After the ceremony was over, most of the clan scattered. Leaving the three new apprentices sitting alone with their mentors. Rainpaw swallowed thickly looking wearily up at Pantherleap.
"So what are we doing today?" He mewed timidly. Pantherleap scowled down at him opening his jaws to hiss something.
"Why don't we show them the territory, Pantherleap?" Scarletclaw suggested. Snakepaw, who sat at her feet let out a squeal of delight.
"Really? We get to see the territory?"
"You two go ahead, we'll go out a bit later" Pouncefur purred softly, glancing down at Flickerpaw. "I have to run an errand for Skipleaf first, and I would appreciate Flickerpaw's help."
Flickerpaw looked mildly disappointed, but he merely shrugged. Giving his mentor a warm smile.
"Sounds good to me." He mewed, Pouncefur nudged the paw' affectionately with her nose. Before taking off toward the medicine den, Flickerpaw at her paws.
"So, Pantherleap?" Scarletclaw asked again, the tom looked at her with dark eyes.
"Well…" Rainpaw could hear his heart pounding wildly in his ears, and he shifted his paws against the soil below him. Please say yes!
"Alright," his mentor finally bit out grudgingly. Sounding as though he had just agreed to clean out the dirt place.
"Awesome!" Snakepaw cried out joyously, the volume of his yowl making both warriors wince. "Now we'll get to see the territory together, Rainpaw!"
Rainpaw gave his brother a sideways grin, Pantherleap's cold eyes on his back making it kind of hard to work up any real joy. I still wish I knew why he hates me so much.
"Well," said cat growled, his tail flicking back and forth as he started toward the camp exit. "If we're going, then let's go already."
Scarletclaw sighed giving Rainpaw a quick smile.
"Don't pay him much mind," she purred. "His growl is much worse than his bite."
Rainpaw let out a marrow of laughter under his breath, opening his mouth to answer.
"Thanks-." He attempted, only to be cut off by sharp meow from across the clearing.
"Are you coming or not?" Pantherleap hissed from where he stood by the camp exit. Scarletclaw gave an instructing flick of her tail, padding over to where the other warrior stood, the two new paws' trailing behind her. Pantherleap flashed his apprentice one more look of utter loathing, before turning and leaping into the bracken. Rainpaw had a horrible feeling in his chest that he was in for a long apprenticeship.
Rainpaw blinked in shock as the moment he stepped through the exit. He was met with lush forest as far as the eye could see. The trees toward over them, making shadows dance across their pelts. The only sunlight on the woodland floor was the few rays that managed to slip in between the leaves above.
"This is so cool!" Snakepaw whispered beside him, his voice quivering with excitement. All Rainpaw could do was nod dumbly in agreement.
"It's always amazing when you see the outside for the first time," Scarletclaw mewed, drawing the two apprentices' attention over to the warriors, who stood a few paw lengths ahead of them. "But-."
"But if you want to see the rest of the territory today, quite gawking like a couple of kits just out of the nursery and move your paws." Pantherleap interrupted, his growl echoing through the woods. Rainpaw shivered at how harsh his mentor sounded, why did Ratstar give me him? Did he know he was like this?
"Pantherleap," Scarletclaw warned, before giving both apprentices a nod. "He is right, however. if you want to get to the whole territory today, we'd best keep walking."
Pantherleap scuffed under his breath, bounding off into the forest. Scarletclaw and the two apprentices at his paws.
As they walked, Rainpaw couldn't help but hang back every now and then to admire the beautiful outside world he had been denied the privilege of seeing for so long. Most of their territory was lush, green, woodland. But as they got deeper into it, Rainpaw noticed the trees and bracken beginning to thin out some. I wonder if we're getting closer to Grassclan or Oceanclan territory? He mused, watching as Snakepaw accidentally tripped over a pebble on the ground. Their the two we share a border with, and they both have open territories.
Sure enough, when the trees finally gave way to complete open fields. Pantherleap signaled with his tail for them to stop.
"This is where our territory ends, across the border is Grassclan territory." The tabby flattened his ears. "For now."
