The sun shone down on Ashpaw as her heart be slow, this was her first true day of being an apprentice, and she was ready for every second. She was with her mentor Shimmerflame being shown the territory. She had slowed down looking around, so far she was so happy to be a warrior and was ready for everything! Facing ShadowClan, ThunderClan, or even WindClan. Going to the full moon meetings. Protecting and hunting for Riverclan. The one thing she could not figure out is if she wanted to have kits or become leader one day, but she would worry about that another day.

"Listen up Ashpaw." Shimmerflame said looking back at her and waving her tail for her to keep up.

"Sorry Shimmerflame!" Ashpaw meowed and dashed up out of the small stream and to her mentors side.

"It's ok dear, just keep up with me now. Ashpaw, now the clan is smaller than it usually is due to the past but Songstar has finally set peace for us with ThunderClan and WindClan, but ShadowClan just wont agree. They are a bunch of rugged loners! So you need to be careful at this side of the territory." Shimmerflame said guiding Ashpaw along the border. "Prey seems to be running great! I can't wait to teach you to hunt. But for now, im just showing you around so no begging." She told her.

"Aww. Alright." Ashpaw said with a playful purr as she stayed right beside Shimmerflame. "Whats that smell?" She asked as they came along the border and turned slowly.

"Shadowclan." Shimmerflame said with a low growl. "Don't ever trust them, do you hear me Ashpaw?" She whispered as she looked at the far off eyes in the brush of the trees.

"A-alright." Ashepaw stuttered over her words as she looked at the eyes also, but was quickly redirected by Shimmerflame as they turned back into their own territory.

"Smell the fish?" Shimmerflame asked Ashpaw with a purr as they came along another stream.

"Yeah! They smell really good! Its making me hungry." Ashpaw purred and licked her lips and even closed her eyes for a second picturing a nice fish in her mouth.

"Well, you can eat when we are done." Shimmerflame said and picked her her pace.

"Aww! Stop teasing me!" Ashpaw said staying to a walk behind her mentor.

"OK, but you have to show my how fast you are. We are going to race to the other side of the border." Shimmerflame told her. She had observed her since she was a kit and saw how fast she was, but she was wondering if the energy of becoming an apprentice was kicking in yet.

"What? Really?" Ashpaw asked.

"Yeah. Are you ready?" Shimmerflame ashed and stopped and crouched down to get ready.

"Yes.." Ashpaw said a bit unsure joining her mentor's side.

"One... Two... Three... GO!"

Ashpaw leaped and was ahead of her mentor off the bat. She moved her legs quickly, feeling energy and power in her legs. The silver apprentice was faster then she had ever been before, but she was not fast enough. Before she knew it Shimmerflame had dashed ahead of her and was speeding far off to the WindClan border. Her heart began to pound, as she breathed deep and heavy, but she was not going to give up.

The small silver cat sped up, pushing her limit to run as fast as she could and was gaining up on her mentor. She felt excitement and a jump as she caught up and was running alongside Shimmerflame now. She looked up and smiled at her mentor, and looked straight again feeling the wind in her fur as she ran. She did not stay close to her mentor long, she had started to fall behind to to her getting a bit tired.

They seemed to run for a long time and she was starting to slow down more, before her mentor stopped. Ashpaw zoomed passed hearing the call behind her, "ASHPAW STOP!" Shimmerflame had called after her.

Quickly Ashpaw stopped in her tracks and slid on her paws her hind end falling to the ground and sliding behind her. She panted as she sat there looking at what was ahead. Water and tall grass and reeds coming from it, across the water was a farm with fences and animals running about. The young apprentice had almost crashed into the water.

Looking at the island nearby and the log she had slowed her breathing and stood up and wandered over that way. "W-what's over there?" She asked still trying to gain her breath.

"Ah, thats where the Clans meet at full moon. and right beyond that barn there is WindClan territory." Shimmerflame explained pleased with her apprentices running. The silvery orange she-cat thought of the speed Ashpaw would gain as she grew, and joined her apprentices side.

"Is that all of our territory?" Ashpaw asked turning her head to face Shimmerflame.

"Well, we are aloud to go by the sea shore of the lake." Shimmershine said looking at the lake shore in the distance as she spoke.

"Really! Can we go now and look!?" Ashpaw asked with a jump of excitement.

"No, not now Ashpaw we can only use it for hunting. So I can show you that tomorrow. But come on we still have a bit of the territory to see." Shimmerflame said as she turned herself around and began to pad off looking back to make sure Ashpaw was following.

Ashpaw had quickly followed and sighed. She felt like the rues were tight, but she knew it was part of the Warrior Code so she shook it off and smiled raising her head hey as she walked proudly picking up her feet high while she walked.

Shimmershine began to take Ashpaw all over the territory she had not seen yet. Through the reeds and grass past a few willow and oak tree's over small streams until she could swim. She guided her to to where the apprentices train from where they were before. There they ran into Ashpaw's fellow apprentices.

"Pick it up Pinepaw you are better then this!" Ripplecloud called from the top of a pile of rocks.

"Sorry Ripplecloud!" the young light brown apprentice called up with innocent eyes as she almost slipped of the next rock. She was trying to climb the pile, her and her brother Brookpaw had not been apprentices long and part of their training was to climb the pile of rocks to their mentor. Skypelt was at the bottom of the rocks observing from there, he was Brookpaw's mentor.

Skypelt watched as Brookpaw was in the far lead, he also gave Ripplecloud a bit of a look, he hated when he gave the mean tone with his apprentice. "Keep it up you are almost their." He called to Pinepaw and Brookpaw.

