Border Territory RiverClan day of the river // torrentpaw

[pineheart]

✦ The day after the announcement of mentor and apprentice pairings, Pineheart wakes up early. The sun has just barely breached the horizon, the world still half shadowed in dark blue and purple hues when he leaves the warriors' den. He'd told Torrentpaw to meet him at the camp's exit at dawn.

And sure enough, there he is. Pineheart nods before ducking out of the camp and taking on a steady pace, but not too fast– he has to take into account how much longer his legs are compared to Torrent's.

"We're going to walk along the entire border today," he says, "we are luckier than most of the other clans, that our entire territory is walled by a river. There's no uncertainty there– we are Riverclan, they are not. The river's ours. Everything within its arms is ours too. Still, it's good for you to know the route it takes by heart, and the places we usually scent mark. We'll start where it runs along Thunderclan territory and follow it all the way to the ash glade– we can catch lunch along the way. I want to see if your fishing has improved," and then, without stopping, he looks over his shoulder at Torrent. "Any questions?"

haven't had a dream in a long time

see, the life i've had could make a good man go bad

• ooc: -
• 

  PINE, - 49 moons / riverclan + warrior
  large brown tabby town
  adopted guardian of Torrentpaw and Squidpaw / future mentor to Torrentpaw
  healing and peaceful powerplay allowed

 

[Torrentpaw]

- TORRENTPAW -

Not some average bones, I believe in love!

.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⟡ Torrentpaw had hardly slept, his limbs restless throughout the night in anticipation for the coming sunrise. Eyes flying open for the hundredth time, his heart leapt as the light flowing into the den finally shone a bit brighter. Surely dawn had arrived.

As quickly as possible without stepping or tripping over the other apprentices, Torrentpaw burst from the den, shaking out his slightly unkept pelt before padding swiftly towards the camp exit, his eyes as bright as ever. Spotting Pineheart, his pace quickened into a run as his mentor ducked through the exit. With a final leap he landed next to the large tabby, matching the toms large strides with quicker steps of his own.

"I couldn't sleep!" He burst out at once, as if he had reached his limit of how long he could go without speaking. Though before he went on, Torrentpaw clamped his jaw shut as Pineheart began speaking, detailing his plan.

To most, patrolling the entirety of Riverclan in one day would probably seem boring. But Pineheart would hear no complaints from Torrentpaw.

"Okay!" Torrentpaw nodded quickly in agreement, tearing his gaze away from his mentor and onto the sights ahead of him. "Will we be able to practice fighting too today?" He asked, overestimating how quickly they'd be done with the entire border patrol.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Throw me in the sky ⟡ you would swear the sun shining‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• ⟡ OOC -
  
  
•  
• Torrentpaw
  ‎ ‎ He/Him | Riverclan Apprentice
  
  ⟡
  "speech" - text - thoughts
  
  ⟡
  Mentored by Pineheart
  
  ⟡
  A rosetted charcoal Bengal.
  
  ⟡
  Has a sturdy build with a large head and paws, and short thick fur.
  
  ⟡
  Holds a zealous and determined demeanor.
  
  ⟡
  Usually seen with Squid

 

[pineheart]

✦ Pineheart shakes his head, glancing at Torrentpaw over his shoulder. "Not today, no. The trek will be long. I don't think we'll be home till sundown," he looks ahead again, their territory stretching out in front of him.

By now, it has become familiar to him. He's spent many hours mapping it with his paws, getting to know the trees and their roots, the curves of the river and its smaller offshoots. Now he would teach Torrentpaw as much as he could. They trot for a while in silence, at least on Pineheart's part, keeping a steady pace, and finally reach the river that runs next to Thunderclan– he stops.

"Further downstream you'll find the meadow– and upstream, where we're going, you'll find the sunning rocks. But I think you're already familiar with them, no?" He says, raising an eyebrow as he looks at Torrentpaw. Not angrily, not anymore. Only bemused.

