Rise and grind, let's get that prey

[noctemq]

The morning sun filtered through the clouds as it steadily began to rise higher and higher into the sky. Spots of shade drifted in and out of the Rock Cluster, dulling Cherryhawk's torbie coat only to brighten it up once again. She sat outside of the apprentice's den patiently, her unusually well-groomed tail wrapped around her paws. It was important for her to make a good impression on her new apprentice in order for training to go as smoothly as possible. Other cats passed behind her, starting their day with maybe a patrol or to sit with others and have a quick meal. Cherryhawk, being the early bird that she was, had already been up for some time and completed her morning routine of some stretching and grooming. She was hoping to grab a meal and teach Thump-paw how to hunt out in the fields where the prey ran around. 

Another moment passed and some other drowsy apprentices emerged from the den with a jump when they noticed her just sitting at the entrance. Yes, is was definitely a little off-putting to just see a warrior sitting in the way, staring blankly into the den's opening. All Cherryhawk could do was exchange a friendly glance before resuming her post. Her patience quickly faded and she stuck her head into the den. Her eyes grew wide as it took a moment to adjust to the dim lighting inside, but she quickly grew accustomed to it and was able to spot a few bodies curled up in front of her.

"Thump-paw," she whispered as loudly, yet quietly as she could. "Are you in there? Wakey wakey, I'm going to show you how to hunt, then the Mothclan border, and then-" she paused, realizing she might wake up some other cats. "Anyways, come out already."

Goose

[Goose]

The early morning light streamed into the den in neat streaks of the dawn's weak sunlight. Thumppaw groaned as the weak light hit his face, the young tom rolled over and pulled his woolly tail across his face.

"Thumppaw" said a voice breaking the peaceful quiet of the apprentice den. Thumppaw groaned softly and pushed his head further into the fluffy fur of his tail. The voice however continued to speak "Are you in there? Wakey wakey, I'm going to show you how to hunt, then the Mothclan border, and then" the voice paused their speech and asked him to come out.

Thumppaw sat up and looked at the dens entrance spotting his mentor Cherryhawk in the pale light. The young tabby tom stretched , arching his back and waving his thick ginger tail before carefully moving in between his sleeping clanmates.

" Good morning Cherryhawk, sorry I'm not used to waking up this early" Thumppaw said as he leaned down to groom his chest fur , his voice muffled in his thick pelt.

[noctemq]

Her dark brown eyes lit up once she saw her apprentice stir. Oh, she was gonna cram so much knowledge into that little tom. So. Much. Knowledge. Her mind rushed from one aspect of training to the next. Was there a right order to teach? If there was, Cherryhawk was about to break it into little pieces and throw it back together like a mismatched jigsaw puzzle. Hopefully her lesson plan wouldn't be too chaotic and disconnected from Thumppaw to follow along.

"No time to clean! We have places to be!" She exclaimed with a wide grin on her face. Her expression quickly changed once she realized she was practically yelling in a den full of sleeping apprentices. Cherryhawk shyly backed away from the entrance and into a more open area of the camp. She waited for Thumppaw before she'd lead him to where she wanted to spend today's training at. She internally balanced the idea of going to the fields or the border first, but quickly decided on the border. Like her own mentor did for her, she wanted to bring Thumppaw around Mothclan territory so he'd be able to familiarize himself with his surroundings; that was probably the best first lesson in her own opinion.

Goose

[Goose]

Thumppaw flinched at cherryhawk's loud outburst but chuckled softly as she retreated. The young ginger tom stood up and followed his mentor out of the dark den and into the early morning light.

Thumppaw grimaced as his eyes adjusted to the brighter light of the camp. The dry grass crunched between his paws as the tom followed his mentor. Thumppaw was excited for today , finally he can leave camp and explore the terrain. The ginger tom looked up at Cherryhawk, the torbie she-cat deep in thought , mumbling to herself quietly.

Thumppaw snickered and then smiled at his mentor, he could tell she was going to be a great teacher. The young tom walked over to the she-cat, still lost in thought and lightly boped her on the side with his large paw. " All right Cherryhawk, what are we doing today? Can you teach me how to climb a tree ?" The tom rattled off in quick precision.

[noctemq]

She was snapped out of her thoughts by her apprentice’s voice. Climbing trees was definitely an essential part of her lesson plan. The she-cat’s tail flicked from side to side as she continued forward, counting on that he was following her. The Newleaf sun warmed up her pelt which she shook around, which only puffed herself out more. Cherryhawk turned back and smiled, still trotting on ahead.

”Oh yeah, definitely yeah. There’s a really good tree that gives us a decent view into Ivyclan’s territory so that’s a must,” she stated, trying to recall its specific location. As a small cat, Cherryhawk had learned how to adapt and overcome her vertically-challenged stature, which included lots of tree climbing. ”C’mon, I’ll show you around that part of the border first, and we can work our way backwards back to camp. I think that’ll be good for today!”

She felt lucky that the weather was so nice and Thumppaw was just as excited to learn as she was to teach. Cherryhawk was eager to get to know him better, and that would help her adjust her future lessons accordingly and hopefully gain a friend as well.

[Goose]

Thumppaw was a little startled as his mentor started walk but not for long as he was still watching the bouncy she-cat.  The young tom chuckled to him self as his mentor mumbled to herself. Then she turned her gaze to him to answer his earlier question.  

As the cats continued onwards Thumppaw was especially grateful for his mentor,  who seemed like a great cat to teach him how to be a warrior.  Thumppaw took in his surroundings quietly and in awe as the duo crossed the mothclan territory. His mother Patchnose had told him about the territory and her misadventures in it but it didnt compare to seeing it in person ( in cat ?). 

The fluffy tom continued to follow his mentor as she pointed out landmarks and good places to hunt. The tabby tom grinned as she turned to look in the direction of a bird call and prepared hisself.  When Cherryhawk returned her gaze the apprentice took off into a fast sprint, passing the stuned she-cat and laughed with glee. The young tom slowed down after a little bit and sat down, breathing quickly in little huffs of air. 

The grass layed trampled in a trail the apprentice left as he ran and grasshoppers had flown out of his way while he bounded into the treeline. Gold light glinted off the leaves and grass as the sun rose higher in the blue sky, clouds drifting in and out of sight.  Thumppaw grinned as Cherryhawk came into view , her face not quite visible in the dust and swaying grass.