As dawn approached a small shape slips silently out of the apprentice's den and out into the still shadowy clearing. Her small body shivered in the chilly morning air. it was just the beginnings of Newleaf, but remains of snow still stuck to the branches, shimmering in the sun like moonstones. As she patted near the entrance of the gorse tunnel, the sable-furred apprentice leapt back with a mewl of surprise when a group of at least 5 cats entered camp.
The leader of the dawn patrol was a dark brown tomcat with a scarred left eye and a twisted hind-leg. His one visable amber eye blinked in stunned surprise when he saw the young apprentice standing there. "Starlingpaw," he mewed in surprise. "What are you doing out here so early?" The sable-furred apprentice blushed and ducked her head. "Well, you know me, Skylark," she mewed with a teasing smile on her face. "Well since you're up so early, why don't you go see if Cindercloud needs you for anything," mewed a dark-gray-and-white striped tabby she-cat, her sky-blue eyes glowing in the light of the rising sun.
"Yes, Smokeyfur," the sable-apprentice mewed while dipping her head to the rest of the patrol. "Have a good day, Dearflame, Silvertail, Nightcloud, and Larkwing." She mewed a quick farewell before bounding off to the medicine cats den, where her mentor, Cindercloud, was most likely waiting for Starlingpaw to come and help sort the herb storage.
Starlingpaw nodded, turned, and raced back to the medicine den to help her mentor sort herbs. As the young she-cat approached the entrance of the medicine cat den, she quietly pocked her head inside. And sure enough, her mentor, Cindercloud, was awake. As Starlingpaw entered the den, the dark-gray she-cat looked up from her sorting work, Cindercloud smiled warmly at her apprentice as she motioned with her tail for the sable-furred apprentice to come help her.
"Wow! You're sure up early this morning, aren't you, Starlingpaw?" Cindercloud mewed in a friendly tone while checking the herb storage. The sable-furred apprentice nodded her head with a nervous laugh. "Y-Yes, yes I did, Cindercloud." She mewed in a quiet but clear tone of voice. The dark-gray medicine cat smiled warmly down at her apprentice.
"Hay, Starlingpaw? Would you mind helping me collect some more horsetail and marigold leaves?" Came the voice of her mentor, Cindercloud. Starlingpaw shook her head to clear her thoughts as she turned and gave Cindercloud a nod and a bright smile, and the dark gray she-cat returned it. "We should let Whitestar know where we're going," the sable-furred apprentice mewed, and Cindercloud nodded in agreement as the two made there way to Whitestar's den at the base of Highrock.
When the two cats entered Whitestar's den, they saw that she was talking with two other cats. Starlingpaw's eyes landed on the two other cats, one was a white furred tomcat with bright blue eyes, and the other cat was a pretty white furred molly with bright ginger patches and blueish-green eyes. "Hello, Snowcloud. Hello, Brightleaf." Cindercloud greeted the two other cats with a nod and a warm smile, witch they both returned. "So, Cindercloud, Starlingpaw, what can I do for you?" Whitestar asked the two of them as they entered her den.
Cindercloud smiled and ducked her head. "We're going out to collect herbs." She mewed. Whitestar nodded and Starlingpaw and Cindercloud left the den and made there way out of camp and through the gorse tunnel. "So, Starlingpaw, tell me, do you remember what we're looking for?" Cindercloud asked her apprentice. Starlingpaw nodded and quickly mewed, "Some horsetail and marigold leaves," Cindercloud nodded with a proud gleam in her eyes.
It took a while but Cindercloud and Starlingpaw finally gathered all of the herbs that they needed and with the herbs clutched in there jaws, the two she-cats began making there way back to camp. As they passed through the gorse tunnel that lead into camp, the two she-cats patted towards the medicine den to begin sorting the herbs.
"I think we might need to go and gather some more herbs tomorrow," Starlingpaw mewed to her mentor while checking the shelves of herbs. Cindercloud lifted her head from her sorting work and with a confused look on her face, she limped over to see what her apprentice was referring to. "What are we running low on, Starlingpaw?" The sable-furred apprentice motioned with her tail to where she had just organized what was remaining of the time leaves and cobwebs. Cindercloud sighed heavily and flattened her ears. "Well we can't go back out now. It's almost sundown." The dark-gray she-cat mewed tiredly.