Like Clockwork [Closed]

Stormbringer stood at the entrance of camp waiting on her new apprentice to join her. Today they would be going over the borders of the Riverclan territory, and maybe do a bit of hunting if time allowed. She had called Leopardpaw out of the Apprentices' den not too many moments before, letting the newly named apprentice take time to wake up and gather the energy she needed for the day.

Since they would be out for a majority of the day, Stormbringer had already covered border patrols and hunting patrols until she had returned to resume her duty, if something else needed to be cover she was sure Ivystar or Honey tongue could cover it for her if needed. For today it was going to be just her and her new apprentice.

Leopardpaw blinked open her eyes as the call came from outside the den. It was Stormbringer, her mentor. Leopardpaw yawned as she tried to process what Stormbringer was saying. "-me on, we're going to patrol the borders today," Leopardpaw heard. A moment passed as she blinked slowly, then she sat bolt-upright. Stormbringer was taking her on patrol today!

She leapt to her paws, only to stumble slightly as her paws shook out their numbness. After a moment more of waking up, Leopardpaw padded out of the Apprentice Den, looking around for Stormbringer. She noticed the deputy standing near the Willow Branch, and padded up to her.

"I'm ready, Stormbringer!" she chirped happily. "Are we bringing anyone along with us?"

Stormbringer couldn't help the smile that appeared on her maw from Leopardpaw's excitement. This younger energy was exactly what she needed to brighten her days. The gray deputy shook her head in response to her apprentice's question. "No. It will just be us today. I don't want anyone getting impatient as I show you somethings, or being a distraction either. This way you will have the chance to learn as much as you can." Stormbringer informed her young apprentice.

Amber eyes lifted to the rest of the camp for a moment to make sure every thing else was organized and going as planned. When she saw it was, in her quick glance, she looked back at Leopardpaw. "Come on, let's get going." With a flick of her tail she lead the apprentice out of the camp, and to the border.

Leopardpaw kneaded her paws into the ground impatiently as Stormbringer answered her question. "Oh, okay!" she responded to Stormbringer's words, telling her they would be alone today to minimize distractions. "Oooooh, I can't wait!" she said happily, giving a little bounce.

But she didn't have to wait long, Stormbringer soon told Leopardpaw to follow her, and Leopardpaw did so, heading out of camp and into the unknown.

The trip to the border wasn't too long. It was a short trip to the Thunderclan border, the easiest one to get to out of the three borders they shared with other clans. Windclan being the next, and then the little border they shared with Skyclan down the river being the last. Of course Leopardpaw would learn about a few of these things today, maybe even attempt to hunt before they reached the Fourtrees.

Once they reached the low reaching River, Stormbringer paused. The water was still low, the current a trickle at this point compared to what it used to be. The river bank mud cracked in some places due to the heat they had suffered, and the lack of moisture.

"Over there, on the other side of the River, is Thunderclan. They live in the forest with dense undergrowth, that they manage to not get stuck in, somehow." The deputy comment still not understanding how any of them did it. "The river separates us for the most part but there are some parts where it doesn't. One of those places being the Sunning Rocks which we will probably pass later on." She explained. The rocks were further down the river but certainly in the path of their little patrol. The deputy scanned the area in front of her checking over everything before looking at her apprentice. "Take in the sight and the small, become familiar with it. Take as long as you like so you know what you are looking for next time you are out, with or without me." Stormbringer instructed.

Leopardpaw scurried after Stormbringer, looking around the tall grasses and reeds as they walked along cracked, dried mud. This greenleaf had been brutally hot, with little to no rain to be had, making most of the streams and the river dry up. As they reached the edge of what was once the riverbank, now dried mud and sand, Stormbringer slowed to a halt. She pointed with her tail across the river, explaining that on the other side of the river was Thunderclan territory. She made a comment about how Thunderclan somehow managed to get through the dense undergrowth, and Leopardpaw frowned, thinking.

"Maybe it's like us and the reeds," she suggested. "We get used to how to navigate through them, right? They must get used to getting through the undergrowth."

Stormbringer then explained that the river separated them throughout most of their boundary, with the exception of Sunningrocks, which Leopardpaw remembered hearing many a battle-story about from the elders and her mother. At Stormbringer's instruction, Leopardpaw scented the air for a few minutes, getting herself used to the smell of their border with Thunderclan. It was a strange scent to the young cat: musky and smelled of mouse and dirt. "Okay, I think I got it," she said after a few minutes. "Are we going to see the entire border today, Stormbringer?"

"I suppose that is fair.." The deputy said after the comment of the reeds being like the undergrowth. In her eyes, the reeds weren't like the brush and brambles. They weren't as thick so it wasn't too similar but she hadn't ever been too far into Thunderclan territory so she didn't have the full experience.

Stormbringer continued to scan around the area with her amber gaze making sure nothing was out of place. Not that it would have been considering things were rather okay for now, but still it didn't hurt to check. Her attention was pulled back to her apprentice when Leopardpaw had spoken up. "We will be going to the Windclan border today. It would take too long for us to double back for the Skyclan border so we will have to see that one another day." The gray she-cat explained.

With a flick of her tail, and a simple "Come on," Stormbringer continued walking, towards the Fourtrees.

“OK,” Leopardpaw mewed happily, her tail waving cheerfully. She trotted after Stormbringer. She looked around as they walked through the reeds and grasses, curious about the River. “Why is it so low, Stormbringer? Is Starclan mad at us, and that’s why there’s no rain?”

Stormbringer shook her head. "I don't think it's because Starclan is mad." Or at least she hoped that wasn't the reason.. "I think it is just because it has been so hot lately that the water has dried up." They certainly didn't need Starclan mad at them again. She couldn't handle having another situation like the righteous few. Eventually the pair had reached the Fourtrees. "This is the Fourtrees. I'm sure you have heard stories of this place before but this is where we will come on the full moon to gather with the other clans in a time of peace." The deputy explained.

Leopardpaw nodded at Stormbringer's wise words as she followed her mentor through the plains and across a bridge. Soon the giants of Fourtrees were in sight. Leopardpaw looked up at the huge trees and the large boulder that sat in the middle of it all.

"Wow!" she breathed. "This place is awesome!" she exclaimed, turning around in a circle excitedly.