- what do you expect of me? [closed]

The sun rose on what would turn out to be a fair day for the forest. Rising from the eastern horizon, the great golden sphere hung suspended over the treetops. With each inch that it rose, the warm and gentle morning rays stretched ever further, touching anything and everything in their path with soothing tendrils of light. The gentlest way to wake up the still sleeping world below the heavens. And all answered the tender call in their own way. Birds were the first to awaken, always the first. In celebration of the new day, they serenaded the sun and bid the moon and stars a fond farewell till the next night dawned. Next came the small critters that made their nests in the depths of trees and burrows. Rabbits, foxes, badgers, squirrels, all awakening at near the same time just as their nocturnal counterparts settled into their nests to sleep away the daylight. Along with these beings, the Clans themselves also began to spring to life once again. One by one, the warriors and the apprentices would begin to spill out of their respective dens, ready to greet the new day and the challenges that would come with it.

It was still fairly misty with morning fog when Rainpaw slid from the confines of the Apprentice's Den, his broadening shoulders now starting to give the nine moon old tom some trouble at the entrance. It was hard to believe that once upon a time Rainpaw had been quite a small and lithe little guy with only the scrawniest of muscles to call his own. Now though, while he would certainly never be the strongest tom in RiverClan, he was certainly becoming a far cry from that appearance of only three moons ago. Sinewy muscles coiled beneath his short blue-gray pelt, and maturity was rapidly stretching him out into a full adult size. When it finally stopped, he would hardly be recognizable to those who remembered the tender little tom who adored his leader Grandfather so much. His warrior ceremony was just around the corner, and that knowledge was both terrifying and exciting. Granted, it would not be as he once imagined it, with his Grandfather giving him and his siblings their warrior names, but Magpiethorn was still around to witness it nonetheless. Rainpaw couldn't ask for more than that blessing.

But while his dearly beloved Grandpa was still around to witness him become the warrior he was to be, it fell to him and his mentor to make sure he was up to scratch so that Duckstar would feel secure in naming him as such. Which was why he set out early today in search of Batjaw. With any luck, his mentor wouldn't have anything to do, and perhaps they could get some extra training in. Rainpaw wanted to be at his very best; he wanted to make his Grandfather proud of him, wanted his parents and siblings to look upon him with pride. And maybe, if he learned what he was to be taught quick enough, he'd have time to share something new with Smallpaw today. The young tom's paws padded straight and true towards the entrance of the Warrior's Den; he only stopped and stepped back long enough to give Sharpfrost, also up and about at this early hour, room to leave before he stepped into the entrance himself. With quiet steps, he slithered into the entrance, going further and further into the soothing darkness of the Warrior's Den, careful not to disturb any bodies that still remained curled in their nests. "Batjaw? Are you here?" he called out softly, seeking the molly's monochrome pelt in the poor light. "I was hoping we could do some training today... if you feel up to it?" he added shyly.