Nightpaw curled up in her nest, setting her head on her paws and watching as she sister and her mentor padded towards the Medicine den, tail drooping. Nightpaw narrowed her eyes. She couldn't understand for the world why Daypaw would want to be a Medicine Cat. There was no adventure involved, though the connection Medicine cats had with Starclan did intrigue Nightpaw.

Pausing, Nightpaw shook her head, when a sudden shadow filled the entrance of the Apprentice den. Nightpaw instantly recognized her mentors broad shoulders a moment before his voice broke the silence, "Well, what are you waiting for? The elders aren't going to take care of themselves!"

Nightpaw leaped to her paws, narrowing her eyes, "What? Why can't we go hunting or something?"

Crouchtail narrowed his eyes, "Because you know no hunting moves and would probably scare away half the prey in the forest by tromping around like a kit! Now come on, its not that bad a job, I'm not asking you to search them for ticks," A sudden glint filled his eyes, "Yet!"

Nightpaw snorted, but stood up and slipped out of the den. The other apprentices had been called off by their mentors to go and battle train, but Nightpaw hadn't been invited. Lashing her tail, her approached the elders den. Unlike her sister, who had visited the elders den as much as possible, Nightpaw had barely went in with the old cats when she was a kit.

Inside the den, Flashfire and Onefoot were giving each other a grooming, but when Nightpaw stepped in they both looked up. Flashfire opened her mouth, but before she could speak Onefoot mewed, his voice snapping, "Well, its about time. My moss smells like it's been poured in mousebile! And mind you, don't you go and get me wet moss, my joints can't take that this time of year,"

Nightpaw bit back on a sharp reply, instead giving a curt nod and walking over to Onefoot's moss. She made quick work of rolling the dirty moss into a tight ball, before pushing it towards the entrance, drowning out Flashfires rambling. She pushed the ball of moss across the camp and out the entrance of the gorse tunnel. She didn't have to go far to reach the place where the best moss was found.

She already knew where it was because as a kit she had been known to sneak out of camp. She'd found the mossy tree in one of her earlier expeditions. Letting the moss ball fall apart and covering it with dirt, she began to pull out new moss, carefully keeping it from getting dirty.

She was just leaning back with a large pile of moss when she saw him.

He blended in with the shadows of the other tree's, which was probably why she hadn't seen him before. His fur was as dark as hers, except for a small white blotch right on his chest. His eyes were the colour of the moon, a bluish yellow. For a moment they stared at each other, then the small tom, who couldn't have been any older then her, turned and disappeared into the gorse.

Nightpaw lunged after him, some instinct telling her to put chase, but it soon became obvious she wasn't going to catch him. It was actually like he had never been there. She skittered to a stop, nostrils flaring as she tried to catch his scent, but it was impossible. She paused, before sighing and turning back.

Returning to the moss place was harder then she thought it would be, but after a few moments she found her pile of moss. Rolling it into a ball, she pushed it to the camp. She'd just made the decision that she was going to announce the unknown cat that she had seen when a sudden feeling twisted her gut.

She felt something brush against her pelt, but when she looked there was no cat there. She'd barely started to turn to look behind her when a voice whispered into her ear, "Don't tell them...,"

Freezing, Nightpaw almost stepped on the moss, before continuing forward. When she entered the camp, she looked at Crouchtail, speaking with Ruggedstorm, before shaking her head. She couldn't tell him. She quickly moved to the elders den.

Onefoot looked up, hissing in agitation, "Well, it's about time! What took you so long?"

Nightpaw opened her mouth to say something in her defense, but Flashfire cut her to the chase, "She probably got lost chasing her tail. Apprentices," Shaking her head, Flashfire gently took the moss from her, "You go do something exciting, get your mentor to show you the territory. We can take care of this,"

Nightpaw's mouth fell open, but she hastily backed out, before sprinting towards Crouchtail, excitement causing her tail to stick up straight, "I'm done!"

Crouchtail turned to look at her, taking in her moss covered fur, "You must have taken back all the moss in the forest back on your pelt," Nightpaw's tail drooped, but Crouchtail flicked her ear with his tail, eyes glowing, "Perk up, Fumbletounge wants to show Daypaw the territories and we're going with them,"

All worries about the cat in the forest was wiped from Nightpaws mind as her ears perked up, "But Daypaw's a medicine cat!" They handled herbs, not warrior duties.

