"Yes." She ignored the squirming in her stomach as she was led to a stone hollow. The area was large – rotting brambles covered the entrance, but if she craned her neck, she could see vertical walls webbed with tiny cracks, hiding mosses and ferns. She'd never seen anything so wild in her life.
"Is this... the camp?"
"Yes. Welcome home, Copper. I'll gather some moss to make a nest. You can clear these brambles." With that simple instruction, Copper started to shift the bramble husks aside, dumping them near a tree. It was exhausting work, and her paws soon ached as she dragged bramble after bramble away from the hollow. She dragged the last one in just as Firestar was returning, and she felt a sharp prick of pain. She saw a bramble thorn sticking out of the raw pawpad, wincing as she limped into the camp.
"What's up?"
"Brambles are the worst."
"Thorns?"
"A big one." Firestar motioned for her to hold her paw out, which she did reluctantly. Firestar swiftly yanked it out, causing her to hiss in pain.
"Give it a good lick. It'll soon heal. Tomorrow we can hunt, but today I brought you a vole."
"Thanks!" She purred, devouring the creature and feeling a semblance of energy come to her.
"Now I'll show you the camp." Still licking her paw, Copper trailed behind him.
"This is the medicine den." A cool gouge in the cliff face lay ahead, where the sweet scent of ancient leaves permeated the air, making Copper feel woozy. "You get used to it, and besides, these herbs are rotting." He explained, seeing her drooping.
They quickly exited the den, as Firestar moved onto the nursery. "This is our nursery, where all the kits were raised. Your mother herself was born here."
"Sparkpelt was telling me that she tried to make a nursery for us when we were younger. The Twolegs found us before we opened our eyes."
Firestar nodded. "Yes, that sounds like her." Another bush drifted into view, this time the warriors' den.
"Why's it so big?"
"We were a big Clan before the Twolegs came."
"Ah."
"The leader's den is right up there, on Highledge. Come and see me there if you need me. As for you, you'll sleep in the apprentices' den. "
She was led to a cavern in the rocks, marked with the hollowed branches of an upturned tree.
"Take half of the moss I brought. That should be enough for you to sleep in."
She obliged, taking the bundle of moss and setting it down. She curled up in it, finding it nowhere near as comfortable as her bed at home.
Regardless, she had soon drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.