Whoops, accidentally uploaded chapter 8 before this one

Chapter 7

Foxpaw padded after her new mentor, gazing around the forest in awe. She knew it was big but seeing it for the first time outside camp, she just couldn't find the words to describe it. She shivered, the air had decided that it wanted to be colder since they had left camp.

" That's the border we share with IceClan. " Quillfeather said, nodding towards the border. She could smell a different smell, but her mentor started walking again.

" You should avoid the border, of course, just in case. " He said, flicking his ears. She followed her mentor, wincing. Just having the territory shown to her was tiring. This has got to be the most I've walked in one day! She thought. Her mentor gave her a look, studying her for a second. " You got that? "

Foxpaw paused, looking at her mentor. " Stay away from the border. " She said, shaking herself. Her mentor gave her a thoughtful look before nodding.

" On our way back, we'll find a stream that runs through our territory. We can stop for a drink there. " Quillfeather said, pausing again. " Usually we'd cross using the rocks, but I don't wanna risk anything. " He added, twitching his whiskers thoughtfully. He started walking again, flicking his tail. He pointed out a few things here and there on their way towards the stream.

" And here we are. " Quillfeather said, stopping at the stream. It was wider than Foxpaw thought it'd be. It's not too big, but it's still bigger than I imagined. She thought, pausing before going to the edge to drink. If Lightkit were here, she'd probably be in the water by now.

" I remember when Whiteapple pushed me into the stream. She had to do all the unwanted jobs for a moon. " Quillfeather said, twitching his whiskers. Foxpaw froze. Did I say that outloud? She thought.

" I don't think she realized how dangerous it was. I don't blame her, as it was our second day as apprentices. " He snorted, licking his paw. A look that Foxpaw couldn't quite identify crossed her mentor's face. He shook himself.

" We should get back. " He said after a moment of silence. Foxpaw shook herself, straightening up from her crouched position. They walked near the edge of the stream, Foxpaw gazing around.

Foxpaw felt ferns brush against her fur as she entered camp behind Quillfeather. She twitched her ear, looking around the busy camp.

" Grab something to eat. Also, you should go to the apprentices den when you're finished to make or get a nest. " Quillfeather said, fluffing his fur. Foxpaw acknowledged that she heard her mentor, walking towards the fresh kill pile that sat at the center of camp. Lightkit and Darkkit were sharing a squirrel. Lightkit looked up at her and narrowed her eyes.

Darkkit looked over at Foxpaw with a look that said sorry. Foxpaw could never understand why Darkkit kept apologizing for Lightkit.

She grabbed a mouse off the fresh kill pile and started towards the nursery before freezing. She saw a cat who was looking in her direction twitch their whiskers in amusement. Ignoring them, she turned and started walking towards the apprentices den. Sleekwhisker bounded over.

" How has your first day as an apprentice been? " She asked, tipping her head. Foxpaw glanced at Sleekwhisker, considering the answer.

" Great! " She said around the mouse, looking back at the she cat. She almost tripped over her paws. " More eventful than the other days at least. " She added with a yawn. Sleekwhisker let out a purr, matching the apprentices' pace.

" Well, that's good. I'm glad that you're doing ok. " Sleekwhisker said, giving her a considering look. Foxpaw decided to ask her a question that had been in her mind for a while.

" Why do you still stick around?" She asked, nervously twitching her ears. Sleekwhisker seemed to take a second to process what Foxpaw had asked.

" Because this is my clan. I couldn't leave my clanmates without a good reason. " She said. " Or did you mean something else? " Asked Sleekwhisker. They had paused near the apprentice den.

" Why do you still stick around me? Check in with me? Why do you care about how I'm doing? Or about me? " Foxpaw rephrased the question, shifting her paws. Sleekwhisker seemed confused at the question.

" Why? Well, why wouldn't I? You are as much as a clanmate to me as everyone else is. " She replied. But that wasn't the answer Foxpaw was looking for.. Sleekwhisker seemed to realize that. She gave the question some more thought before answering again.

" It's not just that. I couldn't just leave you to die when you were there. I didn't want you to be alone in the clan. Through that, I guess I just gained more of an attachment. It's like you were a second apprentice.

" I can't see why no one understands that you are just as important to the clan as anyone else. If they just looked outside of you being a fox, they'd realize that there's more to you. That you aren't like any other foxes. You know that. I know that. Even Twistedbranch knows that, even if she doesn't know how to express it. "

Foxpaw listened as Sleekwhisker explained her reasons. The explanation was more through than Foxpaw expected. Sleekwhisker really had thought of how she wanted to explain it. Sleekwhisker finished with another purr, her eyes bright.

" That is a good enough explanation, right? " Sleekwhisker added, scanning Foxpaw.

" It was… a better explanation than I thought it'd be. " The apprentice admitted, looking down. Sleekwhisker nudged her.

" Well, I won't hold you up any longer. " The warrior said, turning to walk away. Foxpaw watched her leave before continuing to the apprentices' den.

When she entered, whatever conversation that was being had stopped. Leafpaw turned her head towards her, before looking back at the other two apprentices.

" Right. This is Yarrowpaw, " Leafpaw said after a moment of silence, nodding towards the tom. " And Thistlepaw. " She added, flicking her tail towards the other she cat. Yarrowpaw scanned Foxpaw before looking at a nest that sat near the edge of the den. Thistlepaw looked at her white paws, before glancing at her.

" I guess it's nice to meet you. " She said, meeting Foxpaw's eyes.

" Your nest is here! " Leafpaw said, bouncing up and walking towards the nest that Yarrowpaw was looking at. Yarrowpaw quickly looked away, looking at a wall instead. Foxpaw nodded, walking over and sitting in her nest. She dropped the mouse she was holding. " Thank you. " She replied, crouching down to eat her mouse.

" Being an apprentice is great. The first day is as well, but you have yet to see the full extent of greatness that being one has to offer! " Leafpaw meowed, eyes twinkling.

" Wow, I didn't know that doing the elders fleas and cleaning out dens was fun. " Yarrowpaw muttered, walking over and nudging his sister. Leafpaw snorted, cuffing his ear.

" You know what I meant!" She purred. Foxpaw turned away and started eating her mouse. " How did you not know that cleaning out dens is the funnest thing to do? " Thistlepaw joked, her eyes bright. Foxpaw quickly finished the mouse, listening to the other apprentices mess around. She felt a twinge of loneliness, before pushing it away. It's been a long day Foxpaw. Try and get some rest. She thought to herself, laying down.