right below the horizon | territory tour

[Howlfire]

Howlfire really hadn't been without an apprentice long before Orangestar had appointed her as Ghostpaw's mentor. Despite an earlier moment between them when Ghostpaw was still a kit. Howlfire was pleased that the awkwardness had not carried on to their new relationship as mentor and apprentice. Ideally, Howlfire would have shown Ghostpaw the whole territory in one day, but they had been summoned for a morning border patrol close to the twolegplace. Whilst the rest of the patrol milled about nearby, Howlfire took the time to pull Ghostpaw aside, encouraging her to draw a deep breath and try to focus on the scents in the air. "The twolegplace is not far now," Howlfire mewed, watching as her apprentice did as she had requested. "Can you smell how strong it is now?"

The first time Howlfire had came along this border had been an overwhelming experience, to say the least. Not all the smells were unfamiliar to her, thanks to the presence of the daylight warriors in camp, but it had still been a shock to the system to travel to this place having been used to the natural, wooded, borders of the clans she called home. "You will stick close to me when we pass along the border," Howlfire instructed, her tone firm but not unkind. Ghostpaw was still young and Howlfire did not want the younger apprentice getting spooked by all the new surroundings, smells, and noises.

/ please wait for @Ghostpaw! , anyone is free to post after that! takes place the day after the meeting!​

 

[Ghostpaw!]

It was probably for the best that the multiple bodies of morning border patrol milled about as Ghostpaw took in her new surroundings. She had never seen so much... anything! Her moss-green eyes stared comically wide, and the extra presence of a full patrol helped keep her from wandering too far. Howlfire's voice reached her ears and she started, remembering this was a guided tour. She trotted back toward her mentor, ears pricked intently. As instructed she took in a long, deep breath, shifting her weight excitedly.
"Um, er, yeah! Yeah, I think so." There was a lot, quite a lot of scents to parse through, many she recognized as often picked up by the daylight warriors. "I smell, it kind of smells like trees, but weird ones. And flowers! Lots and lots. Does twolegplace always smell so sweet?" Ghostpaw twitched her nose, then sneezed. There was so much! So much. How can a cat live with so much smell?"

At Howlfire's order Ghostpaw ducked to her side, sticking like sap to her fur. Her paws itched to run this way and that, to smell that twig, to nudge over that stone, to chase after that beetle she wanted that beetle so bad- But she kept to her mentor, focusing on each paw step and trying to match Howlfire's strides to keep her mind occupied. The frenzied whip of her tail betrayed her inner turmoil. I can't wait to tell Duskpool. He used to live out here! My... My dad lives out here.​

 

[Howlfire]

Howlfre chuckled softly looking down at the apprentice by her side. It pleases her to see she is looking around with interest and not concerned or keeping her head down, afraid to interact with the world. Howlfire could work with a curious mind, it would be easier to inspire her young charge to be interested in her training, duties, and the wider world around her. "Sometimes," Howlfire conceded, after Ghostpaw asked if it always smelt so sweet. "Just because it smells sweet does not mean we should trust it, however," She warned, glancing to Ghostpaw to ensure she understood. "The twolegs have many strange things that can be dangerous or harmful to us cats."

As they continued to walk, Howlfire gestured with a flick of her head to a cluster of bushes up ahead. "I will show you how to mark a border, if you'd like?" She offered. "Best you learn quickly, as you'll be doing this a lot during any border patrols."​

 

[Ghostpaw!]

Ghostpaw blinked at her mentor's description of the unknown oddities of twolegplace. I love strange things! she thought with a wiggle. Our daylight warriors go back to twolegs every night. How dangerous could it be? Now that she thought about it, that would be a perfect question to ask one of them when she got back to camp. If Duskpool was going to take her there someday soon, she ought to know the perils so her father didn't think she was feather-brained.
Her attention was now drawn to the undergrowth. My first duty as an apprentice! Excitement burned in her belly. Or was it anxiety eating away at her?
"Yes, please," she meowed, shifting her weight from paw to paw. Pay attention. It couldn't be that hard, surely. All the warriors and other apprentices do it every day. Still, as she lifted one paw, then the other, a trickle of cold ran up each limb. She fixed her pale eyes on Howlfire and watched.
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