Rowanpaw was padding behind Bramblefrost, Snakestripe and Mintfur along with his sisters. The six had decided to go out and explore the forest, and it was the new apprentices' first time out of the camp. "This is amazing..." Rowanpaw thought aloud.

"Yeah," Briarpaw mewed.
Suddenly the apprentice's face contorted. "Ugh! What is that smell?" She asked.
Bramblefrost stopped walking. "This is the end of BlazeClan territory this way. Beyond there is SmokeClan."

Rowanpaw cast his eyes over a similar forest, except the trees got taller and skinnier, and there was less light. Hazelpaw stepped forward and tasted the air. "But there's another scent! A different one!"
Snakestripe was momentarily confused, and then checked the air for himself. "You're not wrong. That's fox scent!"

Rowanpaw instinctively looked behind him.
"Don't worry, it's very stale," the large tom purred, amused. "But still worth mentioning to Stormstar."
Snakestripe then turned to Hazelpaw. "Well done, I'm impressed by your skills at scenting!"

Hazelpaw gave her chest fur a few embarrassed licks, while Rowanpaw felt a pang of jealousy. I'll just have to beat her at hunting, or fighting. The six cats travelled along the border until there forest disappeared into a flat moor. "This, is AirClan territory," Bramblefrost meowed.

"Who would want to live here? It's so... flat," Briarpaw queried.
Mintfur looked amused. "Why don't you ask AirClan themselves?"
What?, Rowanpaw thought. But as if on cue, 3 AirClan cats appeared on the other side of the border. There was a lithe tom, a tall she-cat, and a small, pale brown tabby apprentice.

Snakestripe took a step towards the patrol. "You three are awfully close to the border," he growled.
"Come off it," the tall she-cat spat. "We haven't laid a paw over that border, Snakestripe."

Rowanpaw stared at the apprentice. The tabby seemed about Rowanpaw's age, and looked very nervous. Rowanpaw opened his mouth to talk to the apprentice, but he was cut off by Snakestripe. "Well, we'll be on our way then," the large tabby stalked away from the border.

Rowanpaw hurried after him. "Bramblefrost, can we learn how to fight now?" Rowanpaw caught up to the tabby tom. "No. You, your sisters and Mintfur will return to camp now, it's sunset. Tomorrow we will learn how to hunt." Bramblefrost meowed.

"What are you doing?" Rowanpaw asked.
"Me and Snakestripe will stay and hunt. Don't forget you sleep in the apprentice den now. You'll get to meet the other apprentices".
"Ok!" Rowanpaw mewed excitedly. Stonepaw! He thought as he dashed back to camp.