Post by Swanstar on Apr 7, 2007 8:37:47 GMT -5
Swanstar stretched out her sharp white claws in the dappled patches of sunlight that descended on golden rays through the thorns and thistles of the camp’s wall. It was a beautiful morning from what the limber she-cat could see; a thin layer of snow caked the ground in dusty white splotches, but there definitely was warmth in the winds that brushed along her springy whiskers. Small black beetles poked their smooth heads out of knotholes in the fallen red oak that bordered the camp edge. The red streaked robins threaded among the wall of the camp, singing bright songs. As Swanstar looked closely, she could see the little bulbs at the tips of the thorn bushes’ branches—tender scarlet diamonds of buds. The she-cat sniffed the tops of them to confirm her suspicions. It was a sweet smell: the essence of spring.
She closed up a wide yawn and brought herself back on her four ginger feet. Satisfied with the day so far, Swanstar picked her way through the damp and muddy soil of the ShadowClan camp. The long she-cat paused at the foot of the Large Rock to scan its mottled aged surface for any more signs of spring popping up before becoming a lean shape. A single leap brought her atop the monumental stone, rounded at the top from all those years of anxious leaders kneading their paws on it before announcing whatever dreadful news. It made Swanstar all the more thankful that her Clan was so favoured by StarClan. “Excuse me!” she yowled, “This isn’t a Clan meeting, but I do need the attention of any warriors or apprentices. A good Clan can gain all of its support from its patrols, and so it is my duty to announce the assignments for today.
“Cloudtail will take the dawn patrol with Darktail. It wouldn’t be bad if you two also caught a bit of fresh-kill. Tigerstripe will probably be spending time showing Darkpaw around the borders. Twistedpaw, until he has a mentor, will go hunting with Spottedshadow for the rest of the day. Seeing as Brackenpaw doesn’t have a mentor either, I will take him and Littlepaw on the evening patrol. Ravenpaw will join a patrol later, but today he should stay at camp in the instance that we are attacked.” Swanstar stopped and nodded. “Although I doubt any cat will trespass after that leaf-bare we’ve endured. But it never hurts to be prepared.”
She closed up a wide yawn and brought herself back on her four ginger feet. Satisfied with the day so far, Swanstar picked her way through the damp and muddy soil of the ShadowClan camp. The long she-cat paused at the foot of the Large Rock to scan its mottled aged surface for any more signs of spring popping up before becoming a lean shape. A single leap brought her atop the monumental stone, rounded at the top from all those years of anxious leaders kneading their paws on it before announcing whatever dreadful news. It made Swanstar all the more thankful that her Clan was so favoured by StarClan. “Excuse me!” she yowled, “This isn’t a Clan meeting, but I do need the attention of any warriors or apprentices. A good Clan can gain all of its support from its patrols, and so it is my duty to announce the assignments for today.
“Cloudtail will take the dawn patrol with Darktail. It wouldn’t be bad if you two also caught a bit of fresh-kill. Tigerstripe will probably be spending time showing Darkpaw around the borders. Twistedpaw, until he has a mentor, will go hunting with Spottedshadow for the rest of the day. Seeing as Brackenpaw doesn’t have a mentor either, I will take him and Littlepaw on the evening patrol. Ravenpaw will join a patrol later, but today he should stay at camp in the instance that we are attacked.” Swanstar stopped and nodded. “Although I doubt any cat will trespass after that leaf-bare we’ve endured. But it never hurts to be prepared.”