Nightpaw opened her eyes and looked around. For a second she was scared, forgetting that she was in the apprentice den. After a moment she remembered, she recognized the faces, except for one. It was a brownish tom with ivory and dark brown splotches. She watched as his chest slowly rose and fell.
She purred at the sight of Duskpaw and her other littermates. Once she wasn't too tired she stepped out into the clearing. It was just now sunup so she went and waited by the warriors den for her mentor, Sacredthorn, to come out.
As she waited, the unknown, to her, tom came out of the apprentices' den and decided to join her. "Waiting for Sacredthorn?" He asked. "Yes, who are you? Leopardpaw? No, Lichenpaw? No, what is your name?" She asked. "Lionpaw." He purred. "I'm not many moons older than you, you know. I'm only eight moons." Nightpaw looked at him. "Really?" Lionpaw nodded. "You're Nightkit, right?" Lionpaw looked at her. "Yes." She purred. "Who's your mentor?" Nightpaw asked. "Koistep." His voice trailed off some, leaving her curious about if there's something she should know about the deputy.
Nightpaw looked down at the white diamond on her chest and her orange paw, she looked back up and looked at Lionpaw. "You know what you're doing today?" Lionpaw asked Nightpaw. "No." She admitted. "I think I'm learning to scent today maybe." She looked at his short, fur. He's nice, she thought.
After they shared tongues for a bit more, Sacredthorn and a few more warriors stepped out. Sacredthorn looked at his apprentice, "Ready?" He asked. "Ready." She nodded, Or am I? She thought. She didn't want to leave Lionpaw quite yet.
Nightpaw followed Sacredthorn out into the forest and listened to his instructions. "Smell the wind, what's it smell like?" Nightpaw smelled the wind and thought about it. "Rabbit?" She looked at her mentor for confirmation. "Yes, can you tell me how recently it's been through here?" He waited for her reply. Nightpaw tasted the wind and pondered, "Recently but not too recently. If we followed the scent we could find it, likely." She looked at her mentor. "Good." He purred his approval.
Sacredthorn shows her a few more scents before sending her back to camp to relax. She bounded back to camp and went to see if Lionpaw was back from his training yet. She ducked in and saw him lying there washing.
"Hi!" She purred. "Hey!" He purred back. "Sacredthorn let me go early." She told him. "I was told to stay here, Koistep has cuts on his paws."
She looked at him for a moment before padding over to her bedding. "How was today?" Lionpaw asked her. "Good, I learned to track and hunt." Nightpaw purred. Lionpaw nodded to her and continued washing.
Nightpaw decided she would do the same. She sat there washing herself until it was highsun. She left the apprentices' den and went to see if she could find Duskpaw. She bounded towards the camp entrance and poked her head out, no cat was there and the only thing she could smell was from the morning patrol returning. She ducked back in and peaked inside the elders' den. She only saw a fluffy black and white tom lying there asleep, Best not to bother him, she thought. She padded out of the elders' den and towards the warriors' den. Maybe Marseye is in here. She peaked in and looked around, there she was, a light colored she-cat with a grayish tabby point face and light blue eyes. "Hello Nightpaw." Said Marseye with a bit of delight in her voice. "Looking for Dustpaw I suppose?" Nightpaw nodded. "She got scratched by a squirrel. She's with Oceanpool currently." Marseye turned her attention back to the other warrior, Berrytail, so Nightpaw bounded off towards the medicine den.
She slowly went through the lichen towards the area Duskpaw and Oceanpool would be in. "Hello?" Nightpaw called. "Hello?" Called back a slightly deep voice. "It's Nightpaw, I came to see Duskpaw." She responded. "Come in," Said the tom.
Nightpaw went towards where the voice was and saw Duskpaw and a somewhat small tom sitting together. "Nightpaw!" Purred Duskpaw. "Duskpaw!" Nightpaw purred to her sister, before running up and nuzzling her. "I heard you were scratched." Nightpaw said, concern in her voice. "Yeah... I'm okay though, Oceanpool put stuff on it." Duskpaw looked at her guiltily. "I caught some other things before that squirrel scratched me though." Duskpaw purred proudly. Oceanpool just sat there watching the two apprentices share tongues. "What have you been taught so far?" Oceanpool asked, he didn't want to interrupt but he was getting bored. "I've seen the territory and I've tracked and hunted so far!" Meowed Nightpaw sitting up straight. "Me too!" Meowed Duskpaw. Nightpaw was about to talk about the fact she already knew the scents of the cats in the clan when Saturnstar came in.
"Oceanpool!" Hissed Saturnstar. "Yes?" Oceanpool stood up faster than Nightpaw could say 'hare'. "Moonpool has been badly injured in a border patrol fight. She doesn't have enough energy to make her way in here." Saturnstar said, urgency in her voice. "Coming!" Oceanpool leapt out of the den. "We don't know if the LakeClan cats followed the patrol but stayed out of sight yet, stay in here until you have been told it's clear." Saturnstar looked at the apprentices expectantly before they nodded. She padded out towards Oceanpool and Moonpool.