"Oh hello there Skypelt!" Shimmerflame dipped her head in greeting. "I'm sorry i didn't realise you were going to train here today. I was just showing Ashpaw here around."

"Oh, Shimmerflame hello! Oh its ok! We are just having Pinepaw and Brookpaw climbing the rocks today." Skypelt said looking over and purring at the two. "Hello young Ashpaw!" He looked at the new apprentice.

Ashpaw still felt a bit shy, so she took a step back and dipped her head but said nothing.

"Ah, well i'm just giving her a quick look! We should have Pinepaw, Brookpaw, and Ashpaw train together sometime!" Shimmerflame said. "Come on Ashpaw." She added and started to pad around the small clearing.

Ashpaw looked up as she walked with Shimmerflame. She saw Pinepaw struggling and wanted to cheer for her. Instead she just glanced over at Brookpaw who was farther up and had even caught her eye and smiled and waved his tail in greeting.

"BROOKPAW focus!" Ripplecloud snapped and a growl followed.

"Sorry!" Brookpaw called and snapped his head away and started to climb again.

Ashpaw jerked back a bit after hearing Ripplecloud yell, but she quickly just walked with Shimmerflame again looking away.

Brookpaw glanced back and stopped again but quickly shook his head and leaped to the next rock almost making it to the top. Pinepaw also looked at Ashpaw and felt a hatred she could not explain, she rolled her eyes and growled a bit as she tried to catch up with Brookpaw.

Ashpaw followed Shimmerflame through some more reeds and over a small stream as she heard Ripplecloud calling again for them to pick up the pace. She shivered a bit but ignored it she she leaped forward to be by Shimmerflame's side again.

Her silvery orange mentor lead her all around, they want to the back of the territory where the Thunderpath lies, and back, even trotting by the ShadowClan border again. It was the perfect time of year to be there, green-leaf had just started so the two-legs had not arrived yet.

"Ok see the half bridge?" Shimemrflame asked.

"Yes." Ashpaw said and glanced at it.

"I never want you to go past that or the dirt path behind it ok Ashpaw?" Shimmerflame asked.

"Wh-why?" Ashpaw asked.

"Well, you shouldn't ask me. You need to ask Sunspirit, she has a story that will make you understand." Shimerflame said.

Ashpaw just nodded and walked alongside her mentor as they walked down to the lake shore. They didn't stay there long, they had made a wider turn and started to make their way back to camp.

After a short walk they had come to the streams that guard the camp. Ashpaw quickly hopped a path of stones that lead across while Shimmerflame swam beside her in the stream. Ashpaw was quickly a the other side, and she left her mentor to shake off a bit of water.

The apprentice smiled, she loved being back in camp. She closed her eyes and smelled the fresh air, but then suddenly before he could react she bumped into someone. She leaped back and her eyes opened quickly, "i-i-i'm so sorry!" She said before she realised she had ran into the leader of the clan Songstar.

"It's ok, just next time be more careful." Songstar said with a smile and an amused purr as she walked around Ashpaw and made her way to where she was going.

Ashpaw felt relief as she watched the leader go, and she could not help but smile herself. She turned her attention back to the camp as she started to pad forward again. The silver apprentice noticed the medicine cat, Sweetstream, was talking to Blossomfeather, the only queen. Blossomfeather must be having her kits very soon, and Ashpaw meowed to get their attention then waved her tail in greeting. After they greeted her back, Ashpaw bean to think of how cool it was going to be to have kits to play with again, even though she was growing up she would still find fun in it.

Then the apprentice moved on, and saw how empty the camp looked, the only other cats in camp was Sunspirit the elder, along with Fishfoot. She had just past Songstar and her and Shimmerflame had just returned so maybe it was not as empty as she might had thought.

"Ashpaw! Over here!" Shimmerflam had called.

Ashpaw quickly looked in the direction she heard her name, Shimmerflam was waving her tail for her by the fresh-kill pile. Mmm! Great time to eat! She smiled in her head and licked her lips as she sprang over and missed a small detail that Songstar had been there.

"Hello young warrior are you ready for your first meal as an apprentice?" It was Songstar's sweet voice that had come next to Shimemrflame.

Ashpaw froze almost completely, but quickly moved again to the two waiting for her as she dipped her head. "Yes Songstar I am." She said with a purr. A fish was moved to her by her mentor and she gladly took it. She glanced up to the two before her and smiled before leaning over and softly purring with happiness as she ate. After finish the fish, she licked her lips and looked up and saw that Songstar had moved to her side.

"I am looking forward to seeing your progress and training." Songstar said and padded off to where Sweetstream and Blossomfeather were.

Ashpaw was speechless, were all apprentices greeted like this? Her mind wandered as she stood straight and proud now. She looked back at Shimmerflame and she was dismissed to take the rest of the day how she wanted, what was left of it. Looking at the sun, the apprentice saw that the sun was way past sun-high, and that there had to be a lot of cats moving through the camp while she was gone. She looked at the fresh-kill pile and how full it was.

She shook her head, and decided to go lay in what was left of the sun. she padded to her favorite spot in camp and laid down and looked at the sky. Her purr was loud and strong as she started to lick her paw softly as she waited for the day.

Some time had past when she had remembered what Shimmerflame had told her about ShadowClan, she also remembered that she was told to talk to Sunspirit if she wanted to know more. She looked around and stood, looking at her mother Mintfoot leading a patrol back in camp. Forestbreeze and Icewisker had come in behind her. Mintfoot had waved to her but by the Ashpaw had stopped paying attention to her mother and set her eyes on the Elders den.