Teaching the Borders

The sun was high up in the sky, heat beating down upon the clearing that had been burned not too long ago. Falconfang was just finishing a meal, and with a swipe of his tongue across his muzzle he stood up and headed towards the apprentice den. He had not one but two apprentices to train now. Poking his head into the den, he called out to see if they were inside; "Rainpaw, Lionpaw, c'mon! We're going on a border patrol." It would be a good idea to finally show his apprentices the territory.

Lionpaw got up after finishing his rabbit, licking his lips to clean up what was left. "Coming!" he said, padding over to his mentor. He was really excited about his first day training as an apprentice.

Rainpaw had been lounging lazily near the entrance of the apprentice's den, and opened her eyes slowly when Falconfang called to her and Lionpaw. She twitched her tail in slight irritation, but got to her paws all the same to follow her mentor. Besides, it was her first time out as an apprentice!

When his apprentices had appeared next to him, he smiled and nodded to them. "We're going to explore the territory and our borders today," he repeated, pointing with his tail beyond the clan camp. "We'll start with Riverclan, and then work our way around. Let's go!" He started to pad out of camp, looking back to make sure his charges were following him.

Lionpaw excitedly followed Falconfang. He couldn't wait to see the territory!

Rainpaw pretended to be disinterested, but she truly was curious and excited. She trotted after the two toms, her tail half-raised in a smooth curve.

Eventually the trio reached the Riverclan border, where the sound of gently-lapping water reached their ears. "Well, here's the Riverclan border," Falconfang mewed, gesturing across the water with his tail. "What do you two know about Riverclan?" He would teach them more about each clan, but he figured it would be good to start with what they already knew, if anything.

"Well, I know that they hunt fish, but that's about it." Lionpaw said.

We're being questioned so soon? Rainpaw became a little nervous. Once Lionpaw had finished, she said, "Well, they can swim, I believe."

Falconfang nodded in approval, beginning to mark the borders. "Very good. They do swim and eat fish, and their food source is usually very full. They don't get as hungry as the other clans do, and they're able to use the water plus their strong bodies to their advantage in combat." He turned towards the two apprentices and mewed solemnly, "Hopefully you won't have to engage in a battle with another clan, but it's good to know about your opponent just in case it comes to that. Now, let's see if we can get to the Shadowclan border before the sun sets."

Rainpaw's ears twitched at the solemn words her mentor spoke. She glanced at Lionpaw, her green eyes a little wide. However, she quickly looked away to follow Falconfang.

Lionpaw noticed Rainpaw's surprised look and he had to agree. He followed the two cats and wondered what ShadowClan smelled like.

Eventually the three cats reached the stretch of Thunderpath that created a border between Windclan and Shadowclan, the loud hum of monsters whipping by to signal its existence. "Be careful," he warned his charges as they approached the black strip, the smell of it particularly acrid, yet he couldn't dismiss the calm feeling that the noise of the place brought over him. "This is the Thunderpath," he called over the noise, holding his tail out to keep them from wandering too close to the edge. Another monster whizzed by, and another. "Shadowclan territory is over that way, beyond the Thunderpath. This entire area is dangerous, as any misstep can spell disaster for a cat laying a paw on there. The monsters that run across the path can't seem to see us, but that doesn't mean they won't attempt to kill you. I don't want either of you being around here unless I take you over here, okay?" He gave them a stern gaze, then softened it and smiled. "Can you tell me anything about Shadowclan?"

"Well..." He began, thinking hard, "ShadowClan like the night, that's when they're at their best."

At Falconfang's warning, Rainpaw's eyes widened slightly, but relaxed when he asked his question. After Lionpaw replied, Rainpaw gave her response.
"They're really creepy and rather self-entitled," she stated; it was the biggest stereotype she knew about another clan.