without wanting to hide under a rock and never come out again.

Lionstep asked another question, and the apprentice's eyes widened. "It's nothing important," She hastened to reassure him, not wanting to him to think that something was horribly wrong when this whole mess up was due to her own stupidity. "I was going to go train with Leafscar. Ha-have you seen him around?"

[Deleted]

Littleflower winced as the small apprentice crashed into Lionstep, "Are you okay/" she asked the apprentice, worry pricking at her like a thorn. Littlepaw seemed fine, if anything, a little shocked. Littleflower smiled after hearing her reply, "Good," she tried to recall the last time she had seen the apprentice's mentor as she asked the TreeClan deputy if he'd seen him. She listened to Lionstep's meow, then dipped her head. Now, to find that mouse whilst those two sorted themselves out. She lifted her small head to the sky and let her senses free. Sights, sounds and scents overwhelmed and she sifted through them until she found the mouse. She glanced over at a nearby oak tree and sure enough, amongst the roots sat a small brown mouse. It's fur plastered to it's skin from last night's rain. Her paws tingled with excitement. She dropped into a hunter's crouch and stealthily crept over to the oak tree.
Her blue eyes glinted with hunger as she watched the mouse nibble at a small red berry. This was too easy.
She shifted her weight to her haunches and crept closer, being careful to step lightly.
Three, Two, One. LEAP!
She pounced and grabbed the small mouse between her paws. It immediately let out a squeak of surprise and wriggled in her strong grip, but before it could escape,Littleflower delivered a killing blow and it fell limp in her paws.

[Fawn]

[style=font-family:Almendra SC; font-size:54px;]Lionstep

It took a great deal of control to keep his face still, trying not to laugh at her dazed, slightly mortified expression. I'm not a monster, I promise. He chuckled on the inside, however, showed only by a subtle sway of his tail and the flick of an ear here or there; "It's fine, so long as you're not hurt." Ears rotating to catch the sound of Littleflower stalking a mouse nearby, Lionstep instinctively lowered his voice, not wanting to disrupt her catch as he answered Littlepaw's question about Leafscar. She's probably late, though knowing Leafscar he won't hold it against her much.
"I actually haven't seen him in camp, he might be off hunting." mewed the deputy, his amber eyes looking pensive. He really hadn't seen the tom since he'd last asked him about the Challenge he was going to start soon.
Is Littlepaw participating? Did Leafscar ever talk to her about it? Eyes flickering with curiosity, Lionstep didn't bring it up with her, as that was something Leafscar would have to discuss with - and possibly encourage trying - her, not the TreeClan deputy.
"You're welcome to join us on the border patrol, however. Have you eaten?" Extending a friendly invitation Littlepaw's way, he glanced over his shoulder as Littleflower showed up once more, and mewed out encouragingly, "Nice catch. We can pick it up on the way back." The golden warrior felt the sunlight hitting just between his shoulder blades, and he reveled in the brief bit of warmth on such a cool autumn day.

Even though they were a border patrol, they would definitely spend a bit of time hunting for the Clan. TreeClan too, would need all that they could get.

[Phoenix]

Littlepaw cast a brief smile at the other she-cat, before the deputy caught her attention again. Lionstep did not seem to mind that she had crashed into him, but his words did little to soothe her nerves. She could just imagine the stories circulating around camp already. "Did you hear about Littlepaw?" A gasp. "Oh yes, the apprentice who ran into Lionstep? What a foolish cat." Agreeing. "How can you not see a cat as large as him?" "I have no idea." The little apprentice was almost cringing at the thought of that conversation. Not only did she not want to be the main subject of the rumor mill, but she didn't want to be remembered for a mousebrained mistake she had made.

Her tail, however, started to flick anxiously when Lionstep mentioned that he had not seen Leafscar around. Where could her mentor be? They had not specified a particular place to meet - or if Leafscar had mentioned it, she'd forgotten - but Littlepaw had assumed that they would meet in camp. What if she was wrong? Would Leafscar be mad? She hoped not, but she should really get going and not be any later. The apprentice made to leave when Lionstep opened his mouth again, extending an invitation toward her.

"I-I..." The idea of joining their patrol was tempting, she had to admit. But what about her training session with Leafscar? How would he feel if she skipped it to go patrol with the deputy and the other warrior? Littlepaw swallowed. However, she couldn't turn down the deputy, and the prospect of a border patrol interested her. The apprentice still needed to work on familiarizing herself with the TreeClan's territory, and her eagerness to do so made her want to take every chance she could. And Lionstep might not like it if she didn't take his invitation; Littlepaw didn't want to start a fight. In a very small voice, she mewed, "Do you think Leafscar would be mad if I maybe went with you guys on patrol?" Green eyes barely flicked up to meet his, and guilt flooded her insides.

