ThunderClan Territory

[feathr]

Rushfire washed her tail and then her shoulders while she waited at the camp's entry to give Flamepaw time for her new rank to soak in. Finally, Rushfire looked up and got to her paws. "Flamepaw!" She called, hoping her voice carried over the chatter. @SpiritedWarrior

[SpiritedWarrior]

Originally Posted by feathr

Rushfire washed her tail and then her shoulders while she waited at the camp's entry to give Flamepaw time for her new rank to soak in. Finally, Rushfire looked up and got to her paws. "Flamepaw!" She called, hoping her voice carried over the chatter. @SpiritedWarrior

“Here!” Flamepaw called back in a purr as she weaves through her Clanmates and approached her mentor. Her fur was ruffled with excitement and her green eyes were gleaming with anticipation. I wonder where we’ll go first! “So, where will we go first?”

The apprentice couldn’t wait much longer, but she forced herself to stand still and wait for Rushfire to respond. Surely running out of camp without knowing where she was going would be a bad decision and she could get in trouble for it.

[feathr]

"Follow me," Rushfire responded, ducking her head as she padded under the leaves and emerging outside of camp. The trees here were sparse compared to deeper in the territory. They stood tall and regal, waving their branches at the cats. "What do you think?" She swished her tail to convey all of the visible territory.

"Hmm, I think we'll visit the Weeping Tree. It is nearest to camp. It is like the Thunderwillow, but smaller." She padded up to where the shrubs grew thicker. "Careful of these brambles, they're prickly." She entered a narrow passageway that must have been carved out by other traveling cats. When she found the Weeping Tree, she walked in a circle around it. It was elegant and the hanging stems were as soft as fur. "Pretty?" She asked.

"I think we should head to Firefly Cove next" Rushfire traveled a ways and found where woods broke into meadow. She climbed over several small boulders and, on the top of one, she gestured to Flamepaw to pause with her. "Beautiful place! I like to come here just for the colors and sunshine." She leaped off of the boulder and into the grass. "Though it may be tempting to burn off energy and run through the grass sometimes, I wouldn't recommend it until you know this place well. A cliff borders it and an unknowing cat could easily fall off." Rushfire jumped into a patch of flowers and dropped on her back and rolled in them. She sprung back to her paws. "Now I smell like flowers!" She purred.

"Now, one place you should avoid, is Muskrat Mire. Like the name implies, Muskrat's live there. They are dangerous, and the place is otherwise stinky and unpleasant. So we'll walk around that." And so she did, swerving on a path that bordered it, where the soil underpaw just began to turn into clay and scratchy flaxen-colored grasses grew. Then she headed back towards camp a ways, turned, and a sparkling creek came into view.

"We sure did a lot of walking today. I hope it wasn't too hard on you. Here's some water." Rushfire went forward so her front paws dipped in inch deep water, then she leaned down and drank. "Sunkissed Creek is the best place to get water I know, nothing like the stagnant water you may be used to drinking from moss, with the flavor of moss and dust, too!"

"So, I suppose we should return to camp, now." She mewed pleasantly. Making her way across shrubby ferns, she located a particular stem from one bush near camp. She dug and retrieved a mouse, then offered it to Flamepaw. "Here, you can have this. The fresh-kill pile is full anyway, and you deserve it. " She purred. "That's all for today, I would like you to rest, unless you still have energy to spare?" She tilted her head.
@SpiritedWarrior

[SpiritedWarrior]

Originally Posted by feathr

"Follow me," Rushfire responded, ducking her head as she padded under the leaves and emerging outside of camp. The trees here were sparse compared to deeper in the territory. They stood tall and regal, waving their branches at the cats. "What do you think?" She swished her tail to convey all of the visible territory.

"Hmm, I think we'll visit the Weeping Tree. It is nearest to camp. It is like the Thunderwillow, but smaller." She padded up to where the shrubs grew thicker. "Careful of these brambles, they're prickly." She entered a narrow passageway that must have been carved out by other traveling cats. When she found the Weeping Tree, she walked in a circle around it. It was elegant and the hanging stems were as soft as fur. "Pretty?" She asked.

"I think we should head to Firefly Cove next" Rushfire traveled a ways and found where woods broke into meadow. She climbed over several small boulders and, on the top of one, she gestured to Flamepaw to pause with her. "Beautiful place! I like to come here just for the colors and sunshine." She leaped off of the boulder and into the grass. "Though it may be tempting to burn off energy and run through the grass sometimes, I wouldn't recommend it until you know this place well. A cliff borders it and an unknowing cat could easily fall off." Rushfire jumped into a patch of flowers and dropped on her back and rolled in them. She sprung back to her paws. "Now I smell like flowers!" She purred.

