Fogclan: A New Beginning

Miststar stood just outside of her den, surveying the camp with intent blue eyes. Her misty gray forepaws rested on a thick root that crossed in front of her den and was criss-crossed with the Fogclan leader's claw marks. Overhead, the steadily brightening sky still glimmered with a few stars that hadn't yet been hidden by the sun's light.

Flashpaw was silently resting with her head on her small, delicate paws out in the open, near the store of sharp-smelling herbs. The young tabby kept her forest green eyes closed, unwilling to rise yet.

Foxleap padded into camp with a large, limp rabbit hanging from his powerful jaws. He felt the leader's bright blue eyes on him, but he pretended not to notice and placed the fresh-kill in the pile in the center of camp. He often hunted overnight or early in the morning. It was more peaceful and quiet then, since few cats were up that early. The fox-colored warrior then turned in a half circle and headed right back out of camp to collect the other prey he'd buried.

Bloodpool's crimson eyes abruptly flicked open. The large ginger warrior rose to his paws and stretched with a yawn. He glanced momentarily at the ceiling of leaves and tree branches above his head that covered the warriors' den. There was a bit of water dripping down from it. That wouldn't matter much to any Fogclan-born cat, though, since it was almost always wet.

Stormblaze slept alone in the nursery, laying on her side with her black paws splayed out in front of her.

Oakheart stirred with a large yawn and an arching stretch. He blinked sleepily a few times; his amber eyes slowly roving from the other cats in the Warrior's den, to the roof of the den, to the entrance of the den. He noticed that Bloodpool was already awake and that Foxleap wasn't in the den. He was probably out hunting last night, the tan tabby thought as he casually set about cleaning some of the moss from his fur. With that task soon finished, he shook himself and walked toward the entrance of the den. "Good morning, Bloodpool," the deputy said quietly, not wanting to be very loud so early in the morning.

Patchdawn had been awake for awhile, softly going through the medical stores. Every few days, depending on how often cats came in to be treated for injuries or maladies, she would check how much of each herb and treatment she had left and what kind of condition they were in. The black and white medicine cat had already observed that she and Flashpaw would need to go out to get some more poppy seeds and borage leaves. It probably would be a good idea to gather some coltsfoot and thyme as well, she realized, thinking of Stormblaze and her coming litter. She turned her bright green gaze to her slumbering apprentice and smiled. She could remember a time when she disliked waking up around dawn as well.

Dustpaw dreamed of stalking her prey. She was in the forest, treading silently toward an unsuspecting mouse. The dark tabby apprentice crept closer to the mouse, constantly keeping the advice her mentor, Miststar, gave her in mind. The mouse looked up suddenly. With a mental curse, Dustpaw pounced. But it was too late. The mouse had bolted down a nearby hole and the young she-cat landed in a pile of moss. With a start, Dustpaw woke in the apprentice's den lying chest-deep in moss. She glanced at the light coming in from the entrance and held back a groan. There was no way she would be able to go back to sleep at this time of day.

"Morning, Oakheart," Bloodpool meowed. He sounded pretty cheerful for a cat who'd just woken up. His crimson eyes flicked over to the other sleeping warriors, then back to the deputy. "Great morning, isn't it?"

Foxleap followed his faint scent trail back into the forest. The dew-covered grass had almost totally masked his scent, so it was a bit of a challenge for the young warrior to find the spot where he'd buried the rest of his prey. However, he wasn't at much of a disadvantage with his heightened senses, and he soon came upon the spot. He swiped the loose, damp earth off the crow and pair of mice he'd caught along with the rabbit he'd brought to camp earlier. It took some work, but he managed to get all three in his jaws at once; he had the crow by one wing and the mice by their tails. He carefully made his way back to camp, not wanting to drop anything.

"So far," Oakheart mewed with a small smile. "It's a little early for the whole morning to be great just yet." The deputy looked outside of the Warriors' den and glanced around the camp. There was some movement over by the Medicine Cat's den and the tom thought he saw Miststar just inside of her den. Which reminded him . . . "Dawn patrol will be heading out soon. Would you like to come with, Bloodpool?"

Dustpaw waded out of the moss-pile. She wasn't even sure how she had gotten that much moss to make such a large pile in the first place. Feeling slightly embarrassed and not wanting to leave the den right away, the apprentice rearranged the moss into smaller, more manageable nests. As she did so, she wondered what her mentor, Miststar, had planned for her training today.

Bloodpool grinned. "Sounds good to me. Who else do ya think we should take?" He looked around almost as though he expected the other warriors to suddenly wake up and trip over each other asking to join the patrol.

Foxleap didn't spare a glance for any of the other cats as he padded through the tunnel and into camp. The young tom padded to the plentiful fresh-kill pile and let his crow and pair of mice drop to the ground next to the rabbit he'd brought back earlier. Then he finally noticed some of the cats that'd been sleeping earlier were starting to rise, and he sat down in the shadows near the camp's entrance to groom his fur.