Then, "the rain falls often in our territory," he begins again, stating the obvious but with intent in his words. "You'll have to get used to moving around in mud and on slippery grass and rocks. When it's raining, most prey will hide in their burrows, but if it's intense enough, it'll draw the fish nearer to the edge of the river as that edge moves further up the bank. The waterfall should protect the camp somewhat from flooding, taking the extra water with it to this stream– in an ideal world, at least. If the rain falls long and hard enough, then the camp might be at risk. Despite that, our camp is in the best spot possible considering the rest of our territory," he looks over at Torrentpaw once more, and then nods his head in the direction of the Sunningrocks.

While they continue their walk, he speaks again, "tell me, Torrent– what things make the placement of our camp ideal? Consider both us, Riverclan, and the other clans."

haven't had a dream in a long time

see, the life i've had could make a good man go bad

• ooc: -
• 

  PINE, - 49 moons / riverclan + warrior
  large brown tabby town
  adopted guardian of Torrentpaw and Squidpaw / future mentor to Torrentpaw
  healing and peaceful powerplay allowed

 

[Torrentpaw]

- TORRENTPAW -

Not some average bones, I believe in love!

.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⟡ Torrentpaw nodded eagerly, saying nothing. It was hard to be disappointed when it was his first real training session outside of Riverclan's camp.

As they padded onward, Torrentpaw often pointed out an interesting tree or plant, stopping to sniff here and there before quickly catching up with Pineheart's steady stride. The territory eventually grew a bit more familiar–this is the path he had taken when he ran into Sunpaw at the border. Jumping around Pineheart as he halted, Torrentpaw gazed across the river with eager eyes, wondering if he could possibly spot his friend patrolling. Though his attention quickly snapped back to Pineheart at his words, and Torrentpaw followed his mentor's gaze.

It's probably a good thing Sunpaw wasn't here. I really need to pay attention.

He shot Pineheart a glance at the sunningrocks comment, but was relieved to see amusement in his gaze. "Well," Torrentpaw began, but quickly cut off as Pineheart was on the move again. He was not one to waste any time, that was for sure.

Torrentpaw continued to listen to his words, taking it in with the utmost intention of remembering. Their territory definitely benefited the most from rain, considering their main source of prey was fish, but he silently wondered what would happen if the river were to freeze over once the weather grew cold.

"tell me, Torrent– what things make the placement of our camp ideal? Consider both us, Riverclan, and the other clans."

Torrentpaw's whiskers twitched in thought at his question, his tail beginning to sway. "With the stream surrounding our camp, we have prey right at our pawsteps." He began, a small growl of hunger rumbling in his stomach. "I don't know how many other clans can say the same. But also, the water provides protection from any animal that may not like getting their paws wet, so they probably wouldn't venture into our camp. Not to mention the amount of reeds that line the shore, our camp is pretty hidden." Torrentpaw finished, catching Pineheart's gaze with a curious look of his own.

"What would happen if the river turned to ice in the cold season?" Torrentpaw asked, memories of the shipyard flashing into his head.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ You can't change me ⟡ You can't hide me‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• ⟡ OOC -
  
  
•  
• Torrentpaw
  ‎ ‎ He/Him | Riverclan Apprentice
  
  ⟡
  "speech" - text - thoughts
  
  ⟡
  Mentored by Pineheart
  
  ⟡
  A rosetted charcoal Bengal.
  
  ⟡
  Has a sturdy build with a large head and paws, and short thick fur.
  
  ⟡
  Holds a zealous and determined demeanor.
  
  ⟡
  Usually seen with Squid

 

[pineheart]

✦ At Torrentpaw's response, Pineheart nods. "Good. Two out of three. The third reason is that if other cats try to venture into our camp, we will know. It's hard to move through the water without disturbing the surface, especially for those who aren't used to it like we are. They'll have trouble trying to sneak up on us, making it easier to defend."

What would happen if the river turned to ice in the cold season?

Pineheart looks over at Torrent, thoughtful for a moment before replying. "I wouldn't worry too much about that. It would have to be very cold indeed to freeze water moving at the pace our river does; especially with the waterfall. And if it does freeze during the night, when the temperatures are lowest, the sun would likely melt it during the day. It is strong even behind clouds. And should the river freeze over for longer, we can always break holes in the ice to fish. We have good divers, you know– Littlebrook for example, could easily dive under the ice, catch a fish, and return to the surface."