Rainpaw hesitantly crept over so that he stood at his mentors side, peeking around Pantherleap's legs to get a good look. He let out a squeak of terror at what he saw.
"Are those m-monsters." He mewed gazing in terror at the huge rusty brown creatures laying in the field in front of them. Pantherleap glared down at him coolly.
"Don't act like a kit." He sneered, "do you honestly think we would take two inexperienced apprentices this close to living monsters?" Pantherleap shook his head in disgust, Rainpaw's head dip in shame. "Of course not, these monsters have been dead for more moons than the clans have existed."
Rainpaw cast a weary look at the enormous shimmering beasts, I sure hope he's right…
"How do you think they died?" Snakepaw asked Scarletclaw, "Bonefur's always telling us that monsters are immortal."
Scarletclaw let out a vague purr of amusement.
"All living things pass on at some point," she meowed smoothly, while Pantherleap drew his paw back and forth impatiently across the ground. "I'm unsure of their exact cause of death. however, Pantherleap's correct in saying you have nothing to fear. these monsters have been dead for many, many, sunrises."
Snakepaw frowned and opened his mouth. Rainpaw bit back a mew of amusement. I bet I know what you're thinking, brother, Rainpaw thought. You're not afraid of anything, right?
Whatever it was Snakepaw was going to say, it was cut off by a sharp yowl from the other side of the scent marker.
"Hey, Foxbreaths!" Rainpaw moved closer to Pantherleap, as a young fluffy gray tom leaped out of the bracken and up onto the front of one of the monsters. "You'd better stay on your side of the border, lest you wind up with shredded pelts again!"
Pantherleap let out a growl of irritation, taking a stride closer to the boundary. Rainpaw cocked his head as he noticed how young the tom's voice sounded. Why! He can't be much older then Snakepaw and I!
"What-." Rainpaw's mentor began hotly, only to pause as another cat leaped up beside the other. This one was a gray and white tortoiseshell. unlike the other tom, his eyes were not aggressive, only very weary.
"Pantherleap," he greeted cooly, Rainpaw felt Pantherleap tense up beside him. He glanced up at his mentor and found that the tom's flared eyes had softened slightly. Now he just looked torn. Huh, wonder if he knows that cat?
"Rockfang," Pantherleap returned, dipping his head politely to the other feline. "I wasn't aware Grassclan made a habit of insulting perfectly righteous cats, who happen to be on their own side of the border."
The cat, Rockfang, gave Pantherleap a long look.
"Wolfpaw is just a bit excited, this is only his second day as an apprentice. And he's seeing our territory for the first time." Rockfang flicked the apprentice's ear gently with his tail tip. "Surely you can understand that, Pantherleap?"
Before Pantherleap could respond, Scarletclaw stepped over to join them.
"Rockfang," she began, her voice stiff. "We haven't come here to exchange pleasantries, so if you don't mind we'll be leaving now." She cast the gray apprentice, Wolfpaw, a disgusted look. "And maybe Grassclan should teach their apprentices more respect."
Rockfang's eyes narrowed. Rainpaw winced, I know tensions are high with Grassclan right now, but was that last part really necessary?
"My apprentice does know respect." The tom spoke coldly, "he also knows that respect should only be given where it's due.
"Yeah!" Wolfpaw put in, wincing as his mentor slapped his tail warningly over his jaws. Rainpaw glared at the Grassclan cats, is Rockfang saying that Forestclan warriors don't deserve to be shown respect?
"Can you believe the nerve of that ratbreath!" Snakepaw hissed at his side, "if I was a warrior I would charge right over there and tear his ears off!"
Before Rainpaw could answer, Pantherleap let out a loud snarl. Making both Forestclan apprentices flinch.
"What are you saying, Rockfang?" The huge tabby took another paw step closer to the border. Rainpaw swallowed as he watched Rockfang leap off of the monster, coming closer until he was face to face with the other tom.
"You know what I meant." The Grassclan cat hissed, Wolfpaw pelted over to his side. Rainpaw saw Snakepaw's claws slid out. Oh, Starclan, the black and white paw' took a step back. Not yet! I can't do this yet! Please don't let blood be spilled today!