Miststar turned her blue gaze to the apprentices' den. She was waiting for Dustpaw to emerge so she could take the she-cat out for some early morning training; usually, the leader took her apprentices out later in the day so the grass would be somewhat drier and easier to keep on their paws without the morning dew.

Flashpaw sighed in defeat and sat up. She flicked a scrap of moss of of her ear and looked up at Patchdawn.

Stormblaze's quiet snoring changed into regular breathing, and she opened her striking violet eyes. She yawned widely, but made no move to sit up.

Oakheart smiled at Bloodpool's enthusiasm. "I was thinking of asking Foxleap to come along and maybe one or two more." He glanced outside of the den and saw that Foxleap had come back into the camp. Good, Oakheart thought.

Dustpaw sighed and realized that she couldn't waste anymore time. She shook off any remaining moss and left the apprentices' den, heading towards Miststar's den. She knew her mentor didn't usually take apprentices out until later in the day, but the leader had told the young apprentice yesterday that they would begin training early today.

"Good morning, Flashpaw," Patchdawn mewed with a smile. She went over which herbs they would need to gather in her head one more time: poppy seeds, borage leaves, coltsfoot, and thyme. "Did you have a good sleep?" the medicine cat asked as she looked at her young apprentice.

(Do you think we should have a couple of npc warriors for the moment for patrol purposes?)

(Yeah. I don't think we really have enough cats for a suitable patrol while still having other things going on.)

Miststar padded forward to meet Dustpaw. "Ready to head out now, or would you like something to eat first?" the misty gray leader asked. As she spoke, she glanced over at the fresh-kill pile. She herself wasn't hungry yet; she'd rather eat after training.

"I can get those two," Bloodmoon meowed, and turned to the sleeping warriors with a devious glint in his amber eyes. Let's see. Who do I get to startle awake? Ahh... His gaze locked on one of the younger warriors, a white she-cat. The ginger tom quietly padded up in front of her, stuck his face right next to hers, and said, "Boo!" right in her ear.
The she-cat shot to her paws, nearly clawing Bloodmoon's ears off. "Hey!" she yelped indignantly.
Bloodmoon stuck out his tongue. "C'mon, you're joining the patrol." With that, he looked for his next victim.

"Good morning to you as well, and yes," Flashpaw replied quietly. She looked between her mentor and the herbs questioningly. "Are we going to need to gather a few things?"

Dustpaw glanced at the fresh-kill pile and then back at Miststar and shook her head. "No thank you, Miststar. I'd like to eat later." Eating before-hand made her sluggish and less alert.

"Alright," the deputy said. He had been about to recommend that Bloodpool wake two warriors quietly out of consideration for the cats that wouldn't be going out on patrol but the ginger warrior had already made his move. Oakheart winced at the younger she-cat's yelp. "Sorry about that," he told her.
The white she-cat sniffed and stiffly stalked out of the den, her fur standing on end.
"Bloodpool," Oakheart said, "be a bit nicer about waking them up please. I'd like to not have to send you to Patchdawn this early in the day." And it would be nice if he could avoid waking up the entire camp.

"Yes," Patchdawn said. "We're running low on poppy seeds and borage leaves and we'll need to gather some coltsfoot and thyme for Stormbreeze and her kits." She looked at her apprentice. "Do you think you're ready to leave now?"

Miststar nodded. "Then come on." She trotted through the entrance and out into the forest, waving her long tail for Dustpaw to follow. She started heading towards the training area.

Bloodpool sighed with obvious disappointment. "Alright, alright. I didn't think it was that mean, though. Better than what my mentor liked to do!" His mentor, before being killed, had had a habit of smacking Bloodpool- Bloodpaw then- in the head to wake him up if he slept late. Since then, he'd always been an early riser. With a flick of his tail, he more kindly roused a gray tom, then turned to Oakheart. "Ready."

Flashpaw nodded and stood, licking her ruffled fur. "I can leave now."

Dustpaw dashed after her leader and mentor, past her brother who she called out a greeting to as she left, and out of the camp. She skidded to a stop and looked around for Miststar. The apprentice caught sight of her walking towards the training area and hurried to catch up with her.

Oakheart chuckled. "That's true. I can remember watching the pair of you as a young warrior."
The grey tom yawned, stretched, then blinked at Bloodpool and the deputy questioningly.
"Dawn patrol," the tabby tom said in a way of explanation. "Let's get the other two then."

"Good," Patchdawn purred. "We can go right away then." She rose to her paws and trotted out of camp, pausing just outside of the entrance so her apprentice could catch up with her.

Miststar chuckled. "Save your energy for training," she chided with a glance over her shoulder at the young apprentice.

Bloodpool nodded and trotted out of the den, grinning apologetically when the white she-cat gave him a nasty glare. "Foxleap! Oakheart wants you on the dawn patrol!" he called across the clearing.

