Fangpaw's Training

Crowheart sat within the tall grass, his tail curled around his paws as he awaited the arrival of his apprentice. He was happy to get to train, for he enjoyed teaching younger cats. His ice blue gaze looked around him, taking in all of the pale gold colors from the tall grass.

Crowheart turned and looked down at his apprentice with his ice blue orbs, mentally noting the tom's behavior: Fangpaw seemed excited, which would make their first training session together a great bonding experience. Tilting his chin up, the warrior commented, "Your right on time." As he stood to his peds, he gave no other hint as to if his apprentice's skill with time was something of praise or not. This was common with Crowheart. He gave the bare minimum of words. "We won't actually be training tonight. Instead, I'm going to take you around the boundaries of our territory. It is highly important you know where our boundaries are."

Crowheart saw the cloudy look of disappointment in the tom's eyes and he replyed quickly, "I understand that the boundaries aren't the most interesting things. I know. But we all have to know them."
Suddenly, the black cat's tail flicked from a thought that had just come to him.
"Fangpaw, do you know another way that we can tell if we are about to leave our boundary and enter a new one?" This was not purposely set up as a trick question or as a question to judge his apprentice with. He only wanted to see if he knew the answer to the trivia.

A hint of pride for his apprentice flashed in the tom's ice blue gaze.
"That is correct, Fangpaw. Very good." Crowheart pushed himself up onto his peds as he said, "When boarder patrols are sent out, they mark the boundaries of their territory. It has to be done constantly so the markers stay fresh."
The tom turned his head and parted his lips slightly, scenting the air. An all too familiar scent hit his scent glands and he lowered his gaze to Fangpaw.
"I'm going to show you the monsters first. They travel on a path that has a stench so strong that you can barely breathe and it is as black as the night itself."

Crowheart nodded back and started padding in the direction of where the scent was coming from. To any other warrior who was training, the Thunderpath would be the last place to take a new apprentice. To Crowheart, it was a terrific starting place. It was one of the most dangerous places for an apprentice to be, but he wanted to get this spot burned into Fangpaw's mind.
"This is the most dangerous place for a young apprentice to be, Fangpaw." He turned to look over his shoulder at the young tom, his ice blue gaze steady. "The only time you will be here is if you are put on boarder patrol when you become warrior. But, even for warriors, it's a dangerous place."

Crowheart saw the fear in his apprentice's eyes, but the warrior wasn't done teaching about this place. The sun had baked the path all day and now that it was night, the smell wasn't as bad. It still smelled like a rotten meal, but Crowheart was used to the smell of the Thunderpath. Making himself at home, the black tom lowered his haunches to the ground and curled his tail around his paws.
"Many brave warriors have been injured here." A clouded expression crossed the warrior's face as he remembered stories of other Windclan warriors being hit walking across the Thunderpath. As he was recalling old memories, he heard the sudden roaring of an oncoming monster. Looking up, he caught sight of the monsters bright eyes coming his and Fangpaw's way.
"There's a monster coming." As the roaring got louder, he looked over at his apprentice. "I want you to see what has caused the lives of many warriors, not just warriors from Windclan. Many cats have been killed because of these horrible creatures."
When the roaring seemed unbearable, a large creature whipped past them along the Thunderpath, sending gush of wind over the two cats.

Crowheart watched the expression of fear lighten the tom's face. He could tell that the apprentice's claws were the only thing keeping him from darting away. He respected the idea that Fangpaw was only staying because of his self-pride to impress his mentor. He realized then and there how lucky was have such a good apprentice. Crowheart rewarded Fangpaw's loyalty by standing and leading the stunned apprentice away from the Thunderpath, beckoning him to follow with a flick of his tail.

Crowheart looked back over her shoulder at his apprentice and he decided to stop. He looked too shaken up not to stop and he could tolerate a short break. He sat down and groomed his chest fur.
"We're going north-west towards Barley's Farm. He is a rogue cat that lives on the outskirts of Windclan's territory."

A soft chuckle escaped upwards out of the warrior's chest. "No, Fangpaw, a farm is where the twolegs do agriculture and livestock work. They grow and harvest plants and they also grow animals like cattle and horses, even chickens. But this farm is abandoned and Barley now owns it."

Crowpaw noticed his apprentice stick out his chest and understood exatly what he was doing. He had been an apprentice once and he made simple mistakes before. He would not judge Fangpaw by his mistake. The warrior stood up onto his paws.
"Come. I have a feeling you will enjoy the farm a lot more than the Thunderpath." started padding in the direction of the farm, still walking along the territory boundary.