Stagheart had been dozing in the clearing in a patch of sunlight. The return of warmth from newleaf was a welcome change, and he was happy to rest it in after a long leaf-bare. That is until a sudden shadow was looming over him, and his supply of sunlight was interrupted by the shape of a feline.

Blinking his eyes open, the senior warrior saw that Midnightpaw was in front of him. He'd recognized the young cat's scent, after all, and recalled running a patrol with him. That's right... managing a nod and a grunt of greeting (not the most graceful of greetings, but not an unfriendly one either), Stagheart sized up the 'paw before him; it wasn't often that apprentices came to him for much other than training, which he was happy to oblige, so that was his best guess for this surprise visit. With Daisypaw's training being less demanding than normal apprenticeship, he had a bit more time to give the younger generation and moons of experience to draw from.

"Heya... Midnightpaw, right?" The large tabby shifted on the ground, peering down at him as he spoke in his drawl. "You look like ya need somethin'."

Stagheart hummed thoughtfully, raising a whisker brow. Swimming, eh? He let out a long sigh, slowly rising to his feet. Though he would've preferred his nap, this wouldn't be so bad. It was pretty warm in the sun, anyhow.

"Heh, alright. Glad you're askin' me now instead of in the dead of leaf-bare." His dark nose twitched, a humored glint in his eye. "C'mon, I'll take ya to the river. Have ya done any swimmin' at all, or even fishin' lessons yet?"

The question was tossed over his shoulder as the large warrior led Midnightpaw out of camp and into the territory, flicking his tail as a signal to follow. The sunlight dappled through the trees around them, a freshness in the breeze as the seasons changed. The sound of the river, rushing after the melting snows from leaf-bare, could be heard as they went farther into the forest.

That was more than he'd thought. Good... Stagheart was prepared to start his usual complaint of "Ain't you gotta mentor?" as he often did whenever the young ones of the Clan waddled up to him for lessons. Despite his grumbles, part of the senior warrior would always find enjoyment in training the youth; it was good to raise up well-rounded warriors, and he was happy to do his part. Not every cat had moons and moons of wisdom and experience like he, and he was happy to pass it along.

Just don't mind the complaining.

Thankfully for Midnightpaw, however, there was no such complaining on this day. Perhaps it was the pleasant weather or the 'paw just catching Stagheart at a good time. He heard the apprentice following him as they approached the river, the sound getting louder while they emerged from the trees and onto the bank.

"Hm, alright... then we'll need to getcha in some deeper water then, eh?" Stagheart mused, eyeing the river. In newleaf, it tended to rush more because of all the snow and frost melts from leaf-bare; they'd have to go further down, where the water started to calm down. He'd look for that sweet spot where the river was deep enough to swim, and the current still provided a bit of a challenge, but not one that would sweep young Midnightpaw downstream. I don't need another repeat of what happened to Willowtail when she was trainin'...

"How 'bout... here." The large tabby tom had walked down the bank until they'd reach a place a bit farther down. The rushing torrent was calmer here, but the current still strong enough to tug at his legs as he stepped in. Stagheart waded for a moment, getting a feel for the water's depth and strength before he turned back to Midnightpaw who'd be waiting at the bank. "Current ain't too strong right here, but yer still gonna have to work. That'll be good, though, 'cause ya need to get used to swimming 'cross it. The water ain't ever gonna make it easy for ya, so best to get used to it now."

Blinking, Stagheart thought for a moment on where best to begin. If Midnightpaw had shallow water practice, he knew how to at least stand and maintain balance in a river, right? He should be tested on that, first; it was the vital first step.

"Alright, come on in, but stay on the shallow part before it drops off. Like I said, the current here is stronger than where ya probably practiced shallow swimmin'. So take a moment to get used to feelin' it, 'n try to keep balance. I'll be right here to catch ya," he added, giving the apprentice a nod. Especially after his last 'paw had been swept halfway down the river, Stagheart was evermore mindful of standing as a blockade between any young cat and going under. It helped that he had a large, broad form to accomplish such goals.

Stagheart's sharp eyes watched carefully as the apprentice waded into the water. It was cold, and he gave a sympathy grunt as Midnightpaw winced. But he still made his way in, and Stag was sure to stand steadily nearby so as to catch the 'paw if needed. Thankfully, it was an unnecessary task at the moment.

When Midnightpaw finally relaxed, the large tabby mentor let out a breath as well, almost a chuckle. "Mhm. Not too bad," he agreed. Chilly water provided quite a shock, as did the stronger currents, but it felt good to get a footing despite that. Stagheart took a moment to assess Midnightpaw's form, then nodded approvingly.

"Good. Yer nice 'n strong there. Now, we're gonna slowly start goin' deeper till it drops off 'n you gotta swim. If ya lose yer footin', go back to the basics 'n make sure yer steady. 'N don't panic; you know what yer doin', so trust yer instincts. And besides, I'll still be right here." The senior warrior rolled out his shoulders, preparing them for the upcoming battle against the current. "Ready?"

He led the way first, slowly wading further into the river. The water came up, brushing the bottom of his belly, so it was probably far up Midnightpaw's legs now, too. He kept glancing at the young 'paw, making sure he was okay, and would move at his pace. If he was doing alright, they'd keep going until the shorter cat would start to have to paddle.