Ebonypaw, Shadowhunter, and Russetwind sat in front of Icestar. The old leader was going over where he thought they had to go.

"Can't we exit the territories then follow our guts?" Ebonypaw yawned boredly.

"That could work.. That's for simplify it for me." The Sienese leader pushed a small seed to the dark apprentice. Ebonypaw's ears shot up.

"Flower seed!" She squeaked, the blue-eyed tom drew it back, Ebonypaw's ears flattened, he pushed it to her, her ears perked.

"Stop teasing her Icestar, when do we go?" Shadowhunter spoke up, Russetwind purred at him; "you're so outspoken Shadowhunter" Shadowhunter growled and rolled his eyes.

"You can leave now, my son should have the herbs ready."

The trio nodded and left the den, Ebonypaw squeezing through after Shadowhunter.

RedLeaf had laid out four leaf piles, four leaves in each. Russetwind's ear twitched and he bent his head to sniff them.

"So, what's this for?" Russetwind pushed the four leaves.

"They're traveling herbs, you might not realize but you'll need them, one keeps your hunger from draining quickly, and two others help with strength."

"What about the fourth?" The ginger tom asked the medicine cat.

"It'll help drain any infection you think, are starting, or already have." The medicine cat narrowed his eyes then nodded to Shadowhunter. Russetwind rolled his eyes. They always treat it like an infection... Me liking a tom and all. The ginger feline licked up the herbs and chewed, disfiguring his face at the foul taste. He stuck his tongue out after he swallowed, and looked at the two other cats, each eating the herbs.

Ebonypaw's tail twitched with inpatients. "Can we go alre-"

"Ebonypaw!!" Ryekit and Brindlekit raced from the nursery, both their tails high.

"Good luck on your adventure!" Ryekit mewed, her tail flicking to and fro.

"I hope StarClan leads your path!" Brindlekit purred, tilting her head at her older sister.

"Goodbye young ones, who will be good apprentices when I get back?" Ebonypaw smiled, looking at the two.

"Us!" They squeaked in unison. Ebonypaw nodded.

"I'll speak to your mentors when I get back to make sure you're the best apprentices in the clan." Ebonypaw touched her nose to the two, then padded away towards the leafy entrance.

Shadowhunter wrapped his tail around Ebonypaw's as the three felines left the territory. They had past five rivers already, and Ebonypaw's pads ached from scraping them on rocks.

Russetwind licked his chest fur and looked up at the rising hills in front of them.

"So where could this phantom be?" The ginger tabby grunted, whisking his tail.

"I don't know, maybe one of us will have a dream about it." Shadowhunter blinked at the tom, smiling - though his eyes showed disbelief. -

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