Start of something new.
It was sunset the first day when Sand and her group found the hollow in the desert. Sand mewed to her cats, "Find good places to sleep, Birch and Stone in the center with Shine and her kits." The cats did as she said and settled into the soft, still warm, sand. Scar padded up to Sand and mewed, "Is this the place?" "I don't know," said Sand, "I wish Hawk were here to tell me. She gazed off into the night sky, thinking of her dear friend, killed by a monster on their journey here. "Shall I guard?" Tiny's words broke into Sand's thoughts and she nodded, "Please. Scar will take next shift." she mewed back, then padded over to all her cats. "I think we have found our new home, we will explore more tomorrow but for now, let us rest." All cats mewed in agreement as she settled down at the edge of the group, Scar settling in next to her.
Sand awoke the next morning to hear Shine's kits running about the cats, their tiny tails tingling with excitement. Scarlet padded up and grabbed the smallest, Pebble, and carried him to Shine's side, then went back to get Daisy, the second, and largest, kit. Bumble mewed, "Sand, Tiny, Birch and I are going hunting, care to join?" The friendly tom smiled at her. "I would love to but I have duties here." Bumble nodded respectfully and set off with his two companions. Sand smiled briefly then looked back to her cats, "I need a cat to go collect moss, Stone? Will you and Scar do that for me?" she looked at the frail tom as he mewed, voice cracking with age, "Yes Sand. Scar let's go." Meanwhile, Shine padded up with Daisy and her brother Pebble behind her. "Anything I can do for you?" she mewed, dipping her head respectfully. "Yes, stay here with the kits, I'm having a look around this hollow," she begun to pad away after Shine's agreement.
A yowl sounded at the top of the ridge just as Sand was leaving the first cave, she looked up to see Bumble and his patrol returning with jaws full of prey. Bumble mewed through prey, "Where can I put this-th?" "Erm... in that shallow dip next to the pool?" "Alright," he mewed as he padded towards the pool, flicking his tail for the others to follow. Sand had just turned back to explore the second cave when Birch appeared behind her, startling her, "Want help?" the young she-cat smiled, her eyes dull and gray. "Sure, be careful though." Sand mewed to the lithe tortoiseshell she-cat. "I will." Birch mewed as she trotted inside the dark cave.
The next sunrise all the cats assembled before Sand as she yowled, "All cats gather beneath me to hear my words!" Sand looked down at her bunch, her thin, tan fur bristling in the wind. "I now welcome you all to our new home." She waited for the cheerful yowls to drown out before she continued, "We have traveled far to reach this place and it is now ours. I have explored the caves, alongside Birch," she added with a glance at the she-cat sitting at the back of the crowd, "And we have discovered three safe caves for us to sleep in." after hearing mews of protest she mews, "We need to find more cats, we need a healer and younger cats, yes we have Shine's kits, but we need cats at least six moons old willing to train with our strength-givers." Sand explained which caves would belong to who and then she stepped down from the sandy ledge she discovered the night before.
Sand padded out of the damp cave and stretched, feeling relieved as the sun warmed her chilly fur. She thought to herself, "At least I know we won't overheat while we sleep." The responsibility of the group was in her paws, as it was in Claw's before her. She heard Stone pad up behind her and mutter, "Too many cats kicking me.." and she knew he didn't like sleeping by other cats so she sighed, climbing the sandy mountain next to the cave. As she reached the top she saw a little bush, hung over in the sand. She looked inside and saw a little stream of water and a shallow scoop in the sand. She layed down and tried it out, "This is perfect for a den.. for me!" she thought, quite selfishly. She jumped as Shine walked up behind her, "Is this yours?" the cheerful she-cat mewed questioningly. "No.. erm.. I mean... yes?" Shine chuckled, "We won't be mad if you take it, you brought us here after all." she mewed as she backed out. "I shouldn't be so jumpy around my group!" Sand silently thought to herself.