Sighing as she slashed at moss, Cometpaw piled more and more moss moss on her pile. She was stuck on nest duty after she had sneaked out again. Slash. Slash. It was all she was doing. Slash. Slash. She wished she could be out hunting or fighting with Swiftpaw. Slash. Slash. This was so boring. Slash. Slash. Cometpaw looked questionably at her pile of moss. Was this enough? She quickly decided it was and rolled them into balls.
Ripping a large dock leaf sprouting from a pine, she piled some moss balls onto it. She folded the edges and tucked them tight. Grasping it underneath her chin, she tore another leaf and piled the rest of the moss balls on there. She figured she didn't have to make trips back and forth, carrying all the moss balls if she tucked them into leaves.
Picking the other leaf up with her jaws, she waddled awkwardly back to camp, hoping the moss balls wouldn't fall out. Reaching the Pine-glow Clearing, she tumbled into camp, moss trailing behind her. "Wow. That's quite a load." a voice snickered.
She glanced behind her. Ugh. Sheeppaw. The annoying, aloof tom, also known for being very arrogant.
"Shut up! I bet you wouldn't even be smart enough to do this!" she shoved the moss-full leaves in his face, but he just snickered and bounced away. Fury seethed through her pelt, but she pushed it down. Collecting all the moss that had fallen from the leaves, she bundled them all together and carried them to the elders' den.
Poking her head in, she saw Ivypatch snoring on his bedding while Weaselear and Oakstripe were sharing a plump vole.
Weaselear looked up, his gray muzzle twisting in delight. "Well, if it isn't Cometpaw again." he nudged Ivypatch as the tom continued to sleep. Ivypatch groaned and rolled over, eyes blinking wearily in the dim light.
Cometpaw huffed quietly to herself and started to drag out Oakstripe's bedding, the trampled and damp moss slithering on the ground. She flung it into the pine trees and bounded back into the den. Snatching Weaselear's bedding, she bundled it and dragged it into the forest.
She trotted back and stared at Ivypatch, who was still on his bedding, snoring.
She shrugged and awkwardly began to collect some of her moss, building it up into a nest. She took fresh bracken and weaved it in the nest neatly.
Fluffing the moss up, she finished the nest. Grunting, she pulled it over to where Oakstripe's nest used to be and gazed at the nest. Starting on Weaselear's nest, she began with the moss, then bracken. Placing the nest next to Weaselear, she fluffed it up again, pricking up the moss with her claws.
Feeling awkward, she turned to the two awake elders. "Uh, what about Ivypatch?" They glanced at each other, and then Oakstripe spoke up. "I'll wake him." the old she-cat shook the white-and-gray tom by the shoulder.
Ivypatch grunted and opened his eyes. "Huh..?" he groaned. Oakstripe inhaled and proceeded to yell, "WAKE UP!" with a voice that seemed to shake the den. Ivypatch shot up, eyes wide, fur bristling. "For the last time Oakstripe, DON'T WAKE ME LIKE THAT!!"Oakstripe just snorted and turned. "It's the only way you wake up." she grunted. "Okay then..." Cometpaw continued her work and weaved moss and bracken and pine needles until she had made another nest.
"I'll be going then."
Cometpaw made her way out of the den, feeling awkward about what just happened.
As the last rays of sunlight filtered through camp, she bounded to the fresh-kill pile with ruffled fur. Gazing at it, water collected in her mouth as she saw a wood mouse among the pile. Those weren't common here. It was her favorite prey. Hooking her claws into the mouse, she dragged it out of the pile and made her way over the Rock Stump. There weren't any other cats around there.
It was a boulder next to the apprentices den and where the apprentices usually ate. The younger apprentices sat at the lowest part of the rock, or the base of it, while the older apprentices sat near the top, or on the top.
Getting comfortable at the base of the rock, she settled and bit into the succulent mouse. "Hey." a voice startled her.
"Swiftpaw!" she exclaimed. "You scared me!" she mewed indignantly.
"Sorry." he replied with a grunt, a vole hanging from his jaws. Lashing her tail and sweeping it on the ground, she continued eating. Bite after bite, she finished the wood mouse slowly. Licking her jaws, she swiped her tongue over her whiskers, cleaning them. Straightening, she started cleaning her ruffled and dusty fur, smoothing it down. She constantly licked her paw, swiping over her ears and face. Soon enough, she was clean. Stretching and yawning, the sunlight had already faded and the moon was rising. "Well, I'm off to bed. Night." she mewed a good-bye to her brother, who was staring at the rising stars. Collapsing into her warm nest, she let sleep wash over herself like a blanket.