Hollow at the Core (closed training)

Quailfeather padded silently into the apprentices' den, looking for the small brown and white body of her new apprentice. When she found him, she nudged him with a white paw. "Get up, Hollowpaw. Time for training." StarClan- and apparently Ashstar- knew that she needed something to get her mind off of the turbulent problems within her family. And here he was- an apprentice to train. Well, he couldn't turn out as stone-hearted as Dewtuft, could he? It was worth a shot to make him the best warrior he could be.

OoC: he will be the best warrior ever in the world

Hollowpaw immediately opened his eyes and blinked up at his mentor. She did not lie when she said that they would start right away. The tom stood, and yawned, stretching out his growling limbs and tail. It would be his first time out of the camp and he was determined to not let her down. After a couple heartbeats, he nodded. "I'm ready." He said quietly, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

Quailfeather nodded at the young tom. "Good morning, Hollowpaw. I hope you slept well." Without waiting for a response, she went on. "We'll start today with a patrol of the territory. Tomorrow you'll learn to hunt, and then to fight. And don't forget to change out Cedarfur and Pale Light of Dusk's bedding before sunhigh, okay?" She turned away and went towards the camp's entrance, beckoning with her white tail-tip. "C'mon, the territory's this way!"

Hollowpaw dipped his head and trotted after his mentor. "How big is the moor? Can we travel all over it by sun high even?" He perked his ears as they exited the camp. His eyes widened as the morning sun hit his eyes.

The warrior offered her apprentice a grin. "It's pretty big. We're not going across the whole territory, just some of it. But you'll get the idea. Unless you're at the border, there's nothing but WindClan land for miles around. You'll see." As they walked out of the camp entrance and up to the top of the hill around the sandy hollow where they slept, the morning sun shone on the moors. Long grass as far as the eye could see- Highstones in one direction, ShadowClan in another, the Gorge in another. It gave Quailfeather a feeling of pride every time she looked at it. She remembered being an apprentice, stunned and awed at the length of their territory. She wouldn't be surprised if that was what Hollowpaw felt now. Resisting the urge to laugh at the expression on his face, she nudged him with the side of her flank. "Come on- last one to the top of that hill is a slimy slug!" The gray speckled warrior raced off, paws flying, but not at her top speed. She didn't want to lose Hollowpaw.

Hollowpaw let out a small breath as they were brought over the ridge of the camp. The young tom giggled; a race with his mentor! It couldn't get better. Hollowpaw took off after his mentor. He wasn't quite fast yet, and even though Quailfeather wasn't going top speed, he trailed behind her a few tail lengths back. His breath was heavy as he struggled to keep up his strength.

Quailfeather noticed her apprentice lagging behind, and gradually slowed down her pace enough that they reached the top of the hill side-by-side. "Close! You almost beat me, Hollowpaw," she purred, a laugh in her voice. "Keep practicing- WindClan cats are known for their swiftness, and I'll not have my apprentice be any sort of exception." The gray speckled she-cat inhaled deeply as she surveyed the territory from the hilltop, relishing the fresh mountain air and the gorgeous view. The sun's new rays broke over Highstones, casting golden light over the moors. Long grasses waved in the slight breeze, and one could notice a flurry of movement far away where a rabbit was getting a meal. The bright morning sunlight warmed her pelt as her ice-blue eyes took in the amazing sight. She never got tired of it, no matter how many times she came here. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Hollowpaw knew she was going slower for his own benefit, and he was grateful she didn't completely leave him in the dust. The apprentice was heaving as she spoke, glancing around. The territory really was beautiful. After he caught his breath, Hollowpaw straightened. "I'll become faster. You won't be able to keep up with me!" he challenged, a gleam in his eye. His direction turned to High Stones. "What's that?"

Quailfeather turned to her apprentice and grinned at his eager challenge. "We'll see about that. Practice, Hollowpaw, and you'll definitely improve." At his next question, her icy blue eyes found the rocks he spoke of. It wasn't difficult to find. The massive stone spires rose upwards into the sky, a singular dark hole visible that she knew contained the Moonstone, where medicine cats went to speak with StarClan and where leaders received their nine lives. One day, she hoped to go there and lead WindClan to greatness. If she ever lived that long. She just had to prove that she was better than her father, and better than maybe even Ashstar herself and maybe, someday, Brindlewhisker would make her deputy. Someday. But not yet. Shaking off her train of thought, the gray speckled warrior turned back to the young brown tabby tom. "That is Highstones. Inside is a maze of tunnels, where one can find the sacred Moonstone. That is where medicine cats like Sagepaw go when they share tongues with StarClan, and where leaders like Ashstar go to be accepted by our warrior ancestors and receive their lives." She grinned her crooked grin at Hollowpaw. "Who knows? Maybe you'll go there someday, huh?"