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ilversnow set off after Nightstar, excited again. First patrol as a Fighter! She skidded t o a stop as she reached the group of wolves assembled by the camp exit, her eyes once again glowing with excitment and thrill.

"Alright," announced Blackriver, who was to lead the patrol, "We have two new fighters with us today." He indicated Nightstar and Silversnow. "Listen up, this is how a patrol works. We explore a boundary and look out for any suspicious scents, such as that of another Tribe, dangerous animals like bears, or maybe Taillesses. If you catch one of those scents, immediately alert the patrol. Of we run into another Tribe, be prepared to fight, but not unless commanded by the leader...in this case, me. If we run into animals or a Tailless, let us know, and try to get away without being seen. Once again, be prepared to fight if necessary." He turned to the rest of the patrol. "Today we will patrol the border with Tribe of the East. We will start at the waterfall and work our way to the Unity Rock. Let's move!" The large black wolf trotted out of camp, Nighstar and Silversnow in the back, both shaking with anxiety.

Silversnow followed the patrol out, looking at her friend, who was shaking like she was. She was buzzing with excitement too, but also shaking. And interesting mix.

Nightstar followed the patrol in silence, ears open for the faintest sound, nose alert for the most indistinct scent. She placed paw in front of paw in a neat, orderly single-file fashion, making as little noise as possible. She gazed out across the border. They were very close to Tribe of the East territory, and living in the mountains, Nightstar had never before been this low in altitude. It felt strange. The air seemed thicker, and there where more trees than she had every seen before, towering over her in large, triangular shapes. Nightstar knew that each Tribe preferred a different terrain...North, the mountains, East, pine forests, South, oak forests, and West, open plains. However, she had only once actually met a wolf from another Tribe.

Silversnow preffered the moutains. THe air was like a blanket, not like the thin, refreshing air from the mountains. THe large trees towered over her, their thick green branches making a neat triangle. She looked around, her eyes drinking up all the new sights, her nose flared to scent the different air. Even though it felt harder to breath down here, she was exhilirated by the new things hat came from Tribe of the East territory, the scents carried on the light evening breeze.

The patrol ended surprisingly quickly. Before she knew it, Nighstar was nearly back to the Tribe of the North camp. "That was simple," She thought as she entered. Or maybe she had just been lucky. But lucky or not, there were many more patrols she would take place in as her life went on, and she was bound to run into trouble at some point.

Silversnow entered the camp after Nightstar, seeming like the whole patrol ahd flown by. Her nose was still tingling, echoes of scents still in her memory.

Ohzu padded up. "Hey, Nightstar," He greeted. Nightstar marveled at how smooth his voice had become over the training season. Now full grown, Ohzu stood just taller than Nightstar, his wood-brown pelt making a striking contrast to Nightstar's creamy white. "Hey, Ohzu," Nighstar replied, hoping that her voice wasn't faltering. "Hey." Ohzu repeated, his shining amber eyes staring deep into Nightstar's own ice blue. Nighstar grinned. "You wanna...go for a walk?" She asked stupidly. "...But you just got back from a patrol? Well, okay." Ohzu accepted, smiling. Nightstar grinned back.

Silversnow padded away to find David, leaving them alone, a grin crossing her face. She saw David a little bit away, and headed towards him. David spotted her before she had spotted him though, and had already closed most of the gap between them. "Hey Silversnow," he greeted, his eyes looking at her affectionatly. "Hi David," said Silversnow, her green eyes filled with the same emotion as David's.

Nighstar and Ohzu walked around the territory, deep in conversation. They stayed out there late into the night, until both of their pawpads ached and tire would soon overtake them. "I suppose we should head back," Nightstar noted a bit sadly, staring up at the full moon. Ohzu sat down. "Oh, in a moment. My pawpads need a break!" Nightstar laughed, laying down next to her friend. "Oh look! A shooting star!" Ohzu gasped happily. He turned to Nighstar. "Make a wish." Nightstar felt a blush rising to her face, but thankfully the night and her fur did a good job of hiding it. "I wish," She began tentatively, "That we could do the more often." Ohzu faced her, a little surprised, but happy. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what, so he just turned back to the indigo sky. The two just lay there for a while, watching the stars in silence.

ooc- Ok, skipping to night I guess...

Silvesnow and David had talked, and time flew. Soon it was noght, the dark blanket of shadows covering the land, stars bright against the dark sky. David smiled at her awkwardly, his eyes filled with uncertainy. SIlversnow siled back, the contented, but slightly awkward silence finally broken by David. "WE better go, it's late," he said, unsure of what to say. Silversnow nodded releculantly. It was late, the moon was high in the sky, a sure sign of it being late. "Well, see ya later," SIlversnow said. David nodded, then left, heading towards the hunter's den. Silversnow let out a soft sigh, replaying the moment in her head, wishing it wasn't so awkward and tentive. She started to head back to the Figher's den.

Ohzu stood suddenly. "You're right," He said awkwardly, "We should get back to camp." Nighstar stood up a bit slowly, upset that the moment had fled so swiftly. But she followed her friend without complaint. When the got to camp, they parted. "Goodnight," Ohzu whispered, trotting off towards the Hunters' Den. "Goodnight." Nightstar's reply was almost inaudible as she walked in the opposite direction. It was late at night and the young wolf expected everyone to be asleep. Therefore, it was a bit of a shock when she found Silversnow sitting, wide-eyed and awake. "Silversnow, are you ok?" Nighstar murmured, some urgency in her tone.

"Yeah," SIlversnow said. "Why?" It wasn't that there was anything wrong, or anything had gone wrong, or had there?

"You looked upset." Nightstar said. "Never mind. Let's just get some sleep." She curled up and drifted off into slumber.

Silversnow urled up like her firend, her breathing evening out quickly, and fell asleep