Redpaw bounded out of the apprentices' den, stretching his hind legs behind him and reveling in the sensation of strength and life flowing through his young body. Leafbare had hit, yes, but so far it had been a mild one with only a soft crust of frost sprinkling the empty brittle branches of the trees overhead. He flicked his ears and opened his mouth to let the crisp dawn air flow over his scent-glands. He could smell Blizzardpelt and he looked over to see the snow-white warrior sitting in a patch of weak sunlight, eyes closed.

"Hi!" Redpaw bounded over to her.

She blinked to reveal startling green irises and her long whiskers twitched in amusement. "Up at dawn as always," she commented and Redpaw's tail-tip twitched happily.

"I like to be up early," he explained quickly. "Then I can go on patrols and hunt and keep an eye out for intruders!"

Blizzardpelt let out a mrrow of musical laughter. "You're easily the eagerest apprentice I've ever seen," she told him, a gentle sparkle in her eyes. "The rest are all still asleep, aren't they?"

"Lazy furballs," Redpaw agreed with a glance over his shoulder.

"I don't suppose you can blame them too much," Blizzardpelt mewed fairly. "It is cold outside."

"Hornetpaw has a thicker pelt than I do, and she's still snoring like a badger," Redpaw scoffed. "You can bet that her mentor will leave on patrol without her!"

"I doubt that," Blizzardpelt said, tilting her head at him. "Speaking of mentors, you'd better go find yours!" She leaped to her paws and chased him toward the warriors' den with a goodnatured growl. Redpaw managed not to squeak like an excited kit as he bounded across the cold sand of the clearing. He slowed to a trot and then a stop, tail twitching, as he cautiously nosed aside the tangle of long grass and ivy that tumbled untidly over the entrance. Warm air struck his face as he pushed his head into the den, eyes searching through the lumps of fur that rose and fell serenely with the steady breathing of easy sleep. "Falconstripe," he hissed.

A tawny head raised itself from a nest of leaves and moss, blinking blearily. "Get out of here, Redpaw," Pheasantcloud grumbled. "Some of us are trying to sleep!"

Redpaw backed out of the den apologetically and sat outside, unsure what to do with himself now. It was his very first real day as an apprentice and he was yearning to do something, now that he was no longer confined to the camp like a bothersome kit. He glanced toward the fresh-kill pile in time to see Volefoot drop a fat squirrel onto it. The pale tabby gave Redpaw a friendly twitch of his ears before padding back out of the camp to collect the rest of his prey. Redpaw chased after him. "Volefoot, wait!"

Volefoot stopped and looked back over his shoulder. "What is it, Redpaw?"

"Can't I come with you?" Redpaw asked, skidding to a halt. "Falconstripe won't be up for ages and I want to be useful to the Clan!"

Volefoot's whiskers twitched in amusement. "You should still be asleep," he pointed out. "Falconstripe doesn't let his apprentices off easy with their training, after all!"

"Good," Redpaw meowed firmly. "Besides," he added slyly, "you can go to sleep sooner if you let me come with you to help collect your prey..."

Volefoot flicked Redpaw with his tail. "You're too clever for your own good," he said with a touch of mock anger in his mew. "But all right. Come on."

"Yes!" Redpaw leaped straight up into the air and pelted out between the enormous mossy boulders that stood guard over the entrance to the camp.

"Hey!" Volefoot bounded in front of him and turned quickly so Redpaw cannoned straight into his side. "You follow me, understood? Otherwise I'll chase you back to the apprentices' den myself!"

Redpaw dipped his head meekly. "Yes, Volefoot."

"Besides, you don't want to tire yourself out running for already dead prey before Falconstripe's even got a chance to work you over," Volefoot went on, trotting through the bushes with his jaws parted to take in the scents of the forest. "When Spidertail was still Falconstripe's apprentice, she would stagger into the den complaining about how she felt like she was about to break into pieces, she was so tired."

"Falconstripe doesn't scare me," Redpaw insisted.

"Nor should he," Volefoot said with a faint note of surprise. "But you should respect him; Gullclaw only surpassed him as choice for deputy because he had hurt his shoulder and Owlstream wasn't sure if he'd recover."

"How was he hurt?"

"Chasing a badger away from the nursery," Volefoot said, pausing to scrape at a mound of earth to reveal a mouse. Redpaw darted forward and picked it up in his jaws, the scent making his mouth water though he dared not bite into it. "The badger tore his shoulder badly, and when the fever set in, Owlstream wasn't sure if he would survive the attack or not. Your mentor was incredibly brave, and he saved Coonpaw's life."

Redpaw's eyes widened at the mention of his friend. "Really?" He asked past the body of the mouse, thinking of how terrible life would surely be without the gray and brown apprentice.

"Really," Volefoot answered, scooping out a squirrel from where he had stashed it in a hollow beneath a holly bush. "Let's take these back."

Redpaw turned and began to trot back toward the twin boulders, mouth watering as the mouse's body rested in his teeth. It took all his discipline not to crunch down on it, but he controlled himself enough to lay it down on the fresh-kill pile, next to a sparrow.

