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[aciddwolf]

Leopardtail made her way out of camp, looking back to make sure Flamepaw was following, and after a short while, came to a stop by a small bush, sitting down and licking one paw quickly, awaiting her apprentice's catching up.

"First, we'll make our way towards the edge of our territory that's closest, near Pointy Cave and twolegs. Pointy cave is a big cave where our medicine cat and leader go to talk to our ancestors, StarClan..." she gave her chest a few licks, rising from her sitting position, "if I say anything that you don't understand, or want a more thorough explaination, just stop me and ask."

[Puppet Fox]

"Erm....what's StarClan exactly? I think....it sounds important...." Flamepaw said heating up with embarrassment. His emerald hues darted around nervously and he let out a small huff. Why couldn't he have just never gone on that walk? At the same time, he wondered what would have happened if he didn't go on that walk, if his love for hunting would have never surfaced to this point of extremity.

He watched the she-cat lick her chest fur a few more times and waited for her response, a hopeful look in his eyes.

[aciddwolf]

"StarClan..." Leopardtail thought for a moment, flicking her tail for her apprentice to follow, "when it's dark, it's usually the only time you'll ever see them. They're our ancestors. Most of the time, though, if you run into a fox from one of the tribes, they'll probably refer to them as "The Tribe of Countless Stars." The she-cat began walking, making her way towards the closest border.

"StarClan is located in Silverpelt," she motioned up with her tail, "at night, you can see them." She informed, "so many seasons ago, that no cat can ever tell you that they've seen it, there were three clans, TigerClan, LeopardClan, and LionClan. When they died, they went to StarClan, and our cats decend from them. We all go to StarClan, where our ancestors watch over us, when we pass on." the she-cat had made her way to a twoleg bridge, and warily hopped onto it, meowing a, "cross," so that Flamepaw would know it was safe to follow.

"So, you see, StarClan is with us every step we take. They're a clan of cats - and now of foxes," her face scrunched a little at the thought, "where we all go when we pass on. We get to be with our ancestors there, and hunt alongside them," she mewed, "that's the importance of Pointy Cave, too. All leaders and medicine cats go there, so that they can talk to our ancestors. That's how - many seasons ago - we learned to come here and befriend foxes."

Finally, the she-cat stopped, a twoleg nest was in the distance, "that's where twolegs live, but they don't bother us. If they ever set their disgusting food out, don't eat it. It's against warrior code," she motioned, before taking another step forward, "and this is the end of our territory," she made another motion to a ledge of rocks, "over there is Pointy Cave. Dawnstar should take you there someday before you become a warrior."

[Puppet Fox]

Against warrior code? He ate that all the time when he was younger. Did that mean that he was betraying the code by even thinking about the savory meat that the humans fed him from their plates? That's right, Flamepaw had gotten meat. Actual savory meat from his humans as soon as he could eat, though at first they ground it up to make it easier for his small body to digest. But he adored the thing that they called 'steak' or other yummy sounding words.

He didn't do anything about what she mewed so casually though. Though his fur bristled considerably on his tail, making it look even poofier than before. He just cast his glance aside and froze, spotting a mouse. How long had it been since he had a mouse? He licked his maw and got into a hunting crouch, beginning to prowl forward while the she-cat rambled on, the mouse nibbling on a seed was oblivious to the hunter stalking towards it, even though one: He was bright orange, and two: He was about the size of a smaller dog, didn't matter to it. It obviously wanted to eat.

His ears pricked forward as a twig snapped and the mouse bolted away. He let out a low rumble of disappointment as a small furball tumbled out of the bushes with a mouse struggling in his grasps. "T-Tigerkit!" He meowed in alarm as Tigerkit bit down on it's neck, killing it. Red now was speckled along his jawline, a suitable coloring against his butterscotch colored fur.

"What are you doing out here alone?" Flamepaw scolded and swept the kit closer with his tail, making him drag the mouse along.

"I wanted to follow you!" Tigerkit mewed excitedly, his whiskers wiggling enthusiastically.

"That's a fine and dandy but couldn't you have waited?" Flamepaw mewed and licked the kit's forehead, trying to rid him of the blood spattered onto it.

