Why, why, why do I do this to myself? I swore that Heart of Fire: Exile, would be the only miniseries I ever do!! This can't be happening again!!!

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Note; cover image made by Popping cat

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Today was Morningpaw's first day as an official RiverClan apprentice; and she was already having a conniption with her training.

"Come on, Morningpaw!" Silverpaw encouraged, splashing her paws around in the shallow ends of the river that surrounded RiverClan's island home. "It's perfectly safe here."

There was no way Morningpaw was getting into that water.

"Yeah, don't be a drypaw!" Shadepaw mockingly added.

On second thought, perhaps there was a way to get Morningpaw in the water.

Morningpaw openly glowered at the dark gray she-cat, with minor hesitancy, the newly made apprentice stepped off the safety of the gentle riverbank slope, and slowly waded out into the water with the other apprentices.

Morningpaw nervously glanced at her mentor, Mistyfoot, who was giving Morningpaw encouraging looks as the flame-colored she-cat came forward to sway alongside the other apprentices in the light flowing river. The two overseeing mentors for today's training, Stonefur and Mistyfoot, were giving visual aid on how to properly swim.

Morningpaw glanced around at the other apprentices, they were already in position and wading out even further in the water. They seemed so confident in the water, it was their element and the only way of life that they had ever known. Morningpaw had only ever known the life of a ThunderClan warrior.

"It's alright to be cautious," if Morningpaw's fur wasn't weighed down with water, she was sure it would be sticking up all over the place, in her distracted moment of sudden identity crisis, Mistyfoot had managed to quietly wade over to stand right beside Morningpaw. "Everyone gets nervous their first time learning."

Morningpaw blinked slowly up at Mistyfoot, the support coming from her older pale blue-gray mentor was all very well but that wasn't what's bothering her, "But what if it pulls me under again?"

The river tumbled all around her; she didn't know which way was up. Her lungs screamed for air. Terror scorched through her, she was going to drown, Morningpaw was going to--

Mistyfoot brought Morningpaw out of her internal struggle with a gentle tap of the tail on Morningpaw's shoulder, "You have nothing to fear with all of us around you. I'll keep an eye on you and be here to instruct you on what you need to know. Nothing is going to happen." With more encouragement from Mistyfoot, Morningpaw sucked up whatever ThunderClan courage she had left and waded out further into the swirling clear stream, till the water was up to her chest.

Here Morningpaw paused and glanced back at Mistyfoot, who positioned herself a tail-length behind.

"It's like running on land." Mistyfoot meowed, her ice-blue eyes shining as she gazed at Morningpaw. "Let your paws do the work. Raise your chin. Keep your paws moving under you."

Morningpaw's paws churned at the water, flailing mostly as the river current dragged her around in circles, it was making the bright ginger she-cat dizzy and exhausted her short legs, which already felt like sodden leaves.

Mistyfoot came forward to press herself up against Morningpaw's side, buffering the young apprentice against the current and keeping Morningpaw from twirling around helplessly.

"Here, I'll swim beside you." Mistyfoot decided, the much taller she-cat waded through the water while Morningpaw had to swim, Mistyfoot instructing Morningpaw on technique and genuinely making sure Morningpaw didn't drown herself. "Use your front paws to steer, and your back paws to push yourself forwards."

Morningpaw clenched her teeth and pushed herself harder. There really wasn't much difference, she was still flailing, but it was a more controlled type of flailing with a few straight kicks here and there. Eventually Morningpaw exhausted herself, and Mistyfoot had to grasp her by the scruff and take her back to shore.

Morningpaw let herself be dragged through the water until pebbles scraped her flank and she felt solid earth beneath her. Morningpaw felt no humiliation as Mistyfoot laid her on some soft grass. The flame-colored she-cat apprentice was too tired to feel anything at the moment.

Morningpaw fought to keep her eyes open. Barely keeping them trained on her mentor. She could just make out the shape of Mistyfoot. Her lithe body was silhouetted against the towering reeds. A flashback of Bluestar towering over Morningpaw in her past life crossed her mind but was gone in an instant as Mistyfoot started talking and Morningpaw struggled to understand.

"It's seems you've worn yourself out, Morningpaw." Mistyfoot remarked, carefully nosing around Morningpaw's flank. "You need to eat and then get some rest. You did quite well today."

Liar. Morningpaw wanted to say, but was just too tired to do anything but sluggishly nod.

"Morningpaw!" Morningpaw was just able to turn her head a inch to see the slender silver tabby apprentice glide out of the water. Silverpaw then frantically made her way towards Morningpaw's waterlogged form, nosing past Mistyfoot in her haste to get closer. "Are you alright?"

"She's fine, Silverpaw." Mistyfoot reassured the slow to calming apprentice. "Morningpaw just pushed herself a little too hard with training, that's all."

"Hardly!" Shadepaw remarked, slithering out of the water like a snake. "She's as hopeless at swimming as a rock."

Stonefur brought up the rest of the apprentices, and gave his own apprentice a gentle cuff over the ears, "this is Morningpaw's first time learning how to swim. She doesn't have the experience that you have, so be more kind and understanding towards your denmate."

"And as denmates," Mistyfoot added on, "you wouldn't mind helping Morningpaw back to the apprentices den."

Morningpaw's ears flattened down to her head in embarrassment at the few groans that came from the other apprentices, she wished that Mistyfoot wouldn't have said anything, why couldn't her mentor just allow Morningpaw to go drag herself back to her den using only her tail like Tigerclaw--

Tigerclaw. ThunderClan. Danger.

Morningpaw's body froze up. ThunderClan was in danger and here she was learning how to get her paws wet. She couldn't afford to waste so much precious time. Not when someone as dangerous as Tigerclaw was on the loose. Morningpaw needed to--

"I'll help!" Morningpaw was brought out of her thoughts when paws clutched at her flanks, heaving her upward to stand. The dark ginger pelted apprentice looked from one side to the other. Silverpaw was flanking her right side, while Whitepaw flanked her otherside.

Morningpaw gave them a wear purr. Thankful towards the both of them as they helped carry her back to the apprentices den.

Though Morningpaw needed to figure things out. Soon rather than later. The entire forest was depending on her saving it. But for now that could all wait.

Morningpaw needed a nap.

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Fun Facts:

Morningpaw is just like Leopardfur when it comes to swimming.

Shadepaw vs Morningpaw (they aren't getting along anytime soon)

Silverpaw is basically going to become Morningpaw's Graystripe.

Mistyfoot is a pretty good mentor.

I have no idea what kind of training RiverClan has so I'm taking bits and pieces from basically everything. Most of the swimming training came from Bluestar's Prophecy!

I love Oakheart. I need to make more Oakheart content. We all love Oakheart right?!! (I like Stonefur too!!!)

I'm seriously making this up as I go. I mean it has a vague outline of a few things I plan to do but overall I have no clue where I'm going with this.