"Redpaw," called a voice from the warriors' den.

Redpaw turned quickly to see Leechfur walking toward him, twitching her gray and white pelt as though to shudder sleep off like water. "Falconstripe says to eat something while he goes to talk to Buzzardstar. As soon as he's done, he'll take you out for training."

"Okay," Redpaw chirped happily, shoving his muzzle into the fresh-kill pile and pulling out a mouse made fat from consuming leaf-fall's seeds. He sunk his sharp teeth into it and closed his eyes blissfully as the taste flowed over his tongue. His stomach churned as though filled with excited butterflies and he devoured the mouse in a few gulps, swiping his tongue around his jaws to glean the last splashes of flavor from his fur. Redpaw looked around to see Falconstripe's dark brown tail disappearing into Buzzardstar's den and began to knead the ground impatiently with his claws. "Come on," he groaned, lashing his tail back and forth.

It felt like the entirety of leaf-bare had passed before Falconstripe strode from the massive log, the ferns that covered the entrance brushing lightly along his back. "Redpaw," he called. "Are you ready?"

"I've been ready!" Redpaw exclaimed, bounding eagerly over to his mentor.

"Well, you'll just have to wait longer," Falconstripe meowed calmly, "because I don't plan to go traipsing from here to Silverpelt on an empty stomach!"

Redpaw groaned loudly, buckling his legs theatrically as he fell onto his side.

"Get up," Falconstripe told him gruffly, padding over to the fresh-kill pile and settling down with a sparrow. "The first thing I'm going to teach you is discipline. SmokeClan has no room for jokers."

"Tell that to Stagpelt," Redpaw retorted, leaping to his paws. "He hardly ever takes anything seriously but he's one of Buzzardstar's favorite warriors!"

"That's because Stagpelt knows that there is a time and a place for clowning around," Falconstripe growled, tearing a bite from the sparrow. His golden eyes flashed. "Now go make yourself useful and tell Buzzardstar that I'm going to take you on a tour of the borders before giving you some battle training."

"Both of those today?" Redpaw asked, his eyes widening.

"Did I stutter?" Falconstripe asked, his stern tone inviting no room for sass. Redpaw turned tail and ran across the clearing, his small paws throwing up sand in his wake. "Buzzardstar," he called as he neared the leader's den.

The tortoiseshell tom's face pushed through the curtain of ferns. "What is it, Redpaw?" He asked.

Redpaw quickly passed on his mentor's message and Buzzardstar nodded. "Very well," he said simply before brushing past Redpaw. The apprentice stared at his battle-scarred pelt, clumps of long fur missing as signs of old injuries.

"Redpaw!" Another voice called to him from near the apprentices' den and he turned to see Coonpaw waving her tail excitedly back and forth. He padded over to her and her blue eyes sparkled at him, shining like sapphires as the wind ruffled her gray and brown fur. "Redpaw, are you excited?"

"More than I've ever been," Redpaw meowed enthusiastically. "What was your first day of training like?"

"It was only four days ago," Coonpaw reminded him with a laugh.

"Yes, but still!"

Coonpaw dipped her head to lick her ruffled chest fur. "Newtflower showed me our borders and then let me hunt. I caught—"

"A rabbit," Redpaw finished excitedly. "It was as big as you were!"

"Redpaw!" Falconstripe's voice boomed from across the clearing. "Are you coming or are you going to stand there all day, gossiping like a queen?"

"Later, Coonpaw!" Redpaw mewed excitedly, twitching his tail in farewell before he sprinted across the sandy clearing.

Falconstripe looked down at Redpaw as his apprentice skidded to a halt. "Let's go," he meowed firmly, turning to trot out between the mossy boulders. Redpaw scampered after him, tail held high in excitement. "Which way are we going to go first?"

"That way," Falconstripe pointed with his nose down a steep slope covered in grasses and wildflowers. Tempted to sprint off through the undergrowth to discover the wonders of his territory, Redpaw only just caught himself in time. He stayed obediently at Falconstripe's side, glancing at the older cat every few steps.

"What can you smell?"

Redpaw opened his jaws and sucked in a deep breath of fragrant forest air. "I can smell SmokeClan," he answered, twitching his tail toward the camp. "And, let's see...prey. Birds, mice, and I think a squirrel."

"Good," Falconstripe nodded. "See if you can find your own way along the borders."

Redpaw looked up at Falconstripe, his eyes wide. "But, but," he stammered. "I've never been out of the camp before!"

"That's no excuse," growled Falconstripe. "The dawn patrol returned just before we left; they'll have put fresh markers in place. Look for those."

Only somewhat reassured, Redpaw lifted his head and sniffed again. "I don't smell anything," he worried aloud.

"Then move your legs, apprentice," Falconstripe hissed. "Scents aren't going to come over to roll on your paws!"

Cowed by his mentor's harsh approach, Redpaw began to creep through the bushes and grass, conscious of his nearly crimson fur contrasting harshly with the greenery. He paused frequently to scent the air. His stomach twisted with a bad case of nerves with every second that slid by, his heart beating harder when he still couldn't find a scent.