Foxleap pricked up his ears. After returning Dustpaw's greeting, he'd watch her disappear into the forest. Now the fox colored tom nodded, stood, and trotted to the warriors den to meet with the rest of the patrol.

Flashpaw quickly trotted after her mentor, sparing a glance at the other cats who'd woken up. She caught up and hesitated for a moment, waiting for Patchdawn to lead the way.

The apprentice slowed to a walk but kept close behind her mentor. "Sorry, Miststar," Dustpaw with an apologetic smile. She was eager to see what her training would go over today.

Oakheart and the grey tom left the warriors' den after Bloodpool. "If everyone is ready then we should be off before the sun gets any higher," the deputy said looking at the four warriors he had asked to be on dawn patrol. The white she-cat and the grey tom both indicated that they were ready to leave.

When Flashpaw caught up with her, Patchdawn headed into the forest where patches of borage, coltsfoot, and thyme grew. "What does borage look like, Flashpaw?" the medicine cat asked, quizzing her apprentice. She needed to make sure that the young she-cat knew how to take care of the clan when the time came for her to become Fogclan's medicine cat.

Miststar chuckled again. "It's alright. But you don't want to be too tired for your training today, do you?" She quickened her pace slightly, then stopped when they reached the training area. Her gaze passed over the clearing, then settled on the flat stone right in the center. "Do you remember what I told you about how to use rocks like that to your advantage?" she quizzed. Since there were plenty of rocks, hidden and scattered through their territory, that knowledge could come in handy during a fight here; things like jumping off of them to gain extra height, concealing yourself behind or sometimes even on them, and other basics.

Foxleap dipped his head to the deputy, showing that he was ready, while Bloodmoon meowed, "Let's go!" They waited for Oakheart to take the lead.

"Borage..." Flashpaw tipped her head to the side slightly as she recalled its appearance. "It has small blue or pink star-shaped flowers and those leaves with fuzz on them, right?"

"No, Miststar," Dustpaw laughed. The young apprentice continued to follow her mentor to the training area. She watched the older she-cat look around the clearing and flicked her tail-tip in thought as she considered Miststar's question. "I think so," Dustpaw said slowly. "I can climb on top of larger rocks to give me an advantage over bigger opponents or in an ambush. I can use them to jump down onto cats I'm fighting. If there's an invader I can use his unfamiliarity with the terrain to try and trip him up on smaller rocks." The tabby apprentice felt there was another part on the subject that she had yet to remember and paused. "Oh! And I can use them to hide if necessary, right?"

Oakheart nodded and set off, leading the patrol out of camp. He traveled at a steady pace, neither fast nor slow, in the direction of the closest border. The grey tom and the white she-cat followed him, the she-cat walking as far away from Bloodpool as she reasonably could while still staying with the patrol.

"Correct," Patchdawn said, pleased with her apprentice's memory. "Now, what is its use and how is it administered?" The medicine cat judged that she would have time for at least one more question before they reached their destination, depending on how long Flashpaw took to answer those two.

(Which is the closest border to the entrance to the Fogclan camp?)

(That would be Lightningclan's border to the west, which is often patrolled more than the border with Shiverclan due to past tension between the two Clans. Fogclan has the northeast area, by the way.

Also, since it's kind of annoying just to refer to them as 'the gray tom' and 'the white she-cat', I've given them names. The she-cat is Cloudbreeze, and the tom is Stonefang.)

"That's right," Miststar meowed. "And now, I'll continue to build on this all." She bounded forward and leaped onto the rock, where she turned to face Dustpaw again. "You see, Fogclan cats aren't neccessarily the only cats who know how to use stones like this to their advantage. Rogues, loners, and sometimes other Clan cats sometimes know how. So it's not only a good idea to know how you can use it to your advantage, but also know how your opponent can and how to counter it." Her paws slid lightly on the cool, hard surface as she shifted into a crouch. "If you have any ideas for how to do so, why don't you try it out on me now to see if it works?" She knew Dustpaw would most likely be intelligent enough to figure something out. If not, then she could just tell the apprentice a few useful tips.

Bloodpool was relaxed as he followed the tabby tom through their territory. He lifted his nose and breathed in the damp smell of the foggy blanket laying over the forest. He didn't seem to notice that he was be avoided by Cloudbreeze. Either that, or he didn't care. However, as the patrol neared Lightningclan's border, his shoulders started to tense up.

Foxleap, much unlike Bloodpool, was alert and serious as he trotted after Oakheart. He'd much rather be going out to the border himself, or at least without that happy-go-lucky warrior tagging along. Foxleap just didn't really get how he could act like that all the time.

Flashpaw tilted her head, considering. "Um..." Then the answer popped into her head. "Nursing queens chew it up to produce more milk, and it can be used for fevers, too." She thought for another moment and then said, "Stormblaze will need some for her kits, right?"

(One more thing. Would you mind if I started making stuff up for Foxleap and Dustpaw's family history?)