Firetooth's instinctual response was to snap something along of lines of 'Where do you think?', but he held his tongue. Instead, he only vaguely gestured towards the open spot he made for her with his ginger tail, his back turned to her as he busied himself with reorganizing his herb stores...again. Because Swiftclan was currently in the process of moving, he really didn't have much on paw, which was annoying when compared to the large, well-kept herb stores he had when he was Earthclan's Medicine Cat. Of course, he was lucky to even have this position to begin with, so maybe he shouldn't be complaining. He supposed that he'd have to ask other Medicine Cats like Graythorn or Fawnheart for some of the rarer stuff, but right now...

"Finish up quick," he ordered, his voice even and emotionless as he suddenly stood up, turning towards the exit of the den with a sweeping motion. Before Mistralpaw could even open her mouth to ask a question, he continued: "We're going to go foraging, see what's around here. Best way to teach you that I can think of; what's already here is what I went over in my lecture, if you even remember it."

"Whatever we can find," he answered almost immediately, not bothering to look back at her or even slow his long strides through the forest. If Firetooth wasn't going so fast, he might have noticed what a beautiful Newleaf day it was; the birds singing their cheerful songs overhead as they swooped from branch to bud-covered branch, with tiny green shoots peaking out from the piles of dead leaves underfoot. Far above them, fluffy white clouds floated carelessly along across an endless blue sky. "Preferably," the Medicine Cat suddenly continued, "The rarer stuff if we can find it. At this point, I've got enough herbs to cover bumps and scrapes for the next moon. But if Chimerastar is going to keep pushing us like this, I'm going to at least need a small pile on-paw for more serious injuries."

As he talked, the tom's eyes scanned the trees around him, staring intently at their bark rather than the ground. It came off at somewhat odd; most cats thought that a Medicine Cat would be focusing on the earth when searching for herbs. Mistralpaw had appeared to have fallen silent in order to let Firetooth work in peace, which he secretly appreciated, though that tiny, annoying voice in the back of his mind nagged him that he was supposed to be teaching her. After a few more moment of silence, he let out a sigh and spoke again. "We're looking for Alder trees, Ash trees, and Aspen trees. Newleaf came late this year, so many useful herbs haven't sprouted yet; trees are the best bet for something useful. Specifically, Alder bark is useful for swelling and infection, Aspen bark is good for panic attacks and stress, and Ash roots can help resist the effects of snake poison when chewed and applied to the bite." His voice was matter-of-fact; informative, but overall disinterested.

I wish, Firetooth silently admitted to himself, though he at least knew better than to say that to his apprentice directly. He had always been a solitary tom, preferring to work quickly and quietly by himself. For the most part his methods worked; Starclan knows he doesn't loose patients often. Mistralpaw was probably just using this as an excuse to get away from him anyway; pretend to be useful when in actuality she would just go goof around like she always did. He knew her game, and he wasn't about to let her out of his sight.

"No," the tom replied almost instantly, his voice stern and sharp. "This territory's new for everyone; I'm not about to get chewed out by Chimerastar if you run off on your own and get hurt. You're my responsibility, so you stay close to me, got it?" It was a rhetorical question, and he didn't even bother to wait for her response, cutting his apprentice off once again to continue; "Besides, it's hard to tell the difference between trees when their leaves haven't grown back yet. When the forest in green again, I'll set a day aside to properly teach you which tree is which, but for now just let me handle it."

"You're my apprentice," Firetooth snapped back, shooting the young she-cat a cold, hard glance. "My job is to show you what to do. Your job is to listen and do as I say. Being a Medicine Cat isn't a game, Mistralpaw; it might be a respected life, but it is far from an easy one. I'll teach you what you need to know when I think you're ready to learn it." With a huff, he turned his attention back to the search at paw. What a stubborn, feather-brained kit! She didn't have the slightest idea of how important this job was. It wasn't as simple and carefree as learning herbs all day; the life or death of the entire clan was in their paws. If she can't get that through her thick skull... Firetooth shook his head. He couldn't dwell on the past, not right now. He had a job to do, like he always did.

Firetooth didn't reply, instead stopping in his tracks and turning towards one of the trees standing in the woods, sunlight filtering down onto the forest floor through its thick branches. Strolling up to it, he leaned in close to inspect the bark, before lifting his front paw and start the claw at the tree. His scratches were clear and precise, as small chunks of bark fell on the hard ground in front of him. After one strike, a long-legged spider suddenly emerged from the crack in the tree, scudding down the trunk and towards where Mistralpaw was standing idle nearby.