Flickerblaze padded out, Littlepaw on his tail.

"What's that?" Littlepaw gasped, staring wide-eyed at a tree that towered over others.

"Ancient Oak," Flickerblaze explained.

"Can we climb it?" Littlepaw exclaimed, his whiskers quivering with excitement and his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"No," Flickerblaze replied. Littlepaw's tail drooped and his face fell.

The cats padded on. Seeing a soft pile of moss, Littlepaw leapt on it, shredding some moss.

Laughing, Flickerblaze urged, "Come on now."

Littlepaw scrambled to her paws obediently, running back to where Flickerblaze sat, waiting.

They came to a Thunderpath. There was a faint roaring of monster's paws in the distance. The acrid tang of Twoleg's and their monsters stung Littlepaw's nose.

Littlepaw bristled in excitement, fluffing up his fur.

"A Thunderpath!" Lightpaw breathed. "It stinks worse than all of ShadowClan and fox dung put together!"

Suddenly a huge yellow monster whooshed by, nostrils flaring, it's orange eyes glowing eerily and it's huge black paws churning the Thunderpath.

The apprentice's mouth hang wide open at the monster.

"I never knew that monsters were that big and fast!" Littlepaw exclaimed, wrinkling his nose. "And I never knew that monsters stunk so much!"

"You'll get used to it," Flickerblaze promised.

Littlepaw nodded, speechless.

The cats padded on.

"I almost forgot!" Flickerblaze gasped, relieved that he remembered what to say.

"Forgot what?" Littlepaw asked.

"If we meet a kittypet, loner or rogue, we tell them to please get off our territory. If they are hurt, we bring them to our medicine cats because we have honor. We have to defend our territory, but a good warrior seeks a peaceful solution without claws first. If we meet a kit, we bring it back to it's mother or which Clan they are in, according to the facts they tell us. If it is apprentices, warriors, leaders, or deputies from other Clans, we tell them to please get off of our territory," Flickerblaze declared, "And if they want to join, we bring them to the leader."

Littlepaw nodded, his eyes glowing seriously.

A young golden cat with a blue collar padded through the forest.

"Watch me," Flickerblaze whispered, brushing along a bush.

"Greetings," Flickerblaze started warmly to the kittypet.

"Wild cats!" the kittypet screeched. She turned tail and fled, paws and tail streaming behind her.

"Well," Flickerblaze turned to look at the apprentice, who were staring at the kittypet bolting away from the forest, "That's what you'll expect from most kittypets."

Littlepaw nodded. He didn't speak as Flickerblaze padded back to camp, only following him.