A soft drizzle rained down upon a lush oakwood forest, where ferns were unfurling at the trunks and the treetops were budding with new leaves, ready to open at the first rays of sunshine to hit them.
Among the forest, the ground sloped into a sandy clearing, where a large, dew-glistening rock shimmered and a fallen tree who's branches folded into the ground laid. Bushes and grass lined it, and a thick fern wall protected the camp, a tunnel of gorse providing a sheltered entrance.
Cats soon began to stir, emerging from their nests and finding spots out of the light rain to wash their sleep-messy pelts. Under the Highrock, a white she-cat sat, her honey-colored eyes still sleepy.
"Morning, Whitestar. Did you get a nice sleep?" a tan tabby with a distinctive ginger-red tail stepped towards her, and the leader looked towards the approaching tomcat.
"Yes, Berrytail. I'm quite alright." a hint of amusement shone in Whitestar's eyes, as she parted her jaws in a well-needed yawn. "Has Morningpaw awoken yet?"
"Not yet, I was about to go and fetch her, but she looked comfy in her nest. And she was up till well past moonhigh counting our herb supplies; she deserves rest." Berrytail's voice held kind tone, he rarely sounded mad, as he glanced over at his den.
Whitestar's ears flicked as the medicine cat padded away, his fur fluffing out against the drizzle. He squeezed through the crack in a rock against the edge of the clearing, which opened up into a tiny grassy hollow. Against one side, a rock was split to hold herbs, and at another side there was a tiny pool.
In a nest beside the puddle of a pool, a lump of ginger-and-white patched fur snoozed calmly, it's chest rising and falling in a rhythmic way as the apprentice slept. Berrytail flicked his tail tip and glanced around the den, the grass beneath his paws heavy with dew, as the den had no roof.
He was careful to be quieter than a mouse as the medicine cat padded over to the herbs, his gaze flicking over them in a flash. He grumbled, seeing no chervil, burdock root, borage, or many other herbs. Leafbare had destroyed their stock.
The tomcat flicked his ear again, silently creeping out of the den and back into the main hollow of camp. More cats had awoken, and two apprentices were scuffling outside their fern den, three kittens playing mossball outside the Nursery while their drowsy mother watched.
Berrytail recognized the kits; Leafkit, Dapplekit, and Swiftkit. The three had been born that Leafbare, and hadn't shown much promise of surviving their first night alive. Although, their mother stayed up until sunrise, nursing them and keeping them from the brink of death. What a good mother she was.
The medicine cat also knew the two scuffling apprentices, as Antpaw and Branchpaw. The two were brothers, having been born back in late Greenleaf. They both were close to becoming warriors; their jumps and pounces as they tussled mimicked that of an experienced warrior, locked in a battle.
Berrytail let out a gentle sigh as he scanned the camp, the drizzle subsiding, and sunlight beginning to shine down in shafts from the clouds high above. His ginger tail swept across the floor of camp as he padded towards the Nursery.
Inside the large bramble bush, the eager mewls of kittens stung the air, and as he crept into the den he was just able to make out two mother cats nursing their young in the shadows, looking up as he entered.
One queen looked back down, resting her head on her forepaws. The other perked her ears, as she watched Berrytail approach her. "Blacktail, how are the kits doing?"
The skinny black she-cat wrapped her tail around the tiny scraps suckling at her belly. They'd been found by the Thunderpath the former night, Blacktail taking them in.
"Their doing great. I've decided names for them." Blacktail had sparkling eyes and a proud smile, looking as though they were her birth kits. "Firekit for the little ginger one, Dustkit for the dark brown tabby, Spottedkit for the tortoiseshell and Bramblekit for the brown tabby."
Berrytail nodded, "Those are lovely names. I'm sure they'll grow into strong warriors." The queen purred, watching her adoptive kittens suckle as the medicine cat left the den. With all these new kits, the Clan was sure to grow again after the harsh Leafbare season.
I can't bother to write anymore it's 4am please let me rest
