Early Mornings [closed]

"Indeed. What wonders will we see next?" Clearpaw mused, almost more to himself than to Elmcloud, even though he was answering his question. While the Moonlit Creek was beautiful beyond compare, he had though the same way about the Half Stone, and that was before they had arrived here. Now he was just hoping that wherever they went next wouldn't just match his now high expectations, but exceed them. Of course, they didn't have too. Some of the greatest blessings were simple that only open minds could appreciate. A small flower or an exquisite bird fit into that category. Hopefully at least something like that existed at their border. Well, there had to be. He hadn't seen anything in this forest so far that he wouldn't describe as miraculous. Every tree, animal, or even blade of grass intrigued him. Smiling, he inhaled deeply, not even trying to separate the scents from each other, just smelling the entire forest as a whole. Nothing else could be as delicious as that.

"We'll head to the river next." Elmcloud mewed, carefully using the jutting stones as a way to pull himself free of the slight dip in the earth where the creek fell between. Sending down a slight shower of dry earth, scraggly grasses that were poorly rooted within the steep slopes, and stray pebbles spraying down onto the sloping banks of the Moonlit Creek, the tom turned around to watch the silver tabby follow suit. "It's the border we share with RiverClan. Since we're currently allies with them, it's a fairly safe destination- patrols rarely get involved with skirmishes nowadays."

"The river? Is that like the Moonlit Creek, but deeper and wider? With larger stones, bigger fish. More birds at the side, catching bugs and getting a drink. An entire other clan on the other side, now at peace." Clearpaw hadn't really realized that he had been musing his thought aloud, but didn't really mind. Maybe Elmcloud could tell him if his fancies were accurate so he could try to completely picture it before they arrived. Already, he had formed a complete picture in his mind without any information other than that it was a river, though he doubted he was correct. That didn't matter. If they were different, those were just two beautiful images that he could treasure away in his mind. Making sure not to fall in, he padded after his mentor, carefully stepping over the pebbles to avoid stabbing his paws on them. Now he tried to make it look graceful, not wanting to ruin a wonderful landscape with his worried steps. Soon he would discover an even larger version of this, and he wanted practice.

Brushing beneath a low-hanging frond that grazed against his spine, Elmcloud began to steer their little party towards the river that awaited them. Even though SkyClan was on relatively decent terms with RiverClan, he still hoped that it was too early to encounter any patrols sent out by the river-dwellers. He distrusted the those slimy fish-lovers, regardless of whether or not they fought for each other's causes. Easily clearing a brittle, decaying log that obscured their path, he continued their leisurely pace through the thin woodlands. Apprentice murderers always stole the fur from your back. "Essentially," Elmcloud agreed briefly, ears straining to detect the faint sounds of running water, "But right now the banks of the river are so overcrowded with undergrowth that you might not be able to get close enough to properly look at it."

“That’s a shame. At least we will be able to see an abundant source of ferns and other plant life.” Clearpaw seemed disappointed for only a moment, quickly finding something new to focus on. In a place like this, no one could really stay sad for long. Soon visions of sprouts and bushes lining the banks of a river filled his mind, and the wistful smile reappeared on the young tom’s fac. He was glad that Elmcloud was giving him a tour of the territory on his first day, rather than teaching him to fight.

OOC: mobile and short

The earth underpaw, previous brittle and hardened under the unrelenting early Greenleaf sun, grew softer with each step taken towards the river. The lush carpet of fragrant and heavy grasses was surprisingly damp, leaving behind irritating rivulets of cool water on the sensitive fur between Elmcloud's toes. Resisting the urge to shake his paws out in a futile attempt to fend off the newfound wet fur, he continued to guide Clearpaw towards the border. The sound of running water was much more prevalent here in comparison to the shallow, sluggish water of the Moonlit Creek. Head lifting slightly to peer at the partially visible reeds several tail-lengths ahead, the tom winced at the feeling of mud seeping against his pads.

"Make sure to watch where you put your paws, the banks can be quite steep in certain parts!" Elmcloud warned, tail tip only remaining visible for a brief heartbeat as he ventured deep into the reeds and undergrowth that crowded the bank. Neck straining, he managed to break through the final line of pesky foliage before him, leaning out over the river. Watching as the rapidly moving water reflected countless shapes and colors across its iridescent surface, he patiently waited for Clearpaw to break through the seeming wall of pants to witness the river.

Following both Elmcloud and the sound or crashing currents, Clearpaw trotted along towards the river. Heeding his mentor's advice, he made sure every step was placed carefully on mostly solid ground. The soft and squishy mud that greeted his paw pads was a pleasant surprise, one that he probably should have seen coming. Wet soil and silt felt so smooth in comparison the forest floor, and the dampness only served as refreshment to him. Realizing he had lost sight of the older tom, he quickly assumed that he had kept moving forward and had disappeared into the reeds. The golden browns and fresh greens of tall plants captivated him, and how the texture seemed to change from sharp to feathery from bottom to top. Pressing on, he managed to travel through the area the warrior had already pushed through, creating a space with less plants that blocked his path. Even so, he had to clear his own way from a few reeds that didn't want to budge. Not wanting to harm the plants, he was careful not to break any of their stems as he continued. Eventually, he caught up to his mentor, peering past the barrier of green to see the rapids of the river.
"Wonderful. So awe inspiring, powerful and beautiful at the same time. How does nature create this work of art?" Clearpaw asked, not expecting an answer. Each and every stone brought about a small splash, and the fast current made nearly half the water white with foam. Every once in a while, he spotted a fish darting by, causing a smile to light up his face. Nothing could seem greater than what supported life inside of it.

If there was one thing Elmcloud had learned during their adventure through the territory, it was that Clearpaw was a moon-eyed little tom. Shifting forward so that he could break free of the suffocating nest of foliage, his gaze drifted over to the mackerel fur of his younger counterpart, allowing him a bit more time to marvel at the river. Eyes aching profusely from the bright reflections that drifted through the damp air, the ruddy tom carefully took a step or two backwards. "We'll finish up our tour with a visit to the Highpine, our border with ShadowClan. Even though we're currently allies with ShadowClan as well, the border tends to incite more aggressive encounters, so we won't linger around it for very long." He called, continuing to carefully back away from the rivers edge.

“I’m sure we will be able to complete this wonderful tour of the territory without an aggressive and unnecessary interruption from ShadowClan,” Clearpaw stated optimistically. He had total faith in what he said, thinking that if they did come across a ShadowClan patrol, Elmcloud and him could easily avoid violence. And without the horrid distraction of fighting, he could admire and absorb more of the territory’s beauty. Highpine. It sounded like an immense pine tree, stretching up high into the sky. Probably covered in rough, dark colored bark, and dark green needles that nearly blocked out the sun’s light entirely. But the smallest bit would peak through, providing enough light to see the thin layer of pine needles that covered the ground. Breaking away from his fantasies, he took the time to admire everything that was already around him as he followed his mentor. The bright sunlight that shined golden in his eyes, the delightful greenery and vegetation all around him. All the sounds and scents that whispered in of life. Perfection that had been a walk away his entire life.