Sagepaw had meant to be on time, and she was kicking herself now for failing to be. She would've been on time, had she not gotten into a rather vicious argument with Jackdawpaw- mostly one sided, with her thinking of as many creative insults for him as she could.

But at least she was the first to arrive. That meant she was already doing better than Moonpaw.

"I'm here," the small russet tabby said, appearing before Larkspur. She wasn't one for apologies. "Guess we just gotta wait for Moonboy now, right? He's slowing us down as usual."

Sagepaw's amber eyes flashed with a bright anticipation. She had been waiting for Aspenstar's permission to begin training ever since she'd arrived in Nightclan- but she was not permitted to train until she'd gained some more weight. The deputy knew as well as every older cat how she'd arrived just a moon or two prior- dragged in by Phantomfox as a howling scrap of fur, with prominent ribs and hollow cheeks. She would've liked to train under Phantomfox- she'd seen how easily he'd snapped Pinesimmer's legs- but a deputy was just as good, as she intended to be top of her class.

Larkspur's face shows no emotion once the two apprentices arrived, the look in her eyes neutral and unwavering. It might be unsettling to some, but her apprentices would have to get used to it. Though Larkspur cared and loved others, she rarely let her face betray her emotions, knowing that was admitting weakness to an enemy. "First, we're going to go over my rules and expectations for you two." She sits, instructing the two young apprentices to do the same.

"First," she states, allowing her gaze to linger on both cats for an equal amount of time. "I will not tolerate genuine fighting, or harm done to each other while I am your mentor. The reason we work in pairs is because teamwork is what keeps our clan cohesive. To become top of your class, you will need to learn to work together properly. Gentle teasing is okay. I encourage friendly competition, but anything out of spite will land you on elder's duty for a moon."

"Second," she continues, "I will treat you with the same respect you give me. I am more than happy to be your mentor and someone you can come to with problems you might have. However, I will not tolerate disrespect to me, Phantomfox, or Aspenstar. If I hear you have disrespected any of our warriors, I will also be quite unhappy."

"Third, this is a learning environment. Please ask me questions so you can learn. No question should go left unsaid." Finally, she smiles. "Okay. Now we can start. We will be travelling the territory today. Any questions so far?"

Moonpaw nodded at Larkspur's words; after all, he wasn't the one starting all the fights. Sagepaw was the one constantly being a pain in the...well, he better leave that unsaid. It'd be easy enough; he had gotten pretty used to tuning out whatever the grumpy cat next to him had to say. "That sounds good to me!" he replied with a grin.

Sagepaw certainly had all the questions he also wanted to ask. "Will we get to see the borders?" he asked, "which clans are near us? Do we have to train to fight because they might attack us?"

The young tom nodded along, trotting alongside his mentor as they continued to see the territory, his head turning at every new thing. There was just so much to see and smell; everything was so much fresher out here in the open than back in the camp. Hunting was pretty exciting too; he couldn't wait to catch his first mouse, just like how he'd watch his father bring back food for them whenever they were travelling.

As Larkspur began to explain the territory, Moonpaw nodded along, excited to learn about the different places around the forest. "Why is MoonClan more a threat?" he asked seriously, his eyes wide, "have you ever been in a battle on the border, Larkspur?"

Larkspur looks between the two apprentices, wondering how much she could tell them. They were growing up here, so they would learn eventually. Starting early couldn't hurt, right?

Sighing softly, she offers a small smile. "Sunclan has always been one of our enemies. However, Littlestar seems to want to make peace with Aspenstar. This would be quite monumental. They don't believe in Starclan. Moonclan, however, isn't trying at all really. They don't believe in Starclan either, and they're run like a military."

Larkspur chuckles. "A few border skirmishes here and there. Nothing serious. The fighting has gone on around me in my lifetime more than in our borders. Dayclan battled quite recently, and as I'm aware, have had trouble since." The she-cat remembered how she was at their age, just as curious and eager to fight.

The mention of Starclan passed Sagepaw by. She knew her clan believed in the spirits that remained to watch over them and guide them, but she didn't believe it for a second. The living weren't ever there for anyone- why would the dead be? Still, she didn't find the subject worth broaching.

Sagepaw grinned. "Let them try," she said, holding her head high. "We'd beat them. We've got Aspenstar and Phantomfox and Larkspur, and me- once I'm done training," she added, as if that made the statement more humble.

Moonpaw nodded seriously as he glanced at the waterfall, suddenly feeling a little scared of heights. The rocks felt slippery; he could see why it could be dangerous, one misstep and surely he'd go tumbling down the falls and into the crashing waves below...he wasn't sure he could survive that.

Looking up as Larkspur spoke, he was momentarily distracted by the thought of death via waterfall. "Not really," he replied with a sheepish grin, "I'm not even sure what apprentices are supposed to do in the first place."

Larkspur holds in a snort of amusement at the young apprentices, and she flicks her tail in thought of how to explain. "There's three ranks you might be placed into when we have our apprentice Olympics. Top of class, mid-class, and lowest of class. You want to score into mid, or top. Apprentices may only be placed top of class together, so you must learn to work as a team. You may only become warriors together. If one of you is not ready, neither of you will be."

Larkspur's eyes narrow, and harden. She forces her gaze to soften, knowing Sagepaw hadn't been born in clan, and she'd been fostered. She takes a breath. "We show respect to our elders because they are the foundation of the clan. They fought long and hard to keep the clan healthy and thriving. In gratitude, we take care of them in their vulnerable days. Someday, when you become an elder, the clan will take care of you."