Crouchtail snorted, "You have a lot to learn, Nightpaw. Even medicine cats need to know where their territory is, or else they'll never find the best herbs!" Turning, he motion for her to follow and she skittered along behind him. This would be her first real time all around the camp and to make it even better, Daypaw was going with them!

Daypaw and Fumbletounge were standing together beside the gorse tunnel, but the moment Daypaw spotted Nightpaw she left her mentors side to bound forward and touch noses to her, "How being an apprentice so far?" Her sisters soft voice was a relief to hear, but she knew deep inside that she couldn't even tell her sister about the strange cat.

Fumbletounge and Crouchtail were discussing something and after a moment Fumbletounge turned to them, beckoning with his tail, "C-come on, you t-two," before turning and slipping through the tunnel. Crouchtail followed and Daypaw instantly fell into step behind them. Nightpaw paused, before rushing forward to stand beside her sisters side, "So far, being an apprentice sucks. Crouchtail had me cleaning out the elders den... what about you?"

Daypaw sighed, shaking her head slowly, "After we got my den set up, Fumbletounge showed me a bunch of herbs. I don't know how I'm ever expected to remember them all!"

Nightpaw felt sympathy for her sister. She could only guess how much hard work her sister was going to have to do to reach her goal. Touching her nose gently to her sisters ear, she mewed, "I'm sure it will get easier, especially after your accepted at the Moonstone," She dropped the volume of her voice, but she knew that her eyes twinkled.

She was expecting Daypaw to perk up, so when she moaned and hung her head, she couldn't understand why until her sister spoke, "What if I'm not accepted by Starclan?"

Nightpaw snorted, flicking Daypaw over the head with her tail, "What are you talking about? That's mouse dung! If anyone in our clan was meant to get accepted as a medicine cat, its you!" She lashed her tail back and forth, glad when Daypaw raised her head slightly.

Her sister nodded slowly, blinking kindly at her, "Maybe your right,"

Nightpaw growled deep in throat, "I know I'm right! With half moon only a few moonrise's away, you should be leaping with joy!"

Sniffling, Daypaw brushed her fur against Nightpaw's side, "Thanks, Nightpaw,"

Nightpaw's eyes twinkled. Helping her sister find the confidence she needed was one of her top things to do, "No big deal, any time,"

Suddenly, Crouchtail yowl rose in the air, causing Nightpaw and Daypaw to jump, "If you two want to see the territory today, I expect you to keep up with us! Or would you rather go back?" Nightpaw looked up, seeing the Fumbletounge and Crouchtail many foxlengths ahead of them.

She bounded forward to catch up, "No Crouchtail! Sorry!"

Crouchtail glared sternly at her when she caught up, "Your an apprentice now, which doesn't give you a reason to slack off every chance you can get. Your going to work and your going to be sore,"

Nightpaw scuffled her paws on the ground, wishing that Daypaw would get the same scolding, but there was a knowing glint in Fumbletounges eyes as he looked down on his apprentice. He obviously new about the young cats troubles, even if she hadn't said anything.

Crouchtail whipped his tail, before turning back to the path, "Come on, we're heading to the Riverclan border," Nightpaw's excitement lit up again and she bounded along behind him. The tree's soon became thick and dark, but the scents and colours made Nightpaw's head spin. They stopped often, mostly when Fumbletounge wanted to point out a herb to Daypaw, who's eyes showed that she was completely overwhelmed.

Finally they reached the Riverclan border, stepping out of the tree's and onto the bank. A stream rushed by in front of her, along with some large rocks which already looked warmed by the sun. Sniffing, Nightpaw grimaced as a foul odor wafted over her sense, "Yuck! What is that?"

Crouchtail, glanced across the border, pricking his ears to listen for any patrol's, "Your smelling Riverclan scent. Commit it to your memory, you will need it many times over," Nightpaw nodded, inhaling deeply despite how much the scent disgusted her. She barely got to look around once more before Crouchtail turned and bounded back into the bushes.

Turning, Nightpaw following him, Daypaw by her side. Fumbletounge easily over took them and ran by Crouchtail's side, matching strides with him despite his puny size. Turning left, Crouchtail led them to an opening, which revealed a hollow dipped in the ground, filled with sand. Yewpaw and her mentor were grappling in the hollow.

