New Discovery [c]

The sun was setting down, and Duskpaw knew it was now his cue to explore, as always. Perhaps he'd even be able to catch a prey or two, if he was lucky enough! Rising to his mitts, the tom stretched, and soon padded towards the thorn tunnel of the camp. He ducked down, carefully making his way through the familiar thorn tunnel leading both outside- and back in to camp. Once he finally was out, the tom shook his head, hastily sprinting off to the far off distance. Despite his many adventures outside alone, he felt sure that there must've been something still out there- waiting to be discovered by him in the mist. Luckily, the mist of the night hasn't come by so soon yet, and he continued his journey.

By the time his paws were sore, Duskpaw stopped in his tracks, feeling exhausted. He'd come far off to an unknown place, just as he have wished before. Somewhere his mentor, Emberleap- have never led him to. It felt hidden from the wide sceneries out. It was a place where he could've barely sensed any strong, or recent scents at all. Yet, another faint scent entered his nostrils as he approached a barren cornfield with each time he took a step closer. Then- it hit him. WindClan. He remembered their scent from the Gathering before, and felt somewhat relieved that it didn't slip from his mind. He took a step back from the borders, and backed over to the other parts of the field. Just as he ventured deeper into the vast area, when the tom instinctively whipped his head behind- ears lowered in caution as he heard pawsteps coming closer. Though fortunately; it didn't seem to be a predator, or an enemy clan. Instead, the figure was.. Shypaw?

The bright rays of the setting sun woke Shypaw from a light sleep. She shut her eyes tighter against the last sunbeams of the day and rolled over in her nest. It wasn't even dark yet but she felt a restlessness that made her sit up, opening her little pink mouth in a yawn.

Slipping out into the hollow, she bent her head and dipped her spine in a stretch. Her little slender body shuddered as it woke up, and she blinked the last of the sleep out of her eyes to see the long-furred charcoal tom get to his paws and stretch before quickly padding into the hidden tunnel in the thorns.

Shypaw watched him disappear, an uncertain set to her ears. It was dangerous for an apprentice to go out alone. The sun-dappled hollow was empty as most of ShadowClan slept. Duskpaw was almost a warrior, but Shypaw's heart fluttered with concern for her friendly denmate.

She sprinted after him, falling a little behind and puffing with the effort of running so far, she was still small and frail, but never lost sight of him. She was relived when he finally tired and stopped in his tracks. Shypaw sucked in quick breaths, her paws throbbing, her heart thumping not only from the run... they were near WindClan territory. Dry brown cornstalks stretched up from the foliage, the night mists arriving and swirling eerily. This must be the disputed territory ShadowClan had gained, there were no strong or recent scents but ShadowClan's.

Shypaw had been following Duskpaw on soft, stealthy tiny paws. She breathed a silent sigh of relief when he backed up from the border, straightening from her hidden crouch as he headed back deeper into the foliage. Duskpaw immediately whipped his head around, ears lowered cautiously the moment Shypaw made her paw-steps known. His vibrant green eyes turned, finding her white form, wreathed in the night mist.

Shypaw gave a little wave of her tail in greeting, blinking at him a little sheepishly. She couldn't help staring around at the ring of stones he had found within the bushes where they stood.

"Shypaw— What are you doing out here?" His eyes widened, and he relaxed his posture again in hidden relief. He'd probably get in trouble if a warrior from WindClan managed to encounter him here, out of all places. Though despite all of that, he returned her a friendly nod in greeting, and turned his head back to the foliage. "No, nevermind that. Did you follow me here?" He asked again. Venturing in further, he found himself gasping at the ring of stones surrounding around the area. Joyously, he flicked his tail, gesturing for Shypaw to follow him over.

He made his way across, and stood on one of the stones with amazement blazing through in his eyes. He'd never seen anything like this before, and it encaptured him to the very end. "Stars, I've never seen any place so unique before! It really looks amazing, don't ya think?" The tom purred. He gazed above, then playfully spun around to get a better look of the scenery all around him.

Shypaw nodded slowly when Duskpaw rephrased his question, her ears burning with embarrassment. Though his alarm at her presence surely showed how dangerous it was to be out here alone. 

She flinched at Duskpaw's gasp but quickly shook it off, padding forward with Duskpaw as he flicked his tail joyously for her to follow him over. 

Duskpaw's eyes shone with amazement and rapture, mirrored in Shypaw's silvery eyes like twinkling of stars. Shypaw nodded, jumping up beside him on the stone, a small playful smile lighting her face.

As he spun around, her eyes narrowed as she judged the distance between the stones. Turning, Shypaw bopped him softly on the shoulder and leaped onto the next stone. A giggle bubbled up in her chest, she felt like a frog. She looked back at him in a playful challenge to catch her before leaping again.

As Shypaw followed him up, he felt her paw tap his shoulder, and leapt onto the nearby stone. She giggled, and her eyes inquired for him to join her in the game. Of course he wasn't going to deny something so entertaining as this! A small smirk grew on the side of his maw, and Duskpaw lowered himself down to a skillful crouch. He evenly spreaded his weight around, keeping most of it especially down to his haunches— then leapt towards the rock where Shypaw was previously on.

Out of excitement, he made a trilling sound, determined to catch her. The younger apprentice leapt towards another rock, and the tom quickly followed his way over to her in just an instant. Tapping her shoulder with one of his paws, Duskpaw then raced towards another rock, jumping onto it's surface. Then another. He looked back, tail flicking with eagerness as he waited for her to catch up with him.