It didn't feel particularly enjoyable at first, with the apprentice clenching her teeth as cold ran through her fur. Her paws throbbed against the slippery rocks that lined the river, and at that moment, she prayed that a crayfish wasn't cruel enough to pinch her burnt paws. How the hell do RiverClan cats enjoy this? Newtpaw stiffly stepped forward in the shallows, ensuring that she kept close to the edge of the river, in the event that she low and footing and accidentally took a swim. The current was strong enough to tug against her mottled fur. Newtpaw wasn't an expert swimmer, so she wanted to ensure that all four of her paws remained on the ground.

The older apprentice twitched her ears at a voice. For a heartbeat, she thought that it might have been an intruder, as she swore that no other ThunderClanner followed her out of camp. But perhaps she did catch the eye and concern of another cat, as it wasn't typical of her to leave camp without an escort. Newtpaw took rules and training very seriously.

She unsheathed her claws underwater, in the event that she needed them to fend off the opposition (but also to help her balance on the rocks) while her pale blue eyes drifted back to the shore. Newtpaw forced her fur flat when she recognized it as one of her fellow apprentices: Lilacpaw, if she recalled correctly. Of course, the younger apprentice knew well of Newtpaw's name- the chocolate tortoiseshell point had quite an outstanding social presence. She was popular, she always had been, and she basked in that light.

"...My paws were burned during the fire." She admitted, tail held parallel to the river in the event that she slipped and needed it for added balance. She moved around stiffly in the water, so that she could respectfully face Lilacpaw as she spoke to her. "...It's as cold as leafbare and it's not exactly fun, but it does help the burns feel better. Once they go numb, anyways."

simonwho

She was surprised that Lilacpaw voiced concern for Newtpaw's status. Outside of the burns, she hadn't been having much trouble, save for the stresses of training underneath Lynxstar and knowing that she was responsible of taking up the mantle. What more, there was always the chance that she might inherit ThunderClan in the midst of a war. Of course, that would mean Briarlight passing away as well, but...war was war. Several unexpected and tragic events had happened already. There was always a chance that they'd get worse. "Just the stresses of my position, that's all. I'm fine."

Something seemed different about Lilacpaw as well. She was always hanging around other cats, if Newtpaw recalled- sisters, perhaps? Either they had a disagreement that caused Lilacpaw to be by herself for the time being, or...

...Maybe it was best not to prod. If she wanted to talk about it, then she'd bring it forward on her own terms.

"...Mmm yeah, I checked with him." Newtpaw dropped her pastel gaze to her paws, flexing them underneath the water and feeling relieved at the numbness that greeted her. "But you know how it is. Poppy seeds at night. Keep them clean. Not like I can't walk on my paws- my clan needs me." She gave a small shrug of her pale shoulders before glancing back up at the apprentice that chose to keep her company. "What about you? What gross herbs did Sagewhisker stuff down your throat?"

simonwho

She stared absent-mindedly at the gurgling water for some time, listening calmly to her fellow apprentice's words. It was stressful, she had to admit it. But did she expect any less when she accepted the challenge of training under perhaps what was the most intimidating cat in all of the forest? "...There are good days and bad." Newtpaw admitted, observing the minnows as they swirled around her paws, quietly wondering if they'd bite. Did fish even have teeth like a cat? Not wanting to take a chance, she used a forepaw to smack at the fish and make them scatter, wincing as the chilly water rose in the form of beads to lightly splatter against her mottled coat.

"But I knew what I was getting into. I like responsibility and challenge- I welcome it, in fact. I enjoy learning from Lynxstar, I get to see first-paw how much he cares for his clan. Although..." She trailed off, recalling a bitter sensation of hatred and jealousy she felt towards a particular reckless hot-head. "...I can't say I like your mentor. I'm surprised she hasn't tried burning you to a crisp yet." Vixenleap was a distraction. She frequently stole away Lynxstar's attention to pitiful games of sparring, filled with disrespectful jabs at the leader's ego. Did he fancy her? How in the name of StarClan could he?!

The pointed apprentice allowed her cerulean eyes to trail back towards Lilacpaw, speaking with genuine honesty. "I'm glad you were able to make it out of the fire without any tragic wounds. Some cats weren't all that lucky." The entirety of her legs were beginning to grow numb, causing Newtpaw to shift uncomfortably. "...I fear that I may need my paws to heal again as quickly as possible. I fear we might have a war on the horizon."

simonwho

Hm. She never would understand why Lynxstar enjoyed the presence of Vixenleap, given she was a loose canon and useless outside of picking fights and occasionally hunting. Newtpaw didn't bother to linger much on the subject long, anyways. Her hatred towards the red-furred warrior had been kept quiet for some time, and for the sake of maintaining peace within the clan, it was better that it remained that way. As the leader apprentice, she needed to be a role model. Openly expressing her spite towards a particular warrior wasn't a good message to send to the rest of the clan, especially to her fellow apprentices.

Newtpaw's eyes softened when Lilacpaw admitted what she'd lost in the unexpected fires that scorched their land. "...I'm sorry to hear that they're no longer with us. I could always tell how much they meant to you." She spoke sincerely, recalling how the younger apprentice was seldom without the presence of her littermates, in or out of camp. The tortoiseshell point apprentice, on the other hand, never had littermates to call her own. Her dependency was entirely on the deputy's apprentice, with whom she was obviously smitten. She never knew the unconditional love of siblings.

So, as the older cat present, it was Newtpaw's job to take the situation into her own hands. She tried to offer Lilacpaw a reassuring smile, slowly stepping out of the chilly water so as to prevent herself from splashing her company. "C'mon, let's head back to camp. We can try to catch something along the way and split it- the patrols caught enough prey for the elders and queens earlier."

simonwho