A Patrol for Hazel

Crowflight patiently waited for Hazelpaw to join him on the edge of Riverclan territory. They were going to cross back into Skyclan territory, and go over close to the Shadowclan border. They hadn't checked on the border in a while, and even though Windclan took some of their territory didn't mean that they had to avoid it completely.

There was a sliver of excitement that had been within the brown tabby the moment she had been appointed an apprentice. She was not that familiar with Crowflight although she had little doubt that he wasn't a good warrior. Hazelpaw had stumbled on riverclans territory for not being familiar with it, making her way slower then Crowflight. When the she-cat finally had caught up she was able too catch a breath. "Sorry for being so slow.... Crowflight."

"It's fine Hazelpaw. I understand that this territory isn't our own, and it is a bit hard to navigate sometimes. Soon enough we will get out camp back, and soon enough we will be home." Crowflight stood up, and walked through the shallow part of the river. "Come on, it's not that deep. We have to get over to the edge of our territory before sundown." The black warrior said.

Home.. A soft sigh had escaped the apprentice. How she wished that she was back at skyclan camp, although she was glad that Riverclan had agreed too letting skyclan stay it wasn't really the same. The clans were completely different, it was slightly surprising too Hazel that they were even allies. "Yeah! Home!" Hazelpaw had said trying too be more upbeat blinking when Crowflight had walked through the river. The apprentice had felt her heatbeat rising, she didn't really know how too swim and she hated water. Leaning at the very edge the apprentice was hesitant too even set one paw in the shallow waters. "Is there no other way..?" Hazelpaw had said with a stubborn tone.

Crowflight turned around and looked at his apprentice. "No, there is no other way around. This is the shallowest point of the river. You should be fine. You don't even have to swim, you just kind of walk across." The fluffy black warrior explained. "Hurry up, we have a schedule to keep."

Although she didn't want too get on a bad impression with her mentor she really didn't want too step into this river. "But but.. Crowflight.. I don't want to get my paws wet..." Hazelpaw had said pleading him, batting her large green eyes although she doubted that her mentor could be swayed by her charm. Glancing at the water the apprentice had gave it a disaproving look hoping too see some sort of stepping stone nearby although of course there wasn't any. "Fine..!" She said her tail bristling, as she stepped in her eyes quickly widened with shock. "C-Cold!" The apprentice had said with a alarmed squeal dashing across water splashing everywhere as she did so.

Crowflight's eyes widen when he realized she was darting across. Quickly he stepped back from getting hit by the cold water. "Well get used to it. We are going to be crossing the water anytime we go on patrol." He said to her. He turned away from the river. "Now come on, we have to get to high pine." The warrior said.

Her mood had turned slightly sour after she had been forced too step into the freezing water. Taking a deep breath the apprentice tried too calm down as she turned her head back towards the black tom. "Fine..." The apprentice had said quickly following after her mentor. "Is windclan going to be around?" The apprentice had asked being slightly intimidated she didn't want too get into a fight on her first day as a apprentice!

Crowflight shook his head. "No. They wouldn't come this close to the border. They have more than they can deal with at the moment. One day they are going to be weak, and when that day comes we will get our camp back." The warrior said as the walked along. "Alright Hazelpaw what do you smell?" He asked.

The apprentice had felt reassured when Crowflight said those words, quietly sighing as she quickened her pace. Hazelpaw had felt much more confident now, nodding the pretty she-cat's eyes sparkled she will take revenge on those pesky windclan cats.. Mark her words. When Crowflight had suddenly stopped Hazelpaw was rather confused they weren't really close to the highpine so she wasn't sure why they were stopping. "Huh Crowflight something wrong-- Oh. " The apprentice nodded taking a deep breath and smelling the air around her. "I think it's a bird..? Maybe a mouse nearby.." Hazel had said with a shrug remembering the food that her father would bring her some times when she was at the nursery her favorite meal was a mouse that was freshly killed.

"Very good, go catch something. I will wait here." He ordered her to do. It was a good idea to take care of both types of training while they were out. Patrols were common, and hunting was common too. Since they were such a small clan, doing both while they were out allowed them to get a lot done with the day.

Her ears had went behind her head, she didn't want to catch something! Not on her first patrol there was no way she would be able to do that. Hazelpaw had no confidence in her hunting abilities, she didn't really fully understand the hunters crouch! The apprentice's nose had twitched before softly sighing, well nothing she could do about it now.. nodding slowly the she-cat had slipped away following a stale scent sale of a mouse, she doubted that her nose would be able to track it however. After long moments of searching she had finally came across it, the mouse was searching for food. With it becoming leaffall life wasn't easy for any kind of creature in the forest the apprentice felt slightly bad for killing the mouse here but she had to do it for the clan. Lowering herself into a somewhat crouch the apprentice had crept forward very badly leaping onto it and her tail lowering when she had heard it squeal in pain. Unsure on what to do next she quickly sank her teeth into the creature and headed back towards Crowflight holding the mouse between her fangs.

"S-sorry! took me awhile to get it..." The kill wasn't perfect however the mouse was still alive, it was twitching. The mouse's eyes we're bulged and it was still very much moving, laying down the mouse in front of Crowflight's paws the apprentice looked back at her mentor unsure if she did the hunt properly the kind of mice her father would bring her normally wouldn't move.. "So uhh.. what do you think?"

Crowflight patiently waited on his apprentice to go out, and get something. When she came back however he was a bit surprised. She was sloppy in her hunting which resulted in a half killed mouse. "Well it's good that you caught something, but when you catch something its better to kill it like this." The warrior bent down, and swiftly killed the mouse in one blow, finishing it off for the apprentice. "From now on do it like that." He instructed. Without waiting for her reply he got up, and continued walked for the border.

After a while they finally reached it. The scent of Shadowclan mixing with Skyclan was heavy in the air. There was a faint smell of Windclan, but that was because of the drifting scent from the camp. "Alright we are here. What do you smell Hazelpaw?" He asked.