You walk along the edge of danger
AND IT WILL CHANGE YOU
.
Copperstorm padded through the forest with the measured steps of someone who knew every twist of the trail by heart. The morning air was crisp, leaf-fall creeping closer to leaf-bare with every breath he took and the golden light of sunrise filtered through thinning branches above. His apprentice followed close behind, paws crunching softly against the leaf-littered ground. Thistlepaw was growing stronger. More confident. There was a certain steadiness to the young tom's stride now, a surety that made Copperstorm's chest swell, even if he hid it beneath his usual composed exterior. Today wasn't a normal patrol, it was an assessment of sorts. He wanted to see just how well Thistlepaw had learned the lay of ThunderClan's territory... Where each border stood, what prey thrived where, what dangers lurked unseen.
He'd also offered to take along a few of the younger apprentices, so they could learn by example. It never hurt to have extra ears listening. And by doing so, help some of the other mentors with teaching the apprentices a few things that would be deemed vital in the knowledge of ThunderClan.
After a while, the brown warrior came to a halt, nostrils flaring as he lifted his muzzle to test the air. The forest here carried faint traces of the Thunderpath, the sour tang of monsters in the far distance. Satisfied, he turned and seated himself neatly, his plume-like tail curling around his paws. " Alright, Thistlepaw... " His voice was calm but firm, golden eyes fixed steadily on his apprentice. " Tell me from this spot, which direction would I take to reach the Thunderpath? "
He waited patiently for the answer before his gaze swept toward the others, eyes narrowing just slightly in expectation. " And the rest of you. " he added, his tone deepening. " Remind me. What's the most important thing to remember about the Thunderpath? " His ear flicked as a faint rumble echoed in the distance, the growl of a passing monster. " Think carefully before you answer. It's not just a path. It's a danger that's taken more lives than any enemy clan ever has. "
leaf litter crunches beneath hardy paws, weathered now from moons of apprenticehood. hardened. hardened just as their heart is, thrumming tightly in their chest as grief holds skeletal hands around the organ that once loved freely and deeply. thistlepaw focuses on their training - on making copperstorm proud as he is all the blue rosetted tabby has left. parents beyond the living veil, siblings busied with their own loneliness and lives.
bright blue eyes catch the filtered sunlight as the large brown tom halts and tests the air. thistlepaw slows and seats themself before copperstorm, a gentle flick of their tail suggesting that the younger apprentices do the same. all eyes on the warrior; all attention on the knowledge that was to be shared here and now. first and foremost is a test of the apprentice's own knowledge. thistlepaw straightens their back and lifts their chin to scent the air.
the acrid tang of the thunderpath is faint, but present. tall ears swivel to catch the sound of distant rumbling, the massive monsters that kick up pebbles and dust as they roar by. a gentle breeze tugs at the tufts of their cheeks, of their broad chest, and thistlepaw angles their head towards that direction. "the scent of the thunderpath is being carried on the wind," they explain as they gaze steadily into golden gaze, "i would face the breeze and walk against it, knowing it will bring me closer to the thunderpath." for extra measure, the large apprentice points a paw in the direction they believe the thunderpath to be. "but be mindful to not walk too far, lest you cross into shadowclan's territory."
Tenebrouspaw finds herself with a pinched brow yet again, tugged along on this trip with the younger apprentices, Thistlepaw, and their mentor - rather than scouring the forest for meals with her own. Something about needing to learn, and that maybe being taught by someone else will give her some clarity. Or, in the least, beat the superiority out of her. The mottled molly follows, not out of obedience (she can leave any time she wants - Copperstorm would be too busy playing babysitter with the younger apprentices.) She tells herself that she'll linger for long enough to be counted as present before slipping away to tend to more important things.
Thistlepaw answers their question with ease, though in a more round-about way than Tenebrouspaw would've preferred. Not incorrect, and also not her assessment, so there's nothing for her to correct personally. Copperstorm offers a different question to the rest of them and she levels a glare towards him, as if asking him to neg her into answering. She's no fresh apprentice with kit-fur behind her ears, she knows the dangers of monsters and the other Clans. He nor does anyone need to hear that from her. Leave that to the overgrown kits.
She sits, feigning comfort while waiting for the assessment to continue.
Everything stays right where you left it
Everything stays
But it still changes
Ever so slightly, daily and nightly
In little ways, when everything stays
.
Heartpaw listened with bated breath, golden eyes wide and ears pricked forward. She nodded along every now and then as Copperstorm spoke, her gaze flicking toward Tenebrouspaw. Did she not know? Oh... Maybe this question wasn't meant for them. Maybe it was for the younger apprentices. But... What if they didn't know and ended up feeling foolish? Her whiskers twitched anxiously at the thought. She watched her fellow apprentice for a heartbeat longer before clearing her throat and turning her attention back to Copperstorm.
" Uhm... Well... " she began carefully, her tail tip twitching. " The Thunderpath is dangerous, so... You should use your senses to make sure you don't get hit by a monster? " She flicked her ears back, uncertainty creeping into her tone, then looked up at Thistlepaw's mentor with wide, earnest eyes, hoping she'd at least said something right.
You walk along the edge of danger
AND IT WILL CHANGE YOU
.
Copperstorm listened with a critical but approving eye as Thistlepaw recited how they'd approach the thunderpath. A subtle smile tugged at his muzzle, fleeting, almost invisible to anyone not looking for it. He dipped his head once in acknowledgment. " Very good. " he praised, his tone measured but genuine. His gaze shifted to Tenebrouspaw, lingering a moment longer. Silence. Copperstorm's whiskers twitched with a sigh before he turned his attention to Heartpaw, at least that one had the sense to speak up.
" Well said, Heartpaw. " he continued, tapping a forepaw against the earth for emphasis. " Use every sense your ancestors gave you. All of them. Feel the ground for vibrations. Listen for the monsters before you ever see them. Smell the tar and heat. And never, ever cross unless it is truly necessary. " His gaze hardened briefly, voice dropping with warning weight: " And even then, only when the world around you has gone still. "
He turned back to Thistlepaw, posture tall and composed, the faintest edge of pride returning to his tone. " You are correct, Thistlepaw. Follow that direction and we'd find the Thunderpath. " he affirmed. " But we've no business troubling our neighbors today. " He flicked his plumey tail once, the gesture both directive and confident. " Instead, lead us toward the Owl Tree. Show us you know more than one landmark and tell us what makes that place important. "
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