Pansypaw's first outing

Dewleaf woke up just as the sun crested the horizon, stiffly she climbed out her nest and padded to the apprentice den. "Pansypaw? Eat then meet me outside of camp please" She mewed while nudging the white 'paw.

She slept like a log. The apprentice had been under the same roof with all her other siblings once again and she would begin training pretty soon too. A happy purr crept from her throat being comfortable in the soft moss of her nest. An ear twitched once she sensed someone coming into the den, lifting her head lazily as she felt Dewleaf nudge her paw. Pansypaw had sighed loudly up this early in the morning..? Not her style at all.

As her mentor left the den the apprentice forced herself onto her paws shaking out the moss that stuck to her fluffy white pelt. 'eat..? No thanks..' a dazed look was still in her yellow green eyes as she stumbled after Dewleaf still being quite wobbly on her paws. She was gonna eat when she caught something.. She was going to eat her first prey, "D-Dewleaf..! Wait up!"

Dewleaf paused outside the camp entrance, "Well if you won't eat then let's get started we have a long day of border patrol, and maybe a bit of hunting after" She smirked as she turned her sleek grey head to see the not-so-awake apprentice behind her.

Pansypaw nodded an eager smile placed on her muzzle. She couldn't wait to get started, she could picture it in her head the territory the huge river that Riverclan relies on for protection she couldn't wait to see it all! The white apprentice blinked shaking her pelt in hopes to wake herself up more. Eager yellow-amber eyes staring at Dewleaf. "Come on! Let's get started then." the apprentice beamed closely following behind her mentor as they left camp.

She never in her life had seen the river or the forest with her own life that's because it was forbidden for kits to leave camp and they'd be punished if they were caught. Probably would end up being made an apprentice sooner in their life times which would suck since the life of a kit was very boring. "So what's the river like?!" Pansypaw had mewed striking up a conversation with her mentor. "And what kind of prey are there??"

Dewleaf purred at the curiousity of the young cat, she sat a few tail-lengths from the first border marker and wrapped her thick tail around her paws. She watched her apprentice with sky blue eyes.
"The river is as beautiful as it is dangerous, so always be careful around it. It supplies us with much prey such as salmon, trout, even minnows for the kits. After we've done our patrol we can go to the river and i'll show you a technique for useful river hunting. Now if I've answered all of your questions could you tell me why we mark and patrol our borders daily?"
She mewed curious to see what the apprentice would say.

They weren't too far off from camp and they were already at the first border. The forest was just so big! And this border had so many hidden wonders making the apprentice curious on what was past it. As her mentor settled down so did the white she-cat glancing around at the forest with weary yellow-amber eyes. The forest was so open and dangerous she always felt so protected in camp out here it was completely different you'd have to fend for your life. Pansypaws ears perked when Dewleaf started speaking her eyes sparkling as she spoke of the river and the fish that lived there. She couldn't wait too go see it with her very own eyes and today she would try to catch her first prey! She blinked in surprise when Dewleaf said she'd take her their her eagerness only grew. "Really? You will! Yes yes yes! Thank you!" Pansypaw had mewed eagerly being so excited to see the beautiful river with her own eyes that she didn't quite hear or care about Dewleafs warning

The apprentice began to settle down blinking at her question. It was a tough question that was for sure and she didn't know exactly what the answer was. Her head pounded with anxiety and she could feel the pressure worsening. "Uhhh... No..." she spoke quietly shrinking down a little feeling a bit dissapointed in herself for not knowing.

Dewleaf marked the border and turned her attention to her apprentice, Being a mentor isn't so bad, she decided.
"Borders ensure that we are safe in our own territory, they let rouges and other clan cats know this is ours. We need our territory to sustain our clan. It's vital to our survival so we must patrol daily and fight off intruders unless they come to see Fishstar or Sparrowleaf, then we question them and keep a guard with them to camp."
She mewed breathlessly, she flicked her ears and kept padding on, soon they had reached the last border.
"You can mark this one then we will go to the river if you aren't too tired" She mewed checking the younger cat for signs of exhaustion and fatigue, walking the whole territory can be quite hard for a new apprentice.

It was a good answer Pansypaw could understand why they did that now. Whenever Mistfeather would put together patrols she was confused on what a patrol exactly was but now she knew it herself. It felt nice learning things from her mentor. An ear twitched as Dewleaf marked the border before glancing around the forest, 'Where exactly is the river anyways?' she had thought too herself but blinked when Dewleaf had gave her a task. Pansypaw slowly nodded approaching the border and marking it as well before glancing over towards her mentor. "No not tired at all!" Pansypaw mewed energy surging in her tone. They did just get here it'd be embarrassing to turn back now, "Is there only one border?" the white she-cat mewed with slight confusion.

"Oh great Starclan no! It'd take all the way till moonhigh to walk the entire territory!" Her whiskers twitched in amusement at the energetic tone. "Why don't you scent our surroundings and tell me where you think it is?" She mewed hoping her apprentice could pick out the crisp smell of the wet sandy bank besides the river.

yellow-amber eyes widened in a small fraction, she didn't realize riverclans territory was that big. "T-till Moonhigh?" She stuttered completely astonished as she glanced towards the sky only too see the sun fully out and shine in the blue sky. It did explain why the patrols Mistfeather sent out always took so long but she never imagined riverclans territory to be so big! Pansypaw blinked when Dewleaf had asked her to sniff out the river and she nodded quickly, she could do this! Taking a deep breath the white apprentice had let her nostrils fill with scents all around her, she was able to detect Dewleafs and the border markings. It was a bit overwhelming on how many scents there were but she quickly got used too it. Pansypaw then smelled something crisp and wet but she wasn't sure what it exactly was. "I can smell sand...?" She said with slight confusion her lips twitching into a frown.

Dewleaf purred, "If you don't know what it is, follow the scent!" She could hardly contain her excitement. She's doing so well! Her silver tabby pelt bristling in anticipation for the young cat.

Pansypaw nodded remembering Dewleafs words, 'Follow the scent...' Her whiskers twitched as she started too sprint off looking back too see her mentor following. "Come on Dewleaf! I wanna see the River!" There was an impatient tone in her voice but also eagerness and as the two walked they stumbled upon the great river that Riverclan was so proud of. "Wow!"

Dewleaf padded to the edge and crouched watching the shimmering surface. Whispering she mewed, "you'll see the dark shadows of fish, curve your paw and hook them out with all your strength then kill them on the bank". She waited until she saw the lazy fish swim by, quick as a flash her paw darted in the water and with it came a small trout.

Pansypaw nodded silently as she also approached the bank trying too be quiet as a mouse. The white apprentice gasped when she saw so many yummy fish! A firey gleam was in her eyes as she unseathed her own tiny claws. "Ill catch my first fish today! No worries!" She had mewed happily sticking her paw into the river water splashing everywhere and the fisb quickly scattered off. "You make it look so easy Dewleaf!"

Dewleaf held back a sigh, "Little one, you must remember if you splash, the fish will feel the vibrations and flee. Keep still and try again, and watch your own shadow too!" She mewed encouragingly.