They continue their pace, and eventually, the sunning rocks come into view. They've been moving for several hours at this point, and turning to Torrent once more, Pineheart says, "let's catch some lunch, shall we? Let me see if you've mastered river fishing yet. Try not to fall in this time."

haven't had a dream in a long time

see, the life i've had could make a good man go bad

• ooc: -
• 

  PINE, - 49 moons / riverclan + warrior
  large brown tabby town
  adopted guardian of Torrentpaw and Squidpaw / future mentor to Torrentpaw
  healing and peaceful powerplay allowed

 

[Torrentpaw]

- TORRENTPAW -

Not some average bones, I believe in love!

.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⟡ A quick rush of pride flowed through Torrentpaw at Pineheart's praise, but a look of concern lingered in his gaze as his mentor began to answer his question about the cold season. Would other cat's really try to sneak into their camp? Torrentpaw glanced across the river for a moment, clenching his jaw in thought.

"…especially with the waterfall…"

Pineheart spoke as if he was sure cats attacking their camp could be a possibility, but why? The thought of his home and clanmates being threatened sent a spark of anger through his chest.

"...We have good divers, you know– Littlebrook for example, could easily dive under the ice, catch a fish, and return to the surface."

Quickly snapping his attention to Pineheart as his words fully found his ears once more, Torrentpaw nodded swiftly. "I didn't realize how much the waterfall protected us." He meowed, before promptly padding after Pineheart as they continued onward.

Swiping his tongue over his jaws involuntarily at the mention of lunch, Torrentpaw sped up a few paces past his mentor. "That sounds great." He replied, slowing to a halt as he reached the riverbank, this time making sure not to send any debris tumbling into the water.

Staring into the river, Torrentpaw was relieved to see that he wasn't casting a shadow over the water, the sun being right overhead. As his eyes scanned the surface, he thought back to Pineheart's words when they had fished in camp.

Big fish eat bugs landing on the surface, little fish stick to the plants and 'underwater stuff.' Torrentpaw repeated in his head, tongue wrapping around the side of his muzzle as he focused.

Hours seemed to pass before his eyes darted towards movement beneath the water. His body tensed, his tail tip flicking back and forth excitedly. It was a medium sized trout, large enough that Torrentpaw considered it to be one to eat bugs. Waiting till it drew a bit closer, Torrentpaw gingerly lifted a paw across the surface, tapping it gently onto the water before swiftly tucking it back underneath him. He couldn't help but let out a quiet 'mrrow' of excitement as the trout's attention flashed towards the ripples that casted across the water.

Torrentpaw readied his body, anticipation burning in his limbs. The urge to leap in on top of it was strong, but he pushed it away. He had to be patient if he wanted a clean catch. Finally, the moment was perfect. As the trout's body had nearly breached the surface, Torrentpaw swiped with unsheathed claws. A splash erupted from the water as his paw met the fish, claws meeting flesh as they snagged through its gills. Tearing it from the water, he flung it onto the riverbank as the fish wriggled wildly. Without a moment's hesitation, Torrentpaw followed, holding the fish still with his paws before landing a killing blow to its head, the memory of Pineheart doing the same flashing into his head.

As the fish went limp, Torrentpaw's tail lifted in triumph. Holding the fish in his jaws, his eyes flashed towards Pineheart as pride filled his gaze.

"I didn't fall in this time!" He joked, his mew muffled around the mouthful of scales.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ You can't change me ⟡ You can't hide me‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• ⟡ OOC -
  
  
•  
• Torrentpaw
  ‎ ‎ He/Him | Riverclan Apprentice
  
  ⟡
  "speech" - text - thoughts
  
  ⟡
  Mentored by Pineheart
  
  ⟡
  A rosetted charcoal Bengal.
  
  ⟡
  Has a sturdy build with a large head and paws, and short thick fur.
  
  ⟡
  Holds a zealous and determined demeanor.
  
  ⟡
  Usually seen with Squid