"Now, one place you should avoid, is Muskrat Mire. Like the name implies, Muskrat's live there. They are dangerous, and the place is otherwise stinky and unpleasant. So we'll walk around that." And so she did, swerving on a path that bordered it, where the soil underpaw just began to turn into clay and scratchy flaxen-colored grasses grew. Then she headed back towards camp a ways, turned, and a sparkling creek came into view.

"We sure did a lot of walking today. I hope it wasn't too hard on you. Here's some water." Rushfire went forward so her front paws dipped in inch deep water, then she leaned down and drank. "Sunkissed Creek is the best place to get water I know, nothing like the stagnant water you may be used to drinking from moss, with the flavor of moss and dust, too!"

"So, I suppose we should return to camp, now." She mewed pleasantly. Making her way across shrubby ferns, she located a particular stem from one bush near camp. She dug and retrieved a mouse, then offered it to Flamepaw. "Here, you can have this. The fresh-kill pile is full anyway, and you deserve it. " She purred. "That's all for today, I would like you to rest, unless you still have energy to spare?" She tilted her head.
@SpiritedWarrior

Nodding at Rushfire's instructions to follow her, Flamepaw padded close behind the she-cat and surveyed the new land. Great StarClan! I wonder where Violetpaw went on her adventure! The she-cat flipped around and walked backward, studying the camp entrance so she wouldn't accidentally drop into camp. Noticing Rushfire had not stopped explaining things, Flamepaw turned back around and tried to keep pace with her mentor.

"This is amazing! I didn't know our territory was so beautiful!" she exclaimed with perked ears. As the pair began to approach the Weeping Tree and the forest floor began to get denser, Flamepaw struggled to keep close. She had barely missed tangling her paws in the brambles. After a few more steps, Flamepaw looked up at the large tree. The Weeping Tree!

"It's so pretty!" she replied.

Padding into the meadow, Flamepaw gasped in awe, "Firefly Cove is amazing!"
The trees were in an even line, separating the forest from the meadow. The grass was as tall as she was, but it wasn't orange. Instead, it was a light green color- nearly yellow. Her orange and white paws followed the path that Rushfire and many others have left and leaped on top of the boulder to sit beside her mentor.

"A cliff?! You won't catch me anywhere near that!" she shook her head. "I don't want to go to StarClan yet!" The apprentice joined Rushfire on the ground and she rolled around, her pelt became full of petals from the flowers she had squished. After a moment, Flamepaw sat up and groomed her pelt. No way I'm going back to camp like a complete mess! Once her pelt was free of any debris she had gathered from the trek, she turned her attention back to the orange and sandy-colored she-cat.

Continuing to listen to Rushfire, she perked her ears at the mention of Muskrat Mire. She wrinkled her nose when her mentor had said it was stinky and unpleasant. How big are muskrats? They can't be that big, can they? Following Rushfire out of Firefly Cove and onto the path, Flamepaw grimaced at the feeling of hardness under her paws. The thought of soft dirt was much more pleasant.

Her paws were now beginning to drag underneath her and her head had lowered in tiredness. The territory is so big! Seeing Sunkissed Creek increased her morale and she happily plunged her paws into it. The dirt and grime that had collected between her paw pads had gone away and she had gotten clean once more. Bending down just as Rushfire had done, she drank the water. Despite the heat, it felt fresh and cool on her tongue. It tasted much better than what water was in the moss.

The apprentice jumped over every few ferns, not wanting to walk into camp with wet paws. She figured it would be the best way to get rid of water instead of just cleaning it with her tongue. Besides, she enjoyed the feeling of the wind touching her skin. When offered a mouse, Flamepaw's mouth watered and she happily took it and ate, being more hungry than she realized. So good!

Looking up, she noticed Rushfire had spoken once more. "No, I'm pretty tired," she admitted. "I do have some questions though... do you think the other Clans could be jealous of us because we have such amazing territory? Do all Clans have territory this big? What makes muskrats so dangerous?"

[feathr]

Originally Posted by SpiritedWarrior

Looking up, she noticed Rushfire had spoken once more. "No, I'm pretty tired," she admitted. "I do have some questions though... do you think the other Clans could be jealous of us because we have such amazing territory? Do all Clans have territory this big? What makes muskrats so dangerous?"

"The other clans? They may be a threat, just out of wanting more land with more prey - or more land for power. Though, each territory is best suited for the clan that lives there. But I don't find much interest in the other clan's territories. RiverClan's territory would mean too much swimming, for example, and in WindClan's territory I would get bored and feel too exposed. Even if I did want their territories, we already have Firefly Cove and Sunkissed Creek to fill that niche." Rushfire sat down with calmness, feeling accomplished after the hike with her new apprentice. "Muskrats have sharp claws and sharp teeth," She mewed, raising a paw with unsheathed claws to demonstrate. "They are bigger than rats. They live in groups and are territorial. I wouldn't bother with them. Even experienced apprentices have trouble." She licked the paw she had been holding up and ran it against her ear. She looked down at Flamepaw and smiled. "You're my first apprentice. I have high hopes for you!" With that, Rushfire padded back into camp.

