Staring at the Sun [c]

Rainpaw was still learning the expanse of Skyclan's territory. It was a little odd, exploring it for himself, feeling the give of the plush grass beneath his paws and staring up at the sunlight filtering through the huge trees, and feeling not fear, but a sense of safety and belonging. The trees that had felt like they had towered so far above his head and bore down on him when he first arrived in this forest now felt like home. It was a nice feeling, if nothing else.

Rainpaw was joining Wolfblossom for the dawn patrol. He joined any patrol he was allowed ever since his apprenticeship ceremony, eager to train and prove himself as a member of the clan, especially if it was with the cats he felt comfortable with. He tilted his head up, enjoying the scent of the early morning air, the crisp scent filling his lungs. He sped up as he and Wolfblossom walked alongside the Thunderclan border, having to move a little faster to keep up with Wolfblossom's naturally longer stride thanks to their difference in size. He's been mostly quiet, he wasn't that used to waking up early and he was content in the quiet, not feeling the need to fill the silence. But curiosity bubbled up in him as he looked across the border.

He breathed in again, trying to catch the scent of Thunderclan from across the border. He was still learning what differentiated the scents of the different clans. "Have you been to Thunderclan before?" Rainpaw asked curiously. "Or talked much to a Thunderclanner? Sorry, I'm still learning what sets us all apart."

Rainpaw glanced at Wolfblossom in surprise at hearing about her father. He hadn't known that about Wolfblossom's history. It gave him a little bit of reassurance, though, to think about how he was far from the first cat to join Skyclan from the outside. Dovefrost, from the way Wolfblossom talked about him, sounded like a good cat, and Rainpaw wished he'd had the chance to meet him. He had picked up on the use of past tense, and he wondered if he should say something, offer some sort of condolences, but the conversation moved forward, and he figured it would be awkward at best to say something. He wasn't sure what he'd say anyway. He's learned he's not good at saying the right thing. Crookedpaw was better at that sort of thing.

Rainpaw listened intently to Wolfblossom's explanation, looking down at his paws to study the way the territory had started to shift in it's surroundings. He nodded, turning to examine the undergrowth that had become more common as they walked along. "I see what you mean," He mewed softly. He looked at Wolfblossom again. "Do you like going to Fourtrees, Ms. Wolfblossom? For the gathering, I mean." He asked. "I know it's a good chance to meet cats from other clans, and I look forward to learning more about them, but it does seem awfully... overwhelming, to have all those cats in one place."