Chapter 5:
“Squirrelpaw! Wolfpaw! Cherrypaw! Flamepaw!” The Clan chanted, and Flamepaw puffed out her fur in pride and excitement. At last she could go out of the camp and help her Clan!
Blueflower headed over to her kits, eyes sparkling with pride, and she meowed, “I’m so proud of you!” and gave each of her kits a lick.
“Blueflower!” Wolfpaw complained, “We’re too old for that! We’re apprentices now!” Meanwhile, Cherrypaw just used her paw to dab at the place where their mother had licked, while Flamepaw and Squirrelpaw were having a conversation.
Stormheart meowed to them, “Make sure you listen to your mentors! They will teach you much.” Stormheart cast an eye over their mentors.
“Are we going out into the forest now?” Flamepaw meowed to Dewpool eagerly.
Dewpool glanced at Thistlebreeze and Leafshine, and they nodded. “Alright, we can show you FireClan’s territory and borders.” Thistlebreeze meowed.
“Yay!” Cherrypaw practically leapt into the air with excitement, and quickly composed herself though her tail was still twitching with excitement.
Dewpool lead that way towards the entrance of the camp, and Flamepaw quickly padded through the entrance. The trees looked welcoming and Flamepaw felt a jolt of excitement prickle her spine.
“Where do we go now?” Cherrypaw mewed excitedly, her tail swishing up the leaves.
Dewpool meowed, “Do you think we should head to The Ancient Oak?” Leafshine meowed back, “I think we should show them the SkyClan boundary first, so we can also show them the waterfall and plateau.”
“Alright,” Thistlebreeze meowed, he glanced at Doveheart and Squirrelpaw, and meowed, “Do you want to come with us? You can show Squirrelpaw where the most important herbs are and how they are used on the way.”
“I think we should,” Doveheart meowed back. Squirrelpaw’s pelt trembled with excitement that she could be with her littermates on their first day as an apprentice. She padded towards Flamepaw, and affectionately touched noses with her.
“Let’s go,” Leafshine meowed. She led the way through the forest, and Flamepaw purred as the sweet smell of forest air entered her lungs.
As they walked through the forest, Cherrypaw meowed to Leafshine, “How big is FireClan’s territory?” Leafshine meowed, “FireClan’s territory covers all of the green forests in the Clan’s territories. IceClan which is right next to us has mountains and a small pine forest. SkyClan borders our other side, and they have green forests, yes, but the trees are taller than ours.” Leafshine stopped for a breath of air and continued, “BreezeClan borders IceClan and SkyClan, and they have moorland to hunts rabbits, and they also are the nearest to the lake where we gather for Gatherings. In the middle of the territories that I have mentioned, is MoonClan. MoonClan has a large pine forest with marshy lands.”
“Wow,” Cherrypaw meowed, big eyed. She stared after her mentor as she padded through the leafy undergrowth.
“Can we stop for a minute?” Doveheart meowed, and Dewpool raised her tail to show that she agreed.
Doveheart turned towards her apprentice, and meowed, “There is an important herb here, and I want to show you it.” She padded into the forest and vanished among the trees, and Squirrelpaw followed her.
Wolfpaw looked at Thistlebreeze, and meowed, “Are we allowed to follow?” Thistlebreeze meowed, “Maybe some extra knowledge will do you some good someday, so I think it’s alright.”
Flamepaw followed Squirrelpaw’s scent and found that standing at a big clump of plants with yellow and white flowers. Doveheart’s ears twitched to show that she knew that they were there, and she meowed to Squirrelpaw, “These are coltsfoot, and their leaves are chewed into a pulp to ease shortness of breath.”
Squirrelpaw’s ears flicked and she nuzzled the plant with her nose, sniffing it and getting to know its scent.
“Have you got it?” Doveheart meowed to Squirrelpaw. Squirrelpaw nodded and walked backwards towards Flamepaw and the others.
Thistlebreeze padded back to the main trail and they carried on towards the SkyClan border. As they walked through the forest, Flamepaw hear a distinct roaring sound, which gradually grew louder.
“What is that sound?” Wolfpaw was the first one to say the question that was looming in their heads.
“Oh, that?” Doveheart was the first one to meow, “It’s the waterfall, and there are a lot of good herbs there too, like watermint,” she meowed, glancing at her apprentice.
“Really?” Squirrelpaw’s ears pricked up at the thought of herbs, and Flamepaw thought yet again what a good medicine cat she would make.
Iceclaw 
Silverstream 
Congratulate them 
