no angst Early Days & Sleepless Nights | Morning Ritual

[Mosspool]

Mosspaw loved routine. It made her feel organized, accomplished, and grown up.

This morning, she woke up at the crack of dawn and crept out as to not wake any of her denmates. Once she was outside, she swiftly padded to the same spot in camp she had the two mornings prior and set herself down. It was the perfect little spot. From here, she had the best view of the sunrise and she got to feel the light's rise as they crept across her fur.

Everyone kept telling her that she needed to take time to relax. One fellow apprentice had even asked her, bluntly, if she ever did anything fun. When she told him training was fun, he gave her an odd look. The concern and confusion of her denmates she didn't mind, but warriors too had brought it up to her. It didn't sit right with her to completely ignore her elders. So, she had made this little addition to her morning routine.

Until the sunrise was over, she would sit here and watch it. Surely that was enough relaxing for a day.

She was so good at this.​

 

[willowroot]

( ☾ ) a deep yawn stretches the jaws of the smoke feline as they lead their patrol back into the temporary camp. dawn has begun to caress the sky with golden streaks of light, the sun rising from its darkened nest. the early border patrol had been nothing short of uneventful. on a beautiful day such as this one, nothing seems to want to cause trouble, not even a stray fox. willowroot flicks her tail to her clanmates, smiling at each as some slink back into dens, others sniff around the fresh kill pile. her own eyes are heavy with fatigue, but her body is awake and alive, blood flowing from her hike through the territory. so, when she spots her daughter seated in a half-lit spot near the edge of camp, she brightens and pads over.

if one would ask willowroot a defining characteristic about mosspaw, she would answer diligent without a doubt. the young molly is dedicated to becoming the best... whatever... she can be. it's amusing, inspiring, and sometimes worrying, but willow makes sure to keep an eye on the girl. her daughter sits, now, staring off at the sunrise. the lead will greet her with a purr, sidling up beside the tabby. "good morning, my minnow," she greets, craning her neck over to swipe a lick across the apprentice's head. "why are you up so early? greeting the sun?" ​

( THE LIGHT YOU GAVE ME )

 

[Crawlingroach]

SKY HIGH —The black tom with the white chest had been sat on guard by the entrance when he spied Willowroot and the others returning. Politely he dipped his head in greeting to them before he tailed them into the centre of the temporary camp. With the patrol and the first of the wakened cats now beginning to bring life back to the place he doubted he was needed at his post. Needless to say but he was eager to get to his nest for a quick snooze before he got roped into anymore duties.

Though he spotted Mosspaw, and of course Willowroot talking with her. Smiling, he approached them both and waved his tail in greeting. "Good morning to you both, I trust you saw that fantastic sunrise too then?"​

 

[Mosspool]

"Good morning mother." Mosspaw replied pleasantly, offering a greeting in her formal way. Her eyes did not stray from the sunset even as her mother licked her head affectionately. Her scheduled relaxation wasn't over yet, after all. She did, however, visibly brighten under Willowroot's affections, leaning into her. "Mhmmm." She answered her mother's questions simply.

Slowly, the orange hues of sunrise finished their bloom, and began to fade as the sun pulled itself over the horizon. Only then did her eyes finally leave the sky. She blinked and stretched, just in time to spot Crawlingroach approaching her. Dipping her head in greeting, she eagerly addressed his question.

"I did. Every moment of it." Mosspaw told him proudly, glad that her good work relaxing had been recognized.​

 

[lichenstar]

Stretching out her legs in a most meticulous and intentional fashion, Lichentail was certain to make sure she was limber for any potential morning patrols. The sun was on its lazy way up into the sky and as other half asleep faces poked their way out of their dens, she couldn't say there was any better feeling than the companionship of everyone waking up after a restful, quiet night by the river.

Smiling to herself in that reverie she had hardly noticed a small smattering of other adults standing around one of the apprentices. Nosy as ever despite her unwillingness to talk about herself much, the molly finished up her morning stretches before padding over, waving her tail in greeting.

"Good morning river dwellers," she mewed, immediately deciding that term was not a great success and as such, would not repeat that again.​

 

[RAVENSONG]

Not the morning bird himself, Ravenpaw was hunched outside the temporary medicine den to stretch out his legs. His attention was only diverted to Mosspaw when Willowroot's patrol returned—a new wave of cats had re-entered the beech camp. The few moments of precious silence would soon evaporate for the apprentice. He groaned and hunched his head down.

He did not know Mosspaw well, but from the snippets and reputation around the camp, she seemed to be the hardest worker of the apprentices. She might even be another Iciclefang. Maybe she's a little nicer though, Ravenpaw thought to himself as he watched the warriors gather around her.

"Wonderful day," He remarked. "If it would rain, that would be nice." He did genuinely like the rain.


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