A New Horizon: Book 1: Sun Awakening {COMPLETE}

Chapter 8

 Honeypaw rose from her next with a heavy yawn, she stood up and stretched out her limbs. She looked around the medicine cat den, Pebblestep's nest near the herb store was already empty and tidied up like she did every morning. Honeypaw turned her gaze to outside the den, she could see the clear blue sky with the sun casting shadows onto the forest floor. Honeypaw stepped out of her nest and looked outside, it was already sunhigh. She hadn't meant to sleep so late into the day, but they had returned home late the night before after their journey to the moonstone. Honeypaw had been so exhausted from the long journey as well as her experience meeting Honeywing.

Honeypaw took a step outside, into the camp. As she left the medicine den, she heard voices and the rustling of the camp's entrance. She turned her head to see a border patrol returning, led by Yarrowtail with Redclaw, Mudpaw, Adderstrike, and Rainears, Mudpaw was talking intently to his mentor who listened eagerly in return. Honeypaw's ears twitched as she heard her brother's voice. She turned to her left and saw he and Cherryleaf joined with Earthpaw and Snakewhisker as they approached the patrol.

"Redclaw, I was thinking about taking the apprentices out to teach some tree climbing, would you and Mudpaw like to join?" Snakewhisker questioned, Earthpaw looked excited and even Falconpaw showed a bit of excitement for the news. Honeypaw watched the group, tree climbing sounded interesting. She should learn how to climb trees at some point, they were good for hiding.

"There you are, Honeypaw." Honeypaw heard a gentle voice and turned away from the group of warriors to Dawnstar padding up to her. "Pebblestep wanted me to tell you when you woke up to go find some borage, she said you're running low."

Honeypaw's mind flashed to their herb store, the borage had been a bit low. "Yeah, I will. Where is she?"

"She went out to Jagged Rocks to get some herbs, she should be back here soon. Then she wanted you to take some of the herb to Goldenleaf, she's been having slight troubles producing milk." Dawnstar explained.

"Alright." Honeypaw purred. "Thanks for telling me, I'll get right on that."

"How did your moonstone travel go last night?" Dawnstar asked before Honeypaw had a chance to run off to get her herbs.

"It was amazing, unlike anything I've ever seen." Honeypaw explained in awe to her mother. "I love being a medicine cat."

"I'm so glad to hear that." Dawnstar brushed her muzzle against Honeypaw's. "Now go get those chores done before Pebblestep returns."

Honeypaw nodded and bounded away from her mother, if she remembered correctly; borage grew around the apprentice den. She pushed her way outside the back entrance of camp and padded through the undergrowth of the forest to the apprentice den. She had only seen the apprentice den a few times, and she forgot how big it was each time. It must be very spacious inside of the den for the three apprentices, the amount of cats sleeping in there was about to be doubled however. Whenever Larkkit and his littermates became apprentices, and a moon later there would be three more cats in there as well with Sedgekit and her siblings.

Honeypaw enjoyed sleeping in the medicine cat den, it was only her and Pebblestep in there, and it was very peaceful. She was surrounded by the scent of herbs as she slept, a scent that made her feel very comfortable in her nest. She knew that when cats were injured or sick they would sleep in the medicine den with her and Pebblestep, but Honeypaw didn't know the next time a cat would be seriously injured.

Honeypaw embarked on her hunt for the borage, she sniffed the air and caught a faint whiff of it in the air. She shoved aside bushes and foliage, looking for the plant. She was sure this was where she found borage. She was about to search somewhere else until something blue caught her eye. Honeypaw turned and finally spotted the pink and blue star-shaped plant. Honeypaw bit the flower off at it's stem and carried a small bundle of herbs in her jaws. Pebblestep always told her not to take every last bit of an herb so it could regrow and they could return for more.