Warrior Cats, Httyd AU

Into The Wild Ch. 5.1

"Hey, Firepaw, wake up!" Graypaw's squawk broke into Firepaw's dream. He had been chasing some dolphins, around many sea stacks.

"Training begins at sunrise. Dustpaw and Sandpaw are already up," Graypaw added urgently.

Firepaw dropped to the ground giving his wing a stretch, then remembered today was his first day of training. He opened his eyes wide and bounded out of the cave. His drowsiness evaporated as excitement surged through his veins.

Graypaw was giving himself a hasty wash. "I've just spoken to Lionheart. Ravenpaw won't be training with us till his wound is better. He'll probably stay at Spottedleaf's den for another day or two. Dustpaw and Sandpaw are on hunting duty. So Lionheart thought you and I could train with him and Tigerclaw this morning. We'd better hurry, though," he added. "They'll be waiting!"

Graypaw led Firepaw quickly through the entrance tunnel, taking a different turn and exiting on the forest side instead of the sea side where he had entered from the previous day. They took off, flew over a small valley and up the mountain side following the ravine. As they climbed higher the cool breeze tugged at Firepaw's wings pushing him higher as they raced fat white clouds overhead. Firepaw felt fierce joy well up inside him as he followed Graypaw down the other side of the mountain pass into a tree speckled slope and down to a wide sandy beach.

Tigerclaw and Lionheart were indeed waiting, sitting a few wing-lengths apart on the sun-warmed sand.

"In the future, I expect you both to be punctual," growled Tigerclaw.

"Don't be too severe, Tigerclaw; it was a busy night last night. I expect they were tired," grunted Lionheart gently. "You have not yet been assigned a mentor, Firepaw," he went on. "For now, Tigerclaw and I will share your training."

Firepaw nodded enthusiastically, his tail held high, unable to disguise his delight at having two such great warriors as his mentors.

"Come," barked Tigerclaw impatiently. "Today we are going to show you the edges of our territory, so that you know where you will be hunting and what boundaries you need to protect. Graypaw, it won't do you any harm to remind yourself of the Clan's outer limits."

Without another word, Tigerclaw leaped to the air and flew out over the sea. Lionheart nodded to Graypaw and they took off with equal speed. Firepaw scrambled after them, his body wobbly in the air as he took off on unsteady wings. The sky was clear as the sun shone brightly overhead. They flew past the reef and out over the deep sea that sparkled like a sapphire. They flew around the edge of the island and above the tall sea stacks back towards the dense fog. Tigerclaw landed on a jagged cropping of sea stacks.

"There's a viking ship route here," murmured Lionheart as he landed beside Firepaw. "Use your senses, Firepaw. Can you smell, see, hear anything?"

Firepaw scanned the open passage, perking his caedyts, and sniffed the air. He could smell a strange smell, mixed with the smell of sheep. "A viking trade ship sailed through here earlier, my guess is they were carrying sheep."

"Good," chuffed Lionheart. "Do you think it is safe to cross?"

Firepaw looked both ways again. Straining to hear anything, but the whistling of the winds through the channel of sea stacks was the only thing he could hear. "Yes," he replied. Tigerclaw nodded, and the four dragons flew down from their sea stack and into the channel opening and followed it until the fog grew thick again and they veered right into the dense fog. As they broke through many ships lay strewn across the jagged rocks and shallow waters. It was open no tall sea stacks, old cages and broken masts littered the clearing. Firepaw sensed tension in the other dragons as they flew above the open area surrounded by many ships used to take down their kind.