Sometimes You've Gotta Be Friends [c]

Nightpaw had been wandering along the Skyclan border, admiring Skyclan's territory, and Shadowclan's as it was now. He always had liked their trees, very tall, but the branches never looked very stable. Everything was just... pretty! His short fur ruffled in the breeze, which felt nice in the Greenleaf heat. He honestly wished that maybe Bumblepaw had come with him, or maybe Pippaw? Though, Pippaw would probably think just being outside to admire the territory would be dumb. Maybe Rainypaw, but he wasn't sure if she'd enjoy it either. Bumblepaw would talk a lot probably, but that would be ok. Maybe he could ask them all to patrol sometime? It seemed impossible to get everyone to do something they'd enjoy, maybe that would be a lost cause. Nightpaw, lost in thought, continued to wander the border, every so often having to correct his trajectory to keep himself off Shadowclan territory, he would hate for them to come from the shadows and yell at him for being on their territory.

It was day, and what exactly was a ShadowClan apprentice doing wandering around during the day? That was the question Smokepaw was attempting to avoid. It was late in the day, true, but as a rule no ShadowClan cat woke before sunset. Then again, no ShadowClan cat had ever been as curious as Smokepaw. Having spoken to SkyClan cats at the Gathering and met one at the Thunderpath, she wondered what, exactly, their territory did look like. It would be too hard to see during the night without trespassing, and, therefore, here she was, in broad daylight. She walked along the border, staring into SkyClan territory. Suddenly, she caught a fresh whiff of SkyClan scent. She whirled around, seeing a black tom on SkyClan’s side of the border.

“Stars above! You startled me! I’m, I’m not trespassing or anything, I swear! Wait, Nightpaw? I’m Smokepaw, remember? We met last Gathering? With your brother the black and white cat and the crazy looking ThunderClan cat?”

Her tail started nervously twitching. If it turned out this was not Nightpaw, but some big mean SkyClan cat, she’d bolt. And who could blame her- some very…interesting cats came from SkyClan. Trouble came from SkyClan. Drama came from SkyClan. Should she really be talking to this tom, Nightpaw or no? She started to slowly back off, deathly curious but scared.

Hearing the startled noise of Smokepaw, Nightpaw was startled as well, jumping into the air. When he came down, he whipped around to face Smokepaw, eyes wide. "Smokepaw! Oh, I'm glad it's you and not some other Shadowclan warrior. You guys are just naturally sneaky I guess. Uh... of course, I remember you! You and Wasppaw are the only cats I've really, uh, met from different clans!" For a moment, Nightpaw was secretly a little glad that he was a bit intimidating sometimes, at least it might've scared off someone he didn't know! "So how's Shadowclan doing?" Nightpaw's attempt at small talk was there, albeit a little awkward. The lanky tom approached the edge of the border before sitting, friendly eyes gazing over into Shadowclan territory at Smokepaw.

“Oh, uh doing fine.” He was as nervous as she. Reassured, Smokepaw began to ask her many questions. “What, exactly does SkyClan look like? Like the border?” She waved her paw at the forest behind Nightpaw. “Do you guys really live in trees? Do you have any more siblings?”

Giving him a moment to process her many questions, she leaned in and whispered to him. “ Is it true your deputy is a mad Sharptooth? I’m pretty sure she was teasing me when she said that, but still. Is he?”

She leaned back, making sure to keep on her side of the border. “I have a lot of questions,” she admitted, suddenly sheepish. SkyClan seemed so interesting! They weren’t like the other Clans, who all operated on (or in WindClan’s case) below the ground. They ate birds! Her memory of a failed catch popped into her head. How did they catch birds? She opened her mouth to ask another question, but decided to let Nightpaw take a breath, at least. Maybe she asked too many questions.

"Skyclan has a lot of trees! Not quite like yours though, ours have more, uh, leaves, sturdier branches I think too. It gets more like that the further in you go, fewer pines I think." Nightpaw was happy to answer questions about his home! It was interesting. Though he canted his head to the side when she asked if he lived in a tree, however. "We, uh, don't live in trees. I think we just hunt in them sometimes. I do have more siblings though! My brother Pippaw, and my sister Rainypaw, and of course you already know, uh, Bumblepaw. They're nice! Well, I think, maybe Pippaw less, he can be a bit serious." He smiled, fondly thinking of his siblings and their very different personalities.

"Oh! Bloodstrike!" Nightpaw was surprised that someone had described their deputy as a mad Sharptooth. Well, maybe only a little, Bloodstrike was a bit scary looking. "He's not a mad Sharptooth, maybe just mad sometimes." Admittedly, he didn't know much about their deputy, many in Skyclan had been quiet about the past, about the Asylum. All he knew was that some bad things had happened, and sometimes he couldn't tell what was made up to scare kits in the end.

Nightpaw was pleased with finding Smokepaw, though, she was great! Questions were good, and it was nice to see firsthand that cats from different clans could just be friends. "Oh! Questions are great! I've got one, is it true that Shadowclan wakes up at, uh, dusk instead of dawn? Do you have siblings too?" Nightpaw found that perhaps he didn't ask enough questions, with all that Smokepaw asked.

“Of course we wake up at dusk! I mean, not that SkyClan is mouse-brained or anything…” she trailed off for a moment. “You know, somethings you’re just so used to it’s weird when someone questions them. I don’t have any siblings, but most cats in ShadowClan don’t.”

With a pleasured sigh, she sat down. This was fun. “So you don’t live in trees, she mused. “I don’t blame you. What’s your mentor like? Do you like training so far? Are there any other apprentices in your Clan other than your siblings? You seem to have a lot of siblings- sorry! It’s just not something we have a lot in ShadowClan.”

"Oh my mentor?" Nightpaw smiled, happy to talk about his mentor. "My mentor is great! Uh, her name is Birdsong, she's been really good at teaching me. Training is, uh, fun, but I don't really like fighting, I understand it can be necessary but I just think it's better to talk first. Oh, and there are other apprentices, we're all about the same age I think..." Nightpaw paused for a moment before looking at the sky, noting how the sun had moved. "I think I, uh, should be getting back soon. I don't want Bumblepaw worried about me! It was really good seeing you again, I, uh, hope I see you at the next gathering." With that said, and an awkward wave of his tail, Nightpaw began padding away, looking around at the territory once more.

"You too!" She called after the black tom's retreating back. She thought he had flicked his tail in acknowledgement, but it was too dark to truly be sure. Smokepaw stretched, letting out a yawn. She'd gotten up far too early. She was tired. With another yawn she padded away from the Highpine, giving it one last glance in the golden light. One day she'd climb it and gaze out upon the forest. One day.