[Deleted]

Littleflower purred at Lionstep's compliment, "Thanks, she dropped the limp mouse and buried it in the soft earth. The apprentice still seemed a little anxious, perhaps because she couldn't find Leafscar?
Littleflower listened as Lionstep spoke gently to her, "If you come on a patrol with us, we might be able to find Leafscar." she added in a soft tone.

[Fawn]

[style=font-family:Almendra SC; font-size:54px;]Lionstep

Lionstep chuckled. "Mad? Mad that his apprentice is off serving her Clan because the deputy hustled her into it?" The big golden warrior winked at her. "Naah. You should be alright, we might even bump into him, like Littleflower said." He glanced at the warrior she-cat as he spoke, watching her bury the mouse. "Besides, if he is mad, he's probably mad at me instead of you. We'll check by the Shallow Marsh first." That was the closest to the NightClan border, and what with the tension between the Clans running so high lately, Lionstep wanted to personally check and make sure no NightClanners had strayed farther than they should've. He doubted they'd run into trouble there, however.
Stealing a glance at Littlepaw, the big deputy contemplated how the fidgety she-cat would react in a situation like that - where they were forced to deal with intruders. He expected her to stand there bravely, even if she shook with fear. Leafscar wouldn't encourage her to run away, no mentor would. Yet why was he worried she'd do just that?

Oh come on now. She has more of a spine than you're giving her credit for.
Of course she did. Yes. Just because she acted a little flighty after bumping into him didn't mean she'd act that way against the enemy. Left to his thoughts, the deputy tried to clear his mind, padding his way through the forest towards the NightClan border, intent upon checking the scent markers.

[Phoenix]

Littlepaw's gaze was drawn to the other she-cat once more as she spoke, and an ear flicked at the point. It was a valid one. The she-cat smiled and nodded. "Ok, then," She meowed, her small voice decisive. "I'll join you guys on your patrol." Her tail flicked and she felt more relaxed, pleased that she had made a decision at last. Leafscar really probably wouldn't be mad, now that she thought about it; she didn't think that he was the kind of cat who would be. She hoped, anyway. Briefly, she glanced back at Lionstep.

His words made her relax even more, and green eyes brightened with laughter. A small laugh escaped her, accompanied by a grin stretching across her lips. "That would be funny," The apprentice mused quietly, snapping back to attention when TreeClan's deputy continued. Littlepaw nodded her understanding before sidling over to the other she-cat, wanting to know who she was. The apprentice had seen her around before, but she could not remember any particular conversation with her. "Hi," She started simply, eyes watching the warrior. She was never good with introductions. "What-- I'm sorry, I don't remember your name. Could you remind me...?"

As her paws instinctively led her to follow Lionstep, Littlepaw began to wonder where exactly they were headed. The deputy had mentioned the Shallow Marsh? Shetried to remember what it was like; on her first day of training, she and Leafscar had briefly covered the layout of the territory. However, memory failed her today and she could barely remember where it was, let alone what border it was on. Then she gave it some thought. TreeClan bordered both NightClan and LightningClan, if she remembered correctly. Wasn't NightClan the one known for it's disgusting territory accompanied by equally foul felines? Marshlands, in her opinion, were considerably more unsavory than moorlands. Curious, the apprentice wanted to put her theory to the test. In a small voice, she asked hesitantly, "The Shallow Marsh, is that... the NightClan border?"

[Deleted]

Littleflower nodded, "Yes, that's the ShadowClan border. she glanced over at Lionstep, "Should we get going?

((Sorry, lazieness.))

[Fawn]

[style=font-family:Almendra SC; font-size:54px;]Lionstep

"That's Littleflower - Her and I were in the apprentices' den around the same time," replied Lionstep, Littleflower having not heard the apprentice's timid question. He hoped he'd gotten that right. Littleflower probably wasn't much younger than himself, if going by looks alone. Lionstep, however, was relying on his memory, trying to recall the cats he'd slept next to in the apprentices' den all those moon agos.

"Should we get going?"

"Yes, of course." Roused out of his musings, the golden deputy immediately took the lead, flicking his tail for Littlepaw and Littleflower to follow, the two she-cats with similar names hopefully not far behind.
"How is your training coming along, Littlepaw?" Feeling it common courtesy to check up on the apprentices frequently, Lionstep also found it was a personal joy of his to find out how the younger members of the Clan were doing. He could just as easily recall how excited and slightly troublesome he'd been at that age. Sharing a look with the both of them from over his shoulder, his pace slowed as he approached their border with NightClan, his mouth open as he picked up the pungent tang of NightClan's border marking. Good. It was exactly where it was supposed to be. Slipping away from the group, he renewed the scent markings, turning to face the she-cats.

"Careful, sometimes deer cross through here, so be on your toes." Mewed the deputy, the last thing any of them wanted was for a herd of deer to come stampeding through at precisely the wrong moment.