[Strelles] Strike the Match

Chapter 4: The First Day (Edited)

"He's not awake yet?"

"Be patient Lionbelly - yesterday was a busy day."

"We've been trying but he's sleeping deeper than a vole in a snow-drift."

"Come on Cardinalpaw, wake up!"

Who's Cardinalpaw? Soŕi wondered blearily, snuggling deeper into his nest. He was unusually cold and felt a lack of tails and fur draped over him. He figured his siblings must've left early to perform their tasks - thank the Skies that his duties wouldn't need his attention until later. He curled into a tighter ball as the voices kept talking, speaking annoyingly loud - as if they didn't notice that cats were still trying to sleep. He wrapped his tail more tightly around himself, opening his tail-fins to cover his face. Just when he was finally able to tune the talking out, drifting back into a blissful sleep; something prodded him sharply in the side. Immediately he hissed, swiping in the direction of the prodding with his claws. He was prodded again and this time he growled, muttering curses under his breath and slowly at up. He opened his eyes; glaring talons at the mass of blue fur staring down at him.

"Good, you're awake," the molly said satisfied.

Soŕi stared at her blankly for a long moment, trying to process who this cat was and why she was bothering him while he was so tired. It was only when he spotted the fluffy head of Jackdawpaw peering behind her before getting shooed back out that the events from the day before slammed into him at full force. He yawned hard; his muscles immediately twitching from the residual soreness and the cuts he'd neglected to treat starting to itch and sting. He stood on shaky paws, his pads immediately reminding him that he hadn't properly applied the poultice to them. He did his best to ignore the discomfort as he arched his back, stretching his limbs out before him in an attempt to alleviate some of the soreness. He gave himself one last shake before he blearily followed Asterdawn from the den - the cadet's den he reminded himself - and out into the main clearing.

He yawned again when confronted with the dark blue sky and a chilly wind grazing his already rumpled coat. He shook out his paws a few times as he followed Asterdawn over to a group of cats already waiting for them. He blinked tiredly as he identified the forms of Jackdawpaw, Ravenpaw and Lionbelly.

"Hey!" Jackdawpaw purred happily. Cardinalpaw was immediately jealous that he didn't seem nearly as sore as he was, standing easily on all four paws with his tail raised confidently. For his part, Cardinalpaw plopped right back down when he deemed that he was close enough to be part of the conversation without looking off. "I thought you'd died!"

"Jackdawpaw," sighed Lionbelly, shaking his head with fond exasperation.

"What? It was like Riversoul was poking through his head," the gray cadet defended.

Cardinalpaw blinked tiredly as he twisted around, drawing his tongue over his crinkled mess of a coat. He dislodged the bits of moss that had gotten caught in his fur, picking out the leaves and twigs from the impromptu 'test' he'd been put through before. He felt a bit scruffy being so visibly disheveled in front of others, but beyond a little snicker from Jackdawpaw and a slight whisker twitch from Ravenpaw, none of them seemed too upset by his appearance. He dragged his tongue down one last prickled space, as his ears swiveled.

The murmur of the barracks was different from the one in the kingdom - it was a bit louder, not just the rustle of trees and the dawn creature moving swiftly through the brush but also the sounds of some cats talking quietly among themselves. When his gaze flicked up, he could see Mottledstrike, tired but awake speaking to a triad of cats surrounding him. He heard some squeaking and giggling from the cubs in the nursery.

It's smaller, Cardinalpaw realized as he straightened up. Even if he factored in the vast section of the forest that Stormborn claimed as their own, the faction's territory was simply smaller than his old home. So everything seemed louder, the cats seemed more crowded and everyone is curled together.