Just when he was about to give up and plead Falconstripe for help, he caught the faintest whiff of Foxheart, a clever ginger queen. "I smell Foxheart," he declared proudly.

Falconstripe nodded approvingly. "Good," he praised.

Encouraged, Redpaw trotted toward the scent, spirits rising as it grew stronger. Foxheart's scent mingled with that of Fawnleap, Rivertail, and Rabbitkick. "I found the patrol," he announced, gesturing with his tail to a willow-sapling that had been scent-marked by Rabbitkick. He dropped down to lap quickly at the cold creek that the willow grew near.

Falconstripe bowed his head to take in the scents more closely. "So you have," he meowed. "Very well, Redpaw, keep going."

Both unnerved and pleased by his mentor's supposed faith in him, Redpaw padded along, keeping his mouth open to follow the scent-trail. The smells of the cats led on a winding path through the forest, over logs and under low-hanging branches until he paused, confused. The scents of more cats, which had been faint before, suddenly grew stronger. "Falconstripe?" He mewed uncertainly.

"We've reached the border that we share with RidgeClan," Falconstripe explained. "Here, jump up onto that branch." He pointed with his nose to a nearby tree, springing easily up to land on the rough bark. Redpaw wriggled his haunches and hurled himself upward, stretching his forelegs as far as he could to catch hold of the branch, but his chest slammed into the wood and his hind legs kicked uselessly at the air until Falconstripe's teeth met in the scruff of his neck, hauling him to safety. "Next time climb up the trunk to get to the branch if you can't make it on your own," Falconstripe told him, "or I'll get Buzzardstar to change your name to Shortlegs."

"Sorry," Redpaw mewed sheepishly. "What did you want to show me?"

Falconstripe turned his head, twitching his ears. Redpaw stretched his neck and just saw the bumpy spine of a ridge poking through the empty spaces between the tree branches, far to the east. "Is that where RidgeClan live?"

Falconstripe nodded. "Learn their scent, apprentice," he advised, leaping gracefully from the branch. Redpaw, remembering Falconstripe's halfhearted threat to change his name, inched downward along the trunk. "Whoa!" He yelped, suddenly slipping and tumbling head over paws to land at Falconstripe's feet.

"Graceful," Falconstripe snorted.

Feeling his face warm with embarrassment, Redpaw scrambled upright and shook the pine needles from his fur. "Where are we going next?"

"We'll follow this border," Falconstripe decided, "and then when we reach the ledge, we'll turn onto a different path."

"What is the ledge?" Redpaw asked quizzically.

"You'll see," his mentor answered. He broke into a trot and Redpaw followed him, the sunlight streaming down through the trees to warm his pelt. They padded on in silence, Redpaw's steps crunching over the fallen leaves whereas Falconstripe seemed instead to almost float over the slightly sloping ground. He twitched his ears self-consciously whenever his mentor cast a look over his shoulder at him, every footfall seeming louder than the last.

Falconstripe led the way through the forest until they came to a point where the ground seemed to disappear. Redpaw stopped. "Where did the ground go?" He asked, staring in amazement several fox-lengths ahead.

"That's the ledge," Falconstripe said patiently. "Come on." He began to walk toward it but stopped when Redpaw didn't follow. "There's no reason to be afraid," he said. "The ground isn't going to eat you, you know."

"But...but it's gone!"

"Only for a short distance," Falconstripe meowed, walking back toward Redpaw and giving the apprentice's flank a small push. "Go on!"

Redpaw crept slowly toward the place where the ground disappeared, inching along with his crimson belly fur skimming the forest floor as he gingerly placed one paw in front of the other. He peeped over the edge to see, with relief, that the ground had not in fact vanished entirely; a tiny cliff had formed and the territory continued down below. Redpaw sighed in relief, his tense shoulders relaxing.

Falconstripe glanced down at him with an amused purr. "Why are you stopping? We still have a lot of ground to cover." To Redpaw's astonishment, Falconstripe simply leaped off the ledge, landing lightly on a large, jutting rock down below.

Determined not to show fear, Redpaw braced himself and jumped, half-slithering and half-falling down the hard-packed dirt of the cut-away earth, landing in a tangle of paws and tail next to the boulder.

"Truly, I have been blessed with a graceful apprentice," Falconstripe mewed sarcastically.

Redpaw scrambled up, feeling the heat of a blush beneath his flaming pelt. "I'm fine," he meowed quickly. "Let's keep going!"

Redpaw trudged into the apprentices' den and collapsed into his nest, his limbs trembling with exhaustion. Coonpaw popped her head into the entryway. "Tired?" She purred.

"Go away," Redpaw moaned.

"Falconstripe work you over well?" She took another step inside, her whiskers twitching as she swiped her tongue around her jaws like she had just finished a succulent piece of prey.

"Did he ever," Redpaw groaned, shifting painfully. "We explored the territory until I felt like my paws were going to fall off, and then we had fighting practice! He tossed me from one end of the training ground to the other and back again. I'm only glad I'll never have to face him in battle!"