[aciddwolf]

Leopardtail turned to see the kit, and her fur bristled. "Tigerkit!" she meowed firmly, "back to camp. Now," her tone grew into a warning. "If you don't, I'm going to tell Dawnstar, and if you don't behave now, you'll never become a warrior! You'll never even make it to being an apprentice!" she threatened. Of course, most kits would believe this, though it was a rare thing to see a six month old kit go without it's apprentice name. They never knew. "If I don't see you getting back to camp now, I'm going to make sure you get the meanest, scariest mentor when you become an apprentice, and I'll make sure Dawnstar refuses to allow you to become an apprentice with your siblings! How will you feel if you see your sisters and brother running other with their new names, and you still be kit?"

Of course, this thought would terrify a kit. Unless they didn't wish to ever become a warrior and care for their clan. "You aren't allowed out of camp, you know that. After that scare with what happened to your ear, won't your mom worry?" her tail lashed, "you aren't an apprentice, and how you are acting isn't getting you closer. Go back to camp. If you return now, the only punishment you'll have is not being able to take that mouse back or claim it was yours."

The mentor looked at Flamepaw, "this is also a rule. Kits aren't allowed to go out of camp without close supervision. This is out of our territory, too, which is worse, because passing WaveClan boundaries makes it more difficult to locate a missing kit! And we aren't watching him," she firmly added.

[Puppet Fox]

Tigerkit cowered, hiding his face in Flamepaw's flank, feeling the older cat tremble a bit. Was it in fear? He wasn't sure, but he needed to get to camp......he backed away and then darted off with his mouse in his mouth, his ears flattened, and tail bristled. He wanted to become a warrior! He needed to! He wanted to have a fierce warrior's name like Tigerstripe, or even.....Tigerclaw! He saw an image of a frightening tom flash through his eyes and cowered closer to the ground as he made his way back to camp, his whiskers no longer twitched.

Flamepaw watched as he passed the scent markers safely, a small huff of air leaving his body. His tail was no longer bristled and he seemed to have a bit of a sad air around him. That kit was similar to him, except.......he didn't fear water like Flamepaw. Water....the drowning. He hunched over and closed his eyes, wishing the horrid memories away.

"Got it." He mewed gently and licked his flank before looking up at her. "But...did you have to scare him so badly? He is just a kit...and all kits are curious. Didn't you ever get curious about the outside world? Didn't you want to explore on your own? I was his age when I fell....er.......entered this forest. At least a few moons older in the least."

[aciddwolf]

"Yes, it was necessary. Haven't you seen his ear since his last curiousity bout with his sister?" Leopardtail responded coldly. "Think about it. They wandered out, and ran into badgers. If you weren't there, imagine how our clan would be. Imagine his mother," her tail flicked. "Haven't you heard the twoleg saying? Curiousity killed the cat."

The warrior looked around, "pointy cave," she repeated dully, "we will have to get our paws wet a way down stream, but it's not too deep or strong..." she mewed, making her way toward another bridge.

"Curiousity hasn't gotten me anywhere good in life, and I've known cats that have become crowfood because of it," Leopardtail's tail flicked, thinking of her old apprentice-friend. "And Tigerkit is only a kit. When he becomes an apprentice, he'll be able to explore with a mentor that can hopefully keep him safe." Finally, the she-cat made her way to a bridge, and hopped across it quickly, nodding for the tom to follow. "We're going near water, and kits and water doesn't exactly mix," the spotted cat continued on. "I don't want it hanging over my head if he were to slip in and drown. I would never be able to look Goldwillow in the eyes if it were my fault for her kit's death." Actually, if it were the case, she would feel ashamed to look any clan member in the eye - especially Dawnstar. Which, many moons ago, was the case.

[Puppet Fox]

Flamepaw seemed to deflate, she was far too serious... He looked around and his whiskers twitched again. Curiosity killed the cat eh? He'd come back with a thing just as snippy as her comment.

"Haven't you heard the twoleg saying All work and no play makes a Warrior a dull cat?" He teased and a playful glint in his eyes formed. "Then again, I'm not one to spoil someone's oh so mighty supreme reign. Especially when they have control over me to a certain extent. That is, if you are in control."

He trotted past her and brushed his tail against her jaw, casting a suspicious look back at her. She most likely never had heard that saying. But he didn't mind. Just to see the look on her face. He turned lightly, casting another glance at her before he sat down carefully and wrapped his tail around his legs, licking a paw before batting at his ear, an amused purr coming from him.