Crouchtail glanced down at his apprentice, "This is the Sandy Hollow, we'll be doing all our training here,"

Fumbletounge nodded, staring at the fighting cats, "We won't be here very often, Daypaw, only to learn the basics in fighting. Even medicine cats have to prepared to fight," Daypaw nodded, glancing at Nightpaw. Nightpaw blinked at her sympathetically. She knew Daypaw had an aversion to fighting. She had since she was a kit.

Crouchtail stayed where he was for a moment and this time it was Fumbletounge who moved on first, bounding away. Daypaw instantly went after him, with Nightpaw close on her heels. For a moment, they ran without finding anything, they past the Owl Tree, which Crouchtail pointed out without much enthusiam.

They were just rising over a crest when Nightpaw saw it. Tail sticking straight up, she pulled to a stop, staring at the majestic sight before her. Four giant oaks were perfectly set around a large rock, "Its Fourtrees!"

Crouchtail dipped his head, blinking fondly down at Nightpaw, "Yes, Windclan's scent is blowing towards us, so take a deep breath and get the scent while you can," Nightpaw inhaled, instantly tasting the foul scent of the other clan. She dipped her head, before stepping over to her sister, who had her face raised to the wind and was inhaling deeply.

Before she could say anything to Daypaw Fumbletounge motioned for her apprentice to come over to a bush, which was decorated with berries, "These are Juniper berries. They are good for belly aches. The leaves of them can ease coughs," Daypaw nodded, narrowing her eyes.

Crouchtail paused, before beckoing for them to get a move on again. Nightpaw bounded after him, running ahead from time to time to sniff around a tree, but they hadn't gone far when Crouchtail snapped out in a sharp mew, "Stay by my side from here on, Nightpaw, we are approaching something dangerous," Nightpaw looked up, taking in her sisters pricked ears and Crouchtail's wary steps. Fumbletounge seemed completely at ease.

Straining through the noises of the forest, she made out a roar in the distance and when she tasted that air, it seemed tainted. Wrinkling her nose, she padded back up to Crouchtail, glad to be by her mentors side.

Padding forward, they cleared the tree's, revealing a stinking, hard black surface cutting through the forest like a river. Nightpaw stopped, narrowing her eyes at it. There seemed to be a roar off in the distance, but Nightpaw was to busy staring at the hard material to take much notice. She padded forward to get a closer look, reaching one paw forward.

"Stop!" Crouchtails sharp voice stopped her in her tracks and suddenly the roaring became much louder, throbbing in her ears. She squinted her eyes, before lunging backwards as a large being rushed by, rustling the tree's on either side and sending a rush of scent across her. She crouched close to the ground, before hissing through her teeth, "What was that?"

Daypaw was knealing at the line of the tree's, her eyes wide with fear. Fumbletounge sat calmly and Nightpaw couldn't figure out how he could be so normal when something so furocious had just roared it's way through his territory. His voice was as calm as his appearance, besides the stumble, though, "T-that was a m-monster. T-twolegs ride in their bellies. This is a-also the border of Shadowclan. You won't be able to s-scent them, the w-w-wind is not in f-favor here,"

Nightpaw nodded, following Crouchtail into the bushes. Her legs ached from running across her territory and Crouchtail obviously took note of it, "I'd say it about time to head back to camp. The sun is setting," Fumbletounge nodded in agreement and they bounded in the direction of the camp.

By the time the gorse tunnel came into view Nightpaw's legs were burning with exhaustion and her tail was dragging in the dust. Slipping into camp, she glanced at the Freshkill pile, before looking expectantly at Crouchtail. He blinked down at her in amusement, "Go on then, I can hear your stomach growling like a hoard of foxes,"

Nightpaw bound over to the pile of freshkill, choosing a mouse and lifting it, padding over to the Apprentice Den. Crouching down, she bit into the warm mouse, the flavors exploding over her tounge. After a moment, Daypaw joined her, carrying a shrew. They ate in silence, the other apprentice's chattering on like birds.

Deep inside, Nightpaw's stomach was twisting from the memory of the odd tom cat she had seen. Worry clouded her thoughts and her claws dug into the ground in agitation. Even when she curled up to sleep, she found it hard to let the blackness consume her.