[SpiritedWarrior]

Originally Posted by feathr

"The other clans? They may be a threat, just out of wanting more land with more prey - or more land for power. Though, each territory is best suited for the clan that lives there. But I don't find much interest in the other clan's territories. RiverClan's territory would mean too much swimming, for example, and in WindClan's territory I would get bored and feel too exposed. Even if I did want their territories, we already have Firefly Cove and Sunkissed Creek to fill that niche." Rushfire sat down with calmness, feeling accomplished after the hike with her new apprentice. "Muskrats have sharp claws and sharp teeth," She mewed, raising a paw with unsheathed claws to demonstrate. "They are bigger than rats. They live in groups and are territorial. I wouldn't bother with them. Even experienced apprentices have trouble." She licked the paw she had been holding up and ran it against her ear. She looked down at Flamepaw and smiled. "You're my first apprentice. I have high hopes for you!" With that, Rushfire padded back into camp.

If some Clans want more territory for more power, then how harmful can they be to the other Clans? I'll have to fight hard for the territory if I ever want to be a good warrior... Flamepaw thought, flicking her tail. As for the muskrats, Flamepaw let out a growl of agreement. I'll never go out there unless I'm with a patrol or warrior! she promised herself. Territorial rats sound like bad news... She then smiled at Rushfire and flicked an ear out of thanks. High hopes may mean high expectations. I'll need to work as hard as I can!

Flamepaw followed Rushfire into the camp, her tail and head held high with confidence. Wait until I tell all the other new apprentices about what I did!

[feathr]

Don't say anything, Rushfire had said to Flamepaw on the way to the cave. She did not elaborate. Her paws carried her to a place with scarped stone. The rock stretched high above her head, almost as tall as a tree. It looked as though it was solid and unbreakable, but Rushfire moved to the side of the rock and found a crevice where rock met rock. She squeezed past and disappeared into the darkness. It opened up before her, and other cracks and openings were revealed in the inside that lit up the cave that were almost unnoticeable from the outside. Rushfire turned and patiently waited, wondering if Flamepaw could find the entrance for herself. @SpiritedWarrior

[SpiritedWarrior]

Originally Posted by feathr

Don't say anything, Rushfire had said to Flamepaw on the way to the cave. She did not elaborate. Her paws carried her to a place with scarped stone. The rock stretched high above her head, almost as tall as a tree. It looked as though it was solid and unbreakable, but Rushfire moved to the side of the rock and found a crevice where rock met rock. She squeezed past and disappeared into the darkness. It opened up before her, and other cracks and openings were revealed in the inside that lit up the cave that were almost unnoticeable from the outside. Rushfire turned and patiently waited, wondering if Flamepaw could find the entrance for herself. @SpiritedWarrior

Don't say anything, Flamepaw. Don't say anything... Flamepaw calmly reminded herself as she followed Rushfire over to the Training Cave. Rushfire had reminded her before leaving camp to stay quiet. Although Flamepaw didn't know why, she decided not to question it at the time. I'll be learning battle moves! Finally! This is the moment I've been waiting for, ever since I was a kit! A chance to learn how to defend the Clan!

Bringing her attention back to the matter at paw, Flamepaw blinked in surprise, not knowing where the orange warrior had gone. At least I know her scent... Flamepaw smirked and opened her jaws to taste the air, catching a whiff of her mentor. Picking up her pace, the orange and white tabby apprentice followed the scent and looked up in awe at the size of the opening to the Training Cave. How can I not say anything? This place is amazing!

Walking inside, Flamepaw was forced to rely on her sense of smell and hearing until she could get to Rushfire. Squeezing through the darkness of the cave entrance, Flamepaw's pupils narrowed with the amount of light. She looked up at the cracks that had formed in the rocks and smiled in awe. She then sat down and curled her long and fluffy tail over her paws.

[feathr]

Suddenly, the silence was broken. "Hello!!!" She mewed loudly, and the cave answered her with hello, hello, hello... in an echo. She watched Flamepaw expectantly, wondering if she would startle at what may be the unexpected. @SpiritedWarrior

[SpiritedWarrior]

Originally Posted by feathr

Suddenly, the silence was broken. "Hello!!!" She mewed loudly, and the cave answered her with hello, hello, hello... in an echo. She watched Flamepaw expectantly, wondering if she would startle at what may be the unexpected. @SpiritedWarrior

Flamepaw jumped back and unsheathed her claws in surprise as the silence was broken in the cave. We can speak now? I think I can speak now... she smoothed out her fur but kept her claws unsheathed. If we're battle training, I have to be ready...

"Hi!" she purred and tilted her head slightly, blinking. Once her eyes opened and her green eyes shown with determination and curiosity, she swiveled her ears to listen as her voice echoed off the rock walls of the cave. "Cool..."